http://clampfix.fanworks.net/tb-fix/dreams6.txt </head><body><pre>As you once told me, there's a land of dreams, where your life is never done... it goes on and on. Tell me that you'll never leave me, tell me without words. Am I alone or am I not? "Dreams of a Blue Sky" by: Jennifer L. Mondazzi orig. written: 09/24/96 revision 1.1 written: 09/02/97 Part 6: Visions The brassy rumbling of the gong signaled the call to the mid-morning prayer service. Within seconds, deep male voices lifted in the ritual sutras. Aoi kept her eyes shut, her breathing regular, unwilling to give her opponent the advantage. A soft rustling of cloth caught her attention. Her ears, now tuned to listen for the slightest sound, could barely pick up the Sohei's location, until a floorboard creaked to her left. She rolled to the right, disentangling herself from the blankets, and quickly knelt into a defensive posture, her arms in front, ready to strike out. The old man's response was a brutal onslaught of punches, which she blocked effortlessly. When her chance came, she rolled backwards, and stood up, the position of the "mantis" coming easily to her. Facing the Sohei, her guard was solid, her body relaxed, yet ready to strike. "Not bad, girl. Not bad, at all." He nodded in approval. Aoi bowed at the waist to her new Master. "You step lightly, like the whisper of wind upon the grass, Master Hitsuyo. I can only hope, one day, to be as quiet." He looked at her intensely, his dark eyes probing into her gray ones, searching for, and finding, her barely-controlled amusement within their depths. "It was the floorboard, wasn't it?" he asked, his eyes narrowing in thought. She nodded respectfully, and he sighed. "I'm not as young as I used to be." Hitsuyo smiled, tucking his hands back into the sleeves of his long, flowing robes. Aoi couldn't help but chuckle. "Today you will work with the bokkan," he told her, his voice returning to business. "Go see Sohei Hayashi in the dojo." Aoi bowed. "Hai, Sensei!" She quickly ran into the corner, and gathered her clothes, ignoring the tray of fresh, warm ocha that waited for her on the table by the mirror. Ducking behind the divider, she changed into the simple gi that had been given to her by the monks. Tossing her clothes upon on the divider, she hurried to leave. As she reached the door, she slipped on her shoes, turned and bowed out of the room, sliding it closed behind her. It was pouring outside. Typical weather for late fall. She sighed, and dashed about as quickly as possibly. Running towards the martial arts training area at the other end of the complex, sticking to the walkways between buildings, she passed by quietly chanting Sohei and their young apprentices. She inclined her head to all of them, whether they responded in kind or not. Courtesy was one of the precepts of Bushido -- the Way of the Warrior. Crossing the garden, whose vegetables and fruits had been long since been harvested, she took a short cut past the small temple, and onto the Sohei training grounds. As she swiftly moved through the compound, her hair now drenched, her memories took her back through the past few momentous weeks. Two days after the incident in her room with Subaru, she had stumbled across Master Hitsuyo practicing his katas. So skilled, so beautiful were his forms, that she was enthralled by watching him. Despite having been trained at a local dojo after her mother's death, she had never been as graceful as the old man, and deep in her heart, a spark was ignited. She went back daily, sneaking (or so she had thought!) past the other Sohei, to spy on the old man, hoping to capture some of his movements to memory. One day, he has spoken aloud, as if simply speaking his thoughts. "It is often said that to speak is to betray. To remain silent a sin." Aoi knew then that he had known of her secret curiosity all along. He had been testing to measure her true intent, waiting for her to gather her courage to try. Stepping out from the safety of the shadows, she addressed the Sohei with a proverb her old Sensei had taught: "It is safer for the bird to know it's enemies before taking flight in the world." For several minutes, he remained silent, considering her words. She waited, unmoving, unconsciously holding her breath. Finally, he turned to her, his wrinkled, old face intent. "We will speak of this," he had said firmly. Then he walked away, following the path into the Zen garden. Aoi followed at a discreet distance, anxious to hear his rebuke. They spent an entire evening talking, their conversation not very inspiring, and yet, as important as words ever could be. The next morning, Sohei Hitsuyo had appeared in her room without notice or announcement, and began her training. At first, she was unable to parry his attacks, but her smaller size allowed her a swiftness she was unaware of previously. Gradually, she began to fend off his punches and kicks, but not before her body had tasted pain. Now her regime was pretty set. Daily, the Master would force her to rise before the dawning sun had elevated above the horizon. She would spend half of her day practicing martial arts, free-hand or with weapon. The other half of the day, she would meditate or listen to one of the Sohei teach the sacred texts. As the sun dove beneath the farthest hills, calling nighttime to follow, Aoi spent time studying, learning the ancient legends, discovering a past she had never been motivated to concern herself with previously. She ate when told to, but more often than not, fasted, teaching her body to be pure, by flushing the toxins out of her system with liquids. Her physical body remained at the peak of perfection -- well toned and flexible. Despite the routine of her days, Sensei Hitsuyo was still full of surprises - she never quite knew what the expect from the old man that she had come to greatly respect and admire, and for the first time in her life, Aoi was almost at peace. Sometimes, when sleep came, however, she would be prey to her darkest fears. Nightmares invaded her well-being, reminding her of her duty - to protect Subaru. Sometimes, she would awaken before dawn, and creep into his room, to make sure he was still breathing and well. She suspected that he never knew of her visits, however. As she neared the entrance of the dojo, she thought back to herself on the last time she had spoken to Subaru. Had it truly been three days? Reflecting back on their conversation, she felt a pang of guilt. Their talk had been stunted, cut short by her own exhaustion. She sighed. She hadn't given Subaru the time she had wanted to in the two months since they had first arrived at the Shrine. Perhaps, tonight, she would have dinner with him. As she thought about the upcoming "date", she knelt down before the opened door to the dojo, waiting for Master Hayashi to recognize her. Inside, the Sensei's student, Niu Hisui-san, was taking a nasty beating at bokkan fighting by Hayashi. Aoi saw the problem in her peer's stance right away - Hisui-san was leaning too far to the right to compensate for Hayashi- Sensei's left handed technique. As a consequence, she revealed her own left side, making it vulnerable. When Hayashi feigned an attack to her right, she attempted to parry. Her over-extension let him whack her on the side, contacting with the rib cage under her left arm. The strike was not hard at all, but it made it's point, and Hisui-san let out a small grunt of pain. Amazingly enough, she did not drop her guard, however. Aoi re-evaluated the young girl. Hayashi-Sensei lowered his bokkan, and immediately Hisui-san mirrored him - it was considered bad form to keep a weapon at the ready when your opponent was not. As she knelt before him, he addressed his student in a firm tone. "Niu-san, you attempt to read your opponent's movements before they make them. In this case, patience is what you lack. You are best to wait them out." "Hai, Sensei!" she said, bowing before Master Hayashi. Pushing herself out of the practice circle, she formed a triangle with her fingertips on the floor in front of her and bowed her head to it. "Taka-san! You are next," Hayashi-Sensei bellowed, his deep baritone voice commanding immediate action. "Hai, Sensei!" Aoi said, quickly standing and borrowing a bokkan from the stand against the wall. When she had picked one that was of the correct weight, she bowed and entered the circle. Hayashi-Sensei remained impassive, his bokkan pointed to the floor in respect to his opponent. When she was ready, Aoi bowed at the waist to Hayashi-Sensei. He returned the gesture, and they both raised their swords -- the match had begun. For several moments, both opponents remained fixed to their spots, sizing each other up, seeking weakness. Aoi's stance was relaxed, yet ready. She felt her chi encompass her, focusing her energies. On her right hand, the gold band her mother had given her winked at her in the charcoal brazier's dull-reddish light, its sapphires appearing purple. She used it's presence as a focus, preparing herself for the attack she could feel was coming. It was swift, and merciless, less understanding than the one directed at Hisui-san just moments before. She breathed regularly, and countered each attack, parrying it easily. As of yet, she did not attack back, remaining on the defensive. After several minutes, she saw her chance and went for it. Hayashi-Sensei's movements were flawless, his form perfect, but she was unheld by the rigidity of style caused by years of practice. Reckless, yet daring were her movements. Ducking under an attack, she knelt quickly in front of him on one knee, ready to spring out of harm's way. Her bokkan slashed at his belly; had it been real, his innards would now be spilt upon the ground, and Aoi would still be able to parry an attack. She rolled on her right shoulder, past his left, and swiftly turned back to face him, prepared for another onslaught. There was none. Hayashi-Sensei turned to her and lowered his bokkan. She did the same. He bowed first, and she knew that the bout was hers. Elation filled her, but she showed none of it outwardly - it would be dishonorable to gloat over a victory. She returned the bow, and knelt on the floor in front of Hayashi- Sensei, her bokkan lying across her lap. "You are reckless, Taka-san. You lack respect," he said, his large voice booming in the small room. Aoi felt an awkward bit of shame over the truth in his words. Yes, she had broken with tradition for a clean victory, yet her mind accepted that this was practical in real life. She needed to keep that in mind when dealing with someone as terrible and tricky as the Sakurazukamori. However, her actions were truly disrespectful to the Sensei, here and now. She bowed her head before the man who towered over her. When he spoke again, it was softer, with grudging admiration laced into the tone. "However, you have shown great courage in your bold attack." He stepped closer to her, leaning over, making her feel suddenly smaller. She kept her eyes at an angle with the floor. "Fortunately, your tactics succeeded." Aoi could sense his unspoken thoughts: Next time, you may not be so lucky. "You were amazing!" Hisui-san walked along side Aoi as they crossed the compound, heading towards the small personal rooms they were granted by the Sohei. The rain had stopped, but the chill remained, seeping into her bones. Fog tendrils wisped by their legs, their wraith-like grasp on her feet scattering with each step. Others from the small group, known as the "young guards" by the Sohei Elders, walked at a distance, their hesitant glances showing their nervousness. Despite being at the compound for more than eight weeks, none of these others had ever approached Aoi or Subaru, regarding the two newest members with distrust and disdain. Aoi knew that she and her traveling companion were foreigners to this place, not brought here upon their birth, as the others were, but by stealth and at night, with mystery surrounding their sudden presence. They were trespassers on the sanctuary of the Sohei family. Outsiders, not related by blood ties. Not like everyone else. She continued to walk swiftly, her heavy clogs loudly striking the hard wood catwalks which lined all of the buildings here. She was uncertain of how to answer the enthusiastic younger girl, unsure of the motive behind the statement. She sighed. Had she begun to suspect everyone and everything of a darker purpose? Perhaps this is what hunting the Sakurazukamori was doing to her - had already done to Subaru. "Wait! Don't step there!" Aoi felt a hand grasp her firmly, haul her back before she had a chance to react. For a fleeting second, she felt dizzy, out of touch with her body, almost as if her soul had gone "visiting" and was now returning, and then, the world righted itself once more. Reality crashed into her, and she looked around. With a dawning sense of horror, she realized that she had just about stepped into the magically-warded boundaries of the Sacred Shrine. Dedicated to Kannon (also known as Kuan Yin, the Chinese Goddess of Mercy), the Shrine was off-limits to all. On her first tour of the complex, Hitsuyo-Sensei had warned only that a horrible death could result from any accidental crossing of the boundary which surrounded the tiny room from the rest of the world. Despite the off-hand manner of his words, his tone had spoken volumes, conveying a sense of urgent adherence. Aoi blinked, slowly turning completely around in a circle to get her bearings. Had she been so distracted that she hadn't noticed where her feet were going? That didn't seem like her at all. She turned to look at Hisui-san. The confusion she saw mirrored in the girl's eyes was a reflection of her own. She turned back towards the opening of the Shrine, and peered in, careful not to break the barriers of the room. As she stood there, staring into the room, an iciness quickly seeped into her bones. She wrapped her arms around herself. As she gazed upon the countenance of the statue in front of her, an image entered her mind, seeming so tangible that it left her shaking all over when it disappeared moments later. Her gold ring, it's baguette-cut sapphires twinkling, spun in the air, suspended above the statue of the Goddess Kannon - the bodhisattva who had forswore release from the wheel of continual rebirth in order to save the souls of others. On Kannon's brow rested a jeweled crown, and a flaming, white halo surrounded the beautiful face. The ring danced above the flames. Something small and delicate, almost indiscernible, floated gently downward from above, landing on the precious crown. Suddenly, the flames turned to crimson, flickering higher, reaching the ring. A piercing disembodied scream shattered the peace, and the ring began to melt, it's gold mixing with the red flames, turning to blood. It flowed over and down the Goddess' face - scarlet tracks of tears. Above the halo appeared a grotesque demonic visage. Its giant mouth gaped open, the rotted, pointed teeth falling out randomly. Its golden eyes bugged out of its gnarled head, and its scaled, red skin began to disintegrate, running off of its cheeks and chin, plopping to the ground with a wet-sickly sound. The demon's laughter echoed all around her, as it continued to rot, uncaring. It bellowed out laughter, and then disappeared. The ring, once more, was suspended above the statue - which was now perfect again. There was no rotted skin on the ground, no track of red on the face. The ring continued to glow a pure, white light as it rotated, spinning around and around until it became too bright to look anymore. The vision faded out of existence, and everything was as it should be. In Aoi's mind, she recalled the evening her mother had given her the ring - Sora's beautiful, soothing voice seeming to reach out from the past, from beyond the grave to her: "This ring will protect you when the time comes. You must promise never to take it off." "Taka-san! Taka-san! What's wrong?" Hisui-san's voice shattered the illusion before her, returning her to the present. She blinked away the dream, rubbing her hands up her chilled flesh, unable to shake the memory of what she had seen. "Taka-san, are you alright?" Aoi nodded, grunted in acknowledgment. She closed her eyes, willing the pictures on the back of her eyelids to fade. They would not. "Taka-san, what did you see?" For moments, Aoi remained quiet, the image of one perfectly pink sakura petal gently falling from the sky to touch the golden crown on Kannon's brow, turning the flaming halo to blood. She shivered again, knowing the truth. "A vision....of the future." TO BE CONTINUED.... ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------ Author's Notes: ------------------- 1. A "sutra" is a Buddhist prayer that is chanted. 2. The name "Hitsuyo" means "necessity," or "need" literally. 3. The name "Hayashi" means "forest grove" literally. 4. "Hai" means "yes." 5. A "bokkan" is a type of wooden Japanese sword, about the same length of a Katana. It is used to practice sword forms and fighting, but can be used as a weapon to do harm as well. 5. "Sensei" is the word for "Teacher" or "Master." 6. A "dojo" is a house where martial arts are taught. 7. "Ocha" is a type of green tea, normally served with breakfast and lunch. 8. A "gi" is a martial artist's practice outfit. It is usually white, and consists of a top, which opens in the center, and baggy pants. The top is tied and closed by a belt around the waist. The colors on the belt signify rank. 9. A "kata" is a martial art form which is practiced to teach students fluidity in movement, and patience in themselves, as well as to be used as a tool for mental focus. 10. "Bushido" is the old Samurai code of honor. It is called the "Way of the Warrior," and encompasses several cardinal principals, among them Duty, Loyalty and Filial Piety. 11. In Japanese, people are often called by their family (or last) name first, followed by their given (or first) name. i.e. Taka Aoi = Aoi is the first name, Taka is the last name. 12. The name "Hisui" means "Jade" literally. 13. A "bodhisattva" is a human who has attained enlightenment, through the Buddhist principals. 14. The name "Sora" means "sky" literally. The Sohei legend is the property of William Tucci and Peter Gutierrez, copyright August, 1996, by Crusade Comics. The song "Beads of Tears" was translated by Trish LeDoux, for the movie, "Mermaid's Scar," copyright 1993. The characters Subaru and Seishirou Sakurazuka (Sakurazukamori) are the property of CLAMP, copyright 1990-97. All other characters and situations are the property of Jennifer L. Mondazzi, copyright, 1996-1997. </pre><p><a href="./">Back</a></p><p><a href=http://www.dreamhost.com/donate.cgi?id=216><img border=0 alt="Donate towards our web hosting bill!" src=https://secure.newdream.net/donate1.gif></a></p></body></html>