I could hear the sea's
gentle roar and the faint sound of birds. I could feel
the tender breeze caressing my cheek and the warm,
feathery touch of sunlight on my face. Still I did not
open my eyes. All I wanted to do was to lie there, calm
and peaceful, thinking of nothing but of how beautiful
the day was. This was a day that I haven't had the time
to appreciate for so long. So very long...
Tokiya... Tokiya!
A young boy sat up,
blinking. The wind ruffled his hair as he searched for
the owner of the voice. "Kyodai!" The boy
turned to look at his sister as she ran towards him, a
kite trailing behind her, her eyes shining.
"Baka! What
have you been doing? Daydreaming again?" she said to
him.
"Gomen, Mifuyu.
I just felt... tired. That's all," the little boy
answered.
"Well, come on,
Tokiya-kun! The day is passing by, while you're lying on
your back and staring at the sky." She gave him a
brilliant smile.
"Okay then."
The girl took off
running and the boy raced to follow her, their laughter
floating behind them to join with the chirping of the
birds.
"Wait for me,
Mifuyu!" the boy called.
Mifuyu... When her name
crossed my mind, I opened my eyes and I gazed straight at
the sky like I used to whenever we took a trip to the
beach.
"Ane," I
whispered into the air.
I pushed myself up and
picked up the objects I was carrying, a small bouquet, a
letter, and finally my madougu. I lifted my head and
stared straight out into the horizon. The sun was just
rising, touching the surface of the sea with faint hues
of red, and orange. The sky was still dark, although the
sunlight was pushing the veil of violet darkness away. I
had long made it a habit to visit her early when no one
could see me. I walked towards her gravesite, feeling
strangely numb. Maybe the beauty I had seen had
completely stopped the pain that usually came over me
whenever I visited her. Or maybe, as a brief smile
touched my lips, I really have turned the rest of my
heart to ice. Maybe it's the atmosphere of this day, but
I feel like I'm so alone, alone with my memories. Mifuyu...
Tokiya... Tokiya!
It was her scream that
jolted me to awareness. I was 10, with a child's complete
innocence. Maybe that had been my mistake. Because I had
been so young, so helpless, I couldn't protect her. My
sister, the one who lost her life defending me.
"Tokiya, when I
tell you to, run." Mifuyu whispered. She looked at
the two men, fear evident in her eyes. The little boy
could tell that his sister was trying so hard not to
shake.
"But, Mifuyu, I
don't--"
She cut off her
brother's protest with a shake of her head. "No, you
MUST get away." She glanced up at the men who were
advancing on her. "Please! Leave him alone! Take
whatever you want, just don't hurt him," she pleaded.
The men just laughed, and even the 10-year-old boy could
tell that there was something unnatural going on with
them.
It was their laughter I
remember the most. How they took such joy and
satisfaction in our fear. It was an elixir to
them, like the sweet ambrosia to give them ecstasy.
Their laughter rang
in the boy's ears. His sister's grip on him tightened, as
she held him by her side, trying to shield him from the
two men. He clung to her arms, trying not to show his own
fear.
Yes, I was afraid. I was
so very afraid. But I had yet to realize how truly
dangerous the men were. I had no notion that they would
actually harm us. I believed them to be your usual
burglars or so. Little did I know that later on I'd
experience more than just fear. I'd feel something much
purer and more longer lasting than that.
The men neared the
two, and Mifuyu pushed the boy away. He fell back onto
the floor and stared up at his sister, gasping for breath.
He struggled to get back up quickly but his movements
were clumsy with the irrational fear pounding through him.
Instinctively, he knew, how very wrong things would turn
out to be. His frightened eyes locked on his sister's
face. He caught sight of a faint glimmer of light on
steel, as a knife plunged downwards. NO. It can't be.
Mifuyu was running towards him, a sudden cry, her body
falling to the floor, her eyes going blank and dark. NO!!
I shook my head, not
wanting to relive the memories. Memories which had
continually scarred my heart until it seemed as if I'd
lost all feelings in it. As if I had truly turned my
heart to ice... As if I'd stopped feeling when she said
my name as she fell. Tokiya...
Tokiya... Tokiya.
The little boy could
see how much it was costing his sister to keep herself
conscious. Inwardly, he grieved for the pain she must be
enduring and hoped that she would soon get well.
"Tokiya."
Her voice was so faint. "Take this." Mifuyu
lifted her hand and took his, and she pressed into his
palm a small object. "This is our family heirloom,
the Ensui. This was what they were trying to take from us.
Keep it and guard it well."
The little boy
nodded and answered, "And you'll guard it with me,
right?"
Mifuyu simply rested
her head back onto the stretcher which she lay on and
turned her head away. Tears shimmered in lashes and
traced a wet path down her cheeks. Her reaction alarmed
the little boy.
"Mifuyu? What's
wrong? Mifuyu, why are you crying?"
More tears slid out
from her tightly shut eyes. "Tokiya, remember--"
A sob rose in her throat. "Remember whenever we
would go out on special trips at the beach? Please
remember those times. Don't--don't let yourself be hurt
too much by my--" Her voice trailed off as she
struggled to stifle another broken cry.
"Mifuyu, yes, I
remember. And we'll have more of them right? We'll buy
ice cream and fly kites again. And you'll tease me about
my daydreaming again. Right? We'll still be together, won't
we?" the little boy pleaded frantically.
Mifuyu turned her
head and looked at him with dying light. "Tokiya.
Always remember. I love you. I always will. I'll watch
over you, always."
The little boy shook
his head. "No! Mifuyu! Nothing's going to happen to
you! You'll be all right, won't you? You can't die on me!
No, this isn't happening! It can't be happening!"
His voice bordered on hysteria, rivulets of tears
streaking down his face.
She gave him one
final smile, then her entire body grew limp.
"MIFUYU!!!"
Mifuyu... I reached her
gravesite. For a few moments I just stood there, deep in
recollection. I then realized how wrong what I had
thought was. I COULD still feel pain, so much that it
threatened to tear me apart. Just like it did, the day of
her burial.
Ashes to ashes... dust
to dust... Words spoken at her burial. The grief I had
fought threatened to overcome me. I hadn't cried for days,
instead I had suppressed my tears with the help of Meguri
Kyoza. In a way I was still in denial. No, not Mifuyu,
not my sister. It couldn't be. Can't be. She's so alive,
so vibrant, brimming with energy and hopes and dreams for
me, for herself, for both of us. No. Not Mifuyu.
I knelt down beside her
grave and rested my head on her tombstone.
Mifuyu
Mikagami
Born: 1976 Died: 1983 at the age of 16.
Beloved sister and classmate
You will always be in our hearts.
Your memory will be preserved eternally.
Heaven is richer now with another angel among its ranks.
I read the inscription
aloud, my voice breaking off on the last part. It amazed
me, how deep the pain still was. It was like it all
happened just yesterday, instead of 7 years ago. The pain
hadn't been worn off by time. Instead it had seemed to
increase it. Ashes to ashes... dust to dust...
"... Ashes to
ashes... dust to dust..." the priest spoke solemnly,
his deep voice resonating through the wide space of the
graveyard. No wind stirred the leaves of the trees above
them. Even the birds did not make any sound.
"It's because
every creature is in mourning for Mifuyu," the
little boy heard a girl speak. The girl was Mifuyu's best
friend, Aya Shinomaga.
The rest of the
funeral was just a blur to the boy. He paid no attention
to the proceedings, locked in his own shell of grief. He
struggled against the inner turmoil of grief and fury
that swept through him.
"I'm so sorry,Tokiya."
"So very sorry."
"Condolence."
He nodded in reply
to their words. Many tried to comfort him but he remained
stoic and outwardly aloof. Inside he was raging.
How can you all be
so muted?! Why are you all just simply sad?! She was
MURDERED! Her life was ripped from her! Everything, every
chance she had was destroyed! Why aren't any of you angry?
You're SORRY? So what?! Being sorry won't bring her back!
Mifuyu... I miss you so much. Why doesn't it stop hurting?
Will it ever stop hurting?
His thoughts were
interrupted by the approach of a man. The man looked at
the boy, his eyes showing his shared grief. "Tokiya.
I'm so sorry." His voice was quiet. Suddenly his
expression changed. "Come with me."
The little boy
looked at him quizzically. "Now?"
The man just grasped
his arm impatiently and pulled him away from the mourners.
He brought him to a shady tree and stopped there. He
turned and faced the boy and squatted until they were
both at eye level. He rested his hands on the boy's
shoulders and looked at him straight into his eyes.
The little boy's
blue eyes shifted away from his master's, uncomfortable
with its piercing gaze. "Master Kyoza, why did you
bring me here?" The boy's voice was hoarse from the
effort of trying to stop the tears from flooding him.
"Tokiya, I am
sorry for your sister. I am sure that what happened was
very traumatic for you." Meguri Kyoza spoke again,
still keeping his eyes on the boy's face. "I know
you are grief-stricken, and you're probably not ready for
this yet, but..." he broke off there, tantalizing
the boy into asking.
"What?"
"I will begin
to teach you the advanced techniques of Hyomon Ken."
He said it with pride.
"The--the
advanced techniques? B--but, Master! I thought you said I
wasn't ready! You said that the Ensui was still not ready
for a novice such as me," the boy stammered.
The man looked at
him, his eyes speaking of his impatience with the boy's
answer. "Tokiya, what are you talking about? Aren't
you excited?"
"It's not that
I'm not happy about what you said, sir," the little
boy answered. "I was just... surprised."
The man laughed
softly. "Yes, forgive me for my impatience. I do
suppose you are quite confused by my sudden change in
thought."
The boy looked at
him, his eyes merely coolly questioning. "What made
you change your mind, sir?"
The man chuckled as
if pleased with the question. Or maybe he was pleased
with the way the boy asked it. "My student, the
reason why I am advancing your lessons is because your
situation is different now." The boy did not ask the
question but the man could sense what was in his mind
anyway. "I know you're wondering what I meant by
your situation being different. Let me explain it to you."
Vengeance...That was the
difference. I had a new motive for learning the moves.
"Your sister,
Mifuyu. You loved her very much don't you?" he asked.
The boy's eyes
widened. "Wh--what kind of question is that?"
His voice shook slightly, although his voice remained
blank like his face which was carefully expressionless.
"I did. I DO."
So good was I at
concealing what I felt that you wouldn't be able to tell
if we were talking about everyday conversations or about
the death of my sister. Unless you could see my eyes. I
worked hard to remain detached, or at least appear to be,
but I could not hide the pain and fury which were
reflected in my eyes.
"Good. Now let
me explain it to you. She was so very young, with her
life stretching out before her, until those men just cold-bloodedly
ripped her life, YOUR life as well, into shreds. Are you
simply willing to ignore this fact?" The man
continued without waiting for the boy to answer. "I
know you, Tokiya, and I know you would not allow such a
crime to remain unpaid for. Now you must avenge your
sister."
The boy's eyes
widened. That was exactly what he had been thinking.
"With these
techniques, you will be able to make your sister's
murderers pay for what they have done."
I'm sure he could tell
by the look in my eyes that I agreed with him completely.
But something stopped me from agreeing immediately. I
knew that Mifuyu was a life-loving person and all she
wished for me to do was to guard the Ensui, not to
destroy a life. My master was able to see my indecision
and he quickly worked to remedy it.
"Or am I wrong?
Are you not yet a man? You were forced to grow up so
quickly due to these circumstances, and I had believed
that you had become a man, able to protect his own and
able to give vengeance and justice to their memory."
The man paused, allowing him to think it over. "No,
I guess I WAS wrong. You're a boy, all alone and helpless.
Unable to protect your loved ones. Maybe you don't love
her enough to give your life the way she did for you?"
This roused the boy's
anger. "Of course I love her enough." The boy's
voice was still quiet. However, rage burned in those cool
blue eyes of his. "Master, with all due respect don't
EVER even imply that I do not love my sister."
The man's blood
chilled at the look in the boy's eyes. "Very well.
Go home now and rest. We'll begin your training tomorrow."
Vengeance... Indeed I
made it my life's purpose to avenge my sister. I had
nothing left. I'm not a complete fool, nor do I have a
one-track mind. One day while I was visiting her, I also
thought of the mission I have given to myself. I knew, in
a somewhat detached way, I was doing this for a selfish
reason as well. It was because I had nothing else, and in
my childish way, I clung to it. I was like a boat set
adrift, like a drowning swimmer in the sea, trying to
grab onto anything that will keep me afloat. My vengeance
was the only thing keeping me from sinking into total
despair. I sat down now and just simply looked at her
grave. It hurt to bring back those memories, but now as
before, I had been set adrift. This time the turmoil I
faced was confusion and frustration... and betrayal.
Maybe I should have been suspicious. He worked me hard,
driven me to the point where for awhile I could see only
the rage I felt. Maybe even then I should have seen the
smugness he hid behind his encouraging smile.
Tokiya... Tokiya!
The man's voice was
edged in irritation. "What are you doing? Don't be
so slow. Remember, speed is of great importance in combat."
The boy nodded,
sweat dripping down his face, but he did not wipe it off.
Instead he concentrated even more on the new technique
his master was teaching him.
His master lunged at
him, his bokken swinging from side to side wildly. The
boy sidestepped it then jumped back quickly when his
master thrust the wooden sword at him.
"Tokiya, always
remember, your enemy will have sly ways of fighting
against you. They could trap you with hidden weapons and
try to fool you with sloppy mistakes. Always keep a
detached and objective eye as to what your enemy is doing.
That way, you will never be defeated." He swung at
Tokiya's legs, then, when the boy jumped, he quickly
brought up his sword and slammed it into the boy's right
leg. He saw that the boy did not even flinch when he was
thrown down on the floor. "Tokiya! That was exactly
what I was talking about. Always try to figure out the
possible moves that an enemy makes when he attacks you!"
The boy nodded,
gasping.
"This is the
second time you've made that mistake! You've seen it
twice, now try to find a way to counter it!" he
lectured.
The boy only looked
at him instead of getting up, and the master lost his
composure.
"What are you
doing, you fool? Are you tired now? Are you so weak that
you cannot handle my lessons? Well, I suppose you are
since you could not even protect your sister from those
men. You, a boy, needed a girl to protect you!" the
man said tauntingly. He knew that it would light the boy's
fuse. And it did indeed. A spark of fury touched the boy's
eyes and he got up almost immediately, holding his bokken
ready. "Weakling, are you back for more?" he
taunted again.
The boy ignored his
words and just watched him, a look of concentration on
his face. "Do it." The words were quiet and
filled with determination.
The master
immediately followed through on the boy's words and swung
the sword again at his legs. The boy skipped back quickly
instead of jumping and stepped his foot on the sword and
swung his own bokken at his master's neck, stopping an
inch from it. The man's eyes lit with triumph at the boy's
move. "Very good, Tokiya, you just might be able to
avenge your sister yet."
But the boy's eyes
unlike his master's reflected no joy at being able to
defeat his master's move. Instead it showed nothing, not
even the slightest hint of satisfaction.
"Boy, you're
weak. You could not hurt even a fly."
"You're
pathetic! Why do I put up with you as my student?"
"I'm starting
to wonder if you really DO love your sister. You aren't
fighting well enough to avenge an ant."
"Are you just
going to let those murderers get away? It seems like it
to me, since you aren't showing any skill!"
Those words were used to
hurt me even more, and provoke me into a rage. But the
most hurtful words were the ones which concerned my
sister. And he knew that. He used my hate of the
murderers to make me into a cold automaton, a perfect
fighting machine. And it worked. After a few months I did
not need his words to make me learn my lessons well. I
just did it on my own. My anger burned brightly enough
that I learned them at a rate that surprised even me. But
I felt no pride in them, only a faint trace of
satisfaction that when I find the one who had my sister
killed, I would make him pay, in a most terrible manner.
I looked at my madougu,
the Ensui. It was in the form of a handle, what it
usually looked like when not being used. "Mifuyu,
here I am again." I said, faintly amused by the fact
that I was talking to a person who was dead already.
"You know I always thought that when I finally found
out who killed you, I'd finally have peace. I always
thought that I'd be able to come back here and finally be
able to tell you that I have avenged you. I've searched
long and hard, devoted my entire life to finding your
murderer."
"I want to know...
who was the man who killed my sister. Tell me!"
"I don't know
what you're talking about! I just reacted because your
sister reminded me of my princess."
"Don't lie to
me! I'll kill you if you don't tell me the truth."
"Recca Hanabishi."
I said his name quietly. "I thought he might know
who your killer was. And I fought him. But I was wrong.
He DIDN'T know. And because of him, I met Yanagi
Sakoshita. She does remind me of you, Mifuyu. Not just
the physical resemblance. But because she's so kind, like
you were."
"But remember
if anything happens to her I'll come back and I'll make
sure you pay for it."
"I had sworn this
to Recca, and indeed, something did happen. Yanagi was
kidnapped by Mori Kouran and Recca and his friends, Fuuko
Kirisawa and Domon Ishijima, went after her. Kage Houshi
tried to convince me to join them, but I refused. 'Why
should I help that idiot?' I told her. But I knew that I
would come to help them. And I did. I battled against
Kaoru Koganei to buy Recca and his friends some time to
reach Kurei." I shook my head. "I never thought
that I'd actually fall into that gang."
"Then came the
tournament. The invitation of Kurei to compete in the
Urabutousatsujin. This was my chance. 'Yanagi, this might
be my chance to find out who my sister's killer is,' I
recall saying to Yanagi-san, to reassure her of our
decision to enter the tournament. I had two reasons for
entering, one was to protect Yanagi as well, and the
other... to finally find the man who murdered my sister,
tore her away from me so cruelly.
Tokiya... Tokiya!
Dimly I heard Fuuko's
voice cry out. My breath was coming in gasps as blood
trickled down my chest. Ignoring this, I focused on the
man standing before me. Kai... The old man had told me
that in this last round, I would find out who my sister's
killer really is.
The earring. He wore
her earring. I could remember my first reaction. A bright,
burning desire to destroy him, and satisfaction of
finally finding her killer. "People are always
attacking me, and wanting to fight me. All because I wore
the jewelry of their deceased loved ones. The ones who I
killed."
"I attacked him, I
fought him. I knew that I might not be able to survive
that battle. For he was strong. As strong as I was. Maybe
even stronger."
"You're not the
real master of Hyomon Ken. Kyoza just chose you as a
replacement if anything happened to me."
His words hurt.
Mikagami stared at him, blue eyes bleak and cold.
A replacement? If he was
the true master then why would he kill her? Wouldn't I
get better if I had such a strong motive? If I was only
the second choice, the "spare," why kill her?
Why destroy everything I love?
"His madougu, the
Hyomon En, his attacks, the Ice Snake. More powerful than
mine."
Did Master Kyoza lie to
me? Kai was the TRUE master of Hyomon Ken? I was only a
reserve if anything happened to him? My fury increased...
was everything I knew and trusted all a lie?
Tokiya fell to the
ground as Kai looked down at him smugly. But then his
expression changed, as the wounded form was revealed to
be a product of Mizu Kugutsu.
Tokiya attacked him
from behind, his Ensui a different color. It had ran out
of water to use, and in his wish to continue the fight,
he used his own blood. The red Ensui.
I will NOT lose to him!
It did not matter to me if I died, but what mattered was
whether I would be able to avenge her or not. But even
during our fight I puzzled over Kai's reason for killing
my sister... Why?
Tokiya finally
jumped and slashed down for his final blow. Only a few
people noticed it, but there was a second's hesitation to
his attack.
Kai swung his own
madougu up and thrust it into Tokiya's body. Both
fighters fell down, but Kai got up and Tokiya remained
down.
Fuuko and Domon and
Koganei rushed to him as Kai looked at the young man in
confusion. "Why? Why didn't you kill me?"
Because I knew... I knew
that...
"Why did you
make me think that you killed my sister?"
I knew that he wasn't
her real killer. What was it that Sherlock Holmes said?
Eliminate the impossible, and whatever is left, no matter
how improbable, is the truth. I just couldn't reconcile
the thought that Kai was truly the one who killed my
sister. He had no reason, no motive. He did not strike me
as the type of person who would kill someone without
reason. He just didn't seem that way... and another
factor told me otherwise. My instinct told me... it wasn't
him. He wasn't her killer.
Kai started to laugh.
"You really ARE amazing. Even during a fight like
this, you still managed to keep an objective part of you
to examine the truth of what I was saying. You see my
reason for lying to you is that I wanted to fight you. To...
see if you truly were the best."
His words were confusing...
The best? But wasn't I only second to him?
"It's time for
the truth to come out... Yes, Meguri Kyoza initially
chose me to be his successor. But when he saw you, he
knew that you had enormous potential. So he cast me off.
He only kept me alive because if anything happened to you,
the Hyomon Ken technique would still be passed on to
another generation. But the truth is... I was the second
choice. Not you."
I felt as if I was in a
world of chaos. A lie... everything seemed to be a lie
now. What else was a lie?
Kai turned and
walked to the edge of the arena. He looked at the long
drop down.
"Kai, wait! Don't
do it!" My voice, although strained, was strong. Now
that I knew the truth, I didn't want to see him die. Not
anyone.
He turned and looked
at me. "Do you really think that I would still be
able to survive a wound like this? I only wanted to prove
to myself... that... you were really better than I was.
And now I have."
But I still don't know
who killed Mifuyu!
"Oh yes, you
want to know who killed your sister? I'll tell you. It
was... Meguri Kyoza."
Master? My master? I
felt like I was in a void now. Everything growing dark
and numb around me. My own master? He killed my sister?
My sister who was everything to me? But why?
"He knew that
if you had a reason as strong as avenging your sister to
push you, you'd be able to learn the techniques of Hyomon
Ken faster. And you did." Kai's voice kept on, as if
an echo of a nightmare. He turned completely, his back to
the darkness below. "I wish you all the luck in your
quest for vengeance." He fell backwards, his body
dropping down into the darkness, leaving the Hyomon Ken
master with this new revelation.
My master? Everything
really WAS a lie? My own master? Why? For such a horrible
reason? How could he... the one I trusted so much...
respected too much... be so cruel? His obsession with
power... took everything from me. I had nothing... no
answer... no reasons... no way to hide from the truth.
Betrayal... the most terrible way to hurt me. He
manipulated me... but I still couldn't... understand... I
can't put the pieces together. I have them all... but
they don't fit to my satisfaction. The man who I trusted...
saw as a father figure... was the one who hurt me the
most. He betrayed me... BETRAYED ME!!! Lied to me, used
me, killed who I loved the most.
Everything... my world
seemed to turn upside down again. I found my sister's
killer... and it was the person I trusted the most. How
will I avenge her?
Insanity... have I lost
my mind completely? Is this all a horrible nightmare?
Fate... does it hate me so much?
A cry of a bird startled
me out of my dark thoughts. I looked down at her grave
and began to shake. For the first time tears trickled out
of my eyes, tears that were long in coming. "Forgive
me Mifuyu... I, I failed..."
Everything looks the
same. Mikagami looked around the dojo. But I see it all
with clearer eyes now. He had come to confront his master,
finally. For days he had agonized over this. What he
would say, how he would say it. And he wasn't even really
sure he could do it. He had long planned this moment.
Confronting her killer, making him pay. But not this...he
never imagined this.
Only a door
separated them. The master from his student. Beyond it,
the boy could hear the sounds of a man moving around the
room. Making his bed? Fixing his things? Such innocuous
actions... Mikagami took a step forward, gathering his
resolve. He killed her. He killed her. He doesn't deserve
anything less than what he did to her. I can do it. I
WILL do it. For her... He repeated this to himself.
He reached the door,
his hand reaching out to pull it aside. It trembled. He
looked at his hand in surprise, as if it was an alien
entity. Why??? WHY AM I SO SCARED? HE KILLED HER!! His
hand fisted as he bent his head in another wave of grief.
Not just for his sister...but for the loss of the man he
thought of as a father. A friend. I just... can't do it.
"Like a coward I
ran. I turned away and ran. From him. From your killer,
Mifuyu, from my friend, from my pain, from finally facing
the man who murdered you. I ran from everything, my pain,
my hurt. Because I didn't know what to do. He killed you.
I know this. I trusted him and he betrayed me."
There's nothing now...the
goal I've had all my life..the mission i've worked so
hard for...and I can't go through with it. I really AM
weak. I found him, and I can't confront him.
"Pathetic I know."
my voice was bitter. Angry. At life, at my master...and
mostly at myself. Weak, and cowardly. "I hurt so
many innocent people in my desire to avenge you. But now
that I've come so close to doing so...I couldn't do it."
The shack was empty now.
He could still see traces of the man who lived there. But
it was deserted. No sign of life. No clue as to where its
previous occupant had gone. Where is he? Where are you
master?
"I searched for him
again... and I found that he was gone. I had lost my
chance." I couldn't go on. Sorrow and shame raged
inside me. "Forgive me..." Strange. I tasted
the saltiness of my tears. That only now... only now can
I weep. Only now can I let my tears flow. Not just for my
sister, nor for my master...but for myself too.
A cool wind brushed
against my wet cheeks, soothing and comforting. "But
Mifuyu..." I spoke again. "I will find him. I
promise this... and may heaven help me when I do..."
The wind began again,
swirling around him, teasing his hair as he lowered his
head again. The sky became brilliant with new light, as
clear and blue as the eyes closed in grief, near the
grave. The sea roared, waves crashing against the shore.
Life was stirring again. Beginning a new day. Filling it
with sounds and motions. Birds sang songs to give peace
to troubled hearts. But not the heart of the boy named
Tokiya Mikagami, whose life was filled with tragedy.
The world moved on,
leaving the young man alone with his sad thoughts.
"Because I don't
know if I can do it."
THE END
