The Curse of Jusenkyo
Part 2
End of the Road
Ice cold water surrounded his little body. So cold that it shocked his limbs to paralysis. Upon hitting the water he instantly lost his senses and in effect wasn't able to right himself. He rolled and tumbled in the rushing water, losing perception of up and down, feeling weightless as if drifting in space.
Soon he realized the reality of his situation. He couldn't feel the force of the water nor the biting chill of it on his skin. Not even the weight of the water pressing down on him. His vision was narrowed as if he was looking through a peephole and his mind muddy.
But he was awake. He knew that. But he couldn't feel his body, as though he was cut off from it.
The dark walls surrounding his mind then started closing down on him. Even though trapped like this, it still felt like drowning. He started to panic but still his body wasn't reacting. His lungs didn't scream to take in non-existent air and his limbs remained still. He then remembered Akane's story back at the Tendo home. Was it happening to him?
Someone's slender fingers suddenly came into his view. They came closer and enveloped his small body.
Ukyo had grabbed hold of Ryoga and pulled him close to herself. She then swung her feet down to touch the riverbed. She blew air out her nose and sprang up, bursting through the water surface. She took in big, desperate breaths and held Ryoga's pig form well above the river. She hadn't thought to push her wet hair from her face as she frantically made her way through the chest-level river to the bank.
She got Ryoga on shore and then pulled herself out of the water. The others had been waiting and they helped Ukyo out of the river while some of them tended to the small pig.
He was alive and conscious. Ryoga could feel his body again after which came the impulse to cough out water. Other than that, he was perfectly fine. Lying on his side he tested his small limbs and found them to be working normally too. Did Ranma encounter something similar?
The crowd was asking him whether he was okay – as if he could verbally answer – but he was more distracted by the sound of heavy and rapid breathing.
Ukyo was on her knees, hunched over, shaking violently with each panicked breath. She supported herself with her hands but they seemed more likely to give way any moment. Her lungs continued to aggressively suck in air but it didn't feel enough. Her chest hurt, her eyes wide open in shock but her vision blurred as she began to feel faint.
"Ukyo!" Shampoo rushed to the hyperventilating girl. She crashed down to her knees in front of Ukyo and gripped the girl's shoulders.
"Ukyo, look at me," Shampoo said, trying to be calm.
Ukyo didn't seem to hear Shampoo. Her head was still down and her body was growing weaker. She kept on breathing hard but it was as if no air was coming in. The panic worsened as she came close to passing out.
"Ukyo, he's okay. Ryoga's alright. You pulled him out of the water. He's safe now. Look up and you'll see him there. He's fine," Shampoo said, making sure to say the words clearly and calmly.
Her breathing was still harsh but it was starting to slow down now. Her body felt limp but Shampoo's tight and reassuring grip on her calmed her down.
Ryoga, still in his pig form slowly walked up to Ukyo. He nudged her arm lightly to catch her attention. They held each other's gaze and that somehow helped her. Her breathing was regulating but her head still hurt and her body still weak. She let her arms slowly give way and turned herself so that she was lying down on her back. Shampoo said something but she didn't quite hear it.
Ukyo took long calming breaths and closed her eyes, trying to ignore the dizziness. She lifted an arm weakly and shielded her eyes from the sun.
"Ukyo?" Akane asked, kneeling at her side.
"I just … need a minute," Ukyo said weakly before soon passing out.
"She's out?" Mousse came over.
"She just needs rest," Shampoo replied.
"Well, what do we do now?" Genma asked.
Akane looked at everyone's questioning faces and then down at P-chan who still had his concerned eyes on the sleeping girl.
"Let's get Ryoga changed first," Akane said. She noticed that P-chan flinched at the mention of his real name. He still found it strange for her to use his actual name, and so did she.
Soon Ryoga was back in his human form and with a set of dry clothes. Luckily he hadn't been carrying his backpack while he was refilling his water bottle.
They were now a little further inland from the river. Ukyo was still unconscious so Shampoo had laid out a mat for the girl to lie down on. She sat close to Ukyo in case the girl woke up. Mousse was quiet beside Shampoo. Ryoga paced around back and forth overcome with guilt. Akane had went off into the woods, saying she needed some time alone. Genma had followed her but stopped when Akane glared at him. He stood at his place, keeping an eye out for his would-have-been daughter-in-law.
It was a while before Akane came back, looking lost.
"Are you alright?" Genma asked.
"I need to ask everyone something," Akane said. Without giving him time to respond, Akane walked past Genma to the rest of the group.
"Guys," Akane said, catching everyone's attention. She paused a few beats before she continued.
"Do we go on?" she asked.
"Why are you asking this now?" Ryoga asked.
"It happened didn't it?" Akane said.
"What are you talking about?" Ryoga said.
"Don't play dumb Ryoga. It's starting to pull you isn't it," Akane said, raising her voice in anger.
"I …"
Ryoga saw in Akane's eyes that she wasn't going to tolerate him lying to her. He could almost hear the words "Don't you dare!"
"It's … not the first time," Ryoga finally said.
"And you didn't say anything?"
"I'm sorry."
Akane seethed but couldn't remain angry for so long. Not anymore. Not as how she used to.
"No, no, I'm sorry," she said. "I'd forgotten about your curses. I was careless."
"Something like this might happen again once we get to Jusenkyo," she added.
"So, what do we do?" Genma asked.
"I …"
Akane searched in each person's faces for inspiration but only saw their dependence on her. Only she knew how to get there and so like it or not, the final decision was hers to make. As if for the first time, she realized the weight of her responsibility. She carried all their lives on her shoulders.
It was overwhelming; the thought of her being the one to decide their fate. Akane backed up and leaned against a tree.
"I … don't know," she said.
Everyone fell back into silence, all lost on what to do. They were now playing a risky game with their lives on the betting table.
"Well, it's not like we haven't faced near-death situations before," Ryoga said after a while. "When our lives were on the line. When death seemed inevitable. And this is just another one of those times where death is staring right in the face. I'm ready to risk it all."
"Ryoga," Akane said.
"We have come so far haven't we?" Mousse said. "Might as well see this to the end, whatever the consequences."
"Ranma … he would have continued," Shampoo added.
"Indeed he would," Genma said.
"But whatever it is, it's your say Akane," Ryoga said.
Their decision was final. They were willing to risk their lives for the cure. Despite the choice being given to Akane, the decision had already been made.
"Then we'll press on," Akane said. A smile came to her, strengthened now by her friends to end the journey.
"Alright, let's pack up and get going," she said.
The group did as ordered while Ryoga went over to Ukyo. With Shampoo's help, he got Ukyo on his back. Carefully he got up from his kneeling position, keeping his body leaned forward and joined the line. Genma then came over and tied a rope around Ryoga's waist and encircled the other end around his.
"This should keep you from wandering around," the old man said. Ryoga glared at him but said nothing.
Akane led the group again while Genma followed behind her. Ryoga kept up behind Genma while Shampoo and Mousse formed up the rear. As Ryoga and Ukyo were unable to carry their things, Genma volunteered to carry Ryoga's much heavier backpack while Ukyo's was handed over to Shampoo.
The group began walking again, a little further inland to avoid any more unwanted incidents. Their paces were slower than before as Ryoga wanted to be careful with Ukyo. As he walked and listened to the sounds of the water, he couldn't help replaying what had happened at the river. Even now he was shaken by the experience of feeling trapped and helpless.
The rope suddenly tugged his waist.
"Don't run off now," Genma said.
Ryoga glared at the old man's back in annoyance.
They continued on and Ryoga tried his best to keep his mind off any distractions. But then over and over he thought of the incident. As Ryoga stepped over a tree branch, he remembered the weight of the person he was carrying on his back.
He was ever grateful to her but at the same time he felt guilty about what happened after. It was careless of him to stand close to the water, forgetting about the risks he had rather recently learned about.
The rope tugged at his waist again and he heard Genma clicked his tongue but the old man didn't say anything.
"Mmmh," he heard Ukyo moaned. He felt her shift slightly so he slowed down his pace. Her arms then wrapped themselves around his neck and Ryoga felt her move her head to a more comfortable spot in between his shoulders.
"Ukyo, you awake?" Ryoga asked softly.
"Mmmh, yeah," Ukyo replied sleepily.
"Are you alright?"
"I'm okay," she mumbled. "This feels nice," she added after a pause. "I'm not too heavy am I?"
"No, not at all," Ryoga replied, chuckling a little. "Just rest. I'll be fine."
"Everything okay back there?" Genma asked, turning slightly to look at the younger man.
"Yeah, we're okay," Ryoga answered. Genma said nothing more and walked on.
"Ryoga," Ukyo weakly said.
"Yeah?"
"I'm glad you're okay," she said.
Ryoga deflated a little as she said that.
"Me too," he said "Sorry I made you worry."
Ukyo didn't reply to that nor did Ryoga say anything else and soon she fell asleep again.
The group walked for another hour before stopping to take a break. Ukyo woke up then and tested her balance.
"I think I'm alright now," she had said.
They passed snacks to each other and drank necessarily before continuing on. There wasn't much conversation for the next few hours. Only sounds of the woodland creatures and occasional remarks accompanied their silent trudging. The dense forest then slowly gave way and the narrow crooked path opened up to a wider dirt road.
"Alright guys, just a little further and we're there," Akane said. She could see everyone's faces lighting up, making her more determined to get this done.
The team picked up their paces and their excitement grew with each step. The mountains surrounding the valley seemed to grow as they got closer. Genma was the first to break into a run, dragging Ryoga – who was still attached to the rope – along with him. The younger man stumbled and yelled at the old man but was quick to recover and ran at the same pace. Shampoo ran after them as well, followed closely by Mousse. Ukyo laughed at their antics and decided to join the rest.
"Come on!" she said excitedly to Akane before running off.
Akane couldn't help but smile and joined the others.
The sun was halfway down, casting a fiery orange glow on the sides of the mountains. Akane watched as the team descended into the fabled valley of springs. It was truly a sight to see. From a distance it almost looked like a vast lake with numerous bamboo poles sticking out like lilies on a pond. And contained in those waters were spells that would make the toughest martial artist training above them cringe at the thought of falling into any spring.
The Legendary Cursed Springs of Jusenkyo.
The group met the guide who was happy to see them again and congratulated them for having found a way to cure the curses once and for all. The guide had already tidied up and prepared the guest cabins for them. The team thanked him and went in to place down their things.
Night was approaching and everyone went to wash off their sweat from a long day of trekking. The guide showed them the hot springs for the men and women, letting them bathe there. They savored their time to clean themselves until only faint streaks of red and orange light colored the end of the sky.
Ryoga was coming back from his bath, already clothed in his white round-collared t-shirt and black tracks. He spotted Ukyo sitting alone near one of the springs, staring at the darkening valley. Was she still thinking about what happened at the river?
"Ukyo?" he called out as he neared her. She didn't respond.
Ryoga waited awhile in case Ukyo was going to say something. She didn't so he went to sit beside her. He looked at her for a while, searching her distant expression. Seeing that she wasn't going to talk yet, he averted his eyes to the valley of springs.
He remembered the last time they were here to rescue Akane and eventually went on to defeat Saffron. How amusing it was to be so close to the source of their curses and yet they weren't able to end it all then. Now after over a year they've returned and this time there wasn't going to be anything in the way. No distractions or side missions.
Though, there was that slight chance that things could go wrong as they've always had before. Ryoga kept that in mind.
But putting aside the curses, tragedies and mishaps, looking at the springs now with what's left of daylight brought on a feel of tranquility. It almost seemed like the place people would go to on long holidays. Maybe a little fishing or a dip in one of the springs. And the bamboo poles would serve as a unique way of martial arts training without having to worry about falling in the springs and having something weird happen.
It would be really nice if the Jusenkyo springs were just springs.
Ryoga looked over at Ukyo, wondering what was on her mind. She had her knees pulled up close to her chest, locked in that position by her arms encircling her legs. Her body rocked back and forth gently while she busied herself with her thoughts.
"Is something bothering you?" he asked.
She stopped moving at that and stretched out her legs while her hands moved to the ground to support herself as she leaned back a little. She let out a long sigh but didn't say anything.
Ryoga felt his presence was unwelcomed so he decided that it'd be better to go back to the cabin. Just then …
"Remember when I mentioned Konatsu?" she said.
He settled back down and gave her his full attention.
"Yeah," Ryoga answered.
"Well, he left for a reason."
Ukyo had toned down her voice which made it difficult for Ryoga to hear. So he leaned towards her a bit.
"What happened?" Ryoga asked when she didn't continue. She then leaned forward and held her knees with both hands.
"I …" finally she began. "I tried to …" she seemed unable to continue and to Ryoga's surprise there were tears in her eyes.
"Ukyo," he said softly. She inhaled deeply, shutting her eyes tight and started over.
"I was alone, in my room. It was at night and it was raining. Just like that night."
Ukyo shuddered as she held back her tears.
"I couldn't take it. I didn't know what to do."
She paused again.
"I had a knife and …"
"Ukyo, wait," Ryoga interrupted quickly.
Ukyo kept her eyes shut and breathed deeply. She still remembered.
Ukyo was sitting in the middle of her room, dressed in white. She kept her eyes closed, whispering to herself a silent prayer. Once she was done, she took in a deep breath and then opened her eyes. On the floor in front of her was one of her kitchen knives, sharpened and washed, ready for the occasion.
It had barely been two weeks since Ranma's passing but to Ukyo time was frozen. The images of that night were all that she could think and dream about. After a few days of involuntary flashbacks, she knew that the memory would stay with her for a long time. She'd been trying to hide the fact that she wasn't getting any good sleep but her regular customers had been showing concern for her.
It's pretty much known among the regulars that Ukyo and Ranma were close. They'd always see the two chatting delightedly together though it was fairly obvious that Ukyo wanted them to be more than friends. But now things have turned sharply southwards and her customers could see the change in her. Some who were concerned enough went up to her and talked to her, asked if she was alright or even gave gifts.
But all the attention was too much for her. She knew they meant good but it wasn't giving the desired effect. At least Konatsu realized that and avoided bringing the matter up.
She was descending further into a dark spiral that had ripped open after that night. She went through each day with pain in her heart. Her thoughts were dark and she felt her world coming apart. She was lost. She imagined herself standing in a fast moving crowd that the people appeared blurred. She wasn't able to move, stuck in some other dimension. She didn't have the strength anymore.
One day, as she was washing her utensils, Ukyo accidentally cut herself with one of her knives. That was how she eventually ended up in her room with the very knife that had cut her.
Ukyo took a few deep calming breaths and reached for the glinting knife. She held it horizontally, staring at the blade that would end it all. Her finger slowly traced the flat side of the blade along the sharp end, feeling the smoothness of her fine work. She turned the blade so that it was now pointing upwards and she looked at the tip, turning the knife slowly so that she could see it from all angles.
"I guess this is it," she whispered to the blade, her companion and now her savior.
Ukyo turned the blade in her hand and held it in a reversed grip. She brought it close to her midsection, touching her clothed stomach with the tip of the knife. She hesitated, letting the knife hover just millimeters from her body. She was scared of the pain that would come, the numbness, the light-headed feel and the cold darkness that would finally envelop her.
'I'm thinking too much,' she thought and then tightly closed her eyes. For a while she let her thoughts wander, losing herself in them. Eighteen years of life flashed through her mind, those times that she still remembered and a little of those she thought she'd forgotten.
She longed for those happy times. She missed the people she had met. She missed the ridiculousness and the chaos.
But above all, she felt sad. Sad that many of those years had been spent grudging on Ranma. Sad that she found herself falling for him all over again, adding herself to the harem around the boy. Sad that she was probably never in Ranma's sights as a choice for a lover and that she'd never have that chance again.
At the end of it all, Ukyo found herself in tranquility. The sudden bombardment of memories and emotions finally left her feeling empty. She opened her eyes slowly and looked down at the blade.
She began to press the tip onto her stomach.
"Ukyo!"
A sickening shiver ran down her spine as the door suddenly burst open. Her slow thrust had stopped but the knife was still pressed against her stomach.
"Ukyo, are you …," Konatsu was hesitant. He could feel the eeriness and how heavy the air was as if death itself was in the dimly lit room. Ukyo's back was facing him but even though he couldn't see what she was doing, he could read the dark air around her.
"Konatsu," Ukyo said in a harsh whisper.
"I-I've made dinner," Konatsu went on nervously. "Please come down."
Ukyo kept her gaze on the knife, gripping it tightly. She felt anger welling up inside her. She had gathered up so much will to make the decision. Over and over doubts came to her mind but she pushed down all of them leaving nothing but emptiness in her thoughts. The bubble she had wrapped herself in had successfully isolated her from the outside world.
And then suddenly a pin managed to find its way to her, pricking the fragile wall, letting the outside seep in.
"No," she said sharply.
"Y-You must be hungry though," Konatsu tried again. "You didn't eat mu-"
"NO!"
As Ukyo screamed, letting out her frustrations, her anger, her anguish, she raised the knife to deliver herself a final blow, one that would end everything.
However, quicker than Ukyo could react, Konatsu came and grasped her hands, the knife only inches to her body.
But she wouldn't have any of it. She yelled again, fury blurring her thoughts so much that it hurt. With strength she never knew she had, Ukyo pried her hands away from Konatsu's tight grip. Konatsu wasn't going to give it up. He wouldn't let her take her own life. The two struggled; Konatsu grasping Ukyo's hand and trying to get the knife while Ukyo forcefully pulling away with each attempt.
Konatsu didn't want to hurt Ukyo. She was the one who gave him a place to stay and to be of good use after all. But wrestling her like this was pointless and it could put both of them in danger. Konatsu had a hold of Ukyo's hand. He swiftly went around her so that he faced her back, without letting go of her hand. He wrapped his free arm around Ukyo's neck and a leg around one of hers. Having her locked like this, he twisted Ukyo's hand, not enough to severely damage it but just so that it hurt till she lost her grip. The knife fell from her hand and for a moment the worst situation had been avoided.
Ukyo wasn't going down easily. She pried a leg away and slammed her foot on Konatsu's bent knee. She used the force to push herself backwards, catching Konatsu off guard and sending them both falling to the floor. The impact was enough for Ukyo to free her captured hand from Konatsu's grasp.
In the split second opportunity, Ukyo went for the knife. Just as she reached its hilt, she felt her leg being pulled back by Konatsu. She kicked him away but then he came again on top of her. At the last moment, she turned upwards facing him. Konatsu was unprepared and he was falling on top of her. The knife was still in Ukyo's right hand and she was in the middle of bringing it to her right when her instincts kicked in and she hacked the knife into Konatsu's side.
Konatsu fell hard on top of Ukyo and she could feel the sudden pressure bending her arm that she feared it would break. And with that hard fall, she came out of her blind rage. She was confused as if only now noticing that she was underneath Konatsu. Her senses returned and she could feel some kind of thick, warm fluid drenching her side. She tried to move her hand but then Konatsu let out a brief yelp. Ukyo's eyes widened.
She pushed hard to roll Konatsu off to her left and surely enough the knife she had intended to stab herself with was smothered in Konatsu's blood. Her hands trembled, realizing what she had done. She threw the knife away to the far corner of the room and was instantly above Konatsu.
"Oh my God! Oh my God, Konatsu! Konatsu! Oh no! Oh no! No, no, no, no! Stay awake Konatsu! You'll be fine! You'll be alright! Oh God, I'm sorry! I'm sorry Konatsu! I'm so sorry!"
Ukyo was panicking. Her hands fumbled around the wound but then instincts took over. She hurried over to her closet and pulled out the first thing in sight. She rushed back to Konatsu, her t-shirt now a ball of cloth, and placed it above his wound.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" she kept saying as tears started to blur her vision. She pressed the crumpled t-shirt into Konatsu's deep cut, trying to stop the bleeding, eliciting a subdued groan from him.
"I gotta get help," Ukyo said, realizing that a mere pressure cloth wasn't going to be enough. She grabbed Konatsu's hand and directed it onto the cloth, pressing it down. Konatsu groaned again.
"I need to call for help," she said, gripping his hand. "I'm so sorry."
Ryoga had been listening intently as Ukyo told him her dark past of not so long ago. He had thought that Akane had it worst as she was the closest to Ranma and would've been the most emotionally damaged. And listening to how Shampoo had her mind virtually broken was disheartening as well. There was no way his emotional turmoil could compare to them.
Now he's hearing Ukyo's story, the last of the three girls closest to Ranma. He had expected this sort of thing to happen – not that he wished for it – but he was still unprepared to listen to someone coming close to it. He was pushed to tears as Ukyo struggled with her words.
She then went on.
"So I called Dr. Tofu. I told him about Konatsu, leaving out the details. Dr. Tofu came and picked him up. I followed them to the clinic. Konatsu was soon patched up but the doctor said he had lost a significant amount of blood. Luckily he had Konatsu's blood type in his storage. It was a few days before Konatsu returned home. And boy was it awkward."
A sad chuckle accompanied the last bit.
"It took a while before I was able to talk to him but I'd always feel the guilt, the shame and I guess he knew. I guess he understood because a few days later he decided to leave, saying that he'd be fine on the road."
Ukyo paused and then smiled. She went on, lowering her voice a little as she remembered the last time she spoke with Konatsu.
"Before he left he made me promise to never try and take my own life away again."
"And have you tried to ever since?"
Ukyo shook her head, smiling a little proudly this time.
"It was still tough though. It's not really easy to let things like this go you know."
Ryoga nodded, unable to find words to say. Ukyo then looked at him.
"But don't worry. I may not be as happy as I had been before but I'm always trying to move past this thing. I have to admit that I do sometimes think about ending my life but at those times I always think about Konatsu. And my father's been helpful, most of the time available on the phone for me to talk to. So yeah, I'm fine, even if I'm still crawling."
Ryoga smiled.
"Well, that's good to hear."
Ukyo smiled back and returned her glance to the darkness beyond her. She could see now as her eyes had adjusted to the night.
"And now you're here too," she said.
Ryoga made a small gulp sound, surprised by her bluntness and he felt his face burning up.
"As well as everyone," Ukyo went on. "I feel better knowing that there are people around me going through the same thing. So, thanks."
She looked at Ryoga who all of a sudden looked nervous.
"You alright?"
"Nah, I'm fine," Ryoga tried to recover. "Just … mosquitoes."
"Oh, right. We'd better head back," Ukyo said and then stood up. Ryoga followed and then both walked back to the cabins where the rest of the group were just about to have dinner.
Akane couldn't sleep that night. She kept remembering the lively conversation they had over dinner, switching their topics without any clear coherence with the previous ones. It had been interesting to see within one night each person's perceptions on various things.
Among their early topics were their experiences in martial arts, how they became interested in it and the tough times they went through training. They shared folktales that have been passed down in their families which the group undoubtedly enjoyed. As the seemingly endless discussions went on, the topics grew deeper and heavier. They even talked about rights for men and women that had actually stemmed from a question about the customs of the people Shampoo and Mousse belonged to. And for some reason they could never really part from the topic on what would they do after the curse was gone. From there they talked about how many people don't actually know what they want out of life; that most people simply follow the trends and not really carving their own path. And that brought them to question their choices in life. That had made the group quiet down but after a long while they carried on to other topics.
The night dragged on to the point where some eyes were starting to burn and droop so they said their good nights and retreated into their cabins. All but Akane dived immediately into deep sleep upon reaching their pillows. The discussion had been tiring but it was worthwhile. They've somewhat known each other for about three years now and yet they learned much more about one another in a single night.
And that was unsettling for Akane, hindering her from getting her sleep. She tossed and turned in her cabin bed, trying to position herself to tell her brain that she was comfortable and ready for rest. But it wasn't her body that was uncomfortable.
Akane lay on her back and she stared at the underside of the top bunk where Ukyo had decided to sleep on. Her eyes had adjusted to the dark so she could make out the wooden frame supporting the mattress and Ukyo above her. She looked to her left and saw that Shampoo was sleeping soundly on another set of bunk beds. The Chinese girl had chosen to sleep on the bottom bed.
When Ranma had been alive the three of them were rivals for his love – not that she'd admit it then – but now they were very much like friends. It felt like they had known each other for a long time to the point where she couldn't imagine if they were to part from one another.
Carefully so to not wake them up, Akane got off her bed and crept out of the cabin. She walked over to the men's cabin and peered in through the window. They were sleeping just as soundly as her room mates. She turned away and then headed for the entrance of the springs. She crossed her arms and rubbed herself to counter the night chill enveloping her. But then another kind of chill came over her as she sensed a familiar presence behind her. Akane turned and there she saw the person that had guided her on this path.
"Tai," she said.
"You seem troubled," he said.
Akane looked off to the side at the cabins. She imagined how each party member were sleeping soundly, not realizing that she was talking to a wandering spirit. She closed her eyes and sighed.
"It's nothing," she said.
"You should rest."
"I know. Just needed some air," Akane said, slowly turning away from Tai and back to looking into the darkness covering the pools. It went quiet for a long while but Akane still felt Tai's presence behind her. He hadn't moved from his place as if he was waiting for Akane to say something first.
Akane had no intention to do so though. She just wished that he went away.
"Remember what you came here for," Tai suddenly said, causing Akane to jump a little. But then she sighed and lowered her head.
"Yes, I know," she said. Her eyes remained fixed on the vast valley of cursed springs, picturing in her mind the coming day. She glanced behind her just as she felt the presence disappear and true enough Tai wasn't around anymore. She cast her eyes back to the springs. It would be a restless night for the young woman.
…
The air was still cold like it had been the night before. The sun was only beginning to shine the new day. A light mist had covered the valley further mystifying the legends. Just as the life around the valley woke up to the day, the party of cursed individuals rose and prepared themselves for the final leg of their journey.
The five of them were currently huddled around Akane as she showed them the location of the curing spring on her map. There were hundreds of springs in the way and some were so close to one another that they needed to take big turns. And since it was at the far end of the valley, Akane predicted that it would take nearly two hours to reach there.
"And please be careful. You wouldn't want to fall in another cursed spring," she said.
Everyone nodded, already aware of the dangers.
Ukyo stood a few paces away and watched them with a smile. Pretty soon all these people in front of her would be free of their curses. She was truly happy for them but at the same time she was scared. Things were going to be different and who knows what would happen. Would life become normal? Whatever normal was.
She only wished that Ranma had a chance to be rid of his curse too.
The group was ready to move out and Ukyo gave a little cheer for them. They smiled back at her and then went off. Ukyo watched as their forms slowly retreated, shrinking in size before finally disappearing into the mist.
The group walked in a line with Akane leading them. Slowly they were making their way through the valley, trying their best to dodge the springs. None of them were feeling any sort of pull from the waters yet. But the tension was very much evident in their steps and their silence. It was only after they were deep in the valley did the silence break.
Even then it was an unsettling matter.
"Akane," Genma had asked. "Why is that … spirit still around?"
"Huh?" Akane slowed her steps a little.
"Wandering spirits all have reasons why they remain on Earth. So what was his?"
Akane didn't answer right away.
"I guess it's to cure those who were cursed by Jusenkyo," she said.
"He didn't tell you?" Genma asked.
"I assume so. Why else would he tell me about the journal?" Akane replied.
"He didn't explicitly tell you," Genma said, sounding more like a statement.
Akane sighed and stopped.
"No, he didn't."
"Akane, dealing with spirits is dangerous. Even more when they're from Jusenkyo," Genma said.
Akane turned sharply which caused Genma to back up.
"Look, I had the journal translated by the person who wrote it. He explained to me how it worked. I've tested the spring. It's all fine okay. Nothing to worry about," she said.
"Did he show any indication of wanting to be set free from this world?" Genma asked.
"Enough already! Don't you all trust me?"
"Akane, we do. I just want to make sure that we don't walk into more danger."
Akane sighed and looked at the rest of the group that had remain quiet all the way.
"You're right. I'm sorry. It is something to worry about. But I assure you that things are fine," Akane said. "What's important now is to have you all free from this curse. About that guy, that spirit, let's just forget about him for now, okay."
Genma was still doubtful and his questions had made the others concerned as well. But he didn't say anything to further the argument. He would waste their time. So he nodded.
"Okay," Akane said and resumed her role as the troop head. "Over there."
She pointed to the end of the valley, at the mountains. It was hard to spot but there was a rocky path that led to a cave up the side of the mountain.
"There're a series of tunnels up there so stay close," she said.
"It's still a long way ahead," Ryoga said.
"It'll be over soon enough," Akane said.
Two hours had passed since they began their journey across the valley and Ukyo was literally suffering from boredom. During the first few minutes she talked to the guide, asking him about his life and why he chose this job. She was surprised to learn he had a daughter as well. Then the conversations slowly withered down to awkwardness and the guide left to save himself, leaving Ukyo alone at the entrance of the valley.
She started pacing around, anxious for their return, hoping that none of them were caught by the water. After countless rounds she got tired and sat down, picking the grass and dirt at her feet. She began to wonder how many animals, people or whatever – she was told about the Rouge-Asura incident – drowned in the springs.
Did they have to drown and die? Or is falling into the water enough to create the curse? Why won't the curses be replaced when another person, animal, thing fall in?
She started to picture her cursed friends cured, what their lives would be like. No more worrying about hot or cold water. No more changing into embarrassing forms.
But most of all they wouldn't need to worry about their lives being in danger.
They would all then live happily ever after in Nerima.
Of course such endings never really come to them. Even if they returned to their lives free of the curses, their future still waited. Shampoo, Mousse and Cologne may want to return to their tribe. Akane would probably return to school. And who knows where Ryoga would end up. He had Akari though.
That left herself pretty much alone in the Nerima ward.
Sure the Saotome and Tendo family were around but it would feel different without everyone else. Just when things were about to get better, their relationships amended and past rivalries left behind, they were splitting up.
Maybe it was just her being paranoid but eventually it would happen. She knew. After all the only thing that really tied them together was Ranma. With him no longer in their lives, there was no real reason to stay in Nerima.
They had said as much last night. Ukyo was grateful for that bonfire sharing and that may probably be the last time.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a periodic knocking in the distance. Sort of like the sound of knuckles tapping on a wooden table. She began to feel a bit edgy as the sounds got louder. Now there was the sound of crunching dirt like a stick hitting the ground.
"Ukyo!"
Her heart jumped into rapid beats that she thought she'd pass out … again. But she recognized the voice, belonging to an old woman she hadn't expect to meet here.
"Cologne?" Ukyo said, simultaneously turning around and getting on her feet.
"What are you doing here?"
"The others, have they gone?" Cologne asked. She sounded frantic and her unkempt features showed that.
"They're in the valley," Ukyo replied.
"Maybe it's not too late to catch up to them. Come!"
"What? What's going on?"
The team of five finally reached the cave mouth. For a few moments they stood in awe. So very close now.
"Just a little further guys," Akane said, smiling.
They smiled back and then took in deep breaths. It was almost unbelievable.
"Let's end this," Ryoga said.
It was dark inside and just as Akane had said there were innumerable tunnels in the cave. Only one led to the spring.
"Stay close and don't break off," Akane said, getting her flashlight.
They followed Akane down a path, through twists and turns and into tunnels that seem to appear at random along the walls.
"Did you make these tunnels Ryoga?"
"Very funny Mousse."
"We're nearly there," Akane said.
"You said that half an hour ago," Shampoo said.
Just as she said that the path opened up to a large cavity. Akane turned off her flashlight but instead of darkness blinding them, to the group's surprise the cavity was lit up with a bluish glow that came from a large pool at the farther end of the space. They had all stopped right after the opening and were staring at the glowing spring in disbelief.
"We're here," Ryoga said.
"Come on," Akane said.
The trance broke and with Akane leading, they walked to the pool. The cursed four looked into the water, seeing their reflections in the blue light.
"Okay, let's get started," Akane said. She set down her backpack and took off her jacket.
"The process is pretty simple. All of you need to jump into the water at the same time at the higher end of the pool."
She walked around the spring until a point where she stood lower than the rest.
"Here is the lower end and directly opposite is the higher end," she said.
"So we all jump in at the same time?" Ryoga said.
"What then?" Shampoo asked.
"Jusenkyo's magic would seep out of your bodies and flow with the water to the lower end. Until it's done, no matter what, stay where you are."
"That's simple enough," Mousse said.
"Nothing's ever this simple," Genma said.
"Trust me. There won't be any more changing after this," Akane said.
The four looked at one another, smiling and silently congratulating themselves. They dropped their backpacks and walked to the higher end of the pool. They only hoped the water was deep enough so to not injure themselves.
"This is it," Ryoga said.
"Yeah," Mousse said.
"If only it had been sooner," Shampoo said.
"There's no use thinking about that now," Genma said.
"Right," Shampoo said.
As ecstatic as they were, they couldn't help but wish they had found the spring sooner. At this point, if only there were some way they could go back in time and tell their past selves about this cure. They could have save him and themselves from the pain they had to go through. But they're mere wishes now and the only thing they could do was to take the cure for themselves.
"Wait!"
The word echoed throughout the entire cavity and the suddenness of it froze them. The four looked behind just in time to see Cologne and Ukyo emerge from where they came through.
"Don't! Don't jump in!" Ukyo said.
"What do you think you're doing Akane?" Cologne demanded.
Bewildered, the four looked at Akane and then back at the just arrived duo.
"What's going on?" Ryoga asked.
"Akane, would you care to explain?" Cologne said.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Akane replied. They were all staring at the lone girl standing at the lower end of the spring.
"Akane, the truth. Tell them the truth," Ukyo said. She sounded desperate, pleading.
"I'm not hiding anything," Akane replied.
"Are you?" Cologne said. Right after, she threw out a cloth-wrapped book and it flew far, reaching the other side and landing at Akane's feet.
"Fortunately you had left this book at home. If it weren't for Kasumi finding it, I wouldn't have made it here in time," Cologne said.
"Akane, what is she talking about?" Genma asked.
Akane now had her eyes cast down, avoiding their questioning gaze.
"Tell them," Cologne said.
"Akane, what's going on?" Ryoga asked.
Akane remained quiet, staring at the book before she bent down slowly to pick it up. She stood straight again but still avoided their eyes.
"Come out with it Akane," Cologne said.
Akane took a deep breath that echoed in the chamber. She looked up at them and then spoke.
"Believe me, I had tried. I tried to search for other ways. Searched the documents, records, archives that were kept with the guide. Anything to cure you guys. But I didn't find anything. There was no alternative. This spring was the only way."
"I don't get it. Is there something wrong with this spring?" Ryoga asked.
Cologne then spoke, "The nature of the curse – it being cast by the original sorcerers – means that it can't disappear. Only the casters can remove it. According to that journal, the only other way to get rid of it is to transfer the curse into another living vessel. This pool was created for this purpose – to bring out the curse from the original bearer and then transfer it to an empty body."
"And the transfer only works by switching between the same beings – frogs with frogs, birds with birds, humans with humans," Akane added.
"But, that would mean …" Ryoga said.
"Akane would have the curse. And since there're four of you, it would kill her almost instantly," Cologne said.
"What?!" Ryoga said.
"And you knew?" Shampoo asked.
Akane was silent for a while before replying.
"It's a noble act don't you think? That I'd die in exchange for your lives. You'd live. You wouldn't have to be worried about the curse ever again. A beautiful thing really."
"What? You're insane!" Shampoo said.
"I've thought it through Shampoo!" Akane said. "Over and over again. I decided that I don't want to see any of you die. I made that promise. And no matter what it takes I'll fulfill it, even if it means my death."
"But, Akane –," Ryoga said.
"I've thought it through," Akane said, stressing on each word.
"It's what you've all wanted," she continued, her voice now void of emotion. "And now that you understand what would happen, it's become much more important. So, here's your cure. Just a jump away."
Akane had taken off her shoes as she talked and began to descend into the pool.
"Akane!" Ukyo said.
Akane continued on with her mono tone.
"It's alright guys. I've already accepted this. This is what I have to do. This is for you guys. I'm just one life. And look at me." And she raised her amputated right arm. "I'm not the way I used to be. This would be my last act. My life for yours."
"Stop it, Akane!" Ukyo yelled. So loud that it felt like she had shaken the chamber.
"Why are you saying these things? This is not how it's supposed to be! This will not be how it ends! I won't let you!"
"You're in no position to talk Ukyo!" Akane yelled back, shocking her. "You don't have a curse lingering over you! You don't have a watery death waiting! It's their lives at stake here. Not yours! Do you want to see all of them die the same death as Ranma?"
Ukyo looked at the rest of the group that had remained quiet the whole time. Surely they're not thinking of going ahead with it are they? The cure is just before them but they wouldn't want to sacrifice someone's life for it right?
They wouldn't be able to live with that. They wouldn't forgive themselves for that.
But at the same time, Ukyo didn't want them to go like Ranma did. She couldn't bear the thought of going through the same nightmare again.
Like all those nights, replaying in her mind, in her dreams, the eternal after-image of Ranma's life stolen by the curse.
"Guys, you're not going to do this are you?" Ukyo asked.
They didn't respond. The blank horror on their faces told her that they were at a loss too. So close to the cure and so close to death too but what stood in their way was a decision that they would have to forever live with.
Akane was already sitting at the edge of the pool, her feet now submerged in the glowing water. She spoke again.
"You have to do this. It's the only way out. I'm not going to let you die after coming this far. And I've already decided long before, that no matter what it takes, I'll have you cured. Even if it meant my death."
"They didn't agree to this Akane. They didn't agree to sacrifice their friend's life. You should've told them," Cologne said.
"They wouldn't have come along. I withheld the truth for your own good. There's no turning back now. The decision's been made. You don't want to die and I've accepted my fate," Akane said.
Things fell silent again and this time Ukyo got furious with the four.
"You can't seriously be thinking of killing her are you?! This cure isn't worth someone's life! We could find another way! There's always some other way! I know it!"
"My wife," Genma, the first of the four to speak. "Nodoka hasn't been herself ever since Ranma died. For a long year I watched her mental state deteriorate. She wasn't lighting up the house any more. The spark she had died with Ranma and she became more withdrawn as time grew. I am a man with a tough heart but seeing her like that broke it. I did all I can to console her, day by day.
She kept getting angry at me and I understood why. She was angry at me for taking her son away for many years and just when they were reunited, he was taken away from her again, this time, forever. And I can't ever forgive myself for that.
And if I were to leave her all alone again, that pain would deepen. She's lost her son and already a great part of her has died. If I were to leave her …"
"N-No, Mr. Saotome," Ukyo said.
"Damn you Akane! You put me in such a difficult situation," Genma said.
"You said it yourself Mr. Saotome. You can't leave your wife alone," Akane said.
Ryoga then spoke. "I promised Akari that I would come back for her, like I always do when I leave her."
"Ryoga, please not you too," Ukyo said. Tears welled up in her eyes now. "There's got to be some way out of this. Some other way than this. I know it."
"But how long will it be till we find it?" Ryoga asked, looking at her. "I don't know if I can risk this cure. You remember what happened just yesterday don't you?"
Her heart skipped a beat as she remembered yesterday's events. How many more times would it be before he's truly swept away?
"Please, don't do this guys. There's no way you'll live with this," Ukyo begged.
"Akane, don't do this please. There must be another way," Cologne said.
"Great-grandmother, are you sure?" Shampoo asked.
"Shampoo?" Cologne looked at her great-granddaughter in shock.
"Will there be another chance like this?" Shampoo said. Tears were in her eyes as well. Cologne knew that Shampoo didn't want to go with this; none of them were. But if they were to opt out, then their gamble would only become riskier. Everyone could lose everything.
There was no way to win this game.
"Mousse?" Shampoo said, her trembling voice searching for something, anything from her long-time friend.
He looked into her eyes that were as fragile as thin glass. For a while he was quiet, losing himself in those eyes but not the same way as he would whenever he admired her.
"I … I don't know, Shampoo," Mousse said and then looked away. "I don't know."
"Guys," Ukyo said, her voice now cracking.
"They've already decided," Akane said, maintaining her blank expression.
Genma was the first to step closer to the edge of the pool.
"No, please," Ukyo said. Her knees shook and her body weakened.
Ryoga dragged his foot forward.
"Please," Ukyo pleaded and she fell to her knees, visibly crying now.
Mousse and Shampoo held hands and hesitantly took simultaneous steps forward.
"Cologne, please! Do something! Why are you quiet about this?!" Ukyo said.
"For once Ukyo, I have no idea what to do," Cologne said, her voice cracking as well.
"What are you saying?! You can stop them!"
"But I don't want to lose any of them!"
The group had stopped, only a step away from the water below.
"I don't want to lose them too," Ukyo whispered. She looked up at them, at the four who would regret their entire lives if they jumped into the water but would all die if they let this chance slip away.
Ukyo too began to doubt her decision.
But then she remembered. As if her life was flashing before her eyes once more, she remembered something that might just change the situation.
She had to try.
"What about last night Akane?" she said.
"What?" Akane said.
Ukyo wiped her tears away and stood up, facing Akane at the farther end of the pool.
"Don't you remember? The conversations we all had by the fire. The stories we shared. The embarrassing stuff we told each other. The thoughts we expressed about life, about people. For a while we were suddenly like philosophers, gathering to talk and question stuff we never thought of before. We talked about the future. Even as far as having a family."
Akane was quiet and her eyes were lowered.
"Don't you remember all that? We became friends that night. All of us."
She could barely hold the tremble in her voice and the shivers down her spine. The night before had been special. A bond was created at that campfire. And no matter what, Ukyo didn't want that precious bond to break. Not when it had only just begun.
"I wish we hadn't," Akane said. A mix of sadness and anger in her voice.
"W-What?" Ukyo said.
"I tried to stay detached from you guys. I tried to make it easy for me and you."
"Things like this aren't easy Akane!"
"No, it's not. But there's no way out of this. Not anymore."
Akane sank her legs further into the pond, not paying any mind to the water drenching her trousers. She went further in up to her waist while her arms held on to the edge of the pool.
"We have no choice. There's no turning back."
All of a sudden, an unfamiliar voice yelled in what sounded to be Chinese in language. Everyone looked at the old woman walking in slowly from an opening that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. The old woman had a wild-eyed look, intrigued to find people in the pool chamber. She continued to speak in her native language and with her cane, pointed at the group.
"Who is she? What's she saying?" Ukyo asked, looking at Cologne.
"Oh, I'm sorry! You're all Japanese. I knew you were," the old woman said, switching to the group's language. She was surprisingly fluent too.
"Um, who are you?" Ukyo asked while quickly cleaning her face.
"We'll come to that later. I see that all of you are in a pinch. I heard your yelling all the way from my place. I don't often have visitors after all. Oh, I'm babbling now. Please, do come with me. I can help," the old woman said.
The group remained at their places, unsure whether to trust this strange old lady.
"Oh don't be scared now. Look at me. Do I look dangerous to you? What can an old woman do?"
The young ones turned their heads toward Cologne who, in response, narrowed her eyes.
"Come, come. I can help you with your curses," the unknown woman said.
"What?" Ryoga said.
"You heard right. Now come. We can't waste much time."
The old woman turned around and entered the tunnel she had come from. The group was still hesitant on trusting the stranger's words. But then, she was just an old lady and if she did try anything funny, they outnumbered her. Plus, they had Cologne with them.
"Let's give it a shot," Ukyo half pleaded. "If what she said was true, then Akane doesn't have to ..."
The cursed four looked at Akane who still had her legs in the water, her head cast down.
"Come now," Cologne said.
Without a word they left the chamber and followed the stranger, leaving Akane at the edge of the pool.
They followed the old woman closely, guided by a glow coming from her. Cologne took note that the stranger knew magic and to be extra cautious. The old woman kept reassuring them that they had nothing to worry about.
After what seemed like an eternal walk through the array of tunnels, they arrived at a chamber as large as the curing pool chamber.
"Oh, where's your other friend?" the old woman asked.
"Umm, she's back at the pool," Ukyo answered.
"What is she doing all the way back there? It's easy to get lost in here."
"Uh … well …"
"Oh, never mind. You can pick her up on the way out. What's important now is the curses isn't it? Come now."
"Uh, I don't have the curse," Ukyo said as the old woman gestured for her to step forward. "They do."
The old woman leaned a little to her left to see the four people Ukyo was showing her. She sidestepped Ukyo and went closer to the four.
"Ah of course. I knew that," she said.
"What are you going to do to us?" Genma asked.
"Hm, let's see. First I'll need to test your pain threshold which would require me to stab you multiple times with these protruding rock formations in this cave."
The air seemed to disappear and everyone went very stiff upon hearing the crude explanation.
"Oh, I'm joking! Lighten up! You still have time left see," the old woman. "Come I'll do you one by one. Big boy first."
She pulled on Ryoga. He was surprised of how forceful the old woman was.
"You just sit right here while I get my things," she said, setting Ryoga down on a rock chair. It certainly looked like one carved out from years of repeated seating. Just how long has the woman been living here?
The rest arranged themselves around the carpeted floor and sat waiting for the old woman to return from one of the chambers she had went into. Ukyo remained on her feet though, uneasy of the fact that they had one member of the party missing.
"I'm gonna go back for Akane," she announced.
"You sure? We don't want you getting lost in there," Genma said.
"I wanna make sure she's alright," Ukyo replied.
"Oh your friend back there?" the old woman said, popping back into her 'cave home'. "Just follow those lights on the walls. You'll get to the pool."
"What lights?" Ukyo asked. The old woman snapped her fingers and suddenly the path they came through lit up.
"Wow," she whispered.
"Now go ahead. I'll take good care of your friends here," the old woman said.
Ukyo glanced at the rest for a while before making her way back to Akane. With the soft bluish lights which were coming right off the face of the rock as her guide, she reached the pool chamber to find the young Tendo girl, already with a new set of clothes about to walk out of the chamber.
"Akane!" Ukyo called out.
The girl paused in her steps but still faced her exit. The two were quiet for a while.
"Akane, don't go. Everything's fine now," Ukyo said.
"I know that. You don't need me anymore," Akane said.
After letting some silence pass between them, Ukyo said, "Thank you though. I'm sure everyone appreciates your sacrifice. What you've done for them, it couldn't have been easy."
Akane lowered her head, wordless for a while before she spoke.
"It had been that at first. To sacrifice myself for the rest. A noble action, something only real friends would do, right? But at the same time, Ranma occupied my mind. As time went by, it got worse. I guess you can say it became an obsession. And it was corrupting. I wanted to go on, no longer because of them, but to free myself from this … emotional torment. I just wanted to end it and this was the perfect opportunity to do so. I wanted it all to go away."
She turned slightly and looked back at Ukyo.
"So, don't thank me," she said.
"Everyone wants it to go away, Akane. Everyone wants to forget," Ukyo said. "But you and I know that it wouldn't be possible. We don't have to be alone though. Ranma … somehow he created a bond between us all. I don't know about the rest but that's what I see. And I want to keep that together for as long as possible. So, don't go, Akane. Come back with us. You still have a home Akane. Family, friends. You … all of us still have a whole life ahead."
Akane remained where she stood, quiet and head down.
"Things will never be the same won't it?" Akane said.
"No," Ukyo said, shaking her head.
Things fell silent again until Akane started walking to the exit. Before Ukyo could say anything Akane spoke.
"I'll wait outside," she said.
Ukyo smiled and watched Akane leave before heading back to the rest of the group.
As she emerged into the room the old woman was just finishing her work on Genma, the last of the cursed four.
"There, all done," the old woman said.
"What did you do to them?" Ukyo asked.
"A seal on the curse. A strong one. Now it is locked deep inside them," the old woman answered.
"So, it's not totally gone," Ukyo said.
"Unfortunately. Only the people who created the curse can do that. I take it that you all know of Jusenkyo's history?"
"Yes, we do," Ukyo answered.
"And obviously it's been thousands of years since then. So there's no getting rid of it permanently," the old woman replied. "But don't you worry, that seal won't break. At least, not immediately."
"Meaning?" Genma said.
"Well, nothing lasts forever. Over time it'll weaken but by then you'd have forgotten you had a curse. You'll lead normal and I hope happy lives up till that point. You'd be ready then to accept your fate."
"So, this is as close to the cure as we can get huh," Ryoga said.
"After all this time," Genma said.
"It's better than nothing right?" Ukyo said.
Everyone nodded.
"Good. Now off you go, back to your homes. Your business here is done," the old woman said.
"Why help us though? Just, who are you really?" Cologne said.
"Well I don't get a lot of guests and it is a timeless tradition to honor them. I do whatever I can to help," the old woman replied with a smile.
"But, who are you?" Cologne said.
"Does it matter now? We might not even meet each other again. All you can do is trust me," she said.
Not quite a satisfying answer but it seemed that was all they could get from her. There was really nothing left to risk so trusting a strange woman with magical abilities seemed not at all too bad. The group said their thanks and packed up before walking out, tracing their steps through the tunnels, back to the spring chamber out of the labyrinth and found Akane looking out at the valley.
The sun had just passed its zenith, lighting up the entire valley of springs far below. They took their places beside each other and gazed upon the magnificent view. Countless people across the ages have come through this valley and learned of its stories and legends, later passing it down to others of their experiences and its magic. How deceiving it was that such a beautiful place, untouched by modernity and the hands of people hid such a terrible secret lost from the papers of history. A secret powerful enough to change the lives of the people it touches and the lives of those around them.
The low sun let out a yellowish glow in the evening sky, basking the undersides of clouds and sides of mountains with streaks of light. Woodland animals and birds were already retreating to their homes, ready to turn in for the coming night. But their animal instincts also caught on something else; something to come in the very near future.
As such, the forest was quiet. Nothing made a sound. It seemed that even the tiny insects sensed something was amiss with the four-man group treading the dark forest. The one leading them carried a high-beamed flashlight that allowed them to see up to 15 meters ahead. The rest carried torches for the gathering.
"We're nearly there," the leader said.
The others kept following in silence, brushing past thick bushes among tall trees. The land soon began to descend as they entered the valley that had long been abandoned.
"You feel that?" one of the group said.
"The air's heavy," another said.
"Even after so long his presence remains," the leader said.
The trees gave way, opening up to a wide, empty valley. Barely any grass grew, let alone trees. The soil was dark, darker than what dead land looked like and the mountain-sides had an eerie near-black color.
"Is this really it? There's nothing here."
The group leader spoke, "Patience. This is the place. The valley in that tale. It is only a matter of time before he returns."
He then added, "Come, Juro Hibiki."
Sequel pending. Stay tuned.