Loosely based off HitoshizukuxYama's 'Blessed Messiah and the Tower of Ai' (specifically, the drawing at the 1:38 mark of the video).

Blessed

"Alright, let's set up camp here."

Kaito took a breath and nodded as he gently placed their equipment on the grass. Glancing at the Tower, a pained look appeared in his ocean-blue eyes, a look that intensified as Miku came into his sight.

"Kaito!" she exclaimed, grasping him in a tight hug before twirling amongst the trees, laughing all the way. Her waist-length aquamarine hair, secured into pigtails with two plain hair bands, flowed behind her with her movements. Hitching the blue dress she had made with her own two hands up as she danced about the field, she ran around the field, unable to contain her excitement. Joyful teal eyes were alight with fire as she gazed up at the Tower, her smile widening. "I can't believe we're almost there!"

Managing to force out a quiet laugh, the eldest out of all of them followed her line of sight and stared at the Tower, the flame atop the sacred torch flickering erratically, dangerously close to going out. It would surely die in less than two days.

Instantly, the smile died, and Kaito turned his head away from the ecstatic girl and met Meiko's gaze, as steely as the sword at her side. She turned away, her unfaltering brown eyes softening. However, within the second it was gone, and Meiko crouched down, collecting kindling for the fire. Behind him, Kaito could hear Miku's delighted shouts, each elated cry stabbing him in the heart.

Luka's eyes caught Kaito's, the despair present in their leader's normally sure eyes sending chills down her spine. She tried to send him a reassuring smile, but it only seemed to make Kaito more distraught, his eyes falling to the ground as he strided over to Meiko and called some people over to help with the food. Len, Mayu, and Gumi bounded over, desperate to leave the vicinity of Miku's melodious singing about how lucky she was, about how her friends were the kindest.

Luka made her way over to the hyperactive teenager and placed one hand lightly on her shoulder, the other capturing her hand. Their fingers entwined Luka bought her into the dance she had started to teach her before the Messenger arrived at their village. Quieting down in concentration, Miku followed Luka's steps, her eyebrows furrowed as she recalled the sequence of movements Luka had taught her. The elder girl moved effortlessly and gracefully, her every step light and delicate, a contrast to the clumsy steps of the next honourable Messiah.

Closing her eyes, the pinkette sighed. Distracted by the sound, the younger girl stumbled over her own feet, letting out a yelp of "woah!" as she reflexively pulled on her dancing partner's arm in an attempt to steady herself, inevitably resulting her crashing to the ground. Miku was encased by Luka's bigger - yet no less feminine - frame, her body weighing down of her uncomfortably. Instead of feeling a wave of embarrassment and awkwardness wash over her, Miku laughed and pulled both Luka and herself into a sitting position against a tree, resting her head on her companion's shoulder.

Astonished, the pinkette wrapped an arm around Miku's shoulder, drawing her closer. "How long have you had that strength in you?" she asked, impressed.

Miku giggled as she snuggled closer to Luka. "I dunno," she replied enthusiastically, "I just feel like I'm at the top of the world since the Messenger told me I'd be the next Messiah." She let out a hearty laugh as she said the words. "Can you believe it? Me, a simple seamstress from a little village, responsible for the fate of the world… It's amazing, right?"

Grinning, Luka tilted her head backwards until it rested on the tree bark. "Yeah, amazing," she agreed halfheartedly, glad that Miku couldn't see her face. She looked up into the darkening sky and gazed at the countless stars above them.

When she was younger, her mother had told her that every star in the sky was someone who'd died. One particular star, a star she'd noticed as she watched the same night sky some fifteen years prior as a little child, held particular value to her. When she saw that one star, she'd feel a sensation familiar to her, but not exactly pleasant. It was similar to how she felt when she looked at Miku after she'd received her message.

She was sure that her mother was watching over her.

She stroked Miku's hair as the younger girl drifted to sleep on her shoulder. Luka made sure to keep still as Miku rested, smiling sadly as she heard her breathing even out. Soon after, Gakupo joined her, leaning onto the tree next to Miku as he watched Len ravenously tuck into a piece of meat and Gumi gently toast a piece of bread over the raging flame, trying to forget their troubles before the next day. Rin and Ia then came over, the blonde resting her head on Luka's lap and drifting asleep while Ia lay down on her back to Luka's left.

Luka looked over their whole group and sighed. This evening would be their last together before heading into the Tower, where they'd all steal Miku's "blessings" one by one, breaking any inkling of trust she ever had in any of them.

As the moon rose above their heads, Luka picked a lone white flower from the grass and nestled it in one of Miku's pigtails. The girl stirred slightly, but didn't wake up, shifting closer towards Luka instead.

She glanced at Miku's sleeping form one last time before her eyes fell shut and she drifted away from reality for the final time, the laughter of childhood memories resounding throughout her mind.