Good afternoon, author here. Thanks for your reviews.

Not much to mention up here, but I apologize for the uncharacteristic wait.

Mai-hime belongs to Sunrise


Winter's Road

She opened her eyes to see nothing but white.

Have I gone blind?

No. Then I'd be seeing black. Seeing...

She lifted her head and sat up. The ground felt like simple powder beneath her fingertips.

Where am I?

The sky and the ground were both white, at least she thought that was what it was. She wasn't even sure if there was a sky or a ground, but up was still up and down was still down in the back of her mind and she shakily stood up to her feet. She turned to get a full view of her surroundings but that yielded little progress when no landmarks were visible from where she was. With a frustrated groan she simply sat back down and crossed her arms, shutting her eyes and frowning. When she tilted back far enough, her body followed the course of gravity and fell back towards the ground.

Useless...

I guess it's no use to see if I can get out of here.

As soon as she thought that, she was alerted to the faint noise of something playing in the distance. With a soft frown she stood up and brushed the powdery substance off of her pants. Where had that come from? Her eyes were still closed but her ears were more than able to pick up the noise once more, and it came from her left. She turned sharply and began to walk in that distance. Of course, there was something in the back of her mind that told her that maybe this wasn't really the way to go, but she pushed it down in light of the vast nothingness she was sitting through just a minute before. Anywhere was better than there.

Where are you?

She didn't have too far to walk, for soon she spotted what looked to be a tiny wooden building. This building grew a little more when she approached it and soon she recognized it as being some sort of small cottage.

... Imagine that.

She paused and poked around briefly but found nothing of the noise that she had heard earlier. With a sigh of mild disappointment she turned to look back at where she had walked in from and remained unimpressed as she viewed nothing but white. And really, what was the use of going back anyway?

No way forward, no way back.

Feels a lot like suicide, at this rate.

Then the sound started again and she stopped her thoughts in favor of looking back towards the cottage. With cautious hands she slid open the lone door and let it go as she stepped in. A blast of warmth washed over her and she shivered unconsciously before squinting. Seated before her was a woman wrapped in exotic silks. Her hair was down in long waves of rich mahogany brown. The woman's eyes were closed but her fingers plucked through her instrument with practiced ease. Soon the song came to an end and she rested her fingers against the taut strings of the enormous koto placed in front of her. The zither-like instrument grew silent as she pressed her fingertips against the strings to still them. The woman finally opened her eyes and blinked. She could see the ocean in them quite clearly despite the strangeness of the thin pupils that focused on her.

Kind eyes but a serious expression.

Where have I seen this before?

"You've come a bit early," the woman announced. She tilted her head. "But it can't be helped... can it?"

The woman smiled, then, and she knew who she was looking at.

Kiyohime.

Or rather, Kiyo. Just Kiyo.

"You are astute as well, considering I am not the Kiyohime under Kyoko's control. I like that."

Kiyo tucked one of her hands in the sleeve of her kimono and extracted a fan. With a flick of her fingers the fan drew open with a bright red flash of thick paper.

Am I dead?

"I wouldn't say that. This is a world of in-betweens. No one is quite dead, nor are they quite alive." Kiyo took a moment to wave the fan and she could smell the fragrant paper from where she stood. "So you are not dead. But you are not alive. This is where those like us reside, those like your Duran."

The fan stilled.

"The borders of this world are faint and we do not follow them. Because of this loose grasp the world had over us, we are capable of doing what we please. These powers of yours are a mere fraction of what we can bestow."

She pressed her fingers against the wooden wall and felt the wood grain beneath her fingertips. The heightened sensitivity was unnerving but she held on until she habituated to the individual grooves.

"But this is interesting. I did not expect to meet you here."

Kiyo gently swept a finger across one of the strings of her instrument. The sound tickled her ears and she shrugged her shoulders tightly to get rid of the itching sensation that came along with the noise.

Then why are you here?

Kiyo offered a rueful smile.

"I am not permitted to leave. Not until this cycle is finished."

Cycle...

When everyone except one is defeated?

"When that happens, the gates will open. Those of us who are defeated will be permitted to leave, and the winner will remain here."

She frowned at Kiyo's explanation.

Doesn't sound fun.

The clear, bell-like laughter pulled at her heartstrings. It reminded her of things, of times spent under the sun with a girl who looked so much like this woman sitting before her now. Where was she now? How was she doing? She wondered about it absently but not apathetically. Something stirred in her heart and she absently palmed the immediate area of her chest above her heart with one hand.

"Of course not. But the purpose was never to win this contest. The purpose, child, is to persevere."

To persevere.

"This Carnival... would have ended long ago if these girls were taught that lesson first. The spirit who wins here will stay here for three hundred years, until the next cycle awakens and the gates open once more. But the cause is never dealt with, and the cycle will repeat."

Kiyo looked out into the distance.

"I wonder..." Kiyo paused and shook her head with a sad smile. "Well, I wouldn't know. But I suppose there is someone else here who might be able to help you."

She blinked in mild confusion but Kiyo merely pointed out towards the distance.

"Follow that direction until the land turns to snow. You will have one chance before the gates close once more."

She looked over towards the distance and took in a deep breath. Kiyo watched her briefly before letting out a small hum.

"... How is my daughter?"

She's the most beautiful girl in the world.

Kiyo nodded and sighed in content.

"One more thing."

She paused over the threshold.

"Tell my husband that he's forty years too early to be wishing for death."

She turned and saw those eyes sparkle in fondness and amusement before she found herself being pushed out due to an unseen force. She landed back several feet away and the door to the cottage closed once more. She stood and dusted herself off once more before sighing and staring out at the distance.

Alone, again.

She began to walk.

What a lonely road.


Where was their hero now?

John Smith knew. She was there, curled up into herself, her eyes unresponsive to the world around her. Their hero was no more, and that was just fine for him. His path to Valhalla was set. He nearly wet himself in the sheer excitement over this prospect. Never had the road to victory been so easy. He had dedicated his entire life to this and it was time for him to reap the bloodied crop he had sown. Personally it did not matter which one of the two remaining combatants won this fight as long as Duran was the first to fall. The others, at least, were easier to manage. They didn't hold the blind loyalty Duran held. Smith adjusted his glasses and stood still, separate from the shell-shocked group and the now stiff and unresponsive young woman was still on her knees, staring out at their fallen hero with impossibly wide eyes.

What was she going to do?

He had read about her abilities as a mediator, once, but dismissed it in light of the circumstance. No such thing existed in prior Carnivals, so the point was moot. No one could stop this power that was now gathered around the remaining two. No one, not even a god could stop him now.

What was Shizuru going to do?

She stood up.

It was slow, agonizingly slow, but she stood up. No one was quite sure what to do or say in this circumstance but Shizuru did the work for them when she turned and directed her blood-red gaze over towards her aunt. Kyoko took in those hollow eyes and unconsciously swallowed but felt somewhat relieved when Shizuru's gaze then settled towards Mai. Those expressionless eyes took in the picture as Mai slowly struggled up to her feet. The rings of fire were sputtering but eventually they began to take on their previous vigor as Kagutsuchi's green eyes reappeared. They roved across the devastation before picking out the fallen body of Duran's medium. Those eyes seemingly lit up and Mai began to float in the air. After a couple of minutes, however, the expression on Mai's face twisted to one of confusion and suddenly her hands grasped onto her head.

"Why isn't there any power?" Mai gaped at Natsuki's body before facing the silent onlookers. "I have defeated her in battle, have I not? Why isn't there any exchange in power!"

Kagutsuchi let loose a mighty roar of frustration and accompanying it were several flares of blue flame that shot out around Mai. Smith let out an audible gasp at those words. This wasn't right at all. As soon as a champion was defeated, their powers would transfer immediately onto the winner. Was she not dead? No, that couldn't be the case. She took five claws to the stomach, she had to be dead. Smith tried to swallow through his mysteriously dry throat.

"Im... Impossible!"

Shizuru raised a hand through the ensuing ruckus.

"All of you... Stop."

At this spoken command everyone curiously went silent. Kyoko felt something lurch in her heart and she fell to her knees with a surprised noise, catching Shigeru's attention and drawing it away from his daughter. He looked down at Kyoko's twitching body, noticing that her hands were smashing up against her chest in some attempt to stifle an attack. He knew where he had seen this before. There was only one time that fit, back in the mansion when they were children and he hadn't known any better. This time, however, he wasn't going to run away. Shigeru stood beside his sister and laid a hand on her shoulder, making her stiffen at the contact.

"What's wrong with you?" he asked as she looked up.

"I feel like... I feel like I'm being torn apart," she stammered out before letting loose a pained cry.

Her body went limp before something glowed from her chest. It was tiny at first, only a mere spot of light, but soon it began to grow and grow into an orb the size of Shigeru's clenched fist. It drew itself away from Kyoko's body in one slow motion as it rotated and gathered up even more of the same light. For a second it merely floated there before it found its destination. This orb of light flew towards Shizuru's outstretched hand, gathering around her fingertips before resting on her open palm. The air around them seemed especially heavy, carrying with it an electrical charge that caused the hair on the backs of their necks to stand on end. She closed her hand around this orb of light and lightning crackled around her fist before jumping out to either side of her hand. This lightning branched out, stretching the orb of light into forming a long rod with a wicked blade at the end. She flicked this weapon over her shoulder and rested it on her left shoulder with her left hand stretched up to hold the rod while her right hand rested against the junction between rod and blade.

"... Kiyohime."

The ground beneath them rumbled in response to her quiet call. Trails of broken cement and ground cracked underneath their feet, followed closely by a long, harsh blast of winter's wind. The rumbling stopped for a second, and all that was heard was the still silence. Then the ground erupted as writhing scales of deep purple flashed through the falling rubble. This was not Kyoko's Kiyohime, Shigeru realized with a jolt. This was a queen of serpents. This serpent possessed strikingly beautiful aquamarine eyes that she used to stare down a cautious Mai who in turn rose up to the sky.

"... Impressive. This will be a good final battle."

Mai clapped her hands together before spreading them wide. Another roar resounded but this time it came from deep within. A portal of light spun into place in front of Mai and she arched her back as a sword began to dig itself out of the portal, followed closely by a monstrous creature of white with flames as its wings. The dragon unfurled its wings, sending a rain of hellfire down when it shrieked in anticipation. This was Kagutsuchi's true form, but even with his emergence the green possession still retained itself over Mai's eyes. This was just as well for Shizuru who flicked her weapon up and spun it before bringing it in front of her. If it was a fight they wanted, then they would get it.

Kiyohime bared her fangs and hissed, letting loose a jet of acid that Kagutsuchi barely avoided. The ceiling behind him was not as fortunate. Kagutsuchi looked over his shoulder briefly with all of its eyes before turning and studying those unblinking eyes of Kiyohime. He roared out with a flamethrower aimed for her face but Kiyohime merely knocked it away with a flick of her tail. It was then that he noticed the impressive length of her body. She was only ever up a third of her body length, affording her a decent reach and impressive speed if she were to ever strike at him outright. Kagutsuchi had the mobility the air provided him but if he was ever knocked down, it would be all over. One bite of those fangs would finish him, but Kiyohime wasn't invincible herself. He took off for the skies with Kiyohime following him with another deluge of acid.

Mai charged Shizuru first with those flaming wheels but Shizuru blocked with a swipe of her naginata and followed through with another strike that Mai managed to block by crossing her arms together. Mai floated away and punched out a ball of flame that caught the naginata's blade and engulfed it in fire. Shizuru seemingly paused but she brought the naginata around in a full spin up and over her, keeping the flame burning through this spin. Her bare feet skipped across the rubble beneath her as she twirled and suddenly flicked the ball of flame back towards Mai. Mai backhanded the flame away but she panted as she floated in place while Shizuru calmly brought the naginata to rest. She was exhausted and wouldn't last much longer against a fresh opponent. Kagutsuchi would only last long enough when he was attempting to move around outside of her body. This was incredibly risky, but with risk came possible reward. Shizuru's wounds had yet to stop bleeding completely. This was going to be a one-shot kill, then. Mai brought her hands high above her and with an unearthly roar brought them down, summoning a wave of fire that washed over everything in its path as it raced towards Shizuru. Instead of running away Shizuru quickly cut into the concrete with her weapon before knocking the blunt end of her weapon into the cuts. This flipped up a section of concrete and earth up into an angle and she knelt behind it, feeling the flames churn around her and in front of her when the concrete finally took the brunt of the blast.

When the flames receded, something shot out from the aftermath and latched around Mai. She felt the cutting edge of the naginata tear into her arms as the chained blade snaked around her and tightened. Shizuru's eyes spoke of a bloody death as she stepped out from her protective barrier and Mai fell to her knees in exhaustion. The chains loosened and retracted back into a singular blade but Mai was far from free—the cold edge dripping with her own blood rested easily on the back of her neck. Shizuru stood before her with lidded eyes.

"... Do it," she whispered.

Shizuru paused upon hearing Mai's true voice resurface. Those eyes were now returning to their violet normalcy, and tears had started to stream down her ash-covered cheeks as she stared at the body tucked away in the corner.

"Shizuru!!"

Shizuru looked up to register her father standing a little ways away. Her grip on her weapon twitched for a second.

This had been more than thirty years in the making, and the results of their half-hearted games and struggles now came down to watching his daughter preparing to perform an execution, a wrong action for all of the right reasons. This would have been too much to take in for most parents but Fujino Shigeru was not someone easily deterred by abnormalities. He wasn't going to be afraid now, not when his child was breaking apart in front of him in a blaze of fire and death. Kagutsuchi tucked in his wings and landed with a pronounced smash of limbs onto concrete. He opened his jaws and screamed before gathering his flames in for one blast towards them all. Take everyone out. It didn't matter if his medium survived. Shizuru didn't bother to turn as she felt the approaching heat. She only watched her father's eyes, and marveled briefly at the flame-dipped glow as they stared at her eyes.

They were going to die. Somehow that sentiment didn't bring out as much panic as she would have thought. But not all of them intended on dying right this minute. Kyoko looked out towards her brother and her heart began to beat faster. She wasn't going to let him die, not if she still had the power to keep him alive.

"Kiyohime!!"

Kyoko threw a hand up and her silver eyes flashed in one last recognition of control over her former spirit. Kiyohime's eyes flashed, registering the call. The serpent coiled itself around them in one great shift of scales, forming a protective dome that encased all of them in this dark and soundless prison. There came a pained hiss from Kiyohime as she took the brunt of the flames, followed by even more pained cries as Kagutsuchi let loose a furious bellow and took to clawing at her body. The enormous serpent began to glow with a soft green light just as Kagutsuchi's hand pushed through. Before Kiyohime could completely shatter, however, the serpent looked down at Shizuru and nudged her gently with the tip of her nose. Kiyohime closed her eyes and seemingly nodded to herself before succumbing to the excruciating pain. Millions of soft green lights washed out from the rapidly-decaying body and Kyoko dropped to her knees once more, shutting her eyes. Shigeru wordlessly stood beside her with the singed tips of his hair emitting some smoke in the aftermath of Kagutsuchi's relentless attack.

"... You saved us," he muttered through Kagutsuchi's triumphant roar.

"What does it matter?" Kyoko whispered harshly. "I've only delayed the inevitable."

"... Indeed, you have."

The two turned at the mild voice. Mai's eyelids fluttered shut and she fell backwards into Reito's waiting arms as Shizuru and Mikoto stood in front of them. Smith stared at them with a calm expression with lips that soon twisted into a satisfied smile.

"A fine effort by all of you. But I am afraid that it won't be enough to prevent what is going to happen now." Smith turned his gaze over towards Kagutsuchi. "And so, there is one. A pity, really. I thought that Kiyohime would have won this round easily."

"What are you planning on doing?" Shigeru demanded.

"Me?" Smith offered a laugh. "I am merely an observer to these increasingly unstable events. But this is an opportunity of a lifetime, if I may say so myself. It only comes once everyone three hundred years, you know."

"Shut up about that nonsense," Shigeru barked, jabbing a finger towards Smith. "Those stories were lies, bent on giving up our legacies to the sick amusement of people like you!"

"Perhaps... But the power is very real." Smith turned. "Isn't it? So it's too late for you, now. The clock has struck, and the doors to Valhalla will now open."

The gates.

Was this the end of the world for them?

Kagutsuchi sneered as he reared up to his hind legs and glared down at everyone. Smith gave him an unimpressed stare.

"Oh, you know you won't be going very far at all, Kagutsuchi. After all, you are still partially sealed," he pointed out with a lazy wave.

This beast, this towering beast of flame and razor-sharp claws, grew completely silent. Now it was Smith who laughed in his face as he strode up to him with his hands clasped behind his back.

"Do you see, now? Your battle is not over yet, Kagutsuchi, for you will have to fight one more adversary."

What does it matter? I have beaten the others and have their power.

"No, no. You are too naïve! This isn't your peer, Kagutsuchi! You are merely a child playing amongst ants compared to this amount of power."

Smith adjusted his glasses nonchalantly when Kagutsuchi snorted a blast of flame dangerously close to him. The ground began to rumble once more and they exchanged varying degrees of nervous glances towards one another. Maybe the world really was going to end. Mikoto's box began to wobble in response from where it had been left behind. After a few dangerous teeters the box slammed onto the ground and began to slide towards them in a frightening speed, stopping short of slamming into their feet. The latches seemingly undid themselves and they watched as the box slowly opened.

The box's insides were covered in deep red silk that cushioned the precious item within. This was a sword, a mighty claymore fashioned in black. The sword was easily past Mikoto's height and briefly they wondered how she could have carried something like this around with her so easily. The blade of the sword shuddered violently before the sword suddenly shot upright onto the tip of its blade. It rotated slowly in this position until Mikoto stepped forward. Her fingers curled around the hilt and she easily grasped onto the sword with both hands. The power surged in her hands and she looked up in warning.

"Something's coming."

As soon as she spoke those words the rumbling ceased once more. Even Kagutsuchi seemed to be on guard as the dragon took to the skies once more with his flame wings. Shigeru had been in the middle of using his shirt as a bandage to wrap around his daughter's midsection when the first signs of something being terribly wrong struck him. He placed a protective hand on the finished bandage and turned to look over at Smith who had yet to react to this strange rumbling. The man threw his head back in raucous laughter that shook their ear drums and caused their bodies to grow cold. His glasses flew from his face and he looked down at them again with eyes the color of blood. They realized that it was his eyes bleeding and not an actual pigmentation difference, but this realization only served to unnerve them even more when Smith started to laugh once more.

"Witness your destruction in the face of true power!!"

The light was especially blinding and they tried their best to clamp their hands over their eyes to save them. Smith could have cared less. He stared at this oncoming spectacle of sheer blinding light even as he felt himself go blind in the process. It didn't matter. This was a once in a lifetime event, he wouldn't need to have eyes after seeing this. He was going to look into the realm of the gods, into this Valhalla of his dreams. This was the fruit of all of his work and the sacrifices he had made never tasted so sweet. At least, this was his last thought before something stabbed into his chest, followed soon by countless more feelings of being stabbed and skewered. He was blinded now, and could see nothing of the spikes that stabbed into his body. But he could feel the pain and his mouth opened in a soundless gasp that soon was overtaken by a blood-curling scream. Even this was eventually snuffed out by even more spikes until only silence entered the ears of the rest. The light appeared to dim a little and Shizuru took a chance. Her eyes opened just a crack and she winced through the still-bright scenery but managed to open her eyes to the point where she could at least make out what was happening again.

The sword in Mikoto's hands was glowing an angry red and the girl struggled to hold onto it.

"Another wave!" she yelled out warningly.

Another set of spikes, then. But Mikoto began to turn in place with the tip of the sword drawing a line on the ground. Sparks formed as the sword contacted the ground. When she drew a complete circle she slammed the sword down. This caused the ground to open up as spikes began to drill their way up to the surface. This seemed to negate the spikes that threatened to skewer them, and soon it became comfortable enough for everyone to open their eyes. Shizuru drew in a short breath and exhaled. There were only two of them who could stand a chance if she didn't count the maverick Kagutsuchi. And by chance, she really meant that they would last more than ten seconds against whatever it was that summoned all those spikes. This was a crude estimate but there was nothing else going for them at the moment. They could run away and buy some time for a miracle that really wasn't going to happen, but Shizuru was through with running. She brought the naginata and stepped up in a firm stance.

"Otou-han... Take them outside," she muttered.

Shigeru narrowed his eyes.

"I refuse. I'm not going to leave you here."

"Then you will die along with everyone else."

"But you will die if you stay here!" Shigeru rubbed his forehead in agitation before his shoulders sank in acceptance. "... We won't survive, either way."

Shizuru smiled grimly but he failed to see it. He could only make out the flaxen hair flying out and the weapon held at her side in a casual yet determined pose.

"Otou-han, you are going to live forever. Remember?"

She began to walk forward with the naginata slung over her shoulders. Shigeru watched her go without blinking before he finally tore his gaze away from her. Mikoto began to run forward to join her but was stopped when Reito placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Mikoto, you have to watch over Mai," he ordered in a firm voice.

"But—"

"Don't worry." Reito offered his best smile. "We'll be back. But you have to do this for me, do you understand?"

Mikoto's troubled expression soon turned into a determined one as she nodded and passed the claymore over to Reito. When Reito tested it with a quick swing he found the blade to be lighter than he had initially guessed. With a curt nod he walked after Shizuru and towards the blinding light. They paused for a moment when they heard the distinctive sound of flames crackling in the distance. The dragon raced past them without looking back. He beat his wings once and flew towards these supposed gates of Valhalla, most likely incensed from Smith's parting comment. Shizuru and Reito watched him go quietly before Shizuru rested the tip of her naginata onto the ground.

"... You know, I haven't the faintest idea what we're fighting for," Shizuru said finally.

"Neither do I. Perhaps we'll just enjoy this last dance before our departure?" Reito asked in response.

"Is that why you are here?"

Reito considered the question for a moment before shaking his head.

"Ah, no. But I remember why, now. I had promised someone that I would be ready when the time came."

Reito set the sword down in front of him and rested his hands on the hilt in a seemingly relaxed pose. He closed his eyes and smiled.

"The time is now. So here I am."

Shizuru nodded and slung the weapon over her shoulders once more in a casual pose.

"... I'm glad, then."

Reito's smile grew accordingly.

"If anything, it was a fun ride while it lasted."

The light swallowed them up as they stood still. This light grew and grew, eventually engulfing a rather large radius that included the ruined club. Shigeru and Mikoto managed to make it out in time with Kyoko and Mai in tow, and they watched with curious eyes as the light folded up within itself in the span of five seconds. Just like that, it was gone. They stared at the empty club with identical expressions of disbelief until Mikoto ran back to the club. She returned with a troubled expression on her face.

"What is it?" he asked quietly.

"I can't find anyone," she announced. "They're all... gone."


Before the snow, there came peaceful waves of green. The grass tickled her feet whenever she stepped down on it. She paused and looked around with a frown on her lips.

Where was this snow?

Maybe she had gone the wrong way, but she hadn't switched directions since embarking on this path through Kiyo's direction. With a shrug she continued to walk idly through these peaceful plains, never stopping more than five minutes at a time. How long was five minutes, again? She looked down at her wrist and realized that she had no watch in this strange place.

Maybe there is no time, here.

So an hour could have passed. Two hours. Six hours. An entire day. Maybe even a week had already passed in this strange world and here she was traveling down the one set path she had been told to go down.

What am I supposed to find?

She paused once more as she heard another strange noise, this time a sniffling sort of noise that could only come from someone trying to stifle his or her tears. It sounded like a young individual, at least, so she stood still and turned around to pinpoint the source of the noise. It was a boy, crouched over himself with his tiny fists crushed into his eyes in some attempt to stem the tears that dribbled out through the gaps of his fingers. Midnight black hair stuck out in various angles on his boy's head, and he was dressed in enough silken finery to alert her to who he could possibly be.

Kagutsuchi.

The boy looked up. His eyes were a striking shade of fire red, of molten lava that glimmered beneath the tears. He paused at first before his features twisted into an aggravated scowl upon seeing her.

"What are you doing here?!" he snarled. "No one else is allowed except us!"

She stared at him, unimpressed, until he finally stood up to his feet. Despite his feet being bare, they weren't dirty at all from the dirt and grass beneath them. A set of golden rings dangled from his skinny ankles and he adjusted his clothes briefly before glaring at her once more.

"Answer my question," he demanded, this time in a more arrogant tone.

I'm looking for snow.

"Snow?" he repeated, now with an eyebrow shooting up in childhood curiosity. "There's snow around here, if you keep walking until these plains end."

She nodded and turned on her heel to go. As she walked, however, she heard the faint pitter-patter of footsteps following her. She turned her head down to see that the boy was now following her.

... Why are you following me?

"I can't?" he asked in response. His lips curled into a smirk. "You'd probably get lost, if I didn't. I'm not sure you'd have enough time to get lost."

So time did flow here, albeit how it flowed was anyone's guess. She frowned and walked once more with the boy tailing her. After what looked to be some time she finally stopped and turned, facing the boy.

Why were you crying?

The boy considered the question before he frowned.

"... I was lonely. I have no one, you know. Mother died because I was born, and Father killed me in response, sending me here." He drew himself out of his contemplative state. "So I'm alone. But you're alone too. So that makes two of us."

What about the others in this place?

"What about them?" he asked with a scoff. "All they ever do is worry themselves over their mediums."

You don't?

"Why should I? They always leave me in the end. I've lost track of how many times we've gone over this. These faces are all blurry to me." He shrugged. "Don't look at me like that. It's always been like that."

You possessed my best friend and caused all this damage.

"I did, didn't I?" He stretched his arms and placed his hands behind his head. "But I didn't do everything that went wrong, you know. Besides... it's always one of us who goes crazy. Always."

She considered this. His expression was especially somber as they walked, until the grasses faded and all that remained was arid land. The ground felt somewhat hard to her feet but it wasn't unpleasant, like most things in this strange world. There were black marks on this land, marks of flame and suffering that rendered the grasses to nothing, but her heart did not raise up in alarm as the warm ground contacted her feet. Nothing was physically unpleasant, but her heart was heavy and her thoughts even heavier. Where would she go from here?

"If you think about it, it could have been any of you."

... Why her?

"... I guess... we were the same." Kagutsuchi smiled, then. "Her mother died, and her father abandoned her. She went through most of life pretty much depending on herself. I guess... it drew me to her. This sameness. It's the same with you and your Duran, you know. All an issue of being compatible."

That doesn't excuse what you did.

"Nah, it doesn't. But you know? Things are different here. The rules don't exist. All we want is to get out of here. If you lived here, if you spent hundreds of years waiting here, you'd want out too."

She went silent at that. They continued to walk until Kagutsuchi suddenly stopped and frowned.

"This is as far as I'll go."

When she looked down she noticed the faint gathering of snow on the ground. His feet were firmly planted on the dry land, and she looked into his thoughtful eyes. He seemed to struggle with something before he nodded his head and looked up.

"... There is a sword, carried by one of your comrades. It can be used to destroy me in your world."

His lips trembled slightly but he shook his head and took in a deep breath before letting it out in a short puff of air.

"It's time... I go back. This will be the last time, hopefully. So go. There is someone you'd have to meet."

She nodded faintly and turned to walk into the whiteness that Kagutsuchi refused to go into. The boy watched her go with an unreadable expression on his face before he too turned around to walk back into those beckoning grasses.

She walked through endless plains of snow, barefoot and dressed in a white button down shirt and loose slacks. The collar of her shirt picked up with the wind and flew this way and that, affording her little protection from the cold but plenty of distraction. She continued to walk without a clue on where to go, but her feet apparently knew this road and she trusted her feet. So she walked, and walked, through the blinding white and towards the oncoming bursts of wind that played with her hair and pulled it back. She squinted and brought an arm up to shield herself, but the blinding white became too much for her eyes... eyes? She paused and closed her right eye. The world did not go dark. This couldn't be real, even thought she had established this for some time now. Where was she, again? A dream? A coma? Was she really dead? No, she didn't think Kiyo and Kagutsuchi would deliberately lie to her. She did wish that these spirits had a way to convey information that didn't sound so confusing, at least. These thoughts nearly left just as soon as they came. She was a brief speck of color in this dazzling white world of snow that did not feel cold, of winds that did not cut through her skin.

So confusing...

What is going on?

She patted her stomach absently, noticing that there was no gaping wound there. Something moved beside her and she shifted her gaze over to see what it was. A silver wolf was standing there on all four legs. Hints of its fur carried a strange shade of blue as the wind slammed into its fur here and there, and its eyes were a curious shade of red. It was not a natural red like the color she had become accustomed to in the world of the living. This was a manufactured red, the red of machines, yet this color found its home in those fiercely intelligent eyes that looked down on her. Four heavy golden rings inscribed with a myriad of symbols wrapped around the beasts' upper limbs and golden markings dripped from its eyes down to the ends of its jaw. The wolf was easily large enough to swallow her whole, but she was unafraid. She knew this face despite having only seen it once before, when they had first met.

Duran.

Duran turned and slowly began to walk. She followed him wordlessly through the seemingly endless drifts of snow, but soon she began to see something other than white. This was the blue of the ocean stretching out in front of her, and Duran stopped to sit near the last true bit of snow that built the bank against these churning waters. He looked out towards the wide expanse of water with a wistful expression in his eyes. She felt what he was looking for and she too fixed her gaze out. He was trapped, here, tasked with watching over this land of ice and snow. Icicles began to fall from his thick fur as he shook his head roughly, but he made no move to go any further. This was the farthest he would go until the winds let up. The snow began to let up slightly and she turned, noticing now the treacherous road they had just traveled through. Beneath their feet laid a myriad of thin, winding paths that the snow had cleverly hid. Unaware individuals—spirits, she wasn't sure—would have fallen through those bottomless cracks in between these roads. Clever, but devastating.

He squinted his eyes and flicked his tail once in a lazy maneuver.

You've done what you could. They should be proud.

Thanks... I guess.

Would you have wanted more time with them?

She remained silent at that. Duran looked down at her and breathed out in one lengthy sigh. She looked up and studied his silence for a moment before turning back to the endless ocean in front of them.

You'd want to go beyond here, wouldn't you?

Out into the ocean over there.

I wish... to be free.

She looked up at him once more and frowned as she took in his patient eyes.

What's stopping you? There's no boundary here.

To be free... would be to say goodbye.

Goodbye? To who? Her frown grew deeper but it seemed that the corners of the wolf's mouth were now turned upward. If wolves could smile, this would probably be how they did it, but this particular smile wasn't something she had expected from this wolf. It was a mirthless grin, as if Duran was merely smiling for the sake of nothing else to do in light of the situation.

Duran?

He looked down at her and for the first time she realized that he had never once looked at her directly.

I want you to go back and look at your world with my eyes, pup. Take care of them, along with the other gift I will give you later.

She wanted to question this second item but decided against it. She moved forward and he sensed her coming closer as he lowered his head. Fingers pressed against his fur and he closed his eyes. Many times he had indirectly felt this through their connection, but this was the first time he felt the warmth from these particular fingertips. He straightened and tilted his head over towards the snow.

She will call for the gates to open. And when that happens, you will be able to return.

But you will stay here.

I rule over this plain and will return to the oceans. It is not an unpleasant arrangement.

She turned and faced the snow. He bowed his head down so that it was level to hers.

Today... would be a good day to say goodbye.

... Yeah. You're right.

She took in a deep breath and let it out in one loose sigh. So this was it. Duran straightened beside her.

We can at least walk one more time... together.

As you wish.

He nodded towards the final road they would walk together. This had a slightly defined path, a small indent where the snow settled into something rather than on top of it. The snow felt cold for the first time.

All that glitters... is cold.

They would walk through Winter's Road.


AN: Hope you are enjoying this, because we are drawing towards an end.

Thank you for remaining patient :)

Cheers.