Hands Full Of Rainbow
Chapter One: Partings and Meetings
-and rain
*WARNING: Some of the content in this story is based upon Lois Lowry's book, Gathering Blue. This is a TAIORA, rated PG-13 just to play it safe. Yamato isn't the Yamato we love in this story, so sorry Matt fans! T.K. and Matt aren't related, and neither are Kari and Taichi.
Sora-16, Mimi-16, Taichi-17, Joe- 21, Yamato-19, T.K.- 9, Kari- 8
Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon, or Gathering Blue
"Ay! Sora-san you're in the way! What are you doing here anyway? Shouldn't you be attending to your mother?" A middle-aged woman asked.
"I am, I was just curious as to why so many people were awake this early," A young girl said as she leaned on her walking stick.
"Didn't you hear? The hunters have arrived! And they brought back a lot of game. Yamamoto Hiroshi, the butcher, is auctioning off all the meat! So we are all waiting for him to open his shop, and look, there he is now!" The woman announced as she pushed and shoved to get ahead. A huge uproar commenced as the young girl limped back to her burrow.
"Sora, is that you?"
"Yes mama, the hunters have arrived from the forest," Sora said as she closed the door of her small home.
"Oh, I suppose Hiroshi will make a lot of income won't he?"
"How are you feeling, mama?" Sora said as she made her way to her mother's bed.
"I think my fever has come down a bit, but never mind about me, how's your ankle?" Sakamae said as she sat up.
Sora rested her walking stick against the wall and sat across from her mother, "It's healing."
"I wish you would rest your foot, too much stress can cause the healing to delay even longer."
"I know, but my main concern is you right now-"
"Sora," her mother interrupted, "Everyone has a place in life, and everyone plays a role. But once, your part had been played, it is time to step aside and let someone else have a chance. It's my job to worry about you, not the other way around."
Sora's eyes began to fill, you're wrong. I have to worry about you, if I don't, no one else will. She fought back her tears, and took out a small bottle. "You still feel hot," she said as she spoon-fed her mother some medicine. "Mitsuki-sensei will be here tomorrow, you want to look healthy for him don't you?"
Sakamae smiled at her daughter, "Where would I be without you?" She reclined back in her bed, and closed her eyes. Sora reached for her walking stick and quietly went back outside.
The regular morning commute was in progress as Sora walked down the streets of her small village. Everywhere she looked people were busy: salesmen persuading people to purchase their goods, women slapping and shouting at their young. She couldn't help but smile at her surroundings.
She walked in the opposite direction of her burrow towards the stream. She had her own secret trench where she would go and get away from all the noise the village had to offer. But now, with her sore ankle, getting there would be difficult. She tried to climb up the last rock that led to her trench, but her ankle gave in and she collapsed. Sora removed the bandages and began to rub her swollen ankle. The village doctor, Mitsuki Tetsuo said she had bruised her anklebone and it would take several weeks, to heal completely. She sighed as she threw pebbles into the rippling water.
Sora heard a soft rustling noise coming from the bushes across the stream. She watched curiously as the rustling grew louder, and then all of a sudden, she heard the sound of several young children laughing. She smiled, "T.K., is that you?"
A small boy's head popped out from one of the bushes revealing his dirty yellow hair and sticky face. "Hey, look everyone! It's Sora!" The young boy called out. Slowly, one by one, more tiny heads began to pop out.
"Sora!" They all rushed to her, splashing mud and water at each other. Sora laughed as she made room for all the children.
"Tell us a story Sora! One about fairies, and pixies!" A little girl with mud plastered over her black pigtails pleaded.
"No! One about the hunters and a beastie!" One of the older boys said. Sora smiled at all the eager faces seated in front of her.
"Alright, I think I have time for one story…"
"Mother, I'm home!" Sora called as she entered her small cott. She went over to check on her sleeping mother. She placed her hand over her forehead and quickly retracted it back. Her fever is back, and its much worse! She remoistened a small towel and placed it on her mother's forehead. She went to the small table her father had built and took out a small basket made from river grass that contained dried herbs. She used some of the herbs to make an herbal tea, which she would feed to her mother when she awoke.
There was a knock on the door, it was Mitsuki-sensei. Sora bowed as she let the doctor enter. "Mitsuki-sensei, you weren't supposed to come until tomorrow, I would have tidied up if I had known you were coming today," Sora said nervously as she put away the basket and cleared off the table.
"Sorry Sora-san, but I was attending to Kawano Hitomi who lives right next to you, so I decided to check on Sakamae too. She's been sick for so long now, I worry about her. How is she doing?"
"Not well Sensei, her fever is getting worse, and she won't stop coughing. I brewing herbal tea right now, but I'm afraid even that won't work… and the medicine you gave her hasn't seemed to take effect yet."
The doctor went over to Sakamae and felt her forehead. He turned to look at Sora with a sad expression on her face. He shook his head softly.
She dropped the cup of tea she was holding, "No, Sensei! Please, don't let her leave me, she is all I have!"
He looked back down at his dying patient, "Be strong Sakamae, let the medicine heal you…"
Sora shrank to the floor, her crimson orbs filling with tears, her heart shattering to a million pieces.
"Sora! You're back so soon?" a small yellow-haired boy asked as he saw his friend return from the Field of Parting.
"Yes, I couldn't bear to stay there any longer. The last of my mother's spirit has drifted away, reunited with my father's." Sora sighed.
"What's it like there? Scared were you?" T.K. asked with shining eyes of curiosity.
"It's an awful place, full of sorrow, and pain. As soon as you step into the Field, a huge wave of sadness sweeps over you, and it feels like you're entire soul is being eaten by a creature that thrives upon your happiness. I was only able to stay one night, I don't know how some people manage to stay there for four days!"
"Your burrow is horrid burnt," he told her.
Sora nodded, "Yes, and everything in it. My frame? Did they burn my threading frame?"
T.K. frowned, "I tried to save whatever I could, but its not much," he said as he handed her a teacup and a wooden spoon.
Sora smiled pitifully at the last remains of her home. "Thanks T.K." In the past, there had been sicknesses that traveled from one burrow to the next with many deaths. When that happened, a huge burning would take place to prevent the disease from spreading.
The charred smell of her burnt home still lingered in the air. Sakamae's death had changed nothing in the lives of the people. She was once there. Now she is gone. Their lives continued.
"I have to start rebuilding," Sora announced to her young friend. It would be hard work, even harder with her bruised ankle. "Want to help? It could be fun, just the two of us."
T.K. shook his head, "Sorry Sora, my mom's already angry with me for not bringing in the firewood this morning along with all of my other chores." He turned away. After a hesitation, he turned back to Sora and said in a low voice, "I heard them talking. They don't want you to stay. They're planning to turn you out, now that you're mom is dead. They are set on putting you in the Field for the beasts."
Sora's throat tightened in fear, but she tried to keep her voice calm, "Who's they?"
"Them women, over there," T.K. said as he looked over to a group of women standing a few feet away from Sora's burnt down burrow. "They want your space, they want where your burrow used to be. They aim to build a pen there, to keep their young, and chickens enclosed so they don't have to chase after them all the time.
Sora stared at the group of women in shock. It was terrifying, almost unbelievable, the casualness of their cruelty. "Whose voice was the strongest against me?" She asked.
T.K. looked to the ground and scratched is neck uneasily. He felt Sora's stern eyes watching him, and whispered, "Tomiko."
She wasn't surprised when she heard the name, but still, whatever was left of her heart, sank at the thought of Tomiko.
Sora decided it made sense to pretend like she knew nothing. She went back to the remains of her burrow and sorted through the pile of ashes. Tomiko emerged immediately from the nearby clearing. Sora jumped at her sudden presence. She didn't know where the woman lived or who her husband or children might be. But she was very much known in the village. People respected her, some even feared her.
The woman was tall and muscular, with long, straight black hair braided down her back. Her eyes were dark and showed no emotion. The ragged scar that marked her cheek and continued down her neck was said to be a remnant of a long-ago battle with one of the forest creatures. No one else had ever survived such a clawing, and the scar reminded everyone of Tomiko's courage and vigor. She looked down at Sora with utmost disgust.
"I've come to rebuild my burrow," Sora said trying to sound friendly.
"Your space is gone, nothing is left for you here. It's mine now." Tomiko spat.
"I will rebuild on this space. It was my father's, and my mother's after he died. Now it's mine."
Other women emerged from surrounding burrows. "We need it," one called. "Our children are becoming too much of a problem, constantly running away. We are going to use this space to build a pen for them."
"I agree, a pen would be a good idea, but this is my space. Build it someplace else." Sora said as she hoisted herself up with the help of her stick.
She saw Tomiko crouch down and pick up a sharp rock. "We don't want you here," she began, "you don't belong in the village anymore. You're worthless with that bruised ankle. Mitsuki-sensei says it will take several weeks, months even for it to heal. We don't have time to wait for your confounded leg to heal. You mother always protected you but she's gone now. You should go too. Why couldn't you have just stayed in the Field?"
Sora looked around, angry women, who were watching Tomiko for instructions and leadership, surrounded her. What would my mother have done? But before she could answer her own question, a large black stallion came trotting their way, breaking the circle of women.
"What's going on here? Why aren't you women attending to your duties? Your children are running wild all over the place!" A strikingly handsome golden haired young man asked crossly.
"Forgive us Ishida-sama!" One of the women cried out as she collapsed on her knees and bowed, all the other women, except Tomiko followed.
"Explain." The young man stated curtly.
"Well, you see, Ishida-sama, what happened was-" a middle-aged woman began but was interrupted by a harsh voice.
"This girl's father died before she was born, and now her mother is dead. We simply wish to utilize her space to enclose our children, but she is not willing to cooperate," Tomiko explained.
"You were going to send me back to the Field! And, and let beasts come after me!" Sora cried tearfully.
"Hush child! You have brought dishonor to your name Takenouchi-san. Bow before the Warden's son, you disgraceful girl!" Tomiko said strictly.
Sora sniffed, she regretted her sudden outburst. She knelt very carefully, and painfully into a somewhat cordial bow. Some of the women laughed at her attempt.
The Warden's son eyed Sora with amazement. She was like no girl he had ever seen. Her hair, a vibrant color, unlike the normal dull browns and blacks of the village people. Her eyes, the same as her hair, they stood out, and were full of emotion. She was brave, witnessing her mother's death and growing up without a father. Now, with a bad ankle she is standing up to all these women, even Tomiko!
He noticed the rock still clutched tightly in Tomiko's hand. "I'm sure you all know that in a village conflict that could bring death, it must be reported to the Council of Keepers. Keep in mind that if a conflict is not taken to the Council, and if there is a death…"
There was a long pause, Sora looked up at the young rider; she was taken back by his handsome features, but managed to give a small smile. He gave a quick wink back to her. "The causer-of-death must die," Sora said slyly, completing the rule.
Tomiko dropped the rock, "I will take her to the Council of Keepers then," she announced, "I am willing to be her accuser. Let them cast her out. No need for us to waste a life by getting rid of her, what do you say Ishida-sama?"
"I say, a wise decision Tomiko-san. See you two tomorrow morning. Good day ladies," he said smoothly as he rode off.
A/N: So that was the first chapter! It may seem a bit confusing now, but it'll get better, I promise!! Don't worry, this is NOT a Sorato!! Please review!! Thanks!
~Rainy