[Dream- Week 8, Day 3, Night] "Half Light"
The full moon reflected off of the surface of the lake, unbroken save for when the fish stirred below. He was standing there, wearing a plain white yukata, his feet bare. He had to wonder how long he had been standing there, watching the reflections of the lotuses that seemed to float on the surface of the water.
How long had he been here?
The wooden pathway that served as a dock had a small boat tied to it, and he untied the rope, sliding down into the vessel and pushing himself away- almost as if to chase the moon reflected in the water. There was a small paddle, and this was taken in hand, and he gently broke the water's surface to leave the shore. He steered himself toward the moon's reflection in the water.
And what if he could catch it?
The small boat drifted closer to the reflection of the moon, and here he found himself looking up to the heavens above to see her. She was always there, and he closed his eyes for a moment.
Kyouka Suigetsu...
The wind drifted through the bamboo on the shore, and he could feel it pushing the small boat closer to the moon's reflection in the water. For a moment, he was at peace, the small boat rocking in time to the cool breezes that shook the bamboo leaves and disturbed the mirror surface of the water. He was content to merely sit there and admire the beauty of the moon, and he could even make out the rabbit's reflection in the water.
The breeze stopped.
He looked up, watching as the moon above turned a vicious blood red, but when he looked down, the reflection was as silver as it had ever been. He reached out, running his fingers along the surface of the water, where the moon was, but he knew that he could never catch it. The water was icy against his fingers, and the red moonlight turned everything a ghastly shade of crimson. Even the reflections of the lotuses were red, the light seeming to dim everything around him.
He could no longer see the shore, but he knew it was unimportant- all that mattered was the reflection of the moon in the calm lake's water. It was something he knew could never be made tangible, but was important all the same. The silvery reflection was unmarred on the black water, and he smiled. He could no longer see the small dock, but it didn't matter. He laid back in the boat, gazing up at the blood-red moon and smiling.
Akatsuki...
This was his world now. And he knew he had to return to it.
[He awakes, the sounds of the city still outside his window as the drunk sing in the streets below. This is no springing back to life from a nightmare- he peacefully opens his eyes and blinks a few times, staring up at the ceiling. Kyouka Suigetsu. The name of a weapon that had been by his side for more than a century, of an ally that never let him down.
But now she was gone.
He didn't realize how keenly he missed her before this, and he sits up. He has a sword now, yes, but it was merely a tool. It's not the same in the least, though he can't explain it. He's no sentimental fool, but he also knows that there are certain things in his life that he wanted, and she was one of them. Together they deceived, and together they had lived. How many times had he called on her, and how many times did she never disappoint him?
He took in a deep breath, sitting up. The dream left him feeling calmer than he had been when he went to sleep, and somehow, he knew that sleep would not come easy for the rest of the night. It hadn't been for the past few nights- his mind staying awake to churn over plans and plots while his body was exhausted. It only made keeping up appearances that much more difficult. And the boiled eggs the annoying man served for breakfast certainly weren't helping the situation at all.
He ran a hand across his face, rubbing the sleep away, and he finally looked down to the Hitomi. It took his a moment of turning it about before he turned the thing off, trying to get another couple hours of sleep.]
How long had he been here?
The wooden pathway that served as a dock had a small boat tied to it, and he untied the rope, sliding down into the vessel and pushing himself away- almost as if to chase the moon reflected in the water. There was a small paddle, and this was taken in hand, and he gently broke the water's surface to leave the shore. He steered himself toward the moon's reflection in the water.
And what if he could catch it?
The small boat drifted closer to the reflection of the moon, and here he found himself looking up to the heavens above to see her. She was always there, and he closed his eyes for a moment.
Kyouka Suigetsu...
The wind drifted through the bamboo on the shore, and he could feel it pushing the small boat closer to the moon's reflection in the water. For a moment, he was at peace, the small boat rocking in time to the cool breezes that shook the bamboo leaves and disturbed the mirror surface of the water. He was content to merely sit there and admire the beauty of the moon, and he could even make out the rabbit's reflection in the water.
The breeze stopped.
He looked up, watching as the moon above turned a vicious blood red, but when he looked down, the reflection was as silver as it had ever been. He reached out, running his fingers along the surface of the water, where the moon was, but he knew that he could never catch it. The water was icy against his fingers, and the red moonlight turned everything a ghastly shade of crimson. Even the reflections of the lotuses were red, the light seeming to dim everything around him.
He could no longer see the shore, but he knew it was unimportant- all that mattered was the reflection of the moon in the calm lake's water. It was something he knew could never be made tangible, but was important all the same. The silvery reflection was unmarred on the black water, and he smiled. He could no longer see the small dock, but it didn't matter. He laid back in the boat, gazing up at the blood-red moon and smiling.
Akatsuki...
This was his world now. And he knew he had to return to it.
[He awakes, the sounds of the city still outside his window as the drunk sing in the streets below. This is no springing back to life from a nightmare- he peacefully opens his eyes and blinks a few times, staring up at the ceiling. Kyouka Suigetsu. The name of a weapon that had been by his side for more than a century, of an ally that never let him down.
But now she was gone.
He didn't realize how keenly he missed her before this, and he sits up. He has a sword now, yes, but it was merely a tool. It's not the same in the least, though he can't explain it. He's no sentimental fool, but he also knows that there are certain things in his life that he wanted, and she was one of them. Together they deceived, and together they had lived. How many times had he called on her, and how many times did she never disappoint him?
He took in a deep breath, sitting up. The dream left him feeling calmer than he had been when he went to sleep, and somehow, he knew that sleep would not come easy for the rest of the night. It hadn't been for the past few nights- his mind staying awake to churn over plans and plots while his body was exhausted. It only made keeping up appearances that much more difficult. And the boiled eggs the annoying man served for breakfast certainly weren't helping the situation at all.
He ran a hand across his face, rubbing the sleep away, and he finally looked down to the Hitomi. It took his a moment of turning it about before he turned the thing off, trying to get another couple hours of sleep.]