Act V: My Love
     Naitsuu sits up in bed. He finds Keiji and Aritsune staring at him.
     "What?"
     "Nothing."
     "What!?"
     "Does not matter."
     "What do you want!?! Stop staring at me!"
     "What are we doing today?" asks Aritsune.
     "Huh? I don't know."
     "What do you usually do?" asks Keiji.
     "Do chores? I guess that's what I do." answers Naitsuu.
     "Okay, we'll help you."
     "Well, alright."
     Keiji and Aritsune leave the room as Naitsuu gets dressed. When he leaves the room he
finds Keiji sweeping the porch and Aritsune cleaning the dirty breakfast dishes. His mother sits
trying to relax.
     "Um...?"
     "Oh, hello Naitsuu," greets his mother. "Your friends, why, they are so helpful. Your
chores, as well as mine, will be done in no time."
     "Well, thank you guys."
     "Oh, our pleasure for letting us stay," answers Aritsune sounding cute.
     "She's so sweet, isn't she?" asks his mother.
     "Ah, whatever," says Naitsuu still looking confused. "I guess you guys can accompany
me to Kenji-sensei's for my morning lessons."
     "Um, no," says his mother. "Kenji-san left the village last night."
     "Why?"
     "He went to one of those ship conventions way over the hills."
     "Oh, I want to go to one of those," says Naitsuu.
     "I am not sure how readily I would let you fly in one of those machines."
     "Oh, you would love it, Naitsuu, " blurts out Aritsune. "Keiji and I went in one before."
     "Yeah, it's why we are here," mentions Keiji.
     "What? How?"
     "We were trying to get from the fourth settlement of Europa to the ninth settlement of
transmuted Venus. We could only get on board a rough ship of slave traders, slaves, and thieves
like ourselves. It was where I met Aritsune. She was getting herself into trouble with the captain
and his crew, I stepped in to keep them from harming her. At the time, we were passing Deimos,
and they dropped us off at an Imperial guard station. We had to wait there for five months before
a guard transport ship came with enough room to take us to a more livable place, which ended
up being Earth. We were treated so poorly there, that we now despise the empire, but we keep it
to ourselves mostly. It really does not matter. We had no reason to go to our original destination.
We would have just done the same thing we do here. It's just that things are even more
disorderly on Transmuted Venus than on Earth."
     "Really? So why do you think ships are fun then?" asks Naitsuu.
     "There was nothing wrong with the ship, it was the people," responds Aritsune.
     "And so goes the world."
     In the afternoon Naitsuu, Keiji, and Aritsune are just lounging around.
     "Isn't there anything to do around here?" asks Aritsune.
     "What, the dance last night wasn't enough?" kids Keiji.
     "Shut up!" she knocks him in the back of the head.
     "Ow!"
     "Well," comments Naitsuu as the other two stop. "We could go visit the shrine."
     "A shrine? Why do that?" questions Aritsune.
     "My father use to take care of it. It is abandoned now. Supposedly cursed."
     "Really?" asks Aritsune excitedly. "Let's go!"
     "I'm all for it, " remarks Keiji.
     "Well, I was waiting for Kenji to take me there to officially explore it, but I have been
near there before, and I will take you guys."
     "How about that girl who was with us last night?" inquires Aritsune. "Will she come
along?"
     "No, she is busy during the day doing ‘who knows what'"
     The three set out on a journey to the valley where the Shrine of the God of War lays.
They walk for two hours before seeing the shrine in the distance. It is an area of multi-leveled
rock with a kansho-niwa on the top layer overgrown with weeds. A path made with bamboo
grows unevenly until reaching the top level. 
     In the kansho-niwa there is a big rock set vertically against the mountainside. The sand
on the ground around it makes it look like a waterfall with the sand as the water. Also, although
overgrown like everything else, there are well-crafted grass and rock "islands" of a dragon on
one side, and on the other there is a tortoise and a crane.
     "Wow," comments Aritsune. "Pretty. Makes you want to sit down and meditate, doesn't
it?"
     "It's suppose to," remarks Naitsuu. "It's a kansho-niwa. A "zen garden". Designed to
make you concentrate. Looks like father was good at it."
     "I guess so," says Keiji as he walks over to it and sits down.
     "Keiji, what are you doing?" asks Aritsune.
     "Meditating. What does it look like?"
     "Well-"
     "Shh, I'm concentrating," says Keiji cutting her off.
     Naitsuu moves in to look around the shrine a bit more extensively. Aritsune sits next to
Keiji.
     "I should have brought something to help me with these weeds. Oh well, next time."
     Naitsuu sits on the very top level and instead of sitting with his eyes closed, he stares into
the sky at the birds flying by. Slowly, his eyes do eventually close, he can feel the warmth of the
sun on his face, and he slips slowly into a vision.
     He is suddenly before a group of individuals. He looks around him, he is in a courtyard of
a palace it seems. He sees two particular individuals. One only a few years older than himself,
and the other only another five to ten years older than that. The two of them are staring each
other down, swords drawn. The scene becomes blurry, but he can hear what he thinks is the
younger one scream in pain, and then suddenly the sounds of a sword gashing a throat. The scene
starts to focus again, the younger man is on his knees and the other one is face down in a pool of
blood.
     A group of people rush over to the young one and help him away, he seems to be injured
as well, but it is not clear by what. The area becomes less lighted except for around the dead
body. It appears that it is only Naitsuu and the dead body. A wavy aura materializes above the
body. It grows encompassing the void Naitsuu is in. Naitsuu feels a closeness to this being. What
seems like a whisper in his ear says, "It is your duty to protect those you love, but remember
your destiny. You will know fully, my son."
     Then, an unpleasant feeling enters into the dream as the aura and body disappear. There
is only blackness around him. The words repeat, "...protect those you love..."
     Naitsuu snaps awake and says, "Mother? No, who then? Akari!?"
     He runs down to the where Keiji and Aritsune are resting.
     "What is the matter, Naitsuu?" asks Aritsune.
     "Let's get going, Akari is in trouble."
     "What?"
     "I don't know why, just go."
     Keiji and Aritsune have no clue what Naitsuu is doing or whether they should trust his
feelings, but they follow anyway. It takes them only half the time is took them to get there, even
going uphill, thanks to Naitsuu's hurry.
     They rush into the village and Naitsuu finds his mother.
     "Mother, where is Akari?"
     "What? I would not know."
     "Has anything happened?"
     "Not that I know of."
     "Well, okay."
     Naitsuu starts walking speedily through the village with the other two tailing close
behind.
     "Naitsuu, what's the matter?" asks Aritsune again.
     "Something is wrong, I know it. I feel it."
     "What are you talking about?" Keiji questions.
     Naitsuu reaches a door and knocks on it, "Is Akari home?"
     A woman opens the door, "She is not with you, Naitsuu?"
     "No. Should she be?"
     "Well, she spends so much time with you and the others in the village. I knew she was
not with the others, I just figured..."
     "Did she mention going anywhere?"
     "Ah, last I knew she was heading to the flower shop for awhile. You know how much she
likes flowers."
     "We'll check, thank you."
     "Okay."
     The three start heading towards the flower shop. It is clear before they get there that
Akari is not there.
     "Oh no," says Aritsune.
     "What?" asks Naitsuu.
     "She probably would have passed the rest of those thieves from last night. They would
not hesitate to get revenge any way they could."
     "Akari..."
     Naitsuu runs into the tavern. He goes to the tavern keeper, "Did a group of burly men
stay in this tavern last night?"
     "Yes, but they left when three of their comrades were found dead."
     "Yeah, that's them."
     "You know something about that?"
     "Nevermind, do you know where they were headed?"
     "Well, from their conversations I could guess north passing the mountain. I think they
wanted to make the last day of the ship convention."
     "Okay, thank you."
     Naitsuu comes out with Keiji and Aritsune waiting outside.
     "So?"
     "I think they may have taken her into the mountains."
     "Should we tell someone?" asks Aritsune.
     "We don't have our own police force here, there are no representatives of the Imperial
forces and anyone else who could help either would not believe us, or take a chance going up
against someone most likely with more experience than someone from this town," answers
Naitsuu.
     "Well, then we'll do it ourselves."
     Keiji moves forward towards the mountain with Naitsuu and Aritsune falling in behind.
They start their march into the mountains. Naitsuu mentions, "The keeper said he thinks they
were going to try and make the last day of the convention. The last day is two days away."
     Keiji advises, "They may stop on the mountain or just afterwards for rest. They don't last
very long when walking. Usually they have ships, but apparently they need a new one, hence the
convention."
     After three hours worth of marching, the three are feeling tired. The night has come upon
them and they wish to set up camp, but Naitsuu keeps urging them on. They finally nearly
collapse on a rock with Naitsuu in front of the group. They all lie still for awhile until Aritsune
comments, "Naitsuu, why does your face flicker?"
     "Huh?'
     "Naitsuu! There is a reflection on your face. What's going on below us?"
     They look over the edge and see a campfire of the group they have been trying to find.
Keiji smirks and says, "See, told you they would stop on the mountain."
     They look around and, sure enough, there sits Akari just barely in the fire's shadow
trying to avoid the six men around her. Naitsuu glances around to those next to him. Aritsune
and Keiji look suddenly energized for battle. And just arriving by their sides appears Yamaneko
and Chuuwa ready to do the same.
     "Are you all ready?" asks Naitsuu as he pulls out a sheath of two throwing knives and
attaches it to his arm.
     "Yes," answers Aritsune and Keiji in unison while Chuuwa wags his tail and pants. Just
by the look in Yamaneko's eyes as he starts to transform lets Naitsuu knows he is ready to fight
on command.
     "Okay everybody. Let's go!"
     The five of them jump off the nearly twenty foot drop and roll to their feet after landing.
With a quick toss of the wrist, Naitsuu tosses a knife and it hits one of the men through the eye.
The man sitting next to him jumps out of his sitting position to make a run for his weapon that is
with the rest of the baggage. Naitsuu nails him in the back of the head with his other knife. The
man falls dead. Yamaneko and Chuuwa team up on one of the bigger guys to take him down.
Chuuwa delivers a deadly blow to the left side of the man's neck, slowly crunching the bones,
while the man is on the ground. Then, Yamaneko does the same to the right side, within a few
moments the man is dead.
     Being caught off guard, Aritsune is able to set aflame most of the equipment. One of the
remaining men attempts to throw his tanto at Aritsune. Keiji runs over and pushes Aritsune out
of the way and gets nailed in the shoulder with it. He falls to the ground with Aritsune rushing to
his aid. The man puts a big smile on his face and starts laughing with his throwing arm still in
the air, when Chuuwa leaps and drags the man down by that arm. The man starts hollering for
help. The other two men manage to get a hold of their swords. They start to move towards
Aritsune and Keiji. She sees this and stands up with energy collecting in her hand. The men back
up bracing themselves for an attack and a need for deflection.
     They keep moving backwards until one of them notices Akari. He grabs her and holds the
blade to her neck. At the sight of it, Aritsune lets her hands fall and the power drain. They move
over towards Aritsune and Keiji, grouping them together with the threat on Akari's life. That
includes Yamaneko and Chuuwa, too. The two men with their captives stare at Naitsuu who
intensely observes the scene.
     "What are you going to do, boy?" asks one of the men in disdain.
     As Naitsuu stares into the face of his predicament. The words come back to him. It is
your duty to protect those you love, but remember your destiny. You will know fully, my son.
     "I...will...destroy...you."
     "Really?" asks the man between laughs. "And how?"
     "Because I need to do more than just protect those I love, I must fulfill my destiny."
     "What? Am I your destiny?' the man continues to mock.
     "Not you, everyone is. From my love of Aritsune, Keiji and especially Akari to, as my
sensei says, to being ‘...ordained to end the threat of terror in this world through various deeds.'
You are a threat of terror to my friends, and I shall end it."
     "Yeah? I would like to see you try."
     Naitsuu feels a power burning deep within him. He feels a gigantic urge to shout, "As a
Prince of the Kintei, I rid the world of you!"
     Naitsuu thrusts out his right arm with these words. A rippling effect occurs on the
ground, seemingly from the force of his thrust. It reaches the men and their captives shaking
them all. The men lose their swords. The rumbling lasts for no more than ten seconds, and when
it is finished they all lie on the ground. Yamaneko and Chuuwa each have pinned down a man.
Naitsuu stares perplexed at what he had done.
     Aritsune runs over and grabs some charred rope from the smoldering pile of what was the
men's equipment. Akari and Aritsune turn the men on their stomachs and tie their hands
together.
     "Well, we will just be heading back to the village if you don't mind." says Aritsune
cheerfully.
     Naitsuu still stares utterly confused, "How...how did I do that?"
     No one answers him. After awhile it becomes clear, thanks to Aritsune, how they are
going to take the two men and the wounded Keiji back to the village. She has constructed a
stretcher and placed Keiji on it, arm bandaged with the tanto still in it. She has it so that the two
men carry him, and if they refuse, she changes from using her lightning force to light the way
and instead uses it to zap them until they comply. Akari and Naitsuu let them go ahead and stay
behind to talk.
     "How did I do that, Akari?" asks Naitsuu.
     "I don't know. Kenji-san knows a lot of things, maybe he will know."
     "Yeah, I will ask him when he gets back."
     "Naitsuu?"
     "Yes?"
     "Do you...love me?"
     "Didn't I say so just a short while ago?"
     "Yes, but that was as a group of friends. I want to know," she turns and looks into his
blue eyes and he looks into hers. "do you love ME?"
     Naitsuu thinks to himself, I have never looked into a pair of eyes so beautiful. Deep
pools of blue that comfort me in my distress. He reaches down and lightly brushes away a strand
of golden-reddish hair. Akari speaks softly that only Naitsuu can hear, "Naitsuu...I..." Before she
can finish their lips touch and she slowly lets herself fall into his embrace. She returns it
lovingly. They slowly let go and back away from each other not knowing what to think. A little
stunned at his receptive reaction, Akari humbly takes a few steps ahead to catch up with
Aritsune, once there she has some light conversation with her. Naitsuu stays back and thinks to
himself again. Yes, Akari, I love you. I think I may have always loved you. You are the most
beautiful thing in my mind and nothing can compare. Please, Akari, always be with me.
     The night has already begun to fade into morning when the first sign of a real trail is
spotted. Naitsuu calls out, "We are now maybe two hours from the village, let's keep going. Are
you alright, Keiji?"
     Keiji grunts affirmation. Walking side by side, Akari gives a slight little flirtatious smile
and Naitsuu returns it warmly. Naitsuu starts thinking to himself, The times seem to be taking an
upswing for me.