Work Text:
Blooming
Vox & Reimu
Cold.
That was all that occupied her mind as she glided through the halls of twisted stone, stained marble pillars streaked with gold groaning in pain as they sagged under the weight of a glacier, a chilly mist seeping through the cracks in the ice.
Without a memory to her name, she wandered restlessly, pale violet eyes fixated on only one thing.
The pale petals gracing the lifeless floor, the only hint of color on an otherwise uniformly obsidian surface, slightly translucent to the point one could see through the floor and into the murky darkness below.
The dots of gentle turquoise guided the spirit as she followed them like a lost child, a trail of breadcrumbs leading to an uncertain destination.
The light filtering through the ice above shifted constantly, waxing and waning irregularly, but it mattered little to the ghost. Only when the petals finally faded away did she hover to a stop, hanging motionlessly in the air.
Without realizing it, the ice around her had shifted to a darker hue, and the marble pillars had all but disappeared, giving way to more organic columns of stygian frost that diverged like the roots of a tree, forming a freezing maze that seemed endless. The bone-biting chill was nothing to a ghost however, and she silently wandered into its confines.
At the edges of the maze, shadows stirred as she drifted past, her presence a beacon to creatures better left undisturbed. Silently, black dots in the distance, gradually congregating around her form as they massed together in a horrific mass of viscous darkness, hidden behind the dark walls of ice that curved and twisted in the maze.
They were the stained grudges of fallen demons, remnants of curses uttered by the living that remained as pale shades, barely fit to be called revenants. They constantly sought out others to join their tormented chorus. Their incessant wailing wormed it’s way into the heart, and wore down the will of even the most stouthearted, given enough time. Eventually, their victims ceased to think, and knelt in submission for the darkness to claim them.
It started as a dull hum in her head, and rapidly grew to a throbbing headache as she moved. A phantom pain circled around her heart, like a hand clenched around it. Her memories may have been gone, but the emotions contained within her heart remained, even as a ghost. Depression, anger, fear, distrust, a knife of angst stabbed into her soul, the blade twisting deeper and deeper as more and more of the shadows appeared.
Slowly but surely, her steady drifting slowed to a crawl, and then she halted completely, bowing her head as she sank to the floor.
The umbral dregs of the maze converged, creeping along the frozen ground as they encircled her, tainting the red dress as the fabric darkened, sinking into the bog of pitch black that now surrounded her.
With dull, glassy eyes, she only stared downwards as she was sucked in. Instead of being incapable of resisting, she was instead unable to resist. One had to have a reason to continue existing, and without her memories, she could find none. Her self-preservation instincts were weak, having left her human body behind.
The cursed hat did nothing, the painted nails motionless even in the face of their imminent demise. Or perhaps it simply wasn’t part of its contract to preserve the entity it was attached to.
The shades consumed their prey, slowly corrupting the ghost as her porcelain white skin started cracking with lines of darkness.
“LEAVE.”
The swirling mass of enmity yielded to a single word, loud enough to echo through the tunnels, bouncing off the walls and reaching the far corners of the icy warren.
With a hiss of resentment, they abandoned their quarry, scurrying away as they disappeared into the numerous side tunnels and cracks dotting the larger corridors.
Though they had left her alone, her heart remained wracked with pain, face downcast.
She heard footsteps in front of her, but she remained kneeling in place, dress fluttering through the floor while her hair hung in the air.
Frost crunched beneath the newcomers feet, a sharp contrast with the silence the spirits earlier had exhibited, and soon they stopped right in front of her. All she could see from her position was…black toenails.
The rustling of fabric reached her ears, and the edges of a crimson cloak of some sort peeked into the edges of her vision.
“Are you all right?”
The commanding presence of their voice earlier was nowhere to be heard. Instead a gentle warmth suffused it, like a flame flickering on a candle.
Curiosity overrode her lingering pain, and she raised her head to gaze at the person who had chased away the specters with a single word.
Golden, metallic irises stared back into her own as their eyes met for the first time.
One eyes remained hidden behind a curtain of black hair streaked with red, with gaps barely wide enough for a finger exposing the brilliant yellow eye on the right. His inky hair was tied back in a simply ponytail, a scarlet band keeping it in place. Cords of red thread wrapped around his throat, a row of golden rings dangling on the lowest loop. He wore a style of dress that was distinctly Eastern, her mind supplying her with the word ‘hakama’. Topless, his pants were a uniform black. A set of well defined muscles adorned his chest, the lines on his abdomen denoting a habit of frequent exercise. The haori on his back started as black from the shoulders, smoothly transitioning into a maroon red, with flowers and plants adorning the surface in an understated manner. A red oni doll was attached to the piece of cloth wrapped loosely around his waist, somewhat incongruous with the rest of his clothing, the sole trace of childishness on his otherwise mature attire.
As her gaze traveled downwards, she noticed the presence of numerous lacerations all across his body, ranging from toothpick sized cuts to gashes wide enough for her to stick her hand in.
“Ah, it’s nothing to worry about.”
Sensing her gaze traveling towards the wounds littering his body, he smiled as he tried using the haori to cover them, to no avail.
“So, are you hurt?”
It took a while, but she finally shook her head in response, strands of gray hair rippling in a wavelike motion behind her.
“I see. That’s good, but you probably shouldn’t stick around here. They’ll come back if you stay for too long.”
She only stared at him mutely, the pale violet eyes harboring an emptiness that reminded him of the wraiths he’d chased away just now.
After a moment of silence, the demon decided to stand up, turning to one of the tunnels and gestured with an open palm.
“If you want to follow me, you’re more than welcome. I’ll be leaving this place to head for a sanctuary nearby.”
As he said so, he blinked, and then his lips stretched into a sheepish smile.
“Ah, where are my manners. I forgot to introduce myself, my name’s Vox. Vox Akuma. Nice to meet you.” Saying so, he gave a short bow. When no answer was forthcoming, he started walking.
“Well, I’m going ahead then. Safe tra-kha!”
All of a sudden, he fell to his knees, a glob of phlegm and blood making their way up his throat and out his mouth, splattering wetly on the floor, before freezing almost instantly on contact with the ice. Weakly, he leaned against the wall as he slid down to his knees, choking and retching uncontrollably. The walls of his throat scraped together, drier than a desiccated corpse in the desert.
So soon?
He knew it was going to happen eventually, but he hadn’t expected the backlash from using his power to manifest so swiftly.
Summoning the remaining strength left within his body, he stood up, refusing to lie down even as the pain from his injuries coursed through his nerves, lancing through each limb.
Their faces flashed through his mind, the people he’d sworn to protect.
Who had died, as he watched helplessly, surrounded by a forest of swords, encircled by flames that licked clean the bones of his erstwhile home.
With a grunt, he managed to stand up once more, pressing against the wall that threatened to completely numb his body even as he leaned against it for support.
I can’t stop here.
Falling here would be too light of a punishment for his failure. Instead, he pushed on, one step at a time.
Battling physical exhaustion, pain and mental fatigue, he trudged through the icy halls, gritting his teeth in determination.
Behind him, pale violet eyes watched as his back faded into the distance, disappearing behind a bend in the tunnels.
Enduring everything, he somehow managed to make it an exit, the marks on the walls he’d made long ago still there, albeit faded to the point that if he didn’t know they were there, he wouldn’t have found them.
Making his way through the part of his escape route, he approached the weathered opening, pale light softly spilling through the hole.
Limping slowly, he crossed the threshold and almost instantly slipped on the snow outside, his weakened body failing to balance as he slammed the back of his head on the hard ice behind him, as tough and unforgiving as granite.
For a moment, his vision blacked out, and then it returned as he found himself staring at the ceiling, the lower half of his vision an iron gray that blanketed the skies outside.
The thick locks of hair cushioned his fall, leaving his head relatively fine, but even so he could barely move, let alone get up. The rest of his body ached, a dull soreness seeping into his very bones. He just wanted to lay there for a while, and close his eyes to rest. Wearily, he sighed, eyelids sliding shut.
Just as he was about to drift off in sleep, a deep growl near him snapped his eyes open, a sonorous rumbling shaking the ground. Tufts of snow around his legs shook loose, making him sink further in from his torso downwards.
Grimacing, he opened his mouth.
“Stand.”
His body moved without delay, obeying the undercurrent of power simmering beneath his words.
The humans he had met before might have been under the impression that his power only affected others, but in truth, his body was susceptible to it as well. In fact, the most accomplished members of his clan were able to affect non-living objects as well, and legends were passed down of their mythical progenitor, who could tear apart the fabric of reality with a single word.
That being said, currently this was the most he could manage, and he almost sank back to his knees the moment he stood up as he devolved into a coughing fit, a dry hacking that only appeared when he had nothing left in his stomach. Specks of blood showered his hand as he tried to muffle his voice, and he felt several wounds that were on the verge of healing split once more from his vigorous convulsing.
Hearing a whistling over the wind, he looked up, and beheld a massive shadow hurtling towards him.
It was all he could do to crouch and brace his arms as the shockwave sent him tumbling backwards, his arms and legs coated with a fresh layer of snow. Before he could move, a ferocious roar assaulted his ears, practically blowing out his eardrums, and then a furry claw reached in to grab him, lifting him as easily as a doll.
All he could do was feebly wriggle in it’s grasp as a milky blue globe stared down at him, between the straggly gray fur that grew long enough to obscure it’s face.
For a moment, it stared at Vox, a silent statue silhouetted against the bleached landscape.
Then it opened it’s mouth.
A cavernous maw revealed itself, stretching from what he assumed to be the head, all the way to the stomach. It was a grotesque whorl of teeth and flesh, undulating in a screwing motion that spiraled into the darkness of its innards. Specks of light blinked between its fangs, metallic fragments lodged in place.
Bones creaked as the bony fingers tightened, leathery skin rubbing against his body and aggravating his open wounds. Inexorably, his head drew closer to the gyrating mass of flesh, eager to grind his body to pieces and claim his essence for itself.
He tried to speak, but all that came out was a whisper that barely qualified as a word, his throat refusing to function as it burned, each icy breath he inhaled only stoking the flames and searing his esophagus.
Ah, so this how it’s going to end.
A red haired woman, clad in flowing robes that shifted in hue as they snaked around her body. Half-hidden behind her, a child with golden eyes clung to the scarlet cloth. Soaring towers of crystal, the bases stained black from the brimstone they were embedded in. Atop the tallest spire, a lone figure raised their hands to the skies, as if to beseech the deities dwelling beyond the nebulous night sky. A terrible storm, scouring the world with rain and lightning, with a single demon stranded within, trembling in a cave. And finally, the burning castle that touched the stars with a pillar of noxious smog, the bodies of his people surrounding him trampled underfoot by numerous soldiers as he fought, his flames dimming to paltry embers as the last cinders of warmth was stamped out.
It was all going to end here, to a beast that mindlessly followed its instincts, his body becoming a piece of meat to be devoured as a means to sate its appetite.
In the end, he couldn’t even protect himself.
Smiling bitterly, he stared at the remaining sliver of sky as the gaping hole closed on him, the gnashing walls of teeth contracting on his figure.
Just as the tips of the bony blades started digging into his flesh, a sudden tremor shook him.
The revolving teeth ground to a halt as he felt his center of gravity shift, arms pushing against the pink, slippery tissue to avoid the teeth as he fell on his side, barely avoiding an impalement. Several sliced through his haori and body, but they barely registered to his mutilated body.
As he lay there, sandwiched between the enameled teeth and flesh, with saliva dripping down on him, a crack emerged at the mouth, the fissure rapidly widening until the light from outside lit up the cavernous mouth in it’s entirety.
Momentarily blinded, he squinted his eyes to make out his savior, and was confused when he couldn’t see anyone outside.
Something cold brushed against his shoulder.
Stifling a yelp, his body nevertheless shuddered as he felt the cool touch travel past his shoulderblades and underneath his armpits, a sense of pressure building there as he felt himself lifted into the air.
Carefully, he was carried with legs dangling in the air, narrowly avoiding the spiked teeth jutting out all over the ground. They squeezed through the opening, Vox feeling an extra layer of saliva glazing him, and then they were back outside.
Feeling his body sink into the snow, he watched as from the corner of his vision, a translucent body swung into view, gaining definition as it grew more solid. Idly, a detached part of his mind noted that her hands were already fully formed, while the rest of her body lagged behind as they took on color.
The billowing waves of hair tickled his legs as he lay there, the two of them looking at each other as he tried to recover his voice.
Snow fluttered around them, the corpse of the nameless monster dripping black ichor from ten finger shaped lines on it’s head.
Opening his mouth, he inhaled deeply, preparing to speak.
And then a sharp pain in his ribs stabbed through his mind, sending his consciousness to oblivion as he slumped over, sinking into a coma.
The ghost watched as he sat there, before poking him on the shoulder with an overly long sleeve. When no response was forthcoming, she hooked her arms under his shoulders and started dragging him, his legs digging furrows through the snow.
When he awoke, the first thing he noticed was the smell. Blood, digestive juices, pungent oils and more flooded his nostrils, a volatile cocktail of bodily fluids that threatened to knock him out a second time. Sitting up, a slew of entrails slid off his chest, hitting the damp floor with a meaty slap.
The next thing he noticed was that he was completely naked, save for the cords woven around his neck, loincloth and his footwear. Everything else was removed, leaving him exposed to the slimy substances that seemed to invade every nook and cranny of his body.
Touching his throat, he could feel that it had recovered to an extent, most likely due to drinking something, though he dreaded to think of what he might actually have consumed while unconscious.
Spitting out a vile glob of pink at the corner of his mouth, he crawled through the organs until he reached what seemed to be a wall, his legs sloshing through murky liquid. Pressing his hands against the fleshy wall, he shouted.
“Hello! Anyone there?”
He almost fell face first as the wall instantly gave way, opening up to the frigid environment outside as a gust of freezing wind slammed into his body, his body temperature automatically rising to counteract it. Once he could stand, he looked around, golden eyes scanning the surroundings.
Sitting some distance away, a ghost stared off into the distance, a pile of clothes neatly folded next to her.
His gaze lingered on her back for a moment, an unblemished expanse of white exposed from the nape downwards, all the way to the swell of her curves just beneath her spine. Lace bordered the cloth flanking her shoulder blades, and a gap between the sides exposed a hint of her upper forearms, the same color as the snow around her.
Hearing his approach, she turned lightly, turning her eyes in his direction.
The fluids clinging to his body had yet to freeze, his body keeping them warm as they stuck to his skin, leaving his body shiny and wet even amidst the arctic environment. A drop of clear liquid fell from his hair, sliding past lustrous pupils as it went in a straight line down the bridge of his nose, before dropping past a pair of thin lips, the droplet reflecting the pale rouge on them for a brief moment.
The ribbons on her legs bobbed up and down as she stood up, holding the clothes in her hands, or more accurately, sleeves. Taking them, he quickly evaporated the liquid on his body with a burst of black fire, before dressing himself with practiced motions.
“Thank you.”
Now fully dressed, he bowed deeply towards the ghost, his tone a pleasing baritone that flowed smoothly into the ears, laden with gratitude and appreciation. Normally, the humans he’d spoke with before would blush, or act embarrassed, but the ghost in front of him merely tilted her head.
“Reimu.”
Raising a sleeve drooping with torn fabric at the ends, she pointed at herself.
“Reimu Endou.”
The sole memory she retained. The only thing that marked her as an individual.
A smile split across his face.
“Reimu Endou? I see, I’ll call you Reimu then, is that alright?”
A slight nod answered his question.
“Vox.”
The same sleeve that was pointing at herself now turned towards him.
“Yes, I’m Vox.” A brief nod followed his statement.
“So, why did you help me?” The last he remembered, she was still kneeling on the ice staring into space, lost in her own world.
Her eyes traveled all along his body, sweeping from top to bottom in thoroughly. They stayed on the crimson gentiana embroidered on his haori for a moment
“You…remind me of someone.”
A vivid flash of vermillion shimmered in her mind’s eye, a spider lily set against sable silk, a set of tails curling around-
She shook her head, the vision passing before it could be captured.
Folding his arms, he decided to extend his offer once more. The lost look in her eyes reminded him of the outcasts he had once sheltered, a desire stirring within his heart to take her under his wing.
That desire was quelled when he remembered the dying faces of his people, a plethora of doubts rearing their heads one after another. Could he protect her? Would he endanger her just by being close? By nature, a demon took from those around them, and he was no exception. The retainers he had surrounded himself with in the past had their life essence shaved off in vanishingly small amounts, and he used it to sustain himself, along with the deserters life force that he wholeheartedly consumed to stockpile his power. His wounds had healed because his body was unconsciously tapping into the beasts remaining vitality just now and sucking it dry. Would the same happen to the ghost in front of him?
While he was wracked with indecision, the ghost tapped his arm.
“I…will go with you.”
A pause followed, and then she lifted her head, looking at him straight in the eyes.
“Let me…protect you.”
The sight of Vox had unlocked something within Reimu, and she wanted to find out why. After so long, a piece of the puzzle to her memories had finally shown itself, and she refused to let go of it. At least, not without a fight.
As long as he didn’t die, she was sure that one day, he would lead her there, to the memories she had lost.
After all, the blue petals guided her, just like the ones dancing in the air around him.
Unknowingly, she cut through his hesitation like a knife, his eyes finally rising to meet hers.
“I see…then let’s go, shall we?”
His lips twitched at the corners, a small smile that hid his relief. Even so, a trace amount of happiness bled into his words.
To think he would find a companion, so soon after losing everything.
“Yes.”
Floating beside him, they set off, the two stepping away from the giant corpse behind them, journeying towards the smoke filled horizon in the far distance. Plunging into the depths of Hell, a realm detached from the common sense of the human world.
Thus, the tale of Vox Akuma, Lord of the Kindred, and Reimu Endou, the Phantom Queen, began.