In a barren land at the end of the world lay a lone person, a phoenix in human form. How long she had lain there, she neither knew nor cared. Not even the unexpected sound of footsteps was enough to rouse her.
"It 's been a while, Enma, " she mumbled as the footsteps stopped right next to her.
"Indeed," Eiki responded softly, still outside Mokou's sphere of vision. "How are you? "
"The same as always. The world has come to an end and everyone else is dead. So," she plucked out a strand of her hair, gleaming silver in the moonlight and played with it, "I'm killing time. One second at a time." She turned her head to see Eiki. "You're the only one left. Are you permanently immortal too?"
"No, I am not. One day, I too will die and crumble to dust."
Mokou snorted. "That's just perfect. Ash and dust, those are the only things left anyway. So, one day you will be gone, and then it's just me."
She lifted her arm from the ground and towards the sky. The full moon looked impossibly huge that night.
"Me and her." She closed her fist as if trying to grasp the moon in her palm.
"I wish I could free you from your fate and give you the judgement you deserve." There was genuine pity in Eiki's voice, and if Mokou hadn't been so far beyond caring, she might have been touched. "I can tell you one thing, however." Eiki's eyes were luminous as she looked down at Mokou. "One day, you will reach your moon."