SUNSTRUCK

Hanabi didn't remember giving Rengoku an answer. He grabbed her hand and started to guide her out of the darkness of Akami Village, never stopping to look back. He began to talk and never stopped during their journey back to the city. Hanabi felt he was rambling on purpose to get her mind away from the village, and in which case, it did work. He talked about many things, mainly his brother, father, and the Hashira. He had overwhelmed her with so much information that she didn't have a moment to think about the village. And by the time they had arrived back in the city, she hadn't thought about it in hours.

The light from the sun was overwhelmingly bright, and the dense crowd of people made Hanabi stick close to Rengoku. She could still hear him talking, but even his loud voice was drowned out by the bustling noises of the population. Hanabi wasn't paying attention to anything Rengoku was saying anymore. She focused her eyes on the ground, staring at Rengoku's legs as he walked ahead.

Perhaps he was desensitized to large crowds, but Hanabi found it hard to breathe. Her muscles ached with exhaustion, and the sun constantly on her face made her eyes sting. Hanabi found herself beginning to shake as her wounds throbbed. She stared at the ground for the longest time when suddenly…she lost sight of Rengoku.

"Hanabi-san?" she heard his voice as a hand pressed to her forehead. Hanabi jumped slightly and saw Rengoku standing in front of her. He had stopped talking and had a concerned look about him. "You're still in pain, are you. Why didn't you tell me? We could've stopped and rested for a bit."

Rengoku took Hanabi by the hand and pulled her from the crowd. They stepped into the alleyway were there was people and only shade. Hanabi was thankful to be out of the sun and finally felt like she could breathe again. She placed a hand on her chest and took a deep breath, resting her eyes for a moment until Rengoku started to speak.

"Are you feeling alright?" he asked.

Hanabi frowned and her arms fell loosely at her side. She gave Rengoku an apologetic look and nodded very slowly. "I'm sorry?"

"Are your wounds hurting?"

Hanabi's lips thinned into an uneasy line. She pressed her back against the wall and slid into a sitting position. She pulled her knees close to her chest and watched Rengoku from underneath her bangs. He had gotten down into a crouching position in front of her, concern still all over his face.

"It's really simple…." Hanabi began, glancing back to the street where people walked under the sun. "The crowds…the heat from the sun. These are things I'm not use too. It's a little…overwhelming." she said, her voice sounding as quiet as a mouse. She felt almost ashamed to admit it and even little embarrassed.

Rengoku looked perplexed. "But wasn't your village known for having festivals?"

Hanabi swallowed hard and nodded her head. He did have a point, but considering it, Akami Village was a place with a low population where she had always lived the life of a pariah. She had distanced herself from crowds long ago because she was tired of hearing people whisper behind her back. And those whispers were always filled with nasty lies and disgusting rumors.

"It's not the same," Hanabi said sharply. She bit down on her lips and ran her finger through her hair, pushing up her bangs. She didn't mean to sound harsh, but the words had come out before she knew it. "It's…different than what you're probably thinking."

Rengoku didn't respond right away and looked to be contemplating his words. He cast his eyes to the floor and frowned. "I guess we grew up in two wildly different environments."

Hanabi nodded sheepishly and remained quiet for a little longer. After a short rest, she stood up and dusted herself off. "Sorry to slow you down. I'm ok now."

"If your sure." Rengoku stood up as well and started to head back to the street. He stopped though, looking back at her. He then held his hand out for her to take. Hanabi's face burned a little as she took it, returning her eyes to the ground as she walked. But this way…she did feel a little better.

A black crow flapped its wings through the air, flying a little ahead of them like a guide. Hanabi had noticed it some time ago that the crow had always been around. It looked at them with beaded black eyes like it knew exactly what they were saying. Twitching its feathered head when certain words were mentioned.

"Do…all members have crows?" Hanabi asked.

Rengoku glanced up at the crow flying ahead, flapping its wings softly against the breeze that cooled the air. "We do. It's how information is distributed. We receive our missions from the crows, and they guide us. It's actually how I found you back then in the forest," he answered, smiling like usual.

Hanabi didn't ask any more questions and stared at the crow. She wondered how the information was given. Were messages attached to the crows to be delivered? And how did they know where to go if that was the case? How did this crow know how to find her?

Hanabi pushed her questions to the back of her head and decided to look around. They had left the densely populated city streets and were now in a more reserved area with little to no people. Tall walls stretched over them on each side, giving Hanabi a tinge of anxiety. With the high walls, it felt like they would close in on her any moment.

"It's right over there!" Rengoku suddenly raised his voice, eagerly pointing to the end of a walkway where Hanabi could see the roofing of a house. "Ah, I think I see my little brother too. Perfect. I can introduce you right away!" The grip he had on her hand tightened, and his pace increased.

"What? Wait, Rengoku-san!" Hanabi did what she could to keep up with him, but he must've not heard a single word since he didn't stop or look back.

"Senjuro!"

A young boy stood at the end of the walkway, sweeping the leaves out of the way with a broom. He looked up when his name was called and smiled brightly when he saw Rengoku approaching. Hanabi was nearly fumbling to keep up behind him.

"Brother, you're back," Senjuro said.

Rengoku smiled and patted his brother's head. "Yes, and I have something to tell you." He moved to the side to show Hanabi. She looked beyond embarrassed though, and had her head down, covering her eyes with her hand. She didn't dare look up, suddenly feeling like she was being intrusive. "Due to some…unfortunate circumstances, a friend of mine will have to stay with us for the time being," Rengoku said.

"A friend?" Senjuro spoke the words curiously as he peeked around to look at Hanabi. She was still red with embarrassment. "How do you do? You're a friend of my brother?"

The idea of putting 'Rengoku' and 'friend' in the same sentence never came to mind until now. Yet, there was no way out of it now. Embarrassed or not, Hanabi took a deep breath and lowered her hand. She blinked once…then three times. Senjuro was nearly an identical copy of his brother, from the eyes down to the hair. It was discombobulating. Staring between him, then to Rengoku.

Senjuro's eyes grew wide momentarily as he looked at her ghostly appearance. White, translucent skin, bright blue eyes, and raven locks that turned stark white at the ends. Her hair reminded him of an explosion of light in a dark sky.

Still, the young boy quickly composed himself. Just by that action alone, Hanabi could tell he was a well-behaved boy. Very young too. He had to be around Ameya's age, maybe a year or two younger.

Hanabi began. "Sorry for the intrusion." She bowed quickly, praising the seconds she had to hide her face. "My name is Hari Hanabi. I'm, uh…a firework maker?" It was a fact, but she just didn't know how to introduce herself. Every experience was new and scary right now.

Rengoku cleared his throat and patted Senjuro's back, still smiling. "Aren't you forgetting to introduce yourself too, Senjuro?"

"Oh! Y-yes." Senjuro suddenly dipped his head low, lower than Hanabi did. "Rengoku Senjuro. It's a pleasure to meet you, Hari-san."

Hanabi couldn't help but cringe at her own name. She realized she hated being called that since the villagers used it so condescendingly in the past. "Oh, uh…you can just call me Hanabi."

"Hanabi-san, then?" Senjuro said, gaining an appreciated nod from Hanabi.

Rengoku looked pleased to see things going smoothly, but one thing still weighed heavily on his mind. "I know we have spare rooms. Senjuro, can you take Hanabi-san to one of them? I need to talk to Father about our guest," he said, a sudden stiffness to his voice.

Hanabi peeked her head up and cocked a brow. It was sudden and swift, but she did notice the change in his voice when he said that.

Senjuro nodded, looking somewhat grim. "Of course."

Rengoku's expression softened, and he patted Senjuro's head. "I'll be right back," he said, turning his attention to Hanabi. She had a look about her that told him she had picked up on the uneasiness in the air. It was surprisingly perceptive of her. "Hanabi-san, I'm looking forward to your company," he said with a charming smile and turned inside the house, leaving Hanabi to wonder why everyone got so tense.

The house was quieter than Hanabi had thought. She followed close behind Senjuro as he led her through an outdoor courtyard to their right. There wasn't anyone there, but she could tell it was frantically used for things like sword training. The gravel was turned up, and test-cutting targets were positioned around the yard.

Senjuro stopped before a room and slid the door to the side. He stepped inside, and Hanabi followed soon after.

"Um, sorry to intrude," Hanabi muttered as she looked around. It was a simple room but strangely clean. She wasn't used to a sterile environment. Back at her own home, the house always had a strong smell of smoke and powder. She never put her things away, so they were always strewed around the ground or table.

"Um, will…will this room be alright?" Senjuro asked shyly. She could see that his face was red, and his eyes were everywhere around the room.

"This room was better than my own room," Hanabi answered without thinking.

Senjuro stopped fidgeting and finally looked up at her. "'Was'?"

Hanabi flinched. Senjuro was young, but he was sharp enough to catch her little mistake. "Yes…I, uh…lost my home in a fire a couple days ago."

"Burned down? How did that happen?"

Hanabi sucked in a deep breath and spoke softly, low enough to where Senjuro couldn't hear. "Technically I did it myself." She wouldn't go into the details about how she nearly lost her life because of a demon. He was still young, and it wasn't her place. "Your brother mentioned that your dad is a Hashira? So…he fights demons too?"

Senjuro nodded. "That's right. He's the Flame Hashira, but…" He didn't finish his sentence when his face suddenly turned solemn.

Hanabi's face shifted a little. She crossed her arms over her chest and just thought for a moment. There had been some initial tension before Rengoku left, and it was only spurred up when their father was mentioned. There was clearly an air of unease when he was talked about, and it just made her wonder why. Because of Rengoku's rambling, Hanabi already knew that his and Senjuro's mother had passed away some time ago. It was just the three of them now.

Hanabi sighed deeply and sat on the floor, gesturing for Senjuro to do the same. She decided to keep away from that topic for now. Still, if she was going to be living here for the time being, Hanabi knew she would figure out eventually. "I see, so it must run in the family then, right. Your father, Rengoku-san, and…" she began, observing Senjuro.

Senjuro noticeably perked up. "Oh, that's right. I'm only training right now though. I'm not nearly at the level my brother is on, muchless my father. "

"It must take a lot of hard work and courage, you know. To stand up against demons. I had never imagined until recently that there were creatures in the world. These…night stalkers," the words came out smoothly, recalling what Ameya had called them in the past.

"Night…stalkers?"

"It's something a…friend of mine had said to me before. I thought it was just tales that parents say to children, but parents didn't have the slightest idea either-" As her words left her lips, what soon followed was a voice like a cracking whip. Both Hanabi and Senjuro jumped when they heard something shatter off in the distance.

"I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU DO! JUST GET OUT OF MY SIGHT!"