-No one's POV-

The day a certain Uchigatana had returned to the place he called his home, shock and confusion swarmed his facial features. Yamatonokami Yasusada had been away on a journey for some time - this was not what he wanted to come back to.

The house he called home was silent. No one could be heard. No one could be seen. Usually there would at least be one other sword by the inner yard. Or the younger-smaller personification of the historical Swords would be playing around. With that came yelling and running.

But nothing.

Yasusada had begun walking around, still clothed in his armor and his sword by his waist, looking everywhere. In the kitchen, the backyard, the stable, the practice room and the different rooms the large Mansion owned. As he reached his own - shared with his closest friend, Kashuu Kiyomitsu (a Uchigatana like him) - the young looking sword had long lost hope. Hope in finding someone. He couldn't and wouldn't believe that they would abandoned the house.

But without finding a note or better, a sword to talk to, brought him to his limits.

With a sigh, Yasusada opened the door with his eyes closed tightly. His belief and his hope would be instantly shattered if he were to learn that his friend had left him behind.

"Yasusada! Thank God, you are here!"

A voice, one that was quite familiar to the Uchigatana, rang out as the door had been opened fully. Opening his eyes, Yasusada could only take in a blur of red and black before something pulled him into a tight embrace. No not something - more like someone.

"Kiyomitsu..." he mumbled as he pulled the slightly taller man into the already happening hug. He was glad the other was there, here with him. If he were to be alone in the large Cathedral - one big enough for roughly 30 to 40 people - he would be driven to insanity. "Where is everyone?"

"Honestly, I have no clue. It had been empty like this ever since I, myself, had returned a while back."

"A while...?" Yasusada pulled away from his friend's arms, looking more confused than before. Now with a mixture of concern. Earlier, he had only thought about himself and how he couldn't live like he used to if he was truly alone. Kiyomitsu had been here. Alone.

"I had lost count."

"I'm sorry, Kiyomitsu..."

"No need to apologize, Idiot."

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After Yamatonokami had changed out if his armor and into a new set of one of his yukatas, his sword now resting in a sword stand, the duo had walked around together. Looking for the perfect place to be in the others presence, to simply talk.

They both had decided on one of the higer rooftops the building had to offer. The view they had received through that was breath taking. They had their garden illuminated by the light, it dusting the flowers and plants different shades.

"You know, over my last travels I encountered so many people. Oh, monsters of course too."

"Tell me a bit more about it, Yasusada." Kashuu placed both hands behind him, acting like a backrest, he leaned against them. He closed his eyes lightly as he listened to his friend.

"I had visited one period, like I had originally planned, but than I got somehow sucked into the next one. Of course there had been monsters and enemies everywhere I had been too. But that circle continued until reached the period beyond."

"Beyond?" Yamatonokami nodded.

"The historical events that we, sword warriors, had been and hopefully still are protecting is so precious."

Kashuu looked over - his friend has been smiling brightly as he was talking about everything he had done since the day he left. The Uchigatana had to agree, Yasusada had been away for quite a while - he had left before Kiyomitsu had started his own journey.

He also only now realized how lonely he had been. Having no one around got him bored. He forgot half the things he had been doing - the past time too. He could only start guessing how long he had lived with these conditions. Half a year? Could have been even more.

But no matter how long - Kashuu would always wait for his friend, his self-claimed partner. He was overjoyed when the personified sword had opened that door. Although they are now alone in the huge Cathedral, they have each other. He believes that he would not have been glad to that extent if it had been any other sword.
The two are just as close as any family. They went as far as claiming the other to be their long lost sibling if needed.

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As the sun made its way upwards, still hiding between tall trees and mountains, the next day began.

Kiyomitsu was first to be awoken by the fleeing sunlight. He let out a light groan at his sudden awakening but grew more silent when he let his head roll to the side.

'That's right... I'm not alone anymore.' The Uchigatana thought to himself with a smile stretching at his lips. Seeing his friend-his brother beside him really made his current mood lift. In the past time he had been alone. Now to be with with another, Kiyomitsu didn't have to be worried about others anymore. He wasn't alone. He had someone by his side.

With one last glance, the personification of a historical sword let himself be forced out of his make-shift bed. He swiftly changed his robes behind a privacy screen. Going back to the main living area, Kashuu analyzed from where the sunlight came from, took one of his spare inner robes and hung it before. To block the light from waking his friend up.

Later on, Kiyomitsu could be seen walking through the empty halls of the Cathedral. On his way, he took a book from one of the now-vacant rooms and walked up to an open area. The view from there on was simply beautiful. The huge cherry blossom tree was illuminated by the rising sun, its sunlight making the blossoms even prettier than it was without them. He sat down on the porch and began reading the token book.

The book itself was a random pick from the sword. He barely paid attention to the written fiction in it, he only needed something to busy himself with. The book was used as an excuse for it. To that, having the possession of someone else by him made him feel less lonely. As if the owner was by his side.

As he reached roughly the middle of the fiction, he grew aware of the oncoming presence.

Two slim arms circled around his waist, loosely trapping him. The warmth of another could have been felt as the other sat down behind him. Yasusada placed his chin on his friends shoulder, still not quite awake.

'That's right, Yasusada has come home last evening.' The sword personification smiled at his own thoughts and the extra warmth. It once again showed just how relieved the possibly older one was.

"Good morning, Yasusada."

"Morning Kiyomitsu."

Kiyomitsu continued reading the book, now paying even less attention to the plot, putting more focus on his friend and family.

It continued like that for a few minutes. Yamatonokami grew slightly bored. He was glad to have Kashuu with him. But... the other was occupied with the random book. And another hadn't been around to talk or play with.

"Kiyomitsu... you are so mean. You left me alone in that room and now you aren't paying attentionto me." He felt childish. Childish and selfish. Just because they only had each other, didn't have to mean that the other couldn't do something on their own. He really couldn't imagine how the other Uchigatana had survived for who-knows-how-long.

When Yamatonokami had stepped foot on the property of the Cathedral,he had wanted to be welcomed by the others too. His mood sank when no one was to be found. No one but Kashuu.

"I'm sorry, thought you wanted to sleep a little more." Kiyomitsu closed the book and placed beside himself. He turned his body to be able to face the other properly. Now having a good look at the youngers face, Kashuu frowned. "Are you alright, Yasusada? You seem unhappy..."

Yasusada wasn't good at hiding his discomfort, disappointment or practically any negative emotion. His lying abilities were even worse. That way, Kiyomitsu couldn't miss the behavior of the other and couldn't misplace it. His friend was clearly upset about something more than he had said earlier. Although he would like to know what was wrong, to force an answer wasn't the way.

Yamatonokami had little traits that also helped with the judgment. He grew quite around others or stay in a remotely quite room or area. Hugging another was only an act when he needed anothers presence and warmth to feel a slight comfort. And honestly, that wasn't often. Yamatonokami often preferred others to be content before he even considered himself.

"I'm doing okay, Kiyo."

"I'm here for you, don't forget that."

"I just hope the others are doing alright and aren't injured heavily, wherever they may be..."

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"Yasusada, how was your nap?"

"Kiyomitsu... you should have woken me up."

Yamatonokami had insisted that his friend should read the book until the end earlier. While Kashuu had offered that they would-could do something else, he just couldn't say no. With that, the younger one fell asleep in his position, still loosely hugging Kashuu. It was adorable.

After having finished reading the chosen fiction, Kashuu carefully and slowly removed the others arms and replaced the sleeping body. At the end, Yasusadas head laid in the others lap. And to busy himself in any way, Kiyomitsu had started to play with his brothers hair.

Yasusada had been quite embarrassed afterwards.

"Then, at least let me help you!"

"We said that we would alternate (or switch) everyday, when it comes to the making of the food."

"Kiyo, don't talk like that. You sound stupid."

Both broke out in soft giggles after.

Some time passed with them eating the Kashuu-made food and later on cleaning the utensils. They chose then to abuse the free space they have around them and laid down near the cherry blossom tree. Although it was still close to the Cathedral. Two figures laid in plain grass, some small flowers were growing around them.

They were on their backs, looking straight up to the sky. A blue sky with only a few white cotton clouds.

"Kiyo, what do you think will be happeningfrom now on?" Yasusada asked without tearing his gaze from the sky and it's beauty. His tone was lazed with worry and a feeling of discomfort. "What if the same thing happens to us too. You know... disappear."

"Maybe the Demon army had been finally defeated, that way we aren't needed anymore - to protect the history."

"But I liked to spend time with the others. To spend my time with you. And to protect the past."

"Me too, Yasu. But don't forget, you will never be alone. We will always be together - as friends and as family."

It was silent afterwards. Both simply starring into the sky, the soft clouds now gone. Both could feel something weird bubbling inside of them.
It reminded Kiyomitsu of some of the others. They told him their own theories and how they felt before they vanished the next second.

He didn't want this to happen. He liked to spend another day - week - month with Yasusada. He just got him back, it was going to fast in Kashuus point of view.

"Kiyo... I feel weird."

"Mn. Me too."

Turning his head, he quickly locked eyes with Yasusada and took his hand into the others. He found the younger smiling at him with tears trailing down his face. Kiyomitsu wanted to wipe the stray ones away but could not force his body to move anymore.

'This going to fast.'

"Let's meet again, Kashuu Kiyomitsu."

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Not many may know, but this is more of a rewrite of a short story I have already uploaded. It's under the same name but the quality of it isn't the greatest. The chapters too aren't the longest, like around 300 words per chapter.

『Word count: 2015』