Kotoha, young, glassesless, no more than six, looks up as it arcs across the sky, eyes wide.
The shooting star falls, instead of continuing its flight, and it's not a shooting star at all. Kotoha doesn't know this at the time. All she knows is that she got unlucky--and that negative energy crashes into her, grants her a power she never asked for, and completely erases everything from her mind.
There are glimpses and flashes: crackles of a power she doesn't understand, the screams of the people around her, the heat of flames.
She only comes back to herself much later. She's held down by an older woman, extremely strong despite her age, as an older man slowly lowers his hand.
"It's done," he says.
Kotoha looks around, eyes wide, and finds destruction.
Her home is on fire. There are lumps and mounds around her, shadowed in the darkness, lit only by the flickering flames. It takes her some time of staring at them before it clicks. Dead bodies--the bodies of the people who had lived around her. A power line falls. The faces of those still alive around her are grim.
It all clicks for her quickly, despite her age.
She did this. She did this, because she's not human anymore--now she's a monster.
The spring day is warm, but the scorching heat of summer hasn't arrived yet; instead, there's a lovely breeze, carrying cherry blossom petals along with it.
Kotoha strolls along the street with another young woman, arms behind her back as they chat casually. As they walk, the townspeople call out to them and wave; it's clear that it's the sort of place where everyone knows each other, and has found a way to live in some sort of harmony.
"Ko-to-haaaaa!" Another young woman approaches, far too quickly and with clear determination. Kotoha just tilts her head to one side.
"What's up, Hime?"
Hime--the scarfed girl--just grabs Kotoha's arm unceremoniously. "We've got trouble. Ao sensed some more youkai hunters. C'mon, let's get the drop on them this time."
Kotoha stumbles after her as the other young woman waves amusedly, though she protests the whole time: "W-w-waiiiit, I have a make-up exam todayyyy!"
Hime ignores her, and the townspeople watch them go with fond and indulgent smiles, clearly not at all bothered by the danger lurking on the fringes. Whether it's faith in their abilities or a sort of easy confidence in the fact that everything will be okay, everyone else goes about their beautiful spring day like normal.
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branchandroot
the fall.
Date: 2024-07-23 02:23 pm (UTC)Kotoha, young, glassesless, no more than six, looks up as it arcs across the sky, eyes wide.
The shooting star falls, instead of continuing its flight, and it's not a shooting star at all. Kotoha doesn't know this at the time. All she knows is that she got unlucky--and that negative energy crashes into her, grants her a power she never asked for, and completely erases everything from her mind.
There are glimpses and flashes: crackles of a power she doesn't understand, the screams of the people around her, the heat of flames.
She only comes back to herself much later. She's held down by an older woman, extremely strong despite her age, as an older man slowly lowers his hand.
"It's done," he says.
Kotoha looks around, eyes wide, and finds destruction.
Her home is on fire. There are lumps and mounds around her, shadowed in the darkness, lit only by the flickering flames. It takes her some time of staring at them before it clicks. Dead bodies--the bodies of the people who had lived around her. A power line falls. The faces of those still alive around her are grim.
It all clicks for her quickly, despite her age.
She did this. She did this, because she's not human anymore--now she's a monster.
railgun.
Date: 2024-07-23 02:28 pm (UTC)the town.
Date: 2024-07-23 02:36 pm (UTC)The spring day is warm, but the scorching heat of summer hasn't arrived yet; instead, there's a lovely breeze, carrying cherry blossom petals along with it.
Kotoha strolls along the street with another young woman, arms behind her back as they chat casually. As they walk, the townspeople call out to them and wave; it's clear that it's the sort of place where everyone knows each other, and has found a way to live in some sort of harmony.
"Ko-to-haaaaa!" Another young woman approaches, far too quickly and with clear determination. Kotoha just tilts her head to one side.
"What's up, Hime?"
Hime--the scarfed girl--just grabs Kotoha's arm unceremoniously. "We've got trouble. Ao sensed some more youkai hunters. C'mon, let's get the drop on them this time."
Kotoha stumbles after her as the other young woman waves amusedly, though she protests the whole time: "W-w-waiiiit, I have a make-up exam todayyyy!"
Hime ignores her, and the townspeople watch them go with fond and indulgent smiles, clearly not at all bothered by the danger lurking on the fringes. Whether it's faith in their abilities or a sort of easy confidence in the fact that everything will be okay, everyone else goes about their beautiful spring day like normal.