Echoes of the Past

[JxSlaughter]

Jiru turned his head and watched her go to sleep. He sighed. He wished that he could do something but he couldn't. Jiru looked back at the village below. He spoke quietly to himself when she left. "That's life, we can't have what we want before losing some things." He paused. Love? "She's a lot younger than me..." My parents were 10 years apart though. "Age doesn't matter different after your eighteen..."

That's not fair.

"You always say that when it comes to any deity. In fact, that's what you only say..."

That's not fair.

He whispered, "You are why... I hate the hot springs..." The voice stopped speaking in Jiru's head when a cold breeze fell past his face. He sighed.

[laraine]

Echo lied down on the bed, a sadness seemed to surround her body. There was nothing anyone could do. She was trapped within a contract she could never escape.

It tore her apart inside. But inside she wondered what he truly felt. He did not wish to save her, so did she make the right choice?

She tossed and turned in her sleep and awoke a few hours before the dawn broke.

She walked out onto balcony and gazed out as the morning sun peeked over the horizon.

" I should leave before he awakens.." She whispered to herself. "He shouldn't have to see me die.." She turned around.

[JxSlaughter]

Jiru tossed and turned on top of the blankets of his bed that night. It was scary to hear that dark voice after so long. If it didn't repeat the same thing over and over he would have a harder time understanding it because it didn't speak very clearly. The last time he heard the voice was when the accident happened. The one that forced him to leave the town. He didn't dream of anything that night and was always on the verge of sleeping, but was awakened by a sudden panic.

When Echo moved out of the room another small panic happened. Nearly maddened by the fact that he didn't get much sleep before the night of battle. He got out of bed finally with his pillow and met up with Echo coming back into the room. He somewhat slightly tossed the pillow at her face with an annoyed look. "Good morning. Any plans for today?" Every time she got out of bed she wandered off somewhere. He knew where she was going.

[laraine]

She grinned at him and threw the pillow back. "Well...I was planning on beating the life out of some cold blooded killers. Why? You wanna join?"

The sadness and Unease in her eyes was gone. In place was a smile. But deep within her, the sadness and unease still lingered.

But she decided that at the end she would die peacefully.

Even though she was scared out of her mind.

"Oh, and Jiru.." She went up on her tip toes and kissed him on the cheek. "Thanks for everything up until now. You are a true friend."

[JxSlaughter]

His put his hand over the place she kissed. One could tell that he was trying not to smile out of embarrassment. He looked to the side. "Yeah... No problem." What am I doing? He shook most of the feelings on his face off. "Lets get going then.."

He headed out the door and looked back at Echo. "It's still early, but we can prepare our equipment before the battle. Well, if you're using any that is. It will also take some time to get back." He was relieved that he was able to shake the feeling for a while. She might get sad if he got too attached to her. He continued out to his horse.

[laraine]

" I suppose I could use a sword... In case if one person gets too close." Echo admitted, following after him. "Besides that though, I don't really need anything. But we should hurry. I don't think they will wait to attack this place. They are probably up by now and heading to the front gates." She followed by his side, fixing up her hair as short as it was.

She had let her guard down with him, and trusted him completely now.

"Jiru, be careful out there. I'd hate for you to die out there before me..." She laughed slightly at this.

[JxSlaughter]

Honestly Jiru didn't want to joke about it. He really didn't know how it would end up. But he was glad that Echo felt a bit light hearted about all this. Jiru waved good-bye to his friend and apologized that they would have to talk another time. She wished both him and Echo a safe trip.

The two rode their horses back to town. By the time they got there people that were going to fight the battle were hugging and saying their good-byes to their families. Only the younger kids were crying at their leave. The rest of them were ready to cheer them on, but were also ready if they did infiltrate the stone walls. Some soldiers and civilians did stay behind because of the thought of it. But not too many actually stayed at their homes. They were at the insides of the gated walls and in the streets that led to important buildings.

Dawn was here and the higher levels of the wall was filled with people ready to shoot their Chinese cannons. The soldiers with armor and battle ready weapons were out in front. Ready to charge if the need arise. There were also people that had lightweight armor and simple weapons. They were runners. Their duty was to run back and forth on top of the walls to restock arrows, cannon balls and the like. Each had a partner or two that would switch duties if one got tired.

The soldiers were about to allow the two outside the gates. They recognized Jiru and Echo from before. Those who didn't assumed that Echo was one of the travelers hired to fight along side with them. But before they went though Jiru looked up at the walls from his horse. He spoke to Echo, "Would it make you feel better if I was up there? Instead of on the battle field?"

[laraine]

"It would.. But is it what you want?" Echo asked. " I just don't want you to get hurt because of me". Echo looked up at him, wondering what was behind his eye. She had a feeling he wasn't telling her everything he felt. But she couldn't say those words to him. He was doing this for her, she realized.

[JxSlaughter]

He looked ahead at the gate. "Since it would, then yes. That's what I want." He remembered that Echo wanted a sword incase someone came to her in close range. The weapons were behind the gate so that the invaiders could not get to them. He paced his horse next to two men who was handing out some weapons to people that were on a rack. They didn't have rice hats on like they usually did. In fact he realized that no one did. Of course, hats like that would get in the way of seeing clearly in battle. "Echo, you can choose which one you want." There was a large variety to choose from.

[laraine]

Echo looked at the weapons that lay before her. She saw several swords that were too large for her thin arms to carry. But found a sword that was smaller than the rest. It looked like it was also made from a thinner material. She pointed it out to Jiru and went over to pick it up.

"This will do." She smiled to him and stood before him, wearing no armor or any other weapons. To others it must have appeared to be she was on a suicide mission. But in reality she was planning on fighting till her last dying breath. She met his eye once more. " I guess...this is goodbye.." She said softly.

" I'm not sure if Ill see you after the battle. For all I know I'll be taken after I kill the last bandit...So I should probably tell you goodbye now.." Deep within her eyes was a sadness of saying goodbye. " Thank you Jiru for everything. Your very important to me and I'll...never forget you. I hope you get to experience the things I wont get a chance to..Goodbye.." A single tear fell from her eye as she said this.

[JxSlaughter]

Jiru came off his horse and hugged her. It was a sincere hug, and he tried to pour out any feelings he had for her there. This was probably the end for both of them. He spoke, still hugging her. He didn't want to see her cry. "Good-bye Echo." He let go of her and put his hand on her head. "Lets give it all we got." He decided that would be all he could say to her. It was strange to know when someone was going to die. He started to head up the ladder up the stone walls. Once everyone was up the ladder would be knocked over so that it would be hard for the enemy to enter. This was goodbye. He looked at her when he was about to go up on the ladder. He smiled, "I got your back!" and he continued up the rest of the way.

[laraine]

Echo smiled, but inside, it felt as if she was being torn apart. Still, she went out to the battlefield. Sword at the ready as well as her power.

The instant she was outside, she saw the large group of bandits. They were more or less a small army of about 200 men. All ranging in ages from ten to eighty. Each had their own unique weapon. Some were on horses.

Echo knew at least half of them would die by her hands. She didn't tell Jiru that she didn't know how to fight with a sword.

But she would still try to fight until the end.

The war had begun and both sides attacked each other. Echo ran ahead to the front lines, dodging attacks from various men on the way. She needed a area of only enemy soldiers for her plan to work.

When she found it, about forty were headed her way.

She smirked and held out her hands. A gust of wind blew from the north and swallowed up the men into a twister of alarming size. The twister tore the bandits apart, sending blood raining down upon everyone.

Now, slightly covered in blood, Echo turned around. No emotion on her face and started to make her way to the next group of victims.

[JxSlaughter]

The people on the walls looked on in amazement to see the summoning of a deadly twister. There was more people charging toward the soldiers but before they could get any where to cause damage a captain yelled, "Left wing, fire!!" Everyone on top of the wall, left of the gate fired arrows on the enemies. Including Jiru. No one could tell who's arrows hit who because the arrows were hard to see in the distance, but they knew which enemies would not be able to charge anymore.

A solider came behind Jiru. "There you are! Your uncle has preserved a tower for you on the right wing. He believes that you will do much more damage from there with the cannons." Jiru had to think about it for a second but in the end he decided to go. The solider led the way.

Once he was at the left tower he didn't see a cannon that wasn't already occupied by someone. "Down here sir." The solider motioned to a door that led to a stairway lower into the tower. Jiru had not been to that room before but trusted that there would be more cannons there.

They rushed down the stair case only to see a rather large empty room with one window at the very top of the room. They were in the bottom level of the wall. Jiru thought that it was strange to be here, but the thought of helping Echo's battle for the better made him keep going. Light came through from large candles from above. Light dimly bounced off the walls to the bottom floor and there were some ropes hanging down from the walls. At the bottom of the room was just Jiru's uncle and four soldiers in the center of the room. Five if you count the man the led Jiru there. The two of the four men held onto wires. Seeing his uncle in the dim and humid room made him very uneasy.

His uncle spoke to him, "Welcome, Zhijiru."

"What is this place?"

Firing of cannons could be heard from upstairs. "That doesn't matter right now."

"You're right it doesn't! My friend is out there and she needs my help. Your wasting my time!" He turned to leave but the solider shoved him back. Jiru glared at the solider. "What's your problem?"

"Don't worry, you'll be helping your friend. In fact you will be helping the entire village from now on." The man motioned his soldiers to move in on him.

"What the hell are you doing!?" Jiru tried to fight back with his katana but the men were heavily armored. Jiru swung at one of the men but he held the sword in his gauntlet and pulled it out of his hands. They beat and kicked him until he couldn't move. The soldiers with the black wires tied it around his arms and chest. His uncle called out a command but Jiru was to dizzy to hear it. At once the wires that were connected to the wall pulled him to the center of the room and he knelt there.

His uncle came up to him and shrugged his shoulders. "Since you wont sell on our behalf, you can help the town in other ways..." He violently tore the bandage from Jiru's face. Immediately ink started to fall from his left eye. Jiru looked down at the splatters on the floor. "What--" "Besides, I owe you punishment don't I? This will do." The man and his minions started to walk away. Some stones in the wall started to slide to the side. Steam came out. The room started to heat up and there was nothing Jiru could do about it. Jiru spoke weakly, "Isn't this excessive? There is only around two hundred people on the field..." The man stopped midway on the stairs. "Don't be a fool, I sent a scout and more men were camping in the distance." He paused. "Don't you get it? They want to weaken your little magician friend. Right now they are sending out the weak. When your friend uses up her power they will send their strongest..."

"That's where you come in..." The man left Jiru completely.

[laraine]

Echo turned around to meet a angry face of one of the bandits. He swung a chain at her and she quickly pulled out her sword. The chain wrapped around her sword and he tried to throw her off balance by pulling the chain toward him.

But Echo already had released the sword and ran back to a area where she could summon another element. She had to save the strongest for last. So the next element would have to be water.

Raising her hands above her head, she called forth water from all the streams and wells nearby. It gathered above her in a large bubble. She looked around her, trying to distinguish friend from foe. She spotted a group of bandits. About 80 heading her way. She smiled and formed the water into deadly whips and used those to impale the large amount of evil bandits heading her way. One after another she impaled them through the chest. Each person died instantly.

But before she could make another move, a person was suddenly behind her. She turned, about to gasp as they shoved her to the ground. It was the man with the mask. The one who held blue eyes and fire red hair.

"Who.....are you?" She whispered to him.

He removed the mask and her eyes widened.

"No..it can't be.." she whispered.

"Hello....dear sister."

[JxSlaughter]

There was a clashing of swords, and raining arrows. It would appear that the town definitely had great force against the attackers. However it took one soldier much convincing to know this. At the awe of Echo's power he came out of hiding. Many of the bandits were occupied with other soldiers. So the man felt awkward in the field. Even though there were more bandits charging in, the man would not dare to go far from the battling crowd. He turned his head this way and that and saw the magician whipping at their opponents. When he saw the masked man draw close to Echo he thought he would be a hero. He charged at the masked man, knowing that magicians had a hard time attacking things at close range. He gathered his strength to stab at the boy with his spear when he came close enough. The distance between them closed...