CHAPTER 6- THE WILL
"I don't know Hotaru-chan. I just don't know."
Okami-san's words echoed through Hotaru's head for days. Then, one night, she lay awake in bed. Shifting slightly beneath the sheets, she glanced over at the futon across from hers, Tokaji's futon. It was late, close to midnight, and he still wasn't back.
'Has he changed already?' she wondered. He seemed the same as before. He still ate like a pig, complained to his father, and made jokes that only she could laugh at. He appeared to be the same boy who saved her from slavery.
'Come to think of it, though, I haven't seen him a lot to tell.' Hotaru realized. 'I wonder if his eyes are starting to turn colors like Himura- san's.'
She sat up to see out the window. Autumn was fast ending and she could see the frost building up on the rooftops of nearby buildings. Somewhere out there, a shogun warrior was meeting his fate at the hands of her friends.
'Or maybe the other way around.' Hotaru thought. She remembered how badly injured Tokaji had been just days before. He would bear that huge scar for the rest of his life.
Her heart pounded fiercely. Sleep just wasn't going to come now. Unconsciously, she rose to her feet, tiptoed across the room, and found her new outfit: a light blue and white kimono. Okami-san made it for her as payment for all her help.
Once she was dressed, she found a dark blue shawl and wrapped it around her shoulders. Then, quiet as a mouse, she ducked out of the bedroom, scurried down the long halls, past the occupied rooms, down the stairs, down another hall, and to the door. Taking one last wary look around, she slid open the door and crept out into the night. She had made it. Now she would look for Tokaji.
A wave of excitement rippled through her as she ran through the streets. It was the type of giddiness a child possessed when she knew what she was doing was strictly taboo. 'I must be the only girl out here tonight!' she realized.
On and on she ran, past the market, the restaurant, and the other inn. Still, all was quiet. But that in itself was out of place. It was an eerie silence. Soon, Hotaru's excitement died away to nervousness.
'Tokaji-san! Where are you? Where did you go?'
The full moon shined brightly upon Kyoto that night. This made it even more nerve-wracking.
Finally, Hotaru grew tired. She found a stoop and took a seat. It felt good to just sit and rest. For a moment, her heart stopped racing.
'That's right, stay calm.' She told herself. 'I won't be able to find anyone if I'm riled up.'
Just then, there was a loud sound.
V-VASH! "AAAAAAUUUUUGGGGHHHH!!!"
Jumping to her feet, Hotaru zipped around the bend, across the road, and into a nearby alleyway. That was where the noise had come from. The young girl cleared the alley and was greeted by a flash of moonlight that lit up her surroundings. This allowed her to see and to gasp in horror.
With one last groan, a man in blue gi tumbled to the ground, blood in his wake. Hotaru felt sick. Never before had she seen that much blood.
"I'm sorry," came a soft, but low voice. Hotaru, despite her dwindling senses, knew that voice. It cleared her mind for an instant, only to make it hazy all over again.
Tokaji stood there over the dead Shogun. Silhouetted against the moon, he seemed frozen there, his sword still in stance form and dripping with blood. But Hotaru didn't notice this. It was his eyes. They weren't amber, but they were a strange icy blue, completely unlike the deep, ocean-blue orbs he once had.
His head snapped up, taking in the sight of her. Now he was shocked. "H- Hotaru?"
'Okami-san,' she thought. 'He's the same as Himura-san.'
His eyes melted of the deadly ice, he strode over to her. "Hotaru-chan."
That did it. Bursting into tears, she threw her arms around his legs. "Tokaji-san!"
On that night, she made a decision that would change her life forever.
"I'm not going to let Tokaji-san OR Himura-san suffer alone anymore."
"I don't know Hotaru-chan. I just don't know."
Okami-san's words echoed through Hotaru's head for days. Then, one night, she lay awake in bed. Shifting slightly beneath the sheets, she glanced over at the futon across from hers, Tokaji's futon. It was late, close to midnight, and he still wasn't back.
'Has he changed already?' she wondered. He seemed the same as before. He still ate like a pig, complained to his father, and made jokes that only she could laugh at. He appeared to be the same boy who saved her from slavery.
'Come to think of it, though, I haven't seen him a lot to tell.' Hotaru realized. 'I wonder if his eyes are starting to turn colors like Himura- san's.'
She sat up to see out the window. Autumn was fast ending and she could see the frost building up on the rooftops of nearby buildings. Somewhere out there, a shogun warrior was meeting his fate at the hands of her friends.
'Or maybe the other way around.' Hotaru thought. She remembered how badly injured Tokaji had been just days before. He would bear that huge scar for the rest of his life.
Her heart pounded fiercely. Sleep just wasn't going to come now. Unconsciously, she rose to her feet, tiptoed across the room, and found her new outfit: a light blue and white kimono. Okami-san made it for her as payment for all her help.
Once she was dressed, she found a dark blue shawl and wrapped it around her shoulders. Then, quiet as a mouse, she ducked out of the bedroom, scurried down the long halls, past the occupied rooms, down the stairs, down another hall, and to the door. Taking one last wary look around, she slid open the door and crept out into the night. She had made it. Now she would look for Tokaji.
A wave of excitement rippled through her as she ran through the streets. It was the type of giddiness a child possessed when she knew what she was doing was strictly taboo. 'I must be the only girl out here tonight!' she realized.
On and on she ran, past the market, the restaurant, and the other inn. Still, all was quiet. But that in itself was out of place. It was an eerie silence. Soon, Hotaru's excitement died away to nervousness.
'Tokaji-san! Where are you? Where did you go?'
The full moon shined brightly upon Kyoto that night. This made it even more nerve-wracking.
Finally, Hotaru grew tired. She found a stoop and took a seat. It felt good to just sit and rest. For a moment, her heart stopped racing.
'That's right, stay calm.' She told herself. 'I won't be able to find anyone if I'm riled up.'
Just then, there was a loud sound.
V-VASH! "AAAAAAUUUUUGGGGHHHH!!!"
Jumping to her feet, Hotaru zipped around the bend, across the road, and into a nearby alleyway. That was where the noise had come from. The young girl cleared the alley and was greeted by a flash of moonlight that lit up her surroundings. This allowed her to see and to gasp in horror.
With one last groan, a man in blue gi tumbled to the ground, blood in his wake. Hotaru felt sick. Never before had she seen that much blood.
"I'm sorry," came a soft, but low voice. Hotaru, despite her dwindling senses, knew that voice. It cleared her mind for an instant, only to make it hazy all over again.
Tokaji stood there over the dead Shogun. Silhouetted against the moon, he seemed frozen there, his sword still in stance form and dripping with blood. But Hotaru didn't notice this. It was his eyes. They weren't amber, but they were a strange icy blue, completely unlike the deep, ocean-blue orbs he once had.
His head snapped up, taking in the sight of her. Now he was shocked. "H- Hotaru?"
'Okami-san,' she thought. 'He's the same as Himura-san.'
His eyes melted of the deadly ice, he strode over to her. "Hotaru-chan."
That did it. Bursting into tears, she threw her arms around his legs. "Tokaji-san!"
On that night, she made a decision that would change her life forever.
"I'm not going to let Tokaji-san OR Himura-san suffer alone anymore."
