Disclaimer: I do not own PMK or RK, kindly refrain from suing me b'cos it's not worth the effort.
Chapter 8: Fleeting Illusions
Lucky, that's what he's been. Suzu wiped the sweat from his brow as he worked in the vegetable plot. He's been a naïve idiot. It's no good looking at the world through a tiny window. Someone had once said to Yoshida. Of course Yoshida had disagreed. Come to think of it, Yoshida disagreed with almost everyone.
Ever since they had embarked on their journey, it was just the two of them. It would have been his elder brother's journey if he hadn't been killed, would it? Working towards an ideal only Yoshida knew and Suzu can only guess at. Pity he never really understood his master's vision.
Himura Kenshin and Tomoe packed their wares for the marketplace. Saya watched them intently. A slight smile in the eyes, a tender touching of the hands, however brief...then the awkwardness. They were a couple in the early stages of love. She remembered having blundered through the same stage herself with Tetsu. She blinked away tears.
She had learnt that they were refugees of a sort. Himura and Tomoe were passing themselves off as a newly wed couple. Suzu was a relative, a distant cousin, perhaps? A very distant cousin, going by his looks. Maybe Saya will be a cousin, too. She was very insistent on not returning to Kyoto. They had not pressed her.
Why can't she return to Kyoto and to Tetsu's side? She only knew she couldn't. The nightmares were less frequent now, but she still sought out Tomoe in the dead of the night whenever she woke up in terror and screaming silently. No, she can't face him not after what has happened...
Tomoe stole a glance at the mute Saya as she left with her 'husband'. They had searched in vain for a household willing to take her in. This is a poor area. The semblance of stability they had built up is an illusion. One day, it'd all fall apart. Tomoe glanced at Kenshin with a fond sadness. Even their relationship is an illusion.
Suzu poked about in the soft earth. A simple, stable life. He mustn't get too used to it. One day they'll all go back...He watched as Saya brought the laundry out to the stream. A bird twittered. Leaves fell. It was autumn, but the vegetables and yams had not grown well...
"Saitou-san! Please, I beg of you!" Saitou studied the redhead page that knelt in front of him. What on earth had happened while he was away? What could reduce Hijitaka's hyperactive, overly cheery page to this miserable state? Yes, of course, there's a shadow over the boy...Saitou closed his eyes to better grasp it.
No. He wasn't getting any of the vibrations that he got from the spirits. Okay, maybe those chaps he killed the other day are hanging about. It'd take time for those poor sods to figure out they've died.
"Saitou-san! Can you help me? Just let me see Saya, or speak to her. Please, I'll treat you to soba for a month if you'd help!" Tetsu bowed so low that he banged his forehead against the floor. Saitou couldn't turn the poor boy away.
"Tetsu-kun, the shadow over you has nothing to do with spirits. It's a deep-set longing born from your own heart. Whoever you are looking for means a lot to you, am I right?" Saya was the sunshine of his life, Tetsu nodded. With Tatsu's help, Tetsu explained the situation with frequent breaks to fight back tears.
Saitou frowned. This was troublesome. The scene of death was too far away for him to sense anything from here. The girl Saya loved Tetsu and was loved by the boy. Saitou was more used to dealing with vengeful spirits that clung to this earthly realm.
Sometimes a loved one may return as a protective spirit. He knew this from experience. Ayu-nee's spirit had lingered for a while until her brother was back on his feet before moving on. Tetsu's own feelings had formed a strong spiritual shell that shut out things. Saitou shook his head. With his powers as a medium, he still cannot sense anything else.
"Sorry, Tetsu-kun," Saitou patted the poor lad on the head, a rare display of emotion on his part. "I can't sense her at all. I believe she has gone to a better world. When you have done everything you can, it's time to move on with life...That's the way it is..."
Tetsu fought back a sob. Saitou felt sorry for him. He will pray for the poor girl's soul. Suddenly he thought of something, the blind spot in his psychic abilities. Should he? Or will he be giving the boy false hope?
"Tetsu-kun, I cannot sense the souls of the living." Hope made Tetsu sit up. Is it possible Saya still lives? Saitou hated himself as he watched the boy. False hope may prove to be worse than no hope at all. Judging by what he had learnt, it was unlikely Tetsu will see his love again.
Saitou chanted a prayer for those slain by the bandits, with an afterthought to those slain by him. Then turning on his heel, he went into the training hall for a strenuous kendo session with Hijitaka.
Susumu placed the late chrysanthemums he had bought on the grave of Yamazaki Ayumu. She had always loved the golden flowers. What would Ayu-nee have done? What he had done for his friend seemed painfully inadequate.
In the HQ kitchen, Hotaru wondered why Okita has not visited for a while. In his room, Okita coughed and pulled his blanket tight around him. It was getting cold. He cleaned away the trickle of blood at the corner of his mouth.
At the shrine, Yamanami, Akesato and Hana prayed for Saya's soul. Yamanami offered Akesato a scarf against the cold, which she accepted. The seasons were starting to turn. The wind now had a bite to it. Autumn was flying into winter.
Author's notes:
A bit on KenshinTomoe and other pairings about. I'm sticking with the PMK Saitou (psychic powers, prayer beads) for now. He may change into the RRK Saitou later. Maybe after meeting Battousai?