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Silver Moon – Book 5 Chapter 18
One year later…
Once again, May had come around. Spring was thriving in Edo, bringing nothing but sunny weather and clear blue skies. Gintoki calmly stared out the window. He couldn't help but enjoy this time a little bit more every year. He wondered why he had come to grow so fond of it…
His thoughts were soon interrupted when a tiny fist yanked on his clothes. Gintoki looked down with a smile to find his daughter sitting there staring at him.
"Dada," she said, tugging on his clothes some more.
"Eh?" asked Gintoki. "What do you want?"
Kyoko was incessant. "Dada, Dada," she echoed.
"Fine, very well." Giving in, Gintoki reached down and picked up his daughter. She seemed satisfied once she was in his arms.
Gintoki took a moment to admire Kyoko. In the last year, she had certainly grown in more ways than one. Not only had she gotten bigger, but her features had started to develop too. In addition to Tsukuyo's violet eyes, Kyoko was now showcasing Gintoki's silver hair. It was fairly short as it was still coming in, but Gintoki was proud of it. Silver hair and violet eyes; it was a good look in his opinion.
Additionally, Kyoko was also proving to be a fast learner. She had recently mastered the art of crawling, and was even able to take a few steps from time to time. And of course, she had also started talking. She was still only able to produce simple words, but Gintoki and Tsukuyo were proud, to say the least.
"Are you ready for today?" Gintoki asked his daughter. "You're going to be the center of attention, you know."
Kyoko just ignored him, choosing instead to stare at his silver hair. Sensing its familiarity, she reached out and grabbed a handful of it.
"Hey!" said Gintoki, wincing a little. "That's my hair, kid! Get your own!"
It wasn't long before Tsukuyo walked into the room. "What's all the screaming about?" she asked.
"It's the birthday girl," said Gintoki, indicating towards Kyoko. "She thinks that she received an early present."
Tsukuyo soon stifled a laugh as she noticed what Kyoko had in her hand. She walked up to them. "Now, Kyoko, you know it's not right to pull on your father's head like that. We all know that his head is damaged enough as it is."
Gintoki scowled at her. "Hey…"
Tsukuyo pulled Kyoko out of Gintoki's arms, and the child soon released her grip on the hair. "We can't be fooling around all morning. Our guests will be here soon. We need to get you ready."
"Mama," said Kyoko simply, leaning into her embrace.
Tsukuyo smiled at her. "I really love hearing you say that." She soon started to walk away. "Gintoki, I'm going to go get Kyoko dressed. Can you finish preparing the cake?"
Gintoki perked up at the sound of this request. "The cake? Sure, I can do that…and maybe I'll sneak a little piece while I'm at it too…"
In response, Tsukuyo glared at him. "Gintoki, eat that cake before the party, and you're dead."
Gintoki merely gulped before frowning and looking away. "Yes mam…"
Without another word, Tsukuyo left the room. Once she was gone, Gintoki sighed. "Why does she have to take everything so seriously? It's just a birthday party…"
It was true. On this day, Kyoko would be celebrating her first birthday. In order to acknowledge the occasion, Gintoki and Tsukuyo had decided to invite their friends over for the day. Even though Kyoko wasn't old enough to realize what was happening, Gintoki and Tsukuyo wanted to celebrate for their own sakes at least. Successfully taking care of Kyoko for an entire year was a task definitely worth cherishing.
It wasn't long before the first guests arrived. Gintoki ended up answering the door only to find Shinpachi and Kagura waiting outside. Naturally, they each carried gifts in their hands.
"Good morning, Gin-san!" Shinpachi greeted him.
"Where's Kyoko?" asked Kagura bluntly.
Gintoki just rolled his eyes. "Tsukuyo is getting her dressed. You'll see her soon enough."
"Great!" said Kagura, walking right past him.
"Hey, you could at least say hi to me, brat!" Gintoki barked at her.
"Now now, Gin-san," said Shinpachi calmly. "You know how excited everyone is when they get to see Kyoko. Especially now that she's turning one year old."
Gintoki just sagged his shoulders. "Yeah, but at this rate, you'd honestly think that Kyoko had replaced me as the main protagonist of this story…Geez…"
Gintoki soon turned to the boy, who had honestly grown into more of a "man" at this point. "Say, where's the old hag? Didn't she come with you?"
Just then, someone smacked Gintoki hard on the back of his head. The samurai quickly turned around to find Otose standing there.
"For an 'old hag', I still have pretty good hearing!" she scolded him.
"Oh great, you made it," Gintoki greeted her sarcastically.
"Hmph," Otose pouted. "Like I would ever miss my granddaughter's first birthday party."
Gintoki could only roll his eyes again as he shut the door behind her. "Listen, Gran, it's cute and all that you consider Kyoko your grandkid, but do you have to constantly announce it to the world?"
"Get used to it," Otose snapped back at him. She soon walked into the living room, and Gintoki followed behind.
As they arrived, Tsukuyo brought Kyoko out into the room. The one-year-old was now dressed in a small black kimono with a lavender-colored flower pattern dotted across it.
"Ah, welcome everyone," Tsukuyo greeted them with a smile.
It only took a moment before Kyoko noticed the guests as well. "Kagu! Pachi!" she cried, noticing the younger visitors first. It was only natural that she recognized them. She had easily become familiar with them since they frequently visited the Sakata house.
"Happy birthday, Kyoko-chan!" the both of them shouted in unison.
Next, Kyoko noticed the oldest guest. "Gran!" she called happily. She used the exact same nickname that Gintoki used for her, probably a result of Kyoko hearing him call her that so often.
Otose smiled calmly. "Happy birthday, dear."
"Someone seems happy to have so many visitors," Tsukuyo noted.
"Of course," said Otose. "She likes to be the center of attention, just like her dad."
Gintoki scowled at the old lady. "Hey…"
Tsukuyo soon set Kyoko down on the floor, where she quickly started crawling towards the visitors. Kagura and Shinpachi were more than happy to play with her.
"Looks like almost everyone is here," said Tsukuyo. "The only ones missing are-"
Just then, the doorbell rang, signaling more guests. Tsukuyo smiled as she went to answer the door this time. As she expected, Hinowa and Seita were waiting outside.
"We're here!" said Hinowa happily.
"I'm glad you could make it," Tsukuyo replied.
"This is going to be great!" Seita shouted. "Hey Tsukuyo, we got Kyoko a really awesome present!"
"I'm looking forward to it. Come on in."
Hinowa and Seita ended up joining the rest of the guests in the living room. As with the others, Kyoko greeted them the best she could. "Hino! Seita!"
"My, my, someone sure is happy," said Hinowa with a smile.
"Of course!" said Seita. "Kyoko is always happy to see her family from Yoshiwara!"
"Wara," Kyoko agreed.
"Well, now that everyone is here, we might as well start," Tsukuyo announced. She soon collected Kyoko in her arms before going to stand next to Gintoki. "Gintoki, why don't you get things started?"
Gintoki just stared at her. "Huh?"
"You know," Tsukuyo whispered. "Thank them for coming and all that."
"Oh," Gintoki realized. He soon stared out into the crowd only to find all eyes on him. "Uh, thanks for coming to the party…I guess…"
Tsukuyo quickly elbowed him in the side, a move that she had somehow perfected in the time since they had been married. "Be more sincere!" she scolded him.
"Geez!" Gintoki whined. He soon turned back to the onlookers. "Thank you all for coming to celebrate Kyoko's birthday and we're glad you could all make it." Gintoki soon gestured to his daughter. "Kyoko is happy you're here too."
Kyoko just gave everyone a blank stare. She certainly didn't seem to have any idea what was going on, but she did enjoy looking at all the familiar faces.
"Is there food?" asked Kagura with excitement in her tone.
"Yeah, Tsukuyo went to the trouble of making food for everyone," Gintoki explained. "And don't worry, I checked over it to make sure she didn't screw it u-"
This time, Tsukuyo smacked him on the back of the head. "My cooking is fine, moron."
The moment Tsukuyo hit Gintoki, Kyoko started laughing. Perhaps she had seen Gintoki make a funny face. The room soon went quiet as everyone listened to the girl's laughter. It wasn't long before they all joined in as well.
"Aw, Kyoko," said Tsukuyo in a playful voice. "Do you like it when I hit Daddy?"
The girl only ended up laughing some more, to which Gintoki scowled. "Hey, we are not making a habit out of this…"
Everyone ended up stuffing themselves with birthday cake along with other food. Once they were done, they moved on to the next activity. It was time for Kyoko to open up her very first birthday presents.
The gifts were all gathered into a small pile in the middle of the room. Kyoko was placed before them, and she seemed interested in the various colors of the gift-wrap. Aside from that though, she seemed completely lost.
"She doesn't know what's going on," Kagura commented.
"She'll need help getting started," said Tsukuyo, crouching down next to Kyoko.
"Have her open my gift first," Otose suggested. "Then she'll have an idea of what's going on."
"All right." Tsukuyo moved Otose's gift in front of Kyoko. The young child still carried a blank look as she stared at the box.
"Kyoko, you need to open the gift," Tsukuyo instructed her.
"She still doesn't know what to do," said Gintoki as he crossed his arms.
"Yeah, you're right," Tsukuyo agreed. "Kyoko, do you want Mommy to help you?"
Kyoko simply stared at her mother, not saying a word.
"Here, I'll show you how to open a gift." Suddenly, and out of nowhere, Tsukuyo sprang up from the floor and glared down at the gift. She promptly hurled four kunai down at the present, hitting the box perfectly in all four corners, and subsequently tore the box apart. She soon landed right next to Kyoko with a smile.
"There, that's all there is to it."
"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT!?" Gintoki immediately bellowed.
Tsukuyo stared at him. "What?"
"That!" he insisted. "You just tore the present open with kunai! Wasn't that a little over the top!?"
Tsukuyo continued to stare at him. "I'm just showing Kyoko how to do it."
"Showing her how to do it!?" Gintoki repeated. "Who opens presents like that!? Have you ever even opened a present before!?"
Tsukuyo quickly turned away from him. "Come on, Kyoko. Let's see what Otose got you…"
Gintoki's face went serious. "Hey, you have opened presents before right? I swear I've seen you at a birthday party at some point in time…"
Tsukuyo just ignored him as she sifted through the rubble of the box, trying to find its original contents.
Gintoki just crossed his arms as he looked away. I've seen people open presents like animals before, but I've never seen anything like this! What the hell is wrong with this woman!?
Before long, Tsukuyo was able to retrieve the gift. In her hand, she discovered a small rag doll made out of cloth and cotton. It had long hair, a nice kimono, and a simple smile on its face. And on top of all of this, it was very soft to the touch.
"Aw, how cute," Tsukuyo mused.
"I made it myself," said Otose proudly. "I figured it could be Kyoko's new friend, if she's ever feeling lonely."
"How very thoughtful. Thank you Otose." Tsukuyo went to offer the doll to Kyoko, who stared at it with wide eyes. After a while, she reached out and held it gently up against her. The doll was nearly half her size, but she held onto it the best she could.
Gintoki just stared at his former landlord with eyebrows raised. "Since when did you take up knitting? Or rather, since when did you start making toys?"
"Stuff it," she replied. "I can do as I please."
"Hey, Tsukuyo-san, have Kyoko open my present next," said Shinpachi with a smile.
"Hey, wait, I wanted her to open mine next!" Kagura interjected.
"Huh? Why do you have to go before me?" Shinpachi complained.
"Because the sooner Kyoko opens mine, the better!" Kagura shouted.
"All right, all right!" Gintoki shouted, walking over to the two of them and smacking them both on the head. "Enough of your bickering already. We'll just have Kyoko open them both at the same time and say that it was a gift from the Yorozuya. How's that sound?"
In response, Shinpachi and Kagura just gave him cold looks.
"Are you trying to take the credit for our gifts!?" asked Kagura.
"That's low, Gin-san. Can't you afford to get Kyoko a present on your own?" asked Shinpachi.
Gintoki quickly grew angry. "Don't try to spin it like that! That's not what I was going for at all!"
Naturally, the three Yorozuya members only ended bickering with each other. Heaving a sigh, Tsukuyo just proceeded as planned. She used her kunai to open up both Shinpachi and Kagura's presents at the same time. Once she had the gifts in her hands, the arguing trio quickly shut up in order to watch.
"Let's see…" said Tsukuyo slowly. "From Shinpachi, we have a…um, a CD covering Otsu's greatest hits…and from Kagura we have…" Tsukuyo slowly lifted up a bowl of food. "What is this?"
"Egg on rice," Kagura replied simply.
Tsukuyo seemed at a loss for words. "I-I see…"
Gintoki immediately turned back to his employees. "What the hell is wrong with you two!? You guys are the worst gift-givers ever! Why on earth would a one-year-old want an Otsu CD and a bowl full of rice!?"
Shinpachi flashed a guilty smile as he looked away. "Well, it's never too early to let babies listen to music…"
"And I'd enjoy egg on rice at any stage in my life," said Kagura with a shrug.
"You two let your personal interests cloud your judgement and get in the way of your gift giving!" Gintoki shouted. "And damn you two for making me play the straight man here!"
"Calm down, Gin-san," said Shinpachi with a frown.
"Yeah, Gin-chan," Kagura agreed in a nonchalant tone. "It's obvious you're only playing the straight man because you're overprotective of Kyoko-chan."
"Overprotective!?" Gintoki repeated. For some reason, he could feel himself start to blush a little. He quickly turned away. "I am not! This is a perfectly normal reaction!"
"Well, there's only one present left," Tsukuyo announced. "Let's hurry up and get this over with before Daddy dies from a stroke," she whispered to Kyoko.
Reaching out, Tsukuyo grabbed the last gift, which was from Hinowa and Seita. She opened the present in her usual ferocious fashion, only to be surprised at what she found inside. She lifted it up for everyone to see.
"A kunai?" she questioned.
Hinowa gave a smile and nodded. "Yes, but it's a toy. If you squeeze it, you'll see that it's made of rubber."
Tsukuyo gave the small weapon a squeeze, and sure enough, it folded and expanded within her grip.
"We wanted it to be a somewhat personal gift," Hinowa explained.
"Yeah!" Seita shouted. "Now Kyoko can get used to playing with kunai! And once she's old enough, she can be just like big sis Tsukuyo!"
Tsukuyo smiled down at the rubber kunai. "You think?" She soon relinquished the object to Kyoko, who gladly took it. Within seconds, the child stuck the kunai into her mouth and started sucking on it. She seemed pleased, to say the least.
"I think she likes it," Hinowa noted.
Meanwhile, Gintoki just stared at the toy with unease. "Hey, you guys gave Kyoko a weapon to play with!?"
Seita just stared at him. "Relax, Gin-san. It's only a toy."
Gintoki stared at his daughter some more. "Yeah, but what if she accidentally gets her hands on a real kunai and ends up sticking that in her mouth!?"
Seita casually rested his hands behind his head. "Aw, it will be fine. After all, haven't you survived being stabbed by kunai countless times?"
"That was a gag, you brat! This is serious!" Gintoki whined.
"Nah, you're just being overprotective again, Gin-chan," Kagura commented.
"I am not overprotective!"
Tsukuyo just ignored his complaints as she watched Kyoko suck on the toy. She soon patted her head before rising to her feet. She then walked over and gave Hinowa a hug. "It's the perfect gift. Thank you."
"You're welcome, dear," Hinowa replied. "Now Kyoko can feel even closer to you."
"Yeah," Tsukuyo agreed. She soon went back to staring at her daughter. Ever since Tsukuyo had left Yoshiwara to live with Gintoki, she had always felt this small sense of longing for her old home. Even though she still visited the underground city in order to work, it just wasn't the same as when she had lived there. And that only made moments like these all the more precious for her.
Tsukuyo ended up addressing the room. "Thank you everyone for helping make Kyoko's first birthday so wonderful. I'm truly grateful."
Gintoki realized what she was saying and quickly tried to join in. "Same," he agreed.
"Put it in your own words," Otose scolded him.
"Shut it, hag! You're making me look bad!"
A vein appeared on Otose's forehead as soon as she heard the word "hag". She soon raised a fist in the samurai's direction. "Oh, you think I need words to make you look bad? My fist can make you look just as bad, if not worse!"
Gintoki was quick to spit back a retort. "As if you-"
He soon stopped short when he felt a tiny fist pulling on his clothes. He looked down to find Kyoko staring up at him with wide eyes. "Dada," she said.
Gintoki slowly closed his mouth before scratching the back of his head. For some reason, he looked a little embarrassed. He then reached down to pick her up. Once she was in his arms, he looked out upon the people gathered in his house.
"Forget everything I said," he told them. "I'll use my own words, but I'll just keep it simple…"
Gintoki stared at his daughter once more before looking back and smiling at his friends and family.
"Thanks for everything."
The group of friends spent the rest of the day playing games with Kyoko, eating, laughing, and having fun. Once the sun set, all of the guests said their goodbyes, and went their respective ways. It had been a fun day, but it was time to go home.
As the sky turned dark, the streetlights turned on, and the moon slowly rose into the sky. Kyoko didn't get the chance to see any of this, though, as she had already fallen asleep. It was no surprise that she had become exhausted after experiencing such an exciting day.
Tsukuyo ended up carrying the girl to her room, with Gintoki tagging along. Tsukuyo placed Kyoko in the crib, and Gintoki soon covered her with the blanket so that she would be comfortable.
Tsukuyo stared down at her daughter. "One year old already…" she whispered.
Gintoki nodded. "Yeah, I find it hard to believe."
Tsukuyo soon reached into her kimono and pulled out the two new toys that Kyoko had become most attached to: the doll and the kunai. "I think she'd like to have these close."
Gintoki smiled at her. "Go ahead."
Tsukuyo gently laid the toys down on either side of Kyoko, so that they would be there when she woke up. Meanwhile, Kyoko just kept snoozing.
Gintoki and Tsukuyo smiled down at her once more. "Happy birthday, Kyoko…" they whispered together.
After that final comment, Gintoki and Tsukuyo managed to sneak out of the room while quietly closing the door behind them. Once outside, Tsukuyo started walking towards the kitchen.
"I'm going to clean up," she said.
Gintoki simply nodded, watching her go. "All right."
Tsukuyo spent the next half-hour making sure the food was put away, washing the used dishes, and collecting the trash. Once she was done, she allowed herself to breathe a sigh of relief. Throwing a birthday party for a one-year-old was a bit harder than she had initially thought. But she was happy that they had done it, because she knew that it had made Kyoko happy, and that was all she really cared about.
Walking into the living room, she was surprised to find that Gintoki was nowhere to be found. She looked back and forth, making sure she hadn't accidentally glanced over him. By chance, she soon spotted him outside the window. Even more surprised than before, she approached the window to confirm that Gintoki was indeed standing outside in the yard. Growing curious, Tsukuyo quickly made her way outside in order to join him.
"Gintoki?" she called, approaching him. "What are you doing out here?"
Gintoki jumped a little when she called his name, and soon turned around. "Oh, it's you."
"Of course it's me," said Tsukuyo, now standing beside him. "Why are you outside?"
Gintoki looked up. "I was just staring up at the sky and enjoying the weather."
As soon as he said this, Tsukuyo noticed that the cool May evening was actually rather pleasant. She stared up at the sky as well, seeing numerous stars and a large silver moon.
"It's very nice," she noted.
"Yeah," he agreed simply.
Instinctively, Gintoki ended up wrapping his arm around Tsukuyo as she leaned into his body. They both smiled in each other's embrace.
"Gintoki," Tsukuyo said softly. "I'm glad that we ended up being together."
Gintoki stared down at her. "Oh? And why is that?"
"You've made me happier than I could have imagined. You take good care of me…love me…and above all else, you're a good father to Kyoko…"
Gintoki looked away, a little embarrassed. "Come on, you're making me blush here…"
"It's true, though. I chose a good man to marry," Tsukuyo said adamantly.
"Yeah, well, you're not so bad yourself…" Gintoki admitted. "You're one hot and badass woman!"
Tsukuyo's eyes drooped a little. "Is that all you have to say about me?" she asked stoically.
"Let me finish!" said Gintoki quickly. He pulled her a little closer. "You're also one of the kindest and most selfless girls I've ever met. And when it comes to being a mother, I couldn't have asked for anyone better."
This time, Tsukuyo felt embarrassed. She looked away. "Gintoki…"
"I'm glad we're together too," he insisted. He stared deep into her violet eyes. "I love you, Tsukuyo…"
Tsukuyo gave him the softest and most sincere smile she could. "I love you too, Gintoki…"
Closing their eyes, and leaning in even closer, the couple shared a passionate kiss as they were illuminated by the light of the moon. For some reason, it felt like the perfect moment.
Once they were done, they continued to stand in each other's embrace while they stared up at the moon. They ended up thinking back on all the times and experiences they had shared together, and how they were grateful for each and every one of them. After all, it was only due to these experiences that they had ended up together, and become part of a true family.
And this was the happiest life that they could have asked for.
Book 5 End
SILVER MOON END
And with that, this grand tale has been brought to an end. You'll have to forgive me for taking my time, but I wanted to make sure I gave this story the most satisfying ending I could. I really wanted you to feel good "happy ending" vibes while reading this. If you remember, this story originally started off with Seita's birthday party, but now it ends with Kyoko's birthday. It's finally come full circle, in a way.
Over the last four years, Silver Moon has meant a lot to me. It's the first story I ever wrote and the longest story I ever wrote as well. It feels really sad that I'm ending it, but at the same time, it feels like I've finally crossed the finish line. I've finally succeeded with what I originally set out to do. It wasn't easy writing this story for so long, but I somehow managed to do it.
Of course, I must take the time to thank everyone who has joined me on this journey. I've said it several times, but I am VERY THANKFUL for each of every one of you! Thank you to everyone who followed the story for updates, shared it in their favorites, and took the time to leave reviews! I'm not sure if I would have made it this far without all of the support, so I thank you :)
Now that the story is complete, I'd kind of like it if you guys could take the time to tell me what you favorite Book/story arc was. For me, I think my favorite will always be Book 2 with Kamui. Not only is it the first idea that I came up with for this story, but I also feel like it was executed the best, with the least flaws. I loved writing about Kamui and including all the little plot twists. I hope you all enjoyed them too.
I'm honestly not sure what comes next. I might end up writing that sequel story I mentioned, but maybe I'll wait for the Gintama manga to end first. I want to see how that story concludes before I create anything new in the Gintama universe. Maybe I'll end up writing a brand new story though. Who knows? I feel like I'm finally free to do whatever I want XD
Well then, I guess this is goodbye for now. If you ever feel like it, please check out my other stories! I'm sure you'd enjoy them just as much as this one. Aside from that, please feel free to leave your final thoughts on Silver Moon here in a review. I'd really appreciate it :) And everyone, please stay awesome ;)
THANK YOU AND GOODBYE!