Life's Work, A Son's Love pt. 3
Crowds gathered quickly around Yusuke and Shuiichi all curious of the large tapestry they were selling.
"Such fine work," a man said as he rubbed the soft threads of the tapestry between his fingers.
"Do you want it?" Yusuke asked in a persuasive tone. "It'll cost you two thousand gold coins."
The man looked up to Yusuke in shock and quickly walked away. Slowly, after hearing Yusuke's price, the crowds walked away leaving Yusuke screaming at the top of his lungs in rage.
"I'll buy it," an old and annoyed voice rasped softly. "If you'll just shut up dimwit."
Quickly, Yusuke smiled down to an old woman with graying pink hair at his feet. 'Stupid old hag,' he thought to himself annoyed.
"Sure," Yusuke replied to the small old woman. "Now that will be two thousand gold coins."
The old woman nodded as she pulled out a small sack of coins.
"Here," the old woman said. "And my name is Genkai.. Not 'stupid old hag.'"
Yusuke stared wide eyed at the smaller woman. 'She's a...' his mind began.
"Yes.. I'm a psychic," she replied as she pulled out a cigarette and began smoking. "I'd watch my thoughts if I were you."
Genkai walked behind Yusuke and pulled down the tapestry and rolled it and placed it under her arm as she began walking away.
"Just so you know..." she began as she took a long drag of her cigarette and exhaled. "You'll find me in the east."
'Huh?' Yusuke asked himself confused as he turned to Shuiichi. Shuiichi shrugged.
"Now.." Shuiichi began as he eyed Yusuke's sack of coins. "What shall we do with the money?"
Devilishly, Yusuke smiled as he tossed the bag into the air.
Shiori watched her sleeping son's bruised and battered chest rise and fall as she cleaned his wounds. Softly, she sighed. 'Forgive me Kurama,' she thought to herself softly. 'It's all my fault.' She looked up as she heard a soft wince as Kurama's emerald eyes painfully opened.
"Mother..." he rasped weakly. "Are Yusuke and Shuiichi back yet?"
Shiori shook her head. Kurama sighed. As she heard the soft creak of the cottage door open, Shiori turned looking at her son's closed bedroom door. Painfully, Kurama tried to stand only to have his mother lay him back down.
"No," Shiori said sternly. "You need to rest.. I'll take care of your brothers."
Kurama nodded as his heavy green eyes slowly fell closed.
Yusuke and Shuiichi walked in wearing fine green and blue silk clothes as Yusuke carried the small sack of leftover coins in his hand. They looked up as they heard Shiori's soft footfalls walk into the kitchen.
"What do you want you old woman?" asked Yusuke as he and Shuiichi glared.
"Just to know why Yusuke," Shiori whispered as tears formed in her eyes. "Why did you have to do that to your brother?"
"Shut up Mother," Shuiichi demanded stepping forward. "He's always been your favorite.. He's perfect while me and Yusuke always seemed to do something wrong in your eyes."
"No!" she cried the tears beginning to fall. "I love all of you! You're wrong."
"Yea right," Yusuke muttered angrily.
"Believe me please," she begged as she buried her crying face in her hands.
Yusuke and Shuiichi sneered as they stormed past her and into their rooms leaving her to cry softly in the kitchen as the sad afternoon sun cast small squares of light onto the wooden floor.
As the day turned to night, Shiori stared out into her bedroom window her tears softly falling from her face the liquid diamonds landing on the floor with a soft thump. 'My work,' she thought to herself sadly. 'But worst of all... my sons.. I've lost them all.' She walked to her bed and laid down tiredly as she softly fell into a sadden sleep under the starlight.
She awoke to the soft morning sunlight feeling weak and heavy. She rolled over to her side seemingly making her more tired than she was. She winced as she stood and slowly and tiredly made her way to her washbowl. She stared deep into her watery reflection and placed a cold hand on her now pale and sickly skin. 'What is wrong with me?' she asked herself quietly. 'I wasn't like this yesterday.' She placed a hand on her neck as she felt the heat rise quickly to her forehead and throat. Quickly, Shiori splashed the cool water on her face trying to cool herself down. The room swam before her eyes.
"Oh..." she sighed softly as she fell to the floor with a loud thump.
Wearily, Kurama opened his emerald eyes to the waking sunlight and painfully stood softly wincing to himself. He walked slowly to his washbowl and splashed the cool water on his face. Then, he heard it. Worried, he turned to the source of the sound and quickly ran to his mother's room oblivious to the pain emanating from his wounds.
He ran into her room as she lay still and silent on the floor her skin ghostly white and flushed with fever. He ran to her side.
"Mother?" he called out to her softly shaking her.
She didn't reply.
"Mother?" he asked louder shaking her harder.
She slept.
"Mother!" he cried loudly as he gather her in his arms rocking her back and forth as tears gathered in her eyes.
Panic flowing wildly in his veins, he scooped her up in his arms and laid her on her bed. Taking a cloth from her washstand, he soaked with the cold water and placed it on her searing forehead. He ran out of her room and banged loudly on his brothers' bedroom doors.
"Yusuke! Shuiichi!" he cried worriedly as he stood in front of one of his brother's rooms. "Come quick! There's something wrong with mother!"
Shuiichi opened the door.
"HN!" he replied slamming the door in Kurama's face.
He turned to Yusuke's open door as Yusuke stood glaring at the doorway.
"Yusuke!" he cried as he ran to the door only to have it slammed loudly once more in his face.
Confused and worried, he looked around his home looking for anyone to help him. Quickly, he turned and ran outside the cottage door and onto the beaten meadow path headed for the village hoping to find a doctor to save his mother's life.
He ran through the crowded morning village running to people along the way.
"Sorry!" he cried quickly to the angry villagers as he ran past.
He ran deeper into the village finding small shops and boutiques. He looked up looking for any sign of a doctor or an apothecary. He looked up as he found a small shop selling medicines. He quickly ran inside as the small shop bell dinged above the door.
"Is there a doctor here?!" he cried loudly making people in the shop turn and look up.
"Yes.." a man answered stepping forward from behind the counter. "I'm a doctor."
"Please," Kurama begged stepping toward the doctor. "You must help me.. My mother is very ill."
Quickly, the doctor nodded as he and Kurama ran out of the apothecary and to the small cottage as fast as they could.
Kurama paced nervously as he waited anxiously in the kitchen for the doctor's news. He looked up worriedly as he watched the doctor walk in the small kitchen.
"Doctor?" Kurama asked nervously. "Is my mother well?"
"Well.. " the doctor began as he looked up to Kurama worriedly. "She seems to be under a lot of stress, and she looks as though something just drained the life out of her."
"Oh..." Kurama softly replied as a slow realization entered his mind.
'"She looks as though something just drained the life out of her,"' he thought to himself as the doctor's words rang through his mind as he ignored the doctor's other words. '.. The tapestry.. Mother poured her whole life into it...'
"Kurama?" the doctor called snapping Kurama from his daze.
Kurama turned worried to face the doctor.
"I'm sorry," the doctor began softly. "But.. Your mother is dying."
(Author's Note: ugh!! I'm soooooooooooooo sorry for the long update! School sucks! And so does writer's block.. bleh.. I'm sooo sorry... I'll update when i can.)
Crowds gathered quickly around Yusuke and Shuiichi all curious of the large tapestry they were selling.
"Such fine work," a man said as he rubbed the soft threads of the tapestry between his fingers.
"Do you want it?" Yusuke asked in a persuasive tone. "It'll cost you two thousand gold coins."
The man looked up to Yusuke in shock and quickly walked away. Slowly, after hearing Yusuke's price, the crowds walked away leaving Yusuke screaming at the top of his lungs in rage.
"I'll buy it," an old and annoyed voice rasped softly. "If you'll just shut up dimwit."
Quickly, Yusuke smiled down to an old woman with graying pink hair at his feet. 'Stupid old hag,' he thought to himself annoyed.
"Sure," Yusuke replied to the small old woman. "Now that will be two thousand gold coins."
The old woman nodded as she pulled out a small sack of coins.
"Here," the old woman said. "And my name is Genkai.. Not 'stupid old hag.'"
Yusuke stared wide eyed at the smaller woman. 'She's a...' his mind began.
"Yes.. I'm a psychic," she replied as she pulled out a cigarette and began smoking. "I'd watch my thoughts if I were you."
Genkai walked behind Yusuke and pulled down the tapestry and rolled it and placed it under her arm as she began walking away.
"Just so you know..." she began as she took a long drag of her cigarette and exhaled. "You'll find me in the east."
'Huh?' Yusuke asked himself confused as he turned to Shuiichi. Shuiichi shrugged.
"Now.." Shuiichi began as he eyed Yusuke's sack of coins. "What shall we do with the money?"
Devilishly, Yusuke smiled as he tossed the bag into the air.
Shiori watched her sleeping son's bruised and battered chest rise and fall as she cleaned his wounds. Softly, she sighed. 'Forgive me Kurama,' she thought to herself softly. 'It's all my fault.' She looked up as she heard a soft wince as Kurama's emerald eyes painfully opened.
"Mother..." he rasped weakly. "Are Yusuke and Shuiichi back yet?"
Shiori shook her head. Kurama sighed. As she heard the soft creak of the cottage door open, Shiori turned looking at her son's closed bedroom door. Painfully, Kurama tried to stand only to have his mother lay him back down.
"No," Shiori said sternly. "You need to rest.. I'll take care of your brothers."
Kurama nodded as his heavy green eyes slowly fell closed.
Yusuke and Shuiichi walked in wearing fine green and blue silk clothes as Yusuke carried the small sack of leftover coins in his hand. They looked up as they heard Shiori's soft footfalls walk into the kitchen.
"What do you want you old woman?" asked Yusuke as he and Shuiichi glared.
"Just to know why Yusuke," Shiori whispered as tears formed in her eyes. "Why did you have to do that to your brother?"
"Shut up Mother," Shuiichi demanded stepping forward. "He's always been your favorite.. He's perfect while me and Yusuke always seemed to do something wrong in your eyes."
"No!" she cried the tears beginning to fall. "I love all of you! You're wrong."
"Yea right," Yusuke muttered angrily.
"Believe me please," she begged as she buried her crying face in her hands.
Yusuke and Shuiichi sneered as they stormed past her and into their rooms leaving her to cry softly in the kitchen as the sad afternoon sun cast small squares of light onto the wooden floor.
As the day turned to night, Shiori stared out into her bedroom window her tears softly falling from her face the liquid diamonds landing on the floor with a soft thump. 'My work,' she thought to herself sadly. 'But worst of all... my sons.. I've lost them all.' She walked to her bed and laid down tiredly as she softly fell into a sadden sleep under the starlight.
She awoke to the soft morning sunlight feeling weak and heavy. She rolled over to her side seemingly making her more tired than she was. She winced as she stood and slowly and tiredly made her way to her washbowl. She stared deep into her watery reflection and placed a cold hand on her now pale and sickly skin. 'What is wrong with me?' she asked herself quietly. 'I wasn't like this yesterday.' She placed a hand on her neck as she felt the heat rise quickly to her forehead and throat. Quickly, Shiori splashed the cool water on her face trying to cool herself down. The room swam before her eyes.
"Oh..." she sighed softly as she fell to the floor with a loud thump.
Wearily, Kurama opened his emerald eyes to the waking sunlight and painfully stood softly wincing to himself. He walked slowly to his washbowl and splashed the cool water on his face. Then, he heard it. Worried, he turned to the source of the sound and quickly ran to his mother's room oblivious to the pain emanating from his wounds.
He ran into her room as she lay still and silent on the floor her skin ghostly white and flushed with fever. He ran to her side.
"Mother?" he called out to her softly shaking her.
She didn't reply.
"Mother?" he asked louder shaking her harder.
She slept.
"Mother!" he cried loudly as he gather her in his arms rocking her back and forth as tears gathered in her eyes.
Panic flowing wildly in his veins, he scooped her up in his arms and laid her on her bed. Taking a cloth from her washstand, he soaked with the cold water and placed it on her searing forehead. He ran out of her room and banged loudly on his brothers' bedroom doors.
"Yusuke! Shuiichi!" he cried worriedly as he stood in front of one of his brother's rooms. "Come quick! There's something wrong with mother!"
Shuiichi opened the door.
"HN!" he replied slamming the door in Kurama's face.
He turned to Yusuke's open door as Yusuke stood glaring at the doorway.
"Yusuke!" he cried as he ran to the door only to have it slammed loudly once more in his face.
Confused and worried, he looked around his home looking for anyone to help him. Quickly, he turned and ran outside the cottage door and onto the beaten meadow path headed for the village hoping to find a doctor to save his mother's life.
He ran through the crowded morning village running to people along the way.
"Sorry!" he cried quickly to the angry villagers as he ran past.
He ran deeper into the village finding small shops and boutiques. He looked up looking for any sign of a doctor or an apothecary. He looked up as he found a small shop selling medicines. He quickly ran inside as the small shop bell dinged above the door.
"Is there a doctor here?!" he cried loudly making people in the shop turn and look up.
"Yes.." a man answered stepping forward from behind the counter. "I'm a doctor."
"Please," Kurama begged stepping toward the doctor. "You must help me.. My mother is very ill."
Quickly, the doctor nodded as he and Kurama ran out of the apothecary and to the small cottage as fast as they could.
Kurama paced nervously as he waited anxiously in the kitchen for the doctor's news. He looked up worriedly as he watched the doctor walk in the small kitchen.
"Doctor?" Kurama asked nervously. "Is my mother well?"
"Well.. " the doctor began as he looked up to Kurama worriedly. "She seems to be under a lot of stress, and she looks as though something just drained the life out of her."
"Oh..." Kurama softly replied as a slow realization entered his mind.
'"She looks as though something just drained the life out of her,"' he thought to himself as the doctor's words rang through his mind as he ignored the doctor's other words. '.. The tapestry.. Mother poured her whole life into it...'
"Kurama?" the doctor called snapping Kurama from his daze.
Kurama turned worried to face the doctor.
"I'm sorry," the doctor began softly. "But.. Your mother is dying."
(Author's Note: ugh!! I'm soooooooooooooo sorry for the long update! School sucks! And so does writer's block.. bleh.. I'm sooo sorry... I'll update when i can.)