The light from Lady Amaterasu shined brilliantly across the tournament grounds of Otosan Uchi. A thick excitement hung in the air, as courtiers, noblemen, samurai, and all sorts of people gathered to watch the days festivities and events. “I feel there will be a grand story to be told from this day!”
“Ah, Lady Shizue”, the kind man sitting upon his Jade Throne responded, “You have never been far from the good ones, that is true!” Safely above from his private balcony, the Emperor shifted in his chair, looking over the excited faces of those arriving. He sighed pleasantly and said, “It is certainly good, that in this time of danger and turmoil, the people can find a reason to forget, if not only momentarily, their fears, and bring smiles to their faces.”
The man standing at the edge of the balcony, wrapped in his sky blue kimono that bore the Doji mon grunted in approval, “Thankfully there are still reasons to smile, Toturi-sama.”
Toturi looked to the large, stocky, bald samurai and nodded, “Yes, Kuwanan-san, I am glad of that as well.” He paused as a sly smile crossed his lips, “Tell me, Kuwanan, why did you not enter in the tournament?” Toturi knew the answer even before he asked it, but he felt like being playful with the Crane’s stuffy attitude.
Kuwanan could sense this, and did a good job of not showing it, “After my honorable defeat by Matsu Agetoki in the finals of the Obsidi...”, he suddenly realized his slight breach of etiquette, “Uh, the last Championship, I realized that I was thankful for the defeat. I have too many responsibilities as it is.”, he grinned, “ ...Though I thank you for your vote of confidence in my abilities, my Emperor!”
Toturi had gone rigid when he heard Kuwanan begin to mention the Obsidian Test, but relaxed realizing he meant no harm. He nodded that he did believe in the Crane’s abilities, when another Crane, this one smaller and frailer then the other, but by no means less powerful in his own respect, approached the dais and waited patiently. “Yes, Yoshi?”, the Emperor baited.
“My Lord”, the Crane Liaison started, “There is a ronin here who wished to pay his respect to you before the start of the Tournament. He is scheduled to compete, My Lord.”
“I see.” Toturi pondered on this, and decided he would see the samurai, “Bring him before me.”
As Toturi waited, his eyes met his bodyguard's. Without a word spoken, the yojimbo knew his lords wishes, and did his best not to seem too imposing.
“Mikio-san,” Kuwanan grinned, “You should have entered the Tournament! Your skills as a duelist are renowned! Your reputation alone would demand the respect the Emerald Champion deserves!”
The yojimbo, not trying to be rude, but not trying to be polite either, betrayed no mirth, and said, “I have too much at stake than to allow myself the responsibilities of being the voice of the Emperor. I am much more suited to be his steel.” Everyone present chuckled lightly to themselves, meaning no disrespect, but Mikio’s response was typical of the samurai. The curtain to the balcony was drawn back, and first Yoshi, then the ronin walked in. The ronin, dressed in a beautiful brown and white samurai gi, bowed on his knees before the Emperor, making sure to touch his forehead to the ground.
“Greetings, samurai!”, the Emperor began as to let the ronin know it was allowed for him to speak, “I have been told you wished an audiance.”
“Hai, my Lord, Toturi-sama!”, the ronin began with his head to the ground still, “I wished to pay my thanks and gratitude from not only myself, but my family that I was granted the opportunity to compete with the other fine samurai today, in hopes to become your new Emerald Champion! The people all need one, as surely they need an Emperor, if for nothing else than to believe in his station of strength, and hope! If you will forgive me, my Lord, I speak as if I were a child.”
The Emperor smiled, “No, no. We were all saying something very similar just now. Please, stand samurai, and tell me your name.”
The ronin stood to his feet proudly, then bowed again. A gleam slightly shown in his eye, and he smiled ever so faintly then stated, “Thank you, my Emperor, it is truly an honor. ...My name is Yokuan.”
The time for the Tournament to begin had come. Samurai from all across Rokugan, some famous, some little known stood ready to make their claim to be the new Champion. The Emperor, now sat upon the Jade Throne on the tournament field. The crowd’s cheers and adoration came to a stop in an instant when Toturi raised his hand for them to do so. “My people, children of the Kami, it is once again time for your Emperor to have a samurai of worth and honor to become my voice upon the lands! Now watch, as they compete in friendly competition!” At his motion, the Emperor’s advisor drew the chops that would state the first pairing off.
He looked up and announced, “The first match is between the Mantis, Yoritomo Tsuyu, and the ronin, Yokuan!”
Toturi smiled, and leaned to Shizue who was sitting beside him with apt attention, “Well, now! We get to see how skilled our ronin friend is!” Shizue nodded excitedly.
The two samurai entered the ring, their hands on the grips of their training sword. They both faced the Emperor and bowed before doing so to the other. As they tensed Tsuyu proclaimed, “I have been sent by my Daimyo, Yoritomo, to be the Emperor’s Champion! I am afraid you can not stand in my way, masterless samurai!”
Yokuan only grinned quietly, as if he knew something his opponent didn’t. In fact he did! He knew he had already won the first match, and that Shoju-sama would be proud! The two focused their chi, Tsuyu’s eyes fixed on his opponent, Yokuan’s closed and at ease. Tsuyu let out a cry of rage as he moved to strike the other, but Yokuan’s bokken was already free and moving to strike Tsuyu. Surprised by his opponents quickness, Tsuyu attempted to utilize a technique he learned long ago, and his body bent away from the strike as though it were a reed in the wind, but Yokuan’s fluid movement seemed to almost know he was going to do that in the first place, and he followed through on his strike to jab Tsuyu’s chest. The Mantis fell from his feet, a look of utter rage across his face! Yokuan, the victor turned away from his opponent, bowed before the Emperor, and returned to his mat totally at ease, and a smile on his lips. Tsuyu, though reluctantly, followed suit as to not offend his Emperor.
“It seems”, Shizue leaned to the Emperor, “that he’s quite skilled, my Lord!” The Emperor, though he knew he should be impartial, was happy to see the ronin win. He tried to contain his smile by covering it with his hand. Then he realized that Yokuan was looking towards him, and just before it became unsettling, he looked away.
The tournament continued on into the day. The feeling of excitement could be felt all about the crowd. Cheers roared as many favorites stood victorious or fell to the sword of their opponents, but by the quarter semi-finals it was certain to Toturi that Yokuan was clearly rising to the top. Before the next round of dueling was to commence a cloaked figure approached the Emperor, his guard moving aside so it could reach him freely. Mikio backed away as the cloaked samurai approached his Emperor’s side. Toturi looked up and shifted uncomfortably in his throne.
“My Emperor”, the cloaked one began with an ethereal sound to his voice, “I sense danger in the air... Something is wrong.”
Toturi looked to the cloaked figure trying not to make his concern evident, “I see... Anything in particular?”
“No, my Lord. There’s just something in the air... Something impending...”
“Well, keep an eye out, my friend. Be ready.”
“As always, my Lord.”, and the cloaked one bowed ever so slightly.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The chops were drawn, and the names of Yokuan and a young Dragon samurai, Mirumoto Uso were called. Uso had been taking great interest in each of the samurai who fought throughout the day, but none more than in the ronin, Yokuan. Something about him was strange. Uso was well versed in many of the sword schools throughout Rokugan, and could recognize many of them, but Yokuan’s was a conundrum. It seemed to Uso, that he utilized many schools’ techniques, yet there was an underlying movement in his strikes, his perries and dodges that he couldn’t quite place, but he felt that he should. As if Yokuan was hiding his school.
Yokuan approached the ring, brushing a hand through his short black hair. At ease as ever, not a hint of concern. Uso took a strong stance, and watched his opponent. Yokuan readied himself, and placed his hand easily on his swords handle. He moved from his position into a flowing stance, that mimicked the Dragon’s own. Attempting to move his thoughts from the mystery to the moment at hand, he drew his bokken and charged at the ronin. In turn Yokuan did the same, but half suspecting this, Uso’s sword blocked his attack. Three strikes were made almost in mid-air, yet when there was a thrust, there was a perry ready to counter it. The momentum of the two samurai carried them past the other, so that each landed where the other had begun. It was then, as Uso’s feet touched the ground, that he realized it. The momentary distraction of the duel, was what allowed his mind to find the answer that had eluded him.
Uso stood, and bowed to the Emperor, “Forgive this interruption, my Lord, but there is something you must know.” Everyone, including Toturi was confused, if not totally fascinated.
“What is it, Mirumoto, that you should halt the outcome of your duel?”
“Forgive me, Toturi-sama,” he bowed again, “but it is, I’m afraid, the outcome that I am quickening too. For you see, this ronin I face, is no ronin... He’s a Scorpion, my Lord!”
Gasps from the audience were loosened, almost as fast as the katana from the Emperor’s guard’s saya. Yokuan’s face drew into a face of shock, and then a look that could kill was shot at Uso. Uso stood his ground.
Toturi’s brow furrowed, but he did not betray any other emotion then confusion, “I see... Tell me, Yokuan, is this true?”
Yokuan, immediately threw himself down in a bow of reverence, his forehead to the ground, “No, Emperor Toturi!! This Dragon must feel he can not best me in combat, so he will try to with slander, my Lord!” As he said this, all eyes went to Uso, who stood there with certainty on his face. All the distraction Yokuan needed to reach into his brown and white gi for the poison shuriken he had waiting. In a movement like the wind, three of them were loosened towards the Emperor! The Emperor’s yojimbo was just as fast. He leaped to the weapons, flying through the air, and struck at them with his katana, knocking them from their flight. He had missed the third.
Toturi could see it coming at him. Could see that Mikio had missed it, when suddenly the cloaked figure that had been standing beside him sidestepped his body into the path of the poisoned shuriken. It landed solidly in his chest. It seemed not to have touched him at all.
Yokuan’s eyes went wide. Impossible!, he thought, no one could have taken a shuriken dipped in Shosuro poison and not have fallen!
It was then that Uso, all in one movement, dropped his wooden sword, drew his katana from his saya and brought it down upon Yokuan’s head. He was not there. The crowd watched as Yokuan made an impossible leap into the air, flipping towards the wall of the courtyard. While still in mid-air, he threw off his ronin’s gi and when he landed he could clearly be seen wearing the black and red colors of a Scorpion, a mask across is face,
“It has been a pleasure! But now you will have to forgive me for leaving you!”, he once again drew into the folds of his clothing and threw a sealed scroll into the ring he had been standing in, not a moment before, “My Lord, Emperor Shoju sends his regards!”
Then in an explosion of smoke and sulfur, the Scorpion was gone.
Uso stood returning his blade to it’s place, and thought to himself, he was not thankful for the enemy he had made this day.
As the crowd’s gasps and murmurs died down, Toturi sat back in his thrown, “Thank you, my friend!”, he looked to his cloaked protector. A thin, gloved hand reached up and pulled the ninja’s weapon from where it lay, imbedded in his chest, and tossed it to the ground.
“As always, my Lord.”
“Well, you were right”, Toturi said quietly, “something was wrong!”
“Yes, Toturi-sama”, the ethereal voice spoke, “but it’s still in the air. Whatever I sense, the impending danger, it is yet to come.”
This did not sit well with Toturi, but there was little he could do but wait. He released a sigh, and realized that Doji Shizue was still sitting beside him, and staring at him with the excitement of a child on her face.
Toturi chuckled wearily, “A grand story to be told, indeed!”
Author's Note: I actually wrote this story the night before I read Ree's Gift of the Emperor story! Honestly! After I finally read hers, I was literally amazed to see the similarities between them. I swear that I did not take any ideas I used in this story from her GotE story whatsoever. Hey! What can I say? ...Great minds think alike!
