Note: This is in Ancient China, but I use the word ki for soul energy instead of chi b/c of the title of the story (it also means blood & Elara's real name :d)
"Such a small, frail boy... A warrior?"
Watashi no Chi to Anata no Chi
[My Blood and Your Blood/My Chi and Your Chi]
The Story Behind Elara Shinjino
1: When Emotions Go Unattended
"And they lived happily ever after. Now, children, it's time for bed. Your Otosan will be very worried if you don't go to bed soon," the lady said. She looked like she was in her very young twenties, but was actually twenty-five. Her hair was a dark aqua color, more of a bluish tone, and a small pair of glasses rested on the ridge of her nose while her smile was a genuine one, lighting up her dull aqua eyes. Two children, a boy and a girl, were sitting on seperate beds while the woman sat between them.
"Oh please, 'kasan! Tell one more time! That's our favorite story!" the small girl said, smiling. She looked around six.
"Yes, 'kasan, it's such a wonderful story, even if it is a myth!" the boy added, also grinning like his sister. He looked about eight. They were both very mature for their ages.
"Myth? You think the story of Elara Shinjino is a myth?" The two children nodded, then looked at their Okasan with curious looks.
"You mean..." the girl started.
"...it's real??" the boy finished. Their Okasan smiled and nodded. The children's eyes open wide with curiousity.
"You just gotta tell it to us again then, 'kasan! And tell us everything exactly how it was!" the girl exclaimed.
"Yes, 'kasan! It's such a cool story! And imagine... It's real, Akane!"
"I know, Ryu!"
"Well... I don't know..."
"Please??"
"Alright, but this is the last time for the night!"
"Okay!"
~
"NO! Please... Spare our daughter... She is young and does not deserve to die... If she does, this world will perish!" the woman cried out, clutching a small child, no older than four. The child had a blanket wrapped around her while two large aqua eyes looked up at the woman. A necklace with several large red beads shined in the moonlight. The woman's husband's arms were around her protectively as the assassain stepped forward, drawing his sword. The woman herself looked no older than twenty while the man she was with looked the same age.
"Step aside. I have no desire to kill the two of you. The child is what I want!" The assassain swiftly made a perfect stroke at the child, but the man stood in front of the blade, cruelly slicing down his back. As the woman screamed, the child looked at the body on the floor that was one her Otosan. She stared at the body, watching the blood leak out like a slow-running river. The assassain waved his blade up, the crimson blood shining on it, and kicked the man aside, not caring in the least about him.
"Ka...Kamieru..." the man choked out, reaching for the woman, then falling totally limp.
"Otosan..." the child quietly said. Her mother looked down at her. "Okasan, bring back Otosan... Onegai?"
"I am sorry, Chi, but I cannot. He is gone forever," her mother quietly said, then looked up at the assassain who was bringing down his blade, aimed at the child's head. The woman quickly got to her feet and ran out the door, the assassain on her heels.
"Chi, if I am to die, you will not let anyone kill you, alright? It is of the utmost importance you don't die... You are a special child..." Kamieru said to her between gasps of breath. She sped up her running as she got into the forest.
"Na... Nani, Okasan? I don't want you to die... I don't want you to leave me..." Chi said, tears running down her smooth cheeks. Her mother kissed her on the forehead and ran behind a bush, setting her down.
"If you ever need help," her mother started in a quiet voice, taking out a necklace with the fire symbol as a design hanging from the middle, continuing, "have this touching your body and say this as loud as you can: 'Though I am in mortal form, The gods be my everloving protectors as I am the Phantom Savior of this world. I call upon the power from the heavens to give me strength against the evil which befalls me!'" Kamieru hung the silver necklace around her daughter's neck, then embraced her.
"Okasan... Arigato..." Chi said quietly, the tears in an ongoing, faster flowing of emotion down her innocent face.
"I love you, Chi. Grow up to be strong and save our universe. Never forget me, Chi Kazeno..." Those were her Okasan's last words as she ran out of the bushes, taking the blanket that was wrapped around Chi and filling it with leaves. The assassain saw her and chased after her for a mile, then killed her by stabbing Kamieru to death. By the time the assassain found that Kamieru didn't have the child, it was too late. Chi had run off in the opposite direction. To herself, Chi seemed to be running for countless hours, her bright hair swaying in the wind, until she came upon a village, then collapsed in front of a small, shabby house. As morning came about, a fairly young girl around 17 or 18 came out of the house, seeing the small figure out cold.
"Dear God... What has happened to you child? Your clothes are torn, you have no shoes, and..." the lady gasped. "You have cuts all over your body!" As Chi started to stir, the lady's eyes widened and picked her up.
"Okasan..." Chi whispered, still not into full conciousness.
"Shh, dear... It's alright... I'll take care of you now... My name is Hakka, like the sweet herb. If you want, I shall be your Okasan." Hakka smiled down at the child as Chi looked back up at the unfamiliar face with a blank expression.
"Why... Why do you welcome me and treat me with kindness as if I was your own child but you do not even know my name...?" Chi asked. Hakka looked at her, the smile immediately fading, turning into a confused expression.
"You don't sound like a child... Why is that so?"
"I have inquired about you first."
"Well... It's human nature for females to accept children, no matter if they are their own or not, as their own; to care and nurture them, and to teach them."
"Human nature... I was scholared since I was young. Every day I was taught something new, including such basic knowledge as grammar, math, nature, and the arts."
"Oh... But you still need someone to care for you, ne? I shall be anything you want me to, and I'm sure my husband, Kyoto, will not mind helping me tend to a child."
"Then I shall stay if I'm not a burden..." Chi looked away as Hakka gave her a puzzled look. After a momentary pause, Hakka broke the silence.
"Um... Well, would you like some miso soup, rice, boiled egg and green tea? I just cooked some and you can have my portion." Hakka smiled again, and Chi gave her another emotionless look.
"Alright. I need some nutrients so my body doesn't fail me from exaustion again."
"O-kay..." Hakka set Chi down and they walked into the small house. Chi was not used to such low livings as she grew up in a very nice house with beautiful wooden floors and expensive scrolls and pictures hanging all over, but she said nothing to show her respect. This must be how most people live sadly... she thought, still glancing around. Hokka showed Chi to their table, which was very tiny and seemed cluttered with just a vase with a beautiful white flower in it and a small bottle of soy sauce. A man walked in from another room across from the dining area. He looked at the small child, then at Hakka.
"Ha'a... I don't believe you... We don't have enough money to feed a child..." the sleepy man said grumpily. He rubbed his eyes then gave the child another look.
"Shush! She's staying and that's that!" Hakka snapped back at him. Kyoto raised his hands up defensively and waved them slightly.
"Fine, fine, but she'd better be useful..." Kyoto murmured, then went to the kitchen to fetch his breakfast. The child was in a meditating position and praying, then started to eat. Chi's daintiness and delicacy with her manners was one rare to the entire country. She broke her chopsticks a specific way so they turned into two even ones, almost never did she use more than one hand to eat, less it was with the tea or soup, and she ate all of the food in front of her in a traditional order: rice, soup, egg, tea.
"You have some nice manners..." Hakka said, totally blown away by this kid. After Chi finished her tea, she gave thanks, then got up, gazing into Hakka's eyes.
"Arigato, but, ano... Where is your dojo? I wish to train. I always do after my morning meal," Chi said. Hakka sweatdropped. Dojo? What kind of youngster girl trains in a dojo?? Hakka thought to herself. She smiled nervously and laughed a little as Chi stared at her oddly.
"Um, we don't have a dojo... But there's a nice clearing in the middle of the woods in front of a lake that my father used to practice his swordsmanship in..."
"Swords-man-ship..." Chi echoed, in a slow voice, then following up with, "What is swordsmanship?" This time, it was Chi staring at her oddly. There was an odd silence, then Hakka replied.
"Swordsmanship is the technique you must practice to perfect when you are using a sword... Or so my Otosan told me... He never taught me any swordsmanship, but he did teach me how to use these..." Hakka looked around, then pulled out a 4-tipped black ninja star. Chi's eyes widened with curiousity, but her manners held her back from just reaching out and grabbing it like any other child would have done.
"What... Is it?" Chi asked in awe. She watched as Hakka tilted it so the light shun off it, showing the smooth black surface of the weapon. Then she gave it to Chi.
"It's called a ninja star. Ninja use them with precise accuracy, but I was never as good as my father... He could split a hair in two because he was so talented... I can barely knock over a bottle of sake!"
"Ninja... Are they... Like assassains?" the young girl asked quietly.
"Well, sort of. Assassains are more ruthless and do it specifically for money, while ninja not only kill, but spy and steal also. They're more talented in crime, basically. They can also kill quickly and painlessly with these."
"Oh... Hakka..."
"Hai?"
"Will... You teach... Me?"
"Nani?"
"The way... Of the ninja..."
"I don't even kow your name..." Chi thought for a moment, then replied smoothly.
"My name is Elara, like the goddess. Elara Shinjino, and I wish to train under you as a ninja."
2: A Dream Earned is a Dream Accomplished
"No, fling you wrist quicker and your throwing is still horrid! Damnit, Elara, if you want to learn how to do this, pay attention!" Hakka shouted at Elara. She had been practicing to perfect her throw for five years now and had pretty much accomplished it, but Hakka knew she had to push the child's ultimate limits. Since that faithful day five years ago when she found the small child, Elara had an amazing yearning to be a ninja, despite Hakka's protests. Elara had certain reasons to become a ninja, so she wanted to learn how to use the stars first, even if her hair had to be cut. Now, she had short aqua hair pulled back into a small ponytail while her once bright aqua eyes were a dull blue-green color. She wore a small black robe with a black belt tied around to keep it closed and had black cloth shoes. Elara looked more like a fighting boy than a delicate girl nowadays. Her necklaces moved up and down with the steady rhythm of her breathing.
As Elara took out another star, she stood in a typical stance: one leg much further back than the other, while both were bent at the knees, her free arm tilted away from her side somewhat for balance, while her other hand was holding the star by one point between her index finger and thumb. She flung the star with graceful but quick movement to the sake bottle on the brach of the tree. The star flew so fast that it turned into a quick black blur as the sake bottle shun when the star passed by it. When Elara heard the star hit a nearby tree, the bottle fell into two horizontal pieces. She went over and plucked the star from the tree.
"Good, you're finally learning wrist control and fingering. You now know how to cut with the star accurately, quickly, cleanly, plus horizontally and vertically," Hakka said, smiling slightly. Elara nodded and walked over to her. She bowed as Hakka bowed back.
"Training is ajourned for today. You may relax. I hafta go fix dinner, so be back in about an hour to get you, alright Elara? Don't wander too far."
"Okay Hakka. Ja," Elara said and walked into the woods. Several minuted later, Elara stood before a nice clearing. She put her star away and stood in a karate position.
"Stance one. Upper block!" Elara said quietly to herself, doing a fast upper block.
"Stance two. Roundhouse!" Elara changed her stance and did a roundhouse. The loose trousers she was wearing ruffled from the wind caused by the kick. Her moves were very graceful but quick, like those of a karate master.
"Stance three. Left punch!" Her feet changed position as she punched a tree. The tree shook and fell over. Elara sighed disapprovingly and sat down under another tree.
"Why can't I channel my energy good enough to shatter...?" she quietly said, raising her right hand up, clenching it into a fist. As Elara concentrated on her fist, it slowly started glowing, then Elara opened her hand, the aura immediately disappearing. She sighed, putting herself into a meditating position, then cleared her mind to meditate. While Elara was in her state of sereneness, a set of dark eyes appeared that had been watching over her every move.
"He shall be perfect for the job... Strong, agile, and able to channel his ki like a master, yet he's so young..." the voice whispered to no one but himself in an almost soundless tone. Elara, not stirring from her position at all, said in a loud demanding voice.
"Whoever is watching me shouldn't try anything or they'll regret it sorely." The spy's eyes widened and he jumped down from a tree, landing in front of Elara.
"I don't know who you're trying to impress, kiddo, but you're gonna do a job for me." The spy was completely dressed in black and his face was hidden, except his dark beady eyes, by a black cloak.
"I do not heed those whom demand so much from a stranger." Elara opened her eyes and gave a cold look at the tall man, not intimidated in the least.
"I admire your courage, child, but you can't win."
"Would you like to make a wager on that?" Elara replied, standing up. The spy took a defensive stance, then laughed.
"You really think you can beat me? You're nothing but a child."
"While children may be weak, those of them who have been trained and taught from an early age can overcome any physical obstacle with slight ease."
"Well, you don't sound like a kid, but you're still one. So be it. Since you refuse me, little boy...!" The spy quickly pulled out a katana and ran at Elara. Elara seemed to disappear as the spy struck the tree behind her, getting his blade stuck. When Elara reappeared behind the spy, she had a large gash on her back. The clothing was torn apart and blood leaked from it, though she ignored it.
"Chino... Umi!" she screamed, clasping her hands together into one fist and repeatedly hit the spy on the back so quickly it looked like she only struck him once. After the move was completed, Elara unclasped her hands. There was blood on the backside of them, and it wasn't her own. The spy turned around, staring at her with a blank look, then fell over. The clothes on his back were torn away and a huge wound leaked blood. He tried to move, but Elara stepped on his back, right onto the wound. The last thing the spy remembered was giving a bloodcurdling scream, then it went dark. Elara had actually killed someone. Suddenly, her eyes widened as she stared at the body. She removed her foot which was covered in blood and backed away a few steps, only to run into someone else. The person hit her on the head harshly and everything went blank.
~
"So, you're awake, child." A voice ran through Elara's head, giving her a headache. She clenched her head with both hands while the voice laughed manically. She was in the forest somewhere, then remembered that she killed someone because of her bloody hands and foot.
"What do you want with me...?" Elara said, opening her eyes, then seeing a huge figure lumbering over her in the shadows.
"I want you to complete a task for me."
"God fucking damnit, I told your spy that I don't do jobs for strangers! I'm not some fucking for-hire person that you can call upon when you need me!" Elara yelled at the figure, though she couldn't see his face.
"Such strong language for such a small boy. You would make a good bandit, but your powers exceed those of a common theif."
"Boy? Bandit?? Common theif?! Excuse me, but first off, I'm a girl, second, I have more powers than you can imagine, and third, I will never do your bidding."
"Oh ho, so you were the one they sent to kill. It would've been such a waste to kill you. You have much potential."
"What are you babbling about?"
"Do you not remember, child? Your parents were killed by an assassain that was sent for you. An assassain that I sent."
"Wha... Wha... What?! You sent the assassain that slaughtered my parents...?!"
3: The Blood of the Past Returns
"Yes, I am indeed that person. I was told by an anonymous source that you were the Oni child, but it was not so. Your parents died for nothing, but casualties are nothing for the safety of the world." Elara's eyes were glistening. She wanted to cry, but then she reminded herself that greiving would get her nowhere, but revenge would be sweet... She cleared her throat, then spoke.
"I see, but why do you need *me* for a job? There are better, older, more experienced warriors than I am."
"A small job requires a small person, like you. I need you to guide along the hand of fate of an uprising bandit king."
"Hand of fate? What are you? Some fate-sent mortal servant?"
"Pretty much. You are sharp, child. Fetch the firey-haired fanged boy they call Kou Shun'u and take him to the bandit retreat atop Mount Leikaku, which is 100 miles from here. He lives at the base of the mountain. You shall find him in the woods near the lake by the mountain."
"I still see no reason for me to go." Elara crossed her arms and looked up at the dark figure, shrouded in shadow.
"If you don't, the ones you call Hakka and Kyoto shall die." Elara turned away, pretending not to care.
"So? They are not my real parents anyway. I have learned all I need from Hakka, anyway. I train by myself mostly so it does not matter. And Kyoto never liked me anyways."
"It will matter if I tell you they hold the true key to your past; the one of who you really are. You know that you are not ordinary by your powers and intelligence for such a young age, but you assume normal because you are only mortal." Elara glanced at the figure, sighing.
"Fine." The figure nodded in approval and faded out.
"The job will be done in one day." Elara disappeared out of the forest, running with incredible speed to her destination. In her mind, she thought the whole way to the mountain, about her past, and future, and what she should do so that more people she cared about would not die for her sake. This isn't fair, but gomen nasai, Hakka... I will depart from you now, but not forever... You live in my heart always... Watashi no Okasan... Elara thought, tears running down her face as she sped away from everything she knew, everything she came to love, her life.
"Hmm. Kou Shun'u?" the man said. Elara had stopped in the village in front of the mountain after running for three hours and asked a man if he knew of a Kou Shun'u.
"Hai."
"He might be the one with five older sisters." Elara sweatdropped.
"Um... Does he have fiery hair and fangs?" The man nodded.
"Alright... Arigato, mister!" Elara ran off, knowing Hakka and Kyoto would be safe now that she found the boy. She was smiling brightly, on the verge of crying. Suddenly, she heard yelping and screaming. As she turned around, a boy with fiery hair knocked her over, followed by five girls. They were all older than she was.
"Baka... Some people have no manners whatsoever..." Elara muttered, then her eyes snapped fully open. The boy... That's the boy! I must take him to the top of the mountain!! Elara thought, shocked. She watched the boy run itno the woods, then disappeared.
Gotta get away... Gotta get away... the boy thought. He kept running and running deeper into the forest until he came upon a lake. Then, he threw a stone in it and ran behind a tree. Elara watched him from a tree near him. She heard the indistinct chatter of the girls, then the boy said something she couldn't understand. The dialect was alot rougher than the one she grew up with, so she had to listen carefully to understand anything. She watched, confused, as the boy climbed up the tree, the girls following him. The boy murmured to himself. Elara decided it would be a good time now, so she leapt from her tree, bounced off the ground, and grabbed Kou Shun'u by the waist, running towards the mountain. As she set him down, she noticed the boy was crying. She looked at him funny as he wiped the tears away, looking at the short, aqua-haired girl.
"You'll be alright now... You were meant to be a bandit, Shun'u, so here you are." Elara began to walk off, but Shun'u grabbed her arm. She turned around.
"Who are you?" he said slowly.
"I am someone you don't need to worry about, Kou Shun'u, so go."
"No. You saved me. I owe you."
"I merely took you up here as I promised someone. That was just coincidental." The boy gawked at her, the large vocabulary blowing him away since she only looked about nine and he was only ten. "Anyway, this isn't the last time you'll see me, k?"
"But..."
"Here's a gift for you." She took off her necklace with several large red beads on it and handed it to him. "Later!" Elara disappeared in a cloud of smoke. The boy stared at the necklace, then slipped it on, suddenly feeling odd. He felt like his feet would carry him anywhere instantly. Arigato, aqua-haired girl... the boy thought to himself. Elara, in a nearby bush, actually smiled. The last time she smiled was when she was an infant. Then, she disappeared completely.
"There he is!"
~
When she reappeared, she was in front of the same man that ordered her to dump the kid off at the top of the mountain. She was also in the same spot.
"Well done, Elara. I'm impressed."
"Yeah, whatever. I'm leaving since I now owe you nothing." Elara turned away from the figure, walking off.
"Alright, but your services will be called upon again, if not by me, by the divine angel sent for you." Elara did nothing but kept walking. "Fine, but do not forget this name: Kirin, Hander of Fate." As Elara fingered her fire necklace, she slowly faded off into a nothing, reappearing in the middle of a fancy room. It looked much like a place she grew up, yet fancier. There were deity objects and royal weapons hanging up in the room. She saw a door and walked out of it, then seeing a corridor of doors to the left, right, and front. Elara walked down the passage in front of her, opening the door at the very end. A boy of about eleven was sitting at a desk, scribbling stuff down. His hair was in a ponytail that went to his middle back. She wondered why she was sent here. The boy slowly turned around.
"Hello, who are you? Are you a servant's child who got lost? Here, here, let me show you to--"
"A servant's child? You do not know a warrior when you see one, do you?"
"Such a small, frail boy... A warrior?"
"Look, kid, I've been called a boy twice already, and I'm not about to stand for it a third!" Elara took out the small rubber band holding up the little hair she had. Her hair spread itself out, framing Elara's small face, the hair blending in with her eyes, which were the same aqua color now. The boy looked at her funny.
"A girl cannot be a warrior! That is a man's job! And do not call the future emperor of Kounan a kid!"
"Future emperor of Kounan...? You serious? You're so short."
"You are one to talk about height challenged." The boy got down from his chair, standing fairly tall. Well, alot taller than Elara since she was rather short for her age. Elara had to tilt her head back to look up at the kid.
"Just because you are taller than me doesn't mean you are more powerful than me."
"Hah. My name is Saihitei. What is yours, girl?"
"My name is Elara. Like the Greek goddess. Elara Shinjino."
"Greek goddess? More like lowly tomboy. What are you doing here?" Elara growled, glaring at the jerk.
"I don't know. Maybe you summoned me here, oh great future emperor!" Elara mocked bowed and Saihitei laughed.
"Well, since I am bored of my studies, will you play with me? I don't like the other children around here, but you seem to be as smart as I am, even for a girl."
"Alright." A voice was heard outside the room.
"Heika! It is time for your history lesson!" Saihitei sighed, looking at Elara. She gave him a sympathetic look.
"Well, maybe another time, Elara?"
"Okay."
"Here, before you leave. This was my sister's, but she won't care," Saihitei said, then pulled a box from under his bed, giving it to Elara. She opened it and found a beautiful purple kimono.
"Wow... This is so amazing... A real royal kimono... Domo arigato, Saihitei!" Elara exclaimed, then took off her other clothes. She slipped the kimono on and tied the silk sash. Saihitei just stared at her weirdly, never seeing a girl naked before. He saw a scar across her back, from the top of her left shoulder to her lower right hip. Elara gave him a look and he shook his head, coming back into reality.
"D-D-Do you need a satchel... Elara?" Saihitei asked unsteadily.
"Do you have a small one? I still want to keep my old clothes." Saihitei nodded and got a small pack from his closet, handing it to her. Elara carefully folded her clothes and placed them into the pack, then put it over her shoulder.
"Well, I guess this is goodbye after such a short time."
"Don't worry. I'll see you again." Saihitei went over to Elara and kissed her lightly on the cheek. Her eyes widened as she blushed, another first for her.
"I know you will... Ja ne," Saihitei said, smiling. Elara nodded, then held her necklace in her hand. It started glowing along with her body.
"Wait... Saihitei, will you come with me?" Elara asked as she slowly began fading.
"Oh, I wish I could so badly, but my royal duties call... Visit me when I am emperor and we will play then! I promise!" Saihitei called out as she disappeared completely. Her voice echoed through his head in a mysterious way.
I promise, also... He smiled to himself, then went out his door for his history lesson.
*The second part of this is continued in The Phantom Princess
