Author's Note: Compared to the lapse between chapter one and chapter two, I must say that this gap between chapter three and chapter two is not that bad. I've resumed working on my Genbu Kaiden fan fiction, I'm actually writing chapter four now, although it is still not going to be uploaded that fast because I lack time, and even when I have time I'm not that good at arranging my free time.
I think in the manga Hikitsu discovered his power really young, but for the sake of this story, he will discover it much later.
Well, Aira comes out in this chapter!! Although she won't be playing that big a part.
"Probably what hurts the most,
Is hurting the ones you love."
(Voice) (1)
The place that had been their playground for such a long time seemed rather deserted as Setsuka was no longer here. Sometimes, when he was allowed to, Emutato would bring Aira with him. He would do this more often it if wasn't for the fact that his sister was rather fragile, unlike Setsuka.
One of the best things about Aira turning four was that she now knew what secrets were. So he could finally tell her about Setsuka without any worrying.
His little sister was the only person he could talk about Setsuka with, as her name has become taboo since that day two years ago, and everyone carried on as if their family never existed.
Everyone pretended that the village leader was not spending more time in front of his wife's name plate in the same logic that prevent any one from looking at the hearth, where Manake usually was.
The family's possessions were put in a chest and buried somewhere, a procedure Emutato only found out later on as he had been given a most severe scolding when he returned, resulting in him being shut in their tent for a whole month.
In addition to that, his parents told him that he must forget about Setsuka and her parents.
He had to agree as they threatened to never let him out of the tent, and his mother was also crying because she was so afraid that he would run off again.
The young boy did not like lying but he had to. He told himself that this was the best way because when he was older, he would leave his family, so it was best that he spend more time with them now. He did not want to leave them but the desire of being with Setsuka was equally strong, and he also though that he could visit them now and then after he left, as there were a few people who had done that.
"Will oniichan take Aira with him when he goes to find Setsuka-oneesan?" Aira suddenly said, tugging his sleeves.
"Aira…Aira must stay with papa and mama as they need you if I am gone." He began gently, but this resulted in his sister shaking her head firmly and grabbing onto his clothes even tighter.
"Aira wants to be with oniichan." The young child stated very simply, but firmly.
"Say 'I', Aira, 'I'." he corrected her automatically before he tried to reason with her. "But I will still return to the tribe, I am not going to be gone forever. Beside, you don't want papa and mama to be sad, do you?" (2)
"No, but why doesn't Setsuka-oneesan come back? Aira still…I still don't understand why she can't live here."
"I don't know why either." Emutato muttered with a deep sigh.
He once thought that he would soon understand everything when he grew up, but there were still so many questions that he was unable to answer, such as the whole business of being a celestial warrior. He loved Aira greatly, but these questions were often from her.
Some thing else that puzzled him deeply was why Yuki had to be separated from him too. In addition to him leaving the tribe in order to find Setsuka, he was also punished for playing with Yuki. Part of his promise also involved never seeing Yuki again.
He had to keep this promise because he now knew that they were constantly being spied upon.
A deep frown appeared as he saw the approaching group. He still preferred to avoid fighting if he could, especially when his younger sister was with him.
"Let's go back now, Aira." He said to her as he crouched down in front of her so that she could climb onto his back. Unlike Setsuka, Aira demanded him to carry her very often.
But he was still too late…
"You are still playing with girls and their toys." Some of these boys that once tormented Setsuka remarked out, changing their target.
Many of these boys were now young men, but they still resented Emutato greatly, and this was not just due to Setsuka. Emutato was often remarked upon for his rather delicate features and many of the girls that these boys liked would giggle about Emutato. What made matters worse in addition to him not caring about being part of their group was that he was also praised for his weaponry and riding skills. (3)
Smiling rather cruelly, one of the young men deliberately snatched the doll in Aira's hand from her.
"Please return it." Emutato said very calmly, although his tone showed his annoyance very clearly.
"So you can play with it?" one boy laughed out as he tossed the doll to another. "Come to think about it, this look a bit like her, doesn't it?"
"Because of the hair?" this was said with a laugh as they yanked at the doll's dark red hair, tearing a large chunk out.
Setsuka was worse then Emutato due to her fiery temper and even though their tribe was more open about female doing things, a girl that excelled in what a boy was meant to do naturally caused resentment among her peers.
The fact that they were good friends was also problematic.
"Give it back!" Aira sobbed out upon the mistreatment of their doll, as she was just four years old. "Oniichan… I want my doll back!"
"Oniichan will get it for you." He promised gently before he turned to these others again. "Give my sister her doll."
"What are you doing to do if I don't?" was the foolish reply, but the next sentence was even more unwise. "I wonder what 'she' is doing now. Probably lying in some gutter, as who would want to associate with such a monster?"
Emutato did not really pride himself as being good tempered, although he was glad that he was not as rash as Setsuka. But he was suddenly filled with an urge of doing something to these people who dared to insult Setsuka when she did nothing wrong. The anger grew as he recalled her tear stained face as well as how fragile she had been when she nestled against him.
"Don't ever say such a thing." He hissed as he slowly clenched his fist together. "Don't you dare…"
More then one let out a yell of great surprise before some of them suddenly went still, and his eyes seemed to be seeing past everything and into something that no one but that person could see.
Then they began to curse him.
"Monster! Abomination!"
But much to Emutato's surprise, they actually left without giving him any additional troubles.
"Oniichan, what just happened?" Aira asked as she watched the others quickly scrambling away.
"I don't really know." Emutato said truthfully.
Neither the two siblings saw the slight silver light that surrounded his left eye just then, nor how that eye suddenly turned milky before a black word slowly appeared in it.
Because he had been really angry, he did not realize that the slight heat he suddenly felt was not just due to his own emotions.
After the priestess of Genbu summoned Genbu with her seven celestial warriors, the Han tribe would be described as being greatly favoured by Genbu, as two celestial warriors were from there. The names of these two celestial warriors were carved out and placed just beneath the altar to Genbu in the tribal leader's tent.
But before all this happened, these two were both outcasts to the tribe, and one of them was almost killed.
Etodo and his wife: Yukeyana, remained sitting in the tribal leader's tent even after they heard the stories of the group of young men that consists someone who was old enough to know what the events had really meant.
"He is your son, so what do you wish to do?" the village leader asked simply.
He was an old man but his age did not really show until four years ago, when it appeared very rapidly and refused to leave.
"I… I do not believe what nessan and her husband believe." Etodo finally said bitterly. "I would like to, but I can't."
"Nor do I." Yukeyana whispered, temporarily halting her weeping. "But to think that our son is one of them!"
"I understand that feeling." The village leader said gently. "But we must do something about this."
"Emutato is coming back!" someone yelled out, causing shouts of "Run! Hide!"
The mother of the poor boy began to cry at this, as it was clear that most people in their tribe now knew what her son has become. There was nothing that she could do other then cursing fate for making one of her beloved child into one of the accursed beings.
Like Manake, she found it very difficult to accept the fact that her son would actually destroy the country. But she differed by believing it, that somehow he would be responsible and causes something without intending to.
Despite him not wanting or meaning too, he would still be the cause.
"I will deal with this." Etodo promised grimly as he stood up with his hand on the hilt of his sword.
The truth was that he didn't know what he had to do, other then knowing that he must do something. But a decision was made for him the moment he saw his son.
Etodo was not a particular well educated man, but he was still able to realise what the word in his son's eye meant.
The first unusual thing he noticed was that of a very familiar looking boy who was standing very near the tent close to this one, trying to listen to the conversation inside.
"I refuse to have the boy in our tent." The voice of his rather alien grandfather declared out. "My daughter abandoned us and went with him without our consent, so he is not my grandson."
"But my son did not marry your daughter, so he is not our responsibility." came the other argument.
Etodo did think of his past now and then: his father was wild and extremely fond of women, while his headstrong mother accepted his challenge of making him love her enough to ask for marriage. She moved into his family's tent even though they did not marry and all this naturally caused a lot of controversy.
But the most tragic thing was that their orphaned boy had nowhere to go when they died, just before he prepared to propose to her.
But why was he thinking of this now?
"…and we started seeing strange things after we looked into his eye."
Etodo still felt a deep pain as he understood the consequences of his son's power… abilities, as it would make him even more of an outcast.
All this made him even more certain of his actions.
"Emutato, your eye is wounded." He said in a cheerful tone that was very forced, and he began to wrap a piece of clothe over his son's eye, covering the accursed symbol. "We must hide…cover it." (4)
"Oh, that must be why it feels so weird." Emutato said innocently. "Papa, why is mama crying?"
"Mama…mama just is." He mumbled out.
As he watched his weeping wife gently made Aira release her hold on her brother, he wished that their daughter would give more resistance as he must do what he had to the moment Aira leaves.
"Emutato, we are going on a trip." Etodo said simply, firmly grabbing onto his son before he turned to address his wife. "I think it is better for you to take Aira back to our tent."
"What do you…what do you plan to do?" Yukeyana demanded. Unlike her husband, she was still uncertain in what she should do.
"I am going to take him to see her." Etodo whispered, the solution suddenly appearing. "To Setsuka."
"Papa, really?" Emutato examined out in great delight. "But I don't even know where she is!"
"I have ways to find her." Etodo said simply and unfortunately twelve was still an age where one believed in one's parents. "Go and wait for me by my horse."
"What do you really plan to do?" Yukeyana asked once more, she could barely restrain her hold on their daughter as little Aira wanted to go with her brother.
Emutato walked off happily as he thought that this would be a temporary visit, because he would explain their secret vow to his father- who must now understand if he was willing to take him to see her.
Or maybe the village leader changed his mind. Either way, he was really happy due to the mere prospect of seeing her soon.
"I am going to take Emutato to her since they are similar." Etodo said very bitterly. "Isn't this the best way? He cannot stay here, you know our law."
"Yes, perhaps this is the best solution." Yukeyana admitted, mistaking the real meaning behind his words. "They will be able to help him. But how would you know where they are?"
"Setsuka's mother is like my own sister so she has told me about her husband's family. I think I can manage to find them due to what she once told me." He lied quickly, not even astonished at how easy this became. "I'll arrange something to prevent anyone from suspecting that we are trying to help him escape.
"I'll think of something." He said grimly as he planted a kiss on her forehead, even though he desired to touch her lips. "I will accompany Emutato until he is safe- he won't be lonely at all."
While Emutato was very happy with the thought of seeing Setsuka, he could still sense that something was clearly wrong because his father was unusually quiet. Even more strange was the fact that the hands that held the rein were shaking more then a bit.
"Emutato," his father suddenly said, interrupting the questions of concern that would soon be asked. "You care about Setsuka very much, don't you?"
"I do," the young boy admitted. "I really do, papa."
"Then you will be glad to join her, won't you?" the horse suddenly came to a stop and from the edge of his vision, Emutato saw his father's other hand moving.
"Of course."
The sword swung forward only to slash through the now almost vacant spot in front of him. Following the chunks of pale blond hair that drifted to the ground, Etodo saw his son half crouching, half kneeling on the ground due to having a less graceful landing.
"Papa, what are you doing?" Emutato whispered out in horror. "Why are you doing this?"
As his father leapt down from his horse, he took an instinctive step backward.
"You are like her." Etodo finally spelt out very slowly. "You are another."
"Another what?" Emutato screamed out as he scrambled away from his father, whose sword was clearly pointing towards him.
"Don't be frightened, Emutato. Setsuka is waiting for you, and I will go with you too."
No one would deny that Emutato was greatly loved by his parents and his family was an extremely affectionate family. In addition to just being their son, it was very easy for them to take pride in him in so many ways.
But now Etodo intended to end his son's life, and then commit suicide, leaving his wife and little daughter behind.
This was all because of the legend of Genbu being interpreted in another way. Perhaps the best way to describe what Etodo felt was a form of possession. He was possessed with the ideas that he had been taught. He saw his son has having being transformed into a monster with the only way of stopping him being death.
As it was such a cruel yet necessary thing to him, he planned to kill himself- that would be his redemption.
Even though he could not live with himself at all after such a thing, he would still do it because he believed that to not do so would make many die. But most importantly, ending his son's life would spare him from any more pain.
"Setsuka…Setsuka is not dead!" Emutato yelled out, this being the first thing he could think of that could contradict his father's logic.
The only other thing he could do was running away, a temporary evasion as his father was obviously stronger and faster.
"Yuki! Yuki!" he screamed out even though he wasn't sure where exactly the wolf was, as it had been two whole years since he last called him. "Please, help me!"
His hand was grasped by his father and what scared him the most was that with the exception of the tears in his father's eyes and a very sad expression, his father did not seem to be very different. This was a contrast with the description of mad men that he has heard and be warned about.
"You are like Setsuka," Etodo explained very softly, crouching down in order to be on the same eye level. "You are a celestial warrior of Genbu too."
"But I won't harm the tribe! I won't do anything bad, I promise!" Emutato protested, trying to shake his father's grasp off. "Papa, I am going to leave the tribe when I am sixteen and marry Setsuka so I will be leaving anyway. Why can't we just pretend that nothing happened?"
"Because it is too late. Many others already saw the word in your eye." He continued in the same gentle voice that was no longer comforting. "Your eye is also cursed, we can see evil in it."
"But…"
"The law of our tribe requires you to be executed, but I won't let that happen to you. I will let you go with very little pain and then I will join you."
'No! I don't want to die!" Emutato pleaded out. "Papa…please!"
"This is the best way." Keeping on hand firmly on his son, Etodo raised his sword once again…
…Only to swing it at another direction due to the sudden pain from his elbow.
"Yuki!" Emutato cried out in relief as he clung onto his friend desperately. "I am so glad to see you!"
The wolf gave him a slight lick on the face before turning to growl at Etodo, hovering in front of the boy protectively.
Even though Yuki has become a grown wolf, he still failed once again. And this time, he was also injured due to his effort.
"Yuki!" Emutato immediately ran to the fallen creature, kneeling beside it. "I'll find herbs that can heal you, just wait.
"Papa, please don't do this." He whispered a final time as he bend forward protectively over Yuki.
"It will not hurt much." Was his father's gentle but firm reply.
In his desperation, Emutato suddenly thrust his hands before him, despite knowing how powerless it all was.
The young boy's mind was one of complete chaos- he cold hardly think let along try to come up with a solution. But he was certain of one single fact: he did not wish to die.
Streams of water somehow shot out from his finger and unlike the waters that would halt upon anything solid and then slide down, these bolt of waters were much harder as they did not stop even when they reached his father.
Emutato's scream of horror was soon joined by another.
Turning to the source of the sound, he saw his mother half crouching, on the ground with his sister's face tightly pressed against her bosom. But this attempt of shielding her from one of the worst crimes that could be committed was too late.
"Do you know what you have done?" Yukeyana whispered in great horror.
"I wish I don't know…" Emutato wanted to tell but he did not have any strength at all. "I really wish that I don't."
Yukeyana was still crying, but she actually managed to stand up and walk to her son, holding on the rein of the horse that ran back with her daughter clutching to her.
"Make sure that Aira will not see." She said simply as she went to her husband and picked up his sword. Much to her son's surprise, she stabbed it right over the wound his strange power had caused.
"Suicide…your father went mad in his attempt of trying to kill you." She whispered. "I will tell them that"
"Mama…"
"I do not forgive you, Emutato, and I don't know if I ever will." She said bitterly, but there was a slight softness in her eyes as she looked at her son. "Yet I don't want you to die, even if you are the one who commit and will commit all these crimes.
"I do not think the tribe will peruse you after all this, if Setsuka was only exiled then I will demand the same."
"I…" Emutato wanted nothing more then to clung onto her for comfort but he knew that he didn't even have the right to address her as 'mama' any more. He could thank her but that seemed to deny the past completely.
"I will stay away from our tribe now so I won't harm anyone again." He promised- that was the only thing he could say.
But even this was like a lie.
"Mama, where is oniichan going?" Aira asked innocently as she saw her brother turning away after he knelt beside their father one last time. "And why isn't papa getting up?"
"Aira, I am leaving…going way." He informed her gently, not even standing within a distance where he might be able to touch her. "You will be a good girl for mama, right?"
"Aira want to go with oniichan…" the little girl was forced to stop when she got her wish- she was suddenly thrust into the arms of her brother.
"It is better for you to look after her." Though she was forcing herself to be calm, Yukeyana felt as if her heart was literally breaking. She was to lose all her family in this single day without any pre-warning!
"I am not even sure whether I can survive!" he whispered urgently as he covered Aira's ears.
"Setsuka was a celestial warrior of Genbu, you were her constant companion. Now you are celestial warrior and your sister is the one who is always with you." Yukeyana reasoned, bending down to give her daughter a gentle kiss on the forehead before she finally whispered out her farewell.
"Good bye…" Emutato's words trailed off due to the bitter realization that this might be the last time he would see her.
But he was still unable to address her as 'mama.'
She left on his father's horse along with his father, while both Yuki and Aira stood beside him. As he watched her leave, he was starting to become more aware of everything.
He loathed himself, but even after having committed the worst crime he still wished to live. The knowledge that it was unintended and in pure self defense did lessen his own guilt, only to make him resent his fate even more.
Despite what Hekyune told Setsuka and him more then a year ago, he could not stop this rising bitterness against being him being born as a celestial warrior. It was this fate that made his loving father wanting to kill him, as well as making him responsible for his own father's death.
Some whispered that the land was cursed because the weather was getting unnaturally colder with the passing of each season. At the very least his own tribe thought so.
He watched them leave, seeing his mother walking forward without even looking around. That still hurt him even though he has not seen him since that accursed day.
Time passed but he had no idea about the exact amount since he had very little contact with the remaining Ka tribe. While they might not believe that they should kill a celestial warrior on sight, he was still regarded as a cursed figure as he was said to have driven his father into suicide.
Out of all these people there were only two friendly faces: Boraate and her son Chamuka, because he managed to save the little boy some time ago, although they could not be overly friendly due to the rest of their tribe.
But he could get by and that was really all he could ask for right now.
Yuki used to hunt for them as the only weapon he had was a small dagger, therefore he would search for herbs, and if they were lucky then they would have supplies that lasted more then one day.
After he saved Chamuka, the grateful mother gave one of her late husband's bow to him along with a cloak that he gave to Aira, so that she could accompany him when she wanted to. The bow helped them to have more food as he could hunt too, although he didn't really enjoy archery anymore as he was very reluctant to unwrap the bandages around his eyes.
"Oniichan, are you going to the Ka tribe today?"
A smile immediately appeared as he turned to face his little sister. He explained their situation to the best of his abilities and he had been truly astonished when Aira told him: "But I don't mind being with Oniichan at all, and I really know that oniichan is not a bad person" after his story.
Although he has not been entirely truthful because he omitted the full role he played in their father's death.
If it wasn't for Aira then he would have went mad long ago. Even a non-talkative person needed to talk to some one and gain a reply.
"We have some extra furs so I thought that I would try to trade it with Boraate. You need a new dress," He informed her as he automatically straightened her cloak for her, "your dress is getting much too small."
"What about oniichan?" she asked after she got over her delight at the prospect of having new cloth.
"This will last a bit longer." He said a bit grimly, carefully hiding the hole at one of the elbow.
Their cloths were still in the cut and style of their native tribe as that was what was made for them. He still wasn't sure whether it was out of goodwill, or because they didn't want others to mistake him as being part of the Ka tribe. (5)
He has tried to find that chest which contained the clothes of Setsuka and her family but he has not been successful yet.
"Can I come with oniichan?" his little sister implored out.
"To see Chamuka?"
The slight blush confirmed his answer.
It was quite clear that his little sister liked the young boy but he wasn't sure how serious this was as she still seemed quite young- although he and Setsuka had only been ten years old when they made their vow.
He didn't know how old they were, but he could not be sixteen yet because Setsuka has still not come. Even though Aira was growing up, she must still be quite young because there was no way that Setsuka would not come.
The exchange he had with the Ka tribe was so brief that he could not work out how many years had passed and he was also too cowardly to ask them. Right now his belief that Setsuka would one day come was the other thing that gave him hope along with Aira's presence.
If he was already sixteen then that meant Setsuka was dead, because he refused to doubt the possibility of her breaking their promise.
"Aira, do you like Boraate and the Ka tribe as well as Chamuka?" he asked her, who now walked beside him more often then being carried by him. "If you…"
"I like Oniichan the best." She yelled out, clinging onto him even more. "I want to stay with oniichan."
He should really hand her to the Ka tribe now, and he knew that Boraate would take care of her. Unlike him, she was not regarded as accursed in anyway by them.
The life he lived was not a suitable one for a growing girl, she should really be with other people. He and Setsuka would also have an unconventional life no matter what. Time might be running out as he did hear that the Ka tribe was thinking about leaving the place as his people did.
But he didn't know whether he could mange without her because hope alone was not enough.
Just a bit longer, he decided, he would let Aira stay with him a just for a few more weeks.
"Of course you are not going anywhere." Emutato said softly, almost angry at himself, yet feeling deeply relieved. "You'll be staying with Oniichan and Yuki."
1 Voice is one of the character songs of Tamahome.
2 I don't know why but I can just see Aira addressing herself in third person when she was younger and so Hikitsu would correct her.
3 I think this is a logical reason of why Emutato would be so unpopular with the rest of his tribe despite the fact that he is really polite. So I think it is partly because parents and other girls are quite fond of him, but I think the main reason will be because he does not care about what others think of him that much, which would kind of make them more bitter.
4 I think out of all the celestial warriors of Genbu, Hikitsu have the most hard to conceal symbol (well, he and the real Urumiya.) Because everyone else's symbol is at somewhere rather private: breast; back; stomach; sole of the feet etc.
5 To be honest I am quite curious about that. I mean, Hikitsu and Aira was sort of abandoned by their tribe but they still seemed to have got clothes that are in the style of their own tribe (his clothing is actually quite different from Tomite's clothing.) I guess this is my explanation.
Author's Note: Once again, the biggest problem I have in writing this chapter is the reaction of his tribe, and his own parents. Well, his parents did abandon he and Aira although it is possible that they didn't want to, but was forced to consent with the rest of the tribe. Truth be told, I quite like how I portrays Yukeyana, as I think her reaction is quite realistic (?). I think as someone who believes that the celestial warriors would destroy the world, she would be upset and she does think that he will bring danger, but because he is her son, she doesn't want him to be harmed. As for Etodo…I think he is not in his full mind when he made the decision, I think him having looked into Emutato's eye sort of affected him. He made his decision even though he was not emotionally calm.
I am not doing very well with the next chapters as it is still unfinished after ages so I have no idea when I would update it, but I do know what will happen: Takiko and Tomite will finally come out and they will meet Setsuka. Hatsui will probably come out too, but I better make my warning now: I don't think Hatsui will have much a role in my story.
