Author's Note: Things just really go down for our heroine here, still no action, just angst here. If you want action, then wait until the next chapter, but again, this chapter is need for the story to progress. I hope you're enjoying the story so far.



Chapter 2: Nothing But Sand



Two years after that incident, things just really went down hill from there. The year before and the next, there was yet another drought, so now we owed our entire harvest to the Shogunate for the next year. Father's condition worsened; he wasn't even able to leave his bed anymore. If he had to get up, Mother or I had to carry him. Actually, it was just me, Mother's hand broke when she tried to run the mill last season, and it didn't seem to be healing up very well. It was like I had to run the entire farm by myself that season. I slaved over the kitchen and chores day after day, night after night, and if I was lucky, I would be able to take, at most, a ten minute nap. Each night I would pray that my samurai would return to me, our Red String of Fate being wounded into his hand, bringing the two of us together. I knew that was never going to happen though, but a girl can dream, that she can. A girl, that's all I was back then, a simple farm girl, a nobody, one not even worthy of a family name.

It was the month of December when it finally happened, I remember it all well. I had just finished cooking our usual breakfast, one rice ball and tea, all of this was used to feed the entire family, we were always strapped for cash. What little yen we had came from some money I was saving up since I was child. I was saving it for a beautiful kimono when I was grown up. I would never get that kimono now, I knew it, except perhaps if my husband were to rich, then maybe...

I knocked on my parent's door before I entered. I called to them both as I usually did. Seeing the silhouettes from the door, I only saw one figure laying there, I knew it was my father; he was always so stiff during those days, barely even able to move. I slid the bamboo door to the right, stepping into the tattered carpet within. I set the breakfast tray next to his side as I kneeled next to him.

"Father," I called to him in a whisper, "wake up, it's time to eat." I nudged him a little with the tips of my fingers. "Father," I called again, this time speaking at normal volume.

He didn't move, not even a simple groan. I nudged him once more, this time a little harder. My next nudge became a light push, but again, no response.

"Father?" I placed my hand over his forehead, sweeping away his bangs.

I leaned closely toward his face, not a breeze escaped his lips, and his mouth looked so dry. He was as stiff as a log, it was if he was frozen in that state for eternity. Then it hit me, Father was...

"Oh my God!" I jumped back, my hand covering the frown on my face.

My eyes began to be fill with something other than sleepiness, weighing down the lids on my eyes. Small rivers of that weight began to flood down my face, some getting stuck in the bags around my eyes. I began to step back slowly; I kept going back until I hit my back against the wall. Soon I found my whole body being weighed down by the same emotion. It crawled up my legs, and then to my arms, soon I found out that my entire body had collapsed, face to the floor. The tatami was suddenly wet with the same liquid that fell from my eyes, it was very cold. I wanted to scream, but all that came out were pathetic whimpers like that of a frightened dog.

"Mina, my dear, what's wrong?" Mother's touch crept up my back as I still lay curled into a ball. "Oh my!" I held my knees toward my face as soon as I heard Mother's cries.

I don't know how long I was crying, but the next thing I knew, everything had turned black. Had I fallen asleep, finally giving into the weight weighed down upon my eyes for so long, or had I succumbed to the pain in my heart and blacked out from the torture? When the darkness disappeared, I found a gentle white glow greeting me, along with many shimmering lights in a darkened sky. It was evening now, I had missed all my chores for today. There's no way Mother was able to do them all, not with her broken hand. Mother was nowhere to be found when I awakened, the room was empty, although Father, or at least his empty shell, was still there.

"What do we do now?" I heard Mother's voice in the next room.

She was talking to herself, her face buried on the table. A clear liquid fell from the corner of the table and onto the floor. Tears. Now it was her turn to cry. I didn't know what to do, or what to say at that moment, but words suddenly just came out of my lips.

"I don't know," I answered suddenly, "It will be rather difficult for me to run the farm by myself in your condition, and the drought isn't making things any..."

"We can't stay here, Mina," Mother's face rose from the table, turning towards me with water collecting into her pupils. "We can't continue living this life, we can't continue having the Shogunate bully us like they did your father."

Those words, if only Father could understand them two years ago, then maybe none of this would've happened. It's too late now though, with Father gone, what would Mother and I do? Women were pretty much at the bottom of the social ladder during this time, so there was no real opportunity for us. If Father were still alive, then maybe we could've lived the good life in the city, but it's too late now, he is dead, and there's nothing that can ever change that.

"Where will we go?" I asked, unaware of the future ahead of us.

"To the city," Mother answered, "to Kyoto, even if there is a war going on there, it's better than staying here and waiting for us to die."

I thought that her decision was suicide at the time, only later I would realize that my Red String of Fate was slowly being wounded by my man on the other side. The decision scared me, a city like Kyoto was a dangerous place to be for a girl my age. Fourteen years old, still young and inexperienced, I would be the perfect target for any criminal in the city. Crime was very common there, my death would probably mean nothing if I were to die.

The very next day, Mother and I were on the road, following the trade route to Kyoto. Strange, the roads were supposed to be inhabited by bandits, luckily none seemed to be home during our trip. The trip was tiresome for Mother, even if our luggage only consisted of two bags, each of us carried one over our shoulders. I think we had to stop at least once every hour, resting half an hour each time we took a break. We arrived in Kyoto sometime during the evening, not many seemed to be out anymore. If there were people out, they would be rushing into inns or their homes as most of the violence occurred during the evening. Mother and I quickly ran to the nearest inn once we arrived. It was a fairly nice inn, but it was better maintained than our house during the last two years. With the last of our money, we were able to afford one room, and from there, Mother and I planned what to do with our lives.

"I want to go home," I whined as soon as my futon was laid out.

"We can't go home," Mother reminded me, "do you want the Shogunate to kill you once they find out we don't have anymore crops to supply them?!"

"It's better than here," I continued to whine, "in a place such as this, we'd probably end up dead the next morning, what's the point?!"

"Watch your mouth, young lady!" Mother yelled as her unbroken hand struck me across the face. "Don't you ever say that again, do you hear me?! Are you telling me that your life is meant for nothing, huh, is that it?!"

"But Mother...," the very same tears from yesterday poured down my face as I began to weep.

"Be quiet and face the facts!" Mother yelled as she began to lay on her futon. "We're not going back, and that's final! It's better to take our chances out here in the city than back on the farm, now go to sleep!"

I shut my mouth, knowing I had been defeated. If we were to stay in the city, how would we make a living? I asked that to myself as I tossed and turned in my futon. This question continued to echo through my mind as I tried to sleep. Along with that question, the melodies of steel crashing and the screams of people were sung outside. I held my blanket close to my face, trying to prevent the tears from escaping my eyes. I was scared, more scared than I ever was in my entire life. I don't know how long I remained conscious, but I think I succumbed to the weight in my eyes just as I did the other day. When I awoke the next morning, I was greeted by a simple light that broke through the darkness in my eyes. I was used to having the melodies of birds chirping to be my wake up call, but here in Kyoto, only the sun greeted me. Rising from my futon, I found Mother still sleeping, her futon next to mine. I turned to our room's balcony, walking to the edge of the wooden plank, resting my body against the railing. I looked to the streets below, it was already very busy. Vendors had already set up their stands, people were going to work, and the Shogunate soldiers seemed to be brandishing their swords as people cleared paths for them as they walked down the street. Those soldiers were no ordinary soldiers, these ones wore sky blue coats over their kimonos. I noticed they also had some kind of white bandana over their brows, and that very same white was the lining on their kimono's coat.

"Che, who do they think they are," I spit upon the sight, "acting as if they own the market."

"The Shinsengumi," Mother answered with a yawn.

"The Shinsengumi, Mother?" I turned toward her, trying to remember where I heard the name. "I remember now, Father told me about them, supporters of the Shogunate, acting as the police and killing anyone who's suspected of not supporting the Shogunate."

"You should watch your mouth in the city, Mina," Mother ordered me with the wave of her unbroken hand, "if you act as you did on the farm, you will surely be killed out in the middle of the streets."

I kept my mouth shut this time, I didn't want her to slap me again as she did last night. My cheek was still kind of sore, she hit me pretty hard, that she did. There was one thing that bothered me as I looked into the city that morning, other than the Shinsengumi, I mean. People just seemed to be going through their everyday lives as if nothing happened the other night. They're acting as if the other night was simply a bad dream, one that they could easily wake up from. Before these people know it, that dream will become a nightmare they wouldn't be able to wake up from, and I would be a part of that nightmare.

"Mina, we have to talk," Mother broke up my thoughts.

"What is it?" I asked, returning to the inside of our room.

"It's about what we have to do now," Mother answered, patting a space on the floor next to her, "please, sit down."

"I'm fine standing up," I told her, unaware of what she had to tell me about our future.

Nothing paced through my mind at the moment, in fact, I was off in my own little world. I was thinking about the past, thinking about my childhood and the life I lived then. Of course, Mother's words soon interrupted those thoughts.

"I'm going to have to sell you on the streets," those were the words that brought my world crashing down.

"Nani?!" I broke out of my illusion, shocked upon hearing her words. "What the hell do you mean, Mother, are you going to sell me off just so you can fulfill your own goddamn needs, is that it?!"

"Please, calm down, Mina," Mother placed her hand on my shoulder, "I'm not selling you, I'm just selling...your body."

"My body?!" I took a step back, lining myself against the wall, now aware of what she spoke of. "So what, am I supposed to just throw away my virginity and give it away to some stranger on the street for a measly one or two ryo?! You sure planned this out, Mother, why the hell should I be the one to sell myself, if you want it done, then do it yourself!"

"Mina, no one would want an old woman like me," Mother tried consoling me, but to no avail, "you on the other hand are..."

"Just shut up!" I interrupted Mother, screaming. "Why must I be the one who supports the both of us?! If it's just me they want, then I should just go off on my own and do this by myself, I don't need someone like you to act as a pimp!"

"Have you forgotten how long your father and I have taken care of you?!" Mother rose from her seat, pushing the table to it's side in the process. "We worked so hard just so you can survive in this world, don't you think you should repay the favor by helping me?!"

"Che, is that your excuse for me to help you," I spat, baring my teeth at my mother as if she were my enemy, "you're a horrible person to even consider saying that!"

"You will help me whether you like it or not!" Mother continued yelling at me, striking me again with her unbroken hand in the same cheek that was bruised.

"Who's gonna make me!" I took my bag off the floor and stomped out of the inn.

I left in such a hurry, but I could still hear my mother calling for me from the inn's balcony as I blended into the crowds. I was so angry at the time, I just wanted to crawl into some hole and die. "How could Mother even consider using me for her selfish needs?!" That question continued to race through my mind as I wandered. I didn't need her help to sell my own body, I could do it myself, but I'd rather not. Once I cooled down enough, I tried looking for a job in some of the restaurants and bars. I got the same response or something similar to it to each one I went to. It was either "sorry, we have no my room for anymore employees" or "you can't work here, we have enough employees as it is." I had given up by the time the sun had begun to set. I just threw my bag on the floor and leaned against the nearest corner with my arms crossed. I thought that's how prostitutes stood out in the streets for clients, but seemed as if I wasn't getting anyone's attention. I was also very hungry, that grumbling of my stomach must've also scared away people. I only had half a rice ball left in my luggage for food, it was the only leftover I had from yesterday's trip. I contemplated returning to the farm, but there's no way I could make it with this much food left. I sighed and unwrapped the white sphere and popped the whole thing into my mouth. I was so hungry, even after eating that morsel of rice, the least it did was stop the grumbling of my stomach.

"Are you all right, child?" I found another morsel of white grain before my eyes suddenly.

"It's you," I glared at my mother and her sphere of rice, "what do you want?!"

"I should apologize for earlier," Mother leaned against the wall next to me, "I was being greedy."

"Hai, you were," I snatched the rice ball in her hand.

"...perhaps we should just get a job at a restaurant or inn," Mother suggested, "it's better than you..."

"Forget about it, Mother," I told her as I looked to the pebbles in the street, "there are no jobs for us in this city, no opportunity, I checked everywhere. I guess I will have to take up the job you recommended earlier..."

"Are you sure?" Mother looked to me concerned, seeing the sadness I tried to hide with my bangs.

"...Hai," I slowly nodded, "it's...the only way."

"Then you wait here and I'll find someone," Mother quickly left the area, leaving me alone in that corner.

Fate plays many tricks on us in the story of life, and I fell for this one. Little did I know, the Red String of Fate was almost quickly wounded, bringing my love and I together very soon.

Chapter 2 Liner Notes



What does 'nani' mean?- 'Nani' is the Japanese way of saying 'what'.



What are 'ryo'?- Ryo was the Japanese currency during the Tokugawa Era, it was later replaced by the 'yen' when the Meiji Government took over Japan. I think it's 1,000 yen that makes up 1 American dollar.



Why did Mina's mother propose that Mina become a prostitute?- During the Meiji Revolution, it was hard for anyone to get a job, especially women. Women would only work in restaurants or inns during the revolution and Tokugawa Eras, or if it came down to it, they would have to sell their bodies and work as prostitutes. For men, the only real jobs they could get were to be soldiers for the Tokugawa or for other clans such as Cho Shu or Satsuma. Women weren't allowed to join the military as front line soldiers, and if they did join, they would be assassins used to kill enemy officials. Of course, it was still rare for clans or the Shogunate to hire women for these jobs, so most women would then disguise themselves as men to join the war effort.



(Next time:"Fate collects the sand of Tachibana Mina into her hand, placing the sand into the hand of another, the hand of a warrior whose hair is as wild as fire and red as blood, eyes as cold as ice yet cool as the cerulean skies. The hand is closed by a red string, binding the sand within the warmth of the hand..." -Mina)



Author's Note: Well, what do you think, why don't you leave me a review and make my day, but please don't flame me, I'm still getting used to this. Oh, and Kenshin will return in the next chapter, expect a little bit of action to mark his return.