Hikari no Tamashi
chapter #3
by Yuri Muto
When I woke up the next morning the sun was bright and I could feel the sight breeze coming in from opened window. I sat up and stretched my tense muscles. Hana was sleeping next to me and Oodenta, or that was until I got up and went to get a bath for the first time since coming to the citadel, I couldn't find the way around until Hana grabbed my track pants and pulled me in a different direction. In a few minutes I was sitting in the hot bath my hair pulled into a messy bun so that it doesn't get wet. Or that was until Hana pulled the ribbon I was using to keep my hair out of my way.
"Hana…" I said turning around only to see an old man with black hair longer on one side than the other. I had to think of where I had seen him before, or that was until I saw the crest on his back. Mizkazuki Munechika one of the five great swords of Japan.
"Oh I thought that I was the only one up at this hour." Mizkazuki Munechika said turning away from me. I sunk under the water a bit more so that he was couldn't see my nude body very well.
"I normal rise with the sun." I said moving behind a rock trying my hardest to hide from him.
"Oh is that true child. By the way who are you?" Mizkazuki Munechika said, stepping into the hot spring.
"Hikari No Tamashi." I said before ducking under the water to scared to stay above the water. I swam away from Mizkazuki Munechika and quickly grabbed my towel that Hana was holding in his mouth.
"Thank you Hana." I said wrapping my towel around my body before turning around to pick up my cub.
"Hikari isn't that one of Gokotai's tiger cubs?" Mizkazuki asked as I grabbed the second towel I had brought and wrapped my hair up in it. I looked over my shoulder at him and smile. I sat down on the edge of the hot spring, my feet sinking under the water.
"Yes Hana had been in Gokotai's care until last night when Hana won't go back with Gokotai. Gokotai actually gave the cub to me." I said scratching behind Hana's ears. While he laid beside my leg.
"While I have to get back before Oodenta and Sohayanotsurugi start to lose their mind." I said standing up and picking up Hana so that I could make my way back to my room and wake up my brothers. I was able to make it back to my room and get dressed before placing Hana onto Oodenta's chest with the order to wake him up. While Hana was trying to wake Oodenta, I started to wake Sohayanotsurugi up. I literally tried everything, until I just sat there thinking about any other way I could wake my older brothers, or that was until Hana's siblings came charging into the room and jumped all over my brothers. I looked over at Hana who have his tail switching back and forth executed to join his siblings.
"Go on Hana have fun." I said standing up just as Hana leaped at my legs. I sat back down and Hana quietly curled up in my lap, if I didn't know better I would of thought that Hana just wanted to play but as soon as I sat back down, I could feel the itch of a cough coming on.
"Hana sometimes you are more prospective than me." I said before the cough racked my wire thin frame.
"Are you sure you are okay, Hikari?" Yagen asked coming into the room, before sitting down next to me.
"While I'm better than I have been." I said leaning back on my arms watching as Gokotai tries to stop the four tiger cubs from jumping all over my brothers. I put Hana on the floor next to me before standing up.
"Come on Hana let's go get breakfast." I said which got Sohayanotsurugi up, best way to a man's brain is through his stomach, now if that was only true for Oodenta than maybe I could wake him up.
"Sohayanotsurugi how do you wake Oodenta up?" I asked looking down at our brother. Sohayanotsurugi stood up before cover int my ears, as if he didn't want me to hear this, but in truth it was just to protect my hearing. Because the next thing I know is Sohayanotsurugi yelling at our brother.
"Hey Oodenta get up time to start today's chores, and if you don't hurry than I'm going to let Kari spar again today." Sohayanotsurugi said and I was surprised when my oldest brother jumped to his feet and glared at Sohayanotsurugi who was currently standing in front of me.
"Sohayanotsurugi that is not funny and you know that. Hikari isn't ready to spar let alone be fighting anyone." Oodenta said pushing Sohayanotsurugi back which knocked me down.
"Hey that hurt." I said crossing my arms. Oodenta looked at me than looked at my spot where I had been sleeping earlier this morning.
"Hikari why are you up?" Oodenta asked, helping me to my feet.
"Simple I wanted a bath and you two were sleeping. You know I have been trying to get you two to wake up for the last half hour." I said looking up at him. I was not very please with them, and them couldn't, and them running away from me was enough to get the point across that I was not in the mood to mess with them. If it wasn't for the massive headache building behind me eye, and the day had started out so very good. Hana was pawing at my bare foot worried that something was going on with me.
"Sorry Hana my brothers dive me nuts at time." I said sitting down on the floor with him. I could feel the headache pounding behind my eyes and up into my temples, the simple solution was to close my eyes and lay back down but than again nothing about me is simple so I stood back up and headed for breakfast. Again I got turned around a few times and thanks to Hana I was able to find my way to the kitchen. I also found out that I was helping Shokudaikiri in the kitchen today as my hand in the chores. Which I was happy about, it allowed me to get out of my room and help in any way I could; I also love cooking, seeing as my former master was a master chief.
"Good morning Shokudaikiri." I said bouncing into the kitchen, I however was caught off guard when a dark skin male with black hair and gold eyes came out of the kitchen just as I was rounding the corner of the door frame. He was carrying several dishes in his hand we were both graced with luck today because the only that fell was my pendant from around my neck.
"Ookurikra, Hikari are you two okay?" Shokudaikiri said sticking his head out side of the kitchen. Which ended up scaring me and stumbling backwards before landing on my pendant. It didn't help that the pendant was made of glass which had been apart of my twin blade handle. I was luckily when it didn't break when it fell onto the floor, so when I fell on it I wasn't expecting for it to break and cut into my upper leg.
"I don't need any friends." the guy I almost ran into said before leaving. I glared at him before pulling the piece of glass out of the back of my upper leg. I stood up and started walking perfectly fine. I know that I was not bleeding seeing as it was only a paper cut from the dull edge of the piece of glass. Folding my hands over both pieces of glass, pressing them fully back together. I sealed them the same way that my former master sealed my brother away, with an ancient sealing technical that was more important than anything else. As long as I could reseal my pendent than my brother will never be able to break his seal.
"Hikari are you okay?" Shokudaikiri asked looking at me.
"I'm perfectly fine, it's nothing more than a paper cut." I said smiling up at him. I could see the doubt in his one good eye, but I know he wasn't going to push the subject.
"So what do you need me to do?"I asked happy to be up and going rather than laying down. It was around this time that my stomach made it's self known. I couldn't help but laugh at the wort timing ever, I wasn't expecting for Shokudaikiri to start laughing with me.
"While how about breakfast? Than we can get to work." He said, putting a bowl of rice in front of me.
"Thanks for the meal." I said before digging in to the bowl of rice. I never notice that Shokudaikiri and Hasebe were smiling as I ate. I can tell you this after some time people start to notice that I have never been a big eater. With the fact that on any good day I eat about one and a half meals, however that is mainly rice and veggies and if I am really hungry than some meat as well. After finishing the light meal I stood up so that I could get the dishes done. But I was stopped by Shokudaikiri and Hasebe leaning back on the counters just talking.
"Shokudaikiri, I'm worried with how sick Hikari was its not right that she eats so little amount of food. If anything she should be eating like all the other sword warriors, yes I know that she is a teenage girl but even that doesn't mean she can't eat..." Hasebe said, his back towards me. I was shocked to hear that he was worried about me, than again my brothers have been complaining for the last few days about my eating habits.
"Hasebe, I know but maybe there is something more to this than what we understand. Sure I would LOVE to see Hikari eating so much more than she already is, but I know not to push stuff like this. If she's not ready to eat bigger meals than I'll let it go for now. Oodenta said something about her former master being starved before her death. Currently my plan is to slowly add more to her diet as we go along." Shokudaikiri said looking at Hasebe. I slowly enter the room and the look of shocked on their faces was enough to break my already broken heart. I was heart broken because I had worried so many people; just because I can't eat very much.
"Hasebe, Shokudaikiri I'm sorry that I worried you with my eating habits, I didn't mean to. I just can't eat that much, when my former master died I was sealed with her last breath and her blood. She had been so weak from the lack of food that is still taking it's toll out on me." I said placing my rice bowl in the sink. I stood across from them and run my hand through my hair. This morning before I had tried to get my brothers up, I had thrown my hair into a messy ponytail.
"While meals are already made they just need to be cooked, almost all the dishes have been done and after that we are finish in here." Shokudaikiri said smiling at me. Understanding what he was saying I quickly rolled up my jacket sleeves and got to work on cleaning the rest of the dished, which took no time seeing as it was just my rice bowl and chopsticks.
"Come with me Hikari, let's get your hair fixed." Shokudaikiri said pushing me towards a different room. As he was pushing me he was telling me which way things were. I didn't want to tell him that it was just a waste of breath seeing as I have no sense of direction but before I know it I was sitting in front of a mirror with some sissy trying to untangle my hair. He had long light pink hair that was tied up in a small portion in the front.
"Hachisuka, do be careful. Hikari might be our new sword but she was able to defeat Kashuu." Hasebe said taking a step towards us but Hana growled at him as a warring to stay where he was. Hana was not happy that Hasebe thought that Hana was still under Gokotai's care.
"Don't feel to bad Hasebe he growls at both Oodenta and Sohayanotsurugi all the time, but than again Hana doesn't let many people near me out of protection for my own safety." I said petting Hana on his head, mainly scratching behind his ears like he loves.
"While if she had come to me this morning than it wouldn't be as hard to get the tangles out of her hair." Hachisuka said pulling yet another knot out of my head. The only thing keeping me there was the fact that I could watch my brothers spar. Oh how much I wanted to spar with them, but Oodenta said that I can't push my self anymore than I already have.
"So Hikari, what's you favorite color?" Hachisuka asked as if he was a girl and not me.
"Silver." I said petting Hana's head. My favorite color is really silver just something about it makes it seem timeless and pure. The whole time that Hachisuka was doing my hair I was watching my brothers spar, wishing that I could join them. After about fifteen minutes I felt the pulling on my hair stop.
"While your hair is all done Hikari." Hachisuka said holding up a mirror in front of me. My hair looked the same as ever, but than I notice that my hair was higher than it normal is. So when I pulled my hair over my shoulder I was surprise to find that my hair was pulled into a low braid tried with a plain silver ribbon and a star pin.
"Thank you Hachisuka." I said turning around and giving him a hug. This was the first time that some one other than Sohayanotsurugi did my hair which after he did my hair it was a worst mess than when he started. So I was surprised that when Hachisuka did my hair it actually still looked like my hair and not a mess of knots and tangles. Heck I can't even tame my own hair, my former master was the same way she rather put her hair up any way if it got it out of her way.
"Y-your welcome Hikari. If you need any help please don't hesitate to come find me." Hachisuka said wrapping his arms around my waste. I was smiling happily that someone was willing to help me learn how to tame my wild mane of hair.
"Why don't you show to your brothers that you can do anything you put your mind too." Hachisuka said looking at me with a glint of pride in his eyes. I jumped off of the pouch, and jumped into my brother's sparing match. I often carry a short blade on me for quick attacks, so before my brothers could figure out what I was planning to do they had lost their blade to me.
"Hikari what are you doing?" Oodenta asked as Sohayanotsurugi attacked me. Dodge his downward strict, with a roll to my right. I slipped under his left side before disarming him. I held my blade to his neck before he raised his hands in surrender, but that was when Oodenta stepped in and tried to disarm me. I closed my eyes and used my speed to disarm him also.
"Give up Oodenta, I have just as much power as you do." I said staring him right in the eye. If it wasn't for the fact that I was paying more attention to my oldest brother, than too those around me. It wasn't until an unknown sword dropped from the roof on top of me, literally on top of me. I saw the crystal around his neck spill out from under his shirt. I pushed him off of me and dropped into a fighting stances.
"Yami."
"Hikari." we said at the same time before charging at each other. I wasn't going to let my twin live if I had anything to say about it. However Oodenta and Sohayanotsurugi had a different plan. So while Oodenta picked Yami up, Sohayanotsurugi did the same with me.
"Okay that's enough from you two. You two are twins and should treat each other as such." Oodenta said walking towards the crowd that had gather to watch the sparing match. I could see Sayo watch his eyes big and bright with awe.
"You two can..." Yami started before looking at me.
"Put us down." I finished while kicking my feet at Sohayanotsurugi non stop. My brothers know I hated to be picked up, even if I hated Yami with my last breath, was making it hard for me to glare at my twin.
"Not going to happen you two. If we let go than you two will start a full fledged battle and frankly we just got you health again Hikari. Yami stop being a brat, Hikari stop acting up." Oodenta said. I could see the vain popping out of his forehead. I know than to shut the heck up and not say another word. Yami however did not and was just making Oodenta anger, it wasn't until Shokudaikiri took each of us from our brothers, did I know we were in trouble. Hasebe wasn't happy that Yami had ran off in the direction of his crystal while I was having a sparing match with my other two brothers. And Shokudaikiri was anger with me because he had spent the last hour and half digging through clothes trying to find something that would fit me better.
"So you two are twins?" Hasebe asked looking over Shokudaikiri's shoulder at the two of us. We looked at each other before looking the other way. I know I would never forgive Yami from the crimes he had committed the worst being the murder of my former master.
"Nope." We said at the same time. It was than that I heard that faint little voice in the back of my head say something.
'I see that Kari still hasn't forgiven me for a crime I didn't committee.' Yami thoughts were reaching me.
'Prove to me that you didn't kill my former master Yami no tamashi.' I though back looking him right in the eyes.
"Simple Hikari if I had killed your former master don't you think I would have been broken for that crime." Yami said out loud this time. Takahashi Yuri, was the next head of her clan however she was killed by her cousin Takahashi Asuka who was the only other candidate for head of the clan. He had taken my twin and slain everyone in their clan. Or that is what I believed until now.
"Takahashi Yuri was slain by her own cousin Takahashi Asuka. She was the last one to be slain, because I was sealed with my former master's last breath." I said looking Yami right in the eye as he told me everything, the whole time not once did I detect that he was lying to me. I reached my hand out for his and he under stood what I was doing and took mine. It was than that Shokudaikiri put the two of down on our feet. I tackle Yami to the ground just like our former master and her cousin, used to when they had been kids and they actually liked each other.
"Oh come on you two no more fighting." Kashuu said looking at us.
"Their not fighting they are playing. Kashuu you have to remember that Yami and Hikari had both been sealed after the Takahashi clan had been wiped out. Yami by the last clan head and Hikari by Takahashi Yuri, she would have been the next clan head if her cousin Takahashi Asuka. He was killed right after Kari had been sealed."Oodenta said standing off to the side. I finally felt like I was no longer missing something. I was laughing so that was a good thing it was around this time that Yamanbagiri came over with a mission list.
"Hasebe we have a mission. Captain this time is Hikari no Tamashi. The team condensate of Yami no Tamashi, Kashuu Kiyomitsu and myself."Yamanbagiri said looking at me. He never once took his bright blue eyes off of me and I could tell just from the way that Yami got in front of me that he did not like Yamanbagiri one bit. It wasn't until I smacked him upside his head did he get it through his thick skull that I did not need his protection.
"We leave in fifteen minutes." Yamanbagiri said before turning on his heels and leaving. I looked at my stupid twin before leaving myself, so that I could get ready for my first mission in general. I was having a hard time getting my lace up top to tie in the back until I felt someone take the cords from me.
"Thank you Onii-san." I said looking over my shoulder at him. I could feel more than one set of eyes on me. So when I looked it didn't surprise me that Yami and Sohayanotsurugi standing in the door way. I knew than that my family was all back together again.
"Ah there are our set of twins." Mutsunokami Yoshiyuki said taking a photo of us as we enter the court yard. I literally had to hold Yami back from slicing up the camera. I also got to smack Mutsunokami upside the back of his head.
"Next time a warring would be nice, also your luckily that I am able to hold my twin brother back other wise you would of lost your camera." I said walking past Mutsunokami while dragging my twin behind me. The fact that not only am I the younger sister to one of the five great swords of Japan, I happen to be just as strong and twice as deadly.
"Kari why are you dragging you twin brother around like a dirty sheet." Kasen Kenesada asked looking at me. I hauled my twin to his feet before jumping down off the veranda.
"Simple Yami wants to slice Mutsunokami and his camera." I said in a matter of fact tone of voice. I joined the others in front of the bells to hear where and when we were going for our mission.
"You will be going to the battle of Okehazama in the year 1560. Hikari as captain your job is to make sure that everyone gets home safe and sound. Seeing as this is both your and Yami's first mission the master have made these for you. They are protection charms, if anyone is hurt retreat." Hasebe said tossing each of us a little pocket. Mine was a soft silver like my top and Yami's was a deep gray like his battle gear.
"Come on you two I'll show you how to work the thing that let's us go back in time." Kashuu said smiling at us. I gave a quick wave good bye to my older brothers, before joining everyone else.
"What ever you do don't lose the clocks they are your only back to the citadel."Kashuu said, before hitting the big red button. At first it felt weird to travel back in time, but the instance we arrive, I could smell the blood lust coming from sixty Km away. And they were closing in fast. 'Yami towards your three o'clock.' I thought rolling towards my right while my brother rolled to the left. We were luckily because not even three seconds later two arrows landed right where we had been standing. I pulled out my blade holding it in the opposite way of Yami's. Mine was level with the ground while Yami's was slanted towards the ground. Standing back to back we were able to both defend for the other and fight for ourselves. Or that was until I chased after one of the larger brutes, but I should of known it was a trap. So before I know it I was surrounded by the brutes on all sides. I changed the grip I had on my sword and easily sliced through them.
"I am not someone that you can easily trap." I said pushing a bit of fallen hair out of my way. I did not see the brute hiding in the trees until I heard the rustling behind me, but it was already too late for me, the brute sliced through the armor across my chest. However it wasn't expecting me to slice through it when I saw what it had done to my top. By the time that I had killed it, there was even more rustling behind me which I throw my short blade at. I wasn't expecting to hear a 'yep'. When I looked around the bush I saw a boy with big blue eyes and black hair pulled up into a high pony tail.
"Yamatonokami Yausada." Kashuu said looking at him. I was confused until I notice that the boy was carrying the same clock thingy as the rest of us.
"Kashuu, Yamanbagiri." This Yamatonokami Yausada said, smiling, I guessed that he was a comrade of ours but something about this guy seemed off like he was fake. I walked up to him and tried to pull the knife out of the tree but the one thing about being short that drives me crazy is that I couldn't reach anything up high. Or that was until Yami gave me a lift on his shoulders which at first was weird but it made reaching my short blade much easier.
"Yamatonokami, this is Hikari and Yami. Hikari and Yami this is another one of Okita Souji swords." Kashuu said.
"Hikari no Tamashi." I said bowing my head towards him
"And I am Yami no Tamashi. How do you do?" My twin brother said also bowing his head.
"It's a nice to meet you both." Yausada said bowing his head also in respect. I was still weary around this guy, showing up after a battle with no wounds at all, nothing lined up. Or that was until Yamanbagiri jumped in front of me and protected me from Yausada's blade coming down right onto my shoulder in a down ward slice. That was before another Yausada jumped down and slice through the first on, this one had cuts and bruises litter his arms and face. I pulled my blade out of my sheathed and was going to run this Yausada through when Yamanbagiri stopped me and hit Yausada. I was surprised when the Yausada in front of me started to act like a little kid.
"Hikari it's fine this is the real Yamatonokami if he's hit or hurt he starts to act like a little kid." Kashuu said. I however was not listening to Kashuu because Yamanbagiri had almost fallen right on top of me. If it wasn't for Yami catching him just as he fell forward.
"I thought you hated Yamanbagiri?" I asked looking at Yami not even listening to the other two swords as they inquired what Yamanbagiri condition was. I was hiding my own worry for Yamanbagiri, he was losing a lot of blood and to tell the truth he already pale compaction was paling for to fast.
"He saved you, I can't hate someone that does that. See how annoying you are, that and Oodenta would have my hide if I let anything happen to you." Yami said in a matter of fact type of voice. I wanted to smack my twin so badly but I kept my temper in line, and that is not easy. My former master had been the same way it was the reason that she would have been the next head of the clan, seeing as she could take her cousin Asuka at the age of five and he had been nearing his fifteenth year. At death Yuri had only been fourteen, and already welding something dangerous.
"You know Yami sometimes I just want to hit you." I said after five minutes of walking it was than that I notice something it felt like Yamanbagiri's energy, but stronger. I don't get me wrong or anything, I already know that Yamanbagiri was a copy. I never listen when my gut was telling me it was a trap before. But I know it was Yamanbagiri when I was picking up the broken rusty blade. It had been through so much that it soul was crying out in pain. The blade was begging for death and entirely rest. I slipped the blade into the sheath that Yamanbagiri kept his sword before seeing this bright golden light. As the light die a spirit form of Yamanbagiri showed up.
"Thank you young one. You have rejoined the two halves that make us a whole. Protect your Yamanbagiri sweet little light." the ghost said before floating away. I looked at Yami to see that he had his mouth wide open and a look of disbelieving what we had just seen.
"We never say anything to anyone?" Yami said taking my hand as I click our time thingy. I wasn't surprised when Oodenta stood up from where he was waiting, he looked worried but I could also see the look of relief spread over his face.