ヒカリ の シイド
Hikari no Shiido
T H E S E E D O F L I G H T
Kanji entered the large tent and went straight to the cot where Fujin lay still. “Fujin?” he asked.
Fujin shifted slightly, trying to keep quiet. He let out a sob.
“Why are you crying?” asked Kanji, “I told you not to, didn’t I?”
Fujin turned to face him. “I can’t be as strong as you,” he sobbed, “I’m weak… I’m scared…”
A look of anger flashed across Kanji’s calm face. He pulled the cot out from under Fujin, throwing him to the ground. “Then get stronger. I told you not to cry, and I expect you to obey me.”
Fujin nodded, but before he knew it, he let out another sob. Kanji’s brown eyes flashed with anger, and he kicked Fujin savagely. “I told you not to cry!”
“I-I’m sorry!”
Kanji kicked him several more times, then pushed his foot onto Fujin’s ribcage. “I’m strong enough to break your ribs,” he warned, “And if I wanted to, I could kill you slowly and painfully. Let this be a lesson- don’t disobey me.” With that, he removed his foot and left the tent.
* * *
“Is he alright?” asked Yuni.
Kanji waved his hand dismissively. “He was just tired, after all.”
Relieved, Yuni moved to go into the tent. “I’m going to go tell him goodnight.”
“No, you can’t!” said Kanji quickly, blocking Yuni’s entry.
“Why not?” demanded Yuni.
“Well… well… because he’s already asleep!!”
Kogasu snickered. “Yeah, right.”
Yuni looked puzzled again at Kogasu’s expression, then pushed past Kanji into the tent.
* * *
Yuni looked around. Upon seeing Fujin’s overturned cot, she rushed to where he lay, unconscious. “Fujin?” she asked tenderly. She gently shook him, and he flinched, waking up. “Are you alright?”
“Oneechan…”
“Fujin, who did this to you? Was it really Kanji?!”
Fujin nodded weakly. A look of determination appeared on Yuni’s face, and she exited the tent.
* * *
“Big brother…,” called Yuni sweetly. Too sweetly.
Kanji stiffened. “Y-yes, Yuni?”
Kogasu snickered. Yuni approached Kanji. “Big brother…”
Kanji stiffened more. “Y-yes?”
Without warning, Yuni kicked Kanji between the legs and he crumpled to the ground. “Y-Yuni,” he groaned, “What’s wrong?”
Yuni threw Kanji across the clearing. “You know perfectly well what’s wrong!” she shouted. “You were supposed to take care of him!”
“I-I-I don’t know what you mean! I do take care of him!” protested Kanji from the other side of the clearing.
Yuni frowned, uprooted a nearby log, and slammed it onto Kanji’s head. “You know what you did, so confess to it!”
Behind them, Mizu and Kogasu were watching amusedly. “Should we help him?” asked Aisu worriedly.
“Nah. Let’s go get Fujin, okay, Kogasu?” replied Mizu. Several seconds later, they emerged from the tent, Kogasu carrying Fujin in a fireman’s hold.
“Why do I have to carry him?” grumbled Kogasu, setting Fujin down on the nearest chair.
Aisu looked at Fujin, then all worries about Kanji gone, glared at him. “You’d think he’d learned his lesson!”
“You can’t lie now!” shouted Yuni. “He’s right there!!”
Kanji scowled, looking for all the world like a petulant child admitting that he’d be the one stealing cookies from the cookie jar. “Fine, I did do it… but it’s for his own good.”
“His own good?!” shrieked Yuni. “How can abusing him help him?!” She took a step towards Kanji, causing him to step back. His heels were on the creek’s edge.
“I-I-I-I was just g-getting to that!” stammered Kanji.
“There is no way that hurting someone could help them!” Yuni shrieked, pushing Kanji into the creek.
“Wh-what was that for?!” sputtered the soaked Kanji.
“What was that for?!” she screamed. She uprooted a nearby tree, throwing it at Kanji.
Fujin looked up weakly to see Yuni and Kanji. “Oneechan…?”
Yuni pointed her palms at Kanji. “Hateshinai no Funsen!” A torrent of water shot at Kanji.
In a flash, Fujin jumped out of his seat and in front of Kanji. The water slammed into him, throwing him against the opposite bank. The attack ceased, and Fujin slid to the ground, the gentle creek-water trickling over his legs.
Kanji’s eyes widened, and he began wading toward Fujin. Yuni pushed him down. “Ow!” he complained.
Yuni stomped on his head. “Shut up!” She waded to Fujin. Kneeling down, she gently submerged all but his head underwater. The water around him began to glow, and it rushed over him, healing his wounds. Yuni got up and crossed back to the camp, using Kanji as a step.