A Samurai Story

Okay, if this story sucks, then sorry! It will get better! I'm still trying to work a few things out as it is, soo...! Anyhoo, R&R please and thanks!



The sound of Hiroshi’s wooden sandals on the cobblestone walkway of the village grounds echoed loudly as he ran with his little siblings in arm. Sweat dripped from his brow and all over his body as he urgently searched for a safe place to hide the little children. His mother’s words rang through his head as he thought of her and what had become of her, for she had told him to carry them on; they were young and had still yet to live their lives fully.

Hiroshi was surprised at how much larger the village seemed now, for he had found pathways and crannies that he had never seen there before. He could still hear screams coming from the courtyard at the center of the village, but they were farther away now and he felt safer.

“Hiroshi...” Yuika yawned, her voice muffled from tears she had been weeping, “...I don’t feel so well...” but he did not blame her for feeling sickened. He felt just as awful.

“I know, Yuika, I know.” He replied wearily as he turned into a dark alleyway. Here, it was nearly pitch-black with shadow from the two houses on either side of them and so, as they crouched down low, they were hidden.

“We cannot stay here for long, for even as we rest now, I can hear... them... drawing nearer.” Hiroshi said quickly, laying yuika down upon the earth.

He lay his hand upon her brow and felt that it was hot, feverishly hot, and he thought this very strange... that she should come down with fever in a matter of moments. Was it possible to become feverishly sick from terror, or trauma?

Hiroshi felt the cool night air rush over him and suddenly he realized how cold the little girl would be, so he removed his haori and wrapped it securely about her. “Is that better?” he asked softly, in a whisper, and Yuika nodded slowly.

“Yes.” She replied with a shuddering yawn, “I love you, Hiroshi...” and with that she reached out her tiny hand-to him and he took it.

Looking around, her eyes then grew wide with fear as she said: “Where’s brother?”

Hiroshi started and looked frantically about. But soon he found Yamahiko, standing at the edge of the alleyway, looking out. Hiroshi heard footsteps upon the cobblestone... large, heavy footsteps.

With movements as swift as lightning, he leaped to his feet and ran to Yamahiko, pulling him back into the shadows just as a Kabuki warrior walked by them. Hiroshi held his hand over Yamahiko’s mouth as he squirmed in his arms.

“Shhhh!” Hiroshi hissed as the evil warrior passed them by. He removed his hand from the little boy’s mouth and shook him violently by the shoulders, daring him to do such an idiotic thing once more.

“Do you wish to get yourself and your little sister slain?” He snapped, and yamahiko shook his head swiftly, brushing away tears of fear and surprise. Hiroshi’s eyes had always been so soft, so laughing until now. Now, they were wide with fear, worry and pain.

“Mother’s dead, isn’t she?” The boy asked, falling into his elder brother’s arms. Hiroshi held him tightly to him, pressing his head to his chest. He did not answer, he said nothing more, but only held his dear little brother in his arms.

“You are foolish, Yamahiko, to do such a thing...” Hiroshi said softly, “...I cannot lose you and your sister to such foul beings, for I would die of sorrow... you know this, don’t you?” and Yamahiko nodded his head.

“I wanted to go back to mother!” Yamahiko sobbed, wrapping his little arms about Hiroshi’s neck and shoulders. “I wanted to see her just once more... but I’ll never be able to now, for she’s dead!”

Hiroshi nodded his head slowly and said: “You will see her again, you will, Yamahiko. But it will be a while and until then, you must remain smart and strong for her. She would not wish for you to go see her early...not this early. Do you understand me?” Yamahiko nodded his head again and pulled away from-his elder brother.

“Is sis okay?”He asked, and Hiroshi nodded brightly, smiling. “Yes, sis is just fine, you go see... she only has a bit of a fever, that is all.” Whereupon, yamahiko ran to his little sister’s side and embraced her as she rose to her knees to meet him, wrapped in Hiroshi’s enormous haori.

Hiroshi watched as the two children embraced, sobbing in eacother’s arms. His heart ached within him to see them so sorrowful, and he was compelled to shed silent tears as he pulled back his glistening black hair into a knot high atop his head. It had fallen out of place and distracted his view.

He watched his siblings sit down together against the walls of one of the buildings that enclosed the alley, but so overcome was he with sadness for them that he did not hear echoing footsteps drawing nearer.

‘Clack, clack, clack....’ the sounds came ringing through the houses, slow and cautious. Only when they were directly upon Hiroshi and his siblings did the young warrior hear them.

“H-Hiroshi...!” Yuika and Yamahko’s voices came frightened and low, only just above whispers. Hiroshi felt the tremors of steps being taken behind him and he heard harsh breathing upon his neck.

“Y-Yuika... Y-Yamahiko...” Hiroshi began quietly, through clenched teeth. “Run!” and he leapt to his feet, drawing his blade from its sheath and it sang through the air as he twirled over the head of the feirceome Kabuki warrior, landing upon the ground behind him.

“Run!” He commanded as Yuika and Yamahiko did nothing but watched in surprise and amazement. Regaining his senses, Yamahiko pulled his sister along behind him as he fled the alley way, the Kabuki warrior hot on their heels.

Hiroshi sped after the foul creature and caught it by the nape of its neck, pulling back with all his might the young warrior felled the thing with a single tug.
But, as Hiroshi raised his sword over his head to slay the Kabuki warrior, the thing rolled to its side, avoiding the falling blade. The metal of the sword rang through the streets and alleys as it cut deep into the stone.

The blade was held fast there. Hiroshi pulled as hard as he was able but it was to no avail, for the blade would not budge. There came a grunting laugh from beside him as the kabuki warrior stumbled to his feet.

“There is no mask that I am wearing...” The thing mumbled as Hiroshi abandoned the blade and leapt to the opposite wall. He looked frantically about him. From around the far corner of one of the two houses on either side of the alley, a small head peered ‘round. Yamahiko had not left, but sat and watched from around the corner.

Hiroshi quickly pulled his vision away from Yamahiko’s eager face. He could say nothing or the evil warrior would see the boy. He only hoped that little Yuika was not with him... he doubted that she would be far from her elder brother.

Hiroshi prayed that the warrior would not see the little ones, that no other would see them who wished ill will towards them.

“What are you looking at, samurai?” The Kabuki warrior said with a foul grin, quickly turning his head in the direction Hiroshi’s eyes had darted. He saw Yamahiko’s kimono as he darted around the corner once more.

Panicing, Hiroshi flew into the air with a single bound of his swift, agile feet and he slashed at the evil creature only once with his blade. “Don’t you look away from me!” He cried as the warrior fell to the hard ground with a thud. Hiroshi landed beside the unmoving body with such silence and grace even a mouse could make no less noise as his skilled feet.

Blood trickled from a deep wound to the head of the foul being as Hiroshi spat upon its face. He thought the kabuki warrior dead, so he turned away, going to where Yamahiko and Yuika sat, huddled together against the opposite side of the hut.

They had never seen their kind, gentle brother kill a man and so they were frightened when Hiroshi approached them, his blade still dripping with blood as he sheathed it at his side.

“Yamahiko... Yuika....” young Hiroshi said with a chuckle and a sigh as he came to them, seeing the fear in their eyes. “You have no need to be frightened of me... your brother.” He sighed once more. “You have never seen me fight in combat, have you?”

The little ones shook there heads quickly and Yuika began to sob loudly and weep. “You frightened me, Hiroshi! You frightened me bad!” She sobbed as Hiroshi wrapped his arms about her.

“Quiet now, quiet!” He said softly, kissing her cheek. She grabbed a this kimono, sobbing wildly. Clearly, her wits had been scared out of her. He pitied the children, that their innocent eyes had to see such a horrible thing, but it could not be helped. He told them to run.

But there was only a brief moment of silence as Hiroshi held his little sister in his arms, for out of the darkness there came the sond of voices. Starting to his feet, Hiroshi drew his blade quickly, throwing Yamahiko and Yuika behind him.

Out of the mist, there came two large, burly figures, walking side by side. Hiroshi strained his eyes as he attempted to make out who, or what, the figures were.


The two men stopped abruptly in their walk as they saw a shadow in the distance before them. It was the tall, slender figure of another man, a drawn blade was in his hand.

“Eh?Who you reckon that is?” Said one to the other, “You reckon it’s one o’ our men?” but the other shook his head.

“Nah... look at his hakama and his kimono. He dresses like a samurai...”

Hiroshi heard their rough, crude voices as the two figures before him spoke to one another. He was soon filled with worry as he felt his younger siblings pulling at his hakama, asking who the people were... if they were the bad guys.

They were two of the largest warriors Hiroshi had ever seen, and their exaggerated clothing made them appear even larger. Great, large blades were drawn, hanging in their hands. They were the lions of the Kabuki theatre... Hiroshi readied his own blade in his hand.

“B-brother...” Yamahiko whispered in fright, but Hiroshi commanded him to be silent. “Go... now.” Hiroshi siad firmly, his voice barely even a whisper. There were the gates of the village close to them and beyond those a forest that was dark. It was there that Hiroshi had hoped to hide his siblings, but now they would have to hide themselves.

“Go to the wood...” He continued. The Kabuki warriors drew near. “...go deep within and hide yourselves well. Go now and stay low and quiet!”

Hiroshi lightly shoved the little ones off and they sped away, the sounds of their little feet growing further and further away until they could be heard no more. He smiled grimly as the warriors came forth from the mist and he beheld their terrifying painted faces, elaborately painted with white and black, red and blue.

“Well met, samurai.” Said one and his twin laughed with a menacing glare. Hiroshi slowly raised his blade before him , aligning it with the center of his fair face as he shot forward into the dark.


The warriors, however their immense size, were incredibly swift-footed, like lightning. But Hiroshi was quicker... by far. His master had taught him well and even as the Kabuki lions lunged forth upon him, gnashing their awesome blades that were like fangs, the young samurai bounded high over their heads.

Leaping,oh how he loved it! He felt as if he were flying as he cried out and swiped only the tip of his sword across the shoulders of the two ‘lions’, striking the two of them at the very same time.

Satisfied, he landed behind them, and wiped his sword free of blood as, from behind him, the two monstrous creatures fell to the ground, their shoulders split from the rest of their bodies. the samurai smiled, content.

Sheathing his sword, he walked by the dead ‘lions’ and by the alley where he had slain his first kabuki warrior for the night. But, as he looked, he saw that the warrior was not where he had left it.

Confused,Hiroshi peered into-an alley to his left and then into one to his right,but there was nothing. Anyway, he thought, this was where he had killed the foul thing. Then, suddenly, horror struck him as he thought that perhaps he had not killed the warrior... and the creature had seen Yamahiko!
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Yamahiko pulled Yuika close behind them as they fled into the woods, into the dark shadows of the trees that blocked out the light of the moon so that they were better hidden. “Hurry!” Yamahiko hissed as yuika tripped on her kimono and fell to the ground. Aiding her to her feet, the boy pulled her onward, sweat dripping from his worried brow as they both looked frantically about them for a place to hide. It was the village all over again.

They could find nowhere that offered enough seclusion and yet was large enough to host both of them at once. “Let’s go a bit further, I’m sure we’ll find something!” Yamahiko said reassuringly as Yuika whimpered from weariness. her little feet ached horribly and they were already so far into the forest.

“Y-Yumiko... I’m so tired!” The girl sobbed as she looked over her shoulder. “I don’t see anyone coming.” Yamahiko stopped for a moment and looked behind as well. With a shrug of his shoulders he agreed that he saw no one either and so he plopped down upon the soft moss of the forest, weary from their flight.

“But we can only rest-for a moment...” He said, “... for we do not know if there could be someone coming who we simply cannot see yet.” and Yuika nodded in agreement.

A few moments passed. “Yamahiko?” Yuika asked with a yawn, “Don’t you suppose that if anyone were to come, they would’ve come-by now?” and Yamahiko nodded slowly in reply. His eyelids were beginning to grow heavy and his head nodded upon his chest from tire.

Thinking there was no harm in it, the two children lay against the bark of a tree, huddled in eachother’s arms for warmth as they fell to sleep, Yuika before Yamahiko. There little black eyes closed and they slipped silently into a land of dreams, to forget everything that they had seen that day... but were they to wake again?
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Hobbling along, wounded and bleeding, the ‘tiger’ kabuki warrior followed after the faded sounds of children’s footsteps into the forest. He had seen the little buggers back in the alley, when that pesky samurai had so badly wounded him and oh! When he caught the little brats, he’d get even with the little samurai... he’d kill ‘em! That’s what he’d do.

The grungy warrior thought aloud to himself as he walked through the trees, dripping blood as he went along so it slurred with the dirt in his tracks. He tilted his head every which way, trying to find the little buggers, following what little of their footprints their sandals had left behind.

“Where are ya’, brats!?” He grunted as he came across a wall of ivy hanging from the high bough of a magnolia tree. Irked by the way it hindered his path, he shoved it aside. And lo! There were the children! By chance, he fell upon them, quietly asleep against the bark of a tree, a young girl sleeping in the lap of her elder brother.

‘How sweet...!’ the kabuki warrior thought aloud, grumbling through clenched teeth as we walked and stood before the two children, making little a noise. Upon his back was a bow and at his side, along with his great sword, their hung a quiver of arrows. From his fight before, all of the arrows had fallen out, but there was still one left.

He smiled viciously as he held his bow in his clawed hand and drew and arrow to its string. It made a small creaking sound. Yamahiko stirred in his sleep but he did not wake. Neither of them woke. Alas, poor things awake! Awake and see you murderer!

The kabuki warrior drew tight the string of the bow and let fly a single arrow that struck the two children through, pinning them together into the tree. They made no noise as their lives left them, their dreams quieted and were gone, and their bodies fell limp upon the arrow.

They only wished for a little rest, for a little sleep to quiet their minds of what had happened to them before. To quiet their worry and their fear... and, due to their childish reasoning, their worries and toils that they fought against in their minds would never again haunt them. Perhaps, then, they were happy this way.

The kabuki warrior smiled grimly to himself. He made no attempt to remove the arrow from the breasts of the children, but left them there to hang. “Serves ya’ right, ya’ little brats.” He mumbled to himself and hobbled away, laughing cruelly into the night. He was an evil, evil man.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Hiroshi burst through the trees, shoving branch and bush away from his path as he followed the little footsteps left by his sibling’s sandals. But as he followed their tracks, he came across those of larger feet that had come from another direction and veered onto their path, covering their steps with his own.

His fears beginning to realise before his very eyes, he grew more worried and quickened his pace, hoping in the vary depths of his heart that no one had found them. However, seeing their tracks and those of another following them, he doubted this.

“Yamahiko!” He cried out, searching frantically about him through the trees. “Yuika!” There came no reply. He ran deeper and deeper into the forest, following their tracks, and praying that they were safe.

“Yamahiko! Yuika, answer me!” He cried, “Answer me!” but still there came no reply. Suddenly, his foot was caught by a pile of fallen, or cut, ivy and he tripped, falling to the ground just before his eyes beheld a sight that would have killed him.

Spitting dirt from his mouth as he raised his head to look before him, his eyes grew wide and terrified, the color from his face gone, and the softness and quietness of his gentle eyes vanished as he viewed a sight... he had prayed only to see in nightmares.

There, pinned to a tree, hung Yamahiko with Yuika in his lap, their eyes closed and their faces peaceful as their bodies rested on the back of an arrow.... the arrow which pinned them to the tree, their deathbed.

Hiroshi gasped as air once more came to his lungs. He lay there, quiet and shocked, his hands clenching the dirt of the earth, clenching it in his hands until they bled. “Y-Yamahiko....” He gasped, rising to his knees. “Y-Y...Yu-Yuika....!” He tilted his head so that it leaned upon his shoulder. He shook it slowly, saying in his mind that he was dreaming, that he did not see what it was he saw before him.

“N-no...” He whispered to no one, “... I-I swore... I swore to do... anything to protect you...! I thought you would be safe...!” He brought his hands to his face, tears rushed to his eyes as he found that he was not dreaming, that, in-fact, his little brother and sister lay dead before him. He had failed them... he knew it, he saw it!

Agony broke his heart in two as he fell to the ground, weeping into the dirt, laying as if dead himself amid the fallen ivy. Quiet, his sobs broke through the night around him... silently, he beat the ground with his fist until he could no more.

‘Why?’ he pleaded that he wake that he wake from whatever horrible, terrible dream it was he dreamed before his heart should fall to pieces. But it wasn’t a dream...they were dead.

“NO! My little ones!” He cried out into the darkness, into the night and his clear voice rang through the forest, stirring the birds in their nests as they slept, unaware of the troubles and pains of the humans that walked beneath them.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Hiroshi stood before a mound of dirt, marked with a small stone only that would, in later years, be covered over with flowers in moss in the springtime and snow in the winter. Upon this small standing stone was written a poem, a song and the names of two young children who were cuddled in each other’s arms... even as they lay dead in their graves.

“My brother. My sister. I will avenge your deaths... and the death of our dear mother. I will seek out the leader or the king of these Kabuki Warriors... and I will kill him as his minions killed you. I will seek out the murderer of you two lovely ones, and so you shall know that he will not live long, nor his commander. This I swear. And I will hold to my word... I will hold to it stronger than when I swore to protect you... this you can be certain of.”

A single blossom of the tree above the little grave fell upon the two children now forever in sleep. Beside this grave lay another larger one. It was one for Hiroshi’s magnificent mother.