The Twin Dragon Blades.
This is a rewrite of my story "Hikari no Tamashi". I hope you all enjoy it.
Hikari no Tamashi is a blade forgotten to the annals of time, until one day she opened her soft blue eyes for the first time since she was hidden away by the Takahashi clan, because they didn't want her to fall back into the hands of Oda Nobunaga. She was a sacred blade known as a vassal of the Azure Dragon; one of the Dragon twins.
Chapter 1
What surprised me the most was that I was no longer a sword but a living 15- or 16-year-old teenage girl. I was in a traditional Japanese room, with a couple of teenage boys.
"Hello, welcome to the Citadel. My name is Kashuu Kiyomitsu. May I ask who you are?" Kashuu Kiyomitsu asked smiling at me. Right away, I wanted to punch the guy.
"I am one of the Twin Dragons' Blades, vassal of the Azure Dragon Seiryu and the Light of the Black Dragon Ootachi Hikari no Tamashi. It's nice to meet you," I said as I bowed to the two men in front of me.
Kashuu Kiyomitsu said thoughtfully, "That's a unique name, very beautiful even for a sword warrior."
The other guy spoke up quickly, understanding who I was. "It means 'Soul of Light.'"
"Yes," I said, taking my hood off and revealing my bright blonde hair and soft sky-blue eyes. "And who might you be?"
"It doesn't matter who I am; I'm just a copy," The second guy said, looking away from me. I looked at him confused, head cocked to one side, my eyebrows knitted together.
"Just because you are a copy doesn't mean that you don't have a name or a personality of your own. So may I know your name please?" I said clearly upset with the boy's view of himself.
"Yamanbagiri Kunihiro," replied the second man, pulling back the hood of his cloak to reveal his face.
"It's nice to meet you, Yamanbagiri Kunihiro, even if you are a copy. I still enjoy meeting someone new," I said as I took a step closer to the hidden boy.
"Kashuu I'll leave Hikari no Tamashi to you." Yamanbagiri said turning to leave the dark and dusty room, it reminded me of the hiding spot my former master had placed me in, or that was before the sliding door opened to reveal one of my four brothers. Two who adopted me into their family, one who is my twin brother Yami. And while before me and Yami had been separated we were once the same blade, until a battle with Mikazuki Munechika split us. I don't know if I'll ever see him again, but the brother that came in was one of my adopted brothers; Tachi Shokudaikiri Mitsutada.
"Mitsu," I said as he entered the room.
Mitsutada lifted me off my feet and spun us around. "Kari," he exclaimed.
"I've missed you, Kari," Mitsutada said, putting me back on my feet. "Just wait until Sada hears that you are here."
"So Sada is here, but what about Ookurikara or Yami? What about Doragon?" I asked, completely forgetting about Kashuu Kiyomitsu. While Mitsutada and I had been talking, Kashuu had been standing there silently watching us.
"So, I'll leave Hikari to you, Shokudaikiri. Just make sure that he meets the master sometime today," Kashuu said, smiling as he tried to leave the room. I laughed uncontrollably, while Mitsutada shook his head in amusement.
"Kashuu Hikari is a girl," Mitsutada said as he wrapped his arms around my shoulders.
"How is that possible? I thought all sword warriors were men," Kashuu asked, confused.
"In my introduction, I mentioned that I am the vassal of the Azure Dragon Seiryu. One of the twin dragon's blades, better known as the Yin, Yang Dragon Twins. And where the gods are concerned, that means that my brother and I are complete opposites." I said, putting my hands behind my back and leaning forward so that I was looking at him from under my bangs. Mitsutada placed his hand on my shoulder, while shaking his head. I smiled up at the man before standing at my full height.
"Kashuu, the Gods are very strict when it comes to the phrase 'perfect opposites'. Meaning if one twin is a boy then the other must be a girl. If one is light then the other is darkness," Mitsutada explained to the man in front of him.
"Oh, that makes sense somewhat," Kashuu said, though his tone and facial expression told me that he was still confused. I sighed before pulling my sword out of its sheath so he could see my blade.
"This is my blade. As you can see it's thinner than normal because this is only half of the original blade. When a blade of the gods is cut in half the soul inside is forced to split and become a mirror opposite of each other. Meaning that because the original blade Doragon no Tamashi's soul was also split into two halves became mirror opposites of each other from their gender all the way down to their personalities. I am a girl with blonde hair and blue eyes, and as Yami would put it I am bright and cheery. Isn't that right Yami no Tamashi?" I explained while putting my sword back in its sheath before turning to the sliding door and throwing it open to reveal my twin brother and Sada.
"You hit the nail on the head, Kari," Yami said as he gave me a hug. "It's good to see you again, Hikari, Mitsutada."
"Hey Yami, welcome to the Citadel, also your sister beat you here," Mitsutada said, wrapping his arm around our brother's shoulders while I was busy giving Sada a hug as it had been some time since I last saw him.
"I'm still the older twin," Yami said, turning to Kashuu. "Who is this guy?"
"This is one of the Shinsengumi swords, and the first sword to be summoned in the citadel, Kashuu Kiyomitsu, which belonged to Okita Souji. You have already met our master's attendant Heshikiri Hasebe…" Mitsutada said before I cut him off.
"Heshikiri Hasebe is here? Man I haven't seen him since Nobunaga used him to kill that tea servant who hid in a cabinet." I said looking at my brothers as I left that dark dusty room to be out in the hallway under the lights. I spun around to look at my brothers a big smile on my face. Or that was before I caught sight of Yami and the smirk on his face.
Yami muttered under his breath, "I forgot that crazy man once used Kari to slay... No need to lay the killer intent on so thickly, Hikari." Slowly reaching up, I pulled my blade from its sheath.
"Oh, crap," Sada said as my anger became evident. "Yami, run for it!" My twin ducked under my blade swing and disappeared down the hallway. Mitsutada grabbed my shoulders, holding me back for a moment so that I wouldn't attack Yami immediately.
"Don't kill your brother," Mitsutada said as he released me. I raced after my twin down the hallway and off the porch. I could see Mitsutada, Kashuu, and Sada following us as I chased my brother until I pinned him to the ground, the tip of my blade pressing against the underside of his chin.
Yami held his hands up in front of his face and apologized, "I'm sorry, Kari. I really shouldn't have done that."
"Say it Yami no Tamashi...or else you'll be run through by my blade," I said, pressing my knee into his stomach and my blade against his neck.
"I'm sorry, Kari," Yami said, staring at me as I lowered my sword. "I swear I won't do it again." My brother knew that I knew he was telling the truth because he knew that if he ever did anything like this again, I would hold true to my word and run him through with my blade.
"Don't ever mention that crazy man who used me as a sword again," I said, flipping my sword around and back into its sheath. "Or I won't hesitate to run you through with my blade." I then headed back towards the porch, surprised to find more than just Kashuu, Mitsutada, and Sada watching.
"Thank you for not killing him, Kari," Mitsutada said, holding out his hand to help me back up.
"This is Yami's first and only warning. If he ever brings up what that demon did, I swear to the Azure Dragon that I will run him through with my blade," I said, stretching my arms above my head to get my tense muscles working again. It had been so long since I last saw any form of battle; I was rusty and out of shape.
"I see that you are still as fierce as ever, Hikari no Tamashi," a voice said from behind Mitsutada. Quickly turning around, I saw an old friend, Tsurumaru Kuninaga.
"Tsurumaru Kuninaga, it's good to see you again," I said, reaching out to shake his hand, only to have a tan hand catch me around the neck and pull me face-to-face with Ookurikara. And he didn't look happy.
"Hi Kara. Give us a few minutes to say hello to everyone before you start yelling at us," I said with a smile as I turned to the swords gathered around us. There had to be about ten different swords, some that I recognized and some that Yami probably knew. The glint in Ookurikara's eyes told me that we were in for another long rant, but he still released his grip on my neck. I looked over my shoulder at Yami who was still lying in the grass.
"Yami, get over here now... Kara is mad," I yelled at him before turning to the other swords with a smile on my face. I could see several Awataguchi swords and a few others from my time with Oda Nobunaga. I waited until Yami joined me on the porch. I put up three fingers and started to count down. On one, we bowed together.
"Hello, we are the No Tamashi Twins, please take care of us," we said in unison before standing up straight once more. Only for Ookurikara to grab both of our necks rather harshly.
"How many times do I have to tell you two no fighting?" Ookurikara said before I tuned him out not wanting to listen to his rant again. I've heard this rant so many times that I could probably repeat it off the top of my head. I was watching some of the Awataguchi swords playing with five little white tiger cubs, but because I was so into watching them that I didn't realize that Yami was talking to me. Ookurikara was already gone and Yami was shaking my shoulder trying to get me to respond.
"Hey, are you okay, Kari?" Yami asked as I started to refocus again.
"I'm fine... we both know Kara's rants by heart now, so I just try to focus on something else," I said sitting down on the edge of the porch. I sighed before looking up at Yami and smiling slightly. I watched as he sat down next to me, before leaning my head on his shoulder.
"I know… and Kara knows this too but he has it stuck in his head that if he doesn't scold us every time that we act out then it won't get through our heads that we shouldn't fight." Yami said as he moved to put his hand on my cheek.
"That has never worked before, so why would it work now?" I asked as I reached out to take his other hand.
"I don't know…I really don't know Kari; I've tried to think of everything. Maybe we should ask Mitsutada and Sadamune?" Yami said with a sigh; I sat up straight and turned to look at Yami.
"No, it doesn't matter, Yami," I said, forcing him to look at me. "That's not important. If anything, it shows that Kara really cares about us."
"Good point, Kari," Mitsutada said as he came to stand behind us. "Now if you two are done talking, I can show you up to the master's room." I looked over at him before pushing myself off of the porch to land on the ground. I turned around and hopped back up onto the porch, pulling Yami with me.
"Come on you two," Mitsutada said, waving at us. Soon, Yami and I fell into step with Mitsu as he led us around the citadel. He showed us the main areas such as the bath, training hall, and the back porch before showing us up to the master's room.
"Master, would you like me to clear off your desk?" A voice said from inside the room, and Hasebe's voice was just as annoying as it had been when he was a sword.
"Wait you two; Hasebe is doing his thing…also please remember to use your manners." Mitsutada said putting his hands out to stop us. I reached out after sharing a look with Yami and knocked lightly on the door frame.
"Yes, how may I assist you?" the man inquired as he peered out from behind the door.
"Hasebe, I brought the twins to meet the masters," Mitsutada said, clearing his throat.
"Oh, I'll let the master know. Just give me a second," Heshikiri Hasebe said, closing the door behind him. Five minutes later, we were let back into the room, and a few minutes after that, we were kicked out of the room. In our hands were bells, along with a detailed map for the both of us, our room clearly marked on it.
"Bells and a map," I said, looking down at the bells in my hands, noting that our crest was engraved on each one.
"The master even colored them," Mitsutada said, looking down at the bells hanging over our shoulders. "Blue and black for Kari, and red and black for Yami."
"The Dragon twin blades. One is light and bright while the other is dark and gloomy. Now the question is who is who?" Hasebe asked, looking over our shoulders at the bells.
"I am Hikari no Tamashi, better known as Kokuryu no Hikari," I said, turning to Yami.
"And I am Yami no Tamashi, better known as Hakuryu no Yami," Yami said, before we both bowed to him.
"Ah, that explains everything. I am our Master's faithful attendant, Heshikiri Hasebe. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask me or one of your brothers. There should be clothes for you both in your room," Hasebe said, flourishing his arms before bowing to us.
"It's good to see you again, Hasebe," I said, clasping my hands behind my back and smiling. "I'm sure you don't remember me."
"Hmm should I remember who you are?" Hasebe asked, I sighed before undoing the buttons of my jacket and long sleeves, so that I could roll up my sleeve to show him the mark of the Demon himself.
"You probably remember me better as Hikari no Akuma…Yami just say a word and I will hold true to my warning." I said pulling my sleeve down before fixing the button on my shirt and jacket. I saw Yami hold his hands up before taking a step back.
"The Hikari no Akuma…oh yes, the sword that Nobunaga used to behead anyone who opposed him. The last thing they saw was this bright blue light; the color of the summer sky," Hasebe said as my third name rang a bell.
"I prefer my first name, which comes from the Azure Dragon Seiryu itself," I said, pushing a piece of fallen hair behind my ear.
"While I will keep that in mind," Hasebe said before leaving. I turned to look at Mitsutada and Yami.
"Yami hand the map to Mitsutada, so he could show us to our room. We are staying in," I said wrapping my arm around Yami's. Yami handed the map to Mitsutada; so, he knew which room we were in.
"Right around the corner from mine and Sada's," Mitsutada said, glancing at the map.
"Yay! Is it close to the kitchen?" I said, clapping my hands as we slowly made our way down the stairs. Mitsutada gave a small laugh before turning to me.
"Yes, if you look at this block right here that's the kitchen. Kari keeps this map until you learn your way around." Mitsu said showing me the map. My brothers knew how bad I was with directions. But because I was paying attention to the map, I tripped down the stairs. And I would have tumbled down the stairs face first if Yami hadn't caught me.
"Mitsu, it would be better to wait until we get to the bottom of the stairs before you show Kari the map," Yami said, helping me to straighten up, but not letting go of my arm so that if I tripped again, he would be there to catch me.
"You're right, Yami," Mitsutada said, scratching the back of his head. "I'm so sorry, Kari."
"Why are you apologizing, Mitsu?" I asked as we reached the bottom of the stairs. "I'm the one who asked about the kitchen."
"I'll show you the kitchen after you guys change out of your battle clothes," Mitsu said, turning the corner and pretty much running into a guy. At first, I didn't recognize him, but as soon as I saw his eyes, I remembered who he was.
"Samonji Souza... Oda Nobunaga's caged bird," I whispered under my breath, unaware that he had exceptional hearing and had heard everything I had said.
"Yes, and you are?" Souza asked, looking me over from head to toe. I sighed again before moving to unfasten the buttons on my right sleeve once more. I turned my head to Yami.
"Say anything and you'll run me through with your blade," Yami said, holding his hands up in defense for the second time in the last half hour.
"Good. Souza, you probably know me better as Hikari no Akuma." I said pulling my right sleeve up to show him the mark tattooed on my arm. I was about to replace my sleeves when I heard Yami whisper something under his breath.
"I don't know why he gave you that name, because you are the farthest thing from a demon…you heard that whole thing didn't you Kari?" Yami said before ducking my blade as I was out for his blood.
"Uncontrollable temper, hence why Nobunaga changed his name from Hikari no Tamashi to Hikari no Akuma," Souza said before Mitsutada could stop him. I whipped around and glared at him.
"I'm not a guy, I'm a girl," I said, stomping my foot as my temper got the better of me. Unknowingly causing my blade to start glowing, or that is until something tackled me from behind. A couple of barks were the only clue as to who it was.
"Naga, Kitsune, get off of me," I said, looking over my shoulder at my and Yami's protectors, only to see that they had turned into little puppies.
"Yami, am I seeing this correctly?" I asked blinking at the Kishu puppies, or that was before I caught sight of the ribbons around their necks. A blue and black one around Kitsune's neck and a red and black one around Naga's neck. I looked up at Yami to see that like me, he was surprised, this was before he joined me on the floor as the puppies started running around me barking and nipping, happy to see us.
"They really are Kitsune and Naga," Yami said as Naga started jumping all over him. Kit was doing the same thing with me. "The shrine put those ribbons around their necks the day they came. That's the only way we could tell the two of them apart."
"Hey Mitsutada how long have Kit and Naga been here?" Yami asked trying his hardest not to laugh at the feeling of his protector's tongue.
"I don't know, Gokotai would know better, as he is normally the one to take care of the animals along with his brothers, a few of which Kari knows," Mitsutada said before reaching down to pick both Kit and Naga up, and no matter how much they craned their necks they couldn't seem to reach his cheek. I quickly got to my feet and started playing with the kishu puppies, letting them give me plenty of kisses. Or at least that was before Mitsutada pushed me away.
"Come on, you two can play with the puppies after I finish showing them around the citadel. But first, you need to change out of your battle clothes," Mitsu said, making both me and Yami look down at our clothing. I was wearing a light blue cloak over a blue blazer, white long-sleeved button-up shirt, black pleated skirt, and a pair of black leather flats. My armor was black leather with bronze fasteners covering my chest and back. I turned to look at Yami, taking in his own appearance. Yami was wearing a pair of black trousers, a white button-up shirt under a red blazer, and a pair of black loafers. His armor matched mine.
We both agreed, before reaching out to take the puppy back. However, when we got to the room that the master had indicated on the map; we found that we were sharing it with four other sword warriors. Two of which I knew and the other two were a mystery.
"Kakaka if it isn't Hikari no Akuma..." Yamabushi said with a laugh. Yami put his hand out to stop me from trying to kill him. I sighed with a roll of my eyes before sitting down on the tatami mats.
"It's nice to see you again Yamabushi. I just realized that you are related to Yamabushi; Yamanbagiri. And Yamabushi, my name isn't Hikari no Akuma, it's Hikari no Tamashi, and this is my twin brother Yami no Tamashi..." I said turning to Yami, who was sitting down next to me on the floor.
"We will be in your care; as the master has placed us in this room," Yami said with a small bow, the whole time Naga was trying to bite his hand. To tell the truth, Naga probably thought that Yami was playing around.
"Oh, you two are twins, who is the oldest?" One of the unknown swords asked reaching out to play with Kitsune, who was peacefully sitting on my lap. Or at least he was until the unknown sword got a little too close and almost got bitten.
"I won't do that if I were you, he doesn't like it when people try to touch him. I am the older twin, beat Kari by a whole five minutes. She's been beating me ever since. Oh these are our protector dogs Naga and Kitsune, Kit for short. I hope you don't find me rude but I don't know any of your names?" Yami said catching Kit by his ribbon around his neck before picking him up and placing him back on my lap.
"Kakaka, I am Yamabushi Kunihiro and these are my brothers Yamanbagiri and Horikawa. And over there is Izuminokami Kanesada one of the Shinsengumi swords. He belongs to the Vice Commander Hijikata Toshizou; he is Horikawa's partner. We welcome you two, not only to the citadel but also to our room. These are for you two." Yamabushi said before pushing two piles of clothing towards us. I laid out the outfit that the master had given me; a dark blue blazer, a red sweater vest, red tie, a white long-sleeved button up, a light blue pleated skirt, long white socks, brown loafers, and a blue bag with my crest embroidered on the front. Yami was the same except for the fact that he had trousers instead of a skirt and crew socks.
"Oh, great another girly boy," Horikawa said looking at my outfit.
"I'm not a 'girly-boy' as you put it; I'm actually a girl," I said, glaring at him.
"Yeah right, we all know that sword warriors are guys…holy crap you really are a girl," Kanesada said as he grabbed onto the side of my chest, mostly on the side where my armor wasn't covering.
"Kanesada, I would run if I were you; because you just pissed off my twin brother," I said, folding my clothes back up and putting them into a pile. I watched as Kanesada took off out the door connected to the back porch; Yami and Horikawa following closely behind. I actually had to hold Naga and Kit back by the ribbons around their necks.
"Okay, one twin and two puppies, but I held them back," I said as Yamanbagiri got up to close the door.
"Hikari, I've never heard of Twin Blades before; can you explain?" Yamabushi asked, looking at me with both confusion and wonder. I smiled at him before settling down to tell him how me and Yami came to be.
"Originally me and Yami were one blade, by the name of Doragon no Tamashi, we were a sacred blade of the Shrine of Seiryu the Azure Dragon, then one day a man wielding a sword came and challenged the shrine to see which sword was stronger. The sword was one of the five legendary swords of Japan; Mikazuki Munechika. Mikazuki Munechika was losing until at the last second, he split Doragon down its length creating me and Yami. The Azure Dragon spoke through a shrine maiden and said that we were to be named Hikari no Tamashi the Light of the Black Dragon and Yami no Tamashi the Darkness of the White Dragon, complete and perfect opposites of each other." I said softly petting Kit's head, while Naga was sitting at the door waiting for Yami to come back softly whining, that was before Kit pounced on his brother and started to play. The two stopped the minute Horikawa entered the room looking defeated, I could see Yami not that far behind him dragging Kanesada across the floor.
"Kane met Yami's fist," Horikawa said, catching both puppies as Yami brought Kanesada into the room. Quickly getting up from my seated position on the floor, I moved closer to get a better view of the situation.
"Right hook or left hook?" I asked, pulling out my glasses so that I could get a better look at the bruise forming on Kane's chin.
"Right hook," Yami said before taking Naga from Horikawa, while I took Kit. Yami then moved to stand beside me. He reached over and pushed the lenses up higher on my nose.
"You were aiming for his nose, but he's a good thirteen centimeters taller than you, Yami. The most you could have hit would either be his cheek or chin. If you wanted to hit him in the nose, you would need a half-wall jump to make up the difference in your heights," I said as we moved to take a seat, while Horikawa tried to bring Kane back around.
"And I would have known that if you had been wearing your glasses to begin with, Kari," Yami said, leaning back on his hands. Naga curled up happily in his lap. That was before Kit decided that he wanted to play with his brother. Soon the puppies were running around the room, chasing each other. Not even pausing for a moment as they ran past the unconscious man lying on the floor. As the puppies made their fifth circle around the room, I reached out and stopped Kit, before placing the puppy on top of my neatly folded legs. Hushing him every time he barked, until finally, Kit went back to sleep. I reached up and unfastened the cloak that was laying over my shoulders, before laying Kit on top of it.
"So, Hikari, you wear glasses?" Horikawa asked, giving up on trying to wake his sleeping friend and teammate. I smiled at him as I reached over Naga and pulled Yami's glasses from the inner pocket of his jacket.
"Yes, I am sad to say that I'm nearsighted. However, Yami needs his glasses to read," I said, pushing my glasses to the top of my head before handing Yami both the map and his glasses so that he could find me somewhere I could get changed out of my battle clothes. I had already gathered my clothes up, thinking that now would be a good time if any to get changed, but seeing as the room was filled with boys, I just didn't feel safe. After a few minutes of Yami messing with the map and a blue wax crayon, he handed the map back to me, a clear path to the open-air bath marked.
"Thank you Yami, I'll be back in a few minutes everyone," I said before getting to my feet and making my way to the open-air bath. Yami had mapped out the quickest route, in which I wouldn't meet anyone, seeing as most people were either doing something or hanging out under the huge cherry tree on top of the hill. I wasn't expecting anyone to be using the bath, and luckily the changing area was separate from the bath. However, from the sounds of it, I didn't have much time until the swords taking their baths descended upon me. I quickly got changed and was out of the room, everything stuffed into my bag, before the door to the bath opened. I was out in the hallway, looking for my glasses and the map, so I could get back to the room I was staying in, but I couldn't find the items. I was half tempted to dump my bag out on the floor to search for my glasses and the map when a hand landed on my shoulder, my glasses and the map clutched in its grasp. I took the items from the person's hand, thankful they had found them.
"Yagen found them on one of the benches, and right away he knew they were yours, Hikari no Akuma," a voice I had long forgotten said as he patted my shoulder with his wet hand. I waited until he had gone back into the changing area before turning around.
"Thank you, Ichigo Hitofuri…and the name isn't Hikari no Akuma but Hikari no Tamashi." I said in a whisper just loud enough for me to hear but no one else. I slipped my glasses back on before looking down at the map in my hand. I was just confirming my memory about which way to go, so when I got back to the room, I was staying in I found Kanesada and Yami fighting while Horikawa was holding onto both Kit and Naga. I dropped my bag on the floor before picking up Kit who was about to break out of Horikawa's hold on him. I sighed lifting the puppy so he was laying across my chest. I turned to the other three swords silently asking how long this had been going on.
"Kane made a snide remark about how you couldn't possibly be a girl even though he had already touched your chest," Horikawa said, wrapping his arms around Naga, who was now holding onto one puppy instead of two.
"Ah, and Yami couldn't explain it in a civilized manner?" I asked as I sat down on the floor, next to the other sword.
"While Yami did explain everything in a civilized manner, Kane just didn't believe him. Yami put it in a way so that Yamabushi could understand it. He said that since the Azure Dragon decreed that you two would be perfect mirror opposites of each other, one of you is a girl and the other is a boy. You are light while he is darkness. In other words, the perfect yin and yang pair," Horikawa said, petting Naga's head softly. I sighed before getting up from my spot on the floor, Kit sleeping peacefully in my arms.
"…I'm warning you, Izuminokami Kanesada, if you touch my sister again, my fist will be the least of your concerns," Yami said, getting right in Kanesada's face.
"And why is that Yami no Tamashi?" Kanesada said as he pushed my twin away from him. "You are not even scary." I sighed before getting in between the two swords. Softly stroking Kit's head.
"Yami would be the least of your concerns Izuminokami Kanesada, there is a reason why Yamabushi calls me Hikari no Akuma…I am not someone you want as an enemy. On top of that I have four brothers that care about me a lot and will rip you to shreds if you ever think about touching me again…" I said cracking my neck several times over. I watched as all the color drained from Kanesada's face, he was out of the room before I even had the chance to push my glasses up on my nose. It was then that Kit yawned big and wide, I broke out laughing at the puppy's antics breaking the tension hanging in the room.
"And Kit solved getting Kari to calm down," Yami said as he also broke out laughing. Both me and Yami sat on the floor still laughing. It was then that someone knocked on the door behind us. Horikawa placed Naga in Yami's lap, before getting up and answering the door. Turns out that it was Mitsutada who was coming to get the two of us for a picnic with the other sword warriors.
"Now Hikari and Yami, please don't start anything with Mikazuki Munechika. We frankly don't need you two to go on a rampage," Mitsu said as we all made our way outside of the Citadel, towards the huge cherry tree.
"Hey, we got some new sword warriors… and there are the puppies that Gokotai has been taking care of." A black-haired boy, one of the Awataguchi swords. One that I knew from my time with Oda Nobunaga.
"Hello...it's Atsushi Toushirou correct?" I asked as Yami rolled out the blanket that Mitsutada had carried out. Everyone looked over at me.
"What is it that's so strange? I know your name. We've met before, but you don't know who I am," I said, confused, my head tilted to one side.
"Kari, the buttons on your shirt are open around your chest and everyone can see your…um…bra," Yami said, clearing his throat with a soft cough. I quickly turned around and fixed the buttons on my shirt before adjusting the top of my red sweater vest. I shared a look with Yami who gave me a thumbs-up, confirming that I was okay now.
"I am so sorry, everyone," I smiled apologetically at the others.
"You're a girl... how is that even possible?" a black-haired man said, pointing a finger at me.
"Oh, Hikari no Tamashi. It's been some time since I've last seen you. And I see that your brother is here as well." Ishikimaru said standing up with a smile on his face.
"No way Ishikimaru, long time no see. And thank you for not calling her by the name given by Oda Nobunaga…don't give me that look Hikari, I didn't say that name; just that he changed your name to something else." Yami said holding his hands up as I slowly reached for the handle of my blade, laying across my back.
"Hikari, I told you no rampages," Mitsu said as he came to stand beside me and Yami. I tilted my head forward, letting my long hair cast a shadow over my face, before throwing it back in laughter from the bottom of my heart.
"You two had this planned from the beginning," Mitsu said as he put his hand to his forehead.
"No, this was all on the fly," Yami explained as I laughed uncontrollably. "Kari just wanted to shock people into realizing that girls could be sword warriors too. She was tired of everyone calling her a guy."
"While that's what you get for playing a prank on everyone," Yami said as he squatted down next to me. I had just gotten the seven animals off of me when a fox landed on my stomach.
"She gives off this aura that just draws us to her," the fox said, snuggling his head against my stomach.
"Okay, I'm not sure if that is a good thing or a bad thing, but one thing I do know is that, what you are feeling is the power of the Azure Dragon," I said as I lifted the fox off my stomach and placed it on the ground next to me. I then climbed to my feet and started brushing the grass off of my skirt and socks while Yami brushed off the back of my jacket.
"Okay you two do an introduction for everyone," Kashuu said as he pushed us towards the base of the cherry tree. I couldn't say anything when Yami grabbed my hand and pulled me out in front of everyone.
"On three Kari...one, two, three...hello we are the No Tamashi twins...I am Yami no Tamashi and this is my twin sister..." Yami said.
"…I'm Hikari no Tamashi. We are vassals of the Azure Dragon, Seiryu. Though imperfect," I said waving at everyone. The last comment was a whisper that only me and Yami could hear. I could feel the blood oozing down my back, from the open cuts littering it. And I could tell from looking at Yami that he was feeling the same thing. I let Yami pull me back over to our brother who held out two cups of orange juice."
"Here, you two still hate sake, right?" Mitsu asked as he handed us our cups.
"Yes, how Doragon was able to drink that stuff is still a mystery to us," Yami said, leaning back on his hands, feet stretched out in front of him. I sat next to Sada quietly listening to all his tales from his time here.
"While Doragon was a sacred blade, treated as if it were a god itself, and god-like swords are often given sake offerings... " Mitsu said before tipping back his head to take a drink of his alcohol.
"Excuse me…Hikari no Akuma…I mean Hikari no Tama-shi can I…um…sit with you?" A small white-haired boy asked. I looked up at him confused, trying to place him somewhere in my memories.
"Sure…you are going to have to forgive me but who are you?" I said moving closer to my twin brother.
"I'm Gokotai…I'm one of Ichigo Hitofuri's brothers…I have also been taking care of the puppies." Gokotai said sitting down between me and Sada.
"It's nice to officially meet you, Gokotai. This is my twin brother, Yami. And the puppies' names are Kitsune, Kit for short, and Naga," I smiled at him.
"They have names?" Gokotai asked, looking at the two puppies playing with the pack of tiger cubs.
"Oh yeah, they have names because they were protectors of a god's vassals. So, the shrine's maidens gave them a name fitting their status," Yami explained, looking at the boy from his seat next to Mitsu.
"Wow, I didn't know that," Gokotai said, looking at my brother, his eyes sparkling.
"While the shrine has protectors for us, since we are not as strong as our big brother," I said, leaning my side against Yami.
"You two have a big brother?" One of the other Awataguchi swords asked.
"Yeah, but unlike you and your brothers, who were forged by the same person, me and Yami were created when our original form was split down its length," I said smiling at the sword.
The little pink-haired boy sitting down on the other side of Mitsu asked, "What's his name?"
"Our brother's name is Doragon no Tamashi. We haven't seen him since the day we were separated from him. But I know we will see him again..." I said, gripping my tie and the pendant hidden beneath my shirt and vest.
"I also noticed that the Master went with a school uniform for you two, and it looks so cute. Hikari no Akuma, do you remember me?" A long-haired blonde boy said, clapping his hands. I looked at him, thinking back on my time with Oda Nobunaga.
"If I'm not mistaken, you are the Tantou Midare Toushirou and you are Akita Toushirou," I said, pointing to each sword in turn.
"Wow, you're right," Midare said as Akita moved to sit on my lap. I wrapped my arms around him before leaning my chin on top of his head. It was then that Ichigo Hitofuri came running over to us.
"I'm sorry if my brothers were bothering you, Hikari no Akuma," Ichigo said, reaching out to pick up Akita. I smacked his hand away gently and continued to hold Akita in my arms. I nuzzled my cheek against her soft hair.
"Akita is always welcome to sit on my lap, after all, he is like family to me. Also, I know habits are hard to break, but my name isn't Hikari no Akuma, it's Hikari no Tamashi. Hikari no Akuma is the name that Oda Nobunaga gave me," I said as Yami wrapped his arm around my shoulder.
"So, this is the famous Akita Toushirou I've heard so much about. I gotta say thank you for always looking out for my baby sister. You were there for her when everyone else was afraid," Yami said as he ruffled Akita's baby-fine hair.
"I'm glad I was able to help. Truthfully, though, it was Yagen who told me that Hikari needed a hug," Akita said, grabbing onto Yami's hand, clearly trying to stop Yami from messing up his hair anymore. I put my hand on my brother's shoulder and pushed him with all my might, sending him rolling down the hill.
"What was that for, Hikari?" Yami yelled from the spot where he had landed.
"Akita didn't like you doing that," I said, getting to my feet. I met him halfway, arms crossed over my chest, all my weight on my left leg.
"Did you have to use your full strength?" Yami asked, confused as he mirrored my stance. I raised my eyebrow at him.
"Yes. I promised Mitsu that I wouldn't cause a bloodbath. But I never promised him that I wouldn't beat the living daylights out of you if you pissed me off," I said, cocking my head to one side.
"You two just arrived today, and you're already fighting," Hasebe said as he came to stand between the two of us.
"Shut up Hasebe, this has absolutely nothing to do with you," Yami said as he reached for the handle of his sword lying across his back. I mirrored his every move. I was about to tell Hasebe that this was one of Yami's plans to spread a blessing of protection over all the swords at the citadel. However, I did let Mitsu know what was going on with a note, which I handed to Akita.
Hasebe stepped back and asked, "What's gotten into you two?" As we swung our swords in a downward arc, sparks flew as our blades clashed.
"I don't know what is going on with those two. Mitsutada, do you know what's going on?" Kashuu asked, watching as we performed our ritual of protection.
"The twins are doing a ritual of protection over the citadel and all who live there. They know what we do is dangerous so as a gift for welcoming them here the twins wanted to cast a blessing. Though the beginning often makes it seem like they are fighting." Mitsutada said watching us.
Hasebe asked, "Why couldn't they have just said that?"
"No, the ritual actually begins with them fighting. This protection is actually the two halves of the vassals of the Azure Dragon clashing trying to find even ground." Ishikimaru said watching as they performed their ritual. In a large circle around everyone finally coming to a stop at the base of the cherry tree. Swords pointing at each other's necks.
"With that, we bless those that live in this place; with love and protection. In the name of the Azure Dragon, as his vassals of light and darkness, we ask that you all accept our blessing with open arms," Me and Yami said, bowing at everyone before us, swords still held to the other's neck. Everyone looked at Ishikimaru who stepped forward, hands held out.
"Thank you, vassals of the Azure Dragon, Hikari and Yami no Tamashi; for spreading a blessing of protection over the citadel and all who live here," Ishikimaru said, placing a hand on both my and Yami's shoulders.
"We are but imperfect vassals, who have no right to be welcomed by such a sacred sword." We said at the same time as we dropped to our knees in front of Ishikimaru. We were both drained and worn out. My vision was slowly turning black, and I couldn't make out what Ishikimaru was saying anymore, this was most likely due to the blood loss. I lost my grip on my sword handle as I fainted. The last thing I remember was Ookurikara holding me in his arms calling my name while shaking my shoulder. When I woke up my head and back were throbbing, I was laying in a dimly lit room, laying on my stomach in a thick futon. Bandages wrapped tightly around my chest and back. I was confused about where I was until I looked around me to see that Yami was right next to me sleeping. His hair was all over the place and I would of reached out to fix it, if not for the massive amount of pain I felt when I tried to stretch out my arm.
"So, when you tried putting the twins in the repair room, their swords tried to merge together," Hasebe said from somewhere off to my left.
"Yes…which is strange because the twins are two separate swords," a voice I could vaguely remember said from the same direction as Hasebe.
"Most people think that, but no, the twins were not originally two separate blades; they were once the same sword," Mitsu said, cutting into the conversation, clearly concerned.
"The twins are not like regular swords…what happened?" The second voice said.
"That's right, if I remember the story correctly, the twins were made after their original form was split in half during a battle with Mikazuki Munechika," Hasebe said before sliding open the door into the room. I turned my head to block out the blinding white light that came into the room when the door opened.
"Hasebe, close the door; it's too bright," I said, pulling the futon cover over my head while trying to block the light by burrowing my face into the pillow under me. That was when everyone rushed into the room, surprised that I was awake. In five minutes, everyone was crowding around the room, looking at the back of my head, confused. Mitsutada squatted down next to my head, before running his fingers through my hair.
"Hey Hikari, how are you feeling?" Mitsu asked, pulling the futon cover over my head as the light got to me.
I mumbled, "Close the door; it's too bright." I could hear him chuckle before getting up and moving around the room. He was whispering to Hasebe and another person before closing the door, blocking the light from entering the room.
"Okay, Kari, the door is closed; you can come out from under your futon," Mitsu said as he patted my shoulder through the futon cover. Slowly pushing the cover off of my head, I looked up at him.
"So how are you feeling, Kari?" Mitsu asked as he sat down on the floor next to me. I rolled over onto my back before sitting up and smiled slightly at him.
"My head and back hurt, but I know it's because of the blood loss," I said, letting my shoulders slump forward, trying to take some pressure off of my back. It didn't help that just sitting up caused more pain than anything else. At least, that was until Mitsu pushed me back down onto the futon.
"You can rest, Kari," Mitsu said before pushing a bit of my hair out of my face. I leaned into the touch and relaxed into the thick mat. I was lying on my side facing my brother, when Yami kicked me in my back. I rolled over to look at him, only to see that he was still sleeping and it was clear that he was having a nightmare.
"I better wake him up," I said as I started to move to get up from under the futon covers. Before I could stand though, Mitsu put his hand on my shoulder and got up from his spot on the floor, moving over to the other side of Yami and starting to shake his shoulder nonstop, clearly trying to get Yami to wake up.
"Come on Yami, you need to wake up," Mitsu said after five minutes of shaking our brother's shoulder. I sighed before getting up and turning to Yami. I took my pillow and hit Yami's head a few times, which truly was the only way I could ever get him to wake up. But after three hits, Yami was awake, complaining that his back was throbbing, so I was the only one with a throbbing head.
"Why is my back throbbing?" Yami asked as he sat up on his futon. "This isn't the room we share with the Kunihiro brothers." I smacked him with my pillow before lying back down, drained and most likely bleeding out once again.
"Good morning, Kari," Yami said, looking down at me while Mitsu tried his hardest to muffle his laughter. I rolled my eyes before hissing as I pulled my back as I turned over so I was facing away from them. Unknowingly showing them the results of me waking Yami up.
"Um... Kari, you're bleeding," Yami said, still not noticing our brother in the room. I sighed before taking my pillow, which was currently lying over the side of my head, and throwing it at Yami, who dodged it. My throw was nowhere near my normal strength, so when it hit Mitsu, the most it did was mess his hair up slightly. Yami was trying, and failing, to hide his laughter; or that was before Mitsu grabbed his neck and squeezed.
"Oh, good morning Mitsutada," Yami said, smiling at our brother. I was about to apologize for throwing the pillow when the door slammed open and in came Sada and Kara, both clearly worried.
"Kari, Yami, are you okay?" Sada asked, coming to a stop beside me. I sat up and turned to my brothers, putting my hand on Sada's cheek and squeezing it gently.
I turned Sada's head so he was facing the door. "Please close the door," I said. Even though I had been awake for a few minutes, the outside light was still too bright. I let Sada go so that he could get up and close the door.
"Okay, Kari is still as scary as ever," Sada said as he moved to sit back down next to me, Kara not that far behind him.
"No, Kari has a headache," Mitsu said as she moved to sit in between me and Yami, pushing the two of us so we were lying down, before placing cold compresses over our foreheads. All the while, Mitsu made sure that my eyes were covered, hoping that it would help relieve the headache. I sighed in relief at the cool sensation that spread across my head from the cloth. Someone picked up my hand.
"I hope you two get better soon, because there is so much we all want to show you both," Sada said, rubbing his hand against my cheek. That was the last thing I remembered before falling asleep.