Disclaimer: For the sake of this story I will have most of their dialogue be in English however just assume they are speaking Chinese/Japanese.Enjoy!
War-Torn China 1937; The Slums.
There was a lot of commotion going on, everyone was gathered, crowded around one of the dojo's slums but this was no ordinary run of the mill dojo. This was the dojo that was home to the great and wise Mistmane of the East; a legendary healer and martial artist whom unlike most of the residents of this region? Was a half breed; half Chinese and half Japanese and while for some time this did garner her a lot of hate and resentment in the eyes of her people? Many came to see her as a bridge of sorts, a potential olive branch that could unify the two warring regions.
Though sadly? That did not seem to be the case as of late because war had come to their country and the Japanese were the invading force. For days and weeks chaos reigned; looters and common criminals roamed the streets, the Japanese military was ruthless in its occupation making slaves out of the strong and executing the weak. Food supplies were gravely cut, clean water was hard to find and many of the lands sacred traditions had been stripped away; however while they had their differences on the matter? One tradition that was kept in place was the practice of martial arts but only ones that the Japanese deemed worthy.
How did one prove their dojo worthy you ask? Through combat of course! The Japanese would often send in their own martial arts masters to challenge the various dojo masters; if the Chinese master won? They were allowed to keep their dojo, their students and their lives in exchange for also teaching any Japanese who are sent there. Though if they lost? A Japanese master would be put in place of the Chinese one and the previous master would either be killed or forced into slavery.
When the Japanese first came, many of the great dojo's fell quickly as the raw fury and technique of the Japanese was unlike anything the Chinese of that area had seen and there were but few warriors who could defeat a Japanese martial arts master in single combat. However Mistmane was one such exception as when the first waves of Japanese came to try and claim her dojo? She made quick work of them having knocked out ten assailants who attacked her at once and she didn't kill not a single one of them.
Ever since that day? Every single day new challengers from the Japanese side would come to battle Mistmane and any of her students however Mistmane only had one other student at the time and her name was Aria Blaze whom she was currently fighting right now which is what all the fuss was about and the biggest and loudest supporter of the purple skinned female was a slightly shorter blue skinned female who was dressed in rags like most people however hers were more akin to the types of 'rags' someone working in a restaurant would wear as she worked at several noodle stands in the slums.
"Go Aria! You can do it this time! I believe in you!!" Sonata shouted from the crowd cheering on her fellow siren as she threw down with Mistmane yet again.
"Your friend seems to have a great deal of confidence in you Aria; not that it'll do you much good" Mistmane said with a baiting smirk knowing that Aria was easy to anger with taunts.
"I'll show you you old bat! Aaaaacha!!!!" Aria shouted with a battle cry rushing in and delivering a series of quick jabs and palm thrusts only for them to be deflected by Mistmane's skillful hands.
"Hmph anger still drives your every strike dear and so long as that remains your reality?" Mistmane skillfully sidestepped Aria and then chopped her in the neck forcing her to the ground and then she got in close with a fist strike that came dangerously close to Aria's jaw which stopped short but Aria could still feel the intense force that could have hit her and she submits which makes Mistmane smile.
"All you'll ever show your opponent is a way to bring you down. Nice try; you almost got me that time." Mistmane said with a chuckle as she offered a hand to Aria.
Aria pouted and rolled her eyes, taking the woman's hand and rising to her feet and giving a customary bow to her sensei even as she sighed in annoyance. "Yes Shifu Mistmane"
Mistmane smiled happily at Aria. "Excellent. I think that's enough sparring for today. Why don't you go with Sonata to go fetch Adagio and we can all have a nice dinner. The Japanese have been rather complaisant this week with the challenges so perhaps we can enjoy a dinner in peace tonight."
Aria chuckled crossing her arms. "I don't know why they even bother; I mean you're the greatest master around here and you've made it clear you won't bend your knee to them or train their men if they wish to do harm to the innocent citizens in these slums."
"Because stubbornness is a quality shared by all of humanity and sadly in these times of war? It pays to be stubborn and ruthless when it is all you know. I can only hope soon the Japanese see that all this fighting will bring nothing but more loss otherwise this war will rage on for some time I am afraid and no matter how many lowly challengers I defeat? It will not end this war." Mistmane said in a sage like yet somber tone as she sighed walking over to her favorite rocking chair.
"Well we all know so long as you stand you won't let them takeover these slums. Kung Fu is all we have left here and what with all the gangs and crooks rising up right now in addition to the Japanese? Knowing how to fight is necessary" Aria said with a small line of malice in her tone and Mistmane noticed this right away and could tell why this was.
"You've shown considerable restraint Aria though I urge you to keep your rage in check; it can be a powerful tool when focused however you must not let your rage drive you to the point where it becomes who you are. Rage like that? Is the kind you can never come back from" Mistmane said with a sad look on her face indicating this had happened to someone she knew some time ago.
Aria softened her expression and sighed taking a small breath as she was taught by her master as well as in a couple of Tai-Chi classes with Adagio. "I know shifu I know; anyway let me go see to Sonata and we'll go get Adagio and we can all chow down on some noddles. I hear Sonata has been trying a new recipe she got from a travelling Japanese noodle maker." Aria said as she dusted off her purple and black martial arts Gi which on the back had the Chinese kanji for the word Blaze on the back of her shirt.
Her arms, fists and chest were covered in bruises and scars as were her feet though she of course remedied this by wrapping white bandages and she visibly saw Mistmane blush a little when she dropped her shirt to apply the bandages to her chest and even though her breasts were smaller than Sonata and Adagio? She still caught the elder master peep at her and she decided to tease her as she did most people.
"Heh was that your plan all along Shifu? Kick my ass, scar me up and watch as I patch up my poor chest that you just oh so happened to palm smack here quite a bit?" She pointed to her right breast showing there was a small swelling bruise from where Mistmane power palm smacked her.
Mistmane had a very special fighting style and one that she was the only master of with Aria being her only student and this style was called Mystic Palm a style that combined pressure point martial art, speed jabs and kicks and at higher levels a user of Mystic fist could achieve feats that would easily impress any martial arts master of the old generation. Mistmane herself was particularly skilled with a bo-staff and a katana; while Aria on the hand was most skilled with Nunchucks and her bare hands.
Mistmane blushed a bit further upon hearing Aria's words but turned her eyes away. "Oh please you know I am happily married and my wife has far better assets than you do" Mistmane retorted still blushing.
Aria giggled and stuck her tongue out at Mistmane and replied. "Hehheh don't kid yourself Shifu you and I BOTH Rain Shine is almost as big a perv as Adagio is and we ALL know how much of a pervert Adagio is. Or did you forget she has a small harem?" Aria smirked viciously.
Mistmane shook her head and sighed. "Yes I am well aware and I try not to think about it but I am sure she will remind us all once we see her tonight. Go on and fetch her and relax for a bit; take time to reflect on this battle." Mistmane said rocking back and forth in her rocking chair and on the small desk next to her was a gourd of sake some of which she had in a small sake cup.
Aria gave a traditional respectful bow. "Yes Shifu and do save me some of that dragon fire will ya?"
Mistmane smiled. "Once you return I have something special in mind just for that."
Aria quirked an eyebrow. "Well now I'm intrigued. I'll be back."
"Oh and Aria? Do clear out the spectators" Mistmane said knowing Aria would know what to do.
Aria smirked as she loved being given that direction. "Yes Shifu." Closing her eyes and gathering her focus she felt a force erupt inside her and when she reopened her eyes the pressure in the area outside would increase and gusts of wind bust from around the surrounding area and everyone knew that meant to get the Hell out of dodge. All accept Sonata because she seemed unaffected by the pressure, in fact she seemed as gleeful as ever.
This was an ability granted to her by learning the Mystic Palm fighting style called Surge of domination; an ability that allowed the user to manifest their willpower as a force of nature depending on how strong their willpower and physical strength were and how in sync they were with their inner Chi. This was an ability that Aria seemed naturally gifted at as it was a skill that the ever dominant Adagio Dazzle desperately wanted to learn so she could flex her will.
However it required a great amount of physical and spiritually training which is why the eldest siren took up Tai-Chi and while she did also do martial arts? She was far more graceful and slow in her learning whereas Aria seemed to be a natural which made sense as she was always the most combat ready of the trio. As the many people left from around the dojo Aria came out with a bag slugged over her shoulder as she walked out to see her sister with that usual big dumb smile on her face and she waved at her.
"Hiiiiiiii Ari!" Sonata waved happily running over smiling. "Oh wow you did really good! You almost hit her like...a lot!"
Aria pursed her lips and pouted. "Hmph yeah well I can still totally hit you for being the worst so keep talking noodles for brains." Aria said in her typical snarky fashion but this just got a small giggle out of the youngest siren who replied in kind with the childish act of sticking her tongue out at her and blowing a raspberry.
"Nyeh, ppppbt. You love my noodles though Biànzi!"
Aria's face lit up with a blush as she was called pigtails in Chinese by her fellow siren and she delivered a swift punch to the girls arm. " Oh fuck you Yǎ lánméi"
Sonata was used to Aria playfully hitting her by this point and even though her hits would actually hurt sometimes? Aria would never try and directly harm Sonata. While the two did bicker and argue quite a bit Aria didn't hate Sonata at all like many assumed she did. It was that typical elder vs younger scenario with the two of them with Aria assuming the role of the 'bully big sis' and Sonata taking the role of the 'bratty but cute little sis'. They weren't exactly related and only referred to one another as 'sister' because they were the only other sirens left in existence and they had long since formed a sisterly like bond ever since their days in Equestria before their banishment.
Though even for as much as they would bicker and argue? Aria had a soft spot for Sonata and liked having her around even as much as she would openly deny it because the ditzy girls simple nature annoyed her to no end but in an endearing kind of way that Aria found likable. With Adagio on the other hand though? Aria felt like she had to constantly try and outdo Adagio to prove her worth because Adagio just seemed so good at everything and Aria felt inferior in that respect.
Adagio had always been the alpha siren and Aria couldn't stand it. She was smarter, more clever and even as much as she hated to admit it? More beautiful with better assets to her body however out of the three of them Aria was always told she had the best looking butt however for Aria that wasn't enough. Much like all the sirens she wanted adoration, she wanted pleasure, she wanted acceptance and she would have it by any means necessary.
As the two continued to walk through town they passed by a couple of shops and cut through a couple of the alleyways both to get to the location quicker and avoid contact with the military. In these warring times it was better running into common thieves and gang members than it was running into the Japanese military. So as the two sirens made their way down the alley they soon came to find the place where Adagio spent most of her time and needless to say it fit her style to a fault.
"Hope she's done fucking around in there." Aria said with a roll of her eyes as she walked up to the slightly rundown house which had the Chinese Kanji for Desire on it and stepping inside her nose was assaulted by the thick smell of smoke of two types tobacco and weed. The place while looking run down on the outside was fairly well kept on the inside and looked like a mixture between a brothel and a dojo with various women around the place tending to their 'clients' and everyone seemed to be in a state of blissful ecstasy with a familiar green miasma flowing through the place and a even more familiar tune being sung from the floor above.
"Looks like she's already feeding. Glutton. Sonata you wai-" Aria was about to tell Sonata to wait where she was only to see the younger siren making out with some random pink skinned Chinese girl with puffy hair and Aria shrugged and walk further up the stairs deciding to get her later.
As she walked through she was offered services by several of the brothels girls but Aria denied them all as she had no interest in random sluts right now. No her sights were set on someone in particular and she wasn't the typical run of the mill pleasure corner girl either; she was a martial artist on top of being an escort which is what attracted Aria to her and just as luck would have it? The aforementioned fighter was having an entertainment match currently for Adagio's amusement.
Adagio herself was sitting on what appeared to be a throne lined with cushions and on each side of it sat two naked Chinese girls one of which was feeding her grapes and the other was massaging her feet. She was dressed in a orange kimono and her large puffy hair was done into its usual ponytail with chopsticks in the back to hold it in place.
In the middle of the room on the second floor was a small arena and in the ring stood two women locked in mortal combat and it was clear who the victor would soon be as Aria expected nothing less of the daughter to Mistmane's former friend and rival Sable Spirit who ironically enough? Was Japanese.
"Looks like I got here just in time for the good part; enjoying yourself?" Aria asked the lead siren as she came up behind her with a cheeky smirk.
Adagio looked over her shoulder past her large hair and chuckled seeing her fellow siren arrive. "Indeed I am; your beloved Autumn is in top form as always Aria."
Smirks in a cocky manner. "She's got the blaze in her; of course she is"
Adagio rolled her eyes. "Cute. Anyway I presume you've finished getting your ass handed to you by Misty today?"
Scoffs and shrugs. "Eat a dick Adagio I almost had her" Aria said in a slightly irritated tone.
Adagio cackled and stuck her tongue out at the middle siren. "Almost isn't good enough so too bad and better luck next time. Come to see the rest of this match and then go eat I assume?" Adagio guessed.
"Yep; didn't know Autumn would be here though. She's kicking ass as usual. Who's the newbie?" Aria asked looking at the girl that her girl was fighting.
Adagio smiled as she shifted a bit in her chair so sit up a bit more. "That would be Free Rain; she's an escaped slave who came here some weeks ago looking for asylum. We offered it to her and in exchange she offered to teach her more-" She chuckled in a slightly dark manner. " 'sensual' ways of combat. She's quite the skilled one; from what I can tell? The Japanese were planning on trying to make an assassin out of this girl as well as an escort of the lowest breed." She smirked as she recalled the tale told to her by the woman in the ring. "Sadly for them? That gangbang was their last and she walked free. Hench her name" She had seen many a woman come into this establishment since she'd taken it over and by far none had a story quite like this girl.
In the ring with her fierce Autumn stood a slightly shorter and even cute looking Chinese girl with baby blue skin similar to that of Sonata, her hair was the same shade as Sonata's too however the highlights in her hair were more like the colors of Aria's hair. She had purple eyes and for a short girl she was pretty well stacked having breasts about the same size as Sonata but she had legs and an ass like Adagio did.
She danced and weaved around the ring along with Autumn who was using a style similar to Aria's own style however her strikes were much faster and she kicked a lot more than Aria did. The girl did her best to dodge and block Autumn and deliver her own shift and misleading attacks however Autumn could see through her deceptive movement and got in a strong one inch punch to the woman's gut taking the air out of her and forcing her to the floor giving Autumn a chance to pin her down with a smile and say.
"Watashi no kachi!" Autumn had practically made that her catchphrase in this place even though she tried to make it a habit not to speak her native tongue around those she knew she would offend.
"I'll get you next time Blaze." Free Rain said as she didn't struggle to break the woman's hold but she still pouted at the fact that she lost.
"Hehe you did really good; you're movements are so tricky to keep up with." Autumn said getting off Rain and helping her up with a kind smile.
Free Rain chuckled and stood up stretching herself out a bit. "Heh you should see me when I get drunk"
"Ooooh now THAT sounds like a delightful time." Adagio purred out.
"And as much as we'd love to see that sexy cat fight? We have dinner plans." Aria said from near Adagio which instantly got Autumn's attention causing her to smile widely.
"Tsundere!!" Autumn called out her personal pet name for Aria which instantly turned normally cool and tough girl into a stuttering blushing mess.
Aria blushed widely and she pouted and crossed her arms looking away from Autumn but knew full well this would just make her tackle her which is exactly what happened moments later when Aria was love tackled to the ground by the cute and bubbly martial artist her smothered her breasts in Aria's face and while Aria couldn't say anything right now she would always admit to loving the fact that she caught the heart of a Japanese girl with large breasts.
"Hi Ari-Ari! I missed you! Where you over at Misty-chan's fighting again?" Autumn asked curiously looking down at Aria.
Aria smiled and looked up at Autumn. "Yeah and what if I was huh? Big whoop wanna fight about it?"
"Heheh nice try baka but no. you have dinner plans and I have to get back home before curfew." Autumn said with a slight frown.
Aria knew what that frown was for and she didn't like it. Autumn Blaze was Japanese by birth however she was born in and raised mostly in China having only spent the last 5 years in Japan. Having escaped from her oppressive home back to where she felt she belonged however a deal she had with the Japanese family she lived with was that she had to adhere to a curfew and she had to work in order to stay and so the best work she could find were fighting and escorting.
She didn't hate the fact she was Japanese, in fact she loved her culture and heritage but she had love and respect for Chinese culture and heritage as well since it was where she grew up and was where her father was originally from. She simply despised how her family treated their fellow Japanese who didn't support the war and their utter hate for the Chinese even treating her in a poor way simply because of her upbringing.
She wanted to be free to live her life and experience both worlds she had come from however she knew that with the family she was born to she could never be free and so she ran and arrived in these slums where she met Aria and the two at first were friends but then became rivals. When she was informed by her master who the girl was related too though that rivalry soon returned to friendship and that friendship was slowly blossoming into love even though Aria much to her tsundre moniker would deny.
"I promise one day when this war is over that you'll never have to go back to them; your life is yours." Aria said with a smile that was very rare for her as it wasn't a teasing or devious one; it was loving and sweet and it was a smile only Autumn ever got.
Autumn blushed and smiled at Aria and kissed her on the nose giving her a cute look with her eyes closed. "Arigatō; Ari-chan"
"Awwww you two are just so cute; a shame that it would get you killed out there." Adagio said reminding them that they needed to keep their affection inside as being homosexual was very much frowned upon by both cultures in this war torn era.
"Yeah yeah I know." Aria said with a sigh as she got up and stretched a bit with Autumn next to her. "I'll go pull Sonata off those sluts down there and you get ready." Aria said as she turned towards the stairs from which she came.
"Tell Sonata those girls are not free and she is to pay them for their time!" Adagio said making it a point to remind Sonata she wasn't allowed to pay her girls in noodle discounts.
"Heh whatever you say boss" Aria said going down the stairs with Autumn in toe. As she got further down and to the bottom she heard the front door burst open and some random girl shouted.
"SIFU MISTMANE'S DOJO IS UNDER ATTACK! THE JAPANESE SENT IN NINJAS!!!" The girl shouted and right away anyone who was dressed rushed out to go and see what was going on and even a few who were still naked got up and left, including the two girls Sonata was messing around with. Looking up with an annoyance face with her hair fucked astray she pouted as the two girls left her on the edge.
"Hey! I was almost about to cu-wait did she say ninjas were attacking your masters dojo?" Sonata asked having completely gotten over having not being able to cum.
"Oh this does not bode well" Autumn sighed and shook her head knowing full well what was about to occur.
Aria wasn't sure what was more annoying, the fact that her now thought peaceful dinner evening was now being interrupted by the Japanese...AGAIN! Or the fact that the Japanese sent actual NINJA'S to attack her master's dojo. Then again? This meant Aria had the chance to beat the shit out of ninja's and that was going to be a fun time. Looking at Autumn she gave her a hug and kiss on the cheek.
"Get home safely. You know which way to take; I gotta go clean house." Aria said letting Autumn go but not before Autumn grabs Aria by the hand and squeezes it.
"Please don't do anything reckless." Autumn had a habit of saying that to Aria to which Aria always replied with a charming and snarky smirk.
"When do I ever do anything reckless?" Aria asked with a chuckle as she turned to leave out the door to go aid her master in defending their dojo. She should have known the Japanese were too quiet this week and this explained why; while she knew that ninjas were an actual thing in Japan she hadn't expected them to be brought into this territory. They must've really wanted her master dead or captured if they were sending in God knows how many assassins after her teacher.
Her teacher was a master in every sense of the word and Aria had once seen her combat an entire dojo full of masters, besting each and every single one of them in single combat. She also remembered a time when Aria had gone to save Sonata from some street thugs and her master helped her out and she was able to go hand to hand with an entire market place full of gangsters armed with staff's and bladed weapons.
So the fact they were sending in a squadron of ninjas felt like an honor almost but it was almost an announce. The fact that someone noticed that the dojo was being attacked means that the ninjas either sucked at their job or her master was as in tune with the forces of Chi as the legends about her suggested. Making her way through the slums she hoped to make it there in time to assist her master and keep the dojo; her place of solace, safe.
Running and jumping through the slums in quick parkour fashion she made it back to the dojo, rushing through the crowds she ran inside and called out to her master wondering where she was. She heard blows being exchanged and she followed the sound and upon locating its origin she came to see her master being bashed into a far wall, her face blooded, her kimono dirty and her hair a tangled mess.
Around the courtyard lay the broken bodies of a few dozen ninja and their shattered weaponry and now it was merely these two left.
She had been powerfully punched in the gut by a woman in red and black robes and a black vale covering her face and the only words she could hear upon rushing into the room were.
"Utsukushī shi o togeru"(Die a beautiful death)
"SHIFU!!!!!" Aria screamed and ran over to her master who was gasping for air. Aria didn't know what to do, as she inspected Mistmane's body she couldn't fathom what she was seeing; the wound inflicted was unlike anything she had seen from this world. It almost looked like...magic.
There was a black and red mist like energy around the area of Mistmane's heart and Aria tried to touch it but it burned her hand a bit and she flinched away. Giving the intruder her most evil death glare she tried hard to fight back any tears.
"WHO IN THE HELL ARE YOU?! WHAT DID YOU DO TO MIST SHIFU!?" Aria screamed in rage. Though Aria couldn't see her face; she could tell simply by her aura alone and the raw negative energy pouring off her that this intruder was no ordinary human. They had some form of magic but Aria was too blinded by fury to care.
Deciding to speak in a tongue that Aria could better understand the intruder chuckled. "I'm just an old friend come to take what is rightfully mine! I assume she's told you of me before and I do believe you even know my daughter." The intruder said with a thick layer of malice as she lifted her veil to reveal a young an delicate looking woman however the look of anger and sadistic glee gave her a much more mature appearance. She had orange skin, purple hair and purple eyes to match with the back of her hair sporting a butterfly like bun and upon her head was an ancestral headpiece.
"I am Sable Spirit and I've come to reclaim Japan's great beauty's. This half-bred is undeserving of the beautiful chi our bloodline grants her and you!? You DARE taint my daughters exquisite beauty with your filth!? My shinobi have been tracking you two for the past few days and I am horrified to learn that you've lured my daughter down the path of a ruffian and a whore! You and this entire slum shall know retribution!"
Aria couldn't believe what she was seeing and hearing. This woman had come to her dojo, attacked her master and was now threatening all of the slums plus her lover? All for what? Because she wanted their 'beauty'? No. For this; Aria would not stand.
Knowing her masters fate without her chi she shed a few tears and lay her body down, placing her withering hands over her heart as her master began to slowly but surely age to death as without her chi which was literally the essence of life? She was no more.
Having fully changed from a beautiful young woman to a senile old woman; Aria closed the woman's eyes and said a small prayer for her and gave a small apology for the fury she was about to unleash. She knew her master would want her to hold back, to not let hatred and anger guide her fists but for the firs time in her life? Aria was going to fight her hardest and even kill; to protect what she had left. While her siren magic granted her immortality; it did not make her invincible and this woman clearly had magic of her own.
Standing to her feet Aria kept her eyes to the floor, a shadow cast over her eyes as she walked away from her now dead master. Her fists clenched and the red jewel around her neck surging with energy.
"So you wish to fight me ugly one? You think yourself beautiful enough to do the dance of battle with me? I think not!" Sable Spirit clapped her hands together and sent out a wave of chi that hit the knocked out ninja on the floor, healing their bodies and restoring their will power to fight. By Aria's count there were 64 ninja in total with Sable Spirit equally 65.
"Kill her!" Sable commanded.
"Mystic Palm Style: Song of Fury" Aria said in a dead tone as they came charging and one by one, Aria dodged them with nimble grace, palm striking, finger poking, and knuckle jabbing them all in various different and incredibly violent ways with the snapping of bone and pounding of flesh sounded like a well formed song.
She broke bones in so many different ways and places that it visually impressed Sable Spirit. All of these men would not be having children with how Aria broke them and most of them if they didn't get medical attention in the next few minutes would surely die.
Once the board was clear and Aria made it to the other side of the wave of ninja's all that was left in her wake were a pile of groaning bodies all twisted and contorted in pain and suffering. Her hands trembling and the red gem on her neck eating up all the negative energy that poured from the men she just defeated as well as even from Sable Spirit herself and when Aria looked up; her eyes were completely glowing red and her teeth had sharpened to a point as she huffed and heaved looking at Sable Spirit with murderous intent.
"I'm going to sing you your final song" Aria's voice echoed with unbridled fury.
"I was wrong about you; you ARE beautiful. Come...show me more of this beautiful power you've acquired!" Sable Spirit said with a vicious grin on her face as she readied herself for a beautiful fight.
Author's Note
This story was inspired by old kung fu movies. I just really wanted to write this after having seen this scene so many times.
And this one
This story will have about 3 or 4 chapters total. Hope you all liked it lol
