A second one-shot featuring Okita Mitsuba and Kazua. This is one month after Hijikata and the others went to Edo. Review, comment however you want (just no flames, please). Also, this is a different writing style, as you can see. I am in a experimenting phase right now. Also, Kazua's past will be somewhat revealed. Please check the side notes for more explanation :)
I changed the title.
Disclaimer: I do not own Gintama or any of the manga/anime/other works being referenced here, including xxxHOLIC. "Kazua" however is a different story.
And...that's today for the author's A/N...ENJOY please!
"Are long-distance relationships only for lovers?"
In Bushuu, two teenagers of about 16 years old were sitting on the porch of the Okita's small but comfy house, one of them with flaxen hair done in a cute ponytail wearing a pink kimono, the other in dark blue yukata commonly worn by males, her black hair caught up in a long ponytail. She had been polishing non-stop a katana with a black hilt, the sheath laying on her lap. Eventually, the girl stopped her "work" to look at her bestfriend whose kind brown eyes were gazing at the sunset. Long gone were the times when they would watch the beautiful sunset with a certain mayonnaise addict and a boy with impassive red eyes but extraordinary skill in swordsmanship. For Mitsuba, this loneliness was the worst that could have happened and despite not showing it to Kazua, the black-haired was capable of reading her like a book, a skill she had mastered at watching others during basically all her entire life thanks to growing up in a lifestyle where her own older brother treated her as sorts of an object, a tool for his shady deals with his even shadier "business partners". That was the primary reason why Kazua had started to take up kendou, practicing on her own, which eventually led to a fateful encounter with the people that would become something akin to a family which she had been extremely greatful for.
However, this same family had now gone to their own way, hoping to find in Edo the opportunity to uphold the "bushido code" the dojo leader Kondou had hammered tirelessly in their heads. After one month of thinking and more thinking, Kazua decided it was time for her to follow her own path…a path that if she thread correctly, it surely would help Mitsuba to pursue happiness…with the person she truly loved.
"I am going to the Terminal tomorrow."
Mitsuba's eyes held a sad look and she tried very hard to remain composed, only to flinch slightly, something which was generally attributed to her tuberculosis but Kazua knew it was more than that. "So…you're leaving too." Kazua placed a recomforting hand on her shoulder. "They are doing what they are supposed to do." She answered.
The pale girl nodded sadly. "Edo may be a total new world for them, but this is the outer space we're talking about; it is too risky…even for Kazua-chan." Her best friend said nothing, waiting for her to continue. "I'll keep living until my time comes…that's what I decided. What kind of friend would I be if I did not let them pursue their dreams…", she gestured to her body, "because of my condition?"
Kazua's grey eyes merely narrowed in response. "I thought you knew it better, Mitsu; men are total baka when it comes to "this world of ours" (1)…preferring to not act upon their feelings and hiding behind a indiferent tough mask. That guy who dumped you is a primary example." Mitsuba noted how the raven head had only referred to Hijikata as "that guy" instead of the usual "Bakagaki".
"Kazua-chan...what I have cannot be cured; I've accepted it. Ever since I discovered how tasty tobasco sauce can be, even if it is not good for my health. It helps me forget the fact that I will one day join the other world."
The raven-haired gave her a look that said "seriously", before picking up the katana and guarding it on its sheath with a "cling". "You're still too young to die, Mitsu." She stated, taking out a chocolate bar and starting to munching it, slowly, savoring the bitter taste she loved. "However, the biggest issue here is that this disease of yours is not just physical."
Mitsuba's eyes widened a bit at this before they returned to their regular size. She then pulled the sleeve of the kimono, in hopes of hiding her pale skin, a gesture that did not go unnoticed by the raven-haired whose eyes were boring into her, as if she could see her soul – her kind and strong soul which was housed in such a frail body. Due to her sometimes scary aura, Kazua had been nicknamed "Shura" the "Ashura" Buddhist entity known for his sudden mood changes and unspeakable wrath. Mitsuba had only seen her "wrath" twice; the first time when some thugs had tried to harass her, and the second one after someone tried to steal her extra bitter chocolate sauce….both times had not ended well. All of these quirks reminded her of that cerulean-eyed man who had stolen her heart, only to get painfully broken one month ago.
"This is my hypothesis but there are some cases in which a physical disease can be connected to one's emotional state…if I am correct, what you have is a rare form of empathy; you feel the pain of the others, which directly affects your health."
Wait, that somewhat made sense; as a child Mitsuba had been incredibly sensitive to the point of easily getting sick because some neighbors' pet had passed away, the grief of knowing a family member had passed away…those feelings were so…real the flaxen-haired would collapse from what the neighbors believe to be "exhaustion" and "fatigue" because she was busy spoiling selflessly her little brother. Then…when Toushirou-san told her what he really felt about her, shattering her dream of spending the little time she had left at his side, as…a wife…helping her in taking care of Sou-chan…He was just ignoring his feelings?
"That guy… really loves you, to the point of distancing himself because he wants to keep you safe; who knows, he probably believes not being worthy of your love." She paused before continuing. "Six years of untold feelings and this is it?" Kazua slapped her forehead in obvious disssatisfaction at the whole matter. "Did you at least kiss him?" Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her best friend's cheeks turning into an adorable shade of red. "Oh…Takiko-chan (2) would be proud…all bijin hakumei at some point need to be honest with their feelings." Now, she sounded more like the Kazua Mitsuba knew. "Tears do not suit a girl, Mitsu, and like I said, not everything is a lost cause." Kazua placed one finger under the chin, as if seriously pondering something. "I still want that wedding though; Bushuu's Yamato Nadeshiko and the Baragaki Toushi…you have to let me be your bridesmaid."
Mitsuba giggled. "Sou-chan might hate me for it…."
The raven haired's grey eyes did a touble-take, before continuing in her "know-it-all" tone of voice. "That brat of yours would never hate you. But I can't say the same for his future brother-in-law." I think I heard once him counting "Hijikata bodies?"…neh, I am reading too much on this… "Well, if he does kill him, it's less a rival to take out. I think I can handle it." This felt so natural, almost as if she was commenting about the weather that Mitsuba could not help but look a bit unsettled about this statement; sometimes, her best friend could say the strangest things with such a straight face…but this time, it felt different. "When you phrase it that way, it's almost as if Kazua-chan and Sou-chan are…competing." She ventured, uncertain of what would be the raven-haired's answer.
"Considering you were my first acquaintance, friend and first love, yeah, pretty much. And not neccessarily on that order." Instead of the usual amused glint, there was something "more" in her eyes…longing? Mitsuba's eyes could only widen after what happned later: the raven haired gave her a peck on the lips, innocent and chaste, but unexpected enough to make the flaxen-haired instantly blush. Then, Kazua patted her head tenderly. "These are my true feelings, Mitsu. It's better late than never, right?"
Mitsuba could only nod, despite her face was still red. Her best friend – no, the girl who she now knew she had romantic feelings for her – had just kissed her. On the lips. "Now I can move on." Her voice was barely a whisper, a quite unusual sight for the Kazua-chan, the strong girl who competed with Toushirou-san on a daily basis and liked to add extra bitter chocolate sauce to her lunch...or Toushirou-san's "Hijikata Special"? Also, the same girl Sou-chan had warmed up to the point of calling her "Kazua-nee"…
"I did see you as a sister I never had. That's why I don't want this friendship of ours to be ruined this way." She sheepily said. "And you deserve to be happy with that annoying mayonnaise addict; I'll see to that, that's a promise!" Her pinky was now pointed towards Mitsuba. "So until then…wait for me? I'll bring the cure." Her grey eyes were full of resolve, becoming darker due to the sunlight, almost as if they were silver in color. "What do you say, Hijikata Mitsuba-san?" Mitsuba giggled and nodded, holding her pinky, connecting it to the raven-haired's, signaling the promise.
Not one second later, Mitsuba saw the grey-eyed take out of the always-seen-with her brown bag what seemed a small flask wich contained a dark red thick-looking liquid…suspiciously similar to that tasty tobasco sauce Kazua had usually given her as a birthday gift or during the festivals. The raven haired had once said this was a very rare tobasco sauce from the Tenjiku (3) planet, known for their spices...extra spicy spices and Mitsuba had instantly fallen in love with that rich flavor. "This is not tobasco sauce but actually medicine from the nearby Chitose (4) planet. The other bottles I gave you..some were from Tenjiku, others not."
The paler girl looked at the small flask, doubt visible in the brown orbs. This was medicine? But it had tasted so well…no medicine should taste this good. And what was supposed to be the Chitose planet?
"This is only half-complete." Seeing the flaxen-haired's "lost look", the raven-haired explained in it in a more simple way, despite her tone being cool professional, typical of someone who grew in the trading world. "Instead of improving your health, it merely stabilizes your tuberculosis." She gave the flask to Mitsuba who accepted it despite some doubt remaining on her brown eyes. "Thanks to this, you haven't had sudden attacks or coughing blood for the past three years." So, that was why? "This is extremely rare stuff to come by. I want you to have it. It will suffice for some time but you must also not forget to do regular check-ups at the Oedo Hospital…they know a bit of Amanto medicine which might be of use to treat your condition. This is however a temporary solution." Her eyes were now looking at the faraway sky. "That disease will not vanish unless we get the complete cure." Which needs several difficult ingredients, one of them a loved one's "life force", but you don't need to know it..I'll have to trade some of my life span for this, but that's worth it if it is for a kind soul like you.
"How did you…manage to get it then?"
"My family is filthy rich." Kazua said in a "may-devil-care" tone, as if that explained everything. Mitsuba waited for her to continue. "One of my relatives, my paternal uncle, was disowned because he preferred exploring on his own, to go further than anyone on my family had done before him. He would contact me sometimes and gave me "secret" lessons. I learnt the trading arts from him." Her smile turned into a frown. "At some point, he decided to remain in the small Chitose planet. Well, his employer told me that he passed away with a smile."
The flaxen-haired grimly nodded in understanding; she knew very well the pain of losing a loved one; her parents' death had been near unbearable but she had to get her act together…for her Sou-chan's own sake. To hear that Kazua had a similar experience to her own, it saddened Mitsuba. "My condolences. He must have been a great person."
Kazua's voice cracked a bit, as if struggling to say her next words. "He…was like a father to me; my own parents are just the people who conceived me; they never considered me as their child, but as an "amulet" for their precious heir and to enhance the clan's prestige. But we're getting off track here; I found Oji-ue's inheritance eventually…or should I say, the inheritance found me." She chuckled, looking at the flaxen-haired in the eye, clear amusement dancing in her grey orbs, contrasting to a pair of inquisitive-looking brown eyes. "A strange white rabbit with a red stone on its forehead appeared in front of me some years ago and opened his mouth…and it tossed out an old bag which contained Oji-ue's many letters. That rabbit disappeared and one second later…I saw a strange place owned by a beautiful woman with intelligent but cunning half-lidded wine-red eyes. From the first instant, I tagged her as the sneaky type. Honestly, her "Cheeshire-smile" gave me the creeps." She said as if commenting about the weather, despite the slight shaking. "She explained me what was the bag…apparently, it's bottomless; you can place anything no matter its size! Quite useful for traveling." She gestured with a thumb to the bag Mitsuba had almost never seen her best friend without it, being always on her left or right shoulder.
As much as it sounds a little far-fetched to believe, we are not alone on this world; the Amanto are enough proof of that. Mitsuba mused, Other dimensions, worlds….the probabilities are infinite. She knew Kazua-chan had never lied to her so there was no reason for her to start now. Mitsuba trusted her, like she trusted Sou-chan and all their dojo friends, as well…Toushirou-san, despite his rejection."Did you find flasks in there too?"
Kazua gave her thumbs-up. "Yup, all of them; I did some digging and discovered this rare medicine tastes quite similar to tobasco sauce. Now, you know why you felt a lot better after pouring that on your meals."
Mitsuba frowned a bit; of course she had felt a lot better after eating that "tobasco sauce" but still…that was unfair for Kazua-chan to lie to her about it. Afterall, Mitsuba had been "eating" medicine…it was shocking!
"Don't worry; small portions are completely harmless." She gestured to the flask the older Okita was holding. The raven haired saw her best friend's stance become a bit more relaxed. Changing topics, Mitsuba asked, more like stated. "You are really going right…to the Terminal."
Kazua gave an exhasperated sigh."You know me soooo well, Mitsuba-dono. Not to mention, I did promise you and one thousands needles is…kinda messy to swallow?"
Mitsuba could only giggle at this logic. "I guess." She said, embracing the slightly taller raven head and mumbling a "Be careful out there, Kazua-chan." She felt Kazua grinning before she too returned the hug. ""Ah, can I tell you one last secret? I never told you my full name, right?" Her voice was almost a whisper.
Mitsuba knew that Kazua-chan did not talk much about her family, other than the fact she hated her older brother for some reason the flaxen-haired had yet to learn. Not to mention that she had introduced herself with the name "Kazua", only to add "that's what I decided to call myself today."
"Since ancient times, to know a name means that you basically "own" the individual; many people prefer to hide their names so those won't have some advantage over the other. Names…hold power….at least that's what I heard from that strange lady." Kazua said is if she was telling a big secret, the hug long gone.
Mitsuba nodded ever so slightly, making the raven-haired continue, her eyes a bit more serious now. "She advised me to follow my instincts and they are currently screaming at me to go to the Terminal tomorrow…that way, while I search for your cure, I will be able to graduate from being a living doll used for my bastard of a brother who only saw me as a tool."
The flaxen-haired stiffened at her words, the hands that were in her lap angrily curling into fists; how could someone do that to their own blood? Even more, an older brother? Old brothers are supposed to take care of their younger siblings but this…this was just cruel.
"While he is not an Illumi (5), he can be quite the sadistic bastard. I wouldn't want you to meet him. Ever." Mitsuba's eyes were now foccused on Kazua's unsheathed katana. When did she… And before the brown-eyed had the chance to say something, the blade cut through the hair, giving her best friend a new haircut. (6)
"The length was annoying me anyway." Kazua matter-of-factly said, her eyes looking indifferently at the long ebony locks that had fell on the house's porch. "This way it won't get in the way and..it looks way cooler than that old-fashioned ponytail that made me look like a Bakagaki!" Now, she sounded a little too hyper; Kazua-chan could be as serious as she could instantly become happy-go-lucky and childish. What a troublesome friend indeed… Mitsuba mused, sighing at how short the raven-haired's hair had become…she now looked even more androgenous than usual. "As usual, you make up your mind quick." The brown-eyed mused, giggling.
"Then, I'll reintroduce myself. I am Kuraba Sachi! (7). "Nice to meet you!"
Mitsuba bowed a little and shook her hand, returning the other's cheeky smile with a more warm smile of her own. "I am Okita Mitsuba. It is my pleasure, Sachi-chan."
(1) Kazua here uses the well-known classical literary expression "yo no naka" that may indicate several things, one of them "the romantic affairs", which hints to her wealthy upbringing.
(2) A reference to the tuberculosis-ridden protagonist of Fushigi Yuugi Genbu Kaiden: the original Genbu no Miko, the oldest of the 4 pristesses and the only one who did some fighting despite her weak body. I think of her as a "bijin hakumei"…who found happiness, as short it was (with Uruki), becoming Hokkan's Empress.
(3) Tenjiku (天竺) is the old name the Japanese used to refer to "India" – the therm was translated from the Archaic Chinese word "Tianzhu"-, a country that during the "Era dos Descobrimentos" (14th Century to mids 16th Century or so) is the epitome of the East/ exotic (food and cultures), being renowned for its "maddening" spices, namely pepper and cinnamon, which were enough to attract many customers.
(4) Chitose, named after the Japanese word "chitose" (千歳) which translates to "One Thousand Years", hinting to longevity. Sort of a parallel to Xing Empire from FMA which was actually inspired in Ancient China (and Japan), whose people were well-versed in medicine..and alchemy of course. Kazua's Oji-ue (a polite way of saying "Uncle") was a medicine student here.
(5) HunterxHunter's character Illumi Zoldyck shares a "rocky relationship" with his younger brother Killua, somewhat worse the Uchiha siblings from Naruto in "messed-up family" category.
(6) Gintama is not Gintama without the parodies and references to anime/manga, as well other cult series such as Star Wars (the Renho Arc cough cough). What Kazua here did was a nod to Mulan, one of my favourite Disney Characters.
(7) Kuraba Sachi (蔵場 さち), her true name. Despite her name being written in hiragana (like many Gintama characters), the kanji means "good omen" (祥), indentifying her "walking lucky charm" abbility. She knows how powerful names can be (Yuuko did say something about it in xxxHolic) so she lies about her name being Kazua, which means literally "Peaceful Asia" (和亜), a name quite ironic because of her constant mood changes, hence the nickname "Shura" (修羅) and yes, one part of it is the last kanji in Gaara's name. Kazua is a manga/anime lover but can be a little more extreme about it. Despite her common and humble background, Mitsuba understands these "references", due to Kazua lending frequently Jump or other magazines. She did say her family is filthy rich.