Silver Moon – Book 5 Chapter 17

After what felt like an eternity of running, Tsukuyo finally emerged from the Terminal with her crying baby still in her arms. She had just descended several flights of stairs in order to reach the ground floor as fast as she could. The sooner the two of them were out of there, the better.

However, as soon as Tsukuyo ran out the entrance, she paused in surprise. She soon jumped to the side as several Shinsengumi officers rushed towards her. Once she was out of the way, she was able to observe them as they ran past her, straight into the Terminal with swords drawn.

"Oh!" someone shouted, suddenly calling for Tsukuyo's attention. "Is that the Yorozuya's wife?"

Tsukuyo immediately looked to her right to find the Shinsengumi chief, Kondo, walking towards her. He, like his men, carried a rather serious expression.

"Kondo?" asked Tsukuyo, suddenly cradling Kyoko close to her in order to stifle her cries a bit. "What's going on?"

"Here, step away from the building," he advised. "I'll explain everything."

Tsukuyo nodded and followed him away from the Terminal. As they walked, Tsukuyo noticed that there was a huge mess of people crowded in the street. Tsukuyo assumed that most of them had been the innocent civilians that had recently evacuated the Terminal, but there were also several Shinsengumi police cars and even some news reporters standing around.

Eventually, once they were at a safe distance from the building, Kondo stopped walking and turned to her. "I don't have a lot of time, so I'll make it quick. First off, Toshi and Sogo informed me that you were looking for your kidnapped infant. I'm guessing that search somehow led you to this place, and you ended up finding her too." Kondo finished the last comment with a smile directed towards Kyoko.

"It's true," said Tsukuyo. "We followed our enemies here, and only took her back just now."

"I see," said Kondo, looking up at the tall tower. "That would explain why we suddenly got reports of terrorist attacks happening here." Kondo then gestured to the parked patrol cars. "That's why we're here. We're supposed to apprehend the criminals and restore order."

Tsukuyo nodded. "There are many enemies still inside, along with Gintoki and the others."

Kondo suddenly donned a curious look. "Well then, it sounds like there is quite a bit of work to be done. We even got this report that the terrorists raised a fire alarm, which is odd, since that means that all of the civilians ended up evacuating before the attack even broke out…"

Tsukuyo suddenly felt a sweat drop slide down her forehead as she looked away. "Oh, really?" she asked in a clearly guilty tone. "That is rather odd…heh heh…"

Kondo soon shook his head. "Well, anyway, if you're all caught up, I better get a move on. The Shinsengumi will need all the help they can get."

"Of course," said Tsukuyo.

With a single nod, Kondo soon ran back to the Terminal and quickly followed after his men. Now that he was gone, Tsukuyo once again found herself alone with her crying infant. Taking a deep breath, Tsukuyo looked down at Kyoko and began to softly stroke her head.

"Shh, it's all right now, Kyoko…" she said quietly. "I know that this was really scary, but it's all over now. You're safe in my arms once more."

The frightened Kyoko continued to cry for several moments before slowly calming down in her mother's embrace. After a while, she soon went quiet, and with a little help from Tsukuyo, ended up falling asleep. She was now resting peacefully.

Tsukuyo stared at her daughter with a soft smile, and soon found herself fighting the urge to fall asleep herself. She quickly stifled a yawn by distracting herself with more important things.

I hope everyone else is okay she thought, glancing towards the Terminal. I only had time to worry about getting Kyoko out safely, while everyone else was covering our escape. We couldn't have done this without their help.

After a few minutes, Tsukuyo was able to breathe a sigh of relief as she watched her comrades safely walk out of the building. Hijikata and Sogo were walking in the front, with Shinpachi and Kagura following behind.

"Why did we have to evacuate!?" Kagura complained loudly.

"Because the Shinsengumi told us to," Hijikata replied. "They can handle the mess we left behind."

Sogo, his hands in his pockets, also chimed in. "Yeah, they don't need any meddling brats interfering in their work." Sogo soon glanced back at Kagura. "I'm talking about you by the way."

Kagura frowned. "Oh, you think you're so clever," she responded, sticking her tongue out at him. "We could have helped them catch those guys!"

"Kagura-chan," said Shinpachi, "didn't we both agree with the enemy that we would enact a ceasefire and make our escape? Why are you so raring to fight after that?"

"Because help arrived!" Kagura replied simply. "We could go back in and beat all of those morons up!"

"Wait a second," said Hijikata, soon turning around. "Shinpachi, did you just say that you were working with the enemy!?"

Shinpachi soon froze and held his hands up in defense. "What!? No! Both sides just agreed to stop fighting and-"

"So you were working with them!" said Hijikata, putting a hand on his sword. "First the false fire alarm, and now this."

"I've got his handcuffs ready," said Sogo, immediately whipping them out and approaching the glasses-wearing boy.

"Stop trying to arrest me all the time!" Shinpachi cried.

"Would all of you please quiet down?" said Tsukuyo, suddenly approaching them. "I just got Kyoko to fall asleep."

Kagura's face quickly lit up. "Tsukky!"

Tsukuyo smiled as she greeted them all with the sleeping child in her arms. After seeing that Kyoko was safe, everyone's expressions seemed to soften a bit.

"I'm glad you all made it out safely," said Tsukuyo with a smile. "And as you can see, we succeeded in getting Kyoko back. I couldn't have done it without you guys. I'm eternally grateful."

Kagura and Shinpachi nodded their heads. "It was nothing, Tsukuyo-san," said the boy.

"So what's happening inside?" asked Tsukuyo as she glanced at the Terminal. "Is the enemy still fighting back?"

"Doubtful," said Hijikata, calmly lighting a cigarette. "We took out all of those Yato guys before the Shinsengumi arrived."

Sogo casually removed the earpiece he had found earlier. "This thing stopped working once we left, but it sounded like they were issuing orders to retreat."

Tsukuyo frowned a bit. "I hope Gintoki is all right. The last time I saw him, he was fighting with Takasugi."

Kagura ended up placing a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry, Tsukky. Gin-chan won't let a guy like that stop him."

Tsukuyo gently smiled at her. "Yeah, I know."

As Hijikata continued to smoke, he gazed at the nearby crowd. "Hey, Sogo, we better go over there and help the rest of the Shinsengumi."

The boy merely nodded. "Sure."

Hijikata barely waved a hand at Tsukuyo and the others. "We'll catch up later."

Sogo also started walking away. "Make sure you stay out of our way, China."

"Oh, shut up," said Kagura, rolling her eyes.

Once they were gone, Shinpachi suddenly perked up. "Oh hey, it's Gin-san!" he exclaimed, pointing towards the Terminal.

Tsukuyo looked, and sure enough, she saw Gintoki walking towards her. Once her eyes fell on him, he greeted her with a smile. Eventually, he found himself standing in front of her.

"Hey," he said simply.

Tsukuyo looked at him from head to toe. "You look like a bloody mess," she noted.

"You're one to talk," he replied, staring at her own wounds.

Tsukuyo shrugged. She soon softened her tone. "Maybe, but look, it all worked out. Kyoko is back."

Gintoki smiled a bit. "I'm glad."

Gintoki and Tsukuyo ended up embracing each other as best they could, with their sleeping infant gently cushioned between them. As they hugged, Tsukuyo called his attention once more.

"Gintoki."

"Hmm?"

"Let's never let her out of our sight again."

Gintoki thought about it for a moment. "Agreed."

After about an hour, things seemed to be wrapping up. The Terminal had been completely evacuated by the Shinsengumi, and several enemies had been caught and arrested. The ones who hadn't been captured were thought to have escaped, but there was no helping that. Once the remaining criminals had been apprehended, the Shinsengumi set about seeing if they could reopen the Terminal. The crowd of people had massively thinned out, but there were still some waiting around with places to go.

Meanwhile, Gintoki and his group had been given permission to leave, and they were soon making plans to do just that. Not only was Kyoko in desperate need of a proper nap, but her parents were too.

Gintoki ended up using a street phone near the Terminal to call Hinowa. He calmly explained the situation to her, and that how even though Kyoko had been kidnapped, everyone was fine now.

"That's terrible, Gin-san," she responded, concern clearly evident in her tone. "I'm glad everyone is all right."

"Yeah," he replied. "Anyways, I called because I was wondering if you'd like to come over to our house for a few days? I know Tsukuyo and I would appreciate it if you could help take care of Kyoko while we recover from this fiasco."

"Oh, of course!" said Hinowa with glee. "I never get to see Kyoko enough anyways! I'd be more than happy to help!"

"That's great to hear," said Gintoki with a smile. "We'll meet you there."

Gintoki soon hung up the phone, only to find Shinpachi and Kagura standing right behind him. He raised an eyebrow at them. "What's up with you guys?"

"How's come we can't stay at your place and help take care of Kyoko too!?" Kagura demanded.

Gintoki felt surprised. "Huh? You guys want to help?"

"Of course, Gin-san," said Shinpachi. "We're happy to help anytime!"

Gintoki seemed skeptical. "Oh really? Are you sure you guys aren't tired, like me and Tsukuyo?"

"We're not tired!" Kagura exclaimed. "We could stay up all day and night if we need to!"

Gintoki simply frowned and shook his head. "You kids have too much energy."

"Hey, we're not kids anymore, Gin-san!" Shinpachi informed him.

"Hmph, as far as I'm concerned, you two and Kyoko are all in the same age group," he said with a shrug.

"We're not babies!" the both of them whined.

Gintoki sighed. "Fine, suit yourselves. Come stay over if you wish."

Shinpachi and Kagura's expressions immediately brightened. "Yay!"

The three of them ended up making their way over to Tsukuyo, who was once again talking with Hijikata and Sogo.

"Thanks again, you two," said Tsukuyo sincerely. "I'm not sure if we could have made it without your help."

"Don't worry about it," said Hijikata, shrugging.

"Anything you want to add, Boss?" asked Sogo, noticing the approaching Gintoki.

Gintoki merely looked at the two Shinsengumi members and scratched his head. "Anything I want to say? To you two?" He scratched his head some more and looked away. "Not really."

Tsukuyo, who was standing beside Gintoki, gave him a frown. "Gintoki," she hissed. "Thank them for their help. They deserve it."

Gintoki eyed his wife a bit, wary of her temper. He soon sighed as he looked back at Hijikata and Sogo. "Thank you both for helping rescue my kid and easing my wife's worry…"

The two Shinsengumi members both gave him blank stares for a moment before smirking.

"Heh," said Hijikata. "Who are you trying to fool?"

"You were plenty worried too, Boss," Sogo pointed out.

"Probably even more than your wife was," Hijikata added.

Gintoki could feel his cheeks starting to turn a little red, so he crossed his arms and looked away out of defense. "Oh yeah? Well you guys are ones to talk. You two were probably just as concerned as I was for Kyoko's safety, and that's the only reason you came along."

Hijikata and Sogo quickly dropped their smirks and frowned.

"Don't kid yourself," Hijikata muttered. "Why would we care what happens to your kid?"

"We came here to stop a terrorist, nothing more," said Sogo, looking away.

"Liars!" Gintoki exclaimed, pointing an accusatory finger at them.

"No we're not!" Hijikata shouted back.

For some reason, Tsukuyo found herself smiling as they continued to bicker. She stared down at her sleeping daughter. "You're very fortunate, Kyoko," she whispered. "I'm glad that you have so many people that want to protect you."

Later that day, Gintoki and Tsukuyo finally made it back to their house, with Shinpachi and Kagura following along. The first thing that they noticed was the kitchen, which looked like an absolute mess. Gintoki recalled how quickly he had rummaged through it in an attempt to find food.

Shinpachi and Kagura immediately offered to clean it up, freeing Gintoki and Tsukuyo from having to worry about it. It wasn't long before Hinowa arrived as well, showing plenty of concern for everyone.

"Are you all okay?" asked the woman in the wheelchair.

Tsukuyo simply smiled at her. "Yes, we're all fine."

"I told you that over the phone, didn't I?" asked Gintoki.

Hinowa frowned a little. "Yes, I know you did, but I still can't help but worry after hearing about the terrifying situation you guys were in."

"Well, don't worry," Tsukuyo told her. "Things seem to have gone back to normal." She looked around a bit. "Although, this does seem a bit surreal. A few hours ago, I was frantically trying to find Kyoko, and now all of us are safely back in our house. I can't express how relieved I am."

Hinowa looked at the sleeping infant. "How is Kyoko?"

"She's perfectly fine," said Tsukuyo with a smile. "Those bastards didn't seem to harm her in any way."

"Thank goodness," said Hinowa, breathing her own sigh of relief.

Gintoki smiled. "Yeah, if they had harmed Kyoko though, you can bet that Tsukuyo would have torn them all limb from limb."

"Yeah, and I'm sure you would have been happy to help," Tsukuyo shot back.

Gintoki stared down at his precious infant daughter for a moment before looking way. "Probably…"

There was a short moment of silence before Tsukuyo let out a yawn. She then her eyelids droop as she looked down. "I think Kyoko might be passing her sleepiness around."

"Or maybe it's because you've been running around all night fighting bad guys," Gintoki pointed out.

"Yeah, maybe," she agreed, trying not to yawn again. "Anyway, I think I'm going to bed. I could definitely use some rest."

"Do you want me to take care of Kyoko while you sleep?" Hinowa offered.

"No thanks," Tsukuyo replied. "Honestly, the last thing I want to do right now is let her leave my arms."

Hinowa nodded. "I understand, go get some sleep."

Tsukuyo nodded in response, before slowly walking off to her room. Gintoki watched her leave.

"Aren't you going to get some rest too, Gin-san?" Hinowa asked.

As soon as she asked that question, Gintoki let out his own yawn. Until he had seen Tsukuyo, he hadn't quite realized how fatigued he truly was. "That's not a bad idea," he replied. "By the way, Shinpachi and Kagura are in the kitchen, trying to clean up a mess…"

Hinowa stared at him for a second before a look of realization came over her. "Oh, don't worry about that Gin-san. I'll make sure they do a good job."

"Thanks," said Gintoki, starting to walk away. "You never know if they might end up making a bigger mess than what they started with…"

And with that, Gintoki also found his way into his bedroom before closing the door behind him. He then saw Tsukuyo laying on their futon, already asleep, with Kyoko still gently cradled in her arms. Gintoki just softly smiled before crawling into bed and joining them. He soon lifted his arm and wrapped it around both Tsukuyo and Kyoko before pulling them close. Finally, he was able to relax and join them in peaceful slumber…

Over the next few days, things slowly seemed to be returning to normal. Gintoki and Tsukuyo were once again fulfilling their roles as parents, taking care of Kyoko and satisfying all of her needs. Shinpachi and Kagura assisted the couple when necessary, as did Hinowa. Their presence in the house certainly made things a lot simpler.

Soon after settling back in, the Yorozuya crew went back to their normal work schedule. The three of them would depart in the morning, leaving Tsukuyo and Hinowa alone with Kyoko until they returned in the evening. It wasn't long before everyone in the house became used to this schedule, but as the days went on, it was becoming more apparent that the welcomed help was no longer necessary. After only a few days, Gintoki and Tsukuyo were once again ready to run their house without assistance.

And so it was that the final evening of everyone's stay came about. They all gathered in the living room as the sun started to descend. Tsukuyo was holding Kyoko, who was wide awake and smiling as she looked around the room.

"Thank you all so much for the help these past few days," Tsukuyo told them. "It certainly has been easy readjusting to our daily life, along with taking care of Kyoko."

"You're welcome, dear," said Hinowa, smiling. "We were happy to assist."

"See Gin-chan?" asked Kagura with a grin. "We told you that we could be a big help!"

Gintoki simply shrugged. "Tch, Tsukuyo and I would have been fine on our own."

"Yeah right!" shouted Shinpachi. "We helped a lot and you know it!"

Gintoki raised his hands up in defense. "All right, all right, you guys are actually pretty useful…sometimes…"

Tsukuyo soon rose to her feet. "Well, despite what Gintoki says, we truly are grateful. Kyoko is too."

Kyoko's violet eyes darted around the room, landing on each person as they caught her attention. She continued to lazily smile.

"I have an idea," said Tsukuyo. "How about I make us a nice dinner for our last night together? As a way to truly show my thanks."

Kagura suddenly started drooling a little, not unlike Kyoko. "Ooh, Tsukky, you have the best ideas, yup."

"Would you like any help with that?" Hinowa offered.

"No," Tsukuyo replied. "It will be my treat. This time, I'll get to take care of you guys."

Gintoki crossed his arms. "You sure you know what you're doing?"

In response, Tsukuyo ended up walking over to Gintoki and plopping Kyoko right into his surprised arms. "Of course I do," she retorted. "It shouldn't take me long. You take care of Kyoko in the meantime."

Without even waiting for a reply, she grinned at him before giving him a soft kiss on the cheek. She then walked out of the room, off to prepare the meal. Gintoki just stared after her with a stunned look before cradling his daughter with a sigh.

"She sure can be stubborn, huh?" he asked Kyoko. She just stared at him in return.

"Surely you're used to it by now," Hinowa joked.

Gintoki smiled. "Yeah, I knew what I was getting into a long time ago."

There was a moment of silence, before Gintoki soon frowned. Shinpachi and Kagura seemed to have started talking amongst themselves, but Hinowa quickly noticed it. She soon rolled her wheelchair over so that she was right next to him. "Is something wrong?" she wondered.

He looked at her before turning back to his daughter. He then gave a sigh. "Back when Kyoko was kidnapped, I was kind of worried. Not just for Kyoko, but also for Tsukuyo. This situation has been very stressful for her, and there were times throughout where I truly wondered if she was all right…"

Hinowa also frowned at this before looking to the floor. "It's understandable. Tsukuyo's baby was stolen away from her. That's enough to make any mother go crazy."

Gintoki nodded a little. "Yeah…"

Hinowa looked back up. "Your worry is justified. Unfortunately, Tsukuyo might never be the same after this. It's possible that this incident shook her up so much that she will always carry a small fear within her. A fear of her child being kidnapped again one day…"

There was another moment of silence between them. Hinowa then let out her own sigh before smiling. "It shouldn't mean too much though. At the very least, all it really means is that Tsukuyo will just become a more protective mother. And there's nothing wrong with that."

Gintoki continued to stare down at his child as he nodded. "Yeah, you're right." Gintoki soon smiled once more. "From this point forward, I'll do the best I can to ease her worries as much as possible. And you," he said, staring straight at Kyoko, "I'll make sure that you never get put in harm's way again."

Hinowa's smile brightened. "I'm sure that would make Tsukuyo very happy."

Gintoki simply continued to stare at Kyoko while she stared back. He then nodded his head once more, choosing to accept the resolve.

It's a promise…

And that's it. Everything seems to be winding down now. I guess I might as well say it: The next chapter will be the last chapter of Book 5, and also the last chapter of Silver Moon. Man, it kind of hurts to type it out like that, but it's true. The story will finally be reaching its ultimate conclusion. Not only is it kind of sad that the story is ending, but it also just feels really surreal, like I can't believe I made it this far. It's crazy to think about.

You know what needs to be done at least one last time? I need to share where Silver Moon stands in the Gintama fanfiction archive rankings! Yeah, you know. That random thing that I haven't done for nearly two years? Well, I'm finally doing it, and for the last time too! So savor it, everyone! Let's find out where this story finishes!

As of December 2018, Silver Moon is ranked:

Reviews: #4 with 374 reviews.

Favorites: #40 with 154 favorites.

Follows: #14 with 188 follows.

Wow…what can I say? Once again, the numbers have substantially increased from last time, all thanks to you guys. I am so thankful for all the support you've shown over the last four years. Speaking of four, isn't it kind of ominous that all of the placements have 4's in them? After four years of writing? Weird…XD

I'm really surprised that we made it all the way to fourth place for most reviews! Admittedly, I was hoping to break the 400 threshold, but that decision is up to you guys XD But hey, I can't possibly complain. This is more than enough to make me satisfied with what I've created. Knowing that all these other people have enjoyed a work that I mostly wrote for my own enjoyment is just heartwarming. Thank you all so much.

Additionally, this story has also surpassed 350,000 words! Which continues to make Silver Moon the longest Gintoki x Tsukuyo story on the site! Awesome! Seriously, do you guys know what this means? It means that your story is guaranteed to gain popularity as long as you write for long enough! lol XD Write that down. It will be on the test!

Well, I guess it's best to wrap things up here. I'll save more of my gratitude for the next chapter, which will be the final farewell. Yeah, I'm already sad about it too. Now for the last time, allow me to say the usual: Please feel free to leave a review with your thoughts on the chapter and please look forward to the next one! Next chapter…you'll all be pleasantly surprised. Maybe. We'll find out. See you then :)