Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ Sword and Shadow ❯ One-Shot

Sword and Shadow

 

The tall swordswoman wrapped her hands in the strips of cloth calmly, her blue eyes heavy lidded from her many thoughts. Her robes were simple, white cloth hugging her tall, lean body, pants, shirt and a matching belt. The boots were supple cloth, molded to the shape of her toes, the soles of her feet hardened to such use.

 

The hut she knelt in was dark, falling into wreckage around her. The paper screens were tattered, the door falling off it's hinges and the thatch roof was falling in one side. The floor mats had begun to rot away, exposed to the elements, the scent of decay filling the confined space.

 

The bloody cuts that covered her graceful hands were soon covered, an awkwardly tied knot tightened by grabbing the strip with her teeth and pulling so hard that her eyes teared up. With a final piece of cloth she tied her black hair back from her blue eyes, the twin strands of cloth falling gently to caress her bare cheek.

 

Something off in the distance stilled her movement for a second, a twig breaking or maybe the sound of a branch shifting. Smoothly she reached for the sword, sliding it through the belt and then rising to her feet, taking a deep breath to steady her nerves. With an almost unearthly silence she slipped from the hut out into the burned out wreck of a village, the rubble of countless peoples lives scattered all around her.

 

The knives hissed as they cut through the air but the swordswoman heard them coming, leaping aside at the last moment. Her attention was already focused on the next attack, the black shadow that raced out from the night towards her. The slim body was sheathed in black, face, hair, all but the green eyes concealed by the black cloth. Knives swung as the figure went for the woman's eyes but she dodged, hand on the hilt of her sword as she watched warily.

 

The two circled each other for a few graceful paces, then the green eyes figure nodded to her respectfully. "You don't need to do this Shion," the voice was definitely female sounding as she continued, "just swear the same oath we all did."

 

"No," Shion answered, the swordswoman never taking her eyes from her opponent, "we both know who I swore my oaths to, Jasmine."

 

Jasmine shook her head, the ninja looking oddly mournful. "You're going to die for your honor," she said regretfully.

"Then I cannot think of a better way to go," Shion answered firmly.

 

Jasmine didn't say another word, instead she simply seemed to disappear, in a instant of movement racing off into the safety of the deep shadows. From the darkness her words echoed, "Another time, then, and I will kill you."

 

She waited for a few moments, Shion's every sense seeking to pierce the night as she sought her foe before finally accepting she was gone. Wasting no time Shion returned to the wreckage of the hut, grasping her pack then heading off on her own errands. Ignoring tiredness and fatigue, casting aside her human weakness she ran, knowing that there wasn't long left to act.

 

The kingdom was torn apart by war, factions battling ruthlessly for power and influence. In this era oaths were fickle things, the overthrow or death of a lord leaving his warriors masterless and alone. You swore to whomever looked like they were going to be victorious, and tried to ignore the rumblings of guilt and regret over the deaths of those you once served.

 

'The princess isn't dead yet,' Shion reminded herself as she raced along the road, the dirt and stone sliding away beneath her feet, 'nor will I allow it.' She was barely hours away from the summer home of the noble family, the logical place for the usurper to have put her.

 

Her trip was made more difficult by the patrols by various factions on the main roads. Most of them she could avoid, the loud men in armor riding along on mighty steeds as they searched for the enemy were easy to spot. But sometimes, luck wasn't with her.

 

"Woman," the samurai called out angrily, his sword being drawn with a steely hiss, "how dare you carry a sword!" His armor was shabby, much like his companions, clearly they were hire-swords, fighting for the highest bidder.

 

Easy prey.

 

Shion charged them, the last thing these arrogant men on horseback had been expecting and struck before the first could possibly react. His sword, along with most of his arm hit the ground, then his wait of pain was cut off brutally. Blood splattered the panicked steed as it bolted away, leaving Shion facing the the stunned riders.

 

"You killed...." one finally managed.

 

"Yes," Shion coldly flicked the blood away from her sword as she continued, "let me pass, before I have to do it again."

 

The sound of a bowstring answered her, some one wisely striking from a distance but Shion was ready, ducking and swinging to cut the arrows out of the air. With that same impossible speed she raced forward, her blade clanging against the sword of a dismounted fighter. He met her eyes under his helm, his expression wry with a kid of painful regret.

 

"You were in the palace guard," the older man murmured.

 

"Once," Shion answered, then with a twist of her wrist broke free, her sword slicing across his body, dropping him with a groan of pain.

 

"Damn you, demon," the bowman fired, fear sending the arrows astray but Shion was gone, closing with the last fighter as the boy bolted.

 

"I yield," the fighter wailed and Shion struck, hammering the hilt of her sword across his head, him falling limply to the ground out cold.

 

Part of Shion wanted to chase the fleeing bowman, then she shook herself. 'No time,' she thought to herself, gazing up at the rising sun, 'I have to go!'

 

The night was falling again when Shion reached her destination, the great castle rising up over the little town. In perfect silence she crouched in the shadows of the forest, watching the guards and a few residents of the town fearfully come and go. She timed the patrols to the steady beat of her heart, the guards that circled the walls and the men who stood outside, clearly bored.

 

Shion had to make a choice, between one kind of stealth and another. She could easily steal the clothes of a guard, bluff her way in and with a bit of luck reach the princess before being discovered. Or, if she was daring enough, she could sneak in as she was, relying on her skill to stay away from guards until she could accomplish her goal.

 

It wasn't much of a choice.

 

The guard slipped away from the others, moving into the woods a bit to relieve himself. Politely Shion waited till he was done before dropping silently behind him, a single well struck blow putting him out. Roughly she dragged him away then stripped him of all his armor, gagging the guard before tying him up against a lonely tree.

 

Shion actually felt a flash of irritation as she passed the outer guards, no one even challenging her presence. Once upon a time such challenges would have been automatic, but clearly times had changed. She strode through the tow, keeping her helm down to hide her face, soon reaching the castle itself.

 

At least there, the guards were a bit more diligent. "Friend or Foe?" a young man demanded.

 

"Friend," Shion deliberately dropped her voice, making it as masculine as possible.

 

"Enter then," he paused and added, "the Princess is still on the warpath, so I pray that you're not one of her warders."

 

"Guilty as charged," Shion answered wryly as she strode through the doors.

 

Moving through the halls Shion was as inconspicuous as possible, doing nothing to draw any attention to herself while she neared her goal. The apartments of the nobility were near the top of the palace, guard towers stationed nearby to watch over those within and to protect from attack from without. Nearing the rooms she heard a familiar voice, her eyes widening just slightly.

 

Jasmine was quiet, "Princess, your champion is on her way."

 

"Shion is still alive?" she sounded so happy, the warrior could easily imagine the other girl's sweetly smiling face.

 

"Alive and well," Jasmine agreed, "and not long behind me, either." A short pause, "Of course, we're fully ready for her arrival."

 

"I hope that she has evaded the guards on the roads," the Princess fretted.

 

"Oh, I think she'll manage," Jasmine said confidently.

 

Shion smiled wryly as she moved forward, tapping on the sliding door before entering. "In truth the road patrols were rather thin," she commented as she entered, smiling at the two familiar figures sitting there. She moved to kneel before the princess as she murmured, "Princess Chiziru."

 

"Shion, that isn't necessary." the Princess looked up, the delicate blonde smiling with honest warmth. Fine robes colored in a shimmering rose covered a graceful body, Princess Chiziru's lovely face open and caring to the world.

 

Jasmine chuckled, her dark purple hair flowing over her shoulders. "About time you got here," she said, "I'm sure the Emperor's spies have already reported our mock fight."

 

"I cam barely believe that the two of you have maintained the deception you are enemies for so long," Chiziru murmured, watching as Jasmine reached out to take Shion's hands in hers.

 

"It hasn't been easy," Shion said, for a moment lost in Jasmine's eyes.

 

"No have no idea," Jasmine said feelingly.

 

Chiziru chuckled softly, her eyes twinkling with amusement.

 

Shion shook herself, smiling wryly. "We'd better get you out of here," she addressed the princess, "we have a long road ahead."

 

Chiziru rose, her robes flowing gently. "With companions such as these," she smiled at Jasmine and Shion, "I know we'll make it."

 

The End....?

 

Notes: I've wanted to write a samurai/ninja love story for awhile now, and I'm still not quite sure if I've succeeded. I had originally plotted out a much darker ending of death and betrayal, but the idea that Jasmine and Shion were working together just wouldn't go away. Oh well... ^_^;