Fading Cinders

Chapter 8

The figures over the village hovered silently, unnoticed by the humans below. The moon slowly creeped across the sky, until its full face cast a bright glow straight down. The light finally revealed the faces of those floating. Eirin Yagokoro and Kaguya Houraisan stared at the village, a complex expression on Eirin's face, and a grim smirk on Kaguya's. They both held one arm of the third person between them. Reisen was unconscious, her limbs bound to her, with her eyes and mouth still covered.

"Well, princess. Do you wish to do the honors?" Eirin spoke to the woman next to her. Kaguya turned, her smirk growing larger across her face.

"Of course." Eirin handed her a syringe, which she injected straight into the unconscious girl between them. Reisen was roused from her slumber, she began to struggle to escape, unknowing that she was suspended miles in the air. Eirin grabbed her neck, and spoke to her.

"Now, now. Your job isn't done yet." Kaguya had pulled off the blindfold, and pointed Reisen's gaze straight at the moon. The astral body slowly changed color, from a pale glowing white, to the piercing red of Reisen's eyes. All of this went unknown to the villagers below them, except for one.

.......

I couldn't tell what was happening. At first I thought I was too tired and was seeing things, but as the moon slowly turned crimson I started to realize something was wrong.

"Mokou?" I nudged her a bit, she was a heavy sleeper. "Mokou! Wake up!" I shaked her a bit but still nothing. "MOKOU!"

"Gah! Wh- Oh, Yuki. What is it?" I had to shout but she was finally awake. I was about to start talking when she saw how nervous I was. "...what's wrong?"

"Something's happening to the moon, I don- There's something floating and-" I couldn't tell her any details. I didn't know what's happening. Mokou got up and ran to the window. Her eyes widened and she started running up the stairs.

"KEINE! WAKE UP!" I heard her shout as she ran. I couldn't hear what they were saying but Mokou and Keine were both yelling as they ran back down the stairs. Wait, no. That wasn't them yelling. I looked back out the window and the villagers were in a panic. Everyone was running, shouting, some were even fighting each other. I watched a man take a hatchet and split another man's head in two. He was laughing as he did this, before being tackled by a woman. She started slamming her fists down over and over until his head was pulp. I just watched all of this unfold in front of me, something was pulling me closer to the window, my eyes were unable to look away. My head started to hurt. I was getting closer to the window without realizing it, nearly pressing my face against it when I was grabbed from behind. Mokou had pulled me back and turned me to face her. "Are you ok?!"

"W-what? Yeah, I'm fine." She exhaled in relief. Mokou snapped me out of whatever trance I was in. Keine was in a panic, running to the front door.

"Mokou, take her to the shrine, no matter what."

"What?! Keine, I can help-" Mokou looked furious.

"No objections, Mokou."

"NO! Keine, let me do this, you can't just make me run and-" A loud noise rang out. Keine was serious, her hand red. Mokou looked stunned, trying to process getting slapped.

"Do this for me, ok?" Keine gently smiled. Mokou looked like she was about to yell but stopped herself.

"...damnit, you're always..." Before I knew it Mokou had grabbed me and we were beginning to fly. "Close your eyes, alright?!" Mokou yelled at me, but before I did what she told me to, I glanced back down at the village. I saw fire, blood, and Miss Keine running to the center of the chaos. There was only one word I could think of for what was happening. Lunacy. We were a long distance away from the village when Mokou finally landed, she placed me on the ground and instantly fell down. Her head was in her hands. I couldn't tell if she was crying or not.

"...Mokou? What's... happening?" She was silent for a while. Just staring at the ground. She finally spoke up.

"...it's because of me..." She whispered this out.

"..what?"

"It's because of me... I left the forest, I... I wasn't there to stop her from leaving, I-" She was clutching her head, practically curling in on herself. It hurt to see Mokou like this.

"It, it's not your fault, Moko-"

"IT IS!" She screamed in anguish. "I LET A HUMAN IN THE FOREST, I WAS THE ONE WHO LEFT IT UNGUARDED! I-"

"It's not your fault." I went up and sat next to her. I wrapped my arms around Mokou, pulling her close. I knew that everything she said was something I caused. I felt her breathing hitch, I thought she was crying but no tears were shed. We sat in silence like that, illuminated under a lone streetlamp, until I felt her steady herself.

"...I should have just killed them." Mokou whispered. I couldn't tell if she was saying this to me, or to herself. She continued whispering. "...I was stupid to try and keep them alive... It should have been me to..." She stops herself, and pats me on the shoulder. "I'm good now, Shirayuki." I let her go and lean on my good leg. Mokou stands up. "Sorry, I..." She looked down, a defeated glance in her eyes.

"You don't have to push yourself, Mokou." I gently say this to her. She looks surprised, then slowly smiles.

"...thanks. Let's start walking to the shrine. I... don't really feel like flying right now."

"Yeah..." we started slowly walking in silence, Mokou had stopped and turned back to look at the village. I was a bit away from her but I heard her whisper.

"...I'm sorry, Keine." She started walking, catching up with my pace. We were quiet, neither of us knowing what to say. I looked back up at the moon. It wasn't red anymore, but for some reason... my head still hurts.