AN: If you didn't know, I don't own Mushishi, if I did, that would be awesome lol anywho enjoy….:) The rain poured heavily causing the mossy ground of the Kamboku Forest to go sloppily wet and muddy, so when you walked, a soft squishy noise escaped from beneath your feet. You also had to be extra careful not to lose your footing and go bombarding to the ground. Birds hollered high in the tree tops, their songs echoing down in the now desolate forest. Except one thing did stir, wandering endlessly as if they didn't have a destination.
Ginko glanced up at the sky which was a dull and unhappy gray, the same color as the curling smoke rising from a cigarette hanging on his lips. His right, oddly bluish gray eye, the other was covered up by silvery white hair, lazily scanned Kamboku Forest. A small sigh retired from his mouth. Ginko shifted the brown jacket over his head and kept on trekking, mud clumping up on his shoes. He unsatisfactorily thought of having to clean them when he reached Yanagi Village.
He also wondered if this rain would ever release and let him see a nice crystal blue sky and a shining, warm sun. A small chill rain down his spine, the cold rivulets were now starting to soak into his jacket. Ssss… Ginko let out an annoyed grunt, his cigarette had been put out by a large raindrop. He placed the cigarette into his pocket for later use.
A clearing came into his view, which was a relief. He started seeing small thatched huts and a sardonic smile creased on his face. Besides helping people, he also found joy in getting free food and a nice dry sleeping place. Ginko adjusted the large wooden box on his back.
From what the letter had said, Yanagi's villagers were suddenly and randomly falling into comas. A couple people were lucky, in way, and a few days later they would wake up and not remember a thing of where they were and who they were. Some of them recovered most of their memories but the memories would only reach as far back as two years. The letter was then uneasily signed by Kaoru Tsuta. With a side note, watch out for the fish.
This cryptic line caught Ginko's attention up entirely and made him all the more curious to figure out what mushi were the cause of this villages peculiar problems. This was the first time he had ever heard of something such as this, mushi making people fall into comas…. His mind wandered-
"Are you Ginko?" Asked a soft spoken voice, he glanced down to see who the voice had come from. It was a young boy, with raven black hair and almond shaped eyes, mud brown orbs stared up at Ginko with a hardened look.
"Yes." Came the equally calm and soft reply.
"Good, my father wanted me to bring you to our home right away," The boy nodded in quiet relief. "Oh, I'm Karu Tsuta." Ginko observed that Karu was soaked from head to foot, how long has this boy been waiting for me? He thought as he glanced around the pretty much deserted village.
"It's been raining quite a lot," Ginko commented to try and stir a little conversation.
"Yeah, it has," Karu answered solemnly, "It hasn't let up for a day or two now, but it should soon." Ginko's visible right eye widened a bit in surprise, almost two days…? He saw the boys shoulders perk up, "Ah! We're here."
Ginko placed his hands in his pants pockets and let his fingers brush on the cigarette he had put in there. Hmmm…. "Father? Father I'm home, I have the Mushishi with me." Ginko heard shuffling in a different room that you couldn't see while outside under the thatched canopy above them, he studied Karu as the boy slipped off his muddied sandals and placed them neatly on a delicately weaved grass mat. Ginko copied Karu and casually stepped into the small home barefooted, he stood awkwardly behind Karu, who waited patiently for his father, Kaoru Tsuta, to show himself.
"Thank you greatly for coming on such short notice Ginko-san," A tall and thin man with the same raven hair as his sons and lighter brown eyes appeared before them. Kaoru had a few days stubble on his chin and a raggedy smile was placed on his countenance and he gave Ginko a small appreciative bow. "Thank you again."
Ginko bowed back, things were going to get very interesting.
AN: tell me what you think!-Kat