4. Clip

Snip. Snip. Snip. Snip.
Ammy’s long hair began to fall to the ground. It was being clipped off. She was sitting in her family kimono and waiting for the bells to chime. She was to be married to the Oina General. He had proposed with a little pendant. A sacred item that once helped protect the hallowed halls. It was his right to give it to whomever he saw fit to bear it’s power.

At the head of the hallowed halls, of the newly restored Celestial Plains, the young general waited. He was dressed traditionally. As were everyone else. The large doors opened, as the young goddess strode through. She neared the head when a flash of light appeared. Tears spilled down the young woman’s cheeks.

“Mother, no!” The girl shouted, trying to run forward, but instead falling. Only to witness his demise.

“Thou hath not ask of my permission!” The woman stated. The young one nearly spoke up. “Silence will befall upon this room!”

The girl’s voice was cut off, unable to speak, or groan or any sound at all.

“Thou shalt be punished!” The woman shouted, taking a glaive and cutting the mask off the boy. “With thine life.”

The young goddess saw his body hit the floor, as he weakly tried to hold his mask to his face.

“Amaterasu, never forget…” the young man smiled. The strength in his body failing. “I…”

The glaive was stabbed down into his body, and he was silenced.

There was a crash of thunder as Ammy shot upright, panting and sweating. Her hands sprung to her face to cover the tears that she was shedding. The young man next to her sat up and put an arm around her shoulder. She turned and hugged him. Crying harder and harder. He reached for the little clip, and pinned her hair back. Gently kissing her forehead, and lulling her back to calm.

“Are you okay?” He looked sadly at the goddess, who’s marking burned brightly through her clothing.

“No… but I’m trying to be…” she took out the necklace from the side table and frowned at it. “All my life… all this life… the one away from home, me hating my mother… it’s all over a stupid little clip… I won’t let her hurt you… not like she hurt the others…”

The young man let out a deep sigh, and rubbed his eyes. He turned the lamp on and took the necklace and clip from her. Then threw the clip out the window in the rain and broke the necklace. Flushing it’s pieces down the toilet.

“Don’t. Say. Anything. I hate seeing you hurt. And I hate having you wake up every night to the same nightmare. That necklace and that clip keep causing them, so I got rid of them.” The young man looked down at her and put his hands to his shoulders. “Don’t. Go. Looking. For. Them. If it’s painful to look back, then look ahead.”

The girl’s eyes stopped watering and a faint glimmer of relief filled them. She took a deep breath and smiled softly at him. The word that’d been stuck since his passing…

“Atcher?” She put a hand to his face and smiled softly. “I uh… I love you…”