Revue Starlight Oneshots

By Chance (TsukasaShizuha)

(Published December 18, 2020)

No One's POV

Panting could be heard in the forest, but not loud enough for a random person from the nearby village to hear. The cold air was digging into her skin, grasping the shot arm like it's her last feel of being alive. The snow didn't help at all, it was making her footing slip and unbalanced, which was unneeded for her current situation.

Tsukasa was being chased by some guys who cornered her in an alley in the nearby village. She ran into the forest hoping to lose them in her tail, but her being shot didn't help at all. The trail of blood always leading them to her. Feeling a sense of cold condenses on top of her nose, she momentarily looks up at the sky. Snow started to fall, that should mean the guys after her should be backing out by now.

That wasn't the case. One man stayed behind. Insistent on catching the girl with his own hands. He took a gun from one of his group's waist and put it on his. The rest of the men with him called out to him but he ran until they couldn't see him in the midst of the woods.

It didn't take long for him to catch up to the girl. He quietly thanks the one who shot her for making it easy for him to follow the girl. He took the gun from his waist and lifted it up, aiming for one of her legs to keep her immobile for a while. The girl screamed at the pain as her uninjured hand met the snow of the ground, her back leaning onto the sturdy tree behind her.

"You shouldn't have resisted in the first place." The man said as he returns the gun on his waist and replaced it with a small knife that was in his sleeve. He hovers the knife near the girl's neck, constantly reminding the girl that her life is now in his hands.

With a blurry vision, her eyes struggle to stay open. In the haze of desperation, her uninjured arm explores the cold snow for a possible thing that might flip this situation. She found her salvation as she braces herself and grips on the thing that her hand had taken a hold of. It was a rock, as abundant as they were in the forest, it was just what she needed.

The man had wide grin on his face. The moment he moved his other hand to grip the girl's injured hand, the girl grits her teeth and swings her other hand with the rock. At the impact, the man collapse on the ground. Taking this as her opportunity to run away, the girl ran with all her energy, dragging her shot leg with her.

The next moment she got a hold of herself, she was facing the brightness of the full moon, her hand keeping herself balance with the help of the trees. She took a huge sigh of relief and calmed down seeing the beautiful evening sky. Her energy had been drained and left her along with the sigh, her legs gave up and she fell on the ground. Keeping her head up, she found a group women dancing along the glistening water of what seemed like a lake. This all just seemed like an illusion, as if her mind was toying with her as she finally let her eyes fall shut.

It was hard for the Tsukasa not to sleep in, if you think about what went through the night before, but the rays of the sun were burning her skin. That got her to immediately sit up. She blinked, twice, thrice. Her current surroundings were not what she had remembered before she lost consciousness. It was a cozy cabin and if you look through the window, the lake was there.

Startled by the sound of the door creaking open, Tsukasa collected herself together and brought her legs together. Wincing in pain when she remembers she got injuries, she got herself surprised again when she sees her right arm and left leg all bandaged up. She lightly brushes this away when she gets herself to focus on the probable danger she might be in.

The footsteps were light, and ...squeaking? Water? Tsukasa doubts what she is hearing. Then the supposed figure presents itself as it turns the corner using the couch Tsukasa was on. She couldn't believe what she is seeing, it was a swan. Beautiful white feathers gracing all over its body. Tsukasa widens her eyes, she swore that the swan just smiled at her. Was that even possible?

After making eye contact with the feathered creature, the swan returns back outside and into the lake. Tsukasa follows the swan with her eyes as the swan joins the rests of the other swans. She now lost hold of which swan was which and gave up, letting herself fall back onto the couch and resigning herself back into slumber. Not letting the absurdity of what just happened, about the swan seemingly checking her current condition, smiling nor when it had a relieved atmosphere surrounding it as it was leaving the cabin. She dropped all of those thoughts and letting her mind wander.

She woke up again when the sun was just about to set. She tiredly dragged herself to the window, bringing a chair with her and quietly watched the swans as they continued swimming across the lake. She didn't question herself why her feet brought her to the window nor the reason her eyes were following the swans. She just rested her chin on her left hand as she sat herself down. Unknowingly, a smile formed on her lips.

As the evening came, with the signal of a wolf howling in the far distance, Tsukasa's eyes widen at an unbelievable sight. The swans turn into beautiful young maidens and danced the moment they feel their feet back. But Tsukasa's eyes were trained at the young woman at the center, she sported wavy long blue hair, it mesmerized her. She was mainly speechless at the sight of swans turning into girls and was strangely excited in the back of her mind.

Her stomach grumbled and that made her munch on nothing, rubbing her own stomach. "I'm hungry." She hadn't had anything to eat during the day as she mostly slept, she just realized that and she mentally scolded herself for it. She stood up from the chair, hoping to find some food somewhere in the cabin. There's no guarantee that there might be a food storage somewhere but it never hurts to search.

The door suddenly opened, making Tsukasa look to that direction. She saw the beautiful woman that caught her eye with an exasperated look on her face. Piqued by curiosity, Tsukasa takes careful strides towards the woman and leans to the side. The woman shoves her a bunch of fruits into her arms. Before the woman could take her leave again, Tsukasa grips on the woman's arm, restraining her from leaving. This surprised the woman and took a cautionary glance towards the group of women in the lake.

Her mind kept on pestering her that this person was the swan who weirdly came to check on her in the morning. She couldn't help but agree on that. Still it was not good on getting assumptions, so she asked.

"You're the swan from this morning right?" The woman nodded. Gripping on the wrist more strongly, like it's her lifeline, Tsukasa asks again.

"Then you're the one who brought me here too?" She nods again, confusion starting to take root in the swan woman. Tsukasa grits her teeth in disappointment. She just can't seem to make the woman speak.

"Thank you for all those favors. May I know your name?" Tsukasa somehow lets the question that corroded her mind for the past few minutes, a light blush coloring her cheeks. The woman was genuinely surprised, her mouth being slightly agape being proof.

"Shizuha" She simply replies, a small smile present on her face. This got Tsukasa soaring up above in the skies, at least in her mind.

"Tsukasa. Nice to meet you, Shizuha." Tsukasa smiles back and finally lets the swan woman go.

"Nice to meet you too, Tsukasa." Shizuha replied before going back into the lake.

Tsukasa felt her insides get warm as she fondly watches the other girl run back into the lake.

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That was Shun-chan!

Finished! Yes!

Hope I'll be keeping this energy up until Christmas.

As always,

Thanks for dropping by!