The Seven Cycles of Reincarnation
Chapter One – Monk
[AN: I don't know if this is very clear or not but to begin with, basically everyone in Japan has the sight. This peters out over time but future chapters make that explicit. Just so you know.]
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In his first life, he was a monk.
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He was passing by a forested area and was attracted by the ruckus of a lively village. Shintaro walked through some trees and heard a pained squeak. Shintaro was concerned that it was a child so he investigated the low lying shrubbery. He was relieved when he found that the noisy, pained creature wasn't a child but a racoon dog ensnared in a hunter's trap.
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The racoon dog stared up at him with pleading brown eyes. They quickly got the better of him. Shintaro stared back; he was certain that the beast sensed he was pious man with a gentle disposition towards all. Although, Shintaro wasn't fond of many creatures, he did rank racoon dogs better than cats.
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'Here, allow me.' Shintaro murmured. He crouched down and let the beast sniff his taped fingers. The creature whimpered and let Shintaro unravel it from the trap. 'I hope I didn't just cause a family of eight in abject poverty to go hungry or without income.' Shintaro commented harshly. The racoon dog followed after Shintaro with a mix of curiosity and caution. The monk decided that he didn't have time to let the best decide if he was friend or foe and continued on his way to the village. He was completely aware that the racoon dog was inelegantly stalking him and going after him.
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Shintaro was welcomed into the village from the moment he got there. He assumed it was because of his purple-coloured garb. The raccoon dog disappeared though, when Shintaro was approached by other people.
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Elders fawned over him and people made it very clear that they didn't get visitors too often in their secluded, little village. 'A holy man, huh? So young, so devoted, drink up.' an elder told Shintaro. He drank graciously from a sake dish. 'We recently built a temple for our harvest deities but no one has enough time to maintain it. We had built as a project to stimulate the spiritual aspects of our lives... Would you like a permanent home if you practice Shinto?'
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Shintaro was intrigued by the offer. 'I shall consider it. I am getting a bit tired of just tramping about. Perhaps it is time for me to settle.' Shintaro murmured to the village leader.
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In the midst of the welcoming party in the village centre, Shintaro wandered away as he was after some quiet time. There weren't many humans he liked much either. Shintaro listened to the pad, pad, pad of little footsteps. 'Your back. Attached to me, perhaps?' Shintaro said to the racoon dog that bounded towards him from the village outskirts. It had been wise enough to avoid the village but now that Shintaro was alone, it was bolder.
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Shintaro sighed. 'Do you think I should take up the position.' he asked. The racoon dog barked and Shintaro didn't know what it meant. He thought of his achy feet and his head which would love a better place to sleep than the ground alone. 'Perhaps I shall stay here. Would you like to stay with me? A messenger for the gods?' The racoon dog mewled in response. 'You'll need a name, I suppose. I think I shall call you Kazunari. It means "one and become". I don't believe it is particularly suitable for you but what do you care? You are just a pet, a tanuki.' Shintaro mused.
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Kazunari was a loyal creature who loved to be at Shintaro's heels at all times. It had domesticated easily. The village Shintaro had stumbled into was a pleasant place to be so he soon chose to make the temple his fixed residence. He and Kazunari became quite familiar to the area.
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Children loved to teach Kazunari games involving chasing after sticks whilst their parents liked to talk to Shintaro. It was a good combination. Kazunari was very used to humans and he would leap up at people joyfully, except small children just as he had been taught. He had boundless energy and was generally a source of fun in the village.
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But the village also had more practical reasons to let Kazunari stay around them. Hunters had taught Kazunari how to chase rabbits so that the hunters in the village could borrow him and use him as a hunting dog. Shintaro allowed it because he felt that it was an equal trade. After all, Kazunari should have been someone's dinner had Shintaro not have been illogically merciful. It became very apparent from early on that Kazunari wasn't a normal racoon dog but no one particularly noticed, not even Shintaro.
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However, all good things must come to an end. The temple became famous in the area for having a messenger tanuki named Kazunari and his green-haired master who had taught it the many tricks. But Kazunari was a mortal creature and like all, he did eventually die.
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It was of natural causes after eleven years. Kazunari's passing wasn't just a tragedy for Shintaro but for the whole village. 'He was my favourite companion.' Shintaro mourned, a large part of him wanted to say "only" but he didn't want to come off as rude or eccentric amongst his fellow villagers who cherished their relationship. He watched as workers from the village dug a hole on the road between the village and the temple. They buried Kazunari in respectful silence.
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Shintaro reflected on his past. He had seen many people buried in his time but he never seen a pet buried like this. He batted his eyes and flicked tears away. Shintaro didn't remember his dead; his parents, sister and other relations. This was the first time had mourned a soul he had close memories with.
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'Leave a bit of dirt out, please. I'd like to plant something as a marker for Kazunari.' Shintaro requested. 'I'll let you finish off then.' Someone nodded and the funeral for the much beloved raccoon dog finished. The villagers filed back into their everyday life of agriculture and child-rearing. Shintaro waited until all were gone until he decided to bury his marker for Kazunari.
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During Kazunari's life, Shintaro had taken to spoiling the raccoon dog by feeding the pet a peach as an occasional treat. Shintaro always found it amusing; the glee in which Kazunari would wolf down food and thus, Shintaro thought a peach tree would make for a reasonable marker for Kazunari's grave.
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Shintaro bent over Kazunari's grave and placed a scatter of peach pits and leaves. Shintaro hoped that if he cared for the spot enough, a beautiful peach tree would grow. The act of planting a tree over his beloved pet's grave reminded Shintaro of a verse of the folklore tale "The Envious Neighbour".
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'Rest in peace, Kazunari. I loved you dearly.' Shintaro said to the grave whilst he pushed dirt over the little hole. He got up, bowed and went back to the temple.
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Kazunari had heard him and his tenacious spirit stirred. He wasn't ready to leave. He didn't want to leave. His master still needed him. He looked around with a new perspective on life as he rose out of nothingness. He manifested from magic and will power. Kazunari wasn't a racoon dog anymore. He was a fully-fledge yokai tanuki now. It was the only explanation. He looked more human than beast now and wore the garments of mankind. He could see better now and hear much more. It was almost overwhelming.
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Kazunari tried to walk forward and towards the temple but he was wobbly on his bipedal feet. This was a whole new experience for him. He stumbled over the path and made it back to the temple. He made it through unruly foliage and his eyes lit up when he saw Shintaro in the courtyard, sweeping away fallen leaves.
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Shintaro heard footsteps. They sounded uneven so he looked up from his task and he became confused. 'Why is a yokai visiting this small shrine? We haven't got any liquor or company for you.' Shintaro explained.
'Silly! I'm here for you!'
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The yokai slammed against Shintaro exuberantly. The familiarity the yokai seemed to think it had with Shintaro caused him to become stunned. 'You don't... recognise me?'
'I try to think I remember all yokai I see but I haven't got the memory capacity.' Shintaro explained.
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The yokai seemed heartbroken but Shintaro suspected it was only an act. He tore away from the yokai's arms. 'It's me... Kazunari.' the yokai said and Shintaro's eyes went wide.
'Impossible.'
'Yet here I am.' Kazunari grinned.
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Shintaro couldn't take it all in at once. Kazunari looked close to human but it was clear he wasn't. He had bestial eyes and a mouth of fangs. He had a fat tail and rounded ears atop his head. But his face was human. His body was human. He looked like an aged adolescent. It was bizarre. He had black hair that parted oddly at the middle of his forehead and stuck outward. He looked strong and lithe.
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The villagers were surprised to learn that the monk's beloved pet raccoon dog had come back as a yokai. It was a shock at first but eventually everyone adjusted to it. Kazunari continued to help the villagers but not just in hunting, he learned to build and garden. He still played with the children with boundless energy. The news of a tanuki in a small village spread quickly and caused many from far and wide to come to the village. Slowly, the village's population began to increase. This was all seen over Shintaro's lifetime.
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Over time, his smooth skin wrinkled and his vibrant green hair faded. His eyesight worsened and even eyeglasses couldn't help him. He lost his mobility but Shintaro didn't seem to mind as he always had Kazunari by his side and that's all what mattered. The seasons came in endless cycles beneath changing moons and the constant sun. It was nice that some things didn't change.
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But again, all good things must come to an end. Kazunari stood by Shintaro. Shintaro was pale. He was frailer than a tree in autumn. Shintaro had lived for close to ten decades. Kazunari knelt down at Shintaro's side. He was underneath thin blankets and Shintaro's hand flopped around Kazunari's knees. 'You are my beloved companion.' Shintaro said and Kazunari held Shintaro's hand.
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Shintaro marvelled at that Kazunari had not aged. He was still a youthful-looking young man. Kazunari's eyes began to water. 'Thank you for being my beloved companion.' Shintaro said.
'Why do you sound so sad?' Kazunari asked and his voice wavered.
'Thank you for so much.' Shintaro said.
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The monk tried to get up but he was unable to hold himself up so he slipped down. Kazunari helped ease him back onto his pillow. 'Be good, whilst I'm gone.' Shintaro said.
'What are you...? No, please.' Kazunari's eyes filled with tears.
'I love you.' Shintaro smiled and life slipped from eyes. He grew colder, colder than winter snow. Kazunari wept over the monk's corpse.
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The village leader came into Shintaro's private room. 'Kazunari, I'm so sorry.' The village leader then went onto organise Shintaro's funeral and who would be announced the head priest of the temple. It didn't take long for the village to organise things as need be but not much was left to Kazunari. The only thing he was in charge of was what would happen to Shintaro's ashes after his pyre. That was a decision that didn't take Kazunari very long.
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The whole village gathered to watch Shintaro's funeral. It was a clear, cloudless day, the kind Shintaro liked best. The flames he was burnt within were huge and bright but stank awfully. Delicate eulogies were spoken beneath the roar of the bonfire. Kazunari bravely held back his sobs during the entire event. After a few hours, the tanuki was given a ceramic urn filled with the grey ashes of his master. That's when he broke down. He couldn't handle it anymore. He had to let it all out so he sobbed loudly and harshly whilst the pyre was doused. Hymns were sung by Shintaro's loyal apprentices.
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Kazunari was told to go ahead and do what he liked with the ashes. Nobody asked him what his plans were as they were fairly obvious. Kazunari disappeared soon after it. Kazunari arrived at the peach tree on the road between the temple and the village. Kazunari looked at the peach tree lovingly. He and Shintaro had looked after it well. They had to replant it numerous times though in order to preserve its life but it was fine.
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Kazunari unscrewed the lid on the urn and he scattered the ashes around the tree trunk. 'Shin-chan, Shin-chan,' Kazunari sang. 'Where are you?' he asked. He was certain that Shintaro was going to reappear just like he did.
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The tanuki waited and waited. He waited wistfully without moving. 'Were you lying when you said you loved me?' Kazunari asked as he brushed snow off his shoulders. He wasn't sure how long he had waited for Shintaro. He had forgotten to count the days in human time. Human time was so mysterious and quick compared to the body clock that Kazunari moved by as a yokai. 'I thought you were an honest man, Shin-chan.' Kazunari said to the peach tree.
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His big, brown eyes stared pleadingly at the tree. He silently begged that this was just a cruel joke. Soon, Kazunari couldn't stand the cold and he returned to the temple so he could hibernate. The apprentices had grown but not by much. They welcomed back Kazunari. The tanuki climbed into the attic soon after and curled up. But he couldn't sleep, he returned to peach tree but during his snooze, the snow had stopped and the sun had grown harsh.
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Kazunari rested against the tree and closed his eyes. 'You're a liar, Shin-chan.' he said once more to no one.
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MerryFortune :)