The villagers were deadly silent as they piled into the tradepost for safety. Having body snatchers eat their recently dead was bad enough, but to have one consumed alive right in front of them was scarring. The scent of burnt flesh lingered in the air.

The dead woman Neko was laid out in the back room with dozens upon dozens of the medicine seller's seals on the walls. The villagers huddled in front of the tradepost, exchanging glances of worry and sadness. The sunekosuri huddled in the corner, frightened as much as the humans were.

Kayo leaned against the wall. It wasn't the worst she'd seen, but it was definitely ranking up there. She felt like she would never get the smell of burnt flesh out of her mind ever. "The truth and reason died with Miss Iwa, didn't it?"

"Perhaps," the medicine seller replied.

"I don't want the mononoke to suffer forever," Kayo frowned.

"There are other means to find the answer," the medicine seller informed her. "As before, the source isn't always the answer."

He wasn't wrong, she had to admit. They had been separated from the source of the mononoke's truth on several occasions, first with the hinnagami in the teahouse and recently the tanuki in the hot springs, but those were separated. This time, the source had died.

"The villagers will be safe here," the medicine seller added. "I shall inspect Miss Iwa's farm."

"I'm coming with you," Kayo demanded.

"Yes, yes," he didn't object, placing a hand on the door.

"Wait!" Saki called out to him.

He turned to face her.

"You can slay that mononoke thing, right?" Saki asked. "You just need to know what created it?"

"Yes," he replied simply.

"I think we all may have an idea," Saki admitted. "Something. We're not all certain, but something did happen much more than a month ago. At least we suspect it."

"Oh~?" the medicine seller questioned curiously.

"After Mr. Kamekichi's first wife died, he married Miss Iwa," Saki explained. "She came from a neighboring farming community, and she was never happy here. She was always complaining about how many cats were here or how much it rained."

"A few months ago, Mr. Kamekichi and his daughter seemingly disappeared," Terumune added. "Each time I went over to visit, they were simply 'away', or so Miss Iwa always said."

"It's been months since we've seen either of them," the crying woman added. "We thought they had died on a trip to the nearby city to sell their harvest and Miss Iwa simply didn't want to admit it."

"The daughter Uta used to play with our children all the time," the panicked man recalled. "But sometimes little Uta would look pale and famished. She'd come over and eat three bowls of noodles then play with the cats on the farm."

"Neglect?" the medicine seller reasoned.

"Definitely not from Kamekichi," the man replied. "He loved the girl. But Miss Iwa? Never once saw her show Uta any affection."

"There were rumors that Miss Iwa had killed Mr. Kamekichi," Terumune admitted. "Some even thought she'd buried him in the fields and that's why their harvest was so full this year. It was Mr. Kamekichi's own body and soul letting us know he was there. The cats would flock there, but Miss Iwa always shooed them away."

The medicine seller glanced at the taima sword in his hand. It had stayed silent so far, waiting for the truth and reason to be revealed. "The mononoke is not Mr. Kamekichi."

Saki gasped, horror in her eyes. "Is it Uta? That poor girl."

He stared at the sword. The girl could've died a dozen ways, but the information he'd received so far indicated only a few possibilities.

"She died from starvation, didn't she?" the panicked man worried. "Then buried in the fields as well?"

The sword had finally reacted. "The mononoke's truth," the medicine seller stated. "The reason for her anger has carried onto the cats she loved, transforming that negative emotion into the kasha that we saw this evening."

"Poor Uta," the sobbing woman cried. "Why her?!"

"I can imagine a dozen different reasons," Saki knit her brow in worry and sadness. "She used to be such a happy girl, but when Miss Iwa married into the family, she was nothing but miserable. Everything changed when Iwa came to our village. That one woman made everything worse."

The medicine seller glanced out the window, a flash of light catching his attention. The Kasha had returned sooner than expected, but he'd heard the tales of the villagers. He was quite certain of the reason that Uta had become a mononoke. It wasn't hard to guess. "I shall put her to rest."

Sliding the door open, he stepped out into the street. The kasha's flames were raging fiercely, lighting up the night sky. The medicine seller held the taima sword out before him. "Your reason was neglect. You simply wished to be loved, but Miss Iwa showed you nothing but misery. You mourned your father's death then your own, passing your sadness on to this form."

The sword chattered in confirmation. "Release! Release!"

The kasha lashed forward, setting the street ablaze. The medicine seller leapt backwards, drawing the taima sword from its sheath. His other self took over as the medicine seller was pushed through the fire and down the street. He landed on his feet, his dark eyes focused on the kasha and its pain.

"I want to be loved!" the kasha cried.

It was a simple wish, one that should've been fulfilled. He couldn't fathom how long Uta had been suffering, but it was enough to create the powerful mononoke now standing before him. The kasha lashed out, lighting more of the street ablaze and nearly catching the medicine seller's hair on fire.

He swept his hand around, using the runes from his arms to contain the fires as he dodged the sharp claws that now struck out at him. He blocked the next attack with the taima sword and its colorful blade. "You shall see your father soon."

Fiery tears rolled down the kasha's face. The sadness and anger was too much to bear, even in this form. The kasha fell to its knees, sobbing miserably.

"Humans are capable of terrible things," he stated, "yet there are those capable of good. The people of this village cared for you."

"I ate them, didn't I?" the kasha cried. "I just wanted to be with them!"

"It was not your fault," the medicine seller consoled the mononoke. "It never was." He drew the blade back, and with a slice, the kasha had finally found some rest.

"Mr. Medicine Seller!" Kayo cried out as the flames began to die down. She scampered out of the building, hoping it wasn't another case like the foxfire where he burnt his entire arm.

He stood still poised with the sword out to his side as his outer self without a burn on him. A sunekosuri laying motionless at his feet.

The villagers had followed Kayo close behind, all worried with what had transpired.

Saki stared at the small creature at the medicine seller's feet. "Is that…"

"The mononoke." He knelt down, scooping the lifeless creature into his arms. "Bury it in Miss Uta's honor."

…..

The small sunekosuri scampered about in the streets, playing with the cats and the children of the village. Kayo watched them with a smile. The entire village had changed since last night. Iwa had placed a weight on the entire village with her sour attitude towards the people and the cats who had made this place their home. With her now gone and the mononoke put to rest, it felt like a huge burden had suddenly been lifted from their hearts.

After the battle last night, a small ceremony took place. They held a proper funeral for Kamekichi and Uta, burying the sunekosuri in the fields of their farm. It was a small gesture, but it felt like the two had finally found rest.

"Off so soon?" Saki questioned.

"We are," the medicine seller replied. His medicine chest was now well stocked and ready for the road ahead. The villagers assembled common medicinal herbs, giving them to him as thanks for helping Uta and Kamekichi.

"I'd say, stay for awhile, but I imagine there are others like Uta who need help," Saki reasoned.

"There are," he confirmed.

"I hope you can help them all on your journeys. Perhaps we'll cross paths again," Saki looked hopeful. "Not with another mononoke, though. Just for business."

A small grin tugged at the edge of his lips. "Perhaps."

...

Author's notes

Name meanings:

Kamekichi (little turtle, essentially) – the dead husband

Iwa (boulder, indicating firmness) – the stubborn, now eaten wife

Uta (song) – the kasha

Neko (cat) – the dead woman ironically eaten by a giant flaming cat

Saki (harvest) – Terumune's wife

Terumune (shining faith. I honestly just liked the sound of it) – the farmer