The Seven Cycles of Reincarnation
Chapter Two – Apothecary
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In his second life, he was an apothecary.
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Kazunari wasn't sure how long he had slept for. The path between the temple and the village had changed. It had become more worn, more defined and even cobbled with flat, sleek rocks. The tree was still well-kept. It was burgeoning with pretty, white petals but no peaches. Kazunari smelled the air. The scent of spring was delicate, wafted around in gentle caressing waves. He looked up and he was met by piercing green eyes behind spectacles.
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Those eyes were unmistakable. Then Kazunari saw the rest of the face, it was Shintaro. This was Shintaro. Everything about this person bar the clothes was Shintaro. This person had the strong build and lean face with bright green hair. Kazunari smelt the person and he knew the smell of red beans and musk. These were the qualities of Shintaro.
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'Shintaro?' Kazunari said and his eyes were wide.
'How do you know my name?'
'Do you remember me?'
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Kazunari got up and unbridled joy swam through his body. 'How do you know me?'
'So you don't remember me?' Kazunari asked. The joy leaked from him and he deflated.
'No but I am perturbed as to how you know me.'
'We were companions in a past life.' Kazunari explained.
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Shintaro was sceptical. 'Whilst I don't reject the notion of past lives, I do reject the notion that I would have been companions with a monster.'
'Why're you being so mean?' Kazunari said with a trill voice. He feigned tears. Shintaro glared at him.
'I just don't believe that I would have allowed myself to befriend a monster.'
'So, so cruel.' Kazunari blubbered. 'It's me, Kazunari. Don't you remember?'
'No.' Shintaro spat.
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But Kazunari saw it. There was a small glimmer of remembrance in Shintaro's eyes. Kazunari noticed it flicker through Shintaro's face. It was like he wanted to say: "I know that name, I like that name." But it went unsaid and Kazunari worried that he'd imagined it. He then went on to worry that this Shintaro may be a delusion altogether, woven from boredom and loneliness.
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Shintaro decided that he would ignore the yokai. He began to walk again and Kazunari quickly chased after him. 'Please don't follow me.' Shintaro growled.
'But I miss you. I feel like I've waited eternity for you.' Kazunari howled.
'Tell me more about my past life since you're being so insistent.' Shintaro said.
'You were a wandering monk. We met when I was still a normal raccoon dog. You then went to work at the temple just down this path and you became its master, and mine. But then, I died... And then I came back to life, like this.' Kazunari explained.
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Shintaro nodded. He contemplated that. 'Why would I make such a frivolous decision? A family of eight living in abject poverty could have starved because I made such a decision.' Shintaro said. Kazunari sniggered because Shintaro was reprimanding his past life.
'I think it's because I just have beautiful, brown eyes.' Kazunari said and he slammed against Shintaro's back and forced Shintaro to look in to his eyes.
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Kazunari's eyes sparkled and Shintaro's pale skin reddened. 'Get off me, you mongrel.' he growled. Kazunari withdrew and pouted. Shintaro raised his shoulders defensively and strutted off. Kazunari trailed along behind, with falsetto wailing. He was being a huge irritation towards Shintaro.
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The two got to the temple. Kazunari was surprised to see that the apprentices had become middle-aged masters. The temple itself hadn't changed much but there were seedlings in the courtyard and the grass was manicured. There was even a rock garden. 'Oh, Kazunari, it's been years. Where have you been?'
'Sleeping, mostly... huh? I was at the peach tree the whole time... But that doesn't matter! Look who I found!' Kazunari said. He tingled with excitement. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the disgust and shock that Shintaro carried. He seemed genuinely confused that the priests of the temple were welcoming the monster.
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Kazunari turned to Shintaro and grinned. 'Look it, Hikaru, it's Shin-chan.' Kazunari said and he proudly showed off Shintaro who was unnerved to be put on the spot like that. The priests glanced at him and then moved their attention back to Kazunari. 'We don't understand.' Hikaru said.
'It's Shin-chan. Shintaro, y'know, like the head priest before you except it's not and it is. Reincarnation is weird. Anyways, this is Shin-chan in his second life.' Kazunari attempted to explain.
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Shintaro sighed and he was embarrassed to be in this spot. 'I apologise for the intrusion.' he said and he bowed. He began to leave.
'No, wait, Shin-chan!' Kazunari wailed and he leaped on Shintaro again.
'Could you please stop being so intimate with me?' he yelled.
'But Shin-chan. It's me... don't you remember?' Kazunari cried out.
'No, I don't! I sincerely believe you have gone senile in your old age and have mistaken me for someone else.' Shintaro snapped.
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The priests left so that Kazunari and Shintaro's spat didn't have an audience. Kazunari wrapped his arms around Shintaro as tightly as he could. Shintaro attempted to unclamp Kazunari's grip but was failing. 'If you're not careful, I will exorcize you into the next life and then you needn't worry about mine!' Shintaro yelled.
'Wait, what?' Kazunari said. The "e" word was quick to scare him so he let go of Shintaro.
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Shintaro huffed and Kazunari stared. 'You would exorcize me?' he murmured.
'Yes because I have never met a bigger irritant than you.' Shintaro snarled.
'You're so mean!' Kazunari wailed.
'Stop being so childish! Act your age!' Shintaro yelled.
'In yokai years, I'm still a child.' Kazunari shouted.
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Shintaro was left alone from then on but only from a distance. Kazunari had waited forever for Shintaro to return and he had already missed out on the first twenty-odd years of Shintaro's life so there was no way that he was going to escape that easily. Shintaro would simply have to learn to put up with him.
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Kazunari followed Shintaro from behind, a good few paces between them and tried to walk as soundlessly as possible. Shintaro sensed that Kazunari meant well. That much was obvious and he appreciated that he was trying to mend past behaviours but honestly, it wasn't working. 'Why are you so obsessed with me?' Shintaro asked and he spun around on his heel so he could face the tanuki.
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Kazunari paused and looked confused. 'Because we're friends. Best friends. And I want it to continue from where we left off. But I'm happy to start from square one. It's just I've missed you so much. I waited for, like, forever for you to come back. I'm just happy, that's all. I just want to be around you and get to know you – all over again if need be.' Kazunari explained.
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Shintaro blushed. His stature and unusual hair colour attracted people towards him quite easily but they rarely stayed. Shintaro figured it was because he was so awkward, reserved and eccentric; he had many peculiar quirks – he bandaged his fingers for no reason whatsoever, he collected knickknacks because he heard on the passing they were lucky. This was the first time someone had met him and was taking vibrant interest in him. Kazunari seemed genuinely interested in befriending him regardless of his flaws. This was the first time anyone was willing to do such a thing.
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Kazunari waited for Shintaro to respond. He was staring awkwardly with his mouth open. He quickly shut it and frowned. 'Useless creature.' he murmured and he walked onwards. Kazunari grinned because he had a feeling that was of this Shintaro's way of saying "Come with me".
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Kazunari chased after Shintaro with a huge smile. He trotted along behind Shintaro and made conversation. Kazunari learned many things about how this Shintaro had grown up in At first, Shintaro was cautious and didn't want to let Kazunari in past his guards but soon he relaxed and he accepted Kazunari as a friend. The things that Kazunari learned about this new Shintaro was in what he considered to be a short span of time but it was clear from the way Shintaro looked, it had been longer than a "few weeks" of warming up.
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The sorts of things that Kazunari learned was that Shintaro had a surname which was "Midorima". It was his grandfather had taught him medicinal practices and his grandmother from his father's side had taught him about exorcisms and the like. Kazunari once more learned mundane things about Shintaro he had already known. Things like that he loved red bean soup and clear, sunny days.
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Kazunari was glad that Shintaro did come to trust him over time. They camped on the side of road and napped together in cuddly piles. They ate together and chatted together. It was just like before and Kazunari couldn't have been happier that his friend was his friend again, even if he didn't remember all the fun things they had done in his previous life.
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Soon, the two returned to the path where it had all begun: the gravesite of Kazunari's mortal body and the peach tree that commemorated it. 'How long has it been, do you think?' Kazunari asked. They stood in front of where his peach tree should have been. He was upset. His fists clenched and his shoulders were raised. Why did the tree have to keep dying? He could smell it beneath the scent of plump peaches that the tree was dying.
'We've been walking together for at least ten human years.' Shintaro explained.
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Kazunari looked at him with disbelief. 'No... It feels like it's only been a few weeks.'
'You're so strange. And dumb.' Shintaro reprimanded and he went through his things. 'I think it's time that I settled. Become the private doctor of a village.' Kazunari said and he looked into the distance. His beloved village had become a town. The population was bigger and more houses present. The forest was beginning to vanish to make way for human progress.
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Kazunari nodded. 'That's a good idea.'
'I like it here. You like it here.' Shintaro said and Kazunari smiled.
'Good idea, Shin-chan!' Kazunari agreed. 'We should stay here forever. I love it here but I'm happy to be wherever you are.' Shintaro blushed.
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The people quickly accepted Shintaro due to his friendship with Kazunari. They got him a home near the clinic and trusted him quickly. Despite Kazunari's insistence, none of the older members of the town saw that the present Shintaro was the reincarnation of the head priest before Hikaru.
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Life as a permanent member of the community was good to Kazunari. He was doing all the things he loved again and Shintaro had given him something for his peach tree. During their decade of adventures through countryside Japan, they had encountered a few monsters which were irredeemably horrid and had disposed of them. Shintaro had kept a few souvenirs and he believed the saliva he collected from a draconic monster they had met may extend the longevity of Kazunari's peach tree.
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There were many memorable moments in this Shintaro's life that were very different to the ones from his previous life. Kazunari hadn't expected this but when Shintaro settled in the town, he met a woman and they fell in love. Kazunari watched and he liked the woman. She was pretty and sang like a dawn bird. She had pale skin and elegant writing. She loved kids and she treated Kazunari nicely. Her name was Kiku.
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They went on to have a large family, seven children all up. Their eldest daughter was named Momo and their youngest son was Kazunari. Needless to say, Shintaro's companion was flattered that he had enough influence to sway their decision making about names. Although, Kazunari did suspect that Kiku was the one to name most the children.
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Kazunari spent most his time outside. He loved playing with the children Shintaro and his wife and had borne, they were healthy and lively and took mostly after their mother in that none had inherited the striking attributes Shintaro had but Kazunari was certain they would grow tall and strong.
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Sometimes, though, Kazunari would observe the Midorima family and be swayed by feelings of loneliness. He couldn't help but wonder if he ought to pursue romance himself but somehow, Kazunari didn't feel the need. He felt that if he had Shintaro, then he had enough; even if he had to share his beloved companion with others. It was probably better that way as they were human and yokai.
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The children could be full on and demanding so there were times when Kazunari he needed to be alone. It was in his alone time that he tended to his peach tree on the path between the temple and the town. As it turns out, Shintaro was right. The saliva he had collected did have that effect on plants. It was too bad that it didn't have that effect on humans. It seemed like a blink of an eye but soon, Kazunari's favourite human companion was an old man with grandchildren.
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The town and its inhabitants continued to grow. Their crafts and talents diversified with the ebb and flow of time. Soon, artisans came to the town and began to manufacture and sell their wares. As an act of peace, some rock carvers created a pair of okami lion statues for the temple courtyard. Kazunari was quick to befriend the yokai spirits that blossomed from the rock vessels. The humans called them "Gou" and "Kou" and the two were fine with that.
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Yet the more things changed, the more uneasy Kazunari grew. He watched as children become adults. He watched as Shintaro's hair turned as white as snow. He watched the funeral procession for Kiku and the mourning that proceeded. He was moved by it as well. She had been a woman for finesse and maturity, a perfect match for Shintaro.
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Kazunari couldn't stop time but he wished he could. He could do many things with his powers. He could move from one place to another just by thinking about it. Sometimes, when he slept he became invisible. He could shape-shift and make colourful sparks waterfall from his claws like fireworks but the ability to pause time wasn't something he was capable of it. He hated it because soon he found himself in Shintaro's private room. Sunlight streamed in through delicate walls. People waited outside. Shintaro was frail with age and certain his time had come.
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It was like nothing had changed. So many decades had passed and it was like nothing had changed because here he was again.
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Shintaro's withered hand rested in Kazunari's claws. 'I'm satisfied with life. I've seen Japan, I married well, I'm surrounded by all the people I could ever love and more. I met you and I was successful in my field. What more could I ask for?' he asked. He was hoarse and his eyes were so pale.
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Kazunari's eyes watered and he made howling sounds. His ears flatted against his head. 'We'll meet again, right? Right?'
'I hope so because you are my beloved companion. I love you.' Shintaro whispered.
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And it happened again. All life was drained from him and he grew cold. Tragedy repeated itself but this time, Kazunari wasn't in charge of the ashes that Shintaro produced from his bright pyre. His grandchildren decided he would be buried, far away from the peach tree but nonetheless, it was at that peach tree wherein Kazunari questioned everything he thought he knew about life.
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'I hate being immortal.' Kazunari said to the tree. It was beautiful, strong and healthy. Thanks to its new treatment of monster saliva, it was nigh-immortal. 'But he'll be back right? Right? I hate being alone even more than I hate being immortal.'
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Kazunari stayed in front the tree again for a few cycles of day and night before returning to the temple. That was when he discovered but people barely acknowledged his prescence anymore. It was like he was unseen.
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The tanuki slumped down by Kou and Gou. 'Do you like being immortal?' he asked.
'I wouldn't consider ourselves immortal. Just long-lived.' Kou replied.
'Soon, we'll wither away because the rock keeping us here eroded.' Gou continued.
'Huh.' Kazunari mumbled.
'Humans aren't forever. You know that right?' Kou and Gou both asked. Kazunari nodded.
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They all looked the sky. 'Human souls are all given a certain amount of energy to live with. For some, this energy can take them through several lives but it eventually burns out. Your Shintaro is no exception.' Kou said.
'He might have more than most but it will drain eventually.' Gou said.
'How long do you think he'll last?' Kazunari inquired.
'Is that a question you really want the answer to?' Kou and Gou asked.
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MerryFortune :)