"Has she eaten in the past two weeks?"
"Barely. Just enough to keep herself alive. Even brother Ayato has not been keeping up with his meals. The only times I've ever seen her get up and leave is for personal hygiene. Since the Samurai left with the Crux she hasn't even said a word to anyone but my brother. I'm really worried Thoma. Shui was granted the blessing of two archons that night. That's unheard of..." Ayaka and Thoma peered into Shui's room she's been staying in at the Kamisato Estate but ever since that night Yves and Tomo were captured by the Shogun.
She hasn't been the same...
• • •
ĸazυнa, ѕнυι and ayaтo coυld only waтcн ιn нorror aѕ тнe мυѕoυ no нιтoтacнι caмe ѕтrιĸιng down on тнeιr ғrιendѕ. ayaтo waѕ aвle тo ғlee тo ѕoмewнeтe ѕaғe вυт dυrιng ĸazυнa'ѕ ѕтrυggle тo geт ғree, тнe gυardѕ renderdd нιм υnconѕcιoυѕ wнιle ѕнυι вroĸe ғree. ѕυddυen gυѕтѕ oғ wιnd нad тнe capтorѕ вlown away ғroм ѕнυι aѕ a pale green lιgнт вegan тo eмιт ғroм ѕнυι'ѕ cнeѕт. "yoυ wιll noт тaĸe мy ғreedoм away ғroм aғтer yoυ нave тaĸen мy ғrιendѕ!" wιтн тнe one вlade ѕнe нad near нer ѕιde, ѕнυι daѕнed ғor тнe raιden ѕнogυn. "тнe нealer вegιnѕ тo ғιgнт. wιтн a new ғoυnd vιѕιon yeѕ yoυ woυld вe greaт on тнe вaттle ғιeld. вυт alaѕ. yoυ are one oғ мy oвѕтacleѕ тo мy eтernιтy." ѕwιngιng нer вlade once мore тo ѕтrιĸe, ѕнυι parrιed нer вlow wιтн тнe oтнer вlade ѕнe мιѕѕed earlιer.
yveѕ' vιѕιon вegan тo lιgнт υp вeнιnd тнe ѕнogυn caмe вolтιng down тo ѕнυι. вoтн нer new ғoυnd ιnazυмan aneмo vιѕιon and ѕυмerιan нydro vιѕιon glew вrιgнтly. "jυѕт wнo are yoυ?"
"ι aм ѕoмeone wнo ғιgнт wιтн yoυ тιll тнe end oғ мy тιмe."
• • •
Kazuha didnt even get to see me gain a vision or know I have it all...
"Shui... You must come out of your room soon and eat. Everyone is worried about you..." Ayato showed up as Thoma and Ayaka still sat outside her door hoping she would come out. "Let me take care of her." Thoma and Ayaka left to carry out their duties as Ayato stayed close to Shui's door. "Please Shui. Come outside." Silence. "Well at least let me come in." Hearing a sigh, she knew that Ayato would not leave. Hearing her door slide open and close the side of her bed dipped down. "I know how hard the loss is for you. I wasn't able to save my own parents... That's why I protect Ayaka with my life."
"Then why leave her out in the open like that? She can easily just be overpowered like I was. Now as a dual-vision holder, I can still barely hold up against the Shogun." With her back turned to Ayato, he placed a hand on her arm. "Please help to win this fight... Not only for your freedom but for me as well." Slowly, Shui turned her head to see tears slowly falling from Ayato's face. "Hey-hey... Don't cry because of me-" Immediately sitting up she cupped his face in her hands and wiped his tears.
"Please... I'm not worth any tears. Yes I'm heartbroken over the deaths of my friends. Yes, I'm also glad I was able to protect Kazuha by letting him travel with Beidou. I'm still going to help with this war, Ayato. Believe me. It's what I want to do more than anything. But right now I'm processing and coming to terms with this new reality."
"Shui..." With her hands in his, he slowly removed them with a smile on his face. Slowly the two of them began to lean in. "May I?" Like a true gentleman, Ayato softly placed his lips on Shui's as she could still taste his sweet salty tears. Timid, Ayato tried to deepen the kiss. Surprisingly to him, Shui responded back to it. "We-... Shouldn't when- there could be... People." Coming back to reality with Shui's words the two could only smile and laugh a little. "Yes, indeed we shouldn't."
