Remembering Your Family
Twelfth Year of the Meiji Era
Kamiya Dojo
It was a pretty good spring day so far. But Kaoru noticed something odd about her apprentice, Yahiko, as they sparred that day. He seemed distracted, even though he was managing to block her strikes, his heart wasn't in it. Spotting an opening, Kaoru quickly struck Yahiko's stomach, "DO!" Yahiko fell to the floor, rubbed his stomach and got up. What!? Kaoru screamed in her head. Yahiko was really out of it; on any other day he would jump up, call her 'Ugly' and start trying to hit her even harder. He took that strike without a peep.
Kaoru lowered her bokken and said, "We're done today." Yahiko silently nodded and helped her put their sparring gear away. "Yahiko, what's wrong?" Kaoru asked her usually fiery pupil. "I don't want to talk about it," he said. "Is it Tsubame-chan?" she asked, knowing Yahiko he probably did something stupid that put a strain on their relationship. Yahiko denied it all the time, but Kaoru could tell that Tsubame was more than just a friend for him. "Tsubame has nothing to do with this. I'm going to the Akabeko," a melancholy Tokyo Samurai said as he left the Kamiya dojo. Kenshin was outside drinking tea when he saw the young man leave and watched him leave. What is wrong with him? The former rurouni thought. He had known Yahiko for almost a year, no matter what the circumstances he never gave up, or was depressed, despite his hard life and all the obstacles they had faced together. So why was he so depressed now?
Akabeko
"Yahiko-chan, we need more firewood for the oven!" Tae yelled. "Got it," Yahiko said and ran off to get it. Tae blinked, Yahiko hadn't called her out on using '–chan' when referring to him. Yahiko hated that honorific and always glared at her and said, "Not –chan" when she said it on accident. And the way he was working, he was at his usual pace, but he was moving like there was nothing inside him, like he was an empty shell. Yahiko dutifully delivered the firewood and went to get some rice the chef's needed. For the next hour Yahiko said little except for, 'yes' or 'no'. What is wrong with that boy? Tae wondered. Tae's best waitress Tsubame got a little water to drink and Tae asked, "Tsubame-chan, have you spoken to Yahiko-chan at all today?"
The girl shook her head, "I haven't gotten the chance to talk much because of the rush of customers, Tae-san." Tsubame finished her water then got another cup for Yahiko. "Where is Yahiko-kun?" Tsubame asked her boss. "I think he's out back, near the storehouse," Tae told her and the girl went off to deliver the water. Tsubame found Yahiko staring up at the clouds in the sky. Tsubame looked up, the clouds were white and fluffy; there would be no rain for today it looked like. Tsubame walked up to the young man and held up the water for him, "You look thirsty Yahiko-kun." Yahiko looked at her blankly for a second and accepted the offered water. "Thanks, Tsubame," he said and quickly drank it. Tsubame stood beside him, her face blushing at how close they were as she looked up at the clouds again. Yahiko didn't say anything, Tsubame wracked her brain to think of a conversation topic that he would like.
Yahiko-kun is descended from Samurai, and is a student of kenjutsu… Tsubame looked at a cloud and said, "Look over there Yahiko-kun! That cloud looks like three samurai dueling!" Yahiko looked in the direction she was pointing and said, "It's just a cloud." Tsubame looked at Yahiko, what's wrong with Yahiko-kun!? She once commented on a cloud like that a month ago that looked like two samurai dueling, and Yahiko talked about what techniques they would use and which one would win as if the clouds were real samurai dueling. Today they were just clouds… "Y-Yahiko-kun, is something wrong?" Tsubame asked him. Yahiko looked at her and opened his mouth, only for a short, thin waitress named Sakura to run up and say, "Yahiko-chan, Tsubame-chan! We have a large troupe of traveling actors has just come in, and they are hungry!" Yahiko and Tsubame went to work without Yahiko answering her question.
Later that day at the Kamiya Dojo
"It was like his soul was gone, he'd do what we asked without a word," Tae told Kaoru and Kenshin. "It's true; I tried to get into a conversation with him, but Yahiko-kun barely spoke at all," Tsubame confirmed. "What could be wrong with him?" Kaoru asked. Kenshin spoke up, "Often times during the Bakumatsu, this one saw soldiers react strangely to the violence and death around them. Some turned to drink, some killed themselves or even cut themselves, and some acted as Yahiko does now, as though their souls have left this world, never to return. This one was like that for a long time." "But, Yahiko-kun has never fought in war," Tsubame pointed out.
"True, Tsubame-dono, however, we often forgets just how sad Yahiko's life has been. His father died in the Boshin war, and his mother was forced to sell her body to feed him. Not to mention that he was beaten often by the Yakuza who owned her, and forced to pickpocket for them. He puts on such a brave face, but we have no idea what he was forced to see or do. And the past year has been so…incredible, we were involved in one adventure after another, he probably never had the chance to stop putting on that brave face.
"This one saw it at the end of the Bakumatsu, soldiers was unable to adjust after the war, to the lack of fear of dying, and their minds shattered. We need to talk to Yahiko and see what we can do to help him, otherwise…" "Otherwise what?" Tsubame nervously asked. "Otherwise, Yahiko could give in to his despair, and take his own life," Kenshin sadly stated as he stood up. Kaoru, Tae, and Tsubame got up as well and quickly got their sandals on. Kenshin led the others to Sanosuke's old house where Yahiko now lived. As soon as they got there Kaoru rushed forward and threw open the door, "Yahiko!" Kenshin, Tae, and Tsubame followed and saw that the one bedroom flat was empty except for a messed up futon, a shinai, and a scroll on kenjutsu. "I'll check outback," Kenshin stated as he ran out. Two minutes later he came back in empty-handed. "We have to split up. Kaoru-dono, take the East, Tae-dono, the West. Tsubame-dono will go South, and this one will go North. If anyone is not back here in an hour, go the direction they headed."
"Right!" the other three said, and they went on their ways looking for Yahiko. Tsubame ran through the streets as fast as she could, looking throughout the streets and shops for Yahiko, but not seeing a single sign of him. Oh please, let me find him! The girl silently pleaded with the gods and demons of the world. If Yahiko hadn't been there when she needed him, she would still be stealing for that ronin that her family once served. He had saved her; she would never forgive herself if she couldn't save him. Tsubame thought she saw a head of messy hair entering the cemetery.
Would Yahiko go in there? Tsubame nervously asked herself. She was sure that she had seen him go in there. Tsubame nervously swallowed and entered the cemetery. The girl slowly walked past the graves, looking for Yahiko, not daring to yell and attract the attention of any malevolent spirits who could be near. She started to hear a boy sobbing, and walked faster until she found him. He was near a freshly cleaned grave, simple, and the memorial name on it looked very short, as if the dead person's family couldn't afford a longer name. Tsubame walked closer and heard Yahiko talking to the grave.
"I've gotten much stronger, and I'm living as best I can. I haven't stolen anything for almost a year; I have an honest job now. I'm trying as best I can to live as a samurai like you taught me. I promise that I'll never forget you Mom…" Tsubame watched as Yahiko, who she had seen only cry once before, broke down and cried. She walked forward and wrapped her arms around him, trying her best to comfort him without saying anything. After a few minutes of crying Yahiko spoke up, "Tsubame," "Yahiko-kun, I know that your Mother is proud of you and all you've done," Tsubame told him, and was surprised as he wrapped his arms around her and held her closer.
Tsubame's face was blushing a furious red at such intimate contact, but she didn't comment as he held her for another minute before they both let go of each other and walked out together. Tsubame looked back as she left and for a moment thought she saw a short yet elegant looking woman, with plain features except for her eyes that held the same fire she always saw in Yahiko's eyes. The woman was smiling at the departing children.