Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Obon ❯ Feast of the Dead ( Chapter 2 )

"Does your back feel better, Yahiko?" Tokio asked at breakfast.

"Yeah. What did they do to me?"

"From the smell, I'd say cinnamon extract on your blanket."

"Oh man it hurt!" He rubbed his back.

"Fear not. There shall be no sweets for them today."

"But--" Kirie started.

"No." Tokio gave them both a stern look. "Apologize to Yahiko."

Both girls made a face before saying, "Sorry," in unison.

"Just don't do it again, ok? Geez..."

Koji came into the room and bowed. "I've finished putting out the new mats."

"Thank you very much, Koji-chan. Have a good day with your family."

The girl practically beamed. "Hai!" She ran out the door and through the gate.

Eiji brushed Koji as she ran out and both blushed while stammering apologies. "Hiramata-san, I've hung the all the house lanterns at the gate."

"Very good, Eiji." She stood with a warm smile. "Let us go."

Sanosuke, laden with the packages of food and offerings, led the way to the cemetery. "You know, it's a good thing your family's ohaka in the same cemetery as Hiramata-san's, Jou-chan, or I'd make you carry all this yourself."

Kaoru stuck her tongue out at him. "Whatever, free-loader."

The cemetery filled with families, all in the middle of impromptu reunions. The aroma of the offerings on the graves and on the altars mixed with the smell of the incense swelling into large clouds of smoke above everyone's heads. The Bon Odori music began and festival goers, young and old, rushed forward to dance. Kenshin sat back with Sanosuke and enjoyed the rare event of Megumi and Kaoru getting along. Tokio and her children met with distant relatives, while Eiji made offering for his parents and brother at an altar.

Exhausted, everyone slouched home as evening came, treating themselves to a small dinner of rice and miso before crawling into bed. As the sun slipped away, Eiji lit the lanterns at the gate. Bit by bit, more lights appeared, and village began to glow. Kenshin sat on the guest's porch, enjoying the soft glimmer of the lanterns and the warm night. Eiji sat next to him.

"Do you like it here?" Kenshin asked.

Eiji nodded. "Hiramata-san treats me like her own son. I think you were right when you said she had to be a bodhisattva." He fell silent, thinking to himself. "I don't know why Saitou-sama worries about her so much. Then again, Hiramata-san hurts for company. I guess any excuse to make her happy."

Kenshin remained silent, remembering Saitou's obvious nervousness. "Whatever the reason, its better to be safe than sorry," he said, "You better get to bed. Tomorrow promises to be hotter than today and a lot longer."

"Hai." Eiji disappeared around the corner. Kenshin leaned back against the post and closed his eyes, feeling out the area with his ki, before going to sleep. Late in the night, Kenshin felt the press of the spirits as the ghosts of family entered the gardens. He shifted, trying to open his eyes, found he couldn't, and groaned. He felt a soft hand lay on his head and he fell into a deep, relaxing sleep.

The next day found a world filled with vendors and wild ghost stories chilling the bones of children. Kaoru spent the day dragging Kenshin around to talk with aunts and uncles. Sanosuke tormented Yahiko, while Megumi searched the market, looking for the western woman.

The Giamona family shop carried western clothing and trinkets, but mostly food stuffs. The business looked swift for the festival as many wanted to treat their deceased relatives to offerings of western food. The doctor waved the young woman over to her.

"Good afternoon! May I help you?" she asked cheerfully, Japanese impeccable.

"Actually, I wanted to know why Hiramata-san wanted fennel."

The woman looked confused for a second, before blinking the look away. "Oh! One of Hiramata-san's visitors for the festival!" She put her hand to her chest, while looking at the floor and sighing in an odd gesture of relaxation. "Well, Hiramata-san asked what a westerner used to physically touch ghosts. Drinking fennel tea makes the ghost solid to you. In fact, my great grand father owns a sword that cooled in water mixed with strained fennel tea. I suppose she just wants to touch the spirits while they visit for the festival."

Megumi thanked the woman and wandered off into the busy streets, almost running over Sanosuke. "Watch it, vixen! What's the rush?"

"Huh? Oh. Sorry, rooster-head. Just looking for Ken-san," she said while ducking around a corner. Sanosuke grumbled under his breath and hefted a green looking Yahiko over his shoulder.

* * *

Sanosuke slipped off the next day, careful to leave the group behind in a crush of people. After dodging through the crowd for an hour, he found the shop. The old man behind the small desk looked up at the tall, fighter for higher.

"And what crest do you want on your lantern?" he asked, scratching his chin.

"Same as the one on my back," Sanosuke replied.

The man simply nodded and painted the kanji for evil on the lantern. He spoke as he painted, "By your look, I assume you have no money to pay for this."

Sanosuke raised a hand to the back of his head and put on his biggest, good-boy grin. "What would make you think that?"

The old man shook his head and handed the lantern to Sanosuke. "I give this to you as a gift for Sagara-sama."

Sanosuke's hand dropped and he stared at the man in utter disbelief.

The old man smiled. "Some us know the truth and appreciate what the Sekihou Tai tried to do."

Sanosuke took the lantern, too stunned to even stammer thanks. Forging his way through the throng of festival goers, he made his way back to the cemetery and hung the lantern. Grabbing the nearest unwatched offerings, Sanosuke laid them on an altar and let himself pray. When finished, he rose and spotted Kenshin standing next to him. The wanderer's smiled and patted Sanosuke on the back as they made their way back to Tokio's dwelling.

Fireworks permeated the night sky. Flashes of the blue, white, red, and orange screamed across the heavens, delighting the inhabitants of Kawagoe and its many visitors. Laughing in delight, Fumiyo and Kirie ran around with sparklers, pink yukatas blowing in the easy breeze. Kenshin, satisfied that all seemed well, went to the third parlor, which currently doubled as his lodging. Laying back, he propelled his ki over the house and gardens, searching for the cause of Saitou's worry. The spirits playfully pushed back on his energy and he sat bolt up right when he heard Udou Jin'eh laughing.

A chill broke over the wandered and he clutched his sword, breathing quickly. A hand touched his shoulder and a swift wave of calm sucked him under. He laid back and espied a face found only in the most intimate of dreams before falling asleep.

* * *

Yahiko stood over the girls in the early morning sun as they gazed up at his impertinent stance with amused smiles that would do their father proud.

"And what would Yahiko-chan want from us?" Fumiyo asked, smirk hidden behind a small fan.

"Would you drop the 'chan?' I need you to paint a lantern for me."

"And what might we get out of it?" Kirie asked.

"My not telling your mother about the two of you sneaking sake yesterday," Yahiko replied as he folded his arms over his chest.

Both girls pursed their lips in frustration. "Fine," Fumiyo said, "But we want candy."

"Done," Yahiko said.

"What do you want painted on the lantern?" Kirie asked.

"The Myojin family crest."

Fumiyo thought about it and painted it on a piece of rice paper in front of her. "Like that?" Yahiko nodded. She mused over the doodle a while. "The lantern shall be ready on the delivery of the candy."

Yahiko ran off, in search of Kaoru. He stumbled on his master in the cemetery near her family's ohaka. He put on his best smile and most polite manners and showed himself off to Kaoru's distant relations. The first apprentice of Kamiya Kaoru of the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu walked away with candy and a bit of money in his pocket to boot. He ran back and made the trade. The lantern, neatly painted, suspended from the line with nine others. Yahiko watched it for a while, trying to remember his parents. When he realized that his memory had long since commenced the long road of fading, he prayed that his parents' spirits might visit him, so he wouldn't forget their loving faces.

* * *

The days passed quickly with only the soft glow of the lanterns and the press of the spirits at night. Kenshin sat across from Tokio, sipping tea while enjoying the end of the day and the last night of the festival. The lanterns made the village a happy glowing light, dotting the landscape of Japan. Tokio strained fennel from her tea while watching the sky blush with the evenings calm. Something flicked against the edge of Kenshin's ki and he looked toward the gate. It hung open in anticipation. The wind kicked up and Kenshin shivered in the sudden icy cold.

Unsure of the feeling, he moved to check the guest rooms, unaware of Tokio's eyes watching the gate guardedly. Kaoru and Megumi were fast asleep and unmolested in their shared room. Kenshin froze, suddenly aware of the absence of the warm press of the spirits. His hand touched the sliding door to the room he shared with Sanosuke and Yahiko, and experienced a sudden blast of icy air. He thrust the door away and, instead of a painting filled parlor, found himself in Kyoto, Tomoe stretched out in a pool of blood in front of him.

His heart pounding, Kenshin reached for her, only to have her body slip through his hands. She faded and appeared again, surrounded by the ghostly figures of old foes. Outnumbered by a sudden army of rotting corpses, Kenshin drew his sword, only to find every strike passed right through. The ghostly legion advanced and every hit felt like the strike of icy, blue fire. He backed away, unaware of his surroundings and his foot slipped off the edge of the guest's porch, sending him with a crash into a bush.

The household and guests suddenly appeared looking at a covering Kenshin and an army of rotting, ghost ghouls. Tokio, very calmly, took the sword from Kenshin's hand and threw her tea on it. She handed the cup to the nearest person before lifting the sword and flipping the blade. With a mighty yell, Tokio brought the sword across in a swipe at the ghostly intruders. The first line disappeared as she jumped into the middle and sent the rest back to hell with a quick spin. She turned and walked out of the room while Sanosuke and Kaoru helped Kenshin up.

Tokio flicked the blade, sending the remnants of the tea flying to the ground. She handed the sword to Kenshin. "As I said, my husband worries too much."

* * *

Everyone stood together at the gate, saying their goodbyes as the sun rose into the sky.

"Thank you very much for your visit," Tokio said.

"Thank you for saving Ken-san," Megumi said.

"I didn't know you could use a sword," Eiji said.

Tokio smiled. "I'm the wife of Hajime Saitou. Of course I can use a sword." She turned to Kenshin. "Did you enjoy a good night's rest, Himura-san?"

Kenshin rubbed the back of his head, wanderer's smile in place. "I slept well enough, I suppose. Thank you for saving me from the ghosts, and I am terribly sorry about the bush, Hiramata-san."

"Think nothing of it. The bush suffered no damaged and the ghosts will not return. In fact, it was all rather interesting. It's usually so boring around here. It's nice to have a change of pace."

The Kenshin-gumi, with the exception of Sanosuke, bowed. "Thank you for having us as your honored guests, but we must be on our way home," Kaoru said and they began their journey.

"I don't get it," Yahiko said as they moved done the street, "How did Hiramata-san hit the ghosts when Kenshin couldn't?"

"The tea," Megumi said, "Giamona-san said that westerns use fennel as a way to touch ghosts. Apparently, Hiramata-san intended to use the tea for just such a purpose."

Sanosuke elbowed Kenshin. "You're quiet. Whatcha thinkin'?" Everyone looked at Kenshin.

Kenshin looked back over his shoulder at the closing gate. "I believe Hiramata-san knew this visit would come. She prepared using all at her disposal. They were almost unnoticeable, but prayer strips lined the house. The advance of her fighting ki even surprised me, she hid it so well. She has a true swordsman's spirit."

"And I don't?" Kaoru said, hands on her hips.

"Oro?"