* Yuu Yuu Hakusho Translations* * Volume 1: So long, world! * * Chapter six (6): Lonely journey! Botan: Uuu... it should be one of the old houses around here... Yuusuke: You even know who's going to die when? Botan: Right! If their time is running short or if they're dying of illness, the calculations are usually very accurate. Ah! Found it. (an old man walks out of his house) Fat lady: Old mister! Would you like some of my cooking? I cooked a lot, so I thought I could treat you to some. Old man: (sticks his finger into the pot, tastes some of the cooking) Fat lady: How is it? Old man: Horrible! Worse than dog food! (walks back into his house) Lady: Wh... what... (throws the pot away, flies her hands all around) Lady: I'm so angry! What attitude is that? That was truly from my heart... I thought you'd be lonely staying alone, so I was trying to be warm to you! Two ladies by the street: What's wrong, Missus? Lady: Ah! Listen to me! That old man in that house... Buckteeth lady: Oh my! No point talking about that old man. Lipsticked lady: He always treats the kindness of others as a disturbance! Half a year ago, all his immediate family were killed in a car accident, I was sympathetic and wanted to help, but... (flashes back to old man's past) Buckteeth lady: After that accident, he had several trifles with his distance relatives over the inheritance and grew to resent human relations. After distributing almost his entire fortune out, he locked himself into the old house. He's definitely unable to differentiate black from white now. Sometimes when I visit him, I get mistaken for a thief! (a pot hits the lady's head) Old man: Irates! Don't go on chittering in front of my house! Ladies: YAAA!! Old man: Humph! Ladies: I don't believe such a man exists! Old man: Who wants your kindness and concern? I'm doing very well by myself! (slams the door shut) Yuusuke: Oei, are you sure that old guy's only got a few days left? Botan: Well... I'm not too sure myself. Eh? (spots something) Yuusuke: A racoon? Botan: An unusual sight for a city. Racoon: ... Yuusuke: A racoon? Here? Botan: Let me go ask it! Mr. Racoon, what are you doing? Racoon: Wah! (makes a noise) Yuusuke: He can see us? Botan: The sixth sense of animals are sharper than a normal human's. Especially animals like racoons and foxes, like the folk-tales they usually appear in, their sixth sense is often unusually higher. Racoon: (holds up a picture of the old man) Botan: Ah! Yuusuke: It's the old man. Racoon: (speaks of a flashback) "Boy: Ah! Grandad, look! Old man: Hm? What is it, [insert name of boy]. Ah! Isn't this a little racoon? It's too much! Lots of people pass by here as well! Clamped together with a tree branch... it's injuries looks serious! (after a while) Old man: This should do it! Boy: Don't go stepping on traps again!" Botan: Looks like that old man was your benefactor! Yuusuke: Very much unlike the old man now. Botan: You're able to switch bodies now, so you set on this lonesome journey to repay your gratitude didn't you? Yuusuke: But doesn't that old man only has a few days to live? You could only give him some tasty snacks to send him on his way, I suppose. For example, let's cook you for racoon meat. Botan: (hits Yuusuke's head) Can you for at least a moment spare a thought for others? Yuusuke: But think about what that old man is now! Refuses to trust or rely on anyone. He's grown terribly stubborn and withdrawn. At an age like that, nobody can try to alter anything! Racoon: (speaks a picture of the old man's grandson) ? Botan: Hm? You mean, 'what happened to this child'? He died, along with his mom and dad while they were driving one day... the old man only became the way he his now because of his loneliness. If that boy was still with him, perhaps it would have been different! Racoon: ... (draws a picture of the boy) Botan: Eh? Racoon: (sticks picture of boy on forehead, does a somersault, turns into the boy!) Botan: WOW! SO CUTE! It's the first time I'm seeing a body-switch! Yuusuke: Hey! The tail's showing, failure! Botan: Doesn't matter, a normal human can't see it anyway. Yuusuke: Big idiot! Look at the old man now, does he still remember about you? If you reveal your identity, you'll really become roasted racoon special in a barberque grill! (they stare at each other) Yuusuke: Must you go? Racoon: *nods head* Botan: Then there's one thing you must take note of, got it? Only when the moon is up and when your powers are at it's highest can you switch forms! Yuusuke: It's face is red! Old man: Cough cough! Cough cough! *My cough gets harder when the night comes...* My days are numbered... (sits up coughing away) (a hand reaches out) Old man: !? Could... could it be [insert grandson's name]? (racoon smiles) Old man: It really is you! I missed you so much! I was so lonely, [insert grandson's name]... (racoon massages for old man) Old man: Ah... that feels nice... thank you, [insert boy's name]! Botan and Yuusuke: ... Old man: (wakes up in the morning) Where's my boy? Could... it have been a dream? ! (sees breakfast prepared) Old man: ... (the next days, the racoon continues to do the housework for the old man and accompany him through his lonliness... coming in the night and leaving in the day) Yuusuke: (as he watches on) ... (the night of the fifth day) Botan: Tonight's the limit... and that old man's life... Yuusuke: ... Was it good for the racoon to have done this? The old man will surely have longings for this world now, I doubt he can raise to heaven successfully. Botan: I never thought you could think so much! Yuusuke: Hey! I didn't die for nothing! Botan: Relax! That old man... didn't live so long for nothing too! (in the house) Old man: Boy... they're about to bring me away now, so please give me one final promise... Accompany me through the night till dawn... Racoon: (as he recalls Botan's words) "Only when the moon is high can you switch forms!" Old man: *cough cough* It's my last request... don't go anywhere tonight... Racoon: Okay! Old man: Thank you... come into the blankets with me. [- Therefore -] Old man: This really reminds me of the time we went hiking together. Racoon: ... Old man: You found a little racoon trapped in a snare... and we released it. I wonder how that racoon is doing now? Racoon: ... (his ears appear as daylight enters the chambers) (hastily, he tries to get off the mattress) Old man: ! Where are you going? Didn't you promise me... that you'd accompany me... What is it? Come back quick! Racoon: [oro oro] [PA - !!] (he changes back into a racoon) Racoon: (as he thinks of what the old man would say) "You idiot! You tricked me by impersonating [insert boy's name]!" Old man: (as racoon faces the wall, trembling) ... What are you doing? Come back to me, quick! Hahahah, I knew it long ago! A dying man sees your tail. My eye for such stuff never changes even to death... Racoon: (close to tears) Old man: You've grown... has your leg fully recovered? I'm going to see [insert boy's name] now... going to be separated from you for a while... so... let me embrace you one last time... you're so warm... and comfortable... thank you... (dies) (later) Botan: Ever since that racoon embarked this lonely journey, he's been through alot. Wonder if it's all right... Yuusuke: ... no problem for him! Compared to me, it's done so much more! (the racoon wipes it's tears and walks away, Botan and Yuusuke trailing behind) END TRANSLATION 15/1/99 (c) 1991 Togashi Yoshihiro Translation: fwah@geocities.com