the way of the eclipse

back home just to leave

I spent around two months in the Butterfly Mansion, recovering from a severe head injury that had split my skull open. It was a miracle that I survived, and even Shinobu, with her extensive medical knowledge, was baffled by my resilience. She had observed that my survival instincts had somehow tightened my blood vessels and cut off blood flow to certain areas to preserve it. I wasn't really paying attention to the details back then, but I was just happy to be alive. The thought of finally being able to return to my estate and see Yuzu, with her beautiful eyes and snowy white hair, filled me with a sense of anticipation and longing.

(Tsukuyomi, get a grip on yourself. Now is not the time to be a simp)

As I navigated through the rocky path to my estate, I couldn't help but wonder why they built it in such a jagged and challenging area. I remembered my first attempt to reach the estate vividly. I had tripped and injured myself in many places, and Luna had called me a klutz. Thinking about her now only made me upset, so I tried to push those memories aside.

Finally, I arrived at the door of my estate. I quickly opened the doors and stepped inside, closing them behind me. In front of me, Yuzu hung upside down by her hair, a sight I had somehow gotten used to over time.

"I'm back," I said softly.

She opened her eyes and smiled at me before quickly getting on her feet. "Welcome back!" she exclaimed, wrapping me in a warm hug. The embrace felt incredibly comforting after the long and arduous recovery period.

After a while, we separated, and I told her, "I'm going to take some time in my room." I smiled at her and walked away.

When I reached my room, I closed the door behind me and went to my desk. I took out a feather, a pot of ink, and some paper. Sometimes, I liked to write confession letters to Yuzu that I would never give to her. I kept them in a box, safe from prying eyes. Taking a deep breath, I began to write whatever came to my mind. When I finished, I looked down at the paper, now covered in ink.

"Every time I tell myself to walk away, I find another reason to stay. It’s like you’ve woven yourself into the very fabric of my being, and unraveling that thread would destroy me."

It was cheesy and stupid, I knew, but it made me feel better to get my feelings out in some way. I sighed and placed the letter in a box with the others, sliding it under my desk. Then I quickly write a request for a new sword given that my old one was broken and could be covered by my sword cover but couldn't be used when I was done I put it in an envelope and handed it to my fox who had sneaked through my window then quickly left. My mind drifted back to yuzu.

"I keep telling myself I’m strong enough to be just friends, but every smile, every touch, every glance makes me fall a little deeper. It’s a beautiful kind of pain," I muttered to myself as I stood up and headed to the door. "It's dinner time," I said aloud to myself, making my way to the kitchen to see what I could prepare.

---

(Time skip brought to you by these two simps.)

The next day, I woke up and started writing a letter to request the forging of my new sword. By the time I reached the Swordsmith Village, I would be accompanied by two other Hashira, Muichiro and Mitsuri, and some other lesser slayers. One of them was likely the redhead who had also broken his sword. Once I finished packing my things, I called out to Yuzu, "You ready to go?"

I got up, picked up my sword, and popped the umbrella part out. Yuzu quickly came over with a little bag of her belongings, grabbed my sword, and held it so the umbrella could cover her from the sun as we walked out.

"I'm ready. Let's go," she said cheerfully.

I noticed that she had started wearing her uniform more often lately. Perhaps it made her feel more human.