The Legend Of Benkei: Untoldby -Singleton-ChaptersA New Beginning To An Old TaleBreaking Down WallsNo Turning BackThe Impossible Is PossibleBold StepsGuardianPrologue: End Of A LegendA New Beginning To An Old TaleSunlight streaked through the dense canopy of the Everfree forest, illuminating the forest floor below, teeming with plants and bushes of all kinds. Rabbits and other small woodland creatures scampered about the vibrant green forest floor, some climbing trees, while others retreated to their burrows or nests. The river that ran through this section of the forest was a gentle stream, deep enough to swim in, yet not dangerous in the slightest. Its gentle waters flowing downstream created a dull background noise to the many strange and exotic sounds and calls that rang throughout the forest. But something did not belong in the otherwise serene patch of forest. As the crystal clear waters of the stream continued to flow throughout the day, a strange object floated along with the gentle currents of the river. Several rabbits and squirrels stopped to stare at the odd mass, tilting their heads slightly, puzzled as to what it could be. As the figure continued to float past them , it slowly edged over to the side of the stream, stopping as it became snagged on the riverbed. No animal dared approach it, save for one small grey bunny, who hopped over beside the strange object fearlessly. She waited for a moment, examining the object. She made out what appeared to be two long legs at the end of it, and so she came to the conclusion that it was a creature of some sort. Still, it appeared to be face down in the water, and was a bit concerned as to whether it could breathe or not. Yet she remained puzzled as to what creature, on account of the strange shapes this creature had jutting out from its shoulders. She rested her furry paw on one of the large square protrusions, and determined that they were made of metal, something she had encountered several times before. She hopped around to the being's other shoulder, before resting her tiny fuzzy paw on a white piece of cloth that covered what she assumed was its head. The cloth was very fine, silky to the touch almost, and it shone brightly in the light of the sun, the stark white seeming very alien in the otherwise colorful forest. She hesitated for a moment, looking back to the other bunnies watching her nervously, before she gripped the cloth, and heaved backwards, nearly falling into the stream, which elicited a collective gasp from the spectators. She managed to catch herself though, and in the process, she had removed the white piece of cloth from the creature's head. She stared quizzically at the coarse and untamed black hair which coated the figure's head, thinking it quite ugly compared to the fine cloth it wore. Suddenly, she noticed bubbles slowly surfacing from beneath the figure's head, but decided not to back away, curious as to what the creature's face looked like. As the other bunnies and squirrels retreated to safety, she just sat there, eager at the chance to meet a creature she had never seen before. The creature flailed violently, forcing its head above water, and clinging to the side of the river with odd, spindly appendages that sprouted from its hand. Akeeta the rabbit likened them to the opposable claws that dragons used, yet these were different, as they were very blunt, fat almost compared to claws. The large creature coughed hastily, trying to rid itself of water, at which point Akeeta determined it must breathe air like her. As the coughing died down, and the raucous noise stopped echoing through the forest, the creature turned its face towards Akeeta, who stared back with the same intensity that the strange animal did. They remained locked like this for several moments, Akeeta observing the long spindly beard of the same black as its normal hair, and noticed that it had a very peculiar nose, which jutted out from between its eyes. It was far too narrow to be considered a snout, and only its nose was extended, as its mouth remained just below it on the relatively flat landscape of its face. The odd creature didn't appear to have any fur, only a pale peach hue to its exposed skin. Akeeta tilted her head, getting a better look at its eyes, which were slightly narrower than her own. What puzzled her about its eyes, was not their slightly different shape, but the size of them. Her eyes were almost as big as its eyes, and yet she was tiny compared to the behemoth of a creature. It puzzled her so, but before she could find an answer, the creature spoke in a soft and soothing tone. "Kon'nichiwa, sukoshi yūjin. Anata ga namae o motte imasu ka?" , it spoke in a confusing and alien tongue she had never heard before. The figure chuckled to himself for a moment, before hoisting himself up out of the water, a large stick held in one hand. Akeeta hadn't noticed that he was holding anything before, and scampered over to get a better look at the large pole. She took note that it ended in a slight curve, and that the curvy part of the wooden stick seemed to be covered, concealed by a wooden sheath. "Watashinonamaeha Benkeidesu... ", the large animal said, trailing off as he lay down in a patch of sunlight, letting the golden rays lick at his drenched clothing and armor. Akeeta still did not understand the creature, deciding it best to come up with a name of her own to know him by. She hopped on top of his chest, which felt cold and hard under her furry paws, determining that it to was made of metal. She stared into the creature's eyes for a few moments longer, before it finished its sentence. " ... Watashi wa shinda, to ima demo watashi wa ikite iru." , he said, closing his eyes and let the sun dry him off. Akeeta simply sat there, letting her imagination take her places as to where this strange creature could have come from. She had never seen anything even remotely like it, but she had learned of an animal called a monkey, which loosely matched the description of the animal she rested upon. Yet it did not have fur, nor a tail, and its feet were encased within the same cloth as the creature's other clothes. After a few moments longer of daydreaming and staring blankly into the animal's eyes, she curled up into a little ball, letting the sunlight's warmth wrap a blanket around her. She smiled slightly as the animal petted her fuzzy back gently for a few moments, before the two drifted off together. But the creature did not fully go to sleep, only rest drowsily, letting the sunlight's embracing rays lick at his skin and evaporate the cold water that his body had felt the touch of for so long. He tried to imagine what river he had turned up in, not recalling ever coming across a forest such as this one. What confused him even more was the bunny that now lay sleeping on his chest. He was certain it was a bunny, but at the same time, he had never seen one with such enormous eyes, and stubby legs such as it had. He kept thinking about all the places he had been in his life, and not a single one matched the description of the forest he continued observing, marveling at the untamed, bursting beauty and vibrant colors of the magnificent forest that enveloped him on all sides. He sighed inwardly, recognizing that he was completely lost. He kept thinking back to his death that was still vivid in his mind, unable to fully understand how he was here now, and in good health no less. He remembered how he had stood there on the tiny wooden bridge, defeating warrior after warrior, changing the color of the river below him into a vivid red, crystal waters mixing with the blood of his fallen adversaries. He remembers how they had fired volley upon volley of arrows at him, as he remained at his post. But most of all, he recalled the arrow that killed him. He remembered watching the brilliantly crafted arrow soar through the air, alone in its flight, shot by a true yumi master. He realized he could not avoid it, knowing his death was upon him. With a final burst of strength, his arrow wounds burning with agonizing pain, Benkei managed to remain standing as the arrow struck him square in the heart, ending his life instantly. Unable to recall any event after the arrow struck him, Benkei resolved to lie there in solemn meditation over his new path in life, upon remembering that his closest friend, Minamoto no Yoshitsune, had committed seppuku that same day. Closing his eyes as the rustling of the tree branches lulled him to sleep, Benkei thought of nothing as he let sleep take him, the stillness in his heart bringing him a reassuring peace. Everything was in shambles and made absolutely no sense, but Benkei was fine with that. As much as he wished things could go back to the way they were during the Genpei wars, the good old days in his opinion, they simply could not. Benkei pushed the last of his thoughts from his mind as lethargy overtook him, and he allowed himself to retire to a dreamless sleep. Benkei awoke peacefully, yawning as he peered down at the little bunny, still fast asleep on his chest. He ever so gently scooped her up in one hand, and place her on the ground beside him as he sat up, stretching his arms, and taking in his surroundings. He realized he had slept for several hours, and the forest was beginning to grow gloomy in the waning hours of daylight. He hastily got to his feet, his clothes now fully dry, as he grabbed his naginata from off the ground, slinging it across his back, suspended by a thick, gold laced rope. He checked to make sure his set of blades was fastened beside him, as it always was, and was relieved to find that they were still both there, sheathed within ornate scabbards. He flipped his white hood over his head, and readjusted his shawl so that it hung down upon his chest in a puffy and flowing manner, while the rest of it rested behind him, fluttering slightly as the wind picked at it. While the world grew dark, Benkei could see well enough to notice that there was a rough path to his right, the soil compacted by the footsteps of those who had gone before him into a messy and unkempt dirt road. Figuring it was the best place to start, he knelt down beside Akeeta, petting her softly one last time, making her shift slightly, before making his way through a mess of foliage and tree branches, eventually reaching the path. But just as he was about to begin walking down the road, he felt a tug at his legs. Benkei craned his head downwards to discover the same bunny that had slept upon him, staring into his eyes pleadingly with her own puppy dog expression plastered across her innocent face. Benkei smiled warmly, before he stooped down, opening his hand as the bunny crawled into his palm excitedly. Benkei was glad to have some company in such a confusing time. It allowed him to still see the good in the world, the beauty, and to remain positive, despite the past events. His stress marked face relaxed for a moment, his brown eyes thanking the bunny for her companionship. His steely gaze returned as he stood up, and began walking down the rough dirt road, holding the bunny in his hand, close to his chest. Benkei walked at a moderate pace, his sandals crunching on the fallen branches and leaves along the path, his armored tabi making a dull clanking sound, the interlocked plates of metal brushing up against one another as he walked. Akeeta looked up at Benkei's chin, covered in a black beard, the hair just as coarse as that on his head. She puzzled over why he had hair in some places, yet the rest of his face remained unprotected. She continued to ponder this, looking down at the soft maroon cloth that covered his hand in a glove, and peering over the edge of his hand, observing his metal shin guards, the same black as the swuare protrusions that jutted out from his shoulders. She whirled around, finding herself staring at a wall of black, the same color as the other metal parts he wore. She scooted closer to his chest, shifting so that she could crane her head to look at the fine structure of the metal. It was marvelous! The entire piece of metal affixed to his chest was actually smaller, interlocking pieces of metal, masterfully made and assembled. She turned to look up at his shoulders, the strange protrusions sharing the same trait, being entirely made of interlocking plates of metal. She wondered how it was even possible, never witnessing something so complex and intricate, or perhaps, never even realizing the complexity of things. It astonished her little bunny mind, and in her excitement, she began hopping up and down, Benkei smiling slightly as he watched the rabbit bounce up and down out of the corner of his eye. Akeeta wondered about many things as she calmed down, resting calmly in Benkei's palm. She imagined herself fiddling with the tiny metal pieces, stitching them together, just as she had seen ponies do with fabric in her frequent forays into Ponyville. She wondered if it was possible for her to ever possess such a masterful and elegant item. She continued to ponder these thoughts, excited by the things she might learn and discover from her new friend, who she had resolved to call FuzzyFace, unable to think of a more appropriate name. She giggled inwardly, repeating the admittedly funny name over and over again in her mind. Benkei continued walking down the path, admiring the tall and stout trees that lined the road, their strong trunks reaching high into the sky, their dew laden leaves glinting against the dying light of the sun. He heard a rustling behind him, and he stopped, cupping his other hand over Akeeta, before slowly looking over his shoulder. Akeeta pawed at FuzzyFace's hands, trying to open them, but to no avail. She could only pound against the walls of her prison, as the soft, silky cloth grew harder and harder by the second. She stepped back, watching FuzzyFace's hands lose their color, turning grey and hard, cracks running through it, almost as if it were becoming stone. She was utterly puzzled, and more than a little concerned as she sat in the cold, unmoving hands that had shielded her from a far worse fate. She sat there for several minutes, occasionally pawing at the confines of her space, before noticing a low rumbling emanating from deep within her friend. It started as a rumble, but within a few seconds, it had grown to become roar, deafening almost as she covered her ears and observed a miraculous change. The hands that had only minutes before been stone, shattered, the stone crumbling around her as she could feel FuzzyFace begin moving once more. Akeeta hopped happily as she could feel him walking, but there was something different about the way he was moving. It wasn't the gentle sway of their stroll when they had started, no, it felt more like a run now. Suddenly FuzzyFace's hands unclasped, letting the last few rays of sunlight for the day reach her, as she wrapped her stubby arms around one of his fingers struggling to hold on. FuzzyFace leaped through the air, as Akeeta could feel the two suspended in the air for a moment, noticing a sharp jerking motion resonating throughout her friend, before they touched back down hard. She nearly fell out of his hand, just barely holding on and hoisting herself back up from the edge of his palm. A little annoyed by the bumpy ride, she looked up at FuzzyFace, giving him an evil glare, before noticing what he was holding in his other hand. Clutched in his hand was a long, curved piece of shiny metal, dripping with a red liquid she could only assume was blood. She recoiled a bit at the sight, her evil stare fading, as she looked back up to his face, and then followed his gaze to the corpse of the animal below. It had been beheaded, the long scaly neck of the creature seperated from the chicken shaped body covered in green scales. She saw blood pooling around the open wound, the blood soaking into the white feathers of the chicken head that tapered down into the scaly neck. She felt like vomiting for a moment, and was instantly wary of FuzzyFace. She pried her eyes away from the grizzly scene looking back up at FuzzyFace, who had turned his head away from the little bunny. She ran along his arm, grasping at the fabric of his shawl and scrambling up onto his shoulder, tapping it with one of her feet. FuzzyFace let his head swivel to meet Akeeta, who looked into his eyes demanding an answer. FuzzyFace held up his free hand, filled with the remnants of crumbled stone, and then looked back the animal he had slain. Akeeta instantly understood. FuzzyFace muttered something to himself, so softly that even Akeeta couldn't hear it, as her friend sighed deeply. FuzzyFace allowed Akeeta to remain on his shoulder as he resumed walking down the path, leaving the gruesome scene behind them. Akeeta grasped the fabric of the hood FuzzyFace wore, allowing her to stabilize herself as he walked. They continued on into the night, FuzzyFace unphased by the encroaching darkness that encircled them. Akeeta wasn't scared of many things, but the dark was one of them. She swung herself over into FuzzyFace's hood, resting just beside his cheek. After a few minutes of walking, Akeeta determined that FuzzyFace didn't mind, and stayed put there for the remainder of the ride, snuggled up beside the face of her new, if violent friend. She forced herself to sleep, letting the pattern and sway of his stop lull her to sleep. Benkei smiled slightly as he could hear the light snoring of the grey bunny beside him, keeping up a steady pace for the next few minutes before the path curved to the left sharply, and continued down besides the flowing river he had woken up in. He stopped for a moment beside the river, knelt down, and dipped his blood soaked blade into the river, scratching the tough, coagulated blood off, before sheathing it once more, and moving on. The moonlight illuminated the path before him, giving it an eery glow in the dead of night. He proceeded hesitantly, strange sounds echoing throughout the pitch black forest, and the howl of what he assumed was a wolf ringing clearly every few minutes. But he pushed on, his mind still racing as to what had happened back there. He had felt himself getting cold, so very cold, and then, right as he could feel his mind slipping, he cleared it of all thoughts, meditating before the chill overtook him, and he was still. He felt like he was asleep, but he could feel his eyes wide open, yet unable to see anything. He focused on the stillness that meditation brought him, and could feel himself becoming warmer by the second, before he finally , exploded in a sense, breaking free from the stone that had imprisoned him. It all happened so fast, the fluid motion of his katana being drawn, the mad sprint towards the turned back of the creature, and the swift decapitation of the amalgamation. Still, even after he was able to get a good look at it, he wasn't exactly sure what it was, with batlike wings tipped with talons, scales covering its body, a large slinking tale, and the head and body shape of a chicken. He was utterly at a loss. Even in his teachings of the many demons of the world, he had never learned of such a creature. The true identity of the creature continued to elude him well into the first hours of dawn, as Benkei finally reached the end of the path, which stopped at the edge of the massive forest. His little bunny friend was still asleep next to his face, the sunlight beginning to stir her. Benkei thought of many things in his long journey out of the forest; Where was he? Where would he go now? Was there even a place for him to seek out? Surely he could never return to his monastery, and even if he were to return, what would they think of a man that died and yet still breathes. A demon, that's what they would call him. They would surely kill or exile him, and Benkei wasn't so sure he'd be as lucky at cheating death the second time around. Still, he had to go somewhere, and as he stepped out of the treeline, he spied a building, covered in green foliage and bursting with color, its design alien to him. The river he had found himself in earlier flowed beneath the small wooden bridge that connected the cottage to the other side of the river. He noticed the various pens and birdhouses scattered around the outskirts of the house, the cheeping of birds soothing his restless mind. Benkei smiled to himself, looking at the warm and inviting cottage. He walked slowly towards the bridge, revealing himself for the world to see. As he passed past the birdhouses that teemed with birds making beuatiful songs, the avians instantly fell silent, reduced to a stare, their large, prying eyes following him as he approached the house. Benkei crossed the small wooden bridge, the serene and peaceful current of the stream the only audible sound by the time he reached the front door of the cottage. He thought the door to be tad small, and it was rather odd in that it was split into two unequal halves horizontally, due to the top of the door having rounded edges. With a deep inhale, Benkei looked around at his surroundings, noticing that the birds were still staring at him expectantly. He exhaled, turning to face the staring birds, meeting their expectant stares with his own, steely gaze. Yet, something inside Benkei told him it was all very, very wrong. For starters, he died. As far as he knew, that was pretty much the end for people, at least in the sense that they would no longer be truly themselves anymore. But here he was, breathing, healthy as ever, and completely aware that he had been killed. Furthermore, ever since his arrival, every last aspect of the land he was in seemed so very strange. The animals all had big eyes and heads, stubby legs and bodies, and they seemed to bristle with an intelligence and cognizance he had never seen such humble creatures possess. It boggled his mind as he stood there, frozen by the dozens of oddly aware birds looking at him, expecting something of him. Benkei began to think back to that strange, serpent chicken he had killed earlier. He still couldn't place it, frustrated by his ignorance. In all his years of learning, he was completely at a loss for all of the questions he harbored. He began to think better of his plan to just barge in on the locals, suspecting that they would call him a demon for being among the living, despite having been very dead not so long ago. He sighed, exasperated by his situation, and began walking slowly away from the cottage, the birds' eyes following him as he came to the wooden bridge above the soothing waters of the river. Everything was so different here, the animals, the buildings, the tress and the plants. Even the sun, sky, air and water felt and looked different here. Benkei knelt down on the bridge, staring at his reflection in the calm waters, as the rising sun began to illuminate the vibrant and beautiful landscape, the grass glistening with morning dew. He couldn't just run away, someone would find him eventually, and even if they never found him, Benkei wasn't going to live his whole life in hiding, just because he didn't have all the pieces of the puzzle yet. He kept thinking back to the moment on the bridge, the arrow flying gracefully through the air, its feathers catching the suns rays as he closed his eyes and accepted death, letting his meditation allow his mind to drift away, even as his body died. But that was what troubled him the most. He had felt that same feeling, that feeling of coldness, that feeling of death, the overwhelming desire to rest, and be still when he had faced that thing back in the forest. He could recall every moment of it being almost exactly the same as when he was shot through the heart. Suddenly, Benkei came to the realization that he had experienced that feeling because he had nearly died, again. So he reacted naturally, just as he did when he first faced death, he let his meditation sweep over his thoughts, allowing his mind to drift away, leaving his dying body behind. Benkei was a spiritual man, but he never truly believed it possible for meditation to not only shatter stone, but defy death itself. He looked at his hands for a moment, unsure of what he was anymore. He certainly wasn't just a man, so far as he could tell, but he couldn't comprehend how he had accomplished all of these magical and miraculous feats. He closed his eyes for a moment, letting his thoughts process all of what had happened. After a few moments of silent introspection, Benkei opened his eyes, noticing that the birds were still staring. He gingerly removed the small bunny from his hood, placing her on the soft grass closest to the cottage, as he resolved to go through with his plan and meet the locals, despite his doubts. He walked slowly back towards the front door of the strangely built and even more strangely decorated structure. As he raised his hand to knock on the door, his mind was overcome by all of the inquiries he still had. Why are all the birds staring at me? Why does everything look and feel so different? How could I have possibly shattered stone with my mind? How am I even alive? Where am I? What am I going to do now? What in the name of the Shogun was that chicken serpent? He pushed aside the many questions he still harbored, his ignorance starting to frustrate him. But Benkei calmed himself, putting on the best, most social face an ogre like man like him could. He smiled and let himself regain his composure, before finally letting his hand fall upon the wood of the door, his knocking loud, but not aggressive. He lowered his hand, ready to greet the locals and put aside his apprehensions. "Oh my, just ... Just a minute! Its awful early don't you thi-" a soft and soothing female voice began in a foreign tongue as the hinges to the door creaked open, revealing the small butterscotch equine, mouth still open in mid sentence, as she stood there, paralyzed. Benkei could only look an in astonishment, both of them frozen by the others strange appearance. The staring contest ceased moments later, when the small equine stepped back woozily, her large cyan eyes beginning to close, as she fainted from shock. Benkei rubbed his eyes for a moment, and looked behind him at the birds that still glared at him, and then back to the passed out pony that lay before him. He sighed, resigning himself from logic as he stepped through the door, crouching to avoid hitting his head. He sat down on the floor next to the vibrantly colored equine, and waited for her to recover. He had almost certainly never heard an animal make a noise like that. It almost sounded as if it were trying to speak, but in some strange language he couldn't fully understand. He assumed it was more than just a simple beast of burden, as all of the animals in this strange land were more intelligent than they seemed. Benkei observed the living room around him, lavishly furnished by his ascetic standards. How were animals even capable of this level of complexity, with a house and furniture, gardens, and bridges? , he thought to himself, more confused and shocked than ever. He shook his head in disbelief, still clinging to the notion that there had to be a reasonable explanation for all of it. He sat there for a moment, still unsure of what to do, before spying simple yet eye catching porcelain tea set in the next room over. He stood up, looking down at the pony, the sunlight from the open door catching her light pink mane, giving it an iridescent glow that he thought looked rather pretty. He had always regarded horses as beautiful and majestic creatures, but this one was most certainly different in a way he could not fully comprehend yet, aside from the obvious. Benkei knelt down, gingerly picking up the pony and placing her on the nearby amply padded sofa. Just as he did so, his little grey bunny friend scampered into the room, hopping up onto the couch besides the equine, poking it curiously. Benkei frowned at the bunny, which caused her to cease, and simply sit beside the colorful pony, eyeing her up and down. Benkei looked back at the porcelain set, before returning his gaze to the small bunny, who gave him a reassuring nod. He still wasn't at all sure of what was going on, or how these animals were so smart, but he decided that he could reflect on these things after a nice cup of hot tea. He turned and shook his head in good natured disbelief, before silently walking into the small kitchen, and beginning the process of making a proper kettle of tea for the both of them. Breaking Down WallsThe sun slowly began its ascent into the sky, the magnificently golden rays streaking through the cross sectioned windows of the room Benkei sat in, the warmth of the rays relaxing him as he sipped at his green tea. He let the sweet and flowery tasting liquid soothe his mind, the nectar allowing him to reflect on past events more easily. He sat, cross legged, across from the unconscious pony, looking her over, and trying to determine what exactly she was, all while trying to find an explanation to everything. He kept thinking, completely unable to find any logical conclusion, and began thinking of things in a more spiritual and abstract way. As he contemplated the implications of him being in this strange land, he took another sip of his tea, scooting a little bit closer to the pony, and examining her back. Flabbergasted, he stared at the odd protrusions confused. He set his teacup down gently, stretching out his arm, and brushing her wings softly, taking in the smooth texture of her feathers. He moved his arm away from the wings, and up to her main coat, letting the velvety fur caress his rough fingers. Pulling his arm back, he shook his head, eyes wide and mouth agape. He considered for a moment that he was dreaming, blinking his eyes and rubbing them vigorously, in a vain attempt to wake up. Sighing, Benkei picked up his cup, continuing to sip his tea, the steaming hot kettle of fragrant liquid set down on a small round table just to his left. He cleared his mind for a moment, letting all of his questions fade away. He determined that it was of no use dwelling on the thoughts that troubled him when he obviously had no answer. As a matter of fact, Benkei didn't even know what steps he should take to find his answer really. All he knew was that if this creature was as smart as he presumed it to be, then it might be able to give him some answers. So he waited patiently, the polished wooden floors creaking slightly as he shifted his weight, setting down his teacup as he adjusted his shawl. Benkei realized he was still carrying his naginata, feeling the rough leather strap while he was adjusting his shawl, and began removing it, slipping strap off his shoulder, and setting down the fearsome weapon beside him. Picking his up his teacup once more, he smiled slightly as the pony shifted, mumbling something that he couldn't hear. Its eyelids twitched a little, before slowly opening, and blinking several times in rapid succession. As Benkei came into focus, the pony froze, eyes wide in fear, ears pointed downwards. Benkei began to speak, but decided against it, feeling it might upset her even more than she looked. He reached over to his left, the sunlight streaming through the window catching his polished, black shoulder plate as he grasped the full teacup steadily, retracting his arm and stretching it back out to the pony in a kind gesture. Snapped out of her paralysis by the sweet smell of the fragrant green tea, she extended one of her forehooves shakily, taking the piping hot tea from Benkei's large hands. Meanwhile, Benkei could only look on, astonished as the pony grasped the teacup sideways, holding it by its handle with her hoof, despite having no fingers to hold it with. He stopped sipping his tea as she raised the cup to her mouth, taking in the aroma before drinking a short sip hesitantly. He still couldn't believe she was holding it like she was, and shook his head for a moment, afraid that he was being rude by staring in such an unbecoming manner. He regained his composure, quietly sipping at his tea, looking down at the floor, trying to figure out a way he could talk to it. From the little he heard before she fainted, she definitely didn't speak Japanese. A little frustrated at being so close to understanding his situation, yet impeded still, he got up, turning to look out the window and observe the beauty before him. The yard was filled with the same birds who had glared at him on the way in, now having returned to tweeting and chirping their complex and ritualistic songs. He admired their elegant sounding choir, yet couldn't push the feeling out of his mind that there was something very wrong with all of this. He knew he was in a VERY strange situation, but the way the birds glared at him really stood out. He was certainly an outsider in this weird and yet wondrous land ... but what that meant for him wasn't so clear. The earlier thoughts of his purpose for being here began to wriggle their way back into his mind, only to be repelled by Benkei's stout internal meditation. He needed to remain calm, and address the situation one step at a time, as he always has. Benkei turned back to face the pony, gulping down the last drop of his tea, gently placing it on the same table as the tea kettle, and walking over to the sitting pony. She hadn't let her eyes leave him the entire time, but she remained silent, eyes still slightly concerned as she nervously sipped at her tea. Benkei noticed that she had to crane her head up slightly to meet his eyes, and promptly sat down to rectify the inconvenience to her. She seemed a little less nervous as he crossed his legs and interlocked his fingers, resting them on his middle tasset. Her eyes softened slightly, her hooves shifting to readjust her body into a more comfortable position. The two just sat there for a while, the pony sipping her tea every few minutes, too frightened to speak, Benkei too nervous to speak, lest he send her into another panic induced faint. So they just stared at one another for a good while, taking in each others strange appearance. The wind rustled outside, just barely audible through the house's walls, while the sun continued to pour through the windows, bathing the both of them in a blanket of warmth and luminescence. Benkei, noticed something odd as the warmth beat down on his armored back, squinting his eyes suspiciously. The next time the pony raised the cup and took a short sip, he realized that the cup was empty, and began to wonder how long it had been so. Deciding that he wasn't going to get anywhere unless he made the first move, Benkei cleared his throat, and spoke clearly, trying to make his voice sound softer and less rough in an attempt to not spook her. "Kon'nichiwa, watashi wa Benkei gozen. Onamaehanandesuka?" , he finished, noticing that Akeeta was still near the end of the pony, looking at him hopefully. The little grey bunny nudged him onwards through her paw motions, gesturing for him to show her the piece of paper he had written on. Benkei, taking Akeeta's signal, reached over to the same table that contained the tea kettle, taking a small piece of paper that he had written on earlier. He looked it over one more time, holding it up to the light to be completely sure he had written everything as neatly as he could. After finishing his check, he looked up at the pony, who was still sipping at her empty tea, and handed her the paper, setting it on the floor besides the padded couch. She continued staring at him for a moment more, her ears slowly perking up, before looking away and quickly snatching up the paper in her free hoof. The note read : " こんにちは、私は弁慶午前。お名前は何ですか？" She stared at the note for a few moments, her large cyan eyes carefully examining every detail of it. She read through it several times, each time taking longer than the last, before finally setting it down on the cushion in front of her, and looking up to face Benkei, who was smiling warmly. Akeeta scampered to the front of the pony, hopping up and down, encouraging her to speak. Her expression softened upon seeing the cute, fuzzy animal, lifting her hoof to brush its head softly, before taking a deep breath, and speaking at an almost inaudible volume. "Uhm ... Sir ... I uhm ... I-I can't read this." , she stammered out, her ears drooping slightly as she tried to shrink into her skin. Benkei attempted to go through each and every sound he had heard meticulously, analyzing every one in fine detail mentally, but came to the conclusion that she was indeed speaking a different language than him. He expected as much, seeing as she was not only a pony, but one with wings. Added to this was the fact that she seemed to defy logic, able to handle fragile and dainty objects with surprising ease, despite her fingerless hooves. He contained a sigh of frustration in an effort to not scare her. I did not understand a single word she just uttered, but at least I have her talking. He kept trying to think of a solution to the language barrier, considering for a moment, how he and his newfound bunny friend had been communicating. In a moment of relieved enlightenment, Benkei almost leapt up, but contained himself and simply smiled, happy with his discovery. "Benkei." he said slowly, while repeatedly poking himself in the chest, meaning to gesture towards himself. He spoke his name once more, looking into her unusually large eyes excitedly, as he noticed the change in them shifting from one of confusion, to one of understanding. He ceased poking himself in the chest, sighing inwardly in relief of at least getting her to know his name. He tried using the same technique to discover her own name, pointing at her as non aggressively as he could with his huge hands. After a few jabs to the air, the pony got the memo, and spoke in her same, shy tone, but much louder this time, as she began to feel a little bit more comfortable around Benkei. "I-I'm Fluttershy. I-It's nice to meet you, Mister Ben Khay." she spoke in the same undecipherable tongue as before. She shifted uneasily, continuing to pet the rabbit with her hoof softly, the contact with the creature soothing and calming her down. Her pink mane almost glowed in the warm and bright sunlight, her huge eyes glinting adorably with a strange mixture of fear, confusion, and hope. Benkei went through each and every word she had uttered, comparing the strange sounds individually to the innumerable words he had in his vocabulary, and over the course of a few awkwardly silent minutes, he narrowed her possible names down to just one possible choice. Despite his inability to speak in her tongue, he considered it a gesture of goodwill to formally greet her. He stood up as slowly as he could, trying to look smaller than he actually was. "Kon'nichiwa Fluttershy.", he spoke clearly, as he bowed fully and respectfully before her. He sat back down promptly, the wooden floor creaking to accommodate his heaviness, especially with all of his armor still on. Fluttershy remained silent, pondering as to what he was trying to tell her. She had come to the conclusion that he wasn't a monster, or if he was, he was a very polite and literate one. She didn't understand the language he was speaking, but she knew it was a language all the same. She closed her eyes for a moment, thinking back to all those times she had overheard Twilight talking of ancient civilizations, deserted ruins, and obscure languages. Yet, despite all of the lost languages she could recall, no such one seemed to be even remotely similar to what he was speaking. Akeeta backed away from Fluttershy, who was still petting her when she hopped off the couch. She scampered over to Benkei, and jumped up onto his left tasset, letting herself sit there patiently, looking up at Benkei. He shifted his eyes to look at her, peering down at the fuzzy little creature. As he sat there, looking at Akeeta, he tried to ask her what to do with his eyes, but when he got no response, he shook his head slightly, and looked back up to meet Fluttershy's eyes. He really didn't know where to go from here, because even though he might be able to convey simple thoughts, to get the answers to the questions he harbored, he needed a way to communicate his thoughts eloquently. He wracked his brain for several moments, thinking of all the different ways he might be able to break through the language barrier. Coming up short, he decided to get up and head towards the door, slinging his naginata over his back, and bowing respectfully towards Fluttershy. Just as he reached the door, wrapping his hand around the doorknob, he heard a high pitched squeak behind him, stopping and swiveling his head to look back. Fluttershy was on her feet now, standing timidly on all fours as she repeated her inaudible sentence. "D-Don't leave Mister Ben Khay. Y-You don't ... seem like a big scary monster, and you're very polite ...", Fluttershy stammered out quickly, Benkei releasing his grasp on the knob and turning around to face her fully, " ... You seem, k-kinda nice actually. " Finishing her sentence, Benkei noticed that Fluttershy's expression softened greatly, and despite not understanding what she had said, he knew that it was a gesture of kindness. Benkei didn't quite grasp the cultural norms of this society yet, having only met one very shy resident and all, but he felt it was safe to assume that good will reflected best on those who give it, just as in Japan. He slipped off his naginata, leaning it against the wall by the entrance, and lowering his hood, revealing his coarse black hair. He walked up to Fluttershy towering over her, and for a moment she regretted letting him stay, looking up at his imposing figure. But her fears were put to rest as he quickly descended, crouching down so that their eyes met evenly. Benkei smiled warmly, and nodded his head gently, silently thanking the hospitality and bravery of the pony. He stood up, striding over to the door, and then turning his head to face Fluttershy. He jerked his head in such a manner as to gesture her to follow him, as he opened the door slowly. Benkei had decided that since they both seemed to love nature, it would be beneficial for the both of them to bask in the glory of it for a while. Perhaps they could even find other common ground while sharing in the beauty of the world. Fluttershy hesitated for a moment, before feeling a light tapping on her foreleg. It was Akeeta, jabbing her with one paw, and pointing at Benkei with her other. Fluttershy smiled happily at the little bunny, and for the first time, she kept the smile as she looked back at Benkei. Any friend of nature, was a friend of hers. While she still had her doubts and obvious suspicions about the strange looking creature before her, she felt he could be trusted for the time being, at least until she could figure out a way to talk to him, and learn his intentions. She looked down at the pleading bunny one more time, before making up her mind and walking over to Benkei, still a little nervous. Benkei looked down at her, smiling as invitingly as he could, trying to calm her, as they both stepped out the door, and into the wonderfully bright, vibrant world of Equestria. Akeeta walked over to the door, intent on following them, when she heard a voice from behind her. It was like no voice she had ever heard before, for it wasn't truly speaking. She felt as if it were in her head, and rather distant, but could make out the vague sentence. "So, what brings you here hot stuff?" it continued to echo through her mind, the arrogance of the speaker unhindered by the mind speech medium. She looked around herself, analyzing every nook and cranny of her surroundings, from the cofee table, to the sofa, to the rafters lined with bird houses. The voice spoke again, getting louder and clearer, the sound of footsteps coming from behind her. "I'll say it again: What exactly are you doin' here? I haven't seen you around here before, and I definitely have never seen anything like your friend." , the voice finished, as the footsteps stopped suddenly. Akeeta whirled around, meeting eyes with a small white bunny about her size. She looked around , puzzled for a moment, trying to find the source of the voice, before realizing where it had been coming from. "It's me. I'm the one talking." , the white bunny said flatly. Akeeta locked eyes with him again, able to understand what he was saying, but unable to respond. Akeeta tried to ask him with her eyes how to accomplish such a miraculous feat, and after a few moments of awkward staring at head tilting, Angel finally understood her question. "Just sorta ... concentrate on your thoughts. We can't talk physically, only mentally, so don't try straining yourself like that. Its kinda like pure thought, if that makes any sense. When you talk, you gotta only focus on that one thing you wanna say. It can't really be taught, I learned how myself, and most of the wild bunnies Flutters takes care of can't speak either, and most of em' never learn to either. Fact of the matter is they're just too stupid to. I assume you're wild too, right?" , the fluffy white bunny spoke, moving a little bit closer to Akeeta as she nodded a little indignantly, trying to focus on her thoughts, concentrating only on the one sentence she had in her mind, and trying to make it real. She squeaked for a moment, blushing at her mistake, before resuming her focus. "My name's Angel, in case you were wonderin'. If you ever figure out how to speak, how about you tell me your pretty name, to match your pretty face." , he said , coming even closer to Akeeta now, wrapping one of his furry arms around her. Feeling instantly uncomfortable, Akeeta's thoughts shifted to another sentence she was trying to formulate, as focused all of her will into projecting her one, overriding thought into speech, or whatever Angel was using to talk. Breaking through the barrier, Akeeta calmly stated something that Angel didn't quite catch, the white bunny leaning over her shoulder now. "What'd you say now?", Angel asked in an increasingly seductive tone. He barely had time to finish his sentence. Angel was instantly several feet across the room, sprawled out and dazed. "I said, back. Off." , Akeeta said in a threatening and triumphant tone, one of her paws still raised where she had punched Angel in the face. "Sheesh, I was just playing. Kitty's got claws, am I right? " , Angel said to no one in particular, sitting up and rubbing his head. He was a little taken aback by just how quickly she had learned to speak, and so fluently at that. Added to that, from where he sat, the sunlight wreathed her figure in a golden glow, giving her a very appealing appearance, the light flooding over her silvery grey coat. He was entranced to say the least. " Well maybe you should 'play' less and learn some manners ya creep.", Akeeta shot back, brushing off her paw, still excited about the fact that she could now speak, more or less. She had always had so many great thoughts and ideas, so many questions and inquiries about the world, and now she could finally tell the world about all of them, ask the important questions that had been eating at her, and share herself with others in a more meaningful way. But she still didn't fully comprehend exactly how she was talking through her mind. She had tried many times before to speak, but perhaps she had failed because she was trying to use her physical body in combination with her mind, instead of what Angel had suggested, pure thought. She tried to contain her excitement, but simply couldn't, hopping up and down happily several times before Angel interrupted her bliss. "Don't get too excited, you can only talk to other rabbits, and even then most won't be able to understand you. Very few rabbits ever explore higher thought, and even fewer learn how to speak. I'd imagine I'm the only rabbit you'll be talking to for a good while, so get used to it.", Angel said, still secretly admiring her figure. He couldn't quite describe what he was feeling. It wasn't the same as when he was with all those other rabbits, nor was it similar to the bond he shared with Fluttershy. It was very different, and Angel was a little nervous as the oddly pleasing, yet strange feeling continued to grow deep in his stomach. Akeeta instantly deflated, and was actually a little annoyed at the thought of talking to no one except Angel. Her mind flashed back to the animal FuzzyFace had murdered, putting Angel in its place as she giggled softly, letting maniacal thoughts seep into her brain. After a few moments of cherishing a world without the jerky bunny, she returned to reality, where Angel was unfortunately still very alive. She thought about what he had said, vague memories of her lonely past resurfacing. She had known other animals and creatures all her life, and she had always been an outsider because of her intelligence. She had never really had anyone she would consider a friend, quietly exploring the forest alone, hoping that one day she might find someone to confide in. While her curiosity often got her into trouble with the other residents of the forest, she knew deep in her heart that it was just who she was. No one understood her, or could even think on the same level that she did. She had always known she was different, but this was something else entirely. In that moment, Akeeta realized she wasn't just smarter, she was conscious ... and so was Angel. "Look, I may have come off on the wrong foot, and I'm sorry for that. I never expected you to be able to speak , period, much less within a few moments of trying to get it right. I'll be blunt, most of the rabbits that pass through here are near brain dead compared to you, and even though you and I are smarter, we still got needs. You get what I'm saying?" , Angel finished, trying to sound a little more apologetic, instead only making Akeeta feel awkward. "Yes, yes I get what you're saying, and let me just say: You're even more of a creep than I thought. Still, FuzzyFace seems to like Fluttershy, who I would assume is your owner," , Angel nodded reluctantly, ", and that means were probably gonna be sticking around each other more than we'd like to. So please, don't make this any more unbearable than it has to be. If you want to be a perv, fine. But don't be a perv around me ... or else." Akeeta said, putting emphasis on her threat. "Or else what? Ya gonna punch me again?" , Angel said mockingly. Akeeta let her mind wander back to the scene in the forest with the decapitated creature. "Oh you'll see ... you'll see ..." Akeeta spoke menacingly, shooting him a sinister glare, trailing off as she scampered over to the door that had been left slightly ajar. The sunlight poured through the open space, blinding Akeeta for a moment as she heaved the door open, pushing it with all her strength. After a few moments of pushing, the door was opened wide enough to let her squeeze through, vanishing beyond the towering wooden entrance. She was just glad to be away from Angel. But as she scampered across the field, she couldn't help but crack a slight smile, happy that she wouldn't have to be all alone anymore. Angel was a jerk, but at least she finally had someone she could talk to. Angel remained where he was sitting, still rubbing his head, trying to ease his pain. She hit him like a truck, and it was definitely showing as he felt a slight bump forming on his forehead. He was a little bit worried about what she had said to him, and even more worried that despite everything she had done, he couldn't push her out of his thoughts. He wanted to hate her, but as a few moments passed, he was overwhelmed by the feeling in his stomach making him feel uneasy the more he thought about her. He couldn't bring himself to hold anything against her, being much too relieved that he finally had someone to talk to. He hadn't met another bunny that could talk since ... ever, really. He had only heard about it in books, and he was the one who had taught himself. At first, he thought he was just going crazy, but eventually he made the connection between what he had read about, and what he had experienced, realizing he could talk to other rabbits, more or less. He had spent months studying the complex art of focusing willpower and thought into a telepathic wave that could be heard by other bunnies, aided by the slight amount of residual magic everything on the planet had, the same magic that allowed ponies to hold things, despite their lack of fingers. Even so, Angel envied Akeeta. It had taken him months to teach himself speech, and she was able to do it within seconds of trying. He was still completely at a loss for how she was able to just, do it without any hesitation or practice, and on her first try no less. It would have been like an amateur flyer beating the Wonderbolts the first time they had tried. He felt strangely inadequate, extremely envious, and more than little attracted to her. He reasoned that it was just his hormones talking, trying to suppress his feelings, but after dwelling on it for a few minutes, he still couldn't push her from his thoughts. She certainly wasn't the prettiest or most well groomed bunny he had ever seen, but she had an aura of fearless confidence and feral beauty about her that he couldn't stop thinking about. Added to that, she was the only bunny he had ever known that could talk just like him, and she was all he could think about. His envy and the pain in his forehead subsided, replaced by the overwhelming feeling that had started in the pit of his stomach, and expanded across his body. Sure she had walloped him something fierce, but Celestia be damned if that was enough to turn him away. He envied her, wanted her all , and hated himself for it. Angel got up, still rubbing head, and began walking over to the door, as his mind argued with him, trying to convince him to cease his irrational actions. What are you doin'? Are you seriously going after her, even when she just kicked your ass? Is she really worth it? He didn't even have to think about it as he neared the door, peeking out around the door, letting the sunlight bathe him in a reassuringly warm glow. "Absolutely ... " he muttered to himself a little shocked at how he was feeling. He had never quite felt like this before. He had his harems of bunnies to appease him, Flutters to cuddle with and boss around, but this was something greater. Something deeper, more sophisticated and intelligent. It wasn't just instinctual, primal lust, it was so much more. His stomach churned at the thought, not quite sure how to feel about it all. For a moment, he considered shutting the door, and walking away. But he didn't, he just stood there, letting the breeze rustle his fur looking out at the world longingly. Angel was an indulgent creature, being raised to the point of spoiling by Fluttershy who adored him, and surrounded by all the comforts he could ever wish for. Akeeta was something different though. She wasn't like all the other bunnies he had been with, all the mindless animals he had known. He knew he was going to have to fight hard for her, which meant relinquishing a lot of the comforts and tendencies he had grown into over the years. He considered just how hard it was going to be, changing his entire personality into something more likable, something more acceptable, wincing at all the things he was going to have to give up while he strived for her love. It wasn't going to be easy, and he wasn't going to like it, but he felt a deep compulsion to be with her, something much more than just what he had intended originally. What he couldn't understand was why he felt like this. Sure, she was pretty enough, but nothing exceptional. He sat on it for a moment, realizing that he needed someone he could share himself with. He was as lonely as one can be, just wanting to be heard, to talk with someone, anyone, soon discovering that he was very alone in the realm of intelligence when it came to bunnies. She was his only hope to finally find someone that he could talk with, discuss his feelings and share his life with. It all sounded so sappy in his head, but he knew it all to be what he truly longed for. He had spent so long living extravagantly, enjoying all the physical pleasures that come with his lifestyle, but he felt empty. He knew he couldn't stand that hollow feeling anymore, and he knew that Akeeta was the only one who could help him fill that void. He felt a little woozy as he pushed the door open slightly, ready to begin his quest. He sighed, giving into his feelings, as his mind gave him one final warning. You're gonna get yourself killed dude. Just sayin'. That rabbit has psycho written all over her. Did you even hear her when she left? Talk about foreboding. Angel realized the likely possibility that she was completely crazy, and might end up killing him, but this would be the only chance he would ever get at being with another bunny like himself. He had to take the risk. After all, she shows up, makes him feel like an idiot, smacks him in the face with the force of a stallion, threatens his life, calls him a creep, and runs off, and despite all of this, Angel could only think of one word to describe her. Perfect. Angel shook his head, still a little incredulous that he couldn't stop thinking about her like he was, and even more so that he was actually going after her, before slipping through the opening, and taking the first step on a road that would very likely lead him nowhere. But it was a chance Angel had to take. No Turning BackSomething has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.The Impossible Is PossibleSomething has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.Bold StepsSomething has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.GuardianSomething has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.Prologue: End Of A LegendThe sashimonos of the assembled samurai fluttered slightly in the wind, their dark clan colors vibrant against the contrast of the sky. No man dared move, much less cross the bridge that lay before them. The officer of the unit looked uneasily towards the flag bearing ashigaru, nodding as the peasant banged the war drum hesitantly, the strikes resounding across the flat landscape. They had been ordered to advance. Nervously, the samurai marched forward, inching closer and closer to the narrow wooden bridge where the giant figure stood, riddled with arrows. Benkei stood over six and a half feet tall, his imposing figure blocking out the sun that wreathed his form in a golden glow, giving him the appearance of a god. He wore a simple white kimono, indicative of his past as a monk, and over it the elegantly made ō-yoroi armor of a samurai. His armor was black, gilded with white streaks of color running through his large, square shoulder guards. His rectangular chestplate and tassets were laced in a similar manner, white streaks running through solid black, the interlocking metal plates rimmed by a piece of solid iron. Over his armor, a white shawl was visible, but had now taken on the color of his blood, for Benkei stood silent and still, his armor and flesh pierced in many places across his body. His blood dripped and stained the polished wood of the bridge he safeguarded, and soiled his stark white kimono, the pool of blood beneath him growing larger by the second. But Benkei just stood there, face shrouded by his shawl’s hood, his naginata clutched stoutly upright. At his side, he carried the very soul of a samurai, a masterly crafted set of blades, a katana, and a wakizashi, both encased within ornate sheaths gilded with gold. Even the strong rope that secured the set of blade’s to his thigh was laced with gold, glistening in the sunlight, just as his blood soaked robes did. The samurai began to cross the bridge, only wide enough for three men at a time, the officer accompanied by his two bodyguards at the forefront of the unit. Through their metal masks, the samurai looked uneasily at the hundreds of bodies in the river below, their blood staining the serene stream a dark red. As the officer neared Benkei, he hesitated for a moment, mere feet from him now, before drawing his katana and setting his sights on dueling him. He glanced nervously to the men behind him, before inhaling deeply, and letting the warmth of the sun calm his nerves. He closed his eyes for a moment, the wind rustling his jin baori surcoat that he wore over his lamellar armor, before stepping forward, ready to face his opponent. The giant remained unmoving, his naginata’s blood soaked blade remaining still, just as he was. The officer inched forward, the sun catching his blade as he slashed forward heavily, his foot slamming down particularly hard. The officer missed Benkei, meaning to get him to move and fight, but it was at this point he realized something was very wrong. The behemoth of a man dropped to his knees, the extreme amount of arrows impaling his body nearly touching the officer who just stood there, astonished. Benkei’s naginata slipped from his cold hands, tumbling into the river below to join the weapons of so many others. Benkei remained in this position for a moment, before slouching forwards onto his face, the impact pushing the arrows deeper into his body. The officer moved forward hesitantly, removing the hood from Benkei’s head, as he stooped down to look at his face, finding only an aloof stare, and a glossy look in his eyes. “Benkei wa shinde iru!”, the officer shouted triumphantly, raising his katana over his head, as he turned to face his men. “Onio wa shinde iru! Kare wa haiboku sa rete imasu!”, one of the samurai shouted, relieved to have been spared the fate of the men before him. The officer and his men picked up the bloody and arrow impaled Benkei, and heaved his body into the river below, before advancing past the bloody bridge, and gaining access to the long sought after castle of Minamoto no Yoshitsune. “Sayōnara Benkei. Anata wa yoku tatakatta.” , the officer said in a smug tone before moving to catch up with the rest of his men that had begun torching the wooden castle. It was a hard fought victory, with hundreds dying trying to defeat Benkei, before archers finally arrived and fired volley after volley at the juggernaut who seemed unphased by it all. The truth was that Benkei had died standing during one of the hailstorms of arrows hours earlier, the fatal arrow piercing his heart. In his dying moments, Benkei refused to fail his master, dying standing up, loyal to the grave and beyond. Too intimidated to face him after killing a ridiculous amount of samurai, the opposing army waited for several hours for Benkei to give into his wounds, despite him having done so far earlier. Smoke drifted off of the humble wooden castle, the dark columns of thick black drifting high up into the sky, contrasting starkly against the orange sun, before dissipating in thin wisps. The red and orange fire burned violently against the setting sun, the flames licking at it, meshing with it, as the blaze burned on into the night. As the castle burned to the backdrop of a setting sun, Benkei’s body drifted slowly downstream, the gentle currents caressing his mutilated body, as his clothes were cleansed of their red hue. He floated downstream for many days, his body facing downwards, his eyes still open. Yet, Benkei did not decay, succumb to waterlogging, or any of the other afflictions of death. No, he just floated and floated, letting the wind and the currents take his body where it willed, the sun rising and setting as day dragged on into night and then back into day again. But something strange happened while Benkei’s corpse floated down the endless stream. It was almost as if the arrows in his wounds had disappeared as the days had gone on, and the wounds themselves mended rapidly. Even his master work armor repaired itself, as if it were being carefully hammered and laced back into place. But the strangest of all of these happenings was when the sun rose on the fifth day of his journey downstream, Benkei’s naginata , long separated from him, miraculously floated up next to his hand, the water reflecting the sunlight’s rays onto the shiny blade of the weapon. It followed his body for several hours, brushing up against its deceased master, longing to be grasped in defiance of the enemy once more. They remained together like this, floating gently down stream, the sun beating down on the two for another day before the blade’s wish was finally granted. Benkei’s dead hands opened as the currents pushed the weapon into his firm grasp, allowing him to close his hands and clutch the weapon tightly against his chest, before resuming his eternal stillness. Benkei was still very much dead, yet there was something manipulating him, healing him, and preparing him. The answer as to what it was readying him for remained unclear, as he continued his journey, seeming to float on in the forever flowing river that reflected the sun’s rays magnificently, the refraction of light in the water, mirroring a distorted sky that was still just as beautiful and endless. But all journeys come to an end, and when Benkei’s body reached the grassy shores of a small fishing village, his lifeless body fully rejuvenated, his armor mended, and his naginata held tight , a burst of pure white light encased his body in a blinding aura of radiance. Moments later, Benkei’s body was gone, having vanished into nothingness. Just as he had come into this world, in a flash of heavenly light, so too did he now resign from it. His origins were unknown to anyone, only Benkei having witnessed his "birth". Yet, even he did not understand his odd arrival, and now departure from Earth. As such, his body was never recovered, leading Benkei's tale to drift into legend over the years. But Benkei was very much real ... ... and he is still very much alive.
A New Beginning To An Old TaleSunlight streaked through the dense canopy of the Everfree forest, illuminating the forest floor below, teeming with plants and bushes of all kinds. Rabbits and other small woodland creatures scampered about the vibrant green forest floor, some climbing trees, while others retreated to their burrows or nests. The river that ran through this section of the forest was a gentle stream, deep enough to swim in, yet not dangerous in the slightest. Its gentle waters flowing downstream created a dull background noise to the many strange and exotic sounds and calls that rang throughout the forest. But something did not belong in the otherwise serene patch of forest. As the crystal clear waters of the stream continued to flow throughout the day, a strange object floated along with the gentle currents of the river. Several rabbits and squirrels stopped to stare at the odd mass, tilting their heads slightly, puzzled as to what it could be. As the figure continued to float past them , it slowly edged over to the side of the stream, stopping as it became snagged on the riverbed. No animal dared approach it, save for one small grey bunny, who hopped over beside the strange object fearlessly. She waited for a moment, examining the object. She made out what appeared to be two long legs at the end of it, and so she came to the conclusion that it was a creature of some sort. Still, it appeared to be face down in the water, and was a bit concerned as to whether it could breathe or not. Yet she remained puzzled as to what creature, on account of the strange shapes this creature had jutting out from its shoulders. She rested her furry paw on one of the large square protrusions, and determined that they were made of metal, something she had encountered several times before. She hopped around to the being's other shoulder, before resting her tiny fuzzy paw on a white piece of cloth that covered what she assumed was its head. The cloth was very fine, silky to the touch almost, and it shone brightly in the light of the sun, the stark white seeming very alien in the otherwise colorful forest. She hesitated for a moment, looking back to the other bunnies watching her nervously, before she gripped the cloth, and heaved backwards, nearly falling into the stream, which elicited a collective gasp from the spectators. She managed to catch herself though, and in the process, she had removed the white piece of cloth from the creature's head. She stared quizzically at the coarse and untamed black hair which coated the figure's head, thinking it quite ugly compared to the fine cloth it wore. Suddenly, she noticed bubbles slowly surfacing from beneath the figure's head, but decided not to back away, curious as to what the creature's face looked like. As the other bunnies and squirrels retreated to safety, she just sat there, eager at the chance to meet a creature she had never seen before. The creature flailed violently, forcing its head above water, and clinging to the side of the river with odd, spindly appendages that sprouted from its hand. Akeeta the rabbit likened them to the opposable claws that dragons used, yet these were different, as they were very blunt, fat almost compared to claws. The large creature coughed hastily, trying to rid itself of water, at which point Akeeta determined it must breathe air like her. As the coughing died down, and the raucous noise stopped echoing through the forest, the creature turned its face towards Akeeta, who stared back with the same intensity that the strange animal did. They remained locked like this for several moments, Akeeta observing the long spindly beard of the same black as its normal hair, and noticed that it had a very peculiar nose, which jutted out from between its eyes. It was far too narrow to be considered a snout, and only its nose was extended, as its mouth remained just below it on the relatively flat landscape of its face. The odd creature didn't appear to have any fur, only a pale peach hue to its exposed skin. Akeeta tilted her head, getting a better look at its eyes, which were slightly narrower than her own. What puzzled her about its eyes, was not their slightly different shape, but the size of them. Her eyes were almost as big as its eyes, and yet she was tiny compared to the behemoth of a creature. It puzzled her so, but before she could find an answer, the creature spoke in a soft and soothing tone. "Kon'nichiwa, sukoshi yūjin. Anata ga namae o motte imasu ka?" , it spoke in a confusing and alien tongue she had never heard before. The figure chuckled to himself for a moment, before hoisting himself up out of the water, a large stick held in one hand. Akeeta hadn't noticed that he was holding anything before, and scampered over to get a better look at the large pole. She took note that it ended in a slight curve, and that the curvy part of the wooden stick seemed to be covered, concealed by a wooden sheath. "Watashinonamaeha Benkeidesu... ", the large animal said, trailing off as he lay down in a patch of sunlight, letting the golden rays lick at his drenched clothing and armor. Akeeta still did not understand the creature, deciding it best to come up with a name of her own to know him by. She hopped on top of his chest, which felt cold and hard under her furry paws, determining that it to was made of metal. She stared into the creature's eyes for a few moments longer, before it finished its sentence. " ... Watashi wa shinda, to ima demo watashi wa ikite iru." , he said, closing his eyes and let the sun dry him off. Akeeta simply sat there, letting her imagination take her places as to where this strange creature could have come from. She had never seen anything even remotely like it, but she had learned of an animal called a monkey, which loosely matched the description of the animal she rested upon. Yet it did not have fur, nor a tail, and its feet were encased within the same cloth as the creature's other clothes. After a few moments longer of daydreaming and staring blankly into the animal's eyes, she curled up into a little ball, letting the sunlight's warmth wrap a blanket around her. She smiled slightly as the animal petted her fuzzy back gently for a few moments, before the two drifted off together. But the creature did not fully go to sleep, only rest drowsily, letting the sunlight's embracing rays lick at his skin and evaporate the cold water that his body had felt the touch of for so long. He tried to imagine what river he had turned up in, not recalling ever coming across a forest such as this one. What confused him even more was the bunny that now lay sleeping on his chest. He was certain it was a bunny, but at the same time, he had never seen one with such enormous eyes, and stubby legs such as it had. He kept thinking about all the places he had been in his life, and not a single one matched the description of the forest he continued observing, marveling at the untamed, bursting beauty and vibrant colors of the magnificent forest that enveloped him on all sides. He sighed inwardly, recognizing that he was completely lost. He kept thinking back to his death that was still vivid in his mind, unable to fully understand how he was here now, and in good health no less. He remembered how he had stood there on the tiny wooden bridge, defeating warrior after warrior, changing the color of the river below him into a vivid red, crystal waters mixing with the blood of his fallen adversaries. He remembers how they had fired volley upon volley of arrows at him, as he remained at his post. But most of all, he recalled the arrow that killed him. He remembered watching the brilliantly crafted arrow soar through the air, alone in its flight, shot by a true yumi master. He realized he could not avoid it, knowing his death was upon him. With a final burst of strength, his arrow wounds burning with agonizing pain, Benkei managed to remain standing as the arrow struck him square in the heart, ending his life instantly. Unable to recall any event after the arrow struck him, Benkei resolved to lie there in solemn meditation over his new path in life, upon remembering that his closest friend, Minamoto no Yoshitsune, had committed seppuku that same day. Closing his eyes as the rustling of the tree branches lulled him to sleep, Benkei thought of nothing as he let sleep take him, the stillness in his heart bringing him a reassuring peace. Everything was in shambles and made absolutely no sense, but Benkei was fine with that. As much as he wished things could go back to the way they were during the Genpei wars, the good old days in his opinion, they simply could not. Benkei pushed the last of his thoughts from his mind as lethargy overtook him, and he allowed himself to retire to a dreamless sleep. Benkei awoke peacefully, yawning as he peered down at the little bunny, still fast asleep on his chest. He ever so gently scooped her up in one hand, and place her on the ground beside him as he sat up, stretching his arms, and taking in his surroundings. He realized he had slept for several hours, and the forest was beginning to grow gloomy in the waning hours of daylight. He hastily got to his feet, his clothes now fully dry, as he grabbed his naginata from off the ground, slinging it across his back, suspended by a thick, gold laced rope. He checked to make sure his set of blades was fastened beside him, as it always was, and was relieved to find that they were still both there, sheathed within ornate scabbards. He flipped his white hood over his head, and readjusted his shawl so that it hung down upon his chest in a puffy and flowing manner, while the rest of it rested behind him, fluttering slightly as the wind picked at it. While the world grew dark, Benkei could see well enough to notice that there was a rough path to his right, the soil compacted by the footsteps of those who had gone before him into a messy and unkempt dirt road. Figuring it was the best place to start, he knelt down beside Akeeta, petting her softly one last time, making her shift slightly, before making his way through a mess of foliage and tree branches, eventually reaching the path. But just as he was about to begin walking down the road, he felt a tug at his legs. Benkei craned his head downwards to discover the same bunny that had slept upon him, staring into his eyes pleadingly with her own puppy dog expression plastered across her innocent face. Benkei smiled warmly, before he stooped down, opening his hand as the bunny crawled into his palm excitedly. Benkei was glad to have some company in such a confusing time. It allowed him to still see the good in the world, the beauty, and to remain positive, despite the past events. His stress marked face relaxed for a moment, his brown eyes thanking the bunny for her companionship. His steely gaze returned as he stood up, and began walking down the rough dirt road, holding the bunny in his hand, close to his chest. Benkei walked at a moderate pace, his sandals crunching on the fallen branches and leaves along the path, his armored tabi making a dull clanking sound, the interlocked plates of metal brushing up against one another as he walked. Akeeta looked up at Benkei's chin, covered in a black beard, the hair just as coarse as that on his head. She puzzled over why he had hair in some places, yet the rest of his face remained unprotected. She continued to ponder this, looking down at the soft maroon cloth that covered his hand in a glove, and peering over the edge of his hand, observing his metal shin guards, the same black as the swuare protrusions that jutted out from his shoulders. She whirled around, finding herself staring at a wall of black, the same color as the other metal parts he wore. She scooted closer to his chest, shifting so that she could crane her head to look at the fine structure of the metal. It was marvelous! The entire piece of metal affixed to his chest was actually smaller, interlocking pieces of metal, masterfully made and assembled. She turned to look up at his shoulders, the strange protrusions sharing the same trait, being entirely made of interlocking plates of metal. She wondered how it was even possible, never witnessing something so complex and intricate, or perhaps, never even realizing the complexity of things. It astonished her little bunny mind, and in her excitement, she began hopping up and down, Benkei smiling slightly as he watched the rabbit bounce up and down out of the corner of his eye. Akeeta wondered about many things as she calmed down, resting calmly in Benkei's palm. She imagined herself fiddling with the tiny metal pieces, stitching them together, just as she had seen ponies do with fabric in her frequent forays into Ponyville. She wondered if it was possible for her to ever possess such a masterful and elegant item. She continued to ponder these thoughts, excited by the things she might learn and discover from her new friend, who she had resolved to call FuzzyFace, unable to think of a more appropriate name. She giggled inwardly, repeating the admittedly funny name over and over again in her mind. Benkei continued walking down the path, admiring the tall and stout trees that lined the road, their strong trunks reaching high into the sky, their dew laden leaves glinting against the dying light of the sun. He heard a rustling behind him, and he stopped, cupping his other hand over Akeeta, before slowly looking over his shoulder. Akeeta pawed at FuzzyFace's hands, trying to open them, but to no avail. She could only pound against the walls of her prison, as the soft, silky cloth grew harder and harder by the second. She stepped back, watching FuzzyFace's hands lose their color, turning grey and hard, cracks running through it, almost as if it were becoming stone. She was utterly puzzled, and more than a little concerned as she sat in the cold, unmoving hands that had shielded her from a far worse fate. She sat there for several minutes, occasionally pawing at the confines of her space, before noticing a low rumbling emanating from deep within her friend. It started as a rumble, but within a few seconds, it had grown to become roar, deafening almost as she covered her ears and observed a miraculous change. The hands that had only minutes before been stone, shattered, the stone crumbling around her as she could feel FuzzyFace begin moving once more. Akeeta hopped happily as she could feel him walking, but there was something different about the way he was moving. It wasn't the gentle sway of their stroll when they had started, no, it felt more like a run now. Suddenly FuzzyFace's hands unclasped, letting the last few rays of sunlight for the day reach her, as she wrapped her stubby arms around one of his fingers struggling to hold on. FuzzyFace leaped through the air, as Akeeta could feel the two suspended in the air for a moment, noticing a sharp jerking motion resonating throughout her friend, before they touched back down hard. She nearly fell out of his hand, just barely holding on and hoisting herself back up from the edge of his palm. A little annoyed by the bumpy ride, she looked up at FuzzyFace, giving him an evil glare, before noticing what he was holding in his other hand. Clutched in his hand was a long, curved piece of shiny metal, dripping with a red liquid she could only assume was blood. She recoiled a bit at the sight, her evil stare fading, as she looked back up to his face, and then followed his gaze to the corpse of the animal below. It had been beheaded, the long scaly neck of the creature seperated from the chicken shaped body covered in green scales. She saw blood pooling around the open wound, the blood soaking into the white feathers of the chicken head that tapered down into the scaly neck. She felt like vomiting for a moment, and was instantly wary of FuzzyFace. She pried her eyes away from the grizzly scene looking back up at FuzzyFace, who had turned his head away from the little bunny. She ran along his arm, grasping at the fabric of his shawl and scrambling up onto his shoulder, tapping it with one of her feet. FuzzyFace let his head swivel to meet Akeeta, who looked into his eyes demanding an answer. FuzzyFace held up his free hand, filled with the remnants of crumbled stone, and then looked back the animal he had slain. Akeeta instantly understood. FuzzyFace muttered something to himself, so softly that even Akeeta couldn't hear it, as her friend sighed deeply. FuzzyFace allowed Akeeta to remain on his shoulder as he resumed walking down the path, leaving the gruesome scene behind them. Akeeta grasped the fabric of the hood FuzzyFace wore, allowing her to stabilize herself as he walked. They continued on into the night, FuzzyFace unphased by the encroaching darkness that encircled them. Akeeta wasn't scared of many things, but the dark was one of them. She swung herself over into FuzzyFace's hood, resting just beside his cheek. After a few minutes of walking, Akeeta determined that FuzzyFace didn't mind, and stayed put there for the remainder of the ride, snuggled up beside the face of her new, if violent friend. She forced herself to sleep, letting the pattern and sway of his stop lull her to sleep. Benkei smiled slightly as he could hear the light snoring of the grey bunny beside him, keeping up a steady pace for the next few minutes before the path curved to the left sharply, and continued down besides the flowing river he had woken up in. He stopped for a moment beside the river, knelt down, and dipped his blood soaked blade into the river, scratching the tough, coagulated blood off, before sheathing it once more, and moving on. The moonlight illuminated the path before him, giving it an eery glow in the dead of night. He proceeded hesitantly, strange sounds echoing throughout the pitch black forest, and the howl of what he assumed was a wolf ringing clearly every few minutes. But he pushed on, his mind still racing as to what had happened back there. He had felt himself getting cold, so very cold, and then, right as he could feel his mind slipping, he cleared it of all thoughts, meditating before the chill overtook him, and he was still. He felt like he was asleep, but he could feel his eyes wide open, yet unable to see anything. He focused on the stillness that meditation brought him, and could feel himself becoming warmer by the second, before he finally , exploded in a sense, breaking free from the stone that had imprisoned him. It all happened so fast, the fluid motion of his katana being drawn, the mad sprint towards the turned back of the creature, and the swift decapitation of the amalgamation. Still, even after he was able to get a good look at it, he wasn't exactly sure what it was, with batlike wings tipped with talons, scales covering its body, a large slinking tale, and the head and body shape of a chicken. He was utterly at a loss. Even in his teachings of the many demons of the world, he had never learned of such a creature. The true identity of the creature continued to elude him well into the first hours of dawn, as Benkei finally reached the end of the path, which stopped at the edge of the massive forest. His little bunny friend was still asleep next to his face, the sunlight beginning to stir her. Benkei thought of many things in his long journey out of the forest; Where was he? Where would he go now? Was there even a place for him to seek out? Surely he could never return to his monastery, and even if he were to return, what would they think of a man that died and yet still breathes. A demon, that's what they would call him. They would surely kill or exile him, and Benkei wasn't so sure he'd be as lucky at cheating death the second time around. Still, he had to go somewhere, and as he stepped out of the treeline, he spied a building, covered in green foliage and bursting with color, its design alien to him. The river he had found himself in earlier flowed beneath the small wooden bridge that connected the cottage to the other side of the river. He noticed the various pens and birdhouses scattered around the outskirts of the house, the cheeping of birds soothing his restless mind. Benkei smiled to himself, looking at the warm and inviting cottage. He walked slowly towards the bridge, revealing himself for the world to see. As he passed past the birdhouses that teemed with birds making beuatiful songs, the avians instantly fell silent, reduced to a stare, their large, prying eyes following him as he approached the house. Benkei crossed the small wooden bridge, the serene and peaceful current of the stream the only audible sound by the time he reached the front door of the cottage. He thought the door to be tad small, and it was rather odd in that it was split into two unequal halves horizontally, due to the top of the door having rounded edges. With a deep inhale, Benkei looked around at his surroundings, noticing that the birds were still staring at him expectantly. He exhaled, turning to face the staring birds, meeting their expectant stares with his own, steely gaze. Yet, something inside Benkei told him it was all very, very wrong. For starters, he died. As far as he knew, that was pretty much the end for people, at least in the sense that they would no longer be truly themselves anymore. But here he was, breathing, healthy as ever, and completely aware that he had been killed. Furthermore, ever since his arrival, every last aspect of the land he was in seemed so very strange. The animals all had big eyes and heads, stubby legs and bodies, and they seemed to bristle with an intelligence and cognizance he had never seen such humble creatures possess. It boggled his mind as he stood there, frozen by the dozens of oddly aware birds looking at him, expecting something of him. Benkei began to think back to that strange, serpent chicken he had killed earlier. He still couldn't place it, frustrated by his ignorance. In all his years of learning, he was completely at a loss for all of the questions he harbored. He began to think better of his plan to just barge in on the locals, suspecting that they would call him a demon for being among the living, despite having been very dead not so long ago. He sighed, exasperated by his situation, and began walking slowly away from the cottage, the birds' eyes following him as he came to the wooden bridge above the soothing waters of the river. Everything was so different here, the animals, the buildings, the tress and the plants. Even the sun, sky, air and water felt and looked different here. Benkei knelt down on the bridge, staring at his reflection in the calm waters, as the rising sun began to illuminate the vibrant and beautiful landscape, the grass glistening with morning dew. He couldn't just run away, someone would find him eventually, and even if they never found him, Benkei wasn't going to live his whole life in hiding, just because he didn't have all the pieces of the puzzle yet. He kept thinking back to the moment on the bridge, the arrow flying gracefully through the air, its feathers catching the suns rays as he closed his eyes and accepted death, letting his meditation allow his mind to drift away, even as his body died. But that was what troubled him the most. He had felt that same feeling, that feeling of coldness, that feeling of death, the overwhelming desire to rest, and be still when he had faced that thing back in the forest. He could recall every moment of it being almost exactly the same as when he was shot through the heart. Suddenly, Benkei came to the realization that he had experienced that feeling because he had nearly died, again. So he reacted naturally, just as he did when he first faced death, he let his meditation sweep over his thoughts, allowing his mind to drift away, leaving his dying body behind. Benkei was a spiritual man, but he never truly believed it possible for meditation to not only shatter stone, but defy death itself. He looked at his hands for a moment, unsure of what he was anymore. He certainly wasn't just a man, so far as he could tell, but he couldn't comprehend how he had accomplished all of these magical and miraculous feats. He closed his eyes for a moment, letting his thoughts process all of what had happened. After a few moments of silent introspection, Benkei opened his eyes, noticing that the birds were still staring. He gingerly removed the small bunny from his hood, placing her on the soft grass closest to the cottage, as he resolved to go through with his plan and meet the locals, despite his doubts. He walked slowly back towards the front door of the strangely built and even more strangely decorated structure. As he raised his hand to knock on the door, his mind was overcome by all of the inquiries he still had. Why are all the birds staring at me? Why does everything look and feel so different? How could I have possibly shattered stone with my mind? How am I even alive? Where am I? What am I going to do now? What in the name of the Shogun was that chicken serpent? He pushed aside the many questions he still harbored, his ignorance starting to frustrate him. But Benkei calmed himself, putting on the best, most social face an ogre like man like him could. He smiled and let himself regain his composure, before finally letting his hand fall upon the wood of the door, his knocking loud, but not aggressive. He lowered his hand, ready to greet the locals and put aside his apprehensions. "Oh my, just ... Just a minute! Its awful early don't you thi-" a soft and soothing female voice began in a foreign tongue as the hinges to the door creaked open, revealing the small butterscotch equine, mouth still open in mid sentence, as she stood there, paralyzed. Benkei could only look an in astonishment, both of them frozen by the others strange appearance. The staring contest ceased moments later, when the small equine stepped back woozily, her large cyan eyes beginning to close, as she fainted from shock. Benkei rubbed his eyes for a moment, and looked behind him at the birds that still glared at him, and then back to the passed out pony that lay before him. He sighed, resigning himself from logic as he stepped through the door, crouching to avoid hitting his head. He sat down on the floor next to the vibrantly colored equine, and waited for her to recover. He had almost certainly never heard an animal make a noise like that. It almost sounded as if it were trying to speak, but in some strange language he couldn't fully understand. He assumed it was more than just a simple beast of burden, as all of the animals in this strange land were more intelligent than they seemed. Benkei observed the living room around him, lavishly furnished by his ascetic standards. How were animals even capable of this level of complexity, with a house and furniture, gardens, and bridges? , he thought to himself, more confused and shocked than ever. He shook his head in disbelief, still clinging to the notion that there had to be a reasonable explanation for all of it. He sat there for a moment, still unsure of what to do, before spying simple yet eye catching porcelain tea set in the next room over. He stood up, looking down at the pony, the sunlight from the open door catching her light pink mane, giving it an iridescent glow that he thought looked rather pretty. He had always regarded horses as beautiful and majestic creatures, but this one was most certainly different in a way he could not fully comprehend yet, aside from the obvious. Benkei knelt down, gingerly picking up the pony and placing her on the nearby amply padded sofa. Just as he did so, his little grey bunny friend scampered into the room, hopping up onto the couch besides the equine, poking it curiously. Benkei frowned at the bunny, which caused her to cease, and simply sit beside the colorful pony, eyeing her up and down. Benkei looked back at the porcelain set, before returning his gaze to the small bunny, who gave him a reassuring nod. He still wasn't at all sure of what was going on, or how these animals were so smart, but he decided that he could reflect on these things after a nice cup of hot tea. He turned and shook his head in good natured disbelief, before silently walking into the small kitchen, and beginning the process of making a proper kettle of tea for the both of them.
Breaking Down WallsThe sun slowly began its ascent into the sky, the magnificently golden rays streaking through the cross sectioned windows of the room Benkei sat in, the warmth of the rays relaxing him as he sipped at his green tea. He let the sweet and flowery tasting liquid soothe his mind, the nectar allowing him to reflect on past events more easily. He sat, cross legged, across from the unconscious pony, looking her over, and trying to determine what exactly she was, all while trying to find an explanation to everything. He kept thinking, completely unable to find any logical conclusion, and began thinking of things in a more spiritual and abstract way. As he contemplated the implications of him being in this strange land, he took another sip of his tea, scooting a little bit closer to the pony, and examining her back. Flabbergasted, he stared at the odd protrusions confused. He set his teacup down gently, stretching out his arm, and brushing her wings softly, taking in the smooth texture of her feathers. He moved his arm away from the wings, and up to her main coat, letting the velvety fur caress his rough fingers. Pulling his arm back, he shook his head, eyes wide and mouth agape. He considered for a moment that he was dreaming, blinking his eyes and rubbing them vigorously, in a vain attempt to wake up. Sighing, Benkei picked up his cup, continuing to sip his tea, the steaming hot kettle of fragrant liquid set down on a small round table just to his left. He cleared his mind for a moment, letting all of his questions fade away. He determined that it was of no use dwelling on the thoughts that troubled him when he obviously had no answer. As a matter of fact, Benkei didn't even know what steps he should take to find his answer really. All he knew was that if this creature was as smart as he presumed it to be, then it might be able to give him some answers. So he waited patiently, the polished wooden floors creaking slightly as he shifted his weight, setting down his teacup as he adjusted his shawl. Benkei realized he was still carrying his naginata, feeling the rough leather strap while he was adjusting his shawl, and began removing it, slipping strap off his shoulder, and setting down the fearsome weapon beside him. Picking his up his teacup once more, he smiled slightly as the pony shifted, mumbling something that he couldn't hear. Its eyelids twitched a little, before slowly opening, and blinking several times in rapid succession. As Benkei came into focus, the pony froze, eyes wide in fear, ears pointed downwards. Benkei began to speak, but decided against it, feeling it might upset her even more than she looked. He reached over to his left, the sunlight streaming through the window catching his polished, black shoulder plate as he grasped the full teacup steadily, retracting his arm and stretching it back out to the pony in a kind gesture. Snapped out of her paralysis by the sweet smell of the fragrant green tea, she extended one of her forehooves shakily, taking the piping hot tea from Benkei's large hands. Meanwhile, Benkei could only look on, astonished as the pony grasped the teacup sideways, holding it by its handle with her hoof, despite having no fingers to hold it with. He stopped sipping his tea as she raised the cup to her mouth, taking in the aroma before drinking a short sip hesitantly. He still couldn't believe she was holding it like she was, and shook his head for a moment, afraid that he was being rude by staring in such an unbecoming manner. He regained his composure, quietly sipping at his tea, looking down at the floor, trying to figure out a way he could talk to it. From the little he heard before she fainted, she definitely didn't speak Japanese. A little frustrated at being so close to understanding his situation, yet impeded still, he got up, turning to look out the window and observe the beauty before him. The yard was filled with the same birds who had glared at him on the way in, now having returned to tweeting and chirping their complex and ritualistic songs. He admired their elegant sounding choir, yet couldn't push the feeling out of his mind that there was something very wrong with all of this. He knew he was in a VERY strange situation, but the way the birds glared at him really stood out. He was certainly an outsider in this weird and yet wondrous land ... but what that meant for him wasn't so clear. The earlier thoughts of his purpose for being here began to wriggle their way back into his mind, only to be repelled by Benkei's stout internal meditation. He needed to remain calm, and address the situation one step at a time, as he always has. Benkei turned back to face the pony, gulping down the last drop of his tea, gently placing it on the same table as the tea kettle, and walking over to the sitting pony. She hadn't let her eyes leave him the entire time, but she remained silent, eyes still slightly concerned as she nervously sipped at her tea. Benkei noticed that she had to crane her head up slightly to meet his eyes, and promptly sat down to rectify the inconvenience to her. She seemed a little less nervous as he crossed his legs and interlocked his fingers, resting them on his middle tasset. Her eyes softened slightly, her hooves shifting to readjust her body into a more comfortable position. The two just sat there for a while, the pony sipping her tea every few minutes, too frightened to speak, Benkei too nervous to speak, lest he send her into another panic induced faint. So they just stared at one another for a good while, taking in each others strange appearance. The wind rustled outside, just barely audible through the house's walls, while the sun continued to pour through the windows, bathing the both of them in a blanket of warmth and luminescence. Benkei, noticed something odd as the warmth beat down on his armored back, squinting his eyes suspiciously. The next time the pony raised the cup and took a short sip, he realized that the cup was empty, and began to wonder how long it had been so. Deciding that he wasn't going to get anywhere unless he made the first move, Benkei cleared his throat, and spoke clearly, trying to make his voice sound softer and less rough in an attempt to not spook her. "Kon'nichiwa, watashi wa Benkei gozen. Onamaehanandesuka?" , he finished, noticing that Akeeta was still near the end of the pony, looking at him hopefully. The little grey bunny nudged him onwards through her paw motions, gesturing for him to show her the piece of paper he had written on. Benkei, taking Akeeta's signal, reached over to the same table that contained the tea kettle, taking a small piece of paper that he had written on earlier. He looked it over one more time, holding it up to the light to be completely sure he had written everything as neatly as he could. After finishing his check, he looked up at the pony, who was still sipping at her empty tea, and handed her the paper, setting it on the floor besides the padded couch. She continued staring at him for a moment more, her ears slowly perking up, before looking away and quickly snatching up the paper in her free hoof. The note read : " こんにちは、私は弁慶午前。お名前は何ですか？" She stared at the note for a few moments, her large cyan eyes carefully examining every detail of it. She read through it several times, each time taking longer than the last, before finally setting it down on the cushion in front of her, and looking up to face Benkei, who was smiling warmly. Akeeta scampered to the front of the pony, hopping up and down, encouraging her to speak. Her expression softened upon seeing the cute, fuzzy animal, lifting her hoof to brush its head softly, before taking a deep breath, and speaking at an almost inaudible volume. "Uhm ... Sir ... I uhm ... I-I can't read this." , she stammered out, her ears drooping slightly as she tried to shrink into her skin. Benkei attempted to go through each and every sound he had heard meticulously, analyzing every one in fine detail mentally, but came to the conclusion that she was indeed speaking a different language than him. He expected as much, seeing as she was not only a pony, but one with wings. Added to this was the fact that she seemed to defy logic, able to handle fragile and dainty objects with surprising ease, despite her fingerless hooves. He contained a sigh of frustration in an effort to not scare her. I did not understand a single word she just uttered, but at least I have her talking. He kept trying to think of a solution to the language barrier, considering for a moment, how he and his newfound bunny friend had been communicating. In a moment of relieved enlightenment, Benkei almost leapt up, but contained himself and simply smiled, happy with his discovery. "Benkei." he said slowly, while repeatedly poking himself in the chest, meaning to gesture towards himself. He spoke his name once more, looking into her unusually large eyes excitedly, as he noticed the change in them shifting from one of confusion, to one of understanding. He ceased poking himself in the chest, sighing inwardly in relief of at least getting her to know his name. He tried using the same technique to discover her own name, pointing at her as non aggressively as he could with his huge hands. After a few jabs to the air, the pony got the memo, and spoke in her same, shy tone, but much louder this time, as she began to feel a little bit more comfortable around Benkei. "I-I'm Fluttershy. I-It's nice to meet you, Mister Ben Khay." she spoke in the same undecipherable tongue as before. She shifted uneasily, continuing to pet the rabbit with her hoof softly, the contact with the creature soothing and calming her down. Her pink mane almost glowed in the warm and bright sunlight, her huge eyes glinting adorably with a strange mixture of fear, confusion, and hope. Benkei went through each and every word she had uttered, comparing the strange sounds individually to the innumerable words he had in his vocabulary, and over the course of a few awkwardly silent minutes, he narrowed her possible names down to just one possible choice. Despite his inability to speak in her tongue, he considered it a gesture of goodwill to formally greet her. He stood up as slowly as he could, trying to look smaller than he actually was. "Kon'nichiwa Fluttershy.", he spoke clearly, as he bowed fully and respectfully before her. He sat back down promptly, the wooden floor creaking to accommodate his heaviness, especially with all of his armor still on. Fluttershy remained silent, pondering as to what he was trying to tell her. She had come to the conclusion that he wasn't a monster, or if he was, he was a very polite and literate one. She didn't understand the language he was speaking, but she knew it was a language all the same. She closed her eyes for a moment, thinking back to all those times she had overheard Twilight talking of ancient civilizations, deserted ruins, and obscure languages. Yet, despite all of the lost languages she could recall, no such one seemed to be even remotely similar to what he was speaking. Akeeta backed away from Fluttershy, who was still petting her when she hopped off the couch. She scampered over to Benkei, and jumped up onto his left tasset, letting herself sit there patiently, looking up at Benkei. He shifted his eyes to look at her, peering down at the fuzzy little creature. As he sat there, looking at Akeeta, he tried to ask her what to do with his eyes, but when he got no response, he shook his head slightly, and looked back up to meet Fluttershy's eyes. He really didn't know where to go from here, because even though he might be able to convey simple thoughts, to get the answers to the questions he harbored, he needed a way to communicate his thoughts eloquently. He wracked his brain for several moments, thinking of all the different ways he might be able to break through the language barrier. Coming up short, he decided to get up and head towards the door, slinging his naginata over his back, and bowing respectfully towards Fluttershy. Just as he reached the door, wrapping his hand around the doorknob, he heard a high pitched squeak behind him, stopping and swiveling his head to look back. Fluttershy was on her feet now, standing timidly on all fours as she repeated her inaudible sentence. "D-Don't leave Mister Ben Khay. Y-You don't ... seem like a big scary monster, and you're very polite ...", Fluttershy stammered out quickly, Benkei releasing his grasp on the knob and turning around to face her fully, " ... You seem, k-kinda nice actually. " Finishing her sentence, Benkei noticed that Fluttershy's expression softened greatly, and despite not understanding what she had said, he knew that it was a gesture of kindness. Benkei didn't quite grasp the cultural norms of this society yet, having only met one very shy resident and all, but he felt it was safe to assume that good will reflected best on those who give it, just as in Japan. He slipped off his naginata, leaning it against the wall by the entrance, and lowering his hood, revealing his coarse black hair. He walked up to Fluttershy towering over her, and for a moment she regretted letting him stay, looking up at his imposing figure. But her fears were put to rest as he quickly descended, crouching down so that their eyes met evenly. Benkei smiled warmly, and nodded his head gently, silently thanking the hospitality and bravery of the pony. He stood up, striding over to the door, and then turning his head to face Fluttershy. He jerked his head in such a manner as to gesture her to follow him, as he opened the door slowly. Benkei had decided that since they both seemed to love nature, it would be beneficial for the both of them to bask in the glory of it for a while. Perhaps they could even find other common ground while sharing in the beauty of the world. Fluttershy hesitated for a moment, before feeling a light tapping on her foreleg. It was Akeeta, jabbing her with one paw, and pointing at Benkei with her other. Fluttershy smiled happily at the little bunny, and for the first time, she kept the smile as she looked back at Benkei. Any friend of nature, was a friend of hers. While she still had her doubts and obvious suspicions about the strange looking creature before her, she felt he could be trusted for the time being, at least until she could figure out a way to talk to him, and learn his intentions. She looked down at the pleading bunny one more time, before making up her mind and walking over to Benkei, still a little nervous. Benkei looked down at her, smiling as invitingly as he could, trying to calm her, as they both stepped out the door, and into the wonderfully bright, vibrant world of Equestria. Akeeta walked over to the door, intent on following them, when she heard a voice from behind her. It was like no voice she had ever heard before, for it wasn't truly speaking. She felt as if it were in her head, and rather distant, but could make out the vague sentence. "So, what brings you here hot stuff?" it continued to echo through her mind, the arrogance of the speaker unhindered by the mind speech medium. She looked around herself, analyzing every nook and cranny of her surroundings, from the cofee table, to the sofa, to the rafters lined with bird houses. The voice spoke again, getting louder and clearer, the sound of footsteps coming from behind her. "I'll say it again: What exactly are you doin' here? I haven't seen you around here before, and I definitely have never seen anything like your friend." , the voice finished, as the footsteps stopped suddenly. Akeeta whirled around, meeting eyes with a small white bunny about her size. She looked around , puzzled for a moment, trying to find the source of the voice, before realizing where it had been coming from. "It's me. I'm the one talking." , the white bunny said flatly. Akeeta locked eyes with him again, able to understand what he was saying, but unable to respond. Akeeta tried to ask him with her eyes how to accomplish such a miraculous feat, and after a few moments of awkward staring at head tilting, Angel finally understood her question. "Just sorta ... concentrate on your thoughts. We can't talk physically, only mentally, so don't try straining yourself like that. Its kinda like pure thought, if that makes any sense. When you talk, you gotta only focus on that one thing you wanna say. It can't really be taught, I learned how myself, and most of the wild bunnies Flutters takes care of can't speak either, and most of em' never learn to either. Fact of the matter is they're just too stupid to. I assume you're wild too, right?" , the fluffy white bunny spoke, moving a little bit closer to Akeeta as she nodded a little indignantly, trying to focus on her thoughts, concentrating only on the one sentence she had in her mind, and trying to make it real. She squeaked for a moment, blushing at her mistake, before resuming her focus. "My name's Angel, in case you were wonderin'. If you ever figure out how to speak, how about you tell me your pretty name, to match your pretty face." , he said , coming even closer to Akeeta now, wrapping one of his furry arms around her. Feeling instantly uncomfortable, Akeeta's thoughts shifted to another sentence she was trying to formulate, as focused all of her will into projecting her one, overriding thought into speech, or whatever Angel was using to talk. Breaking through the barrier, Akeeta calmly stated something that Angel didn't quite catch, the white bunny leaning over her shoulder now. "What'd you say now?", Angel asked in an increasingly seductive tone. He barely had time to finish his sentence. Angel was instantly several feet across the room, sprawled out and dazed. "I said, back. Off." , Akeeta said in a threatening and triumphant tone, one of her paws still raised where she had punched Angel in the face. "Sheesh, I was just playing. Kitty's got claws, am I right? " , Angel said to no one in particular, sitting up and rubbing his head. He was a little taken aback by just how quickly she had learned to speak, and so fluently at that. Added to that, from where he sat, the sunlight wreathed her figure in a golden glow, giving her a very appealing appearance, the light flooding over her silvery grey coat. He was entranced to say the least. " Well maybe you should 'play' less and learn some manners ya creep.", Akeeta shot back, brushing off her paw, still excited about the fact that she could now speak, more or less. She had always had so many great thoughts and ideas, so many questions and inquiries about the world, and now she could finally tell the world about all of them, ask the important questions that had been eating at her, and share herself with others in a more meaningful way. But she still didn't fully comprehend exactly how she was talking through her mind. She had tried many times before to speak, but perhaps she had failed because she was trying to use her physical body in combination with her mind, instead of what Angel had suggested, pure thought. She tried to contain her excitement, but simply couldn't, hopping up and down happily several times before Angel interrupted her bliss. "Don't get too excited, you can only talk to other rabbits, and even then most won't be able to understand you. Very few rabbits ever explore higher thought, and even fewer learn how to speak. I'd imagine I'm the only rabbit you'll be talking to for a good while, so get used to it.", Angel said, still secretly admiring her figure. He couldn't quite describe what he was feeling. It wasn't the same as when he was with all those other rabbits, nor was it similar to the bond he shared with Fluttershy. It was very different, and Angel was a little nervous as the oddly pleasing, yet strange feeling continued to grow deep in his stomach. Akeeta instantly deflated, and was actually a little annoyed at the thought of talking to no one except Angel. Her mind flashed back to the animal FuzzyFace had murdered, putting Angel in its place as she giggled softly, letting maniacal thoughts seep into her brain. After a few moments of cherishing a world without the jerky bunny, she returned to reality, where Angel was unfortunately still very alive. She thought about what he had said, vague memories of her lonely past resurfacing. She had known other animals and creatures all her life, and she had always been an outsider because of her intelligence. She had never really had anyone she would consider a friend, quietly exploring the forest alone, hoping that one day she might find someone to confide in. While her curiosity often got her into trouble with the other residents of the forest, she knew deep in her heart that it was just who she was. No one understood her, or could even think on the same level that she did. She had always known she was different, but this was something else entirely. In that moment, Akeeta realized she wasn't just smarter, she was conscious ... and so was Angel. "Look, I may have come off on the wrong foot, and I'm sorry for that. I never expected you to be able to speak , period, much less within a few moments of trying to get it right. I'll be blunt, most of the rabbits that pass through here are near brain dead compared to you, and even though you and I are smarter, we still got needs. You get what I'm saying?" , Angel finished, trying to sound a little more apologetic, instead only making Akeeta feel awkward. "Yes, yes I get what you're saying, and let me just say: You're even more of a creep than I thought. Still, FuzzyFace seems to like Fluttershy, who I would assume is your owner," , Angel nodded reluctantly, ", and that means were probably gonna be sticking around each other more than we'd like to. So please, don't make this any more unbearable than it has to be. If you want to be a perv, fine. But don't be a perv around me ... or else." Akeeta said, putting emphasis on her threat. "Or else what? Ya gonna punch me again?" , Angel said mockingly. Akeeta let her mind wander back to the scene in the forest with the decapitated creature. "Oh you'll see ... you'll see ..." Akeeta spoke menacingly, shooting him a sinister glare, trailing off as she scampered over to the door that had been left slightly ajar. The sunlight poured through the open space, blinding Akeeta for a moment as she heaved the door open, pushing it with all her strength. After a few moments of pushing, the door was opened wide enough to let her squeeze through, vanishing beyond the towering wooden entrance. She was just glad to be away from Angel. But as she scampered across the field, she couldn't help but crack a slight smile, happy that she wouldn't have to be all alone anymore. Angel was a jerk, but at least she finally had someone she could talk to. Angel remained where he was sitting, still rubbing his head, trying to ease his pain. She hit him like a truck, and it was definitely showing as he felt a slight bump forming on his forehead. He was a little bit worried about what she had said to him, and even more worried that despite everything she had done, he couldn't push her out of his thoughts. He wanted to hate her, but as a few moments passed, he was overwhelmed by the feeling in his stomach making him feel uneasy the more he thought about her. He couldn't bring himself to hold anything against her, being much too relieved that he finally had someone to talk to. He hadn't met another bunny that could talk since ... ever, really. He had only heard about it in books, and he was the one who had taught himself. At first, he thought he was just going crazy, but eventually he made the connection between what he had read about, and what he had experienced, realizing he could talk to other rabbits, more or less. He had spent months studying the complex art of focusing willpower and thought into a telepathic wave that could be heard by other bunnies, aided by the slight amount of residual magic everything on the planet had, the same magic that allowed ponies to hold things, despite their lack of fingers. Even so, Angel envied Akeeta. It had taken him months to teach himself speech, and she was able to do it within seconds of trying. He was still completely at a loss for how she was able to just, do it without any hesitation or practice, and on her first try no less. It would have been like an amateur flyer beating the Wonderbolts the first time they had tried. He felt strangely inadequate, extremely envious, and more than little attracted to her. He reasoned that it was just his hormones talking, trying to suppress his feelings, but after dwelling on it for a few minutes, he still couldn't push her from his thoughts. She certainly wasn't the prettiest or most well groomed bunny he had ever seen, but she had an aura of fearless confidence and feral beauty about her that he couldn't stop thinking about. Added to that, she was the only bunny he had ever known that could talk just like him, and she was all he could think about. His envy and the pain in his forehead subsided, replaced by the overwhelming feeling that had started in the pit of his stomach, and expanded across his body. Sure she had walloped him something fierce, but Celestia be damned if that was enough to turn him away. He envied her, wanted her all , and hated himself for it. Angel got up, still rubbing head, and began walking over to the door, as his mind argued with him, trying to convince him to cease his irrational actions. What are you doin'? Are you seriously going after her, even when she just kicked your ass? Is she really worth it? He didn't even have to think about it as he neared the door, peeking out around the door, letting the sunlight bathe him in a reassuringly warm glow. "Absolutely ... " he muttered to himself a little shocked at how he was feeling. He had never quite felt like this before. He had his harems of bunnies to appease him, Flutters to cuddle with and boss around, but this was something greater. Something deeper, more sophisticated and intelligent. It wasn't just instinctual, primal lust, it was so much more. His stomach churned at the thought, not quite sure how to feel about it all. For a moment, he considered shutting the door, and walking away. But he didn't, he just stood there, letting the breeze rustle his fur looking out at the world longingly. Angel was an indulgent creature, being raised to the point of spoiling by Fluttershy who adored him, and surrounded by all the comforts he could ever wish for. Akeeta was something different though. She wasn't like all the other bunnies he had been with, all the mindless animals he had known. He knew he was going to have to fight hard for her, which meant relinquishing a lot of the comforts and tendencies he had grown into over the years. He considered just how hard it was going to be, changing his entire personality into something more likable, something more acceptable, wincing at all the things he was going to have to give up while he strived for her love. It wasn't going to be easy, and he wasn't going to like it, but he felt a deep compulsion to be with her, something much more than just what he had intended originally. What he couldn't understand was why he felt like this. Sure, she was pretty enough, but nothing exceptional. He sat on it for a moment, realizing that he needed someone he could share himself with. He was as lonely as one can be, just wanting to be heard, to talk with someone, anyone, soon discovering that he was very alone in the realm of intelligence when it came to bunnies. She was his only hope to finally find someone that he could talk with, discuss his feelings and share his life with. It all sounded so sappy in his head, but he knew it all to be what he truly longed for. He had spent so long living extravagantly, enjoying all the physical pleasures that come with his lifestyle, but he felt empty. He knew he couldn't stand that hollow feeling anymore, and he knew that Akeeta was the only one who could help him fill that void. He felt a little woozy as he pushed the door open slightly, ready to begin his quest. He sighed, giving into his feelings, as his mind gave him one final warning. You're gonna get yourself killed dude. Just sayin'. That rabbit has psycho written all over her. Did you even hear her when she left? Talk about foreboding. Angel realized the likely possibility that she was completely crazy, and might end up killing him, but this would be the only chance he would ever get at being with another bunny like himself. He had to take the risk. After all, she shows up, makes him feel like an idiot, smacks him in the face with the force of a stallion, threatens his life, calls him a creep, and runs off, and despite all of this, Angel could only think of one word to describe her. Perfect. Angel shook his head, still a little incredulous that he couldn't stop thinking about her like he was, and even more so that he was actually going after her, before slipping through the opening, and taking the first step on a road that would very likely lead him nowhere. But it was a chance Angel had to take.
The Impossible Is PossibleSomething has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.
Prologue: End Of A LegendThe sashimonos of the assembled samurai fluttered slightly in the wind, their dark clan colors vibrant against the contrast of the sky. No man dared move, much less cross the bridge that lay before them. The officer of the unit looked uneasily towards the flag bearing ashigaru, nodding as the peasant banged the war drum hesitantly, the strikes resounding across the flat landscape. They had been ordered to advance. Nervously, the samurai marched forward, inching closer and closer to the narrow wooden bridge where the giant figure stood, riddled with arrows. Benkei stood over six and a half feet tall, his imposing figure blocking out the sun that wreathed his form in a golden glow, giving him the appearance of a god. He wore a simple white kimono, indicative of his past as a monk, and over it the elegantly made ō-yoroi armor of a samurai. His armor was black, gilded with white streaks of color running through his large, square shoulder guards. His rectangular chestplate and tassets were laced in a similar manner, white streaks running through solid black, the interlocking metal plates rimmed by a piece of solid iron. Over his armor, a white shawl was visible, but had now taken on the color of his blood, for Benkei stood silent and still, his armor and flesh pierced in many places across his body. His blood dripped and stained the polished wood of the bridge he safeguarded, and soiled his stark white kimono, the pool of blood beneath him growing larger by the second. But Benkei just stood there, face shrouded by his shawl’s hood, his naginata clutched stoutly upright. At his side, he carried the very soul of a samurai, a masterly crafted set of blades, a katana, and a wakizashi, both encased within ornate sheaths gilded with gold. Even the strong rope that secured the set of blade’s to his thigh was laced with gold, glistening in the sunlight, just as his blood soaked robes did. The samurai began to cross the bridge, only wide enough for three men at a time, the officer accompanied by his two bodyguards at the forefront of the unit. Through their metal masks, the samurai looked uneasily at the hundreds of bodies in the river below, their blood staining the serene stream a dark red. As the officer neared Benkei, he hesitated for a moment, mere feet from him now, before drawing his katana and setting his sights on dueling him. He glanced nervously to the men behind him, before inhaling deeply, and letting the warmth of the sun calm his nerves. He closed his eyes for a moment, the wind rustling his jin baori surcoat that he wore over his lamellar armor, before stepping forward, ready to face his opponent. The giant remained unmoving, his naginata’s blood soaked blade remaining still, just as he was. The officer inched forward, the sun catching his blade as he slashed forward heavily, his foot slamming down particularly hard. The officer missed Benkei, meaning to get him to move and fight, but it was at this point he realized something was very wrong. The behemoth of a man dropped to his knees, the extreme amount of arrows impaling his body nearly touching the officer who just stood there, astonished. Benkei’s naginata slipped from his cold hands, tumbling into the river below to join the weapons of so many others. Benkei remained in this position for a moment, before slouching forwards onto his face, the impact pushing the arrows deeper into his body. The officer moved forward hesitantly, removing the hood from Benkei’s head, as he stooped down to look at his face, finding only an aloof stare, and a glossy look in his eyes. “Benkei wa shinde iru!”, the officer shouted triumphantly, raising his katana over his head, as he turned to face his men. “Onio wa shinde iru! Kare wa haiboku sa rete imasu!”, one of the samurai shouted, relieved to have been spared the fate of the men before him. The officer and his men picked up the bloody and arrow impaled Benkei, and heaved his body into the river below, before advancing past the bloody bridge, and gaining access to the long sought after castle of Minamoto no Yoshitsune. “Sayōnara Benkei. Anata wa yoku tatakatta.” , the officer said in a smug tone before moving to catch up with the rest of his men that had begun torching the wooden castle. It was a hard fought victory, with hundreds dying trying to defeat Benkei, before archers finally arrived and fired volley after volley at the juggernaut who seemed unphased by it all. The truth was that Benkei had died standing during one of the hailstorms of arrows hours earlier, the fatal arrow piercing his heart. In his dying moments, Benkei refused to fail his master, dying standing up, loyal to the grave and beyond. Too intimidated to face him after killing a ridiculous amount of samurai, the opposing army waited for several hours for Benkei to give into his wounds, despite him having done so far earlier. Smoke drifted off of the humble wooden castle, the dark columns of thick black drifting high up into the sky, contrasting starkly against the orange sun, before dissipating in thin wisps. The red and orange fire burned violently against the setting sun, the flames licking at it, meshing with it, as the blaze burned on into the night. As the castle burned to the backdrop of a setting sun, Benkei’s body drifted slowly downstream, the gentle currents caressing his mutilated body, as his clothes were cleansed of their red hue. He floated downstream for many days, his body facing downwards, his eyes still open. Yet, Benkei did not decay, succumb to waterlogging, or any of the other afflictions of death. No, he just floated and floated, letting the wind and the currents take his body where it willed, the sun rising and setting as day dragged on into night and then back into day again. But something strange happened while Benkei’s corpse floated down the endless stream. It was almost as if the arrows in his wounds had disappeared as the days had gone on, and the wounds themselves mended rapidly. Even his master work armor repaired itself, as if it were being carefully hammered and laced back into place. But the strangest of all of these happenings was when the sun rose on the fifth day of his journey downstream, Benkei’s naginata , long separated from him, miraculously floated up next to his hand, the water reflecting the sunlight’s rays onto the shiny blade of the weapon. It followed his body for several hours, brushing up against its deceased master, longing to be grasped in defiance of the enemy once more. They remained together like this, floating gently down stream, the sun beating down on the two for another day before the blade’s wish was finally granted. Benkei’s dead hands opened as the currents pushed the weapon into his firm grasp, allowing him to close his hands and clutch the weapon tightly against his chest, before resuming his eternal stillness. Benkei was still very much dead, yet there was something manipulating him, healing him, and preparing him. The answer as to what it was readying him for remained unclear, as he continued his journey, seeming to float on in the forever flowing river that reflected the sun’s rays magnificently, the refraction of light in the water, mirroring a distorted sky that was still just as beautiful and endless. But all journeys come to an end, and when Benkei’s body reached the grassy shores of a small fishing village, his lifeless body fully rejuvenated, his armor mended, and his naginata held tight , a burst of pure white light encased his body in a blinding aura of radiance. Moments later, Benkei’s body was gone, having vanished into nothingness. Just as he had come into this world, in a flash of heavenly light, so too did he now resign from it. His origins were unknown to anyone, only Benkei having witnessed his "birth". Yet, even he did not understand his odd arrival, and now departure from Earth. As such, his body was never recovered, leading Benkei's tale to drift into legend over the years. But Benkei was very much real ... ... and he is still very much alive.
