CHAPTER 15- ONE LAST GLANCE
The next night, Hotaru slid into her futon, clad in a warm yukata. Beside her head curled Ami, who was already asleep and purring. Hotaru loved her new kitten. She was sweet and full of life. She didn't have any reason to dislike her. She didn't know what her master once was.
The young girl smiled, running a hand softly over the kitten's silky fur. "Animals forgive and love unconditionally. If only people were like that too." If that were the case, she could perhaps atone for her crimes as a Hitokiri. Perhaps if she were like Ami, she could even forgive herself. She wondered if Tokaji and Himura felt the same.
While she dozed off in her own room, Tokaji sat up in his own futon, awake and dressed. Closing his eyes, he could sense Hotaru's ki drop. He knew she was asleep. Now it was time.
Carefully, stealthily, he rose to his feet and hurried to his closet. There, after fumbling past rows of work hakama and gi, he found his daisho, dusty and gray. Ever since he came here to the countryside with Hotaru, there had been no need for the swords. Now, he would need them again.
But he couldn't leave at that moment. No, not without saying goodbye. So, he left the daisho by the back shoji and headed down the hall, careful to keep his steps quiet. He wanted a goodbye without words.
He hesitated outside her door, checking with all senses to make sure she was asleep. Then, he slid open the shoji and stepped inside. It was then that he laid eyes on her, his cherished Hotaru.
She lay on her back, face tilted a little to the side. Eyes closed and her expression relaxed, her braid of brown hair lay across her shoulder and onto her chest.
Tokaji smiled fondly. 'She's grown up so much. Himura was right.'
He wished this wasn't how it would end. He didn't want to do this to her, not after seeing her so happy. But he had no choice.
Closing his eyes and turning away, he proceeded out the door. "You'll always be in my heart, Hotaru-chan." He whispered. Then, he slid the shoji shut and left.
The next morning, the peace was shattered by a scream.
Hotaru stood in the kitchen, still in her yukata. Normally, Tokaji was awake long before she ever was, so when she came down and found him gone, she knew something was wrong. And when she saw that he'd taken his daisho and Sora, she knew where he had gone.
Panic seized her. "No.it can't be time for that now! Why now? It's too soon to be going back there!"
How could he have just left her there and expected her to wait? She wouldn't just sit back while he returned to Kyoto! She couldn't!
Throwing on her hakama and strapping on her own daisho, she dashed for the barn. She'd take Kaze, their work mule, to Kyoto!
The old mule had no clue what the child was doing by putting on a saddle and bridle, but didn't buck as she hopped on his back. He seemed to know that whatever the reason, it was urgent. So, after a moment of enduring her nudging and kicking, he trotted off, carrying her to the city.
'Wait for me!' Hotaru cried. 'Wait for me, Tokaji!'
The next night, Hotaru slid into her futon, clad in a warm yukata. Beside her head curled Ami, who was already asleep and purring. Hotaru loved her new kitten. She was sweet and full of life. She didn't have any reason to dislike her. She didn't know what her master once was.
The young girl smiled, running a hand softly over the kitten's silky fur. "Animals forgive and love unconditionally. If only people were like that too." If that were the case, she could perhaps atone for her crimes as a Hitokiri. Perhaps if she were like Ami, she could even forgive herself. She wondered if Tokaji and Himura felt the same.
While she dozed off in her own room, Tokaji sat up in his own futon, awake and dressed. Closing his eyes, he could sense Hotaru's ki drop. He knew she was asleep. Now it was time.
Carefully, stealthily, he rose to his feet and hurried to his closet. There, after fumbling past rows of work hakama and gi, he found his daisho, dusty and gray. Ever since he came here to the countryside with Hotaru, there had been no need for the swords. Now, he would need them again.
But he couldn't leave at that moment. No, not without saying goodbye. So, he left the daisho by the back shoji and headed down the hall, careful to keep his steps quiet. He wanted a goodbye without words.
He hesitated outside her door, checking with all senses to make sure she was asleep. Then, he slid open the shoji and stepped inside. It was then that he laid eyes on her, his cherished Hotaru.
She lay on her back, face tilted a little to the side. Eyes closed and her expression relaxed, her braid of brown hair lay across her shoulder and onto her chest.
Tokaji smiled fondly. 'She's grown up so much. Himura was right.'
He wished this wasn't how it would end. He didn't want to do this to her, not after seeing her so happy. But he had no choice.
Closing his eyes and turning away, he proceeded out the door. "You'll always be in my heart, Hotaru-chan." He whispered. Then, he slid the shoji shut and left.
The next morning, the peace was shattered by a scream.
Hotaru stood in the kitchen, still in her yukata. Normally, Tokaji was awake long before she ever was, so when she came down and found him gone, she knew something was wrong. And when she saw that he'd taken his daisho and Sora, she knew where he had gone.
Panic seized her. "No.it can't be time for that now! Why now? It's too soon to be going back there!"
How could he have just left her there and expected her to wait? She wouldn't just sit back while he returned to Kyoto! She couldn't!
Throwing on her hakama and strapping on her own daisho, she dashed for the barn. She'd take Kaze, their work mule, to Kyoto!
The old mule had no clue what the child was doing by putting on a saddle and bridle, but didn't buck as she hopped on his back. He seemed to know that whatever the reason, it was urgent. So, after a moment of enduring her nudging and kicking, he trotted off, carrying her to the city.
'Wait for me!' Hotaru cried. 'Wait for me, Tokaji!'
