Silver Moon – Book 2 Chapter 6
The evening of February 13th had finally arrived. Gintoki and Tsukuyo were once again walking through the streets of Yoshiwara. They were currently making their way to the palace where they would soon have their scheduled meeting with Kami.
As they walked, Tsukuyo appeared to be lecturing Gintoki on how to act during the meeting. "Remember to be polite and use your manners," she told him. "Try not to be rude or disrespectful. Also try not to say or do anything stupid in front of him. Plus, you need to remember to-"
"Alright, that's enough!" Gintoki shouted, turning towards her. "I know how to behave, Tsukuyo, you don't have to tell me every little detail. Besides, Kami already seems to like me anyway."
Tsukuyo just looked at him for a second before turning away and giving a sigh. "I know. I'm just trying to make sure that you won't do anything stupid in front of him."
"Well, you can stop worrying about that," said Gintoki with a smile. "It's not like I'm going to go on a drunken rampage or anything like that."
"That's not funny," said Tsukuyo with a glare.
Gintoki noticed her tone and quickly stopped smiling. "Right, sorry," he replied.
"It's been a long time since I last put a kunai in your forehead. Do you want me to start doing that again?"
"Please don't," he begged.
Tsukuyo just smiled as she crossed her arms. "That's what I thought."
After that, Gintoki just kept quiet as he watched Tsukuyo out of the corner of his eye. When the hell did this start happening? All she has to do is mention the word 'kunai' and I'm completely under her control. Then again, I guess being threatened is better than actually taking a kunai to the head. That's always the worst…
The couple continued to walk on in silence until they eventually arrived at their destination. Yoshiwara's palace stood as the largest building in the city and could easily be spotted from any angle. It was actually the exact same building in which the previous overlord, Hosen, had once lived and ruled. After his defeat, the palace had mostly remained untouched and uninhabited until just recently with the sudden arrival of Kami. As the city's newest overlord, the palace had been freely offered to him as his own personal living space. He had since humbly accepted and moved in to the building along with his guards and assistants.
As Gintoki and Tsukuyo approached the front door, two of Kami's guards could be spotted standing outside. They were both big, burly men with serious expressions on their faces.
Surprisingly, seeing the two of them was actually a rather new experience for Yoshiwara. Previously, the Hyakka had been the ones who were appointed to guard the palace. Once Kami had arrived, the services of the Hyakka had been offered to the young man, but he had politely declined. He insisted that the guards he brought with him were more than capable of doing the job and that they would not require any assistance. From that point forward, Kami's men could be seen stationed at several different places in and around the palace.
The couple slowly walked up to the two guards before stopping in front of them. "Good evening," said Tsukuyo. "We're here for a scheduled meeting with Kami-sama."
One of the guards quietly picked up a nearby clipboard and looked at it. "Let' see. There's supposed to be a meeting scheduled for Tsukuyo and Gintoki. Would that be you two?"
"That's us," said Tsukuyo with a smile.
"I see," he replied, gently putting the clipboard back down. "Right this way, then." The guard politely opened the door and allowed the couple to enter. Once they were inside, he quietly led them up the main stairway and down a hall.
As they walked, Gintoki and Tsukuyo couldn't help but look around. Everything within the palace looked mostly the same as it did before and it even had a sense of familiarity to it. The scenery soon started bringing up past memories to the couple, both good and bad.
Tsukuyo took a second to quietly look back at Gintoki. "That's all over now," she whispered.
In response, Gintoki just gave a small nod. "Right," he whispered back.
Tsukuyo continued staring at him for a second before turning back around. Gintoki then took a moment to reflect on what she had just told him. She meant to tell me more than 'that's all over now'. She was trying to say that things are different now. Hosen is gone and a new overlord is running things. We don't have to worry about the past anymore. That's basically what she was trying to tell me…
A short while later, the guard stopped in the middle of a hallway and opened the door in front of him. "This is where your meeting will be taking place," he said. "Please feel free to make yourselves comfortable. Kami-sama will be here in just a moment."
"Thank you," said Tsukuyo as she walked into the room. Gintoki soon followed behind. Once the both of them were inside, the guard quietly exited the room and closed the door behind him.
The room itself was nothing that special. It was of average size and had a few cushions lying on the floor for people to sit on. It was just a simple place that seemed sufficient enough for holding meetings.
"Well," said Gintoki, looking around, "we might as well make ourselves at home." He walked over to one of the cushions and plopped down on top of it. He then turned towards Tsukuyo and patted the cushion next to him. "Have a seat," he said.
"Right," said Tsukuyo, quietly walking over to join him. The two of them sat there in silence for a moment before she decided to speak up. "You know, I never really did thank you for agreeing to come with me tonight. This was actually a really nice favor on your part, so thank you."
Gintoki just quietly stared back at her before replying. "Forget it, I wanted to come. I don't really need a thank you for something like this."
"Well, it's not just that," said Tsukuyo, quietly looking to the floor. "It just seems like you've been doing a lot for me lately without asking for anything in return. I just wanted to let you know that I appreciate that."
Gintoki continued staring at her before looking away. He then closed his eyes as he started scratching the back of his head. "Oh, just forget about it. If I do something for you, it's because I want to do it. So don't bother thanking me for it. After all, I'm basically just doing whatever the hell I want."
Tsukuyo simply turned to look at him as she gave a small laugh. "Is that so?" she asked.
"That's the truth," he replied stubbornly.
Tsukuyo just smiled at him before slowly leaning towards him. "Thank you, Gintoki," she whispered before gently kissing him on the cheek.
"Oh my," said a sudden voice from across the room. "Are we interrupting something?"
Gintoki and Tsukuyo both looked up to find Kami entering the room through the door across from them. He carefully adjusted his glasses over his big green eyes as he glanced at the scene in front of him. Behind him stood Edward, who was giving his usual small smile.
"Um, please forgive me," said Kami with a look of surprise. "I didn't realize that you two were in the middle of something."
Tsukuyo's face immediately turned red as she frantically waved her hands back and forth. "Oh, you're not interrupting anything!" she shouted. "We were just…um…"
Kami just gave a small laugh as he walked over and sat down. "It's alright, don't worry about it. I understand what you were doing."
Despite what the overlord had said, Tsukuyo still looked rather flustered and embarrassed. "I, uh…yeah…sorry," she said nervously.
"Forget about it," said Kami, still laughing. "Anyways, it's nice to see the two of you again. How are you both doing?"
"We're great," said Gintoki, answering for the both of them as Tsukuyo tried to calm herself down.
"Wonderful," said Kami, giving a smile. "Shall we get right into it then?"
"Sounds good," said Gintoki, returning the smile.
Edward quietly walked over and sat down with the rest of them. He then pulled out his usual pocketbook along with a pen. "I'm ready to begin," he said.
"Alright," said Kami. "Let's get started. Tonight we will be discussing our plans for the upcoming Hyakka celebration ceremony."
As soon as Kami started talking, Edward began writing down everything the overlord was saying. He appeared to be the official note-taker for the evening.
"Here are the things we need to discuss," said Kami, looing at the couple. "We need to know what exactly we're going to do for the celebration. We will need to set a time and place. We will also need to know who will be involved in the ceremony and who will be willing to help set everything up."
Kami then gave another smile to the both of them. "Those are the basics that we need to cover tonight. I'm hoping you two will be willing to share your input on these topics."
"Of course," said Tsukuyo, suddenly acting like her usual self again.
"Great, so let's get started with the first thing. What are we going to do for the celebration?"
"Well, this whole thing was your idea, Kami-sama," said Tsukuyo politely. "I assume you must have had something in mind when you thought of it. What were you thinking about doing?"
"Well, I was originally thinking about doing something kind of like a parade. You know, something that would be fun for the citizens while still acknowledging the Hyakka's efforts."
Tsukuyo quietly looked away as she thought about it. "That sounds like a good idea, but I think there should be a little more to it. Do you think we could have an official public celebration after the parade?"
"What exactly did you have in mind?" asked Kami, looking interested.
"Maybe an awards ceremony or something like that. I think giving the Hyakka some kind of gift would be a good way of physically showing your thanks."
"I see. Yes, it sounds wonderful! I can even give a speech publicly thanking all of them for their hard work. It would be a good way to help the citizens understand just how much hard work you all do in order to keep this city safe."
"Yes, that sounds great," said Tsukuyo with a smile.
"I completely agree," said Kami, also smiling. "What about you, Gintoki? What do you think?"
"Huh?" said Gintoki, suddenly caught off guard. He had not really been paying that much attention. "Oh, yeah, sure. It sounds great," he replied.
"Excellent!" said Kami, appearing not to notice the samurai's indifference. "So then, the celebration will consist of a parade followed by a public thank you, speech, and awards ceremony."
"Got it," said Edward as he finished writing everything down.
The conversation then started moving forward to picking a date on which the ceremony would take place. Gintoki found himself once again tuning everything out as he slouched in his seat. He honestly didn't really care that much about the meeting or the upcoming celebration. He actually felt a little out of place, seeing as he didn't even live within Yoshiwara. It just didn't seem like something he needed to comment on. After all, the meeting really had nothing to do with him.
Man, this meeting is more boring than I thought it would be. It doesn't even have anything to do with me. Why did I want to come to this thing anyway? It's just a stupid ceremony; do we really have to plan out every little detail?
Gintoki then turned to Tsukuyo to see her discussing something with a smile on her face. He stared at her for a second before looking away. Well, she does seem kind of excited about the whole thing. I guess I should be happy for her. After all, I think she really deserves it. She cares a lot about this city and works hard to keep it safe…
Yeah, I hope Kami can make an amazing ceremony, for her sake…
A short while later, the meeting appeared to be coming to a close. The group had finally finished discussing every topic that needed to be covered that night.
"Alright," said Kami, deciding to go over everything one last time. "We will try and hold the celebration in about two weeks. Everyone in the city will be invited and welcome. If possible, we will ensure that every member of the Hyakka is present for the ceremony. In the meantime, I will have someone go out and find volunteers to gather materials and help set everything up."
Kami then paused to take a breath. "Am I forgetting anything?"
"Nope, that's all," said Edward, snapping his pocketbook shut.
"Good," replied the overlord, a look of relief on his face. "I'll do my best to make sure that everything works out smoothly. I'm going to try to ensure a wonderful celebration for both you and the Hyakka."
"Thank you so much, Kami-sama," said Tsukuyo, giving him a warm smile. "You have no idea how much this means to all of us."
"Oh, please," said Kami, also starting to smile, "the pleasure is all mine."
He then showed his teeth in another one of his big, confident grins.
Gintoki suddenly paused as he looked at it. That grin…!
Gintoki once again managed to sense something familiar in the back of his mind. It's that grin again! I know I've seen it before! I just can't remember when…
Gintoki continued to sit still as he stared at the overlord's familiar grin. He was soon able to notice that there was something different about this particular grin then the one he had seen before. Kami's big green eyes were unusually wide, giving off a rather intense gaze. His smiling set of teeth almost looked like they were clenched. If Gintoki could have described his expression, he might have classified it as a look of extreme excitement.
This grin is a lot more intense than the last one. It's almost like there's something a little more to it…I can almost detect a hint of malice within that smile…
Gintoki suddenly found himself lightly sweating in his seat. He couldn't move; he felt nervous. Staring at that overlord's grin, it made him feel…intimidated…
"My lord," said Edward suddenly. "I understand you're very enthusiastic about all of this, but please try to calm down and contain yourself. You're giving our guests a rather unusual look…"
To Gintoki's surprise, Kami immediately snapped back to normal. He closed his eyes as he gave a soft smile. "Ah, you're right. Forgive me, I was just really excited there for a second," he said, giving a small laugh.
"It's alright, I think everyone else will feel the same way when they hear about this, Kami-sama," said Tsukuyo with a soft smile.
Gintoki immediately turned to face her. Did she not notice it? he wondered. Is she too caught up in the details of the ceremony?
Gintoki quickly turned back to face Kami. That grin is way too familiar. I've seen it somewhere in the past. I know I have. I must have met this guy sometime before. Ugh, why can't I remember when!?
"Well then," said Kami, starting to stand up. "It looks like we're basically done here. Tsukuyo, Gintoki, thank you both for coming here tonight and helping out with the planning. I truly appreciate it."
"Of course, Kami-sama," said Tsukuyo, also standing up. "It was no trouble at all. Plus, I'm really looking forward to this celebration now. I can hardly wait."
"I hope you'll be satisfied," said Kami with a smile. He then paused for a moment before continuing. "Well, I won't keep you two here any longer. Edward, could you please show our guests the way out?" he asked politely.
"Of course," said Edward, slowly standing up. He quickly slipped his pocketbook back into his robes before he started walking to the door. "Right this way," he said.
Tsukuyo started to follow him but soon stopped. She quietly turned back around. "Gintoki?" she called. "Are you coming?"
Gintoki was still sitting in his seat, completely lost in thought as he stared at Kami. He was still trying to figure out when he might have met the man before. For some reason, he just couldn't quite remember.
Tsukuyo just gave him a look of confusion. She wasn't quite sure what he was doing. "Gintoki," she called again, this time a little louder.
This time, Gintoki snapped out of his thoughts and looked around. "Huh?" he said.
"We're leaving, are you coming?" asked Tsukuyo, looking a little worried.
Gintoki just stared at her for a second as he started to realize what was going on. "Oh, uh, yeah," he said quietly. He then turned to look back at the overlord one last time.
Surprisingly, Kami just stared right back at him with a soft smile. "Is something the matter, Gintoki?" he asked in a polite voice.
Gintoki just continued staring before finally looking away. "No, it's nothing," he said as he stood up. "We'll just be on our way."
Everyone stared at the samurai for a moment before Kami decided to speak up. "Very well then," he said, smiling even more. "I'll see you both again sometime! Goodbye!"
Tsukuyo quietly looked back and forth between Gintoki and Kami with a confused look on her face. Eventually, she simply shrugged as she followed Gintoki and Edward out of the room.
Before long, the couple found themselves back outside the palace. They were soon walking back the same way they had originally come. They were heading back to Tsukuyo's house.
As she walked, Tsukuyo quietly stared up at the sky. Clouds could be seen slowly rolling in over the city. "Hmm," she mumbled. "It's starting to get cloudy. I wonder if a storm is coming…"
Gintoki just ignored her as he stared at the ground. He was still thinking hard about Kami and why he had seemed so familiar to the samurai. He was hoping to remember any kind of contact he might have had with the man in the past. After all, he was almost certain he had seen him somewhere before.
I know I've seen that look before, that gaze and that grin. I even had a weird feeling when I saw it. I felt kind of…frightened. That grin almost looked like it was evil. Knowing all of this just makes it seem even more familiar!
Tsukuyo stopped looking at the sky as she turned to face Gintoki. She noticed his silent behavior and gave him a curious look. "Gintoki?" she called gently.
Gintoki heard her voice and quietly looked up at her.
"You've been acting kind of weird since we left the palace," said Tsukuyo, still staring. "Are you alright?"
Gintoki simply stared back for a second before looking away. "Yeah, I'm fine," he replied.
"Are you sure? You've been pretty quiet tonight. Is there something bothering you?"
Gintoki gave a sigh. "No, everything's fine. There's nothing to worry about."
Tsukuyo continued staring as a frown came to her face. "You know that you can tell me anything, right? I'm willing to listen to whatever is on your mind," she said softly.
"Yeah, I know," said Gintoki, still looking away. "It's nothing, really. You don't have to worry about me."
Tsukuyo watched him for another moment before sighing. "Well, okay then. Just let me know if you change your mind."
Gintoki just gave her a nod before he went back to looking at the ground. No, I can't tell Tsukuyo about any of this. Not yet, at least. I don't know how she would take it. I mean, I can't just tell her that I think I've met her beloved overlord before. Hell, I don't even know how I know the guy. I need to find some more information before I start suggesting anything…
As they walked, Tsukuyo couldn't help but to continue staring at the samurai with a worried look. It looks like he's deep in thought. Something is clearly bothering him. I tried to get him to talk about it, but he won't budge. He is determined to keep this a secret from me. Oh well, if he doesn't want to talk, I won't make him.
A little while later, the couple arrived at Tsukuyo's house. They quietly walked up to the front door where they both stopped and looked at each other.
"Thanks again for coming tonight," said Tsukuyo with a small smile.
"Of course," Gintoki replied.
"Tomorrow is February 14th," said Tsukuyo, her smile getting bigger. "That means it's Valentines Day."
Gintoki also gave a small smile upon hearing this. "That's right," he said.
"Did you still want to come over here and spend the evening together?"
"Yeah, that sounds great. I'll try to remember to bring your gift along with me."
"I'll have something for you as well," she said, looking him in the eye.
The couple then shared a small kiss before pulling away. They stood in silence for a moment as Tsukuyo glanced at Gintoki. He looked like he was thinking about something again.
"Are you sure you're okay?" she asked, still looking a little worried. "You seem kind of distracted."
Gintoki quietly stood there for a second before replying. "Yes, I'm perfectly fine," he said, looking completely serious.
"Well, alright then," said Tsukuyo, still not entirely convinced. "I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"
"Right, see you then," said Gintoki, giving her a small smile goodbye.
Tsukuyo stared at the samurai one last time before finally turning around and opening the front door. She then quietly entered her house before shutting the door behind her.
Once Gintoki was sure that Tsukuyo was safely inside, he slowly walked away until he stood in the middle of the street. He then turned so that he was directly facing the palace off in the distance. Now that it was night, the entire building was lit up and casted a soft glow on the city below it.
Something is definitely suspicious about that Kami guy thought Gintoki as he looked at the palace. I need to find out more about him. I need to go back to the palace…and see what I can learn…
Without another thought, Gintoki then started walking back in the same direction that he had just come from. He was now heading straight for the palace…
And that's it! That's the end of Chapter 6! It looks like things are really moving forward now! Also, I'm sorry this chapter came out a little bit later than usual. I was experiencing some writer's block again -.-'
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But yeah, if you like Crunchyroll and would like a free guest pass, let me know! I'll try my best to help ;) Anyways, please leave a review with your thoughts on this chapter and please look forward to the next one! See you then!