Nanashi led the way off the ship, Izo trailing close behind her. Hiei came next, followed by Hikari. The last two seemed rather excited to get on land when they reached Sarayashiki's port. She planned to let the two of them make the return trip together on land since the ship made them so miserable. It also made them grow closer, which did make her a bit jealous to watch. He seemed to know how to understand her, without even need to read her mind.
"What was it like growing up here, Mother?" Izo asked her as they walked.
Nanashi pondered how to answer that. "A bit hard. Everyone thought I was half demon growing up, so they mostly avoided me," she glossed over. "It changed a bit though when I was scratched by a doxy, proving I couldn't be part demon. I haven't really had the chance to be back though since I left..."
She thought about how long those years had been. She had not seen her uncle in them, but had written with him. He hardly gave her any real news of the town though. He was her only connection to the town, and Hiei had encouraged to limit her contact with him to just writing. With him dying though, she was able to convince herself to face a visit since Yusuke refused.
She looked around the town, surprised to see how little the port town had changed. It looked just the same as usual from the docks.
She led the way towards the home for older people who had no family to live with. It was a large house across the town square from the docks. A number of elderly lived there, cared for by nurses. It had to be expensive though. She half wondered, a bit worried, how Uncle Chosuke could afford it. Hiei had flat out refused to give him any money when he asked for it about ten years ago.
As they walked, she did notice her and her family getting looks. Not dirty looks, but rather curious ones. Nanashi hoped it would not go to Hikari's head to get all that attention. Izo would not care.
"What is that?" Hikari asked as they were at the cusp of town square.
"What's what?" Nanashi asked, looking back at her.
Hikari cut in front her unexpectedly. Hikari pointed over to a shiny golden statue in the center of town square, above a fountain. Nanashi stopped dead in her tracks, feeling her stomach flip. She shook her head, not wanting to believe her eyes.
Hikari went further, jogging over to the front of the statue, looking it over in surprised. "It's you?" she called over to Nanashi. "But you never wielded a bow and arrow before, did you?"
Nanashi stepped forward, not wanting to see what it was. She stood at a distance behind Hikari, hands crossed over her chest. She felt the blood drain from her face. The statue was her, but not her. The statue had massive angel wings, twice the size her real ones once were. She felt two itches in her back, just thinking about them. She looked like she was in a controlled free fall to the ground, a massive bow and arrow in her hands. Under one of her feet looked like the broken body of a regular wolf. Her hair wiped out freely around her, almost looking like thin snakes protruding from her head. She side stepped, looking around Hikari to see the inscription: 'Nanashi, the Angel. Born in this town, rescuer of the prince, and bravest heroine of us all.' Below the inscription read her uncle's name as the donor for the statue, dated over nine years prior.
Nanashi turned back, not wanting to look anymore. That was not her, not her at all. She kept her hair out of her face when fighting. There was no sign of the wind dragon. The wings were completely wrong. She used an ax regularly, not a bow and arrow. It was wrong, all wrong. The whole image of her was wrong.
She turned away, walking with her back towards the statue. She heard Izo jog up wordlessly next to her. She gave him a glance, then looked forward. In front of her was the building that used to be Haruto's tavern and inn. That made her smile, missing him. It brought back memories that brought a smile to her lips. The smile was wiped off her face when she saw the sign above the door: 'The Angel's Museum.' A brief biography about her and the hours it was open were listed below. Opened over nine years ago as well. This was how her uncle must have been able to afford living in the home for the elderly...
"Whoa, you have a museum, too?" Hikari exclaimed, appearing in a flash next to her. Nanashi had not seen or sensed her coming. "It's open right now. Can we go in?" She was far too excited.
"No," Hiei answered behind her.
She turned around, facing him. He looked annoyed. He cocked his head sideways, leading her away from the statue and away from the museum. She followed behind him, feeling like a mousy teenager half her age. The twins were trailing behind her at least, with Hikari rather excited about seeing the statue and museum.
"Shut up," Hiei told her.
All that was met with from Hikari was a grunt, scowl, and silence. If Nanashi tried to be that rude, Hikari would have been more challenging.
They reached the home for the elderly, making Nanashi feel ever grateful to finally be there. She was unsure now though if she wanted to confront her uncle anymore. She stepped around Hiei anyway, stepping into the entryway.
A youngish woman sat at the front desk, standing up to greet them as they came in. Nanashi knew her from growing up in the town, vaguely, but could not recall her name. "Angel, welcome," the woman said with a bow fit for a queen. "Is this your family, my angel?" she asked, looking behind Nanashi.
"Yes, ma'am," Nanashi said, giving her own little bow to be balanced in respectfulness. "We're here to see my uncle, Chosuke?" She did not voice it, but she would have felt half relieved if he had passed on during their travels. A wave of guilt washed over her after that bold thought.
"He's still hanging on, my angel," the woman said.
"Nanashi," Nanashi told her.
"Angel Nanashi," the woman told her. "Please follow me."
"Just Nanashi," she piped up, following the woman in front of the others.
The woman kept speaking. "He's not well. Chronic abdominal pain related to his condition, hardly able to eat."
"The mass in his gut has still grown?" Nanashi asked, recalling his last letter explaining it. Healers, which were still ever rare down South, had not been able to save him. Removing the mass was also not an option as a surgery like that would easily have killed him.
"Yes, Angel Nanashi, but his mind is still there," the woman answered. "It's still not going to be very much longer."
She hated how relieved that made her feel. "Nanashi, just Nanashi if you please," Nanashi insisted softly.
"As you wish, Nanashi," the woman said, her tongue sounding like it tumbled out the word. "This room," the woman said, knocking on the door. "Chosuke," she called into the room. "Your niece and your family have made it here to see you."
The woman side stepped just inside the door to let them pass. Nanashi did not want to go in first, but was not about to let Hiei or the twins go before her. She approached the bed her uncle was sitting propped up in. He watched her, unblinking as she moved. She gave him a polite nod of the head before bending over him to give him the stiffest of hugs. He was thinner than she ever saw before. She sat herself down on the chair next to his bed. He looked like he had aged more in the passed thirteen years than he should have.
"You made it," he commented, voice sounding older, too. "I thought you weren't coming."
"We came as swiftly as we could, Uncle," she answered, sitting up straight. "The ship was only favorable for half of us, just as well."
She looked back at her family, seeing the woman from the front desk had already made herself scarce. She partly wished she had not. Hiei stood by the open door, an unreadable expression on his face. Hikari stood next to him, face confused. Izo stood in the middle distance.
Izo stepped closer to her, coming up bravely to her uncle. "Great Uncle," he addressed politely with a bow, "it's nice to finally meet you."
He was impressively polite. Uncle Chosuke replied, "nice of your mother to allow us to meet. She has written a great deal about the two of you."
"Indeed," Izo said. "She's told us much of you as well." There was no bite in his tone.
"Your mother's son, aren't you?" Uncle Chosuke answered. He sat up a little straighter, then groaned, hand on his gut. He looked over at Hiei and Hikari. "And a father's daughter?"
Nanashi bit her lip. She knew Hiei favored Hikari, which was unfair to Izo. She tried not to show that she favored Izo just slightly. She reminded herself to play nice. "She does favor him in looks. Izo looks more like his paternal grandmother," she explained, trying to keep her voice smooth and even.
Uncle Chosuke looked the twins over. Nanashi did not like it. She remembered that look when she was younger. "None of your mother in them. Nor your father."
"Children that are part demon, angel, elf, and human are quite unpredictable as to how they will turn out," Nanashi explained.
"I forgot he was a demon," Uncle Chosuke grumbled.
"And elvish," Nanashi said, not liking his words turned on Hiei. She looked back at Hiei, giving him a soft smile. His face remained blank, but his gaze on her uncle was harder.
Uncle Chosuke noticed that harder gaze. "Is there a chance we could speak alone?" he asked Nanashi.
Part of Nanashi wanted to refuse him, but part of her reminded herself that was still dying. Had maybe two weeks at this point at the most.
"Do you mind?" Nanashi asked, looking over at Hiei. She half hoped he would refuse.
He merely grunted instead, snapping his fingers and beckoning the twins to go with him. She was glad they were going with him at least. When the door shut, she felt half trapped.
'I'm right outside, listening in,' Hiei's voice echoed in her mind, much to her relief. She allowed herself to breathe the briefest sigh of relief at that comfort.
"He's that bad, huh?" her uncle said. His tone turned mean as soon as no one else was in the room.
She knitted her brow together, then relaxed her face. "He's got his own charm in his own way," she said, smiling to herself.
"Yet you turned down a royal lord for him," her uncle grumbled. "The one I approved for you to marry." His tone had taken on an accusatory sharpness.
"I loved Hiei," she answered. "Lord Jiro actually seems quite happy in his own marriage to his wife, Ayane. She's one of the best knights in the whole country," she explained. "She's training their son up to be a champion like her." She brought her hands together, tapping her finger hidden in her palm to remind herself to be calm.
Her uncle paid no mind. "A royal would have been better for you. Better than you deserve. I guess he was a bit of a rebellion for you that you could find."
"To each our own," she answered neutrally. She kept her mouth shut about Hiei technically being a royal bastard as well. "How have you been managing since your last letter?" she asked, reaching to change the subject.
"Managing. This home is half abysmal, but when your family abandons you..." he said, with a quite sudden mopey tone change.
"We came as soon as we heard you were..." she stopped, fumbling mentally for the right word.
"Dying? Even my son won't bother with me," he whined.
"His business in the capital, his wife, I..." she hummed into silence.
"No grandchildren to speak of, either," he grumbled. Nanashi held her tongue at that. "And you bring in two demon bred children, quite the long term rebellion. Rather immature of you."
She felt herself flush, trying not to let him get a rise out of her, nor snap at him. She blinked in rapid succession. "They're quite intelligent, and quite talented. Izo is an impressive healer for his age. Hikari is motivated to learn to be a good lady of her territory one day."
"Surprising," he commented. "A picture of them would have been nice. For the museum." His tone turned oily.
She frowned at him. "Why did you even have that created? Or the statue for that matter?"
"You would not let me any money. What would you do? Penniless and on your own?" he asked.
"The king gave lots of money. To replace the money Sakyo gave you, that I once took," she recalled. "And you were once of the better black smiths in town."
He gave her a dirty look. "Those were made to honor you, yet at your age you continue to be an ungrateful, rebellious brat. And a thief on top of that."
She felt her face flush, not wanting to give into him like that, over that. "I want them taken down, closed down." She felt ready to snap him. She dug her finger nails so sharply in her palm that she thought she might bleed. "Uncle-" she started.
"You, child-" he stopped at the sound of the door opening up. His eyes caught over at the door. His tone changed immediately to a loving one. "You, child, should not upset yourself over things." She turned around, seeing Hiei and feeling grateful for it. He left the door wide open. "Your husband missing you after being separated so long once more, eh?" he teased jovially.
"We're leaving," Hiei stated, stepping over to her, offering him her hand. She took it gratefully, allowing him to pull her to her feet.
"Leaving? But you've only just got here?" her uncle asked pathetically. "I am not long for this world..." he guilt tripped. A shudder went through his body.
"We'll both be back tomorrow," Hiei promised. A look of fright crossed her uncle's face.
"I hardly know you," her uncle pressed, voice not unlike a mopey zoo lion. "I would prefer to spend my last few days with family."
"You will be," Hiei answered. "The twins are much too tired after the long journey. See you tomorrow," he said loud enough for anyone in the hallway passing by to hear him. He then walked out of the room with her at a rush before her uncle could even think to call after them.
She felt numb as he lead her outside. "I need a minute," she said her voice cracking against her will.
She wished she had booked their hotel in advanced. She could not imagine booking one in the state she was in. She let him wordlessly lead him down into a deserted alleyway. She slumped on the ground, knees wide up by her chest, arms resting on her knees, and forehead slumped against her forearms. She felt a mix of melancholy and numb.
Finally, she said, "he hasn't changed a bit."