CHAPTER 11- TOMOE AND HOTARU

"Hotaru-san."

"Hm?"

Hotaru opened her eyes to find a young woman with long black hair and black eyes standing in her bedroom doorway. After a moment, Hotaru recognized her. "Tomoe-san."

"I'm sorry for disturbing you," Tomoe said. "But Okami-san requested I clean this room."

Hotaru put on a small smile. "I suppose it is overdue." She rose to her feet and headed to the door. Tomoe walked further into the room, silently assessing her surroundings. The room was covered with weeks worth of dust. It was hard to decide where to begin.

A bit of guilt took hold of the brown-haired girl. She stopped at the door and turned back around. "Tomoe-san, I'll help you."

The older girl paused, surprised by the suggestion. Then, she nodded. "All right."

And so, while Hotaru swept the floor, Tomoe picked up the books.

"Himura has many books in his room as well." Tomoe noted softly. "But he told me that he doesn't read them."

"He uses them as a pillow." Hotaru explained quietly. "I've tried myself to do the same, but it's uncomfortable for me."

They were silent for a moment. It was strange, but Hotaru felt at ease in this stranger's presence. Perhaps it was because they were the same in some ways. They both were quiet and serious. And maybe, just maybe, that was because of their own pasts. Perhaps they'd both had their fair share of misery.

"Why do you live as a Hitokiri?" Tomoe finally questioned. She had finished with the books and was now dusting.

Hotaru wasn't expecting to be asked that. Still, she sighed. "To help."

"To help?" Tomoe turned and faced her.

"I don't understand this war," Hotaru told her. "I don't know what exactly what it will accomplish or what ideals will be achieved. I was never taught what would happen." She frowned. "And honestly, that doesn't matter to me. But Himura fights to create a new era of peace. Tokaji fights to protect and preserve what is already peaceful. Everyone has their own reason to fight. I fight for their own ideals. Those people ARE my ideals."

Tomoe was clearly surprised. "You are a very noble child."

Time passed and the amount of black envelopes being passed around shrank. Himura was given these few jobs for the most part and Tokaji went with him on occasion. But Hotaru continued a peaceful existence at the inn for quite a while. So, she decided to make use of it. To Okami-san's delight, she began to help out around the place. It was as if she was an innocent, scrawny child again.

She and Tomoe became friends, though their relationship was quiet and subtle.

"She's a cultured, refined young woman!" Okami-san commented. "You could learn a lot from her!" Hotaru knew the old woman wanted for her to give up her night killings. She wanted her to live a normal life and be happy.

'But it's not that simple.' Hotaru would say to herself. 'As much as I want it for myself, I swore to help Tokaji and the others. I have to kill to do that.'

One day found Himura, Tokaji, Hotaru, and Tomoe sitting in one room. Himura was dozing against the windowsill; his head drooped, his sword leaning on one shoulder. Tokaji was gobbling down a rice ball. Nothing could tune down his appetite. Hotaru, however, was holding some fabric in her hand and watching Tomoe sew.

"You just keep putting the point on through?" she asked. "Nothing else?"

"For now, yes." Came the answer.

"What made you decide to take on sewing, Hotaru?" Tokaji asked.

She smiled slightly. "I wanted a new hobby. My 'other' job has been slow. Aside from chores, I have nothing else to do."

"You could go out." Tokaji suggested. "You used to go out to the country all the time."

Ouch, that hurt. Ever since Gempachi's death, Hotaru never went back to the sakura grove. She couldn't face those children. They had loved their leader so much.

Hotaru shook her head and resumed her sewing. "I'd rather not."

Tomoe watched her silently.