The Tigers of Chi-Ha-Tan ReRise Volume 4: The Scars of a Warriors Past

Into The Storms Wind We Go

A cold dark void was the setting, leaving nothing to be seen.

"Where am I?"

A voice call out to this void, but only found her echoes as a reply.

Slowly this figure began to walk in this endless void, each step touching a solid plane, but they could not see the floor. Even with a fear that they might be sallow up by void or suddenly fall through it, the figure march forward with each step continuing to find solid ground underneath, which gave them the confidence to keep pushing forward as their want to figure out where they were was at the front of their mind.

Yet the walk became endless it seem, as the figure traverse the void that was proving to be its namesake as infinite with no end, making the figure grow desperate as they felt the need to escape starting to grow hotter and hotter as they walk on, that turn into a small jog as they whip their head left and right looking for the possible exit, then it became a full sprint with the hope maybe they will run into something.

The figure eventually did run into something, but turned out to be a most unexpected sight. As a sudden image began to form, starting with a flash of light that cause the figure to bring their arms up to shield their face and stop running. Then as the light died down, the figure look to what lay before them now.

It was a mother and her child walking slowly hand and hand with their backs to the figure. The woman wore a white T-shirt that, with light blue jeans hugging her supple lower frame, her long dark brown hair flow down her back, waving with each step.

The little girl holding their mother's hand was only 6 years old, but bustling with energy as she was skipping with each step. Her short light brown hair bobbing up and down as she was giddy to be out with her mother. The little one was wearing a light pink tank top and blue jean shorts.

The figure walk closer trying to catch up with them hoping they could help them out while speaking to get their attention. "Excuse me."

The pair seem not to hear the figure's voice, making them try again. "Excuse me."

Again no reply, as the mother and daughter continue to walk on seeming to not acknowledge the existence of the figure at all. Making the figure become agitated and was about to leave, but something about the pair before them felt familiar like they should know them. Yet their mind was drawing blanks on this, which was only making them more frustrated, till that pair began to speak.

"Mom, can we ride the Tiger 1?" the little one ask.

"Miho, you know I can't do that, it's too dangerous since I don't have your sister here or Kikuyo to look out for you," the women said back.

"Ah, come on, you can drive and I can command, pleeeeeasseee," little Miho said, giving the biggest puppy dog eyes she could.

The woman let out a light chuckle, its melody making the figure tense as she knew that laughter well. It was the laughter of their mother, Shiho Nishizumi, something she hadn't done since they were a kid. Making the figure understand who she was.

"I'm Miho," she said to herself, looking down to see she was dressed in black kimono, with white flowers dancing across it. She was a teenage Miho, from what she can tell, then turn her eyes back to her younger self and her mother, or more accurately the mother before the change.

Shiho look to little Miho, seeming to fight every fiber to not fall under the spell of those puppy dog eyes. "Miho, we're here at Kuromorimine because I need to finish some quick paperwork, then you and I are going to get lunch, we aren't going to be here long."