On with the show!

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They Say Cameras Are Only Good For Pictures... 14
By: Karina Kineshi (coronaflare@mail.com)

You know, I'm feeling just a little bit overwhelmed right now. I have no idea why Tokio chose me to be the one, but here I am. If she would have given me just a little bit more time to think this through, I would feel better prepared for this crisis.

To think that this is standard procedure in the day of the Divinity.

How in the world Tokio kept her hair free of those pesky white strands is beyond me. I have a feeling I'll be sprouting a couple of those before my time is up...

"Hey, we're talking to you! Don't walk away from us!"

Ah Batty, always control hungry. Must stray from the plan, must know where everything is, why, when, etc. Personally, I'm more of a laid back and let the situation control itself kind of person, but I don't think the situation will fix itself without intervention. I just wish they'd put a little bit more faith in me than whatever they're giving to me right now. See, I notice all those funny looks they give to each other.

I may be gaudy, but I'm certainly not stupid.

"I've got a date with my body!" I tell them. "I'm going to Kyoto." I hear one last "What!" from Battousai before total darkness surrounds me.

Kyoto?

My God, I haven't wanted to go back to Kyoto since... well, since I got here in Gehenna. I've got a plan, the odds are stacked against me that it won't work, but it's still a plan. Somehow, I think it will work. If it doesn't, I'll try my damndest to make things right.

When Tokio gave up her position, it was like all the knowledge in her mind had been transferred to mine. It was a tiring, yet at the same time, awesome experience. I knew everything about everyone within my jurisdiction. I nearly cried; it was so overwhelming. I knew all about Battousai's past, something that he had never talked about with me. I felt like I was betraying him for knowing what I knew.

I finally came to my destination, a heavy iron door. It would seem like something out of a book, because to all other eyes it was just a door in the ground that led to nowhere. Once before, I had come across this strange door and tried to open it. A bolt of lightning struck me before I could go near it and threw me across the room. There was a booming voice that told me to "Get the hell away!" Trust me; I don't think I ever came near a ten mile radius of that door again.

Now I'm standing in front of it. Again.

Something else I now know about this door: it's a place in Gehenna that hardly anyone knows about, save for two people. One is the Divinity, and the other is the Keeper of the cauldrons. I suppose that everyone knew of it, just not about it. Tokio, because of her limited time, used the cauldrons frequently.

I hesitantly reached my hand out and winced, getting ready for the inevitable shock. Surprisingly, the door melted against my hand like a shadow and I stepped through the door. A part of me said this was the strangest thing, but another part believed that this was the most natural occurrence in the world.

It was a breathtaking sight. Hundreds of pitch black cauldrons, all lined up in rows that stretched as far as I could see. Each one glimmered with the person or place it was assigned to, and the brilliant colors somersaulted on the whitewashed walls. The white was such a stark contrast to the gloominess of Gehenna. I had to shield my eyes.

"Welcome, Shinomori," something rumbled. "Can I help you find something?"

"Hello Eat." The words rolled off my tongue as if they made sense to my mind. It didn't feel like it was me talking at all anymore. "How's life around here? How's your alcohol?"

What?! What did I just say?

Amidst all the rows a few yards off, I saw something start to materialize. The voice spoke in a rather conversational tone despite the low grumbling. "Life's so-so, I guess. It gets so dull around here when nothing interesting is happening." The figure was fully visible now, and the Keeper of the cauldrons was... "A man?"

He nodded.

"Do I know you?" I asked. I knew that I had seen this person somewhere before. He stood about the same height as me, but a lot more bulky than I. This guy had some serious muscle on him. The stringy shoulder length brown hair was pulled into a low ponytail that spiked out in all directions. But everything else... Despite the obvious manly characteristics this soul had, it was wearing something I would never even think of—

"Ah, my apron?" The soul that I had called "Eat" (as that was its name, I think) growled again. He smirked with a grin that displayed all of his perfect white teeth. "That should be a big clue in helping to figure out who I am."

To tell you the truth, I was still stumped. However, I knew of only one other person who wore such an apron. In addition to the frilly garment, he was holding a light green bottle with a frothy liquid inside. He even had a lacy headdress, like something you would see French maids wear.

The man was growing impatient with me. He waved his bottle in front of my face. I caught a whiff of the foulest liquid I had ever smelled. It burned the inside of my nose and throat. "All right, here's another hint." Setting the bottle down, he folded his hands in front of his knees and bowed languorously. Then he said, in the highest possible voice for a bass, "Irrashaimase, Shinomori-kun!"

I gasped. "Oh God... Sekihara-san!"

Simpering in triumph, he snatched his bottle from the ground and tapped the opening to his forehead. "I hate it when I have to do that. I feel like the biggest girly-girl that walked the face of the planet."

So the Keeper was Sekihara Sae?

"Actually, my body is named Sekihara Tae."

I quirked my head in confusion. "Is Tae your nickname?"

"Nope, Sae is my twin."

"Oh."

"Tae, my alter ego, runs a restaurant called the Akabeko in Tokyo. Sae runs the Shirobeko in Kyoto. And please, call me Eat. That's my name, see."

I decided to go along with it and nod my head politely. Tae and Sae were twins? And they both ran a restaurant? How ironic. It sort of explained why the man was dressed this way. Forgive me for being vain, but if I had a body like that and not one of a wimpy preteen, I wouldn't hide it under lace.

Woman's lace.

He shook his head at me distastefully, as if reading my thoughts. "I have to wear this stupid thing. The liquid stains my clothes." Eat haughtily studied my face for a couple of moments, and I hoped that I wasn't showing any fear. This guy could break me like a toothpick. "Well, come along then. We've got to get you back into your body."

"Thanks." I didn't know what else to say.

Eat led me through a maze of cauldrons, stopping occasionally to recheck where he was. I was astonished that he seemed to know exactly where he was going, even though all the "landmarks" looked exactly the same. He would abruptly stop, then pace a couple of yards, and then look over his shoulder.

I soon learned that it wasn't wise to follow directly behind him.

"Stop stepping on my heels. It gets annoying," he growled.

How on earth did such a rude, inconsiderate man become the Keeper?

"I'll have you know that the Divinity from before Tokio appointed me to this position. Yes, I am capable of this and yes..." He turned around and smiled evilly. "... yes, I can read what you are thinking." He leaned in close and poked me in the chest. "I can read you like a book."

I then learned it wasn't wise to do unnecessary thinking. Maybe I should tell all the mortals on earth that too. It was as valuable a lesson there as in Gehenna. "Sorry. I'm just... feeling a bit distract by all this, that's all."

And that's the truth.

""Yeah, I know." Eat continued to dart about the cauldrons while I followed (not too closely) behind. "All you Divinities are the same when you get to me. I'm not exactly the perfect host, but what matters is what's up here." He tapped his bottle to his head again.

He might be rude and gruff, but he was right. What's in the mind is more important than the mind itself. You'd never guess he would be a philosophical character. I suddenly found myself respecting his knowledge even more than I had Tokio's. He had been around longer and probably knew a lot more about Gehenna than even she did. "By the way, when I got here, it didn't seem like it was me talking. Why—"

Eat snickered. "Oh, that." His brisk pace slowed down and he dropped to walk side by side with me. He puffed out his chest, "This is my domain you're in now. I could control what you said the moment you step through that door. Of course, I don't do it once we get acquainted with each other, but it makes for a nice icebreaker."

All right...

Eat grinned again. "You should have seen the look on your face. However, the best reaction would have had to been Tokio's. She slapped her hand over her mouth and her eyes went all wide open and stuff..."

I laughed. "You're right, it did work as a good icebreaker. I never would have expected Sekihara Tae's alter ego to be a drunkard."

His eyes twinkled. "I'm not a drunkard. Appearances deceive, Shinomori. I thought you were already taught that lesson."

Dammit. I knew that.

"That's all right," he continued. "The Divinity learns along with the rest of us." Before I could make a comment, he skidded to a halt and thrust his arm out in front of my chest. I ran into it and knocked all the wind out of me. He shrugged. "Sorry 'bout that, but we're here."

I brushed myself off. Tokio was wearing clothes as the Divinity. Does that mean that I should have clothes on too? Thing was, I had nothing to hide and I felt perfectly comfortable. I learned, even before now, that all thoughts form in minds for a reason. Clothing was a key to something. I thought I should put some clothes on, but Eat held up his hand. "It makes this easier for us."

With a wave, he bade me to look in. There in the liquid, I was standing back in front of the Aoiya again. The front wasn't the same as I remembered it, but I could still recognize parts. It appeared as if it had been destroyed, and then rebuilt. "Can we go inside?"

"Hey, you're the Divinity, not me. You should already know how to do this," was the curt reply.

Once again, as before, the words rolled off my tongue. "I wish to use the article of Divine Mandate to see inside." Before I finished saying the sentence, the cauldron did exactly as I commanded and cut to the inside. It was all so familiar, but oddly disconnected from me. The same alcove, the same floors... My vision rested on a young girl, a woman really, who was plaiting her long black hair into a braid.

"Misao!" I cried.

Instantly, the woman's fingers stopped their shuttling and she peered around her. She leapt to her feet and threw open a side door. "Did you call me, Aoshi-sama?"

"No, I did not."

"Oh." The dejection was apparent in her face. I couldn't see my mortal body as of yet, because it was focused on just Misao. "Sorry for disturbing you, Aoshi-sama." Then she slid the door shut with a click, sat back down and slowly started to braid her hair again, a faraway look in her eyes.

"You know, I used to do that for her every day." I pointed lovingly at her braiding and beamed with the pride of a parent. "She got better than me at it. She grew up and left me."

"You were the one who left her, Shinomori."

I glanced at Eat and tried to make it seem like my heart hadn't shattered just then. Unfortunately, even I thought it was painfully obvious. How much more so with an intuitive man like Eat? "I had to protect her, Eat. It was my decision, and I still stand by it."

"You are the man that she fell in love with."

Yes, I know. I already knew, and I am still painfully aware that Makimachi Misao loves who she thinks is Shinomori Aoshi. I didn't know how to remedy it. There, someone said it. That phrase that I had been denying forever. My heart felt even heavier. I didn't believe it until I saw the way she acted around me. "She said she wanted to make me smile again. I always used to smile, but that was before—"

"Why did you step down, Shinomori?" I tried to read Eat's face for any sign of malice, but all I saw was a reflective sincerity. I didn't want to say anything that would incriminate myself. Eat smiled. "You have no choice, I can read your thoughts."

I smiled a little and gazed into the cauldron wistfully. "I wasn't prepared to be the Okashira of the Oniwa Banshuu yet. That's why."

"Ah, but that's a half truth, Shinomori."

I shook my head. "All the reasons lead to that. Sure, there were lots of reasons why I stepped down, but that was the main one."

"And the second one, you failed to mention." Eat put a hand on my shoulder and stared into my eyes. "You forgot to mention the one that kept you up at night."

I bowed my head apologetically. This was making me uncomfortable, and I didn't want to continue. It shouldn't matter why I did it, it was already done. I have more important things to worry about now.

"That's all right, Shinomori," Eat said in an uncharacteristically soft voice. "Forget I asked."

The cauldron went through the screen door and I saw my back. The back of Shinomori Aoshi. Of course, he was still squatting on the ground, deep in meditative thought. I always thought meditating was boring, but everyone has their hobbies. Eat nodded his head towards the figure. "He seems like a fascinating fellow," he remarked.

I laughed half heartedly. "He's a riot when he's drunk."

"Of course, that's when you're in there." Eat slammed a meaty fist into my back and nearly drowned me in the liquid. "You know what to do from here, buddy." Without thinking, I reached for my reflection and touched the water. My surroundings liquefied and drained away like paint on a wall. I heard one last comment from Eat before I faded out.

"Here's hoping you'll fix the problem with her that you were too scared to fix before."

*****

The sound was so intense that I nearly shot up from my sitting position on the floor in alarm. It sounded like a bomb had gone off right beside my ear. I'm back. I offered a silent apology to the previous occupant for kicking him out temporarily. This just had to be done.

I had to admit, it was very strange it be back in my body again. It didn't fit me. I felt far too small, like I had excess skin on me. It hurt to breathe in a physical sense; we souls didn't have to do such a thing when we were in Gehenna. As soon as I got back into my body, I could feel myself slowly dying again. Battousai always said that "Once we are born, we start dying." I didn't really understand that saying until right now.

Fortunately, my body moved without much effort. I felt stronger, both mentally and physically. The nameless soul that had control before me didn't slack in those departments. I raised my hands to my face and noted all the calluses on them. It felt like a shell.

I got to my feet awkwardly, as I was not used to moving around yet. A couple of times I stumbled around the room and nearly fell down on my face. However, I got used to compensating for how small I felt compared to the huge body. "I can't believe I'm here."

A shadow right beside the door commanded my attention. It spoke, "Aoshi-sama, I have your tea for you. Can I open the door?" I don't think I answered, because she said again, "I'm coming inside, okay?" And when the shoji slid open, I realized that I had a huge problem on my hands.

How in the world can I pull this off? The nameless soul and I were polar opposites. One wrong slip up and all this would be done for. Maybe I bit off a bit more than I could chew with this crazy Divinity nonsense. I found myself longing for dark and gloomy Gehenna again. It certainly had to be better than this. Jiya always said that you should meet your apprehensions face to face, so that way you would be able to conquer them.

I would have never made a good Okashira. I never followed his advice.

I cleared my throat. "Hello, Misao-chan." Her eyes scrunched ever so slightly, but she kept on walking in. I am so hesitant in dealing with this because we used to be close. Very close. This was in the days before the formality of the Oniwa Banshuu.

Before they asked me to be their leader.

We used to go everywhere together, Misao and me. I didn't feel connected to Okon or Omasu when I was young because they were always giggling and acting snooty around me. The men were too old for me, and I just wanted to have fun as a kid. Shira and Taketsu were always fighting and stupid stuff like that. I didn't like it.

That left Misao. She was the only one who didn't judge me the way I didn't want to be judged. Being an orphan like I was, we felt like outcasts from the Oniwa Banshuu. Although they'd always try to include us in their little family, I always felt a nagging feeling that I somehow didn't fit in. We were two driven to each other's comfort.

When I first met Misao, she had skinned her knee. She was terribly young, and it was so long ago I can't remember her age, but I remember the details. I carried the sobbing girl from the road all the way to the courtyard inside until I found Jiya. My arms ached and my back craved ice, but it was worth it when she threw her skinny arms around my neck and said, "You saved my life!"

Of course, she was over exaggerating, but the quality was endearing. We became the closest thing to a brother and sister that you could get. Although the age difference was somewhat big, we found what we wanted in each other. Misao needed a role model, and I needed someone who would love me for who I was. We laughed, we fished, we swam in the river until dusk, and the times were good. Taketsu always called me a girl because I played with her more than I did with the boys.

I wanted someone to love me.

"Here." Misao gently set the tray down beside me, but not gently enough. Just a little bit of tea splashed over the edges of the single cup. Though it was a very minor spill (more like a drop of liquid, really) I could see how her face got frustrated and flushed with anger. She always prided herself on her perfection, and I think that even now it shows through.

"Sorry Aoshi-sama, I'll try to be more careful next time." Her manner was demure and very apologetic.

This stunned me, because she never apologized to me this seriously before. Despite me, I answered, "Why are you apologizing? It's just a little accident."

Misao then acted as if I'd slapped her. She recoiled a little bit and tilted her head sideways. "But you always say..." Did I want to hear what she had to say next? No, I didn't. Thankfully, she stopped herself in mid sentence and straightened herself up. "Do you need me for anything else?"

Once again, I didn't answer. Since she came in, I don't think I've stopped staring at her. Misao certainly has gotten prettier than I had remembered her. She was dressed in the typical Oniwa Banshuu outfit, complete with ridiculous pink bow, but I sensed a maturity beyond her years. Appearances are deceiving. Her mannerisms, the way she talks and walks... it was the familiarity that I had craved.

Dare I say, I missed Kyoto while in Gehenna.

The reason why I left Kyoto and gave up my body was because... I didn't want Misao to look at me differently when I became Okashira. I didn't want to be on a pedestal. I wanted things to be the same between us. I loved that look of wonder in her eyes when I folded a paper crane for her, and I wanted the freedom to talk to her when I pleased. I didn't want her to address me as "Okashira" or "Aoshi-sama"; I want her to address me as just plain Aoshi.

That's why I left.

I couldn't imagine losing my only friend to the clutches of formality.

"Then I'll leave if you have nothing else. Enjoy your tea, Aoshi-sama." Without ceremony, she turned around and headed back towards the door.

Looks like I lost her anyway.

Her blunt and over courteous response made me flinch. This isn't the Misao I left behind. This isn't the Misao I wanted to come back to. I want the fun loving Misao, the one who felt like she could act herself around me. "Wait, Misao-chan."

She turned around so slowly I was scared that I had said something incredibly out of the ordinary. Well, judging by the reaction on her face, I think I did. Did the soul in this body never even bother to keep up pleasant conversation with her? Did it know how much she meant to me? "Yes?" The coolness was gone from her conduct; she just was shocked now. Shocked to the point that she didn't know what to do.

Truth was I didn't know what to do either. What in the world can I talk to her about? I couldn't ask her how she's been since I left her; that would be absurd. I tried to think of something that we had in common. I thought of our past. She would probably be even more stunned if we started to reminisce about old times.

I smile when I'm nervous, but this was beyond the point of no return. I was so nervous my hands were shaking. But if they had taught me one thing in the Oniwa Banshuu, it was never to lose your composure. "Do you... want to have tea with me?
I asked timidly.

"Why?" Her hands were shaking too.

Words never used to fail me before. I made an attempt at humor, because the old Misao would laugh at me. "It gets boring in here when the only person I have to talk to is myself."

Her open mouth told me that the Aoshi from before would never say such a thing, but there was a sparkle of familiarity in her eyes that wasn't there before. Something dug up. Something from years past...

"Yes, I'll have tea with you... but..." she hesitated. "I-I didn't bring a cup today."

"Why not?" I inquired.

She shrugged, looking at me as if this was a huge mistake on her part. Misao gave me the impression that she was walking on eggshells around me, as if the slightest mistake would set me off and alienate her even further from me. Misao gave me a wistful response, "I gave up bringing one because I didn't think... I thought you'd never..."

That hurt me. She didn't think I'd ask, so she gave up on me. Maybe that hurt her more than it did me. "I'm so sorry Misao-chan. You sit down here and I'll get you a new cup."

Numbly, she sat down, but she had a disbelieving and curious expression on her face. She had the visage of a person who just wakes up from a vivid and beautiful dream and wonders if it was real. "S-Sure. I'll stay here. Thank you, Aoshi-sama."

The dream was real now. For both of us.

*****

I can't believe we have absolutely nothing to do.

"You said it, Hiko." Battousai had started to trail the sheath of his sword with his fingers. "I mean, it's not bad that they don't need us for something, but the fact that bothers me is that—"

— they do need us for something. Shinomori just hasn't figured out what. Hiko was the very picture of boredom, twirling a long lock of hair idly around her fingers. Doing something is better than doing nothing.

"¿Intentas a hablar con Señor Shinomori agradecido de su frustración?"

Battousai shook his head. "No Soujirou, I haven't tried talking to him yet. I think Hiko did though..."

Yeah. He was busy. Her lips curled disdainfully. He's having tea.

"He's having... tea? How in God's green earth is that supposed to help us?" Battousai suddenly got to his feet and pointed his sword at Hiko. Soujirou didn't move. "Am I the only one here who's somewhat worried about this situation? There has to be something we can do! What about Sano-chan? What about Takani Megumi? What about..."

Soujirou tried to explain things calmly. "Sano-chan está viajando a la casa de los Fujitas..."

Hiko snorted and gave a snide remark. Thanks to Hajime's time delaying skills Sano-chan is heading towards his grave.

"... y yo di ya Señorita Megumi sueños buenos..."

"Then what else is there for us to do?" Battousai sat down dejectedly, feeling slightly put off by his comrade's nonchalance. "We've got to come up with a plan if Shinomori can't do it."

"Now, what can't I do?" a voice asked.

Battousai waved his hand. "I said that if Shinomori can't come up with a plan, then—" He stopped quickly, and his sword clattered to the ground once more. "Shinomori!"

"Hi guys." The form of their Divinity was blurry, just as Tokio's had been. "Listen, I can't talk long because I'm taking a very quick nap, but I had to give you guys instruction." Even though it was hard to see, they could see Shinomori's eyebrow raise in bemusement. "Looks like I came just in time."

Battousai was the first to apologize. But Hiko already knew from experience that the flame haired man would always give a roundabout apology, and never one that was straight out. "It's not our fault you didn't have a plan for us. You can't blame us for getting bored."

"I see. Sorry." Shinomori looked oddly immobile, as if he was supposed to be standing perfectly straight. "What's the news?"

Hiko's eyes flashed and she began to toy with her hair again. Shinomori, there's something you should know. Hajime sent Sano-chan to the house of... She stopped, then tried again. Hajime couldn't think of any other way for him to stay in Japan, so—

"— Señora Hajime dijo a Sano-chan que debe ir a la casa de Fujita Goro."

The three waited for the fireworks to fly. Instead, they got:

"That's perfect!" Shinomori nodded while the three in Gehenna sat dumbstruck. "This way, it fits perfectly. Where is Hajime anyway?"

"Uh..." Battousai didn't get over the revelation that the accident turned out to be "perfect" yet. He was actually rendered speechless. Didn't Shinomori know what would happen to the poor guy? Didn't he know about Tokio's memory erasure? "Uh... I don't know where Hajime is."

Possibly trying to contact Sano-chan again, Hiko stated. She can't do it now because you can only appear in the mortal realm once until the earth makes one more rotation.

"Hiko, find her and inform her that she doesn't need to do that."

Got it. And then Hiko melted into the air.

"Battousai," Shinomori continued, still standing erect, "I fear the dreams we give to Takani Megumi aren't enough. I need you to wait until the best time to do step two of the plan."

"Wait? Step two?"

Shinomori smiled. "Wait patiently until I visit you again. Make the necessary preparations for another Divine Intervention. Back into your own body."