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Petals. Flower petals.
Why were they in the Plane of Euthymia?
Perhaps it was because the god lost all hope of ever being seen by a woman so shrewd and stunning.
----
Ei knew not of the flowers blossoming in her chest till she abandoned what she had left, all for the sake of wishful thinking. Deep in her consciousness, leaving everything behind only served to fan the flame of her grief.
Her yearning for one who's cheeks blush pink with that serene smile, her hair and face almost the same color. It proved as an obstacle in her pursuit of eternity. Her heart aches and craves for her touch, to drown in those eyes that was more captivating than the night's stars. Yet instead of basking in the presence of her beloved, she chose to preserve it instead.
By then, more petals and blood started to clog her throat.
----
It was not till her dear saved her from those views of eternity that she was able to accept her predicament. Miko has taught her how to smile, to live in the present, to yearn, to love.
Miko came back, for her, to shake her resolve even in moments of bitter solitude. Ei did not know if she was waiting for Miko to convince her to stay for all these years, but she was overjoyed because it was Miko who fetched her. It was Miko who tried her best to convince her pig-headed god to accept reality.
Now she is left alone to contemplate it in the dead of night.
It was getting difficult to suppress the burning of her throat once petals disrupts her speech, sleep, or even simply breathing. It was too unbearable.
So Ei takes a stroll in the nearby forest—Chinju Forest.
Even if erosion affected immortals, she would not dare forget such a sight. It occured on a day like this, except without the painful sensation on her throat. A wild kitsune strolled alongside her, accompanied her briefly before sprinting over to a field of flowers. There, the familiar figure changed to that of a woman, who carried herself with pride and poise.
Ei could not tear her eyes away even if she wanted to. It was as if the kitsune casted a spell on her.
The pink-haired woman turned around, and that was when she first met those pair of eyes, a dazzling shade of electro. It stared into her own, but she did not fear, for she is powerless against such a thing. Ah, such a time it was.
But time was cruel.
She was reminded of her dilemma. As she sat down and leaned against a rock, she recalled that a doctor had offered to help her with her disease. She was running out of time, the petals could grow into something more and take root on her lungs, which could easily resort to death as she has heard.
But she is not mortal, so which way would it go?
----
That shouldn't have been a question.
As she lay on her bed with all her strength leaving her body, she should have taken into account that Inazuma would not have a leader. Even with this supreme puppet form, the Hanahaki could still damage it severely. If not modified, it could only lead to more consequences.
How then could she whisper loving words to her Miko when she had no physical form?
It is one way or the other, but both decisions end up with not being able to be there for Miko. That alone was painful.
She may love Miko, dearly, but.. Inazuma also needs a ruler. She can't leave Miko nor Inazuma just yet.
She despises this, she really does, but the only option is to rid herself of this suffering.
She coughs out more petals, this time more blood gushes out. She just stained her bed for the nth time that day.
Ei hurriedly calls a guard nearby her chambers. He gave a courteous knock before witnessing the sorry scene.
"Almighty Shogun, what happened? Has someone attacked-"
"No." She says weakly with her only remaining strength, "It is not a serious matter, do not fret."
"B-but you're bleeding-"
"You will not speak of this to anyone. If you do insist on seeking medical attention, then please contact Dr. Baizhu. I believe he has sent.. a letter to me about my condition." Ei pauses, she grabs a letter from her nightstand.
"Send this to him, and make sure to immediately show the letter to me as soon as he responds."
And with that, the guard anxiously retrieves the letter, gives one last bow, and leaves.
Now, Ei is alone with her thoughts again. The silence was deafening, her room suddenly became suffocating. She was stuck, unable to move.
Would it end like this? Would it even end, or will her suffering drag on?
----
Later that night, she used the last of her strength to climb up the Grand Narukami Shrine. She needed one last thing, and that is to spend the rest of her remaining time to show how deeply she loves Miko before she gets in the operating room.
She looked pathetic, the once mighty and dignified Shogun is nowhere. There is but a woman dragging her legs up and trying her best to stand up straight without falling.
She could hardly even breathe. If it were mortals, their life would have been taken away already, but Ei is no mere mortal. She had endured centuries upon centuries of battles, she is a warrior.
As soon as she walked the last steps, her knees gave in. Her body felt ten times heavier, and her vision blurred.
But oh the pink haired kitsune was quick to rush in.
"What a pitiful state you are in," Miko's usual mocking smile turns into melancholy. "I have never seen you this weak.. barely moving in my arms."
Ei chuckled bitterly. "Mi.. ko.." she attempted to stand up but to no avail.
"Don't push yourself, let me take care of you." Miko says softly as she presses Ei closer and soothingly rubs her hair.
For a moment, this was all Ei had ever asked for. To be in Miko's arms for all of eternity. How she wished it would last forever.
But that moment of reprieve was taken away when the petals started making themself known. This time, it was a fully bloomed flower that slowly crept its way out of her throat, accompanied by blood that was deep red.
Miko continues rubbing her head, "So you had Hanahaki all along, didn't you? Why didn't you tell me?"
Reasons. Many reasons. A woman like Yae Miko—a woman of great beauty and wit—would never look at her god pathetically quivering in her arms.
"I'll be fine.. everything will be fine, Miko."
At this point, Miko is silently sobbing. "You seldomly tell me what's on your mind. You went too far, I could've-"
Ei curtly interrupts Miko, "I will.. get the surgery soon." Ei lifts her head, just enough so she could see her love, her Miko.
It pains her to see Miko cry like this, it really does. But this is the price she has to pay.
Her hand creeps up Miko's cheeks and rubs away the last of her tears before the fatigue became too much to handle.