Mortal Kombat: Sub-Zero's Student

Chapter Eight: Cherry Blossoms

-Hanzo's POV- The familiar scent of sweet cherry blossoms brings me at ease once we arrive at the garden. Kana looks around in awe, never seeing trees with bright colors before.
"Welcome to the Fire Garden of the Shirai Ryu." I smile. Kuai looks up at Mt. Fuji in the distance, a sense of longing for the cold in his eyes.

I rest my hand on his shoulder. "We're safe here," I murmur. "Kana will be fine."
"I know," Kuai sighs, flicking his gaze at me.
"But I can tell he is still scared,"

I smile. "Let me handle Kana. For now, make yourself at home. There is a hot spring behind the temple where you can clean your wounds and relax."
Kuai nods, sniffing. He looks very tired with bags under his eyes that look like bruises.

I walk off and quickly find Kana sitting on the large stone fountain, staring at the cherry blossoms floating in the clear water. I quietly sit next to him.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?" I ask playfully.
Kana yelps, nearly falling into the pool.
I grab him by the waist, pulling him to me.
"Careful," I murmur, cradling him as best as I can.

I blink in surprise when Kana buries his face into my abdomen, muffling his sobs. "Shh. I'm here, Kana. We're safe here. I promise."
Kana sniffs, dipping his broken wrist into the water.
"Nennen korori yo, Okorori yo.
Bōya wa yoi ko da, Nenne shina~" I sing softly.

"Uncle," Kana looks up at me in shock, tears in his grey eyes. "That song..."
"Do you recognize it?" I tease. "I sang it to you when you were a baby."
"You did?" His eyes widen. I nod, watching the cherry blossoms swirl around in the water from the wind. "We should get inside and wait for Kuai."

I get up and set the boy on the ground. He gets up and looks down at his wet wrist. "What's wrong?" I ask, thinking it hurts more. "It doesn't hurt anymore." He says, moving it for emphasis.
"What?" I kneel down in front of him. He holds out his wrist. I grab it gently. "By the Elder Gods," I gasp. "It's completely healed."
"The water," Kana looks back to the fountain.

"Come on," I blink away my shock. "Let's go inside. I'll make you dinner while we wait for Kuai."
We both walk into the Shirai Ryu Temple and I light a lantern. "Wait here," I state, holding the paper lantern. "I will go get Kuai."

Kana nods, eating his bowl of shrimp fried rice quietly. I watch the sun set as I walk down the stone path leading to the hot spring. Steam causes my eyes to sting as I get closer to the small pool guarded by bamboo walls that offer some privacy.
I tilt my head when I hear faint singing followed by the faint splash of water.
"nǐ de huí huà líng luàn zhe zài zhè ge shí kè.
wǒ xiǎng qǐ pēn quán páng de bái gē tián mì sǎn luò le.
qíng xù mò míng de lā chě wǒ hái ài nǐ ne.
ér nǐ duàn duàn xù xù chàng zhe gē jiǎ zhuāng méi shì le.
shí jiān guò le zǒu le ài qíng miàn lín xuǎn zé nǐ lěng le juàn le wǒ kū le."

It was Mandarin Chinese from the sound of it. But like Kuai when I sang in Japanese, I can hardly understand a word he sings softly. I see Kuai sitting on the edge of the pool, his pants rolled up and his legs in the warm water. He looks off into the sunset beyond the bamboo wall, his bruised-looking eyes bloodshot and tired.

He closes his eyes with a sad smile, gently touching the bloody gauze. His face twitches in pain as he removes it layer by layer. He opens his eyes with a grimace and gasps when a drop of blood lands in the pool. I duck when he looks around nervously.
"Ah, ow." I hear him suck in a sharp breath.
I look back and see the gauze next to him in a bloody pile. The stab wound has since formed a rough looking scab of dried blood.

The blood that stained his blue clothing has dried up as well. That will be a hard stain to remove along with the ones on my clothes. The stains will never fully come out. I should probably give Kuai a fresh arrangement of clothing....
I clear my throat. "Kuai, I've made dinner. Would you like to join Kana and I to eat?"
"Hanzo," He whispers, looking up in surprise. "Maybe in a little bit. I just need to relax right now."
I nod. "Of course. Take all the time you need." I walk off as twilight arrives.