The White Angel of Death

Chapter 8 : The World Beyond

In Toshiro's dream, the boy stood on a giant landscape covered in clean ice. The clear blue sky hovered above him. There was no sound, no wind or anything else. An endless, yet peaceful void. 
Toshiro looked around him. But as far as his eyes could see, the world would not change. 
There was no sun, yet everything was so bright. There was no sound, yet the silence was not quiet. The water was frozen, yet the surface was warm. 
When the boy looked down, beyond the frozen water, there lied only darkness and above there was only light. 
"What is this place?" Asked Toshiro to himself. 
He kept staring at the world his mind had created. But then a familiar voice echoed through the air.

"What would the world be like, if we could fix ... what was already broken?"

"Isn't failure what teaches us to succeed?" 

"Is someone there?" Replied Toshiro irritated.
No answer came. The voice just kept echoing around him.

And as these whispers continued coming closer, did Toshiro see something approach him for very far.
However, before he could even see who or what it was, something burst through the ice beneath him and pulled the boy down to the depths below.

In a panic, Toshiro awoke. The first thing his eyes could see, were several people standing in front of him. 
As his vision became less blurry, he could recognize some of the faces. There was Himiko, Yuki and Thomas. The other men were still unknown to him.

"The kid is awake." Stated Jiro, who was in the middle. 
"Where am I?" Asked Toshiro still uncertain where he was or what happened.
"The temple. Don't you remember what happened?" Replied Thomas.
Now Toshiro realized, he was lying on the same bed he had lied on not too long ago. He appeared to be in the infirmary. 
When the boy looked at all the faces that impatiently waited for him to say something, all his memories kicked in at once.
The pub, the thieves, the chase, the bear, the ambush, Tomori ... Natsumi ... Kat ... all dying, killing the humanoid animal, the owl, his endless running away ...
Toshiro's face went pale and his eyes began to flicker nervously. The boy's entire body began to shiver, as the fear and emotional pain streamed through every single cell inside him.
"They are all dead." Answered Toshiro while staring down towards his legs, unfocused.
"Who is dead? Why were you alone? Tell us what happened!" Yelled Jiro angrily. 
The man walked up to Toshiro and leaned his head closer.
"What happened to the others?" Added the man intimidatingly.
Toshiro turned his head towards him after a brief moment. However this child was neither scared or intimidated by him.
"They killed them, every single one. We never stood a chance." 
"Who killed them? Were they from the capital?" Continued the man badgering the boy.
Toshiro's facial expression still looked empty and lifeless. The trauma he had experienced began devouring him.
"They looked like us, but they were beyond our strength. You cut off their arm and it ... just regrew." 
The group of people showed their shocked reactions. A few men in the back began whispering to each other.
"Look at him. He looks like, he saw a ghost."
"This boy is crazy." 
"We should have never let him in."
...

Toshiro heard their voices, but wasn't bothered to care.
"This child is delirious." Remarked Jiro in disbelief.
"Toshiro." Thomas moved his comrade aside and sat next the boy. He looked Toshiro directly into his eyes.
"Tell us everything. From the beginning and leave nothing out. I want to know." Said the man calmly, yet with an intensive stare. 
Toshiro looked at him and nodded slowly.

Once the boy had finished telling his story, the reaction was more or less the same. However Thomas, Yuki and Himiko reacted differently than the rest. The others might have still not believed the story about humanoid beings being able to shape and regenerate their limbs, but the three, just mentioned, weren't that quick to judge.
Everyone began talking to each other, while Toshiro just laid there motionless. 
The conversations were then broken off, when Himiko coughed loudly for everyone's attention.
"Everyone out! Enough has been said. Now I need the room to fulfil my duties." Screamed the woman.
Gruntingly, they left and only Himiko, Yuki and Thomas remained. 
Yuki looked at Toshiro with tears in her eyes, as she felt compassion for this poor soul. Himiko began examining the boy's body and Thomas got up to make room for the healer to do her duties. He walked to the exit, but turned around quickly for one more thing.
"Toshiro, I just want you to know. I believe you." Stated the man gently.
Toshiro looked up to him without a sense of emotion.
"I wish, you didn't. Then maybe ... I could convince myself, it was all just a nightmare." 
Thomas reacted with a worrying expression. 
"After I have talked to Kenshin, I'll look for them myself.
Takeshi was the best man I have ever met. If he ordered you to run, he must have had a reason." 
Toshiro paused for a second, but then slowly nodded gently, acknowledging the man's words or just simply agreeing to end the conversation.

Moments later the door closed and the boy was left with the two girls.
Himiko started pressing down on his wrist. Toshiro quickly twitched and showed a painful expression. 
The woman took notice and continued with all of his limbs. She even examined his toes very carefully. 
A few minutes later Himiko stopped and lifted herself up.
"You have a few minor fractured bones and your leg muscles are very soar. However there isn't really anything I do for you. You need to rest and let your body heal by itself. My estimate is, you'll be more or less fully healed in half a moon." Stated Himiko short and sweat.
Toshiro accepted her words and leaned back. 
While the boy rested on the bed, did Himiko pull Yuki away to speak without Toshiro hearing them.
"Yuki, you were certain that the guard found him bare foot lying in front of the gate?" Asked the 'doctor' quietly.
The girl nodded agreeably. "I saw them carry him in at dusk ... why do you ask?" Asked the girl curious.
The woman looked back at the boy, who had now closed his eyes again. She had a confused, but also puzzling expression.
"That boy walked through the entire cold night and his feet showed no signs of swelling, no frozen skin, nothing. They are completely fine. Even if he had worn his shoes, there would have been something."
"Maybe he has a strong body." Suggested her apprentice.
"Hm." Mumbled Himiko while being engrossed in contemplation. "Whatever it is ... I want you to watch him. Make sure he remains here in the temple. He might become very useful." Requested Himiko, as she looked back at Yuki.
"You want me to babysit him?"
"Whatever does the trick." Replied the healer in a serious tone. 
"Great..." Replied Yuki rather unamused.

Later that day did Toshiro look out of the window to see Thomas and a few other soldiers gather in front of the gate with their horses and even a carriage. 
After a few minutes the gate opened and the group of warriors left.

Toshiro rested his body the entire day. He kept on sleeping, reminiscing about the events that occurred and the last words his friends spoke to him. 
It all still felt like a horrible nightmare. The boy somehow still had some faith left that his five comrades would walk in or he would awake into the actual, real world. However, nothing seemed to happen. He just kept on being miserable.

It was already late at night, when a whisper awoke Toshiro from his sleep.
"Toshiro. Toshiro ... can you hear me?" Said the soft voice.
"Who is there?" Asked the boy half awake.
"It's me, Yuki. Can you walk?" Continued the girl saying in a high pitched tone.
The boy rubbed his eyes and tried seeing something in the darkness.
"Why? Where are we going?" 
"Just follow me! You won't regret it." Answered Yuki positively.
Toshiro sighed and slowly climbed out of his bed.
As he got up on his feet, he could see Yuki's rough figure. He then followed her out of the room and along a corridor. 
The temple was very quiet, most people were asleep. There were candles placed along the walls to show them a path. Kaminoshimobe was really big, so they had to walk quite a bit. 
Toshiro felt the sourness in his legs that made every step feel like a knife to the muscle. However he fought through the pain and kept on following the girl.

Yuki lead Toshiro to a small room with a spiral staircase, leading up to the roof. Exhausted, the boy pulled his strength together and began climbing the stairs. 
Yuki held a small torch in her hand and showed the way up.
 
After a rather slow climb, they finally managed to reach the top. Toshiro began breathing fast and heavily, as the slight, cold breeze of wind touched his pale, white skin.
While the girl looked at the very exhausted boy, she smiled amusingly.
"Trust me. It's worth it."
Yuki then blew out the torch and pointed her finger up to the sky. And when Toshiro looked up, his eyes widened in amazement. 
The entire night sky was filled with countless sparkling stars, flashing their small lights into his beautiful blue eyes.
"Wow." Was the only thing the boy count utter out of his mouth, as he kept on gazing at the night sky.
"Their beautiful, aren't they?" Whispered Yuki stunned by what she saw.
The two settled down onto a nice, cosy spot and continued looked up.

For many minutes the boy and the girl admired the beautiful night sky silently. But it broke, when Yuki reached up her right arm and tried to grab one of the shining stars.
"Do you think, there is a world out there ... somewhere beyond the stars, free of pain, free of violence. A place that actually felt safe?" Asked the girl hopeful with her eyes reflecting the stars.  
Toshiro lowered his gaze and looked at Yuki stare to the beyond. His eyes narrowed and his expression saddened.
"Maybe that's what death is ... A world beyond pain." Answered Toshiro philosophically. 
Yuki turned her head to him. 
"But why would the beginning be so cruel?" Questioned the girl worryingly.
"Maybe it's just the journey that can be painful, but death something relieving?" Answered the boy calmly.
"Do you think, they are somewhere better?" Asked Yuki curiously, while looked into the boy's eyes.
Toshiro gazed back up to the stars. 
"I hope so. They all deserved it."

"It would seem, you finally got to find out your greatest mystery, Takeshi.
You wait for me ... one day, I too, will join you."

to be continued...