Sakichi clung to his father's hand, blinking his large eyes in bewilderment. Before him, a couple men from the castle town emerged from the freshly-dug hole, standing aside solemnly. Another pair of men took the casket and lowered it down into the hole.
He glanced up at his father's face, waiting for him to take action, but Masatsugu's gaze was vacant and he showed no signs of moving. Neither did his older son Kichimaru, who kept sniffing and wiping his eyes with sleeves already dark with tears. Something was wrong.
"Otou-chan…" Sakichi tugged his father's sleeve desperately. "Otou-chan, do something! Okaa-chan is in that box, why are you letting them put her in the ground?"
Masatsugu moved at last, kneeling down. His long silver hair streamed behind him in the wind. "Listen, Sakichi. Okaa-chan can't be with us anymore."
"But why?" Sakichi's head spun back towards the hole as the men shoveled the dirt back into it. Over top of the box with his mother in it.
"She was very sick, and sometimes when you get very sick, you don't wake up again," Masatsugu answered quietly.
"There must be a way to save Okaa-chan!" Grabbing his father's arm, the little boy continued pleading. "Come on, Otou-chan! We have to dig her out and save her!"
Kichimaru stomped over to them. "Listen up, Sakichi! If something happens to you that makes you sleep forever, you have to be put in a box and buried, otherwise you'll become a ghost!"
Sakichi squeaked, clinging to Masatsugu. "That's scary!"
"But if you're buried," Kichimaru continued, "you won't be a ghost, and instead you'll get to ascend to heaven. We did that for Haha-ue, and we saved her. She's up there now." He jabbed a finger skywards, and his little brother looked up at the hazy morning sky.
For a moment Sakichi remained silent, wondering if indeed his mother was now living somewhere up there in that vast blue expanse. Masatsugu shot Kichimaru a thankful look.
"Then," Sakichi announced, "I want to be buried with Otou-chan and Onii-chan."
Masatsugu smiled, although his eyes shone with tears, while Kichimaru just sighed and shook his head. Sakichi turned to look at them. It wasn't a bad thing, was it? That way they could all be together, and he wouldn't have to travel to the sky alone. Being alone scared him.
"Oh, Sakichi." Masatsugu drew him into an embrace.
Shutting his eyes, Sakichi snuggled closer to his father's warmth. Kichimaru squeezed in beside him, and the wind whispered as the three remained there. The other townspeople dispersed, having paid their respects, and left the family to their privacy.
At last, Masatsugu drew away from his children and straightened, gazing at the fresh grave. Kichimaru, meanwhile, grabbed Sakichi's hand.
"Don't worry, Sakichi," he said. "We'll always be together."
"Promise?" Sakichi asked.
"Of course it's a promise!"
"Kichimaru's right," Masatsugu said, a slight smile gracing his features. "We're a family. Of course we'll always be together. Come along now."
He turned and left the cemetery behind him, his two children rushing after him.
#
They soon returned home to the residential quarters of the castle. It belonged to them, the leading family of the Ishida clan, its ownership passed down generation after generation. Though it was not particularly large or as lavish as the castles of rich noblemen, its silhouette was an imposing one. Claw-like decorations curved out of the roofs of the structure, and at night the entire building appeared like a beast.
Masatsugu told his children that he wanted to rest and retreated to his room. Kichimaru went outside to the garden and sat near the pond, watching the fish swim. Sakichi tried to get him to play, but he remained unresponsive. Bored, and uncomfortable with the gloom that settled over his family, Sakichi went to his father's room, tiptoeing to the door and sliding it open with a finger.
His father lay stretched out on his bed, his back facing the doorway. Sakichi couldn't tell if Masatsugu was asleep or not, but didn't have the courage to wake him. Not knowing what else to do, the little boy sat down in the doorway. So much had changed. His mother was suddenly gone, and now his father and brother were sad. What could he do?
His large eyes focused on Masatsugu's shadow. After his mother went to sleep and didn't wake up again, the youkai hiding in her shadow had now moved to her husband's. Though Sakichi couldn't see them, he had known they were there ever since he was first able to walk. There were four of them, but they never wanted to come out and play.
A pair of flaming eyes opened in the shadow, peering out at the child in the doorway. Smiling, Sakichi beckoned to them, but as always the youkai refused to emerge. The eyes closed, becoming one with the shadow again. Pouting, he folded his arms. They weren't out among other people, and there was nothing for the youkai to be afraid about.
You're special, his mother once told him. Youkai will accept you as one of their own, as they did with me.
Sakichi curled up on the floor, staring intently at the shadow. Would he ever see his mother again? Fatigue soon overtook him, and he fell asleep where he was.
#
The new silence in their home frightened the children, and they rarely left their father's side. At night the family slept together. Sakichi felt safer, knowing that when he closed his eyes, his father and brother would be there when he woke up. They wouldn't suddenly disappear like his mother had.
Masatsugu remained moody and listless for a few weeks, but did his best to look after his children. Sakichi was glad when some feeling of normalcy returned to his family.
One day Kichimaru came to find him. "Come on, Sakichi! Chichi-ue wants to teach you setsuna!"
"What's that?" Sakichi asked.
"You'll see!" Grabbing his hand, Kichimaru pulled him out the door.
The two ran to the courtyard in the training grounds, where their father waited. It wasn't the first time Sakichi had been here. Kichimaru was training to use a bokken, and it was fascinating to watch. The little brother wanted to try as well, feeling left out, but his father told him he wasn't old enough yet.
Masatsugu smiled as his children skipped towards him.
"Otou-chan!" Beaming, Sakichi looked up. "Are you going to teach me something?"
Kneeling down, his father patted his head. "Yes. It's a special power that's part of our heritage. Setsuna."
"Setsuna," Sakichi repeated in awe.
"Stand back a bit."
The children backed off, and Masatsugu straightened. Then he blurred out of sight, reappearing a few feet away.
Kichimaru grinned at the shock on his brother's face. "That's setsuna!"
"Can I really move like that?" Sakichi asked, glancing at his feet.
"Of course," Masatsugu said. "It's in our blood. It's not so different than learning to walk or run. It takes a little practice, but when you get used to it you won't even have to think about it anymore."
"How do I do it, Otou-chan?"
Masatsugu gestured at the empty space around them. "Focus where you want to go. Then run like you want to be there right away. Your body will take care of the rest."
Sakichi stood there doubtfully. How was this any different than normal running? But he had to try. His father was finally teaching him something! Hunching down a bit and focusing on a spot several yards away, he took a deep breath and charged.
Nothing happened. He just ran normally. Disappointed, he looked over his shoulder. "It's not working!"
"Did you make a wish that you want to be there right away?" Kichimaru called back. "Try again!"
He obeyed, and as he ran he imagined himself zipping to the area instantly. A tingling feeling rose in the back of his mind, as if something within him woke from slumber. Though he still failed to trigger the power, he knew the next time would surely be different.
Once more, he willed himself to be there, as hard as he could. His surroundings dissolved in a blur and he shot forward at incredible speed. Surprised, he missed his footing and tripped, sprawling onto the ground and skidding a few feet. Pain burned on his hands and knees and he cried despite himself.
"Sakichi?" Strong arms heaved him to his feet. "Are you all right? Let me see."
"It hurts, Otou-chan!"
"They're just a couple of scrapes. You'll be all right. Don't cry now." Masatsugu kissed his forehead to calm him. "See? You did it!"
Sakichi wiped his eyes and smiled. "I want to practice some more!"
"Let's take a break and then you can try again."
#
Two years passed. Sakichi and Kichimaru enjoyed their peaceful lives. The loss of their mother had numbed somewhat, although Sakichi always felt that one day she would come walking back into their home.
The children remained oblivious to happenings outside the town. It was a turbulent time for the country. The dreaded Demon King had been betrayed by one of his subordinates at Honno-ji, and all the power he consolidated scattered to the winds. However, even though their leader was gone, the Oda forces continued to run wild throughout the country. And a group of them were approaching the quiet town where the Ishida made their home. Many of the townsfolk had already departed with whatever they could carry.
Masatsugu called his children to him.
"Listen, you two," he said. "There's an army of bad men coming this way. A lot of people have already fled, and now it's time for us to do the same."
Sakichi's eyes widened. "We're leaving? Will we ever come back?"
"I don't know," his father admitted. "But for our safety, we need to get ready."
"I don't want to leave, Otou-chan! This is our home!"
"Sakichi!" Kichimaru slapped him on the shoulder. "Stop whining and listen to Chichi-ue!"
"We have no choice," their father said. "We must leave and go someplace safer. I need you two to help me pack for the journey."
Bustling about in stifling silence, they rounded up treasured possessions or essentials and bundling them up carefully. They took only what they needed—a few extra sets of clothing, a tent, and a bedroll. Sakichi, unable to shake the sense of dread from his heart, sat on the floor and watched, feeling sorry for all the toys he would have to leave behind. Masatsugu took a large box from a locked cabinet, and when he opened it the shining reflections of gold ryou and coins lit up the inside of the lid. Gathering around the box, the children stared wide-eyed at the sheer amount of money.
"Kichimaru, I'm putting you in charge of this," Masatsugu said as he sorted through the contents of another box. "We all need to carry something. Sakichi will carry the clothes, I'll take the tent and heirloom blade and you will have the coin box."
"Leave it to me, Chichi-ue!"
Masatsugu added some sentimental items to the coin box before locking it. Then, he helped his children put on their armour. It would barely protect them, but it was better than nothing.
"It's so heavy," Sakichi said as his father tied a tiny breastplate into place around his chest.
"Stop complaining!" Kichimaru snapped. "You're not wearing half as much as me!"
Masatsugu glared at him. "Kichimaru, be nice to your little brother. He's frightened."
What little armour Sakichi wore was, for him, rather heavy. Flexing his limbs, he strode experimentally around the room.
"Sakichi, here." Masatsugu presented a fan to him. "If you are in danger and you need something to protect yourself with, use this."
With a flick of the wrist, the fan snapped open with a metallic whisper, revealing blades instead of paper. Sakichi stared at it, the idea of using it to hurt someone completely foreign to him. Shutting the fan, Masatsugu tied it securely to his son's leg.
"Chichi-ue!" Kichimaru dragged a battleaxe out of the weapons cabinet. "I'm taking this with me!"
The battleaxe belonged to their mother. It was one of the few things they had to remember her by. Sakichi gave his father a pleading look.
Masatsugu hesitated before his gaze hardened. "Kichimaru, leave it! There's no way you can carry that, and we're already carrying the heirloom blade!"
"I'm not letting those bad men have it!"
"Master." A high-pitched voice cut through the room. "I can help him carry it and use it."
Sakichi glanced at his father's shadow.
"Go ahead," Masatsugu said at last. "But I don't want him fighting unless it's absolutely necessary!"
A thick silver mist streamed out of his shadow, surging towards Kichimaru and wrapping around his arms and shoulders. They solidified into a pair of elegant silver gauntlets, shimmering with inscriptions and gleaming with red decorative jewels. Kichimaru lifted his hands, admiring the armour.
"What is this?" he whispered. "It looks so heavy but I feel like I'm not wearing anything at all!"
Sakichi ran over to him and touched the gauntlets. "It's a nobusuma! His name is Chi, and he can help you carry the axe!"
To test the gauntlets, Kichimaru picked up the axe. "It really is light! I could swing this around if I wanted to!"
Sakichi glanced back towards his father. Masatsugu watched them with a mixture of surprise and melancholy.