"An antidote?" Sesshomaru asked bitterly. "You must take me for some kind of fool to believe that Jaken would need that."
"He might be a demon, but he is not immune to poisoning, Lord Sesshomaru," Meioshi responded, maintaining her concerns after catching her breath. "It was difficult to remove your toxins, even when I had help, but I didn't suffer an attack like Lord Jaken. A parasite took your power to wreak havoc on his mind. The divinity of the hinoki tree purified whatever poison was starting to eat away at me, but that method won't work on him. It would kill him. I don't even think the poison has been fully removed. It's lingering effects simply have been reduced to a harmless status. However, the same could be done for him. Though the poison effected some motor skills, I do believe Jaken's condition is treatable and shouldn't harm him further if it's tended to as soon as possible. Luckily, the toxins are slow in their damage currently, but I don't know the extent of your toxin's capabilities. He could seem fine for several years or several days before his condition becomes noticeably much worse, but I don't want you to continue travelling uninformed of this. Take your time and decide on your next course of action."
"Who cured you?" Sesshomaru asked with a low growl in his voice.
"A demon," Meioshi answered, making Sesshomaru narrow his eyes. "One fairly knowledgeable about his kind. I can consult with him for an antidote if you wish, but my suggestion would be to either bring him home or take him to yours. Someone must know how to remedy this ailment. It may be as simple as creating a serum from his natural habitat or a spot in yours where you developed your envenomation. You have a very unique biology, Lord Sesshomaru. I would look into it further as you may be the key to Lord Jaken's cure."
Silence fell on him as the doctor turned to her shell crib. She retrieved a baby pink cloth from it and went into the bushes without another word. Sesshomaru only looked over Jaken's sleeping form with a look akin to regret in his eyes. Hearing water splashing and moving around, his eyes shifted to his side. He could only guess that Meioshi was bathing herself. They weren't near fresh water, just a deep puddle that was found. She boiled any impurities out of it before it became usable. It appeared as though he was going to be taking everyone home much sooner than he thought. He hadn't truly been alone for more than a hundred years. That was going to take some getting used to, but the western lord felt a strange tugging in his chest. He hadn't been to the Vermillion Forest of Imps in some years. Would they even recognize Jaken? His other problem was bringing the doctor home. Should he just let Ah-Un take her back to Heiwa?
"Lord Sesshomaru..." Jaken said in his sleep, snuggling in the bunk bed. "This oil is better for your feet..."
Sesshomaru allowed himself to smirk at the ridiculous dream Jaken seemed to be having of him before it went away in favor of a blank mask. The doctor will be first to return home. Jaken... will have a longer journey to endure...
________________________________________
Kirameku Ha started eating his lunch at his engawa by the time he heard the wooden chimes clinging to make music. Footsteps into his home gained his attention. There were two people visiting him today. Picking up a small bell, he rang it to let his visitors know that he was outside facing the courtyard. He continued eating until his visitors made themselves known. They were women. Well-known to the retiree.
One of the women was Anju, widow of the swordsman, Mitsuzuka, and Meioshi's urn maker for her funeral services. She was smiling brightly at him as she often does. Anju somehow always made him want to smile. She just had a heartwarming cheeriness that was tough to beat once you got to really know her, and she was surprisingly goofy by nature. Laughter was a quality of life that she valued. No matter how old she may get, Kirameku Ha remembered how pretty and active she used to be in her younger years. He often joked with her about Mitsuzuka's interest in her, claiming her active lifestyle was what caught the swordsman's sexual and romantic interest. It was really a shame that she didn't remarry, but Anju was proud to be Mitsuzuka's wife and had no shame in being his widow. She honors him as though he were still alive. If anything, through working with Meioshi, she learned to simply enjoy courting men her age who weren't really interested in remarrying but wanted to enjoy a more fulfilling social life. Anju's pottery and sculpture classes were very popular amongst older citizens who just wanted to participate in a hobby of some kind, and, judging from the clamor of men who often speak with her after classes were over, his busy friend still got it. Courtship for the elderly was taboo in regular society, especially for older women. Once a woman outlived her use in producing children, she sadly became forgotten and was subjected to being labeled some awfully demeaning things. He returned her smile with a soft smile and nod. Kirameku Ha would never call Anju an old hag like a lot of villagers and youngsters seem to do. He knew her too well and had feelings for a fellow elderly woman himself. He liked Anju's kimono, though. It was a nice mixture of orange and purple stripes with leaves along the left side changing from green against the orange stripes to yellow against the purple stripes. He wasn't sure why he liked it, but the colors were just captivating.
Now, the other visitor was a younger woman named Chiyumi. She was arguably the tallest woman in Heiwa, and she was often admired for her large bust and long legs, but she was also well-known for being one of the most beautiful and classiest women to come from Meioshi's old school, Yanagisawa School. Chiyumi was Meioshi's mentor directly underneath the mother-instructor, or simply mother, and had no problems disciplining young Meioshi or her classmates when necessary. Like Anju, Chiyumi was a widow but to a fairly abusive husband. She ran to Meioshi's estate for safety often when she couldn't take it. The two were very close in school, so it only seemed natural that the girl would run to a friend. When her husband passed away, she chose to only honor him through her fondest memory of him. She never responds to the question of what or who killed him. She will court other men from time to time, but she doesn't usually stay in relationships for very long. She refrains from explaining why.
It was unfortunate that the school had closed down during Meioshi and Chiyumi's teenage years, but it was for the best since it was now simply a geisha house. Though nothing was wrong with it being a geisha house, Kirameku Ha found that he missed a lot of the events that Yanagisawa School used to host because they had something for everyone to do. A lot of the girls, and even some young men, were successful in life after graduation. Meioshi was a prime example seeing as though she became a doctor. The truth was Kirameku Ha felt that had the school not been shut down the way that it had Chiyumi and some of the other girls and boys might have fared better in relationships, but it was hard to tell if anything would've changed had the school survived when it came to things like that. However, judging from Chiyumi's solemn face, his attention was required. Chiyumi was one of Meioshi's closest friends and supporters. If she was this serious, it probably had something to do with her.
"Hello, old friend," Anju greeted first, laughing a bit. "That's a good lunch you're eating."
"Fresh duck with orange sauce and ginger coupled with steamed edamame," Chiyumi said, tucking a lock of her brown hair behind her ear and placing her hands elegantly on her lap. "An excellent combination. Hello, Lord Kirameku Ha."
"You promised to call me uncle," Kirameku Ha said with a pout even though his facial expression maintained its regal seriousness.
Chiyumi smiled softly, brown eyes brightening up at her face, and said, "Sorry. Hello, uncle. Where's little sister?"
"She left some time ago," Kirameku Ha replied. "Said something about needing to locate a map. It didn't seem terribly urgent, but she must have found something of interest if she hadn't returned home immediately. Her number of appointment requests are beginning to pile up with the upcoming autumn season. Young Kijiro is not with you?"
"He wants to visit little sister's museum after school to design his room. He likes exploring forests, so he wants his bedroom and the bath to look more like that style of landscaping," Chiyumi replied, keeping her soft smile at the mention of her newly adopted son. She looked forward to raising him and making sure he was still able to spend time with Ohta and the girls until he was comfortable with making new friends. She then said, "Meioshi must have taken him exploring quite frequently. He loves his bugs! If I let him, he'd live in her museum with Kyoko. Surprisingly, he's developed an innate talent for cooking. He can make otherwise complicated dishes with impressive ease after proper instruction, and he knows how his dish will taste different in fine detail. I was surprised he didn't want to live with a chef."
"He does, young Chiyumi," Anju said softly, placing a gentle hand on the girl's knee. "Did you forget what school you came from that quickly?"
Chiyumi blushed brightly before looking down and smiling. She shook her head to refocus her attention on the situation at hand and said, "I'll be calling for help on Kijiro's room later, uncle. Meioshi is of greater concern. Has she received her family's marking yet?"
Kirameku Ha was quiet for a moment before answering, "Yes. She has performed her punishment after receiving it as well."
"Then, that means she has formally returned to the Bushido. Her name legally can be readded to the registry," Chiyumi said. "She is a doctor under the code, after all. It's how she formed her oath. The Henka no kōshin festival is approaching soon as well. Her family heritage and her medical responsibilities towards the emperor will be questioned if she doesn't honor them. Has she considered attendance this year?"
"This, I do not know, young Chiyumi," Kirameku Ha answered honestly. "The oath maker would have to discuss with her the significance of her return to the Bushido. It's more than just a festival to attend. She potentially could be called out to war fronts to heal soldiers due to her practice, or even become a law keeper since she acted as one in Shinju o Tateru before her untimely disappearance. The same could be said of her eligibility to marry. She is a descendant of a maritime soldier. Her bride price will be decent. Should she perform her practice sessions and the ceremony for her family flawlessly before the emperor, this could undeniably do more for her status. I do not believe she wants any of that these days. Her focus is elsewhere. You know this."
"But it's been four years," Chiyumi said, eyes filled with both remorse and understanding. "She can't run from this forever."
"When she returned to the world of the living, she was on the run from so much more than we will ever understand. When she trained under young Shishou, she was in search of peace. Her return to the Bushido is not a pass for everyone to try to run her their way. It was to accept her reality. She needs time to accept what happened those years ago. She may cope with things fully and she may not at all, but she cannot be rushed to overcome grief. She never forced anyone else to do it. Why force her now?" Kirameku Ha asked with a calm demeanor.
"She worries that Meioshi is still blaming herself," Anju said, no longer smiling. "She was haunted so menacingly upon her return. Supposing she never copes and performs the seppuku again? Do we fail as her support system when suicide is always waiting for her? When that tanto is eager for her blood?"
"Our failure will be far more imminent if we force her to smile in the face of death," Kirameku Ha replied. "But I will inform her of the festival. If she refuses to go, then her registry will be withheld until she is ready to challenge her guilt. What hell has shown her through its eyes is something we cannot deal with like she can."