Tsubaki's Daydream

              Tsubaki sat in the grass in the middle of the village, watching the village children run around and play together, as they always did around this time every day. He smiled a bit but looked out to the silhouette of the peak of the mountains in the distance and began to zone out. This village was genuinely lovely and was home to him, but he still felt such longing in his mind to go elsewhere. The lychee furo had always traveled and still did sometimes, but that empty feeling remained. 

              He began pondering… What would make that empty feeling go away? Where should he go? What would he do? The scene started to form in his mind. The setting was a distant village, similar to the one he was in now, but it was full of samurai and their apprentices, learning to fight and protect others together. It felt so vivid, watching them all walk around and talk to each other. If he could go anywhere, it would be wherever the Samurai are. A place where he could fulfill his initial purpose, teaching them to be mindful of themselves and others, make their families proud, and learn to fight. He would follow them around, scold them, and participate in festivals like he used to. They would be happy to see him, glad to learn from him, happy to learn… They would laugh and call his name excitedly before it was time for them to leave and go off on their journeys. Calling his name… He kept hearing his name being called, and the daydream began to fade.

              “Tsubaki! Mr. Tsubaki!” one of the children was calling. The furo lifted his head, ears perking at attention to listen to the young one as they held out a strange-looking bug. “I found a bug!” The excited child yelled. Tsubaki stared blankly at it for a moment, then at the child, before his lips curled slightly into a smile. “You did, didn’t you?” he spoke softly to the happy boy before watching him run off to play with the other children again. 

              “Maybe…” he whispered, “Maybe I already am where I’m needed.”