CHAPTER 1- HIS LAST YEN
Katsura Tokaji reached up and wiped the sweat from his brow. "Kuso," he murmured hoarsely. "The sun's going down, we've been walking for hours, and it's still hot enough to make me want to pass out!"
Trailing a short distance behind, his horse Sora nickered.
He scoffed, reading her tone. "Yeah, I know. I'm some swordsman, eh?" He placed a hand to the hilt of his katana, which was partially hidden under the sleeve of his blue gi. Perhaps that was for the best anyway since people bearing swords were marked as suspicious.
"But still, this job sucks," Tokaji went on. "Here I am, 18-years-old, son of the Choshu clan's boss, and I'm stuck being the messenger boy!" He now reached into his pocket and pulled out the precious cargo he'd walked all day to retrieve. It was a black envelope. Every warrior, Shogunate or Ishin Ishi, knew that with every black envelope came a message of death. Someone would have to face up to it in the impending hours of night.
Tokaji sighed and tucked it back into his gi. "Well, Himura's probably gonna be assigned to this one, like always,"
Sora nipped at his arm, as if scolding him.
"Ah, it's not that I WANT to actually kill people," he protested. "It's just that I'm sick of being the underdog! I want to make a difference in this war!"
A cooling breeze drifted across the scenic landscape, ruffling the youth's thick black hair and the mare's chestnut brown mane. He took a deep breath and continued on. "Come, come now Sora. We promised the old man that we'd return to the city by midnight."
They continued down the dusty dirt road for a while longer while the sun continued to drop below the mountainside. It was peaceful out amongst the farmlands. Though Tokaji wanted to take part in the turbulent battles within Kyoto, he also missed the country. After all, he had been born in a small village miles from any city.
He smiled sadly towards each farming hut he and Sora passed. "If I could have one wish, it's that the fighting will protect and free peaceful places like these."
Suddenly, the wind brought them a wave of voices.
"Who will give 25 yen for these two boys?"
"25, here!"
"30!"
"30, who will give 35?"
Around the bend in the path, in a large field, there was a gathering of people. They were shouting out their negotiations to a large, bearded fellow standing atop a tree stump.
Tokaji paused and strode over for a closer look. What he saw sent chills of horror up and down his spine and caused his blue eyes to widen.
Slaves were being sold to the masses. It was a slave auction, the first the young man had ever seen. And he knew right off that he didn't want to see one again. He scowled to himself. "People selling people.how awful is that?"
Sora turned away and snorted. She too seemed disgusted.
Just then, another slave was pushed from the others and pulled in front of the buyers.
Tokaji gasped, unable to hide his horror. "Why, that's just a little girl!"
Sure enough, a child wearing a tattered dusty kimono stood knee-high in the grass, hands and feet shackled, head down. Tokaji had never seen something so pitiful, so pathetic.
The bidding started. "Who will give 15 yen for this little one? 15?"
Through the chorus of traders and waves of hands, the girl's head slowly lifted. Her dark brown eyes, hidden partially under mousy brown hair, scanned the throng before coming to rest on a certain young man far in the back.
Their eyes met and locked. Tokaji's heart raced. At that moment, despite the distance between them, he thought for sure that he'd seen her face light up ever so slightly. For a long moment, they stared.
Then, Tokaji winced, turning his head away. "No!" he said to himself. "I can't do anything to help her. There's nothing I can do to---
He was cut off when Sora nudged his hip. He heard the jingle of coins and realized that he still had his wallet. For another moment, a gleam of hope shined brightly in his eyes. "Maybe I---
But wait, that money was from his mother! It was supposed to be for emergencies only. And this wasn't an emergency.right?
"30 yen!"
"31 yen!"
'The price is going up!' he thought. 'No, I can't do anything.'
He turned and walked away, Sora trailing. The girl watched them go. Her head drooped once more.
"45! 45 yen!"
"45, do I hear 50!"
"75 YEN!!!"
The young voice echoed across the field, silencing the bidding. The bearded auctioneer spoke. "75 yen?" Who would spend such money on such a frail- looking girl?
But Tokaji stepped forward, finality in his frown. Half of him had no clue what he was doing, but the people could see the other half. Within minutes, the little girl joined Tokaji and Sora on that dusty road.
Tokaji scratched the back of his head. "Well, I guess we're gonna have to make room at the inn, kid. Hold still a minute." He drew back his sleeve and unsheathed his katana.
She shrunk back a little, wary of the sharp blade. But he smiled. "Don't worry. I wouldn't pay 75 yen to kill you. Hold out your hands."
Out of obedience rather than willingness, she held up her small, calloused hands. In one quick swing, Tokaji sliced away the shackles.
She stood there in astonishment, gazing down at her newly freed limbs. Then, she looked up at him, as if puzzled.
He shrugged. "You're not a slave anymore. Now, the only reason you'll be coming with me is because you'll probably have no where else to go."
She stared back at him for a moment, then nodded.
"Okay, well let's get going," he said. "You look light enough, so I'll put you up on old Sora here." He gave his mare a pat on the neck.
The little girl didn't protest to his picking her up. As he swung her around and placed her up on the horse's back, Tokaji was amazed by how light she was. 'I had better make a list,' he said to himself. 'One: put some weight on her. Two: get her some new clothes."
Rather instinctively, the girl took hold of Sora's mane, ready to ride. Tokaji grinned. "Good, just stay like that and you won't fall off." He began to lead them down the road. "It'll be a couple hours before we get to Kyoto, so hang on."
After a while, it was pitch black. The stars glittered in the cloudless night sky.
Tokaji paused as a pair of tiny lights buzzed past him, right under his nose. He smiled. "Ah, fireflies on a summer night."
One glowing insect flew up towards the silent child. She studied it as it fluttered in front of her. To Tokaji's surprise, a cheerful smile flashed across her dirty face.
He chuckled. "You like them, eh? I don't blame you. They'd make anyone appreciate the hot summer." He turned around and kept walking. "By the way, my name's Tokaji. Katsura Tokaji. Do you have a name?"
"Number 31,"
"ACK! That's a slave number!!"
She had no name.
Tokaji thought for a moment while fireflies continued to light their way towards the city. Then, he snapped his fingers. "I got it!" He turned back to face her. "From now on, I'll call you Hotaru!"
He had named her after the fireflies.
Hotaru mouthed the name to herself, then smiled.
"Thank you, Tokaji."
.........
A/N- Here's a glossary for some Japanese terms
Bakumatsu- The final, bloody days of the Tokugawa Period
Choshu clan- A group of patriots fighting in the Revolution. The Battousai worked for this clan in the OVA.
Hitokiri- An assassin
Ishin Ishi- Patriots fighting to end the Tokugawa period and to restore the emperor
Shinsengumi- A sort-of loyalist police force that patrolled the Kyoto streets and attempted to restore order during the Bakumatsu. Saitoh Hajime was a captain for one of it's forces.
Shogunate- Loyalists to the Tokugawa Bakufu; the prime target for Hitokiri Battousai
*Also, in keeping with Asian tradition, last names come first, then first names. So with Katsura Tokaji, his first name is Tokaji and his last name is Katsura.
Katsura Tokaji reached up and wiped the sweat from his brow. "Kuso," he murmured hoarsely. "The sun's going down, we've been walking for hours, and it's still hot enough to make me want to pass out!"
Trailing a short distance behind, his horse Sora nickered.
He scoffed, reading her tone. "Yeah, I know. I'm some swordsman, eh?" He placed a hand to the hilt of his katana, which was partially hidden under the sleeve of his blue gi. Perhaps that was for the best anyway since people bearing swords were marked as suspicious.
"But still, this job sucks," Tokaji went on. "Here I am, 18-years-old, son of the Choshu clan's boss, and I'm stuck being the messenger boy!" He now reached into his pocket and pulled out the precious cargo he'd walked all day to retrieve. It was a black envelope. Every warrior, Shogunate or Ishin Ishi, knew that with every black envelope came a message of death. Someone would have to face up to it in the impending hours of night.
Tokaji sighed and tucked it back into his gi. "Well, Himura's probably gonna be assigned to this one, like always,"
Sora nipped at his arm, as if scolding him.
"Ah, it's not that I WANT to actually kill people," he protested. "It's just that I'm sick of being the underdog! I want to make a difference in this war!"
A cooling breeze drifted across the scenic landscape, ruffling the youth's thick black hair and the mare's chestnut brown mane. He took a deep breath and continued on. "Come, come now Sora. We promised the old man that we'd return to the city by midnight."
They continued down the dusty dirt road for a while longer while the sun continued to drop below the mountainside. It was peaceful out amongst the farmlands. Though Tokaji wanted to take part in the turbulent battles within Kyoto, he also missed the country. After all, he had been born in a small village miles from any city.
He smiled sadly towards each farming hut he and Sora passed. "If I could have one wish, it's that the fighting will protect and free peaceful places like these."
Suddenly, the wind brought them a wave of voices.
"Who will give 25 yen for these two boys?"
"25, here!"
"30!"
"30, who will give 35?"
Around the bend in the path, in a large field, there was a gathering of people. They were shouting out their negotiations to a large, bearded fellow standing atop a tree stump.
Tokaji paused and strode over for a closer look. What he saw sent chills of horror up and down his spine and caused his blue eyes to widen.
Slaves were being sold to the masses. It was a slave auction, the first the young man had ever seen. And he knew right off that he didn't want to see one again. He scowled to himself. "People selling people.how awful is that?"
Sora turned away and snorted. She too seemed disgusted.
Just then, another slave was pushed from the others and pulled in front of the buyers.
Tokaji gasped, unable to hide his horror. "Why, that's just a little girl!"
Sure enough, a child wearing a tattered dusty kimono stood knee-high in the grass, hands and feet shackled, head down. Tokaji had never seen something so pitiful, so pathetic.
The bidding started. "Who will give 15 yen for this little one? 15?"
Through the chorus of traders and waves of hands, the girl's head slowly lifted. Her dark brown eyes, hidden partially under mousy brown hair, scanned the throng before coming to rest on a certain young man far in the back.
Their eyes met and locked. Tokaji's heart raced. At that moment, despite the distance between them, he thought for sure that he'd seen her face light up ever so slightly. For a long moment, they stared.
Then, Tokaji winced, turning his head away. "No!" he said to himself. "I can't do anything to help her. There's nothing I can do to---
He was cut off when Sora nudged his hip. He heard the jingle of coins and realized that he still had his wallet. For another moment, a gleam of hope shined brightly in his eyes. "Maybe I---
But wait, that money was from his mother! It was supposed to be for emergencies only. And this wasn't an emergency.right?
"30 yen!"
"31 yen!"
'The price is going up!' he thought. 'No, I can't do anything.'
He turned and walked away, Sora trailing. The girl watched them go. Her head drooped once more.
"45! 45 yen!"
"45, do I hear 50!"
"75 YEN!!!"
The young voice echoed across the field, silencing the bidding. The bearded auctioneer spoke. "75 yen?" Who would spend such money on such a frail- looking girl?
But Tokaji stepped forward, finality in his frown. Half of him had no clue what he was doing, but the people could see the other half. Within minutes, the little girl joined Tokaji and Sora on that dusty road.
Tokaji scratched the back of his head. "Well, I guess we're gonna have to make room at the inn, kid. Hold still a minute." He drew back his sleeve and unsheathed his katana.
She shrunk back a little, wary of the sharp blade. But he smiled. "Don't worry. I wouldn't pay 75 yen to kill you. Hold out your hands."
Out of obedience rather than willingness, she held up her small, calloused hands. In one quick swing, Tokaji sliced away the shackles.
She stood there in astonishment, gazing down at her newly freed limbs. Then, she looked up at him, as if puzzled.
He shrugged. "You're not a slave anymore. Now, the only reason you'll be coming with me is because you'll probably have no where else to go."
She stared back at him for a moment, then nodded.
"Okay, well let's get going," he said. "You look light enough, so I'll put you up on old Sora here." He gave his mare a pat on the neck.
The little girl didn't protest to his picking her up. As he swung her around and placed her up on the horse's back, Tokaji was amazed by how light she was. 'I had better make a list,' he said to himself. 'One: put some weight on her. Two: get her some new clothes."
Rather instinctively, the girl took hold of Sora's mane, ready to ride. Tokaji grinned. "Good, just stay like that and you won't fall off." He began to lead them down the road. "It'll be a couple hours before we get to Kyoto, so hang on."
After a while, it was pitch black. The stars glittered in the cloudless night sky.
Tokaji paused as a pair of tiny lights buzzed past him, right under his nose. He smiled. "Ah, fireflies on a summer night."
One glowing insect flew up towards the silent child. She studied it as it fluttered in front of her. To Tokaji's surprise, a cheerful smile flashed across her dirty face.
He chuckled. "You like them, eh? I don't blame you. They'd make anyone appreciate the hot summer." He turned around and kept walking. "By the way, my name's Tokaji. Katsura Tokaji. Do you have a name?"
"Number 31,"
"ACK! That's a slave number!!"
She had no name.
Tokaji thought for a moment while fireflies continued to light their way towards the city. Then, he snapped his fingers. "I got it!" He turned back to face her. "From now on, I'll call you Hotaru!"
He had named her after the fireflies.
Hotaru mouthed the name to herself, then smiled.
"Thank you, Tokaji."
.........
A/N- Here's a glossary for some Japanese terms
Bakumatsu- The final, bloody days of the Tokugawa Period
Choshu clan- A group of patriots fighting in the Revolution. The Battousai worked for this clan in the OVA.
Hitokiri- An assassin
Ishin Ishi- Patriots fighting to end the Tokugawa period and to restore the emperor
Shinsengumi- A sort-of loyalist police force that patrolled the Kyoto streets and attempted to restore order during the Bakumatsu. Saitoh Hajime was a captain for one of it's forces.
Shogunate- Loyalists to the Tokugawa Bakufu; the prime target for Hitokiri Battousai
*Also, in keeping with Asian tradition, last names come first, then first names. So with Katsura Tokaji, his first name is Tokaji and his last name is Katsura.
