Healer
By Meii-chan
Chapter 11– Departure
After the visit from the mayor the days spent at the Juuraku temple became more peaceful. Kenshin was nowhere to be seen, and it was concluded that he couldn't be accustomed to the arctic climate. This didn't bother the children, who were playing merrily in the fields of half-melted snow. That is, until Haru began to cry again.
Tsubaki shook her head as she hurried over to the girl's side. "Mou, now what is it, Haru?"
"Akane-chan…I can't find her…"
"Akane?" A perplexed Soujiro said out of confusion.
"A doll." Tasuke whispered to Soujiro under his breath, so that Haru wouldn't overhear and say he insulting her friend. "She's obsessed with that thing, she always carries it around with her. I think Haru-chan would die if she really lost Akane-chan. It's kind of pathetic, to rely so much on something, someone…"
Soujiro thought about this. "Is it?" and then he shifted his attention to the present predicament of the disappearance of Akane-chan.
Yoshi was currently berating Haru on her attachment to material objects. "Haru-chan, you just need to let go of your doll now. You're five already. Gorou we can understand, he's a baby. You're too old to drag around toy s like that. What would Oshou-sama say? To get into heaven we're supposed to give up important things like Akane-chan."
"Akane-chan's not a THING!"
Yoshi's explanation did nothing to pacify Haru. If anything, it only made the little girl cry more. Megumi, feeling sorry for the girl, commanded Yoshi to stop chiding her. "Yoshi-kun, you don't need to worry about Haru-chan and her doll. Just leave her alone."
"Fine." Yoshi conceded until the intense glare of Megumi, who, needless to say, towered over him. He walked away farther into the field. The other children scattered away, and Haru ran into the temple to tell Anji that Yoshi was being mean, until only Soujiro and Tsubaki were left standing there.
"I kind of feel bad that I keep telling Haru to stop whining." Tsubaki said to no one in particular, forgetting that Soujiro was standing there behind her.
"Why?"
Tsubaki nearly jumped after hearing his voice. "Oh, it's just you… I guess it's because we're all telling her to let go of something important. She really loves that doll." Soujiro remained silent, awaiting a more comprehendible answer. "Haru-chan's mother made her that doll, just before she died. And she used one of her red hair ribbons to make the doll's sash. The reason Haru-chan can't lose it is because that's the only thing she has to remind her of her mother. Sometimes I think that I should try not to be so mean to her, but…I can't help it."
"Tsubaki-san, we should start looking for it. Tasuke-san said that Haru-san would die without her doll."
Merriment returned to Tsubaki's eyes as she spun around on her heels and playfully swatted him on the head. "Sou-kun. You take things too literally, you know that?"
"Areh?"
Tsubaki walked away, giggling. Yoshi watched them from a distance, and scowled. After Tsubaki was out of earshot, Yoshi came up to Soujiro, looking more serious than normal.
"Ah! Hello, Yoshi-san." Soujiro greeted him amiably as he noticed Yoshi's approach.
"Don't be so polite, Soujiro-kun." He said nonchalantly. "Why did you have to come and mess up everything?"
"Areh?" mess up everything? "Did I do something wrong?" No matter how much he racked his brain, Soujiro couldn't think of anything that he had done to offend Yoshi. Maybe it was just his presence at the temple, or…
Yoshi hesitated to answer, as he realized that he what he had just said was spiteful. "Well, it's not you. I sort of meant Megumi-nee-chan. She stopped me from telling Haru-chan the truth. If you thought I was angry with you, I'm sorry."
"Why did Megumi-san make you upset. She was just protecting Haru-chan." Of course, she was protecting Haru from Yoshi, but Soujiro disregarded that fact. "But, what is this 'truth' that you said? Is it really that important?"
"It's the most important thing in the world!" Yoshi declared zealously. "The truth is that we'll all die at the end of our life and be reborn as something else, depending on how good we've been. Megumi doesn't know about the destiny that awaits Haru and everyone else. If Haru-chan loves her doll too much, she'll never go to heaven. She'll end up being reborn as a lower life-form, like a bird or something. I'm actually being the one who's protecting Haru-chan!"
Sometime during Yoshi's long diatribe, Soujiro's thoughts had drifted asunder, contemplating on the words spoken by Yoshi. So, is the way of being truly good to let go of the people you cherish most? Well, if Yoshi-san believes it's really that important…
"Soujiro! Soujiro! Are you there?" Yoshi waved his hand in front of Soujiro's face a few times. Soujiro laughed sheepishly as he apologized for being inattentive. "Well, I'm only trying to say that it isn't really your fault, but Tsubaki-nee-chan's for being so…strange."
"Areh?" Soujiro was thoroughly confused by the change in subject. Wasn't he just complaining about Megumi-san and Haru-chan?
"Tsubaki-nee-chan is acting really strange lately, so I think that she wants to get married to you. I wanted to tell you to go away, but that's not what we want."
Soujiro turned away from Yoshi as he began to walk away. "So, is that what you want? For me to leave?"
"No! It isn't!" Yoshi panicked. "I only wanted to keep our family together. I don't want my other Onee-chan to leave again. (1) But you're our family too!"
And though Yoshi couldn't see him, Soujiro smiled.
"Arigatou, Yoshi-san."
A bittersweet smile.
"Megumi-nee-san!" Tasuke's voice caused her to look up from her work. "Megumi-nee-san, are these the right ones?" he asked eagerly, showing her a handful of leafy herbs.
Megumi looked carefully at them and then answered with a bright smile, "They look alright to me! Good job Tasuke-kun! Now give them to Anji-oshou!" Then, she moved on, picking the wild herbs for the monk. It was when she stood up and stretched that she saw the sun setting in the west, spilling scattered scarlet light.
"Anji-oshou, do you think we should go now?"
The monk stood up from his work as well. "Alright, I guess I lost track of the time. Tasuke-kun, Haru-chan! Come put your herbs in the basket! We're going home!"
Tasuke bounded quickly over to Anji's side, while Haru came much later. As they trekked back to the temple together, Megumi whispered to Haru. "Don't worry, I'm sure Akane-chan is okay."
"Who's worried?" she said stubbornly.
Megumi sighed. Apparently the little girl didn't need to be fussed over like she had thought. Then, something in the forest made her stop in her tracks.
"Megumi-nee-chan?" Tasuke side hesitantly. "Why did you stop?"
"Oh, I just realized I forgot something. You go ahead, I'll catch up." She said quickly, and the headed off in the direction that she came. She barely heard Anji telling her that he'll place a light outside of the temple so she wouldn't get lost.
As soon as Megumi had cleared their field of vision, she dashed deeper into the woods towards her quarry. The back of the pale azure shirt was unmistakably his, and she was pleased that he had not noticed her rather raucous jaunt through the undergrowth.
"Sou-chan!" she embraced him briefly from behind before scolding him. "What are you doing out here? Do you want to get a cold like Ken-san? Come on!"
"I'm just looking for Haru-chan's doll, that's all." He continued to search through the shrubbery despite Megumi's protests that it was detrimental to his health.
"Listen, Sou-chan. Haru can live past one night without the doll, alright. She said it herself that she isn't worried." Well, if medical threats weren't enough…
Soujiro continued to refute her pleas. "Megumi-san, do you think that a person is able to say she's alright, even though she's really dying inside?"
"Of course, but—" Megumi ceased to speak as soon as she heard a twig snap behind her.
"What are you two doing out here? There might be wolves around at night."
The unknown person's familiar voice calmed both Megumi and Soujiro. "Ken-san! Don't you have a cold?"
The rurouni fidgeted nervously. "Well, not anymore, Megumi-dono. This unworthy one has decided to leave before this unworthy one get sick again. And, this unworthy one doesn't think this unworthy one's staying here will help Anji-oshou any more than if this unworthy one doesn't."
"Then, we'll be going with you, right? Himura-san?" Soujiro asked tentatively.
"No. This unworthy one requests that you stay with Anji-oshou. He's better at taking care of you than this unworthy one can be. This unworthy one doesn't want to drag you two into the chaos that pursues this unworthy one." And then he turned to leave.
And then he came back.
Kenshin took something out from his sleeve, as offered it to Soujiro. "This blade, is the one you used to protect Megumi-dono and Kirashi-dono last winter. So if you ever need to protect the people important to you, this unworthy one gives this to you."
Soujiro took it.
"Keep in mind, Soujiro. This unworthy one is hoping that you'll never have to unsheathe that knife, but things happen. Things that should never happen, but, that's the way it is, you know right? And, Megumi-san, this unworthy one believes that you'll grow up to be a great doctor."
"Does it have to be this way?" Tears threatened to spill from her eyes.
"Don't be sad, Megumi-dono. This unworthy one is sure we'll meet someday again. Until then, Sayonara." And then, Kenshin went to the west, where all that could be seen of him was a dark silhouette against the scarlet sunset, until that silhouette became a speck, and then disappeared.
When Kenshin could no longer be seen, Megumi collapsed to her knees, tears streaming down her face.
"Megumi-san…" Soujiro was planning to hug her, but Megumi had stood up so quickly, she knocked him over.
"Oh! I'm sorry!" She apologized quickly, one hand helping Soujiro up from the ground, the other wiping her tears from her now damp cheeks. "Are you alright? I didn't mean to knock you over!"
"Areh? Aren't you still sad about Himura-san? You got over that too quickly…"
"I guess, but crying won't bring Ken-san back." She noted the dimming light around them and pulled Soujiro in the direction of the temple. "Come on, let's go back."
"Megumi-nee-chan! Soujiro-nii-chan!" Haru rushed over happily towards the two older children, and held up a doll. "I found Akane-chan! I didn't realize I left her in the kitchen yesterday and Tsubaki-nee-chan just found her!"
"That's great, Haru-chan!"
"Ah, Megumi-chan, Soujiro-kun. I was wondering what took you so long." Anji said as they walked into the temple. "Do you know that Himura-san left just now, and that he wants you two to stay here for a while? Why don't you two get something to eat with the other children, I'm going to the waterfalls tonight."
"There are waterfalls around here?" Soujiro asked inquisitively.
"Yes. If you go out of the temple and follow a forest path on your right, it'll lead you too the waterfalls. Maybe I should take you all there someday."
"Can you take us now?" Yoshi piped up. "I promise we'll be good!"
Anji laughed amiably. "I'm sure you will be, but I'm planning on staying there overnight, so I wouldn't be able to take you tonight. Maybe in the future. Okay? Now I expect you all to listen to Tsubaki-chan and Megumi-chan while I'm gone."
It was very late, and very little moonlight filtered into the temple where the children were sleeping. Or rather, where the children were supposed to be sleeping. Soujiro, laid awake in the futon, thoughts preventing him from drifting into dreamland.
Yoshi's musings kept on playing in his head, making Soujiro doubt whether he really should have stayed here at all. After lying awake for three hours, he got up from the futon and silently made his way over to a large table, where he got a piece of parchment and a small brush and began to write in rounded hiragana:
Anji-oshou, Megumi-san, minna-san, (2)
I'm sorry that I have left you without really telling you, but I think that you'll all be happier when I leave. Don't worry about me, because I'll find Himura-san, so I won't be alone. And please don't blame yourselves because of I'm leaving, because staying here has really made me very happy, but I don't want to break up your family. I'm very thankful to know all of you. So, goodbye.
Seta Soujiro
It took him about an hour to write it all out on the parchment. Some of the characters were blotted out with ink where he couldn't figure out what the characters looked like. Soujiro hoped that they would still be able to read it, considering the ink on the bottom half of the letter was covered with water.
Salty water.
Tears.
It was then that Soujiro realized that he did want to go away and be alone. I'm not even sure where Himura-san is. I don't want to leave Megumi-san and Anji-oshou and all the other people here that are my friends. I don't know why, but, something is stopping me from just leaving now.
"I wanted to tell you to go away"
No, I have to leave. I already know I'm no longer welcome here. If I stay, I'll break the gentle harmony of the family here.
"Is the way of being truly good to let go of the people you cherish most?"
Even though they are my friends…I think they'll be happier if I'm not here. Maybe…maybe I'll can be happy not if the people I cherish are with me, but if they're happy, even if they're not with me…
And with new resolution, Soujiro put on his regular clothes and went out, being sure to be silent not to wake any of the others. He had just come out of the temple grounds, when he saw a group of men approach the temple. He quietly moved into the shadows of the trees when he realized who the people were.
They were the same two men that had accompanied the mayor when he visited a week ago. But now, they carried clubs with them, and while one carried a large ceramic jar, the other brandished a stick wrapped in an oil soaked cloth, that was burning brightly in the darkness of the night.
Soujiro recalled the conversation the men had when they had left the temple earlier.
"It's just a run-down temple, and monk and a bunch of dirty kids. You can do whatever you want with them, and no one's going to complain…"
Soujiro glanced at the flame, then at the large ceramic jug. If they're carrying oil…then…they're trying to burn down the temple! Anji-oshou has to know this is happening!
As soon as the men had disappeared, Soujiro bolted for the forest path towards the waterfall.
Tsubaki awoke to the smell of burning wood. That's strange, it can't be morning yet…and the temple feels abnormally warm now…Tsubaki forced open her eyes. A room of advancing flames surrounded her. She shook awake, Megumi, who slept beside her.
"Megumi-chan! Wake up!"
"I'm up! Why did you—oh…" the flaming room mesmerized Megumi. "I'm not asleep am I?"
"Who cares? Help me wake up the others? Where's Soujiro-kun? Ah! How do we get out of here?"
"Anji-oshou! Tasukete!" Soujiro yelled when he caught the first glimpse of water. "Anji-oshou!" When he got to the bank of the waterfall, he tripped and fell into the water. The disturbance of the water was enough to make Anji stop meditating.
"Soujiro-kun, what are you doing there?" Anji asked, surprised, as he helped him out of the water.
"They're going to burn the temple…everyone is still inside."
"What?" Anji doubted what Soujiro was saying was true, but then he caught a whiff of smoke in the air. Anji somehow climbed up to the top of the cascade where he could see the temple, and what he saw there shocked the disbelief out of him.
Without any further words exchanged, Anji began rushing towards the temple.
Tsubaki, Tasuke, Gorou…the children!
Anji raced up the temple steps, not knowing what awaited him as he came into the temple grounds. Something very hard hit him in the back of his head, and he could feel his blood oozing out onto the pavement. And he also heard voices.
"All right, that's all of them. Go tell the Mayor." The sound of retreating footsteps was heard. Once again, when Soujiro was coming up towards the temple, he met the two men, and was forced to hide in the foliage.
But as soon as they had moved past, he scrambled up the stone steps toward the temple. Soujiro had almost tripped over Anji as he dashed through the gate.
"Anji-oshou! Are you alright!?" Soujiro asked quickly.
"Save the children…" Anji said weakly.
The heat inside the temple was unbearable; the children huddle together in the middle of the temple, for the frame of the temple was burning and threatening to collapse. The smoke from the burning wood choked them, burned their lungs like invisible flame.
It only became worse when Tsubaki tried to soothe the younger children.
"We'll be alright, you'll see. Hotoke-sama will save us, somehow." Even Tsubaki doubted her own words.
"No, it'll be over soon enough, we'll all die and—"
"Yoshi! Don't say that!"
The flames only burned brighter, and then they heard Soujiro call for them.
"Sou-chan! We're over here!" Megumi shouted, partly relieved to see him still alive, partly worried to know that he was trapped inside as well.
"We have to get out now! Just go over there." Soujiro pointed behind him. Tsubaki immediately took Haru's hand and hurried over, followed by Tasuke, Soujiro and Megumi.
When they reached the outdoors, they all breathed a sigh of relief. "And there we were talking about how we're all going to die…How silly of me."
"Maybe, we could have gotten out sooner, but we were too afraid to look for an exit?" Haru said timidly. "Thank you Sou-nii!"
"Megumi-san, you need to hurry to check on Anji-oshou. He's bleeding."
"Oh, right." Megumi looked around before spotting Anji, who was passed out at the gate. "Hey! Where's Yoshi-kun?" And she was right; Yoshi was nowhere to be seen.
Tsubaki gasped as she looked at the burning temple. "You don't suppose he's still in there?" Something blurred past her. "No! Sou-kun! You can't go back in there! The roof will collapse at any second! Don't go back in there!"
The atmosphere inside the temple was now stifling hot; the entire framework of the building, including the vertical columns that supported the roof, was aflame. The burning smoke and the scorching heat of the air caused it to present a wavy, distorted image of the interior, much to the annoyance of Soujiro. Luckily, he was able to find Yoshi quickly, who was leaning against the bronze sculpture, absentmindedly gazing at the flames licking at the metal of the statue.
"Yoshi-san!" Soujiro yelled, and then quickly subsided to a series of coughs after inhaling a large volume of fumes. "Have you gone mad? You're going to die if you don't get out of here!"
Still, Yoshi paid Soujiro no attention. He finally snapped out of his daze when the burning tatami mat beneath his feet began to singe his bare feet. Yoshi winced, but stood there still. As it was evident that he was not going to move, Soujiro had no choice but to drag Yoshi out, even though Yoshi was reluctant to move.
By now, the temple had begun to tremble menacingly, and large chunks of burning wood plummeted from the ceiling like fiery hailstones. As they neared the outside, a wooden beam suddenly gave way and fell almost on top of Yoshi. Because of the proximity of the beam to the boy, Soujiro believed that the column would squash Yoshi, rushed to his side to pull him out of the way and slipped, resulting only in trapping his left leg under the beam.
The only thing that prevented him from screaming as the flame seared through the hakama to his skin was the smoke, which would immobilize him if he breathed in too much. After a few seconds, Yoshi was able to pull him out, and the beam crashed through the floor to the ground below. The embers that remained embedded within the fabric was put out from the moisture that still remained in Soujiro's sleeves from the time he fell into the waterfall. Yoshi waited patiently until the embers all died out, and then helped Soujiro out of the temple.
"Thank you, Yoshi-san. But, why are you helping me get out now when you wanted to stay inside?" Soujiro asked as they made their way towards the exit, where Tsubaki was waiting anxiously.
"It's not your destiny to die here." Was his simple reply, and it was all Soujiro heard before he reached the outside, and collapsed.
The next morning, the sun shone brightly as Soujiro woke up, blinking, confused as to why he was outside. Then he saw the leveled temple and felt a bandage wrapped around his ankle, and all made sense. However, there was a constant monotonous chant of "Namu Amida Buddha" somewhere off in the distance. Curious, he stood up, and hopped towards the direction of the chanting.
Haru was laying bright red flowers on a grave.
Soujiro looked around, and noticed Yoshi was not there. "Areh? Where did Yoshi-san go?" he asked Megumi. Yoshi couldn't have died, he was hardly singed!
Megumi looked at the mound of freshly tilled dirt and said: "Usually, it's the smoke of a fire that kills, not the actual fire. I was afraid that you would be lying under this earth too." She embraced him and buried her face into Soujiro's hair.
They fell silent.
Anji's prayer continued.
Glossary:
1. Onee-chan –older sister (I should have defined this long ago, but it kept slipping my mind.)
2. minna-san –everyone
Author's Notes: Oh, dear. Megumi has gone Kaoru. Yup, Kenshin just has to leave at exactly the wrong moment. Again!
So…I have killed off Yoshi. I didn't have much of a personality for him, just that he's the "destiny" person in this fanfic. It's like, if we're going to die anyway, we might as well give up living, right? But just him dying is better than the whole lot of them dying right?
Ack!!! Too many projects I have to finish before winter break! My teachers are trying to cram, I just know it.
Thank you, and don't forget to please review!
Babygirl: Well, I can't make it romantic yet, so be patient while the overlying plot unfolds.
Smiling Blue-clad Warrior's Obsessor: Thank you! (Although you probably hate me now for killing off Yoshi.)
Cathy Mark: Arigatou Gozaimasu! Do you mean my other fic? I sort of abandoned it…(smacks self) Baka Meii-chan! You promised you'll finish it! …-.-;;;
Lord Cirenmas: Thank you for reviewing again! (But I still wish you'll say more so I can have another perspective on this fanfic.)
Erica Madarine: Still…but isn't little Soujiro cute?
Damsel in Distress: (see above, and:) maybe ten years was a bit too long…
Soujiro's Lover: Although I don't see any way I can sue you, since I don't know who you are…keep in mind Soujiro's a year younger than Sano. (If you're thinking height, then…)
sekihoutai: My eyes popped out at the length of your review. (haha, not really. But that's longer than what I write for my teacher evaluations…) But, you probably hate me now for killing off Yoshi…but at least the other kids were fine! If it weren't for all those projects I have to do…X(