Summary:
Anne, Sprig and Polly dare Randy to test the limits of his sword, causing it to break. A trip to Randy's old home will grant him a new weapon with a lot of responsibility.
Chapter Text
Swords to Meet You
The training of a ninja was not for one with a faint heart or someone with a weak will. It wasn't just the toll it took on the body to fight at levels most could only dream or. It was learning and mastering different weapons and how to use them to the best of your ability. You got your classic kunai blades, shurikens, razor discs, and smoke bombs then you got your more advanced weapons like nunchucks, kusarigama, sais, and bow staffs sometimes. But eventually, there is always one weapon that stands out above the others, the one the ninja truly masters and makes into their signature weapon. And for Randy Cunningham it was his ninja sword.
"Looks good, nicely cleaned after a day's work." Randy examined his sword against the light of the sun. "I should make sure it's sharpened correctly."
Randy made it no secret that he'd grown attached to his sword after all these years. He took care of it, maintained it, and used it to train every single day with his grandpa and when he was back at the Eastern Toad Tower. Knowing that this weapon had been with him for the longest time filled him with pride as he strived to be the town's protector. The first gift his grandfather had given him and the one that he would carry in both hand and spirit for the rest of his days following on his grandpa's footsteps.
"Yo, Randy!" Anne called to him, almost making him drop his sword. "What you doing man?"
"Just looking after my sword," Randy replied, sheathing his sword back in its sheath. "Is something wrong? Need help with something?"
"Hop Pop needs help with taking a few things to town," Anne said. "I would go but he said 'he didn't trust me with delicate vegetables'. Can you believe that? All this time and he still doesn't trust me." She crossed her arms, huffing at Hop Pop's words.
"You were playing basketball with one of his pumpkins," Randy replied. "And you did sneak a pet without his knowledge."
"Don't remind me. I already said sorry about all that," Anne groaned, still feeling the pain from her muscles more than any tennis match she'd ever had. "I gotta prove that I'm trustworthy. But how?"
"Well, you could tend to the fields, cut the wood we're short on, and maybe look for any weeds and get the out of the ground," Randy suggested. "Or just keep an eye on Sprig and Polly?"
Anne's eyes landed on Randy's sword.
"Yeah, that sounds good enough," Anne replied, nodding her head like an idea was forming in her head. "Say, where did you get that sword? No one in Wartwood seems to have one like it."
"Grandpa made it for me for my training." Held up his sword, looking at it with pride. "It's been with me every moment of my training and I would never part away from it."
"Hey, how about you let me take care of it?" Anne asked.
"Huh?" Randy's brain stopped for a second to register her words.
"Hop Pop needs to see that I'm responsible. If I can look after your sword then I should be trustworthy, right?" Anne suggested.
"Um, how is looking after my stuff gonna show that exactly?" Randy looked at Anne with skepticism.
"Um… It's cool and you wouldn't let anything happen to it?" Anne shrugged.
It wasn't that Randy didn't trust Anne with his sword, but he didn't want to leave his sword just laying around for anyone to pick up.
"Not giving you my sword," Randy replied. "But if you help me move the stuff, maybe Hop Pop will look at things differently."
Anne sighed, figuring out that it was probably the best thing she would get. However, her eyes lingered on Randy's sword as it dangled from his hip. The many movies she'd seen have shown swords as capable of cutting through anything and everything. And Randy wasn't exactly disproving that they could do some crazy things.
"And that's the last box, Hop Pop." Anne put down the box on the cart. "Huh, these don't weigh as much as I thought."
"See, training is showing its head." Randy smirked as he put down his box next to Anne's. "Soon enough you'll be moving to weapons." Anne was about to hold up her tennis racket. "A real weapon, Anne."
"Oh yeah that's cool too." Anne shrugged.
"Nice! When do I get one?" Polly asked.
"Mee too! Mee too!" Sprig hopped up and down.
Hop Pop rolled his eyes at the sight of his grandkids looking at weapons like they were toys.
"Thanks for the help, kids. You did a good job there too, Anne. " Hop Pop hopped on top of Bessie's saddle. "Maybe a few more chores and help around the farm and you'll be out of dish duty sooner. Now, I'll be right back. Don't get into trouble."
"We won't, Hop Pop. Anything you need us to do?" Randy asked.
"Hm, well, you could cut some of the weeds, or cut the grass that's getting too tall for my liking," Hop Pop stroked his chin. "Other than that, it's just looking out for each other."
Just then, Polly had an idea.
"Hey, why doesn't Randy just use his sword to cut all those things?" Polly suggested.
"Yeah, he'd put those things down in a second." Sprig agreed, nodding his head. "He can cut yokai and giant bugs like they're paper. I bet those weeds and other things will be nothing to him."
"Weapons are not for games, kids. Stay away from them until you're older," Hop Pop said sternly. "Now, I'm off. Oh and be careful with some of them carapace of Elephant beetles, some say they saw one or two of them running around." Hop Pop and Bessie took off to the market, leaving the youngsters to their own devices.
The quartet watched the old frog and snail ride off into town, leaving them to their own devices. Something which the kids decided to use to their benefit and their own amusement.
"You guys want me to use my sword to cut down all those things, aren't you?" Randy asked.
"Yep," Polly nodded.
"It would be pretty cool," Sprig admitted.
"No," Randy stood firm. "My sword is not to play around with or do stupid things with."
"But it would be so cool! Come on!" Polly tried to give Randy a pair of puppy dog eyes, but he stood firm.
The temptation to see the mighty sword of a trained ninja being used to cut anything was a big one. And it was something that Randy himself had wanted to do for a long time, but his grandpa had long drilled into him that a sword was not a toy and that he'd break all his bones if he even so much as thought of playing with it. No, he would be the grown up and use his sword like it was meant to. Like a warrior, like a protector, like a ninja. Though it would've looked pretty awesome if he-No! Do not think like that. This was serious and he would not be tempted to play this game.
Anne however, saw right through him. She smiled as she figured what he needed to hear to get through the whole scenario.
"Don't worry, Randy, you don't have to do anything." Anne said.
"Thanks Anne, I'm glad you understand," Randy smiled.
"But, wouldn't it be better for training to switch things up?" Anne asked.
"Huh?" Randy looked at Anne with a questionable look.
"Look, I get it, swords aren't toys and you've clearly practiced with test dummies every single day for years," Anne explained her logic. "But you need to be ready for anything. Cutting a few leaves of grass and weeds should at least be a different beast altogether. I bet you could learn something about that."
Looking back on his training, Randy could see that a lot of his targets had ranged from dummies to small targets. But he'd never tested his skill against something so small and easily bent with the wind.
"I know what you're doing, Anne." Randy grabbed his sword. "And it worked. Okay, we do this one time and we move on. Understood?"
Yeah!" Anne, Sprig and Polly all cheered.
Randy stood before the tall grass of the farm. It was around as high as his hips. They should really get something else to cut the grass a lot more often. He turned to Anne, Sprig and Polly looking at him, cheering to get him started. It felt good to have people cheering for him after this long while. It had him pumped and got him ready to draw his sword.
"Okay, just this once and then we get the other tools." Randy unsheathed his sword. "Get ready to get your minds blown. This is gonna be super bruce."
"Oh my gosh, you are so corny," Anne snorted with laughter. "You got this, Randy!"
"Heck yeah!" Sprig hopped.
"Show that grass who's boss!" Polly added with her own brand of blood thirstiness.
Randy unsheathed his sword, lowering his stance down as he prepared to attack the grass. His mind conjured up images of yokai and oni and wild beasts, helping him get into the motions. Taking in a deep breath, he charged forward. Like a flowing river, he stepped forth, swinging against the grass with his sword. The strikes were swift, meeting little to no resistance against his movements. It was like fighting against the wind. Like rain before it struck the ground and all that was around it.
It wasn't an all too dissimilar or strange sensation for Randy, but it wasn't unwelcomed. He sped through the lawn with ease, slicing everything on his path with ease. It felt a lot like going up against the videogame boss after doing all the side-quests and leveling up beyond the boss's original level. It was that easy and the cheers from Anne, Sprig and Polly were making him go off a little bit.
"Yeah! Go Randy!" Anne called out.
"Look at all that grass fly!" Sprig stared at the flying grass.
"Yeah, all nice and all but you can't beat brutality and utter demolishing force from a battle ax or a morningstar," Polly shrugged without a care.
"Oh, is that so?" Randy asked. "Let me show you how far I can really go." Randy's muscles tensed up before he rushed faster through the grass, cutting everything on his path like a river passing through a stream and around any and all obstacles on its path.
Randy felt a high on his easy victory against the vegetation, not stopping one bit. He jumped, spun and made a show of his skills. Within minutes, the lawn was completely cut by Randy's sword. Smirking from his success, Randy looked at the rest of the gang, all cheering for what he'd accomplished.
"So, how's this?" Randy asked.
"Now that was some awesome sword work!" Anne went up to cheer Randy.
"You were cutting that grass like it's nothing!" Sprig hopped on Randy's shoulder.
Polly, however, felt like being the rain over Randy's parade.
"Meh, it was cool, I guess," Polly shrugged.
Randy felt something stop him in his tracks.
"You 'guess'?" Randy asked, raising an eyebrow. "I sliced the grass like it was nothing, like you asked. I think you'd be a little more impressed."
"Meh, I'm more of a brutal girl myself," Polly shrugged. "Don't get me wrong, that flimsy piece of metal can take care of a few things here and there, but you can't match something like a battle ax or a huge hammer!"
Randy felt someone had just punctured his heart with a knife.
"Flimsy? Okay, you did not just say that about my sword." Randy narrowed his eyes. "It takes a lot to master these skills."
"Not really," Polly shrugged. "What's so complicated about swish, swish, and stab? I could do it." Polly smirked.
Mocking tones and jokes made at his expense were a bitter memory from Randy's days at the tower. He worked tooth and nail to get his skills and there was always some fool that thought they weren't a big deal. But most of those jerks were easily dealt with. A duel here, a fight there, and they would regret making fun of him or underplay his skills. But Polly was just a pollywog, baby pollywog, a very dangerous pollywog but a baby nonetheless. So, that left him very few options on how to shut her doubts down. But Randy was nothing if not willing to prove himself against any and all odds.
"Alright, what would you have me test my sword's metal against?" Randy asked as Polly grew a mischievous grin.
"This won't end right, will it?" Sprig asked.
"Nope," Anne winced.
Anne was usually not one to bow down from a challenge, so she knew when someone was being baited for a fall. And right now, she felt that Randy was being played to fall as Polly showed them what she wanted him to cut. Her eyes widened at the sight before her and the rest of the group.
"Whoa, that's a big dead bug," Anne said.
The dead bug in front of them was a large gray beetle covered in scars and missing one of its pincers. It had eight strong legs total, and two large black pincers in front of it with a large scar across its left eye. One of the pincers was broken, but the other one looked prime and ready for combat. If there was one good thing to compare it to, a bulldozer would've been a good estimate.
"This is a freshly dead elephant beetle that croaked not that long ago," Polly explained.
"They're known to cross through the valley to go to their mating grounds and sometimes one or two of them pass on around here," Sprig added to the explanation.
"And many warrior clans and masters believe them to be sacred, which is why armor made out of their carapace is so sought out," Randy added. "You want me to cut this thing? Polly, I'm not doing that to an already dead creature. Let's leave it as is before any predators come and eat it."
"Yeah, I'm with Randy on this one." Anne decided to put her foot down.
"Come on you babies, this thing is dead." Polly hopped on top of the Elephant beetle. "You cut anything of this thing and you earn my respect."
"Not happening," Randy replied as Sprig got closer to the beetle.
"Polly, get down from there before-" Sprig stopped himself. "Hey, do any of you feel warm air right now?"
The elephant beetle's eye snapped open, revealing its old green eyes.
"It's alive, ain't it?" Polly asked, before the giant beast jumped back to its feet, roaring.
It shook its head, swinging its remaining pincer.
Polly was sent flying off the beast's back, making its way to Sprig's arms. Her little prank definitely didn't turn out like she hoped it would.
"Stand back." Randy unsheathed his sword, standing between them and the giant elephant beetle.
Then again, this was even cooler than tricking Randy to make a fool out of himself.
Randy rushed in, getting the beetle's attention. Ducking under the swing of its pincer, he swung his scarf at one of the branches above them. There was no way to attack it from above, but all he needed was to move faster around the big beast. Like how he landed behind it's hind legs, slicing at them.
The beetle turned around, swinging its pincers at him, trying to kill him. Randy flipped back, avoiding the blades in time for them to tear a tree in two. He turned his sword at the beat's eye, stabbing it with all his strength. The beetle roared in pain as the stinging of the blade cut through its flesh. It swung its head violently, doing everything to knock Randy off of it. Letting out a loud roar, it slammed its head on the ground before tossing Randy against another tree.
He got back up, but Anne pulled out her own weapon.
"Racket time!" Anne jumped in, swinging her tennis racket at the large beetle beast.
The elephant beetle charged at Anne, swinging its head and busted pincer against her. She struck the broken pincer, only for her whole body to shudder from the vibration.
"That was a mistake." Anne shuddered like a tuning fork.
"Anne, get down!" Randy tackled Anne out of the way as the beetle swung its still intact pincer at them.
Randy and Anne rolled in the ground, avoiding the stomps of the elephant beetle.
"You okay?" Randy asked, before noticing how close his face was to Anne's.
"Um, yeah, dude," Anne replied, blushing a little. "Thank-Look out!" Anne pulled him out of the way as the elephant beetle tore the ground with its pincer.
Randy turned to face the large insect, brandishing his sword as it went back to attack him and Anne. His body turned against the beetle's pincer. His sword connected with it, only for both the pincer and the blade to shatter upon clashing.
Time slowed down before Randy's eyes. His sword had been destroyed before his very eyes. All the years of training and opponents that he'd faced and now it laid broken before his eyes. The parts of the blade fell down to the ground as the beetle roared in pain and anger. Randy's legs felt weak as he saw the remains of his sword in his hands. It was nothing more than a fancy-guarded kitchen knife now.
"Randy, look out!" Sprig called out, snapping Randy out of his stupor.
Randy saw the beetle charging at him, forcing him to duck under its massive size. His eyes landed on its neck. Instinctively, he swung his sword upwards, slicing open the massive beast's neck.
Anne, Sprig and Polly pushed the beetle off of Randy, letting him get out from under it.
"Everyone okay?" Randy asked.
"Yeah, we're good," Anne replied.
"Randy, you just killed that thing!" Sprig pointed to the downed beetle. "That was so awesome!"
"Yeah, but it's best to go," Randy said. "These things tend to go around on herds and the last thing we need is the herd looking for us."
"Still, it was pretty awesome that you killed it with a broken sword and all," Polly said.
Randy's eyes widened. He slowly lifted his hand to see his broken sword. His face turned blank at the realisation that his sword had been broken.
"Um, Randy, you okay?" Sprig asked.
"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Randy tried to tie his sword back together with blue, wraps of cloth and a few hair clips Anne had loaned him. He held it up, hoping it had done the deed. Anne, Sprig and Polly all looked at Randy trying to put the sword together with all the miscellaneous items like it was a doctor operating on a patient's heart. It wasn't a pretty sight.
"It's fixed!" Randy claimed, only for the sword to fall back to pieces.
Randy felt his heart crack into pieces at the sight of his sword. His grandpa's first gift and it was broken. There was no other way of putting it. All these years and the sword broke against the pincer of an old elephant beetle, it was a gut punch that he couldn't stomach.
"Randy, we have to admit it. This might be something glue can't fix." Anne put a hand on his shoulder. "We need some expert help."
"I know. But I still can't believe this happened." Randy picked up the pieces of his sword. "Time to head to Mr. S. Wardsmith."
"Who? and could you repeat the name?" Anne asked.
"Mr. S. Wardsmith, Anne," Sprig replied. "He's the local blind blacksmith. He's a little cranky and a bit of a no-nonsense kind of guy."
"I'm sorry, did you say 'blind'?" Anne caught on to that little bit of information.
The four kids arrived at a blacksmith shop in the middle of town. It smelled of burning wood and metal being shaped and melted down by the strong end of a hammer. All matter of heavy tools hung by the wall next to a large black burning furnace. Standing with his back at them was a tanned colored frog with balding black hair. He wore a pair of white pants, sandals, a red leather apron, thick brown heavy gloves in his hands and a pair of black glasses.
He slammed his hammer down on a black anvil as the kids waited to see what he was doing. With tension racking up, the blacksmith pulled up two corn forks before picking up a piece of corn.
"Hm, good resistance, not too heavy, comfortable to hold," he said before taking a bite of the corn. "Corn's undercooked though. But these will do nicely. Now, what do you kids want?!" He turned to them, pointing the bitten corncob at them.
"Hello, Mr. S. Wardsmith. It's-" Randy began.
"Little Randy? What happened to your voice, boy?" S. Wardsmith touched Randy's touche, getting a feel of him. "My frog, you shot up like a weed. What they fed you back at the tower?" He asked as Anne waved her hand in front of his face.
"Wow, he's really blind," Anne whispered, only to get a corn to the head.
"But not deaf, girl." S. Wardsmith tossed the corn in the trash. "You must be the new kid Hop Pop adopted. Sprig, Polly."
"How did you know we were here?" Sprig asked.
"You can see all along, right old man?!" Polly demanded.
"You two reek of vegetables, mud and leaves, the girl smells more fruity," S. Wardsmith replied. "Now, what brings you here?"
Randy pulled up the covered up remains of his sword, presenting them to the blacksmith.
"Oh, I heard that sound before," S. Wardsmith said. "You finally busted your sword, didn't you-Oh frog! What did you do to it?! You tried to chop trees with this?!" S. Wardsmith picked up the pieces of the sword, noting the damage.
"He used it to fight an elephant beetle," Polly added. "So, you can make weapons, like any weapons? Say, a battle axe for me?"
"Ask your grandpa," S. Wardsmith replied. "But back to you, Randy, what were you thinking?! Those things can withstand an avalanche."
"Hey, that thing attacked us first," Anne stood up to defend her friend. "Can you fix the sword or not?"
"Of course I can fix the sword, but it'll take a while," S. Wardsmith replied. "But it'll take time."
"How long?" Randy asked.
"...Given that the nearby tower is asking for all their weapons fixed up, and the scarcity of quality iron ore in the valley this time of year," S. Wardsmith made the calculations. "I'd say between two to three months."
"Two to three months?" Randy, Anne and Sprig all gasped.
"So, where would we be with the battle ax?" Polly asked.
"I can't be the protector without a sword. I need a weapon," Randy said. "Do you have one I could borrow?"
"Do I look like I just give weapons away?" S. Wardsmith crossed his arms. "Sorry, kid. I ain't got one to loan you."
Randy grabbed his head, crouching down to think. It wasn't like he was completely defenseless against anyone that came to fight him. But despite his training, he would be lacking a proper weapon to fight against the yokai and the other large beasts. Some of them could not be touched with bare hands, while others had armor. Even his other weapons would not be enough. He needed a sword to fight.
Anne watched as Randy looked like a dog that had just lost his favorite bone. There had to be a way to help him and give him back his sword. Or give him a whole new weapon that he could use in the meantime. An idea popped in her head. She prayed that anime hadn't steered her wrong.
"Randy, did your grandpa have other weapons? He taught you everything you knew about swordsmanship, right?" Anne asked.
"Anne, I am desperate for a sword, but I'm not going to go grave robbing for my grandpa's own sword," Randy narrowed his eyes, making it clear that some lines should not be crossed.
"No, not grave robbing, but I bet your grandpa left a bunch of weapons when he passed, didn't he?" Anne pulled Randy back to his feet. "I bet there's at least one or two swords that should cover you up until yours is fixed and ready for action. Along with many other ninja weapons."
Randy's eyes widened as memories of his old home armory came rushing like a train with missing breaks. There were all sorts of weapons in the armory, from basic ninja tools to advanced weapons that could be forged and prepared for any eventuality. There was bound to be at least a few more swords in there, two or three or nine at the very least. It was worth the shot.
"You're right. There's got to be weapons there." Randy hugged Anne tightly, pressing her body against his own. "Thank you, thank you, thank you, Anne!"
"No… No, problem," Anne flushed at his strong hug.
"But didn't Hop Pop get to keep a lot of old man Norushi's stuff?" Sprig asked. "And I didn't see any weapons when I helped him haul it in."
"Sprig, if I know my grandpa, he wouldn't have left important stuff like weapons lying around for any scavenger to take or steal after his death." Randy released his hold on Anne's body. "Time to go back home!" Randy ran off, dragging Anne behind him and Sprig hopping after them.
"Adventure!" Sprig called out.
S. Wardsmith smiled, wishing the dumb kids all the luck in the world. He was about to head back to work when he sensed something wrong with the force.
"Put that down young lady!" S. Wardsmith didn't have to turn around or have eyes to know that Polly was about to try her hands at a large battle ax meant for a warrior ten times her size and a thousand times her weight.
"You'll never catch me!" Polly hopped to get away only for S. Wardsmith to catch her in a bucket. "In my defense, you were distracted."
"Yeah, tell it to the judge." S. Wardsmith went off to search for Hop Pop.
Randy, Anne and Sprig arrived at the old home of the Norushi Clan. It was covered with wilderness, moss and vines hid the roof and windows from any outside elements, almost like nature itself was keeping anyone from coming in. The home that raised Randy for many years was now left to the elements and whatever wild critters found a home between its walls. It was a painful reminder that Randy was the last Norushi.
"Whoa, Randy, you lived here?" Anne gazed in through the windows, watching what was inside. "This looks like the home Yoda had back in that movie?"
"Yeah, it may not look like much, but old man Norushi lived here his whole life and everyone knew better than to come here looking for trouble." Sprig joined Anne in looking into the home. "Even now I can't believe he's gone. Almost feels like he's about to appear behind our backs and smack us for spying."
"Hey," Randy said, making them flinch from his voice.
"Randy, don't do that man!" Anne held her chest, feeling her heart was about to pop out.
Randy couldn't help but smile. He didn't mean it, but knowing that he managed to pull off something his grandpa always did brought a smile to his face. The sorry sight of the house was a somber one and it helped as a reminder that he had a legacy to uphold, a legacy that he couldn't leave in the darkness. Many times he'd wished for his grandpa to be there waiting for him over the last couple weeks, but life went on. But he couldn't take his leave. He had to go in and get what he needed to uphold his family's legacy. And for that, he needed two things.
His hands gently pressed against the front door, pulling away the vines and the undergrowth that had formed into chains blocking the entrance. Opening the door, he felt a breeze of air pass through him and his friends, like a breath that had been held for a long time. The inside of the house was dusty and cold, but the memories of warmth and home were all before Randy to embrace with a single step.
"Remember to take your shoes off or wipe your feet when you step inside." Randy walked inside, like many times before.
"Wow, this has ancient cabin for a wise old master written all over the place." Anne looked around, almost tripping by the entrance. "You lived here for almost ten years?"
"Yep, home sweet home," Randy grabbed his scarf, remembering the day his grandpa gifted it to him. "The armory should be over in the dojo." Randy turned towards the dojo with Anne and Sprig following right behind him.
As Sprig hopped on, his eyes caught something carved into the back of the door. It looked like the face of a frowning demon with sharp tusks poking out of its mouth and fire coming from its eyebrows. Its eyes were intense and they seemed to follow him around the room.
"Hey, Randy, what's that thing?" Sprig pointed to the carving. "It looks like someone's face."
"Wow, that thing would give people nightmares," Anne added.
"Oh, that's the house yokai carving. My grandpa told me they're meant to protect the house from any dangers," Randy explained.
"Huh, like a Khwai Thanu, a spirit meant to protect," Anne said. "It's a Thai thing. But it's just a superstition thing on Earth."
"Let's just not anger it, or we'll probably have to run out the window." Sprig hopped after Randy with Anne following right behind him.
What neither of them noticed was the eyes of the protective spirit watching them leave to the other room.
The three friends looked at the dojo, noting it empty of anything that resembled weapons or training material. The weapons that hung from the walls were gone. The ancient rules of ninjutsu were also missing. Even the small altar where his grandpa kept their clan's greatest treasure: The Ninjanomicon. The room felt so empty without them. Almost like his entire history had been erased by time and forgotten.
"This is where you trained, right?" Anne asked. "Looks just like a dojo back home."
"But everything is missing. The weapons aren't here, not even the altar or the Ninjanomicon," Randy pointed out. "They should be here. Something's wrong." Randy knelt down on one knee to examine.
"Maybe someone snuck in and took them?" Sprig hopped around looking around for any signs of anyone being there.
"No, the door was locked, and my grandpa wasn't the type to leave important stuff lying around." Randy spotted some small marks on the floor where the altar had been set up. "He always said the best ninjas hide in plain sight and guard their secrets just under the surface." Randy reached for the stand where the altar once stood, pulling it towards him.
The piece opened up a passage before the trio, leaving them with open jaws and wide eyes.
"Whoa, a secret passage." Anne pulled out her phone, casting light down the steps. "Did you know this was here, Randy?"
"Nope," Randy replied, shaking his head. "But if grandpa wanted to hide something, he would've used this."
"Let's go down there!" Sprig pulled out his slingshot. "It may be boobytrapped."
Anne looked at Sprig with some skepticism, but Randy knew better than to underestimate whatever might be under the passage.
The trio slowly made their way down the secret passage, using Anne's phone as the only source of light they had. The air around them was stale. No one had opened the passage in a long time, but it was clear enough that they could walk without worrying about finding a dead body. The walls of the tunnel were covered by cobwebs with old torches laying on the wooden support beams that hadn't been lit in a while. But on both sides of the walls, the mark of the Norushi clan had been engraved. A reminder that only clan members could enter this passage.
"Man, this has spooky written all over it," Anne said as they walked deeper down the tunnel.
"Yeah, stay together, knowing grandpa, the hidden entrance won't be the only surprise we'll find down this path." Randy kept his eyes open as he grabbed one of the torches, lighting it up.
"You think old man Nobu actually put traps here at his age?" Sprig took a step, only for it to go deeper.
The sound of gears and triggers winding up filled the tunnel as Randy and Anne turned to look at Sprig.
"Call it a hunch." Randy pulled Sprig and Anne out of the way of a row of spears shooting out of the wall.
As soon as they fell back, another trap got triggered. A heavy rock came down, falling on top of them. Randy, Anne and Sprig rolled out of the way, narrowly avoiding the rock from crushing them. They stopped on their tracks, hearing more traps activating all around them. They took off in a rush as ninja razor disks and shurikens shot out from the walls around them. They jumped, ducked and rolled in the ground, doing all they could to avoid getting hit by the flying weapons.
Every move they made made their heart pump faster as they got close calls from the flying weapons. The screams of Anne and Sprig echoed in the tunnel as they felt the blades cutting a little too close for comfort. Randy pulled them ahead of him, helping them avoid the razor disks from turning them into sliced ribbons. He stopped them before they took another step, gazing over the trap door that opened up before them into a pit filled with sharp spikes. But their respite was short lived as the ground under them gave way towards the tiger pit.
Randy jumped towards the wall to his right, running on it before jumping to the other wall before they landed on the other side of the pit.
They all panted as they watched all the traps stop going off behind them and closing in for the next person dumb enough to trigger them. It was a terrifying feeling that the seemingly undisturbed tunnel could quickly become a death trap for anyone that set foot in it. In a way, it was a testament that there was always something under the surface.
"Okay, I take it back. This place is worse than your training routine, Randy," Anne gasped for air after all the screaming.
"Yeah, those would have killed us many times over." Randy lifted his arms, noting the slight cuts on his suit and skin. "My grandpa clearly didn't want anyone coming through here if they weren't part of the clan."
"I'm more surprised that Old Man Nobu actually got past all these traps," Sprig said, before his slingshot fell to pieces. "What could possibly be here?"
"We'll find out soon enough." Randy pointed ahead of them.
Two red mushroom lights lit up like torches revealing what laid before them. An entrance to another room. It was a big red entry like the type you see in a temple with the Norushi symbol on top of it.
They slowly approached the entrance, passing through the gate to find another dojo hidden underground. The mushrooms on the walls lit up the room, revealing the weapons hanging on the walls, armors stacked alongside them. The middle of the room was covered by a wooden tatami floor that acted as both ring and training floor for the dojo. And at the other end of the room, stood the altar of the Norushi clan with both the ancestral sword as well as the Ninjanomicon, resting in wait for their time to call upon them.
"Whoa," Randy, Anne and Sprig all let out.
Randy bowed in respect to the ancient hidden dojo.
"This is amazing," Randy muttered.
"So cool," Sprig's eyes filled with stars as Anne took pictures of the place.
"Dude, could you get any more anime?" Anne asked. "I swear if Marcy ever meets you, she'll probably pounce on you on the spot." She whispered quietly as Randy and Sprig were busy looking at everything else.
"What was that, Anne?" Randy turned to face his friend.
"Nothing! Hey what's that!" Anne's face flushed red at what she'd said.
But she quickly covered her blush by pointing to the very book at the other end of the room.
"It looks like a book," Sprig hopped over to see it.
"That is the Ninjanomicon, Sprig," Randy revealed. "It is the biggest work of the Norushi clan. It has all the knowledge of all the previous Norushi passed down for over 800 years. My grandpa said that this was how the clan remained strong and prepared for the future. And with it, a Norushi would never be alone." Randy reached out to pick up the book before him.
It was just as heavy as the last time he held it. The wisdom of his entire clan in a single book weighed more than he'd ever expected. From what little he'd read, the book had great wisdom for him to follow, but now, he felt he needed it more than ever. Not just because of the ninja techniques and teachings that would take his training to the next level, but because there was a chance his grandfather had added his own wisdom to these very pages. It could very well be the last thing he had ever written.
"Wow, that's a lot for one little book, I'm more of a magazine girl myself," Anne shrugged. "But it looks pretty cool. And what about the sword, dude?"
"Huh?" Randy looked up at the ancestral sword of the Norushi Clan.
The sword was sheathed in a black sheath with the guard of the sword being the symbol of the clan and its handle wrapped with a black cloth. It looked powerful, yet still and in search of a worthy warrior to unsheath it. Outside of the feeling it gave off, the sword looked no different than any of the swords and weapons that hung on the walls.
"I've only seen the sword a few times, but I never used it," Randy replied.
"Then let's take it and get out of here," Sprig reached over, grabbing the sword only for his hand to smoke, feeling dry like a carcass left out in the day. "So hot, I need water." Sprig released the sword, dropping to the floor exhausted.
"Sprig!" Anne and Randy knelt next to the pink frog as he panted.
"Water, please…" Sprig held up his hand weakly.
Randy handed him his gorge, which he downed in a second.
"Oh yeah, that hit the spot," Sprig panted.
"What happened, dude, you almost passed out there?" Anne turned to the sword. "Is that thing cursed or something? I really don't know. Are curses a real thing here?"
"Yeah, curses are a thing too, Anne," Randy replied. "Sprig?"
"I don't know what happened. One second I was holding that sword and the next I was passing out for lack of water," Sprig explained between sips. "It felt like I had been laying out in the sun for three whole days. I don't know how Old Man Norushi brought that thing down here, but no frog can handle that amount of heat. It has to be cursed!"
Anne tentatively reached out to grab the sword by the sheath, hoping it wouldn't possess her like one of the many evil anime swords she'd seen. But as soon as her fingers wrapped around the sheath, she felt lit. It was holding a metal bar on a hot sunny day in LA, it stung but it didn't drain her of anything that important. She pulled back her hand, inspecting it.
"Okay, that ain't normal. It feels hot but this place is nowhere near the daylight or a fire," Anne said.
Randy looked at the sword, wondering what it was. His grandfather wouldn't have left some cursed sword laying around among the family relics. This was something important that he needed to hold with the Ninjanomicon. He turned to the ancient book of his family, flipping pages in search of the answer he was looking for.
"If there's something about that sword, then it has to be in the Ninjanomicon." Randy passed through all the pages. by the different ninja techniques, by the wisdom of the different warriors that passed it down, until he found the page he was looking for. "Here it is. 'The Norushi Clan has been around Amphibia for many centuries, seeking to protect it and prepare for what was to come. Through the ages the Sword of the Norushi Clan has been passed down from its founding nine members. Forged by the flames of the Tengu and the spirit of the clan, this sword must be earned by only a true master of the Mystic Arts with a strong body and pure of heart. Only then will it unlock its true potential. And strike down the darkness that plagues the land'."
Randy, Anne and Sprig allowed the feeling to sink in. The information they'd listened to was unlike anything they had expected, yet the test was there. Only someone worthy could wield the clan's sword.
"So, we're taking it?" Sprig asked.
"Oh yeah," Randy replied.
"I mean, it is a powerful sacred sword, why would we leave it lying around?" Anne added. "Just, um, be careful."
Randy nodded before putting the Ninjanomicon behind in his bag. He wasn't sure what to expect from the ancient weapon Both Anne and Sprig had felt its power but it seemed to have very different effects on them. Could it be gauging them based on their worth or could it have some kind of protective spell casted on it? It very well could actually be cursed by yokai powers if it was created by the flames of the Tengu. The stories he'd heard of the yokai were as elusive as they were filled with exploits of its power. Not to mention that he felt like he'd seen the very yokai at some point in his life.
He reached out for the sword's handle, gently wrapping his fingers around it as he lifted it with both hands. It felt a little heavier than his previous sword. But it felt warmer. Just like what Anne and Sprig had said. It felt like it had just been pulled out of a furnace and cooled off with cold water. Yet, it wasn't even near a source of such heat. His grip tightened, pulling the sword out from its scabbard with effort. Years of not being wielded had left it somewhat stuck. Taking in a deep breath, he pulled out the sword, gazing upon its bright stainless steel.
With one final tug, he released the sword from its holding, swinging it down to his side, cutting the air with ease.
"Whoa," Sprig said as Randy examined the sword.
"That's an anime sword right there," Anne took a picture of it.
"It's a little heavier than my first sword, but aside from that, it looks a lot better than what I thought," Randy said, examining the sword. "It's in perfect condition. The blade is sharp as if it had just been sharpened, and it doesn't have the slightest bit of rust. I can't tell why my grandpa never used this sword before." Randy looked at his reflection on the blade.
The sword's blade started to turn bright orange and red, catching the eyes of the trio.
"What's it doing now?" Sprig asked.
The sword set itself on fire, bursting into flames before their eyes. They screamed in terror as Randy swung the sword side by side, trying to set it off.
"Why is the sword on fire?!" Anne screamed.
"I don't know!" Randy yelled as he tried to put out the fire.
Back at the entrance of the house, the carving of the house guardian lit up with a fiery orange and red glow. Its eyes turned into balls of fire before they shot out of the door and into the secret passage.
"Try pouring some water on it!" Anne screamed as Randy continued swinging it.
"I drank all of it!" Sprig ducked as Randy swung it too close to him.
Just as soon as it lit up, the blade stopped spewing fire, returning to its previous state.
The trio looked at it with fear and curiosity as it seemed to have calmed down. They all let out a sigh of relief.
"It's fine now," Randy said.
"How the heck did that thing set itself on fire?!" Anne asked. "Sprig's right, that thing is cursed!"
"But wouldn't it have burnt Randy or us if it was?" Sprig asked. "It just let off some flames and turned itself off. I mean, that's clearly a cursed item move but I don't think it means us any harm."
"Yeah, but still. If this is a cursed item, then why would it be called the clan's treasure, and what kind of test would deem you worthy?" Randy looked at the sword with care, worried that something else might happen.
"Um, Randy, you know you just jinxed us, right?" Anne sighed.
Randy was about to reply, only to see two fireballs coming in through the tunnel.
"Get down!" Randy turned around, holding the sword up by instinct.
But the fireballs didn't touch him or his friends. They simply stopped in their tracks before them in the middle of the floor. They hovered in place as pieces of ancient armor shot out from the walls, spinning around the two fireballs. Piece by piece, the armor took the shape of a large samurai warrior with the red mask of a demon with the fireballs for eyes glaring at them.
"Oh shoob me," Randy whispered as the samurai unsheathed its own sword, getting into a combative stance.
"Guess now we know what trial we need to pass to get the sword," Sprig whispered.
"Yeah, this has final boss feels all over," Anne added, pulling out her tennis racket. "Any ideas, Randy?" She asked.
Randy looked at the sword and then at the samurai warrior. This was his test to prove he was worthy of the sword. He had to beat the samurai warrior, the guardian yokai of his family, to prove himself. But he would not put his friends in danger to do so.
"I'll handle him, draw his attention, you two get out of here as fast as you can," Randy stepped forth, holding his own fighting posture.
"You crazy? This is nuts!" Anne snapped.
Randy didn't listen to her. He made sure the eyes of the guardian were set solely on him. They circled each other, looking at each other for any openings before coming to a stop across from one another. They bowed to each other before getting into their combat stances once more.
"My name is Randy Cunningham of Clan Norushi, and I challenge you," Randy said.
The guardian nodded before they charged at each other.
The steps of the Norushi Guardian made the floor tremble compared to the steps of Randy. But it did not dissuade him from his course. Using his training, he increased his speed, cutting the distance between them before swinging his new sword at the guardian. His new sword clashed with the Guardian's sword. Randy dug his feet against the samurai, but the guardian's body was larger and stronger, pushing him back with ease. Flipping back, Randy landed back on his feet as the Guardian charged in for the attack, holding its sword over his head. Randy rolled out of the incoming sword, dodging it by an inch. He threw his scarf around the guardian's hands as he ran behind him and between its legs. His scarf held him in place as he pulled tightly on it.
The Guardian looked at him with rage as Randy prepared to strike. But then, the guardian's hands and leg split from the rest of the body, freeing itself from the scarf. As Randy cursed under his breath, the guardian grabbed his scarf, flinging him to the other side of the mat, slamming him back. Randy rolled to a stop only to see the Guardian rushing at him like a crazy locomotive. Randy took in a deep breath, filling his muscles and whole body with oxygen as he thought of a strategy. Narrowing his eyes, he ran fast, stepping like droplets of water in the rain, dodging the Guardian's attack. He stepped under the swing of his sword, spinning to cut his leg before going for the other leg.
"Norushi Style! Raindrop Step!" Randy gripped his sword tightly as his breath hummed in his lungs.
The Guardian collapsed, giving Randy an opening to strike. His legs bent before he sprung towards the samurai's arms.
"Norushi Style! Flowing Cut!" Randy sliced the arms of the Guardian into three pieces each.
The Guardian fell down to the ground without arms and legs to hold it up.
"Heck!" Anne and Sprig cheered.
Randy let out a sigh of relief as he saw the fight seemed to be over. But his worries came back with a vengeance, as the severed hand of the Guardian grabbed hold of his leg. The Guardian pulled himself together, lifting him up over the arena while glaring at him. Randy kicked and grabbed at the hand holding him, trying to free himself even landing several kicks to the Guardian's face. The mask got cracked but apart from that, it didn't do anything to stop the Guardian. Randy could only chuckle sheepishly at the look of annoyance his challenge was giving him.
The Guardian slammed Randy on the ground over and over again, like a ragdoll being bodied by an angry toddler, knocking the air out of him with each slam. Randy was then thrown out, slamming against the wall, bouncing down to the ground.
Randy struggled to get up, getting his breath back into his lungs as the samurai Guardian walked towards him. He looked up, taking off his mask to see his enemy better. How was he supposed to defeat a yokai that pulled itself back together? He'd tried outsmarting and cutting it to pieces but every attack seemed to fail him. Was this a way for him to learn that he was not worthy?
"Randy!" Anne and Sprig jumped to his side. "Are you okay?" Anne helped him to his feet.
"I thought, I told you guys to leave." Randy gasped. "I don't know how to beat this guy. Maybe this is punishment for breaking my sword?" Randy's grip loosened.
"Hey, no quitting talk man!" Anne smacked the back of his head.
"Ow!" Randy snapped.
"Yeah, you messed up. I messed up all the time, but you keep telling me to try and do better! Because that's what you do!" Anne pulled him to his feet. "So what if all you gave him was a crack on his mask. You actually got to hold the damn sword and managed to bring him down twice!"
"Wait, what about the mask?" Randy asked.
"The mask you kicked." Sprig pointed to the Guardian's mask, and the crack that showed one of the two fireballs it had for eyes. "It hasn't fixed itself." Sprig added, giving Anne an idea.
"That's it! Randy, you need to get that sword lit up again and slice those flames and beat it!" Anne shook Randy. "The test is to see you use that thing in combat! It's not about skill, it's about you having the will to keep fighting!"
Randy looked down at the sword and then at the approaching Guardian. If that was the test all along, then it was worth the try. He opened the Ninjanomicon to the very first page. It read the rule his grandpa told him long ago. That was the real real test all along.
"'Believe in the weapon that is in the suit, rule number one'." Randy tightened his grip on the sword, as he turned to the Guardian. "Okay, come on, fire sword!" Randy swung the sword, but nothing happened.
He swung it again. And again. And again.
"Um, I might need a second to figure this thing out," Randy pleaded with the Guardian, only for it to raise his sword at Randy. "Oh boy."
The Guardian was about to strike at Randy, only for Sprig to pull out his spare slingshot and shoot a rock at its head.
"And Polly said a spare was useless," Sprig said as the Guardian turned to face them.
"Randy, you figure out that sword, we'll keep it busy." Anne grabbed naginata from the wall, aiming it at the Guardian.
"Are you crazy?! That thing will kill you!" Randy snapped as the Guardian charged at them.
"Then figure it out fast!" Anne and Sprig jumped out of the way as the Guardian stomped where they had just stood.
Randy turned to the sword. Time was of the essence. He swung it over and over, calling for it to light itself on fire once more. He looked for a button or a switch somewhere on it to get it to light up. But there was nothing outside of it being a normal sword as far as he could think of.
Anne and Sprig had the unenviable task of keeping the Guardian distracted while Randy figured out how his sword worked. And it didn't take them long to see they were outmatched in every aspect against the possessed armor.
Anne swung her naginata at the Guardian, who blocked it with ease, parrying it with his sword. The Guardian didn't need to do much before spinning it out of Anne's hands, catching it with its left arm and slamming it down on the ground. Anne jumped back as it swung its sword against her, dodging the attack by the whiskers of a bald cat. She was sent back, rolling to the wall behind her.
"Randy, I don't say this enough but this thing is ridiculously strong!" Anne grabbed a staff before charging again.
Sprig jumped on top of the Guardian's head, hitting it over and over with all his strength. But it only annoyed the Guardian. Sprig pulled out a pair of nunchucks, spinning them over his head before hitting the Guardian once more. But the weapon swung back hitting him in the head.
"This was not the best idea, was it?" Sprig asked as the Guardian grabbed his head, tossing him back into Anne's stomach.
"So, how's it going?" Anne gasped.
"Could be better," Sprig replied.
"Randy, any second now!" Anne called as the Guardian dragged his sword on the arena, walking slowly towards them.
"I'm trying!" Randy pressed his forehead on the blade, trying to figure out what he was doing wrong. "Come on, what do you want from me?!"
The Guardian held his sword over his head as it got ready to put an end to both Anne and Sprig.
Anne and Sprig screamed in terror, getting Randy's attention.
The sight of his friends in danger took precedence. A fire lit up in his stomach as his breathing became warmer, following a rhythm that felt both natural as well as alien. Narrowing his eyes, he pulled down his mask as he took in a deeper and stronger breath. His legs moved faster than normal, but he did not care. He lifted his sword, gripping it tightly while not noticing the blade regaining its orange fiery glow.
"Get away from my friends!" Randy appeared above the Guardian's head, making it turn to catch him. "Your fight is with me!"
The sword ignited once more into a blaze as the Guardian turned to face Randy.
The blades collided, with Randy's new sword lighting up the room with newfound power, pushing back the Guardian slightly. Randy's speed increased as he felt every vein in his body pumping blood faster and faster. His whole body was on fire like that time against the Red Horn Onis. The sword followed his movements and his raging spirit like a flare rushing across the sky.
Randy's strikes were fast and stronger, like he was fighting with a weighted weapon, but the extra weight didn't bother him. He swung fast and hard, putting the Guardian on the defensive, parrying his blows whenever he got too close. Yet, he didn't relent. He ducked under a swing from the Guardian, swinging his flaming sword upwards, cutting both its arms in a wheel-like slice. The Guardian jumped back, avoiding the attack aimed at its stomach as his arms got reattached to him.
Anne and Sprig watched the fight in a brand new light. Randy was more than a match for the Guardian, dodging and blocking the attacks like he was supercharged.
"Whoa, what is that?!" Sprig asked. "The fire is so awesome!"
"I have no idea, but it looks like he's… dancing?" Anne's mind went back to some dancing traditions her mom and dad had shown her. "Go Randy, GO!"
Randy let out a roar of defiance, charging at the Guardian with fire in his eyes and burning gasoline in his veins. Parrying the sword coming down on him, he climbed on the arms of the Guardian, only for it to kick him back. Randy swung his scarf, wrapping it around his opponent's throat. Pulling on it with all his might, he jumped right back against the Guardian's face. He swung his fire sword at its neck, cutting clean through it.
The fireballs that made up its eyes dissipated as Randy landed on his feet. Dropping down on one knee, the sword stopped releasing its flames. His muscles burnt and he could barely keep himself up. It felt like he'd taken a dip in a fire pyre and worn it like armor. The Guardian collapsed behind him, but he no longer had the strength to look back. But it was worth it.
"Guess, that's all she wrote," Randy said before Anne and Sprig jumped on him.
"Oh my gosh, dude, that was amazing!" Anne hugged Randy.
"You were all awesome and kicking butt!" Sprig added. "Does this mean that you passed the test?"
"I-" Just then, the sound of the Guardian putting itself back together caught their attention.
"Oh come on!" Anne groaned.
They turned to see the Guardian staring down at them, its eyes no longer flaming. But instead of a fight, it sheathed its sword, bowing down to Randy, who did the same before it disassembling itself.
"I think I… passed." Randy almost fell back if not for Anne and Sprig.
"Let's go back home," Sprig said with the humans nodding in agreement.
Back at the Plantar farm, Hop Pop chewed them out for not finishing their chores and for leaving Polly at the blacksmith's.
"And that's two weeks of dish duty for the three of you!" Hop Pop finished. "Oh, Randy, S. Wardsmith said your order will be ready in three months."
"Thanks, Hop Pop," Randy said.
"So, what's the plan now?" Anne asked Randy. "Gonna train with the new sword now?"
"That thing was pretty useful," Sprig added.
"I kinda have to." Randy looked at his new sword. "This is a big responsibility, and maybe the best course to become a Mystic Warrior."
"Well, we're with you all the way, dude." Anne gave Randy a playful punch.
"You can count on that!" Sprig and the others cheered, which caused the sword to shoot out a ball of fire to the ceiling.
"What was that?!" Hop Pop asked.
"Nothing!" They all replied.
Yokais in the Night Arc…