The Last Two
by Pirate Burn
Subject: Tenchu 2
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"Did you remember to bring lots of caltrops?"
"What is with you and caltrops? I brought enough for both of us."
"Did you bring smoke bombs?"
"Two maybe, for you. But I don't think we'll need them."
"Health-bottles?"
"What do you take me for, huh?"
"Oh, okay. Just asking."

Two shadows flitted against the moonlight, alighting on and off the thatched-roof houses, swift as a passing dream. Only perhaps the whisper of their footfalls as they leapt from roof to roof, from wall to wall, gave their presence away.

"Do you still insist on bringing with you the javelin? That thing is HEAVY!"
"Yes. That is what she would want. You know that too, don't you?"
"Hnn. We can always come back for it later."
"No such thing as later."
"Oh alright. But I'm not lugging it along with me, thank you very much. It keeps me down. I'll keep the sword."
"You've got to help me."
"Maybe."
"Quit joking. You will help me?"
"Do I look like I have any choice? If I don't, you'll be found out."
"Thanks."
"Oh shut up, or I'll cut off your rope."

Twin thunks resounded off in the quiet night, and a **tthhhttt** as rope recoiled. Two quiet thunks where the two figures gained footing on the slippery wall.

"We don't have to kill them, you know."
"I know. Just the enemy Warlord."
"Okay."
"And then steal the sword."
"And the javelin."
"I was hoping you'd forget that. Oh, hey, don't step this way there's a chink in it."
"Yeah. Where do we go next?"
"Northeast of the compound. That's where the Regal Tower is, and probably where the bastard is right now, doing what with his geisha."
"Watch it, there are two guards coming this way."

The two samurai chatting nonchalantly wouldn't have noticed them if they stood in their paths. Both were nearly as drunk as a dog. The instant both warriors turned their backs, two flashing blades sliced the dark, and where two samurai walked there lay two bloody corpses. One of the shadowed figures responsible emerged from the shadows and kicked disdainfully at one of the bodies.

"Phew! Did you smell those guys!"
"I know. Such inefficient guard. You'd think we can just stroll in here any time we want."
"Of course, we can't do that. We'd lose our 'poise'."
"You have such a sarcastic way of saying things."
"Thank you. And you are too formal."
"Let's go."

*********
The new rival lord to the House of Godha was sitting on his richly embroidered tatami mat, surrounded by the luxuries that no other human being in his rank could possibly attain.
Four dainty geishas knelt beside him, obediently fanning him, pouring sake into his little cup whenever he barked at them.
As far as he was concerned, House of Godha remained much like a dormant volcano. The new shifting of the country's fates proved testy for the major Houses, and many warlords were deep in thought about how they could further pursue their goals without stepping over the line.
As far as he was concerned, they were fools.
"They should learn to accept this lull and rest, take pleasure," he muttered out aloud. "Those fools are too lost within themselves."
"Hai," sighed the geishas around him automatically.
"Too much ambition," he declared. "My grand-uncle Toda was intent on conquering all of Japan. Look where it got him. More sake, Sayuri," he snapped at the geisha beside him, holding out a cup.
"Yes, my Lord," she intoned, holding out a hand, pouring the greenish liquid until it filled the brim of the little cup. The semi-drunken warlord put the cup to his lips to drink.
"About your uncle, my lord?"
He stopped in mid-drink, looked sidealong at the geisha who spoke with interested eyes. "My goodness. One of your kind can actually think with a sharp mind." He downed the sake and gazed at her with glazed eyes.
"So you are intersted in politics, Sayuri-chan," he said, amused. "What is it that you have to say about my grand-uncle Toda?"
The geisha daintily raised a thick sleeve to her face, covering her nose and mouth, as was proper.
"I just wanted to say how right you are that he was a fool. Because you are very much like one yourself."
At that moment, a thick, yellow smoke clouded out from the sides of the room, and everybody but the geisha Sayuri lost consciousness.

*********
"So you ARE patient, after all." A figure emerged from the sliding dividers, a gas mask fastened around the lower part of his face.
"Hn." The geisha got up, tore at the thick layers of kimono to reveal lighter fighting clothes underneath. She was also wearing a gas mask. "You can't imagine how stupid I felt, poring wine for that disgusting pig." She sniffed disdainfully at the figure of the unconscious warlord beside her. "Get me away from here before I slash him up."
"Now, now, we want to leave it bloodless..."
"My ass."
"Come on now. Don't tell me--"
"I couldn't help it. I poured an entire vial of poison in his sake cup. It was just so tempting I could not resist."
Her companion sighed. "I should not have been surprised."
"Oh whatever. He's dead, his girls are knocked out, and I'm finally rid of those clothes. Let's go. You have the--things, yes?"
"Yep. Here's the honor sword you wanted to carry. And..."
"And?"
He smiled sheepishly. "I left the javelin. We can get it later. It really IS heavy."
"Told you."

*********
The little cabin in the woods was situated in such a way that only those who knew how to properly explore the terrain could actually find it.
The bamboo and the cherry trees combined with the rushing brook beside it and the uneven sloping of the ground hid any tracks that might have showed the way otherwise.
Two shadows in the silver moonlight were beside the brook; one kneeling over and splashing water on her face, the other busy admiring a long sword and how the light of the moon glinted off it.
"You've been splashing yourself for the past fifteen minutes."
The figure kneeling over looked up at her companion and scowled. "You would be to, if you had to wear layer upon layer of that revolting, thick white thing geishas wear. It's so thick you can't even feel your face underneath all that."
The other one admiring the sword grinned at her. "You make a good geisha, my sister."
"And you can go to hell." She resumed wiping the gunk off her face. "I still regret not skewering him, though," she mused.
"You know very well why. If we had killed him violently, the fault would've fallen on the shoulders of our Lord. And if that happens--"
"Yeah, I know." She splashed more water into her neck, wiping away the white pasty make-up. "He'll get into trouble. But I guess poisoning him would be a little more oblivious. Those stupid women will forget everything, providing they've inhaled a sufficient amount of poison gas."
The one holding the sword laughed. "You are just so mean." There was silence, then he twisted his wrist a little, making the silvery light shine off the bladed edge.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?"
She had stopped washing her face, convinced that it was clean enough, and was now dabbing it dry on a piece of cloth. "Yes, I agree. No wonder the new Toda lord put it inside his own room for safekeeping. I would've too, with a sword this elegant."
"To think that this used to be the symbol of the true Ninja Village of Azuma."
She nodded sadly. "Funny, right? I mean, we never even knew those people, but here we are feeling very sorry for them. I can't help but realize how much I FEEL them even though I know this is virtually impossible."
"It is the bond that connects all ninjas."
"I'd like to think," She had taken a seat beside her companion, on a rotting stump, "that their spirits protect us. I mean, of an entire village, only the three of us are left."
"And this sword."
"Yeah. We've got to find a balance between upholding the art of ninjitsu and loyalty. And we've got to be prepared for Princess Kiku's crowning next month."
The boy turned around, gazing at the empty house, the closed sliding doors.
"She's not home yet, is she?"
The girl shook her head, sending water spray flying. "Mother is still at the castle. I think she takes her time looking after the princess because Kiku's the only thing she's got that's as close to our father in that moment long ago as anything gets."
"I hope she is pleased with this gift. She has been saying how it would restore the identity of our lost tribe." He sheathed the honor-sword, passing it to her as reverently and as carefully as if he were carrying a baby.
"As well as..." her voice faltered. "Make our father proud. Wherever he is." She laid it on her lap, feeling the weight of a thousand generations of Azuma ninja legacy on that one blade.
The twins were silent then, unspoken thoughts racing between them, as they looked over at the burbling brook, the full moon further illuminating the strange luminsence of their hair. Gray to normal eyes at daylight, it usually made the sixteen year olds appear older than they were. But the mix of jet black ebony and platinum made it appear silvery in the moonlight.
The boy got up then. "Come on."
His sister followed suit, reverently holding on the sword. She gave a shuddering sigh, then turned to her brother, making a face. "The javelin."
He grinned. "Yeah."
"Do we really have to get it?"
"Yes, we have to, as much as I hate it myself." They prepared to head out again, knowing their mission this time was to retrieve.
"Did you remember to bring lots of caltrops?" He suddenly asked, turning to his sister.
She made a face. "We don't NEED them, Ayan." She punched her brother lightly on the shoulder. "Come on. I want to get this over with and sleep. I am dead tired."
"You still would've made a good geisha, Raiki-chan," muttered Ayan, snickering under his breath.
Raiki smirked. "You wish."
Two shadows flitted against the moonlight, alighting on and off the thatched-roof houses, swift as a passing dream. Only perhaps the whisper of their footfalls as they leapt from roof to roof, from wall to wall, gave their presence away.
The last two.

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Author's note: The honor sword referred to here is the sword thing that Azuma-sensei hands over to Tatsumaru in Tenchu-2, which is supposed to symbolize the ninja leadership in the clan. Somehow I made the rival House of Toda recapture it. >p The twins planned to retrieve it for the sake of their lost tribe, one they never even got to know. Who the twins are? ;-)
I'll let you figure that out. ^.^

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