Chapter 1

Retribution of Crows

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ENTRY ZERO MARCH 15TH 1991 12:54pm

Exactly 521 years since 1470 March 15th

In the beginning ages back the sun shone here in this world with all the glories of its light rising above us all; and shining upon a golden meadow that had embraced the wonders and the mysteries of the world in which we live in.

Here now in this field, this meadow where several lives trenched upon and many stories had unfolded, history had went back through many years before a bloodlust war, a genocide had begun between the 12 clans of this land residing now throughout the Eastern world and Western world. It left a deep scar here unlike any other and which none compared and it was yours truly who was the result of that war.

Here now I stand in the twin of Eden, which now rests here in modern-day Kyoto in a world within worlds in this field, this meadow left untouched. Yet ever since the time before modern-day Japan this world was known as Aziekial where all of the continents were one and at peace with each other.

Until the wars of course which none seem to recall so let me then tell you all a little story of how we made it this far and of the past. With man and beast in disarray and at war with the spirits and the deities of the many gods above; even in this modern age they still fight an endless war.

I shall now show you all what happened before this horror beheld the world once again.

I'am Kaze Allan Kamikaze and thus is the solemn heart that shall show the entire path that it took to part this world.

Entry 1 Journal 2

March 15th 1991 11:42am

Earlier the blinding light rose high above these lands of high misty mountains with dark clouds looming above them; over valleys and rivers and onto a beautiful golden field of fresh grass and wildflowers encased in a forest of evergreens and trees in Aziekial the land of which both time and illusion are one with the other before the nations began.

Instead we begin our journey in modern times upon the chain of ten islands now known as the kuni islands at one which has been out of harmony just like the golden meadow.

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ENTRY 2

Haraku

It was number seven Haraku which meant The land of the Tengus or Fall from Death.

Ever since the wars began the place has been cursed and since sent only death; incineration with a single step befell all of those who had dared to come. It was the lands defense to guard its secured and the failure against the wars cost them the secrets hidden here. The knowledge hidden from a secret group called The Divine Wind which was an early Heian clan that avoided the touch of history. The spell had came upon all in an abrupt blaze of searing flames and agony; a horror beyond that which even the very gods could not bear.

Light to had dared not enter the land and it never could due to the shadows that shone off the dark wings of the trapped birds and it only touched the sandy shores that were full of weapons from all of the failed attempts and the charred remains of samurai and then stopped at a torii gate.

Now if you were to gaze in between on one side of the island you could quite faintly make out the parallel torii gate within the misty floor full of dark ashen grass and dark fog scattered with dead roses and lotus flowers and the birds that flew under the dark gray clouds forever trapped.

So say if then you did manage to walk in here through one of the torii gates then there is a chance in this world that you may find a place that has been left in decay rotting away and has shown Harakus true secret.

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ENTRY 3

Shogun

I can tell you that in here no flowers ever grow in the dead meadow within it surrounded by a forest of dead trees. There was a strong and looming feel of death and decay with the scent of blood in the air scenting it with decay and it all centered around a single point directly in its center.

That place held a new secret thy have never forgotten. It lay inside of seven dead and decaying sakura trees full of crows and ravens the embodiment of the souls that were trapped there and now were perched in the fog and darkness.

It was through the western gate where I had appeared quite vaguely within the misty fog walking now the only path that curved northward into the center of the trees. Leading to the truth in an opening between two of the trees that became a light mist dying as I approached it.

It revealed a tall silver headstone broken with a tree behind it and a silver stone at the base its head was shaved off.

At the time I was a shogun in a tattered light tan jacket with the clans symbol of the four winds going clockwise on my back impaled by a celtic cross sword with a double bolt of lightning and three roses were its crown with ivory scars. My hair was short in the front covering and shading my eyes and each strand was tipped with dirty and ashen blood and my face was covered in dark pale scars. The rest of my hair was longer and held back with three hollow diamond shaped plates tied together with red string. It was long, burnt, dirty and as pale as ash and ivory dashed with blood as if done with a pen.

I walked towards the grave of my only friend with my scarred feet covered in the ashes that were once the rocks on the ground now having decayed to dust from centuries of decay. Shackles were on each ankle and my wrists; the silver chains broken and rusted were clanking together as I walked scrapping my skin bloody to the point the rust made my skin rot green, molding in solemn silence. The only sound in which you heard were these chains other than the soft fluttering of the thousands and millions of sad and tired wings.

A fallen warrior with a bloody past and a dreadful fate had came here and then left the way that he had come.

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ENTRY 4 BLACK SUN RISEN dreams

12:54pm

Once I had left all the crows in the sky burst into ashes falling in a twister into a ring of flames igniting within the seven trees which caused the thousands of birds perched there in the seven trees to fly away leaving seven huge ravens; one in each tree.

The crows tried to leave once before but they never could after they entered. The thousands of crows abruptly turned to ashes now igniting into another ring of fire parallel  to the one below it suspended 20 feet in the air.

Then the seven ravens fell into ash which forcefully propelled into the sky turning in a twister going in several directions until all of it was above the clouds backed by the unforgiving sun. It then began to spread out wide like wings and then froze until a screeching caw erupted echoing throughout the air and the ashes burst into a giant black bird neither crow nor raven but both were present.

It wore silver talons that reflected the sunlight quite gracefully with red ruby eyes that reflected silver. Its huge wings spread wide with each feather tipped silver and dyed with crimson and a white crest upon its mighty chest.

The bird gave another cry  and parted the clouds spreading light upon the field and lifting the curse and the spirit was beautiful and finally free.

It shone off its mighty wings the inspiration and the mysteries of the world and gave a new feel to the once dense and dark air now lifted as it cawed once more then dispersed into ashes propelled in the air. Moments later they shot down twisting in two separate directions at the nameless grave then it hit the earth hard with a crash of dust and black mist. It settled forming the shadow of the giant bird above the now loose earth. The spirit of the birds that were once trapped there for years beckoning  to the light within. Inside its great shadow was kanji written in pale ashes as its collar spelling out what was carved from the headstone and the name of the lost son and my brother. It read:

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Here lays

Zen P. Kamikaze

The Resurrected and Retributed

Spirit of Crows

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ENTRY 5

12:55pm

Alias: Zen Priest Kamikaze age 521

A single stream of light drifted from a birds eye view towards the shadow of ashes while a gentle breeze blew over the island and sweeping away the remaining darkness and the ashes vanished. The stream of light then drifted further down through the centuries of slick and rotting sediments until it reached a shield of solemn gray stones with no cracks or holes to pass through and yet it did lighting a dark and open area seven feet underground. Two boxes one big and the other small lay inside of the dome shaped grave. Now brighter the light shone on a huge velvet green casket with the small long white box on its base labeled friend in japanese. The light reflected off silver in the middle of the green velvet and saw a cobra coiled on a small golden handled sword. Each end of the green box was tied with a tight rotting linen with two swords loomed within it and on the right side were chains and a padlock.

The box was a green casket, a coffin which only the Shogun had known about and could see through the earth below.

So how can the light see?

The Shogun had always brought a lotus flower dyed red with his own solemn blood and 7 black roses burnt with his own ashes to the grave of his lost little brother. Once he had found out about the events that had taken place he searched for the spot where they held the funeral and when he did he had came every year with the same flowers then stood silent and left after moment of silence. This went on for 521 years.

The light shined off of the silver cobra and found an entrance into the coffin underneath its head where a nail once was but had fallen in sometime ago. The interior of the coffin was lined with ebony and glittered wildly like stars in the night sky as the dim light revealed what none had seen for centuries and what many have searched for in vain and then died.

There lay inside the body of a young man with his left hand gripped tightly to a white scroll with tea stained parchment and was held together by Jade locks carved into for dragons on each end going in clockwise spirals with the Japanese word for snow in the center lock. His right hand gripped a red fabric sheathed Katana with a dark blue strap and he wore a dark blue kimono with a red seam and a violet sash softly tied around his waist and he had gray sandals tucked neatly next to his feet as he lay motionless and pale as if all time had stopped at the moment of death. With only a little dust on his scarred face cut softly on the right cheek. His eyes were closed and sunken like his chest.

The light then saw a necklace around his neck that showed Yin twice in a clockwise manner and as it looked at it closer the light suddenly went dull as if it had jumped. The necklace had suddenly fallen over to his right side as if he had just moved. The light was now a dull beam and was timid as an eerie suspense grew deeper and deeper still while it slowly went up from his heart seeing that there were several scars, pierce marks and a deep slit that was slick with blood and not fully healed on his neck still rotting.

The light slowly and steadily fell upon his face and his eyes and gave a moments sigh of relief yet in seconds it dimmed once more quickly gasping with a rasping breath.

Zens eyes snapped open and the dim light had fled after glimpsing red eyes with a tinge of gold. He was alive! After all this time he was alive!

Entry 6

Awakened by the light

Zen tried turning his head yet there was a chorus of sounds echoing in the chamber as the linen was slashed Away by the swords with an unseen force and the chains had fell off rusted and broken. The lid opened slightly and something dark slithered in. It was the cobra with the sword balanced inside its mouth. It coiled up Zen's right arm and Zen shuttered slightly at the cold metal like ice on his skin that slowly heated up. Zen then tried to speak as it reached his shoulders joint with the sword now handle first inside of its mouth after being swallowed on the way up. The cobra held the tip in between its fangs and then bent down stabbing the sword through his joint and Zen yelled tossing it and the lid across the chamber banging his head on the ceiling now able to sit up. He then looked down noticing the white box across his legs labeled friend in early Japanese writing. Then with curiosity open it yet all that was there was the bloody linen that once covered his pet Crow and a silent leaking black mist.

Zen wrapped the linen on his arms then jumped at a long screeching caw that had filled the air. So he held out his right arm on instinct and shut his eyes. The mist coiled up his arm gradually and then something gripped his arm with silver rune etched talons tightly through the linen to his skin.

Zen carefully opened his eyes and saw a bird gripping his arm with a calm look on its face as it ruffled its feathers yawning a little until Zen spoke slowly remembering things.

"Black crow?" Zen whispered softly tilting his head a bit. A little curious yet nervous and the bird nodded at him. Seconds later a soft dull voice echoed inside of his head.

Master Zen? The crows voice replied curious as it tilted its head at Zen.

"Zen? How- you can use telepathy?" Zen spoke happier yet still a tad scared.

Hm? You can hear me Zen? The crow questioned him curious.

"Huh? Yeah I can also who is Zen?" Zen asked confused and he grew calmer in the silent mood then slowly  he began to breathe again.

I can't  remember much but you look alot like him but you are older. The crow was tired and sounded a bit scared.

"I can't remember much ether." Zen replied.

Hm? But you knew my name? The crow spoke in the same confidence calmly.

"Yes I did but not my own name. I still don't get where exactly  we are right now." Zen sounded depressed.  "What happened?"

I can't- can I  tell later? First how do we get out of here?  The crow asked.

"No idea. I guess follow the dimming light but there is no hole in the ceiling." Zen scanned the cool stone about 3 feet high. Then he wondered what the crow knew staying silent for a bit while the crow perched by his feet on the casket.

I can't see one ether and the sir feels like its getting thin. The crow replied  looking for an air hole.

"Yeah same here. Hey how did the light get in here anyway?" Zen asked softly getting scared yet was curious how the now misty light above them had gotten inside.

There are no cracks, no holes, no anything except  a light amount of air. So then what is this light and how did it get here? Zen wondered  pondering questions  in his head then lightly waved his hand through the pale white mist.

Hey! Get up you two and stop that boy!

A hard voice  yelled and they both jerked and Zen put his right hand to his side.

Just now there was a voice that yelled but there are only two of us in here? Who else is here? Zen wondered  in his head.

"Huh? Did you hear a voice crow?" Zen asked.

Hm? Yeah kinda...that was strange. We are the only ones- They both stopped talking as the light gathered together forming a radiating ball of blue and white flames that illuminated the room with a luminous indigo white light. They were both shocked silent staring  at it then a moment later a soft and dull distant voice spoke through it and they froze for  they both knew whose voice it might be.

Heh...Zen...Tengu get over here. Have a nice 521 year long slumber party you two kids? Follow me out and stop staring you bloody firebugs! Now see you guys later.

The voice laughed with a somewhat german and french accent to them and they watched the flames  flicker.

"Huh...was that?" Zen now noticed he remembered something.

The voice and prayer we heard a while ago? Before... The crows voice  whispered then went quiet still staring at the flames now white.

The flames then shot upward back through the rocks forming a small hole seven feet high letting in small strands of sunlight and Zen yelled when it hit his skin.

"Ah its bright!" Zen scoffed now blinded and shielded his eyes unsure of what the crow was about to say.

Yeah...how do we follow through such a small hole? At least we can breathe in some fresh air.  Tengu cawed softly also blinded by the light but spoke while lost for words his voice soft as his vision cleared up and he could see Zen.

Hey where did the black marks come from? Tengu asked as odd black markings spread on Zens skin right when the light blinded them.

The marks appeared and kept spreading  further and deeper on his paper like skin.

"What? I can't  really see...it hurts...why is it so warm?" Zen was unable to see them and moved while talking. The marks caused a lot of pain and he heard it in his own voice while he spoke as it stopped. "Why? Hm? I think it stopped  and I  think I might know a way out. I can remember  something." Zen sat in a calmer spot a bit in the shade rubbing his eyes then his forehead.

"How you actually remembered something?" Tengu was shocked.

"Yes. Watch this." Zen breathed. "And hold on." He sounded older and Tengu flinched at his deep tone.

"What? Your voice changed are you sure that you-" Tengu was astonished yet scared at a familiar tone in his friends voice.

Zens posture was ready to jump with a hand sign ready to cast a spell and Tengu cut him off.

"What the-you are not actually going to try that technique are you?" Tengu spoke before he noticed what he had just said perching back on Zens arm.

"So you knew something all along Tengu." Zen whispered blankly the trust slipping from his voice and the crow froze.

"Don't I remember how many times that you tried before!" Tengu gasped a yell yet Zen ignored  him.

"It is alright calm down I know what I have to do." Zen patted Tengus beak and head then went back into position  and whispered  as the light jumped out of the hole watching from above the grave.

At the base of the grave feet away was the fire floating in mid-air. The rings of fire were gone and the trees were revived and in full bloom and everything seemed to be back to normal except  for the eerie silence which had filled the air. Then the flames vanished into thin air leaving only darkness and despair as a dark mist followed by black flames shot bursting upward from the grave. The darkness rose 20 feet high then something  huge and dark shot out of the hole followed by reddish fog that mixed in with the black fog that crashed around the area. The shadow had wings with silver tips glinting  through  its foggy cover then it fell onto the soft warm soil as the mist settled into a clear mist on Zen now looking a little older and hugging tengu tightly to his chest. His clothes were torn and burnt in some places and ripped twice in the back the markings gone.

Entry 7

The Letter

October 31st 1491

Dear Zen,

How has it been? I'm sorry but I will not be coming for awhile there is something  that I need to accomplish. It's been three days since I murdered my step father and ran away and now I'm  not sure what I became. Kamikaze and me are separated but something happened. I'm  not myself  and this might be the only time I can actually talk to you without him finding me. Brother listen I'm not coming home because as a shogun and samurai I have no honor  left to my title nor do I  deserve it. I'm going to have Kamikaze do it so I  can find some sort of peace in this dead world if even for a moment so please do not look for me. Thank you Zenny. I can't tell you what I'm doing or how I  will do it I just wanted you to know with the last bit of humanity  I  have that I care and despite my curse I truly loved you. You were my little brother even before I was reborn while my darkness took over and destroyed  the one thing I  loved in this long life. I can't die not easily or normally  but I'm finally at my end. Remember this Zen when two souls pass on and become  whole and then split once more they will always return to find each other again. Yin and Yang will forever  circle each other no matter which of the seven sins crosses their path they will live and die for each other. Remember Zen. These roses are our seven sins burnt so we can overcome  them and the lotus our fragile lives dipped in the blood of life to forever live together and in death there is life. Our gentle  hearts bonded and broken yet mended with love shall forever be heard forevermore. For Nevermore shall these flowers bloom only die and wither yet the sun shall one day shine upon the truth laying here below the earth. Forgive me brother for my future  sins. I couldn't  save you once then twice and a this time I will try my best to attempt at bringing  you your salvation.  I love you and although it's just empty words I  truly mean them to you little one.

Forgive me one day we both will return in a garden beyond compare in a world where time and illusion  do not exist and fear is gone and one day I will be free from this bondage but for now forgive me. I pray you will understand someday.

Fare thy well brother.

Signed, Kaze Allan Kamikaze

Entry 8

Kaze X Kamikaze

1:14pm

Zen slowly peered ahead opening his eyes a bit once he realized that they were out only to see the blue flames were hovering a few feet away and still in the same place.

The flames grew three times its size seeming to move forward, gently toward them and slowly. While the fire glided toward them it turned into a transparent figure visible in the morning light and in the light Zen could make out the figure of a person about his age with quite similar traits to his.

He held out a hand to help him up and surprisingly his hand didn't pass through it.

It's a solid spirit. Zen realized to himself and his face looked like a blur from the ground, but when he was on his feet stumbling a bit out of strain from not using them in a long time and stood facing him he saw each detail, every ridge in his face, his body, and his feet were bare, ashen and covered in dirt softly hovering off of the ground laid with a thin sheet of ash from the fog. He was tall, pale, and seemed to look down on him yet, he looked curious and was quite calm.

He wore a white kimono, blue velvet jeans, and a black cloth shirt underneath; his hair was a pale white silvery-gold, and his skin was somewhat pale as well and he had blue eyes and looked a little calm and a little tired at the same time. He had the same geta sandals as him except they were red, and he seemed happy to see him holding on to the little crow. The person felt familiar, yet Zen just stood there with his bird in his arms staring at the translucent figure. The spirit smiled a bit softly and then talked in a kind voice with a blank face.

"Hea. Do you remember me or do you not know who I' am? Am I just familiar, Eh? Remember who you are?" The person asked softly, smiling and teasing him a bit and laughed a little in his head and waited for a reply.

"Huh? You? No don't remember you. I just heard your voice before." Zen replied in a quiet tone and was still a little confused. They both looked behind them at the steaming hole where the grave was astonished. The person looked a little curious about what had just happened seven feet down in the grave yet seemed to already know a bit.

"That looks like it was fun. Eh? Person who forgot his own name." He spoke a little amused at what had happened.

"Yeah...Loads. Mister who never can introduces himself properly..." Zen replied rubbing his head, and slightly laughing with him underneath his breath.

"Ha...ha. Nice comeback! Good job kid." The person laughed pretending to be annoyed.

"Thanks." Zen replied happily, and calm. He was enjoying the other boys company. "Hey... What's your name, and who is 'Zen'?" Zen spoke trying to talk in his head like he did with the crow to him.

The person came up to him now, patted his left shoulder with his right then whispered in the boys' ear in Japanese and sounded slightly different and like he was trying to mask something. Was it his accent? Zen wondered trying to focus on the voices tone and differences.

"You can call me Kaze and I will call you Retribution if that's ok?" The person spoke quietly in his ear, backed up then backed up and stood straight locking eyes with the Zen gently smiling. Then a sudden voice spoke lightly in the Zens head and startled him. "Hey kid nice job on telepathy keep practicing alright." Spoke the person's familiar quiet voice in his head.

"What the?!" Zen was startled now nicknamed retribution by Kaze. He was startled yet happy to have met another friend and stepped back a little then came forward closer to the Kaze who seemed happy to have met a new friend too. Yet what was that hard tone in his voice just now? Zen wondered.

"There okay no need to scare yourself just come over here alright. I'm sorry for startling you." Kaze apologized in a kind understanding voice.

He seriously did not know I can do that too? Man, what happened to this guy. Is he loose in the head or something? Zen wondered slightly worried.

"Ok. Sure, Kaze right?" Zen asked softly in case this Kaze was mental and slipped.

"Yes. That is my name." Kaze replied smiling and watching him like a hawk dead on its prey. I'm serious. I don't want to do this anymore...This is so boring. It sucks...literally. Kaze thought turning around and froze suddenly after pacing ahead of the Zen on the path. His back was turned to him now and without looking back he spoke again. "Your friend is up and alright I presume." Kaze's voice changed tone and felt a little dark and colder. Zen then shivered shaken by his voice.

"Uh...yeah?!" Zen replied curiously and also a little scared now. Kaze was correct. Tengu had woken up and looked at him with his black eyes full of fear like it knew something was going to happen.

It disappeared into black mist and reappeared on Zens right shoulder with the black mist and dust slowly trailing off his wings behind him. Zen was lost for words at what the crow just did, and began to feel the fear and eerie feeling that was growing in the air. He looked at the bird with fear still in his eyes and only a little confidence yet the crow seemed to be focused on what was ahead of them and ignored his friend.

Zen looked back at Kaze and when he did he shivered as fear began to show in his eyes. Kaze had moved halfway across the field while he was not looking and stood there in silence facing him. He was vanishing slowly into a gentle breeze that swept the flower petals on the ground toward him and his head had turned slightly to them. Kaze spoke while the wind picked up and was blowing thousands of petals through him. While it blew he turned a bit to the right and the wind swept his white gold hair across his face revealing a thick deep scar on the right side of his face. His hair looked like it was blending in with the wind and used to cover the marks on his face but the wind now exposed the truth.

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"ARE YOU TWO DONE? DO these things for me then come and find me alright."  Kaze spoke hiding the scar hastily in a voice that was emotionless.

"What? Kaze where are you?" Zen spoke still scared in a calm yet paranoid voice. Kaze had vanished completely after turning his head back and walked away from him into the wind that carried the flower petals behind him. It all settled and the petals fell from the wind then as fast as it settled for a bit it was silent then the wind picked up again shooting right at Zen and the petals circled him like a pink glittering twister in solid repetition. Kaze's image appeared before them and was now face to face with Zen. He looked a little hostile and mad, and his eyes looked quite different than before like a sudden change in mood or suspense. He kept the same blank impression on his face while standing there in front of his friend, and then he spoke in a blank tone sounding a little bit pissed.

"So, figure it out yet? No? Then let me tell you what you have to do Zen."

"Okay..." Zen? Why did he call me Zen?  Zen replied trying not to show that he felt a bit scared and wondered why he called him that again. What does Zen mean? He wondered. Am I missing something?

"Come here?" Gestured Kaze telling him to move yet, the only thing between him and Kaze's image was the wall of wind and glistering petals. How was he doing that? Is he doing it or is it some natural phenomena?

"Okay." Zen replied. The boy stepped forward and walked right through the glistening wall and the image of Kaze, then he found himself in a field of grass filled with golden light that actually felt quite warm on his skin. In the center of the field ten feet away from him was a man in a white red seemed Kimono, the same velvet pants, and t-shirt except the cloak was a bit tattered. He recognized him immediately. Kaze.

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ENTRY 9

Kaze Allan

Kaze stood with him in silence then walked a bit toward the boy and stopped a good distance away. Kaze then stood silent and a moment later spoke like a gentle river or a crystallized stream flowing by.

"Your name Retribution is really Zen. That is a brothers name retribution, who died late after. Your bird is named Tengu. I'm sorry. You lost your memories of yourself including everything that you once knew, and had woken underneath the Earth. I watched you for years lying there. Prayed for you each day, and on the seventh of October came with the same flowers each year...on your birthday."

"What!" Zen realized that he knew who belonged to that voice finally. "You mean you're...I was-" he spoke yelling a bit and felt kind of happy but Kaze cut him off before he could finish.

"Yeah...just listen! I'll tell you everything later ok!" Kaze spoke a tad harshly and a little annoyed but was trying to stay as calm as possible. "Five centuries and twenty one years ago was your seventh birthday. On October 31st you had supposedly died."

"What I died?" Kaze shushed him.

"Sh! Shut up and listen!"

"But, you did not die of natural causes-first look at the left side of your neck." Kaze pointed it out for him.

"Huh...!" Zen felt his neck and noticed that there was a thin deep slit that had almost completely healed and left a scar were it did. "Whoa..."

"Now pay attention!" Kaze snapped softly. He was getting mad at him now for no reason, and held it at a gentle tone like sharp edged glass. "Zen you did not die but, instead you were murdered. By one who is close to you, and have you noticed something's missing? It may get you if you want to know."

"Huh? What! Where's Tengu!" Zen panicked.

The crow sadly after he realized he panicked and cooled down saw that he was gone. He must have stayed behind. This started to scare him yet, he wanted to know what had happened so he looked in Kaze's eyes and read them like he read a single sentence off the page of a book. Run. It told him like he was not safe.

"It's fine Zen... Your birds ok."

"Ok. I will trust you Kaze." Zen replied now scared of him, sad Tengu could not come with him and mad at the guy all at the same time. Kaze laughed under his breath then spoke.

"Hea...sure go ahead and trust me, like you trust the bird." Kaze was starting to laugh a little and tried not to sound too mad or sarcastic. "Back to reality now Zen. The one who caused your death was not your father- well slightly- and it wasn't me. Thy Zen... was not created in time yet, and yes the voice you heard praying before was mine. That's why you had remembered my voice. Must I say it or shall you? I can see you know who I 'am already because it is sprawled across your face."

"You..." Zen breathed and Kaze sighed.

"Because, you and I are of the same clan!" yelled Kaze softly happy to get that off of his chest, and he spread his arms outward. His eyes were closed, and head tilted slightly in a playing motion and he smiled warmly.

"What the crap! You...are...no way!" Zen yelled back to him. He was happy, now slightly excited and wanted to run to the person he never thought he would meet or see!

"Yes, your brother who was born seven years younger than you. Sorry for not telling you in the first place. It just was not the right time, and I got a little scared at first." It wasn't me who met you. Kaze thought to himself.

I' am so sorry he scared you Zenny...forgive me please. Kaze wanted to say this but, held it back. "So if you want to you may run to me, and you know I can read you like a book? Plus, don't run in that kimono... no hugging in rotting clothes. Idiot, I'm not transparent anymore, and I'm named after the clan." Zen didn't know what to say or do, and yet adrenaline had pumped up as he got ready to charge. Even though he was just like five feet away he still felt the connection that they had grown, the urge get stronger and did not know what Kaze was going to do.

Was he just gonna stand like that and let me charge at him? What if I hit him straight on and knock him down. Will he get mad at me...no this is my brother. I heard somebody, a man's voice mention him before.

"He will never see his little brother. This angel of ours, and let us name him after the clan before we hand him back over to the conclave soldiers." The voice replayed in his mind and he shuddered then took off the sword and chain dropping it all on the ground. They both took off their kimonos, revealing their still clean clothes both wearing different shirts and Zen remembered another voice speak as he lay beneath the ground. "They..." Zen had on a white shirt and Kaze wore a gray shirt. The voice rang again more clearer this time.

"They now know that he is an assassin, samurai, ninja, etc. So he will leave after birth... my new heir. Allan...watch over Zen for me, and I pray that we will all meet again someday."

They both had on different velvet pants color wise. Black and blue. Zen wore black while Kaze wore blue then after a moment of finishing up Kaze locked eyes and starred off at Zen and they began to run at each other and Kaze caught him and they hugged each other after not knowing anything for so many years. Then a while later they let go and walked for a bit in the sunlit field talking about life, and random things together.

We are both brothers, and we never thought we would meet each other after being told that one would never see the other. They both had just proved that statement to be wrong.

"The divine wind and the retribution of crows, both friends for life, but they will have a difficult task ahead of them because they are the last ones left in their clan." The voice whispered in Zen's head as they stopped and before his brother spoke a silence passed over them.

"Hey Zen" Kaze stopped and Zen followed.

"Yeah" Zen looked up at him curious.

"I need to tell you something." Kaze did not look ok to Zen honestly he was pale as ash and looked sick.

"What?" Zen asked now curious and worried Kaze might fall over but he had kept his composure.

"Before you see me again, go back and find something for me after I tell you and you solve it." Kaze smiled a little trying to stay strong.

"Okay... A riddle right?" Zen guessed.

"Yeah, a riddle, a long one or a poem."

"Okay, tell me?"

"Fine. But when I do and after I'm done I'll disappear same as this place and then  you will see your friend once again...understand?" Kaze explained.

"Uh...oh!" Zen drifted off into thought for a second then listened to Kaze. "Yeah, understand. Daydreaming a bit there!" Kaze hugged him and laughed. Just cause of the fact I'm scared of him doesn't mean I don't like him... he is just too abnormally attractive, masculine, cute... you know what I mean. Zen blushed a bit thinking to himself trying not to daydream.

"Ha-ha! Very funny, now stop thinking about that Zen and pay attention!" Kaze was sarcastic but enjoying the fact Zen had a little crush on him and he patted Zens shoulder.

"Okay...sorry." Zen replied softly in a quiet voice and Kaze sighed. He looked sad, and talked to his brother like he didn't care what happened to himself. But, spoke calmly, wishing that he had more time with his long lost brother.

"Fine sigh...here goes nothing." Kaze store in his eyes then like a voice on the wind spoke directly to Zens soul.

––––––––

WHERE THE SEVEN WINDS blow look for a silver crow.

Do not let the black one go or you will not be able to know.

When you find it tied with red

Around its head, on its neck

Do not give it away to death,

But send a guest, to me from it.

This time thy say

In thy divine way.

Send your bird a mist of smoke of rains something to gain.

The darkest gist from thy

Only and holy mind.

For if you seek with desire

You will not be able to bloom a flower,

Except thy flower

Will burn in fire.

But for if thy seek without any desire

Thy may bloom a flower, and thy flower will not be fed to the fire.

So search for me with an open mind, follow the wind and it may show, and

Lead you to the fires glow.

So tell your bird not to peck its beak but, to swim in darkness as it

Breaths desire.

Thy wants to kill, thy wants to steal,

Thy wants to retake its master's soul,

Thy is who you may ask,

But that's for me to know and thy not.

Figure it out to find your answer

Without you,

With disaster,

With you the other way around.

So follow the ravens sound as the mountain drums bound.

Kill the bird, destroy thy without hatred for it,

Unless thy want not to keep its new life,

Its soul.

And if not find themselves

Stuck back in

A hole

Seven down

Underground

Rise a Tengu

And a snake

Who will rot, and

Burn in you knows where.

So get some water from thy mothers well,

And put down thy fires in thy soul.

So then thy may truly know,

Why four cuts are on his soul. All gone except a song,

One left or two right?

I may not know, so then put up a good fight, and show me who

You truly are!

Go back to the grave in the seven seas, and find the early winters

Breeze.

So goodbye my friend and good luck. If not meet me on a temples top.

So goodbye my friend and good luck. If not meet me on a temples top.

That was the only time Zen had truly heard his brother's voice just as Kaze had talked while thousands of crows told Zen and the trees whispered it and he had envisioned the memory of it coming from his brother's words and saw it more vividly with his eyes. He heard every word like he was there with Kaze in his memory.

Entry 10 Kamikaze

It was five centuries ago when our dad had died, and had last came to me on my 7th birthday. Our mom had gotten pregnant, and I remember feeling happy to have a younger brother. I had heard that he was with the spirit of the wind and our god, the Divine Wind and without the deity we would have lost him. My parents gave me a pet crow for my birthday and with it came a note I guess someone forgot then the day that I died the last thing that I saw was darkness, and I fell into it, thus surrounding my grave, the island, and my coffin.

So, they put me down seven feet underground, with my bird Tengu. They wrote friendly in early kanji, written in Japanese in the style of his box, and darkness formed a dome shield of stones that encased me. Above the graves casket left me no place for air, so I must have suffocated. There was no place for light, so then the darkness took my soul and created an eerie feeling on the dome. Then, my brother was born after I died on the same day as his sons, but he had never told him.

Zen's brother looked at him one last time and looked sad and pale, then they gave each other one last hug before the soft and early winter's breeze blew through his brother, Kaze, toward him, and then he vanished with the scenery and the time seemed to fall backwards.

Zen found himself back surrounded by petals, carried on the wind in repetition. He looked forward and like before, the image of his brother appeared through the petals before him. His brother was telling him to come to him, but instead Zen told him to come. Kaze had frozen, reflected before him in the wind and petals, so when he saw his brother doing the same thing, he did Kaze just smiled. Kaze's spirit then came through the revolving petals, and stood next to his brother's left side while the crow was on the right side. The crow looked in amazement and fear at him, and Kaze looked back at him hostile glaring at the bird without his brother noticing, and then gave a sly grin and laughed in the crow's head telepathically. Kaze then whispered something in his brother's ear the crow could not hear or understand.

"Good job...Zen...don't forget...the last war is almost done...it started and will be ending shortly...when it's done, I'll come home, use the death ninjutsu on the third and last one left, erase both of their minds, leave it there, go home, take the number ten, and fire it into the heart of their rooms. Meet me at the building's head, and vanish when the wolves shine gold and red. Meet me then at the golden door at the end of the hallway...let me and the wolf in with pride. Then stride with the demon on your opposing side. When the council calls for me to die -" Kamikaze requested in a mix of what sounded like Korean and Arabic. Kaze was then cut off by the crow, when he flew above them, making a screeching, annoyed, cawing noise which directly hit his brother's ears. Kaze covered them until it stopped, and the crow had gone back onto its perch on Zen's shoulder. Kaze stood back and straightened up, then he spoke in an early and older form of the Japanese language. He told his brother something in a calm and loud voice; teasing the crow on the old country's tongue he knew it could not understand.

"Meet me at -" Tengu cawed in his ear.

"See you at the Tokugawa Shogunate in Nikko, Japan, okay Zen?" Then Kaze spoke again in present Japanese, shouting at the bird. "Hey! Tengu! Gotcha!" Kaze laughed while having some fun with Tengu.

"Caw! Caw!" Tengu cawed again at Kaze and hurt his eardrum.

"Fine, fine! Phew...! My eardrum! Bloody crow, stop doing that! You know how much that hurts me!" Kaze scoffed silently, yelling after the crow cawed in his ear. He then backed away into the petals and the wind. "Au'revoir!" He spoke in French, saying goodbye, and turned around and faced away.

He lifted his right hand, making a closed finger 'V' sign, and then put his hand on his side and walked on forward. He then disappeared with the petals as they stopped their rotation around Zen and followed behind him and then, once again, they flew past Zen and the crow and was hiding Kaze, who soon turned around, gasping. He showed his scar, running along the right side of his face by lifting the hair with his right hand, and with his left hand, he used sign language. He pointed at Zen, saying his name, and then pointed at his own neck, touching a thin scar on it, and made the noise like the cutting of an onion yet this noise was sharper like a chalkboard and knife on porcelain, and then finally pointed to the crow trying to tell him something, and put his hand back to his side. He soon moved and the right top opened towards them. Zen was slightly confused at what he was doing and what it meant, but then he remembered what one thing he had told him and explained to him when visiting his grave. That was five centuries ago when he had turned 21 a couple of days after their dad had died. Zen used to think he had a heart attack, but now he remembered it. Kaze had told him, and how he then took his place as leader, and later, heir to the new clan, their clan...and name, and everything that had happened.

Before his brother had moved again, he let a memory come back to him.

Entry 11

Sins of our Fathers

October 28th 1491

Every day Kaze had prayed for me, because when I was seven, he had heard me, and was told everything by the god living through him. When he was seven he used to seek revenge on my strange death, but hid it for another seven years, and then, well...until our dad had died.

He became skilled in ninjutsu and close combat at 14 and had become a samurai at 17, and now at age 21, he became a shogun.

One day he had made our dad  tell him the secret that he told mom before she died. So he had told him what he had told her to keep and take to her grave. After he had, my brother gave a reply that had surprised him. He noted this to him, and then as the scene came in to focus, I saw him talk as if inside of his memories.

"I already knew...this and of everything else since I was seven, and I had known about his seventh birthday as well...then...before I was even created," 21-year-old Kaze spoke out loud as possession began and it looked like he was mad and in a pissed-off mode. Maybe that is why he spoke with a high hostility while our dad was staying long enough to hear more of what he had to say. "I'm going to give you...what every ninja, shinobi, samurai, warrior, soldier, and assassin deserves!" Kaze spoke painfully, darker, with his spirit now fully possessing him and our dad looked at him with amazement from his deathbed at his only son.

The spirit of the Divine Wind and the guardian Kamikaze had taken complete control and possession over Kaze who then left for a bit out into the entrance way and took the tenth sword off from the left wall while I watched from the doorway, following him while every inch of the memory started to become clearer and more vivid like I was really there.

Kaze came back through the third door on the right wall, which was our dad's room. Kaze spoke, but when he did this time, it wasn't the spirit talking, but him and he grew weary and scared, since he had touched the very thing he never really wanted to or could.

Even if he got the urge to touch it and play with it, he knew not to and said before, "Never the tenth." So for twenty-one years until this day, he had practiced with the nine others since he was born. Those nine had gotten my brother halfway to his goal in life, which was his reason for living. Who would have guessed it would take him even further?

"Holy...why do I have this and how am I even able to hold it?" Kaze asked himself out loud as usual, and several emotions spun through his head: fright, curiosity, and the fact of him noticeably being excited about the sword.

"I knew it was you..." Kaze was not paying much attention to his dad right now. Adrenaline and excitement was coursing, his blood boiling, the pain was even ignored. Hey I'm still in here! A voice yelled at him in his head, sounding like it was annoyed and bored at the same time.

"What? Hey stop it!" Kaze exclaimed, frightened, and now held his head. He was shaking it rapidly at the same time he was holding onto it and telling it to stop.

Beforehand he had managed to strap the sword on his back, and it had fit him perfectly, but he had to also have its second strap around his waist so it wouldn't slide out. The idea with the second strap just seemed to piss him off more and he kept this up for a long while and was almost swearing as he yelled.

"Let go! Kaze give me control!"

Kamikaze yelled at him and somehow, I could hear the voice replying to him now hostile towards  Kaze who was spasming. He wanted to gain permanent control, complete possession over his body and mind, and for him to take him in his hands and do it. It told him to take his life yelling it so he could gain control and Kaze fought its words spasing. The voice even started regretting the idea and tried to help, yet Kaze was not going to give him any free will. Not his own and not over him. Our dad had watched this argument before he had told me when he visited before he died.

Once, when he was seven, eight, ten, and now twenty-one...but...he knew from experiencing this before that it was not like this. It had become a fight which was more hostile towards the other and was increasingly violent now.

––––––––

THIS TIME FROM THE look on his face to his thrashing son yelling and banging the wall and swearing, arguing with the deity our father knew that the possessor could overcome the possessed. Then our dad spoke, now trying to calm him down and the deity who was raging as well as his son.

"Kami...kaze...stop...it...please" Rida gasped, now barely breathing, as it gets harder and harder to breathe for him; he still was holding on for his last son. After he spoke, Kaze had suddenly stopped moving for a few seconds of silence, and then they spoke one after the other.

"What! Ri – dad! Help – don't!" They were screaming at him at the same time.

"Kaze...it's...okay" Dad spoke softly, attempting to calm down both spirits. Yet, it looked like it was too late. Kamikaze, the Divine Wind, and my brother had complete possession over each other. They now talked at the same time with two separate voices. It was the creepiest thing I'd ever imagine that I'd witness. Utter confusion and severe terror sang in me as I watched, listening to them.

"Rīdā! Kurasai – Hey, we speak at the same time! Cool! – Not awe– Epic!–Kaze shut up! – No this is awesome! – No get out of here and give me control! – Never give me your power!" Kaze did an evil laugh, and the deity cut him off. "Stop laughing you... – Suck– I was gonna say– I love you! – No I hate you! – What really?" Kaze started being sarcastic. "You really love me that much! Yeah! – No... you– Love it! – No you just– This rocks! – Killed it– why did you learn to talk? – Awe... Foxy needs to go crap! – No I do – I'll stop when you quit controlling me! – No you won't! – Yes I will! – Not– I love you! – No don't come near me– Spirit hug!"

"Hack! What...the...Shi-Crap!" Kaze coughed, almost swearing for the first time in his life, literally, but he had caught himself while the necklace that was once burned into his flesh a long time ago had appeared now choking him as something was pulling it back and was trying to suffocate him but Kaze caught it.

At first, no one was there, and then I was watching from Kazes eyes as if in his head staring at the blood on the floor. Kaze had caught the chain at the last second and whatever had pulled it back let it go, dropping Kaze from his feet to his knees. Kaze hacked  blood again coughing it out and Zen now knew something else.

Kaze was dying Zen had noticed a sore on the left side of his neck that was not healed, and he could see the back of his throat through it, and it had a sore on it too and there were several darker ones and dead tissue. He had activated the Tuberculosis gene and like usual, he must have ignored the sores and had not gotten it treated. When Kaze looked at his own blood, he saw the spirit that he had fought for all these years.

Kaze eventually tried to stand up, but when he was able to his body jerked back violently and blood began to spew out of his mouth then, it turned silver and red, and coated the entire room. His hands were soaked with blood and he gripped the handle of the ancient sword. He was able to move his body, his head now down and leaning forwards, then he stood still gripping the sword. His mouth was stilled opened and soon, a white light and fog came out and created a weird feeling in the air.

The smoke-free fog rose next to him and the form of a person appeared. Zen froze and so did their dad, whose name was Rīdā, which meant leader in Japanese. This was the first time someone other than himself had seen him the only thing and person who looked highly similar to Kaze, literally.

The actual spirit form of the god of the wind now stood on Kaze's right side, holding his arm back, and stopping him. Kaze froze as the spirit held him, so he could not move another muscle, and everyone froze as the room fell silent. His name was Kamikaze, the Divine Wind, like the ten foot sword.

Kamikaze had broke the silence and spoke first while gripping his right arm. It was almost night time, and the sky was nearly a full twilight outside, with a mixture of bright gold, yellow, red, and white outside.

"Kaze stop. Even you know that if you could pick up my sword, you can't unsheathe it. You need me–" Kaze cut him off.

"I know you have to give me the power of the four winds right? Then do it." Kaze sounded annoyed and like he had a slight idea about what was going to happen, and what he was going to say. He rolled it in his head over and over and I could see the pulse rising and slowing in his neck somewhat visible inside one of the sores.

"No...don't...you can't...either...of you!" Dad spoke, saving his last breaths and dying slowly and slowly breathing.

"Kaze Allan...if I came back and possessed you so you–" Kaze cut him off again.

"– Can get my revenge on giving my older brother–" Kamikaze cut him off now and got his revenge for Kaze doing the same cutting-off thing while someone was talking.

"You will be the first host of angels you idiot!" Kamikaze yelled at Kaze and feared the next words he was about to say, the ones that could change everything, including the world and the clan's history. Kaze sighed and took a deep breath.

"I can...It is for my own good...I'm doing this for Zen plus I'm dying anyway brother. You won't have me for much longer." Kaze smiled then bit his tongue as Kamikaze spoke with him now, "and of my own free will, I give you my soul and will, even the power of my ancestry, linked to this blade, Inari-sensei!" They yelled and it was something he knew was said before and a quote that can never be undone. Kaze wore a blank face and spoke after Kamikaze spoke again in a weird, strangely calm and kind voice.

I'm guessing this "Host of Angels" stuff is not such a good thing. Zen spoke softly in his head.

"Are you ready then?" Kamikaze asked.

"Yeah...I–" Kaze responded, before our dad cut him off this time.

"Do...not...give your life to the wind!" Our dad spoke in a frightened yell, and took a few hard gasps at the end. Yet, it was too late and a waste of breath. Inari Kamikaze went back into Kaze who renamed himself Kamikaze his runes shining. He never knew his name at first and thought it was ironic that his name meant "wind" and that their spirit and clan is called "The Divine Wind".

"What...the...crap?" Dad, still gasping for air, yelled at him. "Do it...just...kill...me already!" Dad yelled in a frightened scream and last gasp. He caught it and held on long enough to see it to the end.

"I intended to do so" Kaze whispered under his breath. I watched his second soul come back out and try to possess him a second time and Kaze then spoke in a low deep voice with a calm tone in it.

I saw his eyes change: the right became red and both pupils became slits, the left went from blue to a dark yellowish-green, and then, in the right, four dots formed around the slit and made four swirls going clockwise on his eye. Kaze store at his father's plain face for a while, and saw that he was scared, but he seemed ready to get what he had deserved for years of hurting him.

Kaze may never forgive him for torturing him all those years he had stayed alone in the dark hidden from the world. He had set a friend on a friend and blamed him for his brother's death, yet the look in the back of his eyes told me that he might be twice as guilty. Kamikaze helped as Kaze read his dads mind taking every thought with every secret and information away and in his dad's mind, it was replaced with the final night when they both stayed in the house together.

Inari's right eye moved and before his dad saw him, it created an illusion of a wolf with the pale full moon behind him, and was visible from his back door that Kaze must have opened during his trashing scene. It was visible from the window by the door, with curtains and purple drapes torn and bloody.

The only thing Kaze knew he'd remember was that he thought it was a wolf that found its way inside the shrine. It had a yellowish-gray color, reflecting a bit of white light on its beautiful coat. He would forever have but this one memory of a wolf that out of nowhere came and tore his throat.

But actually it was by Kaze outside the illusion. Kaze, full-named Kamikaze, gripped the handle tighter and it made the wolf bear its teeth, and then he slowly began to unsheathe it.

Alright now this was a confusing part, and I did not think I would remember this part or see the end. I realized his glance at my direction and it was that same feeling when the deity came out the first time. It must be his thoughts that I'm seeing right now. The sword was called "Shihiria Shirin" my uncle had told me about it once. The story goes that it supposedly was passed down from the Holy Spirit to the god that was born of the Divine Wind, who was the one who gave it to one of Kaze's ancestors to give to the clan those who were protected. They had codenames and helped keep the clan out of history. They then gave it to Rīdā to give to the next heir.

He was supposed to give it to Zen, but he may have been responsible to his son for killing Zen and had banned Kaze from going by it.

"Bye father. After this, I'am running away from my clan and my position and I will become a rogue samurai, and leave you here to rot..." Kaze stated emotionlessly and with a blank  pittyless face that was as straight as nails.

Rida froze at the sight of the wolf speaking to him. It had silvery-red eyes with slits as gray as the fur on the tips of his ears. This gave it some fox like traits and after a long pause, it spoke again, and then a bit later, the wolf lunged at him. Its mouth wide open and revealing bare fangs with a hue similar to snow.

Outside, Kaze unsheathed it fully. The gemmed sword was made with carbon, jade and steel at the bottom of the blade. He swung it when it lunged and the wolf's color changed. Its eyes became a dark-green, like the jade in the middle. Its slits were as silver like bottom steel blade. Then, its fur turned black instantly once it was fully out of the sheath. It was as hard and sharp as the top carbon steel blade.

After he swung down the sword decapitated  Rida and Kaze knelt hunger in his veins as he tore open Ridas chest eating his heart after stabbing him and cutting his throat as Kamikaze instructed becoming something  worse than the monster he became; then he left in swift silence knowing soon everyone would return to see his sin.

Three days after, he came on my birthday to visit me. Kaze had brought the same flowers, black silver-lined roses and a lotus flower that was dyed red and seven black roses. I can't remember or recall it, but I know he had told me what he used, yet I can hear him tell me how his day was, about school, and everything, even about the military that he was in.

All the work he went through and all he did. Yet three days ago, he made a tragedy for everyone for when they returned from where they went, and then found their little prince gone and their friend beheaded and mauled. All the work he went through and he told me all he had done in vivid detail like a murderer confessing his crime to stone. Yet only three days ago Kaze had made a tragedy  for everyone for when they returned from where they were they found their little prince gone and their friend decapitated and mauled murderer in cold blood.

"What would I say to them if I returned  Zen? Even just to get something? How could I explain to the elders what had happened, or explain what I have done to our clan that I  just recently gained control of? Would I have to lie to them to not get caught red-handed? What would I say Zen?" Kaze spoke in his memory at Zens grave and something in the way he had acted, what he had said, and in his voice, I could hear that he must not have gone back.

Kaze had seemed happy that day, but now while I focused on the last bit of his face. He looked sad and different as if he regretted  it all.

The memory faded and Zen saw Kaze clearer he wore two necklaces: one was the one from the memory and the other was the clan's four winds symbol, connected onto a small circle in the middle. He store right at me and then yelled through all the petals, causing the wind to yell and when he did, the wind changed its course, and went straight at Zen.

I couldn't hear the wolf's last words before in the memory from both of them and just saw it mouth words and then attack.

"I will never return again. Once I've turned, I will hide within the shadows of the night, and as the crystal moon shone upon us all, I shall wait until the alignment of the stars and the planets on the solstice after I finish starting the crimson age by releasing my shadow brothers from their graves and know this...I know who my dad is you are really my stepfather, right? I'm the one who was the firstborn, not him. You lied to the both of us! By the angel! He has been a real father to me all those years that you weren't! So after I watched once from the skies, I saw an opportunity to come back, and so here I'am father. I missed the son of the forbidden one so much that I had to find out what I was capable of by doing it by myself. I will wait for him, and until the 100-year era of war dies, I will start more until he comes to help him. I can't let you live now that you know it too. I won't bother to come home and explain myself, because on his birthday on Sunday, there will be no evidence of this night. Once they return from their trip, they will think I ran away or that you took me and left me to die in the woods. I planted each tree on Harau, Haizen, Kotogya, Saien, Miciru, Surusoro, and Kyatagawa, even the ninth and tenth island that borders it. I knew you would take him there. So yes, I give it that it is true, yet after tonight, none shall know. I'am never going to come back after this so good night father, with such a bunch of secrets! I'm not coming back home ever again!" Kaze scoffed and after he killed him and left, then there was a long pause.

What did he mean? It's too late to figure it out.

"Shi-hi-ra! Hinatori! The dance of a thousand suns!" He screamed from far away, yet he could hear it.

"What the-" Zen gasped and shielded his face while barely protecting the bird. The petals turned into daggers that reflected the sunlight onto them and created a blinding light on each dagger. Zen ducked and dodged them, but was too slow and was cut by some of the daggers that flew past him.

"Here let me help you Zen! Go back to the beginning Zen!" Kaze yelled for the last time at him and Zen fell unconscious, knocked out by one of the daggers. He then woke up to the seven cherry blossom trees and finally relaxed.

Zen closed his eyes, relaxing in the sunlight with his bird perched in the tree above his head. The grass had grown back and felt slightly warm in his hands. How he loved to be outside again, and out of that seven-foot hole. Zen talked to himself, trying to sound poetic like Kaze, but thought maybe he should not try to fail on purpose at poetry.

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ENTRY 12 SILVER CROW

The silver stone that was two and a half feet tall was now covered in moss and vines that had grown white flowers that bloomed brightly on top of its shimmering base. Two red rose bushes had grown on both sides of it, and again, the hole was full and covered with fresh green grass.

Zen sighed he felt relieved and happy to be free and noticed, but didn't care that he was still in his torn, burnt, and now warm kimono.

"Ah I missed this place. It is a good feeling and time to be back, eh? Tengu?" Zen spoke, relaxed and looked up, confused. Tengu, his pet crow, was not responding or paying attention to him. He was just looking forward in total silence. Zen then got up and poked him, but he didn't move. Tengu just stood there, frozen in place. "Are you okay? Sorry for saying Tengu. What is on your mind?" Zen spoke to his bird, but he just sat still and did not move, frozen and staring ahead.

"There is another bird her Master Zen" Tengu replied with telepathy in a calm and focused voice.

"What? Where?" Zen asked him, confused, yet something in him snapped, and a part of what Kaze had told him rang through his mind like it was being read aloud on a scroll.

When the seven winds blow, look for the silver crow. Don't let the black one go, or you won't be able to know. When you find it tied with read around its head on its neck, don't give it away to death, but send a guest to me from it.

Kaze's voice repeated in his head in a blank, poetic tone and then, Zen spotted it. A silver crow! It was tied with red around its neck, and the gold vines of a golden rose grew on top of its head. Tengu moved, ready to fly, but couldn't because right when he moved, so did Zen. Zen had shot him a dark glance, and he froze.

"I will go and get it and move forward Tengu. You do not let go of that branch!" Zen spoke in a deep voice, sounding older and sharper than he did before. He sounded hostile and mad at the bird and the bird's eyes grew with fear, frozen at Zen's voice.

Zen walked forward and the wind followed behind him. He stood in front of the silver crow on the now solid ground, where the hole once was then knelt down on his knees, and reached for the crow. Tengu looked scared and began to caw repeatedly, attempting to cut him off. This only started to annoy Zen, but he ignored it and then proceeded. The cawing then stopped as the wind settled once Zen touched the crow and Tengu looked to his right, scared. It was the spirit of the wind, the Kami who looked a lot like Kaze. Tengu was one of a few who could tell them apart especially at school. He knew him, but he thought it wasn't the right time to tell Zen. The Kami spirit on his side closed his beak with his left hand putting his arm around him. He put the other to his mouth and used his index finger touching it to his lips. He was telling him to be quiet, and then the wind picked up again and he disappeared.

Zen began untying the string when this was happening and found a note tied to it. He knew not to open it, so he tied it to his sword's handle after he had it strapped tightly on his back then called Tengu to him, and stuck out his bandaged arm. Tengu flinched for a split second, and then flew to him and gripped him with his silver talons.

"Go find Kaze the war is almost over. Help him to buy some time to finish the crimson age and in the next era of peace come and find me at my house, and sit on the opposite perch." Zen spoke, still annoyed at Tengu but with a kind and calm voice and then, the crow flew off into the clouds leaving in a burst of black sand, which trailed gently off of his wings and feathers.

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ENTRY 13

7:15pm

Zen then began to walk as an early winter's breeze picked up, and the image of a wind spirit appeared before him. But it was different, literally. It was a fox reflecting white in the sunlight, but its fur was goldish-red. Its points on its ears and feet were a silvery bright gray, and its tail was tipped with orange and bright yellow. It spoke, but out loud instead of using telepathy.

"Zen... master of crows, come with me..." The fox spoke in a foreign accent similar to German or Italian. It was a strange fox and a little weird for Zen because he was talked to by a fox and had replied to it.

"Why? What do you want? Fox?" Zen spoke confused, and a little freaked out and curious about the fox.

"It's okay just come with me. I need help cleaning up the armor left on the island. Your brother sent me Zen I'am his messenger and his friend like how your friend is crow do you understand me?" The fox asked, curiously and in a calm tone.

"What? Why do we have to clean up the entire island? Aw man come on I was just relaxed and heading home." Zen complained whining tired and not wanting to help the fox and instead go to sleep with a kind of lazy and tired tone in his voice.

"Come on please Zen. We need to so we can purify it you idiot. Can't  you see there are wandering spirits everywhere. So Take the armor and put the thousands of swords on your back and then I will take you home." The fox spoke in a serious tone and a voice getting more and more annoyed. He was serious about the swords and he couldn't wait for him to rest for like five minutes.

"No bloody way am I really going to have to carry all those swords and armor to Tokugawa's torii gate all the way back to Japan? It's freaking hot, and I can't do it all in one day idiotic fox." Zen scoffed in a bored and exhausted tone, with a voice that was  getting more and more tired, not waiting to work or carry all of them to Japan.

"Fine then rest a bit, but then come to the shore...idiot." The fox replied walking toward the shore five feet away. It disappeared into the air and then it reappeared at the shoreline.

Zen laid down in the warm grass and fell asleep for more than five minutes then a bell rang in his ear, and something barked repeatedly. It woke him up, and he saw the fox ringing a bell hooked on a canine in its mouth and standing on top of Zen's chest. Zen looked tired and spoke in a bored, dull, and deep voice with a calm tone in it.

"Okay...okay...fine I will help you alright now shut up." Zen sighed, too tired to move but got up anyway. "As long as I get to see Kaze...okay fox." Zen yawned and walked to the shoreline with the fox and then he almost tripped over a helmet and two swords he saw that belonged to a Tokugawa general. "What. No way epic they were here? How long was I dead well gone?" Zen looked surprised, and spoke in a soft, scared slightly, and questioning tone. It was actually Tokugawa Ieyasu's and either someone borrowed it or it was on him and he still put it on, including the swords grinning.

The fox looked sad, and they paused at the water's edge, staring at the eastern seas. It was nighttime, but you could still see the thousands of armory and weapons in the grass, lit up by a waining crescent moon and reflecting in the silver-white moonlight.

"More than...you may think crow-sama." The fox sighed, and then, in a sad, calm tone, spoke in a light voice with a blank face.

"I understand." Zen spoke in a blank tone knowing that he shouldn't really say anymore and then stood up, as well as the fox. "Why do you have that helmet on. Are you serious?" Fox wondered.

"Because I love it. Ieyasu's awesome." Zen answered.

Totally obsessed with him... sigh... Fox thought.

"What? Say something?" Zen looked at him sitting with him.

"Nope...nothing Zen." He turned away, slightly blushing.

"You sure foxy?" Zen nudged him and had fun by teasing him.

More like provoking me...damn perverted crow, Tengu, you demon whatever! The fox growled, pushing him away.

"Ha ha! Okay...okay...wahahahahaha!" Zen spoke like it was none of his business, and did a funny evil laugh sarcastically at the end. They both laughed, and then stood up. "I'm sorry. I do not care anymore how long I just love being alive again, thanks to Kaze. I hope he's alright." The fox, which was on his left, turned away, looking slightly to the left and now sadder. Zen noticed this and bent down beside it.

"It's alright foxy Kaze should be okay and might be home by now with my bird." Zen spoke softly, in a calm and quiet voice, trying to cheer the fox up. The fox turned to face him and licked Zen's cool pale face slightly with a warm tongue as it touched him.

"It's okay...I'm fine...now. Thank you, master Zen. He should be fine." The fox, now smiling and softly letting out tears, talked in a happier tone. There was an awkward silence as they locked eyes, and Zen's face turned red. He was blushing and got caught and looked at Zen.

"Let's get going. After we clean up? Right! Let's go. I'll walk you home afterwards." Zen laughed softly and patted the fox's head. It was starting to blush too and wanting to cry at his kind voice. The fox then replied with a happy, excited voice.

"Yes alright. Let's get to it thanks Zen."

"No problem just let me sleep five hours in between each task then have a bowl of rice, and then, go to sleep more than that." They both laughed at this answer, and began picking up the armor.

After 150 swords, 5 chains, 7 general helmets, and 120 regular-ranked ones, the island was clean. The fox turned each helmet into a bead, and put the 127 beads in a small red bag with violet strings, and then, tied it to his front leg on his right paw with the small bell next to it on the right side of the bag, excluding the helmet on Zen's head, since he would never give it to him.

What if he dropped it as a bead? He would not forgive me or give it away.

"Seriously Zen give it to me. Why are you still wearing that?" Fox asked.

"Never! I love it. Go Tokugawa Ieyusha! Yeah and hell no not giving it up." Zen laughed teasing him and he rolled his eyes giving up. Zen carried each weapon on his back, noticing he had wide shoulders and muscle. Zen laughed amazed at how he could hold them all, including the chains tied to his wrists and arms.

––––––––

ENTRY 14 INARI SHRINE

He walked home through torii gates, silver plates, water, and earth, then soon made it to the golden meadow surrounded by the forest of evergreen trees.

Finally home! Yay! Still have on my hat. Zen thought smiling. Once at the shrine  Zen was greeted by his brother, who had his right arm tied with linen, then, Zen gasped, happy to see the crow with silver talons and spiky feathers on its head perching on his brother's arm. It took a whole day for him to walk back home from his previous location, and it was the middle of the night. Kaze had the light on inside. Well, a ton of candles lit against a draped wall with a red curtain parallel to entrance.

Tengu and Kaze seemed to get along better now, yet there was still a little tension in their faces when they looked at each other. Kamikaze stood behind them and went into the room closest to the red, draped wall. Kaze let Zen and his fox with the beads and the weaponry in then he took his hat smiling as they got up the stairs. Why? No fair, Kaze! Kamikaze!

Kaze went to the third door from the draped wall and took off the wooden board that locked the door shut.

"Here you can put the swords in here. There you will find a table with b-red paint on it. Put the five chains on there and then leave." Kaze explained stuttering at a word, and then changing it. He spoke softly and calmly to Zen, yet stayed serious. Zen looked with curious suspicion at his brother Kaze's blank expression, head-locked to the right with his arms crossed and balancing the board on his leg.

Then Zen turned and sighed with his eyes closed, and with pitch black hair dangling in his face Zen reached for the door and touched the paper door's handle. He froze, with his eyes still closed smiling and then smirking at his brother. Zen then spoke with a calm, knowing, and kind tone.

"So you have an 'art' set in here Kaze?" Zen asked.

Kaze replied, grinning and somewhat laughing under his breath. "Yeah an art set I'm sorry if the paint's still wet so be careful."

"Or is it chemistry? Heh never mind, I'll find out." Zen spoke, laughing at Kaze then Kaze winched and looked a bit shocked then sighed, turned towards the opposing side, and put his sword on the black wall parallel to the doors.

"Just so you know first can, you guess where the crow is?" Kaze sighed. "Yeah, tell me when you're done. Take your bird with you too if you want." Speaking calmly, Kaze left to the same place, away from the sword, and went leaning by the candles, and then stood there quietly and store at Zen with the crow still perched on him, and then slightly gave a sly nod.

Then, Tengu, on his shoulder, wrapped all the way up his right with linen had leaped off his arm's shoulder, cutting a bit of linen off, and lunged at Zen. Zen flinched, quickly stuck out his arm that was tied with linen, and caught Tengu before he almost stumbled through the paper door. Kaze laughed, leaning on an altar in front of the others with two candles on it. "So don't hesitate now Zen, okay? Go on, enter if you dare." Kaze spoke in a playful tone, and laughed after finishing his sentence.

"Funny very funny. I almost fell through the door...ha...nice trick, foxy..." Zen replied, with a sarcastic voice, and opened the door and entered the room. Damn...paper door...bloody fox... Zen thought.

Kaze gestured his fox to go with them, saying he wanted to be left alone for a bit, and it listened without a word. Zen entered and it was a dark, eerie, and hostile atmosphere inside of the room and it stank like iron and lead paint. Zen coughed and examined the dark room. The fox having followed saw a white curtain on the back wall in front of the sealed back door in the dim light and growled while Zen wrapped the chains together and put them on the table in the center of the room.

There was something other than paint on the table, already painted brown, and in front of it by the right wall was an art set and stand for painting. Under it was a folded pillow and blanket spotted with paint and an empty box by the left wall marked in hieroglyphics.

"Eww...this is not...paint. It's sticky and peeling." Zen's curious face turned pale, for there was blood under the red paint. Kaze must have done something other than art in here Zen thought then he leaned the two extra swords on his right arm, against his own on the table. Tengu was perched on the windowsill on the left wall that was draped with black fabric with red paint splattered on it. The crow seemed afraid and was cawing softly in anger, since it couldn't growl at the drape below.

The white drape was attached to a board of wood sticking in the corner flat nailed to the wall and back door. Zen noticed this and finished what he was told. The box read "Put swords in here, beads, on table." Kaze wrote it and Zen remembered the bag and bell attached to the fox's leg.

Zen then put down the swords and laid each flat in the box that fit them perfectly and then, he turned towards the fox, with its tail facing him as it faced the area in the left corner, draped with white fabric glued or pasted with something that stunk of sulfur and rot to the board's edges. There were small black dots and smears on it and Zen reached slowly for the bag on the fox's leg, and it flinched and froze. It let him take it off and soon began to growl again. Zen then put it on the table, curious and wondering what was going on, but placed it on a clean spot silently.

––––––––

OUTSIDE OF THE ROOM was Kaze, still leaning against the altar quietly, with his arms still crossed and eyes closed, and then he opened his eyes and flinched. Half of the candles were blown out. Zen screamed and Kaze froze, and then laughed. His eyes reflected gold and mist from the candle's flame, and then he closed his eyes, grinning and laughing silently in his head. Softly, Kaze spoke in an unconcerned tone out loud to himself.

"Heh...so he found out..." Kaze whispered, questioning, hostilely staring at the fire on his right. The door, closest to the draped wall with the candles, slid open a bit, and white clear fog crept out of the opening. Creeping silently towards him, and then swirled in front of him on his right and it formed the form of a guy slightly taller than him, but looked like his clone or reflection. Instead of the clan symbol of The Four Winds Kaze wore as a necklace, Kamikaze wore a flower with four leaves, eight thorns, an octagon of rope going to the right, and a filled-in jade hole under it. The jade was red with a large crack going counterclockwise to its center, and had several small cracks branching out, forming a swirl in the center. The only other difference between them was that Kaze had gold-silver hair, and The Divine Wind had silver-black hair, reflecting the same color in the candlelight.

"Yeah...guess so...you did do an okay job though." The Divine Wind, Kamikaze's spirit, replied silently, in a calm, relaxed, and tired voice. Hearing every word, he got woken up by Zen's scream and Kaze's voice, and now was slightly annoyed, but emotionless, and stood next to Kaze.

"What should we do now? Master..." Kaze concentrated, now with a blank, empty tone.

"Just...leave him for now." Kamikaze replied softly and kindly to Kaze. Kamikaze was leaning a little without touching him, and broke Kaze's concentration by waving his right hand over the flame and put it out.

"Can I lock the door on them purposely Kami?" Kaze asked curiously and softly, but in a bit louder voice and calmer tone than before. Kamikaze sighed with some relief, but was still tired, and was now getting more exhausted.

"Huh...no you may not...go to bed, okay little wolf? I will stay up for Zen...your brother...and put out the candles for you...you can put out the one on your left if you want." Kamikaze moved gently and patted Kaze's back softly, getting out of the way. Kaze did as told, putting it out by waving his hand over the flame like Kamikaze then, they did a secret handshake, and ended with the shinobi sign, bowed and then whispered goodnight.

Kaze got up, whispered under his breath, and burst into ashes and a snowy, misty fog. It soon settled forming from its center a gray and red fox at The Divine Wind's feet that walked to his room, slid open the door, and went in the room, closing the door behind him.

––––––––

A LIGHT TURNED ON AND Kamikaze watched while the shadow appeared as a fox on the floor, then, the shape shifting transformation reversed, and a person with extremely long hair closed his glowing eyes. Kamikaze noticed who it was and the person began to change into a different outfit and tore off his shirt, changed clothes, and before this was over, he reopened his eyes. The light came from a candle on a tripod, and the person threw his shirt into the flames. His fox like tail and ears still were visible, but were not truly there. They vanished, and the person faded in an outburst of wind, smelling of a spring breeze and tea leaves, through the paper door.

Before the outburst was a shadow of something with ten foot long wings and a glint of silver where his eyes were, and a flash of red. Then, the room was dark, and both the person and tripod vanished, and the sword flashed at the end, disappearing for a split second on the wall and reappearing.

––––––––

ENTRY 15 RETRIBUTED Spirit

Kamikaze just stood quietly in the center of the room, facing the entrance in the same position as Kaze. The door, once locked with a board, swung open and Zen slammed the door hastily, breaking parts of it in the process. The crow and the fox trailed silently behind, while black mist filled the room. A sinister tone had filled the air, and Kamikaze froze, looking silently at Zen who looked tired and stressed. His eyes were a dark blood red with slits of silver and rims of piercing gold. The black mist surrounded him and was dense on his back, forming something that looked close to wings. His right hand had elongated nails, sharp and dagger-like, painted silver, and tipped with an inch of black. Something too blurry to visualize was in his left hand, but was impossible to visualize until the black mist faded. Kamikaze relaxed at the sight of the warm blood dripping and trickling down Zen's face and mouth. The mist cleared and put out 2 less than 100 candles with it. As it faded, it turned into a dense white fog, and the air turned into contentment. It was a skull cleaned recently, and had the Japanese kanji for "leader" carved into its forehead. Zen, looking literally pissed off and annoyed, turned to Kamikaze. He thought it was Kaze for a moment until the person moved again. Kamikaze moved and faced Zen with his head down, and then lifted it up and locked eyes with him. Both had dialects and both stood in silence and Zen growled.

"Kamikaze! The Kami of The Divine Wind where is Kaze?" Zen scolded him, yelling out loud while Kamikaze just stood there quietly and blank-faced and a murderous, eerie, and solemn feeling grew in the air. "Answer me now fox!" Zen yelled, annoyed at the silence that he made. Kamikaze turned slightly to the left, facing the door to his room, nodded, and then vanished into thin air, and a burst of air came from the entrance.

The two candles left went out with him, and darkness filled the room. Zen went over to the door, broke it by slamming it to the side, and pushed it inward. Then, he entered the empty room, and all he found was a tea set. It was black on a red cloth and had a note next to it on the cloth. He set down the skull, and still standing, Zen picked up the note and read it then kicked the tea set, breaking it across the room, and threw the letter. It read,

Hey, Zen! Catch the wind with your bloody hands if you can!

See you... little bird of darkness.

Zen was totally pissed off and annoyed now and kicked the skull that he had placed down on the floor in order to read the letter into the far wall.

He walked over to it and for a moment stood silently then stomped, crushing it under his right foot. Spitting angrily on the floor, which was covered in broken glass and a broken head of his father. Zen then stormed out no longer with Tengu or the fox and felt the eerie and dark air. He walked to the entrance, glanced over to the far wall, and saw that Kaze's sword was still placed on the wall so he walked over, took it, and then left. It was a half-moon outside the starless cloudy sky and Zen ignored Kamikaze who stood on the right wall by the stairs below in silence, and drank tea quietly holding a black cup in his right hand. Zen pierced the silence, making Kamikaze spill his tea then drop his poor little tea cup.

"Tell Kaze that if he ever sets a foot here then I will hunt and kill him so watch the bird since I tend to go alone." Zen spoke in a dark and cruel tone of voice setting the eerie mood to the air and Tengu rustled his feathers a bit shaking nervous looking scared but Kamikaze seemed too calm at the sight of the horror before him like he had gone through this once before.

"Sure...If I see him again Zen I will be sure to tell him not to set foot here or you will hunt and murder his ass which I'd love to see." Be funny since Kaze is already dead but not gonna spoil that for Zen. Kamikaze thought and replied in a calm tone smirking a bit then flinched, frozen in Zen's last sentence as he took off the sword, then his kimono and the bit of linen that was dyed red with blood and revealed a thick deep wound that still bled. Zen tore off his shirt, wrapped it around his arm, and tied the linen tightly over it, stopping the bleeding and blood flow.

"Okay so Zen is a mixture of four things. A demon who sucks blood but he never likes to say clearly or admit to it though...a Tengu, or crow demon, that looks...nicer, very nicer than humans, part wolf or lycanthrope...ether counts, and lastly, a shape shifter. Yet Zen only revealed two of these parts, and in the direct moonlight, reflecting off of his pale ashen skin, was where the second was hence revealed to us. Pitch black-and-silver-lined wings sprouted, clawing through his back tattooed with a celtic cross on his spine the bottom of the cross was a broadsword diamond with vines weaving over and through the cross.. Each wing was seven feet long, and his back was now facing Kamikaze and Tengu, who was perched on his shoulder. Both of them were lost for words, and at the sight of Zen's appearance, they had a good reason to be. His once medium cut wavy hair was tipped, reflecting a gold lining on his soft and somewhat spiky or pointy, like several horns or too much hairspray or gel, on his wild long hair. It was long and straight, like the feathers on a cardinal's head in the back waving in the breeze and a broken eagle's beak in the front and was quite long in the back flowing between his wings and in his face a lot." Kamikaze described in his head focusing in the direct moonlight.

Zen strapped on his new sword that was originally Kaze's onto his back before he slightly turned to the right and spoke yelling, his slits were now black and eyes were gold, and the dark rim around the irises were pitch black and deep. Speaking in a soft, loud, and calm, somewhat mad tone of voice, Zen then before them had spoken his last words before he had moved again.

"I admit it Kamikaze, the guardian of The Divine Wind Inari. I am the recreated, revised, reincarnated and the crow's reattributed spirit!"

Kamikaze flinched and sighed continuing to watch silent, still without a word, but quite calm and happy at those last few words. Zen had turned forward, facing the cruel darkness of the impure night, then walked before he ran through the field, and then through several torii gates, each parted by an incense candle and lantern then at the end, spread his beautiful black wings far after stopping outside and lunging at the darkness. Zen took off, leaving a trail of black mist, a feather in a small pile of blood, linen, and his T-shirt that he had forcefully tore off while running since by now his wound should be a scar fairly thin along his arm. Zen is literally the master of the birds that symbolize death, darkness, despair and fear and is the only retributed spirit.