A quiet hush had fallen over the household of Matsumoto Tora. There was no laughter, no arguing, no raised voices or even the gentle hum of a mother's voice as she sang her children to sleep. All that remained was a single figure who stood at the centre of her home clad in the simplest of kimonos, a worn out blue with frayed hems, however it was one that brought great warmth and comfortableness to the woman who wore it.
It had been this way ever since the fateful night and now as the late evening breeze blew in wisps of cherry blossom petals, Tora could only stand and stare with shaking fists at her side whilst fixating her eyes on the floor. Several days had passed but still, the blaze of the fire still stung Tora's memory, the smoke burning her lungs as much as the flames as she struggled to remain conscious.
The screams of her family still pierced her mind so with a firm shake of her head Tora turned and walked away, taking deep breaths as she abandoned the ashen remains of her home, carrying with her the sparse few belongings she had managed to salvage. Seeing as she had no family left, Tora had been invited by her childhood friend to come and stay with her instead of being made to move far away for work and board.
With her head held high Tora walked through the streets even as everyone stopped and stared at her, whispering pityingly behind their hands. Tora had always been known as a stone hearted girl however when the townsfolk saw how she had never once shed a tear for her family they only confirmed the suspicions.
Exhaling slightly Tora lowered her head, closing her eyes against the refreshing breeze. She had cried, of course she had, only in a place where no one else could see her. Over the graves of her family. Her mother, her father, her two little sisters and brother. All had perished save for her. Sometimes she would curse the higher powers for ensuring her own life whilst abandoning that of her family, leaving her almost completely alone. To her it was outrageously unfair that she should be granted her life whilst those of her little brother and sisters were taken from them at such young ages.
Little Natsuko and Narumi, precious twin beauties with promising futures ahead of them with their harmonious voices and gifted talents with instruments, Tora could still see them smiling up at her on the morning of their deaths as they weaved flowers into crowns with their brother, Daichi, who had carefully watched over them alongside Tora as he had idolised his elder sister for her strength and warrior stature.
As Tora reached the home of Yukimura Chizuru, she stopped and looked up. Her childhood friend was sweeping the front path from all the blossoms however upon sensing she was being watched, her eyes lifted and she blinked at Tora before smiling. "Tora-chan!" She called out with a wave then hurried forwards, making Tora smile softly as she bowed her head respectfully.
"Chi, I owe you everything. Thank you for allowing me to stay with you."
"Don't be silly, I wouldn't have it any other way. Come inside and have some tea, you haven't been sleeping well and you're exhausted, I can tell." Tora couldn't help but smile slightly as Chizuru began to usher her forwards, gently prompting her into movement as her eyes perceptively found the dark shadows under Tora's eyes which she had tried to hide with a little makeup. "Just rest for a while, if there's anything you need then don't be afraid to call, I'll just fix that tea."
"You are a good friend to me, Chizuru." Tora sighed as she sat down and lay her things out in front of her, Chizuru going to boil some water for the tea. Whilst she was gone Tora opened the folds of her pack and looked over the few things she had with her. A spare change of clothes, a golden hairpin that had been her mother's now slightly burned on one side, half of a silk scarf of light pink that one of her little sisters had owned, though it was impossible to tell as their initial had been burned away. All else that remained was a small wooden ball with a bell within that jingled as you rolled it along the floor. This had belonged to Daichi and Tora ran her fingers over the scorch marks.
The only thing that remained untouched by the fire was the samurai sword that had belonged to her father, a very simple yet old blade that had been passed down the paternal line for generations. It had been meant for Daichi when he was old enough to carry it, however upon the passing of her family, Tora assumed responsibility as the head, carrying with her the sword that had once belonged to her father.
As she lifted it free and unwound the covering Tora gazed at the finely made scabbard, curling her fingers around the worn hilt, the gold insignia of her house name shining from its recent polish as she drew the blade halfway. It should have been heavy for any normal girl to lift but Tora found she could wield it with no difficulty. Perhaps because her father had made her lift it every day since a young age until she could finally hold it on her own. Being the firstborn and only child for many years, her father had taught all his skills to his daughter, believing that she was his sole heir until Daichi arrived but even then her training continued.
"Tora? Tora-Chan? Are you alright?" Chizuru questioned quietly as Tora looked at her own reflection in the partially drawn blade.
"Yes." She replied with a deep sigh, sliding the sword back before laying it before her knees. "How is your father, Chizuru? I have not heard you speak of him for several days. Is everything alright?"
"I'm beginning to worry, it's been three weeks since his last letter to me when before he was always so diligent in writing to me." She said as she set out the tea and poured a cup for Tora who accepted it gratefully. "I hope nothing has happened to him."
"Perhaps he is just very busy with his work or the letters have been lost in their journey to you. I wouldn't worry just yet, Chi, your father may not look it but he is a very strong man. He is more than capable of taking care of himself." Tora comforted gently though wished she had been able to use a more understanding tone rather than one of reasoning, however it seemed to do the trick as Chizuru smiled and nodded her head acceptingly.
"Yes, you're right. I'm worrying for nothing." She agreed as she took a sip of her own tea, her eyes falling to the pieces that lay at Tora's side. "Is that all you brought with you?"
"All that I could manage to save. My mother was wearing the pin and the scarf had been left outside as well as my brother's ball." Tora explained in a flat tone to disguise the pain in her voice though her grip tightened on her cup which Chizuru did not fail to notice. "The sword is all I have left of my father and I had tried to use it to cut them free but…the structure collapsed too quickly and I could not save them. I was weak."
"No Tora, of course you weren't. You did everything in your power." Chizuru said softly, reaching out and placing her hand over Tora's. "You stuck your hand into the burning fire and burned all of your arm, I'm just sorry my father isn't here to treat you, he could have saved you from scarring."
"The scars mean nothing." Tora insisted, turning her head away to look at her left arm which was heavily bandaged. Underneath she could feel the heat radiating from her skin from the deep burns that had now scarred her skin from where she had tried to grasp Natsuko and pull her from the flames herself. "It is the memory that hurts." Chizuru sat back, not knowing what else to say but Tora was grateful for the silence, dealing with her own demons in solitude as she reached out and held onto Chizuru's hand. "I will stay here and help you with your chores. I shall find work and earn my own keep, Chizuru. You need not worry for me any longer. I am grieving in my own way and it is working."
"Okay, so long as you promise you won't let yourself break. I'm right here for you, whenever you need me." Tora opened her eyes and smiled warmly, nodding her head before taking another sip of her tea.
The days were long and laborious as Tora fought to strive forwards, not allowing herself to wallow in her own sorrow and instead found use for herself at Chizuru's side, aiding her in cleaning and cooking whilst going out to the market and selling herbs that the two of them gathered for medicinal purposes. With their time spent in such closeness, their fondness for one another only grew however every day Tora watched as more and more of the light in Chizuru's eyes faded.
Almost six months had passed without a word from Koudou and Tora could see that her close friend was beginning to truly fear the worst. They had been sitting down for dinner when Chizuru had broken the news to Tora, who forevermore past that point saw the moment as pivotal and critical in all senses of their future paths.
"Tora-chan, I am going to go to Kyoto in search of my father." Chizuru announced quietly over her food, her head bowed against the candlelight as Tora continued to eat, her expression never changing and her movements not even pausing as she chewed. "Tora?" Chizuru questioned hesitantly, lifting her head to see if her friend had heard her.
Tora swallowed what she was eating then picked up some more of her noodles, pushing them around in the sauce to flavour them more efficiently. "When do we leave?" She asked blankly before eating more. Chizuru blinked in surprise, jerking slightly before a smile touched her lips.
"You don't have to come with me Tora, I can take care of myself you know."
"With that short stick of yours? Not likely." Tora answered diplomatically, setting her bowl down as her eyes remained downcast, her expression deadly serious. "The city of Kyoto is not like Edo, Chizuru-chan. It is more dangerous and you will be highly vulnerable travelling alone, even if you were to disguise yourself as a boy which I highly advise. You will need someone to watch your back and, not to be self-proclaiming, you and I can both agree that I am the superior swordswoman. I have been training ever since I could curl my fingers around a sword hilt whilst on the other hand your practice has been minimal and rather crude at best."
"I can still protect myself!" Chizuru argued though she was chuckling. "I am not that hopeless, you know." Tora stabbed a dumpling with a chopstick and waved it at Chizuru with a lopsided smirk splayed on her lips.
"You'd end up stabbing yourself with that short stick of yours, I can't let you out of my sight for a single moment and you always find trouble. I'm going with you Chi, not just for you but for Koudou also. He did save my family from that sickness last winter, so I owe it to him as well as you." Chizuru ducked her head again, taking a deep breath of weariness.
"You owe us nothing Tora, if you would rather stay then…"
"Chizuru, stop it." Tora commanded, drawing herself into a rigid position. "I will go with you and there is nothing you can do to stop me. I'll be like an annoying second shadow constantly pestering you, so you had better get used to it." Her smirk deepened and the candlelight cast menacing shadows over her face, making her skin glow with a bright golden hue. "Besides, in the city there's bound to be fighting. I could use with an excuse to get some decent practice." Chizuru shook her head but then smiled, giving a tiny giggle as her shoulders relaxed completely.
"You're the greatest Tora. Okay then, we'll go first thing tomorrow!" Since the both of them agreed it would be best to dress as boys, Chizuru and Tora discarded their female clothing and dressed instead as young men, tying back their hair into ponytails though Tora's chestnut locks were far longer than Chizuru's, though this also made her hair neater.
Whilst Chizuru was stuck with messy tresses falling either side of her face, Tora had only two locks framing her face from an angle, the thick but shorter fringe brushing over her sage green eyes though she easily flicked them aside. "You still look too pretty to be a boy." Chizuru frowned at Tora as she stepped forwards, her father's sword at her left hip. "Do you think others will notice?"
"Possibly but there's little else I can do except not draw attention to myself." Tora answered, touching the side of her face self-consciously before exhaling. "Come on, we should go before the town wakes." Chizuru nodded her head in firm agreement and together they set off down a long, long path which would carry them through a storm of emotion though neither could even begin to comprehend the kind of life they would lead from the moment they stepped over the threshold and abandoned the existence they knew. From then on it was danger at every turn and they grew depend on their swords as much as they depended on one another.