Evil Seiji

Part 1  Part 2  Part 3

 

 

 

He took the train to Yamanashi and rented a car to go up into the mountains. If they were there, in that cabin, he would ask them. He would ask for a true and trustworthy answer, were they his friends or was he nothing more than another soldier in the never-ending war they fought. The cabin was quite remote and Seiji wasn't even sure he had found it when the small building finally came into sight. It was quite a ways up the mountain, surrounded by tall trees, but all the lights were on and smoke drifted lazily out of the chimney. Seiji turned off the ignition and sat there for a moment, he was just about to turn the car back on and go back when the door opened. Ryo stepped out, followed closely by Byakuen. Seiji sighed and stepped out of the car. When Ryo saw him his face dropped and he waited for Seiji to reach the door before he spoke. He was not happy to see him, he knew he should not have come.

 

“What is wrong?” Ryo asked, not even inviting him in.

 

“I, uh, I heard you were meeting here, so I thought I would come and pay my respects,” He would not stay long, he would leave as soon as he could.

 

“That’s it? No attacks, no demons?”

 

“No, I guess I should be going then.”

 

“But you just got here!” Ryo argued as a grin spread across his face, “You actually left the dojo when the world was not in danger. That is something to celebrate! Hey Guys!! Guess who’s here!”

 

“Well, if it isn’t Seiji! Hell must have frozen over!” Touma laughed as Ryo pulled him into the main room of the small cabin.

 

“There’s no emergency is there?” Shin asked, quietly scolding Touma for being a little rude.

 

“Nai nai,” Ryo waved the idea aside, “He came by to pay his respects.”

 

“You came all this way just to say hi?” Shu asked laughing. Seiji had to leave, but this was going to be his only chance, he had to ask it, he had to.

 

“I…I have a question,” He felt like he had barely spoken the words but the whole room when quiet.

 

“What’s wrong Seiji?” Shin asked walking towards him, but Seiji took a step back, which caused Shin to freeze, worry etched on his face.

 

“Are we friends (tomodachi)?”

 

“Of course we are, how could we not be after what we have been through?” Touma laughed.

 

“Or are we just comrades, soldiers who happened to fight next to each other in battle?”

 

“Seiji, where is this coming from?” Ryo asked, his eyes searching him for some sort of answer.

 

“Please, just answer.”

 

“We’re good friends (Nakama),” Shu replied, he too had stopped laughing but tried to keep a smile on his face.

 

“We’re more than that,” Shin interjected, “We’re best friends (Shinyuu).”

 

“No, you are all wrong,” Everyone turned to look at Ryo, “We’re not friends at all.” Seiji’s heart seemed to stop, was he finally getting the answer he expected? “We’re brothers (kyodai).”

 

“Brothers?” Seiji asked, not sure he had heard right.

 

“Of course, what is the matter Seiji? Why are you asking about this?”

 

“I just… recently it seemed that… that you were always doing stuff with each other… It’s silly I know. I live so far away and all.”

 

“No, Seiji, it’s my fault,” Shu had jumped down from the stool he had been sitting on and walked over to where he and Ryo stood rubbing the back of his head with his hand, “I kinda stopped asking you to do things. You always said no anyways, so I thought it wouldn’t matter…”

 

“It’s all of our faults,” Shin shook his head, “You’re not the only one that could have invited him Shu.”

 

“Seiji’s to blame too you know,” Touma announced to the scolding glare of Shin, “He is the one that always said no. If he had just said yes a few times we wouldn’t have waved him off so easily.”

 

“Touma,” Ryo started but Seiji stopped him.

 

“No, he’s right. It is just as much my own fault.”

 

“Well, then, Seiji, would you like to join us in a couple of days of fun in the wilderness. I can’t guarantee that Byakuen won’t end up on top of you at some point in the night,” Ryo smiled and gestured into the room. The others stood around him waiting for his answer. Part of him wanted to give the normal response that he needed to get back to Sendai, to his classes. However, he knew that if he did, things would not change; he would continue to be ignored by his friends. So, he took a breath and nodded.

 

“Yes, I would like to stay.”

 

“Alright, more karaoke!” Shu yelled as he ran over to the machine that sat in the corner.

 

“We might have to run into town, I don’t know if we’ll have enough food…” Shin mumbled as he made his way toward the small kitchen.

 

“I have food,” Seiji spurted out, everyone stopped and stared at him, “I went to Yokohama looking for Shu. His mother sent some things with me.”

 

“Oh, what did she send?” Shu was already out the door followed by Shin to retrieve the food.

 

“Seiji, you and I have to sing this song, the others just can’t do it like you do,” Touma was showing Seiji the book for the karaoke machine and Seiji could see Ryo roll his eyes.

 

“I’m going to need my earplugs if you plan on singing any more Touma,” Ryo laughed, but Touma ignored him eager to get the song going.

 

“You do realize that they lied to you. They weren’t really going to tell you the truth.” The man sneered in Seiji’s head, “Did you honestly think they would tell you to leave and never come back?”

 

“I believe them, and I am glad they are my friends,” Seiji replied mentally, “Things may change, but for now I am content.”

 

Seiji blinked his eyes and stared out the window of the train and at the scenery whizzing by him. Seiji had started for Yamanashi, but instead headed north. He arrived back in Sendai late in the evening and left the bag of food next to a homeless man he had seen laying under the walkway outside of the station. The man looked at him surprised, but did not refuse the food. Seiji walked home slowly thinking about what he was about to do. That man had been right; the others were always doing stuff without him. Though he had to admit that when they did ask, he always said no, but why did they not force him to come. If they were truly his friends, why did they not drag him away from the dojo, or come to him if he could not go to them?

 

Seiji avoided the main house and walked right into the dojo. It had not changed since he had left it that morning, the cleaning cloth still lay on the pathway into the dojo, and the floor was still dirtied with boot prints and his own dusty footprints. He wondered why no one else had bothered to clean up, but shook the thought out of his head, that was not important anymore. He walked over to the alcove where his favorite sword hung, it was a family heirloom, said to have been passed down from Date Masamune himself, though no one could authenticate the story. Regardless it was a fine sword and one Seiji treasured. Beneath it on a small stand sat the crystal shard the man had left. It glowed a faint green color and one side was a smooth curve. Seiji knew it to be a part of his own crystal orb, the one he used to use to call upon Korin. With their new armors, those crystals were no longer needed, and his sat upon a velvet pillow on his dresser, a reminder of the past. Seiji picked up the crystal shard between his finger and thumb and laid it in the palm of his hand. He closed his hand around it and closed his eyes. He thought of the day that Korin had been given to him, the day he had decided to accept the power of the yoroi and to fight a battle he knew nothing about. He had stood in this very spot thinking the decision over, the orb laying on the platform that he now used for his bonsai trees.

 

When Seiji opened his eyes the dojo was suddenly filled with sunlight. He turned around and found that several of the doors had been slid open into the garden to allow the light into the room. Just outside one of the doors stood a boy in practice kimono and hakama. Seiji took a step forward the board creaking under his weight and the young man turned to face him, surprise apparent in his eyes.

 

“Who are you?” The boy had tightened his hold on the crystal sphere in his hand and taken a fighting stance.

 

“I mean you no harm, I came to talk to you.” Seiji held up his hands to show that he was not armed. The boy relaxed and walked back into the dojo his eyes still weary.

 

“What do you wish of me?” The boy asked formally as he motioned for Seiji to sit down. Seiji did and the boy sat across from him the orb still tightly clutched in his hand.

 

“You are still trying to decide whether or not to accept that armor,” Seiji nodded toward the orb and waited for the boy to respond. He could see that the comment startled the boy but slowly he nodded.

 

“Have you come to assure me that it is the right thing to do?” the boy guessed as he opened his hand and looked down at the glowing green orb.

 

“No. I have come to tell you to seal it away.” The boy had been just about ready to accept it and was shocked that Seiji would be saying the opposite.

 

“Seal it away? But what about the evil that is coming to this world?”

 

“It is a great evil, but by defeating that evil it only opens the way for more and worse catastrophe to engulf the world. I think it may be better to let this evil run its course.”

 

“Do I fail? At some point, am I unable to protect those I care for?” the boy asked leaning forward a bit.

 

“No, you are able to protect those that you hold dear, however the cost of that protection…” Seiji trailed off.

 

“The cost should not matter, as long as we are able to protect those that we hold dear…”

 

“Even if they do not care for you,” Seiji asked, “Even if they do not even know of your existence?”

 

“Sacrifices come with wearing the armor, I am aware of that and I have come to accept it,” The boy argued. Seiji stared into the boy’s eyes. They were still full of hope and confidence, something he had lost long ago. He thought he had accepted his fate; that he was content and happy with the way his life had turned out. However, now he was unsure, he had forgotten just how hopeful he had been as a child and how much he had changed.

 

“Some sacrifices just aren’t worth it,” Seiji sighed. He could see why the old man could not convince the younger him to set aside the armor. Truthfully he wasn’t sure he was going to be able to either.

 

“Then I will deal with it. I cannot lay aside the hope that others have placed upon me.”

 

“They don’t even know about you,” Seiji tried to argue again.

 

“That doesn’t matter,” The boy snapped back.

 

“I see I am getting no where with you,” Seiji sighed and closed his eyes. He prayed to the gods who looked over him that he was doing the right thing. He opened his eyes and with the deftness of age and experience he grabbed the yoroi orb from the boy’s hand. Seiji stood, the boy on his feet as well pulling on his arm trying to get the orb back. However, Seiji was much stronger than this boy was, and he wondered just how he had been able to fight against someone like Arago, and his four masho. Seiji walked over to the alcove where the box that held the yoroi orb sat. He picked it up and placed the orb back on is velvet cushion and closed the box. The boy had stopped pulling on his arm and Seiji looked up to see the point of a sword at in his face.

 

“You will return that orb to me at once,” The boy spoke calmly, yet Seiji could see that his hands were shaking with anger. Seiji ignored the boy, and tied the box up once again with the golden string and made sure the seal was securely attached across the opening.

 

“You will live your life out like a normal teenager,” Seiji spoke slowly and evenly brushing the sword away from his face.

 

“You do not have the right to take that from me,” The boy yelled his anger quickly getting the best of him.

 

“I have every right,” Seiji replied, “You will not be forced to go through what I have.”

 

“You cannot do this.” The boy yelled tightening his grip on the sword and rushing forward in an attack. Seiji, however, closed his eyes tightened his grip on the box in one hand and on the shard in the other and he was gone.

 

When Seiji once again opened his eyes the sunlight had disappeared and the doors were closed once again. The dojo felt cold and unused, the floor under his feet was covered in a layer of dust and his boot prints showed clearly where he had walked. The alcove before him stood empty except for the remains of a once beloved bonsai tree. He pulled out a drawstring bag from under his long overcoat and stuffed the box that held the armor orb of Korin into it. He then tied it tightly and replaced it back inside his coat. He reached up and grabbed the sword that hung on an otherwise empty rack on the wall and shoved it into his belt at his side. He walked to the door of the dojo and slammed it open walking out into the sunless, cloudy, wintery world that was part of the realm of the Yami Masho.

 

“Now that I have Korin, I overthrow the Masho Anubisu, and take over his domain as the new daimyo of the Northern Realm. The Date name will once again be one of power!”