The Grief Of What’s Gone

(Time: 1683 Satsuki, jūroku-nichi, suiyōbi (May,16,Wednesday)

(Mayonaka: Midnight) (Hebi province)

--Dream-like sequence--

Tamari stood in the ruins of a burning temple; his cries for help drowned out by the laughter of demons and the screams of his fellow monks.

"Master!?" He screamed. "Where is the master?!"

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A shadowy figure loomed over them, floating in the night sky above a burning horizon.

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Tamari cried to the heavens, holding the corpse of his fallen master.

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Tamari awoke with a shock, a cold sweat dripping down his back. "Gasp!"

Perspiration dripped from his chin and slid down his chest as he caught his breath. He closed his eyes, covering his face with his hands, trying to calm himself.

/Grrr!/

He then opened his eyes, turning around.

Ko had oh so lovingly snuggled up to a wolf that was eating his rations. "Mmm...so fluffy…"

"Grrrrrrr…" Growled the wolf.

"Ahhhh fluffy cloud…" Mumbled Ko sleepily.

Tamari stared at Ko with a blank expression.

(Time: 1683 Satsuki, jūroku-nichi, suiyōbi (May,16,Wednesday)

(Hebi province) (Asa: Morning)

Tamari walked along a gravel road leading through a forest; the tree's swayed as the sun peered through the leaves, creating pools of light on the path.

He looked back at Ko, a sense of irritation in his voice. "Why are you still following me?"

Ko raised his hands in excitement.

"Because I want to travel along with you!" He cheered.

"And learn all kinds of things! Like how to fight and why you carry a naginata and why you have so many funny ma-"

Tamari interrupted him. "Alright, I get it- No need to fanboy all over me. I'll teach you some stuff lat-"

Tamari stopped and went silent, listening for something.

"What? Is there someth-" Asked Ko.

"Shhhh! Listen, do you hear that?" He asked.

The sound of chanting and praises were coming from down the path.

"Come on, let's go find out what's going on." Said Tamari.

They ran following the noise; soon arriving at a large temple; many people were crowding the main steps.

Tamari walked up to a man in the cheering crowd. "Hey, what's going on here?" He asked the man.

"You haven't heard? The Kyūseishu* has come! He brings divine power to heal the sick and wounded!" Said the man. (messiah)*

Tamari peered through the crowd; at the top of the steps sat a pale man. He wore a white reisō Shintō* (Ritual priest vestment) * and a kanmuri* (Headdress)*. Next to him was a young shrine maiden wearing a white and red kimono.

She was stunningly beautiful, with gorgeous pink eyes, long silky hair the color of crimson and skin that glistened like a clear pool.

A withered looking woman in rags walked up to the pale man; she had only one arm. The woman held out her missing limb to the pale man. He slowly took off the bandages which were now old and covered in blood.

Removing the bandages, it exposed a raw wound; the skin had turned black which pulsated and oozed yellow pus; engulfing what little arm she had left.

The pale man placed his hands upon her arm and began to chant, moments later a purple mist appeared covering her arm. He then waved the mist away revealing a fully grown limb.

The woman burst into tears as the crowd cheered. She began praising him and bowing her head.

"Ha ha yes, spread the word of your messiah!" Shouted the pale man.

Tamari watched the scene play out with an unpleasant expression.

"You're a cheat!" He shouted abruptly.

The crowd stopped and stared at Tamari.

"Cheat?" The pale man stood up, looking at him.

"How could the things I've done be anything other than miraculous?"

Tamari with great intent pointed his finger at the man, professing the truth.

"You're not making miracles, you're creating deceptions! Limbs can't just grow back-"

The man smirked at Tamari. "Surely you are mistaken, it seems you have lost your way… Come! Let Kugutsu heal you, as well as any that seek my guidance!"

The crowd cheered. Tamari scowled at the preaching man. Kugutsu looked down at Ko.

"What of you young one? Do you have need of my guidance?"

Ko rubbed the wound on his butt oblivious to the situation. "Well earlier this wolf bit me in the…"

Tamari yanked Ko's shirt neck as he stomped off. "Come! We're leaving!"

"Hey! What are you doing!?" Shouted Ko.

"We're going to find a way to prove to these people that his "word" is false." Tamari replied angrily.

"But how?" Asked Ko.

Tamari held a determined gaze. "Why don't we find that woman and ask her what she knows about this "Messiah".

The shrine maiden watched them as they ran off, sneering most ominously.

(Time: 1683 Satsuki, jūroku-nichi, suiyōbi (May,16,Wednesday)

(Hebi province) (Shōgo: Noon)

Tamari and Ko had gone out to the nearby village to find the woman that Kugutsu healed. They walked through the lanes of homes; growing more impatient as the day went on.

"Ugh… how long is it going to take to find one woman? We've been walking forever!" Griped Ko.

"Stop complaining! She's around here somewhere, we just need to ask one of these fine people."

Tamari walked up to an old man sitting on his porch.

"Hello sir, could you help us with finding someone?"

"Sure, who might you be looking for?" Asked old man.

"We were hoping to find someone who had up until recently lost an arm."

The man looked at him confused. "Recently?"

Tamari looked away, scratching his head.

"It's a... long story."

"Oh! You mean up at that shrine." The man replied. "I tell ya, all of them youngsters are nuts. Spouting nonsense about God and prophets. The only one you can trust is yourself!"

"Right right- So about that lady…" Asked Tamari impatiently.

"Oh right, you're looking for Kataude. She lives a on path over near the Cherry blossom tree." Said the old man.

"Thank you, sir."

"No need to thank me. Just watch yourself if you're thinking about going up to that shrine; I've got a feeling it's not what it seems." Said the old man.

Tamari smiled and waved goodbye.

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Tamari and Ko walked up to a small house with a wide-open doorway, a cherry blossom tree in the back of the house.

/Knock! Knock!/

Ko knocked on the door, calling inside. "Hellooo! Anyone home! Kataude?"

Soon the woman from the temple opened the door. "Yes? Oh, the boys from the temple; what are you doing here?" She asked.

"We'd like to ask you some questions; may we come in?" Asked Tamari.

"I don't see why not, come in, I'll make some tea."

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The room was small. There was a short table in the middle of the room with a single window to the right and a side room to the left, but the door was closed.

Yet Tamari thought he could make out a silhouette behind the door.

Kataude spoke as she brewed tea.

"We don't get too many visitors from out of town, what brings you here?" She asked.

"We're just passing through... Come to see if the rumors were true." Said Tamari. "Say, did Kugutsu appear recently, or has he always been here? He asked.

Kataude placed the tea on the table, sitting down.

"Oh, he appeared about two weeks ago..." She replied.

"By that time, I had all but lost faith in "Shikami". ...But Kugutsu has shown me the way. He came with the shrine maiden and started helping people while only asking for faith in return. He is truly a good man."

Tamari looked out through the window, deep in thought. "Hmmm… But something as big as the coming of the Messiah wouldn't have just shown up out of nowhere, it would have been more widespread."

Ko drank his tea as he spoke. "Maybe he just recently got his powers?"

"Maybe, but I don't think so…" Remarked Tamari. "Divine power doesn't just magically manifest overnight."

Kataude looked at both of them as she held an adamant expression.

"Whatever the reason is, I believe he's a good man. Besides, if I'm faithful enough, my daughter will come back."

"Your daughter?" Tamari asked.

Kataude got up and walked over to the door and slid it open revealing a pale unconscious girl resting on a futon.

"You see... My daughter was severely ill, and none of the medicines we would give her seemed to work. So unfortunately, she passed away about a month ago."

A sad yet sympathetic frown grew over Tamari's face. "I'm sorry for your loss..."

She looked back up at him, a nervous tone in her voice.

"But it's okay! Because he'll revive my daughter just like he healed my arm."

She lifted up a glass of tea, quivering. She winced in pain clutching her arm, dropping her tea.

"Oh! I-I'm sorry!"

Tamari reached out his hand for hers. "May I see your arm?"

Kataude held out her newly healed arm to Tamari, he gently grasped it, causing her to wince in pain again.

"Ah!"

"My apologies." He examined her arm with an uneasy expression. "It seems my suspicions were correct..."

Ko curiously looked over to see. "What is it?"

Tamari took out a slip of paper with the kanji (Seal) on it, placing it on Kataude's arm. Suddenly the purple mist appeared again, revealing the same grotesque wound that the woman had before.

"What did you do!?" She yelled.

"I released the illusion that was placed upon your arm; cast by a demon." Said Tamari.

"A-a demon?" She asked.

"Yes, it must have been a pretty powerful one too, if it was able to materialize a "real" limb." He replied.

"Sadly, though it only gave you a new arm, it didn't get rid of the pain or infection. You still will need to treat it."

"But there isn't a single monastery or hospital for miles!" Commented Ko.

Tamari looked over to Kataude. "No, you're right. Hold still."

Tamari took out a necklace made of red malas prayer beads, wrapping it around his right hand. He then placed his left on her wound, raising his right in prayer and began to chant.

"Kizu o iyasu*" Chanted Tamari. (Heal Thy Wounds)*.

As he spoke, his left and right hand began to glow a radiant green. Suddenly, Kataude's wound began to shrink, growing over with new skin while the black color began to fade.

"There..." He sighed.

"I can only do so much with wounds and diseases but what's gone is gone, no number of miracles can bring your arm back."

Kataude looked at him, a sense of distress in her face. "W-wait, does that mean?"

Tamari looked at her with a sad empathetic face.

Kataude looked over at her daughter as her eyes began to swell up with tears.

He clasped her hands, acknowledging her grief. "I'm sorry, but I'll give her a proper burial; It's the least I can do."

She placed her head in her hands as she cried.

(Time: 1683 Satsuki, jūroku-nichi, suiyōbi (May,16,Wednesday)

(Hebi province) (Gogo: Afternoon)

Tamari and Ko piled wood in the back of the house, while Kataude dressed her daughter. Finally, Tamarai carried the girl outside; she was dressed in a purple kimono with pink flowers, wearing white socks with straw sandals.

Laying her down on the pile, Ko lit a torch and handed it to Kataude. She hesitated, but finally with great sorrow, lit the bed aflame.

"Her...her name was Sakura." She said.

"I named her after this tree; she so loved to play underneath it during the summer."

Tears welled up in her eyes as she tried to hold them back.

"She would have wanted me to move on, b-but just know that I always loved you Sakura! Your mother will always love you!"

Tamari watched the flames spread across the bed in solemn silence.

Ko looked on in silence as well, remembering forgotten times.

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"Mother loves you very dearly... Don't you, my child?" Asked a purple haired woman.

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Ko's face contorted in an unpleasant manner. "Tch..."

As the fire burned, a breeze flew by, scattering the cherry blossom petals. They slowly fell to the earth; landing on Kataude's knees as she fell to the ground weeping.

As the sun set, Tamari silently watched as the rising embers collided with the petals, fading into nothing.