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The air smells of smoke.
There is chaos in the kingdom, chaos in the castle: chaos in the way the streets are filled with shouts and thundering footsteps, a stampede of citizens fleeing a town that burns. The sun runs all the same, chasing its line across the horizon as dusk claims the land in its harsh slaughter of light. By now, the sky bleeds orange and dark: a combination of ash, lingering crimson spells, and its own dimming natural hues. Night is approaching, and fast.
(This is bad. They only get stronger during the night.)
There’s a flutter of wings overhead.
Dragons. A dragon on top of it all.
Hinomori Shiho is closer to terror than they’ve ever been in their life.
No one had predicted an attack. The most warning they’d received was a report of strange changes in weather patterns from the mountains up north, but that was thought to be a confined issue, not the start of a new war. It’d been a normal day, up until then. A break day, even. While Shiho always played the role of a vigilant knight, there were days when their duty was lessened and they had the ability to just wander and aid, rather than standing post in the doors of the castle or out completing missions for the king.
Today had been one such day, where Shiho was away from the castle itself, out in the town chatting with anyone who wished to and eyeing the markets for useful supplies (and gifts for… some certain people.)
And shit, Shiho had been too far away.
Honami. Ichika.
(They’ll never forgive themself if anything happens to them.)
Currently, they’re running, running towards the burning castle and shoving through pedestrians going the other way. This is too much chaos to properly manage, and there’s too much happening for someone like Shiho to stop and quell, so all they can do is yell “Get inside!” and “Get out of the open!” as they dash madly up the streets. Luckily for the civilians (unluckily for someone who is worried mad over their princess), the brunt of the attack seems to be on the castle itself.
After a few minutes of running, Shiho pauses, chest rising and falling from the quick burst of effort. A quick look up tells them trying to enter through the main drawbridge towards the castle is no good: it’s damaged and covered in debris, with the occasional clashing of swords. If they go in that way, they’ll have to fight, and Ichika doesn’t have the time to wait for them to fight. They have to get in fast to be by her side.
Hold on. Hold on, I’m coming for you.
What other options do they have? They can’t circle the castle, that’d take too long. Perhaps going underground would work, if the tunnels hadn’t caved in from the magic tremors that shake the earth. No, no good— they’ll have to—
Their head snaps to the side.
On each end of the castle spans its giant walls, built to keep what wasn’t wanted out. Those walls circle the kingdom, accessed by climbing one of the many towers, and would lead Shiho right through the chaos to where they needed to go.
The towers. That’s the best way to get in.
And thus, Hinomori Shiho grips the sheath of their blade tighter, and bolts off to the side.
It takes longer than they’d have hoped to scramble up the stairs and emerge in their place in the sky, and when they finally catch a glimpse of the smoke, the sinking feeling in their stomach twists tighter. The view of the city up here is usually breathtaking: one they can view upon with a sense of pride for what they fight for, but now, it’s destroyed.
Ash rises from the chaos that burns. Invaders clash with their fellow knights below them, and Shiho watches in horror as they fall, one after another. Amidst the fighting, they spot the familiar figures of Tsukasa, their Grand Cross Knight, and Akito, the Cavalry Captain, shouting commands and working together to keep their men on their feet.
Gritting their teeth, Shiho turns back to the front. Ignore it for now, they can’t help them. They have their own duty as Ichika’s protector.
They’re about to begin running, when something in the corner of their vision catches their eye. Spinning around, Shiho squints into the distance, realizing with a jolt there’s a figure approaching their position— not slow, but not at a run that sells desperation. They seem calm, controlled, and—
Shiho freezes.
It’s a girl.
Walking towards them on the wall, clutching an elegant wooden staff in their hands, is a girl. Her outfit almost blends in with the sky: white shirt that’s hardly visible beneath the black cloak over her shoulders that billows in the wind. It’s detailed with gold and ivory, marking her as one of the enemies. Besides that, the inside of her cape is printed a crimson red, much darker than the color of the girl’s eyes.
Her eyes.
Forget the outfit, forget the weapon or the stance. Hinomori Shiho knows this girl. Green eyes meet pink: a grim, set face widens in surprise as it sees a face they thought they’d never see again. The girl’s hair is yellow, pulled into two similar pigtails that run in curls to her shoulders and fade away into pink. She hasn’t changed at all. She hasn’t changed at all, except she’s donning the uniform of their attackers, and she’s— she’s back.
“S-Saki?”
The girl smiles. The grin she wears matches perfectly with their memories.
“Shiho-chan! I was wondering if I’d see you!”
Shiho can’t move.
Saki?
It’s been four years since they last saw their best friend.
For a heartbeat, time stops, and Shiho doesn’t know what to do. Is this relief? Is this fear? How is a person supposed to react to a reunion like this? Standing in front of them is Tenma Saki, Shiho’s childhood best friend— the girl who vanished one day without a trace and is now wearing the clothes of the enemy.
“…Saki?” they ask again, repeating her name like a lifeline. Because— it’s really Saki. It’s really her: same wide eyes that gleam with mischief and life, same smile that can outshine even the sun. It’s a face they haven’t seen in years, but here she stands, dawning the cloaks of the enemy. Standing opposed to Shiho— standing here: a challenger, not a friend.
“It’s me! Oh, Shiho-chan, I missed you so much.” Saki’s grin is very much real and very much alive. She continues to walk forwards, stopping about two arm’s length away. “I can’t believe you’re here.“
It almost feels like the world is slipping away from Shiho. They don’t know what to do here. “You’re… you’re alive.”
“I’m not just alive,” Saki laughs, twirling her staff between nimble fingers. “I’m stronger than ever. I— I’ve done so much, Shiho-chan. And… and I can’t wait to tell you about it.” She spreads her arms like she’s going in for a hug, and for a heartbeat, Shiho’s inclined to drop everything and comply. But something holds them back— their shock, maybe. Or…
“You’re— you’re in their clothing.”
Saki’s eyes widen. She glances down at herself, as if she hadn’t realized. “Oh, yeah. That’s awkward, haha. A lot has happened in these past four years.”
“Saki. Why are you here?”
“…I’m with the rest of them, aren’t I?”
Shiho eyes the weapon. “So you’re an enemy.”
“I suppose. If that’s how you want to see it.”
“I—“ Shiho starts, breaking off. “Drop your staff. Put your hands up, and then we can talk.” They desperately want to reach out to her, but they can’t now— not when they’re on duty, not when Saki’s on the attack.
“Or,” Saki proposes, taking a small step forwards. The base of her staff drags menacingly against cobblestone. Magic user. Saki hadn’t practiced magic in the past. Don’t think about the past. “You stand down, I do what I need to do, and then we’re good! Neither of us have to fight.” She smiles, and it’s so painfully warm; dazzling like this city of flames. “I missed you, you know.”
“Don’t start with any of that,” Shiho snaps. “You’re the one who picked the other side.”
“I’m sorry,” Saki says, and it sounds genuine. (It is genuine. Neither of them would willingly hurt the other.) “Leaving you three was the hardest thing I’ve ever done.”
“Why did you leave us?” Shiho asks, hating how desperate they sound. Their voice falters, losing its aggression, and suddenly they’re sixteen years old again, feeling like the night they lost their best friend.
“It’s what fate foretold.”
The knight stiffens. “That’s not a real answer and you know it.”
A small smile. “It’s a real answer to me. I had to be there for Toya-kun. He wasn’t safe here— and his presence was a danger for others, too. And… I wanted to see more. If the world wanted me to see it, why shouldn’t I have leapt?”
There’s so much to unpack with that statement. They’d all wanted to explore the world when they were younger, but given their statuses and duties, it was simply impossible. Shiho was the only one able to reach out. They could bring that up— point out how much they’d love to spend every day by Saki’s side— but Shiho’s attention was drawn to the name thrown out so casually, as though it didn’t belong to the prince who’d died ages ago. “…as in, Aoyagi Toya?”
“Oh… right. The prince is alive! We had to, uh, fake his death, and then Rui-kun and I left right after. We’ve been together, in the mountains. Learning!” She twirls her staff, and the tip shines with crimson. “I’m so much stronger now!”
The prince is alive. Saki ran away on her own.
“You… you faked his death? Left without saying anything?”
Saki looks offended. “We had to act fast. And I couldn’t ask all of you to bear the weight of that secret— especially not you and Icchan, it’d be treason. No one could know. For everyone’s sake.”
“I would’ve…” Shiho trails off, suddenly uncertain. What would they have done? Kept the secret of the missing prince from the royal family? From Ichika and Honami? Even… even if they had to keep it from them… “We didn’t… didn’t even know if you were alive.”
“It was for the greater good, Shiho-chan,” Saki says softly. “Withdrawal to save others. And that’s why I’m here—! We just gotta do what we need to, and then we’ll leave, and then one day, when this is all over, the four of us can be reunited. Wouldn’t you understand?”
Wouldn’t you understand?
Shiho doesn’t have time to process her words— doesn’t have time to find the connection between Shiho’s past and Saki’s present. Too much is at stake here. “What— what are you here to do?”
That question actually makes Saki look bad. It’s the first words of the day that have had an actual effect. Saki looks away from the knight, allowing her gaze to sweep over the castle’s destruction. “…I promise you, she’ll be safe.”
I don’t like where this is going. “She’ll…?”
“We’ve been sent to bring Icchan back home with us. You’d understand if you heard the full story. …and we will make it happen. For the sake of peace.”
Shiho’s stomach drops.
“You’re after… Ichika?”
Saki ignores them, continuing to speak. “I’ve missed her so much… and Hona-chan, also. I hope I get to see her, but there may not be time today. At least I was lucky enough to see you.”
“Saki.”
“Icchan’ll be fine— she won’t even know what’s going on before she’s waking up, safe and sound. I swear it. Would I lie to you, Shiho-chan?”
“Is that— that the only reason you’re here?” Shiho forces out, feeling dizzy.
“Well, it is for me. She’s my best friend after all. I wouldn’t be here if we were just attacking. That’s what they’re doing, though.” She shrugs. “That’s not my concern. Toya-kun is in charge of the attack, he’s ring-leading the rest.” Saki pauses, then steps forwards, closer to Shiho— closer to Ichika. “I’m going to ask you one more time: step aside. Let me do this. It’s for the best.”
Her eyes grow darker. “I’m not backing down no matter what. It’s not wise to refuse.”
The threat spurs Shiho into action. They narrow their eyes, finally drawing their sword. It slides out of its sheath with the sound of slicing metal, springing to full size in Shiho’s grasp. “Leave. Now.”
The sentence ends with an unfinished statement. Don’t make me hurt you. I don’t want to fight you. Shiho is usually not one to flee from a challenger: but there’s a new sort of hesitance that clings to their stance when that challenger takes the form of their best friend. “I am not letting you or anyone else take Ichika away from here,” they spit.
“Do you really think I’d hurt Icchan?”
Shiho narrows their eyes. “Once upon a time, I’d never imagine you threatening to hurt me.”
“You have your sword drawn too, Shiho-chan.” Saki’s expression softens. It’s wistful. Apologetic: the face of a girl who knows her friend all too well, and knows exactly where it hits the most. “Remember when you swore to always protect me? I wouldn’t have ever imagined being on the receiving end of your blade.”
The words are like a blow to the gut. Shiho nearly rears back with the weight of them, thrown back to all the promises they made in the past. Saki’s eyes, just for a moment, reflect a better time: when they were filled with a kind of love and joy and not this weary, upset sadness. Jovial determination was much better than this bitter need to do right.
Saki gauges their reaction. “See? Neither of us want to fight.”
“This isn’t a matter of want,” Shiho chokes out. “If I ever got what I wanted, the castle wouldn’t be on fire.” And you would still be here with us.
That seems to be it. Saki draws herself up, a new sort of finality in her voice. “Shiho-chan. Move, and I promise no one will be hurt.”
Shiho inhales, standing straighter. Their body takes on a fighting form, no matter how much their heart screams to stand aside. “I am not abandoning my duty.”
Saki sighs, picking up her staff. “Well then, Shiho-chan. Don’t hold yourself back.” She grins. “I hope you appreciate how much I’ve improved. Give me some pointers like old times!”
And with a wave of the wand, she vanishes into a cloud of ember orange.
Shiho feels the breeze of an incoming attack before Saki has regained a physical form. From the left, she swoops in like a phoenix, smile replaced with a grim line: the face of a girl who needs to act fast. Even though their weapons have not yet made contact, Shiho can already sense the power that rolls off Saki in waves. This isn’t the same girl she used to know. This girl is dangerous.
Shiho lunges to the side, dodging the initial attack. With no time to waste, they spin around, thrusting their sword back out. In a way, it almost feels like sparring with Ichika or Honami; an attack that could do damage, but would always be blocked by their blade. A part of them knows Saki will counter.
All I need to do is get her out of the way. Then I can go to Ichika.
Ichika, please be alright right now.
Maybe Saki wouldn’t hurt Ichika, but Shiho has no doubt there are others that would.
Saki, as expected, dodges the jab with ease, retaliating with a burst of heat that soars by Shiho’s shoulder. They hiss as warmth washes over their face, ducking out of the way to avoid being set aflame. Ugh. Magic. It’s been a while since they’ve clashed with a fire-user. Saki’s magic seems to be powered by her staff: if Shiho can take it and snap it, maybe they’ll end this fight.
Thus, the dance begins. Each warrior engages in their deadly duel; whirling and jabbing and slicing. Saki’s staff excels at physical attacks too: nearly breaking Shiho’s nose as it swings out towards their face. Saki fights with a grim determination that Shiho feels all too well, but… it doesn’t truly feel like a fight. There’s no real fear.
On the battlefield, it’s kill or be killed.
It doesn’t feel like this with Saki.
It feels as though both of them are holding back, even if they vowed against it. The fire isn’t as hot as the flames that eat away at the kingdom. Shiho doesn’t strike as hard as they can. Because this is their best friend. This is the girl they spent their entire life with. This… this is wrong.
Even so, Shiho pushes forwards. Saki may have run away, but Shiho won’t allow her to take Ichika with. Bringing their sword in a large arc, they move forwards in a sudden lunge. Their blade knicks the skin of Saki’s arm who doesn’t make a sound but grimaces in pain all the same.
“Drop your weapon!” Shiho screams, working their blade inside of Saki’s arms. She holds onto her staff with both hands, creating a small gap on the inside to force their sword in and yank. The both of them are face to face now: Saki pulling their staff closer to herself to knock Shiho away and Shiho attempting to pry it from her grasp.
“Get out of my way!” Saki yells back, her volume causing Shiho to flinch. She raises a leg and kicks Shiho in the chest, causing the knight to stumble and lose their grip on the sword. It clatters to the ground, and is quickly kicked away by Saki further behind her.
They’re both panting, but now Shiho is defenseless. With narrowed eyes, Saki slowly brings up her staff, pointing it directly at Shiho’s chest. Their breath catches in their throat.
“There,” she exhales, shoulders heaving in effort. “Shiho-chan. Stand d—“
She doesn’t get to finish before Shiho tackles her.
Throwing themselves at Saki, Shiho shoves both of them to the ground, then scrambles over her to retrieve their sword. While Saki is still stunned, Shiho pushes themselves frantically to their feet, bringing their sword to point at her throat. The movement is sloppy: poor form in arms weak with emotion, but it’s okay. She’s the one defenseless now. Shiho has won.
“There,” Shiho repeats, feeling like crying. “You always were one to let your guard down.”
Saki, on the ground, looks stunned. “Shiho-chan…”
Their hands are trembling. “Throw your staff to the side. You’re coming with me.”
The blonde doesn’t comply. “Is this really what you want? Shiho-chan, please. I need you to listen to me. It sounds crazy, but— but I have Icchan’s best interest in sake, too. She’s my best friend. I would never willingly put her in harm's way.” Saki pauses. “She’s in danger here.”
Shiho’s gaze narrows. “How.”
“I can’t— I can’t tell you. I can’t put you in danger too. But, Shiho-chan. I still love you. You’re still— you’re still my best friend.” She looks away. “I never wanted this. I never wanted to be apart from you. I missed you. It wasn’t a lie.”
The sword in their grasp won’t hold steady. It trembles over Saki. “Then come back,” Shiho whispers. “Come back to us— come back to me.”
“I can’t. I can’t now. But— but one day I can. If you let me go. If you let me go, and trust me to take care of Icchan then— then someday, the four of us can be back together again. Just like we were. Just as we should be.”
“I—“
Shiho doesn’t have the chance to reply before they’re lifted from the wall.
A strangled yelp escapes their throat as magic drives their fists to their side, sword falling from their grasp and clattering to the ground. Panic seizes them, constricting their throat just as an invisible force locks their arms to their torso. For a terrifying moment, Shiho’s floating in air— disoriented, weightless, and exposed.
Below them, Saki gasps, eyes widening. “Rui-kun—!” she starts, frantically sitting up. “Wait, don’t hur—!”
That’s all Shiho gets to hear before they’re slammed into the ground.
The instant their head meets concrete, stars fly, and their vision goes cold.
——
Four girls play on a hill.
They’re not supposed to be out here. In fact, if they were discovered here in a place bathed with warm sunlight from the gentle hues of a summer’s dusk, they’d surely be scolded. The nine year old princess was hardly allowed out of the kingdom’s walls, and most definitely not allowed with only the companionship of her three equally young friends. “The forest is dangerous,” they say. “You are not allowed to enter.”
Unfortunately for the King and Queen, their daughter is Hoshino Ichika.
Ichika manages to be both a model princess and hell on earth for all nobles involved at the very same time. She’s perfect in Shiho’s eyes, everything a future leader ought to be— smart and bold and pretty (which is just a general fact, not that Shiho thinks about it that much…). She’s quick-witted and fast on her feet, and even at nine years old, Shiho thinks there’s no better person who could rule over their kingdom.
…however, sometimes those ideas and that impulse led her into a tiny bit of trouble.
It’d been Ichika’s idea to sneak out, encouraged by Honami’s fantasies and Shiho and Saki’s agreement. A few days ago, with her head pushed towards a map of the sky, Honami had informed them all of an approaching meteor shower, and how she wanted to— no, needed to— be able to watch it. Originally, they’d been planning to sneak to the top of the towers, but Ichika had suggested they leave the Kingdom in its entirety to have a picnic on one of the high-sprawling hills because “being in nature and seeing them will be more fun, we always watch from the tower.”
That’s how they ended up here: giggling and running around on the top of this hill. There’s a picnic blanket that Honami is currently sitting on, surrounded by snacks, books, and maps of the sky. Saki sits next to her, changing her position seemingly every second. Shiho and Ichika stand behind them, giggling as they chase each other around a tree.
“What’s this star shower thing called again, Hona-chan?” Saki is asking, leaning obnoxiously far across the blanket to peer at the book in Honami’s lap. She hasn’t looked up from the pages once since they all got here, and the others were happy to leave her to her reading. She’s buzzing with excitement in her own Honami way.
“Meteor shower,” the young girl corrects. “They’re called the Perseids. We watched them last year, remember? From the tower.”
“Right, I remember. That was fun.” Saki giggles. “This is more fun, though. I can’t believe you all actually decided to sneak out.”
“You were the most enthusiastic about it,” Shiho points out, slowing in their chase to allow Ichika a moment to catch her breath. “And it wasn’t even your idea.”
“But I didn’t expect everyone to also actually sneak out.” Saki pushes herself up to her feet, stumbling a bit with her momentum, before running over to Shiho and throwing herself over them. Shiho makes a sound of protest, trying to push her off and ending up in a squabble. “Ow! Hey! Don’t jab me! Why do you even have a stick?”
“I’m going to be a knight,” Shiho says, brandishing their stick like a sword. With nearly perfect posture, they lunge forwards like a joust, jabbing the tip of said stick lightly into Honami’s arm, who yelps and shoots them a glare. “A knight is never without their trusty sword.”
“Oh, I’ll be one too! Just like Onii-chan!” Saki shouts, springing suddenly to her feet. She puffs out her chest, taking on a pose of a grand hero: mighty and strong, imaginary cape billowing in the breeze.
“No, I’m the knight. I’m supposed to protect you.”
“I can protect myself!” Saki proclaims, bending down and scoping up the first stick she could find. It’s nowhere near the length of Shiho’s: skinny and only double the size of the fist she clamps around it. With movements much less graceful, she mirrors Shiho’s; stabbing the stick out towards Honami who, this time, dodges and throws grass at her.
Shiho seems to find this inaccurate. “You nearly fell down the hill on the way up here.”
“I tripped. Because it was steep,” Saki huffs, crossing her arms to her chest with a pout.
“And then leaving the castle you nearly alerted all the guards of us sneaking out.”
“Well you nearly got us lost because you saw a cute rabbit you started to chase off after—“
“That— that was an important decision!” Shiho sputters. “He could’ve… gotten lost.”
“A rabbit. In a forest. Lost?”
Shiho waves their stick in the air, already a familiar shade of red. “You don’t know where he lives!”
“He lives in the forest!”
Ichika giggles at their antics, moving forwards to nudge Shiho with her shoulder. “You guys are silly. You can both be knights, if you really want.”
“But I want to be the protector,” Shiho complains, nudging Ichika back. They frown, then bow their head. “I want to protect you three, forever and ever. I’ll never let anything happen to you. I promise.”
“Shiho…” Ichika whispers. Honami looks up from the blanket, a small smile crossing her features, before glancing back down with brighter eyes than before.
Saki seems the most affected. She drops her own stick, then runs up to Shiho. “You promise?”
The next two words are the easiest words Shiho has ever said. They smile. “I promise.”
Saki considers this. “Okay. You can be the knight. But we’re going to fight together, you hear? You protect me, and I’ll protect you.” She looks at Ichika. “And then we can both protect Icchan!”
“I want to fight too!” Ichika protests, pushing her way into their huddle. “I’m not going to be defenseless!”
“You’re not allowed to fight bad guys, that’s going to be my job,” Shiho says. “But… we can all spar together. It’s probably smarter if everyone knows how to fight, at least a little.”
“Everyone!” Honami shouts suddenly, startling her friends with her sudden intensity. With a bashful grin, she ducks her head, then lifts it again and points to the sky. “Sorry. Look! It’s starting.”
Saki yelps, shoving Shiho to the side in order to scramble back to the blanket. Grumbling, Shiho steadies themselves, taking a second to offer Ichika a hand. “Would you like to join us, Your Majesty?” they ask, a teasing smile tugging at their lips.
“Of course, my dear knight,” Ichika laughs, mocking a curtsy and gracefully accepting their hand. The two of them join Honami and Saki at the blanket, Shiho finding a comfortable spot next to Honami and Ichika sitting at their side. Four pairs of eyes stare at the sky, all bright in the light of the stars.
In the end, it’s gorgeous, just as they’d expected. And here, surrounded with pretty sights and the people Shiho loves more than anything, they smile.
That night, when they return to the castle, they’re caught just outside the walls by the guards on high-alert and brought before the King and Queen. Even when the advisors are scolding Ichika— and them, by extension— Shiho feels happy. Happy for being fortunate enough to be friends with these three— happy to have this emotion swell up in their heart.
At one point Saki’s hand comes to clasp Shiho’s— interlocking her fingers between the two. Shiho doesn’t pull them away, and is greeted by that shining smile they love when they squeeze her hand tighter.
——
(It’s not until dawn are the rescue parties sent out. Injured knights are brought to what remains of the castle for treatment.)
(There are a few things the kingdom learns that day. First: the prince is alive. The prince lives and has allied himself with their enemies, sworn to destroy the very ground this castle stands on. Whether that’s his real motive or not doesn't matter: this is what the people believe.)
(Secondly: the Dragon Nation is after the royal family— those of the Aoyagis and the Hoshinos. They know this because demands have already been made for the Aoyagis’ heads.)
(And thirdly, Princess Hoshino Ichika has been captured, and the kingdom is now at war.)