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To Dream of Darkness

A story by DoggyStyle57

Chapter 43, Written March 2012

===

Chapter 43 - New lives begin

As they approached Yokohama, Ichitama drew Saburo off to one side, and asked quietly, "Why is it that the lady Kira-sama travels without her parents? Surely they would be attending her wedding?"

"Ah. Her mother was not afraid to travel by sea, and her father was already in Edo. Her mother and the rest of her parent's household went ahead of us, to join her father and prepare for the wedding, and they also used the ship to transport the larger items in her trousseau - furniture, screens, and other things too bulky to take by land, but which is to be an important part of her dowry," Saburo replied. "They did not want her to travel by land, but Kira-sama was adamant about not setting foot on a ship. In the end, they agreed to allow her to travel this way. They provided well for her safety. There were eight warriors in her original escort, counting myself. Yet all the others were slain by Ronin, before we met you."

"How is it that you alone, among the eight warriors, survived?" Ichitama asked.

"I was the weakest among us, and I knew it. I was only included because I pleaded for the honor, as the Lady's childhood friend, and Lady Kira-sama said she wished to have me in her escort. I would have fallen at once in a direct conflict, and died uselessly. But when we were attacked, I could urge our peasant porters to run, to save the ladies and the dowry," Saburo said. "It was perhaps not honorable to run. But I saved their lives by doing so."

"Yet when aid was available later, you asked for only two warriors?" Ichitama stated. "Why so few?"

"Yes. We had given up hope, and so we asked for a minimal escort, almost praying that Ronin would attack again, and kill us all along the way, rather than having to deliver my Lady to a suitor who she has not even met," Saburo admitted. "Honor would not allow us to take our own lives. There would be too many questions if we did, and our families would suffer greatly for our dishonor. But if we fell to bandits, it would merely be a traveler's misfortune. But now, we are almost there, and we have your aid. I see we were foolish. We should have had more faith in Inari."

"Hummm. Call for a stop. I must speak to Lady Kira-sama, alone. If her parents will be there waiting for us, I must know all I can of them, so they will not realize the girl at the wedding is not their daughter," Ichitama said.

===

The porters stopped when ordered to, and stepped back from the ladies' palanquin. Keiko-chan did not want to leave her Mistress alone with Ichitama, but when Kira told her to do so, she obeyed.

"Why do we stop? We are close to Yokohama mow, surely? Could we not stop there?" Kira asked.

"Fewer ears to listen to secrets here, or to see what we do," Ichitama replied, as he stood outside the veiled curtain that shaded the Lady, and kept strangers from seeing her. "I must know more of you than what I have learned so far. If this is to work, you must trust me. Give me your hand, and think about your parents, and your family. Try to recall everything you can about them. And when you feel me in your mind, do not fear me, and allow me to join you. I must learn what you know, so I can become you, even well enough to fool your own parents."

"You can do this?" she asked, extending her hand through the curtain. "I will trust you. I must trust you, or my hopes will perish."

Ichitama held her hand in his. Her black furred hand looked so small in his hand. "Just relax, and think about your family," Ichitama said, as his eyes began to glow an acid green.

Kira gasped as she felt Ichitama take control of her mind. Then she tried to relax and allow this invasion of her inner privacy, and she fell into a light sleep. She saw all nineteen years of her life in an instant, recalling details she had long forgotten, like a song her mother had sung to make her sleep as a baby, and a pet dog that had died before Kira was three. And then she felt someone beside her, holding her hand in her mind, and she looked to that side. She saw a white fox, with three tails, smiling at her. But as she looked at the fox, its fur color changed, and its features shifted, and she was looking at herself!

"Now I can be Kira-sama," said the other Kira in her waking dream. "Thank you, for trusting me. I will do what I can to keep anyone from suspecting that you did not go to your appointed marriage."

"Thank you, oh Kitsune!" Kira said. Then she woke up with a start, and snatched her hand back within the curtains. She stared in wonder at a perfect copy of herself, standing outside the curtain. "Inari is powerful. Blessings on her name," she whispered. Then she clapped a hand over her mouth, for it had been Ichitama's male voice that she heard speaking her words!

"Step out of the palanquin," she heard herself say. "I have taken your appearance, and have given you mine. You are now 'Kimura Ichitama'. You will have to walk from here to Yokohama."

The real Kira stepped out of the Palanquin, marveling at the masculine hands and grey wolf fur at the ends of her arms. She was wearing the clothing and weapons that Ichitama had possessed. "How... how long will this last?"

"Two weeks," Lady Kira replied, as she got into the Palanquin. "When the moon is full, you will resume your true form, as I will explain to all of you momentarily. Send Saburo to attend me. Then ask Keiko-chan and Kuro to come to me also, and I will exchange their places as well."

Ichitama did as instructed, moving a bit uncertainly in his temporary form, and returned with the other three travelers.

When Kuro and Keiko came to Kira at the Palanquin, Kira told them, "It is time for you two to trade places, as I have already done with the real Kira. Hold hands, and look into my eyes." Kira's eyes changed from amber to bright green, as she cast a spell that exchanged the outward appearances of Kuro and Keiko, and which should, she hoped, give her elemental servant enough of Keiko's memories for her to play the role of Kira's maid properly. It looked as if a purple mist swirled around the two of them, and the two suddenly exchanged places.

What appeared to be Keiko recovered first, smiling and saying, "Ah! It is good to be female again. I have her memories, Mistress. The spell has also given me her language skills as well as her knowledge of people, clothing, and other necessities."

Kuro looked at his hands, and said, "I look different, but I feel like myself. This is amazing, great Kitsune!"

Saburo shuddered as he saw this magic take place. "What... what must we do now?"

Kira patted the seat beside her, and told the new Keiko to get in with her, as the real maid had been riding before they stopped. "We will now take the place of your ladies, and they will take our places. My Keiko will ride with me. Your ladies are now disguised as 'Kimura Ichitama' and 'Nakamura Kuro', two samurai in service to the same diamyo that your father serves, but assigned to coastal patrols near Hiroshima. When we arrive in Yokohama, it is likely that my future husband, Murakami Jiro, will send an escort to take us the rest of the way into Edo. The real Kira and Keiko should wait in Yokohama at an Inn, while Saburo and the escort complete the journey. As hired guards, their job officially ends when a better escort is available."

"We can do this. Then what will happen?" Ichitama asked.

"Saburo will deliver the dowry and ladies to Kira's parents, at the place Murakami Jiro has prepared for us to stay before the wedding. Saburo may then return to Yokohama, and you three will be free to leave, with no one suspecting who the real Kira and Keiko are. In two weeks time, when the moon is full, they will resume their true forms. Before that day, you and must all be safely away, and you must obtain new clothes suitable to your new lives together," Kira said confidently.

"But what of the real Ichitama and Kuro?" Ichitama asked. "What if we meet someone who knows them? Or if we meet them ourselves?"

"Sad to say, the real Ichitama and Kuro died in a fire before we met you. When you change back, they will vanish, and no one will know that they were here. Their patrol leader will think they perished on patrol, while performing their duties, which they did. Worry not about them. Attend to your own survival," Kira said.

===

An hour later, they were in Yokohama. As they approached the city, two Samurai greeted them, and one ran back into the town to get the rest of the escort. Soon twenty of Murakami Jiro's best samurai flanked the palanquin and dowry, with Saburo walking beside the palanquin. Ichitama and Kuro remained in Yokohama, at the inn closest to the road leading south from the city.

===

That night, the bridal party arrived in Edo. The city was incredibly huge. It was quite possibly the largest city in the world, at the time, with a population of over one million people living there. A central castle, the home of the Shogun, dominated the city. Each region's diamyo had a fortified home of their own within the city, where they or their family were required to live during part of each year. This kept them under the eye of the Shogun, and within his grasp. The samurai retainers of these diamyo had homes of their own near their Lord's keep, where they could attend their master if needed. It was to one of these homes that Kira and Keiko and the dowry were taken.

The dowry was carefully laid out in a display with the rest of the trousseau, and Kira was carefully bathed, her hair done up in an elaborate fashion, and dressed. Then she, too, was placed in position with the trousseau, kneeling on one of two cushions on the floor in front of the trousseau, with her elaborate kimono spread out just so, very much a part of the display, to await the arrival of her future husband, along with her parents, and four of Murakami Jiro's guards.

Hattori Saburo, who looked decidedly out of place in a kimono that did not match those of Murakami Jiro's samurai, was also present, and stood as close as he could to Kira's parents. Kira noted that he did not have his swords, though all the other Samurai did. He looked very nervous.

Kira did not have long to wait. Murakami Jiro and his parents arrived no less than ten minutes after Kira was ready for his arrival. He was a reasonably good looking brown fox, but was more than twice Kira's age. While Kira was nineteen, her husband to be was fourty-three. The real Kira probably would have been appalled that her husband was so old. The new Kira had no such concerns, and greeted her suitor in the accepted manner, bowing politely, and asking him to sit with her, on a floor cushion beside hers.

Jiro first inspected the dowry, as was expected of him. He admired the craftsmanship of the items, and commented quite favorably on the delicate glaze of one tea bowl in a tea set. Kira's parents seemed pleased at that gesture, as if their choice of dowry gifts was more important than their daughter to Jiro, which perhaps it was. Then Jiro joined his future bride, and they all continued to wait, in silence. His parents, like Kira's, went to one side of the room, opposite her parents and Saburo, and they remained standing.

Twenty minutes later, twelve more guards entered the room, which was now getting quite crowded. Half were dressed in kimono matching the current guards, and half matching what Saburo was wearing. Saburo started to join his own group, but halted when one of the other samurai held up one hand. Saburo frowned, and returned to standing by Kira's parents.

The guards were followed by the two daimyo's, the great feudal lords that the families of Hamada Kira and Murakami Jiro served. Everyone bowed low as they entered. They sat opposite one another, each flanked by his complement of samurai in kimono that matched those of the diamyo that they served.

The diamyo exchanged pleasantries, and then ordered Hattori Saburo to attend them. He came to the center of the room, and seemed at a loss as to which diamyo he should be facing. He settled for remaining standing, with his back to Kira and Jiro, and facing neither diamyo directly.

They asked him for an accounting of the journey, and he told them of the loss of the other seven original guards, and that with the aid of two men borrowed from the coastal patrol, now dismissed, he completed his mission to bring Kira safely to Edo.

The diamyo that Saburo served seemed impressed that the boy had survived the journey, when more experienced warriors had fallen. He made a sign to one of his retainers, who brought forward a long, wrapped bundle. The diamyo unwrapped it with his own hands, and presented Saburo with a new pair of swords. He was granting the boy the status of hatamoto - with the right to be armed in the presence of his diamyo, an extremely high honor as a reward for his service.

Saburo accepted the swords humbly, placed them through the sash of his Kimono in the approved way, and when ordered to do so, took his place with his diamyo's guards.

After some more banter between the two great lords, in which one extolled the virtues and prowess of Murakami Jiro, and the other the youth and beauty of Hamada Kira, the great lords agreed that this was a fitting match, and a good sign of the friendship between them. They announced that the wedding would take place in one week.

When the great lords departed, the captain of the guards that Saburo was standing with ordered the boy to come with them, to celebrate the honor that the diamyo had given him, and to wait for the wedding to begin. Jiro also stood and clapped the boy on the shoulder, thanking him for ensuring the safety of his bride. They both made it clear that Jiro would not be allowed to leave until at least after the wedding. He gave one worried glance back at Kira, and then left with the other Samurai.