A/N: Hey guys! Imaginary, though you may be! It's taken a while to write this one due to all the regular reasons you know, school and whatnot, so here you go, enjoy, and don't be too harsh.
I also don't own Cirque du Soleil.
As it turned out, it was another nine months before they could return to the Temple of the Harp to tell Asano about the marriage of Yoshiko and Mihito Shōkō. They had been driven to flee as fast they could to the mountains in the east, taking shelter there. Along the way there had been a brief but violent skirmish that left ten of their own dead but twenty of the soldiers dead. They took small revenge.
Yoshiko had been declared with child two months before they arrived at the Temple, which brought about teasing from the young man who had left his family to go with them. His name was Er Shi, the second son of a family that had moved to fill the land with farming in what used to be their kingdom. With curly brown hair and bright green eyes, he was almost an oddity. Green eyes were not common among those who had once been citizens of the Kingdom of the North.
But on one most memorable occasion of Er's teasing, Mihito had folded his arms over his chest and said simply, "One more reference to rabbits out of you and you will have no room to wonder how exactly I became General." He hadn't spoken a single word about rabbits since.
Hiroko was now four years old, and Norihito was six. Michiko also had a suspicion that she was again pregnant, but she did not want to distract from Yoshiko's impending child. Or children. Apparently she was more likely to have twins than Michiko was.
But once they did return, Asano was nowhere to be found.
"Where is she?" asked Takeda, very concerned for his daughter. "Is she alright?"
"Yes, she is fine," assured Father Yìjìng. "She has merely taken Kagetoki out for breath therapy."
"Breath therapy?" echoed Akihito, holding his daughter, who was sleepily holding her arms around his neck.
"Do not lower the value of breathing exercises, Akihito," said Takara, raising a bushy brow. "They have helped you in your own time in the military, if I remember correctly."
"Very true. I apologize if I have offended you." She smiled and tossed her head to rid her face of her hair. As she did, she missed the quietly adoring look of Seishi Inagaki. But Miki caught it, smiling knowingly. The past six years had taught her very much about love.
It was evening when Asano returned, remarkably more mature than they had left her. Beside her was Kagetoki, who seemed to actually be recovered.
"Father!" cried Yoshinaka, racing to him and hugging him tightly. The man held his son tight as well. "You're better."
"Not completely," he said. "I still have trouble remembering things, but Asano says that I'm near normal again."
"I don't think he'll ever truly recover," said the young woman as she stood with her parents. "No matter what I do, he always has memory problems." She shook her head. "I wanted to ask, there are a few people missing. Did they settle?"
"Asano…" sighed Noriko, staring at her hands. "We ran into the Imperial Army. Ten were killed." A gasp escaped her step-daughter's lips, her hand going to her lips. "What's worse, is that this may yet become a regular fact of life."
"That's…horrible." And Yoshitsune hugged his elder sister tightly.
Just a ways away from them, Fusasaki and Tadamichi were talking, especially about Tadamichi's impending fiftieth birthday. "Are you certain you will be able to travel with us then?" asked the younger Fujiwara.
"To be honest, I do not know," said Tadamichi. "There may be a very real chance of me being killed in the next skirmish." He let out a lungful of air and spread his hands over the blue fabric in his lap, frowning down at it. "You know, I have always felt the odd one out with these."
"But many of us wear kilts," reminded Fusasaki. "So you aren't completely alone."
"Very true." He smiled at his son fondly. He had grown so much from the young boy six years ago. They all had. Those in the military had softened, and those in court had hardened. They had reached common ground at that point-emotionally soft but tough in respects to the dangers about them.
And so the conversations went. They stayed there, talking late into the night until they began to feel quite exhausted. Then they simply returned to the rooms they had stayed in the last time they were there.
Dawn was just minutes away, and everyone was happily sleeping. Except Norihito. He had managed to pull a promise out of his father to see the sunrise with him. And Akhitio wasn't…a morning person, to put it lightly.
So, when Norihito rushed over to where his parents were curled up together and began to while for him to wake, Akihito did his best to ignore his son.
"Your son is awake," murmured Michiko, who had been up with Hiroko after her nightmare.
"Before the sun rises, he's your responsibility," grumbled Akihito.
"Father!" whined Norihito throwing himself over his father's shoulder. "You promised!"
"I hate myself for it, but I did." And he pushed himself up with a groan, rubbing his face before standing. Norhito grabbed his hand and pulled him out, full of energy as only children under the age of ten have. He sat down by the Harp Room, the place where you could see the sunrise best, and waited for his father to join him.
"Will you tell me about the Kingdom again?" he begged.
"Norihito, we have told you nine thousand times! Surely you know the stories so well as if you had been there yourself."
"Yes, but it's no good when I tell it."
"It is not good," corrected Akihito. But he sighed and held his son close to him, watching the lilac sky in the east slowly turn to rose pink. "Before you were born, your mother and I lived in a place called the Kingdom of the North."
"What was it like there?"
"Well, we're still in it! But the palace was large and airy, made of the best material that could be found. White marble, strong oak wood, the best that could be found. Your aunt and I grew up there as Prince and Princess."
"Was it nice? Was Aunt Yoshiko a good princess?"
"She was a very good princess. She learned her lessons and danced baton, but she always played pranks, much like she does now. But those were grander scale. I was in the military with a lot of the people you know. Your uncle Mihito, Takara, Seishi—"
"And Hayato! Well, when he was alive."
"Exactly. That's where I got all my tattoos. They show rank." Norihito turned away from where molten gold was slowly appearing over the horizon to look at the tattoos all up his father's arm. They were different from some of the others. His were bands, but on the arms of some of the others, there were waves and scales…
"Why does Ei have scales?" he asked.
"Ei used to be Captain Ei Hisatora of the Shōhei Maru. The navy always has those patterns. Had. Had those patterns." Norihito stared up at his father, who looked so sad, and said,
"Well, I like them. But do you know what else I like?"
"What do you like, little Prince?"
"I like the sunrise!"
"Of course you do. So you wake up your father for them too." And he swept his son into his arms, tickling him mercilessly, making the boy shriek with laughter. As he did, Asano joined them, yawning.
"Good morning," she said.
"And to you," said Akihito, Norihito still writhing about in laughter.
"Let your son go, Akihito, I think he can't breathe." And their leader and former Crown Prince did so, smiling fondly at his son as he finished his giggles. "You know, three years ago, I would not have said that."
"I suppose not. You were a child then. But now we are equal adults." Asano nodded.
"You do know that Kagetoki will never completely recover, yes?"
"I…I had hoped it was not the case, but I suppose that we must deal with it."
"Yes. If…if it would not be too much trouble, do you think I could stay? He needs me to stay and keep treating him but…"
"No, we've all come to understand that you will always be here. Like a princess in a tower."
"With due respect, only your daughter could be called a princess."
"And me?" asked Norihito, climbing into Asano's lap as opposed to returning to his father.
"Well, you are our little Prince, remember? You know the stories."
"Mm-hmm. Mama and Daddy were going to become king and queen. And then people from the Empire got rid of the kingdom. So they're still trying to find us to make us stop being us."
"Exactly," said Akihito. He didn't want to tell his children that they were being hunted like animals, but they already knew. It was hard not to.
On the other side of the Temple, Toshinari was waking. Her name was Toshinari Fujiwara, but she was only very distantly related to Tadamichi and Fusasaki, and three years younger than the younger. But while she was still barely an adult, she had known for a long time that she couldn't bear to hurt anyone. She had written poetry back in the kingdom! True, it wasn't good poetry, but the sentiment remains.
Recently (the past day), she had been observing Asano. She too, had always been opposed to hurting anyone, and as Healer, she seemed so content and happy in her own skin. She would help heal the hurt and she would never be hurt herself. Perhaps she too could have the life of a Healer. She could ask Miki…but she was so terrifying at times. Especially when you disobeyed her orders.
But she would ask. Yes. She would strengthen her resolve and do it. Yes. Toshinari Fujiwara, the orphan girl, would become the Healer for those not at the Temple! Hopefully…
With a sigh, she stopped lying there with her eyes closed, hoping the newly risen sun would go away and stop shining into her eyes, and got to her feet. Stretching, she left the room as silently as she could, trying not to wake Yuriko and Yoshimi, the two she was sharing sleeping quarters with.
Miki and Asano would be going out early today, to find healing herbs and fruits, and she would have to catch them before they left.
Leaving her sleeping quarters like the undead lumbering about, she saw Asano, Akihito, and Norihito sitting together, watching the sunrise and talking. But she needed to find Miki. Where was she? Now she hated the "Ichinose Talent", as Miki called it, to not be found unless they wanted you to find them.
But, standing in the cool morning, she saw Miki emerge and darted over, bolstering her resolve. "Miki!" she called. The Healer turned and regarded her curiously as the girl approached. "I wanted to talk to you."
"Do you feel unwell?" she asked, immediately slipping into doctor mode.
"What? No, I feel fine. I just wanted to ask you something."
And this got Miki's attention. "What is it?"
"I was wondering if I could learn from you. I mean, I can't hurt a living thing and I like helping people and—"
"I understand. We will give you a trial period, see if you can handle it. If you can, you will be my official apprentice. If not, then we will find something else for you to do and someone else for me to teach." Toshinari grinned brightly and squealed,
"Oh thank you! Thank you!"
"Do not thank me yet. We'll see how you do on this expedition." And she went to where Asano was holding Norihito in her lap. "Asano!" The young healer looked up. "We're going now! Brother Ninshō will meet us by the path!"
"Coming!" called Asano, getting up and bidding farewell to Akihito and Norihito. Hurrying over, the young woman smiled and asked, "Is Toshinari coming too?"
"Yes. She wants to become my apprentice. So we'll see how she does." Toshinari smiled shyly, and followed along as they made their way to the path out the back of the monastery.
"Good morning!" chirped Nukatabe, bouncing her way to where her mother lay sleeping. Shaking her to wake her up, her mother, Iratsume, opened her eyes and frowned at her.
"What makes it so good?" grumbled Iratsume. She was very young, only sixteen when she got married, and seventeen when she gave birth to Nukatabe. So the relationship between them was more relaxed. But it was just as fond.
"It's just beautiful! I was thinking I could go on a walk in the mountains. Do you want to come?"
"How beautiful is 'beautiful?'"
"Very, mother. Besides, I always ask you to come with me on walks."
"You're seven years old. Can't you go with Norihito or Yoshitsune? You would keep each other safe."
"Mother! You used a contraction! You always lecture me on them!"
"I am still half asleep." She groaned and sat up, rubbing his face. "Alright, I'll go with you. But first we will eat, alright?" Nukatabe smiled brightly and took her mother's hand as she smiled and walked outside.
By that time, most everyone was awake and the Brothers were opening the doors into the dining hall. Nukatabe ran and sat at one of the many tables, humming without a tune until her mother returned with breakfast.
When she did, the little girl ate it quickly, Iratsume smiling at her daughter. "We will go on that walk you wanted to go on right after, alright? Now slow down or you will be sick!" And she slowed down exaggeratedly, making Iratsume laugh aloud before turning to her own breakfast.
"Good morning," said Noriko happily, joining them with Yoshitsune. The little boy waved at the girl who waved back before continuing eating.
"What makes it so good?" asked Iratsume. Nukatabe giggled to herself, but didn't say anything.
"Standard greeting, Iratsume, there is nothing especially special about it. Except…"
"Except what?"
"They say Michiko's pregnant again."
"She and Akihito…I swear they are like rabbits."
"Excuse me? Their first child is six years old, I believe that that does not mean they are like rabbits."
"Hyperbole, Noriko!"
"What does 'hyperbole' mean?" asked Yoshitsune.
"I don't know," said Nukatabe simply, shrugging. "Mama, I am done! Can we go on that walk now?"
"May we go on that walk, and just wait until I have finished eating."
"They're going to be here forever. Wanna go play?" said Yoshitsune. Nukatabe nodded and they ran off as their mothers called,
"They are and want to!"
It was a half hour later that Nukatabe and Iratsume got to go on that walk, the same time that the Healers came back, baskets brimming with herbs and berries and flowers. And Toshinari was with them, looking a little bewildered.
Along the way, they had told he everything about every plant they saw, not even pausing for a moment. As a result, she was a bit overwhelmed, but it was nice to do that sort of thing.
"So, how did it go?" asked Er, who had been standing nearby, watching Michiko and Akihito sit close together and putting words in their mouths.
"It went wonderfully," said Brother Ninshō. "Plenty of birthing herbs."
"Ugh, I did not need the reminder that those will come in handy. Thank you for that."
"You are welcome," said Asano with a smile.
Retiring to where Asano and Ninshō kept their supplies, they bound the herbs and hung them up to dry or set them in alcohol to become tinctures. Toshinari was then taught much more slowly about the processes.
"What does this do?" she asked, hanging up the woven strings of ginseng.
"Ginseng? Or the drying?" asked Miki.
"The drying."
"It helps preserve the ginseng plant so we can make it into teas. You remember what those help with, right?"
"Sort of an all cure? You are going to have to teach me a bit slower than you did earlier."
"We will go over it later." And Miki snatched some of the cannabis from Brother Ninshō. "I need to make a tincture before you dry that up." He nodded with a smile.
"Good morning, healers!" called Michiko, entering the room carrying her daughter.
"Good morning," said Asano, who was shaking the older tinctures. "Why did you deign to visit us, o great wife of our leader?"
"Hiroko skinned her knee." The girl nodded, and Miki went and picked up the girl.
"Well we'll fix that soon enough!" she said. "We'll wash it and make it better."
"How?" asked Hiroko.
"With a very secret method only Healers and mothers know. But we will let you in on the secret."
And so, having washed the minor injury, she got Michiko to give the knee a kiss, which made Hiroko smile, That had been all that was needed, apparently, as she pulled on her mother's hand to go play. And as they left, Toshinari immediately began to see Miki in a new light. A light that painted her beautifully in the orphan girl's eyes. Having a mentor so kind to the small children she had birthed made the pain of losing her mother in that horrible skirmish that much easier. A new mother, of sorts.
Yoshiko was sitting in one of the near meadows in the mountains, leaning back with her hands supporting her from behind, smiling at her husband who lay on his side before her, his hand pressed to her abdomen.
"We are going to have a wonderful child," he said, rubbing his thumb against her stomach gently. "And he or she will have the best mother in the world."
"They will have the best father as well."
"They? Are you having twins?"
"If not, I assume we will have more children. Yes?" he smiled and pressed a kiss to her stomach.
"Little one," he said very quietly. "Can you hear me? It is me, your daddy. Now, when you come here and join us, you are going to find that the world can be scary. But you do not ever have to worry, understand? You are our child, and your mama is one of the strongest women I know and I was a general. We'll keep you safe and sound. So do not be scared, alright?" Yoshiko took his hand, and smiled at him as he sat up, kissing him gently a moment before curling up beside him, staring across the meadow that was being ruffled by the wind.
"I always knew I would have children, that I would have to provide heirs for whomever I marry, but…I suppose I never thought that I would love my husband. That it would be a partnership. I love you, Mihito. And no matter what, this child will only prove it."
And they sat there together for the rest of the day, talking to each other and to the baby, not even feeling the real need to go eat, both weren't hungry and the day was so nice. Besides, who knew what storms the future would bring? Better enjoy the melted butter sunlight while it lasted.
A/N: Yeah, I wrote that last bit listening to Nemo Egg from the Finding Nemo Soundtrack. That explains the cheesiness factor. Enjoy that, and would you like some wine with that cheese?
The Shōhei Maru was a real Japanese ship. It was the first Western style ship and was built in 1852 after the Dutch ships. It was a warship.
Also, Toshinari Fujiwara, better known as Shunzei's Daughter, was one of the best poets of her time, considered equal with the princess of the time, Princess Shikishi. That was her claim to fame. Yeah...
Cannabis is native to central Asia. It has been part of herbal healing for a very, very long time. It has also been turned into drugs. So, that's a dark spot on the reputation of a plant.
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