Written for Femslash February 2019's twenty-seventh prompt "Space." This story was originally posted on 2/24/19 in the Misc Anime/Manga section.
Painfully Similar
Emma isn't sure what she expected. If the two worlds are the same, then the night sky is the same as well. She gazes at blinking stars and velvet darkness, each too distant for her to touch. The constellations Isabella had taught her are easily found as she spots noble Artemis hunting among the stars, the rest of them cowering before her.
She tries to search for something else, but at night, it's all the same. The moon controls the tides and shares faint light for everyone to enjoy. Some would call it romantic, but for her, it's just another average night.
Victory hadn't come easy. Norman's plan to eliminate the demons had come to fruition while she was powerless to stop him. Here she is in a world all of her own while former cattle children control the world of devils. They freely cross over into the realm of shocked humans at their own leisure, every single one of them ignorant to the tragedy that had unfolded.
Crossing into the human world had been disappointing. It's filled with the same wonder she had been embedded with as a child from her mother, but it's dull. The cities are massive, the people are fashionable, and the world is just as cruel. It's almost as if the demons had simply evolved into true humans with each of them attempting to control the former cattle children and indoctrinate them into their society without considering their nightmarish experiences.
They call it therapy. She calls it detachment as the humans try to rip the children away from their siblings.
She's sickened yet hopeful as she gazes at the sky of the human world. She has every urge to fight back against the control of the humans for the sake of keeping her family together. Nervous conversations about separation and adoption led to her fear the consequences about permanently staying in the human side. She almost longed for the days where she could spend time idly with her siblings, unknowing of her fate and happy in her mother's arms.
Emma keeps staring at the stars hoping to find anything special or hopeful. There must be something unique about this world that isn't trying to deny them in a way different from the demons. She wants to find some spark to keep her going in hopes of connecting with humans who spoke of shallow promises and desired assimilation into their society.
Emma grits her teeth and glares down at the shadowy blades of grass between her fingers. The hill she found herself sitting on overlooked a massive city with twinkling lights and enormous skyscrapers. The hustle and bustle of night life roared with distantly beeping cars and screeching tires, sounds that made her dig her fingers deeper into the gentle soil. At least she can find meager comfort in nature.
"Oh, you're over here."
She looks over her shoulder, masking her apprehension with a smile. Gilda trails up from the base of the hill. She holds two cups of hot chocolate, an apparent delicacy in the human world. Marshmallows smolder in the hot liquid. Steam rises up with a hint of chocolate wafting around the rims. Gilda offers her a cup, and Emma grins, thanking her.
Making herself comfortable, Gilda rests on knees and gingerly sips. "So, Norman is going to talk to the people in that city tomorrow? What's that place called again?"
"I can't remember and maybe." Emma sighs. "I hope so. I'm not really sure anymore. He's being really secretive around me and Ray."
Gilda purses her lips. She knows Emma hasn't been the same since the eradication of the demons. Too many lives were lost. So much blood was shed even though the demons had committed atrocities against children. Not even Musica was spared in Norman's destructive wave against the Ratri family and the demonic hierarchy. Even though Gilda could fully understand why he waged a war against them all, she had sided with Emma in hopes they could be changed for the better.
Emma gulps down a burning mouthful and grimaces. She sticks out her tongue and tries blowing on it, her nose wrinkling all the while. Sighing as Gilda giggles, she glances back up at the sky as clouds roll in with thunder humming in the distance.
"A storm cloud," Gilda says, "I'm still surprised this world has the same weather."
"Well, it makes sense. It's all the same," Emma replies, shrugging.
Gilda leans closer to her and presses their shoulders together. She drifts her attention to the city, languages of all kinds rising up and whispering in their ears. It's beautifully rendered as modern, but to them, it's another landmark of demonic control. It isn't the hopeful peace they wanted to find filled with wonder and new beginnings for their family.
"Is that constellation Artemis?" Gilda asks, looking to the sky.
Emma grins. "Yep! The goddess of the hunt."
"She's kind of like you."
"You think so?" She gazes at her with wide eyes.
"Strong and bold? Of course," Gilda chirps.
"You're just saying that. I haven't hunted in so long," Emma teases, lightly punching her shoulder.
"I mean it," she insists, her tone a light whine. She softens her grin. "You're wonderful, Emma. You're strong."
Emma glances at the grass between her fingers. She shifts through the blades and feels their smooth edges scrap against the palm of her hand. A chilly breeze ghosts around her neck, and the trees surrounding her shift their leaves, casting shadows across the girls.
The human world is certainly the same as the demon world. Almost nothing has changed. Only the allies she hoped to find as friends turned out to be just another enemy hiding in plain sight.
Still, she has to fight for what she thinks is right all for the sake of her family. She'll hunt down anyone who tries hurting them under the same starry sky.
Breaking into a grin, Emma nods. "Yeah! I think you're right! Thanks!"
Beaming, Gilda hopes that Emma found some peace of mind tonight as a shooting star streaks above their heads and vanishes, a hopeful testament of what may come to pass.