Hakuho Akinori is walking towards his room, mind heavy with thoughts as he clenches the item in his right hand. His pace, fast, unlabeled paper doors passed by him, but with steps so soft that the wood didn’t even creak under his weight. It was late at night, a time it's expected to retire for the day, but the Kazuki estate had nobody sleeping in tonight, too busy with their occupation as shinobi, well, except Hakuho. He reached a passage covered in paper charms, continuing in his stride through the passage and into the onmyodo wing of the estate.
Through the hallways, passing by more doors with names of their supposed occupants written in their doorways, finally reaching the end of the hallway of which had his residence, labeled with his last name. He slides the door open, entering his room, walking through the central room, and finally sliding open the door to the place he’s been rushing to get to. His eyes focus on the only object of that room, lit by the moonlight, an altar, the name “Akashi Akinori” written and framed on top of said altar.
Hakuho didn’t step into the room just yet, looking at the item he was clenching in his hand, a charm, one he could feel the spiritual power residing in. He takes in all the details of it, the words written upon it, the silk dyed dark that covered it, and the owl feather attached to it. He looks back up to the altar, walking towards it, kneeling before it, before finally placing the charm down on the altar.
He clapped his hand together, holding it in position to concentrate, focusing on the spiritual power that leaked from the charm, closing his eyes as he felt the world around him disappear. He thinks back to when he got the charm, only a few hours ago.
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Hakuho looked around as the people around him were drunk and laughed around the table in front of him, the celebratory occasion being his 18th birthday of course, which he is starting to believe was just an excuse for his seniors to get drunk, but he’s not gonna tell anyone that. He looked down into his cup, clear liquid swirling about in the ceramic container, finally bringing it up to his lips to drink in. Its water, he has tried alcohol before, wasn’t a big fan. He placed the cup down on the table.
“A celebration for the soon-to-be head of the Onmyodo branch’s birthday but the only one not having fun is the star himself.” He hears someone say. He looked to his side to see a man, shinobi, but not an onmyoji, around his age, his hairless face, his hair tied up into a ponytail with a few loose to frame his face, a face Hakuho had seen and grown with since his childhood.
“I am having fun Tomita.” Hakuho answered plainly to his friend.
“Yeah, I couldn’t tell, maybe you should smile more to really show how much you’re enjoying it.” The man, Tomita, rebutted, to which Hakuho only responded with an accepting hum. Hakuho wasn’t someone who expressed many emotions, happiness wasn’t an exception, he lacked a smile that implied anything more than melancholy.
“I assure you, I am happy at this moment.” Hakuho replied. Tomita relented, just humming in return before looking away for a moment.
“Oh right! I need to give you something.” Tomita said, reaching into his pocket before pulling the charm out, taking the other man’s hand, and placing it on his palm.
“A charm, a finely crafted one too, what a nice gift, thank you.” He said, pulling the charm closer, he felt the energies that came from the charm, this definitely wasn’t made by some ordinary onmyoji, the energy emitted was refined, it felt like feathers flowing throughout his palm, he took a closer look at it, taking in every detail.
“Yeah, but it's not really my gift to you.”
“Hmm? What do you mean by that?”
“It's your father’s.”
Hakuho’s eyes widened at the mention of his father. “What?”
“Yeah,” he took a deep breath, “he gave it to me when he died, told me to give it to you when you finally come of age, told me you’d know what to do with it.”
“I see,” he took in the information that was given to him, “either way, how kind of you.”
Tomita replied with something acting all flustered, but Hakuho’s thoughts were too filled with his father’s charm to hear what the ravenette said. He looked at the charm in his hand, inspected it further by feeling the spiritual energy that it held, the same words repeating in his head. You’d know what to do with it.
‘How would I know what you want me to use this for?’ He thought. He inspected and inspected, but the longer he looked into it, the more he came up with nothing, it's frustrating, enough to give him a headache. He finally gave up, he didn’t need the headache right now. He stood up from the floor before walking out. “I’m going out for some fresh air.” He said to everyone else in the room, most of them too drunk to notice.
He walked out to a balcony to look out at the night sky, stars shining across it. He closes his eyes to reminisce. It's been two years since his father died in the Shiba conflict, in the hands of his best friend no less. He hoped that he could have seen his father’s final words, but his own battles meant he couldn’t. When he heard that Tomita did it too, he couldn’t help but to hunt him down. It didn't help that they were on opposite sides of the conflict, but they got over it.
He looked back further into his fonder memories with his father, standing beside him as he did rituals, creating paper charms, to come back home and see his father worried about him, treating any injuries the young onmyoji gathered from his training. He looked back at the meals he shared with him, the conversations they had during dinner. He chuckles to himself as he remembered those conversations, realizing he never talked much, too quiet even.
“If only you could be here.” Hakuho said quietly. He then had an epiphany, he remembered something his father said to him. His eyes widened, climbing onto the balcony’s railing, reaching over the roof and climbing on top of it. He began running towards the onmyodo wing.
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When Hakuho opens his eyes, he is met with a flowing river, his reflection showing back on him. Pale skin, a youthful face with skin colored scales across his cheeks, heterochromia black and blue eyes, his hair long and white, flowing to the back at the top with a few bits of hair standing out near the back, long sideburns with black ends orange separating the black and white hair, he is in his kariginu, pure white, modified here and there to make sure it doesn’t bother him in combat, he was still a shinobi after all.
“Phew, thought it was gonna take you until tomorrow to figure it out.” He heard a deep voice behind him, he looked back to see a man, one Akashi Akinori, his father, smiling at him with a toothy smile, revealing his sharp fangs. His tanned skin, His long black hair styled the same way as Hakuho, his face looking like someone in their middle age, younger than the last time he saw him, eyes yellow, wearing a similar garb to Hakuho but adding a tate-eboshi cap on top of it. Looking at both of the Akinori’s faces however will give you no hint that they’re related.
“Good to see you dad.” Hakuho said as his dad sat beside him by the river.
Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
“Same here son.” The older Akinori answered.
“Where are we?” The younger asked, looking at the scenery. It was a peaceful place, the white cherry blossoms dancing in the wind, the sound of water flowing through the river, the smell of flowers that was scattered about the area, all combining to make a beautiful place.
“Heaven. Well, a certain part of heaven, one I have reserved just for this moment.” Akashi answered. Hakuho was not surprised, he knew his dad had worked on trying to communicate with the dead in heaven ever since he was adopted to the family.
“Looks like you succeeded in your project then.” The snowy-haired onmyoji said to his dad with a smile on his face.
“Yeah… just hoped it didn’t have to be like this,” he scratched the back of his head, “but hey, on the bright side, I get to celebrate my son’s 18th birthday with him!” He said, cheerfully.
“And I get to celebrate mine with my dad.”
“Gee sonny, you know how to make this old man feel special.” They both laughed.
They just sat there in silence for a long while, each other's company enough to keep them satisfied before Akashi broke the silence.
“I remember when I found you, a child, barely as high as my hip, scavenging the battlefield to inspect swords, when you saw me, you even tried to reach over to mine,” the older Akinori started reminiscing about their first meeting, “those eyes of yours, on someone so young, yet it looked like you’ve seen the worst of it.
“It felt wrong to see you that way, someone so young yet so devoid of youth, even with that, I didn’t know what I was thinking when I let you be part of the clan, even now, knowing how special you are, I think there were better ways for you to live your life than a shinobi.” Hakuho wanted to interject, if he was raised in a different way, he wouldn’t have known the man that is his dad, but Akashi continued. “The son of the head onmyoji of the Kazuki clan, you know how concerned I was about you? I thought you would be bullied if you didn’t live up to expectations.”
“Yet I did.” Hakuho answered.
“I KNOW! But that was after the worry.” The other onmyoji exclaimed, to which Hakuho just chuckled at him, Akashi sighs before laying down on the grass, Hakuho following suit. “Still, I can’t believe it when I heard from the other elders when they said you had the talents to be an onmyoji, my son, special.” He said to his son.
“The shikigami possession ritual was surprising too, to attract such a powerful shikigami and to be in control of it when it possessed you, boy, just when I can’t be more proud of you.” Hakuho reacted to the mention of the shikigami possession ritual, scratching his scaly cheek, an effect caused by the possession. It happened on his 16th birthday, unfortunately, also a month before his dad died.
Akashi sighed, letting silence come across both of them again. They shared this quiet moment to remember the little moments they had together.
Akashi broke the silence again with a grunt as he did a kip-up to stand back up, stretching his limbs to loosen up. “Alright, time to give your other gift, come now.” He said walking a few steps away before waiting on his son. Hakuho raised an eyebrow as he looked at his dad walk away, choosing to follow suit, he stood up and followed his dad.
They walked through the forest, rays of light piercing through the leaves to illuminate the grounds, the sounds of birds chirping adding to the beautiful atmosphere. They finally reach a clearing, a field of white flowers stretching beyond the horizon. The two Akinoris walked quite a distance into the field before the older one stopped. “Ok, this is far enough.”
“Why did you bring me here?” Asked Hakuho.
“Remember what I promised you for your 18th birthday?” Akashi asked back.
“I don’t follow.”
“The one we made after you asked me if you can be as strong as me?”
“Huh,” Hakuho takes a second to think, “oh, ooooooohhh.” He remembers, to which Akashi responds with a smile on his face.
“Neat thing about heaven, this body of mine is supposed to be my prime as well.” Akashi added.
“Right, then let me warm up.” Hakuho requested, to which Akashi simply nodded. Both of them warmed themselves up before finally facing each other, a fanged smile on their faces.
In unison, they clapped their arms, and like a mirror, they did the same gestures in sync. Gathering their energy, before both burst into a shockwave of spiritual power that blew petals around them. They both stomp the ground in front of them, placing them in the same stance.
“Come at me, Hakuho!” Akashi shouted toward his son, a smile on his face.
“Let’s do this, Akashi.” Hakuho answered, glee in full display.
They dashed at each other, ready for the fight of their lives.
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They both coughed out as they fell to their knees. The battle was hard fought, but it ended in a draw.
“Yep, you’ll definitely be stronger than me alright.” Akashi said in between gasps.
“What are you saying? Neither of us won.” Hakuho questioned.
“Do I have to remind you this is supposed to be my prime? And you’ll have a long way to go.”
“Right.”
They both fell to the ground on their backs, exhausted, after a few more gasps of air, they laughed. The battle was indecisive, but both of them can agree upon one thing about it. It was fun. The laughter continued on for a few more moments, the sound spreading across the field which has signs of their battle.
When the laughter died down it was Hakuho who broke the ice. “So, how long will this last?”
“What do you mean?” The dark haired onmyoji asked.
“The charm, I mean, I can’t stay in heaven forever right? I’m still in the mortal world.” The snowy haired onmyoji added.
“If I made it right, you’ll be back in the mortal world, can’t say for certain when though, couldn’t calculate it while I was still making it.” Said Akashi.
“Is this the last time I’ll see you?” The younger asked, sadness seeping through his voice.
“I don’t know, the charm I made could only be used once, I had to cut some corners to finish it, but…”
“But?”
“You can try remaking it, take the charm, find my notes, and innovate on the design.”
“What if I can’t?”
“Then you’ll have to cherish every second.”
Hakuho and Akashi then heard a bell ring.
“Well, it seems like morning came earlier than expected, a few more minutes to say a few more words.” Akashi said, standing up and walking over to his son, standing him up.
“I know you’ve heard these words so many times before but I really want you to know.”
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“Hakuho.”
A young white haired boy looked up at the man who said those words.
“Your name shall be Hakuho, Hakuho Akinori.” Akashi placed a hand on the boy’s head, ruffling his hair.
“Well, Hakuho, I’ll tell you something,” he said, kneeling down to look at the boy eye to eye, "when I saw you collecting those swords in the battlefield, I saw something in you, I saw that-"
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“You’re special,”
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Hakuho is seen climbing the rafters of the Kazuki estate with his father just below him just in case. “Be careful Hakuho!”
The boy would be hopping from rafter to rafter, only to slip, with his father catching him, not at the cost of also falling on his back. But Akashi found it slightly hilarious, so he laughed it off. “Man, you’re quite the handful.” He said, wrapping his hands around the boy, to which the boy looked at his adoptive father with his black eyes, his face emotionless, one of curiosity.
“Hakuho…”
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“I love you,”
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In the middle of a ritual circle, Hakuho would be standing tall. He just completed the shikigami possession ritual, his eyes now blue and black, with scales coming across his cheeks, and his pure white hair turning black and orange at the ends. The boy looked at his father who was watching all of this unfold, shaking. Akashi dashed over to his son, hugging the boy tightly.
"You did it, you're an onmyoji,"
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“I’m so proud of you.”
His father was right, he has heard these words so many times before. But to hear it from him again, after two years. He cannot deny his emotion from letting out. He cried out, hugging him tightly, he wished this moment wouldn’t end, he wished his dad could be here with him forever. Akashi embraced his son, he wished the same thing as his son.
Akashi rubbed the back of his son’s head, his beloved Hakuho. “It's alright, it’s going to be ok.” He repeated like a chant to his son. Hakuho on the other hand kept bawling.
“I don’t want to go.” Hakuho screamed out.
“You have people waiting for you back home, Hakuho, they’ll miss you if you don’t come back, they’re your friends after all.”
Hakuho didn't say anything, no longer crying, he looked up to his dad. Akashi wiped the tears off his son’s face, before realizing he also had tears on his. “Oh, haha, I guess we both needed this.” He said chuckling, followed by Hakuho.
They both embrace each other as Hakuho’s vision blurs.
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“Hakuho!” Tomita called out into the onmyoji’s room, walking in uninvited. He sees the opened door to the altar room, peeking in to see the soon-to-be head of the Onmyodo branch sitting down in front of their father’s altar. “Oh Hakuho.” He exclaimed, a sympathetic tone in their voice. “Are you ok?”
Hakuho sniffed, looking down on the floor, realizing the wet spots caused by his tears, he wiped his face with his sleeve, finally looking back with the most genuine smile on his face.
“I’ve never been better.”