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 Posted: Sun Dec 23, 2012 5:49 am
"Okay, then stay close!"
Lumine ascended the last few yards, pushing through the brush and between the trees. As they approached, both a surging rush and a gentle babble of water could be heard in the distance, each sound carrying its own rythm, yet working in concert. The treeline suddenly broke away to a clearing, the ground turning from the lush forest foliage to warm, smooth stone. The stone extended beyond, surrounding many pools of water, some deep, some shallow, and each one connected to one another, and all fed into by a waterfall that flowed from a hole in the side of a rather large stone. The water, probably collected by the rain and weather near the base of the mountain, had been forced up and through its center thanks to the energies produced by the Underground's activities, and was warmed by the heat that escaped the furnace. Passing through so much stone had naturally cleansed the water, leaving it in an incredibly pure and in a constantly renewing state.
Lumine's eyes were fixed on the sight before her, almost forgetting she had a partner close by. She let out a sigh as memories surfaced in her mind. Memories of a happier time... a time when she was still blissfully ignorant of death's cold hand. While she herself would forever be free from its grasp, those she cared for were not.
The Celestial and Tengu had spent many moments in these springs, and had even been joined by their mentor on a number of occasions. The hot springs were a perfect place to relax one's sore muscles after a long day of training or adventuring, and even served as a wonderful place for moon viewing. Above all, it was the place where the Celestial and Tengu had once confessed their love for each other.
Lumine walked towards the nearest pool and knelt down beside its bank to dip her fingers into the warm water. A smile broke out across her face, the warming sensation bringing back fond memories. "I haven't been here in a long, long time, ya'know..?" She said quietly, running her fingers through the water with great contemplation. "But, nothing has changed. Hey, Hanari... is this the place? The one from your dreams?"
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Posted: Sun Dec 23, 2012 11:09 am
Hanari watched dazed at the wonderfully warm water leaving her scythe down on a place at the stone. Her eyes trailed around the smooth stone and the into the water, slowly following after her celestial companion. "... I think this is it... Its so..." She was at loss of words, it was a bit confusing to feel bound to a place she had only seen in her subconcious.
Hanari went to the celestial and knelt by her staring into the water that have off that warm steam before slowly reaching into the water and letting the warm water fall into her cupped hand. She held up her hand and let the water fall back onto the pool. Once the ripples died out the shinigami settled for peering into her own reflection in a trance. "It's a very beautiful place. You can't really see this detail in a dream.... " She turned away from her red-pink eyes to look into the contrast Lumine's icy blue eyes,"How did you find this place..?"
It was odd to think she could have been here once long ago, with this celestial, and maybe someone else; the possibilities seemed eternal. The moon was above them and it made for a perfect view,but Hanari was more interested in finding the meaning of the heart sickeing feeling she had. It was like she had something in her grasp that she had lost but never realised. Now, though, the young shinigami wanted to know how and why, craving to understand something her Mentor, Tebiki did not.
Hanari wanted to understand for once why she felt the way she did, and the only one who could know was sitting next to her.
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Posted: Wed Dec 26, 2012 9:09 am
"My friend showed this place to me... Maemi Kenkaku. She was a pretty and strong swordswoman, a Tengu soldier and member of the elite guard." Lumine spoke softly, and moved to sit at the water's bank. She stared longingly into the waters, but she knew going in wouldn't feel the same.
"A long time ago, long before you were born as the woman you are now, an Incident occurred on this very mountain. One of many, to be honest. I didn't experience it firsthand, but I heard the stories in the days following; at the mountain's peak, a sorceress of terrible power was awakened. The powerful magics released by her resurrection corrupted the minds of many inhabitants surrounding the mountain. Maemi was among the many affected, and she was soundly defeated by a group of people who sought to quell the Incident." The Celestial could remember the events with great clarity, because it was thanks to them that she was gifted the greatest joy in her life.
"Maemi was always very proud of herself, and the amount of effort she put into her training and duties as a guard. When she was defeated so easily by Gensokyo's guardians, it made her depressed, and she was gloomy for a while afterwards. I guess it hurt her pride more than her body. Anyway, I was worried about her, so I kept pestering her about things I could do to help cheer her up... eventually, she told me about the place she and Master Kazuko - our mentor and mother - visited at times to relieve stress. I took her that very night, to these hot springs. That's how I discovered this wonderful place."
Lumine had been watching Hanari with a smile, and didn't break her gaze as the Shinigami turned to meet her eyes. Seeing Hanari look so moved by this place warmed the Celestial's heart, and also helped to solidify in her mind that she was staring into the eyes of her dearly departed friend.
"It was also the first night we ever said... ... 'I love you'..."
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Posted: Wed Dec 26, 2012 7:27 pm
"An incident...?" Hanari listened to the explanation carefully trying to see what it would mean to her or for her. "So she was your friend? She must have known the mountains well, to have found this place. ... It is very beautiful." The shinigami dunked her hand in the water again. Once she heard the last part Hanari turned to her again,"She loved you? What happened with her? ... ... I mean, you never told me what happened her..."
If this girl had been her, it made her wonder how the tengu had passed on,.. how she had passed on. It made her curious, it really did, but also a bit frightened. Would knowing about her previous life hurt her? Or maybe change her? Lumine had warned her, and it was already a bit confusing to think her past life had loved the celestial that was sitting next to her. It didn't mean she would have to love Lumine too would it? It was impossible, they were the enternal forces that clashed, how was she meant to deal with that?
But all that was slightly put to the side by her last question. She would learn, then she would ask.
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Posted: Thu Dec 27, 2012 8:35 am
"Of course she knew them well!" Lumine affirmed, her smile widening into a cheerful grin. "She was a guard, after all! Maemi made rounds across the mountain daily, so she was good at finding cool places to explore. ...Ah, well..."
Lumine's gaze returned to the waters, staring into their depths as if they were a portal into her own memories. "...Maemi... she was... she was killed by maverick Youkai that tried attacking the Tengu Village." The Celestial looked into the palms of her hands. Recalling the tale brought images along with it; Lumine could see her hands, covered in blood. Some belonging to her, some belonging to demons... and some belonging to Maemi. Her capelet, also drenched in her life force, and her fading body looking so helpless on--
Lumine shook her head in an attempt to free her mind from such painful memories. Tears gathered at the corners of her eyes as she sought to continue her tale; "She told me to... to stay behind... so that I would be safe. But I didn't listen... I wanted her to be safe too, so I went after her! We were fighting, and...and one of them snuck up behind her, and..!" Lumine hugged her knees into her chest, and buried her face into them. She didn't want Hanari to see her cry, not here, in this most special of places, and in her weakest of moments. How badly Lumine wanted to reach out and hug the Shinigami-- no, her friend, and the friend buried somewhere deep within her.
"Maemi died... because of me..." she mumbled between sobs, her face still hidden in her knees. "It might as well have been my own hand...d-driving that blade through her chest..."
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Posted: Sun Dec 30, 2012 4:41 pm
Hanari nodded,"She must have been a great guard, if she went where most people didn't." After that she was silent for the lenght of Lumine's tale, only reacting when the celestial mentioned the youkai that had ended her friend. Hanari put a hand to her side, feeling the rib cage under her skin,"Maverick Youkai...."
She also stared into the water getting the vivid images Lumine described. Thinking about it made her sick. She could almost smell the demon's blood in the air, mixed with the dirt and the think stench of death, of tengu blood tainted and mingled with that of foreigners to her home... the tengu's home, Maemi's home. She closed her eyes to try and lessen her sickeness, sinking her hand into the warm water to splash it onto her face while holding her breath.
When she could look over, Lumine's face was hidden and the shinigami could hear her sobs; sobs that she tried to keep hidden from her. Hanari slowly reached over, though she herself was a bit shaky from her sudden ill ess, and patted Lumine's shoulder before soothingly rubbing her shoulder,"At home they say that when death reaches you, it is for a reason, and that when you die, most people go to better places. And most do. Most people who die are old and tired and they get a new life, others who are sick stop suffering... And the young can perhaps get a different chance; a chance to live their dreams. Unless your friend was some sort of devil, she will get a better chance. Death is never easy to face," oh the irony,"every mortal faces it, and every immortal faces it inderectly..."
"I am sure Maemi is happy wherever she maybe, Lumine!" Hanari smiled at her.
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Posted: Tue Jan 01, 2013 10:34 am
Lumine peeked out from over her knees, casting her tear-filled eyes sideways to glance at Hanari. She sniffled lightly, and spoke quietly: "...Maemi... wasn't old...and she wasn't sick, either... She was young. She was pretty... and strong... and... sh-she was mine. We were supposed to be together for a long time... I know Tengu don't live forever, but still!" Her sorrowful, icy-blue eyes fell upon the water once more. "...I... I wanted to marry her, ya'know? Even though... even though we were girls, a-and nobody in the Tengu village would allow it... I didn't care. I never even told Master Kazuko... I bet it...i-it would have made her laugh, and smile..."
Lumine turned to face Hanari, resting her head on her knees. "If being immortal means that I must watch the people I love die, endlessly and throughout time, then I don't want to be immortal anymore. I never asked for this in the first place. I can't choose who I became... I don't even know who I was before. And how can I believe she might be born into a better life? Was living with me really so awful...?" A small smile graced her lips as she looked deep into the Shinigami's eyes. "What if she doesn't know who she is? What if she dreams of things she can't remember? What if she's forced to be my greatest enemy? What if she forgot how much I loved her? ... What if... she's happy without me?"
More tears welled up in the Celestial's eyes, spilling out down her cheeks and onto her knees.
"Well... are you?"
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Posted: Tue Jan 01, 2013 11:54 pm
"That's not what I meant... Happiness is relative just as Death is, y'know?" Hanari was silent as Lumine continued to tell what she felt. The shinigami listened unable to speak as she told her about marriage and having lost her loved one. Truly, she was at loss of words, and all she could do was listen, until she felt Lumine's eyes on her and she matched her gaze.
Every question was a stab into her heart, wrenching the last deeper, prodding into her most obscure sense of pain. By the last one, her eyes were wide, and fearful tears where spilling from her eyes; the fear of knowing. Her throat was closed and her body trembling as it refused to respond. That was the only reason Lumine had gone through the trouble. The celestial wanted her old friend back she had no interest in her just who she had been. Still frozen she couldn't move until one more stab came into her soul. Hanari had been sitting with her knees folded and leaned on a hand, and the burst of nausea made her grip her heart and lean down, allowing her tears to flow down onto the rock and splash, staining bits here and there.
"Th-...that can't be-- I can't be--" Still struggling to find the words, Hanari trembled,"Master Kazuko is gone... I lost what I worked for, why didn't you listen to me, Lumine?! Look where you have put me! I c-can't die, I will live forever bound to hunt you!" She pounded her fist onto the stone, breaking the skin of her fist. "I don't know what I am anymore---" Hanari leaned back onto her knees, running both hands through her hair,"I am not her or me, I am--- som-some--... SOUL ABOMINATION!" She roared out into the night, her body still trembling.
"Wh-what am I going to do now?!" She held her head, bowing down trying to find a way around it, some way to organize her thoughts and the flowing memories that where crippling her and her judgement,"I can-can't see my family, I can't leave Noroshi-sama--?! Samuro... R-Rubuke.... Akira,T, Tebiki....!"
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Posted: Wed Jan 02, 2013 7:15 am
Lumine sat, frozen, and flinching at each word the Shinigami cried out. She too was confused on how to feel. She had succeeded... Right? Hanari remembered, and that had been her goal from the start...
"I didn't... I, I was worried! I wanted to... to help...!" The Celestial screamed back, tightening her grip on her knees. "Every time you left, every time you faced danger, I would be forced to stay behind, and worry for your safe return! Didn't you trust me?! Didn't you think about how I felt?!"
No, that's not right. Don't lose sight of the truth. It was her fault alone that Maemi Kenkaku had died that day. Only she could shoulder that blame. Lumine buried her face into her knees once again, crying louder than she had before. "I'M SORRY!!! IT'S ALL MY FAULT!!" Her whole body was shaking as she sobbed into her knees. Years of pain, of loss, sorrow and regret, all slowly building up were finally being released. "I-It's my fault you got hurt....It's m-my fault Ma.. Master Kazuko died, too! Everything is my fault!! I'm sorry! I'm so, so sorry!!"
This wasn't how it was supposed to feel. This was supposed to be a happy moment. Lumine would have her Maemi back, and they could go on to live happily ever after... That's what should be happening. But it isn't. It hurts. It hurts more than anything she had ever felt before. It hurt worse than watching her best friend die before her eyes.
"But... don't you see? This is great..! You... you remember things now, right?" Lumine shifted her body and leaned forward on her knees, a hand reaching out for the Shinigami. "Ma--...Hanari, we can start over. And now, neither of us will ever have to die..!" She crawled closer, tears still streaming down her cheeks. "I don't care what you are, Hanari. I just want you back... I need you! Life without you has been so hard... I've missed you so much!"
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Posted: Wed Jan 02, 2013 2:38 pm
"I thought of your safety! Of the possibility that this could happen!" Hanari called back to Lumine looking half at herself and the odd feeling of lacking wings brought; though she never had them to begin with,"I knew my work was dangerous that I could die, that came with me when you wanted to stay by my side Lumine. Yes I thought you would pout and fit like you did all the time, but I was more interested in keeping you safe than anything else!"
Hanari cringed away from Lumine's hand, smacking it away on instinct,"I am not that lady! I am me, and me has work and people that care for her, little as they may be! You want your friend not me, and she won't be back! She died, it is my turn to live, she died, so it is my time to take the chance; She. DIED." The shinigami crawled back away, before scrambling and turning to take her scythe and pick it up, standing clumsy and inefficiently holding her weapon,"I am a shinigami, she was a tengu; you lost your chance to live your dream because you made the wrong choices. Let me live. Let me carry this foul curse of taking lives and separating people like you from people like her!"
She sounded scared, tears still flowing over her cheeks, but her confusion and fear steadied her grip on the wooden shaft of the scythe. "B-because you chose to follow.... Because Master Kazuko chose to let you go... because she chose to turn her back to look at you and try to convince you to leave... and because you chose not to listen......" she trembled but her hands and arms where solid," I will fulfill what I was created for! I will take the celestial defying the Samara cycle to courts where her soul can be judge and aptly punished for her crimes!"
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Posted: Wed Jan 02, 2013 5:50 pm
"But I care for you, too! Why do you think I went through all this trouble to reach out to you?!" Lumine bowed her head into the ground; the weight of Maemi's nodachi felt as though it could crush her. Each of the Shinigami's words once more felt like daggers, each one cutting and piercing in ways no being could possibly endure. "I waited so long... I wanted to find you..! I searched, and searched, because you once told me about the cycle of souls... You said people can come back, so I waited! I waited so that, maybe one day, I could hear your voice again, a-and hear you scold me for b, being stupid..."
Despite the threat of Hanari's blade, and the weight of her own sword restricting her, Lumine clawed across the ground, on her hands and knees. She found the edge of the pool, her hands grasping at its side. She peered into the pool, and at the reflection looking back at her. "There's always another chance. I.. I'm living proof of that! I don't know who I was, or what I did, but for some reason I was given another chance in this world! I never asked for it, but it's what was given to me! Maybe I earned it, maybe I didn't, maybe someone once believed in me; I don't know, and I know I'll never know. But there's always another chance!"
"I was always thinking of you. Not a day went by that your name didn't pass my lips, or my heart didn't ache for your touch--" Lumine sat on her knees and turned her attention to Seijin's messenger bag, hurriedly searching through its contents for the letter she had spent years writing. The letter she had one day hoped to deliver to the being who inherited Maemi's soul. "Every day, I looked for you, for some hint that you may have come back. You may not be exactly her, but she'll always be a part of you!" Finally, she found the notes near the bottom of the bag. "I want to try again... please, please give me another chance, Hanari... I know I can do better this time. I'll listen to everything you say! I swear I'll obey, no matter what!"
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Posted: Thu Jan 03, 2013 12:23 am
"Just be quiet! I am done listening to you and your rambles! I am not her or any bit of her! I am done dealing with this confusion; I was better when I knew absolutely nothing!" The shinigami cried out, her knuckles turning white around her schythe's shaft. "I promised I would take your soul remember?!" Hanari raised the scythe,"I am making good on my promise, Celestial!" And she swung down, ignoring any movement Lumine made, simply letting her misdirected aggresion strike with all its might. Might she ignored she possessed. "Numb...It Felt so ...Numb..." She... had never harvested someone's life. Afterwards, she crumbled to her knees leaning onto her weapon's shaft, her eyes wide and quivering with tears that fell onto her lap and mixed with the celestial's blood. She leaned and tried to gather herself, but for the while she was the shell of contradicting ideas. Still, all her mind focused was on the body infront of her whose blood flowed, staining the pureness of the hotsprings at their side. Hanari did not react until someone passed her silently; just like the spirit she was. "What have you done, Hanari?" She muttered sadly, passing her staff's lamp over the fresh corpse, collecting one more of the many souls surrounding her, "It was right for your job, not for your peace. " Hanari was peering emptily at the pooled blood, dead inside. Tebiki looked onto deceased, her eye catching onto the piece of scroll in her hand. The Shepard walked to the chilling hand, taking the paper and putting it before Hanari,crouching and meeting gaze with her. The clear gray-blue eyes searched the blank pink-red disks. Tebiki reached putting a hand onto Hanari's cheek, her hand brought a lush of warmth into Hanari's face, slowly eliciting sobs from the shinigami. "Sh,Sh," Tebiki muttered at Hanari, who dropped her scyther and put both her hands over Tebiki's, sobbing and weeping like the young being she was, "There, there, my child, at peace be thou.... I will see what I can do, for this pain will haunt thee for eternety if I do not; allow me time, and allow yourself rest." Tebiki stood, with Hanari clinging to her hand. "N-n-n,noroshi-sama---" Tebiki walked back to Lumine, taking the corresponding soul in her palm, before tapping her staff onto the earth. Like that they were gone. The only proof of the horrendous act was the pool of blood, the empty girl, and the scroll filled with an innocents hopes...... "And they Ask, How I earned My Staff..."
I find that question a tad offensive. Is it so hard to believe I did good in my short existance? Some people live judging books by their hideous covers but no more could be expected from the mortals. If they were allowed more time, they would only hurt more people along their ways before they learned of their befouling ways.
Ah! But I would be a hypocrite to say Youkai are any better. Systematic lives; Kill to live, Live to kill, all reasoned, all instinct. Then on who falls the blame, may I ask? Let us not forget Youkai are cursed beings, from the smallest fairy to the largest demon. I myself posses a large curse; the immortality and timelessness.
It is not easy to live with. It is not easy to know the earth will erode before you do. It is not easy to see your loved ones wither and day in you hands where you find yourself forced to take the withered remainds to the one who will judge them and put them elsewhere where you can see them repeat the cycle over,and over, and over, until they are an oak tree with the rings of every reincarnation covering the grain of your old love covered under the layers of lives and sins. No. It is not easy.
But all jobs must be done, be they good or bad for the performer. Why, yes, the performer. I perform a single trick with no real twist to it, but I manage to vary my day. It comes with the freedom of your job being to "Collect Roaming Souls." I spend my days here and there, wherever my feet decide to carry me. At times I feel like K am dregrading, letting my mind wonder when my feet work. I come and go from the tip of the Youkai Mountain to the Furnace of the Underground. I meet people, and try as I may to push them away, I am still a mortal at heart and I come to enjoy their company. I have confessed this to be my guilty indulgance to Hijou-sama, the Yama I now work for.
Today though, I did something out of the ordinary. I broke the rules. I took a dead soul to the Courts of Hell to appeal her case. I did not do it for her, as much of a proper young lady she may have been, but for my apprentice, Hanari, who I named myself.
There was something bewitching about that young lady, a celestial. I watched from afar,considering on taking her to Bhavahra, but something struck me as odd. Hath I not seen it with my eyes, I ,perhaps, would have never believed it. She had an influence, a charm, a spark, that seemed to influence those around her; the lonewolf smiled, the old rabbit laughed,... my apprentice felt happiness. She taught those around her the child-like innocence she carried about her, and showed them the values she lived by. To waste such a life because of the hands of fear -fear of knowledge and ignorance alike- was more than I could allow.
And so, I took her body and soul to the east banks of the Sanzu, where only the unliving could step. There I laid her body, among the unliving grass, and replaced her soul using my staff to light her soul awake once more into her physical manifestation.
Perhaps, I made a wrong decision like I did all those years ago with Yomi - Now known as Fuzen-mara - but I did not think of that at the moment. All thar my mind had was the thoughts of seeing her breathe one more time, and see her chest heave in the panic being brought from the death would bring upon her clouded and groggy mind.....
I had only wanted to help, against my better judgement. . .
"Come on take in the Sanzu's air, my dear," Tebiki murdered to her self resting her staff next to her as she crouched next to Lumine. For once she was not surrounded by souls of the others who had been given to the shinigami to take. They were behind Tebiki's humble stead, a small room set up for her seperated from other workers, and she was anxious to awaken Lumine and hide her away in her home before anyone saw what she was doing. "Haste, m'lady, time to lose we have none," She looked over Lumine looking for any vital signs.
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Posted: Thu Jan 03, 2013 8:10 am
Lumine never saw the blow coming. Until now, her faith in the strength of their bond had gone unquestioned. Before she could think to react, the Shinigami's blade passed through her cleanly, and any movement she had been making before halted immediately. Lumine stared with empty eyes at the water as droplets of scarlet tainted its purity. There was a pain deep in her chest. This pain hurt worse than anything she could have ever imagined. More blood began to flow, and Lumine found herself unable to take another breath. Her body began to numb as she collapsed onto her side. The world around her dulled into a gray haze. As she closed her eyes, the pain in her chest was the only thing she could focus on. This pain was not the terrible result of a Shinigami's weapon against the Celestial's body: This pain came from betrayal. Betrayal of the love she had sought to rekindle. Betrayal of the friend she had since longed for. The last thought in her mind would, for now, go unquestioned: "Why..?"~~~ The days get longer, and sometimes I feel like I should just give up. But I can't. I can't and I won't. I'll never stop looking for you, Maemi, because I miss you. You're the only person I want to love, the only person I want to share my life with. So here I am now, sitting quietly and writing this letter to you, my grumpy Tengu, in the fading hope that someday you will read this. Maybe I can give it to the Yama, if I ever end up meeting her?
I love you, Maemi! I love you I love you I love you I love you I love you I love you I love you!! Even if I said it until the end of time, it would never be enough! I only hope that you can forgive me for what I've done, what I failed to do, and maybe someday, I'll hear those words again:
"I love you too."
~ Lumine Mayflower~~~ A girl awoke with a gasp. The air stung her lungs as it filled them. Her eyes were wide with both shock and fear; moments before, she felt as though she had been swimming - No, drowning - and had been pulled free. It was just like last time. How long ago had that been? A year? A day? Never? Had it happened at all, or was it all a dream? Was this a dream too? That day when she awoke, and the light was too bright. It was whites and golds, but now it was still and dreary. It was like that time before that time, when it was white and gray. The girl blinked tears from her eyes, and slowly began to rise. Unlike those times before, she wasn't alone here. Beside the girl was another girl, young and white. She asked her to hurry. Who was she? And who was asking? A name. The girl focused hard. She sat up and looked at the other girl, wanting to ask, but not knowing what to ask about. Name. She had to remember. Room...white... pages, ink, letters, text, paragraphs, books, stories, language... Light. Licht. Luce. Lumina -- Lumine!!Suddenly, the world came crashing down on Lumine. Like a spark that cut the darkness, everything became clear. Everything. She realized she was staring at the Spirit-Girl from before. "H-Hey... I remember you. What's going on? Where are we, and why do I need to hurry, Miss...?"
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Posted: Thu Jan 03, 2013 9:08 am
Tebiki sighed relived patiently waiting for Lumine to get her bearings,"Good, not many are themselves when I do this . . . Though I hadn't done this in quite a long time." She stood, holding out her hand and quickly taking Lumine's while her othe took her staff,"I promise to fill you in, but please come into my house. I shouldn't have done what I did." The Shepard was shorter than Lumine, forever cursed to be in her younh child body, but her grip was firm and hurried. Whether the celestial liked it or not, she led her to her humble home. "Careful, your legs will be shaky under you."
Inside it was a simple set up, very similar to that of the house Lumine would have occupied had Fuzen not returned, and the shepard sat her down as soon as she could. She went to the drawers and came back with a humble bar of chocolate. Presenting the sweet to Lumine she said,"Here, eat this. It will settle and calm you a bit, you need to rest while your body comes to."
Once more she walked about and brought some neatly folded clothes. It was a shirt and shorts, a vague attempt to match Lumine's oufit,"Your shirt is slashed, I am sorry I could not mend it and your wound too.... I hope this shirt fits you..."
At last Tebiki sat infront of Lumine in a wooden chair,"I brought you to appeal your case, Celestial. I want you to try and live this attack my apprentice has passed on to you. I had to get you inside because I performed a way of resuciation, and I could lose my job for that. Please know that you should not try to escape; your body would fade as soon as you crossed the Sanzu if you could. Your place is rightfully in Higan where you would await judgement, but I want to bring you in as a special case."
"I am sorry for what Hanari did to you."
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Posted: Fri Jan 04, 2013 10:12 am
Lumine nodded and took Tebiki's hand. She didn't know the situation, nor did she possess any other plans, and thus had no reason to object. "Do... 'this'? Do what?" She asked idly, while trailing behind the slightly shorter girl. It was strange, seeing someone so small with such great strength - not only physical, but the aura she possessed as well. Though they had barely spent more than a few moments together previously, Lumine felt she could trust the Spirit-Girl.
Then again, perhaps the Celestial trusted too freely...
Now well inside Tebiki's home, Lumine sat quietly where she was so hurriedly placed. She gazed around the humble structure, noting the odd comfort in its simplicity. Her attention only returned to Tebiki as the white-haired girl presented the sweet treat, to which she took hesitantly. "Oh... thanks, Miss." Lumine took the chocolate bar in both hands and began to unwrap it. While doing so, she couldn't help but notice the paler color her skin carried.
Now free of its protective wrapper, Lumine took a bite of the chocolate bar while she watched the Spirit-Girl begin to arrange an assortment of clothes. Confused by Tebiki's actions, she tilted her head slightly while she chewed; the chocolate somehow helped to calm her, and staved off the bitter chill Lumine could feel mounting in her bones.
"My... wound..?" Lumine looked down to her body, and nearly choked on the treat she was given. She dropped the chocolate bar and brought a hand to her mouth, coughing, while her other hand and arm sought to cover her chest, and conceal the rather unsightly cut across her body.
For a moment she had forgotten, but now she could see everything. She remembered how she had got here. In her mind's eye, she could see the waters of the hot springs, and Hanari's reflection in them as she raised her scythe, and swung down, just before everything turned red, then gray, then black.
Her body shook as she recalled the details of her own death. Despite the distress, Lumine tried to listen to Tebiki as she explained the situation to her, and the reasons behind their hasty retreat and for the confusion Lumine was suffering. Slowly, the Celestial removed both hands from her body, instead choosing to rest them on her lap, like a child waiting to be scolded.
"Why?" Lumine asked plainly, staring at the bit of floor between her and Tebiki. "Why would you risk your job for me? You're part of the spirit cycle, right? You should hate Celestials like me... Besides... it's not like I have any reason to keep living... anyway..."
The memory replayed in her mind again. And again. And again. Each time the details became clearer, and each time she could feel the blow dealt to her. Hanari attacked her... Hanari didn't love her. Hanari hated her, and wanted her dead. Well, Hanari got her wish.
"I... I failed... I tried, but I still failed... Maybe this is how she feels, to have had everything she worked for in life taken away from her. Maybe I deserve this."
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