Hari woke up to the sound of Ino lashing out at an older Chisato's back with her whip.
Hari's red eyes slowly opened and she struggled to focus on her surroundings. They widened when she saw that Chisato was shielding her with her body as Ino took out her fury on the defenseless witch.
"I told you, witch, to get the princess up and moving," Ino shouted, each word accentuated with a lash from the whip. "She is useless to us if she dies before we're ready for her!"
On top of her, Chisato's dark eyes looked down at Hari. A pained smile crossed her old face when she realize that Hari was awake. But still, she didn't say anything. Instead, she gave her granddaughter a wink.
"The princess's fever is broken," Chisato coughed. "She will quickly recover if she is given time to rest."
Hari closed her eyes and did her best to keep her body relaxed when Ino began huffing angrily. There was another lash and another cry from Chisato. Anger bubbled in Hari's stomach and she feared that it would soon entice her royal blood and cause her to lash out. But then, to her surprise, there was no unpleasant warming of her blood. No warmth that threatened a burn until it was acted upon.
Her demon was quiet.
After another angry grunt, Hari heard the door and then close once more. A moment later, Chisato pulled away with a groan. Hari opened her eyes and forced her aching body to sit up.
"Grandmother, are you alright?" she asked worriedly. "Let me see."
In a puff of smoke, Chisato resumed her true form. Her skin was pale and her lip was bleeding from where she had bit it. She sat up and panted heavily.
"I'm alright," she said unconvincingly.
"Even so, let me see," Hari ordered gently.
She removed the blanket that Chisato had been wearing to substitute for her cloak and then grimaced at the tears the whip had made in the back of her blouse. Hari helped Chisato unbutton it and then slowly pulled it off. Her grandmother hissed in pain when the fabric pulled at her wounds but didn't complain. Once the blouse was removed, Hari blanched.
"Grandmother…how long did she hurt you?" Hari gasped.
There were over a dozen lashes on Chisato's back. Some of them were fresh. Others were older and were scabbing. A long scar going from her shoulder to her waist made her pause, but she didn't comment. When Hari hovered her hand over the wounds, she was concerned at the heat emanating which signified brewing infection.
"You did this, for me?" Hari whispered.
Chisato turned her head with a grimace. "Of course, Granddaughter," she said kindly. "You are my family, and I will always protect my family." Her eyes turned sad. "I couldn't save your mother, but I can, and will, save you."
Hari was too touched to speak.
It wasn't ideal, but a recent rainstorm had left a puddle of water that Hari used to clean the blood from Chisato's wounds. The witch tried hard to suppress each pained groan, but even she had her limits. By the time her back was as clean as possible, her body was trembling.
"I need to bandage your back," Hari said. She looked around and saw nothing suitable, so she reached for the bottom of her shirt. "Just bear with me," she soothed.
In the end, she ripped the bottom few inches off of her shirt as it was cleaner than the blankets, leaving her naval exposed. Chisato was adamant that they not touch her cloak, for it was the only thing that concealed Hari's new markings from the insane Ino. When the shirt didn't provide enough fabric, Hari ended up tearing the bottom of one of her pant legs as well. In the end, there was just barely enough fabric to cover the lashes. But it was only a temporary fix.
"Grandmother, are you immortal?" Hari asked anxiously. "You can't die, can you?"
Chisato smiled and lovingly gripped Hari's hands in her own. "My dear, every life has a beginning and an end, even mine," she said. "Though don't you fear, for I am too stubborn to let this be the end of my story." She lifted her blouse and stiffly began to put it back on. "Darling, you were so worried about me, that you've missed something quite important," she teased.
Hari blinked obliviously.
When she didn't respond, Chisato clicked her tongue disapprovingly. "Your spirit has finished merging with your soul," she said in exasperation.
"Seriously, am I already forgettable to you?" Scarlet's voice teased in her mind.
Now that they mentioned it, Hari did feel it. Not only was her demon quiet for the first time in her life, but now she felt different. There was warmth, but it was incomparable to the warmth that her royal blood brought. That heat only promised inevitable pain. This heat brought energy and strength.
"Look at your witch mark," Chisato instructed, beaming in pride.
Confused, Hari lifted the cloak. Her jaw dropped when she looked at the burn scars she had received from Scarlet's test. Before, they were white. But now, they were black.
"They look like tiger stripes," Chisato said knowingly. Her head bowed. "Welcome, Granddaughter, my fellow witch." She lifted her head. "It is customary for a newly born witch to name herself," she said.
"And you came up with Witch of the East?" Hari teased.
Chisato chuckled. "I thought it was dramatic at the time," she admitted. "Learn from my mistake, and don't pick a foolish one that you'll be stuck with."
Hari hummed. "Scarlet, what do you think?" she asked. Chisato smiled.
"Why are you asking me?" the tiger asked in her mind.
"Well, I did help name you," Hari shrugged.
For a moment, Hari felt as Scarlet rumbled thoughtfully. Then, Hari felt a spike of eagerness.
"The Witch of Purifying Flame," Scarlet said confidently. "Because that's our goal now, isn't it? To save your people who lose their way. With my abilities, we can burn away their evil and set them free."
Hari's eyes welled with tears. "The Witch of Purifying Flame," she repeated. She beamed when the name resonated within her. "Yes, that's us," she said. "You too, Scarlet. I can't do this without you."
A pleased purr echoed in her mind.
"It is a name to be proud of," Chisato said approvingly while she gestured to a small pile of food. "Now, eat and drink. You've been unconscious for five days."
For a moment, Hari just stared at her. Then, her eyes widened in panic.
"What?!" she screeched.
For hours after that, Hari desperately signaled Shan. Chisato would forcibly pull the horn from her mouth every few minutes to practically shove food or a spoonful of water in her face. Hari was honestly surprised she didn't choke, she was so desperate to connect with Shan. She could only imagine how worried Shan was after not hearing from her in so long. Every whistle that came from their reconnection sent a pang of longing through her chest.
As time tricked on, Hari was encouraged by the strengthening of the horn's vibrations. She could feel that Shan was getting close. But then at one point, Hari cried in dismay when the vibrations once again began to weaken.
"Shan, that's the wrong way," she despaired.
Chisato leaned against the stone wall and sighed in relief at the coolness that eased her back. She tilted her head and stared in the distance before she smiled. "I can't see much, Granddaughter, but I can see that she's close," she soothed. "It will be soon."
Hari swallowed eagerly. Then her eyes widened. "It can't be soon!" she despaired. "I have no clue how to use Scarlet's power! Or how to safely awaken my demon!" She clutched her head. "And Scarlet, are you still trapped in my soul? I thought you were going to be free! And what about my magic?"
A flash of heat erupted in Hari's chest. Her hand flew to her heart, where Scarlet's pawprint rested, and her eyes widened as her panic quickly quelled.
"I'm not trapped," Scarlet assured her. "I can leave whenever I want, but I'm the one keeping you upright at the moment. Your body is exhausted. I'll help you use your new witch powers when they're needed, but yes, you can use your devil magic." She hesitated. "As for your demon…I had to get creative."
"Creative," Hari repeated numbly. "What does that mean?"
"Come and see for yourself," Scarlet responded. "You can find me freely now."
Hari bit her lip before she closed her eyes and took in several deep breaths. She could feel her connection to Scarlet through her mark. It was like a string of fate, one that would always lead her to her new friend.
"Hari, open your eyes," Scarlet ordered.
She did so, and found herself standing in a dark space. She frowned and looked around.
"I thought this wasn't a representation of my soul," she complained. "Makes me feel a bit evil."
Scarlet stood in front of her. She chuffed in amusement and flicked an ear. "It's not your soul," she assured her. "I created this space for myself when I'm residing within you. Think of it as soul-adjacent." Her red eyes sparked with warning. "I will not be forced here," she reminded Hari. "I can make your life quite miserable if you try to do so."
Hari gulped and raised her hands. "I won't, I won't," she said nervously. Her eyes zoned in on something behind Scarlet. "Is that a door?" she asked.
A pair of large gold doors, standing at over ten feet tall, rested on the other side of the dark space. Hari looked at Scarlet who nodded in encouragement before she began to slowly make her way towards them. She could feel her heart begin to pound in anticipation. When she rested a hand on the ornate door handle, she bit back a gasp.
Visions of claws and fangs filled her mind. Snarls promising pain to those who stepped in her path echoed in her ears. Hari withdrew her hand and stepped back in fear.
"My…my demon," she stammered.
Scarlet nodded solemnly as she padded to stand at her side. "Once our souls merged, I used a lot of the power they created to reseal your demon," she explained. "But, now you can decide when you let her out."
Hari's eyes bored into the gold doors. "Will I be able to control her?" she wondered.
"If I am in here, yes," Scarlet assured her. "I merged with your soul, and your demon is part of you. I can control her with your help." She hesitated. "But I do not know if I can help you keep control if you let her out completely. Nor do I know if you will be able to control her without me. That is something we will need to experiment with."
Hari crossed her arms. "I don't know if I'm ready to let her out," she admitted. "She's so strong. Last time, she almost killed me. And that was only a spark of her power."
Scarlet rubbed her head against Hari's leg, purring comfortingly. "It's your decision," she said. "She is sealed and cannot drive you to become Lost anymore. But that also means your power is limited."
"It's incredible," Hari mused while she reached down and began to scratch Scarlet's ears. "I never thought anything could seal the royal bloodline. I thought that my fate was to be constantly afraid of my own power until my dad died and I took the throne." She took in a pained breath at the thought. "The succession was thought to be the only way to anchor the Demon's Body and Spirit."
"Well, they didn't have a super creative Guardian of Fire stuck within their souls," Scarlet purred in satisfaction. "Although to be fair, this could quite literally still blow up in our faces." She looked up. "I hope your dad is strong enough to kill us if this doesn't work."
Hari blanched. "You're a little too nonchalant about us dying," she said faintly. She blinked. "Wait, us?"
Scarlet shrugged one massive shoulder. "I did merge my soul with yours," she said. "But don't worry, if I die, you won't. Though if I go, there goes your method of anchoring your demon until the succession."
"Please, don't talk so lightly about your death," Hari snapped. "You dying is not allowed."
"You could always find the next Guardian of Fire," Scarlet said with a huff. "She might even seek you out if you aren't the one to kill me."
"I don't want another one!" Hari shouted. She reached and grabbed Scarlet by her scruff and pulled hard. "Don't you dare go around and burn yourself out and leave me," she threatened.
With her strength, she was able to lift Scarlet by the scruff so her paws were off the ground. The tiger gasped in surprise and her paws folded uselessly. She glared at Hari.
"No fair," she complained. "Fine, I won't go anywhere. Not on purpose at least. Now, put me down, will you?" After Hari dropped her, she shook herself out. "Shame that demon temper of yours wouldn't seal, too," she growled.
The two glared at each other for a few moments. But then Hari felt a bubble form in her chest. Before she could stop it, she began to erupt in fits of laughter. She sat down on the ground and held her gut as her laughter began to make her muscles contract painfully.
"You're weird," Scarlet mused. She leaned forward and licked up Hari's tears, making her laugh even harder. "You should probably rejoin your body," she advised. "You can use your magic to get yourself and Chisato out now."
Hari took a few more moments to laugh before she leaned back and smiled at the tiger. "Thank you," she huffed. "For everything. I can just feel that things are going to be alright now."
Scarlet bumped her head against hers. "Well, don't thank me yet," she warned. "Not until we know it works."
Nodding, Hari focused on the connection between herself and Scarlet. This time, she willed herself away from Scarlet to exit the confines of her soul. A moment later, she blinked and she was once again sitting in the dreary cell.
"You must be cautious when you do that," Chisato warned. "It's been hours." She gestured to the window. "The winds shifted. I believe the cavalry is arriving."
Hari's head whipped to the window and she hurriedly forced her aching body to her feet to rush over. Her eyes scanned the thick forests before her, but she couldn't see anything.
"I can teleport us out of here," she told Chisato. "My magic is free from Scarlet's now. I'll go get the spear, then come back for you."
Chisato frowned. "Then you leave the method of controlling Lost Ones in Ino's hands," she warned. "You need her to bring it to the physical world in order to destroy it."
Hari winced. She hadn't thought of that. "Then, the Lost Ones will have to be freed first," she mused. Then she groaned. "But the Lost Ones these people control are stronger than average. Scarlet, do you think we can take on hundreds of Lost Ones if I awaken, even if only a little?"
Her partner rumbled thoughtfully in her soul. "Hard to say," she admitted. "This is very new territory, Hari. And if Ino escapes with that spear and the gem, then your people will remain in danger."
That was one of Hari's worst fears. She knew the pain that the golden spear brought. She would die before she allowed another to experience that pain if she could help it.
"You need Ino to let her guard down when she is in possession of both the gem and the spear," Chisato mused. "And trust your father's army to hold their own against the strengthened enemy to help deplete their numbers."
Hari nodded grimly. She took in a deep breath.
"I have an idea," she said reluctantly. "And if it doesn't kill me, then I'm pretty sure Shan will."