TheShatteredRose

“Wh-what is the meaning of this?!” Yeyasu spluttered as he placed his hands upon the brown, scaley fingers and tried to lift himself free. “Put me down this instant!”

“Yeyasu!” Numerous voices called his name in alarm. He wasn’t sure if he was just being hopeful, but Fuji’s voice sounded the loudest out of them all. There was little doubt, however, that his companions were getting themselves ready for battle.

The baboon, or whatever the hell that thing was supposed to represent, laughed. Loudly. Boisterously. Far too happily. And right into his head.

“Eeeh, don’t laugh at me!” Yeyasu yelled before he had the chance to reconsider. He was talking to a Guardian Beast, after all.

“Now, settle yourself down there, kid. And tell your bros over there to do the same. I’m just preparing for the trial.”

Yeyasu immediately stilled and focused his attention on the Guardian holding him aloft. The voice was deep, husky, and masculine. But the amusement in their tone was obvious. This Guardian didn’t sound like the others, all calm and regal.

No, this guy sounded like an ol’ timey sailor looking for some amusement.

“O-ok,” Yeyasu said in response before he turned to look to his left, where Fuji and the others stood. “Calm down! They’re not going to hurt me!”

“How do you know that for sure?” Fuji immediately countered, his hand resting on the hilt of Kanzan Musashi. The way his fingers flexed and the muscles in his arms taut, he was ready to unleash hell.

“Bwahaha!” the Guardian Beast laughed in his head once more, causing him to wince. “I take it that one is your warrior?”

Yeyasu immediately stiffened and snapped his head toward the Guardian once more. “My what?!”

Somehow, even with their features being made of sharp scales and dry moss, the Guardian Beast smiled at him. Impishly at that. “Your dedicated and oh-so protective warrior, hm?”

“Cursed!” Yeyasu shrilled as his face burned a brilliant red. “He’s the one that’s cursed! That’s why I’m helping him!”

“Right, of course.” The Guardian’s long monkey tail flickered in pure, unadulterated amusement. “So, he’s the one who needs to complete the trial.”

That caused Yeyasu to blink in confusion. “Him? But isn’t the one who-?”

“You’ve already proved yourself to me,” the Guardian unexpectedly cut him off. “After all, I’m the third guardian, right?”

“Y-yeah.” Yeyasu stilled again as the braincells in his head began to work. And a mortifying realisation washed over him. “Wait, do you Guardians gossip amongst yourselves?!”

“Sure do!”

Yeyasu let out a mortified wail as he covered his face with his hands and proceeded to smash his head against the fingers that held him aloft. Gossip. The Guardian Beasts were gossiping. About him!

“Now, no need to be so nervous. Call me Bob.”

Yeyasu paused in his self-loathing actions and furrowed his brow. He soon snapped his head in the Guardian’s direction, completely and utterly incredulous. “Eeeh, you have a name? Wait, Bob? Why Bob? Does it mean something?”

“Nothing at all! Bwahaha!”

…He really should have expected as much.

What an annoying laugh! Imagine traveling around the world with someone with such an irritating laugh!

“Right,” the guard…he meant, Bob, uttered into his mind, their voice unexpectedly serious all of a sudden. “This is what we’re going to do. You’re going to stay right here, while your Lover Boy battles a bunch of zombies.”

Yeyasu nodded his head in understanding before he truly allowed the words to register in his head. And when they did, he felt that all-consuming blush rage across his cheeks once more. “Wh-what?!”

Bob grinned at him again. It wasn’t all that noticeably due to the dark scales of their skin, but Yeyasu saw it. Oh, he definitely saw it. The sheer amusement in his eyes was infuriating. “Which part didn’t you understand?”

Yeyasu flailed. Literally. Smacking his hands repeatedly against the scaly fingers that still held him. “Th-that first part!”

“Go on, say it,” Bob urged, mockingly. “Say Lover Boy.”

“Never!”

Again, Bob laughed at him. In his own head. Being laughed at was bad enough, but to have the guffawing rattling around in his own head? Torturous! “You’re a lot of fun. Now, tell your Lover Boy over there to get ready for battle. This time he’s the one who needs to prove himself.”

“O-ok.” Yeyasu turned his head to the left once more, where his companions continued to stand, no doubt wondering what the hell was going on as they could only hear his reactions, not what the Guardian, rather, Bob was saying to him. “Fuji!”

“What?!” Fuji immediately yelled back, his tense and battle-ready stance tightening further. “What the hell is going on here?!”

Yeyasu pointed toward the remarkably strange Guardian Beast. “This guy is called Bob.” He then pointed directly at Fuji. “And they want you to be the one to pass the trial.”

Fuji frowned. Full on wary and sceptical. “But why the hell are you over there?!”

“How am I supposed to know!?”

Yeyasu grimaced as the quickly becoming irritating laugh bellowed in his head. “Bwahaha! Asking the important questions. Tell him that you’re the prize.”

“The prize?!” Yeyasu shrilled, which was something he had done throughout nearly their entire conversation. “Absolutely not!”

Bob was having way too much fun as he guffawed into his head once more. “You’re probably right. I want him to reach that conclusion on his own!”

Just what was Bob trying to do? Thinking back on the previous two guardians, they had an interest in what his relationship was with the one he wanted to help. The cursed one. He supposed it made sense in a way. To prove that he wasn’t being forced, but out of his own free will.

And he supposed it made perfect sense to test the cursed to learn whether he was worthy of the ritual.

That what he assumed, anyway.

Bob shifted their stance suddenly and clicked their fingers on their three free hands. The noise was impossibly loud, sure to startled anyone and everyone in the area. As the echoing resided, the ground between Bob and the rest of Yeyasu’s companions began to stir.

Where an army of zombies surfaced.

Unsurprisingly, Fuji and the others immediately pulled themselves into battle ready stances. Higan all but smirking in sadistic anticipation. While Fuji himself looked agitated; a scowl on his face and his tail twitching sharply.

“Alright,” Bob said, seemingly satisfied. “He just needs to defeat the zombies on his own.”

Yeyasu quirked his head to the side in question. “Is that all?”

“Nope!” Bob replied cheerfully. And loudly. “I’m not revealing the true trial. He’s going to have to show me without prompting.”

“That’s totally unfair!” Yeyasu immediately protested. Which only got him another irritating laugh in response.

“Bwahaha, not really!”

Yeyasu released a deep sigh. His head was really starting to hurt from all that obnoxious laughter. Laughter only he could hear. But he had to do his job as a translator. “Fuji!”

“What’s going on now?!” Fuji demanded immediately.

“Bob wants to start the trial now,” Yeyasu explained. “And they only want you to fight. Everyone else needs to stay back. So, get ready!”

“Fucking Bob,” Fuji muttered under his breath, doing absolutely nothing to hide his agitation. “I’ll murder that thing after I’m done…”

Bob naturally heard him, and again, naturally, the very eccentric Guardian Beast laughed boisterous and wholeheartedly into Yeyasu’s head.

He was going to have one hell of a headache after this nonsense was over!

Bob clicked their fingers again, a sound that prompted the zombies to advance. Fuji remained still, but only momentarily. He soon sprung forward quickly, Kanzan Musashi unleashed in one fluid, seamless motion. And he unleashed fury upon the zombie horde.

Even though he was held aloft, away from the battlefield, he was able to see Fuji’s taut and powerful muscles flex and ripple smoothly under his battle harden skin. His body was lean, obviously powerful, and his movements undeniably flawless. Each swing of the sword was precise, and swift.

It was, he was mesmerising to watch.

Yeyasu wasn’t entirely worried for Fuji’s safety; the guy had faced far deadly enemies, after all. And, hey, were just zombies. But…they kept appearing from the ground. A little bit alarming. Just how did those zombies come to be there? Who put them there? More importantly…

“How long is he supposed to do this for?” Yeyasu asked, finally tearing his gaze from Fuji’s form and toward the Guardian Beast that still kept him...ah, captive?

“For as long as I want.”

Yeyasu bristled with protectiveness at the Guardian’s dismissiveness. “Totally uncalled for!”

“Bwaha, settle down,” Bob immediately responded. “Your Lover Boy will be fine. Stop fussing.”

Yeyasu immediately blushed deeply and he shrilled in denial once more, “I-I’m not fussing! It’s just…This is supposed to be a place for peace and meditation!”

Bob had the nerve to shrug nonchalantly at him. “Yeah, but that gets boring after a while.”

Bob suddenly tightened his grip around Yeyasu and before he could even comprehend what the strange Guardian was planning next, he was upside-down. Literally turned him one-eighty degrees so that his head pointed to the earth.

Naturally, Yeyasu shrieked and dug his delicate fingers into the scaly skin of the hand that held him. “Eeeeeeeeeh! What are you doing?! S-stop it! The blood is rushing to my head!”

“Bwahaha, you make the most interesting sounds.”

“Hey, asshole!” Fuji suddenly interjected, his voice terse and sharp. He sounded furious. “Turn him back around or I’ll cut that damn arm off!”

Bob whistled. Impressed. And of course, amused. “Ooh, he’s a fiery one.”

Fiery wasn’t exactly the right word…

Thankfully, he listened to Fuji’s threat and righted him in a swift movement. Leaving Yeyasu startled and disorientated. And he slumped into the Beast’s hold, slightly nauseous. “Gah…”

What the hell was that about?

“Tell him,” Bob suddenly ordered, unexpectedly serious. “Tell him to look for the Island Pine. Tell him it’s amongst the monsters.”

“Ugh, fine.” Despite the nausea, he straightened up and turned his gaze downwards. “Fuji! The Island Pine is somewhere amongst the monsters!”

Fuji hacked through a small squad of zombies with a single slash of his demonic blade. “I don’t give a shit about that right now!”

That caused Yeyasu to blink in confusion. “Huh?”

But, if he found the pine, that would end the zombie horde, right?

For the hundredth time, Yeyasu winced when Bob laughed. More boisterously than previous guffaws. “Told ya. The kid isn’t fighting for the pine. He’s fighting for you.”

That made Yeyasu still, his eyes growing wide in surprise. “M-me?”

Really? Him? B-but why?

“Alright!” Bob’s voice boomed through his head, immediately destroying Yeyasu’s previous train of thought. “This is the most important decision out of this entire trial. Get ready.”

“Huh?”

Before Yeyasu could demand answers, Bob tilted their hand to the side. An angle that had Yeyasu leaning backwards and he instinctively grasped at the large fingers around his waist. But he had to pull his hands back with Bob unfurled their fingers, prompting Yeyasu to sit in the centre of their palm.

The first thing Yeyasu did was breathe a sigh of relief. Being held aloft by a very large hand was not at all comfortable. His relief was short lived, however, and he grew tense when Bob began to move him. Thankfully, it was toward the ground. Close to where Fuji finished off the remaining zombies.

Bob was finally letting him go?

“Yeyasu!” Fuji placed Kanzan Musashi back into its sheathe and darted straight over to him. “Are you ok?”

Yeyasu nodded his head as he scooted toward the edge of Bob’s hand, his legs dangling over the side. “Y-yeah.”

Just as Yeyasu prepared himself to drop the short distance between Bob’s hand and the ground, Fuji did something wholly unexpected; he reached forward to place his strong hands around Yeyasu’s waist. And with barely a twitch from his taut muscles, lifted Yeyasu up off the Guardian’s hand.

Yeyasu felt another blush as he instinctively placed his hands on Fuji’s shoulders, his breath unconsciously hitching in his throat as Fuji pulled him toward him before he carefully, oh-so gently, placed him back on his feet.

And didn’t immediately remove his hands.

To be fair, Yeyasu didn’t immediately remove his, either.

Fuji stared at him for a moment, his brow furrowed and his eyes flickering, seemingly searching for something. Injuries, perhaps. “What the hell is going on here?” he suddenly demanded.

Yeyasu stared at Fuji for a moment before his gaze flickered back over to the Guardian Beast. Only to find the obnoxious beast smirking at him. However, they did something even worse. They gave him a thumbs up. Something he found somehow smug and patronising.

But it was a positive sign, nevertheless, he supposed.

“You passed the trial,” Yeyasu explained as he turned his attention back to Fuji, neither of them removing their hands just yet. “Bob here wanted you to be the one to pass. As you’re the one the ritual is for and all.”

Fuji didn’t look all that pleased, however. “And you being their hostage?”

“Ah, no idea?” It did make it easier for them to communicate. But the beast was obviously a jerk, so they were probably just having fun at his expense.

“Alright, I’ve seen everything I needed to see,” Bob suddenly announced, his loud voice making Yeyasu jump in surprise and snap his head in their direction. “You earn the Island Pine.”

Bob then lowered a large hand in their direction. An act that provoked Fuji’s protective side and he immediately reacted by removing his hands from Yeyasu’s waist to push him behind him. One arm thrown out in front of Yeyasu in a purely protective stance as his other hand gripped the demonic blade.

Again, Yeyasu made out a smug grim on the annoying jerk’s face. Satisfied, even justified about something. Of course, Yeyasu hadn’t a blue what had tickled the Guardian’s fancy.

“Here you go,” Bob said as he unfurled his fingers and exposed his palm. Where pristine green leaves of the Island Pine were seen.

“It’s ok,” Yeyasu told Fuji to hopefully ease his protectiveness. “It’s the Island Pine.”

Fuji still didn’t look happy, his suspicions remaining on his features. But he did allow Yeyasu to step out from behind him. Though, quite reluctantly.

“Th-thanks,” Yeyasu uttered as he retrieved the Island Pine.

Bob nodded their head. “You’re half way there. Two more Guardians to go.”

Yeyasu actually felt a wave of hesitation. “Are they…as eccentric as you?”

“Bwahaha, you’ll have to wait and see!”

Yay…? Something to look forward to?

Bob suddenly pointed directly at Fuji. “Also, tell the kid I like him.”

“Fuji, Bob says he likes you.”

Fuji narrowed his eyes in silence; his attention focused upon the Guardian Beast before them. After a few moments, he finally snorted and pulled himself from his battle stance. Only to fold his arms across his chest, less than impressed. “…And what am I supposed to do with this information?”

“Bwahaha!” Bob laughed yet again before he used his four arms to push themselves to their feet and then turned their back toward them, slowly toddling off into the dense green forests. “You kids are so much fun.”

Then…they were gone. Leaving Yeyasu stood in the middle of the clearing with the Island Pine resting in his hands. And leaving him to answer the myriad of questions that his companions threw at him.

That…was certainly something.

After answering the questions the best he could, everyone decided that there was little else that they needed to do while on Yakushima, so it was time to leave. However, as they began their journey out of the dense woods, Yeyasu noted that Fuji still appeared agitated. It wasn’t just the scowl on his face that gave it away, either. The muscles in his back and shoulders were tense and his movements sharp and deliberate.

His agitation confused Yeyasu at first. They had three of the items needed for the Purification Ritual. They were moving closer to their goal of remove the Empathy Curse entirely. So, what got him so pissed off?

Wait…

With the others currently out of earshot, Yeyasu turned to the muscle-bound dragon next to him. “It really bothers you that you can’t hear what the Guardians are saying, huh?”

The scowl on Fuji’s face somehow darkened and he snorted out of protest. “I’m not bothered; I’m annoyed. Hearing one side of the conversation is frustrating, ok?”

Yeyasu tilted his head to the side. A thought flittered through his mine, birthed by remembering a conversation he had with Bob. Was Fuji actually annoyed for another reason? A reason that he didn’t want to state out loud. Or even admit. Just like Yeyasu himself did?

Still…

“Is that all?”

Fuji sharply turned his face toward him, obviously confrontational. Something that was a habit for him, having done so for countless years thanks to that horrid curse. So, perhaps surprisingly, Yeyasu wasn’t all that intimidated by the glare. “What are you trying to get at?”

A tall orange shrine was located on the path to the waterfall basin. Quaint but striking in appearance. A place demons and travellers would seek to peace or self-discovery.

However, the shrine was not their ultimate destination. Yeyasu knew that the altar for the Guardian Beast was located elsewhere. Within the crystal pools beneath the waterfall itself, if he remembered correctly.

Bypassing the imposing shrine, Yeyasu took the lead, with Fuji on his heels once more. The path toward the basin was narrow, rarely traversed. Thankfully, they were still sturdy.

The thundering of the waterfall grew louder, a sound that seemed to resonate with the scroll hidden in his hoari. It urged him forward and within seconds, he stood by the edge of the pool of water.

Where he spied the very thing he had been searching for.

The stone altar of the Guardian Beast stood in the clear waters of the catchment pool. Just before the waterfall itself. He had always wondered what that shrine stood for, though he had never made an attempt to approach it. It was under the falling water, after all. He never thought it was the summoning tool for a Guardian Beast.

Yeyasu idly patted his hoari, where the scroll rested. He felt its innate energy tremble stronger than before, like it had done on Sakurajima. It was a clear, positive sign that they were in the right place.

Unfortunately, it looked like he needed to get a bit wet.

“At least this altar was easy to find,” Yeyasu muttered as he undid the buckles that kept his cape in place. He grabbed the edge of it and whipped it around in front of him. Only so he could hand it to Suisen. “Hold this for me.”

Suisen tilted his head to the side in curiosity, but retrieved the cape, nevertheless. Yet, confusion soon reigned as Yeyasu began to remove his western style boots.

“What are you-?”

“I don’t want water in my boots,” Yeyasu interrupted as he dropped his boots upon a dry river stone. “I need to reach the altar. Just mind these for me.”

However, Fuji continued to frown. Displeased and likely sceptical. “Yeyasu? What if-?”

“It’s fine,” Yeyasu interrupted again, purposely sounding dismissive. “As I said, I need to reach the altar. And they’ll only speak to the one with the scroll. So, stay here. Hopefully this will be as easy as the first.”

He hoped he didn’t just jinx himself.

Without waiting for approval, Yeyasu turned and walked toward the water edge. The stones were a little bit slippery, but he managed to step into the crystal-clear waters. And immediately shrieked.

“It’s cold!”

He heard a series of muttering and even chuckles from his companions behind him. Sniggering behind his back was so incredibly rude. But he continued to wade forward, the water quickly reaching his thighs. Thankfully, the water was not all that deep as he reached the altar. There was a single stone that stood before the altar, and he assumed that was where he was supposed to go. To reach the altar.

Like other stones, it was slightly slippery. Thankfully, he managed to climb upon it without making a fool of himself. And without getting the scroll wet and damaged.

As he stood before the altar, he was surprised to realise that the stone was dry. Surrounded by water, pooled and falling from high above, but the altar itself was dry.

Maybe…

Yeyasu reached into his hoari and revealed the scroll. He stared down at it for a moment before he leaned forward and placed the parchment upon the dry altar. As he set the scroll down, he noticed the ancient etchings.

“The Waters of the Truthful Lotus…”

Yeyasu was pulled from his musings when he heard a sound over the roar of the waterfall. The distinct sound of…flapping wings. Large wings, if the fact that it resonated over the falling water easily. He instinctively looked up, toward the sky that peaked over the towering cliffs.

That sight was soon blocked by the vision of a large entity.

They appeared to be like that of a heron crossed with a sleek water serpent. The long, spindly legs and wings of a bird, but the long neck and head held serpentine qualities. The feathers that adorned their body were the colours of white and blue. Similar to the waters around them, but the tips of the wings were pitch black. Eyes were also as dark as the night, striking within the scales of light blue.

The Guardian Beast.

They were not quite as intimidating as the one that resided within Sakurajima. But their size, the way it loomed over him, uncaring of the rushing water of the waterfall far above, they were still quite daunting.

He…he hoped they were as chatty as the previous Guardian.

Yeyasu unconsciously braced himself as the Guardian dropped to the waters, positioning themself behind the altar, but with their attention focused upon him. Its long neck craned down to regard him nonchalantly. Despite its size and appearance, he didn’t necessarily feel scared. He should. Much smaller things had caused him to shiver in fright.

Yet, for some reason, he felt that the Guardian before him had no intention of harming him. Not yet, at least.

He could only hope that Fuji and the others felt the same. And if not, then he hoped that they could keep Higan busy long enough for him to speak with the Guardian first. The last thing he wanted was that battle-mad woman unleashing chaos in an important landmark!

“You summon me, child?”

Yeyasu instinctively stiffened when a voice, soft and feminine but calm and elderly, resounded within his mind. Just like before. “Y-yes.”

“Hm,” the Guardian Beast hummed softly as they craned their neck from side to side, as if sizing him up. “You seek the Water Lotus?”

Yeyasu nodded. “Yes, that’s right.”

Again, the Guardian Beast hummed lightly as they decided to instead tilt their head from side to side. “Hm. You realise that I cannot just hand it over?”

Again, Yeyasu nodded. “Of course. A trial must be passed first.”

The Guardian Beast unexpectedly made a chittering noise. Much like an excited or overly chatty bird would do. “Indeed. Are you willing?”

Yeyasu squared his shoulders. “Yes.”

He had no idea what the trial entailed, but he had to complete it. No matter what.

Unexpected, the Guardian Beast lowered themself into the water. Nesting themself. Making themself comfortable. “Interesting. What is your name?”

“I am Yeyasu Edogawa.”

He suddenly felt something from the Guardian. A sense of…nostalgia. “Edogawa…”

His family name. Just like the previous Guardian, they had stilled upon the mentioning of his family’s name. Why did that cause the Guardian Beast to react? Wistfully, at that. Had one of his ancestors done the exact same thing?

“The Shogun,” the Guardian Beast hummed pensively. “How fascinating. You are able to read the ancient language?”

For the umpteenth time, Yeyasu nodded his head. “I am able to read it fluently. “

The Guardian Beast abruptly quirked their head to the side, a beady black eye focused directly upon him. “Truly interesting. It is little wonder we are able to speak with you so easily.”

That caught Yeyasu by surprise. “Huh?”

But the scroll. Wasn’t he able to communicate with the Guardians because of the scroll? Wait…he wasn’t holding the scroll at the moment. What did that-?

“Your trial starts now, child,” Guardian abruptly revealed. “Are you ready?”

Yeyasu quickly pushed aside his previous thoughts and squared his shoulders again. “Yes.”

The Guardian Beast flared out its wings, the impressive expanse reaching across the water catchment. “Hm. Now, tell me truthfully, why do you seek to conduct the Purification Ritual?”

“There is…” Yeyasu hesitated for a moment, to sneak a glance over his shoulder. Where his companions stood, together at the very water’s edge. Waiting to spring into action at the first sign of danger. His gaze stilled on Fuji for a beat, noting that the dragon appeared agitated. Not hostile. Just…frustrated, probably. Much like he had been during the first Guardian encounter.

It must be hard for him, for them not hearing one side of the conversation.

“There is someone close to me who is suffering from a terrible curse,” Yeyasu explained as he turned his attention back to the patiently waiting Guardian. “The Empathy Curse. Should he feel the slightest bit of positive emotion, he will cough up blood. He can’t even hug his own daughter without suffering.”

The Guardian Beast quirked their head to the side. “Interesting. You seek for another. Unsurprising.”

Yeyasu furrowed his brow in light confusion. There was that nostalgia again. “What do you-?”

“Why do so strongly wish to remove this curse?” The Guardian asked him abruptly. “You stand before a deity. You ask for mercy from a being who guards the object you desire. What drives your actions?”

“It’s…” Yeyasu stilled, the words hitched in his throat.

The Guardian Beast unexpectedly lowers their head toward him. Their draconic features not half a foot away. “I seek the truth, child. Why do you fight for his man? Say it aloud.”

It…should be ok. The rushing water should drown out his voice. Preventing Fuji from overhearing. There was no need to disturb the…peace they had found.

“I…I love him. I’m in love with him.”

He…he said it out loud. He actually said it aloud.

“I see.” The Guardian moved their head closer still. “And he?”

Yeyasu shook his head. And, despite himself, he raised a hand and let it rest gently against the Guardian’s scales. Just beneath their dark black eye. “No. Probably not.” He could not stop a pained laugh from escaping his lips. “No. Absolutely not.”

It was…just duty and the desire to repay a debt that kept Fuji by his side. And tonic he had created to ease the burdens of the curse was likely the only reason why Ao would want someone like him to be her mother.

The moment the curse was removed…

It was for the best.

The Guardian unexpectedly chuckled. A soft, seemingly all-knowing one. “Is that so?”

Before Yeyasu could respond, the Guardian suddenly nudged their head forward. The abrupt action pushing Yeyasu back, his feet promptly slipping off the rock that gave him refuge from the cold water.

He was…falling backwards.

“Let’s see how he responds.”

What-?

Yeyasu suddenly found himself under water. A realisation that left him…numb. Absolutely no feelings of panic. It was cold, yes, but the way the water rippled upon the surface, the bubbles as they raced upwards, and the streams of golden sunlight filtering down upon him – it was quite beautiful.

But…was he drowning? He couldn’t breathe…

A flurry of bubbles and white water blinded him. Yet, it did not desensitise him. He felt…something. Something wrapping itself around his shoulders and another behind his knees. Then, he was lifted through the bubbles and the shimmers of light.

And he could breathe again.

“What the hell was that?!”

Yeyasu was unable to reply as he was too focused upon his own coughing and spluttering. The unexpected dip was just that – unexpected. He didn’t have a change to draw in a lungful of air. But…why did the Guardian Beast push him? What did it say before he fell?

Let’s see how he responds.

Who…Fuji? Respond to what?

Yeyasu weakly grasped at Fuji’s shoulders. He peered around the catchment pool, but the Guardian was gone. Likely having disappeared shortly after pushing him. “Th-the scroll?”

Fuji hoisted him further into his arms, jostling him slight to ensure a sturdy hold as he all but stalked through the water to the shore. “I don’t give a shit about that scroll right now.”

B-but they needed that. What of the Water Lotus? Did he manage to earn that?

“Yeyasu, are you all right?” Suisen asked him the moment Fuji stepped upon the shore.

“Y-yeah, I’m…fine.” Probably.

As Fuji lowered him down upon a smooth boulder, Yeyasu began to shiver. The water was cold yet the air felt colder. Didn’t help that his thick clothing stuck to him like glue. Hnnng, why did that Guardian push him into the water? That was unquestionably rude!

“What happened?” Pirilika asked as she carefully draped his cape around his shoulders, a small act to offer him some warmth. “It looked like you were getting along with the Guardian. Why did it do that?”

Yeyasu shook his head and grabbed at the edges of his cape, pulling it closer around him. “To…prove something.”

“Prove?” Fuji repeated as he crouched next to him. “Prove what?”

Yeyasu raked a hand through his hair to pull the pink strands from his eyes and forehead. “…I’m not sure. But the scroll? We still need it.”

Next to him, Fuji uttered an exasperated sigh. “One track mind with you.”

“I’ll retrieve it,” Suisen volunteered before Yeyasu had a change to response to Fuji’s muttering.

As Suisen flitted over the rippling waters, Higan looked around at their surroundings and planted a hand on a well-defined hip. “These Guardian Beasts aren’t what I expected. I was expecting more violence.”

Hoped for it, probably.

“I can’t sense any malice to them,” she continued around an exasperated sigh. “Hah, I probably wouldn’t get a worthy fight out of them.”

It was possible that the Guardians knew how violence hungry demons could be. So made themselves scarce. And made trials that didn’t depend on how well someone fought. Well, he hoped so, at least. He’d rather avoid battles, if he could.

Mere moments after setting off, Suisen returned. In one hand was the scroll, thankfully dry and in one piece. But in the other was a blue flower.

“Yeyasu, is this what you wanted?” Suisen asked him.

Yeyasu nodded his head as he breathed a sigh of relief. “It’s the Water Lotus. I managed to get that, after all.”

So, it was worth the trip, after all.

… … … … …

As much as the western traditions interested him, Yeyasu was grateful that Pirilika insisted in having a traditional eastern bath in her Nethership. The large tub, made from wood and waters a toasty forty-degrees. It definitely helped in ridding him of the shivers that had overwhelmed him from his untimely dip in the waters of Nachi’s waterfall.

Yeyasu sunk into the warm, still waters, his head rolling back to rest on the wooden rim of the bath. He still had no idea what that Guardian had tried to do. It was to prove something, but that was all he knew.

They were talking about Fuji beforehand. Was it somehow about him?

Yeyasu lifted his hand from the waters and stared down at the lines cross his palm. The…the only thing he could think of was that Fuji chose him first. Not the scroll, not the Lotus. Him. But that was because he was quite literally drowning. He kinda needed him alive if he wanted to be free from the curse.

But that brought another train of thought; was he the only one who could complete the Purification Ritual? The Guardians seemed only interested in speaking with him. Of course, he had only spoken to two out of five. The other three could be far more feisty or hostile.

He dropped his hand back into the waters. There was only one way to find out.

“For a scaredy cat, you sure are incompetent in being vigilant of your surroundings, huh?”

Yeyasu immediately shrieked as a family voice resounded in his right ear. He sat up straight, slapped his hand over his right ear and spun around. Where Fuji stood, one hand on the wooden rim of the bath and the other on his hip. His expression remained stoic as he arched his eyebrow at him. Not at all surprised by his reaction.

The jerk probably hoped for it!

“Eeeeeeeek!” Yeyasu sunk down further into the water and grasped onto the bath’s wooden perimeter. “What are you doing here?”

Fuji removed his hand from his hip and had the audacity to poke him on his forehead. “I told you; I’m not letting you out of my sight again.”

Well, he did say that. “B-but the bathroom?”

“The perfect place for a kidnapping.”

Eeeeeeeh?! The bathroom? While he was naked!? That was a humiliation he would never live down!

But…if Fuji was nearby. In the bathroom. The maybe he could indulge in just a little bit.

Yeyasu swatted Fuji hand aside. “Hey, you got wet, too. At Nachi. You should have a warm bath, too.”

Fuji arched an eyebrow at him again. An expression that made Yeyasu expect a retort or even insult. But instead, Fuji glanced around the bathroom before he raked his hand through his hair.

“Yeah, I guess it wouldn’t hurt,” he muttered as he pushed away from the bath and turned his back toward him. And then began to remove his clothing.

He…didn’t even tell him to leave.

Yeyasu sunk back into the waters, settling to have his nose just above the waterline. He probably shouldn’t…watch. But he was a pervert, right?

And Fuji was extremely good to look at.

H-he did look away when Fuji unfurled his hakama.

Ok, look, he needed some restraint.

Yeyasu was ever-so pleased that the water was piping hot. He would blame that for the flush that was absolutely raging across his cheeks. He was used to Fuji strutting around without a shirt, the muscles of his chest flexing with every movement, glinting under the light when he was becoming sweaty from battle. The muscles on his back were equally impressive. Rippling much like the waters of Nachi, easy and mesmerising. And of course he couldn’t forget his arms. Strong, powerful, but…gentle when necessary.

But, despite all their traveling together, he had…never shared a bath with him.

Hm…yet, as of recently, he had found himself in Fuji’s arms. A lot.

As Fuji sat down upon the wooden stool to wash before bathing, Yeyasu folded his arms atop of the edge of the bathtub and rested his chin on his forearms. “Hey, Fuji?”

Fuji didn’t pause in his washing, but his tail twitched lightly. “What?”

“…I think an ancestor of mine had done the same thing in the past.”

That made Fuji still before he turned to look over at him. “What do you mean?”

“The Guardian Beasts,” Yeyasu explained. “They regard the name Edogawa fondly.”

“Is that so?” Fuji soon continued his actions, his back rippling with powerful muscles as he dragged a soapy washcloth along his muscular arms. “Well, I guess it’s possible. You did find the scroll in your family library.”

Yeyasu lolled his head to the side to rest his cheek upon his arms. “Yeah. I just…wonder who they helped.”

Fuji drew a bucket of water and threw it over his shoulder, letting the soapy suds roll effortlessly over his back, trailing all the way down to his…ah, tail. “Maybe they helped themselves?”

Yeyasu lifted his head and repositioned his body, to rest his back against the wall of the bath. Allowing him to rest his head back to stare up at the tiled ceiling. “No. It was for someone else. I’m sure of it.”

The way the Guardians spoke to him. It felt as though the ritual could only be fulfilled if it was sought by the one who wasn’t cursed. A selfless ceremony. Not something all that common in a Netherverse filled with demons.

Of course, he could just be making excuses.

Behind him, Yeyasu heard Fuji utter a sigh. And the sound of his wet, bare feet slapping against the stone flooring. A mere moment later, the waters next to Yeyasu was momentarily disturbed as Fuji slid in to sit next to him.

“What are these Guardian Beast saying to you?” Fuji suddenly asked. “Why won’t they let anyone else listen?”

Yeyasu idly shook his head. “I don’t know. They mentioned Jōdai Nihon-go. Maybe they’re only interested in those who can understand the ancient language.”

Both had mentioned them, after all.

“You know, you’re really determined about this.”

Yeyasu uttered a purposely dramatic sigh. “Is that a bad thing? You should be thrilled as it will help you the most.”

“…But it’s constantly putting you into danger.”

Yeyasu rolled his head to the side, to gaze upon Fuji. The dragon had one muscular arm over the side of the tub, the other attempting to balance a wet cloth upon his head. He had his attention forward, staring seemingly at nothing. On a surface level, he looked relaxed, if not a little bit bored.

But his gaze was purposely narrow, his shoulders tense. He was on alert to ensure another kidnapping attempt or attack did not occur. But the tension in his shoulders wasn’t just due to his protective instincts. Not entirely.

Did he…feel a sense of guilt?

“Not really. I mean, we’ve been through worst.” Yeyasu lolled his head lazily to stare at the ceiling again, finding the courage to raise his hand from the waters to lightly slap him on the shoulder. “And I know for a fact that you find said ‘danger’ on the regular.”

Some of the tension in Fuji’s shoulders eased as he allowed his head to drop back. And he uttered a snort of amusement. “Yeah, not entirely my fault. I don’t go looking for it.”

“Oh, of course, you don’t,” Yeyasu replied with a short chuckle before he turned pensive. Sullen. And probably apologetic. “Besides, some of that danger is because of me.”

From the corner of his eye, he watched as Fuji sharply turn his head in his direction, his eyes narrowed with muted anger. “And that’s not your fault.”

Maybe. Didn’t mean he didn’t feel a bit guilty about it.