Chapter Text
Kaguya just barely jumped out of the way of a fireball that blazed past her. She caught a whiff of the bitter pungent smell of her burnt hair as she whirled around to avoid another eruptive burst that sailed clean past her face. She was panting, her heart was pounding, she was grinning. She knew she was winning. Few things filled her with the adrenaline a good fight with Mokou evoked. Fewer than that, a good fight she was winning.
She turned to fully face her assailant, Mokou, who was panting as well, her arms were emblazoned and flaming hotly in the onslaught of the blizzard they found themselves in. Mokou was grimacing, she was in pain, Kaguya could tell. It made Kaguya’s heart beat faster, harder. She wanted Mokou to feel agony. She wanted her to fall out of the sky. She wanted to win .
“Had enough?” Kaguya called, her voice only just barely audible under the wind of the howling snow.
“You wish!” Mokou growled back, her lip was split. As she spoke splatters of blood flecked out from her mouth.
“Have it your way then!” Kaguya giggled. She swooped above Mokou and released a rain of blazing blue danmaku down upon Mokou. They were random in their patterning, but clustered closely together. The white hot bullets hissed as the snow pelted down onto them; Mokou struggled, and failed to avoid them. She swore as the bullets burned against her skin, destroying parts of her heavy down coat. As the bullets tore through the thick fabric of the jacket, feathers exploded in white puffs, blending in with the falling snow.
Mokou was close to going down, Kaguya knew this, just a little more and she would be down for the count. Mokou’s flames were already starting to dull and flicker out with exhaustion.
Mokou twisted up and around Kaguya and sent down a flamestorm upon her. It was weak and lackluster. Kaguya easily avoided the flames. Mokou’s panting increased, either out of anger or desperation when she saw Kaguya evade the attack so deftly. She pulled back, just enough to give herself some breathing room as Kaguya hung where she was and let her spellcard come to an end.
“Running?” Kaguya’s shrill laugh carried over the snowstorm. Mokou growled. She hated nothing more than the sound of Kaguya’s gloating voice. It was like nails against a chalkboard to her ears. It sent shivers down her spine.
Teeth clenched, Mokou raised one flaming fist up to Kaguya and flipped her off, “This isn’t over yet, you cocky bitch!”
“Oh, tsk tsk tsk.” Kaguya clicked her tongue as she shook her head, “On the contrary, it most definitely is.” Then, Kaguya was in motion, she zoomed forwards attacking Mokou head on. She summoned stars and lasers that blazed after Mokou.
Mokou’s face paled and filled with horror as two lasers targeted her and immediately shot her down out of the sky. The hum of the lasers filled the air as Mokou motionlessly fell from the sky. There was a moment of silence, then she hit the ground with a sickening thump , and lay there on her stomach, dead.
Kaguya giggled at the sight. Mokou’s corpse lay still on the frozen ground, immediately beginning to be buried by the storm.
Kaguya turned without a second thought, still panting, and made her way home through the snow.
It was hours later by the time Mokou trudged her way home. She was dripping wet with snow and ice that had completely soaked through her down to the bone. Her lips were blue and her teeth chattered. As she entered the threshold of her home she kicked off her boots with a grunt. She slid out of her now destroyed jacket and threw it at the coat rack that was sitting close to the door. Feathers fluttered down onto the floor as the coat missed and fell in a heap onto the hardwood.
Movement from within the house indicated that she wasn’t alone. Of course she wasn’t. Keine must have come home ages ago. It was already dark out. Keine must have been worried. Mokou mentally readied herself for the scolding that was in store for her.
“Mokou?” Keine’s voice called from the kitchen.
“Yeah,” Mokou called back as she began to peel her sopping wet shirt off. Beneath it she was wearing a simple white undershirt. She slid out of her top shirt and bundled it up in one arm. Mokou then wrung out her hair before stepping up from the genkan entryway and made her way towards the kitchen to meet Keine.
The kitchen was cozily lit. The warm light reflected dully off the paper shoji dividers and glinted off the dishware that was stacked on the countertops… Keine had already eaten, Mokou observed as she saw the dirty plates layed out for cleaning. She wasn’t sure what she had eaten, but whatever it was, the delicious smell still lingered in the air. Mokou’s stomach grumbled unhappily.
Mokou then took in the sight of her wife. Keine was wearing a thick light blue turtleneck sweater. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail and swept to the side over one of her shoulders. She wore a pair of baggy tobi pants that were a dark blue plaid. She looked over at Mokou with tired expressionless eyes.
Mokou swallowed as Keine eyed her over. Mokou was dressed in her sopping wet red overalls and equally soaked wife-beater; both of which clung heavily to her skin. She was shivering and pale as paper. Keine sighed at the sight of her.
“Another fight?” She asked as she turned her back to Mokou and began rinsing off her dishes.
“Yeah…” Mokou admitted.
“Well?” Keine said shortly, “Go take your bath then.”
“Right…” Mokou said as she itched the back of her head nervously.
She waited a moment in silence as she watched Keine’s back. Her shoulders moved rhythmically as she scrubbed one plate and then another.
“I’m sorry for coming home so late…” Mokou said.
Keine sighed, Mokou saw her shoulders droop. “I know. I just wish you’d pick your fights at better times. You know I hate eating alone.”
“Sorry…” Mokou said again.
Keine turned back to Mokou, wiping her hands with an old kitchen rag. She eyed Mokou over one more time, then gave her a small forgiving smile. “Just go get cleaned up. I saved you a plate.”
“Thanks, Keine. You’re the best.” Mokou said, grinning. She plodded out of the room and headed towards the bathroom. Her wet footprints followed her as she made her way down the hall. Keine eyed them with a sigh. She stepped away from the countertop, collected the mop from their closet, and began mopping them up before they stained the wooden floors.
Keine and Mokou’s house was on the smaller side and located just on the edge of the bamboo forest. It smelled of old books and charcoal. The patchwork roof often leaked, but Mokou was a skilled repairman and was quick and able to fix it when the leaks did happen. Beneath their porch lived a family of foxes that Keine often fed when she saw them. Mokou disapproved of this behavior, calling them freeloaders, but Keine’s smile when she saw them prevented Mokou from attempting to kick them out.
Inside, the walls were insulated with thick wood. Mokou had built the house herself, and she hated the cold. She always wanted the inside to be warm and toasty. The screen shoji inside were very old and very pretty. They were immaculately taken care of. Upon them were scenes of cherry blossoms in bloom, periodically dotted with the occasional sparrow and crane.
Keine and Mokou’s room was lined floor to ceiling with books, both new and old. At one corner of the room sat a desk which Keine frequented when she stayed up late at night reading and writing. On said desk was a small carved wooden cow Mokou had made for her. It was expertly made, as Mokou had all but perfected the hobby of wood carving a few decades ago. Keine held the tiny item close to her heart, and often admired it when she sat at her desk, getting lost in warm comforting thoughts of Mokou’s skillful hands holding her own.
The snowstorm was just starting to calm down when the sound of light splashing filled the house. Mokou had slinked into her bath, her long white hair tied up in a tight bun, accompanied by a headband to keep her bangs out of her face as she soaked. Mokou let out a content sigh as she sank down into the hot water. She had heated the water to the temperature that would burn most normal humans, but it felt warm and comfortable on her frozen skin. It was more than welcome. Mokou would spend the remainder of her night warm and comfortable in her beloved home, not knowing the events that were about to unfold the next morning.
Kaguya came home and was immediately welcomed by a small fluffle of rabbits that came to greet her as she stepped inside.
“Welcome back!” One called excitedly.
“What did you do today!?” Another asked as she jumped up and down a few times. Her ears bounced with the motion.
Kaguya let out a hearty laugh and patted her on the head. She ruffled her hair.
“Oh, nothing special. But, add another tally to my winnings!” Kaguya said, puffing out her chest.
The rabbits cheered. Kaguya reveled in the praise. She chuckled as she slid out of her woolen coat and handed it to one of the rabbits to be taken and put away. She gave her a quick, “Thanks.” Before kicking off her shoes and continuing on inside.
Just then Reisen pattered by, tray of viles in her hand. She had her hair tied back in a handkerchief and was wearing a pair of mint colored scrubs. Her eyes lit up at the sight of Kaguya. She gave her a warm smile.
“Ah,” She smiled at Kaguya, “Welcome back! I’ll let my master know you’re home.”
“Thank you, Reisen.” Kaguya said.
Kaguya knew Eirin was still working as it was a weeknight. Eirin would either be in her office or in the clinic portion of Eientei until eight or so. Kaguya hated her long nights, she hated being apart from her wife for so long. She couldn’t really wrap her head around how much Eirin enjoyed her work. She must have found it rewarding to take it so seriously, but now and then Kaguya wanted Eirin to take her more seriously.
Kaguya hurried to her and Eirin’s room, a large room that was decorated with large potted bamboo and bonsai plants. There was an ornate screen that led out into a spacious courtyard, but it was currently latched shut due to the storm and the cold.
Kaguya changed into a pair of pink strawberry dotted pajamas and made her way back out into the common area. She was met once again with a fluffle of rabbits that accompanied her into the dining area where she took a seat at the kotatsu and was served her dinner. She ate surrounded by her little posse of energetic rabbits. They quizzed her about her day, what she had done, what she had eaten, how she had won the fight with her arch rival, and most importantly, if she had bought them anything while she was visiting in the human village.
The snowstorm continued on outside, piling up upon the roof and in the courtyard. If anything, Kaguya was sure Eirin would close the clinic tomorrow due to the weather. No one would dare march their way through the several feet of snow just for a doctor's visit. Kaguya reveled in the warm feeling of having Eirin all to herself all day.
Outside frozen bamboo sticks clacked together in the storm. Their sound carried through the forest and into the warm protection of the tall walls of Eientei. Every now and then, the rabbits would hear the rattle of the bamboo forest tossed and assaulted by the storm with their sensitive ears and shiver at the thought of the cold.
It was quite a bit later when Eirin came into the dining room to meet Kaguya. Eirin had too recently changed into her pajamas, a matching silk set of navy blue. She grinned ear to ear when she saw Kaguya. Kaguya sprang up from the kotatsu and ran into Eirin’s open arms. Eirin held her tight as Kaguya grinned and snuggled into her embrace.
“I missed you!” Kaguya said, there was a tinge of desperation in her voice.
“I missed you too, love.” Eirin said as she kissed the top of Kaguya’s head.
Kaguya looked up and puckered her lips. Eirin laughed and leaned down to kiss her wife on the lips. Kaguya pulled Eirin down and closer as they deepened the kiss. It was short, sweet, and overwhelming. When they pulled apart both of their heads were spinning.
From across the room at the kotatsu, the fluffle of rabbits oo’ed and aww’ed at the sudden show of affection.
Kaguya turned to them and stuck out her tongue at them.
“Oh shut up, let me kiss my wife.”
Eirin laughed at this and leaned down to kiss her cheek once again. Then, reluctantly they pulled apart. They both made their way over to the kotatsu and sat down at it. Kaguya, although upset she wasn’t still in her wife’s arms, was happy to be back under the heated table that thawed her frozen legs.
“I heard you had a scuffle today.” Eirin said as she settled down and made herself comfortable.
“Yep!” Kaguya said happily. “I won.”
Eirin let out a long fake sigh and shook her head, “Who started it?”
“Her.” Kaguya said as she pouted and folded her arms across her chest. “She started bad mouthing me.”
“So you attacked her?”
“Yes.” Kaguya said with a sharp nod.
“Doesn’t that technically mean you started it?”
“No way!” Kaguya exclaimed, “You guys,” Kaguya said to the rabbits, “Back me up!”
They all shrugged and murmured noncommittally to each other.
Kaguya huffed and glanced at Eirin through her eyelashes. “Either way,” She began, “I won. She lost.”
“I’ve gathered that.” Eirin said with a chuckle.
Their bantering continued long into the night, long past the snowstorm slowing. By the time Eieintei went to bed, the howling wind subsided, Kaguya and Eirin were deeply asleep. Like the little house on the edge of the bamboo forest, they had no idea what was in store for them.
Mokou woke up after Keine, like always. She turned over in her futon and found it empty. Mokou grunted and sat up. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and let out a long deep yawn.
Sunlight peaked in through the window. It was harsh and bright as it bounced off the snow and into the tiny room. Slits of it stretched out lazily across Mokou’s blanketed lap. Particles of dust swirled in the beams of light as they fell into the room.
Mokou blinked her eyes a few times before getting up and out of her futon. The cold hardwood floor was uncomfortable against her bare feet. She shivered and hurried out of the bedroom to see if Keine was still home.
As she exited the room, she caught the smell of coffee being brewed. So, Keine hadn’t left! Mokou thought excitedly. Usually by now, Keine would have been on her way out to the schoolhouse.
Mokou walked into the room to look for Keine. She found her sitting at their kotatsu, sipping a freshly brewed cup of coffee. There was a carton of cream on the table. Keine took a sip of her coffee, made a face, then began adding a little more cream to her drink. Mokou smiled, she could never stand it when it was strong and bitter. Ironic then that she had married Mokou.
Keine caught sight of Mokou and gave her an award winning smile. Mokou felt her heart sing, it seemed the entire room lit up.
“You’re awake!” Keine said as she patted the cushion next to her for Mokou to have a seat.
Mokou obliged and took a seat beside her. She propped up one arm on the table and rested her chin in her hand; something she did often when she was groggy.
“I’m delighted but, why are you still here?” Mokou asked. “Usually you’re gone by now.”
“I cancelled class today.” Keine said with a small sigh. She always hated doing that. It made her fall behind with her schedule and lesson plans.
“Great!” Mokou said with a grin. She wrapped one arm around Keine’s waist and pulled her close. Mokou planted a kiss on Keine’s cheek, who let out an “oh, geez.”
“Actually, I’m planning on meeting with Miss Kagerou.” Keine said regretfully.
Mokou’s face fell. She frowned at Keine.
“Aw, why?” Mokou asked.
“I’ve been meaning to for a while,” Keine said, “I haven’t had the chance till now. I want to discuss with her the nature of her transformation on the full moon. I’ve been curious if it’s related to my own transformation in any way.”
“Ugh, come on, stay home instead.” Mokou pleaded.
“I can’t, this is the only time I’ll have to talk with her before the next full moon. Plus, I know generally where she likes to hang out on Fridays. I have a good chance at catching her now more than ever.” Keine shifted a bit where she sat and gave Mokou an apologetic face. “I’m sorry, dear.”
Mokou frowned, she was disappointed Keine didn’t want to spend her snow day with her, but after yesterday she really had no right making any requests.
“Alright.” Mokou said. She glanced out the window, on the outside windowsill it was packed several inches up with snow. Mokou shivered, “Just dress warm.”
I will. Keine said, placing a kiss on Mokou’s nose before she downed the rest of her coffee and stood.
“I shouldn’t be long. Don’t worry. After I come back we can spend the rest of the day together.” Keine said. She made her way out of the dining room.
It was a little while later when Keine left, bundled up head to toe as Mokou had requested. She waved goodbye as she headed out into the forest. Mokou watched as her footsteps gradually crunched away in the snow until she was completely out of sight. The icey bamboo stalks engulfed her as she disappeared into the forest.
Mokou continued to watch after her for a long moment before she shook her head and sighed. It would be a cold quiet day without her wife, she knew it. Better get to work doing something useful to pass the time at least.
Mokou tugged on a pair of old knitted brown gloves and retrieved her ax from the small work area they had out back. She had piles of wood stored up outside that she had been meaning to chop.
One job Mokou had was selling charcoal down at the human village. It didn’t make much, but in the colder months,when charcoal was in high demand, it was enough to get by alone without either Keine’s salary or her second job working at Mystia Lorelei’s stand. It was a job that was easy for her. She was strong enough to cut the wood, and when it came time for baking she didn’t need to rely on large metal drum rigs to make the coals. She simply manipulated the flames around the wood with her fire abilities to cook them to the perfect temperature without setting the wood ablaze.
Mokou got to work chopping… and chopping. She swung her ax, piece after piece, cleave after cleave. It became tedious, not because it was hard, but because it was boring. Mokou found herself slipping into line-hypnosis, and lost track of time. She didn’t notice the winds begin to change, nor did she see the dark grey clouds come blowing in. She went through an entire stack of wood before she even looked up, checking to see if Keine had come home.
Mokou wiped the sweat that had accumulated on her forehead off with the back of her hand and let out a tired sigh. She retied back her hair, as it was coming loose from all the exertion. She looked around and took in her surroundings. Aside from the freshly chopped pile of wood nothing seemed to have changed… until she saw the tiny snowflakes that had begun floating down from the sky. She frowned at this. Immediately she felt something was wrong. She didn’t want the snow to get worse. She worried about Keine who hadn’t come home yet.
With a strange feeling in her gut, Mokou threw down her ax and reluctantly went inside to wait for her wife to come home.
Mokou sat inside waiting for Keine watching out the window as the snow, to her dismay, did get worse. The snow began coming down heavier, slowly at first, then all at once. Mokou watched helplessly as her yard began accumulating even more snow than what was dumped on it the night before.
Her heart began to beat hard, her blood felt like ice. Keine wasn’t back yet. Shouldn’t she have been back already? Mokou forced herself to move from the window where she had been waiting. Instead she began pacing up and down the front hallway, hands behind her back, brow furrowed. She waited, and waited… The house was quiet, too quiet. Mokou became increasingly more and more aware of the silence that filled the house. It didn’t feel right.
Something was definitely wrong. Mokou felt it deeper than her gut, she felt it in her soul. Keine was in trouble.
Without waiting another second Mokou suddenly turned and hurried to the front door. She yanked on her boots and her destroyed coat. She walked out the door, slamming it behind her, not even bothering to lock it.
Outside, since she had last looked, it had gotten worse. Snow was making it hard to see even a half a dozen feet in front of her. It whipped at her wetly as the blizzard raged on.
Mokou extended one hand and set it ablaze. The hot light it produced filled the surrounding area, making it easier to see, but only just slightly so. She took in a deep shaky breath and made her way into the bamboo forest, following in the direction Keine had headed.
The snow swirled around her violently as she made her way along. Each step was laborious as she trudged forward. The blizzard felt suffocating, she felt like she couldn’t breathe. Her breath was shallow and ragged. Where’s Keine? that though ran throught her head again and again, buzzing in her ears, making it hard to think.
Mokou knew the bamboo forest better than anybody, probably even better than Tewi or the other rabbits at Eientei. She had spent so much time in it, especially before she met Keine. Still, even with this knowledge it was becoming increasingly hard to find her way.
Was this the fork she was looking for? Mokou asked herself as she came to a split in the crude road. She couldn’t remember if she had already passed the fork or if this was a completely new one. Her worried head and the snow was making it too hard to think let alone walk.
“ Fuck! ” Mokou swore as she squinted down one path then the other. After a moment, she threw rationality to the wind and simply picked left, trusting her gut.
She continued on for what seemed like hours, the sun had begun to set behind the thick clouds. The bamboo forest began to grow dark. Mokou’s flame sputtered every now and then, dampened by the snowflakes that were constantly assaulting it.
Mokou would have missed her if she hadn’t stumbled. Mokou took a tall step over a fallen tree, her boot caught on one of the branches, and she almost went tumbling forwards. She managed to catch herself at the last minute, but as she did so she caught a glimpse of blue fabric amongst the piling up snow.
‘KEINE!” Mokou screamed. She hurried over to her, messily kicking up clouds of wet powdery snow as she did so. Mokou collapsed onto her knees at Keine’s side.
Keine was laying face down in the middle of the road. Snow had begun accumulating on top of her. Mokou couldn’t see if she was breathing. She felt tears well up in her eyes. The flame on her hand exploded blue as she brought it closer to Keine to examine her.
“Keine!” Mokou called again, tears now flowing freely down her cheeks.
“M-Mokou?” Keine said weakly. She tilted her head up, and Mokou’s jaw dropped. Her lips were completely blue and her skin was so pale Mokou could see the blood vessels beneath the surface.
“Keine!” Mokou called a third time, she yanked Keine up and pulled her into her arms. She created a blaze of flames that loosely circled them intending to warm Keine up. “What happened?” Mokou said, holding back sobs.
“Fell… Twisted my ankle. Too much snow.” Keine said weakly. She was limp in Mokou’s arms and shaking like a leaf. She gave Mokou a weak smile, “I knew you’d find me.”
Mokou let out a loud uncontrolled sob and pulled Keine close, tears fell down from her face and landed on Keine’s cheeks.
Mokou held her like that for a short while before her brain started working again.
“We need to get you somewhere warm.” Mokou said, thinking a mile a minute. Home was far… Eientei was closer. Eirin was there. She could help Keine.Who the fuck cares if Kaguya is there? That didn’t matter. She would beg for Keine if she had to. Mokou made the decision in a second.
Mokou pulled Keine up bridal style and got to her feet.
“We’re going to get you warmed up, ok?” Mokou asked, determined now.
Keine simply buried her face into Mokou’s chest. She nodded weakly and remained silent.
Mokou hurried in the direction of Eientei, moving as quickly as her feet could carry her.
Kaguya pulled herself reluctantly out of her wife’s arms and slid out of the bathtub. The bathroom was steamed, the mirror on the wall was completely fogged over. The air was thick with humidity. It had been a very good bath.
Kaguya slipped a fluffy white towel around her narrow waist and turned back to Eirin who had extended a hand to Kaguya.
“A towel for me, love?” Eirin asked. Kaguya obliged and passed her one.
Eirin stood from the bath as well and too wrapped herself up in the robe. The robe was tight on Eirin, fitting snugly on her curves as opposed to how it hung loosely on Kaguya’s thin frame. Kaguya eyed Eirin’s body and gave her a wink. Eirin gave her a small chuckle and shook her head.
“Enough with you.” She said as she moved forward to her clothes that were folded on the countertop.
Kaguya too went to her clothes and began to dress. She reminisced about the day they had shared together. It had been amazing, and just what she had needed after a long week of being separated due to Eirin’s stupid work.
Kaguya finished dressing before Eirin and she watched as Eirin pulled her ridiculously long hair up in a towel and tied it up above her head.
“I’m starving.” Kaguya said as they stepped out of the bathroom. “What’s for dinner?” She asked. Steam escaped from the bath’s door as they exited out into a main hallway. It poured out then disappeared weakly into the much colder air.
“I’ll ask Reisen when we bump into her.” Eirin said as she placed a hand on Kaguya’s shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. Kaguya smiled at this small show of affection. She loved having Eirin all to herself.
They had just rounded a corner heading in the direction of their favorite sitting room when a loud bell rang throughout the hallway. It was a loud, sharp ringing that Kaguya knew and hated. It meant there was an emergency in the clinic portion of the mansion. When Eirin closed up the clinic she always left an alarm system active in the event of an emergency. Kaguya wasn’t sure who rang the bell, be it the patient or Reisen herself, but a pit of loathing bubbled up in her stomach.
“I have to go.” Eirin said quickly. She pecked Kaguya on the cheek and hurried off down the hall in the direction of the clinic without another word.
Kaguya grimaced as she watched her leave.
“Fuck…” Kaguya cursed under her breath. Of course someone would barge in on her perfect snow day with her wife.
Kaguya made her way into the sitting room completely deflated. She entered the extravagant room and plopped down aggravatedly on the red ornate couch. The room was tinted pink with the light of a single lamp sitting upon a nearby side table. Aside from the highly decorative couch there were very old and very expensive urns and vases that sat along the longest wall of the room. There was an unlit fireplace that sat on the short end of the room across from the scarlet couch. Kaguya eyed it angrily. She had intended on cuddling by the fire with Eirin. Now, like her mood, it was extinguished.
Kaguya sat there mulling over her loss for quite some time. Outside, the world grew darker by the minute until night had completely taken hold. The wind of the blizzard howled against the window. Kaguya glanced out it, bored, and let out a long sigh.
Just then a rabbit slipped into the room. She was a tall thin girl with brown hair chopped short above her shoulders. She was lanky, yet she had a round jolly face. She looked at Kaguya, smirking. Kaguya knew this young girl to be Ayumi, one of Tewi’s lackeys.
“I know something you don’t~” She sang as she hopped down onto the seat where Kaguya was sitting. Kaguya had little patience for her and her antics. She sighed again and balanced her chin in her hand.
“What is it?” She asked boredly.
“Guess!” Ayumi said energetically.
“Just tell me. I’m not in the mood.” Kaguya said.
“Just guess!”
“Ugh, I don’t know, Reisen has a new shampoo?” Kaguya said lazily.
“Nope~”
“Then what?” Kaguya was beginning to get angry, she wasn’t in the mood to be toyed with.
“Your arch enemy! She’s in the clinic!” The rabbit giggled.
There was a second of pause as Kaguya took in this information. Then she shot to her feet.
“WHAT?” She snapped.
The rabbit laughed so hard she had to clutch her stomach.
“Fujiwara and the teacher are in the clinic! You should have seen them!”
Kaguya was going to see them. She hurried out of the room and practically ran to the clinic end of the mansion. She slammed through doors and just barely avoided kicking rabbits out of the way as she practically ran.
When Kaguya got to the clinic, she slammed open the door of the waiting room. It was completely empty save for one person.
Mokou.
Kaguya growled at the sight of her. She was dripping wet, her face was filled with something Kaguya didn’t bother to care about. She clenched her teeth at her and gripped the doorframe.
“ You! ”
“Not tonight.” Mokou said weakly. She sounded like she was… pleading?
Kaguya’s flame flickered a little. She blinked at the woman.
“What?”
“Please. Not tonight.” Mokou said again.
Kaguya sat in silence for a long moment, taking in the sight of Mokou. There was a long awkward pause before Mokou let out a sob and put her face in her hands.
Kaguya stared at her, dumbfounded. She was at a loss for words. She had never seen Mokou like this. She had never seen her vulnerable.
A door slid open as Kaguya was debating on whether or not she was still mad or just confused. Reisen stepped through it. Mokou’s head shot up. She got to her feet.
“You can come in now.” Reisen said to Mokou. Mokou hurried forwards and followed Reisen into the hallway leading to the patient rooms.
Kaguya stared after her, mouth agape. Kaguya, for the second time that night, had been completely extinguished.