The Cloaked Samurai

You couldn't decide whether you were going to cry or throw up. Small whimpers came from your mouth every so often, and your face was scrunched up in pain. Everything was wrong; why couldn't this just be a horrible dream? Your organs seemed to twist themselves together, knotting in writhing agony. Your entire body trembled, and you felt hot and feverish. Maemi entered the room with a bowl of water and tried to get you to drink some. You couldn't swallow; your throat was too swollen and tight. The water dripped from your mouth, and Maemi patiently wiped it away.

After a few hours, the tremors finally slowed, and you were able to calm down a little. You lay flat on your back, staring at the ceiling. When Maemi reentered, you were able to speak for the first time all day.

"Tell me of the rumors of the rebels," you whispered hoarsely.

"No good news is to be had, my lady," she answered, offering you a ladle of water. You accepted it, finally able to keep it down.

"Then tell me they're going to murder Prince Keiji," you gave a twisted smile. "Tell me they'll come kill the heir to the throne."

"My lady, you should not say such things," she lightly reprimanded you, taking a wet cloth and dabbing it on your face.

"It's what I really want, though," you sighed. You were silent for a few moments before propping yourself up on your elbows. "Wouldn't it be nice if we could just turn back time and all become children again?" you asked. "There were no troubles then, just endless bliss."

"There were troubles, my lady. You just did not see them. There will always be troubles. You must choose whether or not to see them," Maemi answered, standing up. "And everyone must grow up some day, my lady," she added as she left.

You stayed in your room all day long, refusing to even come out for meals. Maemi was the only one you allow to see you. She told you that Kioko was eating again and that preparations for tomorrow's wedding were nearly complete. You were only half-listening; you had sunk into a daze, a dreamy state of mind where you could forget about your problems.

In the evening, your mother entered the room.

"I thought I instructed that I was to be left alone," you said, turning away. She knelt beside you.

"_____..." She stroked your hair softly, sitting with you in silence. Finally, you said, "How could you do this to me, Mama?"

"We had no choice. Believe me, if we could deny the Prince's request, we would have done everything in our power to do so! I hate seeing you this way," she responded. There was another moment of quiet before she said, "You are in love with someone else, aren't you?"

The question shocked you, and you sat upright abruptly. Did you love someone else? How would she know?

"I'm your mama. I always know these things," she answered your unasked question. "You haven't been meditating, have you?"

You faced her for the first time, shaking your head.

"I thought as much. I don't know where you have been going or who you've been seeing, but I could tell from the changes in your behavior that someone has captured your heart," your mama admitted.

"Then why didn't you say something? Why didn't you stop me?" you asked, confused.

"I wanted you to have a normal life," she answered simply. "I wanted you to be free like other girls to fall in love with someone your heart chooses."

You felt your eyes watering, and you hugged her tightly. "It's true, Mama," you whispered. Your heart was breaking again, torn into pieces. Your mama held you as you cried, softly whispering soothing words in your ear.

"You'll be fine in your new life," she assured you. "You're strong enough to survive on your own now, without your Mama and Papa."

You nodded slowly, your head still buried in the fabric of her kimono. Finally, you released your grasp. Your mama carefully took off her beautiful yellow shawl and wrapped it around your shoulders.

"I will see you tomorrow," she said, standing up. She stifled a yawn as she sleepily left the room. You closed your eyes and lay back down. Soon you were fast asleep.

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You felt hot and sweating. Your feet and legs especially were burning with heat. You turned over in discomfort, trying to ignore the heat. Your face felt hot and feverish again. Maybe you really were sick, and the wedding would be postponed.

The heat was unbearable now. You opened your eyes and flung the sheets away. You gasped at the scene before your eyes. The entire room was in flames, crackling and smoking as it disintegrated right in front of you. You stood up quickly. Your mother's shawl was still wrapped around your shoulders, and you clung to it tightly. You knew you had to leave the room as quickly as possible, but first you grabbed the comb Kioko had given you. You left the room, staring into the hallway. The left side was on fire, but the right side had not yet been touched. You knew that there was a servant's entrance to the right, and you ran down the corridor. You paused in front of the storage closet. Peering back, you could see the fire in the distance crawling closer. You made your decision and threw open the door to the storage area. Taking off your shawl, you grabbed your wedding kimono and Kioko's. You took your samurai clothes from where Maemi had stored them and grabbed the white cloak and katana as well. You bundled all the clothes and the comb into a pile and wrapped the shawl around them. You tied the corners of the shawl into a knot, and your bundle was complete. You grabbed the bundle and the katana, racing from the closet. The smoke filled the hallway, making you cough and fight for fresh air. You ran as fast as you could down the hallway, praying that your family and the servants had already made it safely outside. You opened the door and stumbled into the night air. You looked around in horror at the sight.

Your family was no where to be found. Instead, a group of about seven men dressed in black stood before the mansion holding torches. They were obviously the rebel group who had started the fire. You stared at them, and they stared back, not expecting a survivor.

"My family... what have you done to them?" you asked slowly, breaking the silence.

"They're inside, sound asleep," one of the men answered with a sick smile. "We slipped a sleeping poison in their food, but it looks like it didn't work on you."

"I didn't eat dinner," you said, more to yourself than to them. You absorbed this information and spun around, intending to go back inside and rescue your family.

"Where do you think you're going?" one of the men grabbed your arm.

"My family! I have to save them!" you cried out, trying to pull away.

"We can't let that happen. All of the corrupt royalty must die!" another said. One by one, they drew their swords. You were still tightly clutching the katana. It looked like you would have to fight to save your family.

You pulled away from the man and dropped the bundle on the ground. You swiftly drew your katana, preparing for battle. The men started laughing.

"Looks like the little lady is going to fight us," they chortled. Your eyes narrowed, the rage pumping through your veins. With a surge of sudden energy, you attacked them.

Everything was a blur. Where you saw skin or cloth, you stabbed and sliced. Where you saw metal, you blocked and dodged. You danced around them skillfully, a primal instinct taking over your body. You delighted in the blood spurting from their wounded flesh, their cries of pain, their agonized collapses on the ground. Let them suffer the way you were suffering. Let them feel your pain and wrath. All too soon, it was over. You snapped out of your trance as the last rebel crumpled in a heap at your feet. You stared at the blood dripping from your sword and at the corpses littered across the blood-stained grass. No one had been spared. Had they been begging for mercy and forgiveness? You hadn't listened. Compassion had been a distant dream.

You tried to ignore the sight of their mangled bodies and turned back to the mansion. Sometime during your fight, it had collapsed inward. The flames reached up towards the night sky, licking the cool spring air. It was too late; by this time, everyone inside would be dead.

There was no time to mourn. Voices shouted from a distance, and torchlight became visible. The townspeople had discovered the fire and were gathering. You quickly sheathed your katana and grabbed your bundle, slipping into the darkness.

Unseen, you reached the dojo a few moments later. Farren was standing on the porch, gazing at the fire in the distance. He saw you weakly walking towards him. You stumbled up the stairs, dropping your things.

"Lady _____?" was all he managed to ask. You wrapped your arms around his waist and burst into tears, burying your head in his chest. You felt Farren's arms lock around your back as he held you closely. He didn't ask any questions, just holding you in that strong, comforting embrace.

"They're dead, teacher," you whispered. "Every last one."