Hotarubi and Yashamaru

A/N: Later in this story, I begin to tell the story from each character's point of view. Line breaks will separate the two, but Hotarubi's story will be in italics.

Hotarubi liked to think the best things in life came in pretty wrapping and moved quickly. Her eyes had a knack for seeing beauty in all they came upon. She grew up with her parents, but they died when she was fifteen. She lived alone in their family's hut, occasionally welcoming visitors. The visitors were people who knew her parents and wanted to make sure the girl was still doing well. At first, Hotarubi welcomed their company, but after several years she'd grown tired of the people. They liked to watch her with her snakes and butterflies in silence. Hotarubi loved silence. Hotarubi loved nature. Most importantly, Hotarubi loved Yashamaru.

Yashamaru was raised by his uncle. His mother died giving birth to him; the Kouga killed his father during a sneak attack. Why did they have to worm about killing one another? Yashamaru simply enjoyed the thrill of killing the Kouga and running free through the forests. He liked the wind in his hair. He liked the feel of his heart as it raced when he was engaged in a fight with an unclear outcome. He liked spying on the pretty girl with the purple eyes and straight black hair. She had a knack for being surrounded by a swarm of butterflies. He liked those butterflies. He liked her purple eyes. He loved her.

The fire in the center of Ogen's room burned thickly so that it was warm and filled with a cinnamon scent. Hotarubi stood beside the door with a dull expression as Oboro talked about how wonderful the Kouga chieftain's grandson was. Hotarubi would rather much hear Ogen tell them about the wars during her time. The woman told the best stories she'd ever heard. Ogen could even recall when little Hotarubi was born. Hotarubi did not like to hear stories about her parents or her family before them. Oboro was Hotarubi's friend since she was very small. Why would Oboro want to talk about someone who was their sworn mortal enemy? Hotarubi glared at the girl's back before slipping out the door silently. She didn't have the patience or energy to deal with Oboro's weaknesses that day.

Yashamaru, clad always in his black ninja outfit with a sword on his back, stood in the middle of the village staring at a passing cloud. Hotarubi debated whether she should go ahead to her home or slip back into Ogen's house. She decided on the latter when Yashamaru's dark eyes landed on her. Her feet slowly moved backwards until she was against the door.

"Hey!" Yashamaru smiled widely at her. He blushed when she glared at him. She pressed her lips together and walked down the stairs with a new idea at mind. He stared at her awkwardly before laughing. "You tend to look peaceful. What has you so unsettled?"

Her lips parted in a gasp. Slowly, a blush crept into her cheeks. This was her first time actually talking to him and she could not force her mouth to properly form one word. Her heart fluttered when he laughed at the redness in her cheeks. "I am fine."

He stopped laughing when she walked past him, but he grabbed her hand. He dropped it when she turned to him with a glare. Ahhh. She had the most beautiful eyes he'd ever had the pleasure of seeing. He scratched his head gently. His hand lifted hers to his cheek. "Your skin is so soft."

Hotarubi stood frozen on the spot. The coldness of her eyes melted away until there was nothing left but shock. Another blush crept into her cheeks until she turned her head and gently took her hand from him. She tried to walk past him, but he stepped in front of her. "Move."

"I'm Yashamaru," he said with a large grin.

"I'm on my way home." She said softly. She bowed to him before making an attempt to sidestep him again. His grinned widened when he blocked her way. "What do you want?"

"Your name."

"Hotarubi."

"As beautiful as your eyes." Yashamaru blushed when the words left his mouth. What was he doing? He waved to her quickly before running away.

"Hotarubi! There you are. Ogen-dono is making bread. Come and join us." Oboro stood on the porch leading to their house. She smiled when Hotarubi turned and followed her inside.

Ogen sat at the table with her back to them. Her small shoulder roses and lowered with each movement of her hands. She flattened the bread quickly and rolled it again before twisting it until it looked like a long braid. Oboro washed her hands in the bowl on the table before placing the bread on the silver pan. Hotarubi watched in silence as she always did. They never offered for her to help them or asked her if she wanted to try; she was there to just watch and eat.

Later, they sat in silence around the fire with their legs folded underneath them and food on the plates in front of them. It was fish with bread and sake. Neither Hotarubi nor Oboro enjoyed the taste of sake, but both always shared the first cup with the old woman. They lifted their cups at once. Hotarubi held her breath and swallowed the horrible liquid quickly. She stuffed a piece of warm bread into her mouth; the sweetness of the bread was always got rid of the horrible taste the drink left behind. Oboro poured both of them water.

"I saw you speaking with Yashamaru." The old woman's voice trembled slightly, but her voice was quite deceiving when it came to her strength and skill.

"We just ran into one another." Hotarubi ate another piece of bread and avoided Oboro's shining gaze. What was she looking at?

"That is nice. You should be mindful of him. He is headstrong and enjoys the idea of fighting too much."

Hotarubi nodded absentmindedly, using the excuse for drinking water as a reason for her not replying. She kept her gaze on the fire until the awkward moment had passed again. Ogen began telling them about the first time she had fallen in love. Hotarubi had heard the story from Oboro, but she never paid Oboro much mind when it came to love stories. Her friend had the idea that everyone in love would live happily ever after. Hotarubi laughed at the idea. She settled back against the wall as Ogen quietly told them her story. When the old woman admitted it had in fact been Kouga Danjou she'd been in love with, Hotarubi's eyes flew open. Their chieftain had once been in love with their sworn enemy? She wanted to laugh; obviously, the woman made the story up as she went along.

The night air was cool against her face as she closed the door of Ogen's house. She quietly made her way down the steps and towards her own home. A sound behind her made her turn. She leapt into the air quickly and landed on the roof of someone's house. Her eyes scanned the grounds slowly. She ducked when a hand reached for her, but the arm wrapped around her waist and the other hand covered her mouth.

"Why are you so nervous?" A gentle voice whispered into her ear. The hand at her mouth lowered, but his other arm remained wrapped around her waist. "I've been waiting since you went back inside."

She turned around to find Yashamaru smiling at her. Her lips slowly stretched into a smile almost as wide as his. He had been waiting for her? She would have left Ogen's earlier if she had known. She turned away from him before jumping down. Her feet landed on the ground soundlessly. He landed beside her just as softly. She pressed her lips together to hide a smile as she walked away. He followed her at a safe distance, watching her move with his eyes. He jumped out of the way when her hand shot out of her kimono. A knife flew past his face and stuck into the post of the house behind him. Another knife flew at him. He smiled and flipped into the air. He followed her into the forest with a soft chuckle; the woman knew how to play.

People talked about how good she was with knives and how she kept things hidden in her kimono. He'd listened to people talk greatly about her, but he'd never once before that day heard her name uttered. He dodged another knife thrown at him and flipped onto the lower branch of the tree nearest him. He jumped from branch to branch until he slammed into something hard. His eyes widened in shock at the thick swarm of butterflies in front of him. He slipped on the branch, but swung himself to the next tree. Hotarubi was nowhere to be seen below. He blinked curiously as he stood staring at a swarm of butterflies in front of him. His feet moved back several steps when she appeared in front of him. Her foot flew towards him. He blocked and jumped down onto the ground. Was she trying to kill him? He ran ahead of her some yards, but turned again when he realized she was not behind him. His dark eyes scanned the area around him. A single pink butterfly fluttered in front of a large oak tree some feet away. His hands moved quickly so he threw a knife at the insect. A red stick appeared and blocked the knife, sending it into a nearby tree. Hotarubi appeared with a strange smile on her face.

She was a wonderful woman; he would easily admit that to her. He felt his blood running in his veins wildly as he ran towards her. His long black hair flew out behind him in the wind. She ducked his fist and blocked his knee with her fist. He played around with her at first, letting her land weak punches on him here and there. When he began fighting her harder, she began fighting him harder. Perhaps this girl could actually beat him. He landed a punch square in her shoulder; the sleeve of her kimono rose slightly. What he saw shocked him so he did not have time to react. The white snake struck out and bit him on the arm. Hotarubi stepped away from him with a glare. She brushed her cheek over the back of the snake before allowing her kimono to cover her arm again. Yashamaru stared at her wide-eyed. A snake in her kimono?

"Give me your arm." She lifted his arm and sucked at the wound. A sound escaped the back of her throat in response to the expression he offered her. She spit the poison out and tied a white cloth around his arm. "Were you trying to hurt me?"

"N-no! I thought we were playing." He said louder than he'd meant to. He still couldn't get the image of the snake from his mind.

"Udo seems to think you wanted to harm me."

The snake had a name. He smiled at her; was there still some poison in his system or were her eyes having a strange effect on him? He shook his head gently, but everything moved as it would normally. "Udo does not know me. I would not hurt you for the life of me."

Hotarubi smiled at him widely. She turned to walk away from him. "You fight well, Yashamaru." She whispered his name. Her feet carried her away from him. When she was sure she was far away from him, she broke into a run. Her butterflies appeared around her, lifting her into the air. She laughed to herself as they set her down in front of her house. She went inside and lit the fire in her room. Her eyes remained open, staring at a white place on the wall where she'd tried to paint something worth looking at. Instead, she'd just ended up with a strange shaped spot that Oboro laughed at whenever she visited. She rolled over onto her back and stared at the ceiling instead. Her thoughts drifted back to the last thing Yashamaru had said to her. She smiled at the way he'd gently touched her cheek during their fighting. He was probably faster than her, but he'd only wanted to spend time with her. She did not have bad thoughts about her parents or how they died. She did not have envious thoughts of Oboro. That night she had dreams of the handsome Yashamaru and how he was slowly breaking her.

It was several seasons later when Ogen was called away to Sunpu. A great meeting was held in the building at the center of the village. A dozen of the best fighters in the village sat around the fire with Ogen. Their eyes burned with surprise and resentment as she told them what the scroll she'd received said. She had to report to Sunpu with one of their best fighters in tow. There were a few gasps around the group, but no one really said anything of significance. Oboro sat with her head lowered and her large blue eyes staring at her fingers interlocking with one another. The old woman waited until the ruckus quieted down.

"Anyone want to volunteer?" Her voice held an edge of humor.

No one knew what would happen when they got to Sunpu. So, no one was in a great rush to raise his or her hand. Hotarubi sighed before raising her hand, but she was just as shocked to see Yashamaru's hand rise as well. She pressed her lips together in an angry fashion.

The old woman stared at bother of them blankly before glancing around the room again. The two strangest people in their village had raised their hands. "Fine, Hotarubi, you stay here with Oboro. Yashamaru we leave at dawn."

"Why did you do that?" Hotarubi asked angrily. Yashamaru lounged lazily against an old oak tree with a stick hanging from his mouth. Neither his expression nor pose changed as his eyes stared at her blankly. She groaned in frustration before flopping down beside him in the grass and putting her head on his chest. His warm hand rested on her cheek, massaging it slightly.

"What if they want us to come there so they can kill the person she brought as an example of what they will do if we don't agree to what they actually want?" He gazed down at her with a smile. "I would rather die than know you were killed for such a trivial reason. It's best if I go."

"Yasha--" His mouth covered hers in a deep kiss that took her breath away. She gasped for air when he kissed her on the forehead. "I don't need you."

A masculine smile spread over his handsome face. "Did you not whisper the opposite words into my ear last night while we lay on your floor?"

He pinned her hands to her side so she could not hide the deep blush or the large smile on her face. His lips grazed hers again before his tongue pushed into her mouth. She wrapped her arms around his neck tightly and laughed into his mouth when he tickled her. His hair fell into her face and smelled of fresh cut wood and soil. She buried her nose in the familiar scent. They lay on their backs staring into the sky at the passing clouds. The silence was enough for both of them to say their goodbyes just in case neither saw the other again. Hotarubi slid her smaller hand into his and squeezed; she would miss him. He turned to her with that smirk she'd grown to love. He kissed her again, but this time it was a slow and deliberate kiss as if to tell her he would see her again. She pulled on his hair hard and crawled onto his lap. He wrapped his arm around her and closed his eyes.

He left her standing in front of her favorite tree. He couldn't tell if it was the strange aura coming from old lady Ogen or the fact that he truly did want to see his love again that kept him from turning for one last glance at her. A wide smile crept onto his face as several bright pink butterflies surrounded him and the old woman. One of the butterflies landed in his upturned palm. He kissed it softly and released it back into the air; he had all belief that Hoturabi would receive the action as if he were standing beside her.

If her thoughts could become clouds or perhaps even the rain that fell on her face the day after he left, she thought she could send them further along the atmosphere until the clouds or rain ran into her lover and gave him her message: she missed him. Her eyes stared longingly at a scroll with a flower on it he'd drawn for her several moons earlier. He said her eyes reminded him of the sweet scent the flower gave off whenever he was close enough to smell it. Her heart had beat wildly in her chest whenever he talked to her in such a way that ruined her previous thoughts. She wanted the man she loved to return to her, or she would go mad. Her alternative was the sit in secret meetings listening to Tenzen-sama debate why old lady Ogen had been called to Sunpu. The strangest thing he said was similar to what Yashamaru had suggested; the rulers wanted to cleanse the world of their kind. Hotarubi listened intently, but could not keep her mind focused on the heated discussion. She worried if Yashamaru would return to her in the form he had left her in.

The day was nothing compared to hot summer nights. She would lie awake staring out her window dressed in a thin lace chemise that she'd made for the sole purpose of Yashamaru seeing it. Luckily for him [and for her as he'd so proudly boast he'd seen it on several occasions before his departure. She wiped a tear from her cheek as she lay back down on her sleeping mat. She felt lonely for the three nights he'd been gone. How was she supposed to fall asleep without his warm arm wrapped around her waist?

The best thing to happen to her since first meeting the man she loved more than life itself was Tenzen's inviting her to come along with his group as they traveled in search of answers to the elders' summoning to Sunpu. She'd stared at him in a dazed fashion before agreeing. There would be no point in sitting alone in an empty house waiting for someone who might not return.

They tracked through the forest in silence. Hotarubi stopped beside a small cherry blossom tree and stretched out her arm. A small white snake slid along the tree and onto her arm so that it went inside her kimono. She smiled widely at the familiar feel of the snake gently wrapped around her upper arm. Her eyes gazed down at the small head that poked out at the neck of her kimono. After brushing her lips across the rough skin, she ushered the snake back into her kimono before running ahead to catch up with the rest of their group. Her violet eyes turned away from Tenzen's gaze when someone mentioned Yashamaru. Someplace in her heart, she knew he was alive someplace and waiting to return to her.

Yashamaru had never taken to liking the old woman walking in front of him. He climbed into the boat beside her in silence and hoped she would not attempt to make conversation with him. He knew from watching her during public meetings that she could tell stories like any old person he knew. What he wanted from her was for her to say they would not die without fighting for their lives in the process. He knew the moment her black eyes met his gaze that she had the same thoughts in mind. With his legs folded underneath him and his hair in a sloppy ponytail, he allowed himself to relax into the soft rocking of the boat. He saw a woman in a purple kimono beside the river getting water in a large bowl. He wanted to call out to her, but he realized when she looked at him with dull gray eyes that she was not his Hotarubi.

They were going to fight. Yashamaru could not ease the itching in his hands when the old man made the announcement. The best from Iga verses the best from Kouga. He remained sitting behind the old woman until she made a slight movement with her head. That smile. Hotarubi loved that smile, but he hated the smile that came to his face whenever he got ready to engage in battle. People in the village were afraid to approach him because it was the only smile he knew how to wear. So what if he looked maniacal? He took long strides towards the center of the battler square as to stretch his legs. His eyes scanned the man in front of him slowly. The soft pattering of his heart sped to a pace he'd seen Hotarubi dance to several times. He closed his eyes and thought of her as one of the officials began talking again. Personally, he thought the old men talked too much and tried too hard to get out of saying things they really meant. Violet eyes flashed in his mind vividly at the old man's last few words. He wondered: how would Hotarubi feel knowing her beloved died at the hands of a Kouga? He himself would be humiliated well into death. His eyes flashed opened at his opponent's first movement. With a flick of his hands, his Gokujou flew from underneath his attire.

He chuckled to himself at the smirk the old woman wore as he danced around the strange Kouga man. Brilliant. When the first shot of green liquid flew from the man's tongue and into his face, he did not know what it was. He realized soon after it was a harmless liquid that could trap the limbs together if spewed out in the correct way. His fingers tightened on the thin, invisible strings that shot from beneath his sleeves again. A rather loud chuckle escaped him as the strings wrapped around the man. He struggled, and Yashamaru pulled the weapon until blood trickled from the man's face. How much would his Hotarubi enjoy watching him kill someone from a clan they hated so perfectly?

Hotarubi walked beside the men in silence as they talked about the old woman's arrival. They had been gone for days; it was only fitting they return soon. She listened with peaked ears and high hopes. They dived into a pile of bushes at the sound of an approaching cart. When the cart was close enough, they jumped out and ambushed the carriers. After the man refused to come out, Tenzen cut the top from the cart; it fell open.

She did not like leaving friends behind during battles, but Tenzen had insisted he could handle the man on his own. Hotarubi and the three men with her ran into their own trouble when they came across a Kouga carrying a scroll. He made several wisecracks about them before dodging their attacks. She jumped back shakily as green liquid shot from his tongue at them. Her breathing came to her in shallow gasps at the thought that something so ugly and hideous could exist on such a beautiful Earth. Koshiro, Mino Nenki and Rousai were trapped within the web. She stared at them bewildered as the man crawled across the web and cracked about which one he would eat first. After noticing the glare in Nenki's eyes, she raised her hand and began her chant. "…tear apart his flesh and savor every bite." She smiled widely when bright pink butterflies surrounded the enemy.

"Now, throw Koshiro's blades." Nenki shouted.

She threw the blade, andt it hit the enemy in the forehead. The three men freed themselves, but before they could get the scroll from the dying man, he threw it into the distance. The Kouga they had left Tenzen-sama to kill caught it and slithered away into the darkness. Hotarubi watched the three men chase the Kouga ninja. She turned to the man lying on his back. Obviously, he had been in Sunpu with Ogen and Yashamaru if he had a scroll from the place.

"Is the ninja still alive that traveled with Lady Ogen to Sunpu?" Her voice shook at the beginning of the question.

"The one with the long hair? I killed him." His laughter sounded like a cackle.

Hotarubi lifted her blade into the air and leaned into him. "What did you say?" His head remained turned away from her. He turned to her quickly and shot a thick goop of green liquid onto her face. She screamed and drove her knife into his chest several times. "Tell me!" She continued to stab him until her heart wanted to burst inside her chest. A loud scream escaped her as she drove the knife into the corpse once again. He was not dead. She took a deep breath and stood with her knife still clasped in her fist. When Yashamaru died, she would know.

"Is he dead then?" Tenzen asked as she approached the group from behind.

She nodded solemnly as she came to a halt beside Nenki. Her eyes remained on the scroll in Tenzen's hand and the scroll in Koshiro's hand. They unrolled them and announced in hushed voices what the rulers had decided. They were in fact at war with the Kouga. Each group had received a scroll with the opposing clan's best ten fighters' names written on it. Hotarubi gasped and tried to keep a straight face as Koshiro discarded the second scroll into the fire. A smile spread her face as Tenzen happily announced that they were going Kouga hunting. What a wonderful way to relieve the tension wrapping itself around her heart.

When Tenzen told them they would first attack the Kouga village head on she did not question his decision. Upon agreeing to follow him, she had made him her leader in battle. If he led them to their untimely death, she would happily follow him if it meant ridding the world of some of the people who'd slaughtered their people years earlier. After watching a strange battle between Rousai and the wall, they became strangely aware that people surrounded them. Hotarubi jumped at the chance to fight.

The fight seemed pointless until the end of it when the people they'd been searching for all alone appeared before them. Obviously, they were on the scroll. Hotarubi gazed angrily at the group of people before them, but could not help but smile at the carnage they had caused before the idiots finally pulled their ninjas back. Her violet eyes blazed with hatred as a bald muscular man approached them. She raised her fingers into the air and began a chant that surrounded them by her beloved pink butterflies and transported them away from the village.

He was in a hurry to get back to the village so he could see Hotarubi. He'd eagerly given the scroll to Rousai when he asked for it. As long as he gave to someone in the village other than Oboro, he was sure something good would come from it. The girl had resigned herself into falling into a most disgusting state of love with the enemy's second in command. He clasped his hands behind his back as he flipped into the next tree. His feet landed squarely on the hard wood of the thick oak tree underneath him. His dark eyes scanned the area slowly as a sigh escaped him. It was so boring running around in trees sometimes he wanted to just kill himself. His mind floated back to the warmth he felt around himself whenever he was near Hoatarubi. The best warmth he'd ever felt overcame him the first time she lay underneath him with that crooked smile on her face. It was both of their first times; he actually thought he would die before any woman would let him touch her. He leaned back against the tree with his smile even wider than before. Luckily for him, Hotarubi was not just any woman. He jumped to the next tree happily so that he continued his way home.

The village of Tsubakagre never seemed as welcoming as it was at that moment as Hotarubi slowly inhaled the sweet of her home's air. She briskly made her way to the forest with her snake hanging loosely on her shoulder. The animal slithered down her arm and onto the ground as the girl called forth her glowing pink butterflies. She silently questioned them about Yashamaru's whereabouts, but they were as unknowledgeable on the subject as she was. Her fingers reached out to nothing in particular as the butterflies cluttered around. Memories of she and Yashamaru flooded her thoughts.

Yashamaru came to a stunning halt at the sound of Tenzen's voice calling out to him. "Tenzen-sama, show yourself!" The only response he got was a question in regards the trip he and Ogen-sama had taken to Sunpu. Yashamru growled angrily. "Is the reason you can't show yourself to me is because you've moved on into the next world?!" Yashamaru closed his eyes in a brief moment of mock respect after the voice gave him a simple, "Yes." He laughed and told Tenzen-sama what had occurred while he and the old woman had been in Sunpu. A noise behind a large rock called his attention to it.

His nearly invisible strings he used for attack shot out of his shirt arms and wrapped around the large rock. The strong threads of hair began to cut into the rock, but he knew someone was there because they were attempting to hold his weapons at bay. He chuckled loudly and pulled tighter. The strings quickly came together, but a tight hand around his throat made him stop. His weapons shot back up the arm of his shirt. He gasped for air hungrily, but was denied. His eyes widened in horror as the hand at his throat tightened. He gasped at the sight of a bright pink butterfly fluttering into his vision. Was he imagining it?

Hotarubi glared angrily at the swarm of butterflies around her. Her heart pattered down to an unbearable pace as she wrapped her arms around her waist. She lowered her head and began to cry. Rain poured down on her thickly as she stood in the woods thinking on the death of the man she loved most in the world. He would never return to her. Never. She remained standing in that place for another day. She moved when she saw someone unrecognizable approaching the village. She threw a kunai at the person and glared angrily. When the man looked up at her, her heart soared. It was Yashamaru-dono. Her Yashamaru. She ran to him and wrapped her arms around him tightly. Her snake slithered from within her kimono and bit her lover on the finger. She snatched the annoying creature away and threw him into the closest tree. She hastily removed the poisoned from his finger and wrapped it with a piece of cloth. "You attacked me." He said hesitantly. Hotarubi laughed. "Your hair was longer before you left for Sunpu." Her eyes were filled with love and admiration for the man in front of her. She led him towards the village with her hand clasped in his. She could hardly think of things she wanted to say to him. How could she put into words the fear she'd felt when she had thought him dead? How could she tell him she loved him? "We caught a Kouga woman and brought her back here." They walked towards the empty storehouse where They found a naked Mino Nenki naked and the Kouga girl dead. Yashamarau kneeled beside the girl, but Nenki's teasing distracted Hotarubi with teasing that Yahsamaru met another girl along the way, which would explain his returning so late. Hotarubi pulled a hidden knife from her kimono and glared at Nenki. He raised his hands in protest that he was joking.

They turned at the sound of approaching footsteps. Oboro stood in the door with Tenzen beside her and Akeginu at her back. Hotarubi gasped when Yashamaru fell against a stack of barrels as in intense pain. When he looked up, it was not her Yashamaru at all. It was a Kouga man. Before anyone could react, the man ran past them and into the forest. Hotarubi stared wide-eyed at the Kouga woman lying on the floor. She would kill the deceiving bastard that murdered the only person she ever loved in life.

When the chance came for her to fight the man that killed Yashamaru, she was hurt and too filled with grief to even pay attention to the fight. In an earlier altercation, the man had pierced her thigh with a knife. She had bound the wound with a piece of her shirt, but it still bled. That bleeding drained her of much of her energy. But she was determined to avenge her dead lover's death. They stood at a bridge outside of Manjidani. She ran towards him and flipped away just as he made an attempt to hit her. She raised her hands towards her face with them in formation for a spell, but she had begun chanting and did not notice that he had taken her knife. He cut off both her arms. She fell to the ground and pulled herself into a sitting position. It began to rain again. Her vision blurred, and she saw Yashamaru standing in front of her smiling with his hand extended towards her. "Y..Yashamaru-dono." She cried happily as she extended what remained of her arms in an attempt to hug the figure in her vision. A sharp pain in her abdomen distracted her thought for a fraction of a second, but she didn't turn away from the man before her. She smiled as he embraced her tightly. Her body fell to the side and off the cliff. Half way down the long drop to the water, she burst into a swarm of bright pink butterflies. They fluttered into the air wildly and slowly began to disappear. Two lingered and fluttered around as if they dance with one another. Then, they too disappeared. Together.