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Beneath the snow-capped mountains of his youth, Yasha recalled the old legends of his clan. The Yasha clan is a newcomer among the vulnerable tribes of Gods in Tenkai. Not so long ago, the best soldiers, the most feared warriors had banded together in the frozen land of the northern reaches. From their blood descended the Yasha clan and their warrior kings. Faced with the skeletal remains of his past subjects and the ruin of his village, Yasha could no long escape his doubts and guilt. A clan destroyed for a child, a prophecy that even its seer could not fathom, and most of all, Ashura: Was it right to wake him from his slumber, and to burden his childish heart with the blood of the Yasha clan? But even when the consequences of his decisions stared him in the face, Yasha knew that he could have, and would have, made no other choice.
Caught in his revere, Yasha did not notice the youth that appeared before him, with the same dark hair and dark eyes. Rasa, the long lost brother of Yasha, has finally returned. But this reunion is not one of joy. He had seen the devastation of the village, the charred remains of homes, and the frozen skeletons. If no one else will, he was determined to avenge the clan or die trying.
Ashura, just recovering from the the emergence of Shurato, sensed Yasha's danger. Even in his weakened state he was determined that no one shall harm Yasha. Gathering power in his hands, he parted the earth between Yasha and Rasa. But that was not enough. No amount of pleading could separate the two men. Rasa would be the last person in the world to heed the words of a child who is responsible for the demise of Yasha clan. while Yasha, his heart weighted down by his guilt and his love for his brother, would only parry, but not attack. Everyone present knew that Yasha would be hurt, and soon, if he remained on the defensive. Ashura would not stand by and let that happen. Somehow, he found again the strength to summon forth Shurato. A piercing cry cut through the air. The force of Shurato caught Rasa, and easily overpowered him.
No longer gripped by fear for Yasha, Ashura was immediately overcome with guilt at his rash action. For now Rasa lay unconscious on the ground, tended by the skillful Sohma. But one thought plagued everyone's mind. When he wakes, where would this feud between brotheres lead to. Ashura, clinging to Yasha in the aftermath, did not know, and could only chant his apologies, a litany of sorrow. Yasha held him closer as he recalled the past that brought them to this.
The child Rasa had not been very different from now. Straight forward, full of energy and laughter, no one in the village could dislike him. So it most have been an extra shock, to encounter coldness at the hand of his admired older brother. He could not understand why, until the elders in the village explained to him the reasons that must have been obvious to everyone. Even though Yasha is the older of the two boys, he is only the son of a concubine. Rasa, however, is the son of the King and the Queen. Yasha, perhaps overly sensitive of his position, expected Rasa to resent the presence of a concubine's son, and an older brother at that. So rather to be resented merely for his birth, Yasha decided to give Rasa a good reason to dislike him by ignoring the younger boy as much as possible. But such a thought did not even cross Rasa's mind, whose mind was incapable of such tortuous logic, and whose heart held no malice or envy. He had only admiration for Yasha, who even then was already the strongest fighter in a tribe of warriors.
With his typically endearing lack of tact, he lost no time to inform Yasha of that. Now nothing prevented the two brothers from becoming fast friends. Now Rasa's wish finally came true, and Yasha put all his efforts into making his brother a warrior fit to lead the clan. After the death of Yasha's mother, the old king decided that the time had come for an heir to be chosen. Yasha, thinking to repay Rasa's friendship, immediately recommended Rasa. But Rasa had perhaps understood Yasha better than himself. The Yasha Clan was formed because of its strengh, Rase told his brother. It obtained its present position in Tenkai because of its warriors and armies. Only the strongest could lead such a tribe. Blood did not matter. Therefor Yasha must be the king. To make the decision final, Rasa announced his decision to leave the tribe. He had never wanted the responsibility of leading a clan. He wanted to travel, and see the world, so he told Yasha, and he did not intend to return. Neither would ever have guessed that they would meet again under such circumstances.
Yasha gathered Ashura close, a warm bundle to remind him of why he did what he did. Neither noticed a new observer to the scene. Kujaku, in his imitatable way, appeared from nowhere. Yasha clearly did not appreciate the intruder with his barbed tongue, but his funny remarks and bracing treatment was clearly just what the tearful Ashura needed. For once Ashura did not follow his beloved protector back to the camp. He had rather curl up with Kujaku. But he could not hid the reason from Kujaku. Rasa was back at the camp, another reminder of the death and tragedies that followed Ashura where ever he went.
"If you didn't exist, no one would have died", the bitter accusations never stopped ringing in Ashura's ears. But the cruelest of all was the betrayal of his mother, the one woman who should have loved him, even if no one else would. But now he knew the truth. She had never wanted him, had even tried to kill him. So now Ashura knew with the certainly of the very young that he should never have been born.
Kujaku, however, know how to comfor the distraught child. "Why did Yasha return to this place," he asked Ashura. It was so he could become stronger. Yasha knew that the death of the clan was his fault. Kujaku ignored Ashura's vehement denial and continued. Yasha come back to face his weakness, and the result of his weakness so he could become stronger. To protect the only person in the world that still matters to him--Ashura, Yasha must become stronger. He had returned so he'll never forget what Ashura means to him. did Ashura understand all that Kujaku said? Perhaps not, but he did find something reassurance in the words, that even though his mother did not want him, Yasha did, and always will. And there was something else for him to think on as Kujaku pinched his cheek, "Ashura is not the only child not wanted by his mother."
Under Sohma's skillful hands, Rasa recovered quickly. Too quickly for Ryo-ou's taste, when he found himself facing down a Rasa ready to slice him in half. Ryo did not trust this ferocious intruder who obviously had unpleasant plans for Yasha, and leaving Rasa alone with Yasha was the farthest thing from his mind. iBut Sohma understood that whatever was between the two brothers could not be resolved by others, and dragged the unwilling Ryo out of the hall.
At last Yasha and Rasa found themselves facing each other with no one else to interfer. Yasha broke the silence first. He could not keep the promise he once made to Rasa, therefore, Rasa had every right to kill him. But Yasha could not allow himself to fall to such a fate. His life is not longer his own. It belongs to Ashura, whom he had sworn to protect. If Rasa is determined to persue his revenge, Yasha does not intend to make it easy. The king of Yasha clan is no more. The man standing before Rasa is someone who lives, and fights for only Ashura.
"For Ashura," with that unlikely war cry Yasha attacked, and the two clashed with a ferocity felt even by those outside. The battle lasted only a moment. Rasa's reaper had embedded itself in stone, bare inches from impaling Yasha with its wicked blade. "Why?" Yasha whispered. Why did Rasa hold back when revenge was so near? And was asked the same in return. Both knew that if Yasha had so desired, Rasa would have been defeated several times over. But the biggest why of all: Why did Yasha buy the life of ashura with the blood of their whole clan?
The answer came eventually, hesitantly, from a man not used to giving explanations and answers. Before the war, both visited Zenmi-jou, where both remembered with awe a demonstration duel between Ashura-ou and the previous Ryo-oh. But what Rasa didn't know was that Yasha had met the legendary warrior king ashura again, in the company of the seer kuyo. There Ashura-oh had asked Yasha a cryptic question, if the person most important to him in the world would only bring him misfortune, what would he do? Yasha answered without hesitation, "protect him, reach out with bother hands, and protect him." The question and answer stayed with him. At first he thought the clan was that important thing. But the clan died, and Ashura lived, and now he knew who that important person is. To protect Ashura he would do anything, even kill Rasa. This time there is the ring of truth behind that statement.
What did he expect Rasa to say in reply? Certainly no the laughter that burst forth. Yasha, his brother, the king of the Yasha clan, is dead, Rasa said. Now a stranger stand before him, someone who has has own beliefs, and lives for them. Rasa is happy for him. The king of the Yasha clan was a good man, but he was weighted down by his responsibilities, and his eyes always longed for freedom. As for the people of the clan, they had sworn to obey their king. None who ever blame their king for his decision. These words were perhaps the greatest gift Rasa could have given his brother.
Ashura, staying outside, could not have heard this exchange. Fearful for Yasha's safety, he burst into the room and throw himself in front of Yasha. Crying, he begged Rasa to kill him instead of Yasha. But when the big hand reached down, Ashura could not control the instinctive cring at what he throught was the deathstroke. Surprisingly gentle, this deathstroke, which after all was only a friendly pat on the head. Then with a few words Rasa started to undo the knots of hurt buried deep in Ashura's heart. Had Yasha ever told Ashura that it's Ashura's fault? A vehement no was the answer. Well then, Ashura must believe Yasha. A simply trap, and Ashura was very well caught.
But there was no time for reunion. Taishakuten's men is near. Yasha must be on his way. As for Rasa, he told Yasha that he is no longer a member of the Yasha clan, or even a god. He is now only an ordinary man, who can only do what an ordianry man do--protect the woman he lovew. The duty of revenging the clan rests on Yasha's shoulder.
As Rasa expected, soon Koumoku-ten appeared on the scene with his army. Even though he told Yasha that he no longer has anything to do with the Yasha clan, his actions proved otherwise. Determined to give Yasha as long as possible to get away, he engaged Koumoku-ten. He had no chance against the wizard. Impaled on a lance, Rasa sent out his last words to his brother--live, for him, for his clan, and for his love.
Some distance away, Yasha paused. Rasa's voice came echoing on the wind.