Atop the Mounatin

Unto the Temple of Tsugikuni

     Giyuu hikes his pack a bit further onto his back, waiting at the genkan.  He stares down at his socked feet.  He must not have heard Muryo coming down the hall because it startles him when there's a featherlight touch to his shoulder.
     Their eyes meet.

     "Is your pack heavy?"
     "Not really.  I tend to pack light..."
     "Okay good, I didn't want to make you carry more than you could handle but, I thought you might need this."  Muryo lifts a large bento from behind his back, "It should serve you nicely on the way down."
     "Thank you.  I'm sure it will be great."
     Muryo's smile is faltering and sad.

     "I really am sorry you know."
     Giyuu nods.  And then he steps out into the snow.

     Muryo watches him go, hands clasped together tightly.  Fluffy snow drifts to the ground as a sudden gust of wind obscures the fading figure of Giyuu's back.  Muryo blinks the dry air out of his eyes, only to find there is no one in sight when he opens them.
     "Ah-  Goodbye..."

---

     The trek down the mountain seems shorter than up.  Maybe it is because he is not thinking as much.  Maybe it is because he is not looking forwards to anything.
     "I'm home.  And I have dinner."
     He opens the door to Sabito's room.  It's late in the evening and he and Makomo both look up from their card game, in their pajamas.
     "Giyuu!"
     "Hey, man!"
     It's like he never left.

     Makomo and Sabito look from the bento to him, and back to the bento.
     "This...  where did you get this?"
     "Apparently there's a person living out there, he took me in for a few days while I looked around."
     Sabito's mouth opens and closes a few times.  Makomo keeps her eyes fixed on the beautifully prepared bento.
     She plucks out a riceball and takes a large bite, she immediately freezes.  "Is it supposed to still be warm?"  She mumbles around a mouthful of rice and teriyaki.
     "What?  No."  Giyuu frowns and hovers a hand over the bento.
     The food is still warm.

---

     He spends a lot of time thinking about Muryo.
     The man from the mountain.

     As winter turns to spring he wonders what the strange man on the mountain is doing.
     And as spring turns to summer his thoughts drift to what it's like up at the pond this time of year.
     And when summer inevitably turns to fall a plan begins to form.

---

     "Huh?  Isn't this kind of, early?  What are you packing for?"
     Giyuu looks up from his bag to Sabito who is barely making an effort to sit up in his futon apparently he's still coming out his food coma from the New Years feast that took place yesterday.
     "I'm leaving early."
     "Huh?  Why?"  The man finally actually sits up, frowning.
     "Because.  I didn't tell you guys last time because I know you don't entirely believe in the stories but I found the pond last year.  But I was late."
     "Late?"  Sabito scoffs.

     "Someone else got there first, there was only one of the three left."
     His best friend arches an eyebrow as high as possible, "Oh really?  And where is this single legendary fire lotus?"
     "Up the mountain.  I'll bring all three back this time.  You can even have one, or I'll give it to Makomo, she likes flowers."
     Sabito snorts and flops back into his futon.
     "I worry about you sometimes. It can't be healthy to spend all of your prime chasing the dead through fairytales."
     Giyuu sighs and leaves the room to start packing food, he pauses in the doorway, glancing back at the pink haired man, "Then you'll just have to worry."