Episode Seven
Kanji
The impatient woman stood tapping her foot against the marble floor. Before her was the sacred crystal that would be the answer to all of her prayers. It rested within a golden stand reaching up from the ground. The greenish crystal would pulsate with light every few seconds. The woman, standing before it, stared angrily at the glowing gem as her underlings scurried around the crystal, examining it and writing things down. Some servants carefully examined the crystal while holding up many ancient charts and graphs while others took notes on their tablets. They all came to a consensus and huddled together.
The angry woman, evilly beautiful and dark, turned her eyes away from the crystal towards the trembling group of old men. "What have you discovered?"
They all wore ridiculous hats and robes, but the one with the most ridiculous hat came forward. "According to our calculations my Lady, it should still be another year."
A deep exhale escaped her lips.
The man stepped forward. "Have patience, My Lady, you'll soon have your powers again."
She glanced over at him and smiled.
Nervously, the old man smiled.
The woman's smile disappeared quickly. She grabbed a hold of the old man's robes and picked him up off the ground. The old began to beg and plead for his life, but ignoring his moans, she threw him towards the group of men. They all fell over, dropping their charts, scrolls, and tablets.
"Now get out!" She screamed.
The old men scurried up off the floor and ran out of the room.
The woman stepped forward to examine the crystal up close. She stared deeply into the greenish gemstone, and memories began to replay within her mind.
The sky was dark. The land was littered with the bodies of many fallen soldiers. Blood ran like rivers between them. She was ready to claim her destiny, but one thing stood in her way—Serenity.
"Look what you have done!" Serenity hollered, examining the ground of fallen soldiers, the warriors of the Moon Kingdom. Tears filled her eyes. "These were our people!"
"I do not care of them! I will take what is rightfully mine at whatever cost!" The woman said, raising her arms. She began to form energy balls in the palms of her hands.
"Then you are mad!" Serenity hollered.
The woman smirked. "Perhaps, but it takes a fanatic to get anything done."
"So you will destroy this Kingdom to get what you want?"
"If it means disposing of you, then yes."
Princess Serenity of the Moon Kingdom, the future Queen of the Silver Millennium and mother of Sailor Moon, raised her arms high in the air. Holding onto the Moon Wand, she summoned the last of her strength.
"This will be your death, Serenity!" The woman charged forward.
"Goodbye…" Tears rolled down Serenity's face. "…Kali…" She closed her eyes and braced herself.
The woman snapped out of her memory at the sound of her general's voice. She turned around as he called her name once again.
"Mistress Kali?" General Taro called.
"What?" Kali spun around.
General Taro bowed. "The first legion of soldiers has finished their training. They are ready for your inspection."
Kali released a faint groan. "Fine." She waved her hand. "I'll take a look later."
The General bowed again. "Yes, my Lady." He walked away.
Kali took one last look at the crystal before she walked away.
Raye stood on the deck of the Shrine, tapping her foot as she looked at her watch. She sighed, resting her arm at her side. Looking over towards the stairway, she watched as her young miko hiked up the tall stone stairs, ran across the courtyard, and halted in Raye's presence.
"You're late, Yuka."
Yuka, panting, dropped her books and sighed. "I know! I know! I just had this thing to do after school then I got in trouble…"
"Got in trouble?" Raye crossed her arms.
"For being late to class…"
"Imagine that."
"Miss Raye, I'm sorry! I really am!"
"Uh-huh." Raye glanced towards her watch again. "You're almost twenty minutes late."
"I know! I won't do it again! Please!"
Raye sighed. "Alright, get dressed and meet me in the fire room."
After Yuka changed form her school uniform into her miko outfit, the two of them met up in the fire room. Raye had already started the sacred fire and began to kindle the flames. Soon, the fire was roaring and filling the room with heat.
"What are we doing?" Yuka asked.
"We're going to meditate." Raye took a kneeling position in front of the sacred fire while Yuka found a spot behind her. Raye took in a deep breath, smelling the scent of the burning wood and closed her eyes. "Take a deep breath…" She waited for Yuka. "…And concentrate. Close your eyes."
Yuka followed suit.
For a long time, Raye had found it difficult to focus in meditation. The goal was to block out the outside thoughts of the world, but lately, she wasn't very good at doing such a thing. She forced herself to lay aside all of her thoughts and cares to try and listen to the sacred fire. It was difficult. Thoughts would continue to re-enter her mind, but she fought to keep her head clear. She breathed out again, letting herself surrender to the fire. There—she felt release. Soon, her senses and faculty were overcome with the power of the fire. It coursed through her entire body, strengthening her and giving her wisdom and focus. Her lips began to move. "I am flame. Flame is Light. I am fire. Fire is sight." She began to utter quietly. At first she could see nothing, but the fire itself, but after a while, something began to appear distantly within the fire. She pushed deeper, trying to see, but nothing was coming. Suddenly, kanji flashed before her eyes, and she gasped, falling backwards unto the floor. Coldness and darkness rushed around her as she jolted back to consciousness. Lying on her back, she looked up at the ceiling. Soon, Yuka was standing over her.
"Miss Raye?" The miko looked confused.
Raye sat up and rubbed the back of her head. "Sorry, I fell."
"Are you okay? Do you need help?"
"No, no, I'm fine." Raye picked herself up off the ground. "Why do you practice your meditation while I go do something quickly?"
Yuka nodded.
Raye walked out of the fire room. She quickly paced down the hallway leading from the shrine into her house. She headed straight for her desk in the study and opened the drawer. She grabbed a notebook and flipped it open. She scribbled down the kanji that flashed before her eyes then closed the notebook. She headed back to the fire room to attend to her miko.
He sat resting against one of the branches of the tall trees surrounding Hikawa Shrine. Within his palm, he held the reclaimed item that he always held onto—the golden arrowhead. He would mostly spend his time rubbing the metal with his thumb, but sometimes he would find his attention wandering to scurrying squirrels or the first chirping birds of spring.
He heard one of the doors slide open. He jerked his head towards the Shrine. The High Priestess stepped out onto the deck followed by her miko. The older woman turned to face her student, and she bowed. Her student bowed also.
"Now, try to be on time from now on. We have a lot of work to do."
Yuka nodded. "Yes, Miss Raye. It won't happen again."
"See that it doesn't."
"Yes, Miss Raye," Yuka bowed again before turning around to leave.
Raye crossed her arms as she watched her student leave. Her eyes followed the young girl running towards the exit, but suddenly, her head turned towards the trees.
The Kagemusha stood very still.
She stood there, staring for a moment, with her arms crossed. "How long has he been there?" Raye asked herself. She narrowed her eyes, trying to see him, but she could not. After a few moments, she turned around and walked back into the house.
The Kagemusha waited until he heard the door close then he disappeared.
Raye weaved through the hallways of her house, first stopping in the restroom, and then continuing on towards the study. She wasn't in this room very often. It had a desk, office supplies, and even a computer, but she only used this room to do things like pay the bills and balance her accounts. She sat down in the swivel chair and spun towards the desk. She flipped open the notebook, trying to find the page she scribbled in earlier. Once she did, she threw the page open and leaned back in her seat.
"Fuji," She said aloud.
What did this mean? She pondered for a moment. The only Fuji she could think of at the moment was Mount Fuji, but what did that mean? She didn't think about too much because she knew that she had no idea about the meaning. Instead, she got up from the chair and exited the room. The study was on the other end of the house. She backtracked through the most unused portion of the house towards the middle, where the kitchen and living room were. She paced along the dark hallway quietly, but a scream escaped her lips as she felt herself being grabbed from behind.
Her heart instantly began to ache in her chest. Her limbs froze in terror, feeling as heavy as frozen blocks of ice. She choked down the lump in her throat, managing to utter, "Kagemusha."
The mysterious warrior, with his prey caught in his arms, stood behind her, holding a knife once again to her neck. She moved forward, motioning her to continue to walk. Soon, they were in the kitchen, and he threw her to the ground. She landed on her face, but she quickly spun around on her back. "What do you want with me?" She yelled.
"I have come for your life."
"Then why don't you just take it?" Raye asked, harshly. Tears of anger began to splash against the floor. "Is this some kind of game? Are you just toying with me?"
"You're weak."
"Then why don't you just do it?" Raye shot up off the floor. "I am tired of this! Would you just go ahead and take your revenge?"
"I told you." He looked her in the eye. "You shouldn't be as utterly pathetic as you are now when I kill you."
Raye shook her head, feeling angry. She wiped away her hot tears and stared him down. "You're sadistic!"
He said nothing.
Raye glanced to the side for a moment. She quickly jumped for one of the kitchen drawers and pulled out a large knife. She raised it in the air high above her head. "If you won't do it, then I will!"
The Kagemusha, who rarely had a facial expression, seemed to have the slightest bit of surprise wash over his face. One who did not know him would think it was always the same facial expression, but for one who did, they would notice the slight change in his composure.
Tears streamed down Raye's face as her hand trembled. Her life, filled with pain and sorrow, flashed before her eyes. Memories that wounded her soul to the core burned and ached within her. Overwhelmed by them, she desired for them to stop, but her hand could not move.
The Kagemusha disappeared. Suddenly, Raye felt another hand over hers. His fingers worked their way into her palm, causing her to drop the knife. As the metal clanged against the floor, her entire body went limp. Her knees buckled, her body falling to the ground, but she was caught in his arms. He slowly set her on the floor.
She began to sob. Cradled in the arms of her enemy, she threw back her head and sobbed against his chest. Together, they sat on the floor of the kitchen as she sobbed her heart out. Her soul, through tears that she never allowed herself to cry, was purging itself of all the pain and sorrow she held. After some time, she managed to glance up at the mysterious warrior for a moment, eyes stinging with tears.
"This is not an honorable way," He said, just above a whisper.
She nodded, as the tears were coming under control.
He stood her up, seeing that she was a bit more composed, and once she was standing, he pulled away from her. He walked backwards, facing toward her, from the kitchen and into the hallway. He headed into the dark hallway then disappeared.
Raye stood in bewilderment the kitchen, with dried tears on her face.
The Crown Fruit Parlor was fairly empty that morning—a few old couples scattered around the tables while in the corner a young couple met up for breakfast. After a long night of practicum in the emergency room, Shun Tanaka, Ami's boyfriend, met up with Ami for an early breakfast. It was 6:30 in the morning, but Ami didn't mind the early hours to see him. He slid into the booth first, but seeing that nobody was around, Ami slid it next to him. She always was more affectionate when she didn't feel the pressure of someone watching. Tired, he leaned against the wall, wearing his hospital scrubs, and she leaned against his chest while he threw his arm around her.
"How was your shift?" Ami asked.
"Pretty uneventful for the emergency room—a broken arm, a case of pneumonia, and a sick baby."
"Oh," Ami said sadly.
"It was just a case of jaundice. Hopefully, it should clear up in about a week."
"Yes, it should be okay then."
"I love it when you're compassionate." He leaned forward and kissed her forehead.
"Because otherwise I'm a cold-hearted witch?" She asked him.
He shook his head with a silly expression spread across his face. "I can never say the right thing, can I?"
"No, you can't." She smiled just before he kissed her.
The waitress walked up, rolling her eyes at their affectionate expressions. "What'll you two lovebirds have?" She asked, tapping her pen against her order booklet.
Ami instantly pulled away and straightened up in her seat, cheeks flushing a violent red.
"Uh…" Shun quickly grabbed the menu and examined it. "I'll have crêpes."
"What kind? How many?" The waitress asked flatly.
Shun tugged at his ear. "Two. Strawberry." He looked up. "Oh, and can I get a coffee with that?"
The waitress rolled her eyes before writing it down. "And what do you want?" She hissed at Ami.
"Yogurt…"
"You can get more than that," Shun said.
"No, I'm not very hungry."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
The waitress stood tapping her order booklet again while tapping her foot against the floor.
"Yogurt, please, and a cup of chai tea."
The waitress walked away, scribbling down the order.
"She is not getting a tip," Shun said.
"I should say." Ami turned back toward her boyfriend. Ami sighed, tucking her fists under her chin.
"Something wrong?" Shun's hand rubbed across her back.
Ami shrugged. "I was just thinking about Raye."
"Your friend?" He asked. "The strange one?"
Ami shot him a dirty look.
"Sorry," He shrugged. "I always feel like she hates everyone."
"Well…" Ami shrugged. "…she only looks like she hates everyone."
"Why are you worried about her?"
Ami traced her finger over the table. "She just doesn't seem like the same Raye since her grandfather died. She's aloof, secretive, and she rarely leaves her house."
"Do you think she's suffering from depression?"
"Yes, I do, but she was extremely defensive when I tried to talk to her about it."
"Hmmm." Shun paused to think. "As you know, you can't help anyone who doesn't want to be helped."
"I know. I just…" Ami sighed.
The waitress came up with their drinks.
She was used to being alone, but as she spent those early spring days preparing the Shrine for visitors, she didn't feel alone. For days, she prepared the shrine grounds—sweeping the sidewalks, picking up rocks, cleaning up dead grass, and other various activities. At night, she spent her time reading and knitting, but within the darkness of the house, she didn't feel alone.
She could feel it. He was always watching. Day after day passed at Hikawa Shrine without a soul stepping onto the grounds, but she knew in her heart that she was not alone. His presence, mysterious and frightening, slowly became expected and almost, dare she think—comforting. Occasionally, she would look up from her work, searching for him, but he was never to be found. Soon, he began to appear far away from her, still partially hidden, but like a curious animal, he would approach. Day by day, he would grow closer towards her. If she worked the grounds, he would be among the trees. If she sat by the fireplace in the living room, he was in the darkness of the hallway watching. His presence, mysterious and frightening, she waited for.
Sometimes he would reveal himself, ready to take her life, but it always ended the same—he did not complete the task. Other times, he would approach her cautiously just to observe what she was doing. Today was one of those days. As she realigned the stones around the small creek running through the grounds, he appeared before her, a few yards away.
They rarely spoke but merely stayed in each other presence for hours at a time. As the Kagemusha appeared, he sat down on one of the rocks and looked on it. The High Priestess was on her hands and knees. A small smirk spread across her face as she noticed she had company. Her sleeves were rolled up for hard work. She cringed, plunging her arms into the cold water, and she grunted, pulling out a heavy rock. She repeated the process. The sweat of her brow rolled down her face and into the small stream. She continued the hard work, only stopping when she saw his reflection in the water. She looked up at him, shocked. He rolled up the sleeves of his black shirt then dipped his arms into the water. He pulled out a large stone. Raye continued in her work, along side the Kagemusha.