Thump. Thump. Shuffle. Chisel, chisel, crack. Thump. Thump. Thump.
Pathways first.
Heiwa, as a singular unit, worked and hustled to form the three walking paths for their annual festival. Gardeners were harvesting the fullest, most fragrant, and most colorful selection of flowers while farmers gathered up their produce, meats, and any extra rice they had for the ceremonial purification at the village temple and family dinners at home. Salt was also being made by steady, working hands. The emperor's palace was especially chaotic during this time. Always had been. After all, the villagers were going to be able to see the emperor and his family in person. This particular festival was also the only time that the villagers were allowed to tour through the historic parts of the castle grounds. Much like Meioshi's bestiary museum where the children could see displays of animals and demons, everyone had access to view the first emperor's sleeping quarters, courtroom, throne room, armor, and more in honor of his leadership when Heiwa became a small state of its own. Most people marveled at his armor and manto, but that was nothing compared to the armor of the first general and his Stonewall Tate.
The legend of the first general was admired by many young, aspiring soldiers of Heiwa's army or police group. Resting next to his armor was the plaque explaining that the first general blocked the lethal strike of an enemy's war hammer with the shield and made it shatter into pieces. The hammer's head was wedged out of the shield, and the emperor and general took it to throw it at the enemy's general to knock him unconscious and win a battle. The hammer head is locked away in a chest. One among the military officials who matches the general's personality, fighting prowess, leadership capabilities, and quest for peace is chosen for the crowning and carrying of the hammer head. He and the emperor must hold the heavy stone together and lift it as a show that peace has been gained and will remain. The general's home was also open to the public for viewing and was equally as chaotic. Soldiers were practicing their march with fans, drums, and flags while cavalry men were rehearsing the recreation of the Four Battles of Heiwa. These battles were the most significant for the village's history in that they explain how the first refugees fought back demons, joined in campaigns, and united with the sister town, Mizuonimura, to become a freelance army.
Seamstresses were performing their sweatiest work yet while crafting fine garments, and launderers were really on their last nerve trying to get their top dollar. The locals usually hired the launderer association of the village to wash their kimonos and undergarments for a small fee. Of course, small things add up. The money was worth its weight in labor, and one couldn't possibly argue that the array of colors from reds to textiles to sneaky purple accents to pastels wasn't a visual spectacle when the clothes were hung to dry out in fields of grass. Chefs didn't have it much easier themselves. The Henka no Koshin Festival was the economic boom of the year for craftsmen and creatives alike. Even members of the gardening club were running around to get their finest ikebana selections created for the occasion! Painters were picking moments during the rehearsal and preparation time to document the occasion. The same way the villagers get to visit the emperor's castle and the general's home, the emperor and general visit the locals.
Well, not every home in the village, but they do visit the social clubs and certain parts of the village as part of the ceremonial viewing. It's meant to show the leaders how far the people have come in their productivity and how much land they are able to oversee now. In truth, they get to see what their efforts have achieved for the people much like their predecessors before them. The emperor chooses three homes to bless for the new year while the general offers a placard to the homes. The family of the home must say another family's name in honor of the refugees before them. It's meant to be a show of unity and brotherhood. That every family is worth protecting, and the general has sworn to protect all, so he gives the placard to line off the area that he vowed to protect. The general then escorts the emperor back to the palace... and it is here where the hell traveler enters the fray...
While Heiwa was lost in its hustle and bustle, Meioshi was toiling away with her own tasks. No one could join her in her them, even though she was recently blinded, and the clinic was most chaotic indeed. But, of course, Meioshi wasn't completely without help. She had her apprentices... and a rogue helper. Yuko taught Homugi how to speak to patients with a bedside manner despite ridiculous questions or even offers. While the blue merle beauty was either complimented for her looks or outright flirted with, she maintained her composure and professionalism after proper instruction. If Kyoko had a moment, she diverted attention away from the inu beauty and usually impressed the patients with her own knowledge of things. Yuko, of course, tended to things accordingly when she was complete. Most of the clientele simply wanted to get a check-up for the upcoming festivities. Others were normally wounded from gardening tools or cutting equipment. A chef in a rush is liable to get a cut.
"You're doing great, Homugi!" Yuko supported.
"I can't believe you and Meioshi go through this all the time," Homugi said, taking a deep breath. The clinic was empty for a few minutes at last! She then asked, "That man came in with his lady! Why would he try to complicate things in front of her?"
"Hehehe! It happens more than you think. This was an easy day. Wait 'til sensei gets back!" Yuko said, leaning towards her to whisper the last bit.
"Meioshi gets flirted with a lot at work?"
"Pfft! What?" Yuko questioned as an answer. It translated to an 'of course' to Homugi.
"The men aren't sensei's type, though!" Kyoko cheered, twirling on her foot before running over to the towel rack.
"What does she do then? Does she accept an offer from strictly handsome or intelligent men?" Homugi asked.
"Unfortunately, no," Yuko answered, pouting and letting out a sigh. "It's because of the sex treatment she offers. You've already seen her anatomy drawings and... textbook. Most of the men who find out that she offers other services beyond curing colds try their hand at seducing her. They think she's roleplaying as the hot doctor and test her. When she explains everything, the men get a bit self-conscious or more confident. Either way, they let her look at them and get checked up. That's about all the action she gives them."
"Oh, so the men don't force themselves on her?" Homugi asked next, not comfortable with this information at all.
"They can try, but the last guy didn't have a finger anymore last time I checked," Yuko said, walking over to the desk and shrugging. "I think he's still scared of female nurses now, too. Let me see... Yeah, he's a regular patient at the other guy's clinic."
"Who's the other guy?" Homugi asked.
"Doctor Ubukata," Yuko said, taking a seat behind the desk and leaning back in the chair. She wasn't happy talking about Meioshi's competition. She then said, "Prayerfully, you won't have to meet that dickwad of a bigot. We call him Doc Duck over here."
"Duck?" Homugi asked, seeing the visual of a large duck with Meioshi's green doctor's jacket over its back and wings.
"'Cause he's a major quack," Kyoko replied, holding a stack of towels in her hands for the steaming bucket. "I don't know too many people that sensei hates, but she really hates Ubukata. You have to do a lot just to get to that point."
"What about Sesshomaru? She slapped him," Homugi questioned, tilting her head.
"I want to slap him my damn self for picking a fight with sensei for no reason!" Yuko said, folding her arms and turning away.
"He came here for a fight?" Homugi then asked.
From there, Yuko explained the whole story of how she came about meeting Sesshomaru for the first time. Kyoko chimed in from time to time about how she met him and what she thought about him. The little nurse actually didn't mind him much, but she loved Jaken in particular. He was eager to learn a human's peaceful way of life. When she came over to swim in Meioshi's pond, she noticed that Jaken was struggling to pull Ah-Un's reigns away from the direction toward Kirameku Ha's home. She convinced Jaken to let the dragon roam free since the boys were going to be headed to the pond, too. Since they were the most familiar with the beast, it would be easy for them to guide Ah-Un. She didn't expect for the dragon to actually visit Kirameku Ha's orchards and eat his produce. That was funny! When the boys mentioned not seeing the dragon, Kyoko calmed him down by offering to play pond volley with him. That was how she saw Sesshomaru for the first time in all his regal glory. He came to Meioshi's pond to retrieve Jaken right at that moment. Not long after he arrived, Kirameku Ha came to deliver Ah-Un back to his lordship. At first, Kyoko was worried about what the old man would do to Lord Sesshomaru, but he treated him with respect as he often does with unfamiliar people and took an interest in his lordship.
"So, what's his relationship with Meioshi? How did she wind up being his pupil?" Homugi asked. "Oh! What about those letters he wanted us to send out?"
"Letters?" Yuko questioned, squinting her eyes at the inu beauty. "What kind of postage seal was on them? He's not a messenger."
"Well, when we went out last, Lord Kirameku Ha asked me and Hasumi to deliver these letters to different men. We stayed to watch the men read them, per his instructions, but he didn't tell us personally what was going on. I think the seal had like a snake or something on it. It looked important," Homugi explained, placing a finger to her chin. "Those men's faces... they were different but I could feel sorrow coming from them. I guess a sense of pride came over them, too."
"Kirameku Ha was the second-in-command to the Kairyū, the maritime soldiers of the northeast islands. You must have seen their official seal. That snake was actually a sea dragon, hence their name. The leader of the men was Arimasa, Meioshi's grandfather. I'm kinda sad I never got a chance to meet him like I did Lord Kirameku Ha. He's a good grandpa!" Yuko complimented with a soft smile. "He definitely has a hard time keeping boys away from us! Poor old timer!"
"So, he was actually passing around messages to his comrades then!" Homugi said, taking a step forward to sit on the desk. "Do the others fight like him? He's really fast. I haven't seen his powers, but I know he has them. He's not a weak human by any means."
"Lord Kirameku Ha was one of the best soldiers in that group. I'm scared of him when he fights. His eyes get so cold!" Yuko said, remembering when she watched Meioshi's sensei fight seriously. "But you gotta be tough when you're a maritime soldier. You're on choppy waters for days or months and then beachfronts for the same amount of time, if not longer. The sea was the bloodiest battlefield they knew."
"Did Lord Kirameku Ha help form strategies with Meioshi's grandfather? Or was that all planned out beforehand?" Homugi asked out of curiosity. She was on her knees on the desk now, fully invested in Kirameku Ha's past and his relation to Meioshi.
"Well, Kirameku Ha doesn't particularly like talking about his past much, but... if I remember correctly, he did help with siege missions. Arimasa was the main one who planned attacks with some general they knew. Kirameku Ha was more or less a secondary advisor of sorts. He aided in determining a mission's success or failure based on what he knew about the men's capabilities or their situation in terms of weapons, rations, stuff like that. He was good enough to be the second for that reason, I say," Yuko remarked, drawing her knees up to her chest to sit more comfortably. Kyoko busied herself with another task before flopping on the lounge room pillows to hear the older girls talking. She liked learning about Meioshi's past since she rarely spoke of hers either. Such a mysterious pair of sensei! Yuko then informed, "Legend has it that they were led by the Bowman's Star into their battles. That's the other piece to their seal. Supposedly, the tip of the arrow was how they built and attacked ships. Their battle strategies were fierce, too! I think sensei might still have one of their war maps. I remember seeing it in the star lamp room. She keeps about two or three strategy maps in that globe that's in there. One from her grandfather's time in the army, another from Unmei's time that was meant for demon attacks, and one from her time in the military."
"Meioshi was a military nurse?" Homugi shouted more than questioned, learning forward to make sure she heard things correctly.
Yuko nodded but looked down with some sadness before saying, "She was in one of the deadliest battles in Heiwa's history. An island northwest of here was home to a large trafficking route that had everything you could think of: rations, ships, cannons, weapons, poisons... even women and children. That battle was really a huge siege operation. The men planned to destroy the port and seize the island. At first, sensei was only meant to act as an emergency surgeon and funeral director to honorably burn the dead, but... something happened to our troops, and she was moved to the frontlines. That map that she has... I don't know why she keeps it, but... she doesn't want to forget about it. When she returned home, she didn't want to go back to the army and focused on being a doctor. I'm grateful that she did leave. If she had, we would've never met her, but... I do wish both Lord Kirameku Ha and sensei would get the courage to let it all go. War definitely changes people, but it changed them for the better. They should salvage that part of their past at the very least. I mean... they're my family, too. I really like having them around... Sensei... really scared me. I thought..."
Reaching a hand out to clasp around Yuko's hand, Homugi said softly, "I did, too. I hope that... I can have the courage to accept you all... as my new family, too. You might be humans, and I might not be used to having humans this close to me, but... I'm just as scared to lose any of you as I was when I left home. You're... truly all I have now. I hope all of us have the courage to move on. If Meioshi and Lord Kirameku Ha could do it and use their experiences to help guide us, then I think we owe them. Let's remind them that they're important to us... that we look up to them."
Yuko smiled brightly and nodded. Giggling at Kyoko, who placed her hands on theirs, and said, "Yeah..."
"Child of Unmei."
Meioshi heard the familiar voice of Lord Aka calling her above the noise of the waterfall. The stairway and bridge to the hell travelers' threshold was halfway complete. She was resting on the stairs, practically motionless and holding no smile or ounce of happiness in her features. It was unlike her to be this dispirited, but she had trepidations about the festival fast-approaching and... she was loathe to admit it, but she was afraid of participating this soon. Her presence would no doubt cause a disturbance in the village, but... Kirameku Ha was adamant about her being ready to wear the armor of her clan and the maritime soldiers. Unlike the emperor and the general, she didn't have to open her home to the public - and she honestly didn't want to - but she did have to allow the friends of her family to grieve for their losses. She wouldn't be able to defeat her enemy if she clung so hard to her past. If Oyakawa was right and her family truly did forgive her for her ignorance, then she could find solace in that and move on. She had to prove that it could be done and for the better. Turning to her grandfather's old friend, Meioshi listened for the red horned demon's footsteps.
She replied softly, "Yes?"
"Thy barrier has shifted," Aka stated. "Is it time?"
"By nightfall, precious uncle," Meioshi answered, mouth quivering. "The pathway... must be mended. You may view... the remains by morrow." A sharp sniffle sounded. "I'm so sorry, uncle."
Aka took Meioshi's hand from her mouth, startling the doctor until she felt his claws embracing her. It wasn't long before she grieved in the demon's arms. She mumbled her grandfather's name all the while, squeaking in between sobs and shaking from tears. Tears that couldn't fall - that she couldn't feel. The horned demon lovingly rocked her and stroked her hair. Though he couldn't smell her tears, he could feel her sorrow. He knew he would share in these woes very soon, but it was more important for the little girl in his arms to cope with her loss. She was a good girl. She needed him. She needed everyone back then, and she would need everyone now. Hearing water splashing, Aka turned to see the kappa heads rising to the surface and looking at Meioshi grieve with sadness in their own eyes. Somehow, the horned beast knew his heart would be truly broken come tomorrow. He didn't think he was ready anymore...
_____________________________________________
"Sister," another familiar voice called.
Meioshi had completed the pathway to her threshold now. She had Homugi and Hasumi worried sick well into the late evening hours. Liuxian took Hasumi to the monk's quarters while Yuko picked up Homugi to spend the night at her home. It wouldn't do to worry about the doctor like that. Meioshi recognized the voice calling her. It was Chiyumi. Not moving, Meioshi slightly turned to Chiyumi's voice and felt the warmth of her body next to her. Her perfume was as beautiful as always. She embraced Meioshi sweetly and simply held her there.
"They seemed so much larger when we were little," Chiyumi said, complimenting Meioshi's work in her subtle way. "The star lamps are beautiful, sister. If you remade the stairs that well, you did not eat or sleep. Do you remember when you came home from those dark and fiery pits of the underworld? You didn't eat or sleep then either. You scared us. I don't want to fear you again, sister. I don't want to lose you."
"I am here, sister," Meioshi said after a long silence.
It was bitter and practically monotone, but it was a tone that Chiyumi knew very intimately. That was how Meioshi sounded after she escaped the very bowels of hell. Though Chiyumi knew nothing of the hell travelers' might or tasks, she knew that period in Meioshi's life was easily one of the most painful and life-altering. Her beloved sister hadn't been the same since her return, but that didn't mean that Chiyumi wasn't proud of her. She came back far stronger than before. She was determined to learn how to be a human once more. She said the day when she had to release her family's souls would be the most emotional for her, but she would come back fighting in full force on that day. This was her time.
"Show me," Chiyumi said with a strong voice.
Meioshi slowly but surely stood to her feet and rehearsed Unmei's story as the first hell traveler of Heiwa. She became a villager again with each twirl, toe touch, pivot, forward thrust, windmill, and palm strike in a collection of elegant kata. She became a dancer again with her timed leaps and arms crossing over her chest. She became a warrior again with each new flip, punch, and kick. She finished her performance while standing on one foot and lifting her hands into the abhaya mudra position.
Chiyumi smiled, letting tears fall from her eyes, and whispered, "You are here... my sister. It's time to dress you up."