Totsuzen [ENG]

Totsuzen

"Differences of habit and language are nothing at all if our aims are identical and our hearts are open."

(J.K. Rowling)

With a quick movement, J-1178 placed the sword in its sheath and looked at her two companions with a satisfied smile. Another exhausting fight had just come to an end: the area in which the three white blood cells stood was strewn with corpses of bacteria, the last of which had just been cut in half by the little warrior with short pigtails, falling to the ground with a loud thud.
None of those three white blood cells seemed to be shaken by the battle just ended: fights like that were their daily bread, something they couldn't live without even if one day they had asked to leave what, in the eyes of other non-immune cells, seemed to be a cruel job. For most cells the white blood cells were just vicious killers, who didn't hesitate to eliminate any abnormalities present in the human body.
«With that, we're done.»
One of her companions, with her bobbed hairstyle in golden shades, moved a curl behind her ear and with a quick gesture grabbed the walkie-talkie that she wore on her belt. «Mission accomplished» she communicated to the device with impassibility. «We've successfullyeradicated bacteria.»
Instead the attitude of the third leucocyte, with green hair, was different: she immediately took advantage of that moment of quiet to complain... as she used to do at the end of every battle. «Finally, I couldn't take it anymore!» she said, carrying both hands behind her head. «I was beginning to wonder when it would end: these bacteria were hard bones, they didn't want to give up!»
«Come on, don't complain» the blonde said, «these enemies were nothing compared to what we went through.»
«I'd rather not remember, thank you» her partner replied and put her hands on her hips. «Every time I think about the slaughter that happened in the lungs, I shudder. Let's hope it never happens again, never again: the thought that horrible being can come back makes me queasy!»
J-1178 listened to her companions' speech in silence, and she looked around with eyes full of pride. Despite the enormous trail of blood that she and her fierce companions had left in that area, fortunately those bacteria hadn't damaged the surroundings, homes of hundreds of common cells, neither harmed the poor unfortunate people who were just passing through at that time, including the red blood cells that every day ran from one point to another of the body to deliver oxygen to every cell and bring carbon dioxide to the lungs.
I succeeded... once again I was able to protect everyone!
Finally that long-awaited peace and stability that everyone - including her - had been searching for a long time was reigning in the blood vessels, and that was what mattered most for the young leucocyte.

After a quick change of clothes due to the struggle that had left indelible traces of blood on them, the three warriors had thought that the best way to end that long day of intense work would be a quiet walk. Taking advantage of the patrols they did every day when they weren't directly involved in fierce battles, that moment of quiet helped them to regenerate the energies lost in their work shifts and, at the same time, to get better in touch with some areas of the organism that they loved as the nasal cavities, where they could relax in the hot springs while drinking excellent black tea.
«Anyway, I'm glad you're back. It's not the same thing without you.»
The leucocyte with bobbed hair got next to J-1178, who had her eyes shining with joy. Those words of her companion warmed her heart, making her smile: she was happy to have returned to their side, to fight with them and to protect from any assault even those brave warriors who hadn't stopped trusting her, not even for a moment.
She'd been missed all these things very much, and at that moment the little leucocyte wondered how she had put her work aside, trapped in that whirlwind of negative emotions that had enveloped her like a hurricane and from which she had struggled to get out. In her eyes there was no longer any trace of fear or concern for her work: the clothes she wore, as white as snow, had become not only the symbol of justice that the white blood cells pursued, but also the bright courage of which she had managed to make her strong.
And she owed it all to him.
«Well, I'd say you did a great comeback!» the green-haired companion exclaimed, standing in front of her. «You have become stronger and more determined! What's your secret?»
«That's right...» the blonde pointed out, «now that you let me think about it, it almost seems as if someone had shouted "Wake up, get back to work!" with a giant megaphone in her ears.»
«Tell me, did they give you any special drink while you were still at the hospital?»
«To defeat those terrible gold staphylococci, I would say yes: it must have been due to some mysterious medicine...»
«... or perhaps it must have been thanks to the oxygen. Recently this body is taking some really strange things: maybe some red blood cell brought you a special oxygen tank and you... bam! As energetic as ever!»
The little leucocyte slightly pulled way down low the brim of her hat, hiding her face from the sight of her companions. In a way, her friend was right: the oxygen she had received before recovering wasn't special because of some new substance, but it was because it had been accompanied by words of comfort and hope, of that hope which she desperately needed at that dramatic moment of her existence.
«Oh my, she turned red! Don't tell me something interesting happened while we were out of that hospital risking our lives...»
«W-What?!»
J-1178 felt like she couldn't breathe. The statement of the green-haired companion had hit the nail on the head: the young girl immediately thought she had to say something, otherwise the embarrassing silence that would follow that question would give an eloquent answer in itself.
Continuing to hold tight the brim, the little leucocyte went a few steps before her friend and said with a firm tone: «Nothing special happened. They brought me oxygen and so I recovered, that's all.»
Her friend gave a sigh of disapproval. «That's really all? What a disappointing story: I sincerely expected much more, judging by the way you dealt with all those bacteria...»
«Yes, I would say that something happened in that hospital» her blond-haired partner noted, immediately joining her and continuing the walk at her side. «I know you for a long time, and this is the first time you have faced such a tough battle with the same determination as when we came out of the red bone marrow. What happened to you?»
«Nothing much...» J-1178 murmured.
«Well, maybe... but I don't believe your words. But I'm really happy that you came back to us» said the blonde, putting a hand on her shoulder. «You know: your courageous gaze gives strength to us too!»
«She's right!» the green-haired warrior added. «We are very proud of you, as a leucocyte... and as a friend! I knew you would never leave us in trouble!»
J-1178 smiled at her companions heartily, and in the depths of her soul she felt more confident in her own abilities. She nodded and silently noted that she had been very fortunate to have met that erythrocyte: he had given her a new energy that she had managed to keep within herself and transform into a weapon of battle, ready to help her in the moment of need.