Along a winding stream, Kaya sat with her foot dangling in the water. She
sighed and glanced at the deep blue sky, deep in thought. Today was her
sixteenth birthday and she still hoped and hoped beyond reason that she
would see her brother again. For the past three years on her birthday she
had come to this same stream, hoping that he would come. It was along this
same stream after all that he had taught her many of his songs and how to
wield her sword. It was this same stream that they'd had countless picnics
and quiet moments of repose.
She sighed and wondered if he was even alive. Somewhere deep inside of her she knew he was, but she had no proof, no real idea if he truly was. "I just know he is. I can feel it!" She murmured to herself, glancing down at the clear and clean water her foot was immersed in. "I just wish I could see him again, even if only for a moment." Kaya whispered softly to herself.
He had been her only family. Her own parents had died from sickness when she was only a little girl of seven. It had been her brother, Ashitaka, who had taken care of her and been father and mother to her. So much so that when he had to leave those three and a half years ago, she'd felt a constant ache at his absence. She sorely wished she had just gone with him, but she knew deep down he wouldn't have let her join him.
Fighting back another sigh, she rose and put on her donned her slippers was again. As she straightened up she caught a glimpse of something away on the hill. Squinting, she saw an elk ... a familiar red elk. Surprised, she stopped and stared. Sure enough, she saw it again. There two people on the elk, but her heart froze as she took in the second rider. "No ... it couldn't be ..." Kaya whispered and broke into a run towards the hill and the elk.
She ran and ran as if for dear life. It was her life. It was Ashitaka. She knew now, it was him. He had returned to her. Gasping for breath she reached the base of the hill and looked around. There was no one, no elk and no rider. "N-no, but I saw!" She gasped, and glanced around again. A movement out of the corner of her eye, caught her attention. She turned and saw, in the bushes, the red elk. She knew him now. "Yakkul!" She cried and moved forward to the elk.
Once she reached him, out of the shadows came Ashitaka. "Kaya, you've grown quite a bit. I could hardly recognize you." He smiled and said in his soft voice. Kaya felt her heart beat fast. It was him! Her brother! She launched herself forward and clung to him. "Oh, Ashitaka! How I have missed you so much! But you've come back! You're alive and you've returned! And the demon mark is gone!" She cried all in one breath, causing her brother to smile. "Yes, it's gone, but Kaya, I have not come back to stay. I came to see you again, but not to stay." He told her.
At this she looked crestfallen, but she nodded just the same. "I always knew you'd come back. Though, I truly wish you could stay, brother." She murmured and suddenly caught a glimpse of a girl behind him. Seeing where her gaze was resting, he turned and indicated for the girl to come closer and turned back to his sister. "Kaya, I want you to meet San," here he turned to the girl, "and San, this is my sister Kaya."
Kaya gazed at the girl and smiled. "Pleased to meet you. A friend of my brother's is a friend of mine." She greeted. San smiled a small smile. "Thank you. I've heard much of you on this journey from both your brother and Yakkul. It's nice to meet you, too." San returned.
"Truly this is a wonderful birthday gift, seeing you again Ashitaka. Thank you." Kaya murmured and hugged her brother once again. Ashitaka smiled and held her long. He had missed her so much all these years and now he had finally gotten to see her again.
~*~*~
After the reunion, the three spent the day together wandering the old paths of Ashitaka's youth and walking the forest, but soon it came time for the three to part ways again. Though, Ashitaka made a promise that each year for Kaya's birthday would see his return. She had smiled and told him that would be the best birthday gift he could ever give her.
Riding away in the sunset, he glanced back and waved at her until she had disappeared from sight. So they rode off back to the forest, to where his life with San awaited.
~*~*~Finis~*~*~
She sighed and wondered if he was even alive. Somewhere deep inside of her she knew he was, but she had no proof, no real idea if he truly was. "I just know he is. I can feel it!" She murmured to herself, glancing down at the clear and clean water her foot was immersed in. "I just wish I could see him again, even if only for a moment." Kaya whispered softly to herself.
He had been her only family. Her own parents had died from sickness when she was only a little girl of seven. It had been her brother, Ashitaka, who had taken care of her and been father and mother to her. So much so that when he had to leave those three and a half years ago, she'd felt a constant ache at his absence. She sorely wished she had just gone with him, but she knew deep down he wouldn't have let her join him.
Fighting back another sigh, she rose and put on her donned her slippers was again. As she straightened up she caught a glimpse of something away on the hill. Squinting, she saw an elk ... a familiar red elk. Surprised, she stopped and stared. Sure enough, she saw it again. There two people on the elk, but her heart froze as she took in the second rider. "No ... it couldn't be ..." Kaya whispered and broke into a run towards the hill and the elk.
She ran and ran as if for dear life. It was her life. It was Ashitaka. She knew now, it was him. He had returned to her. Gasping for breath she reached the base of the hill and looked around. There was no one, no elk and no rider. "N-no, but I saw!" She gasped, and glanced around again. A movement out of the corner of her eye, caught her attention. She turned and saw, in the bushes, the red elk. She knew him now. "Yakkul!" She cried and moved forward to the elk.
Once she reached him, out of the shadows came Ashitaka. "Kaya, you've grown quite a bit. I could hardly recognize you." He smiled and said in his soft voice. Kaya felt her heart beat fast. It was him! Her brother! She launched herself forward and clung to him. "Oh, Ashitaka! How I have missed you so much! But you've come back! You're alive and you've returned! And the demon mark is gone!" She cried all in one breath, causing her brother to smile. "Yes, it's gone, but Kaya, I have not come back to stay. I came to see you again, but not to stay." He told her.
At this she looked crestfallen, but she nodded just the same. "I always knew you'd come back. Though, I truly wish you could stay, brother." She murmured and suddenly caught a glimpse of a girl behind him. Seeing where her gaze was resting, he turned and indicated for the girl to come closer and turned back to his sister. "Kaya, I want you to meet San," here he turned to the girl, "and San, this is my sister Kaya."
Kaya gazed at the girl and smiled. "Pleased to meet you. A friend of my brother's is a friend of mine." She greeted. San smiled a small smile. "Thank you. I've heard much of you on this journey from both your brother and Yakkul. It's nice to meet you, too." San returned.
"Truly this is a wonderful birthday gift, seeing you again Ashitaka. Thank you." Kaya murmured and hugged her brother once again. Ashitaka smiled and held her long. He had missed her so much all these years and now he had finally gotten to see her again.
~*~*~
After the reunion, the three spent the day together wandering the old paths of Ashitaka's youth and walking the forest, but soon it came time for the three to part ways again. Though, Ashitaka made a promise that each year for Kaya's birthday would see his return. She had smiled and told him that would be the best birthday gift he could ever give her.
Riding away in the sunset, he glanced back and waved at her until she had disappeared from sight. So they rode off back to the forest, to where his life with San awaited.
~*~*~Finis~*~*~