Fish Out Of Water

"....Ugh." The head of the unstoppable samurai was shaking, as he slowly opened his eyes; he noticed a hazy figure. The moment that his eyes fluttered open, he saw rather posh ceiling, yet there were damaged wooden boards cracked in several areas. A crude futon had been spread out to form a crude bed. On top of that lay the samurai, who was completely amazed at how he had gone from the Warring States Era to the future.

He didn't recognize this scenery. Moving his eyes, he surveyed his surroundings. The bed was neatly tucked in, and he was in a modest little room. There was hardly any household goods and tools lying around; though there were several chairs and cutlery lying around. As he thought, he really didn't recognize this place.

"...k?" Unexpectedly, a voice reached the samurai's ears. Was that person peering over here? "Oi...yo...wit...m?" The voice was much clearer now; it was a female voice; a pure voice, like the sound of a clear creek flowing pleasantly and peacefully, though it did contain a tone of sarcasm. To the samurai's dazed head, the refreshing voice was like a splash of cold water waking him up.

"...I have no recollections of this place." The man's head was still dazed so he couldn't grasp the situation straight. Just as he was about to get out of the bed, he heard a familiar sound coming from behind him.

"...That's good. You're alive and kickin'." That was the female voice once more. All of a sudden, the samurai heaved himself up and looked over his shoulder.

It was a woman with a strangely sleepy face; the samurai could smell a faint fragrance, probably the smell of her shampoo. She wore what was like a military uniform, and was around 20 years old. Her messy lavender hair, eyes decorated with thick dark circles, and the stuffed bear covered with scars whose face was for some reason peeking out of the pocket of the military uniform, were her special characteristics. The woman's white skin lacked a sun tan of any sort, and she had a refined face. It was very easy to think that such a person would be living in this posh place—her snow-white skin was akin to that of a princess. As soon as she saw the samurai, an expression of delight bloomed upon her face, and she rushed up to him. Truth be told, it was an absolute rarity to see her smile.

Casually and lightly she picked up the man's arm, and with a finger on his wrist she easily took his pulse; excited (yes, really) that it really was him. "Does it hurt anywhere? Do you feel ok?"

"....The sensation welling up in my body makes me feel as if I were a victim of blade-testing." The samurai scratched his head, growling in a low time—more accurately, it was like he had experienced unbearable pain. He was trapped in that living suit of armour known as Enerjak for four hundred years, committing unbearable atrocities. He could see, feel, and experience everything. But he couldn't do a damn thing about it.

"...But you're okay now, right?" The woman sat down on the bed next to the samurai, petting his hand gently. "...It's just, I'm glad, to see that you've alive after four hundred years. If I knew that you were trapped inside that douchebag, I would've acted far sooner."

The samurai's head was still ablaze with thought; what was going on these past four hundred years, and why couldn't he remember a single thing about it. "....My many thanks. However, I cannot remember a thing, though. Who do you happen to be?"

The woman paused, before she stepped back, "Amnesia doesn't exist. It's just a cheap and lazy storytelling device. You must remember me..." She waved her hand in front of him, asking numerous questions. For once, this woman was acting rather lively. "...Tch, come on. You better be fucking around with this. Otherwise, I'm going to beat the memories back into your thick skull, Buckaroo Banzai." *GONG!* A blunt sound could be heard. That's Giselle's attendance book attack. No wait, that's the info terminal attack. The info terminal was made of metal on the outside.

"....Noooo! I remember everything! That's too much. My thinking central was sliced cleanly through like the cold steel of a sword through a body, you know!?" The samurai screamed like a little girl.

"Good for you. You can take turns thinking with your left brain and your right brain." Giselle snapped back at the samurai. "Come on, there's a lot you've missed these past four centuries."

Giselle Mercury had dragged the samurai known as Zanma Zaitsuhara out to the town of Hargeon, showing him around. Needless to say, he was overwhelmed. "This era...it is so much different than the Sengoku Era. I have travelled forward in time...My family...my fellow samurai...I will never set my eyes on any of them again...I apologize profusely, but this is too much to take in—"

Giselle sighed, handing Zanma a cone of ice-cream. "C'mon, cheer up. These are really amazing."

"But what about—mmph!" Giselle, all of a sudden, shoved the ice-cream cone in Zanma's mouth. "...This sweet ice is delicious! Many thanks, Lady Mercury!"

"...I told you before, it's Giselle. But...it's nice how you remember how you used to call me that." Giselle was flattered, but she believed that Zanma had to cut the formalness quick; otherwise, he'd stick out like a sore thumb even more. "Anyway, I feel like I'll need to help you here."

"Truly!?" Zanma's eyes lit up like fireworks; unexpected from this no-nonsense samurai legend. "Such help would be divine aid!"

"Hehe." Giselle offered her hand to the samurai, who took it like a kid in a candy store. "C'mon, Zanma. Let me show you my kids."

"...You have been ringed already?" Zanma seemed dejected at Giselle's words.

"...I was sixteen years ago, he died, and I moved on. So I'm on the market again, I guess." Giselle's words seemed awfully solemn for the briefest of moments—almost as if she were saddened by her apparent loss of her significant other. "Anyway, let's go, Zanny." She brushed it off, holding her emotions at bay like normal.

"...Zanny? That manner of address, it's so...futuristic!" He really was like an excited child despite his build and deep voice. "...Ahem. Lady Mercury, how long have you waited for me...surely, you have not forgotten our promise?"

Giselle chuckled, correcting him with a rather subtle smile, "Oh yeah, I remember that like it was yesterday. I told you that day before the war against the armoured bastard, didn't I? I told you, I'd wait for you to return as long as you wanted. Or until the stars turn cold and fall from the sky. Whichever comes first."