AR- Chapter 1

Added a twist! I hope you enjoy!

1

Town of Evergreen Terrace

Part 1

                Asumi was breathing in heavily while waiting for the right moment to leap from her spot. She was practicing her sword techniques. Her master was watching her like a hawk. She wiped a little bit of sweat from her brow before she disappeared from his sight. All her master could see was the flashes of light. Her speed was increasing immensely. Asumi was using the new technique that she had just picked up. She called out her blade’s name. Asumi decided to name it because she felt as if her sword was alive. Her master was proud that she learned that quickly. He thought that it would take her a while to realize what he was trying to teach her. He was trying to teach her that from the first day that they started training.

                Asumi slowed down her pace and dropped down next to the window. That was her favorite spot to rest. She was exhausted from training, but she didn’t want to give up. Her teacher walked over to her and put his hand on her shoulder. “You’re doing great, Asumi, I’m glad that you mastered the correct form. I have noticed that you are pushing yourself a little too hard. You’re tiring yourself out more than you need to. So please just take the next couple of days to rest.”

                “Master, I can’t skip any days of training. I need to hone my skills so I can beat him…the guy that took my friend’s life. I want to get my revenge on that monster,” Asumi responded breathing in and releasing her breath. Her master just sighed and sat down next to her. He knew how much she wanted to take the life of the guy that killed her best friend. Asumi just looked down at her blade. She knew that she could trust the spirit of the little girl that was in her sword. She named her blade Hoshida, but Asumi never knew why.

                “Hoshida, please lend me your power,” Asumi said. Hoshida sighed and let Asumi use her powers. Hoshida could tell that she was getting weaker because she knew that Asumi hadn’t been sleeping much. She tried not to overwork her master. Hoshida gave Asumi as much power as she could handle at that moment.

                “Master, I can’t give you all my power. You need to rest more. Your body is under too much pressure,” Hoshida responded in her tiny high pitched voice. Asumi smiled when she heard Hoshida’s voice because she always thought it was adorable. Asumi had always considered Hoshida a friend and not just her sword

                “How many times have I told you not to call me, master? You are my friend, Hoshida. I guess I should take a break. I don’t know how much longer I’m going to be able to put this much strain on my body,” Asumi said with a little bit of a laugh. Her master got up from his spot on the floor. He was impressed at how much she improved in such a short time. He knew that she was going to tire out soon or later. He knew that Asumi was going to train her body for as long as she can without breaking her limit.

                “Asumi, you should go home for the day. I have a couple of errands to run and I would like to do that before it gets dark,” her master said. Asumi nodded and she knew that he was worried about her. He normally did. She was going to try to take a nap before she left.

                “Can I just take a nap here before I leave? I think I trained a little too hard today,” Asumi said rubbing her shoulders. She was pretty sore today.

                “Sure, but please lock my door before you leave. I don’t want anyone to break in. There have been a lot of breaking and entering cases lately. People have been stealing everyone’s valuables. You know what would happen if anyone ever got their hands on my secrets. Oh, please take the next couple of days off. You really do need the rest, honey,” he responded.

                Asumi nodded and went off to his guest bedroom. She knew her master’s house like the back of her hand. She spent so much time there because she didn’t really want to go back to her own. Too many bad memories plagued her at her own house. Asumi also knew that she could handle watching his house. Asumi had really good hearing so she could pick up on strange noises. Asumi put Hoshida beside her bed. She was resting next to her master just in case Asumi needed her sword. Her master knew that he didn’t need to worry because Asumi could defend herself easily. He knew that it was because of his guidance that she was great at defending. “For you, Master, I will take the next few days off. Don’t worry I won’t let anyone steal anything. You know how reliable I can be!”

                 Asumi smiled so brightly that her master couldn’t help, but smile with her. He patted her shoulder and took off with a smile. She knew that he was going to back within a half hour.

                She knew that she wasn’t going to get much sleep. She had too much on her mind. Most of her thoughts were on her best friend’s killer. How was she going to find him? She didn’t even know where to start looking for him. He could be in any town in the surrounding area. She knew that he was still the most wanted criminal in all of the land. What Asumi didn’t understand was how he hadn’t been caught yet. Asumi knew that she was going to have to venture out to find this man. She could never forget his face…that man…

                A picture of a man with green hair, matching eyes, and dark tanned skin popped into her mind. The knife he had thrown was also pictured in her mind. She felt her body tremble like the first time she had ever laid eyes on that man. The first time that Akio and herself had a knife hurdling towards them. She pictured herself jumping out of the way and landing on her feet. Asumi pictured the drag that he took on his cigarette. Akio being brave and standing to the guy was also pictured. She pictured Akio giving him the scar that he now carries for the rest of his life. She saw the knife going through Akio’s chest.

                Asumi screamed, curled into a ball, and tears were forming in her eyes. The memories were starting to plague her again. Hoshida was worried about her. She had never seen her master break down before. She could tell that she was breaking hard. Asumi didn’t let the tears that were forming fall. She was trying to hold back from crying. Asumi had always hated crying because she assumed crying was for the weak. The day that Akio died she also made a promise that she would not cry anymore. She didn’t want to break that promise. Asumi could feel the tears slipping out of her eyes. She knew that she couldn’t stop them…she knew she had to break that promise, but she would never break the promise of getting revenge. Asumi hadn’t cried in four years.

                Asumi could feel herself slipping into darkness after she composed herself. She was finally starting to fall asleep. She would only sleep a couple of hours a day. Hoshida knew that Asumi needed the rest and tried to force her master too, but she was always unsuccessful. Hoshida hated when her master was not sleeping during the night. Hoshida was content when she knew that her master was getting the well deserved rest she needed.

xxx

                He had his feet propped up on a table at a bar. He took a drag on his cigarette. The man noticed that the bar tender was staring at him. He smiled a little at the man. The bar tender smiled back and walked over to him. The bar tender knew that he had recognized the man sitting at the table. “Yasu, it’s been such a long time since you came to see me. What’s taken you so long to get here?”

                Yasu took another drag on his cigarette and then threw it out the window. “It’s kind of hard to get around when you are the most wanted guy in the city. I have to come out at night when I know people won’t recognize me. You know?”

                The bar tender looked at his friend and sighed. Knowing what his old friend had done in the past scared him a bit. He knew that his friend was trying to change his ways. “How is that problem you have coming along? You know…with Yaso…”

                Yasu sighed and took another drag on his cigarette. He didn’t want to be reminded of him…he was the whole reason he was a wanted criminal.

                His friend gave him another look before Yasu replied. “Kenichi, I haven’t been able to handle that problem too well…because of him I can’t even go back to my wife and kid. I know my child hates me even more now…and my wife…well she is too scared of me. She doesn’t want to be known as the most wanted criminal’s wife. I know she despises me, but it’s not my fault…”

                Tears were starting to fill Yasu’s eyes. He was always too soft. His friend’s eyes widen. “I’m sorry, Yasu. I had no idea. Do you want a drink?”

                Yasu smiled a little accepted the offer. He got a beer and started to drink it to relax. Then he started to feel that familiar pain…”Not now…”

Author's Note

Tell me what you think! I hope you liked my twist. It was never in the original!

Reviews

[jjwilbourne]

This is going good. I like the story and the world so far.
I think this needs a good edit for verbs and repeating words and sentence structures. Use stronger verbs, vary your sentence structures and switch up your verbs.
Great work!

[Emunah June.]

Oh woah. I'm not entirely sure how to feel about Yasu. I mean, I feel like he means well, but there's something deeper there. I must figure out what it is.

[Angie Diane♥♥]

Thank you! :)
I know he's pretty mean. But I kinda love him!

[Darkflame]

Not finished reading this, but i can tell this is going to be a deep story. Keep going!

[Angie Diane♥♥]

Thank you for the review. :)

[joshua deathdealer]

Ok first off. Awesome sword name. Its been a loong time since I read the original so I'm not quite sure what the twist is? lol Again nice emotion and I like the character interaction. Good flow too. Keep it up.

[Angie Diane♥♥]

Lol the twist is the ending silly :P! Cause that was not in the original.
Thanks brother :)

[joshua deathdealer]

ok..you mean after the xxx?

[Angie Diane♥♥]

Yes sir! And can you guess who Yasu is? XD

[joshua deathdealer]

yes yes I do...such a sneaky sister you and the funny thing was as I read it I knew..lol

[Angie Diane♥♥]

Lol :) you have to read chapter 3....once I get to it. :P I unpublished the original for this rewrite.

[joshua deathdealer]

I want to check that out again actually