Chapter 5: memories part 1 Zero

Zen sleeping and dream of his past....

Zen walking on the rain... tired, beat up and emotionless... he was walking straight to nowhere. until he bump on the person standing on his way, as he look up the man said "you poor soul... this looks like a bad place for a child.. to just walk around..." Zen then lost conscious as he slowly fall the man catch him, man then tsks as he says "you poor poor soul" Zen then black out... Zen woke up, he slowly open his eyes, he notice the rain had stopped, the window shine a bit bright, and there's noice of grunting outside, he slowly set up he then realize someone change his clothing he is now wearing a kimono, he then inspect every part of his bruise body and notice that his been patch up, a man on his mid 40's then said "you're badly injured... how that happened to you child?" Zen then quickly look at him and just stare at the man "I'm sorry I shouldn't have expect for you to answer right away when you just woke up... you've been sleeping for 2 days, you must be hungry" a little girl then enter in a bit of a rush she put down a small table that has rice, fried fish and vegetables on Zen's lap,the girl look at Zen she shook then bow and she quickly leave, she stop by the door bow down and slide the door close, the man then look at Zen, he get closer kneel down and said "so what is your name" Zen look at the food then stare back at the man, the man continue "I'm Shuon Guru how about you?" Zen struggle and finally says "I'm Zen..Ze..Zen ho.. Hokio.." they pause for a minute and Shuon stands "well.. I'm better be going.. I need to check on my students" Shuon walk out and look back at Zen as he says "rest well..." he gently slide the door close. Zen look out the window, birds chasing each other, wind slightly breeze and the scenery is just perfectly peaceful, as he slowly mesmerized back to his family, Zen carrying a broom, about to hit one of the intruders "let go of my mother you monsters" he yelled, when the guy caught it and slap Zen, he drop to the ground sobbing, his mother scream as she struggles to escape the mans grip, Zen look at the kitchen, sees his father on the table looks like his no longer moving, his eyes wide open and his blood dripping down to the floor, Zen got angry and he rush out the door, he keeps running while badly crying, still thinking about his families state, he finally slow down got to the corner and crawl in the darkness, he lose all hope, his life is ruined. back to his current state Zen tear slowly slide down then he snub, and got mad he then look at the food and madly ate, Zen finish eating he then press his hands together and said "thank you for the food" as he bow, he then pick the table and put it aside he stand up sighed and pick up the table and gone outside.

His now on the hallway looking around while carrying the table, his looking for the kitchen to give the dishes back, when he stumble upon a huge muscular person, he bump onto him and the guy catch the table as Zen drop "sorry about that... are you okay kid" the man said, Zen look up to this towering muscle and said "I'm fine... I should be the one to say sorry.. I should keep my eyes on the way" the man hand the table back, Zen carry it, "are you looking for something" the man ask which Zen answer "I'm sorry.. I'm looking for the kitchen? can you tell me where to go?... please sir" the guy smile then look at his right "see there...you just have to walk straight and then turn left the first room on the right is the kitchen" Zen then start walking he look back to the guy and bow down, the man wave at him then slide open the door and enter, Zen continue walking, he caught a glimpse on one of the room but he keeps walking then he hears a grunt, he quickly skip to the next room and peek, he sees a got on horse stance and a guy holding large wood wrap with a lot of clothes hit the guy stance right in between his stomach and chest, Zen shook, the guy glare at Zen, Zen slowly back away and slightly bowing his head as he leave he then proceed walking as he see a tiny light beaming out from the next room, he quietly approach then peek and sees a man thrusting a spear on a dummy, Zen slowly slide the door to widen his view, as the man toss the spear on the air, Zen now sees the guy actually joggling with two swords and a spear, Zen jaw drop as he look in amaze on this slashing action, the guy span around as he caught the swords, his speed change and ran around the room start slashing on the dummies as he ran pass through each and single dummies, he ran till the center and throw one of the sword at his back and hard slash on the side where dummies are group up together, a wave can be slightly seen as it vanish when it hits the dummy, five out of twelve cleanly cut, the guy frustratedly sigh as he stick the sword to the floor, he then raise his arm and perfectly catch the spear he then arm spins it and notice Zen, Zen sweat a bit as he raise his left hand to wave hi, the guy stick the spear on the ground and lane on it while stared down on Zen, Zen then slowly back away as the guy hit the door by the back of the spear to completely shut the door close, Zen froze for a second and he start capping his body to check for scratches or wounds, in his mind "woah..what was that... I really thought I'm dead for a second" he tried to ignore the coldness his feeling and slowly creep away, as his about to walk pass the next room he thought to himself "I'm done peeping" he then hears two person grunting, he smiled and put aside the dishes and said to himself "last room... might as well" when his about to slowly slide the door open, Shuon widely open the door and says "wanna see" Zen stare at him and nod Shuon pick Zen up Zen sit on Shuon shoulder, Zen eyes glitter as he sees two man fighting, punches and kicks they made Misses each other as they dodge and waive each other's attacks, they continue fighting for like a minutes, until Zen taunt "that's it... hit him" both froze blocking each other attack the guy on the right blocked a punch while the one on the left blocked a kick people on the room look at Zen, he got embarrassed as he slowly crawl down, Shuon then laugh and they start laughing Shuon then shush them down as he said to Zen "I see a timid feline inside you" Zen then slowly came out the room, he then bow down as he slide the door close, and he pick the dishes up then continue to the kitchen, people inside the room continue on they're training, while Zen nervously walk away, as he got at the kitchen he gone to the sink and start washing the dishes, as his doing the dishes he remember and thought to himself "this place is a dojo... what if.." then the joy and weird feeling change into rage and vengeance, as his about to grasp the plate harder he hears a familiar voice, he startled and look at his side and said "oh hey... it's you..." he quickly look back at the plate thought he hears it crack and sees the plate is soupy and no cracks he look back the girl "hey... uhh.. what are you doing here?" he nervously said, the girl smiled and answer "I was suppose to be the one doing that... what are you, doing here?" Zen slightly shook and mutter "I just thought, that I have to do something or..." the girl lane over and says "excuse me... I can't hear you? speak louder..." Zen replied "I want to be useful... So I thought I can..." the girl shook here head and replied "you are all patch up, covered with bandages... yo don't have to do anything yet"

Zen about to talk back "but..." the girl cut him off and said "but no... don't you want to rest to recover fast?" the girl then move to Zen's back and start pushing him as she says "let's go back to nursery room and... and I make sure you rest" Zen trying to hold back "the dishes..." the girl then quickly says " I'll do that later but first, I have to see if you really go back to bed and rest" girl then quickly pushes Zen back to the room, they got to the room and the girl said "now stay, rest and recover" as she slide the door close Zen fakely smiles and look at the bed and thought to himself "well, only one way to recover" he then go sleep on the bed and finally rest hours pass Zen slightly awoken from the noise outside, he rub his eyes and saw a silhouette moving from end to end of the room, from the looks of it they seem to be fighting, Zen slowly got up while rubbing his eye, he partially open the window and froze in shock as he sees the same people that envade his parents house, Zen heart throbs fast as his head play a broken pieces of memories from the night they got attack, each parry of they're weapons plays a quick scene, Zen slowly steps back while holding his head in confusion and fair, he then sat on the bed still holding his head, mumbling "it's all my fault" over and over, until the noise slowly deem down Zen notice and froze for a second, he then quickly ran on the window and peek again, Zen sees a lot of people on the ground bleeding while a single man standing in the shadow holding his blooded sword down, the man then slowly turn to look at where Zen are, Zen stared at him in disbelief while quivering and he slowly close the window, the guy outside notice the window slowly moved, while Zen lean back on the wall saying to himself "did he notice me?... maybe I should get out of here and hide somewhere else..." he then sat and sulk "dad.. mom.. I'm scared" he slowly stand trying to regain himself, and he quickly open the window wide open to scream at the person outside, as his about to say something, he sees that it's so clear outside, no one's at there at all, not even a single body or a drop of blood on the ground, and the guy looking where Zen at are gone like it's all just a dream, the door at Zen back quickly open and Zen jumped, Shuon then ask " is everything okay?... I heard a loud noise and quickly rush here" Zen franticly got near and explain everything, [minutes later] "I see... you probably seeing somethings... you're mind must be playing tricks on you" Shuon claim, Zen shrugs and reply "I hope that's the case..." Shuon smile and said " I think I should go... if you need anything just call for help" Zen gone back inside, he close the door, and tries to shrug off whatever he sees outside.