The anime series, Axis Powers Hetalia, had suddenly exploded in popularity when it was released. The main focus of the series is about the humour that the personified countries display. Most of what the countries do portray the seriousness of history and political nature of the World, though they twist it into something humourous.

It should be noted that majority of the countries personified appear as males. This is not to say that this is a shounen-ai genre. Far from it, however one should never, NEVER EVER, underestimate the over-flowing amount of imagination that the world-wide fan-base can generate. If you look at the anime series in a objective manner, it would be an extremely entertaining show that has educational value as well.

Okay, so i admit that some characters are a little… weird, to say the least. Each character has their own quirks that really show the stereotype of the people of that country. The reasons behind the  choice of whether the country portrayed is male or female is unknown, maybe on a whim? Most countries are called ‘she’, though Germany is called the ‘Fatherland’.

The main focus of Hetalia is actually Italy, and how the country had really fallen from when the great Roman empire fell. The word Hetalia come from the Japanese word ‘Heta’ (which means useless, or extremely bad at something), and the word ‘Italia’, which is Italy. It is commonly known in history that Italy really became quite weak after the fall of the Roman Empire. Torn between other new Countries that wished to gain land and the prestige of being the ruler of the once mighty Rome, Italy really became a weakened country. The main focus of the series is what happens during the two World Wars. What happens during the second World War is more important for the series, as Japan enters the scene as well.

The series had gone off a new direction, introducing other countries who were present in the World War, and then later it went off to show the political history and nature of different nations. This is not to say that the series is something new, however, as the author of the series had still kept Italy as his focus of the story.

The author of the Hetalia series is Himaruya Hidekazu, a man who went to study in America for college and it was in America where he created the Hetalia series. He returned to Japan when the series was scheduled to be aired as an animation series. Hidekazu has had one other series that takes about Afghanistan in a similar fashion, though the characters in that series were all chibi-fied so it wasn’t all that serious, and extremely funny to read. Hidekazu started a new series called ‘Chibi-san Date’. (recent edit: i made a mistake thinking that this was about the warlord Date Masamune, but it’s not. It’s a nice manga, though.)

The one which on the feudal era is probably the ‘fool of owari’ which is about the feudal war in Japan’s Edo period, Oda Nobunaga as that was what he was known as. My mistake on Chibi-san Data was thinking that the manga probably focusing on the famous warlord, Date Masamune, also known as the one-eyed dragon (dokugan-ryu). I love Date Masamune, as he is portrayed in history as a relatively young warlord with a wild and hungry drive to conquer the whole of Japan. Masamune is, for better term of the Word, a wild card during the war. Of course, Oda Nobunaga is pretty cool too. The famous incident at Honnouji is still very awe-inspiring. 敵はほんおうじにあり or something like that.

Back to Hetalia. Hidekazu had once stated that he created a character design for Singapore, the third South-East Asian country to have its own personified character in the Hetalia series after Vietnam and Thailand. Unfortunately, Singapore has not made any appearance at all, making people think that Hidekazu had abandoned the character altogether. While i am Singaporean myself, and rather sad that Singapore had not made an appearance, i can understand it if you put a few facts forward. One, Singapore did not really play a huge role in the World Wars. We were important, however, as a strategic location in the Pacific stage of War. We were a colony of Britain, a prized colony besides Hong Kong and India. Winston Churchill had told the British commander of Singapore to never surrender Singapore to the  Japanese, to fight to the last man. Unfortunately that very British commander decided to do the exact opposite. The surrender of Singapore was considered the biggest defeat and the largest surrender of British forces for Britain in the whole of the second World War.

Some may ask, why did Churchill consider the surrender of Singapore the Worst defeat in British history? Simple. Location. Singapore is located at the Southern tip of Malaysia, and it is an extremely important position from which the Japanese could launch their attacks further South, to Indonesia, to the Philippines, and to Australia. Singapore also has a naturally deep harbour, which allows the Japanese to anchor their ships right inside Singapore. The Japanese knew of this and prioritized the capture of Singapore. The Japanese changed the name of Singapore to Shonan-to, the shortened version of Showa no Jidai ni Eta Minami no Shima, which roughly translates as  the Southern Island obtained in the age of the Showa era. Kind of lame naming sense, if you ask me.

Singapore had existed well before becoming a British colony, however, as history dates Singapore all the way back to the 2nd century AD, having strategic importance due to its location as a trading hub. Singapore is still an important trading hub today though. The history of ‘modern’ Singapore began in 1819, when the British, led by Sir Thomas Standford Raffles found Singapore and decided to have it for the British. Before that, Singapore, known as Temasek (sea town), and then later as Singapura (Lion city), served both Malay and the Chinese. It was once home to pirates, and the settlement was growing strong. It could have become a city if not for the fact that Portuguese raiders decided to burn the settlements. Singapura fell into obscurity after that, and would have remained unknown if the British had not come.

Okay, enough about history. Singapore played a small role in the War, and if you ask just anyone in Europe of the North America, they would not know about Singapore. They may know Malaysia, they definitely know Indonesia and Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines, but they don’t know Singapore. South-East Asians, and Most Asians, however, know Singapore because we are the important trading hub in Asia.

There had been a few fan-based drawings on what Singapore would look like in Hetalia, though the number of designs are quite varied. I decided to draw my own take, though i don’t really have time, so what i have done are merely rough sketches. I don’t really plan to draw anymore further details or make them better looking since i really don’t have time. I’m busy enough with my other fan-fics.

This is my female version of what Singapore would look like.

A few things to note about her:

-She’s wearing a Sarong Kebaya, the uniform of the Singapore Airline stewardesses as part of the advertising slogan ‘Singapore Girl’

-She is Chinese looking as Singapore has a majority of Chinese population and the Chinese has had a major influence on Singapore long before the British came along.

-She loves to eat, and i mean LOVES to eat. Particularly Durian and Crabs. Love that picture of her having a crab leg sticking out of her mouth. Durians are not native to only Singapore, but a lot of South-East Asian countries, however Singaporeans pride themselves in loving to eat Durians so much that we have Durian flavoured… everything. Crabs are well…. Singapore Chili Crabs, that’s all i have to say

-Her hair is all messy, as i wanted to emphasize the meaning of her name. Singapore is, after all, Lion City. Her hair is the symbol of a lion’s mane. That ahoge on the top is supposed to be the crescent moon on our flag. The tail on the side is something for fun and to make her distinct.

-She is OCD and quite high maintenance. She must have everything clean, everything must be clean. Which is why she doesn’t really like her own hair. No matter how many times she combs it, it still stays messy.

-She loves to complain. Complains more than anyone else.

-She is flat chested. This is mainly to show that Singapore has no natural resources. None. Our only resource is what we call… people. Our small nation, which is the size of a small town in North America, houses over 4 million people. Can your small town do that? So Singapore is flat chested. No resources. I think that’s kind of funny, not being sexist or anything.

-Because she loves to eat, she often gorges too much and feels sick after. This is modeled after our symbol the Merlion, which is constantly shooting water out of its mouth. A Singaporean joke is that it is constantly vomiting.

This is the male version of Singapore for Hetalia.

Sorry if it looks funny. WordPress does it automatically.

I originally wanted to put both characters together to form Singapore. Two characters for one country to symbolize the number of people for our small nation. But then again, China has way more people… they have more land, however.

This male version has a few other things about Singapore that weren’t included in the female version:

-He’s wearing a military uniform since Singapore has the mandatory military thing. Though maybe he should wear white… since the PAP government is always about the White thing.

-He is rather stiff about rules. Actually, he is VERY stiff about the rules.

-He is very calculative, aiming for every single discount store there is, even if he doesn’t need anything from that store. If there’s a discount, or it’s free, he’s there.

-He’s quite paranoid about everything. Paranoid about other nations wanting to invade his house.

-Note the cane. We’re rather famous for caning as a punishment after that one international incident involving an American teenager vandalizing our signs and buses. More recently, we have another pair of idiots from Europe and Australia who decided that drawing on our trains is a good idea. No. Never mess with Singapore’s government. They are more strict than your mom would ever be.

-This male Singapore loves to re-invent stuff. He would take things that other people made and remodel them to better fit himself due to his size. This is taken from the things that Singapore actually does. We take things through trading and we make similar versions for ourselves. It’s cheaper to buy and sell that way. Examples would include our weapons and our electrical appliances. I couldn’t draw it since i hate my own drawing skills. I really do. And i suck at drawing males.

I wanted to draw some pictures showing both the male and female counterparts of Singapore together, doing some stupid stuff. But as i said before, i’m out of time and i suck at drawing.

I may write up my own fan-fic of Hetalia Singapore some time soon. Maybe after my Angel Beats! fic is done with the first half. But then i still have my Blazblue fic, my StarOcean fic, my Ragnarok fic, and so on. I really have no way of ending this cycle of stories in my head.

Continuing on with before, stuff that failed to begin.

4) Dragon’s blood

this wasn’t exactly a failed start, but more like a cursed story that would cause every computer i write this story in to crash. I’ve written and rewritten this three times, and i’ve yet to touch it again.

The story is simple. The start of the story is simply asking why is it that although many cultures differ in its interpretations, that there exists the legends of dragons? The background is that dragons were once an ancient race, and they gave their powers to humans to grow. Humans and dragons were once a single race, but branched out separately. Dragons, seeing their frail cousins unable to survive long, took pity and shared with humans power. But the humans became greedy, lashing out against their benefactors to gain more power.

It was then a rift opened, sending forth creatures that were beyond description. Dragons and humans banded together in order to survive, and in the end, the dragons sacrificed themselves to seal the door. But their blood was not gone.

The main story is set not in the past, but in a modern setting. War waged around the world, increase in despair, anger and hate caused multiple rifts to open. While no strange creatures came through, it affected several groups of people. The ‘dragon gene’ within these people awakened, and allowed them to change from humans to dragons. With the world in a war-torn state, one large notable military company rose up, interested in the rifts and the dragon gene. They captured hundreds of people with the dragon gene, planning to engineer an army with the power that came from the rifts.

The remaining people with the dragon gene, banded together, calling themselves the ‘Guardians’, set out to stop the company, while releasing their comrades from experimental labs across the world. The company, though, had already engineered a type of dragon for their own warfare, wyvrens . As so, war began once more between the two. Though the rift was not to be ignored for long.

Well, this story wasn’t established enough… only made it halfway.

As for characters, the ‘Guardians’ were suppose to split up their divisions by colour. Red, blue, green, yellow, brown were basically frontline troops, while the white and black were elite leaders. The main character would be the generic red, found and saved five years before the start by a girl two years his senior who was a white. Kind of obvious what happens between the two. But him being a low infantry, and her being a commander, was suppose to provide a sort of barrier between them. I sort of broke it too quickly.

5) Visualize, originally called Realliant Power Gradient

This story was more unrealistic than most things i wrote. It is a story of a group of people, immortals, bound by an ancient curse to forever wander the Earth. Though immortal, they can still die. Randomly, one of them would die, only to be replaced by another person who was suddenly bestowed the curse. Each of them has a power that further boosts their power. It is the power of the imagination.

To be able to bring forth whatever thought appears in their head, as long as they can strongly visualize it, they can make it appear in reality. Together, this group seek out the ancient one who threw the curse upon them. They don’t know when they would die, or who would be next, only pushing forward constantly.

This story never got off because one, there weren’t any solid characters… i just went about constantly creating characters, then killing them off at random. It was an endless cycle.

6) Change

I’ve just started this one, but like others, it hasn’t gotten far.

This story is basically imaged after Full Metal Alchemist. While the story takes place on Earth in modern times, the powers are somewhat the same.

Take a group of people, each having the power to change objects into different things by simply touching the item, and visualizing what they want it to change into. Of course, the limits are that the object they want to transform needs to be of the same mass of the object they want it to be. Changing the molecular structure allows them to bend reality and physics.

The problem with this story, is that i haven’t figured out who they are fighting, or what is the purpose of their abilities.

7 ) Sweet Dreams, originally thought up as ‘Knightmares’

This came to me after i had too many nightmares of my dying whilst fighting some mystical creature.

A group of people have certain abilities to enter the dreams of others while they sleep, and are able to retain control over their movements and thoughts.

The background is a world in the not so distant future. A machine was created to read the dreams of people by scanning their REM and their brain activities. Research was nearly on the breakthrough to be able to physically bring forth dreams into reality. But the research became a disaster, and the lab exploded, killing all of the researchers inside, and sending an invisible wave around the world. This wave unlocked two things. One, people were having nightmares of them becoming monsters of legends and imagination. Two, those people were slowly becoming the monsters they were dreaming of.

This is where those who can enter dreams enter. ‘Sneaks’ as they call it. The main character is a natural sneak who is able to enter dreams, get killed, and yet still remain unharmed in life (other sneaks share the damage they take while sneaking into dreams, and that may even cause death if not careful). This is due to his ‘detachment’ from life, and his denial of his own dreams. The main character gets scripted in by the Sneaks group, and starts his journey to enter other people’s dreams to kill them before they transform. Killing them in their dreams would not kill them in real life, but stalls the transformation long enough for the Sneaks to find them in reality and treat them.

8 ) Three. This story is supposed to be split into two parts. Three mirrors, the prequel, and Three Times, the sequel.

This is one of my earlier works. I wrote Three Mirrors till about half way, but my computer crashed, so i gave up.

Both of Three stories is set in ancient China. Around the time of the three kingdoms, but in a world where the three kingdoms did not exist.

In a land of prosperity, war waged on as 24 lords looked to rule the entire land. Each having their own reasons to fight, but none were willing to give up.

The story of Three Mirrors begins with the Tian clan. Known throughout the land as the leaders of the martial art world. They were powerful and ruled over all martial artists. Each of the twenty four lords wanted their power, but the clan stayed firm in being neutral in war.

That was when they were betrayed by one of their own, the Shi clan. As the Tian members fell, the leader of the Tian clan, together with his wife and brother, fled their home, and headed in separate directions, each carrying a child. The successors to the Tian clan, the triplets.

Years went by, and soon, the three girls grew up, each raised by a different surviving member. The eldest, trained by the mother, was Tian Chi Xue, wielder of the spear and fairest and kindestof the three. The second, raised by the father, Tian Liu Si, brought up to be an excellet swordsman, and fiercest and most determined. The last, following the uncle, Tian Pei Xin, trained to be the bow master and twin daggers. Her energy and support was unmatched.

Each sister led a different life, but the past of the Tian clan caught up. The mother was murdered by assassins, the father died of poison, and the uncle was captured. The three girls, following the last instructions left to them on their weapons, met each other, and the loyalists of the Tian clan. After being explained their past, the three began their quest to rebuild their clan, and overthrow the Shi clan who had wronged them. Along the way, each of the sisters was paired with an equal man, and a spiritual beast that corresponded with their abilities. Chi Xue followed by a tiger, Liu Si with a Wolf, and Pei Xin by a hawk. Together, they would topple the Shi clan, and regain their standing as leaders of the martial world. But the war was not over. The twenty four lords, learning of the new and just rebuilt Tian clan, attempted to force them to serve them, and so the Tian clan began its long war against the twenty four lords.

The story of Three Times is set slightly after the Tian clan defeated more than half of the twenty four lords. An invasion force from a distant island called ‘Amato’ came to attack and claim the land. The forces of Amato are modeled after the Japanese, as it was known that Japan tried multiple times in the past to invade China.

The invasion force had a girl called Yamato Kaite. A young child who joined the fight to feed her family. Her division camped out in a plains, waiting to reinforce the advance troops, when Tian Liu Si came in with her army to attack. Kaite and Liu Si were evenly matched, and Liu Si was forced to retreat with the presence of enemy reinforcements.

Chi Xue was pregnant by now, and though the one of the three supposed ruler of the Tian clan, everyone knew she had the best capabilities to rule. But as Chi Xue was unable to lead, Liu Si had to step up and take charge, leaving some unsure if the violent general was really suited for the job. Only the main Tian clan backed her up. Pei Xin went out to ‘meet’ Kaite, curious as to who could actually match her sister in skill. Kaite, moving with the expedition force, clashed with one of the remaining twenty four lords, easily beating them and taking over their land. As Kaite slept, she was approached by Pei Xin, who attacked. Kaite managed to fend off the attack, and Pei Xin, satisfied, left.

News of Kaite’s abilities allowed her to be promoted. She led an advance troop against another remaining lord, but her force was stopped by Liu Si, who was determined to stop the enemy this time. Liu Si and Kaite clashed for hours, till Pei Xin appeared, forcing Kaite to retreat. Pei Xin came with news that the Tian clan was under attack by another force. Rushing back, Liu Si and Pei Xin found Chi Xue kidnapped by the forces from Amato. Angered by this, Liu Si and Pei Xin gathered all of their forces and charged for the enemy base.

Kaite returned to the base, only to find Chi Xue there. Kaite was sympathetic to Chi Xue, seeing how the latter was pregnant and in pain. The two slowly become friends, with Chi Xue telling Kaite about her other two sisters. Kaite began to wonder why was such an invasion necessary? Amato was in need of more land for its over populated people, but Chi Xue said that Amato did not try a diplomatic approach. Kaite approached her superiors about this, but was thrown into jail for treason.

At that moment, Liu Si and Pei Xin’s force reached the Amato base, and began to lay siege to its walls. Kaite’s loyal troops came to rescue her, and together, they went to rescue Chi Xue. After rescuing Chi Xue, they escaped and regrouped with Liu Si and Pei Xin, who managed to beat the Amato force and force them to retreat. Combining what Chi Xue heard and knows, together with the information Kaite and her troops stole, it was concluded that Amato wanted this land not only because of resources, but because of the treasure in the middle of the land. Said to unlock only when the land was united with the twenty four keys, entrusted to the twenty four lords, came together. The Tian Clan, protector of the treasure, prevented the Amato from claiming such a treasure.

The main force of Amato reached the shores, and they struck a deal with the remaining lords, marching towards the Tian clan, who gathered their forces in one last epic battle. Chi Xue, having giving birth to a healthy boy, now leads the battle.

This story never really took off because of lack of time, planning and motivation.

I had a couple of ideas that i wanted to write as ideas, but they never even got to start. It was a failure to even begin…

here are a couple that are relatively stronger than others.

1) ‘Music’. Initially titled ‘Rhythm and Beat’.

It talks about an underground world where people who have special abilities to use music, or simply put the beat and rhythms, into a fighting stance. There would be a group/company that would create artificial fighters and the original fighters were pushed back till they banded together to fight back to reclaim their old home.

the reason it never got off is because it lacked a solid plot and characters. It was a simple story and hardly any twist involved. But the idea of using music as the foundation for their fights was interesting.

2) ‘Monster’. Thought up as ‘Balanced’

This was originally thought up as the foundation of a game design. It is about the World where Heaven decides Earth is worthless. Sending angels down to Earth to wipe humans out, the demons of Hell have emerged to combat the Angels. The demons decided to save humans as humans serve as the power for both Heaven and Hell. The reason why Heaven attacks Earth is because Humans no longer fear or believe in either Heaven or Hell. For Heaven to receive the beliefs of Humans, and therefore become stronger, Humans must know fear, or Hell. But Heaven no longer gains power from Humans who now believe in the strength of their own kind.

Amongst humans caught in the crossfire, your character is about to be killed by an Angel when a demon saves you. Shortly after, you’re given the powers of Hell as part of Hell’s plan to empower humans to fight back. Hell’s real objective, besides to preserve their energy source, is to gain complete control over Humanity by appearing as their ‘saviors’. Your character is joined by a group of special task force members who were gathered from all over the World in order to battle the menace. Along the way, you also meet a few people who were granted the same powers as you. You can gain additional powers by leveling up, or by assimilating either angels or demons, and that also affects your alignment.

In the game concept, you are allowed to choose to side with Heaven, Hell, or with Humans, and the consequences of your actions both in events and in normal play would affect your alignment. Like you choose to defeat angels instead of demons would result in alignment of Hell, and vice versa. Choosing to attack both angels and demons, or running away or letting them duke it out, would result in alignment with humans. Each alignment has perks and downsides.

Alignment with heaven would enable you to utilize heaven’s powers, advance healing and blessings, able to summon angels to aid you and your attacks are more graceful. Weapons also seem more heavenly. The ending with heaven would be you go to hell to destroy the leader of the demons, the devil, and seal hell up. Two endings would  have you ascend to heaven and aid in the complete destruction of Earth as one of the Angels. Or you and the humans of your choosing are spared the complete destruction of Earth.

Alignment with hell would enable you to use hellish powers. You can heal by killing and sacrificing enemies, or just innocent by-standers. Killing random npcs would also add additional XP, so there’s an incentive for choosing hell. Your weapons would be hellish looking, more brutal but cool attacks like slashing at the enemy and immediately gripping his throat, smashing him into the ground then ripping his throat out, or something. You can also summon up hellish creatures to aid you. In Hell’s ending, you go to heaven and wage war against the higher beings. Two endings would be you dominate hell and Earth as the new ruler. Or you are chosen to serve the devil as his elite human commander, overseeing Earth.

Alignment with Humans would be what i consider the best ending. You are weaker compared to heaven or hell alignment, but you get to utilize both heaven and hell skills, but weaker in state, and you can’t use either side’s super skills. You can call up reinforcements from the special task force who are armed with weapons that range from normal, to crazy over-the-top weapons you can only dream of. Siding with humans is the only way to gain all of the other special ability users into your allies. Otherwise, alignments would choose which special ability users are ally, and which are foes. In Human ending, the main battle takes place on Earth, probably either in the middle East, or in the North pole, cuz its big. You face off countless enemies from both Heaven and Hell, and when you reach the middle of the place, you find out that mastermind behind the whole thing was a human. A young girl who is born innocent, but had the ability to allow humans to live free of the shackles of the cycles of fear and worship created by Heaven and Hell to garner power. The girl had lived since the dawn of humanity, and it was her existence and power that made heaven realize that humans were posing a threat to them. Demons wanted her power for themselves, and so began the war. You have a choice to rescue the girl, defeat the generals of heaven and hell and seal the doors that connect heaven and hell to Earth forever, or you can kill her (she would plead you to do this) and gain her powers for yourself, enabling you to destroy both heaven and hell. Either way, humans are saved and live free, or do they? If you saved the girl, you will get her as a partner for any new playthrough, and she can equip any weapon and armour, and basically she is kick ass and nearly invincible. If you killed her, her powers are yours.

3) RPG

this is the opposite, i guess…. a story about an online game. It is similar to the dot hack series. A group of seven normal friends, once known to be one of the top players of an online game dropped the game for five years, and soon they were dragged back when one of them connected back, and was contacted by the game itself.

The game was suppose to go through a few revisions, and then it changed completely, but its core was still the same, and so the seven friends entered a new world, but they were still with their old characters. They would explore the ‘secrets’ of the layers of patches that made the game unstable. Joined by other players both new and old to them, they would have to earn new abilities and powers in order to fix what is right.

The concept for the online game story was after the dot hack series, and also borrowing from the korean comic Yureka (or known as iD_entity for english books). However, i expanded the class systems. Each basic class has at least seven different sub categories to choose from right at the start. So let’s say you choose warrior, but you don’t start as warrior, but a more specific type, like Knight, Crusader, Berserker, etc. The game also allows the players to use parallel jobs at the same time, so a Knight may have a mage’s magic. In fact, people can use all skills in the game, but it would require a crazy amount of time to train. I took the concept from Yureka, where they said you can train multiple jobs, but the system would calculate your total level and thus adjust your xp gain.

But to make it work in the story, and not cause my characters to appear as pure geeks, i placed the majority of the story within one of the ‘secrets’ of the game. By talking to at least one person in each town, and trading an item with them, essentially a broken telephone game, you would at last end up with a key that would unlock the door to a realm with the monsters are easy to kill (1hp each) but give out so much XP that by killing ten enemies, you can level max two jobs.

The reason why this story never got off, is because although i got the characters done, i never got the story fixed. With the characters all powered up, the story would never have a climax.

This is the first of my stories i’m posting up. Most of my stories are incomplete, but still posting them are important, or so my brain says. Well, this first one is called ‘Legend’. It is basically about a young woman in feudal Japan-like era, who was betrayed by her own lord and now strives to seek revenge for her family. It isn’t complete, not even half way, not even a quarter. But i’m stuck so i’m putting up what i have.

—–

The night skies darkened the grounds. The wind picked up, swaying the trees in accordence to its ancient rhythms. The tent swayed slightly creating a hollow music that haunts the area. A tall armoured man stood up and closed the tent. He had greying hair, sharp yet weary brown eyes. His age was beginning to show. He turned and looked over at the small sleeping form in his bed. The young girl slept soundly, as though nothing could wake her from her peaceful slumber. The old man sighed, pulling a chair next to the bed. He gently ran his fingers through her hair, it’s soft smoothness flowing freely. It has only been three days since he found her, a small girl wondering alone by herself in the forest. Having no recollections on who she is, or where she came from, the old man took her in. She was only four years old then. For three days, she took no trouble in accepting this stranger as her new parent. For what reason, the only reason the old man could think of was that she was still young and was still hopeful for a parental figure. The old man never married, but he will try his best to raise her.
“Grow up strong, Kasumi. Grow up strong.”

A young woman strolled through the campsite. There was nothing left of it, only ashes and bodies. She swung her blade down, shaking off the blood and sheathing the katana. She wiped her sweat, cursing the heat under her breath. She was tempted to take off her helmet, but stopped. Someone was approaching from behind. She pushed her blade slightly out of its sheath, it’s shining blade reflecting the sun.
“Put that down, before you poke someone’s eye out.”
The intruder called. The woman pushed the Katana back. A soldier stepped out from behind. He wore the same armour as her, blood red with the cresent moon symbol.
“What do you want, Kiran?”
She asked. Kiran sighed, shaking his head. He had already taken off his helmet, showing his short dark brown hair and brown eyes.
“Just checking on you. Can’t believe you really took them out by yourself. Better thank the Gods that your father isn’t pissed.”
“Is that all? Nothing else?”
“Oh, yeah. Since you cleared this camp out, we’re heading back to the capital. And your father wants to speak to you.”
Kiran turned around and walked off, humming some sort of music to himself. The young woman took one more look at the burnt campsite, before turning back. She reached the outskirts of the campsite and found her horse waiting for her. It was a pure white horse that she found during one of the raids against the western front army. The fact that there had been an increase in the number of seperatists fractions meant more work for her father and her. She got on her horse and rode off towards the east. The wind blew past her face as she rode through the open fields in which they were suppose to fight with the enemy this morning. But she could not resist it. She did not want her father to fight. She rode out by herself in the middle of the night and attack the enemy camp by herself, killing the commanders silently first, then the sentry guards and finally, setting fire to the entire camp and killing any that survives. She heeled the horse, forcing to pick up speed. After about five minutes, she saw the outskirts of her own camp. In her opinion, it was much better guarded than the enemy, though her father keeps complaining how easy it was for enemies to just sneak into their camp. She rode through the camp entrance, some soldiers yelling out her name. She did not bother to stop and listen. Stopping her horse right outside a large tent, she got off and walked into the camp. Inside, a tall old man sat on his chair behind his table, sipping some sake.
“Ah! There you are, Kasumi! Come here, let’s celebrate our return to the capital!”
“Father! You told me you would never drink again! You know it’s bad for your health!”
Kasumi flared and was about to snatch the cup from her father’s hands when he jumped out of his chair and flipped backwards. For a man of his age and health, he’s still quite an opponent.
“Just this one cup, that’s all.”
He smiled and drained it. Kasumi sighed, sitting down on another chair. She undid the knot at the bottom of her chin and took off her helmet, letting her long black hair flow down to her waist. She took a ribbon and tied it up, keeping it tidy.
“So, what made you run off at night without my orders?”
Her father asked, seating himself back onto the chair.
“I was worried about you, that’s all. I can’t have you running out in your condition.”
“You worry too much.”
Her father shook his head.
“That’s because you make me worry!”
Kasumi flared, but regained herself.
“Sorry.”
She quickly apologized.
“No need. Why not go pack up, we’re heading back to the capital by nightfall.”
“Alright.”
Kasumi got up and left the tent, leaving her father to his own private matters. Her father took another swing of sake and leaned back on his chair. Taiko Yamamoto. General of the Crimson blade army. An army that was the ultimate secret of the Shogun and back bone to his imperial army. They dealt with strong opponents without revealling themselves to the enemy. Some say that they were a phantom army, striking and leaving almost immediately. Taiko had been the general for about thirty years, having faced many battles in his lifetime already. It has been thirteen years since he picked up Kasumi. He did his best to raise her, asking his men the weirdest of questions to try to make her more feminine. All he got was weird answers and maybe some perverted ones too. Taiko sometimes cursed himself for following those advices. Only one officer’s advice did help, his second in command, Jinka Hajiru, having three daughters and two sons himself. Now, Kasumi had become a rare beauty. Many of Taiko’s junior officers had found themselves in heaps of trouble just to get Kasumi to help them. It was distracting to his men, but Taiko did not care. He liked the way things turned out. Through battles, Kasumi had not only grown into a fine young woman of great beauty, but also a fierce warrior whose skills were unmatched by any of Taiko’s officers except for Jinka and his son, Kiran. Of course Taiko could beat his own daughter anytime, having taught her himself. He was getting old and he wanted to retire. Battle after battle wore him out. It had to end sometime and he planned to tell Kasumi when they got back to the capital. Taking another swing of sake, he got up and started to pack as well.
“Good for my health? I’ll tell you what’s good for my health.”
Taiko grumbled, but it was fun, being scolded by his daughter. Taiko smiled at that thought. It had been fun, those thirteen years. It seemed so short now that he has come this far.
“Now where is my shogi board… ah! here it is, better call Kasumi over to play one round before we head off.”
Taiko smiled to himself and walked out of his tent to find his daughter.

The army had marched off from the fields of Ishida and moved South to where the capital stood. It would be a long three day march, but since they were in no hurry, it would take them five days to reach the capital. Riding atop of her white horse, Kasumi took out a book and just let the horse ride forward. Taiko pulled his horse to the side of his daughter, with Jinka and Kiran just slightly behind.
“Kasumi, i want to talk to you about something.”
Taiko said. Kasumi looked up from her reading.
“Something?”
“Yes, something. Now, in private.”
Taiko nodded to Jinka, then the two father and daughter pulled their horses back and guided them towards the left. They rode through the forest, faster than the winds, past the great trees that watched motionlessly.
“Father, you seem to be losing your touch!”
Kasumi called, taking the lead. Taiko smirked, always the competitor.
“You’ll soon see why i am called ‘Taiko Lightning’!”
He heeled his horse, making it go faster.
“‘Taiko Lightning’? That sounds lame! Just try to beat me father!”
“LAME?! Why you… COME HERE!”
The two raced on, past trees on paths that never existed. Father and daughter, alone. If only it would last. But Taiko knew, that sooner or later, that peace would break. Nothing can last forever. They finally reached a cliff edge and stopped. The view over the Northern lands reflected brightly the shine of the sun. It’s rich colours and landscape. Mountain caps covered with snow, the land was turning brown to welcome the cold death step of winter.
“You sure can run.”
Taiko sighed, riding up next to his daughter. Kasumi smiled in return, her warm brilliance beaming at him.
“I did well to raise you. I will be sad when it is time.”
Taiko said.
“Time? Father, what is it that you are talking about?”
“Kasumi, i will no longer be on this earth soon.”
“Wha-… Father, you can’t mean-”
“Yes, Kasumi. Whether by man or by nature, i will return to the ground. My time is up. I wanted to spend more time with you, Kasumi, but there are certain issues that i must address.”
“Bu-”
“Listen to me first.”
Taiko silence her. Kasumi bit her lip, but nodded.
“I wanted to go back to Kyoto with you to spend the rest of my days in peace, not in battle, but that will not be granted to me. Kasumi, the army is in danger.”
“What? Bu-”
“Listen to me. We all swore an oath to the Shogun to serve him without any questions. So far we have done that, but now there is a power surge within the shogun’s own office. Beware of Zakiko Kaeri, General of the Imperial army.”
“But why?”
“Just heed my word, Kasumi. Now go, already my excutioners are here.”
Taiko spoke as the trees began to rustle in an ununiformed pattern. Kasumi tempted to draw her sword, but Taiko stopped her.
“Kasumi, you must live on. Lead my men and be strong. Remember that, my daughter.”
Taiko forced Kasumi’s horse to turn and slapped it, sending it riding off with a defiant Kasumi riding off.
“Be strong, Kasumi, my only pride in the world, my daughter, be strong.”
Taiko drew his sword and got off his horse.
“Come out and face me like a warrior.”
He called. In response, ten black cloaked people stood out from the trees.
“If you think you can take me down without a fight, you can think again.”
Taiko shifted his foot. Stance one of the Yamamoto hidden technique. He will make sure they would get to feel the full fury of the twelve strokes of his family’s skill. Taiko Yamamoto charged, leading the last of the Yamamoto clan to certain death. The last charge of the Yamamoto.

Kasumi screamed at the top of her lungs. She tried to pull the reigns of the horse, but the horse would not change its course. It kept running. It was like reflecting Kasumi. She only kept running. She ran away from her troubles, from her fears, from her pain. She remembered the day Taiko had adopted her. She had no clue of who she was, not remembering anything before that day. All she knew, she was running away. She wanted to change that. She wanted to make a difference. Just when she had found a world she could live in, why would anyone want to shatter it? Kasumi screamed for her father, but no one would reply. It cannot be. Her father cannot be dead. Tears flowed heavily down her cheeks from her eyes, blurring her vision. She used all of her strength to pull the reigns of the horse. The horse gave a defiant cry, as though understanding her father’s last wish. Finally the horse stopped. Kasumi could not help herself. She finally broke down, crying on her horse. Her father, was most likely dead. If what he said was true, then there may be greater things at risk. Kasumi tried to focus, but could not. Her heart ached with the pain of losing the one person that she ever cared for in her life so far. Why did it happen? Wouldn’t it be better if she stayed by his side?
“Father… Why… Why won’t you let me stay by your side?”
She sobbed, sliding side ways off her horse. She did not care as she fell to the ground, slamming in it with a thud. She pulled her legs up, curling up into a ball and crying to herself. Her father was the only person she looked up to, the only person she wanted to protect. She wanted to be strong for him, she wanted to live for him. What was her purpose in life without him? Almost none. Finally, she calmed down, but not by her own accord. The sounds of sword clashing got her up. She wiped her tears away from her eyes. The sounds were close. She got back onto her horse and rode towards the sound, her hoping her fears were not true. She rode past the familiar trees, ones that she raced her father across. She hair played freely in the accordance of the wind. The wind that her father had showed her. She clutched on her Katana, one that her father gave her. She stopped at the edge of the forest. A sight that horrified her stood before her. The crimson blade army, was under attack. For the first time in thirty years in her father’s leadership, they never had this problem. Soldiers fighting for their very lives. Men falling where to stood. Men that her father trained and led. Men that looked up to her father just like she looked up to him. Men that had now been placed in her care. She bit her lip. She will not let this be the end. She drew her Katana.
“HIYAA!”
She heeled the horse, sending it bursting through the trees. The intruders all wore black cloaks and had their faces hidden, all turned to face her. Her horse tramlpled down an unfortunate enemy under its mighty hoofs. She charged, cutting down another. She rode towards her army. All who found new vigor in her presence. She noticed a glint in the sun. She unhooked one foot from the saddle and slide to the under side of the horse, dangling from only one leg. The blade passed harmlessly over the seat. Cutting at the opponent’s legs, she continued on. She slid back onto the seat, finally reaching her army.
“Kasumi-san!”
“Captain Kasumi!”
“Kasumi!”
Her men cried in joy. She raised her blade high in response.
“Pull yourselves together! Shield formation!”
she yelled. The men rushed into formation, soldiers with large tower shields surrounding the rest of the army. Pikesmen stood behind, poking their sharp pikes through the tiny gaps of the tower shields. Archers drew their bows behind, ready to fire. Kasumi sat atop her steed, overviewing the entire battle. The enemy had gotten into their own formation, a spearhead. It was standard procedure for the army to use such ordinary tactics to counter the shield. However, this was no ordinary shield tactic. It was one that Kasumi revised herself and was basically flawless. The enemy charged and Kasumi noticed that their numbers seemed to have decreased. It can only mean one thing.
“Swordsmen! To front!”
The tower shields formation loosened for the infantry to march in front. This caught the enemy off guard and a rustle from the right was present.
“Archers! Right flank fire!”
The archers all turned in accordance and fired in unison, raining death upon their would be ambushers. Screams and cries echoed from the forest. The enemy that was still present still stood with shock.
“Archers! Reload, front forward fire!”
The archers immediately drew fresh arrows and turned to the front, firing almost immediately. The enemy only had a split second to react. The arrows took down another ten. But that still left twenty of them.
“Formation break! Pikesmen! Forward, support Swordsmen!”
The pikesmen rushed out from the broken formation, rushing out together with the infantry towards the enemy.
“Rider division! Pikes division, charge!”
Pikesmen on horse back rushed out, charging to the enemy.
“Ground division! Break!”
The pikesmen and swords men on foot divided their lines into two, allowing the horsemen to rush forward. This sudden tactic shocked the enemy, sending them in disarray. But it was too late. The horsemen broke through their ranks, trampling and killing all who stood in their way. Those who managed to survive were finished off by the foot soldiers. It was a quick win, but it was tough, nevertheless. Kasumi sighed, relaxing now that the threat was gone. Jinka and Kiran rode up next to her.
“Kasumi-dono.”
Jinka said, but Kasumi waved him off.
“My father…. is dead.”
“What?!”
This news shocked her lieutenants and men. No doubt their moral was diminishing.
“By who?”
Jinka asked.
“I don’t know. Father told me to run before they appeared. There is a high possibility that those who just attacked us killed my father as well.”
Kasumi sighed, looking up to the sky. She had no more tears to shed.
“What do we do now?”
A lieutenant asked, looking worried. Some of the men murmured to themselves. But Kasumi will not have this army fall apart. It was her father’s dying wish.
“I will take in charge of this army.”
Kasumi declared. This news surprised everyone.
“Kasumi-dono, with all due respect, but the shogun will not take this news lightly. We should wait for an official appointment.”
Jinka said.
“We have no time. My father had warned me of his death. He knew that whoever killed him who do so for some time. I cannot trust the shogun.”
She said.
“But that’s treason!”
Kiran replied.
“To you, it may be. I, however, have sworn no blood oath to his word. My father warned me of the power surge within the shogun’s office. He also told me to be wary of the man called Zakiko Kaeri.”
“Zakiko Kaeri? That’s impossible.”
Jinka said, shaking his head.
“Who is he, Jinka-san?”
Kasumi asked, turning to face him.
“He is the General of the imperial army. He is one of the most influencial man in the office. Though i do not agree with his strength over the Shogun, he has always led our forces to victory. He is a great ma-”
“He is a scoundral and a traitor to this country. He killed my father and that is all i know.”
Kasumi cut him off.
“But there is no proof, after all even you didn’t see-”
Jinka stopped when a rider rode up to Kasumi, handing her a piece of cloth. She studied it for a while and passed it to Jinka.
“Here’s your proof.”
She said. The cloth held the sakura flower symbol. The sign of the Shogun’s royal guards. Jinka could only gap his mouth.
“From what i know, this Zakiko has power over the shogun’s personal forces as well. This was found by one of my own men on one of the bodies. There is no denying it.”
“This may be so, but still that doesn’t make you-”
“Do you have a problem with me being commander?”
Kasumi glared at Jinka.
“If you want to lead this army, then so be it. I have no qualms about it. I wanted to get back to the capital and quit anyway. I would do so if my father had not wished me to take over his place.”
“Taiko-sama? Then this is a different story. If it is his dying wish, then so it shall be.”
Jinka said, getting off his horse and kneeling before Kasumi. All of her troops did the same, kneeling on the floor before her. Kasumi felt embarassed. Getting of her own horse she got Jinka to stand up.
“I’m not too use to formalilty.”
She smiled, then she felt something heavy in her pocket. Reaching into her pocket, she took out a small gold medellion. It was carved with a sakura flower with two cresent moons pointing inwards from the sides and two katana’s cutting in diagonally, crossing in the middle of the sakura flower.
“What is this?”
She wondered. Jinka took one looked at it, and it sent him back onto the floor on his knees.
“Jinka-san?”
She wondered.
“I’m terribly sorry for ever doubting you, Kasumi-sama!”
He cried.
“Sama? Jinka, you haven’t been drinking have you?”
She asked. She looked around her and saw that everyone bowing even lower, not even looking up at her, which creeped her out.
“Jinka, you know what this medellion is?”
“Yes, but your father swore to me never to say what it meant to you, if you have this that can only mean that Taiko-sama is really dead and what you said is true! I am so sorry!”
He apologized at the top of his lungs.
“Eh? Never mind. Get up, please.”
She asked, but Jinka would not move form his position.
“Jinka?”
“Please! I am not worthy of such kind words!”
Kasumi scratched her head. This was not helping. She only wanted to get back to the capital.
“Kiran-”
She started, but Kiran seemed to have shrunken himself even further, evading her touch. This was creeping her out. She sighed, there was only one way left.
“I order you all to get back up and treat me like you always have.”
That worked. Everyone slowly got up, though still averting her eyes. What was it with all of them?
“Thank you for letting us up again, Kasumi-sama, however we cannot follow your second command, though it may pain me to do so.”
Jinka said, his head still lowered. Kasumi sighed, it was at least some improvement.

The troops marched with both a dark cloud above them, and a new hope within them. Their famed leader, Taiko was dead. Scouts located his body and brought it to the camp for a proper burial. Yet, with every fall, there is a way to rise up once again. Kasumi Yamamoto, daughter of the famed Taiko took over the army and led her troops back to the capital. They had marched for three days non-stop, braving the harsh winds and rain. Three times, her lieutenants had asked her to let the men rest, but Kasumi knew the terrain well. They could not stop for at least three and a half days. The path they took would lead them straight back to the capital, but it was through a canyon and there was plenty of opportunity for enemy ambushes. Twice, they had to face the same enemy. These were no random encounter, so it seemed. Jinka had come to a conclusion that it is possible that the Shogun is being used by Zakiko. All three of Zakiko’s daughters were wedded to the Shogun, therefore letting him have a control over the the entire region. Quelling the different seperatists armies had nothing to do with the assasination of Taiko. Zakiko obviously wanted to elimate all opposing forces, even within his own troops. Kasumi agreed, but only partially. She theorized that the Shogun must have been on this too. From their last report, they were the only division sent out to fight these seperatists forces. No doubt Jinka had disagreed, but still, he did not disobey her orders. Finally, they were out of the canyon and into an open field. It would only take a day’s march to reach the capital. Kasumi calculated the radius distance around them. Yes, now it was safe. She raised her hand and the troops stopped.
“We shall camp here for one night. Men, start camp.”
She commanded. The men sighed in relief and started to just drop onto the floor in exhuastion. Kiran rode up next to Kasumi, bowing when she saw him.
“Kasumi-sama, if i may, i would like to take some of my men to find a water source.”
“Alright, but don’t take too long. Fifteen minutes is all i’m giving you.”
“Understood.”
Kiran shouted over his shoulder and a couple of riders rode off with him towards the east. Kasumi sighed, getting off her horse. She took her clothes bundle off her horse, together with some covers to cusion her head as she rested onto the soft grass. She looked up into the clear blue sky. Though the sun may radiate its light into her eyes, she merely squinted to look beyond the blinding spectrum. She prayed that her father would rest in peace. She will avenge him, no matter what the cost. Slowly, but surely, her eyelids felt heavy. A simple sleep would do no harm. Soon, she fell alseep.
The land was beautiful, the trees swaying lightly to the gentle touch of the wind. The sun sparkling its radiance upon the ground. The flowers grew all over the hill, colouring the scene in brilliant colours. A dark figure loomed over her. She could not make out the face, but it looked familiar.
“Father…”
The words escaped her lips and she awoke with a start. It was dark and she found herself in a tent on a bed. She looked around her. This was… her tent. Though somethings were not where she normally placed them, it was no doubt her tent. She got off the bed, noticing she slept in her armour. It felt just a little uncomfortable. She took a peek out of her tent, and noticed it was already dark. More tents surrounded hers though kept their distance. So they had set up camp and someone had helped her put her to bed. She paced around her tent, wondering what she should do. Though it was only a few hours, she thought she had enough rest already. She unrolled a map onto her desk, pin-pointing their location with a wooden block. She sighed, leaning against her hands on the desk. She felt uncomfortable in armour. She needed a bath. Grabbing her clothes bundle, she walked out of her tent and to her horse, who was tied to a post next to her tent. She saddled on her horse and rode off to the East. She was sure, according to the map, that there was a river in that direction. She rode past the guards, though it was already normal for her to do as such. She rode through the night, over the hills and past the open fields. Her hair flaying freely to the passing wind. Still, she did not stop. Running. She always ran away from her problems. She heeled her horse, making it gallop faster, racing across the fields. She had always felt free doing this, but at the same time, feeling the pain of guilt. No matter how she looked at it, she was just running away. The guilt tore through her soul like a knife, riping into her conscious. Kasumi gripped her chest, the pain searing throughout her entire body. Then, her horse stopped abrutly, nearly sending her flying off. She adjusted herself on the saddle and took a look around. She had reached the edge of an extremely thick forest, and further progress by horse would be impossible. She got off her horse and tied it to a nearby tree. She gently stroked its mane, carressing it’s face.
“I’ll be back soon.”
She said, walking off. The dense trees had proven it hard for her to get past, but she had both the agility and flexibility of a cat, and she had a katana ready as well. She cut down several branches that she could not get past, dodging the rest where possible. Her father had taught her, that everything around her was a living thing, had their own respective roles in the world. Trees, animals, grass, stones, humans. Everything had their own purpose to serve and it would be unright for humans to disrupt that natural balance. She respected every single word that her father had told her, whether it was good or bad or nothing at all. She listened closely and tried her best to remember them. She would never forget the gratitude she owes to her father, for everything. She pushed past a couple of more branches and stopped. The sound of rushing water was close. She must be close to the water source. Pushing further on, she was greeted by the sight of the sparkling fresh stream. The moonlit night reflected softly off its surface, luminating the surrounding area in a light blue shade. The marvel that stood before her made her gasp. She had never seen such brilliance before. She squatted next to the water’s edge and gently stroked the surface. Ripples formed, distorting her image, yet reflecting the moon’s light in different directions. Kasumi felt entranced by the sight itself. She got up and looked around. Making sure that no one was watching, she stripped off her clothes and stepped into the cooling water. She waded across towards the middle, watching her step carefully. She loved the sight of such wonders, which clearly pointed out her feminine side under her fierce warrior facade. She was a true young girl at heart, one who would not understand the workings of the world and one who would learn to be the best she can. Moving back, a figure from the shadows backed away from the scene, making a silent getaway. He had gathered enough information. His mission was complete and there was no point in lingering if he did not want to be killed.

Kasumi got up from bed late, due to her late night excursion to the river. When she exited her tent with her armour on, the rest of the men were already ready to leave. After packing up her things, she marched the army forward. It would be another half a day’s march back to the capital due to the army’s new found energy. Kasumi stared up into the clear blue sky, squinted against the glare of the bright sun. Nothing in the vast land of the sky could quell her sorrow. She looked over her shoulder, staring over the heads of her men. Her father’s men. She stared at the spot next to her, where her father would literally lie on the saddle of his horse while reading a book, or playing go. Looking up and smiling at her. His smiling image faded away, disappearing into thin air. Kasumi reached out towards the fading image, but only caught air.
“Father…”
Kasumi sighed. She stared straight, though heart broken, she was determined to fulfill her father’s wish. She will lead her men back home. That much, she would do. Jinka rode up to his general, planning to discuss a certain issue that disturbed him, but seeing her expression, he held back. Till Kasumi noticed him.
“What is it, Jinka-san?”
She asked, hiding her earlier down expression. Jinka bit his lip, but nodded.
“I have been worried about these attackers. Some of the men are beginning to think second thoughts about serving in this army. I’m afraid that some may even rebel openly.”
“That won’t be a problem. I will sort this mess out once we reach the capital. I will not let this army fall apart that easily. Till then, i entrust you on holding the men in place.”
“Thank you for placing such trust in me, Kasumi-dono.”
Jinka bowed.
“No need for formalities, Jinka-san.”
Kasumi said.
“No, it is important. For both yours and my honour.”
Kasumi sighed, it was like fighting a losing battle.
“Alright then, if you’re that persistant.”
“Thank you for understanding, now if you would excuse me.”
Jinka bowed and rode forward towards the front. Kasumi shrugged her shoulders, wondering if there was anything in the world that could go anyway worse than it has been already. Actually, within her mind, she was thinking about this rebellion. It would prove to be useful if the time calls for it. No doubt that this Zakiko is behind all of mishaps. It would be wise to have some troops that have doubts in this situation. She stared across the horizon, watching as the tiny dot in the line that split the sky and earth, grow to be a tall tower, a castle. One built as a symbol of power. The capital, Kyoto.

The army entered through the back entrance of the capital, not wanting to attract too much attention. The gate guards nodded at the sight of the banner, opening the gates and allowing the army the march in. Kasumi shielded her eyes from the glare of the sun, as she looked up to the top of the castle. The large building seemed so dark and dangerous, even in the middle of the day. She knew, that someone was watching her. It had already begun. She led the men into the keep, through the back entrance, and got off her horse. Her men were all tired, but glad to be back. Kasumi glanced over to Jinka, who nodded. Together, the two walked off to find the council, and try to get answers to their situation.

Kasumi had never felt so irritated in her life. As she sat there, next to Jinka, facing another General of another part of the imperial army, she could not help but wonder if there was something missing. The generals sat in two rows, facing each other on either sides of the Shogun. Apparently, Zakiko was sitting next to the Shogun. The Shogun is still young, having inherited the throne at a young age. He looked the same age as Kasumi. From what she heard, he gained the throne right after his father and sister were assasinated. It must be some pain for him to endure. She could not get a better look at him, since he was behind baboo curtains. Zakiko, however, stood before the curtain. He was a tall and large man, muscular and commanding. Wearing black armour, the colour of the imperial army, he looked really demonic, with his weird sharp mustache and sharp face. The generals sat there, all awaiting for the briefing. Kasumi had only been to one of these before with her father, but she never realized it would be so tiring. Zakiko noticed her agitation and chuckled inwardly.
“So, the new general of Crimson Blade can’t sit still for five minutes.”
Zakiko said, his voice equally commanding. A fearsome man.
“Fifteen minutes.”
Kasumi countered.
“Excuse me?”
Zakiko had never been challenged before, and this was definately a first, and coming from a girl.
“I said ‘fifteen minutes’. We’ve been sitting here for fifteen minutes with nothing going on. I suggest that you get on with what you want to say, or else i’m leaving.”
Kasumi stared hard at Zakiko. The other generals all looked at her with great interest. Indeed, they were waiting for someone to stand up against Zakiko. Looks like that day has arrived.
“Hmph. Impatient girl. You shouldn’t even be in service. Know your place.”
“I know my place, and that is with my men, not sitting here in silence.”
“Silence, insubordination will not be tolerated here.”
“Zakiko.”
The shogun spoke. Zakiko turned and bowed, standing back. The bamboo curtain was raised. All of the generals lowered their heads. Kasumi did the same.
“Girl, raise your head.”
The shogun said. Kasumi did not like to be addressed as girl, but he is the shogun. She raised her head and looked at him. He had black shoulder length hair and dark eyes that seem to pierce anything it looks at, but at the same time, she sensed sadness in those piercing eyes.
“…. Very well.”
The shogun smiled, sitting back.
“I hear that Taiko made you, his own daughter, to the general of the Crimson Blade. Kasumi, is it not?”
He said.
“That is correct, my lord.”
She bowed.
“Please, don’t lower your head. It seems embarrassing for a beautiful girl like yourself to bow down to me. Very well, it seems that Taiko placed much faith in you. I expect much from you.”
“Yes sir.”
Kasumi bowed. Wait, did the shogun call her bueatiful? Zakiko stood forward again.
“Right, this is the plan. The western region is uprising again. A total of three seperatists factions have stood up against us. I want the Crimson Blade to deal with these threats.”
“Alone?!”
Kasumi asked, shocked with the news. Zakiko smirked.
“Yes, alone. I have great faith in your abilities. The rest of the army will stay back and provide what back-up needed. As a precaution, and since you seem to want it, Fujino, you accompany the Crimson Blade with your men. Are you satisfied, general Yamamoto?”
Zakiko asked.
“… fine.”
Kasumi did not want to hear anymore of this. She knew that this is a set-up.
“Good. The eastern regions are also in an up-heveal. We must quell their riots before they become something uncontrollable. I want the imperial third, forth and fifth divisions to handle this. That is all. Dismissed.”

She slammed her fist against the wall. She hated that man. How dare he mock her? What right does he have for doing that?
“How dare he? If i could get my hands on him…”
She gritted her teeth in anger. Jinka sighed, shaking his head.
“Kasumi-dono, you must not give in to anger.”
“But Jinka! You know better than me that this is a set-up! That Fujino guy, he’s a lieutenant of Zakiko, right?”
“Yes, and has not much battle experience.”
Jinka nodded.
“See? He’s just trying to get rid of us. He knows we pose the greatest threat to him at present”
“That is true.”
“We must try to turn this around.”
Kasumi said, biting her nail.
“I’m afraid that we cannot do that.”
“But why?”
“As i said before, most of the men, including me, have sworn our alligence to the shogun. No matter the risks, we must give our lives to his cause.”
“But it’s suicide!”
“I know, that is why i must leave everything up to you.”
“Me?”
“Yes. You are the only one who can stop Zakiko. Everything is up to you, Kasumi-dono.”
Jinka bowed and left Kasumi to her own thoughts.

Her room, her smell, her presence. Pain. Sorrow. Solitude. The mixed emotions, products of sadness. Her tears. Where was her happiness? Gone. Gone when her father fell. She looked at the sword stand that stood empty. Her father’s sword stand. That’s right, her father is no longer around. That which was his, is now hers. But she didn’t want it. She stood up, placing her katana in her belt. It was time.
“Father…. please watch over me.”
She said, turning around and walking out of her room. Already, she could hear the men in the hall, all waiting for her. Kasumi walked on, through the corridor. Her mind was already made up.

Riding atop of her steed, she watched from the hill side. Her own army, moving off to their doom. She tried her best, but loyalty was still strong in the blood of her men. She had left them. Betrayed them. She turned to her own men. Those who would follow her everywhere she went, her own bodyguard unit. Kiran looked down in the valley, watching as his father took over the army and led the men.
“Father….”
Kiran sighed.
“Kiran… i’m sorry.”
Kasumi shook her head.
“No, don’t be. My father chose this. I am honoured to have such a father.”
Kiran bowed in the direction of the marching army.
“Right, we don’t have much time to spare. Most likely that those seperatist forces are part of Zakiko’s forces. They will know that i am missing from the battle.”
“So what do we do?”
A lieutenant asked. Kasumi looked at her loyal troops. About twenty of them.
“We can’t take over the capital with this amount of troops. We need reinforcements. But where?”
Kasumi thought about it.
“We can’t ask a seperatist force, can we?”
Kiran asked.
“No, we do not know who is a friend or foe in our current situation. We must be careful.”
“How about the three sisters of the mainland?”
A soldier asked, stepping forward.
“The three sisters?”
Kasumi looked puzzled. She never heard of them.
“Yes, they are quite a force to reckon with, basically the rulers of all of the martial artists in the mainland.”
“Rulers of the martial world, is that right?”
Kasumi thought about it. It may work.
“Alright then, we’ll set out for the mainland. Where the nearest port?”
“To the north, Konganwan.”
Kiran replied, taking out a map.
“Hmm… it might be dangerous. Alright, we’ll set out for the port then.”
Kasumi said, leading her men off. What she did not know, was the pair of dark eyes that followed her.

The rain started to beat down upon them as they marched on. The path was treacherous and was prone to mudslides. It seemed forever for them to reach a cave large enough to let the men rest. Kasumi looked as her men started a fire and started to cook a meal for themselves. She didn’t feel like eating, or joining them around the fire. A deathly silence fell upon the group. There was nothing they wanted to say. Nothing. Kasumi looked at her sword. Her first sword, one give by her father. Kiran walked up to her with a steaming bowl in his hand.
“Kasumi-sama, you need to eat.”
He spoke softly, passing her the bowl. Kasumi thanked him, and looked down into her bowl. A simple soup, made of some mushrooms and herbs. It was hardly appetizing, but she knew that it was better than nothing. They all needed their strength, for their morale was already low after so many incidents. The soup’s taste was bitter to her tongue, but she forced herself to eat the contents. After living so many years as her father’s daughter, she was more accustomed to slightly more luxurious food. Her hands gripped tightly onto the side of the bowl at the thought of her father. There was so much she wanted to talk to him about, but everything came crashing down so fast. Was it fair? Or was it meant to be? Putting her bowl down, Kasumi grabbed onto her katana, and headed out of the cave. Her men gave her a look, but they knew that it was like her to go out on her own at night. But this time was slightly different. Kiran grabbed onto his helmet, and rushed out after her.
“Kasumi-sama! Please don’t wonder too far out.”
“I know.”
Kasumi leaned against the exit of the cave, staring out at the raining sky. It was like the sky was crying for her. She initially wanted to come out to think, to be alone. Kiran eliminated the second one. And another thing also helped to eliminate that. Kasumi’s hand reached for the hilt of her sword. With blinding speed, she drew her sword, and brought it in an arc over her head, cutting cleanly through a masked attacker who was about to attack her with a sword from behind. Her action alerted Kiran and her men inside the cave, as more masked assailants came out of their hiding places. Shinobi. Warriors of the dark and masters of shadows. Kasumi twirled her katana in her hand, glaring hard at her attackers. Those Shinobi backed away slightly, but three of them suddenly charged at her. Her head ducked low, while her sword sliced through one attacker. Drawing her hand back, she thrust her sword forward, piercing the chest of the next attacker. Grabbing the shoulder of her victim with her free hand, she moved the body to her left, where the third attacker’s sword cut into the flesh of his deceased comrade. Taking this opportunity, Kasumi forced her sword deeper into the body, the tip exiting the dead body and entering the third attacker. The third attacker dropped his sword, and his head slumped. Using one foot, she pushed the two bodies away from her sword. Once free, she swung her blade down, releasing any loose blood. The other shinobi were frightened. Kasumi turned to Kiran, where he took down one more attacker. Her men were already by her side, forming a protective circle around her.
“Kasumi-sama! Please escape, we’ll take care of this.”
One of her men shouted, his grip on his sword was strong, and Kasumi respected his courage, but-
“Escape? I do not need to escape from this.”
Kasumi wanted revenge. She wanted to force her anguish, her pain, out on something, on someone. From the shadows, more movement. More shinobi. These were just the initial force. Kasumi counted about seventy. They were heavily outnumbered. And the terrain was not suited for her men. They were now treading on the shinobi’s home grounds. These kind of mountain terrains were where shinobi were rumoured to be trained. Her men could get killed, but that wasn’t on her mind. She wanted to fight. To unleash her frustration, her anger. It wasn’t how her father taught her to do so though, her father had always told her the best way to release frustration and anger, was through drinking, playing go, and shouting at the sea. But she doesn’t like drinking, she doesn’t have any go set, and they were on the mountains, no sea. Kiran saw the dangerous spark that danced in her eyes. He knew what was going through her mind, and it wasn’t good.
“… Kasumi-sama, i’m sorry for this.”
Kiran pushed Kasumi hard. She wasn’t expecting it, and she stumbled towards the edge of the cliff, she almost fell over, but managed to get her balance back. She turned to Kiran, wanting to shout at him, but the ground beneath her feet suddenly gave way, dropping her down the cliff. The last thing she saw, was the sad smile of Kiran.

Feeling her head throbbing, Kasumi slowly opened her eyes. Everything was dark, and it took her awhile to get adjusted to the darkness. She could only make out faint outlines of objects. A table, one or two chairs, a window, a door. A small hut, by the look of things. Since it is all dark, she must have guessed it to be night. She struggled to get up, but felt a sharp sting in her head. Reaching up, she felt a cloth tied around her head. Her hands were also bandaged, as were her legs. She also noticed that she was not wearing her armour. Instead, some simple clothing that were a size too large for her. And it was more for men, than for women. A few questions ran through her head, but her mind was too tired and pained to even process all of them. The door swung open, and a lone figure stood there. Since it was dark, she could not tell who the person was.
“You’re up. Good.”
A young man’s voice. The man walked over to the side of the hut, and dropped something onto the floor. He huddled over whatever he dropped, and Kasumi could hear the sound of two objects striking against each other. Then, light. A small flame came from where the man crouched over. He was making a fire with some firewood he found. With the room now lit, Kasumi could see where she was. A small wooden hut, with almost all of its furniture made of wood. And she wasn’t sleeping on a bed, but on hay, which explained why she felt so prickly. The young man stood up, and faced her. He had a young look, maybe slightly older than Kasumi herself. With messy dark hair, and dark eyes, he seemed to exhume a sense of peace, calm, and intelligence. Dressed in ragged travelling clothes, he didn’t seem like he had any money on him, but she noticed something. The way he stood. Like a swordsman.
“I found you lying on the ground in the rain. I’ve dressed your wounds and let you wear one of my clothes.”
He turned to the table, where Kasumi spotted her gear.
“Your armour is broken, so i don’t think you should wear it again.”
The man picked up her chest piece, where a huge dent was evident.
“… My sword?”
She asked, hoping the man did not steal it. The man, however, pointed back to her. She turned around and saw that her sword was lying right next to her.
“You wouldn’t let it go, so i figured it was precious.”
Kasumi picked up her sword, and held it close to her. It is precious. It represents everything that she had, everything that she lost.
“Anyway, you better rest up. I’ll make you something to eat.”
“Wait.”
The man stopped after being told to. Turning to her, he waited for her to think of what she wanted to say.
“… Thank you.”
“No problem.”

Kasumi awoke the next morning, to find that the man was gone. The night before was not very eventful. He came back in the night with some food, which he boiled till it was soft enough for her to eat. Then she fell asleep without even knowing his name. Now, any signs of him was gone, besides the burnt wood from last night’s fire, and his clothes that she still wore. She remembered seeing a bag or some sort by the side, and presumed it was his. Now, it was gone. She struggled to her feet, using her sword as a support. She noticed that her armour was gone, but in its place, a small cloth bundle was there. In it, were a few pieces of gold coins. Well, she did not need her armour anyway. She was planning to go covert from the beginning. Then her thoughts went back to Kiran and her men. She stepped out of the hut into the open, and saw that she was at the base of the mountain which she and her men climbed. Now being morning, she had doubts that Kiran or her men would have survived. Shinobi were strong warriors, especially in mountain terrain and in the cover of night. Seventy shinobi against twenty men in such conditions was a certain death. Kasumi closed her eyes. She had cried away all of her tears. There was no turning back now. She will complete her journey.
“Kiran… everyone, rest well.”

But where was she to go? She knew that she needed to head North. Kasumi sat down on a rock, taking out a small bamboo water holder, which was one of the few things her mysterious savior left for her in a small sack she found outside the hut. Three water holders, a map, and a pouch filled with grains of raw rice. She uncorked the water holder, drinking a small sip from it, before putting it back. She took out her map, and studied it. She had no clue which side of the mountain she fell down from, and exactly where the hut she was in was located. If only that guy left some other clue. She looked up at the sky, covering her eyes from the glare of the sun. If she could pinpoint which direction the sun sets, she could get a bearing on which general direction to head to. But that may take some time. Setting down her bag, Kasumi decided to set up camp. Luckily, since she was in the forest, there were plenty of twigs for her to use. As for the fire, she found two rough stones, and squatted before the pile of twigs, striking the stones together in hopes to get a fire started. It wasn’t for another hour, that there was success. She sat down on the floor, and took out the pouch of rice. She pinched a few with her fingers, and ate them, making sure to chew all of them right. Her teeth would hurt, but at least she wouldn’t be hungry. The sun was setting already, and now she could get her bearing. She took out her map once more, turning the map several times to fit her bearings. Once satisfied, she drew her blade, and pricked her finger with the tip of her blade, using her own blood to mark on the map her approximate location, and where she needed to go. It would probably be a month’s worth of walking to get where she wanted to go. No doubt she would need to go into towns to resupply, but she would probably be wanted in every town owned by the Shogun. She muttered a curse at Zakiko under her breath, wishing that large man would just topple and die. Though sadly, that is hardly the case.

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