Chapter Text
The sun, a celestial object that provides warmth, comfort, and light.
Humans have been oh so gratefully blessed to be shined down upon every day by the sun. To live without the sun, is a life not to be lived at all.
Or that’s Yoriichi’s opinion.
He stares endlessly at the cloudy sky, soft white snowflakes falling down onto the earth, creating a smooth white sheet onto the ground.
Winter, the season in which the sun commonly hides behind the snow filled clouds. Clouds that block out the sun, rejecting the beam of light from melting it’s hard work.
Yoriichi doesn’t like the winter, but he cares about it. Not because of the snow, or the holidays, but because of his family.
Tsugikuni Yoriichi is 15 years old. Currently, he lives with his early wife, Tsugikuni Uta - plus their unborn daughter — , and his twin brother, Tsugikuni Michikatsu.
Michikatsu’s favorite season was winter, which automatically makes it Yoriichi’s too, despite his older twin's protest. That’s why he’s sitting outside, preparing for his trip down the mountain he and his family lived on.
He’s made it his personal goal to sit out once everyday, pointing out the positives to the winter cold. So far, he’s come up with many positives.
But also many, many negatives.
Such as the lack of heat from the sun. Uta has been extremely sensitive to the weather changes since she’s been pregnant, constantly falling ill.
Yoriichi, thankfully, visits the nearest village for herbs. During his travels down the mountain, he can also find firewood to heat everyone up.
A perfect plan.
Standing up, the snow crushes under the pressure of his weight, ruining the white canvas it has created. Yoriichi finds the small cart that he intended to take with him, and pushes it in front of him.
Before leaving though, he must announce his disclosure.
Sliding open the shoji, he walks inside the small house.
“Anuie. Is Uta asleep?” He asks, seeing Michikatsu boiling a small pot of food in the common area.
His twin brother, Michikatsu, doesn’t spare him a glance. He merely nods, a look of frustration on his face. This worries Yoriichi. He hasn’t seen Michikatsu look this angry since.. since, well.
Their father.
But it was old news, something Yoriichi and Michikatsu both knew not to fret on. Instead, Yoriichi slowly approaches his twin before settling onto his knees beside him.
“Is everything okay, Anuie?” He asks, voice soft and smooth, like butter spreading across a clean knife.
Another nod and this time his mouth opens.
“I.. I didn’t realize I was missing an ingredient, but now I feel as if it’s too late to add it.” Michikatsu frowns, staring into the pot of food like it harmed him and his family.
Yoriichi had to stifle a laugh at the sight. His older brother was truly a sight to behold sometimes.
“Don’t worry, I’m heading down to the village for herbs and firewood, perhaps you would like me to pick up the ingredient you missed as well?” The man asked.
He watched as a soft smile graced his twins face, which was seemingly contagious as one slipping onto his own as well.
“I’d appreciate that, Yoriichi.”
“Very well, Anuie. I’ll be taking my leave.” Yoriichi finally announces, standing up and turning his back to Michikatsu, finding his way back to the shoji.
Before he steps out, he turned back to Michikatsu, the young man looking back.
“Please, protect Uta.”
Michikatsu smiles once more. “With all my life.”
“Thank you, Michi.” Yoriichi’s voice echoes throughout the room, before he takes his leave.
The cart nearly has a full sheet of snow in it, which Yoriichi decides to dump out. He treads carefully, inching further and further away from their house with his cart in tow.
Yet for some reason, the further he gets, the more dread he feels.
.
.
.
The trip was long and exhausting. Typically, the trip lasted no more than a few hours, but apparently business was booming in the local village.
Yoriichi had left during the afternoon and had planned to make his way back up the mountain before dark, but now the moon supplied his light, and the snow still fell gracefully on his tired body.
With his last bit of energy, he was able to make it halfway up the mountain, before an old woman stuck her head out of her old shack of a home.
“Young boy, are you climbing this mountain here?” She asks, eyes squinting, straining to see Yoriichi.
Yoriichi comes to a full stop, turning to face the elderly woman. “Oh, why yes I am.” He confirms. Yoriichi doesn’t miss the way the woman’s face goes dark.
“I suggest you head back down, boy. Haven’t you heard of the demons?”
Demons?
Yoriichi’s mother had mentioned demons before at a young age, but merely told them as if they were a fairytale. A small story to keep children in check from doing bad things.
Yoriichi’s eyebrows furrow. “If there are demons up there then I have no choice but to go quicker. My..” his heart seems to speed up, not wanting to believe demons are real but worried about them .
“My family.. my brother and my wife.. my..”
He swallows the large glob of fear down his throat.
“My unborn daughter. I must go back up to protect them.” He says sternly, although the woman was buying none of it.
“If you have a death wish then continue treading up that mountain, but I beg of you, please, you’ll surely be safer in here. I can assure you your family may turn out alive, so please stay here for the time being.”
Every warning went off in Yoriichi’s head. Possibilities. Horrid possibilities. But Yoriichi had faith. He had faith in his brother .
Michikatsu had been training long and hard to be a samurai. His swordsmen skills were developing slowly but surely. He can definitely protect our home, definitely.
Yoriichi convinces himself to stay, allowing the woman to provide him warmth and a futon to spend the night on.
“Thank you for listening to me.” She says, hands in her lap as she prepares a small pot of food.
Yoriichi says nothing and instead settles on a subtle nod.
He couldn’t stop his mind from racing.
Throughout the night, his eyelids began to get heavy, slowly meeting his lower lid. He let sleep drift over him, taking over his mind and wrapping him in a glorious dream.
A wondrous dream indeed.
.
.
.
Yoriichi bid the old woman his thanks and goodbyes, but not without her giving him a gift. A hatchet, a thick and previously sharpened one. He accepted the gift graciously and continued on his mission home to his family. His anxieties seemed to have calmed down after a peaceful night of sleep.
He’d be lying to say he wasn’t excited to see his family, his wife. She had been asleep from her fever for the past few days and it began to worry Yoriichi, who had been calmed down by his Anuie.
Footprints were left behind him, consistent steps as the house he and his family lived in came to view. A smile was on his face, barely noticeable.
He allowed himself to slow down, taking in the joy of finally arriving home.
“Anuie I-“
Fear.
For the first time in his life. Yoriichi had felt true fear. The shoji. The planks in the front.
Everything.
Everything was destroyed .
“Uta…” he whispers, dropping the cart in pure shock as he ran closer the house.
Please. Please let it be something else. Someone else. Don’t let it be their blood, don't let them die..! Not so soon, I wasn’t ready, I wasn't ready. I wasn’t prepared! I don’t want this..!
“Uta, Anuie!” He yells, hopeful for a reply as he finally arrives. He smiles, hoping to see them standing there waiting for him, safe and sound.
He hopes to see Uta rubbing her 8 month round belly, with Michikatsu holding food warm and prepared for the family.
He hopes to see them one more time.
Please .
He hopes…
He couldn’t breathe.
There, lying on the once white sheet of snow, were two bodies.
Uta and Michikatsu.
He hopes they’re still breathing.
Michikatsu’s body is covering Uta, as if a last attempt to protect her from whatever attacked them.
And Uta…
She laid on her stomach, flat and ….
Flat and empty..
He runs, faster than ever to approach their bodies. But he doesn’t touch, no. He doesn’t touch but he stares, mouth agape with words to say, but nothing comes out but a small croak.
Then a yell.
“MICHI… UTA…!!”
The moon, a celestial object that provides zero warmth, zero love.
There are many stages of the moon, many that Yoriichi tends to forget.
Truly, life without the sun is a life worth not living. But the moon? The moon provides enough life for some to survive. To eat and feed.
To kill.