Chapter Text
Mokou moved through the underbrush of the bamboo forest as she had done thousands of times. The local Youkai knew better than to attack her, so she did not pay attention to her path. She let her memories guide her through the rice fields adjacent to the village. The rice fields were empty, glowing golden in the setting sun as Mokou slipped into the village and through a window.
"You know, you could have used the actual door, right?" came from a woman sitting in front of a floor desk, brush in hand.
"Maybe, but that spared me some time walking around the school."
"If anyone has no lack of the time, it is you, Mokou."
"Yes, but I'd rather spend time with you, than walking around your house, Ayame."
Keine smiled, but only for a brief moment. "Come again?"
"I said I would rather spend time with you, Ayame." said Mokou.
Now Keine turned around to look at her friend. Mokou was looking at her and at the same time not. Her eyes focusing on a point slightly to her right.
"Mokou, I am Keine, who is Ayame?"
Mokou's eyes flickered like the lantern light burning behind Keine. A bit to the left, a bit to the right, finally focussing on Keine.
"As I said, I would rather spend time with you, Keine. What is it with you, today?" now Mokou seemed irritated.
"But..." Keine started and wanted to ask again who Ayame was but decided to skip that for now. She could still ask Akyuu later. Instead she asked "Would you like some tea?"
"Gladly." Mokou replied, while sitting down. Keine got up, her gaze lingering a bit longer than it should in Mokou's eyes, which now were following her, as she was used too. She could see the question forming in Mokou's face but left the room, before she was able to ask.
When Keine entered her kitchen, the embers in her hearth were still glowing. She quickly added some kindling and dry twigs, while looking for her tea set.
"Ayame..." she whispered under her breath, grabbing the pot with loose green tea leaves on the shelf. There was no Ayame in the village, she was sure about that. But why did that name seem familiar? She tried to pinpoint the familiarity but came up empty, while filling the pot with water, placing it on the hearth. Did she read it in the Chronicles maybe? It had been a while since Akyuu had let her take a look. Maybe she could ask again. Or was that name maybe in one of her records? It's not like she had created a name register of her own archive. While contemplating, the water started warming and when it got to temperature, she added tea leaves. Waiting in the shimmering light of the hearth.
"Ayame..."
When she went back to her office Mokou had already made herself comfortable, sitting cross-legged on the floor. Keine stepped into the room but her friend did not react. Looking like she was focusing on a point at the wall. She snapped out of her stupor when Keine set down the tea in front of her, seating herself close. Her curiosity got the better of her. "So, who is Ayame?" Mokou looked at her, confused and thinking deeply at the same time. "Ayame is a woman I lived with for a while..."
"Is?"
„Was, was a woman I lived with for a while. A fisher's widow I encountered about 430 years ago. She always sat down at a table similar to yours, cleaning scales off her recent catch. Why do you ask?"
For a moment Keine wanted to address that Mokou had called her by the name of a woman long dead, but she decided against it. Surely she was just lost in thought when she had entered.
"Ayako, Emike, Tadao, Ren..." Keine mumbled while adding to a growing list of names. At first she had ignored it when Mokou suddenly started talking about people as if they were there, but in the last seven years it turned from a one-off into regularity, then a seeming pattern, and when a pattern seems to occur, you make a list. A list which she carried to the Hieda household, for cross-referencing to see what the actual pattern behind it was. But, there was no pattern. No personal network she could derive from the names, except for Mokou being the sole point of connection. No pattern that triggered her eyes going hazy and talking to a person long gone. She talked to Keine, as always, but then she so often started looking past her, as if she saw someone else in an otherwise empty room. She asked Akyuu, but even she had never heard of something like that. Maybe Eirin at Eientei? She would have to cross the bamboo forest for that. Which was dangerous even for her. But her worry made her do things she would not consider normally. So she set out, early in the morning after sunrise.
When she entered the bamboo forest she just heard the insects buzzing, broken by the occasional shout of a villager greeting people in the rice fields. But with each step the shouts dampened and the insects grew louder. And louder, and then she heard something else. A stick hitting a rock? She changed her pace, speeding up, towards the sound. Another dull impact, a step, an impact, another step, two impacts. Then she broke into a clearing. There were Mokou and Kaguya, standing across from each other, an impact, flesh rending, a heart pulverized, resurrection. Kaguya, then Mokou, Kaguya, then Mokou. Keine froze. But they did not stop. Killing each other like clockwork, not even noticing that someone else had stepped into the clearing. Then Kaguya froze and suddenly turned around. "My retainer is coming. I must go," and suddenly she ran into the bamboo, out of sight. Mokou hit the empty air, leaving a burn mark on the ground. Keine tried to reach out to her friend, but Mokou looked at her, empty eyes, empty face, turned around and jumped into the bamboo as well. Keine just dropped her arm. Now she was even more sure that she had to talk to Eirin.
When she stepped in front of Eientei, Reisen was outside sweeping the path. She looked at Keine, then Keine's expression, and just slipped inside, coming back out a few seconds later, inviting her in. Keine followed and was led into the clinic.
"Oh, what a rare visitor." Eirin was sitting at a desk, medical records littered in front of her.
"Thank you for receiving me."
"Please, you do not have to be so formal. I know why you are here."
"You do? But..."
"Or maybe I do not. Please speak and maybe you will surprise me."
"It's about Mokou."
"No surprise then." Eirin motioned Keine to sit down, while telling Reisen to bring tea. "I assume we will be here for a while, please, speak."
And Keine started telling her. About the slip-ups. The names of people long gone. The encounter with Kaguya and Mokou in the forest. Sometimes she saw a glint of recognition in Eirin's eyes, sometimes curiosity. But never confusion, and that scared her.
Eirin just nodded when Keine had finished her story. "I thought so. Both Reisen and Tewi had witnessed the princess and Mokou acting like that with increasing frequency. And I myself have seen the princess address retainers long gone or reject a prince that has been dust for centuries. The question is, do you really want to know what is happening here?"
Keine just looked at her with a very sour expression.
"Fine, fine, it was foolish of me to ask. Of course, you would like to know. But don't complain that I did not warn you. Do you know how old Mokou is?"
"Not exactly, Mokou herself never stated a specific year, but from what she told me, at least 800 years."
"About 1300 years to be exact. How long does a human live on average?"
"About 80 years. Why do you ask? Please get to the point."
"So uncharacteristically impatient. Fine, fine. You know that both of them drank the Hourai Elixir. In case of my dear princess, it made her truly immortal and impure. In case of Mokou, just a true immortal."
Keine straightened herself and was about to speak, but Eirin interrupted her.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk, no interruptions, just listen. Lunarians are long-lived, our body and mind know how to deal with the memories of centuries and millennia long past. The human mind does not. Mokou is reaching her natural limits. Her soul and mind can stave it off by forgetting, for a time. And my poor princess has become similar, since the corruption of her soul has broken what makes us able to deal with a long life. And I know that look, no, there is no cure. The elixir is as eternal as those two." And then Eirin just turned around while gesturing towards Reisen to accompany her visitor to the gate. Keine just looked at the back of the Lunarian and got up.
"I will spare you the work of locating me." Keine felt a shudder when a cold voice, the flick of a fan, and the swish of a parasol were audible behind her. Nevertheless, she turned around while lowering her gaze. "Yakumo-sama, I am honored by your visit." Keine's words appeared calm but she was shivering. "And before you ask, no, I won't help those two. I will only contain them, if the time comes." And before Keine could ask, she was gone. So she went towards the village in silence, contemplating what to do.
She arrived at the schoolhouse, cold, empty, and devoid of life. She went through the motions, lighting a fire and sitting down. After a while she heard a familiar pattern of steps in the hallway, the door opened, and there she was.
"Keine, what is wrong, why are you sitting in the dark?" Mokou stumbled into the room, a tinge of concern in her voice. Keine did not answer, she did not even move, except for a slight tremble in her hands. Mokou just sat down beside her. "If you want to talk, talk. Otherwise I am here if you want me to." Keine still did not answer, just gripping her own skirt a little bit tighter. Then she turned around, tears in her eyes and determination. Mokou just looked at her, raising her arms for a hug. Which Keine embraced. "I am sorry," whispered Keine. "Keine, what..." then she stopped when Keine placed her hands on her head, touching foreheads. Mokou's gaze went blank. For a moment they were frozen in that position, then Mokou fell to the side, seemingly asleep. Keine did not speak, but she saw an eye opening in thin air and just heard four words. "The princess is next."
In the flicker of the lantern light Keine lowered her brush onto the parchment, writing down each character with practiced ease, but each stroke betrayed her real feelings, her hands moving mechanically across the paper, stiffened by what she wrote down. Behind her a window opened, and a familiar scent of charcoal entered the room. "Hey Keine, I brought some bamboo shoots with me, would you like to cook them up?" Keine turned around, locking eyes with her friend who stared back with a smile. "Sure. Just give me a moment. I have to finish this." As Keine continued her work, Mokou leaned over her shoulder, reading what she was writing. "Who is Ayame?" A question dropped, a brush slipping from Keine's fingers. A moment of silence. "Ayame was..." she began.