10. The Prophecies: Death
"Have you heard?" Mitsui asked solemnly.
Kogure nodded, "Prince Sakon and Princess Hikaru's death."
"And King Takato's decision to hang Prince Sakon's corpse for 7 days," Mitsui said.
"I don't see the point. It's disrespectful to the dead," Akagi said heatedly.
"People do odd things when angry and sorrowful," Kogure said.
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"Uozumi you do realize it's your fault that my son's dead. Your negligence and inability to protect and guard him, like I asked, is the reason for his death."
Uozumi nodded.
"You should also know your punishment."
Uozumi nodded again.
"Do you accept it?"
"Yes. But may I have 10 minutes to speak to someone?"
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Rukawa looked at Sendoh who was sitting at the brook and appearing quite troubled. Rukawa frowned, 'I should leave him alone and let him have some time to himself…but…I can't just leave him there.'
He walked over and planted himself next to Sendoh and asked, "You ok?"
Sendoh forced a smile, "Yep. Fine."
'Liar. Why are you lying to me?' Rukawa wondered and stared at him, 'he looks so tired and…'
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"Why are you so sad?" Rukawa asked.
"You don't know why?"
"I know but I don't understand," Rukawa said, "everyone has to die, you, me. No one's an exception."
Sendoh couldn't believe his cold indifference.
Rukawa proceeded, "Someone once said 'You aren't going towards life or death. That wasn't what it was about. It was [about going] on through life towards death, which had to be there at the end, or else life itself would be flat and meaningless.'1 You don't have to be so sorrowful."
He felt tears pooling up in his eyes, as the image of Rukawa blurred, "But that doesn't make the pain any easier to bear."
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Rukawa frowned failing to find any comforting words of wisdom, as the tears began to spill down Sendoh's cheeks. Instinctively he reached out to wipe it away, 'Please don't cry. It doesn't suit you. You were meant to be smile and be happy.'
It was so hard for Rukawa to look into Sendoh's hurt and confused eyes. 'What could I do?' he sighed inwardly, angry at his inability to do anything.
He gently guided Sendoh's head to his shoulders, "It's all going to past and you'll be-"
~Vision~
Sendoh wounded, exhausted and bloody, in a battlefield surrounded by corpse, no bodies of fallen warriors.
A black figure suddenly rushed to the front of him
A psych-weapon was thrust straight into Sendoh, who never even saw it coming.
~End of Vision~
"all right…" he finished as the devastation hit him.
'No! He can't die! Why? Why must everyone I love die?! Why must I see them die?!' he thought feeling the lump in his throat grow, he held onto Sendoh tighter.
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Jin stopped spotting her brother holding the older boy in a very protective and possessive manner and smiled, 'Oniisan seems busy. I guess I can talk to him later. It's about time he found someone he loves. I won-'
~Vision~
Her oniisan running, covered with blood, searching.
He spots something rushing towards him. He attempts to block the attack. Too late, it is driven right into him. Her oniisan falls back.
~End of Vision~
'Impossible! My oniisan can't die. I won't allow it to happen. I'll see to it that it doesn't happen!' Jin vowed.
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One Week Later:
"A declaration of war?" Akagi asked.
King Anzai nodded in grave seriousness.
"Its because of Sakon's body isn't it?" Mitsui said.
"Yes."
"Prince Sakon's body?" Akagi asked.
"King Taoka demanded the return of his son's body, intact but King Takato refused and continued the week long hanging. So King Taoka declared war on King Takato who accepted and sent us that letter declaring war. We are to meet at the point where our 3 countries meet and whoever is declared the victor of that battle shall rule all 3 countries," Kogure explained solemnly.
"That's obscured! Do they realize the deaths that will result from a full frontal war?!" Akagi said.
"I believe they don't. Both sides are blinded by the desire to avenge their child's death."
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Rukawa frowned as he watch Sendoh pack a couple of his belonging, oblivious to the peril he was in.
He turned around, "Oh, Rukawa. Why are you here? To wish me farewell?"
"I don't want you to go."
He smiled, "Sorry, Ru-kun. I have to go. I'm the new General now."
Rukawa stared at him, 'How can I convince him to stay without telling him the truth? I don't want him to know when he's going to die. The feeling would be horrible. Knowing you're going to die but powerless to prevent it from happening. What am I thinking? He's not going to die! Don't think about that. How should I convince him, that's the most important thing, right now.'
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"You don't have to," he said , "I really don't want you to go."
Sendoh continued to smile, 'Don't make this harder than it is. I don't want to leave you either. Not now, not when you're finally beginning to open up to me. But Uozumi's last request was for me to protect his subordinate and win this war. He believed in me. I'm obligated to carry out his wish…'
"Why not?"
Rukawa was hesitant, before saying, "Because I don't want to see you hurt."
Sendoh smiled at him warmly, "I promise I'll take good care of myself."
Looking down he said softly, "Don't you understand? I can't stand the thought of you…being injured. Please, listen to me just this once. Don't go."
Hearing Rukawa plea like that was killing him, but he promised Uozumi, "Ru, I'm sorry…"
Rukawa looked up at him with hard, determined eyes and stated, "You're not leaving."
"Ru-kun," Sendoh said moving towards him, "don't be like this…"
He whipped out a psych-kodachi, "I'm not kidding. If you want to leave, fine. You have to defeat me first."
'He's also a psych user?!'
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'I won't let you out. My bet is that you won't fight me,' Rukawa thought watching him intensely, 'but I got to knock him out and hide him before the others come for him.'
"Is this necessary?" he asked backing away his eyes not leaving the kodachi, "please understand my position."
'I understand,' Rukawa thought and watch him grab the handle of his psych-sword.
"Ru-"
Rukawa decided to attack that moment as Sendoh blocked.
"Stop! Don't do this Ru."
Rukawa ignored his pleas and continue to be on the offense. Suddenly he felt this rope tied around him, pinning his arms against his side, 'Nani?! Jin!'
"Jin, wh-"
A chop to the back of his neck knocked him out.
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'Gomen, oniisan. This is for you own good. Don't hate me.'
End of The Prophecies: Death
A/N: 1. A quote from a Monica Hughes' novel I read but forgotten the title