So… I know I'm posting quickly, but your reviews compel me to do so, so you know you only have yourselves to fault. And if you guys keep reviewing like you have been, I'll be sure to post as best I can for you.
It took two hours, with Hiraru on Sano's shoulder, for her to tap in the symbols. They were each no bigger than her hand with her fingers spread wide, where many of the others were so big you could read them from twenty or thirty feet away. She'd pulled the chisel and hammer out of the back of her chest bindings, then using Sano's knee, hand and finally shoulder she stepped onto his shoulders. She was no heavier than she'd been four months ago, if anything she was lighter, so Sano had little trouble standing there with her on top. It was odd though, Sano had to keep resisting the idea of looking up. He knew Hiraru would kick him in the face if he did. Finally the tapping stopped, "Done," Hiraru said, "If you'll just let go of my ankles…"
Sano nearly looked up as he stopped supporting her, but quickly looked back down. One minute Hiraru's weight was on her shoulders, then it was just gone. There was a splash behind him and he turned. Hiraru was right behind him, looking at where she'd been working. Sano turned but Hiraru grabbed him first. "Don't," She said, "You promised you wouldn't."
Sano turned back to her and leaned down to her level, "And you promised you'd tell me what your truth was."
Hiraru looked at him, calmly. Then quickly she went forward and put her lips to his. As quickly as she'd come forward she backed away, "Sanosuke…" She backed up until she was hip deep in the water, "The night you came out and apologized to me, I decided to like you. When I saw you again I couldn't believe it… Do you know why I was so afraid to tell you the truth? The truth about who I was?"
Sano just blinked, surprised by the sudden kiss.
"It was because I didn't want you to hate me," She said when he didn't speak, "I could stand the others being angry at me, but you. I couldn't live with that. It was because I'd fallen in love with you. That is my truth to you. Sano, I love you, but I don't think it matters anymore, because soon I'll be stuck here, and you'll be back in Tokyo with the others." She turned her back to him, "We should be heading back to the temple, Everyone will be getting worried. Getting out of here is tricky. It'll be easier if you let me guide you."
Sano rocked on his heels, this was a completely different side of Hiraru. A second ago she'd been telling him she loved him, the next she was like a block of ice. He took several breaths before he walked forward and slipped his hand into hers. She looked at him with that same veiled expression. "Haru…" He started.
"Let's go…" She started forward pulling on his hand.
Sano didn't budge, he pulled on her hand and brought him to her. He trapped her in his arms and pressed his lips to hers, until she relaxed and seemed to be enjoying the kiss. He pulled away, she whimpered, and looked up at him pleading. "I don't hate you, Haru," He said. "I don't know if I love you, but I'd protect you with my life if you'll let me."
Hiraru looked at him pleadingly for another moment then looked away, "We need to get back." She wiggled out of his hold and turned back to the waterfall, "Follow me." She walked around the edge of the hip deep part until she was right in front of the left part of the waterfall. She looked at him, "Come on. This is the tricky part."
Sano joined her. Hiraru grabbed his hand and reached through the waterfall. Her hand found something and she surged forward, pulling Sano after her. Sano never realized how much water there was until he was under it for longer than he thought he could hold his breath. The pull from the waterfall was stronger than him, and he couldn't pull up. The only thing that held him in place was Hiraru's hand. He couldn't feel anything but her hand and the water dragging him down.
They left behind the place of truth, and the truth Haru had chiseled into the wall. It might have been a simply written word, but it had been a difficult word for Hiraru to leave behind. In the dark corner of the bowl shaped cave was the freshly written symbols for Freedom, Jiyuu.
When Sano broke through the surface, Hiraru pulling at his hand and then his shoulders. He coughed up half the pool, Hiraru patting him on the back. "Breath, cough then breath again."
Sano did as told, then rolled on his back panting, "How did you learn to get out of there?"
Hiraru shrugged, as she wrung out her hair, "I was stuck in there for three hours when I finally found it. That was the only thing that worked." She flung her still wet hair over her shoulder and walked to where she'd left her clothes hanging on a branch. She dug through them for a minute until she found what she was looking for. It was a beaten up kimono, she used it to start drying herself, then her hair.
Sano felt bad about the Kimono, if he remember correctly all the kimono she'd been wearing were heavily detailed. Out of the corner of her eye Hiraru noticed Sano watching the kimono. "Don't worry," She said looking away from him again, "This is my kimono, not my ceremonial robes. I wore it to keep the fine kimono from getting sweaty."
Sano shrugged and stepped behind a bush. He pulled off his white pants and wrung them out, "Those Kimono of yours all have really delicate embroidery on them, Is there some sort of theme?" He asked more to make sure she was still on the other side of the bush than to know.
"Yes." The answer was short and sweet, obviously she had no intention of telling him more, of her own will.
"Really?" He asked, "What is it? The theme I mean."
"Angel." She said.
"Uh?" He poked his head out of the bush to find her unwrapping her chest bandages. He blushed and ducked behind the bush.
"The theme behind the shrine maiden's ceremonial robes is to be a celestial maiden, in other words an Angel." She said, "The feathers represent wings which we gave up to protect the temple. The dragons on Tatsou's stand for the heavenly power behind his sword."
"You've got different robes for tomorrow," Sano said as he pulled his own robes on, his white pants were too wet for him to wear with the Hakama, "Right?"
"Yes."
"What do they stand for?"
Hiraru sighed, "The under robe will be the same as the outer robe I've been wearing today. The next robe will be light blue with light gray embroidery that looks like mist, it will symbolize that I will stand strong like the mountain, cloaked in its mist. The next will be a golden orange, with red oak leaves, to look like fire which my spirit will burn like. The next is light green, with small flying leaves to remind them that I am as mysterious as the forest. Then a royal blue with koi and bubbles to show that I am playful and light hearted for the children and kind to the people. Then a light purple will rest on my shoulders with dark purple flowers, to symbolize the connection I hold with this land and her people. Next a dark red kimono with black leaves to show that like the fall, I bring harvest, a chance at live and hope for the future. The last is a thin gauze that will rest over all this, to remind the people that like the kimono I have many layers and which one I show is up to me." She took another deep breath and Sano picked up the sound of cloth being pulled tight.
He pulled his own socks and straw sandals and stepped out to see her pulling her tabi. Hiraru whistled lightly calling Katsu to her, she pulled his saddle on him. "I had no clue Kimono could mean that much," Sano said leaning on Katsu next to the area she was working in.
"Every action, every piece of cloth, every sound," Hiraru said articulating each word with an action, "holds meaning in the ceremony for the Hiraru. It's like a wedding in that way." She gave a final sigh and checked Katsu's bridle a final time before she swung up, graceful as a breath of air. She offered her hand to Sano, "Ride or walk? If you walk I'll have to leave you in the dust. There's something I have to do before the night festivities can begin."
Sano shrugged and took her arm, scrabbling up behind her, nowhere near as graceful as Hiraru's actions. When he thought he was firmly in place hanging on to the back of Hiraru's saddle he looked over her shoulder, "If I fall off, I'm taking you with me."
She chuckled, it was still a hollow noise, but something was a little more real about it. Hiraru urged Katsu forward, he moved at a smooth pace but Sano's hands when from clutching the saddle to wrapped around Hiraru's waist.
Oh… what predicament I'm placing Sano in… *Grins* Don't you just love it? If you do, or don't, TELL ME. I want to know! So REVIEW!