Story: Shinobue Cantabile
Pairing: Takeru/Kotoha
I know it has been a while... Unfortunately, I won't be able to update my fics regularly because I have awful time management! ^^" Anyway, I wrote this chapter ages ago and I've just decided to put this up... Hopefully I will focus on this fic and get it done... So yeah, this is my response to Veronica Marie's challenge which can be found in her TakeruKotoha LiveJournal. To the Takeru/Kotoha fans, please check out that site! :) This is my first challenge response... so please be nice... hehehehe
Dang Dang Dang Dang Dang Dang Dang Dang Dang Dang Dang Dang Dang Dang
Shut up… Doukoku is annoyed by the Susukadama imitating Dayu's Shamisen playing. He drank his sake. Apart from Dayu's Shamisen, sake is the other way to calm him down. But it did not have the same effect as he was hoping for.
Argh… Doukoku grabbed every single of the yellow fur-ball within his sight and threw them off his ship. Shitari sighed with disappointment, There goes the Susukadama… Though he found them annoying as well, they were useful in a way, at least they dried up the spilled sake from Doukoku. He needs to find another way to calm Doukoku.
Too late. Doukoku was swinging his sword in fury, tilting the ship sideway, making it difficult for Shitari to approach him. Then he heard it, a soft melody playing. Doukoku stopped, listening to the tune. Sadness It was a different form of sadness unlike Dayu's.
Dayu's shamisen playing expressed the longing that she had to endure, waiting for her lover to come back but he never did. And because of that, her music illustrated pain and suffering.
But this melody was different. It expresses lack of self-esteem, no confidence and the tone is doubtful. Doukoku is drawn to it immediately as soon as he heard it. He quietly sat down and listened to the melody. It's different… but refreshing to his ears.
Shitari was puzzled, he was confident that Doukoku likes to listen to Suffering sadness. The reason he likes Dayu's shamisen playing is due to the fact that the piercing sound is like the gathering of the world's tears. This melody is not even close to it.
Doukoku visualizes the owner of the melody, the image was fuzzy as if there was a fog, covering it. Nevertheless, he sees a young girl, probably in her teens, playing a bamboo flute. The head of Gedoushu concludes that he likes the sound of the flute. She's human…Damm! Just then, he had the perfect plan formed in his head… "Ayakashi Kangendaku!"
The summoned Ayakashi came up from the Sanzu River, "Honorable Doukoku, you call me?"
"Find her…" Doukoku demanded.
Ayakashi Kangendaku bowed, "As you wish…" He set off. The Ayakashi was able to find the girl who was playing the flute. She wasn't that hard to find. The image of her was getting clearer and clearer. It can't be… The Ayakashi stepped back, "Kohana…" he whispered her name, instantly recognizing her.
Chiaki was running. There was a call from Jii, saying that a Gedoushu appeared. Everyone got the message, they spread out to check the area. His eyes were scanning the area, everyone was safe and nothing looked out of the ordinary.
"KOTOHA!" Chiaki instantly went to his best friend who was laying down unconsciously, he checked for injuries and was relieved to see that she was unhurt. However her face was paling and he checked her forehead, she was coming down with a fever. He then saw her hand, holding her flute.
Not again! Chiaki carried her on his back and slowly walked back to the Shiba mansion. The ShinkenGreen gazed at the bamboo flute he was holding. It is Kotoha's most prized possession, he knew for a fact, that whenever she is sad or depressed, she would play her flute.
Jii was waiting anxiously for the return. Takeru, Ryunosuke and Mako were back in the mansion already. He saw Chiaki approaching and held a sigh of relief. He went outside, "Chiaki!" Jii stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the unconscious Kotoha on Chiaki's back.
"I didn't find anything, everything seemed normal…" Chiaki told them casually and went to Kotoha's room. He gently put her to bed and wet the towel with cold water that the Kuroko brought. Chiaki tenderly wiped her face, hoping that the fever would come down.
The Kuroko insisted to take care of Kotoha and let Chiaki rest. Chiaki put her bamboo flute aside on her table and went out. Mako was waiting for him in the main hall, "How's Kotoha?"
"I don't know Neesan…" Chiaki took his seat.
"She should be fine…" Mako squeezed his shoulder for reassurance.
"Sometimes, I wish she would talk to us about her problems… Not keep them inside and just play her flute…" Chiaki confessed.
Jii came to the main hall with snacks and tea, "Well, Kotoha is a strong girl… She can overcome this…"
Ryunosuke came in, "The Kuroko told me that her fever has gone down… she should be fine by tomorrow…"
The person, who was eavesdropping the whole time, quietly slid the door and went to his bedroom. Takeru felt a pang of guilt, remembering the earlier event that led to his harsh words on his youngest vassals.
Chiaki went back to his room, banging his fists to the ground, Damm Takeru! Why did you have to talk like that to Kotoha?
~Flashback~
Kotoha cast her eyes down, "I don't know… I try to be stronger… No, I want to be stronger!"
Chiaki glanced at his best friend, understanding her feelings. It was true, since they were the youngest, they were more inexperienced than the rest. It was one of those times, Chiaki and Kotoha talked about their capability.
"We will!" Chiaki smiled at her, "With more training! Come on, let's go!" Chiaki led her to the garden.
The both of them trained vigorously. Chiaki's unorthodox training is made up by his improvisation. "Hey! Kotoha… H-how do you make sure that you're a good servant to your lord?"
"Erm… When we have trainings in the morning, I tried to arrive on time. I... think I'm good at following instructions, but..." Kotoha blocked his hit and stated, "Tono-sama is... very good to us," There was a hint of a smile on her face. "He's kind and caring, but he... is also very strict. I look up to him, not only because I am his vassal, but also because he is... Tono-sama."
Chiaki remembered Ryunosuke's words, 'Did you hear that? That innocence! That's a Samurai child!'
"I understand…" Chiaki almost smiled.
"Chiaki! We will try our best!" Kotoha smiled.
"Trying," Takeru emphasized as he walked up to them, "Will not succeed. If you are lacking, train your body even more!"
Kotoha bowed, "Hai!" But at the same time, this caused Chiaki's shinai to hit her head as she bowed, "Itai!"
Chiaki sighed as he thought, blind devotion. He made a mental note to himself to teach Kotoha to express her mind more independently.
"Training. I want to become stronger. I... want to be able to serve Tono-sama better!" Kotoha smiled.
"And yet you stand here talking to me rather than working at that?" Takeru folded his arms as he questions sharply. "What a waste..."
Kotoha was taken back, "I…I…"
"Do as you wish, then," Takeru walked towards the dummy "I have no use for you…" He began hitting it.
She was hurt by his words, "Sumimasen!" Kotoha excused herself but the tears were threatening to fall.
Angered by the fact that his best friend was hurt, he hit Takeru on the head with his shinai. Takeru gave him a glare, which Chiaki returned, "She doesn't need to listen to your crap!" Chiaki left instantly.
Takeru caught a glimpse of a crying Kotoha. He touched the spot on his head where Chiaki hit him. He did not expect that to happen at all and a tiny voice told him that he deserved it after all.
~End of Flashback~
Kotoha opened her eyes, she recalled that event. Come, little one… Come, little one. She turned around, trying to find that voice but there was no one. She got up and went outside her bedroom. Everyone has gone to sleep, she looked down to see that she is in her pajamas.
Maybe I'm hallucinating… Kotoha shook her head and went to play her bamboo flute. As soon as her lips blow the first note, her eyes went red. Still playing her flute, she walked out of the mansion, and heads towards the city.
That's good! The Ayakashi thought as he saw Kotoha walked towards him, Come, little one… Come, little one. Behind Kotoha, were many children, in their pajamas. As Kotoha walked by each building, more children came out and joined in the line of children, following Kotoha.
The children are hypnotized by her melody. At the Sanzu River, Doukoku enjoyed his sake and listened to the melody again, Yes!