When Dreams Come True
NOTE: I got asked about the italicized parts and what they mean. Well, whenever you read the italicized writing, it represents the universal conscience. You know, conscience as in the voice you hear that tells you to do otherwise when you're about to do something wrong. But in my story, it represents the 'always right thing.' Get it?
If wishes could be granted
And dreams would come true
Would I be a believer?
And be happier too?
Chapter six - …
Soujiro…
That's all that was on Misao's mind for the past week. She did admit to herself that he hadn't been on her mind all that much when he left at first. But by the second day he was gone, his absence began to take its toll.
Misao was beginning to daydream. Everyone noticed the change immediately because Misao could never sit in one spot for too long, as everybody already knew.
"Misao-chan, are you feeling quite alright?" It was Omasu and she was obviously worried. Misao didn't exactly answer, but Omasu held her ground, "Misao-chan, I have an idea! How about you take a teapot to the Kiyomizu Temple, which Aoshi-san is meditating at?"
Her usual joyous face was now a little twisted as Misao mumbled something and walked towards the kitchen.
"Oh dear, Misao, get better soon."
Misao was on her way to the Kiyomizu Temple while holding the pot of tea. It was odd, Misao didn't have a smile on her face and she wasn't upbeat as usual.
She even thought a couple times that Soujiro was walking next to her, smiling for and with her. But every one of those times she was just fooled by her surroundings.
Sou would never spend the whole day away from you… If he could, he would try to be with you every waking-
"SHUT UP!" Misao shouted, apparently no one was talking to her, but a whole bunch of people were staring at her, "Sorry," she mumbled.
She had no idea where that inner voice had come from, but all she knew was it was probably right.
She looked up the tall set of stairs, which led into the Temple's entrance.
She took a deep breath before she began the climb. The thing was, she knew something was wrong with her, and she knew it had do with Soujiro, but she just didn't know what. But she was really close to finding out. She could almost feel what the problem was exactly.
When she reached the top of the staircase, she paused right before she was about to knock. Like everything else she did, she didn't know why she did them…
…if that made sense.
She then knocked a couple times.
A muffled, "Come in," was heard as the door clicked as it opened.
Aoshi was sitting on a mat while looking out the opening to the city of Kyoto. He had a calm look on his face as Misao sat a few feet away from him and poured his tea.
As soon as she set it in front of him, he broke the silence and asked, "What's bothering you, Misao?"
She was caught off-guard, usually Aoshi wouldn't ask that kind of question. Well, actually he wouldn't talk at all. Maybe his adventures changed him a bit, "There's nothing wrong!" Misao replied, trying to stick a happy tone to her voice and a smile to her face.
Aoshi just stared for a moment making Misao feel uncomfortable before he picked up his tea and took a sip, "So, who's Koukiji?"
Wow, that had been the most Aoshi had ever said to her in a long time. Wait, she thought Jiya and her decided not to say anything about Soujiro!
"A fish I named."
He took a look back out to the city, "That's not what Okon-san said."
…Crap.
"W-what did she say, then?" Misao was getting a little nervous. He was trapping her in a verbal corner. He always did that.
"She said something about a visitor who stayed at the Aoiya for a while."
Okon! You idiot!
Misao decided she couldn't lie to her Aoshi, but she made the decision to bend the truth a little, "Well you see, there was an old lady who came by with a cat one day, see and she asked us to keep this fish, right? So we took it in and it's stayed here so I guess you can call it our visitor."
Misao was freaking out right now. Ok, maybe bending the truth didn't really work out. Maybe she straight up lied, but hey, her Aoshi would be hell of mad if she told him Soujiro had stayed at the Aoiya.
"Jiya told me you met the Tenken and invited him in," Misao's eyes widened while her meek smile stayed hanging on her face, "And then he caught a fish and named it Koukiji."
Well…yeah.
"He's not that bad! Honestly! He's changed a whole bunch! Just like you!"
That was wrong to say.
"No. The Tenken will never be like me. I have given my life to finding answers."
"But he has to!" The look that Misao received for the last comment made her shudder. It could be perceived as the same old look Aoshi would normally give to people, but something about his eyes were so…
…powerful.
Whereas in Tokyo…
Soujiro was walking along the water's edge. The light blue color showed how shallow it was. Its soft, rippling noise made Soujiro truly wish to collapse there at the spot, but he knew he had to keep on walking.
It was the only way to keep forgetting what he had left.
He noticed something funny during his adventures as a rurouni. Every time he left a place where he had stayed for more than a day, it was torture on his mind to try and forget all of the memories, which he had shared with people there.
But for some reason, the pain was more ample this time when he left the Aoiya. Then he could only ask himself, was he cursed?
After walking a little more, he saw a girl walking towards him from out of the distance. He couldn't really make out the detail but from he could see she was around the age of thirteen.
When Soujiro and the girl finally passed each other, he kept walking but he noticed he didn't hear the sound of walking coming from behind him.
"You look tired."
Soujiro stopped, which was a mistake. He turned around to see the girl standing behind him, "What?" he asked. The girl looked concerned.
She walked up next to him. It was a little awkward with her just staring at him with her dark brown eyes. Her hair was chin-length and a dark brown. Her skin was tanned to show she was outside a lot. She was unlike other girls he had seen along his journeys.
"Well, are you tired?" Soujiro smiled.
"A little."
After a couple moment of silence, Soujiro kind of inched away, "Well, I guess I'll see you around…!"
Soujiro tried to take a step forward but found it impossible. He guessed his body had cut out on him.
She watched him for a moment as he just stood there, "Whell, I thought you said you're going?"
Soujiro turned back and smiled. She gave an exasperated look, "Wow. You can't move can you! How long have you been walking anyways!"
She kind of reminded him of Misao, "A couple days now. But really! I'm okay. I just need to move a little this way and then,"
Just at that moment, Soujiro fell flat on his face.
Then he blacked out.
But he could've sworn when he fell down that he saw Misao smiling at him.
But back in Kyoto…
Misao walked back to the Aoiya in tears. She was so incredibly sad it wasn't even pitiful. It was horrible.
The one she truly loves is angry with her and also her newfound friend had just left her forever how long he would be gone. She wiped a tear from her eye as she took a different turn instead of going straight to the Aoiya.
She walked to the edge of the city where the houses were more spread out. She found a gate and then sat on it, "Sou, where did you go…?"
She watched the warm colors of the sunset slowly fade as the stars started to come out. Even though it was a beautiful sight, she had no one to share it with. And as we all know, Misao was more of the sentimental type who needed someone to help her through the tough times.
Her needs were answered though.
An old man walked along the path that would eventually pass her and where she sat. His silver-white hair was short and his moustache barely left the sides of his face. He was holding a large knapsack, which looked like it would crush the frail man at any given moment.
While he passed by, he glanced at Misao and asked with a shaky voice, "Miss, don't you think a young lady like you should be getting home?"
She looked down, "I don't wanna go home. There isn't anything there for me."
The old man looked down, "That's too bad. You know, I had a granddaughter like you, she had pitch-black hair that she always wore in a braid," he set his knapsack down for a rest.
Misao's ears picked up, "What do you mean, 'had?'"
He looked down, "She died a while ago."
Misao eyes became sorry for him, "Oh, I'm…I'm really sorry. Do you mind if I ask how?"
"A lonely heart," he replied rather quickly, "You see, she had an addiction. But not to any drugs, she had an addiction to finding a purpose for herself. All day, she would continue to complete the same tasks yet, her face always seemed cheerless. She was afraid of the world. She would talk to people, but she was afraid to become their friend due to the fact that they might leave her. She was afraid of love because she was afraid of commitment."
Misao listened closely, the story was getting interesting.
"But one day she did fall in love. She began to see the light of things and she also became a whole new person. She finally began to enjoy life and she finally began to live. But one day, her lover left to fight in the war. She accepted the fact that he wasn't going to return for a long while, so she continued to keep living. After a year, she received news that the young man died. She was sad for a while, but she learned to cope."
Misao smiled, the story was heart-warming with a hint of romance and sadness. Beautiful.
"But, she didn't realize that the impression he made on her life was so deep that the gap he left was never filled, or even healed for that matter. So she died a little every day, and soon it added up to an entire lifetime. She died quietly but sadly, her life still waiting to be healed…20 years now. Time flies by when you try to forget what is permanently lodged into your mind."
He sat up and picked up his knapsack, "Sorry for burdening you with that. I guess it's nice to tell someone after such a long time."
He threw the knapsack over his shoulder, "Well, I hope you decide to go home. I can tell there's someone there who needs you."
The old man walked off, but Misao jumped off of the gate and called out, "Wait! What's your name?"
"The old man turned around slowly, he looked different, "Hakoma."
Misao yelled out, "I'm Misao! See you!"
The old man waved and walked off. Misao turned around one final time for about a few seconds until she quickly decided to ask a final question, "Hakoma!" she yelled as she spun around.
But Hakoma wasn't there.
She shivered a little as the wind blew in the direction of the Aoiya, "Well, I guess things could be worse." Then she was off.
But in Tokyo…
Soujiro was having a dream. There wasn't much to it, except for he was happy in his dream. He was staring out into the ocean on a bright day while the birds chirped overhead. It was around 70 degrees outside and the green grass was swaying in perfect motion with the wind.
Soujiro lifted his head and kept his eyes closed. He sensed something next to him so he took a look. It was none other than Misao.
Her hair wasn't in the same old braid but now it was in a low ponytail. Her black locks of hair gently moved slightly every time the wind picked up. She stared out to the vast sea as well. She looked different somehow but before he could ask, he heard a small voice.
"Daddy! Come over here!"
Before he could look to see who it was, he woke up.
"Hey are you alright?"
Soujiro looked around his surroundings. He was in a medium sized room with a large window to his side, which let the sun shine through. When the light got into Sou's eyes, he winced a little but eventually got used to it.
"Where am I?" Soujiro asked with a raspy voice. It was the same little girl he met earlier, "How long have I been asleep?"
She tucked the cover in a little more, "You are at my house, and you've been asleep for a few hours."
He looked down, "Thanks."
She smiled, "No problem! It's been a while since I talked to someone my age. My name's Keita, and yours is?"
Soujiro just had a weak smile on his face, "I'm Soujiro, but I'm afraid I'm not your age," she gave an odd look.
"What are you talking about? You're obviously like, how old? Fourteen? Fifteen at most? Right?"
He just giggled.
"I'm pretty sure I'm around the age of nineteen or twenty."
She shot back with her eyes bugging out, "NO WAY! HOW CAN YOU BE TWENTY! YOU LOOK ALMOST MY AGE!" She huffed a little more before she finally calmed down. Soujiro was staring with a scared face because of the last outburst, "Sorry. There's just no way you can be THAT old. I'm only fourteen and I'm practically taller than you."
'I'm old…?' Soujiro then asked, "How tall are you anyways?"
She stood up, put her hands on her hips, and leaned on one foot, "I'm 5'3."
Soujiro took a breath of relief, at least she wasn't taller than him, "Well, I'm 5'5 now, but I used to be 5'4 so I guess you are almost taller than me."
"Whatever."
She turned around to leave. The house seemed different than the Aoiya. This house was more like Mr. Shishio's house with doors that swing open and shut. He couldn't wait until he regained the feeling in his body so he could explore.
He then worried how Misao was doing. Even though it had only been a week since he left, he was really beginning he wasn't a rurouni anymore so he could go back to the Aoiya. But he was a rurouni and he had to keep his word until he found he could finally find it in himself for what he had done.
But then he began to hear a voice in his head. It echoed in his mind as he began to feel significantly cold.
'Soujiro…but you've worked so hard and long to become what you are, who you are. Don't run away…'
Mr. Shishio.
'But…it's wrong.'
'I bet it's that weasel girl. She's the one who changed you, who's trying to change you.'
'Misao?'
'Yes, weasel girl.'
Even though it was the voice of his one time mentor, he was still a little afraid of it. But sine it was the voice of his one time mentor, he listened to it, 'Well, I don't plan on seeing her anytime soon, so you don't have to worry.'
'Good, you'll be fine Tenken.'
Soujiro winced. He actually didn't really like being called Tenken anymore. It was probably Misao who…'changed' him. But, would he really be fine?
But he had one final question to ask, 'M-mr. Shisho?"
'What?'
'Oh, um, how's Hell?'
'It's hot.'
'Oh, um thanks. That's all I wanted to know.'
He could hear Shishio chuckle in the background, 'I can answer all of your questions once you join Yumi-san and I in Hell.'
'Goodbye Mr. Shishio.'
With that, he could feel the essence of Mr. Shishio leave his mind. It was strange really, during his time when Mr. Shishio was alive, he never felt the way he had when he had just visited him in his mind.
It was probably Misao who changed him. But the only question he had in his mind was…
…Did Misao change him in a positive or negative manner?
End.
You know the story Hakoma tells? Well, that story was redone like five times and took me a total of like, an hour. So guys, if you feel like 'constructively criticizing' the story, please try to hold back. I mean, oh I don't know what I mean. I just tried my absolute hardest on it and it would totally crush me to find out it didn't meet your expectations.
Also, I just want to say thank you for so many reviews. Seriously, they are the only things that keep me going sometimes.
Anithene: thank you so much for the quote, it actually did prove to be a huge inspiration. I can only hope that this story meets your expectations.
Charming Woman: sorry I didn't add any flirting girls on Sou's journey. Maybe later? Also, I don't recall reading the story 'Whose Rainbow Never Ends.' I'll look it up. But does the story have any relevance to my story like, is it similar or should I look for ideas there?
Anywho…
NaiLAUG!