Author's Notes: See chapter one for disclaimer and explanation.
Love, Life, and Death By Annie-chan Chapter Eleven: DepartureThe summer was drawing to a close. It was three years since Hôjun completed his three-year training period at Daikyoku-zan, and Shôryû was back on its feet again. The population had grown quite a bit, for villagers from a nearby town largely destroyed by a fire had taken up residence in the little town by the river. Hôjun did not know many of those people yet, and he had known nearly everyone in the Shôryû before the flood. Nevertheless, it was home.
Tori was a bright and healthy five-year-old, who at present was clinging to her father's shoulders as she rode piggyback back home from watching the clouds in a field outside of town. Her mother walked a little behind them, her one-year-old little brother, Seiryoku, nestled snugly in the young woman's arms. It was nearly evening, and the little baby needed to go to bed soon.
Later that night, as Kôran walked out of the children's room after putting them to bed, she noticed a strange look in her husband's eye. She seemed to remember it from somewhere, but she couldn't place it. When she stepped nearer and looked straight into his face, she realized where she had seen that look before: he had had the same unfocused expression when he first sensed the Nyan-Nyan calling him in the woods six years ago. Something was seeking his attention.
"Hôjun?" she asked, laying a hand on his arm. "What is it? What's calling you?"
"Na?" He shook his head as if waking suddenly from sleep. He blinked a few times, the light coming back to his eye. "Nothing is calling me, really, no da. But…I feel like something is about to happen, no da. Something big, no da."
"Good or bad?" she asked, a hint of nervousness in her voice.
"I don't know, no da," he replied. Then, he stood up. "I'm going to bed, no da. Perhaps this feeling will be clearer in the morning, no da. Oyasumi, no da."
"Oyasumi," she said. She wasn't surprised that he was going to bed a little early, for he had worked hard that day chopping and hauling wood from the forest to the back of his carpenter shop. The fact that he had an odd feeling in his mind that something was about to occur bothered her, though. What was he sensing?
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The next morning, she got up and found him already awake, but sitting motionless with his eye closed at the table. He appeared to be in meditation, so she didn't bother him.
In the middle of getting things together to cook breakfast, he spoke, his back to her, and his eye still closed. "I must leave soon, no da."
"N-nani?" she said, a bit startled at the sudden proclamation. Leave? She didn't want him to leave!
He gave her a reason that left no room for argument: "Suzaku no Miko, no da. She's come, no da."
She could do nothing but look at him, dreading her husband's unavoidable departure. He continued.
"I was in meditation to find what the feeling was, no da. Taiitsukun made contact with me when I realized Suzaku no Miko had come, no da. She said that Suzaku no Miko had come before, but was confused in her heart as to whether she wanted to be the Miko, even though she thought she was sure, no da. Her confusion caused her subconscious call to her Seishi to not happen, and she left for three months, no da. Now, she has returned, and is looking for her Seishi, no da." He turned to look his wife in the eye. "I know you don't want me to go, no da. But, I have to, even if I myself didn't want to follow my destiny as a Seishi, no da. I should leave tomorrow at the latest, if I can, no da."
She lowered her head. "Wakatta," she murmured, sadness lacing her tone. "I won't interfere."
He got up and went to her, knelt down in front of her bowed form, and wrapped his arms around her. "Kôran, gomen nasai, no da. I would deny my destiny if I could, but I cannot stay from Suzaku no Miko, no matter how much I wanted to, no da. Please, don't be sad, no da. I'll come back to you as soon as I can, no da."
Just then, they heard little Seiryoku crying from his cradle. A second later, Tori burst from their room. "Kâsan! The baby's crying!"
Kôran sighed and extracted herself from Hôjun's arms, walking into the children's room to tend to her son. Tori jumped into Hôjun's lap, wrapping her round little arms around his neck. "Ohayô, Tôsan!"
"Ohayô, Tori-chan, no da," he smiled. His daughter had brightened his mood as usual, but deep down, he desperately wished tomorrow would not come.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The next morning, he and his family stood in the front room of the house. Hanabira was over from her fiancé's house to say goodbye, as were many other people in the village. Hôjun was quite well loved in Shôryû, and everyone was sad to hear he was leaving.
After goodbyes and wishes of good luck were said, and everyone had dispersed to their homes, only Hôjun, Kôran, Tori, and little Seiryoku were left in the room. Hôjun had dressed in traveling clothes earlier, and he needed to get only a few more things before he was ready to go. Kôran, who had his cloak, laid a gentle kiss on his lips as she fastened it around his shoulders.*
*BOTH shoulders. He's not a monk in this story, and therefore doesn't wear his cloak like a monk.
"You be careful, you hear?" she whispered when they broke apart. "You come back to us in one piece." Hôjun had not been vague when he had told of the dangers he may face as a Seishi. There was no telling how long he would be gone, and the longer he was gone, the higher the chance of him being hurt or killed. The thought of losing him was unbearable, and she felt tears well up in her eyes as she thought of the possibility of his death, out in the middle of nowhere, the other Seishi having no choice but to bury him where he fell. When she finished fastening his cloak, she latched tightly onto him, pressing her face to his chest. "I don't want to lose you!"
He laid his hand on her head. "I won't die, Kôran," he soothed. "Yakusoku yo." She let go of him after a few minutes, and he made ready to leave. All he needed was his kasa, his shakujo staff, his prayer beads, and his mask. He had stored some essential items in the kasa-space, so he didn't need to carry anything that may slow him down. His shakujo and prayer beads were monks' tools, and he had at first wondered why Taiitsukun had given them to him. He was no monk, and there was no reason to carry anything that would make people think he was. He had soon proved himself wrong, though, as they turned out to be wonderful mediums for focusing his magic. His mask was the last thing he took up. He didn't wear it inside the town of Shôryû, but he refused to go into any other town without it on. He still hurt from his experience in that town near Daikyoku-zan, and he had no desire to repeat it.
Ready to leave, he took his son from his wife's arms, holding him tightly but gently to his chest. Kneeling down, he brought his daughter to him with his other arm. "Sayonara, my children. I will miss you." He could barely speak above a whisper, his grief at leaving his family for perhaps the last time grinding into his heart. Seiryoku was too young to know what was going on, and hung on to his father's clothing, as was automatic whenever he was picked up. Tori barely understood what was going on, either, only knowing that Tôsan was leaving for what could be a very long time. That in itself caused her sadness, and she clung tight to her father.
Letting go of his daughter and setting his son on the low table, Hôjun stood up and faced his wife. They stared at each other for no more than a second, and he swept her into his arms, pressing his lips to hers, holding her as tight as he could without hurting her. Their tears were finally released, and their cheeks were wet by the time they parted. Hôjun realized Tori was hanging tight to his leg, tears on her face as well. He paid her no mind for the moment, focusing only on his weeping Kôran.
"Sayonara, my beloved. I will visit if I can." He was obviously deeply upset, as indicated by the absence of his peculiar speech habit. He separated completely from her, Tori letting go of him as he stepped back. He attempted a smile. "I'll be back as soon as I can." With that, he pulled the kasa over his head and disappeared.
To be continued…Author's Notes: Yes, I know this chapter is a little short, but I said what I wanted to say. I hope I didn't get a little too wordy there near the end. Anyway, hope you liked this chapter, and send any comments you have to mangareader@hotmail.com, onegai shimasu!