Wish
Clouds rolled across the night sky, blotting out the stars and moon as they passed listlessly overhead. A wooden door creaked in its frame as it was pushed ajar. Crackling wood and chattering beyond its threshold muffled once it was slid shut behind a young boy clutching a pot to his chest.
He carefully held the pot beneath its cool and rounded bottom, tucking it close to him as he shuffled through the field of wildflowers and restless chirping crickets. The distant zree of cicadas and the mugginess from the sticky summer air almost made him wish he'd worn only his hakama instead of a yukata.
Grass tickled the bottoms of his feet, packed earth warm beneath his toes. With his arms wrapped around the pot, he hunched over slightly as he walked, guided by the fire's glow from the hut's half-opened windows and from the lanterns hanging from porches in the cluster of huts beyond their fields.
He wondered why their home was further from the heart of the village. Dirt paths carved out in strips amongst the verdant fields by carts, feet, and hooves led either to the heart of the village or to the depths of the forest.
Inuyasha's forest, if his aunt was to be believed.
Wide obsidian-colored eyes gleamed as he stepped onto the forked path, one route meandering to Granny Kaede's hut and the other disappearing into bushes and undergrowth where the distant warbling of birds and chittering small animals could be heard.
The pot began to slip from his arms, and the boy hoisted it up again, this time setting it atop his head as he took the path into the forest.
Anyone else may have been afraid of what lurked within the shadows of looming trees and rustling bushes, but he smiled and walked on without a care. If these were his uncle's woods, then he had nothing to fear.
A lack of fear doesn't mean an absence of danger, Hisui.
His mother's voice filled his ears with her warning, and he slowed his steps, taking another glance when the leaves shifted overhead or when a shadow stretching long across his path seemed to move a bit too much. The pot's weight made it difficult to turn his head. but he was careful not to drop it. If his mother could hold a pot atop her head while carrying a basket in her arms and him on her back, then surely enough, he could do the same. Although, Hisui had time to admit his mother was stronger than most, and the pot's weight was beginning to make his head ache.
Hisui harrumphed, lower lip jutting out as he marched through the brushwood. A few twigs snagged on the side of his yukata, jerking him back when he took a step forward, causing him to bend his head a mite too low. The pot slipped from his grasp, and he held his breath as it disappeared from sight over the knoll's swell. While he waited stock still in the darkness for the resulting crash, sweat beaded along his brow, and he swatted away at a mosquito buzzing uncomfortably close to his ear.
A loud splash interrupted the cicada's cry, and Hisui jumped, his yukata catching on another branch in the process. Making quick work of tugging his yukata free, he scrambled down the mound as quickly as his feet could take him without tumbling down its incline. Willows lined the bank, and Hisui clung to the trunk of one as his feet slid in the moist grass, nearly taking his legs out from under him. He pressed his cheek to the willow's bark, hugging it as tightly as he could as his heart tried to calm its erratic beating.
One eye peeked open, followed by another as he searched the stream's waters for the pot. Without the moon and stars, he couldn't see anything past his nose. Hisui scowled and glowered listlessly at the spaces between the willow's hanging leaves. Clouds had stolen the sky's light and plunged the world into darkness. Perhaps if he could frown as well as his Aunt Rin's husband, he'd be able to scare the gloom away. Try as he might, not a single glare seemed to work, and his arms were growing fatigued from holding onto the tree for so long. Fireflies flickered around the stream, their soft glow reflecting on the water and lightning his spirits.
Carefully, Hisui crept away from the tree and shimmied down the bank to the stones hugging the stream's ridges. Climbing atop of a small boulder, he pressed his hands to its smooth surface and peered about the churning waters. A light clink drew his attention to the boulder's side. Lying flat on his belly, he shifted closer and peeked over, delighted by the sight of the pot already half-filled with water moistening its mouth.
Take care with the stream, Hisui. If its current is too strong, you may be swept away.
Hisui gulped. It wasn't the rainy season so the streams and rivers weren't spilling out onto their banks. However, his father's warning met with his mother's, and conflict resulted. Hisui cautiously slid down the boulder's side, aware of the placement of his feet so that he didn't accidentally catch himself amidst the smaller rocks. Gravel gritted and dug into his soles as he wandered over to where the current lapped against the rocks, submerging his feet in the cool waters.
One hand pressed to the boulder's side while the other reached for the pot's wide mouth. His fingers brushed against it a few times, and he leant slightly closer, straining to catch the rim when his knee bumped against something and he went teetering too far. A startled cry bubbled up in his chest until something grabbed him by the back of his yukata's collar and yanked him backwards.
Hisui yelped and twisted away from the anchoring grasp, shambling across the gravel as he swung his fists in the open air.
"Hisui, Hisu— ah! Hey!"
His fist was caught in a soft hold, barely able to budge with the fingers flexed around his small wrist. Brows furrowed, Hisui glanced up, and the clouds picked this opportune moment to free the moon from their grasp, clearing shadows from across the assailant's face. Hisui's jaw slackened and he gasped.
At a glance, he could have been mistaken as his father with his violet robes and the mala wound around his left hand, intersecting where they crossed his middle finger. And yet, the shortened bangs barely brushing against his brows matched with the swell of dark brown hair slipping past broad shoulders reminded Hisui of their mother. Eyes, wide and rounded in their concern, reminded Hisui of the rejuvenated earth after a refreshing rain. In the veil of night, they were darkened until they were blackened depths capable of reflecting his own startled visage.
And yet, it was the smile that he'd missed the most. How it lit up his face and tugged crookedly at the corners of his lips, revealing a sliver of teeth and the slight gap between his front two which made his words whistle, much to Hisui's delight.
"Aniue…" Hisui murmured, lowering his arm as he stared at his brother in awe. The fact that he was home - that Isshin was home - slowly settling in. Amusement twinkled in Isshin's eyes and as his lips parted, Hisui's loud cry drowned him out as he flung himself into his brother's arms. "Aniue! Aniue!"
"Woah, h-hey!"
His brother's hand rested on the back of his head, and Hisui smiled, pressing his face against his robes. "You're back…" he murmured into them, not caring as they grew damp beneath the slight dribble of tears squeezed past closed eyelids. The gentle touch of his brother's hand lingered along his back and pressed, allowing him to soak in the warmth.
"I'm home, little brother…"
Hisui sniffed and rubbed his face soothingly against Isshin's robes, clutching the silken fabric tightly. His brother didn't remove him even after his sobbing stopped nor did he bring attention to it, simply rubbing circles along his back.
"What are you doing out here?" Isshin asked once they parted, instructing Hisui with a pointed glance to stay on the bank while he waded into the water to retrieve the pot.
"Catching stars," said Hisui, frantically waving his hands when his brother began to upturn the basin. "No, no!"
"Huh?" Isshin looked back to him then down to the pot, quickly turning it upright when some of the water spilled in a steady flow. "What is it?"
"The stars are in the water!" Hisui pointed up to where the canopy of leaves ended, allowing a view of the sky. "I saw it last time when Kohaku-oji-chan and I came here."
Isshin blinked at him slowly, peering into the pot then turning his gaze skyward. "I see…" his brother muttered, an airiness to his voice. To Hisui's relief, Isshin didn't pour out the water or spill a single drop as he trudged back to where Hisui stood. Isshin set the container down between them and knelt, looking to Hisui earnestly. "Well, how many stars did you catch?"
Excitedly, Hisui fell to his knees and hovered over the pot's mouth. His enthusiasm withered when the sparkle of stars didn't grace his eyes, only the clearness of the water, black as night.
"None…" Hisui huffed, sitting back on his thighs with his arms folded loosely. "It's just water."
Perhaps his Aunt Kagome had gotten something terribly wrong, or the night wasn't clear enough to gather stars. Disappointment shifted uneasily in his stomach. He really wanted that wish, and now, he'd only get in trouble for nothing.
"Well, I know how you can catch stars a little closer."
Hisui gasped, looking up at Isshin in surprise. "You do?"
His brother pressed his lips together, a slight twitch lifting the corner of them as he nodded. "See," he turned his gaze away and nodded towards the stream, the beads clacking as he pointed.
Eagerly, Hisui scrambled to his feet and rushed to his brother's side, throwing his arms around his neck as he tried to see what he did. Looking between Isshin and the stream a few times, Hisui followed his line of sight and frowned at the display of the flickering fireflies.
Hisui pouted. "Those aren't stars, aniue."
"Who says?" asked Isshin, shifting Hisui's hold on him to place them side by side, his arm tucked beneath Hisui's knees as he lifted him up. "Look."
At his brother's behest, Hisui tipped his head skyward to where the real stars dwelled.
"The stars are twinkling, aren't they?"
"Mhm."
"And fireflies…"
Isshin patted the side of his leg, and Hisui twisted around to look at the fireflies. The stars glowed, their light seemingly fading before returning as if they'd never left. Similarly, as the fireflies floated over the pond's surface, their lights dimmed but they returned as they drifted through the crisp air.
"Oh…" Hisui sighed, resting his arms atop his brother's head.
"See? But there's a trick to it," Isshin said, and Hisui sat up to listen attentively as his brother spoke in a conspiratorial whisper. "If you catch one, you have to let it go right after you make your wish, or it won't come true."
"Really?"
Isshin nodded, bending down to set Hisui on his feet. Beneath his brother's watchful eyes, Hisui wandered to the stream's edge and stared at the dancing fireflies — stars, he reminded himself. Earthen stars within his grasp. Wary of the water and of being swept away, Hisui toed at it a few times then shook his head.
"It's too far…" He lamented, his face scrunching up and hands curling tight around his obi. He felt his face grow hot, but he refused to let his brother see it even as Isshin wandered to Hisui's side.
"Look."
Hisui scrubbed his eyes with the back of his hand, sniffling before he turned to look up at Isshin. His mouth fell open as his brother held out his hand, and a firefly drifted from its shimmer to rest upon the tip of his finger. Its glow painted a soft hue across Isshin's face. Calm and composed, his brother stayed still as the firefly seemed to test its faculties and wander the length of his finger to his palm.
Hisui pressed both hands to his mouth when his brother covered the firefly with his opposite hand. Eyes closed, as if he were praying, then slowly opening as he lifted his hand, allowing the insect to fly away.
Once it disappeared into the shimmer, Hisui turned to Isshin and tugged at his sleeve. "What'd you wish for, aniue?"
Isshin looked down at him and chuckled, his hair swishing from side to side as he shook his head. "If I told you, it wouldn't come true."
"There's another rule too…?" lamented Hisui, puffing his cheek as he shuffled away from his brother, arms folded.
Isshin's quiet laughter almost made him want to smile, but determination compelled him to remain serious. Marching as far as he could, Hisui thrust out his hand and waited for the fireflies to approach him. He barely paid Isshin any mind when his brother left his side, ignoring the babbling stream and the shifting of rocks. His eyes trained on the shimmering cluster, heart pounding as he flexed his fingers, attempting to draw one of them to him.
It took a long moment, and his morale was beginning to decline. But out of the blur of light, a single firefly drifted through the air, and Hisui's eyes widened. He tensed slightly as it approached, barely brushing shy of his finger then missing it entirely. Concern wrestled in his stomach as the firefly drifted over his palm. Carefully, he raised the other and brought them close as the firefly hovered just shy of the tip of his nose. He tried not to close his eyes, but he couldn't help it when they began to cross, feeling the slightest tickle as something landed on his nose.
The want to ask Isshin if this was right was pushed aside in favor of making his wish. Nose twitching as he peeked, the soft glow blinding him drifted further away as he wiggled his nose. Once the firefly was gone, Hisui sneezed and rubbed his arm against the underside of his nose. A soft pat to the top of his head made him twitch upright, and he whipped his head up to the smiling face of his brother, a light nod making him smile in turn.
Isshin gathered up the pot, and with Hisui's blessing, poured the water out. With it tucked beneath his arm and Hisui perched on his shoulders, the pair made their way through the forest on the path towards home.
"Did you sneak out here by yourself?"
"Mhm! I wanted to wish that you'd come home," Hisui said, only belatedly realizing the rule that he'd broken. He gasped then lamented before quickly recovering, inching forward and peering around to see his brother's face in the weak light. "I can tell you cause it already came true!"
Isshin gave another one of his quiet smiles, patting the side of Hisui's swinging feet. "Come on, Mushin-sama and Hachi are waiting for me."
"You're leaving again?" Hisui huffed, folding his arms atop of his brother's head. Perhaps he should have made a few more wishes on the fireflies.
"Not for a few days," Isshin reassured over Hisui's disgruntled whine. "Come on, maybe we can visit Chihiro and Yuiko too. If you're not in too much trouble with kaa-chan for leaving on your own."
Hisui grinned at the promise, and even the looming threat of his mother's ire couldn't wipe the happiness from his face.
"Alright!"
"Hisui."
Consciousness was nothing more than a soupy warm haze he drifted along. Then, with the force of a kick to the chest, her voice pierced through its surface and dragged him from the depths. Sensation gradually returned. Sweat, tacky and creeping, dampened the back of his neck while something crawled over the toes of his boots. Eyes closed, he could only make out the faintest shades of light against the back of his eyelids. Tiredness kept them shut, but at the insistence of the presence lingering nearby, Hisui tried his best to pry them open.
A view of the cloudless night sky was impeded by the stern-faced young woman looking down upon him. Her violet eyes, luminous and inquiring, nearly as compelling as the sky at dusk.
"Why are you sleeping out here?" She asked, arms folded loosely across her chest, her inclined head brushing shy of the white cloudlike fur curled upon her shoulder.
Hisui bit back a smile, shuffling in place as he tried to make himself comfortable again. "Wasn't sleeping… just remembering…"
She raised a brow, but said nothing else, turning her gaze skyward. With her eyes turned away from him, Hisui allowed a smile as he recanted that night. It'd been too cloudy for the moon to shine for long and only by Isshin's memory were they able to leave the forest. His mother hadn't been too happy about his disappearance, but she took pity on him when Isshin explained. Gratitude toward his brother lasted the night, and when they laid together, tucked beneath the comforter and watching the faintest flickers of moonlight — Hisui knew he would never forget it.
On this night, the moon was waning, and he could faintly make out the darker side of it. His Aunt Kagome's insistence that he looked up and observed came in handy. The heavens were just as beautiful as what walked below them.
Glancing aside to his companion, his eyes softened as a firefly arced through the air and flitted past her. Its glow illuminated the contours of her face. Forehead smoothed without the furrow of her brows and lips parted slightly, devoid of their usual scowl. Her expression was nothing short of awe-filled, youthful and gentle. Remiss as he was to ruin it, he could only imagine how upset she'd be if she noticed he was watching.
Turning his gaze away and opening his palm, he recalled the trick his brother had used all those years ago. While he had thought that his own stubbornness was what had eventually wore down the firefly, it'd been Isshin. His brother called to the insects with his energy and coaxed them closer to what they assumed was a familiar light. The trick hadn't come to Hisui's attention until months later when he'd seen his father and Aunt Kagome do the same during a festival.
Isshin denied all accusations, and the feeling of betrayal Hisui felt then was only one of amusement now.
A firefly perched atop the crook of his index finger, and Hisui smiled, tucking his thumb against its underside to keep his hand steady as he lifted it carefully overhead.
"Setsuna?" He called softly, knowing he had her attention when he felt the prick of her gaze. "Did you know, if you catch a firefly and wish on it, then let it go, your wish will come true?"
His eyes rolled to her, and he caught the minute changes in her expression. Confusion bled into slight interest, twisted with recognition, and finally gave into resignation. She turned her head away from him, sighing.
"Is that what you were doing?" asked Setsuna, leaves crunching underfoot as she turned away. "We have more important things to do."
Hisui smiled at her back and tipped his hand to one side, allowing the firefly to take wing before he pushed upright. "I know, I know," he said, rocking up to his feet. Uprooting Hiraikotsu from its temporary sheath in the earth, he dusted off its end prior to swinging it to his back.
Setsuna had started off ahead of him, but within no time, he caught up to her. The path was wide enough for them to walk abreast, and Hisui took the initiative to keep space between them every time his hand brushed the velvety fur.
After a moment, Setsuna said "What is it?", interrupting his musing and their walk's stillness.
Hisui glanced at her, brow raised. "Hm?"
"You have a strange look on your face," she said dryly. "What is it?"
Hisui blinked slowly, and he made a mental note to keep his expressions a bit more restrained. For someone who showed so little on her face, she had an uncanny talent of being able to decipher others.
"I'm just thinking…" he said once she looked away from him, glancing at her from the corner of his eye, a small smile quirking his lips. "My wish came true again."
Author's Note
First and foremost, I would like to thank ladiekoro on Twitter, they've been beta-reading my work for awhile now and I'm grateful.
This had been sitting in my archives for a good moment, partly because I couldn't decide which verse I wanted to put it into. A bit of a self-indulgent work that let me into the mind of younger Hisui and his relationship with two important people in his life. Also was something calming because seeing fireflies for the first time was one of the most amazing experiences I've ever had. Anyhow, I always thought of fireflies as 'earthen stars' much like Hisui, and who could resist being able to catch them?
I feel like there is some backstory that may be needed here, but I'll say what's on my mind first. This snippet primarily features Hisui and Isshin. As you can tell, Isshin grew up to be a monk like Miroku and he is away from home quite often. The fate of Hanako, Chihiro and Yuiko are yet to be revealed but clues may be scattered about. Hisui being the youngest, clings to his siblings quite often, and he's notably happier when they're around.
The timeskip is around the time Hisui is fourteen years old while the bulk of the story is when he's about five or six. A few years spread between but the heart of the story remains. His wish came true.
Anyhow, that's enough of me rambling. Thank you so much for reading and if you want to check me out anywhere, find me on Tumblr, Twitter, and Instagram by my handle - unlockthelore! I'm also an original fiction writer on Tapas where I'm currently writing Oathbound.