Big Book of Writing

Shadow Festival (Void, SDRA2)

I saw this art and I had to write for this! This can be taken as either romantic or platonic, take your pick. (idk why but I just want to see these idiots happy and Mikado not so fucked up) This is also an AU where there's only a human Mikado! And yes, this was inspired by and named after a bad ending in Fatal Frame 2.

Warning: death, feelings of worthlessness

***

As fireworks resounded in the night sky and cheer filled the chair, a group of five dressed in yukatas wandered down the stone path together. Two of the three blondes in the group went off to different vendors on opposite sides of the path, but the girl came back earlier with a paper box of takoyaki in her hands.

"Really, do you guys have to get so many unhealthy foods?" Hajime complained. "If it's not the grease that makes you sick, it'll be moving around and eating at the same time."

"Oh hush, we're at a festival! We can deal with health concerns tomorrow, so let's have as much fun as we can tonight! Have some takoyaki!" Emma giggled. "This might just be the last time - not to mention the first time - we can have fun after the Tragedy, since..." She then lowered her voice. "Since Mikado said that the plan is almost complete."

"Oi, quit muttering. There's a bigger concern, isn't there?" Nikei joined in, his arms crossed and his face grumpy. "How the hell are we going to pay for all of this? We barely had any funds for getting groceries until HE came along."

"Don't worry, Nikei, this is on Mikado and Emma's money, which unfortunately means that they're going to buy as much unhealthy food as they can to spite me." The boxer chuckled. 

"Whatever. As long as Mikado comes back with the hanami dango I asked him to get me, then I'll be fine." The journalist looked to where the wizard had gone to, spotting him walk back to the group. "Heh, speak of the devil."

"And he will appear, specifically with your candy." Mikado finished with a chuckle, offering the mochi to Nikei. 

But before the smaller boy could take it, Mikado then held it out of his reach. "What the- Hey!" He exclaimed, reaching and jumping to try and get it back. "Give me the goddamn candy!"

"Maybe if you ask nicely!" The wizard playfully went up on his toes to keep the dango out of Nikei's reach.

"Ask nicely?! I asked nicely when I fucking asked you to get it!" Nikei whined, even attempting to kick Mikado in the shin, but to no avail.

"Come on, say please!" The blonde responded. The other three Voids rolled their eyes with a chuckle at the display, already too used to Mikado dancing on Nikei's nerves and dragging him further into the group, trying to lower the journalist's emotional mask.

"Okay, fine! PLEASE give me my fucking mochi already!" The journalist relented, his face going scarlet with blush. The wizard finally lowered the candy backdown and handed it to Nikei, who quickly stepped away from the other boy in case he tried to steal the candy again. "Stupid mochi-stealing asshole..." He muttered, putting the first white ball into his mouth. He ignored Mikado rubbing the top of his back as a 'no harm done' gesture.

"Oh, Nikei! Your blushing face is so adorable!" Emma cooed. "It's rare that you get flustered like this, maybe you'll get more relaxed as the night goes on!"

"What the hell are you talking about? Adorable? Are you even hearing yourself?" The journalist protested, not used to this kind of praise. He wanted to be praised for his penmanship and ideas, not having the actress adoring him after being messed with by Mikado.

"E-Emma's right! You are really cute when you're flustered..." Iroha spoke up, knowing that she was stepping on thin ice. "Mikado, if it's okay, could you hold him still while I sketch his embarrassed face?" She joked.

"Don't be moronic, dammit! Th-There's no need to say shit like this!" Nikei exclaimed. "Draw me, and I'm giving all of your caprisuns to the homeless!"

"Eeek! Not my caprisuns!" Iroha yelped, backing up as Nikei calmed down and started laughing.

Suddenly, the bang of an especially loud firework went off, and Mikado immediately jumped and looked around frantically. "Ah, Mikado, it's just a firework. It's not a gunshot or anything like that." Emma quickly stepped in. "I don't know what kind of life you lived before getting in contact with us, but we aren't in danger here, even with our plan."

Mikado hesitated, but settled down, still startled from the noise. "Ah, that seems...to be right. My apologies, it was foolish to assume that something terrible would happen tonight." He apologized warily.

Hajime pulled the wizard to his side, wrapping an arm around him as the group continued walking. "Relax, we can defend ourselves if we need to. But honesty, who would attack in the middle of a festival with a bunch of people around? Too many bystanders would be caught in the crossfire, so we're perfectly safe." The boxer assured, and the wizard finally settled back down.

As they kept walking and observing the sights, they stopped dead in their tracks as a large crowd began to form. "I hope the lantern ceremony is starting!" Emma gasped with delight. At those words, Hajime lifted Iroha onto his shoulders so that she could see better. 

As the lanterns were lifted and floated into the sky with a golden glow, the members of Void huddled closer together and watched the breathtaking sight, brushing against each other as they were trapped in a moment that seemed to be all of eternity. Indeed, they would probably wish it to last forever as well.

***

Mikado coughed again as he lay on the floor of the class trial grounds, holding onto Utsuro's leg like his life depended on it. His chest hurt and his face was wet with tears as he gazed up at the recreation of his saviour, who was currently talking to the foundation leader that shot him. He had a feeling that he was only alive because of his administrator status, but he wouldn't last long.

The only Void besides him there was Iroha, but she wouldn't even look at his weakened body anymore. She wouldn't remember the festival, he had made sure to erase any happy moments the five had spent together so that they didn't get too attached or sabotage the plan in any way.

When the Tragedy had broke out, Mikado had willingly joined the same organization his master had, Ultimate Despair, to dig up any information on him and to try and feel the same emotions that Utsuro had felt when he had lost the people around him. Mikado betrayed the Voids and watched them die to try and feel the same pain of losing a loved one as Utsuro had, but the more he did it and called himself despair incarnate, the emptier he felt.

A choked sob rose from his throat as his body weakened further. He got to see Utsuro again, but at what cost? Was it worth it, sacrificing the ones he cared about? Utsuro was watching Tsurugi and Sora talk when he felt the wizard's grip on his leg slipping, and he reached down and took Mikado's weak hand. The blonde looked up in shock, not caring how pitiful he must look to the one he risked everything for.

But in the end, it didn't matter how he looked, only that he was getting pity, a feeling that only four others had given him in his life. He had killed all of them, and with the simulation to be deleted by the Kisaragi Foundation, he may as well have killed Utsuro too. Sora may have called herself empty, but Mikado realized that he was the worthless one in the end.

As his grip was tight on his saviour's hand, Mikado Sannoji released his grip on life, his consciousness becoming as floaty as those lanterns one happy night.

***

Art credit: yoonsic932828 on twitter