Blade Edge

Chapter 1:
Sunrise

         “Blood?” I said quietly as I looked down at my hand that had been pressed up against my side.  I looked up and around, but no one was there.  I ran into the trees and waited.  Suddenly the wound of clinking metal reached my ear.  I turned and grabbed his wrist.  I pulled out my dagger and put it against his throat.
         “You’re good,” he said.  He smiled at me and waited.  I took the dagger away from his neck and let go of his wrist.  “Thank you,” my teacher, Annomi, said, “Takoria and Yamono just probed how important it is to be aware, even when you’re on the defensive.”  Yanomo and I bowed before we went to the back of the crowd.  “Any questions?” Annomi asked.  Yanomo raised his hand after a moment.
         “I’m surprised Yanomo!” Annomi said, “Our star student is asking a question!”
         “I was wondering,” he said, “When the ceremony for the graduation was going to be?”
         “Tomorrow,” Annomi said.  Whispering broke out among the students.  I stood waiting for Sonaro to ask his question.  A hand shot up in the edge of my vision.  “Sonaro?” Annomi said.
         “What would be the special thing we get at the graduation?” he asked.
         “You’ll find out tomorrow,” Annomi answered, “Free training for the rest of the day.”  Sonaro and Yanomo came to me and all three of us went to a secluded area near the forest.  “Let me bandage your wound,” Sonaro said.  I pulled my shirt up a little bit.  Sonaro pulled the bandage around my waist.  “We didn’t learn anything,” I complained.
         “We did learn that what we receive is obviously either important or a village secret,” Yanomo answered.
         “Or it’s something stupid and they just don’t want to break it to us,” Sonaro said.  Yanomo put his hand on his forehead and I fell over laughing.  Annomi dismissed the class and all three of us headed over to the boarding rooms of the Academy.  The Academy attracted students from far away, hence the need for boarding rooms.
We split and I went by myself up to the girls’ rooms.  I opened the door of my shared room.  Wileana was blasting the stereo as I walked in.  I walked in and slammed the door shut.  I walked over to the stereo and turned it off.  “Hey!” Wileana yelled.  She ran and turned it back on.  I slammed the power button and turned it off again.  Wileana grabbed my arm and threw me.  I sprang at her just as she turned the stereo back on again.  We punched each other and pulled each other’s hair as we rolled across the room floor.  The door slowly opened.  We only stopped after we noticed the door was open.
         Sonaro was standing in the doorway staring at us.  He was looking quite confused.  I stood up and dusted myself off.  I stepped over Wileana and looked at Sonaro and just said, “Stereo.”  I jammed the power button again.
         “Again?” he asked, “Isn’t that the millionth time this month?”
         “Yeah,” I said, “You want to do another midnight training, don’t you?”
         “PLEASE!” Sonaro said.  I sighed and then nodded.  I walked out the door and started going down the hallway.  Sonaro was soon walking with me.  We got out to the field and me instantly starting punching a tree. “Hey!” Sonaro said, “The last time you did that you couldn’t punch for weeks!”
         “I don’t care!” I said, “I need something to punch and you remember the last that it was you that I practiced on.  You didn’t come near me for a week.”
         “That was because you scared the living shit out of me,” Sonaro said, “Your punches were strong enough to hit me and get flying fast enough to go through a wall.”
         “I was REALLY angry that day,” I said, “And I’ve said sorry like a thousand times.”
         “Just give me your hands, so I can inspect the damage,” Sonaro said.  I put my hands into his.  He looked them over and shrugged.  “What?” I asked.
         “You didn’t really hurt them at all this time,” Sonaro said.  I smiled and started to train again.  Sonaro soon got bored of training and we both sat under a tree and meditated.  I was almost sleeping when a twig snapped somewhere not too far away from Sonaro and I.  I opened my eyes and looked at Sonaro.  He hadn’t fallen asleep, but he wasn’t really paying all that much attention to anything else around him.  I quietly stood up and went to go see what had made the noise.  I jumped trough the tree branches and soon found the shadow of a person.  I jumped and tackled them.  I soon realized that it was a puppet.  It was too late.
         The sand around me grabbed me and pushed me down to the ground.  A person jumped out of a tree and landed right in front of me.  I tried to look up, but the sand kept my head at the ground.  The person kneeled and put his hand under my chin.  He brought my face up to look at his.  “Renano!” I gasped.  He smiled and chuckled.  The sand suddenly tightened its grip on me.  I gasped.  “I see that even the most pathetic kunoichi knows my name,” he said, “I’m surprised that you fell into such an easy trap.”
         The sand loosened a little as he spoke, so I took the opportunity to try and get back up.  I put my hands facing the ground and pushed myself up.  The sand was still trying to pull me down, but its effect seemed to be less than what it had been.  I stood up and faced Renano.  “I do sometimes fall for simple tricks, but it’s  the fact that I still have a lot of strength makes it possible for me to get out of the trouble,” I said as I shook the sand from my hair.
         “Perfect,” Renano said with a small smile on his face, “It’s like you were made to do this.”  He jumped back up into the trees and disappeared.  I clenched my fists and stared up into the trees where he had been.  After a moment I turned to leave.  Sonaro suddenly came throw the trees and tackled me.  “What happened?” he asked.
         “I heard something, so I went to go check it out, but it was only a fox,” I said.  Sonaro let it go and walked with me back to the main field.  We walked in silence, which made Sonaro uncomfortable, but I was completely fine with it.  I jumped into one of the trees in the center of the training field and just sat up there.  “Oi!” I heard from the dorms.  It was Yanomo.  Sonaro looked up at me and said, “I hope you don’t mind.”
         “I don’t really care,” I said as I closed my eyes while leaning against the tree.  Perfect? I asked myself, What did Renano mean?  Could it be that I’m going to be captured or something.  It’s unlikely, but I’ll just be on my toes for a couple of days.  Yanomo was talking to Sonaro beneath the tree, but I was really listening.  I was just watching around to make sure Renano wasn’t nearby.  I was so engrossed with watching for Renano, that when Yanomo yelled at me I fell out of the branch.  On mere instinct I righted myself and landed on my feet.
         “What the hell?!” I asked Yanomo, “What the heck do you want?”
         “You. Me. Spar. Now,” Yanomo said bluntly.  I nodded and got into position.  Yanomo came after me with a barrage of kicks and punches.  I blocked the first couple.  He hit my side and sent me rolling.  I jumped back up and stood with my body close to the ground.  Like an animal, I ran on all fours for a moment, then I jumped an Yanomo and tackled him to the ground.  I pinned Yanomo there.  He grabbed my wrists and threw me off of him.  I flipped and landed on all fours again.  “You don’t act like a human when you fight,” Yanomo said as he jumped up and got back into position.
         “Would you rather me fight more human-like?” I asked.
         “Nah,” Yanomo said, “It’s more fun this way.”  I waited in my crouch for Yanomo to attack again.  He ran at me with a dagger in his hands.  I ran at him and when we got close enough I jumped and used his back to push me further.  Yanomo hit the ground face first and I landed on my toes.  Yanomo jumped up and came at me again.  I dodged and punched his side.  He grabbed my arm and both us hit the ground.  Yanomo sat up.  I just kept staring up at the moon.  “Do you want to go sleep?” Sonaro asked.
         “All of us should,” I said, “Our graduation is tomorrow and we don’t want to be tired, when we are receiving our reward.”  Yanomo nodded and helped me up.  Sonaro went ahead of Yanomo and I.  The dorm was a far ways away by walking so we had a while to talk.  “You’re really getting good,” Yanomo said, “I’ve never seen someone fight so well like that.”
         “I just find it easier to move like that,” I said as I shrugged.
         “What happened in the forest?” Yanomo asked.
         “I heard a twig snap, so I went to go investigate.  All I found was a fox,” I said.
         “I don’t believe you, but whatever,” Yanomo said.  I was getting fed up with Yanomo’s sense of lies.  He always caught me when I lied, but thanks to him, I can lie to other people and if they’re not like Yanomo, they never notice.  I turned away from Yanomo.  He didn’t do anything to try to get a straight answer from me.  I looked back up at the sky after a while.  The stars were beautiful that night.  We reached the dorm buildings.  I went one direction and Yanomo with Sonaro went the other.  I was about to go inside when Sonaro and Yanomo yelled, “Be prepared for tomorrow!”
         I smiled and waved goodnight.  The dark hallway was shining with moonlight for a moment.  I walked to my room and opened the door.  The stereo was on again, but Wileana was passed out on her bed.  I closed the door behind me and walked over to the stereo.  I turned it off.  Wileana rolled over and in her sleep she mumbled, “I was listening to that.”  I chuckled and went over to my bed.  I sat on the edge of it and looked out the window.  The pale light that shone through the window made me feel angelic, even though I knew I wasn’t very angelic at all.
         I moved so that I was sitting with my back against my pillows.  I hugged my knees to my chest and started to nod off.  Soon I was dreaming

         The world around me was full of death.  It was almost too gruesome a scene to look at.  There were people who had swords through their chest with the blood still pouring from the hideous wound on their chest.  Others had swords through their heads.  There was one where the sword had gone through his eye.  The dream me ran through the field of dead people crying and searching for someone.  I tripped and hit the ground.  I looked up and there was a young man my age sitting in front of me.  He had scratches all up and down his arms and legs.
         “I’m sorry,” I cried out in my dream, “I couldn’t save anyone, not even you.”  The young man put his arms around my shoulders and I cried into his shirt.  When I had calmed down he let go of me.  We stood up and he led me away from the dead people.  We were suddenly at a spring in the middle of a forest.  He sat down on a rock at the edge of the water.  I sat next to him.  “Look into the water,” he said, “What do you see?”
         “A kunoichi that can’t save a life,” I answered as I looked.
         “The village doesn’t see that,” he insisted, “They see what this mirror can’t show.  They see the you that helped save a lot of them.”
         “But I couldn’t save all those people in the valley!” I protested.
         “There were many others that wouldn’t have survived if you hadn’t stepped in,” he said.  Suddenly pain coiled through my entire body.  I looked down and saw the sword through my chest.  I looked up at the young man.  He was smiling so sweetly as the dream me died.

         I came awake very suddenly.  My breathing was faster and cold sweat covered my skin.  I sat up and let my body calm down.  Wileana was still snoring away on her bed.  I looked out the window and judged that it was five in the morning.  I got off the bed and walked down the hallway to go outside.  I found a tall tree and I jumped up into the sturdier branches.  I sat in a meditating position and breathed in.  I felt my body shiver in the cold morning air.
         A gentle and warm breeze flowed over me and mad the leaves rustle in the tree.  A couple of birds flitted by.  Their singing filled my ears.  I breathed out and I could almost start to see the complex patterns that were all over my scrolls with training routines.  I put my hands in front of my stomach and started reciting the ancient ‘spells’ that shinobi of long ago would say when they weren’t feeling like they were going to do their best in battle.  The words made a rhythm that calmed my entire body and my mind.  I was able to sit in the nothing of my mind and not worry about other things.  A hand suddenly grabbed my shoulder.  I opened my eyes and saw Yanomo sitting on the branch.  “How long have you been there?” I asked.
         “Since you closed your eyes,” Yanomo answered plainly, “What bothered you?”
         “Huh?”
         “You don’t meditate this early unless you had a bad dream,” Yanomo said.
         “Oh, well,” I started.  I explained all of the gory dream I had had earlier.  Yanomo sat with his eyes closed as I told him the entire dream.  He sat for a minute more after I had finished recollecting it.  “I don’t know what to make of the dream,” Yanomo finally said, “It seems more like a vision, but of course parts of it might be important.  Just try to remember it when something important happens.”  I nodded.  Yanomo folded his legs and put his hands in front of his stomach and closed his eyes again.  We both sat facing each other, just meditating.  We didn’t need anything else.  We sat for what seemed like hours. 
         “YANOMO!  TAKORIA!” Sonaro yelled from the dorm doors.  We both sighed and opened our eyes.  It was just going to be another crazy day, even with the graduation.  We jumped out of the tree and landed where Sonaro could see us.  I waved and Yanomo just stood there with his hands in his pockets.  I yawned and asked Yanomo what time the graduation was at.  “Midnight,” he answered, “We don’t have classes today either, so we can go do what we want today.”  I  took my time going back to my room.  The world outside was so much more beautiful than the dorm rooms.
         “Takoria!” I heard Wileana yell.  She did this every time the stereo was turned off in the morning.  I slowly went through the hallway to my room.  “How dare you turn off MY stereo?!” she yelled at me even though the door was open.  I just stood there and yawned.  Wileana started yelling at me.  Instead of arguing with her I just walked out of the room and to the cafeteria.  I grabbed breakfast with Wileana still yelling at me.  I sat with Yanomo and Sonaro.  Wileana abruptly stopped when she saw Yanomo.
         Wileana left me alone and went to go eat with her friends.  I sighed and pushed my plate away from me.  I put my chin on the table.  “Not hungry?” Sonaro asked.
         “Not right now,” I answered.  Yanomo didn’t say a word since he already knew what was wrong.  I waited till Yanomo and Sonaro were done before I pulled them out the door to train.  We sparred for rest of the morning and then we all got lunch.  I sat down with a sandwich in my hands.  I ate it all in a few bites.  The evening flew by in fleeting memories of training so hard that I nearly passed out. 
         It was 11 o’clock at night, when I finally was getting ready for the graduation.  All the other kunoichi were dressed up in their prettiest outfits.  I chose my normal clothes.  They were much more comfortable.  We all walked out onto the field at about fifteen minutes till the ceremony.  Annomi came out and said a speech which no one paid attention to, except for the very end.
         “Now I shall ask you all to stand, but don’t move an inch,” Annomi said.  She pulled out a card from her pocket.  “A long time ago,” Annomi started, “There was a shinobi who was not skilled at anything, but he knew now to manipulate the elements.  He took that ability and used it to make the Cards.  These Cards were special.  If you called to them, they would help you.  One time, the shinobi that made the Cards faced an enemy that he had no hope of defeating.  He used the Cards and gave himself an advantage.  Every year we had out a Card to each student.  These Cards are hard to get and when you confront someone who possess Card abilities, you will have to try extra hard to win against them.  Now I will throw this Card, but I don’t want anyone to jump and grab it.”
         We all stood still as stone and waited.  Annomi threw the Card and we all watched it float over our heads.  It would occasionally stop over someone’s head, but then it would start right back up again and move onto someone else.  The Card was over my head and then it emitted a light so brilliant that I had to close my eyes.  When I opened my eyes again, the Card was in my hand.  It was brilliantly draw picture of the sun.  It looked shiny in the dim lights that had been set up.  Annomi walked around and handed everyone else a similar looking Card.  Yanomo and Sonaro were hugging me and telling me how amazing I was, but I didn’t hear them at all.  I was too busy trying to figure out why I was the one that was chosen to have the Card.
         “Just cheer up, Takoria,” Sonaro said, “We have a party after this.”
         “Great,” I said sarcastically.  Yanomo chuckled as Sonaro started to pester me about my clothing choices.  All three of us started walking to the area where the party was going to be held.  The area had been covered with a tent.  I sat in a chair in the back of the group.  Sonaro was running around on sugar high.  I sipped my tea and relaxed.  Yanomo sat across from me.  “Having a good time?” Yanomo asked
         “Hmmm?  Oh sure,” I said.
         “You sure don’t sound like you’re having fun,” Yanomo said, “So are you going to tell me about what happened in the forest?”  I looked away and didn’t say anything.  Yanomo stood up and walked to my side of the table.  He sat next to me and said, “I want to know.”
         “Fine,” I said, still looking away, “I’ll tell you what happened.  I jumped into the trees, so as to not fall for any ground traps.  I thought I saw someone, so I jumped forward and tackled something.  It turned out to be a puppet, but when I looked up it was already too late.  He had power of the sand and I was trapped under the force.  It was Renano and he seemed fairly interested by me.  It was as if he had been studying me like an animal in cage.”
         “Renano?” Yanomo asked.
         “Yes,” I answered.  Yanomo went into one of his long pauses.  I sat facing away from Yanomo for a long while.  When I turned to look at him, he wasn’t there.  I looked around and saw that Annomi was giving another speech.  I walked over and stood at the very back of the group.  She was giving out awards to the shinobi and kunoichi that had done something miraculous.  At the end, everyone had gotten an award.  Everyone that is, but me.  Everyone realized this and they all looked at me.  I turned away and walked to the forest.  No one followed me, but no one stopped starring at me.
         I jumped into a tree and then jumped from branch to branch through the forest.  I found a nice tall tree and I just sat in it.  The tears started and I couldn’t stop them.  I wanted to know what the heck was going on, but nothing seemed to help me at all.  Yanomo had abandoned me in the middle of a conversation.  Renano was acting strange.  Sonaro didn’t know about any of this.  I put my head against the tree and then I closed my eyes.  The sound of the people whispering made me weary.
         I stood up and started to walk away.  “Takoria!” Sonaro yelled.  I already knew.  I spun and held up my dagger to block the other one.  Renano was standing there calmly staring at me.  I pulled out my other dagger and stabbed it into his arm.  He let go of his dagger and we both jumped away from each other.  Renano immediately jumped back towards me.  He swung his dagger wide.  I ducked and got down on all fours.  I jumped from there and tackled Renano in the stomach.  He both hit the ground and rolled a ways.  I sprang up and jumped away.
         I still held the Card in my hand.  I thought for a moment as Renano started to get up.  This Card will give me powers, I thought quickly, Annomi said that they’re for us to use.  I held it up and with my heart I called forth the spirit of the Sun.  I could feel my blood heating up and flowing faster.  My mind felt renewed.  I could think clearly for the first time in a long time.  I waited for Renano to come at me.  I jumped over him and landed on all fours.  Renano turned and came at me with the dagger held close to the ground.  I flew at him and tackled him to the ground.  This time he gave up.  “You’re too good for a rookie,” he sighed.
         “What the hell do you want?” I growled.
         “I just wanted to see you fight,” he said.  I stood up and walked away from him.  I stopped and looked back.  Everyone was running to Renano’s side.  I stared for a second more and then I stared up at the stars.  I held back tears that threatened to overflow.  “I’m only 16,” I whispered to myself, “It’s not like I even have the slightest clue about what I’m doing.”  Suddenly the shouts against me reached my ears.  It wasn’t until I heard the running that I turned.  I looked at them and they ran at me.  I had hurt their ‘precious idol.’  They wanted me to do die now.
         I ran forward with both daggers in my hands.  I slashed at anyone who came close enough to hurt me.  Someone hit my wrist and I dropped one of the daggers.  I grabbed the shirt of a guy that was getting too close for comfort.  Suddenly I lost my grip; well there was nothing to grip.  His shirt had burned.  Everyone took one step back.  I suddenly had lost all my breathe.  I fell to my knees and tried to regain it.  I remembered looking up to see Renano smirking and then I blacked out.  The feeling of hate slowly built up from that moment on.
“Ugh,” I said as I sat up.  I was sitting in a hospital bed.  No one was in the room, but it seemed like someone was waiting just outside.  I put my bare feet on the cold tiles and stood up.  I felt a little off balance, but I could still slowly walk over to the door.  I opened it and looked outside.  Yanomo and Sonaro were sitting on the bench across from my door.  They looked up and jumped towards me, but Annomi blocked them.  “Go lie back down,” she said to me.  I went back and lay under the covers.