Mary On A Cross ✔

XVI

Chapter 35: Frozen.

(TW: character death!)

The cold grew as the days passed but little [Y/N] got worse and colder, her body adapting to the cold that made her cold get worse. Her body grew pale same as her flame colored hair that grew pale, the colors got duller. Her red eyes turned honey as the color started to vanish into a light pastel pink and distant.

It made Shinjuro start to panic and when a cousin of him came the man started crying knowing what it all meant for the family.

You were very confused to a point, you were very sure the things were going downhill. You wanted to find a cure for her while your only daughter was sleeping you went into the old records of the Rengoku clan.

There was no cure.

But you did read what would happen exactly when the full moon rises the month the member had gotten sick would. . . the thought made your legs feel weak as your body leaned to the wooden shelves before fully sinking to the floor.

The book laid flat on the floor under your weigh tears staining the floor, you didn't have much time. Only three days before the next full moon.

You gripped your hair not knowing what to do! You took her to a sauna, to the mountain of the sun for ten hours! You tried anything you could Shinjuro and the others everything they could know that could rise her temperature.

You walked out the hall into the hallway down to where you knew the crow would be.

"sorry for waking you up dear." You pet the crow softly with a finger the crow woke up with a flinch. "can you take this to the butterfly manor?"

He woke up and nodded before flying away into the night leaving a train of raven feathers before heading to bed. The house that night was full of every member aside from Kyojuro that didn't know what was happening to his younger sister.

You slept alone that night in bed since Shinjuro stayed beside [Y/N] his body lying beside her for his high temperature to balance her cold one. It was difficult to try and hold emotions when your daughter was going to die.

It made you cry to sleep that night. You curled into the covet as hot tears rolled down your cheeks. Senjuro was okay the morning after when you woke up, his skin was not pale and his lips had the light rosy color is always has.

While [Y/N]. . .

Just seeing her made you feel like vomiting of how she looked.

The night before she was totally healthy in a way, now she looked dead, her lips were blue a deep ocean blue and her eyes looked like it sunken in, her hair was now a color of ashes. Her breathing was ragged.

Her hands looked from an old person, the skin wrinkly.

She fell beside her futon as tears came from your eyes, feeling as if she was already . . . more tears came.

Shinjuro had his head down a shadow casting over his eyes and nose.

Mitsuri and Obanai stayed in silence as a cried my eyes out, Mui and Yui stayed far away observing with a sad gaze. You weren't ready for what you knew was going to happen. Your daughter was going to leave you soon.

You hoped a cure could come, you hoped the crow could find something. The next day was full moon.

"didn't your father use something when you got a cold when we were younger?" you asked grasping the kimono of Shinjuro.

He shook his head, "we already tried it, and male and female colds of winter are different Ruka. I tried everything my father told me that he used on me and other members, the rituals and medications."

Later on the house was filled with members of the Rengoku clan, well the rest of them, around seven. Excluding Shinjuro and Senjuro.

Shinjuro's cousins and distant relatives. All were males, déjà vu rose up your spine feeling the familiar heat that made you start to sweat.

That was the last try they have a ritual that was never added to the books. You and Mitsuri started to cook food for all the members that were going to stay the day and a half for the ritual.

***

You felt your mouth dry and the full moon reach its peak the sky bright due to its beauty being shown. But for you it was the end if the ritual didn't work. There was one out of a thousand chances it would work.

But better that than nothing.

No one aside from the Rengoku's were allowed there so you and your children – aside from Senjuro – were waiting for morning to arrive, the fear make you sleep to vanish. You snuggled deeper in the oversized haori of your husband that made you feel safer.

Mitsuri looked like she was going to cry as she leaned onto the wooden pillar that held the wooded ceiling up.

Just then when the moon finally reached the top the snow started to fall. Softly over the grass making you look up as the cold rose rapidly making you finally start to shiver and lean onto Mitsuri that had some heat from the Flame Breathing she learned.

You felt relived suddenly no cries were heard from behind those shoji doors.

You spoke way to fast. . .

Before you knew it a fit a weeping were heard making you jump up and slap the door open. The wood slammed onto each other making a loud rattle.

You knew she was going to die, but denial was something you held on too until she was before you. Your daughter, your two year old baby was there her face whiter than snow her eyes wide opened in surprise eyes grey and dull lifeless.

Her fingers bony covered by a layer of skin showing the veins that curled around each bone and joint.

Her skin of her face sunk into her bone showing how skinny she had gotten even if she ate normally. Her hair matched her face.

"my baby!!" you cried out latching onto her body. Crying your fingers curling onto the cloth of her kimono tears soaking her dress. "no, no, no!"

"MY BABY!"