Moonlight Demon

Kasumi

Admittedly, the thought of taking Pearl back had become stronger in Kasumi's mind. Even right now, as the moonlight poured in from her nearby windows while she laid on her bed, looking up at the ceiling, Kasumi couldn't help but wonder. 

How would that even work? 

Obviously, she understood that Ash would close the portal that had been made to siege the city, but after that, what would they do? How long would it take? And, most importantly, was there a chance that Kasumi could have her home back? 

Sighing, she closed her eyes, hoping her dreams would take her soon enough. 

Indeed, they did. 

---

"What are these?" Nozomi asked as Kasumi walked ahead of her. 

The two of them were currently taking a stroll through the woods near Pearl. It was a beautiful day, and Kasumi was smiling widely as Nozomi pointed at a bush filled with sapphire-colored berries. She walked up and crouched down beside her. 

"Moonberries," Kasumi replied as Nozomi made an awed face. "They're pretty tasty, you want one?" She asked, and Nozomi nodded. Chuckling at the sight, Kasumi carefully plucked a few out and handed them over. 

"They're sour at first, but they'll turn sweet in your mouth. Give 'em a try," Kasumi told Nozomi, who nodded before throwing one of them between her lips. 

"MMMM!" Nozomi hummed as Kasumi laughed at the face she made. 

"Told you!" Kasumi extended a hand towards her. "Come on, let's keep going." 

As the two of them continued deeper into the forest, Kasumi eventually heard something. Pausing, she placed a hand on Nozomi's shoulder. 

"Wait one second," she told her. "I think there might be something up ahead." 

Nozomi nodded and sat down on the dirt. Kasumi then started walking towards the noise she'd heard. She came across a small opening where, up ahead, there were animalistic sounds in the air. Passing through a few trees, Kasumi eventually saw the source. 

It was a demon. Long white hair, horns on its head, monstrous limbs. It was devouring some poor animal. Kasumi gulped and reached for her Savior's Weapon. 

"Huh?" She asked when she couldn't feel it. She looked down at her waist and found that it was missing. 

Then, she looked up ahead and saw that the animal the demon had been devouring had been replaced. It was no longer a beast, but Nozomi herself. The demon bit into her torso relentlessly, all while Nozomi's empty eyes looked back at Kasumi, as though wondering how she allowed this to happen. 

"..." She tried to call out but had no voice to do so. 

Then, the demon looked back at her and grinned as Nozomi's blood trickled down onto the ground from its lips. 

---

And Kasumi woke up, with the sun hitting her eyes the next day. 

However, something was different this time, as opposed to her usual daughter-related nightmares. Specifically, the fact that Kasumi wasn't crying. Instead, she just felt tired. 

A part of her felt like a failure as a mother, due to the fact that, apparently, she couldn't even spare a few tears for her daughter today. But, it was out of her control. Instead of the usual sadness, she just felt like there was an invisible weight on her shoulders, trying to hold her down as she stood up. 

"Ugh, a headache, this early?" She whined as she got out of bed. 

Getting ready for the day was a particularly slow process this morning. Every two seconds, Kasumi would pause, sigh, and keep going reluctantly. However, she hadn't eaten since breakfast yesterday, so, she had to go get some food, unfortunately. 

That meant that a while later, Kasumi was walking out onto the streets, wearing a brown coat over a white shirt and black pants. With bags under her eyes, she yawned as she absent-mindedly walked towards a nearby restaurant. It was a small place with a few stools outside where people could sit down and eat what they bought. 

She got some food, simple chicken soup, and did just that as the world seemed to pass her by. It was like she was locked in her own little space, with no sounds entering that territory and nothing else to focus on but her food. 

Until she heard something behind her. 

"All aboard, all aboard!" A man called out and Kasumi turned around. 

There was a caravan formed of around three different carts, with wealthy-looking people boarding them. What? Kasumi raised a brow.

"It's something else, isn't it?" The restaurant's owner asked and Kasumi turned towards him. 

"Hm?" She asked. "What do you mean?" 

"Eh, if I'm not mistaken, those folks are getting up to leave for Sapphire." 

"... Why?" Kasumi asked. 

"Everyone's scared Jade's going to be the next place that gets attacked, of course," he stated. "Pearl, Onyx, Sapphire, and none of them have been attacked twice in a row or anything. So, the rumor is that Jade is up next, and Amber will follow after that." 

Kasumi turned around. 

So, that's why they're leaving? Hm. Guess it makes sense. 

For a second, Kasumi wondered where she'd go if she was to try the same thing. She couldn't really come up with an answer. It was all the same to her. As long as the Council stopped bothering her and the demons never came near her again, that was all she needed. 

"What about Pearl?" She asked. 

The words escaped from her lips by themselves. Kasumi didn't even catch herself asking that until they were out and floating into the restaurant owner's ears. 

"Pearl? What about it?" He asked. "That place is nothing but a pile of rubble, isn't it? It's strange to think about, but... That city's just lost. It's best to forget about it and move on." 

She chuckled. 

If only forgetting things was as easy as you make it out to be, old man. She thought as she shrugged and went back to her breakfast. 

---

Ash

Earlier, Before the Morning

After a few more waves of enemies, the monsters had stopped attacking. 

Ash's hands were tired from how much fighting she'd done tonight, but she forced herself to keep going. Long after Sinneah had clearly become exhausted. 

The draconic woman was hunched over, breathing heavily, looking up at her with a bit of wonder, while Ash kept her eyes on the trees in the distance, waiting for her next opponents to arrive. 

"You... You do not tire?" Sinneah asked. 

"Hm?" Ash asked, looking over at her. 

"You have been fighting for so long, but you seem unfazed..." 

Ash just shrugged in response. 

"I'm used to it. It helps that my Con's pretty good too. I guess," she muttered as she kept her ears perked up for any strange clicking noises that might hint at another attack. 

Sinneah wiped away some sweat and walked over to Gurron. 

"Are you feeling well?" She asked with an amount of genuine softness and concern that Ash felt was strange to hear, coming from a woman her size. 

"I will be fine, child," the dragon replied, but even Ash could tell his tone had changed, like every second that passed, he was getting weaker. 

"How long will it take for you to regain your strength?" 

"... Not much longer, I assume. Do not pay me any mind," he said. "Actually... I believe you may be able to help your new ally in a way. Child, go and scout the area. See if you can find the enemies before they find you." 

"... I will," Sinneah nodded and as Ash turned around to see what she did, she leaped up into the air, over a tree, and grabbed onto it. It reminded Ash of what Kuri had done, back at Onyx. Then, nimbly, she moved from one tree to another. 

"... It's a bit dark out here for her to be 'scouting' or whatever, isn't it?" Ash asked, absent-mindedly. "Those things are basically invisible to me." 

"Us dragons..." Gurron said before pausing to take a breath, "can see in the dark. Sinneah may not be completely one of us, not yet, but she has progressed enough to develop night vision at least." 

"... Not yet?" Ash caught on as she walked over to Gurron. "What does that mean?" 

However, instead of answering that question, the dragon changed the topic.

"... Sinneah may be gone for some time. Half-demon, what was your name, again?" 

"Ash," she replied. 

"Ash... I would speak to you if you'd allow it," he coughed. "Before my time expires." 

"What?" Ash raised a brow and crouched beside him. 

"I have been reluctant to let Sinneah know the truth but... I am afraid I will not be recovering, as I've told her. To put it simply," he said, "I am dying." 

Ash could have guessed that much. 

Damn. That's rough, she thought as she looked back for a moment to see if she could spot anything. 

"We do not know each other well," he told her, "we are not friends, we are not family, or whatever other human denotations of relationships exist that I am not aware of. However, I would ask you for... What do you call it? Yes, a 'favor', if you will." 

"... Depends," Ash shrugged. "Like you said. We aren't friends or whatever. I'm not gonna go out of my way to risk my own neck for you." 

"You will not need to do any such thing, I believe. Do you know of the nearby city?" He asked. "I saw it from the skies while Sinneah and I were roaming over this region." 

"... Amber, yeah," Ash replied. "I came from there, to get to this place." 

"Good," he answered. "I would ask of you just one thing. Can you take Sinneah there?" 

"Why?" Ash asked. 

"Because ever since her birth, Sinneah has lacked a place to call her home. As a dragon, the realm itself is my home, and I traveled it at will throughout my whole life. However, she cannot say the same. I would ask that you show her human civilization and allow her the choice to pick a home for herself. Should she wish to remain out here, in nature's embrace, then that is fine. However, I would want her to choose her own path. It is to be my last wish, and I would appreciate it," he coughed, "if you could grant it to me, by showing her the way." 

"..." Ash paused, looking down at the dragon for a moment. Her demonic eyes locked with his own as she considered this. 

... I'm gonna have to go back to Amber anyway,  she thought.  If all he wants is for me to bring her along... 

"Sure," she replied. 

"Thank you, then, Ash." 

At that moment, an idea came to Ash's mind. 

Come to think of it, I never did check his level. 

So, she looked over at Gurron and checked. 

Level 75

MP: 900/900

Ash paused. She thought about it for a moment, and then looked back at him.

"Gurron, right? That's your name?" Ash asked. 

"Yes." 

"... Can I ask for a favor of my own then?"