The Queen of Blood and the Water Dragon stood at the brim of the gardens. Now, a vast wasteland. And yet she shrugged, "it's acceptable.?" the Queen of Blood said. "She burned it all." Referring to Mikoto Misaka. she snickered. "Clean slate. That's what she said," looking over at her sister.
Gone was the muck and disgust that had once covered the grounds and filled the air with a choking miasma. The taste of decay is gone. Mikoto Misaka had burned it all away, leaving nothing more than the charred ground and the blackened ruins in her wake. With the occasional dust devil rolling across the ground. As if it were a small reminder that she had been here.
With that, Mizuchi sighed, taking her sister's hint, and moved her hand wgently The waters flooded over the riverbank and rolled towards the garden. The little ones ran along like laughing children. The others, a little older, ran and dove into the river, gathering up the seeds and pods of floating grasses and other viable fibrous materials. They would be using much of it to regrow the gardens. The water spilled over the brim, rolled down the cliffside and onto the garden, and spread out until it covered it in a thin layer.
"You're so kind." The Queen of Blood said. She was holding a smile hinting at her holding back her emotions. "I know," Mizuchi said softly. Knowing her sister was so excited, she could pee herself. And yes, of course, gods and goddesses did relieve themselves. "But it will take a few days," she said.
"No problem," the Queen of Blood said as she bit her lip and looked over her shoulder.
Ana was holding a small melon. She dug her nails into its skin and tore it open. She scooped the insides of the melon, letting the strands and seeds drop, and took a bite of the flesh. And handed a piece to another.
"You chose well for a mate, " The Queen of Blood spoke, "and Makka is quite fetching, and she is..."
"Headstrong.?" Mizuchi cut her off, "Barely listens., And..."
"She is young," The queen of Blood said. "And wants to be with her father."
"I know," Mizuchi said, shaking her head. " I told her she needed to stay behind to help Kae. And the others."
"Did you tell her? Or did you ask her?"
"I'm older and more experienced in warfare." She said. "And she?"
"Takes after her mother," The Queen of Blood spoke. "A sea dragon.?" Her eyes thinned. As she prepared her dig. "A most peaceful and meekest of all Sea Dragon. Right?"
Mizuchi growled, flicked her fingers, and a small water geyser shot past her head. "Missed."
"I can make it bigger," Mizuki whispered quickly. The queen of Blood laughed, "I know, sister? That, I know."
It was like watching the fuse smoldering, sparking, spitting, and racing towards waiting dynamite. The queen of blood knows her sister and her infamous temper. When she became angry, all waters shimmered in warning, the anger building into a tempest if it grew too much for her to handle. Waves and winds would rise in violence, creating a tempest powerful enough to drown everyone, sink entire Islands, and fill the garden until they overflowed.
"Where were they when the fighting erupted?" she said, clenching her fist tight. The queen of blood saw the rage building in her actions, the hitch of her voice. She, the queen of blood, had been taken by surprise. Beasts with no heartbeats or blood in their veins had attacked and turned her beautiful gardens upside down. Trapping her in the other dimension. Unable to protect or help her children. She wanted to apologize to her sister, wondering what she must have felt hearing she had fallen in battle.
"Mizuchi…" her voice softly cracked. The urge to tell her how sorry she was for not being able to fight by her side. To stand with her sister against him, that vile beast, Bahamut. Even thinking of him left a bad taste in her mouth.
"Mikoto's back must be protected, even if those roaming bands pledged their loyalty. Their oaths offer no guarantee of trustworthiness. Undoubtedly, word of Mikoto's rise has already reached rival factions in the North - we cannot rely on distant allies." her voice quivered with emotion. She closed her eyes, recalling memories of the battles that drove her deep underground in hiding. And the delight she felt watching in the distance, seeing the power running amok inside Mikoto Misaka's despair and witnessing the rail gun's first shots.
"Where were they when the fighting erupted?" She asked her past self, imagining the smoking furrow carved towards the distant city and the mountains shattering deep in the wastelands. Opening her eyes, now sparkling with excitement, she chuckled, "That blast split the peak that drove the winds." Her smile became a little manic. The queen of blood worried for her sister.
"What about the north?" hoping to steer her sister's growing anger.
Mizuchi peeked at her sister, "You read her?"
"Of course I did," she sighed softly. "I opened a portal, " almost a little proud," she said, almost sticking out her chest. "And let's just say it was most glorious. All those connections were flowing through her mates' emotions, very naughty," she blushed, hand to her cheek. "It seems you're the other woman, sister," she said with a lingering sigh. "I am ashamed." Not really, cheeks turning red.
Mizuki shrugged. "All I did was guide Makka to her., not that she needed help. Sensing the strongest," she said, she turned to leave.
"Oh, and sister?" she pointed towards the temple and made a little swirling motion with her finger. "Could you do that little thing I like so much…please?" clasping her hands under her chin, eyes glinting mischievously. "You know where warm water comes from the ground... what is it called again?"
"a hot spring?" The water dragon crossed her arms, mouth twisting wryly.
"Yes!"
"You are pushing it, sister?" she said.
"I know…but you will be leaving soon," she said with a melancholy pout. "I have not seen you in so long." She drifted closer, voice softening, as she softly touched her arm. "And have missed you? So much." She paused.
Mizuchi groaned and slumped in annoyance. Thinned her eye and glared at the queen of blood.
"Is it working?" the queen of blood asked, lips curly subtly at the corners, sparkle in her eyes, obvious signs of the playful thoughts in her mind.
Mizuchi let out a resigned huff. She could never say no to her. "Fine," Mizuchi huffed, knowing her sister was asking for her to stay a little longer and enjoy the new hot springs.
The ground by the temple's ruins began to bubble, and clouds of steam hissed into the air. The queen of Blood gave her sister's arm an affectionate tug, took her webbed hand, and made their way down to the newly formed hot springs. "You will join me?" she turned, eyes dancing impishly.
She stayed a few days.