For Eternity

For Eternity - VI

Three days had passed from the mysterious disappearance of the rest of the Kujou Clan. Rumors had spread around about a new enemy, something stronger than the Shogun herself. It made the citizens truly fearful, but also curious about why and how the Shogun was able to live like nothing was happening. The truth was, she didn't know what to do. Of course she was worried about what everything could happen, but some pieces of the puzzle were still missing.

She kept her fortune to herself, it was clear that it had some sort of a meaning. She just didn't know how it had to do with all that was happening. Was she going to be a victim, or would something completely different happen to her that she ever expected?

Miko made her way back to the Narukami shrine. She had brought some gifts from Liyue with her, some were for shrine rituals and some for her beloved archon. Since no one knew where the Kujou Clan's remaining's were, she expected many to be suspicious of her. What she didn't expect was that no one really paid attention to her disappearance.

Ei had locked herself in her own thoughts. Throughout her meditation, she had time to focus on her own problems. She breathed in and out deeply as she closed her eyes. The world she knew started to disappear around her as she was entering her Plane of Euthymia once more. She saw her vision starting to turn red and hazy, when suddenly her thoughts were interrupted by a knock in the real world.

Ei immediately exited her own mind and walked in the room where the gates of Tenshukaku waited. To her surprise, the doors were open, and a pink small kitsune sat on her place with a small bag next to her.

"Miko? How did you get in? The doors are locked, aren't they?", Ei asked. The kitsune giggled, not responding to the Archon's question. She walked closer to Ei and gave her a small necklace on her hand.

"I did a small visit in Liyue Harbor, and this necklace caught my attention. I thought it truly suits you, my archon.", the kitsune said with a small smirk on her face. Ei was slightly surprised by the comment and looked at the jewelry closer. A big purple crystal attached to small golden chain. It really did fit her.

"Miko, I appreciate the gift. Before we go from a topic to another, why were you in Liyue in the first place? I assume you don't have any work there, so why bother?", Ei asked as she looked directly in the kitsune woman's eyes. Yae went silent for a moment, then came up with an excuse.

"I did have slight business there. I had to preform a sort of cleansing on this person who claimed to be possessed. The exorcists in Liyue didn't see any problem with him, but he kept on repeating that there was something wrong. On my way, I found the jewelry and thought you might like it.", Yae replied calmly, as Ei turned to look at the necklace in Miko's hands. She carefully grabbed it and attached it around her neck, then looked at the crystal.

"You seem to like it, hm. Knowing that makes me happy. Now, get comfortable, I also bought some desserts from there and I would like you to be the taster.", Miko said and took small boxes out of the bag she brought.

Ei kept on staring at the necklace, it was like she couldn't get her eyes off it. She then turned to look at Yae, who somehow looked more beautiful than ever. It made her smile. Knowing that Miko would buy something just for her made her feel... Special. She let go of the necklace and walked to the kitsune, who was already opening a box filled with small cups of rice pudding.

"Say Ei... I was wondering...", Yae said in a calm yet quiet voice. Ei immediately turned to her, still looking slightly at the pudding.

"I know this might be very sudden but... Would you maybe want to... Go on a picnic one day? Outside the city, somewhere calm, where no one else can find us...", Yae said as she walked slightly closer to Ei. She put a hand against Ei's cheek, which made the archon freeze immediately.

"S-sure... Can you... Please give a little more space...?", Ei said, clearly nervous. Miko giggled slightly, then took a step back and gave Ei one of the cups.

"But more importantly, we need to figure out who or what the mysterious threat to Inazuma is. We could ask the other archons if anything similar has been going on in there?", Ei asked, trying to keep eye contact with Yae. The kitsune only shrugged as she also took one cup for herself and started to eat, while also taking small glances at her archon. She couldn't help but smile, of course she couldn't. It was her beloved after all. Ei was deep in thought because of the other's reaction. It felt like she didn't care less what would happen to her nation.

Suddenly, Yae took a hold of her archon's hand. Ei turned to her once again, only to be frightened by what she saw. Blood was all over Miko's face, as she had quite a love-struck smile.

"What's wrong, my love? I'm only doing my part for your ever-lasting eternity, am I doing it wrong?", Miko said as her smile widened. Her voice sounded a little more... Threatening. Ei froze completely, she put a hand against her forehead and looked down, breathing heavily.

"Ei, what's wrong?", Yae's voice asked again, this time normally. Ei looked up and saw the worried look of the kitsune in front of her. She still calmed her breath, then looked away from the other.

"It was nothing... Or so I hope...", Ei said under her breath. Miko raised an eyebrow at her, then offered her the pudding Ei hadn't eaten yet.

"Go on, eat it. Maybe it'll make you feel better.", Yae said with a calming voice. Ei nodded and continued to eat, still processing what she saw, felt and heard. It made her suspicious of something, but she just couldn't tell what it was. The way Yae behaved towards the threat, what she herself saw, she couldn't let go of it. To her, it was like an important message. A warning. She turned to look at Yae again, who was looking out of the window to the cloudy city. For now, she let her curiosity be and finished eating.

Later that day, after Miko had left, Ei was looking outside of the Tenshukaku. On the same terrace as before. There was no way she'd forget the weird experience that happened during daytime. Ei turned to look up in the sky, seeing a countless number of stars filling the air.

"Makoto... Anyone... I need to know what all of this means... What is the threat to my nation? Who or what is the cause of it?", she talked to herself. She heard footsteps behind her, which stopped right behind her. Ei turned around to see the puppet Shogun, looking a little... Annoyed.

"That woman is getting in the way of our eternity. She hasn't been helping you in a long time.", the puppet said. Ei looked at her more than confused, as the beautiful sky was once again being filled with clouds.

"That just makes no sense... Miko is my dearest friend...", Ei said looking slightly away. The puppet let out a quiet shrug, then turned away.

"When the time comes when you realize what she's doing, I will not be there to help you out of trouble. Not anymore.", she said as she walked away from her creator. Ei only looked after her, thinking about every word the creation just let out.

"... Miko wouldn't do that... There's no way she would... She's my friend, my only one... I don't want to lose her too..." Ei spoke to herself as it started to slightly rain. She quickly got back inside and walked in her own room. She sat on the bed and thought in silence.

"Miko really wouldn't do that... There's no way she would... She just cares about me and she's doing her best to protect eternity alongside me... That's it... Right...?"