Butterfly lovers is an old Chinese folklore tale that was also made into a Chinese opera.
A young girl from an affluent family, dresses up as a boy to attend school.
There she meets a poor boy who received a scholarship
to go to the same school. The two become close friends, and when she reveals her disguise,
they fall in love. The lovers want to get married but the girl's father tells him to leave.
Since he has no money, he's not welcomed to her estate. The boy soon dies of a broken heart afterward.
When the girl hears of this, she jumps into his grave to her own death. Later on the two lovers
are reincarnated into butterflies so they would always be together.
Yes I admit it's not exactly like Yuzuriha's and Kusanagi's relationship. It's more along the line's of Romeo & Juliet. But since I hated that play, this story is a well enough example.
Yuzuriha represents the young girl and Kusanagi the boy. Their relationship is just as sweet and has that childlike innocence mixed in. The two go on their little outings because they want to be near the other. Eating ice-cream and talking in the park are their pastimes in each other's company. Spending time and being with each other is enough to bring their hearts joy.
This in a way represents the relationship of the two butterfly lovers . The Ten no Ryu represent her "family". I believe they wouldn't be very pleased that she was associating with someone from the Chi no Ryu. Especially someone so much older than her. Like the butterfly lovers, their relationship shouldn't have happened. It's "forbidden" because of their roles in society, or for Yuzuriha and Kusanagi, their roles in the fate of humanity.
° return?