Picture if you will a world where our five warriors have come on to circumstances that should not have been. A place where destiny is tampered with and fate is twisted to change what is and what might have been to what is not and what shall be.
Ryo is a boy scarred and hardened by the death of his parents from a cabin fire. Touma suffers from a fear of falling. Shu, depressed and on edge, helps manage a bar where a few interesting characters habituate. Shin is an obstacle in the way of his ambitious sister. And Seiji, after years of being taunted and abused for his appearance, contemplates the extreme.
It is a universe of the unfortunate as they desperately cry out for something better. One monk tries to steer them in the right path, their path, and what must be.
And so, without further ado...
***
Shards
By Ruby
Prologue
***
What is a world without hope?
There was a fire in the forest. The black clouds of smoke and ash flying above the valley blocked the stars in the night sky. A heat so blinding, a heat so fierce, it seared in the lungs of what unfortunate creature that breathed it.
Except for one.
Ryo, the young boy. He stood outside unaware of the forest burning away around him, but only focused on the little cabin that held his mother and father. It was swallowed in flames.
"Mama? P-papa?" he called softly. He strained his eyes and hopes to catch a sign, any sign, of them. Nothing. A moment later a blazing tree fell directly at the boy but he jumped and rolled away.
He whimpered. Embers had caught themselves in his eyes, and now his head felt as if it were burning. Hands wiped at his lids, trying to get rid of the feeling. Instead it got hotter.
With tears streaming down his face Ryo groped blindly at the dirt for some escape. He could feel the intense heat of the fire and smelled the smoke as the forest died. Dry grass crunched beneath his fingers.
There was a creak of wood and the snapping of beams. Hearing a loud crash from behind he knew that his home had collapsed. Terrified, he turned to see through blurry vision that no one had gotten out. No one, save for himself.
His parents were dead.
Later he would remember the white tiger, red in the light, leaping and carrying him away from another falling pine, but at that moment he just didn't care anymore. With soft fur under his fingers and a broken heart, he clung to beast as they rode away into the dark.
What is a world without hope?
A bit like a child without a home.
*
"Sanada Ryo?"
"... Ryo?"
"Child, please awaken."
Something cool and wet ran over his eyes, banishing the last threads of pain left over from the embers. He opened them and found the tiger hanging over him with one last lick to deliver. In curiosity Ryo poked the creature's nose with a sooty fingertip to find it firm, damp, and very real.
The boy sat up in the dewy green grass. There wasn't any sign that a fire had been anywhere in the area. So it meant that he was very far from his home.
He looked down at his hands.
Home. It was gone.
The white tiger gently nudged him on the side.
"Do not fear Byakuen, he will not harm you."
"I know," he answered simply, looking up. "Hello." It was a man in a monk's clothes and a large hat. The yellow straw kind that he had seen in photos once before.
"Hello," said the man. Byakuen also purred a greeting. "I am Kaosu."
***
The world still turned, and Ryo had found a new home.
Eight years passed, marking the boy just over fourteen years. In the absence of his mother and father, he had adopted Kaosu as a pseudo-parent and a teacher. As a parent the monk was mysterious and frustrating since he was usually right and the boy liked to question some of the things he said and did.
But as a teacher, the man excelled. Ryo was taught things like how to defend and protect himself, taught the legend of the armors, and learned other more common things that a boy would need to know in that day and age. Like math.
Yeech.
But the most important stuff was the learning to fight and knowing the history.
"There are five Samurai Troopers," Kaosu told him as they sat on separate boulders out in the middle of a serene lake, surrounded by jade-colored grass. The golden staff lay across the ancient's lap. "And it is my task to guide them. You know you are one... It may be my task to guide them, but you must find them first."
Ryo nodded, bored, and wished that he could play with Byakuen who was sunning himself on the shore like a lazy cat - which he was.
"Jin, Virtue. Chi, Wisdom. Gi, Justice. Rei, Courtesy. Shin, Trust..."
He sighed softly, breathing in the cool scent of the pure waters. He'd heard this speech many times; the guy had missed his calling to be a rickety old grandpa. The image of a bearded Kaosu in a rocking chair while crooning "Why, when I was your age..." made him smile.
"Is there something humorous, Ryo?" There was a note of annoyance in the old man's voice.
"Nothing," he answered, diligently wiping the smirk off his face. "I'm sorry."
"It's all right, child, I know you're bored."
"Oh, no, that's not it at all - "
"Lying is of no use. I know you have heard this all before."
He paused then nodded again. "Then why bother to repeat it?"
"Because I want you to remember it when I'm gone," Kaosu said somberly. "I'll die one day, you know."
Ryo blinked, and reacted instantly. "You'll never die," he insisted angrily. "You can never die. You've lived for hundreds of years."
"My purpose in this life is to prevent Arago and his dark army from destroying the world. When the Samurai Troopers defeat him, my task will be finished. And I will rest."
"But, but - " Ryo stammered in despair, standing up. "You've taken care of me for almost half my life. You and Byakuen saved me, taught me, and raised me. There is not one day of my life that I don't owe you since the fire. How can I let you die?"
"You will not *let* me die. When it happens, it will happen."
"But - "
"Let's not have this discussion again, child," he sighed. "It might not be for a long time coming. But for now it is time for training." In a flash the monk had grabbed the staff and swept it under Ryo's legs. The teen was knocked off the rock and fell into the water. He came sputtering back out, eyes narrowing.
"That was a sucker punch!"
"Hold your temper, Ryo," Kaosu chuckled. "And you must work on your reflexes."
"Yeah, right."
Watching the boy splash around in the shallow water the man noticed dark storm clouds rising from the horizon. Lightning flashed as thunder echoed its passing. The wind picked up and tossed his long white hair about, the feeling of something wrong ever growing.
Not good. It was definitely not good.
"Get to shore, Ryo," the monk ordered. "Go to Byakuen."
Ryo gave a look at his tone but obeyed without question. The tiger had caught the mood and was waiting patiently for him. He wasn't two feet out of the water before a loud whistling sound descended followed by a louder splash.
He spun around. Standing waist-high into the lake was a demon holding a large sword and garbed in dark green armor. He gasped, recognizing it as one of the Youja, demon soldiers, that Kaosu had once described to him.
"Leave. Go with Byakuen to the city and find the other Troopers."
"I can't let you fight this thing by yourself!" Ryo called back, ready to run back into the lake. The white tiger blocked him. "Come on, boy, we need to help!"
"No! You do not yet have either the strength or speed it needs to defeat even one Youja. Go with Byakuen, or he will take you anyway." A second and third green-clad soldier landed. "Find the others!"
"But how?"
"You will, just listen to your heart of Virtue. Think, boy! You are needed for larger things."
All the sound seemed to have funneled to silence and no one moved, not even the soldiers. It was as if the forest was waiting for him to answer. Eyes conflicted he stared at the monk. He wanted to help, yet he knew the guy was right. But he didn't want to lose anybody.
The cat grumbled and butted the teen's hand.
"Damn it," he sighed. "Let's go." Giving one last glance at his teacher Ryo jumped onto Byakuen and they both ran off into the forest.
'I will see you later, Ryo,' Kaosu thought. He turned his attention to the three figures surrounding him.
"Hello, old man," gurgled a Youja. It raised its sword and pointed at him. "Arago extends his invitation for you to join him."
Kaosu went into a defensive stance. "He knows my answer."
"Very well. Then he sends his regards." The demon soldier jumped and slashed the sword down upon the monk, but he had leaped above the assailant and brought his staff down on its neck in a fatal blow. The first collapsed in a heap of empty armor and fading smoke. The other two circle warily, then attacked.
*
"I should have stayed," Ryo vented, squeezing his eyes tight. "I should have helped! I - "
Underneath, Byakuen growled and vaulted off of a sheer cliff. The heavy thump as they landed on soft dirt jolted the boy back to awareness. He could see Tokyo on the horizon waiting for him. With that act he knew the tiger was telling Ryo that he needed to find the other Troopers.
"All right, housecat." His face was determined and focused. He had to do this. "Lead the way."
***
Imagine if you lived your life in a valley where people rarely visited because of the natural mountainous boundaries and the impassible rock faces they held. Inside you definitely knew about the things happening elsewhere, but have never actually experienced it for yourself. Think of a spacious, Spartan, and solitary life where it was a rare event even to see an airplane flying in the distance.
Now put yourself in Ryo's bare feet as he and Byakuen explored Tokyo, the city of lights, sounds and vitality, where the towering skyscrapers surpassed the trees and cars were almost faster than any white tiger.
"Wow! Mom, look!"
"What is it, Jun?"
"Up there on that building! It's a tiger!" The animal ducked out of sight the moment the child pointed it out.
"There's nothing there, son. Come on, time to go home."
"But Dad…" he whined, and trailed after them.
Immediately, two silhouettes against the low hanging sun jumped off the edifice and slipped away. To avoid being seen the boy and cat had traveled on the rooftops of apartments and restaurants and the back alleys where he found the occasional magazine or local paper.
"It's so big," Ryo marveled as he peeked around the side of an apartment.
A small neon blue car swerved wildly around the far corner and honked loudly when it passed others, leaving a trail of smoke and swearing. He stood blinking, hearing the driver whooping in rapture at the top of their lungs and narrowly missing a blond boy as he was running to the other street.
A white minivan screeched and barreled down the same path, most likely in pursuit. It also disappeared down the busy street.
"And loud," he added, backing off to the inner alleyways.
Byakuen rumbled in agreement. His master took up a week-old ripped newspaper; the article was about a well-known man who had been murdered by his wife, leaving a son and daughter devastated. The second story next to it described a rich scientist making more discoveries on predicting earthquakes by using the moon as a guide.
"And amazing! Look at this."
Ryo wondered how much it took to make someone rich. He knew the concept of money, but had never applied it before. Safe to say, he didn't have any.
"And complicated," he swallowed. "More so than Kaosu taught me… And how am I going to find anyone in this place? Are any of the Troopers even here?"
He sent the tiger a questioning expression. Byakuen just blinked innocently.
"Oh, you're helpful."
He stared down at the first article with a picture of a crying brother and tight-lipped sister as they watched their mother being arrested by officers. He looked at the teen's blue sweater and jeans, then glanced at his own tattered shirt and black pants which were hanging well above his ankles.
"I have no money, no idea where to start, and I think I need new clothes. Fantastic."
Byakuen sniffed and bounded ahead in the alleyway. Ryo gripped the paper with both hands and gazed once more at the picture, at the tearful boy who had lost his family.
Sea-blue eyes stared back.
He let it fall to the ground.
"I hope Kaosu is all right."
***
To Be Continued
Ryo is a boy scarred and hardened by the death of his parents from a cabin fire. Touma suffers from a fear of falling. Shu, depressed and on edge, helps manage a bar where a few interesting characters habituate. Shin is an obstacle in the way of his ambitious sister. And Seiji, after years of being taunted and abused for his appearance, contemplates the extreme.
It is a universe of the unfortunate as they desperately cry out for something better. One monk tries to steer them in the right path, their path, and what must be.
And so, without further ado...
***
Shards
By Ruby
Prologue
***
What is a world without hope?
There was a fire in the forest. The black clouds of smoke and ash flying above the valley blocked the stars in the night sky. A heat so blinding, a heat so fierce, it seared in the lungs of what unfortunate creature that breathed it.
Except for one.
Ryo, the young boy. He stood outside unaware of the forest burning away around him, but only focused on the little cabin that held his mother and father. It was swallowed in flames.
"Mama? P-papa?" he called softly. He strained his eyes and hopes to catch a sign, any sign, of them. Nothing. A moment later a blazing tree fell directly at the boy but he jumped and rolled away.
He whimpered. Embers had caught themselves in his eyes, and now his head felt as if it were burning. Hands wiped at his lids, trying to get rid of the feeling. Instead it got hotter.
With tears streaming down his face Ryo groped blindly at the dirt for some escape. He could feel the intense heat of the fire and smelled the smoke as the forest died. Dry grass crunched beneath his fingers.
There was a creak of wood and the snapping of beams. Hearing a loud crash from behind he knew that his home had collapsed. Terrified, he turned to see through blurry vision that no one had gotten out. No one, save for himself.
His parents were dead.
Later he would remember the white tiger, red in the light, leaping and carrying him away from another falling pine, but at that moment he just didn't care anymore. With soft fur under his fingers and a broken heart, he clung to beast as they rode away into the dark.
What is a world without hope?
A bit like a child without a home.
*
"Sanada Ryo?"
"... Ryo?"
"Child, please awaken."
Something cool and wet ran over his eyes, banishing the last threads of pain left over from the embers. He opened them and found the tiger hanging over him with one last lick to deliver. In curiosity Ryo poked the creature's nose with a sooty fingertip to find it firm, damp, and very real.
The boy sat up in the dewy green grass. There wasn't any sign that a fire had been anywhere in the area. So it meant that he was very far from his home.
He looked down at his hands.
Home. It was gone.
The white tiger gently nudged him on the side.
"Do not fear Byakuen, he will not harm you."
"I know," he answered simply, looking up. "Hello." It was a man in a monk's clothes and a large hat. The yellow straw kind that he had seen in photos once before.
"Hello," said the man. Byakuen also purred a greeting. "I am Kaosu."
***
The world still turned, and Ryo had found a new home.
Eight years passed, marking the boy just over fourteen years. In the absence of his mother and father, he had adopted Kaosu as a pseudo-parent and a teacher. As a parent the monk was mysterious and frustrating since he was usually right and the boy liked to question some of the things he said and did.
But as a teacher, the man excelled. Ryo was taught things like how to defend and protect himself, taught the legend of the armors, and learned other more common things that a boy would need to know in that day and age. Like math.
Yeech.
But the most important stuff was the learning to fight and knowing the history.
"There are five Samurai Troopers," Kaosu told him as they sat on separate boulders out in the middle of a serene lake, surrounded by jade-colored grass. The golden staff lay across the ancient's lap. "And it is my task to guide them. You know you are one... It may be my task to guide them, but you must find them first."
Ryo nodded, bored, and wished that he could play with Byakuen who was sunning himself on the shore like a lazy cat - which he was.
"Jin, Virtue. Chi, Wisdom. Gi, Justice. Rei, Courtesy. Shin, Trust..."
He sighed softly, breathing in the cool scent of the pure waters. He'd heard this speech many times; the guy had missed his calling to be a rickety old grandpa. The image of a bearded Kaosu in a rocking chair while crooning "Why, when I was your age..." made him smile.
"Is there something humorous, Ryo?" There was a note of annoyance in the old man's voice.
"Nothing," he answered, diligently wiping the smirk off his face. "I'm sorry."
"It's all right, child, I know you're bored."
"Oh, no, that's not it at all - "
"Lying is of no use. I know you have heard this all before."
He paused then nodded again. "Then why bother to repeat it?"
"Because I want you to remember it when I'm gone," Kaosu said somberly. "I'll die one day, you know."
Ryo blinked, and reacted instantly. "You'll never die," he insisted angrily. "You can never die. You've lived for hundreds of years."
"My purpose in this life is to prevent Arago and his dark army from destroying the world. When the Samurai Troopers defeat him, my task will be finished. And I will rest."
"But, but - " Ryo stammered in despair, standing up. "You've taken care of me for almost half my life. You and Byakuen saved me, taught me, and raised me. There is not one day of my life that I don't owe you since the fire. How can I let you die?"
"You will not *let* me die. When it happens, it will happen."
"But - "
"Let's not have this discussion again, child," he sighed. "It might not be for a long time coming. But for now it is time for training." In a flash the monk had grabbed the staff and swept it under Ryo's legs. The teen was knocked off the rock and fell into the water. He came sputtering back out, eyes narrowing.
"That was a sucker punch!"
"Hold your temper, Ryo," Kaosu chuckled. "And you must work on your reflexes."
"Yeah, right."
Watching the boy splash around in the shallow water the man noticed dark storm clouds rising from the horizon. Lightning flashed as thunder echoed its passing. The wind picked up and tossed his long white hair about, the feeling of something wrong ever growing.
Not good. It was definitely not good.
"Get to shore, Ryo," the monk ordered. "Go to Byakuen."
Ryo gave a look at his tone but obeyed without question. The tiger had caught the mood and was waiting patiently for him. He wasn't two feet out of the water before a loud whistling sound descended followed by a louder splash.
He spun around. Standing waist-high into the lake was a demon holding a large sword and garbed in dark green armor. He gasped, recognizing it as one of the Youja, demon soldiers, that Kaosu had once described to him.
"Leave. Go with Byakuen to the city and find the other Troopers."
"I can't let you fight this thing by yourself!" Ryo called back, ready to run back into the lake. The white tiger blocked him. "Come on, boy, we need to help!"
"No! You do not yet have either the strength or speed it needs to defeat even one Youja. Go with Byakuen, or he will take you anyway." A second and third green-clad soldier landed. "Find the others!"
"But how?"
"You will, just listen to your heart of Virtue. Think, boy! You are needed for larger things."
All the sound seemed to have funneled to silence and no one moved, not even the soldiers. It was as if the forest was waiting for him to answer. Eyes conflicted he stared at the monk. He wanted to help, yet he knew the guy was right. But he didn't want to lose anybody.
The cat grumbled and butted the teen's hand.
"Damn it," he sighed. "Let's go." Giving one last glance at his teacher Ryo jumped onto Byakuen and they both ran off into the forest.
'I will see you later, Ryo,' Kaosu thought. He turned his attention to the three figures surrounding him.
"Hello, old man," gurgled a Youja. It raised its sword and pointed at him. "Arago extends his invitation for you to join him."
Kaosu went into a defensive stance. "He knows my answer."
"Very well. Then he sends his regards." The demon soldier jumped and slashed the sword down upon the monk, but he had leaped above the assailant and brought his staff down on its neck in a fatal blow. The first collapsed in a heap of empty armor and fading smoke. The other two circle warily, then attacked.
*
"I should have stayed," Ryo vented, squeezing his eyes tight. "I should have helped! I - "
Underneath, Byakuen growled and vaulted off of a sheer cliff. The heavy thump as they landed on soft dirt jolted the boy back to awareness. He could see Tokyo on the horizon waiting for him. With that act he knew the tiger was telling Ryo that he needed to find the other Troopers.
"All right, housecat." His face was determined and focused. He had to do this. "Lead the way."
***
Imagine if you lived your life in a valley where people rarely visited because of the natural mountainous boundaries and the impassible rock faces they held. Inside you definitely knew about the things happening elsewhere, but have never actually experienced it for yourself. Think of a spacious, Spartan, and solitary life where it was a rare event even to see an airplane flying in the distance.
Now put yourself in Ryo's bare feet as he and Byakuen explored Tokyo, the city of lights, sounds and vitality, where the towering skyscrapers surpassed the trees and cars were almost faster than any white tiger.
"Wow! Mom, look!"
"What is it, Jun?"
"Up there on that building! It's a tiger!" The animal ducked out of sight the moment the child pointed it out.
"There's nothing there, son. Come on, time to go home."
"But Dad…" he whined, and trailed after them.
Immediately, two silhouettes against the low hanging sun jumped off the edifice and slipped away. To avoid being seen the boy and cat had traveled on the rooftops of apartments and restaurants and the back alleys where he found the occasional magazine or local paper.
"It's so big," Ryo marveled as he peeked around the side of an apartment.
A small neon blue car swerved wildly around the far corner and honked loudly when it passed others, leaving a trail of smoke and swearing. He stood blinking, hearing the driver whooping in rapture at the top of their lungs and narrowly missing a blond boy as he was running to the other street.
A white minivan screeched and barreled down the same path, most likely in pursuit. It also disappeared down the busy street.
"And loud," he added, backing off to the inner alleyways.
Byakuen rumbled in agreement. His master took up a week-old ripped newspaper; the article was about a well-known man who had been murdered by his wife, leaving a son and daughter devastated. The second story next to it described a rich scientist making more discoveries on predicting earthquakes by using the moon as a guide.
"And amazing! Look at this."
Ryo wondered how much it took to make someone rich. He knew the concept of money, but had never applied it before. Safe to say, he didn't have any.
"And complicated," he swallowed. "More so than Kaosu taught me… And how am I going to find anyone in this place? Are any of the Troopers even here?"
He sent the tiger a questioning expression. Byakuen just blinked innocently.
"Oh, you're helpful."
He stared down at the first article with a picture of a crying brother and tight-lipped sister as they watched their mother being arrested by officers. He looked at the teen's blue sweater and jeans, then glanced at his own tattered shirt and black pants which were hanging well above his ankles.
"I have no money, no idea where to start, and I think I need new clothes. Fantastic."
Byakuen sniffed and bounded ahead in the alleyway. Ryo gripped the paper with both hands and gazed once more at the picture, at the tearful boy who had lost his family.
Sea-blue eyes stared back.
He let it fall to the ground.
"I hope Kaosu is all right."
***
To Be Continued