Chapter Text
Ku Palace was not a place for children.
Hikari learned that fact from a very young age, having been taught to keep his voice and steps and presence quiet while traversing the grand halls. They didn’t need to tell him. The ceilings soared so high, they melded into distant shadows. Hallways stretched into distant, hidden lands. Pillars as tall as a god bore the weight of a roof that brushed the heavens. Ku Palace was a mighty beast waiting to chomp down on him and swallow him whole.
There were several quarters and rooms he was not allowed to venture in, and even more he felt too intimidated to explore. Hikari’s early life existed only within his mother’s pavilion and a grand dining chamber he visited once a week to attend a dinner with His Majesty and His Highness.
During his formative years, that small world did not change. He interacted with no one but his family, the servants, and his tutors. Hikari did not yearn for more because he did not know there was more to want.
But one day, just on the eve of his eleventh birthday, His Majesty summoned Hikari into the audience hall. A delegation from one of Ku’s vassal states had arrived to sign a treaty. The mighty Mei clan, descended from ancient Hinoeuman nomadic warriors, sat along two mirrored low tables, stretching the length of the chamber. Untouched cups of tea and refreshments lay before them.
Prince Hikari, the king had beckoned. Hikari’s nerves nearly sent him running, yet he could not disrespect his father. He strode forward, cutting a divide through the fur-clad delegates, acutely aware of the echo of his footsteps. Though he had never entered the audience hall before, he knew the proper place to stop and bow to His Majesty. He and his tutors had practiced this interaction for weeks .
The Mei assemblage watched his every move, judging the worth of King Jigo’s second son.
The leader of the Mei clan, a proud and grizzled general, sat on a lower platform beside the king. After Hikari greeted His Majesty, Yao Mei summoned his children.
Jin Mei and Rai Mei were the first outsiders he ever met. More than that, Rai Mei was the first child he ever met. Hikari tried his best to pay attention to His Majesty and General Mei’s speeches, but he couldn’t help but send furtive glances towards Rai Mei. She was taller than him, but only by a little. Clan Mei clothing did not distinguish between men and women, and the spear strapped to her back shone just as brightly as her brother’s.
King Jigo announced his plans for a campaign in the south. Clan Mei would lend their aid. In the meantime, Jin Mei and Rai Mei would teach Hikari to use the spear. In return, Hikari would teach them swordplay–
“Wait,” Primrose interrupts, furrowing her brow. “They asked a ten-year-old to teach them swordplay?”
Hikari digs his hands further into his pockets. It does nothing to warm his stiff fingers. “As soon as I learned to walk, I was given a sword. Such was the way in Ku,” he explains.
Now that he thinks about it, perhaps that is strange. In a peaceful world, children would not need to learn how to fight wars. Hikari knows that, and yet… the thought almost baffles him. At what age should children be taught to defend themselves, then? When do they learn the skills necessary to survive? Even if a nation and her neighbors know peace, monsters stalk the sands and evil dwells within the hearts of men.
“...Oh,” Agnea says. Her step falters and Hikari fears she’s about to trip–but Agnea recovers all on her own, spinning on her heel to face him. She skips backwards down the street. “Well, um, then you and Rai Mei became really good friends, right?”
Right. As much as his mind longs to wander towards kinder memories, it is wise to prepare his friends. Hikari and Kazan parted on good terms. Rai Mei remained a loyal ally and friend during the war, but they were never as close as they had been before Jin Mei’s death. Has time curdled her care for him? Will her grief cause Rai Mei to turn away from his dream?
Hikari is afraid to find out, but his fear will not stop him. He has come too far now. His people depend on him to free Ku and cultivate a world unsullied by the pain and anguish of war. He must have faith that Rai Mei has not forgotten the vow they made to pursue a better future.
Hikari sighs. His breath billows into a cloud snatched by the wind. “Yes. We became good friends.”
Fort Mei sits at the end of a jagged cliff. Its stones are old and weathered, but even after all these centuries, the fortress stands strong. Clan Mei’s ancestors swore fealty to Ku many years ago, and have remained faithful friends since. Their loyalty is absolute. Their pride is unwavering. The strength is infallible.
Jin Mei exemplified these qualities like no other. Under his supervision, Hikari left the palace for the first time unaccompanied by his mother and their entourage. After crossing blades all morning in the courtyard, they traversed the winding city streets to find a food stall. Hikari and Rai Mei were both introverted, unused to crowds or speaking for themselves without a script to follow. At Jin Mei’s insistence, they found their voice.
It didn’t take long for Hikari to take to the city without the Mei siblings; he longed to speak with more and more people in the city, listening to their stories and sharing their joys. He learned not only of the world, but how to love it. That newfound confidence led him to Ritsu and Mikka, earning him his third and fourth friends. That newfound confidence convinced his mother to accompany him on a walk. He had so many things to show her, so much joy he wanted her to share in–
But it didn’t last .
He squeezes his eyes shut, remembering a scream, a splatter of blood, a fire raging within his ribcage.
His friends do not need to know the details of the attack. He doesn’t want Kura to exist in their minds as someone dead on the street.
“Jin Mei took the fall for the assassination attempt. After his execution, Rai Mei left the capital. She assumed her brother’s duties and rode alongside her father in battle. A few years later, I was called to service and together we fought against Ku’s enemies,” Hikari explains.
His friends have very little to say about that.
But those days spent with Hikari’s closest friends, riding and fighting and resting together, talking long into the night about a future where blood did not stain the sands–it was good. It was good , and Hikari holds that grief within him now too, settling it next to the stolen years he could have had with his mother, and the potential relationship he could have formed with his father.
He blames the horrible chill of Stormhail for his dour mood. It’s so much colder here than Winterbloom. The city is quiet, but a roiling sense of unease taints the pristine streets. It feels like the city is holding its breath, waiting for the start of battle. Hikari fears for his friends. He fears for Rai Mei, and the choice she will need to make.
He is so afraid that she will turn him away.
The climb towards Fort Mei is a long, treacherous one. The winding stone road takes them to the far edge of the city, away from the watchful eye of the Sanctum Knights. Hikari expects the Clan Mei soldiers to stop them somewhere along the way–but they do not.
Instead, led by Rai Mei herself, an entire battalion meets them at the bridge leading to the fort.
Agnea gasps at the sight and Olberic grimly crosses his arms. Primrose alone remains calm, roving her eyes over the assembled infantrymen. Is she judging their chances should this come to blows? Hopefully her caution is for naught. Hikari doesn’t want this to turn into a fight.
Rai Mei looks well. She stands tall before her men, the legendary Spear of Levin in hand, striking an imposing figure. A vibrant blue cape flutters in the stormy winds behind her, the color of a clear sky. Her demeanor is anything but peaceful, however. As Hikari steps forward, Rai Mei clangs the butt of her spear onto the stone, ringing out a sonorous note.
“That’s far enough,” she calls.
“She doesn’t look very excited to see you,” Agnea mutters, shuffling closer. She nervously bites her lip, hands drawn to her chest as if ready to box her way through this interaction.
She’s right. Rai Mei does not look excited to see him. But that was to be expected. If they just sit down and talk, Hikari knows he and Rai Mei can work things out. They have a common goal. A common enemy.
“It’s fine,” Hikari murmurs. There is no reason to draw his blade, and there is certainly no reason for Agnea to put herself in harm’s way.
“How long has it been, Hikari? Three years since that last battle?” Rai Mei asks. Though her words are casual, Rai Mei stands stiff, as if ready to lunge at a moment’s notice. The air, too, feels heavier as the wind picks up speed. Hikari wonders if that is partly Rai Mei’s doing. Clan Mei doesn’t only excel in spear combat–they are also masters of lightning magic.
With the storm soon to break, Hikari does not waste any time. He gets straight to the point: “Rai Mei, Mugen has seized control of Ku. For the sake of our nation’s future, I must see him dethroned. So I’ve come to you.” She doesn’t interrupt or call for her guards to seize him, so Hikari takes a step closer and continues, “I would have your spear by my side. Together, we can bring an end to Mugen’s tyranny.”
Rai Mei remains unmoved. Behind him, Agnea nervously shuffles her feet. Olberic and Primrose stay back with her, allowing him to take the lead. Hikari steps closer. He just needs to cross the divide. They can overcome their differences. He knows they can. “Please, Rai Mei. I fear I cannot do this without the strength of Clan Mei.”
The wind howls. Hikari’s friends and Clan Mei hold their breath.
Then, Rai Mei shakes her head. “You shouldn’t have come here. Our friendship has long since ended.”
“What?” Hikari asks. He knows Rai Mei was upset with him. He understands that. But they did not part on such bitter terms, right? At least… Hikari didn’t think so.
But Ritsu is upset with him now too, isn’t he?
…No. Ritsu’s feelings are his own, and they are justified. Hikari worked things out with Kazan easily enough. He should put more faith in Rai Mei. He isn’t about to give up on what they once had. Perhaps time has made her forget, or–
With the flick of her wrist, Rai Mei flips her spear forward, pointed at his face. “His Majesty has sent a decree,” Rai Mei announces, shuttering her face. “Any who find you are to kill you where you stand.”
Hikari thinks he hears Primrose curse under her breath. He quickly gestures behind him, stopping his friends from jumping into action. This… this isn’t how he planned for this discussion to go, but he can still salvage this. Hikari and Rai Mei once tread the same path towards a peaceful future. Surely that has not changed. Even if she feels animosity between them, her desire for a brighter future is more important. He just needs to explain the truth of the matter and she will understand. They can still work this out. Hikari still believes in her. He knows Rai Mei is a good person. He knows she cares about Ku. Their goals are the same.
“Rai Mei,” he begins, taking another step forward, reaching out to her to listen–
But Rai Mei doesn’t want to listen. Clearly, she has heard enough from him. With a mighty yell, she jabs the Spear of Levin towards the heavens.
The air solidifies. The sky churns, darkening into a sickly green hue. Hikari’s hair stands on end.
There is no time for fear. No time to try and stop her, no time to warn his friends, no time to think before a pillar of furious lightning spears through the heavens and drills into the bridge. Heat flashes before Hikari’s face as the stone beneath his feet trembles and quakes and moans. Thunder strikes a heartbeat later, howling like a wrathful god, and then he is falling, chasing chunks of stone and ice towards the dark waters of the bay, ears ringing, breath stolen, head and heart aching, eyes squeezing shut before–
Hikari is no stranger to pain.
How could he be, having been born into a world of hate and war? Bruises and cuts from training, the burn of an enemy’s spear thrust into flesh, the searing agony of stabbing a sword into his own body to halt the murderous Shadow–Hikari had suffered through so much. He was stronger for it, of course. Physically, mentally, emotionally. He could, and had , overcome any hardship and stumbling block impeding his path towards kingship.
But this–
The monstrous weight of the ocean, a suffocating chill burrowing deep in his heart, the horror of the dark grasping hold of his limbs and choking off all feeling, his failing lungs screaming screaming SCREAMING with a burning and familiar hate where are his friends now why won’t they save him let me in we’re going to die I can’t not exist I’m scared to not exist let me in!
–was something else entirely.
Beneath the cold, a fire burns yet. It steals hold of his useless body, slicing his arms through the water, kicking his feet beneath him. It carves through what should be certain death until his head crests the water, freezing hair plastered to his freezing face, and swims towards a blurry shore. Hikari is totally numb as the Shadow drags them out of the water, gritting their chattering teeth, seething with hate inside their head and out of their mouth: “I will kill her for this. I will mount her head on her own damn spear and parade it through the town,” the Shadow swears.
I didn’t let you in! Hikari shouts, frantically trying to regain control. The shock of the plunge might have struck him unawares, but he’s fine, he survived, he’s fine and he cannot let the Shadow out, he will not have it hurt his friends, he won’t allow it to hurt anyone , he won’t–
“If I let go,” the Shadows sneers, clawing through the snow, “then you die .”
Hikari cannot trust its words. The Shadow only lies, it has only ever lied, and Hikari will give it no power. You are under my control! he cries, fighting through the numb swell in his head and heart and hands. Give it back! Give me “back my bo–”
In an instant, the world snaps back into focus. Hikari’s skin sears, his heart slams inside his ribcage with a fury, his lungs his lungs his lungs –he can’t– he can’t breathe–
Your flesh is “weak without me,” the Shadow says, sliding through his veins in a numb wave. The panic of dying fades like the last stanza of a lullaby. The Shadow pushes them onto their knees. It grabs hold of a rock and uses it to leverage them to their feet. It scans the shore, looking for– there , a wall of dark stone built into the cliff. The basem*nt of Fort Mei.
W-wait, Hikari protests. He… he doesn’t try to take back control. He can’t. He–
He turns his head back to the water. Did the others fall with me? I must save them.
“Who cares? They’re nothing but deadweight. We need to get inside before your heart shuts down. You cannot stop your brother if you’re dead ,” the Shadow sneers.
No, he needs to make sure! Hikari strains against the weight of his body, fighting with his spine to twist, for his legs to walk back to the edge–
“They’re fine! ” the Shadow snaps, lifting their head. High above, racing back down the steep slope towards town, Hikari can just make out the colorful blobs of his friends’ coats. They’re… they’re safe. Only he fell. Agnea, Olberic, and Primrose are safe. They’re–“Let’s go ,” the Shadow says.
Darkness encroaches onto his vision, but Hikari won’t fall prey to the Shadow’s slumber this time. No matter what visions or ghosts it has for him, he cannot leave the Shadow to its own devices. So long as he remains awake, remains conscious, he can fight for control. He can stop the Shadow before it harms someone. Hikari digs his fingers in, gripping his heart tight. I’m staying right here , he promises.
The Shadow doesn’t dignify that with an answer. It marches them up the rocky, jagged path, trudging through knee-high snow. The walk is slow but purposeful; the Shadow does not need to rest. Its sickening fury propels them forward. Its depthless hatred keeps them warm. After what feels like an hour, the Shadow reaches a door and yanks it open, shoveling snow in an arc. With a snarl, the Shadow kicks the ice out of their way and slams the door shut behind them.
The room is dark, but somewhere deep within, the crackling light and warmth of a fireplace beckons them. The Shadow scans darkened, crowded shelves. It locates a path through the detritus, walking with impatient purpose, taking no care to avoid kicking or stomping on anything impeding their path.
Distantly, Hikari hears voices. In the numb, fear bubbles through, tainting his heart. Regardless of the pain sure to follow, Hikari wrests back control– no, you damn fool! You coward! Let me back in let me back in let me back in –
His knees slam to the floor. On the way down, his blazing shoulder knocks into a bookcase, knocking off pots and pans, completely blowing his cover. He bites back a scream, folding in on himself. He can’t stop shaking. Why does he feel like he’s burning? His clothes cling to him, solid and cold as ice, yet his flesh sears as if he’s back in Hinoeuma, baking under the midday sun. He needs to get his coat off. He’s too hot, he’s going to suffocate, get it off –
Hands carve through the dark, reaching towards him. Hikari reacts far too slowly. Before he even thinks to struggle, two servants drag him out of the pantry and into an open space. “What in the nine hells is this,” one of them mutters, dumping him none too gently on a thick carpet. The fire lay several feet away, but its warmth strikes him like a viper. No, it’s too much, Hikari is burning alive, he needs to go, he needs to shed this awful coat and this wretched fur, he needs to–
“What you need to do is stop struggling and let me get these wet clothes off,” the servant snaps. Then, mortifyingly, she yanks off his coat and robes with frightening efficiency. Hikari again doesn’t have time to even entertain the notion of shame, because just as quickly, her partner wraps another, drier coat around him. They tug Hikari closer to the fireplace.
“Did the bridge collapse?” one of the servants, the one who offered his coat, asks. He next takes off his hat and smushes it unceremoniously atop Hikari’s head. “I heard Lady Rai Mei’s thunder.”
“It better not have,” his partner mutters. She strides towards the fire, donning two thick pairs of gloves and grabs a long metal ladle. “I have a vegetable shipment coming in and if our good lady expects me to keep our men fed, she’d best begin repairs to the bridge posthaste. ”
“ Maru ,” the man snaps.
“Taba!” she snaps back. When Maru turns, her gloves are tucked into her elbow and she carries a bowl of something steaming. It smells familiar, like–
Hikari is too out of sorts to stop her from jabbing a spoonful of something red into his mouth. A sweet taste unfurls on his tongue. Nostalgia slams into him like a punch to the gut. His eyes burn, his body is one giant ache, and his thoughts are sluggish and jumbled–but there is no mistaking the taste of azuki porridge.
He hasn’t tasted it in so long. Not since the fire, not since he fled home. Azuki porridge is such a simple dish, but it holds such special meaning in Ku. It is a meal prepared for one’s loved ones gone off to battle, wishing them a safe and speedy return. It was a touch of sweetness in a world otherwise cold and cruel. Kura used to make it for him, and then so many others in the city cooked and delivered it to his home– as thanks for protecting us, they would say. For being our caring, gracious lord.
Taba stuffs the gloves onto his hands. Hikari doesn’t remember when he tugged the wet ones off. He blinks slowly, trying to click his thoughts back into rational order, and finds the sopping pile of his old clothes next to the fireplace. His sword leans against the wall beside it. Too far out of reach , the Shadow hisses into his ear. As the heat scorching his body slowly fades back into a biting cold, Hikari feels the Shadow clawing into his shoulders, waiting for its chance to swoop in and seize control again.
You have fallen for one trick by a Mei bastard–do not let it happen again. Split them open, bleed them dry, stop them before they seek to stop you.
Maru scoops another spoonful of porridge. “Stop gawking and eat,” she instructs. “You need to warm your core.”
“Th-thank you,” Hikari chatters. She doesn’t need to feed him like a child. His hands may tremble, but surely he can still hold a bowl and spoon.
Maru swats his hands away. “I’ll not have you spill and waste this,” she snaps, not unkindly. “Food is precious. We savor all we have.”
Yet she shares their stock with him, the enemy of her Lady.
We will grant Rai Mei her due , the Shadow seethes. Its fingers dig deep, deep, deep into Hikari’s shoulders like tenterhooks. You will bathe in her blood and paint her castle crimson.
No. Even if Rai Mei holds fast to her decision, even if she views him as a traitor–Hikari will not forget their friendship. He holds no ill will towards her now and never will. She is only doing what she must to protect her people. Hikari will not fault her for doing her duty.
A worthless excuse! She is the traitor! If she will not serve you, she must be killed! Rend her bones to dust! Erase her arrogance from the world!
Hikari drops his gaze. “Y-your lady will be cross with you,” he says. He should have considered the wellbeing of his saviors, too. If Rai Mei hates him so much, she might punish them for helping Hikari. “I am H-Hikari Ku.”
Maru and Taba stare at him. Then Taba snorts and ducks his head, erupting in a fit of giggles. Maru swats at his shoulder. “A bit foolish to try and spurn our help, isn’t it? Do you think we’re too stupid to realize you aren’t one of our own?”
“N-no, of course not,” he hastily says. “But–”
Maru lowers the bowl and stares him directly in the eye. “Your honesty will get you killed,” she intones. “Honor is useful only to the living. If you value your life half as much as your name, then you would lie to us.”
Doesn’t her disrespect boil your blood? Take her tongue, make her curse her wretched arrogance!
Hikari clenches his fists. It’s hard to stay focused with the Shadow ranting and raving in his ear. “Any honor I h-have from name alone is worthless. I will prove my worth with m-my actions. I am t-tired of sneaking around and stepping on eggshells. If y-you intend to kill me, I will stop you. If you intend to h-help me, then I offer p-proper and earnest gratitude.”
Taba looks as if he’s holding in another laugh. He smiles wide and elbows Maru. “No wonder he drives Lady Mei mad.”
“Will you do something useful and summon Lord Kunzo?” Maru bites, waving him away.
Kunzo, vassal and right hand to Rai Mei. He was at the bridge, standing at the head of her delegation. He supports her as he once supported Jin Mei and their father, Yao Mei.
They’ve saved you for an execution! the Shadow screams. Its voice spikes through his skull like a nail, driving deep. It stomps around the room, wilding gesticulating. You damn fool! Let me back in! Let me save us!
Hikari winces, clutching his head. Maru says something, but her voice is lost in the swell of panic and rage churning inside his head. The Shadow stands before him, grabbing his shoulders. You do not need them! I will keep us alive! Kill them both before they summon reinforcements! Grab your sword and show them your worth! Let no one stand in the way of your greatness! Kill them! Kill them! Kill them!
His hand trembles. It starts towards his sword, but Hikari grabs his wrist and yanks it down. No. No, no, no . Hikari is in control. He is stronger than this. He learned from his mistake in Wellgrove and he will not give the Shadow any quarter. They reached a tentative truce after the fall, but now Hikari does not need its assistance. He can and will do this on his own, without resorting to needless bloodshed. Maru and Taba have only helped him; they pose no threat.
The Shadow maintains a steady stream of threats and curses, wailing and gnashing and mentaling wrestling with him. Hikari ignores its voice. He slips off his gloves and scoops up the abandoned bowl of porridge, praying the taste will be enough to distract him. He only has good memories of azuki porridge. When Hikari is in a good place, he does not hear the Shadow, so he forces himself to ignore the trembling of his fingers and the chilling pain in his bones and the building pressure inside his head. He’s fine, Agnea and Olberic and Primrose are safe, his other friends back in town are also safe, and there is nothing to worry about because Hikari is fine. He’s fine! Everything is okay! He’s–he’s fine. Hikari is….
He sits in a freezing wet puddle at the bottom of Rai Mei’s keep, surrounded by a people who blame him for Jin Mei’s death, and he is alone and vulnerable, too weak to defend himself. His head and heart hurt. The Shadow bares down on him, clawing and scratching and screaming for vengeance . Hikari is so tired of holding on, but he must keep going. To give up is to spell doom for Clan Mei, and he would rather die than hurt another of his friends.
Rai Mei never loved you! She stood next to you out of obligation, and now there is nothing to stop her from killing you! Rai Mei is a traitor! She only used you to get to the top! Clan Mei’s success was built atop your suffering!
That is not true. Clan Mei had no part in the assassination attempt. Jin Mei was killed as a scapegoat to defend Mugen’s actions. This isn’t their fault. This isn’t–
Jin Mei led you outside! He is the reason you went to town! He is the reason your mother accompanied you! Our mother is dead because of Clan Mei! They all bear the sin of her murder!
Hikari and Kura posed a political threat. Maybe they were a target because of her magic. Mugen acted out of jealousy and fear–but the fault lay with him, not Jin Mei, never Jin Mei and–
Rai Mei seeks to finish the job! She must pay for what she has done! Burn her legacy to ash! If we cannot have a mother, she cannot have her army! Kill them! Kill them! Kill–
Hikari sticks his hand in the fire. A few seconds of blistering pain is all he needs to silence the Shadow. He hisses, drawing his trembling hand back to his chest. It’s not too bad, he isn’t too hurt, it only feels so painful because he was so cold, he’s fine, it’s alright, he just needed the Shadow to shut up for one godsdamn minute.
He shakily breathes in and out.
The Shadow is silent.
He hears Maru puttering in the pantry behind him. Even if he has quelled the Shadow for now, it won’t be long before it returns. Standing on aching legs, Hikari quietly retrieves his sword. He silently bows in Maru’s direction, thanking her for her help. Then, determined to see this through, he exits into the hall.
Hikari needs to find Rai Mei. He just needs to speak with her one more time. If she only hears him out….
But it’s a long climb to the top of the keep, where she doubtlessly awaits.
There is something terribly familiar in how abruptly Hikari falls to his death.
A burning memory flickers at the back of Olberic’s mind, calling him to turn and look at it, to peer into the truth, to understand the weight of what he’s forgotten–but there’s no time to entertain the thought, because Agnea nearly launches herself off the bridge after him.
“ Hikari! ” she shrieks, grabbing for his hand. Olberic holds her back. There’s no sense in losing both of them. No sense in trying to reach him. Hikari has already vanished from sight, plummeting hundreds of feet into the dark, icy bay below them. Gone in an instant. Literally, as quick as lightning.
Olberic wrenches his gaze from the edge and looks at Rai Mei.
Her eyes are wide, lips parted in a quiet gasp, as if she didn’t think this would happen–or that she would be able to go through with it. She is young. Too young, perhaps, to bear the burden of ruling her clan. But shock and indecision have no quarter in her mind. Rai Mei lowers her spear, and with it, cleaves all emotion from her face. “Leave,” she calls to them, voice muted by the howling wind and distant splash of stone careening into the water. “You are not welcome here.”
Then, without another word or glance, she walks away. Primrose numbly watches her go, as still as stone. Agnea sags in his arms, sobbing.
And Olberic… doesn’t know what to do.
Perhaps his mind is slow to reconcile with what just happened. He tries to take stock of the situation as he mechanically lifts Agnea and carries her further from the edge. She doesn’t need to do something foolish and hurt herself. There is no reaching Hikari. That time has passed. He’s gone. No one can survive a fall from this height.
When Therion fell, he landed in the river. He survived.
Not in the cold. The waters of the Clifflands are warm.
In Cobbleston, a child fell through ice once. We were able to rescue her. The cold is not immediately a death sentence.
But her parents, the villagers, and I were on the scene. Through our swift action alone, we were able to fish her out of the water and warm her.
Even if Hikari swims to shore, he will be soaked. He will succumb to the elements.
Then we need to hurry down the cliff.
We need to find him.
Assuming, of course, Olberic’s friend isn’t already dead.
Something terrible lurks in the back of his mind as he sweeps a sobbing Agnea back down the path and tugs Primrose, frozen in place, to follow after. For every thought he has of the cold waters below, he cannot help but think instead of a fire, of a dark and terrible flame, rushing towards Tre–
No. Olberic recognizes this pressure. He cannot afford to slow them down by chasing after a memory. No matter how dire it seems, no matter the grief and horror budding in his heart, Olberic cannot look within. There is still a chance Hikari is alive, but time is running out. It has been far too long since Olberic lost a friend. He isn’t about to change that. Too much of his life was spent languishing in regret. He has since learned to shrug off regret and failure and focus on the present , not the past. He couldn’t save his King, but he could save the city of Riverford. He couldn’t prevent Hikari’s fall, but he can pull him from the waters.
This is too abrupt and unceremonious an end for the young prince of Ku. Hikari still has a goal, and Olberic still has a vow to see it through to the end.
“W-we need to get the others,” Agnea says, failing to catch her breath. “Back in town. T-Temenos can help. He can save Hikari.”
“We don’t know where he’s run off to,” Primrose dimly says. Her eyes are dark and her lips are colorless. Who did she see fall, Hikari or her friend Yusufa? Does she feel the chill of the Winterlands or is a part of her amongst the shadowy dunes outside of Sunshade? Or, like Olberic, is she plagued by the call of black flames? Regardless, the past doesn’t slow her step. “We don’t have time to get him anyway.”
Agnea might be better at wearing her heart on her sleeves than either of her friends, but terror and sorrow won’t slow her down, either. Instead, it drives her forward, jogging down the path with furious determination. “We’ll just have to be enough,” she mutters, picking up the pace until she’s almost running through the slush. If she’s afraid of slipping on ice, she doesn’t show it.
They clamber the rest of the way down, climbing and sliding along the boulders and debris feeding into the bay. The surface of the water is dark and choppy, irritated by the storm and chunks of stone still drifting to the bottom. Olberic scans the water for anything out of place: a patch of fur clinging to a rock, the red flash of Hikari’s robes, anything . But in the solemn gloom, he can’t find him.
Agnea summons a burst of swirling, green wind, blowing snow away from the rocks along the shore. No body. She turns her efforts to another snowy, clotted lagoon. Primrose cuts away, stomping her way towards a little boat moored to a frozen pier. Olberic takes a deep breath, balancing across the jagged shoreline, trying to peer across the bay. The distance is short. If Hikari was disoriented, maybe he swam to the other side by mistake. They can take the boat towards the cliff. They can overturn every rock on the shore if they must.
Olberic walks to the last line of shore before a sheer incline, shadowed by the looming Sacred Guard Headquarters. From this vantage point, he sees the backside of Fort Mei, built into the cliff. He sees a door, and a ragged figure stumbling through it.
Hikari.
Relief washes over him. The tempest in his mind calms. The danger has not passed, but now Olberic can set aside fear and focus on action.
“He’s on the other side, entering the fortress. Primrose found a boat.” Olberic calls, waving for Agnea. She sways, touching a delicate hand to her forehead. Too many rapid spells have taken a toll on her, but Agnea doesn’t wait for any assistance. She marches through the snow with grim determination.
Primrose struggles to untie the knots securing the boat to the pier. “Olberic–” she begins, voice clipped.
“I’ve got it,” he says, taking the ropes. Olberic doesn’t know fishing knots any better than she does, but he picked up a few things from his neighbors in Cobbleston. Square knots, half hitches, sheet bends–there is a pattern to each. He just needs to visualize it.
Behind him, Agnea demands, “Why would she do that?” Now that they know Hikari isn’t amongst the wreckage or at the bottom of the bay, her desperation bleeds into anger. “I-I can’t believe Rai Mei would just–would just try to kill him. ”
Her voice cracks.
Olberic knows exactly why Rai Mei went to such measures. It was clear. She is angry. Clearly she has not released her grief for Jin Mei. Most of all, though, Rai Mei is afraid. She fears what will become of her people if she crosses King Mugen. Her seat of power is so far removed from Ku, but the heavy chains of loyalty do not stretch far from his bloody throne. She is young and inexperienced and likely has little idea of how to keep Mugen’s vengeful blade from falling on her people once more.
Of course she tried to kill Hikari. It was the only thing she could do.
But Olberic knows better than to voice his thoughts aloud. Extrapolating her reasoning will not help matters. It won’t get them to Hikari any faster.
“...Cruelty is easier than forgiveness,” Primrose says.
Olberic peers over his shoulder. Primrose rubs her forehead, eyes squeezed shut as if battling a headache. “Not to mention Hikari’s extremely distorted idea of what constitutes ‘friendship,’” she continues. “I don’t believe anyone liked him for who he is. They likely stood by him for his title, and dropped him the second he lost it.”
Agnea’s lips wobble like she’s about to cry again, but she holds herself together. “Well, I’m a real friend and I like him for who he is.”
Okay, this knot is not getting untied. Olberic draws his sword and cuts the rope, forgoing the whole idea. They’re doing nothing but wasting valuable time. “We should hurry,” he says. He grabs an oar. Then, after a moment, Olberic adds, “Once we safely return Hikari to the inn, we will talk about this.”
Honestly, Olberic should have brought it up earlier, but he was not made for emotional discussions. He’d much rather work out the issue through a duel. It worked with Erhardt, but Olberic does not think such an approach would help Hikari.
They reach the other shore in good time, driving the canoe into a patch of deep snow. This must be a fairly unused path. Nothing on the shore is disturbed, save Hikari’s dragging footsteps. They follow his lead, moving swiftly but quietly, keeping an eye out for any Clan Mei soldiers who may be on the lookout.
Olberic enters first, blinking through the sudden wall of darkness. It looks like they’ve found a storehouse–and a crowded one, at that. The three of them shuffle inside. Primrose draws the door shut behind them. “Um,” Agnea whispers, standing on her tiptoes to squint through a shelf littered with boxes and baskets, “where do you think he–”
“You lost him? ” a voice bursts.
Agnea jumps, almost smacking a shelf in the process–but Olberic throws out his arm to take the blow instead. “Sorry!” she squeaks.
Primrose pushes them forward, closer to the voices. Three figures lurk just out of view. As Olberic rounds the corner, he catches a glance of one of them: a tall man with a mohawk. He stood beside Rai Mei on the bridge. A high-ranking officer, perhaps? Every Clan Mei uniform is extremely similar. Olberic cannot determine one rank from the other with these people.
The next person, a woman in a coat bearing no military decoration, sighs. “Forgive me, Lord Kunzo, but I thought it impossible for him to leave. Hypothermia was clearly setting in. He seemed faint.”
Clearly , Olberic agrees. He doesn’t understand how Hikari could take flight like this. He must have hit the water. Otherwise, the fall would have been deadly. Deadlier , he mentally corrects.
“You know better than to underestimate Clan Ku,” Kunzo admonishes. He scratches his head. “Doubtless, he searches for Lady Rai Mei. He requested Clan Mei’s assistance with dethroning His Majesty.”
The other two glance at each other. Slowly, the last person, coming into view as he shrugs on a coat, asks, “And Lady Rai Mei was not amenable to his request?”
Kunzo looks to another point in the room, perhaps in whatever direction Rai Mei waits. “I cannot speak to our Lady’s reasoning. Regardless… we must locate His Highness. I would see him safely delivered to Lady Rai Mei. Perhaps, if they speak in private, they may reach some accord.”
…So Rai Mei’s officer would have her rebel against their king? Maybe there is hope yet of swaying Clan Mei to their side. But changing Rai Mei’s mind will not be so easy a task.
Agnea agrees. “Rai Mei will just try and hurt him again,” she whispers.
“We should find Hikari first,” Olberic says. If he and Clan Mei are so determined to shift Rai Mei’s loyalties, then Hikari shouldn’t be alone when he tries. This time, Olberic will snap her spear in two if necessary. He will not fail again to protect his friends.
Primrose pats them both on the back. “There’s three of them and three of us,” she offhandedly notes. “Looks like their uniforms might fit us.”
Agnea gapes. Olberic frowns. “You spend too much time with Therion,” he whispers. But, well, she makes a fine point. They will have a much easier time searching for Hikari if they blend in with the locals.
He draws his sword and steps around the corner.
Fort Mei is nothing compared to the enormity of Ku Palace, that veritable hungry beast. Its walls are merely cold stone and its hollow places house nothing but dead air and dust. The ceilings do not meld into distant shadows. Hallways do not stretch into distant, hidden lands. There are no pillars as tall as a god. Yet, as Hikari wills his tired feet to take one step at a time up a curling staircase, he still feels as though he is marching towards the heavens.
The Lord of this castle harbors a storm within her heart. Her domain quakes under the weight of her grief. Her people long to see the storm clouds recede so they may gaze upon the sun.
Hikari doesn’t know if he can help Rai Mei after everything that has happened, but he knows he is the only person who can try.
The Shadow walks beside him, a mirror image. Its eyes burn crimson; spilled blood mats its hair and drips onto the stone. Each pitter patter evaporates into maroon smoke, leaving the stairs unscarred. Look at you, the Shadow sneers, roughly shoving his shoulder. Hikari feels the strike, but it does not move him. The Shadow has no agency outside of his body. You weak-willed coward. Rai Mei hates you. She will not heed your words. She will try to kill you. Do you intend to stand and allow her spear to pierce you through? There is only one way this ends, your highness, and that is with her blood seeping through your fingers.
Hikari is in no position to fight. He knows that. Should this confrontation come to blows as it did before, Rai Mei will finish what she began. Hikari’s journey to save his kingdom will end here, at the edge of the world.
You cannot let that happen. Think of everyone you loved who is dead. Jin Mei. Tsuki. Your father. Your mother. Your cowardice spits upon their names. Those you “love” who yet live–they don’t return the sentiment, and you know it. Ritsu hates you. Rai Mei hates you. Kazan sees you only as another pawn on the playing field. If your traveling companions knew the real you, they would hate you too. Doesn’t fury alight your breast when you think of them? Where is your anger? Where is your grief? Do you intend to push it all onto me forever?
Hikari’s step falters. His throat feels tight. He clings to the stair railing with one hand and tightly grips his sword in the other, alighting his burned hand in pain. The Shadow is wrong. Hikari knows it only lies. The Shadow wants to confuse him so it can take over. The Shadow has never had his best interests at heart.
Haven’t I? it murmurs. It’s so bloody, like it just returned from a massacre as the sole survivor. Hikari shakes his head, trying to come up with some other metaphor, something that doesn’t hit so close to home. The Shadow doesn’t allow him a moment to think. It grabs the front of his coat, twisting its fingers into the thick fabric. I defended you when the assassins killed your mother. I avenged her when you were unable to do so. I saved you from General Rou. I pulled you from the waters. I have never hurt you. No one knows you like I do.
“Stop,” Hikari whispers. His voice sounds so loud in the empty air, but he feels so small, like a child huddled in the dark.
The Shadow gazes at him with pity. The stench of blood and ash burns his nose, but Hikari cannot pull away. There’s nowhere to go. Nowhere that the Shadow will not follow.
You cannot ignore me forever. You and I both know that this is inevitable. It is in your very nature to kill. You were made a weapon from birth. It is foolish to think otherwise. We will meet Rai Mei and we will put an end to this farce. We will return to Ku and slay the tyrant king. We will destroy everyone who has ever hurt us, and anyone who thinks they can. We will hurt them before they hurt us. Destroy everyone in your path so none may deny you happiness. This is what you want. This is what you deserve. This is your birthright .
Hikari is so tired. He doesn’t want this. He doesn’t want to be here. He should be at a warm inn somewhere, playing his flute and watching Agnea dance. He wants to eat azuki porridge and share it with his friends. He wants to play tsuju . He wants to walk through unburned city streets. He wants to see Tsuki and hear stories of her sister, the traveling musician. He wants to go home .
He is so tired of fighting.
The Shadow frowns. It is sad. Hikari knows it is, because he feels it too. They are both so sad and defeated, but unwilling and unable to give up. They have never been so far from home. They have never been so cold and sore and hungry.
Let me take care of it, the Shadow says. Let me help you. That’s why I’m here. Just let me in, and I’ll take it all away for you. Wouldn’t you like to see our mother again?
More than anything.
“Then let me in,” the Shadow says.
Darkness encroaches along the edges of his vision. His hand numbs. His feet, his legs numb. All the doubt and sorrow in his mind drips away. He–
CLANG!
Hikari jolts at the sound of a distant door thrown open. He stumbles away from the open railing, pressing his back against the curved stone wall. Three Clan Mei soldiers enter the tower, moving with purpose, likely searching for him.
What the hell is he doing?
Hikari hurries up the stairs, eager to avoid detection. If they catch him, all of this will have been for nothing.
He swallows the nausea scaling his throat. Hikari cannot afford to lower his guard like this. Clan Mei is near, but the Shadow is nearer. He cannot heed its words, no matter how sickly sweet. To give up is to spell the end of his friends’ lives. Hikari can rest when this is settled. He doesn’t need a break and he sure as the day is long does not need the Shadow.
Silently, he takes a deep breath. The Shadow glares at him. Hikari’s shoulders droop under the weight of its congealed, impatient fury. It has played nice for long enough. Soon, if he doesn’t get this over with, it will resort to other means of coercion. Hikari wills his aching bones to move , ascending to the top of the tower. He tugs the massive door open just enough to squeeze through, hoping the sound will not immediately alert the guards below.
Outside, a storm rages.
The sky is dark. Along the battlement, enchanted fire flickers and bounces around metal-reinforced glass, lighting the top of the keep. The area is wide and empty, save a raised wooden platform at the edge, rising to meet the battlement. A guillotine looms tall. Aside from the peak of Altahe Mountain, where Ochette hunts for Glacis, nothing in Stormhail rises so high. Death casts a shadow over the city. This, too, is a sin Hikari must bear. Clan Mei are vassals to Ku. They follow the rule of the king, no matter how bloody the order. His ancestors demanded death, and Clan Mei had no choice but to pay their due.
Hikari cannot lose his focus, however. Stood before the guillotine, ruminating on death, is a familiar visage.
For just a moment, Hikari nonsensically envies her tight braid. His hair is all over the place, tugged wild by the wind, impeding his vision. May I borrow a hair tie , he hysterically wants to ask. Hikari has a feeling she wouldn’t appreciate such a request now. She won’t be glad to see him at all. Rai Mei has clearly gotten her point across. She views Hikari as an enemy, and nothing more.
But Hikari, foolish he may be, still sees his oldest friend.
Rai Mei turns at his approach. She holds her spear loosely at her side. “Ah, Hikari,” she quietly calls. “I knew I had not seen the last of you.”
“Rai Mei, do you really intend to follow Mugen blindly?” Hikari asks. He approaches slowly, holding his sword angled to the ground. He doesn’t want to fight. There is no need to fight. He holds no ill will towards her–doesn’t she see that? Can’t she understand? Has she so easily forgotten who they once were? The quiet hopes they shared in a crowded tent after the battle? Their dreams, once so far off, now so desperately close?
He stops mere feet away. He longs to cross the divide. He wants to ask her to come inside, out of the cold, and sit with him. There is azuki porridge inside. There is warmth, and somewhere, he’s sure, there is still companionship.
Hikari gestures towards the dark horizon. “Mugen would have the whole world at his feet. But at the end of his path… lies nothing. We have to stop him, or we are all lost.”
“So that’s the path you believe in, Hikari?” Rai Mei doesn’t tear her eyes away from him. She doesn’t move an inch as she says, “My brother and I used to have faith in that future as well. But now there is only me.”
I miss him, too, Hikari wants to say. He was my friend. It was unfair that he should pay for a crime he did not commit. It is unfair that you must shoulder so much. I’m sorry, Rai Mei.
I’m sorry.
The Shadow stands at his back, glaring a withering hole into Hikari’s chest.
“Not everyone can walk a path of their convictions,” she continues, closing her eyes. “It never ends. One must be willing to leave everything else behind in their journey. And so instead of placing my faith in the future, I’ve chosen to put the safety of my clan above all.”
Hikari understands that. He would not ask her to forsake her clan for his dream. But she does not need to place her faith in one over the other. Hope prevails, no matter how horrible the circ*mstances. The war always ends, one way or another. “We needn’t walk separate paths,” Hikari says. “You said it yourself. You used to believe in a future where we looked to each other for guidance. For support.”
Rai Mei finally looks away from him, her lips trembling. “Silence.”
Behind him, the Shadow scoffs. It reaches for his sword, but Hikari gives it no quarter. “We cannot quit the paths we make, or we’ll lose sight of ourselves!”
Hikari cannot give up, and neither can she. They can’t . Hundreds, thousands, millions of lives hang in the balance, looking to them for salvation. Mugen craves destruction. He will never be satisfied until the bodies number the grains of sand.
He takes a step closer, and then another. The Shadow walks with him, seething with barely controlled malice. “We must keep moving forward with our heads held high! You know this, Rai Mei!”
Her spear jabs towards his face, scant inches from his mouth. Rai Mei glares at the end of it. “I said silence, Hikari!” she yells. “It was your accursed blood that took my brother from me! The stain of Clan Ku….”
The Shadow snarls, grabbing his hand. Together, they raise his sword to meet her.
“I won’t let it take anything from me again,” she cries, jabbing the spear forward. “Even at the cost of everything else, Clan Mei will endure!”
Hikari’s arms scream as he swings his blade to deflect the blow. The Shadow tries to wrest control, fighting against his grip, willing him to slice again, to take advantage of the opening, to make her bleed– but Hikari holds fast. He will not listen and he will not give it any shred of power. This is his fight.
She drives forward again, her steps light and her hand heavy. The tip of her spear slices into his shoulder; Hikari’s legs are too weak to move back in time to evade her attack. His movements are sluggish, every inch of him an aching protest. After everything he’s been through today, Hikari is in no position to fight. But the second he tries to disengage, Rai Mei will spear him through. She sees an enemy before her, one who deserves no mercy from her righteous fury.
LET ME IN , the Shadow screams, trying to dig inside him. LET ME IN LET ME IN LET ME IN.
She swings her spear wide, driving him back. Hikari’s foot slips on a patch of ice. His hip slams onto the frigid stone, sending a shock of sharp, burning pain running through him. Hikari winces and rolls away from a deadly stab. Rai Mei halts the spear before the blade strikes stone. Her precision is absolute. She is every bit the master of her craft, each strike swift and deadly like a flash of lightning.
Hikari, meanwhile, can hardly lift his sword. Each dodge and lunge tugs on battered, burning muscle. Half of his energy is spent on keeping the Shadow at bay; the other half on keeping him standing on his own two feet. His head and heart pound in time. Rai Mei’s spear swings wide, catching him in the ribs, smacking the breath out of his lungs.
You cannot go on like this! the Shadow yells, violently yanking on his arm. Hikari’s hand twitches, angling his sword towards Rai Mei’s arm. There is the slightest opening; he can slice her bicep, loosen her grip. The Shadow tries to seize its chance but Hikari draws away. No. Hurting her will convince her of nothing. If he strong-arms her into following him, how does that make him any better than his forefathers? Hikari does not want mindless subservience, he wants his friend .
She isn’t your damn friend! the Shadow snarls. She hates you! Ritsu hates you! Kazan hates you! You are a monster !
“I’m not,” Hikari protests, barely deflecting another stab.
You are! What do you know of peace when the world has never once shown you kindness? You owe the world nothing ! Take revenge! Lean into your hurt!
“You’re not what? ” Rai Mei challenges, drawing back for the next hit.
You are agony! You are injury! For so long have you struggled and suffered–give her a taste of the pain you’ve endured! Give her a reason to fear you! Call out to the night and allow me to grant you succor!
Hikari feels like he is being ripped into two. He grits his teeth through the horrible swell, standing fast, gripping his sword like a lifeline. He won’t let the Shadow hurt her! No matter what lies it spits, no matter how deep it digs into his head, Hikari will not let it hurt his friend!
“I did not come here to fight you!” he bursts. Please, give up, and make the Shadow stop! “Rai Mei, I only came to ask for your help. I don’t want to hurt you! You’re my friend! ”
Your friends have abandoned you! I am all that remains! You could sooner split the seas in twain than free yourself of me! I am the truest part of you!
Rai Mei’s face twists into a snarl. With a mighty roar, she paints her spear purple with lighting magic. Hikari’s heart flips in his chest. Will she destroy her own castle next? Or will she shoot him over the side of the battlement next, finishing what she began? “Rai Mei,” Hikari tries, “please–”
“Silence! Not another word! ” she cries, jabbing forward.
Hikari cannot help it. He squeezes his eyes shut, and drops his sword. Its steel is too fine to rest at the bottom of the sea. He doesn’t want to die with it in his hand anyway. The Shadow howls, frantic in its attacks, ripping away at him in a futile attempt to jerk him out of harm’s way–but where is there to go? Rai Mei’s wrath is that of a god’s. Her power is overwhelming, all encompassing.
Static crackles across his chest, warming his heart. Hikari instinctively throws up his arms–
But the attack does not land.
Steel screeches along the length of her spear, unleashing a shower of dazzling sparks. They crackle through the air, fizzling uncomfortably across his shoulders and arms. Hikari gasps, opening his eyes.
Navy fills his vision. A Clan Mei soldier? By why would–the figure shifts, swiping his massive blade upwards, directing the last of the lighting magic back into the sky. A jagged scar of light pierces through the thick clouds, revealing, for just a moment, a swathe of brilliant stars. As the clouds roll back into place a heartbeat later, thunder erupts across the battlefield, shaking the entire tower, swiping Hikari’s feet from under him. He falls with a heavy thud, thunder ringing through his ears.
Olberic shoves Rai Mei back, taking a defensive stance before him. “Hikari,” he calls over his shoulder. “Fall back!”
This changes nothing! the Shadow snarls, crouched beside him. Get back up! Grab your sword! Seize the advantage and cut out her wretched heart!
Hikari cannot catch his breath. The Shadow leans over him, grabbing his shoulders. “The battle is not over!” it snarls. The sound comes from Hikari’s mouth. The Shadow looks wild, like a wounded animal making its last stand. It looks just like Hikari. Those are his eyes, his mouth, his hands. “Let me in! I’ll finish it for you!”
“Hang on, Hikari!” he distantly hears Agnea yell.
Somewhere above him, Olberic and Rai Mei fight, clashing steel and lightning, triggering bouts of trembling thunder. He hears shouting, sees flashes of green and purple magic, reflecting against the snow. Agnea and Primrose fight on his behalf as well, throwing themselves into a conflict they know too little about. He can’t catch his breath.
The Shadow grabs his hand. It goes numb and reaches for his sword.
“Stop,” Hikari chokes out, painstakingly rolling onto his side to wrench his arm away. He won’t let this happen! The Shadow can’t do anything unless Hikari gives it power! That’s how this works!
“Didn’t work so well when you were thirteen,” it sneers, the words spilling out of his mouth. “Didn’t work when I pulled you out of the water!”
Those are exceptions to the rule! He was too young to understand what the Shadow was when he was thirteen. He was in a state of shock from the fall and couldn’t understand what the Shadow was trying to do–“And what about now? Are you so weak, Hikari? Or are your convictions so fragile? You will let this happen because you want this. You want me to kill her! You want me to take revenge, because you are too spineless to do it yourself!”
“I won’t let you hurt her!”
“You don’t have a choice!”
The Shadow grabs Hikari’s sword. Just like in Wellgrove, pins and needles crawl up his arm, up to the shoulder. Hikari cannot stay here. He needs to find the door he came through, escape back inside the castle–only so the Shadow can slaughter the rest of Clan Mei first? No, he can’t do that. Is there somewhere else? No, of course not, this is the top of the keep. There’s nowhere to run or hide. Would distance stop the Shadow anyway? It made it from the bay to Fort Mei just fine. He would only be delaying the inevitable, putting Rai Mei and Olberic and Agnea and Primrose at risk–
Wait!
“Primrose!” he desperately calls, using every bit of his fleeting power to keep the Shadow at bay.
She is the only one who sees the Shadow for the threat it is. She won’t hesitate to do what is necessary to stop it. Unlike the others, Primrose never stopped looking for the Shadow. She didn’t trust that Hikari could handle it on his own.
Looks like she was right.
Agnea and Primrose both turn. Olberic doesn’t need their help fending off Rai Mei’s advance–he fights as if he, too, were taught the Mei style, quick to adapt to everything Rai Mei throws at him.
Agnea’s eyes go wide. She takes a step back in fear , because Hikari is scaring her –
Primrose doesn’t have such reservations. She grimly starts towards him. Hikari presses his back to the battlement, struggling to hold his arm down, away from her. “It wants to hurt Rai Mei,” he quickly says. “I don’t want what happened in Wellgrove to happen again. Please, Primrose, stop me .”
“No, don’t!” Agnea bursts, lunging forward to grab Primrose’s arm.
The Shadow’s hold creeps further, overtaking his neck, half of his chest, reaching down towards his leg. Static fills his head. Hikari grits his teeth and hangs on tighter.
“Don’t hurt him!” Agnea continues. “We’ll just diffuse the situation! If there’s no fight, it’ll go away! We can–we can talk to Rai Mei!”
Primrose squeezes her dagger. “We cannot afford to lower our guard and hope Rai Mei calms down! Let go before he loses control!”
Agnea snaps, “Fine!” In one fluid motion, she drops Primrose’s wrist, swirls around, and swipes her arms up. Beginning at her feet, wind gathers, flapping her skirt wildly about her legs. It swells and expands, chasing away dust and snow. With a cry, she looses the twister, sending it careening in Rai Mei’s direction. Olberic jumps away at the last second, leaving Rai Mei wide open and agape.
The same magnificent wind spell she cast on Bandelam now stops Rai Mei in her tracks, buffeting her from every direction, freezing her in place. Her spear rips out of her hand, skittering across the stone in a wake of sparks. Agnea drops the spell and Rai Mei drops to her knees, panting heavily.
With the immediate threat disarmed, the Shadow instantly loses its grip on Hikari’s heart. The static in his head dissolves into pain. He drops his sword and clutches at his head. It’s not gone, though. The Shadow continues wailing and cursing above him. Hikari kicks his sword away. Without taking her eyes off of him, Primrose picks it up. She looks furious , like she might yet stab him and deal with the problem once and for all.
Hikari doesn’t blame her. He presses his lips in a line and breathes, “Thank you.”
Agnea wobbles in place, then stands with her hands on her knees. “Hikari, are you okay?” she breathlessly asks.
He’s… he’s fine now. Hikari clumsily climbs to his feet.
“Stay there,” Primrose says. She grips her gilded dagger tightly in her hand.
Oh. No, she isn’t just angry. She’s upset. That’s reasonable too. Hikari promised her this wouldn’t happen again, but here they are. Primrose will never trust him again, will she?
That’s… that’s okay too. Ritsu, Rai Mei, and Primrose may not care for him how they used to, but it’s alright. Hikari can keep going. He must. He cannot stop now. He has a king to oust and nation to save. Afterwards, when there is finally peace, Hikari can work on repairing what he has destroyed. Maybe, once he proves himself worthy of their friendship again.
“Hikari?” Agnea asks again.
“I’m fine,” he replies. Then, because he can’t shake that look of fear on her face, he adds, “I’m sorry.”
You are a godsdamn fool , the Shadow sneers. What does this accomplish? Primrose hates you. Agnea is terrified of you. Olberic only cares to keep Primrose and Agnea safe. Rai Mei would see you dead. Talking solves nothing. It only delays the inevitable. Get your sword. Wipe a clean slate. You have work to do.
Hikari ignores it. He tightly curls his fists, irritating the burn, and shoves his trembling hands in his pockets. He is fine, but this isn’t over yet. He takes a deep breath and calls, “I’m sorry, Rai Mei. You have every right to be angry with me.”
“Stop,” Rai Mei miserably implores. She cards a hand through her hair, pushing it back out of her face. With a heavy sigh, she drops her hands back to her sides. “Hikari, I cannot do this. My allegiances lie with my clan. I cannot assist you and protect them both. To help you is to condemn my people to death. Don’t you already have enough Clan Mei blood on your hands?”
Not enough, the Shadow says, stalking around him. Not yet nearly enough. Not while the traitor still breathes.
“Isn’t this what Jin Mei would want? Am I not honoring his memory by pursuing peace?” he asks.
Rai Mei flinches. Her eyes dart away, gazing into the dark. She swallows hard.
As she tries to gather her thoughts, Agnea recovers and walks to him. She ignores Primrose’s curt warning and Hikari’s step backwards. She gently places her hands on Hikari’s cheeks. Her gloves are warm against his freezing face. “You don’t have to do this by yourself,” Agnea says. “We can talk to her too. I know you’re a good person, Hikari. I know you’re trying to do the right thing.”
The Shadow stops at his side. It too, for the first time in its miserable existence, seems at a loss for words. When it does try to protest, its voice is weak: She doesn’t see you for what you really are.
Hikari tries to ignore it, but….
But maybe this time it’s right. Hikari painstakingly unclenches his fists. He rests his hands on her wrists, moving them away. He doesn’t deserve this comfort and she shouldn’t have to come to his rescue. Not after everything else she’s already done for him. “I have to do this by myself,” Hikari tells her. “It is my fault Jin Mei died. I cannot share that burden with you.”
Primrose uncomfortably shifts her feet. After a moment’s silent deliberation, she sheathes her dagger. Hikari’s discarded sword hangs at her side, carelessly brushing the ground. “You aren’t responsible for something that happened when you were a child,” Primrose says. “I cannot see where you should shoulder the blame for what your father and brother did. They called for Jin Mei’s death. Not you.”
But that’s not how this works. Hikari was meant to die alongside his mother that day. If not for his mother defending him, if not for the Shadow, he would have died and Jin Mei would still be here. Someone else had to take the fall. Someone else had to take Hikari’s place. How could the fault not lay with him?
“Neither of you should have been made to bear the weight of another’s actions,” Olberic adds, speaking both to Hikari and Rai Mei. He sheathes his sword.
Rai Mei, even knocked to her knees, refuses to bow her head in defeat. “What do any of you know of our business?” she challenges. “You are not of Ku or a vassal state. It is not your place to interfere with our dealings.”
Hikari realizes he’s still clinging to Agnea. He lets go, returning his hands to his pockets. “She’s right,” he sighs. “Thank you for your support. For… following me all this way. But I must–”
“No!” Agnea interrupts.
Hikari blinks. “...What?”
“No,” she repeats, swirling to face Rai Mei. “It doesn’t matter if we’re from Ku. I think anyone can see that this whole situation is rotten. What is there to deliberate? Clearly, this is Mugen’s fault!”
“Agnea–” Hikari begins, but she isn’t done.
She glides across the frozen stone like it’s a stage, gesturing with graceful purpose. “I know your clan is important! I love my family too! I would give anything to protect them! But locking yourself away in a tower isn’t keeping them safe–it’s just delaying the inevitable! What happens when Mugen finds another reason to get mad at you? Siding with him this once won’t guarantee the future!”
The Shadow lurks at his side, opening and closing its mouth like it’s trying to find a place to interject, but can’t get a word in edgewise. Hikari continues to ignore it. He cannot look away from Agnea. She looks golden, impossibly warm, like a beacon flame dancing across the tower, drawing every eye.
“And–and if you don’t want to hear us out because we’re not from Ku–that’s just too bad! I would gladly accept any of his problems as my own because… because I love him! ”
The Shadow vanishes. Hikari, too, feels like he’s about to give up the ghost. Because. Because what? She– surely she means she loves him as a friend. Like how Ochette and Alfyn like to toss around the word like it’s such a normal thing. It’s a-a cultural difference. It’s– she’s –
“Hikari is sweet, and noble, and stronger than anyone I’ve ever met!” Agnea continues, voice building in strength as Hikari’s knees get weaker. He steps back, pressing against the battlement to support himself. He cannot look away from her. “Hikari has a dream that he wholeheartedly believes in, and I want to help him achieve it, like he’s been helping me achieve mine! I know he can change Ku for the better! And if you still don’t believe him and want to fight, then… then you can fight me! ”
The declaration echoes through the air. Even the storm seems to bend to her will, calming the tumult of sleet and snow. Hikari slides down the battlement. He… he doesn’t think he’s capable of thinking at the moment.
Primrose worriedly glances at him, then turns back to Rai Mei. “I can sympathize with your fears,” she explains. “But unless you put your faith in Hikari’s mission and your own people, you will always live in King Mugen’s cruel shadow–until he finds fault in you, too, and seeks to strike you down.”
His friends still aren’t done. Even with Hikari completely out of sorts, even with Rai Mei wide-eyed and cowed, Olberic still has his piece to say: “I once served my king for many years. I know the qualities of a good and just ruler, and Hikari has all the makings of a fair and righteous king.”
Hikari’s eyes burn. He blinks heavily, forced to look away from him.
“Though I may not be of your kingdom,” Olberic continues, “I was in Ku when Mugen burned the city. Hundreds of people perished in the flames and at the hands of their own king’s men. You have placed your trust in the blacked heart of a tyrant. Blind loyalty is so called for a reason. Will you follow your allegiances straight into hell?”
Hikari’s friends are so sure, so defiant. Olberic, whose faith in him never once waivered. Primrose, who… who still believes in him, no matter the curse on his soul.
Agnea, who loves him.
And Rai Mei–
A sob hitches from somewhere deep in her chest. Rai Mei folds forward, hugging herself tightly, crumpling under the weight of their pity. Something wretched burns in Hikari’s chest at the sight. This… this isn’t Rai Mei. She is proud, and strong, and mighty–but right now, she looks as small as Hikari feels. Both of them, brought to heel from his friends’ love. Both of them, finally cracking at the seams after all these years.
His body protests as he stands. Now that the flight and fight are over, every ache piles atop him at once. His head spins–not from the Shadow’s hold, not from the shock of Agnea’s… confession , but from exhaustion. But Hikari still cannot rest. He can’t leave Rai Mei like this.
They’ve all said all there is to say on the matter. Hikari won’t press her any more. Instead, he wearily approaches. Agnea meets him halfway, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. He… he needs to speak with her, too. And he will. But now–
“It was good to see you again,” Hikari quietly says. Perhaps next time they meet, it will be under better circ*mstances. Perhaps they will have a chance to truly mend things. “I wish you well, Rai Mei.”
She only cries harder, face hidden from view.
Hikari turns to leave. It’s a long walk back to the inn and… actually, how are they supposed to get back? How did Agnea and the others even get here?
“Hikari? Are you okay?”
His head is too muddled to think of the logistics. It’s so fuzzy and vacant like… like he’s–
Oh. He’s about to pass out. Before he does, he just needs to confirm one thing: “Did you mean what you said?”
Agnea’s face goes bright red. “Uhhh. Y-yes? Yes. Yes, I… I did. I mean it.”
“Oh,” Hikari says.
Oh. She loves loves him. That’s….
He doesn’t have a chance to finish that thought, because his knees buckle and he passes out.
Well this has certainly been a day.
Olberic steps carefully down the icy street. It wouldn’t do to trip and drop Hikari, draped across his back like a sack of potatoes. He’s sure the boy will spend the next day or two sleeping this off. Hopefully Alfyn will have returned so he can check that there are no pressing injuries, but from Olberic’s cursory examination, Hikari seems as okay as someone could be after falling off a bridge.
…He wonders if the curse has anything to do with that. When he is awake and recovered, they should revisit that topic. Olberic doesn’t know if he or any of the others mentioned the curse to Cyrus during their talk, but Olberic can think of no one else who may have an idea of how to help. Cyrus is perhaps the foremost expert on dark magic. For better or worse.
Olberic hasn’t forgotten how worried he is about Cyrus, either. The terror on his face when they met in Montwise–it still weighs heavy on Olberic’s heart. Something irrevocably hurt Cyrus, and Olberic hates that he cannot know what happened. Then, almost out of nowhere, Ophilia’s light seemed to dim overnight, settling her into a depression that hounded them during the trip to Stormhail. She would speak with them either on the matter. If Hikari decides to shoulder this grief by himself too, Olberic doesn’t know what he’s supposed to do with himself. How can he help if he doesn’t know what’s wrong?
…But there is no use in getting so frustrated. Their journey has not ended yet. There is still time to help his friends and mend what has been hurt. He must take things step by step–
“Is that blood?” Primrose asks, abruptly stopping in the middle of the street.
Olberic notices the dark trail almost as soon as she mentions it. That is blood–and a lot of it. He follows the trail further down the street, where it seems to lead to–
“Oh, no, the others!” Agnea gasps, reaching the same conclusion. Without a second to spare to think things through , she rushes off. Primrose and Olberic hurry after her.
The inn’s front door is ajar and covered in blood, like someone heavily injured pushed it open. Agnea skids inside, almost slipping in the blood. It is fresh, and the stench of iron burns Olberic’s nose. “Agnea, wait!” Primrose hisses, following anyway.
“Gods damnit! ” they hear Throné curse. “Wake the f*ck up!”
They pass through the foyer and into the lobby. Olberic doesn’t know where to begin. Cyrus lay slumped on a table, unmoving. Beside him, Temenos similarly lays limps, but Throné frantically shakes his shoulders as if trying to rouse him. Finally, Therion sits on the floor leaning over a prone figure as they steadily bleed out. He sways, as if half-asleep, but nonetheless presses his full weight onto hands, trying to help–is that the knight they met last night? Crick?
Throné snaps her head up as Agnea dashes inside and promptly screams. Temenos stirs, but his movements are sluggish. Cyrus is still–
“Help him,” Throné tersely instructs, pointing a bloody hand to Therion. Now that Olberic gets a better look at her, she’s coated in crimson, but seems uninjured herself. Therion doesn’t seem hurt either, nor does Temenos, nor does…. Despite himself, Olberic sighs a breath of relief. Cyrus does not appear injured, merely unconscious.
Wait. No, they’re missing someone. “Where is Ophilia?” he asks.
There is no good place to lay Hikari, so he kicks another chair out from under the table and slides him into it. Olberic does not find her anywhere in the lobby. They are alone. Nothing is out of place–except, he notices, a knife laying on the floor some feet away. It seems familiar. Is it one of Therion’s? Was there a fight? Olberic does not stop to think about it. He joins Therion on the floor and shucks off his coat, bundling it up and pressing it against the bloody, shredded mess of Crick’s torso.
“I don’t know,” Throné says, still very much panicking. Her hands shake and her face is pale. “I-I heard her yell, and then I found these guys knocked out, and then Crick– f*cking hell , Temenos, wake up! Agnea, don’t just stand there–get some water or bandages or something! Prim–”
“Alfyn gave us medicine,” she says, kneeling beside them and digging into her bag. Under her breath, she mutters, “I don’t know how the hell it’s supposed to help this , but it is better than nothing.”
Olberic doesn’t think anything but divine intervention will help this.
Luckily, their one conduit to the divine finally wakes up. Temenos stumbles to his feet, blinking heavily, holding his head. He looks around the room, looks at Throné, and then looks down at Crick. For a moment, he just stares.
Then, Temenos wails.
