#*crappy

“Neoma--”

Okemia’s words get cut short as her young Lord looks at her, eyes devoid of everything except a burning rage that surpasses the intensity of the flames that surround them. Her heart shudders in her chest, yet she still reaches a hand out to Neoma.

“Move out of my way before I make you,” she growls, shoving Okemia’s hand to the side.

“Lord Takeda, please, we have to--”

“No.” Neoma’s hand moves to her waist, curling around the hilt of her katana. “I’m not going anywhere with you. I’m not going anywhere without...”

As her voice breaks and the mask she wears begins to crumble, Okemia takes a step forward. The sword is out of its sheath and pointed at her throat before her foot even touches the ground.

“Leave or I will slay you where you stand.”

Okemia says nothing. All she can see is the girl she rescued from flames so similar years and years ago, forlorn and grieving and so, so young. She’s the same now, but with more rage. It breaks Okemia’s heart.

Back then, the only wounds she had were those of the sudden loss of her parents, but now...now the wounds stretch across her body. Rather, her entire body is a wound. And the way she stands now, one hand trembling as it holds a katana, the other around her stomach and soaked in blood, face strained and pale, it’s so obvious that she can’t do this, physically or mentally. Not on her own. 

The flames continue to encroach on them, growing closer every moment. But Lord Takeda doesn’t seem to care, her mask is back on, no readable emotions revealing themselves. Just the coldness of nothingness.

“Neoma.” she steps forward.

Turning, Neoma puts her sword back in its sheathe and refuses to look at Okemia, who watches her with hope in her eyes and heart.

“Try to stop me again and I will kill you.”

And with that, Neoma walks away from Okemia, disappearing into the flames faster than Okemia can process. She almost falls to her knees, eyes stinging and burning, heart in a million shards as she stares where her young Lord was just a moment ago.

“I...I’ll find you again, Lord Takeda,” she whispers hoarsely, “I’ll find a way to bring you back to us.”