Eros. (Benimaru Shinmon)

二十七❃

Year 196--Tokyo, Asakusa

"Fights and Fires are the Flowers of Edo right."

I opened my eyes to see the darkening sky was filled with lavender and indigo clouds and grey smoke, covering up the first stars of the night.

I looked around to see everyone around the river was quivering and huddle in groups with either family or friends. I looked around and noticed Ichijiro's tear-stained face sleeping in the arms of Akira who looked at the ground in seriousness. He was angry and upset at everything. Honestly, I would be to if I just witnessed my father murdered.

I slowly stood up from my spot and began walking over to the edge of the riverbank, my hands balled in an angry fist as I glared towards the befallen Asakusa. The lively Asakusa that was ravaged by a great fire was now a disastrous sight, with smoke billowing in the air. I slowly walked towards the ravages of the town A tear dropped from my face and fell onto my palm, which was purple with bruises.

The great damages that were done to this beautiful district, eyes widen. I walked over to the ruins of my home and tears rolled down my face. It was completely destroyed.

The walls had long since crumbled and in their place stood thick beams of wood, blackened and charred from where the flames had licked at them. The ruins were still smoking and II could see the faintest glow of embers as I maneuvered around the creaking threshold. Black dust hung in the air and invaded my lungs as I walked around my home. Nothing had escaped the fire, shoji littered the floor where the windows had turned to ash. Inside had been a place of love and security, a place with memories and warmth. Now the wind whistled through nothing but ash.

The place where my garden had been was demolished. The wooden skeleton of the garden had survived the fire though blackened and charred. All of this could have been avoided if Benimaru had just let me fight. Everything was invoking anger through my being, my eyes began to glow as my fire energy circled around me, generating hurricane-force winds, blowing everything away from me. All of this causality and destruction could have been minimized.

"Inori!" someone yelled out.

I fairly heard out as I continued to move my flames around me, still deep in my state. Why did he hold me back- I thought as my rage escalated to the point that the sphere of flames containing me began to float upward, coming to a halt a short distance off the ground.

"Inori! Please come down! You did all you could for us!" the same person yelled out and luckily it wasn't the person she was mad at, "Even though you did everything you could, my father died smiling and I couldn't be more grateful. Ichijiro explained to me that you saved him twice. Inori you are a good person and we are grateful to you."

His words made me feel more comforting knowing that I did what I could. I slowly lowered myself town and my flames circled around me and soon simmered down as I calmed down and my tears flowed out of me. Akira walked closer towards me and held me from behind as he placed his face into the back of my neck. Ichijiro walking towards the front of me and wrapped his small arms around my body as he pushed his face into my breast. One of my hands pressed against Akira's and my other cradled the back of Ichijiro. We all lost something here...Ichijiro lost his family, Akira lost his father, and I lost my freedom. We couldn't stay here anymore.

"I'm leaving Asakusa," I muttered.

"And we are coming with you," Akira assured, "There is nothing left in this town for us."

I smiled as my tears fell down: This is support...this was the love that I needed. Not someone shielding me but someone helping me to become stronger.