Revised Edition with changed/added footage: 8-8-2006
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Chapter 10: Stories by Starlight
As the sun began to descend over the horizon, it brought a blanket of stars in its wake. Still in a pleasant mood from the day's earlier events, Bankotsu was currently attempting to climb up into the branches of a nearby tree.
Upon seeing the spectacle, Renkotsu walked over and called up to him.
"Oo-aniki, is there some specific reason you're up there?"
Bankotsu, who was currently hanging from one of the upper branches by merely his right arm, simply replied, "Um… because it's fun?"
"And what if you fall?"
He started laughing at that, "Renkotsu, you sound like my Mother did."
"I'm not sure if that's a compliment or insult," The bald-man remarked, shaking his head at their young leader's antics.
"A compliment. Thanks for worrying about me," He called down, still scrambling to lift himself up onto the branch safely.
Renkotsu started at that, realizing that he had been subconsciously worrying about the boy. While he certainly thought the group could have been better managed at times, and that with their strength- even the shogun was not to haughty a goal, he realized that Bankotsu's carefree nature had started to rub off on him.
"I'm not tucking you into bed, if that's what you're saying. Goodnight, Oo-aniki," He said, walking back in the building.
Bankotsu smiled at that. After Renkotsu had first joined the group, they'd gotten into quite a few arguments about how things should or shouldn't be done. He'd given him an ultimatum then- "Let me do it my way and then if I screw up, I'll admit you were right." And true to his word, every time his plan fell through, he'd tell Renkotsu that he'd screwed up. The strange agreement had forged respect between the two and they'd rarely had trouble since. But now that Bankotsu thought about it, Renkotsu was like the parental figure to the group; reprimanding them for doing silly things, looking after Ginkotsu, and just overall keeping the rag-tag group in some sense of order.
Seating himself on the sturdy branch, Bankotsu readjusted his armor that was twisted in the climb up. With a content sigh, he tilted his head to the side and gazed up at the stars, noting that the blurry patch between two bright stars was brighter than it usually was.
"Bankotsu? What are you doing up there?" A questioning voice called from below.
He looked down to see Jakotsu staring up at him. "Just looking at the sky. It's nice out tonight."
The sky was darkening, making the stars and crescent moon seem only brighter.
"Can I join you up there?" He asked tentatively, pulling his purple scarf up around his shoulders.
Bankotsu pushed down on the branch, testing its strength, "I think it'll hold us."
Jakotsu nodded, and slowly began to climb up to where the branch was. Once close enough, Bankotsu extended a hand to help him and scooted out further on the limb to make room.
"Why'd you climb all the way up here just to look at the sky? It's not like you can't see it from the ground," Jakotsu questioned, scratching at his head.
"I feel like I'm closer to the stars this way. I know, it's silly, but hey, if it makes me happy, it's all good, right?"
"If it makes you happy," Jakotsu replied with a smile.
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Meanwhile, inside the building that they called home for now, everyone else was settling down for the night. Suikotsu had just finished washing his hands clean of the dirt they'd acquired during the day and as he went to place the basin back in the corner, something inside his head snapped.
His hands released their hold on the basin and grabbed the sides of his head as if in immense pain. The basin shattered as it hit the floor. Suikotsu's eyes seemed to dilate, his hands becoming shaky and his breath coming in short, haggard breaths.
"Where…where am I?" A quieter voice spoke as he looked about the room.
Upon seeing the steel-claws he used in battle laying on the ground, his shook his head as if to wake himself from a nightmare.
"No! I'm not him. Why am I here? No…I shouldn't be here," He untied his armor and flung it down. Staggering to the door and he made his way down the halls, exiting on the other side of the building.
"I'm not one of them. I don't belong here," The trembling form that held the appearance of Suikotsu whispered as he ran from the building and off into the distance.
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After sitting in silence for several minutes, Jakotsu was beginning to fidget with his hands.
"Aniki, are the stars really that interesting?"
"Nah, they're just nice to look at, don't you think?" He said looking over at the taller man.
"I guess…"
The two went silent for a few moments, before Bankotsu spoke again.
"I used to know some stories about the stars; one's that my mom had told me. But I can't seem to remember any of them now. Maybe I'm just hoping if I look at them long enough I'll remember something."
Jakotsu frowned, Bankotsu was beginning to feel sad and in turn, he was as well. Then, his face lit back up. "Bankotsu, I know a story about them." He offered, hoping it would cheer him up.
"You do?" He asked blinking.
"Well…I'm not sure if I remember the names of the people in it, but I think I remember the basic story. Eh, forget it, it's probably not one that your mom told you anyways."
"Could you tell it to me?" Bankotsu asked, placing a gentle hand on his companion's shoulder.
"If you really want me to."
"Please, it would mean a lot to me if you did."
"Okay. But I'm warning you, I might not remember it right."
"Then just make it up as you go along," Bankotsu replied with a smile.
"Then here goes nothing…" Jakotsu said with a shrug, creasing his eyebrows in thought as he tried to recall the story.
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Looking about the dark forest, Suikotsu's mind felt blank and hazy. He couldn't remember much; except that he was trying to get away from something or someone, his name was 'Suikotsu' and that his father had taught him how to be a doctor. Finally, he had managed to make his way to a nearby town, his eyes darting about, looking to the quiet houses. He spotted one in which the lights were still dimly lit and made his ways towards it.
"Hush Kinpa, quiet now little one."
He heard the voice from inside speak as he approached the door.
"Grandmother, it hurts…" A young girl's voice strained to reply.
"I know dear, but the doctor is in another village. He can't get back for a few days, so you'll just have to hang on."
Glancing back towards the forest he came from, Suikotsu squinted at the flowers and plants growing on the ground. Upon seeing a plant he recognized, he rushed over and began to pick some of it. Once he felt he had enough, he picked up a few fairly smooth stones and returned to the house, knocking lightly at the door.
"Who's there?" The elderly woman questioned through the shut door.
"I'm a doctor and I heard there was a sick girl here."
The door opened a slight crack as the woman looked out, studying the brown-haired man carefully before opening the door.
"I've not seen you before. Where'd you come from boy?"
He paused, as if thinking on anything about his past gave him an immense headache, and finally answered, "From the east. I was just passing through when I overheard about the girl."
"She's gotten a bad fever and is having trouble breathing." The woman explained; turning and expecting Suikotsu to follow her.
"I see," He replied, kneeling beside the girl lying on the floor. He pressed his palm to her head and listened carefully to her breathing pattern, "As I suspected, these herbs should help."
He stood slowly and went to grind the plants into a paste; working quietly and efficiently.
"Grandma, can you tell me a story?" The girl managed to say.
"Sure Kinpa, I'll tell you about a princess and her love across the river in the stars."
"A river in the stars?" Suikotsu asked, looking up for a brief moment.
The old woman went and pulled the ragged cloth back from the window and pointed up at the sky. "See those two bright stars there on either side of that blurry patch?"
Suikotsu nodded.
"I can't see, Grandma," The girl said quietly.
The woman turned, as if to help her, but Suikotsu had already stood up and gathered the small girl into his arms and carried her to the window.
"Right there, Kinpa. Those are the ones your Grandma is talking about," He said gently.
The old woman smiled, "Okay, so one of those stars is Orihime, a beautiful Princess who made beautiful weavings. The other star is Kengyuu, the man that she falls in love with. That blurry part in the middle is the river in the stars that flowed between them."
The girl began to cough, and Suikotsu sat her back down on her futon and returned to the herbs while the woman continued the tale.
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"So what did this girl do again?" Bankotsu asked and Jakotsu sat trying to figure it out.
"Maybe she made pottery? I can't remember, she made something like that and she did it well."
"And she was a Princess right?"
"I think it was a Princess, maybe it was a Miko…" Jakotsu muttered, scrunching his face up trying to think.
"Okay, so then what happened?"
"Oh, well this Miko…err.. Princess, she was lonely; so her father, who was an Emperor- I think- anyway, he arranged for her to marry a man from across the river."
"And that blurry patch is supposed to be the river right?" Bankotsu questioned, pointing to the patch.
"Yeah, that's the river."
"Okay, so she was arranged to marry this guy, then what?"
"She met him and they were very happy together and then…something happened…"
"What? What happened?" Bankotsu inquired, entirely captivated by the story.
"Mou…I'm not sure. Let me think…"
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"So Orihime and Kengyuu fell in love with each other, and they were very happy together. But that made the Emperor Tentei unhappy because Orihime was slacking off in her weaving," The woman said, pausing a moment to tend the small fire.
"What did he do, Grandma?" The girl questioned as Suikotsu ground up the last of the plants.
"Well, that Emperor sent Kengyuu back to the other side of the river. Orihime was very sad, but her father told her that if she wished to see her love, she would have to complete her weaving tasks to the best of her skills. So, once a year, he allows them to meet; sending a boatman from the moon to help them cross the river."
"What happens if she doesn't complete her task?" Suikotsu questioned as he finished up his work.
"If she hasn't completed her weavings, her father will make it rain and the river will flood. Then the boatman can't come and they are left on opposite sides."
"Poor Orihime…" The girl muttered.
"But if the river's flooded, sometimes, a flock of birds will come and make a bridge for the Princess to cross over."
"So is that why those two stars are shining so brightly, Grandma?"
"Yes Kinpa, it's because it's the night when Orihime gets to be with Kengyuu again."
Suikotsu stood for a moment, "Pardon me Ma'am, I'm going to go get some fresh water for this medicine."
"All right young man, but it's a bit cold out now, take this." She handed him a green outer vest. "This was my son's, he would want someone as kind-hearted as you to have it."
He paused and then bowed, "Thank you for your hospitality Ma'am, I'll do my best to help Kinpa to repay you."
With that said, he went off in search of a nearby spring to fetch some water from.
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"So then, the Emperor guy sends…uh…something from the moon to help her cross the river."
"What kind of something?" Bankotsu asked, somewhat sleepily. He'd been up since before dawn, and his eyes were beginning to drift shut more and more often. With a yawn, he leaned over and rested his head on Jakotsu's shoulder.
Jakotsu sat and thought, and still couldn't remember what it was the Emperor sent from the moon, so with a shrug he decided he'd just make it up, "He sent a dragon and it would take her across the river, but if she hadn't done her job right, then the Emperor would flood the river and the dragon would drown. But then a flock of some giant insects would make a boat for her to cross in and uh… that's the end… I think."
He waited for some sort of reaction from Bankotsu, and when he didn't get any, he looked to the figure resting against his side.
"Aniki?" He asked quietly, finally noticing that Bankotsu had fallen asleep, "I guess I need to work on my story telling skills," Jakotsu muttered to himself.
Bankotsu stirred slightly and a brief whisper escaped his lips, "Thank you, Jakotsu. I'll remember this story, forever."
Jakotsu just smiled, and smoothed back the bangs that hung in Bankotsu's face, "Yeah sure, you just rest while I try to figure out how in the hell to get us down from this tree while you're sleeping."
"Oi, Jakotsu is Oo-aniki up there with you?" A voice called up from beneath the tree.
The taller man turned, trying not to upset the one rested against him, and looked down.
"Yeah Mukotsu, but he fell asleep and I don't really want to wake him up."
The short-poison user shook his head, "You're going to have to wake him anyways. Suikotsu's wandered off again, left his armor and weapons, so I can only assume that…"
"He's off somewhere playing doctor and doesn't remember us again," Jakotsu sighed, this was the fourth time since he met Suikotsu that this had happened, and it was beginning to worry him that it was happening more often.
"We'd better go look soon, with the mission tomorrow and all."
"It's up to Oo-aniki what we do," Jakotsu said before slightly nudging him, "Aniki, come on wake up."
"Hmm?" He asked, rubbing at his eyes.
"Suikotsu's wandered off again, that and well, we can't sleep up in a tree."
"The mission tomorrow isn't that hard. Just a small town, we'll look for him after that, he couldn't have gone too far," Bankotsu murmured, with another yawn sneaking its way in.
"Are you sure he'll be okay?" Mukotsu questioned.
"Yeah, the villages around here are all peaceful so he'll be fine; okay Jakotsu, let's climb on down."
Jakotsu nodded and began to make his way down the trunk, Bankotsu following.
Once they reached the bottom, Bankotsu swung an arm about Jakotsu's shoulders, "As stupid as this sounds- I'm too tired to walk. Can you help me to my room?"
"…Sure." Jakotsu said after a moment.
"Mukotsu if there's something else you need to tell me, feel free to follow."
"Suikotsu's disappearance was the only issue, Oo-aniki," He said, walking behind the two others.
"Okay, then tell the others not to worry about it and bring the message from that Daimyou about tomorrow's mission to my room."
"All right, Oo-aniki," He said going off to get those things done.
Jakotsu smirked, "Trying to get us alone, are we?"
"I'm trying to get some peace and quiet so I can sleep."
"Oh…" Jakotsu replied, face dropping.
"But yeah, I guess that too," Bankotsu added with a yawn, and a smile crept onto Jakotsu's face.
After making their way to his room, Bankotsu got ready for bed as Jakotsu sat nearby.
"You know something Jakotsu?"
"Hmm?"
"I think that was a story my mom had told me once, now that I think about it."
"Really?" He questioned, hoping that it cheered him up.
"Yeah, except now, it means even more to me. Thanks," Bankotsu said, smile on his face as he reached over and took Jakotsu's hand.
"Bankotsu…"
"Go on now, we've got a mission tomorrow and then we have to find Suikotsu. You need your rest. Oh and tell Mukotsu just to leave that letter from the Daimyou with you."
"…'kay. Goodnight," Jakotsu replied standing, he started to walk away then paused when he heard Bankotsu lay back on his futon.
He looked back and saw that the tired leader had already closed his eyes and was seemingly asleep. Walking back over quietly, he pushed the hair from around Bankotsu's face aside. He leaned forward and lightly kissed the small purple star-shaped mark on Bankotsu's forehead, whispering quietly before leaving, "Sleep well, Bankotsu."
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