A Ride Into Darkness

A Ride Into Darkness is a story found in The Way of The Unicorn. It was written by Edward Boulme and Andrew Heckt.

Annotated Story
The story begins with Shinjo riding into the Shadowlands to see her brother, Fu Leng, before the Day of Thunder. After Shinjo stops outside of Fu Leng's castle, the scene shifts to a flashback in Tengoku. There it is revealed that Fu Leng and Shinjo had a very loving relationship when they were young.

Back in the present, Shinjo continues to approach Fu Leng's stronghold and is watched nervously by various Shadowlands creatures who are too frightened of Shinjo to dare attack her. Shinjo continues to doubt her reason for coming to see Fu Leng.

The scene jumps once again into the past. This time Shinjo is standing before Hantei in his throne room. She has just asked permission to ride to Fu Leng and discover the reason for his attacks on the people of Rokugan. Shinjo believes that the Kami need to understand their lost brother. Hantei is furious because of his intense hatred for Fu Leng.

Shinjo is now inside her brother's citadel. She is shown to Fu Leng by a man in black armor. Shinjo finally meets her brother for the first time since the Fall of the Kami.

It is revealed that Togashi brought Shinjo to Fu Leng when Fu Leng was hiding from their father to avoid being eaten. Fu Leng is furious at being exposed and begins to attack Togashi. Shinjo steps between them just as all three are discovered by Onnotangu.

The story once again jumps to Shinjo and Fu Leng. Fu Leng is angry and asks why she has come to him. Shinjo responds that it is to find out why he fights Rokugan. Fu Leng asks her again why she has come to him. Shinjo responds that it is because Fu Leng is her brother. Fu Leng asks a third time why she has come to him and not any of their other siblings. Shinjo responds that it is to save humanity. Fu Leng becomes angry, grabs Shinjo by the face, lifts her into the air and challenges her to a continuation of the Tournament of the Kami, which Fu Leng had not participated in.

Shinjo flashes back to her victory over Hida at the Tournament of the Kami. When the story returns to the present, Shinjo courageously accepts Fu Leng's Challenge.

To be continued in: The Mind of a Unicorn