Can Toya ever come back?

Chapter Three

"The goal remains love All, heal All and All will remedy All"

-from the family of Jacob

Heal

"You are not the first one who came here." The healer, Masakazu said, as he sat with the three of them on his table, giving them the cups of tea that he had made for them. He was a small man but his built showed that he can still carry on living in the mountains alone without the assistance of other person. He was a little bit bald, and in his late 50s, and brawny to the point that someone who isn't good in judging a character would think that he is a member of a certain gangster group. Aya, Yuhi and Yuuna couldn't hide their surprise when they saw his house of refuge. It was a small nipa-hut with woods that's even older than the Healer. Their only consolation is when they went inside the house. Despite of all the furniture worn by the passage of time, the whole house is immaculately clean.

"But, I must warn you, Aya… Not all of them came back." Masakazu continued, looking directly at Aya's eyes. "There are also those who came back, but they are never the same again…"

"But, we were told that you are powerful…" Yuhi intervened, seeing that Aya's being affected. "Are you saying that we had just wasted our time in coming here?"

"Her husband is not human. He is a spirit created by that Tennyo's manna… how can you be so sure that when he disappeared, he went to that place we call heaven and had not totally disappeared? His spirit might have been broken into pieces, every small part of it floating in the air." The Healer explained.

Aya who understood what the Healer meant couldn't stop her tears and cried. What if what Masakazu said was true? How will he call him? How can Toya be revived?

"I saw him." Aya said, her two hands covering her face as she speak. "This morning, I saw him clearly…he even cuddled his daughter…I heard him spoke and Reka too, she told me that she spoke with his father!"

Masakazu didn't speak for a while, internalizing all that Aya has told him. "It seems you're situation is not usual. How can a being like him exist?" he asked loudly for them to hear. "I guess there's nothing wrong in trying... but...how will I explain to them the true nature of her husband when even I couldn't explain it? This is the first I was asked to do something like this..." Masakazu told himself.

A human and yet not a human. A spirit and yet not a spirit. The Healer couldn't fathom what Toya is. Can Toya be considered a Celestial being if the fact that he was born from Ceres' celestial robe is to be considered? Possible. "It seems that I'm losing my touch. Do I need to review all that I've learned before? But everything I've learned was something taught to me by my father...Do I need to get out in the city and search for more and learn more?" Masakazu thought. What is he going to tell these people?

"Masakazu-san?" Yuuna called. "Is there something that you are hiding from us?"

"Aya, are you sure about these?" Masakazu asked. Hoping that the young widow would change her mind. What he said earlier about the spirits he was able to revive was partly true. What if instead of being able to call Aya's husband, he has called something horrible instead? Whatever it is, he needs to make sure that nothing bad happens!

"All right, then... But Aya, you must be sure that it is what you're heart wishes..." that was what the Healer said before he prepared and started the ritual...

oOo

"Toya..."

"Aya! Wake Up!" Yuhi tried to wake Aya when he suddenly felt him move in the bed where she was laid after she fainted. Carrying Aya on his back, Yuhi and Yuuna struggled to go back to the Aogiri rest house despite the invitation of the Healer for them to spend the night in his small house.

"Yuhi...it was- what happened?" Those were the first words he heard from Aya when she opened her eyes.

"Where is Toya?!" Aya jolted from the bed and faced Yuhi who was sitting in a chair beside the bed. An obvious excitement painted on her face, she was looking at Yuhi with those expectant eyes. "Where?"

Yuhi looked away. He didn't know what to say... Obviously, Aya does not remember what really happened at the Healer's house after she fainted from too much pressure... Her heart wasn't able to hold on from the stress she had these past three years and the anticipation she was feeling as the healer performs the ritual...

"Yuhi?" Aya called out. Is something wrong with Yuhi?, she thought. "Where...What is wrong? Why can't you look at me? Did it go wrong? Was it because I fainted? Please? Yuhi?"

"He's...Aya-chan, listen...the ritual-it didn't work out. Toya wasn't revived...I guess, he's gone forever..." Yuhi finally said. As he expected, Aya cried. Yuhi, sympathetically held Aya in his arms if at least it could ease the pain in her heart...

"Why? What went wrong? I thought if we go here, we will be seeing him again?" Aya asked like a child..."No..."

oOo

Earlier at Masakazu's dwelling…

It started to rain as soon as Masakazu started the ritual. The three of them were instructed to sit in triangular position and Masakazu was in the middle. Masakazu said it was his own of way of spirit summoning, which was even handed to him by his father.

"I though we're going to revive Toya?" Aya asked. Masakazu stopped from preparing the things to be used before for the ritual and faced Aya.

"A human and yet not a human. A spirit and yet not a spirit." He said which confused Aya. "I have to be make sure that he has a spirit. That he is a spirit and it is possible to call him…" he answered. He placed all the gizmos to be used in the ritual. A few palm leafs, an empty longneck bottle which was filled with some brown fiber-like things and yellowish water, a big black book and three candles which were lighted and put outside the triangle formed by Aya, Yuhi and Yuuna.

Masakazu sat in the middle, in front of him lays the now opened book and on its both sides were the bottle and the palm leaves. He read the book silently with his eyes, and then closed his eyes. He started to hum something they could not comprehend.

Taluwan akn so niyawa…

Pangnin ko na pamakinagn…

O sii sa duniya pan na pamakinagn…

A loud thunder was heard from the outside. All three of them looked at each other, worry and fear reflected on their faces.

"Oh Toya…Please help this man on his ritual…show yourself before us…" Aya silently beseeched as she watches Masakazu doing his thing. He was already pouring some of the liquid on his palm and to the horror of those who were watching him, he slowly drunk the liquid.

"What the hell?!" Yuuna whispered to himself. Disbelief was painted on his face. Simultaneously, another thunder stroke outside, this time more disturbingly loud. And it had put shiver down to Yuuna's spine.

Sisaya so paki talu ruka!

Sung ka sii dun!

Sung ka sii dun!

Masakazu's shouting voice was heard despite the roaring thunder. Without warning, Yuuna broke off from the triangle. "I can't take it anymore!" he said to the healer who was still busy on his spell. On his hands were the palm leaves he was waving up in the air. "Hey! I said I can't take this anymore!"

"Yuhi!" Aya called. There was panic in her voice.

"Yuuna, stop that! We're here for the ritual. Go back to your place before Masakazu gets distracted!" Yuhi told him, his voice made louder in order to be heard. But Yuuna didn't listen.

"Stop this, now! This is bullshit! This is fake! I knew it!" He shouted it. "Yuhi, let's go back. Anyway, why do you have to put up with these shit anyway? What?! For this bitch?" he said sardonically while pointing his fingers at Aya who have become still, watching all that's happening in front of her. The healer waving the palm leaves and Yuuna who was angrily throwing her those words.

Without further ado, Yuhi stood up from his seat and assaulted Yuuna. "Why are you doing this? You've even helped us and now you're the one to destroy it? No way!" he said after giving the guy a punch strong enough to hurl him on the floor. As if woken from a trance, Yuuna could only look up at him while his right hand caresses his injured jaw.

"What is happening here? The ritual's already been broken because of you two!" Masakazu's voice was what woke the two man from those hateful stares they're throwing at each other.

"This man-"Yuhi stopped abruptly when he heard a loud thud. Masakazu, Yuhi and Yuuna all looked at Aya's direction. The loud thud was actually from Aya who have fallen unconsciously to the floor on her right side.

"Aya!" Yuhi immediately forgot about the fight with Yuuna and walked directly at Aya's side. 'Aya?" he called out as he cradled her in his arms. A weak moan came out from Aya and her eyelashes flickered momentarily. Yuhi was relieved at that.

oOo

Currently at Aogiri resthouse…

Aya looked out the window; she noticed how bright and round the moon was. It was only a few minutes ago since Yuhi left her, thinking she had fallen asleep already.

"Yuhi…thank you for doing all this. I hope there was a way I wouldn't make you worry anymore…" Aya thought. If only Yuhi knows how she appreciates all the things he had done for her and her daughter. Seeing that tired and concern look on his face before he left, Aya couldn't help but feel guilty.

***

"Aya, please stop crying. Don't make this harder for yourself."

'But…Toya…in the end he couldn't be revived!" continuous tears fell from her eyes as she cries on Yuhi. It was so painful knowing the fact that there was no hope anymore that Toya will be revived. Masakazu himself said that it is impossible. No matter how he called, there was no spirit responding to his call.

Yuhi inhaled deeply before speaking. "Aya, listen. Do you know what happened in the healer's house means?" he asked. He continued after Aya stopped crying and looked at him urging him to continue. "You have to stop this already."

"I thought you'll be with me till the end? Why are you saying this now? I don't want to forget Toya." Aya said weakly but with clear defiance.

"No. Aya. I am not telling you to forget Toya. I only want you to move on. Live on because you are still alive." Yuhi cleared to her.

"But how?"

Yuhi pulled Aya's hand to his heart. "Here."

"Until now, I've never forget all that happened in the past. Because it is where my most important memories are. You. And of course, Chidori and Toya and others." He slowly explained, weighing the situation whether to continue or not.

"Yuhi…"

"I've already became friends with Toya so he's important to me too. I was hurt when he was gone suddenly. But Aya, life is still life. You have to live life as long as you're alive just as what Toya did knowing that he will die soon. I believed that he have lived life to its fullest and has no regrets anymore and wherever he is, he is happy and hopes that you and Reka are okay."

"I'm alive…" Aya whispered.

"Yes."

"And as long as he is in my heart, he'll still be with me, right?" Aya asked. Tears started to appear in her eyes. "And Reka's heart too…"

"Yes…we'll never forget him. No one will. He is a very important person to us, whose memory deserves to be remembered and treasured…" Yuhi answered. Even he is starting to cry too because of all the dramas between them while talking about Toya…

***

"Toya…wherever you are… I just want to tell you that I love you for always… Semper Fedelis… I'll always be faithful to our love…" Aya, before closing her eyes whispered as if Toya was there beside her, as always listening to all she wants to say before sleeping…

oOo

The next day, they have left the Aogiri resthouse to go back to Tokyo and start anew life. Yuuna already apologized for what he did during the ritual and Aya forgave him easily.

As the car drove off, Aya, with a smile on her face, looked outside the car's window. She stared at the house where they have stayed these past days. Warmth filled her heart remembering how the house caretakers took care of them…

She looked into the calm blue sky and mouthed two words before closing the window.

Thank You.

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Thanks and farewell…

Thanks for reading…

Until next time!