Shin-Gi-Tai (Mysterious Charms)
Disclaimer: I own everything in this story. Everything, except the Johhnys mentioned (L sad right?).
Summary:
An ancient myth revolves around a powerful martial artist who’s been entrusted with the task of training ten disciples every era to face an evil warlord and his army, all who possess the gift of immortality.
Mysterious Charms
A child's heart wants to, yearns to, needs to believe in the existence of everlasting friendship. Overcoming distances; time and space, it is one of his most cherished possessions. But isn't it strange that someone could delve so deep into his childhood wonders that he loses his sense of time? An eternal playground, hidden from the world....even if his one and only playmate grows up....Can you resist....the mysterious charms of eternal youth...
i)Mysterious Play
“Hey, come out from under there, it’s safe now,”
A boy in his mid-teens was on all fours. His palms pressed deeper into the mud, flattening the grass underneath as he squinted below a fallen trunk covered with moss. Jet black hair gently swung over the plump sides of his flushed cheeks as beads of sweat rolled down his forehead. Yet a charming smile crept upon his face as a furry little creature poked out a pink nose from below the trunk.
“Yes, that’s it, come out, come out and play with me,” he whispered gently as a little wolf cub crawled out from beneath the damp wood, sniffing his extended palm curiously. The delighted boy cupped his hands around the little animal and gently swooped it up into the air, falling on his back. He smiled as he looked up into the cub’s beady eyes, looking down upon him without a trace of fear.
“What’s your name boy? Oh….so you don’t have one yet? That’s ok, that’s what I’m here for ne….let’s see…..how’s Kuu? Kawai dessu ne….so that’s it then…”
He sat up, placing the brown cub in his lap, patting its tiny, delicate head.
“You hungry?” he asked before turning slightly to reach a wooden O-bento lying untouched in the grass. Opening it, he pinched a very small portion of shrimp and placed it in front of the cub’s mouth. Kuu started licking it, slowly at first before taking the whole piece into its mouth.
“Wow, you like it huh?”
Upon the sound of wings the boy looked up to see a mountain eagle perch on a branch of a nearby tree.
“Ohaiyo Tsu-chan,” he said with a smile. The eagle’s tiny eyes seemed focused on the wolf cub happily gorging down the piece of shrimp and it clicked its beak in a disapproving fashion.
“Oh, come on Tsu-chan, his mother was hunted down by the villagers, he’s all alone,”
The eagle blinked down at him.
“I can very well take care of him, and you and the rest are going to help me right?”
The eagle clicked its beak again.
“I’ll take that as a yes,” he replied with a slight pout which turned into a smile as Kuu snuggled against his stomach, curling into a ball.
Just then a squirrel came into view as it scurried down a tree and onto the boy’s shoulder, making little squeaky sounds near his ear. The boy laughed as the action tickled him.
“Yamette Chiiro, why so excited….hmm…..NANI?”
An air of urgency overtaking him, he reached for his bento and then a cloth bag in which he stuffed his lunch and placed Kuu gently on the ground before getting swiftly to his feet.
“Gomen Kuu, I have to go now…..what is that? You want to come…..ok….,”
The boy took off, a squirrel on his shoulder, wolf cub on his heels and an eagle soaring overhead, watchful eyes on her overexcited master.
He ran fast over trunks and under branches, swerving, turning, swinging, jumping and finally climbing over a muddy slope studded with rocks. He pulled himself up using a strong branch of a tree, coming to stand at the edge of a cliff overlooking a port.
It was a lively place. Filled with colour and noise. Banners and flags hung over and around stalls, merchants and travelers thronged the docks as a couple of ships were seen to be arriving at a distance, one already having docked and was being unloaded.
“They’re coming back!” he chirruped excitedly. The eagle landed on the branch next to him. Kuu was perched on his right shoe. The boy turned and looked at the eagle, his face flushed with excitement.
“Yuto’s back!”
ii) A Man’s Duty
Two women clad in Kimono’s were seated opposite each other on Tatami matting, hands neatly folded in their laps. A younger woman walked over to them quietly, placing a tray with a pretty tea set of white China on the table between the ladies. Getting to her knees politely she bowed before pouring tea for them. Then, she bowed once again before gently getting to her feet and taking her leave.
“She’s growing up to be quite a fine woman Yamada-san, you must be proud of her,”
Lady Yamada smiled politely at her visitor’s compliment.
“Hai, she has been blessed with quite a few proposals, and fine ones were they,”
“So, why wait?”
“My husband deems it inappropriate for her to be married to anyone but a government official, the proposals were mainly men from the military and locals of the village,”
“Hai, I can understand, men working for the royal court have a much higher demand nowadays don’t they, but then a Samurai isn’t bad either ne?”
“Come to think of it, your son is becoming a scholar isn’t he?”
“Yes, he completed the fundamental part of his studies just recently actually, he will be coming home today,”
“Oh, so dess ka?”
“Hai, hai, he will be undergoing apprenticeship under a renown scholar in an academy near the village…perhaps you’ve heard of him…Kamenashi-sama?”
Lady Yamada almost chocked on her tea. Regaining composure, she returned a smile.
“My…you must be very proud,”
“Indeed I am,”
The two women drank in silence. The visitor placed her crockery down.
“Yamada-san, how is Ryosuke?”
“He’s the same as you remember,”
“Come to think of it, we have been travelling for so long, it’s been almost four years hasn’t it?”
“Yes it has,”
“I’ve heard rumors, I heard people in the village hardly see him, he is rather reserved they say, but I also heard most of the village girls are in love with him,”
“Well, he is rather good looking…”
“Demo Yamada-san, beauty is a much more prized feature in a woman, a man has duties to carry his family name and honour, surely Ryosuke has plans,”
“None of his own no, he is attached to his father, what his father decides will be his decision,”
“Will he take on the family business?”
“Possibly,”
Just then the visitor rose to her feet.
“Goodness me, forgive me Yamada-san, but I have to move, Yuto will be staying tonight only as he has to leave for the academy tomorrow, please come to our house for dinner tonight and please bring your darling children as well,”
“Hai,”
Lady Yamada sank to her knees, the conversation she had last night with her husband replaying in her head.
“If our daughter is married to a commoner, than my business is her main asset, and don’t forget, our youngest daughter requires a dowry as well,”
“Anata, what are you planning for Ryosuke,” Lady Yamada asked her husband.
“You know what he means to me, I love him so much, but in our society, our Family requires an appraisable status, and he, as the heir has to take that responsibility,”
“Dear?”
“My post is definitely for him, but before that, it’s the military,”
“What? But Ryosuke isn’t that type of boy, he’s soft-hearted and youthful and….”
“For how long, he needs to change to fit into today’s society, the society that he hides from, don’t you see dear, it is as if he is afraid of showing himself to the world. I have trouble taking him to town with me, he usually disappears into the forest and comes directly home, he wouldn’t even pursue studies,”
“He didn’t want to leave home,”
“Exactly, it’s my fault for making him so dependent on us, on our love, this is the only way to help him,”
“Have you told him then,”
“I will…soon.”
* * * * * *
Yosh, so these are the first two 'subchapters' of the first of seven stories. Thanks for reading!!
Summary:
An ancient myth revolves around a powerful martial artist who’s been entrusted with the task of training ten disciples every era to face an evil warlord and his army, all who possess the gift of immortality.
Mysterious Charms
A child's heart wants to, yearns to, needs to believe in the existence of everlasting friendship. Overcoming distances; time and space, it is one of his most cherished possessions. But isn't it strange that someone could delve so deep into his childhood wonders that he loses his sense of time? An eternal playground, hidden from the world....even if his one and only playmate grows up....Can you resist....the mysterious charms of eternal youth...
i)Mysterious Play
“Hey, come out from under there, it’s safe now,”
A boy in his mid-teens was on all fours. His palms pressed deeper into the mud, flattening the grass underneath as he squinted below a fallen trunk covered with moss. Jet black hair gently swung over the plump sides of his flushed cheeks as beads of sweat rolled down his forehead. Yet a charming smile crept upon his face as a furry little creature poked out a pink nose from below the trunk.
“Yes, that’s it, come out, come out and play with me,” he whispered gently as a little wolf cub crawled out from beneath the damp wood, sniffing his extended palm curiously. The delighted boy cupped his hands around the little animal and gently swooped it up into the air, falling on his back. He smiled as he looked up into the cub’s beady eyes, looking down upon him without a trace of fear.
“What’s your name boy? Oh….so you don’t have one yet? That’s ok, that’s what I’m here for ne….let’s see…..how’s Kuu? Kawai dessu ne….so that’s it then…”
He sat up, placing the brown cub in his lap, patting its tiny, delicate head.
“You hungry?” he asked before turning slightly to reach a wooden O-bento lying untouched in the grass. Opening it, he pinched a very small portion of shrimp and placed it in front of the cub’s mouth. Kuu started licking it, slowly at first before taking the whole piece into its mouth.
“Wow, you like it huh?”
Upon the sound of wings the boy looked up to see a mountain eagle perch on a branch of a nearby tree.
“Ohaiyo Tsu-chan,” he said with a smile. The eagle’s tiny eyes seemed focused on the wolf cub happily gorging down the piece of shrimp and it clicked its beak in a disapproving fashion.
“Oh, come on Tsu-chan, his mother was hunted down by the villagers, he’s all alone,”
The eagle blinked down at him.
“I can very well take care of him, and you and the rest are going to help me right?”
The eagle clicked its beak again.
“I’ll take that as a yes,” he replied with a slight pout which turned into a smile as Kuu snuggled against his stomach, curling into a ball.
Just then a squirrel came into view as it scurried down a tree and onto the boy’s shoulder, making little squeaky sounds near his ear. The boy laughed as the action tickled him.
“Yamette Chiiro, why so excited….hmm…..NANI?”
An air of urgency overtaking him, he reached for his bento and then a cloth bag in which he stuffed his lunch and placed Kuu gently on the ground before getting swiftly to his feet.
“Gomen Kuu, I have to go now…..what is that? You want to come…..ok….,”
The boy took off, a squirrel on his shoulder, wolf cub on his heels and an eagle soaring overhead, watchful eyes on her overexcited master.
He ran fast over trunks and under branches, swerving, turning, swinging, jumping and finally climbing over a muddy slope studded with rocks. He pulled himself up using a strong branch of a tree, coming to stand at the edge of a cliff overlooking a port.
It was a lively place. Filled with colour and noise. Banners and flags hung over and around stalls, merchants and travelers thronged the docks as a couple of ships were seen to be arriving at a distance, one already having docked and was being unloaded.
“They’re coming back!” he chirruped excitedly. The eagle landed on the branch next to him. Kuu was perched on his right shoe. The boy turned and looked at the eagle, his face flushed with excitement.
“Yuto’s back!”
ii) A Man’s Duty
Two women clad in Kimono’s were seated opposite each other on Tatami matting, hands neatly folded in their laps. A younger woman walked over to them quietly, placing a tray with a pretty tea set of white China on the table between the ladies. Getting to her knees politely she bowed before pouring tea for them. Then, she bowed once again before gently getting to her feet and taking her leave.
“She’s growing up to be quite a fine woman Yamada-san, you must be proud of her,”
Lady Yamada smiled politely at her visitor’s compliment.
“Hai, she has been blessed with quite a few proposals, and fine ones were they,”
“So, why wait?”
“My husband deems it inappropriate for her to be married to anyone but a government official, the proposals were mainly men from the military and locals of the village,”
“Hai, I can understand, men working for the royal court have a much higher demand nowadays don’t they, but then a Samurai isn’t bad either ne?”
“Come to think of it, your son is becoming a scholar isn’t he?”
“Yes, he completed the fundamental part of his studies just recently actually, he will be coming home today,”
“Oh, so dess ka?”
“Hai, hai, he will be undergoing apprenticeship under a renown scholar in an academy near the village…perhaps you’ve heard of him…Kamenashi-sama?”
Lady Yamada almost chocked on her tea. Regaining composure, she returned a smile.
“My…you must be very proud,”
“Indeed I am,”
The two women drank in silence. The visitor placed her crockery down.
“Yamada-san, how is Ryosuke?”
“He’s the same as you remember,”
“Come to think of it, we have been travelling for so long, it’s been almost four years hasn’t it?”
“Yes it has,”
“I’ve heard rumors, I heard people in the village hardly see him, he is rather reserved they say, but I also heard most of the village girls are in love with him,”
“Well, he is rather good looking…”
“Demo Yamada-san, beauty is a much more prized feature in a woman, a man has duties to carry his family name and honour, surely Ryosuke has plans,”
“None of his own no, he is attached to his father, what his father decides will be his decision,”
“Will he take on the family business?”
“Possibly,”
Just then the visitor rose to her feet.
“Goodness me, forgive me Yamada-san, but I have to move, Yuto will be staying tonight only as he has to leave for the academy tomorrow, please come to our house for dinner tonight and please bring your darling children as well,”
“Hai,”
Lady Yamada sank to her knees, the conversation she had last night with her husband replaying in her head.
“If our daughter is married to a commoner, than my business is her main asset, and don’t forget, our youngest daughter requires a dowry as well,”
“Anata, what are you planning for Ryosuke,” Lady Yamada asked her husband.
“You know what he means to me, I love him so much, but in our society, our Family requires an appraisable status, and he, as the heir has to take that responsibility,”
“Dear?”
“My post is definitely for him, but before that, it’s the military,”
“What? But Ryosuke isn’t that type of boy, he’s soft-hearted and youthful and….”
“For how long, he needs to change to fit into today’s society, the society that he hides from, don’t you see dear, it is as if he is afraid of showing himself to the world. I have trouble taking him to town with me, he usually disappears into the forest and comes directly home, he wouldn’t even pursue studies,”
“He didn’t want to leave home,”
“Exactly, it’s my fault for making him so dependent on us, on our love, this is the only way to help him,”
“Have you told him then,”
“I will…soon.”
* * * * * *
Yosh, so these are the first two 'subchapters' of the first of seven stories. Thanks for reading!!