Samurai Awakening Read online

  When David finally re-awoke, his head throbbed from both his fall and the incident earlier in the day. Opening his eyes he saw the Matsumotos sitting around the table, waiting for him. Although now in their usual house clothes, the sun was still visible through the northern doors.

  “Good, you are awake. I know you are having a hard time,” Masao said. Although he attempted to be comforting, an edge to his voice bespoke his impatience. “Let me ask you a question, and then we will tell you a story that few have heard.”

  David sat up, rubbing his sore head. His mind felt clearer, his vision sharp. He easily recognized the five Matsumotos and even smiled. Grandpa was there, and after a month living with him, David trusted him implicitly. Even with the language barriers, he had felt Grandpa’s concern for his well-being. He also knew Masao could not be rushed.

  “Have you ever heard of the Kojiki?” Masao asked.

  “Is that Japan history book?” David asked in reply frowning at his own imperfect words.

  “The Kojiki is one of the first two books ever written in Japan,” Yukiko said. “It was written after the events to help solidify the Emperor’s position. Most historians today consider it more mythology than fact. Masao and Grandpa will tell you what really happened. Do not worry. Your questions will be answered.”

  “Our ancestors roamed the land in small nomadic groups,” Grandpa began, using the same voice he had used earlier that morning. Unlike at the shrine, however, David felt his attention pulled to Grandpa’s every word. “There were no villages or farms, and thus Japan was not a unified country. The historians will tell you that this was because the people of the time did not understand how to farm, and that they could only live off gathering or hunting. There is a deeper, darker secret. The true reason the people of Japan could not unify.

  “In days long forgotten, evil walked freely through the land. It took many forms, some of which we still know and talk about today, though as a caricature of the real danger they possessed. Of the many spirits and monsters in Japanese legends, the worst were those that did not hunt alone.”

  As Grandpa spoke, images filled David’s mind as if in a waking dream. Monsters and animals, unique in their grotesque appearances and horrifying visages slid through his vision like a half remembered nightmare, then as if the nightmare became aware of him, the images slowed. David saw beautiful humans walking amongst a group of Japanese gathering berries. In a blink, those same beautiful people were suddenly savage. One of the monsters seemed to rip the very life out of its prey, while others became giant wolves and devoured the screaming people.

  “The ōkami were vicious crosses between spirit, man, and animal that roamed the land stalking the young,” Grandpa continued. “The demons were even worse.”

  David saw giant red monsters with flaming weapons attacking travelers on an old dirt road. In another flash, he saw whole towns destroyed. The demons reveled in the destruction and grew in power with every person they destroyed.

  “Yes, oni, were especially dangerous. And then there were ghosts, both good and bad that ran amok,” Grandpa whispered, his voice compelling.

  A small boy lost and alone in a forest was guided to safety by a translucent apparition that could have been his mother. Another flash and David was outside an ancient hut, people in rudimentary clothing screamed and ran as the building shook.

  “Together the ancient monsters made it impossible for our ancestors to stay in any place for long,” Grandpa said. “And there were far worse things than those.”

  Takumi and Rie hung on the elder Matsumoto’s every word. David could not understand how Grandpa did it, but the visions became ever more real. The twins shared a look that told David they were surprised Grandpa was sharing the story with him.

  “It was in the ancient world of chaos and evil that a man named Ninigi lived,” Masao said, taking over for Grandpa. David detected something similar about their voices. Whatever it was that Grandpa had, Masao had it too, yet in a different way.

  Masao’s words transported David. Just as with his vision of the island, David was in another place. He saw a lone hunter walk through a bright young forest. His clothes were rough and simple. He carried a bamboo staff cut to a point on one end. At his side was a rough metal knife. Suddenly the hunter looked up and a light streaked across the sky. The earth shook as a meteor impacted and set a patch of forest ablaze.

  The man worked his way towards the dying blaze and found a small crater. Looking in, David saw a fused mass of metal. Clasping the knife at his side, the man smiled triumphantly. David followed along as Ninigi took the metal to a man in a small hut filled with odd tools. Ninigi talked and argued with the man, eventually showing him the metal. David could hear Ninigi ask in ancient words for the ironsmith to create a peerless weapon for him, something to banish evil. Thinking hard the smith finally agreed to the attempt. Together, they took the iron to a shrine and began a ceremony much like the one David had just seen at the Matsumoto Estate.

  Grandpa stared intently at David as Masao spoke. To David, briefly seeing through the vision to reality, it felt as if Grandpa was staring through him, into his soul. He was suddenly afraid of what the old man might see.

  “It was a summoning ceremony, performed at a small wooden shrine in a clearing before a stand of tall mountains.” Masao gestured past the sliding doors in the back of the room to the garden and torii gate beyond. “The smith hoped to summon forth a god to imbue the metal with the ability to defeat evil. We call our gods Kami. They are the spirits that inhabit and protect objects, animals, and sometimes people. By the time preparations for the ceremony were complete, word of the metal had spread, and another man also desired Ninigi’s prize.”

  The Estate disappeared and David emerged into a dark forest. A man dressed all in black slipped through the night. By his furtive glances and secret steps, David knew he was a thief. Silently, he followed the thief as they approached the familiar mountains. When he arrived at the edge of the clearing, the thief crouched, watching the smith in his simple priest’s robe.

  Chanting softly, the smith asked a Kami to come forth, imbue, and purify the metal. The thief smiled and withdrew a small stone blade. Caught up in the scene, David tried to warn the smith. As if called, Ninigi rushed forward to stop the thief. The two men met with the clash and ferocity of old rivals.

  Spinning away from his opponent, the thief slashed the smith’s robes. Turning on the priest with raised knife, the black robed man smiled his victory.

  From behind, and with a mighty heave, Ninigi pulled the thief back just before the knife could connect. Ninigi lost his balance and fell. The shrine exploded under the weight of the two men. The thief’s eyes locked onto the jagged metal sticking out of Ninigi’s lifeless form. Shaking, the hooded figure ignored the smith and backed away until he was lost among the trees.

  David’s mind suddenly awoke with fresh memories, visions from within. Images flashed so quickly he had difficulty understanding the torrent before his eyes. The perspectives all seemed wrong somehow. He was next to a giant lake, then running through a forest, on a mountain, then in darkness. The river of images suddenly slowed and he was left looking at Ninigi again. The old mountain clearing warped and he was before the Matsumoto shrine. The morning’s events played in slow motion as if from outside his body. He watched as, missing Grandpa, he crashed into the shrine.

  Quietly, David’s hand reached up to where he had been pierced by the metal. His heart burned as if remembering the agony his mind could no longer recall. Then, just as fast as it had come, the pain was gone. David searched himself quickly, expecting to find a jagged chunk of metal sticking out of his chest.

  “Do not worry David, you are quite well,” Yukiko said, her tone calming him only slightly.

  “What happened to shirt? Where I get this one?” asked David, nearly frantic.

  “It’s one of Takumi’s, I, uh, changed it for you.” Rie smiled sweetly as David turned red in embarrassment. Rie looked to Masao fo
r permission before continuing. “Don’t worry, here.”

  David caught the thrown shirt. Sure enough, in the center was a large hole through both sides.

  “Does this mean he’s a…” began Takumi.

  “Let us finish,” Masao said, pointedly glaring at Takumi. His son remained silent, but threw a superior, knowing look to Rie.

  “When Ninigi crashed into the shrine and died, the Jitsugen Samurai were born,” Masao said with a final, hard look at Takumi to ensure his silence. “Ninigi’s sacrifice during the summoning ceremony allowed a small part of the Kami that had come at the smith’s summons to enter him. The separated bit was not much, but the instant it left the old Kami it became a new awareness. Weak as it was, it bound itself to Ninigi, saving both of their lives.

  “It was not the first time a Kami had entered a human, but it was the first time a youngling had. The new Kami combined with Ninigi to create one new being.

  “Since Ninigi’s sacrifice was selfless, and Ninigi was without evil, the new god was able to meld with him, rather than dominate him. The elder Kami spoke to him, asking Ninigi to protect the new Kami. Eventually, he named her Amaterasu after the sun.”

  “Over time, Ninigi and Amaterasu grew together, both learning from the other,” Grandpa said, leaning in and squinting at David. “As the first Jitsugen Samurai, they began to drive evil out of Japan. They started small, destroying the beasts and demons that threatened their friends and family, allowing them to grow and flourish. As Ninigi and Amaterasu grew in strength and wisdom, they turned their powers to the good of the rest of Japan.”

  “With evil on the run, Ninigi began to bring the separate nomads together,” Masao said. “Eventually, Ninigi’s descendants became the Emperors of Japan. Whenever evil has returned to Japan, a new Jitsugen Samurai has risen again to fight it.”

  “I thought that was all just a bedtime story. I could probably tell that story by heart, but I didn’t think it actually happened,” Takumi said.

  “How do you think my father taught me the old histories? Bedtime stories.” Grandpa smiled at Takumi. Takumi glanced at Rie as they both nodded in understanding.

  “The smith, what name?” asked David quietly as he made the connection between the story and himself. Outside the sun sank below the southern edge of the house.

  “Matsumoto Toru,” Grandpa said. The pride that radiated though him left no doubt as to the accuracy of his words. “Ninigi charged our family to keep the secret of the Jitsugen Samurai. As he neared death, he knew evil was far from completely destroyed. He suspected others might come after him to fight evil. Our family has done as he requested ever since. We still live where the first was created. We train in ancient kendo and keep the histories alive. A few Matsumotos have even been Jitsugen Samurai, though mainly we stand ready to help the next generation. You, David, can be a Jitsugen Samurai.”

  David sat in stunned silence, looking to the twins. Rie was unusually quiet and refused to meet his eye. Takumi sat stiffly as if all his muscles were locking him into place. David laughed aloud. He laughed as he had not laughed since coming to Japan, with a complete lack of restraint usually reserved for the stereotypical foreigners on Japanese television. He laughed with the frantic, nearly panicked thought that the Matsumoto elders might not be joking.

  “David there is a choice you must make,” said Grandpa gravely. “A Kami sacrificed some of itself for you. If we do nothing you will gain the abilities of a Jitsugen Samurai over time. You do, however, have a choice. If you want, we can stop that process, but you will be nothing more than you are now. If you wish to be a part of something more… you may embrace a new destiny.”

  “I know you will think what you will for now. It is much to take in. Whatever you choose, you must say nothing of what we have discussed here today,” Masao said sternly. He appeared to grow suddenly, even as the room around him faded into a sudden dusk. “David, you must speak only in simple Japanese, and repeat none of our secrets. The new Jitsugen Samurai’s greatest ally is stealth, for if all evil attacked a Samurai by himself, he would surely fall. Takumi and Rie, you two have studied our ways all your lives. Do not fail your duties. I need iron bound promises… now.”

  Takumi bowed low, Rie looked like she was about to start screaming but instead suddenly placed both her hands in front of her and bowed as gracefully as anyone David had ever seen. Yukiko smiled encouragingly, lending her usual strength and poise to the tense situation. David sat stiller than the rest, yet was the first to speak.

  “Sure,” he said slowly, “Sure. I’m not believe you, so who believe me? I promise won’t tell.”

  David spoke more to himself than Masao, his mind drifting far away from the tatami floored main room of the Matsumotos’ house. He thought about his sister, his father, and even his mother. He thought about his life until that point. It was not until he could name the emotion driving his thoughts that he finally relaxed. It was hope. He might not believe them, but he wanted to.

  Nakano Junior High

  April,

  Back then, I was imprisoned by a total lack of sensation. I was alone in an abyss of nothing. I knew something was missing, but I could not lock onto what it was…

  With a groan, David stumbled out of his room. His mouth was dry, as if he had been hiking Phoenix’s North Mountain without water. Just outside his room, Takumi caught him before he could ram his head into one of the hardwood support pillars.

  “Wow, you’re finally up. Good, you can grab breakfast with us,” Takumi said almost formally. David stared dumbly until he recognized Takumi in his gi, the outfit he used for martial arts. Takumi steered David toward the kitchen. Since that was where David wanted to go he let Takumi guide him.

  “Dad asked me to come get you. He took a break from his research. They’ve spent the last two nights looking into the old writings about the Jitsugen Samurai. They don’t want to miss anything important in your training,” Takumi said in a low voice.

  “Wait, so that wasn’t all a dream,” David rasped. Then Takumi’s words fully registered. “Two nights? It’s Sunday isn’t it?”

  Takumi shook his head. David grabbed at another post. His eyes widened in shock as his hand made contact. It was completely fine. There were no bandages and no pain. In fact, David could not remember any pain from his hand after the accident.

  “My hand!” His shout alerted Yukiko, who found him staring wildly at Takumi. After she explained how the ac­cident had healed more than just the damage done by the metal, and after he pinched himself trying to wake up, she led him on.

  ‘Could all of that have really happened?’ he asked himself.

  An instant later, he was sitting next to Rie. She refused to look at him as she ate one of Yukiko’s breakfasts of fish, rice, egg, and miso soup. When she came back in from the kitchen, Yukiko checked David over with a practiced eye, and then while they ate, hovered protectively. Her concern and thoughtfulness drove his last doubts from his mind.

  “Are you sure you do not want any more soup? Rice?” Yukiko asked. When he shook his head, mouth full of rice, she continued, “Well I am glad you are feeling all right. Go get ready for school or you will all be late, and remember, use only the Japanese we have been working on in your tutoring sessions.” Yukiko rushed David out, sending him off to his room immediately after finishing his breakfast.

  David was soon outside the Estate, walking along the wooded drive with Rie and Takumi. The walk reminded David of his first day of school, only a week after arriving in Japan. On that day, he had left the Estate and sweated along after the twins through Nakano town. David had been caught off guard by the strange signs, new sights, and multitude of uniformed students walking along with as many incoherent conversations. With his new ability to understand the Japanese around him, it was like the first day all over.

  David listened in on the twins’ whispered conversation. With each step away from the Estate, Takumi became less intense, and Rie seemed more her regular energetic self. With a
full day of sleep to clear his head, David was easily able to discern the twins’ Japanese.

  ‘I’m even thinking in Japanese now,’ he thought. The mental leap helped him to understand why he had thought the Matsumotos were speaking English. David was so astounded that he missed a dip in the rough road and ended up on the ground in a heap of uniform and bags.

  “Are you alright?” Rie asked. Dressed in her white and blue sailor uniform, she appeared over him with the same concern Yukiko always showed him. When he looked to her, she immediately stood and turned away. David just had time to wonder if he had offended her before Takumi was there pulling him up.

  “So, yesterday, I mean Saturday really happened?” David asked sheepishly. Brushing off the dust from his black uniform slacks, he struggled to understand what was happening to him. David looked to the twins for answers.

  “Yep, it definitely happened,” Rie replied, suddenly turning on the boys with a bright smile. Her return to the Rie he remembered before the accident made him sigh in relief. He had not been able to talk to her before, but he had definitely begun to worry the accident would keep him from ever getting to know the twins. “Now we can have a regular conversation! Maybe even get to know each other a little better.”

  “Right, because he’s so concerned about getting to know you.” Takumi rolled his eyes. Then his hand moved in a blur as he caught Rie’s right punch. A low block deflected what David had thought would be a painfully accurate blow. David jaw hung loosely as he stared at the sudden show of martial arts prowess. Although he had been aware of the Matsumotos’ training, it was the first time either of the twins had been so open about it in front of him.