//------------------------------// // Tea and Tempered Steel // Story: Apples and Cherry Blossoms // by Archangel2401 //------------------------------// Rainbow Dash had forgotten about the arrival of Koga almost immediately after Hiroki presented her with a shiny new bokken. The shards of the broken wooden sword were jabbed into the soil to mark their training grounds. The pair engaged in physical exercises and proceeded to move on to form much quicker than usual and if Rainbow Dash didn't generally go through life in the fast lane she might have noticed that Hiroki seemed to be rushing their lesson. Despite his initial elation at seeing his colthood friend, the appearance of another pony from Neippon troubled him greatly. Surely Koga had not come all this way just to fetch him? What had happened to the mists? Would others follow? His mind was so preoccupied with the implications of the ninja's presence that when it came time for them to change forms and re-direct their bokken, he failed to do so alongside his student. A dull 'thunk' echoed around them as Rainbow Dash mistakenly struck Hiroki square on the top of his head, causing his eye to twitch with pain. He otherwise gave no indication that the blow had fazed him... until he fell over sideways with a noticeable lump forming where she'd struck. Dash immediately dropped her bokken and fell to all fours beside him, eyes wide with panic. There were a few ponies nearby and some were beginning to stare. "Omigosh! Hiroki, are you okay?! I swear I didn't mean- I thought you were going to change stance like I did!" Great, she thought. Why couldn't I have embarrassed us when there weren't any witnesses? Maybe that's why he said sunrise... She placed a hoof to his shoulder and gave him a gentle shake. Hiroki's eye twitched again, but he soon rolled to his stomach and pushed himself up. Judging by the way he listed back and forth that bump on the noggin had rattled his brain pretty good. "Hai... Not to worry, I was careless. My mind was not in the moment as it should have been." Hiroki touched his head with a wince, but soon gave Rainbow Dash a sincere smile and laughed. "Everypony inevitably needs some sense knocked into them. Though how much it hurts after is never really mentioned, is it?" "You're sure you're all right? I whacked you pretty hard..." she replied, giving a nervous laugh in return. Upon seeing that Hiroki was not going to keel over again Rainbow reclaimed her wooden sword. "Yes, I promise I am all right. Perhaps we leave the lesson here for today?" Hiroki also reclaimed his fallen hat, replacing it on the top of his head. "Okay... so same time next week then, yeah?" said Dash tentatively. "Yes. If you promise to be on time..." Hiroki left enough of a pause to give her the impression her tardiness might actually cause him to stop teaching. "Same time." With that the two bowed to one another to formally end their training for the day and Hiroki opted to return to the restaurant, Rainbow Dash trailing behind him. Twilight and Koga did not speak to one another during the interim. She wasn't sure what to say after he rebuked her question about why the samurai had left their home and silence suited the ninja just fine. After some time the door opened and the bell over the threshold jingled. Normally the sound of Hiroki's voice would fill the air with his customary greeting for patrons, but not this time. This time Isamaru was the one to fill the void with a great, booming bark as Hiroki and Rainbow Dash entered. The samurai said nothing as he moved behind the counter and put the kettle on. "Done all ready? You usually go for two hours." said Twilight as Rainbow sat beside her. "Yeah, well... I accidentally hit Hiroki upside the head, so he decided to call it for the day." "Eh? You let her strike you? That's not like you at all." snickered Koga. "Entertaining fools is not like me either, yet here you sit." said Hiroki. "My feelings would be hurt if I thought you really meant it." replied the ninja. "I do not know what you have told Twilight-hime, but I presently have no patience for your games. Please tell me why you have come." Hiroki remained business side of the counter. "The wolf bares his fangs... Now you really do wound me, Hiroki-dono." Koga snorted, narrowing his eyes. "I spoke of finding you and learning what you have learned from your journeys." "Do not allow our friendship to think you can take me for a fool. The hawk does not fly until the hood has been pulled from over his eyes." said Hiroki, his words cutting like steel. There was an awkward silence between them as Koga and Hiroki stared one another down. Twilight and Rainbow both sat off to the side intent on pretending they weren't there. Neither samurai nor ninja took eyes off one another for some time and the tension rose like the top of one of Pinkie Pie's cupcakes. Twilight once again found herself questioning just how deep the bonds of friendship between them actually ran. After another lingering moment of uncertainty Koga was the first to break eye contact and a ghost of a sigh escaped his nose. His face changed quickly and he smiled, a hearty laugh echoing around them. "Perceptive as ever. Becoming a wanderer has not slowed your mind." Koga turned to stare at Hiroki again. "My presence is by order of the Shogun, though I have given no trickery. I do wish to learn what you have learned." Hiroki narrowed his eyes upon having his suspicions confirmed and there was a fleeting look of disgust behind the samurai's gaze. This was the first instance Twilight had heard the word Shogun spoken, but she was sure she'd seen it in the book she'd borrowed from Zecora. Upon seeing the confused expression on Rainbow Dash's face, she leaned over to whisper into her ear. "The Shogun is like... samurai number one. Something along the lines of their commander-in-chief, second only to the Empress." Dash nodded lightly in understanding. "Don't look so sour Hiroki. The Shogun has issued no order for your return." said Koga. "If anything, I should be upset with you. Five years you've been gone with nary a word." "I could not stay any longer-" began Hiroki before being interrupted rather abruptly. "I will hear no excuses." said Koga, matching the samurai's firm tone. "Five. Years. We thought you were dead. What of your new friends? You have no right to chastise me for use of deception. Why have you not told them why you left?" "You are correct, I have not been entirely open. However as the reason for my departure is personal, it is my prerogative to choose the time and place for discussing such things. This is not the time or place." Hiroki frowned and turned away from the counter, showing his back to Koga. "Thank you for your visit." "I know you think we abhorred you as ronin-" started the ninja, before it was his turn to be interrupted. "Thank you. For your visit." interjected Hiroki, turning his head to give his friend a cautionary stare. That was another word Twilight was sure she'd read about, but when she recalled the book in her mind it wasn't more than a single paragraph. She leaned in to whisper to Rainbow Dash again, "Ronin are master-less samurai. It's usually looked down upon by other samurai who view ronin as outcasts with no honor..." "What?!" whisper-shouted Dash, before lowering her voice properly. "How could anypony think that of Hiroki?" Twilight didn't have an answer. "I don't know..." she said quietly. Koga stared at the back of Hiroki's head as the samurai turned back to watch the kettle, his eyes narrowing with frustration. What could have caused a proud warrior to become an outcast? What had happened that Hiroki would cross the world in order to escape? "Look at me Hiroki." When he did not oblige, Koga growled irritably and his words dripped with venom. "Hmph. Do you treat your new friends as poorly as you treat your old friends? Your father would be ashamed." Judging by the way Hiroki froze, the ninja must have touched a raw nerve. Also judging by the way Koga stood with his head raised and the look of contempt that had drawn across his face, he was fully aware of the can of worms he'd just opened. "Twilight-hime, Rainbow-san, will you please take Isamaru and step outside?" Hiroki asked, his voice surprisingly calm. It didn't match the tension in his shoulders. While Twilight Sparkle was reluctant to let the situation continue as it was, Rainbow Dash seemed to recognize that trouble was brewing past the point of calm discussion. Things were likely to get out of hoof and it was best if they weren't in the room when it happened. Her wings carried her up into the air and she began to push and shove Twilight, ushering her towards the door. Isamaru also looked unwilling to let his master out of sight until Twilight beckoned him. He let out a slow whine, but lowered his head and followed her out the door. Inside "I advise you to leave. I have no desire to fight." said Hiroki plainly, moving to the middle of the dining room and gesturing towards the door. "The Mist is failing. The way will open whether we want it to or not." replied Koga, narrowing his eyes. "It's inevitable. You know what is going to happen... You'll have to choose." Hiroki remained silent as the kettle came to a boil and steam whistled from the spout. "Are you worried about what your new friends will think? Or are you worried about what your father would think?" taunted Koga, pressing that raw nerve again. Having his father used as kindling to fuel the fire between them was something Hiroki would not stand for. He turned around to face Koga and rose to his hind legs, hoof touching the hilt of his sword. The gleaming katana was slowly drawn from it's scabbard and the samurai brought it up as he shifted into the hassō-no-kamae, the blade raised alongside him. Koga met this challenge by rising to his hind legs as well and his horn flashed with magic. A sheathed, straight-edged ninjatō appeared across his back. The ninja drew the shorter blade and flipped it, holding it in a reverse grip. The two warriors studied one another, each coming to similar conclusions. Hiroki was intent on being able to respond to attacks from any direction by choosing hassō, even if the katana's length was a disadvantage indoors. Koga chose a weaker grip in favor of fighting inside easily and fluidity of movement. Both let out a sharp kiai and charged the other head on, crossing the dining room in the blink of an eye. The curved blade met it's straight-edged counterpart and issued sparks as metal clashed. The two pressed together and a contest of strength ensued. Friends or not, Koga knew that crossing swords was the only way he would get Hiroki to take him seriously. Using one hoof instead of two he knew it wouldn't be long before the samurai's stronger hold overpowered him, so the ninja took the initiative and broke contact. He leapt back onto one of the tables to put distance between them and allow himself to reset, but Hiroki gave him no respite. Lunging forward with a swing of his sword, the blade swept down from left to right in a diagonal slash. Koga met the blow by swinging his reversed ninjatō horizontally from right to left. Clang. Time and time again their swords danced, sounds of clashing metal filling the restaurant. The ninja demonstrated great agility by leaping to another from table to table, however the samurai followed suit easily. He knew what was happening. Koga was trying to get him closer to the ceiling to limit the range of movement of his longer katana, but he wouldn't be lured into such a trap. Hiroki spun around and struck the ninja square in the chest with the pommel of his sword, knocking him down to the ground. Koga's ninjatō whipped up to parry a series of rapid strikes as he was forced to crawl backwards to avoid being slashed and skewered. Three, four, five, six parries in a row. On the seventh blow the ninja managed to deflect Hiroki's sword completely and countered by hitting him with a kick to the gut. The samurai stumbled back, slumping against a table and Koga took the opportunity to spring back up from the ground. As Hiroki lunged again, the ninja tapped into his magic and his horn flashed a dark blue. Shadows billowed around his form and he became a swirl of black smoke, zipping past the samurai and re-appearing behind him. Koga thrust his ninjatō forward to pierce Hiroki through the back, but the warhorse dodged to one side as he spun around. The two warriors continued to fight across the dining room, pushing tables hither and yon as the sounds of steel continued to clang and clatter. Hiroki caught another kick to the gut and Koga recoiled after he took a backhoof to the face. Once again the pair let out sharp kiai and charged one another down. Their swords should have met except both had the same idea as they slipped past each other and about faced. Each held their blade to the other's throat, yet stopped short of following through with the cut. A draw. Neither spoke, allowing their glaring eyes to speak for them. There was nothing to be won here. They were friends and shouldn't be fighting. Koga may have been ordered to come, but he was not here to cause trouble as Hiroki assumed. Convinced of this, Hiroki would have to come to terms with the fact he needed to be honest with himself and his new friends if he intended to stay. Even if that meant risking that they'd think less of him. The pair pulled back from one another and sheathed their blades in unison, though Koga's disappeared completely with another flash from his horn. Both were breathing heavily. Hiroki's head lowered with shame and embarrassment that he'd lost his temper and Koga tried not to look too guilty for pushing the situation so far. They both bowed their heads and came together in a hoofbump, a silent apology and acknowledgement of their combined foolishness. When their heads rose Koga once again maintained an easy going smirk, while the pensive expression returned to Hiroki's face. "Tea?" said Hiroki aloud, gesturing for Koga to sit at the bar while he went to remove the kettle. "Please." replied Koga as he seated himself. Outside "I don't get it. They started off on much friendlier terms," began Twilight. "Did I miss something?" "I think Koga said something he shouldn't have? I had trouble following after 'shogun' something." said Rainbow Dash, touching one hoof to her forehead while the other lay her new bokken against her shoulder. "Howdy y'all!" Applejack called out to them from up the road, pulling a cart of apples behind her. She stopped when she reached the sakura tree, giving everypony a warm smile. "What's got ya' sittin' out here?" Applejack reached over to pet Isamaru on the head. He sat at the base of the tree, the canine's gaze fixed on the door to the restaurant. Though his tail wagged with appreciation it was not enough to distract him from his vigil. "Hey Applejack. What's with all the apples? I didn't think today was a market day for you." queried Rainbow Dash, tilting her head as she looked over the hitched cart. "Thought Hiroki might be runnin' low so I figured I'd bring 'em on by before we got too busy back at the farm. Is he in?" "Well, he -is- here..." said Twilight, casting a nervous glance back towards the restaurant. "...but he's got an old friend visiting him right now." "Oh." said Applejack, her curiosity piqued. "You mean like from Neippon?" "Yep." Rainbow Dash nodded. "His name's Koga. Kinda... shadowy sort. They were friendly at first, but things got weird and Hiroki practically kicked us out. Felt like they might start fighting." Applejack blinked in bewilderment while she, Twilight and Rainbow Dash joined Isamaru in staring at the door. They all expected to hear shouting of some sort, yet there was nothing. Just the calm morning air and a few lingering cherry blossom petals that fell from the ancient tree. Eventually the kettle had came to a boil, the sound of steam whistling loudly the only thing coming from within. What came after was a little closer to what they expected, yet still surpassed their wildest expectations. A pair of kiai rang out. They must have charged one another. The rustling of shifting furniture echoed from within the Red Apple Restaurant, along with a series of clangs as metal clashed against metal. A fight had definitely broken out. Twilight's brow knit with worry and she nearly found herself clinging anxiously to Rainbow Dash. She'd been afraid something like that might happen sooner or later. Then there was nothing once again, not even the sound of steam. Applejack struggled momentarily with harness and after getting herself unhitched she went to the door. "Applejack wait, we have to respect their customs!" said Twilight, though she was doubting her resolve. She certainly didn't want anything bad to happen. "Nuts to this! You boys stop this right now, ain't no reason to be-" said Applejack, turning and rearing her hind legs. She bucked the door so hard it flew open, nearly coming off it's hinges. "-fightin'?" Twilight and Rainbow peered over Applejack's shoulders to see Koga sitting at the bar, grinning with amusement while Hiroki served him tea. The samurai looked calm again, so that was a start. Yet the tables had all been knocked around? Both stallions looked out of breath and a little battered, their manes disheveled. Despite physical evidence to the contrary the pair looked as though they hadn't fought at all. Eventually Hiroki beckoned them to come back inside and set out two cups of tea. Upon spotting Applejack the samurai flushed with embarrassment and brushed a hoof over his mane in vain attempt to straighten it, then set out a third cup he'd obviously been about to drink from. The three mares blink-blinked together, but sauntered in and all seated themselves in a row alongside Koga. "I humbly ask forgiveness for my reprehensible behavior." Hiroki bowed his head to everypony. His viridian green eyes stole a glance Applejack, causing both to color slightly. This did not go unnoticed by Koga who fought with all his might to keep from smirking any further. Applejack on the other hoof looked a bit surprised by this and peered over at Twilight and Rainbow with raised eyebrows, both gesturing that they'd fill her in later. "It's all right. Just keep the fighting to a minimum, okay? Equestria isn't like Neippon and authorities around here won't stand for that kind of thing." said Twilight softly, showing a smile now that Koga and Hiroki appeared to be on good terms again. "Yeah." snickered Rainbow Dash. "That Oh-so-serious Guard Captain'd probably love to get his hooves on you guys if he caught you fighting." "Not really sure what happened, but I'd say don't you worry about it none." added Applejack, nodding in affirmation. There was a pause as Koga sipped from his tea which prompted the three mares to do the same after having forgotten they'd been served. Isamaru sat himself beside the counter and peered up at Hiroki with his head cocked to the left. The samurai reached down to rub the faithful dog behind the ears and was rewarded with the tell-tale sound of tail-wagging as his sesame tail slapped happily against the wooden floor. "I suppose Koga was correct, I should not have avoided saying so. If you wish to know why I left, I will explain it in the near future." Koga sat and continued to smile, determined not to show any signs of guilt or regret. He'd accomplished his goal and laid the groundwork, but all the same he didn't like having to manipulate his oldest friend. All he could do was pray to the spirits that such machinations would prove unnecessary and his friend would be allowed his peaceful existence. Applejack was the only pony to look at Koga when his name was mentioned and she could swear she saw him give a subtle shift in his seat. He appeared pleasant enough, but he looked away. She remembered Pinkie Pie pointing out a pony who was 'faking it' and realized the smile wasn't meeting his eyes. She frowned for a moment until her gaze returned to see Hiroki smiling at her in earnest and for the time being, put the thought out of her mind. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -