Author's Note:
I think I'm going to use the F word. Four, as in chapter four. You thought I was going to say something else didn't you. I am posting this after having taken a nice long nap, not a whole week like Amaterasu, just a few hours. I hope you all enjoy chapter four. I am still accepting ideas for this story, so please offer up some suggestions. What do you think should happen next? Many thanks and a heaping plate of s'mores go to Sakura02 for the much desired review and to everyone who reads this story. This chapter is dedicated to my comfy bed, which may not be as comfy as others but suits me just fine. I also dedicate this chapter to my toad lily, which died from rust but lives on in my heart and in a picture on my cell phone. I miss you dear flower.
Disclaimers:
I don't own Peacemaker Kurogane or any of its characters. I do, however, own Amaterasu, her father and mother, and any other characters I may come up with. Comments of the positive and negative variety are like flowers in the garden of my mind.
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Amaterasu slept for an entire week, her body's way of recuperating and healing itself. While she slept, a mysterious trunk was delivered to the Shinsengumi with a note indicating that it was meant for Amaterasu. Soji had the trunk moved to Amaterasu's room to be opened by her when she awoke.
Amaterasu awoke feeling strangely calm, something she hadn't felt in many years. It was like a huge weight had been lifted from her soul. She pushed herself up into a sitting position and saw Soji sitting against the wall, fast asleep. She tried to stand up but halfway through the attempt she toppled over and the sound startled Soji from his slumber.
"Are you alright?" he said as he rushed to her side and helped her to sit up.
"I'm fine" she responded "I just wanted to get some fresh air. How long was I asleep?"
"A week" Soji said as he helped Amaterasu stand up and made their way outside. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the warm breeze that blew over her face. "Do you feel any better?"
"I'm feeling much better" she said sighing "but I don't know what I'm going to do now." "I didn't think about where I was going to stay or what I was going to, all I could think about was finding you."
"You are going to live here" Soji spoke, while both watched cherry blossom petals fall through the air "Hijikata-san has already decreed it."
"Hijikata?" Amaterasu responded, confusion evident in the tone of her voice.
"One of the vice-commanders of the Shinsengumi" a voice spoke from beside them as both Amaterasu and Soji were startled and looked to see who the source of the voice was.
"Matsumoto-san what are you doing here?" Soji asked surprised, as Amaterasu backed up against him fearfully, panicked by the unfamiliar person.
"It's alright" Soji whispered in her ear as he wrapped his arms around her waist. "Matsumoto is the Shinsengumi's doctor. He won't hurt you."
"I came to make sure Amaterasu's wounds were healing properly and to change her bandages" Matsumoto said as she began to visibly relax. "I swear on my life that I would never do anything to harm you" he said holding out his hand as a sign of trust smiling as Amaterasu hesitantly placed her hand in his. "Everything will be alright now" he said as he picked her up and carried her to his clinic. Near the edge of the building a mysterious figure faded unnoticed into the shadows.
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Amaterasu sat on a blanket spread out on the floor, Matsumoto kneeling behind her with his medical supplies surrounding him, and Soji sitting near Amaterasu in case she needed him. Matsumoto gently removed the sling from her arm and examined her wrist. "I don't think you need the sling anymore" Matsumoto said happily as he wrapped a bandage around the lower portion of her left arm "but I would keep it bandaged for a while longer to help the bruising and swelling go down, and light activity only when you use your left arm." "I need to check your back now" He continued, leaving Soji confused as to what he was talking about.
Amaterasu reached up and pulled her hair to the side before slipping her kimono off and letting it pool around her waist to reveal old scars and fresh wounds crisscrossing her back. She quickly grabbed a shawl and covered the front of her body with it. She kept her eyes downcast, secretly ashamed of letting Soji see her like this. Soji felt sick as he realized what and who had caused the wounds, her father had whipped her. "Everything appears to be healing nicely, next I'd like to see your ankle" Matsumoto said as he rubbed a thin layer of salve over her back before allowing her to pull her kimono back up to cover herself.
Amaterasu spun herself around so she was facing Matsumoto. He began to remove the bandage on her ankle, noting the blood that stained the inner layers. Once he had completely removed the bandage Soji saw for the first time, the state of her ankle. A jagged line of scabbed flesh surrounded by redness and bruises marred the pale skin of her foot. Matsumoto pressed his fingers into the skin of her foot near the wound and drew his fingers down her foot "Can you feel anything?" he asked frowning as Amaterasu shook her head. "I'm afraid the numbness isn't subsiding, which means that she'll probably never feel sensations with that foot with the exception of pain." He spread salve on the wound before putting a fresh bandage on it "I'd recommend not putting too much pressure on the foot, keeping it elevated, and keep a cold compress on it." "Is there anything you would like to ask me or tell me?" Matsumoto asked Amaterasu meeting her eyes with his. She stared at him for a few minutes before looking down at the ground before shaking her head no. Matsumoto could tell she was hiding something, but knew that she most likely didn't want to say anything in front of Soji and would come and talk to him in her own time. Having finished his examination, Matsumoto watched as Soji carried Amaterasu out of the clinic.
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As Amaterasu opened the door to her room for Soji, she saw a mysterious trunk near the wall. Soji crossed the threshold and sat Amaterasu down on the futon. He left the door open to allow fresh air to circulate through the room. He grabbed one of the extra blankets and folded it before laying it beneath her right foot. She knew she had to tell Soji about the blood, she wanted to tell him but she just couldn't bring herself to do it. Instead she let her focus wander to the trunk by the wall. Something about it just drew her to it, as though it was calling her.
Soji noticed that she couldn't stop staring at the trunk and decided to ask her about it. "It's for you" he said which startled her, causing her to turn her head to look at him.
"It is" she said softly as Soji went over and picked up the trunk and carried it over to her. She saw the letter with her name written on it and read it. "It's from my uncle, I've only met him a couple of times when he came to see my mother, the letter says that she made arrangements with him to make sure that I received this" she passed the letter to Soji who skimmed it taking note of her uncle's name, Tsukuyomi-very appropriate considering what his niece was named.
She ran her fingers over the delicate scrollwork on the lid of the trunk before slowly opening it. The trunk was completely full of silk drawstring bags. She reached in and pulled out a pale violet bag, running her fingers over the fabric before opening the bag and emptying the contents into the palm of her hand. Three small crystals fell into her palm. Soji noticed that they were the same shade of purple as the bag, but with a white tinge in parts of the crystal.
"My mother's crystals" Amaterasu responded to the confused look on Soji's face "after she died, I looked for them but couldn't find them. I thought my father had gotten rid of them." "My mother and I come from a long line of crystal healers. We have the ability to attune the energy in crystals with a person's energy or chakra to improve the physical and mental health of a person."
"I'd heard rumors of crystal healers" Soji responded as Amaterasu put the crystals back in the pouch before continuing to look through the crystals in the trunk "but I didn't think they existed until I met you mother."
She pulled out a pale blue bag with a white drawstring and pulled out one of the crystals. She closed her hand around it before closing her eyes and holding the stone to her heart. A few seconds later she opened her eyes and handed the stone to Soji. He took it and looked closely at it noting the square shape and the alternating thin, wavy stripes of grayish blue and white. "Keep it close to your skin" Amaterasu said "see how it makes you feel."
"Alright" Soji responded, slightly suspicious of the stone he held in his hand. He looked up and saw Amaterasu staring sadly at the trunk. "What's wrong?" he asked, worry evident in his voice.
"Could I be alone for a little bit?" she asked softly, eyes cast downward at the bag of crystals in her hand. "I just…" she stopped speaking, words escaping her as thoughts of her mother rose unbidden in her mind.
Soji saw that her hands were slightly shaking and gently enclosed her hands with his. "I understand" he said calmly "take as much time as you need. I'll be nearby if you need me." He tilted her head up and kissed her forehead before getting up and leaving the room. He paused while opening the door and looked back to see Amaterasu with her head buried in her hands which rested on the trunk's lid. He could hear her sobbing and as he closed the door behind him he heard her whisper a single heart wrenching word.
"Mommy."
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Amaterasu sat up and wiped the tears from her eyes. She felt this dull ache in her lungs right before she started to cough. The pain was unbearable and all she could do was to curl up in a ball and pray that it would stop. What seemed like an eternity later, she finally stopped coughing and pulled her hand away from her mouth to see blood covering her entire palm and dripping onto the floor. She knew instantly what was happening to her and what she had to do, even though she dreaded the outcome. She stood up using the trunk to help her only to close her eyes against a wave of dizziness. She made her way to the door and poked her head out. Seeing that Soji wasn't in the vicinity, she left the room and made her way to the clinic retracing the route from memory.
Once she got to the clinic, she hesitated for a few minutes before opening the door. She opened the door to find a strange young man looking through medical texts. He looked up startled by Amaterasu's entrance.
"I'm sorry to bother you" she said softly "I'll come back later."
"I'm Matsumoto's assistant" he spoke quickly as he stood up to prevent her from leaving "I can help you if you need it. You can trust me."
Amaterasu stood there, her hand clutched tightly to her chest uneasy about trusting a stranger so easily. Realizing she desperately needed his help, she slowly lowered her arm and opened her hand to reveal the blood staining her hand and slowly closed the door with her other hand.
"Help Me."
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The end of chapter four has been reached. What do you think? How does chapter four make you feel? What particular emotions does this chapter make you feel? What are your thoughts on Amaterasu? I'm positively dying to know. I hope everyone is enjoying the story so far. I broke the two thousand word mark and four pages of length on this chapter, making it the longest yet. I would appreciate any ideas you have for this story. My poor grey blob (aka my tiny little mind) is running on empty and would appreciate some fuel. See you in chapter five. Y'all are great people.