Disclaimers: Yoroiden-Samurai Troopers is copyright © Sunrise/Nagoya TV and the CBS/Sony Group.
Note: This fic is based on the Samurai Troopers CD “Korinden.” If you have no idea what Korinden is about, I suggest you go to a YST site that has *correct* information on it and check it out. And one last thing: A Mari is a ball with a bell inside that little girls in Japan play with.
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I am given a Mari and told to stay in the front of the house. Grandmother pats me on the head before heading into the dojo with grandfather. I sigh and drop the ball. I can hear the sound of the bell ringing softly inside as it bounces on the ground and away from me. I sit on the sidewalk and draw my knees to my chest. Wrapping my arms around my knees, I watch as people walk by on the other side of the street. A few of them look over in my direction and smile.
"What a cute little girl," a woman comments.
"Yes," the man next to her replies, "she will be a beautiful woman someday."
I frown in dismay. I turn away so I don't have to look at them. Just ahead, I see someone walking down the street, heading towards me. It's a man: tall and rather skinny, with short black hair and brown eyes. I recognize him as a former student of my grandfather's.
He comes over kneels before me. He studies me with those brown eyes that make me uncomfortable. "What do you want?" I ask him.
"You look familiar," he tells me as he scoots away from me some. "Your eyes... I have seen them before."
Before I can tell him, my sister comes out from the dojo. "Takaro-san!" Yayoi greets. I watch as she rushes over and hugs him. I glance to the side not wanting to see my sister cling onto him like some giddy schoolgirl.
Takaro-san laughs. "Oh, Yayoi-chan. You didn't tell me that you have a little sister. I thought you had a little brother. Did he...?"
Die? I knew that is what he wants to say.
Yayoi shakes her head. "No, that... that IS my little brother."
I glance over my shoulder and see that Takaro-san's eyes have suddenly grown huge like an anime character’s would. He blinks at me a few times and I just stare at him calmly. Meanwhile, Yayoi goes and hands me the Mari.
"Go play over by the door," she tells me while forcing me to my feet. "Mother worries about you wandering into the streets."
"I do not go out into the streets," I retort while sticking my tongue out at her. She snorts and just pushes me forward. I almost fall on my face but I keep my balance and hurry to the door. But even from where I am, I can still hear them talk.
"What happened?" Takaro-san asks Yayoi with a funny look on his face. "I mean with your brother?"
"Seiji-kun is very sick," Yayoi tells him, as if she was an expert on what went on with my health. "So grandfather make him dress like a girl in order to protect the him, the heir of our clan, from evil things like sickness and death. We girls have good immunity to diseases and live longer. Grandfather wants Seiji-kun to be in good health and well... look at him." She points at me and says, "Isn't he just as pretty as the other girls?"
I fidget uneasily. I know I have to keep wearing these kimonos and this bobbed black wig because everyone's worried that I might get sick. Grandfather really wants me to become leader of the Date clan. What upsets me is why I was such in poor health in the first place. I really want to take all of this stuff off and be the boy I am but I cannot! I must respect my elders and not question their choices.
Yayoi giggles and pulls Takaro-san over to me. She sits beside me and roughly fixes my kimono. I try to squirm away but she just pulls me back over until she is done. She then starts telling me more stories about girls; it’s because of her I do not like girls. They frighten me and having my sister tease me about them doesn't help me get over my fear.
After a few minutes Takaro-san shakes his head and scolds her. "Leave your poor brother alone," he tells her. "One of these days, he'll never want to associate himself with females.”
Yayoi shrugs and stands up. She takes my Mari and starts bouncing it noisily. I jump up and take it away from her, telling her she can't play with it. "You're too big for these," I huffed.
"Don't act spoiled, Seijiko-chan," she says to me. I just hate it when she makes my name sound like a girl's. I just turn away and bounce the ball in front of me.
"I must leave now," Takaro-san tells us finally. I look over and see him wiping his hands on his pants. He pats Yayoi's head and says, "Don't tease him so much. He's going to struggle in the future, I just know it."
She nods and then Takaro-san goes to say good-bye to me. I stop bouncing the ball and my arms fly above my head, covering it so he can't pat me. He looks at me for a few minutes while I just glare at him. Finally he stands up and laughs.
"So he has male pride with him after all," he laughs. "It is a good thing, Seiji-kun, believe me. Later!"
He takes off away from the house and down the street. I race over and stand on the sidewalk as Takaro-san disappears. Looking beside me, I see a small puddle of water on the street. I walk over and gaze at my reflection. A black bobbed wig is on my head and a light green and yellow kimono is worn around my body. I am a little boy dressed as a little girl in disguise.
My name is Date Seiji. One day I will be the leader of the Date clan. But as of now, I only wish to be a normal boy.