Tanpopo*
By Kumatenshi
* Tanpopo is the Japanese name for dandelion
Chance is like a bullet train, it comes, it goes, but it never waits. You either spend a lifetime chasing it, or let it slip away, and regret later that you have remained. My best partner, Pakunoda, had decided to chase it by leaving the Shooting Star Street and joining the Genei Ryodan. Those who did not know Pakunoda thought she became a Ryodan because she fancied a sapphire on her chest, diamond on her finger, and gold around her wrist. I would not doubt that for she was a woman after all but that was not the main reason. She liked the Ryodan not because they went about murdering the innocent and stealing from the rich. She loved it because she had nothing else to love. Just like all children in the Shooting Star Street, her existence as a human was not valued from the first day she was born into this world. Only the Ryodan gave her the evidence that she was not a zombie but a proper human, with flesh, blood, and possibly a soul. She admired the ideals of the Ryodan and was charmed by the charisma of its leader, the genius Kuroro. In fact, she once told me that her greatest wish was to sacrifice her life to protect the Ryodan. Today, in front of her beautiful grave decorated with her favorite flower - tanpopo, I congratulate her with invisible tears, for her dream had finally come true.
Behind me, her younger sister, Rin stood and sang the one and only song Pakunoda taught her to sing:
Tanpopo, look tanpopo
The world I live is rotten to the core
Clothes I wear are filled with pores
And the bruises and cuts beneath, they soar
Tanpopo why tanpopo
There's only trash for me to hop and crawl
This horrible life makes me sick and bored
When can I laugh as never before?
Tanpopo, listen tanpopo
Here's what I am wishing for
Money? Jewels? Not any more
Just some sweet memories to recall.
When she finished, she bent forward to touch me. At this instance, she must have seen my memories of Pakunoda, for she was blessed with a similar yet different nen power as Pakunoda. She could see the memories of every stone and glass, and feel the remnants of pain and sorrow in them.
If you have only met the Pakunoda in the Ryodan, I am certain your impression of her would not be very far from a strong and sexy woman, with a devilish figure. However, the Pakunoda I first knew was a thin and weak little girl with longer hair, paler skin, and totally unattractive eyes. In fact, she was a pretty useless girl and nobody in the Shooting Star Street really liked her. That was why she was always the victim of bullies and thieves and not a single moment in the day or night could she rest without being worried of being hurt. When she could bear it no more, she decided to invest her lifetime savings on a companion who could protect her from further harm. She searched high and low and finally that winter day, she came into my friend, Joe's store. Joe recommended me to her and for the first minute, she was staring at me with curious eyes as if doubting my ability. I suspect that was because I was not particularly huge or handsome. Luckily, her doubts vanished after a few minutes of close inspection and she finally chose me. She brought me home and allowed me to rest comfortably for the night. The next day, we went to her "secret hideout" to practice. It was really just a field of broken glass and empty beer cans but what made it different from other sea of trash was the one small tanpopo in the middle of the field, struggling to live on. We practiced from dawn till dusk for three consecutive weeks. By then, both Pakunoda and I have confidence in each other. A new partnership, or rather friendship was born.
The next few months were probably the best times of my life. With my protection, fewer bullies dared to approach Pakunoda and she could finally fight for food she never had a chance to taste before. Furthermore, we also tried our best to protect younger children like Rin. Rin was not related to Pakunoda by blood but by a bond closer still --- the bond of a similar cursed destiny. By safeguarding the existence of Rin and other children, Pakunoda has found a purpose to live. For a while, the living hell became a slightly more livable place.
Unfortunately, happiness was never long and the peace of our lives was shattered by the boy named Kuroro. He was around Pakunoda's age, rather good looking, and extremely smart and charismatic. Even at his young age, he already envisioned the need for the children in Shooting Star Street to unite together should they want to survive. His wish was to set up an organization where there was no "individual". Everyone should be part of a collective and should sacrifice their own interests for the harmony and survival of the collective. Pakunoda was totally fascinated by Kuroro's words and since she liked them, I accepted them as well. To come to think of it now, those words took my precious Pakunoda away. Had she not met Kuroro, probably she would be alive and holding me with her warm hand today. However, had they not met each other, I might have missed out the many lovely smiles Pakunoda wore on her face as well. Most important, had they not met, my true ability might never be discovered.
Pakunoda first met Kuroro on the 28th of December and a week later, she followed him to see an old man named Abba. Abba was the wise man and teacher in the Shooting Star Street. When he saw Pakunoda, he asked her to put her hand over a glass of water and tried to concentrate. Pakunoda tried but nothing happened. She thought Kuroro must be disappointed because other kids either made water spill out or turned it sweet, but she could not do anything. To her surprise though, Abba was smiling happily, congratulating her for having a very special power.
"Abba sensei, why are you so happy when there wasn't any reaction at all in the glass?"
"My dear, that's because you have an ability that's even more valuable than simply forcing water out of the glass?"
"?" Pakunoda was confused.
"My dear" Abba sensei spoke gently, "try holding my hand, what can you see?"
Pakunoda caught hold of Abba sensei's hand and closed her eyes, concentrating.
"I…I see a little girl with long, blonde hair that is tied neatly with a pink ribbon. She is wearing a beautiful dress, just like a little princess. She is smiling sweetly, just like an angel."
"Ah, that's my granddaughter, Ashna. Just as I have predicted, you can see other people's memory." Abba sensei paused and stared in my direction briefly. Then he resumed, "With a little practice, who knows, maybe you can steal memories from other people and share them with your comrades with special memory bullets!"
"Cool! That means I will not be a useless girl anymore?" Pakunoda was overjoyed.
"My dear, since when have you been useless? You are one of the bravest little girls I have seen!"
Pakunoda smiled and said, "Thank you Abba sensei. By the way, where is your granddaughter Ashna? Can I meet with her?"
"I'm afraid not, my dear, for she has already left me for a better world. A world where there will not be sadness and pain."
"Is there a world like that?"
"Of course, my dear, there is. Soon, I'll go there and so will you, someday."
"But can't I go there now?"
"No, you can't."
"Why?"
"Because you still have dreams to fulfill and only after that can you go to that place."
"Dreams? But Pakunoda doesn't have any dream!"
"You must or you will have. All you have to do is to search for it."
And that Pakunoda did. In the next seven to eight years, she refined her nen so that she could get whatever information she wished from her enemies. Then, she compiled the memories and shared them with other members of the Ryodan by shooting at them special memory bullets. While peeping into other people's memories, she learned more and more about the world of the humans outside the Shooting Star Street. There were hypocrites who criticized almost everything but never raised a finger to do the dirty jobs. There were those ladies who could remember the names of jeweleries and perfumes they could not afford, but not their childrens' names. Then there were those hunters whose thirst for wealth and power would never cease. Then, there were those sad creatures whose sole existence was revenge. All these memories would only make her feel more disgusted by the so-called "better people" of the outside world. She could not understand why these people could only remember things they don't have but not things they already possess.
Her guess was, "Probably that's the human mind!"
It could be, it could be not, I have neither the ability nor time to tell. When the tears on Rin's face had finally dried up, she gently took me into her arms and let me eternally rest right next to the ashes of my beloved Pakunoda.
So, who am I?
I was, am, and shall be Pakunoda's one and only memory gun.
~ End ~
By Kumatenshi
* Tanpopo is the Japanese name for dandelion
Chance is like a bullet train, it comes, it goes, but it never waits. You either spend a lifetime chasing it, or let it slip away, and regret later that you have remained. My best partner, Pakunoda, had decided to chase it by leaving the Shooting Star Street and joining the Genei Ryodan. Those who did not know Pakunoda thought she became a Ryodan because she fancied a sapphire on her chest, diamond on her finger, and gold around her wrist. I would not doubt that for she was a woman after all but that was not the main reason. She liked the Ryodan not because they went about murdering the innocent and stealing from the rich. She loved it because she had nothing else to love. Just like all children in the Shooting Star Street, her existence as a human was not valued from the first day she was born into this world. Only the Ryodan gave her the evidence that she was not a zombie but a proper human, with flesh, blood, and possibly a soul. She admired the ideals of the Ryodan and was charmed by the charisma of its leader, the genius Kuroro. In fact, she once told me that her greatest wish was to sacrifice her life to protect the Ryodan. Today, in front of her beautiful grave decorated with her favorite flower - tanpopo, I congratulate her with invisible tears, for her dream had finally come true.
Behind me, her younger sister, Rin stood and sang the one and only song Pakunoda taught her to sing:
Tanpopo, look tanpopo
The world I live is rotten to the core
Clothes I wear are filled with pores
And the bruises and cuts beneath, they soar
Tanpopo why tanpopo
There's only trash for me to hop and crawl
This horrible life makes me sick and bored
When can I laugh as never before?
Tanpopo, listen tanpopo
Here's what I am wishing for
Money? Jewels? Not any more
Just some sweet memories to recall.
When she finished, she bent forward to touch me. At this instance, she must have seen my memories of Pakunoda, for she was blessed with a similar yet different nen power as Pakunoda. She could see the memories of every stone and glass, and feel the remnants of pain and sorrow in them.
If you have only met the Pakunoda in the Ryodan, I am certain your impression of her would not be very far from a strong and sexy woman, with a devilish figure. However, the Pakunoda I first knew was a thin and weak little girl with longer hair, paler skin, and totally unattractive eyes. In fact, she was a pretty useless girl and nobody in the Shooting Star Street really liked her. That was why she was always the victim of bullies and thieves and not a single moment in the day or night could she rest without being worried of being hurt. When she could bear it no more, she decided to invest her lifetime savings on a companion who could protect her from further harm. She searched high and low and finally that winter day, she came into my friend, Joe's store. Joe recommended me to her and for the first minute, she was staring at me with curious eyes as if doubting my ability. I suspect that was because I was not particularly huge or handsome. Luckily, her doubts vanished after a few minutes of close inspection and she finally chose me. She brought me home and allowed me to rest comfortably for the night. The next day, we went to her "secret hideout" to practice. It was really just a field of broken glass and empty beer cans but what made it different from other sea of trash was the one small tanpopo in the middle of the field, struggling to live on. We practiced from dawn till dusk for three consecutive weeks. By then, both Pakunoda and I have confidence in each other. A new partnership, or rather friendship was born.
The next few months were probably the best times of my life. With my protection, fewer bullies dared to approach Pakunoda and she could finally fight for food she never had a chance to taste before. Furthermore, we also tried our best to protect younger children like Rin. Rin was not related to Pakunoda by blood but by a bond closer still --- the bond of a similar cursed destiny. By safeguarding the existence of Rin and other children, Pakunoda has found a purpose to live. For a while, the living hell became a slightly more livable place.
Unfortunately, happiness was never long and the peace of our lives was shattered by the boy named Kuroro. He was around Pakunoda's age, rather good looking, and extremely smart and charismatic. Even at his young age, he already envisioned the need for the children in Shooting Star Street to unite together should they want to survive. His wish was to set up an organization where there was no "individual". Everyone should be part of a collective and should sacrifice their own interests for the harmony and survival of the collective. Pakunoda was totally fascinated by Kuroro's words and since she liked them, I accepted them as well. To come to think of it now, those words took my precious Pakunoda away. Had she not met Kuroro, probably she would be alive and holding me with her warm hand today. However, had they not met each other, I might have missed out the many lovely smiles Pakunoda wore on her face as well. Most important, had they not met, my true ability might never be discovered.
Pakunoda first met Kuroro on the 28th of December and a week later, she followed him to see an old man named Abba. Abba was the wise man and teacher in the Shooting Star Street. When he saw Pakunoda, he asked her to put her hand over a glass of water and tried to concentrate. Pakunoda tried but nothing happened. She thought Kuroro must be disappointed because other kids either made water spill out or turned it sweet, but she could not do anything. To her surprise though, Abba was smiling happily, congratulating her for having a very special power.
"Abba sensei, why are you so happy when there wasn't any reaction at all in the glass?"
"My dear, that's because you have an ability that's even more valuable than simply forcing water out of the glass?"
"?" Pakunoda was confused.
"My dear" Abba sensei spoke gently, "try holding my hand, what can you see?"
Pakunoda caught hold of Abba sensei's hand and closed her eyes, concentrating.
"I…I see a little girl with long, blonde hair that is tied neatly with a pink ribbon. She is wearing a beautiful dress, just like a little princess. She is smiling sweetly, just like an angel."
"Ah, that's my granddaughter, Ashna. Just as I have predicted, you can see other people's memory." Abba sensei paused and stared in my direction briefly. Then he resumed, "With a little practice, who knows, maybe you can steal memories from other people and share them with your comrades with special memory bullets!"
"Cool! That means I will not be a useless girl anymore?" Pakunoda was overjoyed.
"My dear, since when have you been useless? You are one of the bravest little girls I have seen!"
Pakunoda smiled and said, "Thank you Abba sensei. By the way, where is your granddaughter Ashna? Can I meet with her?"
"I'm afraid not, my dear, for she has already left me for a better world. A world where there will not be sadness and pain."
"Is there a world like that?"
"Of course, my dear, there is. Soon, I'll go there and so will you, someday."
"But can't I go there now?"
"No, you can't."
"Why?"
"Because you still have dreams to fulfill and only after that can you go to that place."
"Dreams? But Pakunoda doesn't have any dream!"
"You must or you will have. All you have to do is to search for it."
And that Pakunoda did. In the next seven to eight years, she refined her nen so that she could get whatever information she wished from her enemies. Then, she compiled the memories and shared them with other members of the Ryodan by shooting at them special memory bullets. While peeping into other people's memories, she learned more and more about the world of the humans outside the Shooting Star Street. There were hypocrites who criticized almost everything but never raised a finger to do the dirty jobs. There were those ladies who could remember the names of jeweleries and perfumes they could not afford, but not their childrens' names. Then there were those hunters whose thirst for wealth and power would never cease. Then, there were those sad creatures whose sole existence was revenge. All these memories would only make her feel more disgusted by the so-called "better people" of the outside world. She could not understand why these people could only remember things they don't have but not things they already possess.
Her guess was, "Probably that's the human mind!"
It could be, it could be not, I have neither the ability nor time to tell. When the tears on Rin's face had finally dried up, she gently took me into her arms and let me eternally rest right next to the ashes of my beloved Pakunoda.
So, who am I?
I was, am, and shall be Pakunoda's one and only memory gun.
~ End ~