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Perhaps it was true, that Kohaku had cultivated her rambunctious personality for Ruri’s sake.
But Ruri herself could never recall a time when her sister’s booming “HAH!” Hadn’t echoed throughout the village; and her recollection was gospel.
Now, in the starlit hut, deep into nightfall and to the sound of her people’s chatter, she sat with Ishigami Senku.
Reciting the tales she had held onto for so many years.
They were forever ingrained in every inch of her mind, repeated to herself after every breath she was sure would be the last.
She had to keep living, or there would be no one left to remember.
She had to stay strong, or the stories would never pass on.
One night, in the worst of it, she had begged Kohaku to listen to them all. To put her out of her misery, let her pass on in peace.
Stubborn as ever, she’d stuck her fingers in her ears like a child.
That was the first time Ruri ever hit her sister.
Now, healthy and whole, she could still feel the ghost of her palm making contact with her cheek.
Of course, it hadn’t hurt Kohaku. She’d been so weak then…
“Hey.” A rough voice cut through her thoughts.
“Oh-! I’m terribly sorry, Senku.” She said truthfully. “I was distracted.”
She rested her hands on her knees primly, sitting taller and blinking herself awake.
The man across from her sat cross-legged, thumb of one hand tucked into the side of his belt, his other arm propped up on his knee, supporting his tilted head.
“I can come back another time.” He said, in his matter-of-fact way. “But this info is pretty damn valuable for our mission.”
“Forgive me. Where was I?”
“Thirty-seven.”
Willing the words to her mind, she glanced over at the man dozing in the corner, snoring lightly beside Senku, the peculiar fanged scar on his cheek seeming to come to life with each inhalation and exhalation. Perhaps a blanket or two was in order…
“Ruri!” A light voice called from outside. Through the half parted curtains, she saw the graceful figure of her sister bounding up the stairs effortlessly, pouncing into the hut and stopping just short of crashing into Senku, who was nonplussed.
“Kohaku…!” Ruri giggled.
Kohaku’s eyes traveled to Gen. “Hah! Looks like Chrome was right!” She unceremoniously plopped to the floor, stretching out her muscular legs until Senku had to scoot away from the platforms of her shoes. “I can’t believe that scummy mentalist actually stayed long enough to fall asleep!”
“He was quite interested, actually.” Ruri replied earnestly. “But he gave up around tale fifteen.”
“I’ll try my best, but don’t expect me to stick around for the whole thing!”
“You never could sit still long enough.” She agreed warmly. There was no way.
Not only did Kohaku sit still for the next five tales, she proceeded to conk out on her sister’s shoulder with the confidence and affection of a housecat (tale sixteen, animal companions.)
Ruri brushed the rough mane of golden hair out of her sister’s face. She never could get it to lie flat. “I suppose I should wake her up.”
“Nah, let her be. She and the rest of the power team have been working themselves to the bone.”
And of course she was, eager as ever to explore this new world that appeared before them; to chisel away at the unknown with this strange man who had turned their lives upside down in all the best of ways.
“She loves you.” Ruri said softly. “You know what I mean!” She grinned at the horrified expression on his face.
“Kohaku is a valuable ally.” Senku said, sounding almost earnest. “If we weren’t so pressed for time, I’d suggest she take a break now and then.”
“How strange.” Ruri laughed. “To sacrifice so much and yet…have no regrets.”
Because Kohaku had never given up or backed down from any challenge. No matter how impossible the odds may have seemed.
“Of course she doesn’t. You’re still kicking, aren’t ya?”
She smiled sheepishly. “You’ve seen right through me. How impressive, Ishigami Senku.”
“Save your flattery. It’s pretty obvious what’s on your mind.” He grinned. “I’m sure her rebellion caused quite an uproar with those old farts.”
“Father was so angry. He really…” she paused. “Well, not many of the villagers treated her with kindness for some time.” And all for my sake. She did it for me.
“Look,” Senku said, tilting his head to one side to pick at his ear. “Kohaku is way too strong to give a damn about what anybody but you thinks about her. She lugged that big-ass jug up and down the mountain every day because she wanted to. She went feral lioness and pissed your dad and the village off because she wanted to. She fought in the grand bout because she wanted to. And she would do it again. She’s not the type to leave her family behind.”
Ruri was speechless.
He really was full of surprises.
“You know, Senku…” Ruri said softly. “That leads us right into our next tale, which is officially known as…well, The Story Of Family.”
He shrugged. “Go on.”
“This is a tale of one of the founders, how he found a child and raised him as his own.”
There was a moment of silence where Senku’s brows furrowed, his eyes softened and his shoulders twitched up to his ears. Almost imperceptibly.
She recognized that look. Senku claimed to be all about cold logic and reason, but his every action and change in features seemed to barely conceal the desperate compassion lurking beneath.
“Of course my old man would come up with some sentimental shit like that.” He said finally.
“He must have been a great man.”
“Nah. Just annoyingly persistent. That’s how you guys got here.”
He swallowed a little too hard.
And she wanted to cry for him.
Because she knew that he, too, was thinking about the sacrifices made for his sake.
But Ishigami Byakuya never lived to see the fruits of his labor.
Her arm around her sleeping sister tightened.
Kohaku would be sailing across the world soon. To explore new horizons and create a better future for them all.
And Ruri just hoped she would live to see her come back.
She leaned back slightly, a mere echo of the relaxed posture her companions held. “I find that perseverance…to be the most admirable trait a human can have.”
“Yeah.” Senku’s voice had gone low. “Damn right it is.”
The stars behind her head reflected in his eyes.
The whole sky, and whatever lay above it, waiting to be explored.
“It’ll be a long way to get there.” She said without thinking.
Senku cackled his odd laugh, filled with greed and grief and curiosity and life and everything in between.
“It sure is. But you bet your ass we’ll make it. You know why? ‘Cause us humans are the most insatiable creatures on this planet. And we’ll do anything to stick our noses where they don’t belong. It just takes some hard work. Step by step.”
Step by step.
And for the first time in a long time, the priestess allowed herself to shed a tear.