A Recca no Honoo Fic
By: Tenshi no Ai
I don't own Recca no Honoo. Nuff said.
Ch. 1: Who am I?
(Yanagi's POV)
Everyday is the same for me.
I wake up, head over to Recca-kun's house to wake him up, along with Fuuko-san and Domon-kun, and we walk to school. Most likely Recca-kun will pop into my class, and sometimes Fuuko-san and Domon-kun will too. Then, at lunchtime, I spend time working on my picture stories to take to the kids over at the kindergarten on Wednesdays. After school, I walk with Recca-kun, sometimes home, sometimes to an ice-cream parlor, sometimes to the abandoned warehouse so he can show me a new kind of fireworks he had borrowed' from his otousan. Then he walks me home, and I get started on my homework, eat dinner, and go to bed. Same old everyday.
I don't mind this monotony much. You see, last year, when Recca-kun, Fuuko-san, Domon-kun and I were freshmen, and Mikagami-sempai was a junior, I would've done something out of character sometimes just for this monotony.
That was the year when Recca-kun had approached me, calling me Hime' and swearing to forever be my ninja and to forever protect me. That was the year when Kagerou-san, Recca-kun's okaasan, appeared in our lives as Kage-Houshi, and revealed to us how Recca-kun would soon fight in a series of battles, ending with a fight against a flame master', who turned out to be Recca-kun's oniisan Kurei-san. Many things happened after that, but suffice to say, it was the year I really started to live.
Because of those going-ons, I found and fell in love with my ninja, my Recca-kun.
Because of those going-ons, I found friends in Fuuko-san, Domon-kun, and Mikagami-sempai. Although my first love is to go to the kindergarten and show the kids my picture stories, I found that there is much more in life than one favorite thing.
Excitement. Adventure. Unfamiliarities. Friendship. Love.
Before all those things happened to me, I was simply Sakoshita Yanagi, a girl who liked to go play with little kids. Whose idea of excitement was stopping Hiroshi from pulling on Mayumi's hair on the playground. Now I am Sakoshita Hime' Yanagi, a member of Team Hokage. As well as the resident healer.
Actually, that is part of the problem.
Lately I've been thinking: Am I just that? The resident healer of Team Hokage'?
I think I'll ask the others about that when we all get together next.
After all, I'm something more to everyone, right?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(Afterschool; Big Cone ice-cream parlor)
Since it happened to be a nice May day, two days before Domon's 17th birthday, we all decide to head over to the Big Cone ice-cream parlor nearby the Ishijima flower shop.
When I say we', I mean Recca-kun, Fuuko-san, Domon-kun, and myself. And surprisingly enough, Mikagami-sempai, who seemed...somewhat thawed, to say the least.
Okay Hime, whatever cone you want, I'll get for you! Recca-kun smiles at my side.
What about me? Domon-kun glares at Recca-kun, it's almost my birthday, y'know.
And me? Fuuko-san grins her I'm so kawaii' grin, hoping to disarm Recca-kun. This leads to a three-way fight between them, with the most audible shout being from Recca-kun.
I asked Hime, not you!
Mikagami-sempai regards the scruffle in his impassive way, then turns to me. What would you like, Yanagi-san?
I study the selection, then pick. I'd like the strawberry and vanilla parfait. Mikagami-sempai nods his approval, then picks the chocolate chip cone. At this time, Recca-kun emerges from the fight and glares at Mikagami-sempai.
Hey, I'm buying Hime's cone! What the hell do you think you're doing? He really looks angry, indignant at not being the one to pay for my ice cream. Mikagami-sempai looks at him impassively.
Must I really have to relate what happens next?
Anyway, we all buy our cones and pick a booth. I sit in between Recca-kun and Mikagami-sempai, with Fuuko-san and Domon-kun across from us. Recca-kun happily gobbles down a triple decker Rocky Road, Death by Chocolate, and--strangely enough--an orange sherbet in the middle. Mikagami-sempai neatly eats his chocolate chip, and Domon-kun, because Fuuko-san wouldn't share an ice cream float or a banana split with him, simply munches on them by himself. Fuuko-san, after much deliberation, decided on a Milky Way cone, which she seems to like alot. I figure, since we all seemed to be in the same spot for once--excluding Kaoru-kun and Ganko-chan--I should ask my question and finally get some inner peace on the subject. I wait until we were all done with our ice cream.....Kami-sama only knows who would start the first brawl.
It's nice, I smile, that we're all in the same place for once.
Hai, Hime, Recca-kun readily agrees, except, I could do without some people who steal other people's right in paying for another person. This was said with a glare at a certain people'.
Mikagami-sempai, the offending people', ignores the barb meant at him. I don't think he thought much of my statement in the first place.
Domon-kun gulps the last of his float, As long as I get to see Fuuko-sama everyday, I don't care for much else. At least he was truthful.
Fuuko-san smiles, Well, it's not like we don't just walk into other people's classrooms to visit anyway....well, except for poor Mi-chan, she winks at Mikagami-sempai, who's probably so lonely since we don't bother to visit him every once in a while.
Well, not like anyone would, anyway, Fuuko-san counters.
Hmm.....l think that went....okay.....
I mean, I try to clarify my last statement, that since the last time we were all together was at the cave of tendou jigoku no madougu', it's been hard for me to forget about the times we've traveled together.
Recca-kun takes this an odd way and puts his arm around me. I blush. It's okay, Hime, because your faithful ninja is always here for you!
Seeing this, Fuuko-san and Domon-kun take this to mean that now would be an appropriate time to catcall and tease us. The other patrons of the shop look, and occasionally glare, at us.
Mikagami-sempai glances at me, I suppose you're right. I do think about those times often now.
Stunned silence. Mikagami-sempai.....actually thinks of those times as fond memories too?
Traveling with you, a gorilla, and a few monkeys would be a memorable experience for anyone.
Everyone, except for me, facefault. I have a large sweatdrop at the back of my head. I just know it. How could we have not expected that?
A gorilla?! Domon-kun spits out. Fuuko-san elbows him away.
Monkey, Mi-chan! How dare you call me a monkey! Recca-kun shoves her aside.
You've been calling me a monkey ever since day one! he growls. Mikagami-sempai looks at him coldly.
And, apparently, I haven't changed my opinion since then. That's when everyone gets into a brawl, right on the booth's table.
Oh my. A regular riot if I've ever seen one. Of course, how is that unusual for Team Hokage? I'm starting to regret even bothering to set up for this.
Ano...I just mean that everyone has their own worth in the team, and that's what I think makes us so....compatible. For lack of a better word, of course.
Hai! That's absolutely right! Fuuko-san cheers loudly, we're Team Hokage! No one can beat us!
Mikagami-sempai, now back in his seat with slightly mussed hair, has a rather peculiar look, seeing Fuuko-san standing in a cheering position on the table, Domon-kun under her. I think that he muttered Oh, spare me..... Domon-kun grins widely.
As long as Fuuko-sama fights, I'll fight with her! He really seems to have a one-track mind.
Recca-kun, also back in his seat without a scratch, pats me on the head, And as long as we have Hime to heal us, we can fight forever!
At this resounding cheer, the manager of Big Cone ice cream parlor decided that, as loud, boisterous customers, we should be thrown out immediately.
I immediately went home, feigning tiredness.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Actually, I felt useless.
Recca-kun knows me only as Hime', healer extrodinaire.
Of all people, he thinks of me consciously as that.
What about Sakoshita Yanagi?
Does anyone really know about her anymore?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I lie in bed now, just thinking.
About today. About last year. About who I am.
Turn to my side. I'm just a crybaby, a mostly useless asset in a fight.
Roll onto my back. This is a problem I've been thinking about for a while.
Onto the other side. All I can do in a fight is heal the fighters, and be the ransom prize, a gift.
Flop onto my stomach. Remember what my okaasan told me when my powers first emerged, when I healed my parrot from death. Your gift is one that only the kind-hearted have. Those people who only know how to fight are not kind-hearted, but are base. You are an angel. You only use your Kami-given abilities, Yanagi-chan, to heal those who are also kind-hearted.
Stay still. But Recca-kun, Fuuko-san, Domon-kun, Mikagami-sempai....they're all kind-hearted! They help others with their abilities, even if those abilities aren't necessarily natural! And, first and foremost, they know how to fight to protect the kind-hearted....to protect the helpless....to protect me.....
Sit up. I know what to do now. I'll be like the others. I'll fight with the others....I'll actually fight! I am not just Hime', my name may proclaim me a willow, easily bent and fragile, but....I am worth more than some helpless princess!
I know that Recca-kun would never agree to teach me some of his ninja moves. I am simply Hime to him, after all. He's supposed to protect me. Nether would Mikagami-sempai teach me anything in fencing. To him, I am a near-mirror to Mifuyu, his dear oneesan. He would not dare to risk my life, just like his oneesan did. Domon-kun...well, I'll pass on that. I doubt I have the strength to even accomplish one of his moves. Maybe Fuuko-san would....better yet, maybe Kagerou-san would!
Lie back down. It's decided. Tomorrow, I'll ask Kagerou-san if she could possibly understand my situation. After all, she's from the Hokage clan too, she wouldn't want Recca-kun to continually risk his life over and over, she'd want me to be able to protect myself.
Finally! A solution to my problem!
Author's Note: Okay, confession time: I've only read the manga translation (from Aoi Honoo....thank you for providing such complete translations! Although I doubt you'd like how Yanagi is the main chara in this fic....). I've never seen the anime, which I hear only focuses on the first half of the manga, but I did order the fansubs a week ago...can't wait to see it! I know not a lot of people would agree with my depiction of Yanagi, but I do like her....not sure why, but I do. So please, no flames because of the character I decided to write about! ^__^ Laters, minna!