Fan Fiction ❯ The Legend Of Judisho ❯ Enemies and Friends ( Chapter 3 )
[ P - Pre-Teen ]
By: angel_of_the_web 
Tsunami meets one of Shiro's old Pals Ika, a feline girl with a lot of attitude. She also prepares herself for her dual with Shiro's Master.
Anime/Manga: Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Adventure | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 05.18.2002 | Pages: 1 | Words: 3.7K | Visits: 156 | Status: Completed
Tsunami meets one of Shiro's old Pals Ika, a feline girl with a lot of attitude. She also prepares herself for her dual with Shiro's Master.
Anime/Manga: Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Adventure | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 05.18.2002 | Pages: 1 | Words: 3.7K | Visits: 156 | Status: Completed
"Is she alive??" asked a voice. "No, I think she's dead. No one could have bled that bad for that long and lived," answered another voice. "Would you two get away from her. You have no business being in here. Get yourselves out!!" said someone. She could here three sets of feet scampering out of the room. The door slammed shut and everything was quiet. Tsunami started opening her eyes, trying to focus on the image in front of her. Soon the image became clear. Above her was the image of an angel, painted onto the roof. A roof? she wondered to herself. She shot up in the bed, yelping out as the pain rushed to her chest. "Hey.....you shouldn't sit up!" said Shiro. Tsunami looked over to see him sitting next to her bed.
"Where am I?" she asked easing down. "We are at the temple," he said. How could they be in the temple? "After Jiin shot you he ran off. I grabbed you and tried to get here as fast as I could. Luckily the bandages I put on you subsided the bleeding a bit," he said. She closed her eyes and breathed out slowly. "You should not have been training last night. What were you thinking?" he asked. How could he be acting mean now?? She had just awaken. "I'm sorry.....I wanted to train before fighting with your master," she said.
Before Shiro could scold her anymore she screamed out painfully. Grabbing her chest she bent forward, pain filling her pale face. "Tsunami....what's wrong?" asked Shiro. He gasped as he looked at her chest. Where her wound was a black substance was growing around it. It went down her chest by an inch. "No.....he couldn't have," he said to himself. Tsunami slammed herself back against the bed and started gasping for air. "What is wrong with me?" she asked frightened. "He placed a curse on you," he said shocked. Tsunami looked at him in disbelief. "What are you talking about? He shot me with......" she then remembered the moment when he shot the energy at her. His lips moved, quietly saying some kind of spell to himself. "What did he do to me?" she asked. Shiro closed his eyes and sat back in the chair.
"It is known as the curse of the black death. If the blast does not kill you, the blackness will. It is a leech that feeds off of your body, covering every bit of it until you die," he said. That was all Tsunami needed to hear now. It was as if she had accepted her fate. "So....this is how it happens. If your master doesn't kill me this will huh?" she said sarcastically, holding back the tears. Shiro could see how painful this was for her. Before anything else could be spoken, someone knocked at the door. A small, chubby man came stepped into the room. His long, white beard was in many small braids. "Ah, so the young woman is awake now. I am pleased. We feared you weren't going to make it," he said in a gruff voice.
The man walked up to Tsunami and grabbed her arm. He stuck a small needle into it, holding it down with the other hand. "Hey.....that hurts," she said. The man chuckled and pulled the needle out. "Please.....would you prefer if I used one of the bigger needles. Tsunami didn't even have to answer. Just the look on her face answered everything. "My brother is expecting you to fight today young lady. It seems he's in a real hurry to get this over with," he said examining Tsunami wound. "He is your brother?" she asked surprised. The man nodded and gasped. "I know I have the curse," she said sardonically. He looked at her and nodded. "Yes....I am Ishku. At this moment, I am the only doctor in these parts," he said.
"Can I ask you a question?" she asked. Ishku nodded and stepped away from the girl. "Is there a way to get rid of this curse?" she asked. She was afraid that he'd shake his head. "I'm sorry young lady. There is nothing I can do," he said. He started out of the room and stopped to say one last thing. "Shiro, watch after this girl. I believe Jiin will find reasons to get her," he said walking out. Tsunami looked at the man strangely as he walked out. and turned to Shiro. As she looked at him, a vision came to her.
<Vision>
A young boy sits on a hill, holding hands with a little girl. Both of them seem serene. The little girl glances at the boy and smiles. "Do you think we will be together forever?" she asks in an angelic voice. The boy nods and draws her close to him. "I won't let anything ever happen to you. Swearing upon the Code of the Dragons, I will protect you for the rest of my life," he said smiling. The girl blushes and pecks his cheek. His pallid cheeks turn crimson. The smile on the girl's face soon fades. "Do you realize what today is?" she asks. The boy shakes his head and awaits her answer. "It has been three years to this day that we met," she said happily. "Yes.....and I hope there will be many more days like this," he said with a smile.
The image of the two youths disappeared, being replaced by a war torn kingdom. Bodies lay everywhere among the wreckage. A black horse laid next to a burnt corpse that held the Seal of Aeriyian on their chest. A young man walked among the bodies, searching for someone or something. His face his hidden behind a black hooded cape. He stops at the corpse next to the black corpse and drops to his knees. "Father.......no....," cries the youth. His eyes became red with anger and tears disappear. Now only vengeance and hatred run through his veins. "I will get my revenge......and take back that which was ours!!" The boy gets to his feet, grasping the seal which was once on his father's chest. "I will kill Jiin, even if it means taking my own life!!!!!!"
<Vision ends>
Tsunami blinks repeatedly, trying to erase the image of the boy from her mind. Was that Judisho? Why was she seeing all of this. She soon realized Shiro was no longer with her. Turning her head, she saw nothing of Shiro, but instead sat a small girl. Tsunami wondered who on earth she was. "Uh......hello...," she said. The girl smiled and started giggling. She looked like the girl in the vision but smaller. The young one could be no more than three years old. "What are you doing in here little one?" asked Tsunami. The girl stood up from the seat and leaned towards Tsunami. She motioned for her to lean down. Tsunami tilted her head down to see what the girl wanted to tell her. "It will become clear soon," she said. Her voice sounded like one of an angel.
"It will happen soon?" asked Tsunami bewildered. She nodded and stepped away from the confused girl. Tsunami wanted to ask the girl a question but the girl disappeared right in front of her. "What on earth is going on? Where did she go? What did she mean by It will happen soon?" All these questions plagued her mind. She decided that just sitting in the sick bed would do no good. After all, how could her questions be answered by just sitting in bed? Slowly crawling out from under the covers, Tsunami went to search for her clothes. Opening one of the closets all she found where some strange looking dresses, shirts, and skirts. "Where is my freaking clothes!!??" Taking another look at the clothes she decided it was better than nothing. Grabbing one of the dresses she slipped it on, hoping no one would come in as she removed her gown thing they had put on her.
<Outside>
"I want to play Scarasball!!" yelled a child. "No, I want to go swimming at the waterfall!!" yelled another. A cat girl, probably in her late teens stood up and smiled. "I think we should all play hide-and-go-seek! What do ya think lads? I think it'd be fun. What d'ya say to it?" she said. "That sounds fun. Yeah!" roared some of the kids. All the children took off in a frenzy, trying to find the best hiding place. The feline was to find the children and if she did, she'd tickle them. Tsunami watched, laughing to herself as she watched the cat girl pounce onto all the children she discovered. She was catching so many children and was about to win until she saw something displeasing. Shiro walked up next to Tsunami and tapped her on the shoulder. "What are you doing out of bed?" he asked. "Oh....well I didn't want to stay there all day. After all there is so much I need to know and get ready for," she said with a smile. He didn't look pleased at all. "You are not suppose to be up. You're too weak Tsunami. If the master sees you he'll want to battle now. Do you want that?" he asked.
Tsunami was about to tell him no, but instead screamed out as she was being beaten on the head repeatedly. "Don't bother him, he isn't for the takin. You leave him alone ya hussy!!" yelled the feline. "Ika, get off of her!!! What do you think you're doing?" he asked angrily. She looked up at Shiro, gave him an embarrassed smile, and slid off of Tsunami's shoulders. Plopping down next to the beaten girl, Ika gave Tsunami a small kick in the ankle. "What do you think you are doing Ika? Why did you attack her like that?" he asked fuming. "Well.....I.....uh.....we...yur.....see....well.....there's......," she knew she was going to get it now. "She was just attacked today ya know. All she needs is you beating her unconscious. Don't ya think you can leave her alone for now and do your jealousy beatings later?" he asked. She nodded and backed away. "Uh....yeah...sorry Ms..?" Tsunami rubbed the top of her head and sighed. "Tsunami....my name's Tsunami Xay," she said. Just the name seemed to spark something inside of the girl. "Xay?? Oh my gosh....I'm sorry...I.....please excuse me," she said running away.
"What was that about?" she asked. "Ika has been a good friend to me for a long time. I knew her parents very well. They both died a while back in an accident. She feels that only she should be the only woman in my life. That seems to be the case with any human male that gets near a feline woman around here now a days," he said. "Well I'm sorry if I got her riled up," she said confused. Tsunami felt dizzy. Perhaps the cat girl's blows to the head did have an affect on her. Judisho caught her as she started to fall. "C'mon....I'll get you to your room," he said lifting her up. He looked out the corner of his eye, almost smiling because of the look on Ika's face. She didn't like any of this one bit.
<Nighttime>
Shiro sat outside Tsunami's bedroom door. He was staring up at the starry sky. Far off in the distance you could hear the sound of wolves howling. Ika walked along the dirt road, kicking a pebble. "I don't want that girl near him. She probably wants him or sumthin. I want let'r. She'll have ta kill me before she'd gett him. Wait a tic....maybe she is trying to get in his....no....if she is......agh!! The lil hussy!!" she said to herself. She stopped as she approached Shiro. Before even thinking about what she was going to say to him, she blurted out a surprising question. "Is she your mate?" she asked angrily. Shiro looked at her surprised and shook his head.
"I'm training her for the master. She is to fight him tomorrow," he said. "She's got the Emeraldes huh? Who da thunk that gal's got it. How d'ya find her?" she asked. "I just went looking for Mayumi's old home. Surprisingly her family still lived there," he said. Ika sat down next to him and purred. "I wish none of this was happening Shiro. Can I ask ya.....a question?" "Sure," he answered. "Do ya think this girl can break your curse?" she asked curiously. Shiro shook his head and rolled his eyes. "No Ika.......she can not lift my curse, nor can anyone. I have to live like this for the rest of my life. No one can break this away from me.......not even her," he said dejectedly. Ika looked at his face. She saw such pain and loneliness. "Someday.......someone is going to break that curse and make ye your old self. So.....is that girl gonna fight master tomorrow??" she asked. "Well that's if she's better," he answered. Ika laid her head down on his knee and closed her eyes. "What happened to Mayumi?" she asked inquisitively.
Shiro closed his eyes and shook his head. "She died Ika. Unbelievably her daughter killed her. How she did it....I do not know," he answered. Did she hear him correctly. Could the girl in that room have killed Mayumi? "She killed Mayumi?? When?" He stroked her thin, red curls and sighed. "It happened ten years ago. Tsunami said she had opened the case which held the Emeraldes. She can't remember anything else after that, except her brother crying, saying she killed their mother." Ika stretched out her arms and stood up. "Would you like me to check on her?" she asked. Shiro nodded and stood up yawning. "I believe I'm going to go for a walk," he said.
Tsunami sat by the window, staring up at the moon. How she wished she was with her brother and father. She missed everything, even school believe it or not. Every time she thought about the photo, she would be in tears. Now her mother was alive and well, yet she couldn't be near her. This was not fair to her. She didn't ask for any of this. All she wanted was for everything to be back to normal. "Why??? Why did all of this happen to me? I......hmm.....why do I have to be the one to do all of this?? I'm just a teenager. I do not know how to fight.....neither do I know how to even fathom any of this," she said to herself desolately.
"Because ye are the daughter of Mayumi Maxaki, ye must do as your mother once did. It is by blood rights that ye do this. If ye don't then millions, no...........billions of people will die!" yelled Ika. Tsunami didn't even hear the cat girl enter the room. "My mother......she did this also?" she asked stunned. "Ye she did. Ye mother didn't do it for very long though. Ye see Tsunami, ye mother was a great woman. She was born here, her father is our master. He owned the Emeraldes and gave it to her when she was to be married. She was a master swordsmen. Even Shiro couldn't keep up with her. I heard your mum give a promise one night. She said she'd never let ya get a hold of the Emeraldes. You see, anyone that gets a hold of it, well......they never live long. She didn't want you to get caught up into all of it," she said.
Ika sat down at the window next to Tsunami. She noticed the black scarring that was forming on her chest. "So....Jiin placed the curse on you.....," she said. Tsunami wrapped her arms around her knees and laid her head down on them. "Yes.....it doesn't matter though. It won't change anything for me. They say it will kill me. I really don't care. My time was coming soon anyway," she said forlornly. Ika huffed and kicked the girl in the side. "Hey! What was that for!!??" yelled Tsunami shooting up. "What is wrong with you? That is no way to talk. So what if your time is almost up. There is a lot to live for you know. Don't you have a boyfriend?" she asked inquisitively.
"No.....I never have," she answered. Ika glared at the girl. "Do you like Shiro?" she asked. Tsunami started chuckling. "I hardly know the guy. Besides he's cute and all but he can be a real jerk when he wants to be," she giggled. The feline knew what she meant. "Good.....cause I didn't want you taking him," she said with an evil look. Tsunami shook her head and glanced out the window. "Whag is your master like?" she asked curiously. "Oh.....well.....the master can be one of the nicest people on Earth sometimes. Other times he can be the cruelest. It all depends on first impressions. If he likes you the first time he meets you, ya got no problems," she answered. Ika realized the girl needed to be asleep. "Well I best be off. Goodnight Tsunami," she said walking away. The girl smiled and nodded. She slowly walked over to her bed and stopped.
A chill went down her spine. "It will happen soon," said the little voice again. She spun around to see whom said that. The small girl stood there again, smiling at Tsunami. "What is going to happen soon? I don't understand you!" "A gift," she said slowly. A gift? What kind of gift. The girl once again disappeared, leaving Tsunami with so many questions once more. "Just go to sleep," she said to herself. She could figure out all these riddles in the morning. Pulling the covers over herself, Tsunami gradually went off into sleepy land.
In a dark, musky room sat on old figure near a window. The man was very short, almost the same height as the chair he sat in. Next to the chair stood Shiro, staring out of the window. He was focusing on the little hut that Tsunami was staying in. "Is she ready?" asked the short man. Shiro shrugged his shoulders and turned to the petite man. "After Jiin attacked her she's been a bit weak. Ika's constant blows to the girl's head didn't help much either." The man lit an candle next to his desk. Smoke rose up from the match as it went out. The light bounced off of his face, revealing his many wrinkles. "She must be ready tomorrow Shiro. We must do this battle. I have to know if she will be ready for Jiin when he comes," he said gruffly.
Shiro sat down next to the old man and stretched out his legs in front of himself. "Master.......there is something about that girl. I can't quite place it, but........I feel as if I've met her before," he said. "Could it be the fact that you knew her mother?" he asked. He shook his head swiftly. "No....it is just so strange. When I was fighting with her, I felt as if I was fighting all over again with someone else.......someone I could have possibly been friend's with." The old man started to chuckle. "Perhaps it's just that she reminds you of Sera," he said with a wrinkled smile.
"No way......Sera wasn't that feisty. I just wonder if maybe this feeling I have is.......well could she be the one to break my curse?" he asked. The man looked at Shiro and shrugged his shoulders. "That will be for you to decide towards the end young man." Ronku noticed the look on Shiro's face. "What is wrong?" he asked. "I worry that this girl won't defeat Jiin. What if Shinjuku is repeated?" he asked worried. Ronku stood up and walked over to a cabinet. He slowly opened the door and pulled out a book. The book looked like it could have been 1000 years old. Ronku flipped it open and turned to the last page. He handed it to Shiro, smiling as the boy read to himself.
"Doubt leads to death," he read aloud. Shiro closed the book and glared at his master. "So you're saying if I doubt her I'm gonna die?" he asked. The man nodded and started to laugh. "You should realize these things young man. As Ronku put the book back in the cabinet he paused. Shiro grew concerned. "What is it master?" Ronku did not answer. A light seemed to reflect off of his eyes. It was as if he was watching a movie. "Master?" asked Shiro again. He saw an image in his mind.
Ronku slowly lifted his head up and turned towards Shiro. His distraught look turned into a smile. "I'm alright my boy. You best be off to bed now. After all, you'll be training that girl before the battle right? So you head on out. I will see you in the morning," he said leading the boy to the door. "Goodnight master," Shiro said walking out. As Ronku closed the door his smile soon disappeared. "Could that have been a glimpse of the future? No.....that couldn't have been. There is no way. He looked out the small window next to the door. Shiro walked down the road, towards his room. Ronku stared at the boy. "Shiro.........," he said to himself.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
<Next Morning>
"Catch the ball!!" yelled one of the children. Outside all of the village children were playing Scarasball. Ika was out there, rooting them all on. Soon her shouts faded as she noticed Tsunami training with Shiro. "I know she said she wasn't trying to get him, but I swear she's trying to. If she does try anything I'll." "Ika! Watch out!!!" yelled a boy. Before Ika could even see what the boy was yelling about she was on the ground. A large, spiked ball was indented into her forehead. She lay on the ground, moaning and twitching. Streams of tears fell down her cheeks. "Sorry Ika," yelled one of the girls.
"Where am I?" she asked easing down. "We are at the temple," he said. How could they be in the temple? "After Jiin shot you he ran off. I grabbed you and tried to get here as fast as I could. Luckily the bandages I put on you subsided the bleeding a bit," he said. She closed her eyes and breathed out slowly. "You should not have been training last night. What were you thinking?" he asked. How could he be acting mean now?? She had just awaken. "I'm sorry.....I wanted to train before fighting with your master," she said.
Before Shiro could scold her anymore she screamed out painfully. Grabbing her chest she bent forward, pain filling her pale face. "Tsunami....what's wrong?" asked Shiro. He gasped as he looked at her chest. Where her wound was a black substance was growing around it. It went down her chest by an inch. "No.....he couldn't have," he said to himself. Tsunami slammed herself back against the bed and started gasping for air. "What is wrong with me?" she asked frightened. "He placed a curse on you," he said shocked. Tsunami looked at him in disbelief. "What are you talking about? He shot me with......" she then remembered the moment when he shot the energy at her. His lips moved, quietly saying some kind of spell to himself. "What did he do to me?" she asked. Shiro closed his eyes and sat back in the chair.
"It is known as the curse of the black death. If the blast does not kill you, the blackness will. It is a leech that feeds off of your body, covering every bit of it until you die," he said. That was all Tsunami needed to hear now. It was as if she had accepted her fate. "So....this is how it happens. If your master doesn't kill me this will huh?" she said sarcastically, holding back the tears. Shiro could see how painful this was for her. Before anything else could be spoken, someone knocked at the door. A small, chubby man came stepped into the room. His long, white beard was in many small braids. "Ah, so the young woman is awake now. I am pleased. We feared you weren't going to make it," he said in a gruff voice.
The man walked up to Tsunami and grabbed her arm. He stuck a small needle into it, holding it down with the other hand. "Hey.....that hurts," she said. The man chuckled and pulled the needle out. "Please.....would you prefer if I used one of the bigger needles. Tsunami didn't even have to answer. Just the look on her face answered everything. "My brother is expecting you to fight today young lady. It seems he's in a real hurry to get this over with," he said examining Tsunami wound. "He is your brother?" she asked surprised. The man nodded and gasped. "I know I have the curse," she said sardonically. He looked at her and nodded. "Yes....I am Ishku. At this moment, I am the only doctor in these parts," he said.
"Can I ask you a question?" she asked. Ishku nodded and stepped away from the girl. "Is there a way to get rid of this curse?" she asked. She was afraid that he'd shake his head. "I'm sorry young lady. There is nothing I can do," he said. He started out of the room and stopped to say one last thing. "Shiro, watch after this girl. I believe Jiin will find reasons to get her," he said walking out. Tsunami looked at the man strangely as he walked out. and turned to Shiro. As she looked at him, a vision came to her.
<Vision>
A young boy sits on a hill, holding hands with a little girl. Both of them seem serene. The little girl glances at the boy and smiles. "Do you think we will be together forever?" she asks in an angelic voice. The boy nods and draws her close to him. "I won't let anything ever happen to you. Swearing upon the Code of the Dragons, I will protect you for the rest of my life," he said smiling. The girl blushes and pecks his cheek. His pallid cheeks turn crimson. The smile on the girl's face soon fades. "Do you realize what today is?" she asks. The boy shakes his head and awaits her answer. "It has been three years to this day that we met," she said happily. "Yes.....and I hope there will be many more days like this," he said with a smile.
The image of the two youths disappeared, being replaced by a war torn kingdom. Bodies lay everywhere among the wreckage. A black horse laid next to a burnt corpse that held the Seal of Aeriyian on their chest. A young man walked among the bodies, searching for someone or something. His face his hidden behind a black hooded cape. He stops at the corpse next to the black corpse and drops to his knees. "Father.......no....," cries the youth. His eyes became red with anger and tears disappear. Now only vengeance and hatred run through his veins. "I will get my revenge......and take back that which was ours!!" The boy gets to his feet, grasping the seal which was once on his father's chest. "I will kill Jiin, even if it means taking my own life!!!!!!"
<Vision ends>
Tsunami blinks repeatedly, trying to erase the image of the boy from her mind. Was that Judisho? Why was she seeing all of this. She soon realized Shiro was no longer with her. Turning her head, she saw nothing of Shiro, but instead sat a small girl. Tsunami wondered who on earth she was. "Uh......hello...," she said. The girl smiled and started giggling. She looked like the girl in the vision but smaller. The young one could be no more than three years old. "What are you doing in here little one?" asked Tsunami. The girl stood up from the seat and leaned towards Tsunami. She motioned for her to lean down. Tsunami tilted her head down to see what the girl wanted to tell her. "It will become clear soon," she said. Her voice sounded like one of an angel.
"It will happen soon?" asked Tsunami bewildered. She nodded and stepped away from the confused girl. Tsunami wanted to ask the girl a question but the girl disappeared right in front of her. "What on earth is going on? Where did she go? What did she mean by It will happen soon?" All these questions plagued her mind. She decided that just sitting in the sick bed would do no good. After all, how could her questions be answered by just sitting in bed? Slowly crawling out from under the covers, Tsunami went to search for her clothes. Opening one of the closets all she found where some strange looking dresses, shirts, and skirts. "Where is my freaking clothes!!??" Taking another look at the clothes she decided it was better than nothing. Grabbing one of the dresses she slipped it on, hoping no one would come in as she removed her gown thing they had put on her.
<Outside>
"I want to play Scarasball!!" yelled a child. "No, I want to go swimming at the waterfall!!" yelled another. A cat girl, probably in her late teens stood up and smiled. "I think we should all play hide-and-go-seek! What do ya think lads? I think it'd be fun. What d'ya say to it?" she said. "That sounds fun. Yeah!" roared some of the kids. All the children took off in a frenzy, trying to find the best hiding place. The feline was to find the children and if she did, she'd tickle them. Tsunami watched, laughing to herself as she watched the cat girl pounce onto all the children she discovered. She was catching so many children and was about to win until she saw something displeasing. Shiro walked up next to Tsunami and tapped her on the shoulder. "What are you doing out of bed?" he asked. "Oh....well I didn't want to stay there all day. After all there is so much I need to know and get ready for," she said with a smile. He didn't look pleased at all. "You are not suppose to be up. You're too weak Tsunami. If the master sees you he'll want to battle now. Do you want that?" he asked.
Tsunami was about to tell him no, but instead screamed out as she was being beaten on the head repeatedly. "Don't bother him, he isn't for the takin. You leave him alone ya hussy!!" yelled the feline. "Ika, get off of her!!! What do you think you're doing?" he asked angrily. She looked up at Shiro, gave him an embarrassed smile, and slid off of Tsunami's shoulders. Plopping down next to the beaten girl, Ika gave Tsunami a small kick in the ankle. "What do you think you are doing Ika? Why did you attack her like that?" he asked fuming. "Well.....I.....uh.....we...yur.....see....well.....there's......," she knew she was going to get it now. "She was just attacked today ya know. All she needs is you beating her unconscious. Don't ya think you can leave her alone for now and do your jealousy beatings later?" he asked. She nodded and backed away. "Uh....yeah...sorry Ms..?" Tsunami rubbed the top of her head and sighed. "Tsunami....my name's Tsunami Xay," she said. Just the name seemed to spark something inside of the girl. "Xay?? Oh my gosh....I'm sorry...I.....please excuse me," she said running away.
"What was that about?" she asked. "Ika has been a good friend to me for a long time. I knew her parents very well. They both died a while back in an accident. She feels that only she should be the only woman in my life. That seems to be the case with any human male that gets near a feline woman around here now a days," he said. "Well I'm sorry if I got her riled up," she said confused. Tsunami felt dizzy. Perhaps the cat girl's blows to the head did have an affect on her. Judisho caught her as she started to fall. "C'mon....I'll get you to your room," he said lifting her up. He looked out the corner of his eye, almost smiling because of the look on Ika's face. She didn't like any of this one bit.
<Nighttime>
Shiro sat outside Tsunami's bedroom door. He was staring up at the starry sky. Far off in the distance you could hear the sound of wolves howling. Ika walked along the dirt road, kicking a pebble. "I don't want that girl near him. She probably wants him or sumthin. I want let'r. She'll have ta kill me before she'd gett him. Wait a tic....maybe she is trying to get in his....no....if she is......agh!! The lil hussy!!" she said to herself. She stopped as she approached Shiro. Before even thinking about what she was going to say to him, she blurted out a surprising question. "Is she your mate?" she asked angrily. Shiro looked at her surprised and shook his head.
"I'm training her for the master. She is to fight him tomorrow," he said. "She's got the Emeraldes huh? Who da thunk that gal's got it. How d'ya find her?" she asked. "I just went looking for Mayumi's old home. Surprisingly her family still lived there," he said. Ika sat down next to him and purred. "I wish none of this was happening Shiro. Can I ask ya.....a question?" "Sure," he answered. "Do ya think this girl can break your curse?" she asked curiously. Shiro shook his head and rolled his eyes. "No Ika.......she can not lift my curse, nor can anyone. I have to live like this for the rest of my life. No one can break this away from me.......not even her," he said dejectedly. Ika looked at his face. She saw such pain and loneliness. "Someday.......someone is going to break that curse and make ye your old self. So.....is that girl gonna fight master tomorrow??" she asked. "Well that's if she's better," he answered. Ika laid her head down on his knee and closed her eyes. "What happened to Mayumi?" she asked inquisitively.
Shiro closed his eyes and shook his head. "She died Ika. Unbelievably her daughter killed her. How she did it....I do not know," he answered. Did she hear him correctly. Could the girl in that room have killed Mayumi? "She killed Mayumi?? When?" He stroked her thin, red curls and sighed. "It happened ten years ago. Tsunami said she had opened the case which held the Emeraldes. She can't remember anything else after that, except her brother crying, saying she killed their mother." Ika stretched out her arms and stood up. "Would you like me to check on her?" she asked. Shiro nodded and stood up yawning. "I believe I'm going to go for a walk," he said.
Tsunami sat by the window, staring up at the moon. How she wished she was with her brother and father. She missed everything, even school believe it or not. Every time she thought about the photo, she would be in tears. Now her mother was alive and well, yet she couldn't be near her. This was not fair to her. She didn't ask for any of this. All she wanted was for everything to be back to normal. "Why??? Why did all of this happen to me? I......hmm.....why do I have to be the one to do all of this?? I'm just a teenager. I do not know how to fight.....neither do I know how to even fathom any of this," she said to herself desolately.
"Because ye are the daughter of Mayumi Maxaki, ye must do as your mother once did. It is by blood rights that ye do this. If ye don't then millions, no...........billions of people will die!" yelled Ika. Tsunami didn't even hear the cat girl enter the room. "My mother......she did this also?" she asked stunned. "Ye she did. Ye mother didn't do it for very long though. Ye see Tsunami, ye mother was a great woman. She was born here, her father is our master. He owned the Emeraldes and gave it to her when she was to be married. She was a master swordsmen. Even Shiro couldn't keep up with her. I heard your mum give a promise one night. She said she'd never let ya get a hold of the Emeraldes. You see, anyone that gets a hold of it, well......they never live long. She didn't want you to get caught up into all of it," she said.
Ika sat down at the window next to Tsunami. She noticed the black scarring that was forming on her chest. "So....Jiin placed the curse on you.....," she said. Tsunami wrapped her arms around her knees and laid her head down on them. "Yes.....it doesn't matter though. It won't change anything for me. They say it will kill me. I really don't care. My time was coming soon anyway," she said forlornly. Ika huffed and kicked the girl in the side. "Hey! What was that for!!??" yelled Tsunami shooting up. "What is wrong with you? That is no way to talk. So what if your time is almost up. There is a lot to live for you know. Don't you have a boyfriend?" she asked inquisitively.
"No.....I never have," she answered. Ika glared at the girl. "Do you like Shiro?" she asked. Tsunami started chuckling. "I hardly know the guy. Besides he's cute and all but he can be a real jerk when he wants to be," she giggled. The feline knew what she meant. "Good.....cause I didn't want you taking him," she said with an evil look. Tsunami shook her head and glanced out the window. "Whag is your master like?" she asked curiously. "Oh.....well.....the master can be one of the nicest people on Earth sometimes. Other times he can be the cruelest. It all depends on first impressions. If he likes you the first time he meets you, ya got no problems," she answered. Ika realized the girl needed to be asleep. "Well I best be off. Goodnight Tsunami," she said walking away. The girl smiled and nodded. She slowly walked over to her bed and stopped.
A chill went down her spine. "It will happen soon," said the little voice again. She spun around to see whom said that. The small girl stood there again, smiling at Tsunami. "What is going to happen soon? I don't understand you!" "A gift," she said slowly. A gift? What kind of gift. The girl once again disappeared, leaving Tsunami with so many questions once more. "Just go to sleep," she said to herself. She could figure out all these riddles in the morning. Pulling the covers over herself, Tsunami gradually went off into sleepy land.
In a dark, musky room sat on old figure near a window. The man was very short, almost the same height as the chair he sat in. Next to the chair stood Shiro, staring out of the window. He was focusing on the little hut that Tsunami was staying in. "Is she ready?" asked the short man. Shiro shrugged his shoulders and turned to the petite man. "After Jiin attacked her she's been a bit weak. Ika's constant blows to the girl's head didn't help much either." The man lit an candle next to his desk. Smoke rose up from the match as it went out. The light bounced off of his face, revealing his many wrinkles. "She must be ready tomorrow Shiro. We must do this battle. I have to know if she will be ready for Jiin when he comes," he said gruffly.
Shiro sat down next to the old man and stretched out his legs in front of himself. "Master.......there is something about that girl. I can't quite place it, but........I feel as if I've met her before," he said. "Could it be the fact that you knew her mother?" he asked. He shook his head swiftly. "No....it is just so strange. When I was fighting with her, I felt as if I was fighting all over again with someone else.......someone I could have possibly been friend's with." The old man started to chuckle. "Perhaps it's just that she reminds you of Sera," he said with a wrinkled smile.
"No way......Sera wasn't that feisty. I just wonder if maybe this feeling I have is.......well could she be the one to break my curse?" he asked. The man looked at Shiro and shrugged his shoulders. "That will be for you to decide towards the end young man." Ronku noticed the look on Shiro's face. "What is wrong?" he asked. "I worry that this girl won't defeat Jiin. What if Shinjuku is repeated?" he asked worried. Ronku stood up and walked over to a cabinet. He slowly opened the door and pulled out a book. The book looked like it could have been 1000 years old. Ronku flipped it open and turned to the last page. He handed it to Shiro, smiling as the boy read to himself.
"Doubt leads to death," he read aloud. Shiro closed the book and glared at his master. "So you're saying if I doubt her I'm gonna die?" he asked. The man nodded and started to laugh. "You should realize these things young man. As Ronku put the book back in the cabinet he paused. Shiro grew concerned. "What is it master?" Ronku did not answer. A light seemed to reflect off of his eyes. It was as if he was watching a movie. "Master?" asked Shiro again. He saw an image in his mind.
Ronku slowly lifted his head up and turned towards Shiro. His distraught look turned into a smile. "I'm alright my boy. You best be off to bed now. After all, you'll be training that girl before the battle right? So you head on out. I will see you in the morning," he said leading the boy to the door. "Goodnight master," Shiro said walking out. As Ronku closed the door his smile soon disappeared. "Could that have been a glimpse of the future? No.....that couldn't have been. There is no way. He looked out the small window next to the door. Shiro walked down the road, towards his room. Ronku stared at the boy. "Shiro.........," he said to himself.
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<Next Morning>
"Catch the ball!!" yelled one of the children. Outside all of the village children were playing Scarasball. Ika was out there, rooting them all on. Soon her shouts faded as she noticed Tsunami training with Shiro. "I know she said she wasn't trying to get him, but I swear she's trying to. If she does try anything I'll." "Ika! Watch out!!!" yelled a boy. Before Ika could even see what the boy was yelling about she was on the ground. A large, spiked ball was indented into her forehead. She lay on the ground, moaning and twitching. Streams of tears fell down her cheeks. "Sorry Ika," yelled one of the girls.