Like a meteor, like the Fate it
seals
my soul burns across the sky,
close upon its heels.
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 youll never leave me,
tell me without words.
Am I alone or am I not?
Dreams of a Blue Sky
by: Jennifer L. Mondazzi
09/24/96
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 silghtest 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 grey 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 precipts of Bushido -- the Way of the Warrior.
Crossing the garden, whose vegetables and fruits had been long sinced
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 when she was a child, 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 curiousity 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 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-sama. 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 vunerable.
When Hayashi feigned an attack to her right, she attempted to parry.
Her over-extension let him wack 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. 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
counteres 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 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 Aoi's feet, their wraith-like grasp on her feet
scattering with each step.
Others from the small group, called 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 distain.
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 tresspassers on the sanctuary of the Sohei family.
Outsiders, not related by blood ties.
Not like everyone else.
Aoi 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 their 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 bagguette-cut sapphires twinkling, spun in the
air, suspended above the statue of the Goddess Kannon -- the
bodhisattva who foreswore 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, safe. Something small and delicate,
almost indicernible, 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 was 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.
In Aoi's mind, she recalled the evening her mother had given her the
ring -- Sora's beautiful, soothing voice reaching out from the past,
from beyond the grave:
"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 remainded 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/of
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 cardinale 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," copywrite 1993.
The characters Subaru and Seishirou Sakurazuka (Sakurazukamori) are the
property of CLAMP, copyright 1990-96. All other characters and
situations are the property of Jennifer L. Mondazzi, copyright
1996.