Shiro Den: Gaiden One
Chapter Three: Hakurou
Author's Note: We're on our way to action folks. Anyway, I would like to thank my readers who reviewed the past parts. Shiro is definitely becoming one of my favorite characters. Here are some image songs that I would pick for him: "Iris" by Goo Goo Dolls and Johnny Lang's "Breakin' Me." I like the emotion that is in those songs. They really reflect Shiro. As I write I tend to listen to music to get into the mood. For example, I was listening to a mixture of sad Sarah McLachlan and Paula Cole when writing the scenes when Hono'o is suffering in the series when her powers are taken from her. I also listened to Utada Hikaru's "First Love" and Ricky Martin and Christina Aguilera's "Nobody Wants to Be Lonely" for the scenes between Mariko and Odayaka. *Sigh* It's time to start.
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"Oniichan!" called Su Pei Pei. She had been calling him for a while. Her older brother was in deep concentration as he looked at the scrolls in front of him. Pei Pei was now in front of him. She placed her hand on the line that her brother was reading.
"Oh, hi Pei Pei," said her oniichan calmly. Pei Pei went superdeformed and fell over. Her brother had a perplexed look on his face.
"I've been calling you for a while. You weren't listening, Hakurou-kun," complained Pei Pei. She was standing with her hands on her hips.
"I'm sorry. I was reading. I guess I wasn't paying any attention," said Hakurou.
"You said to remind you when you had to leave for the village, Oniichan," said Pei Pei. Really, if he wasn't going to pay any attention, then he shouldn't have told her to remind him.
"That's right, Pei Pei! Thanks for reminding me," said Hakurou as he stood up suddenly.
"Can I come, Oniichan?" asked Pei Pei. He nodded, and Pei Pei smiled. They went off to the village.
~*~Flashback~*~
Hakurou wasn't Pei Pei's oniichan by blood. In fact, Hakurou wasn't his real name. Hakurou was another person from the original. His original name was Wei Kauirong. He no longer went by his given name nor by his seishi name.
He came to a village in Konan after he had left Kutou. Shiro was wandering around aimlessly at that point because there was no place for him to go. He couldn't go back to Mt. Leikaku and face his family. The village was situated between the capital, Eiyou, and Mt. Leikaku. He was close enough to go either way, but he couldn't. He was at an inn in the village preparing to go a temple that he had never been to before for mediation, so that he could understand the pain he was in. Shiro didn't carry any more weapons on him save his dull sword, but he didn't carry it at his side. To have a sword would only attract more trouble.
The village was in a valley, and the nobleman who was placed in charge was Lord Su. He was an honorable and kind-hearted man who was a healer. His massive estate was partly a hospital that was opened to those who needed it. Lord Su was well educated and well respected. He was on the street the day that Shiro decided to move forward. Lord Su suddenly fell on the ground.
"Lord Su!" someone called him.
"He needs help!" someone else said. Shiro looked as the villagers surround him. He went to his saddlebag and pulled out a bag of herbs. "Step back," he said quietly. Since no body was healer it didn't hurt to have a passing stranger help him. Shiro looked around at Lord Su. He didn't like how pale Lord Su was," Could someone get some cold water?," asked Shiro. One of the villagers went to go fetch the water. Shiro checked Lord Su's temperature, pulse, and airway. Someone came back with water, "Thank you," said Shiro in a whisper as he mixed some of the herbs with the water. He opened Lord Su's mouth to administer the medicine. Lord Su's mouth opened his eyes to look at Shiro. He weakly smiled and said, "Thank you, young man." All the villagers let out a sigh of relief. One of the servants came running, and he said, "Milord, are you alright?" asked the servant frantically.
"I am fine now. Please bring the carriage around. This is my special guest," said Lord Su as he gestured to Shiro who was still supporting his body.
"I have to be going," said Shiro.
"No. Please, I insist, young man. Where are my manners? My name is Lord Su, and I am the Lord of this valley. I am also a healer. What is your name?" asked Lord Su with a smile on his face.
"Uh…um.." stammered Shiro. Shiro froze slightly, and his back stiffened. 'What am I suppose to say?' he thought in a near panic. He couldn't give either one of his names. He could also feel Lord Su staring at him. He had to give an answer. "My name is Hakurou," he finally answered.
Shiro went to the Su estate with Lord Su. He was amazed at the history of the estate and with Lord Su himself. Lord Su asked Shiro all about his skills as a healer. He was modest at best, and Lord Su had a hard time getting information about Shiro's skills at all. Lord Su was impressed with Shiro. Shiro even meet Lord Su's daughter Pei Pei who was eleven years old at the time. Shiro ended being invited to dinner and was invited to spend the night at the Lord Su. At dawn the next morning, Lord Su summoned him to the study.
"I have a confession to make, Hakurou," said Lord Su in a grave voice. He gestured for Shiro to have a seat, and he complied.
"What's wrong, Milord?" asked Shiro.
"Yesterday's collapse was no accident or not something that hasn't happened before. I am dying," said Lord Su bluntly. The silence in the room was almost tangible. Shiro leaned back in his chair. 'He looks about my father's age. I think he is my father's age. But, he's sick. Maybe, he's younger. No, he's my father's age,' thought Shiro as he looked at Lord Su.
"I didn't know," said Shiro.
"As Lord of this village and valley, I have tried my hardest to help my people. That was why I shoes to become a healer. My time is short, and when I pass on to the next life, there will be no healer for this village. I was concerned until you helped me. I want you to be my replacement after I die," said Lord Su.
"Um…I don't know how to answer you, Lord Su," said Shiro clearing his throat slightly.
"You are a worthy replacement. I need someone to watch over my Pei Pei. And I need a healer for my aliments until I die. It was like Suzaku sent you," said Lord Su.
Shiro leaned back in his chair. He looked at Lord Su and studied his features. Shiro noticed that Lord Su's eyes were deep set because his face was thin. Lord Su was very pale and thin. Shiro should have noticed all of this when he was on the street when Lord Su collapsed. Lord Su's breathing was ragged, but Shiro knew that it was due to the lack of air his lungs was getting.
"I'll stay as your healer for the time being, but I have to think about everything else for a while," said Shiro softly.
"Thank you for your consideration, Hakurou-san," said Lord Su with a weak smile.
Later that evening, Shiro was having dinner with Lord Su and his daughter. When she found out that he was staying, she didn't take very well.
"HE CAN'T STAY HERE, PAPA!" screamed Pei Pei.
"Pei Pei, Hakurou-san will stay as my healer," said Lord Su patiently. He didn't have the strength to yell, and he knew that she was already upset.
"You should stop, Pei Pei," said Shiro with the same patience that Lord Su had. As Lord Su's healer, he knew that Pei Pei was aggravating Lord Su's illness.
"SHUT UP! Who asked you?!" cried Pei Pei in her distress. There were tears streaming down her cheeks.
"Pei Pei," whispered Lord Su. Pei Pei ran out of the dining room.
"I'm sorry. Maybe, I should leave," said Shiro softly.
"No. I need you here. I should go and talk to her," said Lord Su getting up from his chair, but he stumbled and went into a fit of coughing. Shiro was at his side right away.
"I'll talk to her, Lord Su," said Shiro, "But, first, let's get you to bed." Shiro helped Lord Su get to bed. And after examining him, Shiro went out to go look for Pei Pei. He found her in the garden. She was sitting against the wall of the house looking at the stars.
"Pei Pei, let's go inside. It's cold out here. You might get sick," said Shiro gently. He offered his hand to help her up, but Pei Pei swiped it way from her.
"I don't like you!" said Pei Pei loudly.
"I know that. There are a lot of people who don't like me. Look, you can yell at me all you want. I don't care. I probably deserve it anyway. If not from you, then probably from someone else. But, don't take it out on your father. He's very sick," said Shiro.
"I know. I know that he's dying. I don't want him to," said Pei Pei softly. A tear slipped down her cheek. Shiro realized that Pei Pei was well aware of her father's illness, and that she was taking it out on him. Shiro gently wiped the tear away with his thumb, and took a seat next to her.
"I'll do everything I can to help him, but I don't know if it will be any good," whispered Shiro.
"I don't want you here," said Pei Pei as she bowed her head to avoid Shiro's gaze.
"You think that because I'm here, your father's going to really die. You're thinking if I go away, it won't happen," said Shiro. He knew that she was in a state of utter denial, and that his presence reinforced the fact that her father was really going to die.
"You'll try, won't you?" pleaded Pei Pei in a whisper.
"Yes. I promise. You can yell at me for the time being. I don't mind. And if you need anything come to me," said Shiro with a soft smile. Pei Pei gave him a small smile and held out her pinky. They locked pinkies to seal the deal.
Shiro stayed as Lord Su's healer, but Lord Su was still dying. Shiro had to treat Lord Su's patients when Lord Su was too incapacitated. Pei Pei stayed by her father's side. Shiro was learning more and more because Lord Su was indirectly training him to fill in the gaps in Shiro's training.
Lord Su died a month after Shiro and Pei Pei had made the promise. The day that Lord Su died was a dark one. The sky filled with dark clouds and a storm ripped through the sky. It was as if the land knew that a great man had died, and it was mourning his death. Pei Pei was crying endlessly the day her father died. Shiro didn't cry that day. His emotions were frozen inside him, and he was constantly in a numb state.
"Papa, papa," cried Pei Pei softly. She was sitting next to her father's room just outside the door. She was curled up into a small ball. Shiro opened the door after he was done.
"Pei Pei," he said softly.
"What will happen to me, Hakurou-san?" she asked. Her body was trembling.
"I will stay here if you would like me to. Until you marry," said he answered.
"Really?" asked Pei Pei.
"Yes, I'll be your oniichan now," said Shiro.
"You're going to do Papa's job?" she asked.
"Yes. The people need a healer, and they're used to me," he replied. He sat down next to her on the floor and gently rubbed her back. She began to cry harder and moved closer to him, so that he could hold her until the crying stopped. Shiro let her cry. He felt like he had lost his father. 'Maybe, this is how my family feels like?' he thought. He later dried Pei Pei's tears.
For the first time, in his life, Shiro had assume responsibility for things. He didn't leave or runaway like he had done so many times before. This was a chance for redemption, and he was taking it. Shiro was now an adult.
~*~End of Flashback~*~
A thick layer of forest surrounded the valley that the village was situated in. The village had been untouched by war, but not the natural disasters that had occurred prior to the second coming of Suzaku.
The villagers and people at the Su estate never knew about Shiro's past as a Suzaku seishi. He was very careful to hide any trace of it. The villagers didn't know exactly what to really make of him. Everyone agreed that he was an excellent healer. He was compassionate, honest, well respected, and educated. He was everything that Lord Su was. However, he was cold and distant. He isolated himself from a lot of people except for the people at the Su estate. It wasn't that he was unfriendly, he had an excellent bedside manner with his patients, and there was something cold about him that no one could explain. It was like he was in shell shock from a war. The girls of the village thought he was handsome in a dangerous, roguish sort of way. At first, all the village girls tried to get Shiro's attention, but he didn't return any. Everyone knew that he had a dark, brooding nature that made him seem untouchable. The only indication of his humanity was when he was with his patients when they needed him the most, and with Pei Pei. All other times, he was unapproachable.
Shiro became the lord of the valley. He was referred to as such. The villagers had never seen him lose his temper, his patience was endless, but there was something about him. They knew that his temper would be dangerous if he ever lost it. The villagers thought of him as the son of Lord Su. Lord Su's personal protégé. Shiro didn't feel very comfortable with all the attention he had receive. He felt as if he didn't deserve any of it. Not after all that he's done. It had been almost a year since he had come to the valley. Shiro made regular round around the village to check up on patients. Pei Pei was studying to be a healer through him, and she always accompanied him on his rounds.
"What are we going to do today, Hakurou-kun?" said Pei Pei as she tried to keep up with Shiro. It wasn't easily. Shiro had a long gait because of the length of his legs.
"We're going to see the new baby at the Chow house, and then maybe a little shopping for some herbs here," said Shiro. The Su Estate had a large herb garden, but sometimes the herbs were better at the market place. Shiro had a large falcon on his shoulder. The falcon's name was Yoku. The symbol of someone he used to know. Shiro no longer carried his sword with him, instead there was a looking glass at his side. It cost a small fortune because of the special glass in it, and it allowed him to see far off distances.
Pei Pei loved him very much. He was her oniichan, and he always took care of her. Shiro also felt a certain amount of regret about his younger brother, Kanghui. He felt guilty about leaving his younger brother behind and making him take on all the responsibility that he didn't want. Shiro made a promise to himself to take good care of Pei Pei. He was trying to make it up to Kanghui through her. Shiro didn't tell Pei Pei anything about his family even though she had asked numerous times.
The last sword that Shiro had, the dull one, was kept in its sheath on a stand in his room. It had remained there untouched since the day he had place it on the stand. The servants didn't dust it. They cleaned around it. Pei Pei was told by Shiro never to touch it. Shiro left it there to collect dust. He ignored its presence. Shiro didn't know why he didn't just get rid of it all together.
The other possession that he had was an amulet that he had won in his first official fight match. It looked like a very beautiful necklace. There was a small amber stone in it that looked like a drop of honey. It was the most beautiful shade of amber. That was why he wanted to win the competition in the first place. He was only fourteen when he won it, and had carried it with him ever since.
The reason why he wanted to win the amulet in the first place is the same reason why Shiro had started training so hard in the first place. He had forgotten why. If only Shiro could remember, then maybe it wouldn't be too late for him to do anything about it.
~*ClareBear's Omake*~
Miaka: As promised, ClareBear's seishi ranking revealed. Here's the order of her favorites starting
from her most favorite: Tasuki…
Nuriko: What?! I don't
believe this!
Miaka: Please let me finish. Chichiri.
Chiriko: I see she likes the ones who are alive.
Miaka: All of you just shut up! Nuriko.
Nuriko: YES! I knew
it! But, I'm so low on the list.
Miaka (rolling her eyes): Hotohori.
Hotohori: How is it possible for those three to out rank
me? I'm the Emperor of Konan.
Chiriko: Actually, you were the Emperor of Konan. You're dead, and you're son is the current
Emperor.
Miaka: Chiriko.
Chiriko: What did I do wrong? All I'm saying is true.
Miaka: No, not that. You're next on the list.
Chiriko: Oh! (smiles…he's so cute! He should
have had more screen time!)
Miaka: Mitsukake.
Mitsukake: That's all right. (I would have like to get to know him better, but he was underdeveloped
like Chiriko…)
Miaka: Amiboshi.
Tamahome: Wait! How
did he make the list? I thought it was
just us, Suzaku seishi! And I'm not on
it.
Miaka: He got a point higher than you, Tamahome. I'm so sorry.
Tamahome: I demand a recount!
Nuriko: Just accept it! This is the last presidential election in the United States. There are no recounts.
Miaka (reading more): According to ClareBear, this is her
list. You didn't win, Tamahome, because
you were too mushy in the series. She
thought that the romantic scenes were drawn out and too cliché. Hey! That's not fair--
ClareBear: I took the liberty and cut them off. I like them all. I shouldn't play favorites, but I do like Amiboshi better than
Tamahome. So, sue me. ^_^