The dragon and the silver mare

XIII. Stargazing

We spent a whole week together. We only let go to do our jobs. We proved our love for each other in every possible way again and again. But the day of her departure was approaching painfully quickly. I decided to go to Honno-Ji to see her off. We packed up and embarked on the road. We threw a farewell feast for her and the following day everyone said their goodbyes.

We were supposed to meet her friend the next morning and we stayed in an inn for the night.

'Tonight the skies are perfectly immaculate. Would you like to come stargazing with me?' Her eyes grew big and round like the full moon. I couldn't possibly resist her.

'I'd do anything for my wonderful wife.' I grabbed her waist and pulled her close for a kiss.

'This was easy. I thought you would need more convincing.' She giggled and kissed back.

'What kind of convincing did you have in mind?' I grinned.

'Agruing...' She pressed her lips on mine. 'Begging...' Again. 'Maybe, a non-lethal poison...' And again. 'Physical violence if none of the above worked.' She laughed.

'Bad... Bad kitten!' I bit her lips.

I followed her to a field where we could see the sky perfectly.

We sat down and Ana untied her obi cord. Well, she is not wasting her time for sure..

'I heard a quote once in a movie that got stuck in my head ever since.'

'What is a movie?'

'It's like a theatrical performance but captured and replayed in moving images. It's a form of entertainment in the future.' She explained quickly.

'Okay and what was the quote?' I nodded.

'It goes like this.' She placed her palm on mine. 'Musubi is the old way of calling the local guardian god. This word has profound meaning. Typing thread is Musubi. Connecting people is Musubi. The flow of time is Musubi. These are all the god's power.' She looped one end of the cord around our pinky fingers. 'So the braided cords are the god's art and represent the flow of time itself.' She wrapped the cord around our hands as she talked. 'They converge and take shape. They twist, tangle, sometimes unravel, break, and then connect again.' Finally, she tied the ends with a knot. 'Musubi - knotting. That's time.'

I was speechless. This was her way of saying that I am only yours, I bound my heart to you and I'll always find my way back to you. She wanted to reassure me. Is it possible to fall in love with her even more?

'No wonder it got stuck in your head. It's perfectly fitting...' I spoke softly. 'Also, it reminds me of the red thread of fate.'

'What is that?' She looked genuinely curious. Finally, something she didn't know.

'It's a belief. Legend says the gods tie each end of a red thread to the pinky fingers of destined lovers. This thread can stretch or tangle, but never breaks thus connecting them forever no matter of the place, time, or circumstances.' I laced my fingers with hers. Could it be destiny that we met?

'Do you believe in destiny?'

'No, not really. It would be too convenient to just sit back and wait because your fate is already written, no matter what you do. This is just not for me... You have to work and fight to reach your goals. With every step you take, every decision you make, you form your own fate... How about you?'

'Me neither. I think everything is random and nothing make sense in life.' She laughed. 'We are smaller than a speck of dust in the universe. The entire history of mankind is shorter than a blink of an eye compared to the age of the Earth. Our lives are meaningless in the eyes of eternity.'