Arc 2, Chapter 15: In It for the Long Run

"We'll keep in touch," he said to Fumeko whilst Hotaru ushered Asobi down the street, the dusk welcoming the night.

Fumeko joined the three while Kor grabbed Jotou's shoulder, "What is it?" Jotou still couldn't look at him.

"I don't know what happened; I doubt Ana knows either and I hope you will figure it out someday. However, you're the Thundering Blade now.

That title is given to you because you, like it or not, are a protector of Kria. The ability to kill velatos makes you a powerful ally and in a way, I'll always see Ana in you," he told.

Jotou finally turned, looking up to his light blue eyes, "I'm sorry I'm not her. But I promise, I'll live up to your expectations."

Kor shook his head, "You don't need to. I have a family; a wife and a daughter just born. Kria has a lot of those; I just hope you can be a saviour because that would honour Ana in a way. Promise me, you'll do your best."

"I, promise," she blinked, a forced half-smile. They looked at each other; leaving after a nod between the two. Just as Kor was about to close the door, "What was I- she, to you?" Jotou turned.

Kor gave a smirk and hummed, "Like a sister I never had."

_

The Sun had long set by the time the cart had reached their remote destination. The flowers around that were once yellow were now various shades of black.

Spots of white at the corners and some were already the flowers she recognized from when she first awoke in this world; the smell of their decay, freshening to the senses.

The door creaked, their new home still in need of some improvements. "Now that we can finally relax, we can fill up this place more; where's all the stuff we bought?" Hotaru stretched.

"Oh! I kept it behind the counter!" Asobi rushed into the house and leapt behind the kitchen counter.

Jotou closed the door, Fumeko walking in before her. "Hm, what do we make for dinner? I can cook most of the groceries we bought," Hotaru left her purse on the sofa as Asobi brought up ingredients onto the table.

"Are you serious? After everything that happened today, we're talking about dinner?" Fumeko grumbled.

"Surprising coming from you," Jotou locked the door.

"I know," she held her stomach, "I'm hungry too… BUT! We need to at least say something about it because we definitely didn't in the carriage."

Hotaru moaned out a yawn, "Meko, we're all exhausted. We haven't had one night to rest properly and we have nothing tomorrow. We can rest without pressure."

"I get that, but I'm not letting this go."

Asobi skipped over, falling onto the sofa, "I don't think anybody's letting go. Just, 'We'll talk about it in the morning'," Asobi mimicked Hotaru's voice.

"Well, it's up to Jotou. She's the one caught up in the middle of it all," Hotaru glanced to her.

Jotou examined the three of them, "Might as well. Our memories are still fresh."

Fumeko then walked up, "How is it, that you have no memory of you!?" her eyes narrowed up to Jotou.

Jotou's gaze met the floor, "I'm not sure, but I know for a fact, I don't remember Anastasia Princely," she was trying to figure that out herself for hell's sake.

Fumeko stomped on the floor, her fingers curling into her palm, "This is why magic is so!!! ANNOYING! It's so amazing, but so unexplainable! Okay, logic, logic!" she paced around.

"How can you not remember?" she rubbed her chin, "It's clear you're, you, but your, brain-stuff can't be the same!" she faced the blonde.

"What do you mean?" Hotaru unpacked a kitchen knife, preparing to cut into the fresh broccoli on the new chopping board while a light shined over her crimson ears.

"I think she means, if I have the physicality of Anastasia Princely and would have the same brain to work this body, then where the hell are Anastasia's memories? Memories don't transfer through souls."

Asobi leaned over the couch's arm, "Maybe it could?"

"How?" the voice rang from the kitchen.

Asobi shrugged, "I don't know; I'm just saying why is that set in stone?" she smiled. The thumps around the floor grew louder.

"Even if that's the case, why would the soul steal memories when it leaves instead of making a copy of them? And that's only because from what ghost stories I know, they have at least some memories," Jotou replied.

Fumeko halted, "That's my dilemma!" she slammed her elbows onto the kitchen table, fingers gripping into her hair, "We don't even know what magic brought you here!

Part of me still thinks this is all some amnesia-mind trick and you have a whole other set of memories, but with all that you've said, that's way too much of an improbability so you MUST be telling the truth.

Which makes me think, no matter what, those memories must still be in there!" her head fell onto the table whilst her stomach grumbled.

"Wouldn't that come in some sort of vision? Or déjà vu shit while I sleep? Like dreams of a past life or something?" Jotou didn't think that to be true.

"That's an uncoordinated factor; you can't control yourself in your dreams!" Fumeko's head turned to face her.

"I can," Asobi stated. The three of them looked at the girl twisting herself on the sofa like a cat.

"…Okay!? What are we supposed to do with this information!?" Fumeko glared.

"I'm just trying to help!" Asobi squeaked and hid her face away.

Hotaru pondered, "Controlling yourself in dreams may be an elf trait… Maybe we could use it to our advantage?"

Fumeko sat up, blankly staring for a few seconds to the suggestion, "How!?"

"…" was the only response before the knife continued cutting.

"I've got a bright idea, why don't you stick to laws," Fumeko's head fell again.

"Lucid dreaming from what I know, is hard and takes a long time to learn. The only idea I have is connecting two tinfoil hats to me and Asobi and even then, we don't have time for me to master lucid dreaming," Jotou replied.

Fumeko got up, "Exactly! We have no clue where to start!"

"We need to find out who Ana was more, other than what Kor gave us. There might've been other reasons she got mugged," Hotaru supposed.

"I don't suppose you could do some spiritual mumbo-jumbo and try to glean into whatever's in that head, could you?" Fumeko asked to the redhead.

"No, I'm good with reasoning and can heal, I'm not a spiritual expert-"

"Oh, I assume that's not investigational reasoning, so if I find some old riddle, I'll let you know!"

Jotou sighed, "No need to get hostile detective, you already gave a solution."

"I'm tall when I'm young and I'm short when I'm old. What am I?" Asobi asked.

"A candle," Hotaru answered, ears pricking up in intrigue.

Fumeko slumped down facing Jotou, "…Save me…"

Jotou rolled her eyes, "If none of us are good with lost souls and spiritual whatnots; we simply need to find someone who can."

Her stomach rumbled again, "I'm sorry… I'm just hungry. Hotaru? Could you make honeyed chicken?" her eyes bubbled like a puppy's.

Hotaru glinted a smile, "Sure."

While the three were doing their business, Jotou was lost in her thoughts. Looking at each one of them, still not away from the door.

'She should be the last one breaking down right now… If even she feels like this…

There's no chance in hell my imagination could come up with so much; as active as I may think it is. Does that mean?' Jotou's memories recalled something from not too long ago.

The strike of lightning that thundered her a new name in Kria. Facing the creature in the eyes and what she thought of her friends; then she looked at the three of them in the house…

'All the ideals I held of them are nothing more than overexaggerated truths… Much like any story in history. This confirms it, once and for all.

This is all real. These are real people with emotions that I couldn't begin to comprehend the depth of; just like people in my world. The ideals I held of them aren't always true, especially in moments like these.'

Jotou's eyes glanced over to Asobi, crawling over to the other sofa from the one she was on. 'Well, maybe I'm right on one.

Still, I can view them as their greatest images until they grow to surpass them in my mind, just like anyone. And just like friends, I can make fun of and ridicule them. Hehe… If I wasn't taking this seriously before, I need to do so now.'

"Jotou? Something wrong? Anything you want on the menu?" Hotaru took notice as Jotou stood still.

"Huh? No, I'll just have whatever you can cook," Jotou gave a smile; perhaps this time, more sincere.