Chapter 1 ~New Life~
It was a cold morning in early spring when Hijikata Toshizo and Yukimura Chizuru arrived at their destination. They came to the top of a small hill and saw below them the village, their new home.
The sun had not yet touched the valley, and the only perceptible movement was in the pale smoke that blurred the rigid curves of the tile and wood rooftops. Beyond the village to the east, a shrine emerged slowly into the dawn. The base of the village was black and its walls were featureless, a shape without dimension against the brightening sky.
The two of them could see the pass that would take them over the mountain and down to the river valley so they could reach the village.
Hijikata Toshizo is the former commander of the Shinsengumi and the only survivor of the war against the Imperials. The fate of many of his men is unknown to him, a regret he will carry with him. Yukimura Chizuru of the Yukimura clan was the demon who lived with the Shinsengumi for four years, during all this time she fell in love and agreed to marry the former commander.
In a strange and fast ceremony, requested by him, Toshi married Chizuru before they set out on the road to start their new life. They chose to be in the countryside, far away from any noise. They needed to live for one another, and have the chance to see the cherry blossom trees any chance they got.
"Here we are," Toshi said with a smile. He touched Chizuru's shoulder and pulled her closer to him.
Chizuru's face turned into shades of red from the sound of his voice so close to her ear. His voice always made her shiver. Deep down Chizuru felt anxious the closer they were to their home. The two of them are married, but they didn't get the chance to be . . . intimate yet.
It was abhorrent to have such thoughts, she loves him and he loves her, it should be fine for the two of them to express that love. However, she was told it was normal to feel nervous and unsure when it's the first time. It should be fine later.
"Eh." With a small sigh that puffed into the cold air, she let go of him as the two stood. Toshi rinsed his bowl in a stream that ran by the hilltop temple where he stopped to drink tea. Chizuru put out the little fire she had made before they began the descent into the valley.
It took them a little over an hour to arrive at the houses on the edge of the village. The village homes were stamped in the wide valley as if placed by some careful and meticulous collector. They saw a number of people walk out of their houses to start their day.
" I think the—" She was cut off at the sight. Next to her stood Toshi, his hair was shining silver which it seems he failed to notice. "Your hair…?" she whispered.
Toshi seemed to be confused for a second and didn't understand what she was trying to say. In moments, it appeared like a shade of darkness raced to the horizon. It was like the world quickly entered a late stage of an evening with a setting sun in every direction. A dark shade casted over everything.
That orange circular twilight represents renewal or an ominous omen from the perspective of an observer.
Toshi gazed back at her, concern evident in his eyes. "Keep your head down," he whispered and took her hand.
"An eclipse?" she asked in a low voice.
"Umm…"
They say the eclipse is a sign of danger, and everyone should stay inside their homes or keep their heads down while walking down the stairs. She felt her heart slam against her rib cage. It's been a while since she felt terrified and stressed. She couldn't say that she missed such a feeling.
At least this time she is not alone.
They heard the hustle and bustle of the village suddenly as the people from all over set up in the market square. They seemed to have some kind of giddy anticipation for an event happening that was evident. The constant chatter squeaking of axles and clip-clop of shoes provided a soft background noise to their conversations and confusion about the sudden vanishing of the sun.
"Your hair changed as well Chizuru," Hijikata said.
"And then," a man said, puffing his chest out and rolling back his shoulders, "we shall remain strong and fight back our destiny no matter what."
It sounded like he was trying to encourage everyone around him. A piece of heartwarming music to her ears, Chizuru thought to herself. A couple of eyes followed their every move, others pointed at them while they murmured something inaudible.
Perhaps this village doesn't welcome newcomers or isn't used to seeing new faces as often and is very wary of strangers coming into their very close-knit village. They took a left turn and started heading down the road for the location of their home. It's a space they purchased from a man they met and befriended on the road.
He offered them this house since he has no use for it anymore. He was leaving the country. An opportunity they didn't miss out on. Ever since the war ended they were homeless, and they needed to start fresh.
The farther they went into the road the less noise they heard. Their house was located under a massive trunk of an oak tree, and a shadow covered the place with streaks of light peeking through the trunk of the tree. It created a comfy atmosphere all over the place.
"Welcome home." Toshi gazed up at their house.
"Finally."
Chizuru beamed and went ahead in front of him and opened the sliding wood door. She laid their bags on the ground and heaved a breath.
The house was neither small nor large. A perfect space for the two of them. To their left, they could see the kitchen. Down the hall, they could see two rooms, and there is a sliding door in front of them that leads to the backyard.
Toshi took hold of their bags and went on ahead to check their room. The first thing he spotted was an amount of dust that gathered in the place with each step he took. It seems the man who sold them the place has not been in it for a long time. They have a job to do before they can settle and rest.
He opened the door to his left, the room was wide enough, the walls were decorated with pale blue and white flowers. The door on the other side was left slightly open and a number of leaves snuck inside the room. He left their bags at the corner and lifted up his sleeves.
"Time to get to work."
The moment he got out of the room, he spotted Chizuru in front of him with a broom in her hand. Her hair was black again. The constant sound of swishing echoed through the house.
"I will go fetch some water," he told her but before he left for the backyard he noticed a weird look in her eyes. They seem to be distant and glassy."Are you alright?"
Chizuru stopped for a moment and sighed. "We will talk later, we need to clean up the place first."
Still, her attitude bothered him, but she was correct, they need to finish first to be able to rest at last.
Chizuru watched him as he opened the door. His hair turned white again the moment he stepped outside. The eclipse must be the reason for this. It reveals their true identity.
The backyard was filled with weeds and overgrown trees; it needed a lot of maintenance to make them look clean and lively again. Right in the middle, there was a well.
She needed to just talk to him to open up about her worries so far. He is her husband after all.
It took her three hours to fully sweep the hall and the kitchen and to get rid of the leaves in their bedroom. Toshi took over and scrubbed the place down with water, one room at a time while Chizuru helped with filling up the bucket. Chizuru looked through their bags and fetched the sum of money they had left. She emptied the contents on the ground and started to count what was left for them. She could hear Toshi moving about every once in a while.
"Alright, this could make ends meet for at least a month," she murmured. "But then we need to find a job to keep on living."
"I have seen farmers here." Toshi came in and cut off her train of thoughts. "I could ask them if they want to hire a helping hand. We will be fine."
"Right," she said with a smile. "I think I will go out and see what I can buy for dinner later."
Toshi nodded.
By the time she walked out of their house, the eclipse was finished. The sun had risen and the roads were slightly crowded with vendors, farmers and horse caravans. To her surprise, she realized most of these people were going to the shrine on the far side of the village.
"'Maybe they have a special day to go there, a festival maybe?"' It was not really her place to question such things.
She couldn't help but smile. She was wearing a green kimono and let her dark hair loose to the middle of her back. It still felt strange to be wearing women's clothing again, after she spent years disguised as a man. Vendors misread her small, polite smile, and called to her to look at what they were selling.
She stopped each time she was addressed, and with raised eyebrows and creased brow, gave dutiful attention to the items for sale. But when the merchants saw that she did not intend to buy anything, they turned their attention to other customers. Chizuru continued on her way.
She spotted an old man who had what she needed for dinner, some rice and a bunch of vegetables.
"Hello Mister, I would like to buy some things from you," she said with a smile.
The old man nodded in silence. Chizuru couldn't help but notice he was watching her every move while she gathered a couple of things, to the point it felt like there was a gun pointed at her head.
"Um this is what I need," she commented nervously as she handed him the bags and placed the coins upon his wooden table.
Her eyes caught the sight of the shrine. From the looks of it, the entire village seems to be going through the entrance.
"It has begun," the old man finally spoke. "The Prophecy that was yet to be seen is becoming true."
"What Prophecy, may I ask?" said Chizuru.
However, the old man spoke no more, perhaps because she was a new resident, the villagers might not trust her immediately. The old man handed her the bag full of groceries and just slightly bowed his head as a thank you. She didn't know what else to do so Chizuru headed back home, thinking it's better to be there for now.
By the time they finished fixing up the house, it was almost dusk. Their home had the fresh smell and the odor of her dinner all over the living room. Toshi was sitting on the threshold of the opened door watching the backyard and the night sky. He clasped a cup of tea in his hand.
As Chizuru prepares the futon, her heart feels like it is about to burst from her chest at any moment now.
This was it, there is nothing else left that could distract them.
She swallowed a lump in her throat.
"Come and join me Chizuru."
"Right," she replied a bit stiff, and took a seat next to him, she immediately felt the chill in the air. Moonlight shone platinum-gold amid the starlit heavens.
An awkward silence fell between them for a moment.
"I feel something is strange about this village, or maybe I'm just being a little paranoid?" Her questions broke the silence. "The eclipse somehow exposes our true nature."
"I understand," he replied. "But you shouldn't worry about that. After all, we are just a couple with silver hair, nothing more."
He has a point there, not that many people know about the existence of demons and what they look like.
"But . . ."
He faced her and placed his fingers on her mouth.
"Stop worrying too much, we will be alright. We have each other."
Toshi lip's formed a gentle smile knowing full well that he was about to seduce her. Even before she felt his hands, her lungs expanded with briny air. But once again nervousness overtook her, she flinched slightly and turned away from him. She was aware of the look he was giving her, he must be thinking she does not desire his touch. That's far from the truth.
"I . . . " she whispered. "I'm scared. I'm sorry."
His face softened and his hand touched her cheek, a gentle touch she always liked.
"It's alright. You should feel comfortable talking to me about this. I'm your husband."
It felt like a rock had been lifted from her chest, she chuckled. Her cheeks flushed.
"Thank you. I just didn't know how to start . . . this conversation."
Still, every time she tries to look him in the eyes her heart flutters.
"Who would have imagined?" Toshi said with a smirk."Yukimura herself is actually a blushing bride. Knowing you, it is unbelievable."
"Oh stop it." She laughed and lightly punched him in the shoulder.
He placed the cup to the side and took a hold of her arms. Without realizing it, she was resting on his chest. She could hear his heartbeat and sense his breathing. That was enough to flair up her desire for him even more. She lifted her head slightly and her lips alight on his cheek like a dew freckled petal caught in a breeze, so soft and with the smallest hint of coolness. He drew his face in closer to her own and their lips grazed one another. He could still see the hesitation in her eyes so he didn't go any further.
"So, talk to me. Why do you feel there is something wrong with this village?"
She laid her head down on his chest and took a breath.
"When I was out to buy dinner necessities, everyone was going to the shrine. The old man I bought groceries from said something: 'It has begun and the prophecy that was yet to be seen is about to come true'."
He was silent for a moment allowing her words to sink in. It sounds like an omen of some kind, no wonder she felt uneasy about it.
"What would you say if we talked to the locals tomorrow? Befriend some of them to see if there is a custom we don't know about."
He ran his fingers through her hair. To his surprise, she nuzzled forward and turned this connection into a kiss. Her soft lips caressed his own not innocently, almost like a tease. She licked his lips and he followed for a second. It was fiery, passionate, and demanding. After a moment of strangeness, the initial motions ceased and he realized what happened.
"Are you sure?" he asked.
She nodded, gasping for air in order to assure him of her consent. "I need to get over my fears. I want you."
Without hesitation, they embraced one another. Their faces united once more. Her plump, velvety lips compelling against his slimmer, warm ones, dancing around and soon bonding together.
Their moment was interrupted by a knock. More knocks followed with the next one sounding louder and more urgent than the ones before. Chizuru pulled herself off of him. "Who is that?"
Toshi pulled himself to a sitting position. "Stay here, I will go and see."
He hurried to their living room and searched through one of their bags for his sword that he hoped he won't need to use anytime soon. He pulled the blade out of its sheath and hurried towards the front door.
Chizuru stood at the end of the hall, her hand on her heart.
Toshi stood in front of the shaking door, frozen for a moment, mentally preparing for any possible fight. He breathed one last time and slid the door open with his sword pointed at whoever was there. To their surprise, it was the old man Chizuru saw earlier at the market. He covered himself with a blanket.
"You mustn't stay here," the old man immediately spoke without caring about the blade pointed at his throat. "You have to leave or else a tragedy shall befall you two."
Toshi frowned, his anger flaring within him. He was in no mood for threats from anyone. He dealt with that enough in the past.
"Watch your tongue or I swear I will cut it off."
The old man shook his head. "Please, you must listen to me and leave this place at once. The tragedy is foreseen, death awaits the two of you," the old man pleaded.
Toshi and Chizuru glanced at one another, unsure what to make of this.
Thank you for reading. Do tell me what you think.
More is coming.
Thank you Lilc77 for your help.