riptide | kyojuro rengoku

XLIII | fate

FATE. It was ironic. Perhaps that's what made your connection with Kyojuro all the more threaded by a higher being. You two were more alike than you thought; pawns turned to humans that were raised in drastically different environments. Maybe, in some sense, it was fate; for opposites to clash or to assimilate, that was up to you two. 

In the cruelest of ways, maybe that was how the legend worked too.

Perhaps the legend itself was a lie.

And life had simply given you a chance to rewrite it.

When you came to, you recognized the soft sensation of Senjuro's hand in your own instantly. You heard voices murmuring outside followed by the clattering of wood; it was no doubt the villagers attempting to reconstruct the havoc you and Kyojuro had gone through to protect the island.

You tried to sit up, shifting with a hiss only to be calmed by a familiar feminine voice. "Don't move too much; you'll reopen your wounds. You're heavily bruised and have two broken ribs, did you know that?" Shinobu spoke with such eloquence and innocence you wondered if you had actually gone to Heaven for a brief second.

However, there was a chastising tone behind her speech. You heaved a breath, laying back down. You felt that if you were to ask about Kyojuro she'd only lecture you more. "Why are you here?" You mumbled, closing your eyes in a painful manner. You started to regain your senses and unfortunately that included the stinging pain in your wounds too.

"The creature you summoned isn't exactly quiet, is it? Our islands aren't immensely far apart considering our transportation is much faster; our sails are more versatile and better suited for the strong winds of this island. Kagaya was the one who initially suggested we come here and I take my village's requests very seriously. He insisted we come here to assist," She sighed dryly.

"Although, of course, the old man refused to make an appearance himself. He said something about 'not wanting to intrude'," Shinobu's hands moved along a table near where you laid, prepping a drink that would hopefully numb the pain that you felt. She had been saving it for when you were awake seeing that you were sleeping well enough to ignore the aches.

You hummed under your breath. You didn't want to see Kagaya at the moment anyway; not when he was immensely wrong about a lot of things. The taste of freedom had made you question your worth as a human being and as of now, you didn't wish to interact with someone who manipulated you for most of your childhood out of 'love'. 

You could understand that to some extent it was safety, but part of you remained bitter about it and you didn't want to unpack that just yet. Not when you could barely sit up properly as it is. "You've been out for three days as well. The villagers have been waiting for you and Kyojuro to wake up, but I'd rather not tell them you're awake yet. You'd be bombarded."

You felt her grab your hand gently, curling your fingers over a cup filled with a warm beverage. You drank it quickly, grimacing at the taste briefly only to speak up. "Kyojuro's alive?" You couldn't hide the happiness in your voice. Shinobu sighed, dropping down to sit on your other side.

"He's hanging on by a thread," Her eyes flitted away and she squeezed your hand, deciding that it wasn't appropriate to go into the details of his injuries. Not when she couldn't tell if you were mentally stable enough to even take such information. You knew if you didn't drink it, she'd probably stop telling you what else was going on since you'd been knocked out.

You tried not to showcase your emotions, sipping quietly. You attempted to change the topic again and you could hear her let out a light huff as if finding your avoidance amusing. "Do you think the legend might be fake?" You questioned. Shinobu tried not to seem judgmental of your statement, but there was an apparent air of inquisitiveness to her words.

She hummed, "What makes you say that? If it's legend or not, it's more likely to be fake, isn't it?"

You shrugged, sipping your drink again before setting it in your lap. "I don't know. People say that the land was shaped this way because the Ocean and Fire God fought, but the way that Kyojuro was the only one able to take down the Umibōzu. . . it makes me think that the circumstances were different." You mumbled.

It was more of a gut feeling, but it wasn't something you could inherently explore. There wasn't any evidence that set the concept you had in your mind anyway; that maybe the fight was a mistake and the Ocean God had acted out and the Fire God had fought back in an attempt to save their friend.

There wasn't any evidence dating back that far and the only showcase of the battle was the very land the village was set on. You fell silent after a bit, realizing there was no point in questioning something so pointless. "I think. . . legends are nothing but stories. Everything is up to your interpretation. That sense of truth will always be there," She spoke thoughtfully.

"But it's up to the people to find it."

You sorta understood what she meant; even if it sounded diluted and more of a baseless point beyond anything, but you knew she was trying hard to remain neutral and not influence your decision much. You were sure she had her own opinions, but she didn't want to change yours in any way.

Shinobu was right in a way; if you were to light something on fire, you could sit there and admire the light or go venturing into the dark to see what lies beyond the fire. And from there, more choices were laid out for you to make. Everyone had their own truth, her words only prompting you to wonder about your own.