"This is where you were camping?" Omezo asked.
Kiyonobu was chaperoning the group of children back to Meioshi's small wagon and camp. The fire had died, but that gave the fireflies a chance to return to the fields of grass to light them up. Hasumi flew around Meioshi before flying with the fireflies herself. She was beyond elated to be able to be among them. For a young girl, this probably was a dream come true. Her laughter and cheers made her older peers smile. The sunflower miko went through so much. She should be able to enjoy this small wonder. Omezo was piggyback riding on his father's shoulders as he watched the girls run to the large wagon to check for their things. Nothing was stolen, but there were no valuables to be stolen. At least, nothing of monetary value. When all seemed fine, the girls merely started trying to find Hasumi among the fireflies... except Meioshi. She watched her younger peers play around with each other and smiled to herself. She remembered very clearly why she even became a doctor in the first place.
Each girl may have come from a different background, but they were alone and hopeless in life for several years. Yuko, a young farmhand who had lost her mother and sister during the harsh winter, somehow or another trusted Meioshi while she was stuck in her Netherworld predator form. Before they met, she lived alone and only worked to keep the publican happy. She was practically mute during her early teenage years. When Meioshi had returned to the living world and crawled to the sanctuary of herbs just outside of the civilized farmlands, something in Yuko was drawn to the doctor. She caught sight of the woman who suddenly transformed into a monster before her eyes, but... she was never afraid of her. She saw her pain. She saw her fear. She saw the way she tried to scrape off the Netherworld skin from her body. Her single act of compassion and worry clicked for Meioshi. Suddenly, she remembered what it was like to see someone in pain. She remembered the sights and smells of her village people. She remembered her desire to heal others. All of that... she saw in this little, teenage girl. When the villagers tried to burn and kill the doctor, not recognizing her at all, Yuko was the one who stood in front of her and tried to tell them to stop. Though the villagers didn't listen, Meioshi took Yuko away and ran away from them to protect her. The young girl hadn't left Meioshi's side ever since. It was a shame that an entire third of the village of Heiwa had failed this fiery, helpful, sneaky girl.
Homugi, the blue merle beauty of the House of Inu who was abandoned by everyone she knew with exception to one man, somehow or another trusted Meioshi after the doctor struck her betrothed in the face and stomped off with her in tow. Though the doctor still had much to learn about the inu beauty, she seemed to have virtually lived alone with this so-called "Muku-senpai" until he was called away to return to military duties. Even though he denied returning to the army at first, something had inspired him to fight again. He regained his spirit and desire to protect, but he did so for other people and not the young girl he boarded in his home. Apparently, that was the first time Homugi truly felt like a rogue. She just hadn't realized that she had been living as a rogue for the years that passed in her mid- to late-teenage years. When she was requested to be part of the investigation unit of the army, she almost felt like herself again but it was short-lived. Takamuku had gone on to be a teacher, and she was left in his home alone. Yet... the doctor couldn't help but look at the time she spent with this girl. Her devotion, determination, sweetness, and curiosity were all wonderful qualities. It was a shame that an entire kingdom failed this young girl.
Then, there was Hasumi just as happy as she can be now that the fireflies and Yuko and Homugi were playing with her. She couldn't thank Kouumoto enough for granting this little girl's wish for a chance at a second life. Though the doctor wasn't sure why she wanted to stay among the living and not with her family, Meioshi refrained from asking and instead promised her family to watch her grow into an adult. If young Hasumi chose to be the new wielder of the Taiyoko-sen Coin, as this item was a gift from the gods, then Meioshi would ensure that she received the right training to become the shield's guardian and warrior. Meioshi had to remember to thank Captain Yoshiaga for holding the item until Hasumi came of age. The doctor was going to miss having Chen-bi at her side, but it seemed to have found its home with Hasumi and her Himawari Jewel. After all, the two were fused now. It was a pity that Sesshomaru didn't want to know more about the young girl who knew his family quite well, but she felt her posh rival would ask questions in due time.
Sitting down to watch her friends play in the fields, Meioshi let out a yawn, stretched her arms up and out, and fell onto her back with an "oof!" A new adventure completed once more. New friends to watch over until they, too, drift away to live a new but better life. For that, she can always take pride in her vigilance. Looking up at the stars, Meioshi gasped and felt her chest tighten before an odd sensation danced across her chest. Impossible! There was no way that...
"Oof! Hehe!" Omezo chuckled, picking himself up from the ground after landing near his father.
Kiyonobu watched his son go to Meioshi's wagon and rifle through things before his little head popped out from underneath blankets to pull out the doctor's medical kit. The fog oni walked over to the kit and identified items very similar to his wife's selection when she made Meioshi's kid kanabo. There were other items, however, that weren't readily recognizable and a small booklet of diagrams detailing instructions for how to treat bruises, cuts, and sprains. Broken bones were a subject closer to the back of the book. His pupils dilated visibly. To him, Meioshi was but a small girl aspiring to be quite an accomplished doctor; in fact, the gold dust hadn't worn off yet, so everyone was still in their true forms. To have such information readily available was impressive for a baby ogre! Seeing this kit gave firmness in his decision to take Meioshi under his wing instead, but he would make sure to have Meioshi meet with the commander of the earth once he sensed her powers returning. Right now, he could tell that her last enemy forced her true strength to go dormant. This trail the young tots were travelling down was virtually empty. It was more than safe for them to roam alone.
"Kachan oni," Kiyonobu called, making Meioshi sit up in response. "Where were you headed with this wagon?"
"Oh! A pilgrimage site," Meioshi said softly. "My ancestor taught my family the importance of protecting our world's beauties no matter who inhabits the nooks and crannies. It's part of my family's values. Many men believe that with no family or friends they have nothing to lose against a foe. My ancestor believes that simply isn't true as do I. Family and friends give your survival a meaning, yes, but they don't shape the world around you. You simply live in its shape. You are molded by the world. 'Find a man who can honestly say that there is peace in desolation.' No one's ever pictured a desolate world for their afterlife. If we lose this world, we can't even agree to what lies beyond this. There is still conflict! The importance of that lesson, though, was to show me how precious this world is. No matter how many wars there are or how many demons inhabit the land, this world is my home. Every mountain, blade of grass, flower petal, and grain of sand has shaped me. Without the sea, I have no father. Without soil, I have no mother. Without the plants, I have no ancestry. If I can't find something to love about my home, how am I to give love to all of you? So, I go on pilgrimages to remind myself of how blessed we are to be able to protect the world that has molded all of you. If this world dies, so do I. Without love, I have no reason to live. There's simply no such thing as having nothing to lose."
Panda eyes. For whatever reason, and maybe it simply wasn't in Meioshi to understand the oni, Kiyonobu had returned to that dark aura from before. Omezo had explained that Kiyonobu simply liked Meioshi, so the doctor thought that perhaps her words made him emotional. For such an intimidating fellow, Kiyonobu was quite sweet and quite gentle around children. He seemed to mind his speaking volume and strength flawlessly like he knew he could frighten a child quite easily. Omezo took out a fluffy blanket from the wagon and hopped off to spread it out. He flopped onto it and rolled around to just about absorb the scents in it. It smelled good! The little one could identify the oranges, roses, and some sort of coniferous tree or bush. It was relaxing! He turned on his back and looked up at the stars and fireflies playing together.
"Do you go on pilgrimages a lot, sister oni?" Omezo asked, blushing at a twinkling star.
"M-hm," Meioshi replied with a nod before returning to her friends still playing tag. "Plenty mileage on these little feet!"
"What do you do on them? Just play?" Omezo asked, turning to look at Meioshi.
"I do a lot of things, actually. Sometimes, I train. I do have to be particularly careful around predators, though. Not every path is as peaceful as this one," Meioshi admitted. "You'd be surprised by how many snakes or bears lurk about. If I can find a path that doesn't have prey, I'm very lucky."
"You fought a bear before?" Omezo asked, excitedly.
"I ran from a bear," Meioshi corrected in response. "He was too big for me to fight! I'm a bit better around bears now. They simply get curious around me or wish to partake in my snacks. Stingy, little buggers!"
"How do you train with them around?" Omezo asked.
"Like this."
Meioshi stood up to walk a few steps away from the blanket and stood still. She closed her eyes and swayed a bit until she mimicked a bear's movements. When she got the lumbering motion down, she formed her hands into open claws and passed them over her face. Her teeth lengthened to fangs and her eyes glowed yellow as she let out a soft roar, sounding like a bear. Feet apart, legs bent into position, arms open like the front legs. SWIPE! With little to no warning, Meioshi struck in a high position and with fierce aggression until she became a woodland predator. Going for a grab, she punched the ground just half an inch above the ground to where the wind picked up around her strike the upward draft of a thunderstorm and went for a short, low kick meant to break an ankle. Her hips snapped, showing the action of snapping limbs of her prey in one motion, before she returned to a series of hard strikes. When she went for one last claw swipe, a firefly flew in the direction of her attack, but she stopped and let it pass before chuckling and stopping for the night. Kiyonobu's eyes started glowing themselves, the eagerness to fight strong, and he could see his lord's interest in her fighting skills on the day he fought with the girl. Maemi was right. Her hand-to-hand combat skills were impressive. She had great potential. Fighting against her meant fighting against the world that provided food for you, gave you peace, taught you balance. She had to meet the commander of the earth. If not to learn from her, then surely to have a bodyguard with her or to aid in finding her a mentor.
"That was so cool!" Omezo cheered, running up to Meioshi. "How'd you learn to punch down like that? From the bears?"
"M-hm!" Meioshi said with a nod. "That's one way to stop prey from escaping. They either grab your head to stop you from fighting back so much and saving their energy, or they put their weight on you to stop you from moving. Grabbing at your ankles or legs also helps them preserve energy in downing their prey. Bears have to use up a lot of energy when attacking and they tire out so fast because of their size. The best way for them to hunt is to use as less energy as possible, so they may use stealth from time to time or simply disarming methods. You have to stay far away from them to watch them hunt, but you can learn a lot from the swiftness and ease of their methods. If your daddy doesn't mind, I'll show you the stream that I usually see the bears fishing by some time. It's safer in that area because you're not as close to them. And the cubs are so cute!"
"Can I, daddy, please?" Omezo asked with big, bubbly eyes.
Kiyonobu was quiet for a moment but he finally said, "Yes. But only after Mother Kadiri's tournament and after we visit the commander."
"Oh! Would it be too much trouble to visit the commander after our vacation?" Meioshi asked. "I promised to take Hasumi to the pilgrimage site. Yuko and Homugi, too! It's a lovely hot spring just another day's trip from here. Oh, I've a question for you, Master Kiyonobu. I've been coming this way for a while now and haven't seen any oni up this way before. Do oni hide away from humans or simply live in seclusion away from humans?"
"Oni neither hide or isolate themselves from anyone. We had only chosen to live in seclusion after our king had gone missing," Kiyonobu answered.
"Oh, you mean Shanwang?" Meioshi replied. "He's not missing. It's a little complicated, but he's quite alright. He's been imprisoned, actually."
Kiyonobu gasped before bending down in front of the girl to ask, "You know where he is, Kachan oni?"
"Of course! I can't let you take him out of his prison, but I can at least bring you to him," Meioshi replied.
"Where is he? How did he wind up in prison?" Kiyonobu asked.
"I think it's best that he explain that to you," Meioshi said, smiling softly. "But I can show you to him. It's the least I can do to apologize for making you worry about me. You're a good daddy, Master Kiyonobu!"