.

.

Outside, thunder rolled, wind blowing through grass in the darkened fields.

She caught his lip with her teeth, pulling him close with insistent hands. "Katsushiro," she said. The darkness rolled and she crashed into his chest, clawing blindly up his back. "What about Komachi?"

"She's asleep." He panted into her ear. "I can stop--"

"No."

They moved together in the dark, his hands on her hips and pulling her toward him. Thought escaped her then, and there was nothing but damp skin and sweat and moonlight, the sensation of Katsushiro deep inside of her, thrusting hard and holding her like a swimmer drowning.

"Katsushiro," she said, and his hot mouth pressed against her neck. "Katsushiro, oh."

xXx

.

Morning came, the thin gray light washing over the valley. "We're just outside the village now," Kirara said, and she held Katsushiro's hand. "You're not going to stay, are you?"

Katsushiro was silent. Kirara bowed her head. "Lady Yukino waited for five years before Shichiroji-dono was ready," Kirara said. "If she can do it, then I can wait as well."

"Kirara--"

"Katsushiro, no." Kirara felt the warmth behind her eyes. "You are a samurai now," Kirara said. "It would be wrong of me to make you stay, to make you be something you are not." She stared up at him, searching his face. "I have made that mistake already," Kirara said.

Katsushiro kissed her forehead and brought her close, pressing her against his cloak. "I wish you well, Kirara-dono," Katsushiro said. His voice was thick and heavy in her ears.

Kirara closed her eyes.

"As I do you, samurai-sama."

xXx

.

The villagers were singing. Nighttime had fallen and everyone had helped to prepare the feast. Komachi strode in the center, her crystal bobbing and shining bright. It was shining brighter than usual, which irritated her: even though she was the mikumari, the crystal still responded to sister more than her. Somewhere, her sister was really happy.

"Stupid crystal," Komachi said, and she tucked it behind her sleeve.

In the great hall, the villagers danced in celebration: the money Komachi brought was ten-fold the amount they needed to make the repairs. Around her, the farmers bowed, murmuring prayers and thanking the elder for his wisdom. "But where is Kirara?" one of the villagers asked. "She is not with you. Where is she?"

And Komachi rolled her eyes and told the story for the fifty-millionth time: "She ran into Katsu in the city, and he asked her to come with him. So she did, and now they're together doing samurai stuff, except sister is probably just getting in the way."

Komachi did not tell them what she saw in the forest, because that was private, just between sister and Katsu and Komachi because she saw: "Come with me," Katsushiro said, and Kirara started to cry. "Please," Katsushiro said. "I promise you I'll never let go..."

"Do you think they'll come back?" the villagers asked. Komachi twirled around and smiled.

"Probably," Komachi said. "But either way they'll never be alone."

end.

A/N: I think this is the quickest I've written a multi-chapter story (dude three days! Wow shock awe!), and it's woefully un-beta'd. In my head I had this whole subplot of Kirara getting all mixed up again with Kambei and them tramping through the desert and blah blah blah, but I scrapped it because Katsu has enough angst and it was getting annoying *facepalm* I was also really tempted to do something Super!Angsty! and like kill off either Katsu or Kirara or both, but I didn't. They deserve a happy ending :)