The suns shine through the open window onto Tsukiyomi's face. He assumed that they would be traveling to the next wall again today. He looked over to see Tadashi, peacefully sleeping. He decided to use the bath in the other room to wash up. He quietly made his way into the room, sliding the door shut and began to undress. The water was already heated from hot jade rocks underneath. The water made the room steamy and nice. Tsukiyomi didn't bother to take the rose pendant off. He was actually starting to believe everything about the whole story of Rose, even though he still didn't know a lot. It almost felt like He was carrying a piece of Rose right next to his heart. He could feel it there.
Tsukiyomi closed his eyes, feeling the steam lift off his skin as his hair drifted afloat the water, it was relaxing and soothing. A porcelain jug sat next to him on a table near the wooden tub Tsukiyomi sat in. He took the jug, filled it with the warm water , and poured it over his head., and repeated that for a bit.
After relaxing a bit more, he got out and dried off, drying his body, and his hair, and got dressed again. He put his dried hair back up with the green ribbon Tadashi had given him. He walked out of the Bathing room to find Tadashi awake and dressed, lacing his boots and gathering his things. Tsukiyomi did the same, grabbed his boots and laced them and quickly grabbed his sheathed Katana and followed Tadashi out. They were on the north edge of wall Dorphian, right next to the wall gate leading into wall Zinnian. The gate wasn't guarded and there were barely any people passing through. But once they had made it to the other side, it was as if the suns had disappeared. Everything seemed gray and dark. But all around them bustled with people, just like Kracked Skull market back in Whither. There were stalls of people selling things, trailers and wagons and carts, people walking around. Around them were mostly demons and yokai. The two put their cloak hoods up.
"What are we looking for?" Tsukiyomi said, almost whispering it to Tadashi.
"It's called the Cloud Blossom Amulet, belonging to the original wall leader, Marilyn Zinnian. I remember hearing that something like it was being sold here."
As the two kept walking, something caught Tadashi's eye. A stall, selling exactly the amulet. The only problem was that there wasn't just one, but many, meaning there were fakes. He pointed out the stall, but couldn't get Tsukiyomi's attention. His head was down, his breathing was unsteady. Something was off and he was obviously feeling uneasy, as if something around him was bothering him, or someone.
"What is it?" Tadashi asked, bending down a bit to Tsukiyomi's level, ignoring everyone around the two that passed.
"Nothing.Lets… just keep looking."
"Why don't I look around at that stall and you go over and stay in that alley way across from me. I won't be long and we'll both be close to each other." There was a pause before Tsukiyomi's gulp and anxious walk over to the alley way. He stood next to the wall, trying to spot Tadashi in the now crowded pathway. Tadashi watched him leave before turning his back and walking over to the stall. Tadashi scanned and skimmed over every amulet.
"What's a human like you want?"
"How much for one of these amulets?" He asked, the merchant chuckled, picking up one of the amulets and presenting it to Tadashi.
"Well, Rich Master, these are the artifacts of the original wall leader!" Wrong, Tadashi thought, there was only one artifact of every wall and leader. "One is fifty Veldonian pieces." Tadashi took out exactly fifty.
One Veldonian piece was equivalent to twenty-five, so Tadashi gave 200 pieces. One Rose coin was equivalent to sixteen Veldonian Pieces. Moon Money was usually in the hands of richer people. One Moon was equivalent to four-hundred Veldonian pieces or twenty-five Rose Coins.
Tadashi took his time, looking at all his options. But one caught his eye. It was the only one with a slight tinted coloring and rusted metal parts.
"I'll take this one." he said, picking it up gently from the rest of them. The merchant's facial expression changed, as if he knew that one was special. Tadashi slipped the amulet into the Glorophian pouch. But as he turned around, He saw Tsukiyomi suddenly disappear, a white cloak in view as well. He tried waking over but was caught in the crowd.
Tsukiyomi would've never known. That the last thing he would see would be Tadashi's worried face. He was gagged and felt a hand take him into the air. He was gone, out of reach from Tadashi. All Tadashi could see was the white cloak running onto the building tops. He followed the white cloak, he ran with it, all the way to the edge of the wall. Where he was blocked off, and on the other side was wall Darkai. The worst place Tsukiyomi could be brought. Why would they take Tsukiyomi? Tadashiu was all alone. He panicked. The promise he made was that he would stay by Tsukiyomi's side, but now he was gone. He had felt afraid. He didn't know what to…wait. He did know. He could go back to Clorina. It would take a day but he could make it.
She was sitting at her desk, writing the next letter that would be sent to the leaders when the doors of the Life and Time room slammed open. Tadashi had burst in, racing past the guards. "Miss Lazhu!" He said, in a panic. Something had already been off to Lazhu.
"Tadashi? Wait, I thought you were in Zinnian? And…where is Master Tsukiyomi?"
Tadashi fell to his knees, he looked awful. His back was arched, his shoulders shrunk and sulked, his head hung low and there were bags under his eyes. He was exhausted. He spent a day and night trying to reach Clorina quickly. No food, no breaks, and he had almost spent the last of his money, which wasn't like him at all.
Lazhu ran to him, her hair flowed as well as her dress, her hoods clip-clopped against the marbled floor. "Tell me everything, Tadashi! What happened!"
"He was taken… in Zinnian. He was right there and…and I shouldn't have left him there! I promised him I'd stay by his side! It's all my fault!"
"Who took him?"
"I don't know. All I saw was a white cloak and they took him across to wall Darkai. Why there of any wall!"
Lazhu was shocked. Wall Darkai was a dark place, considering Tsukiyomi's history there.
"Tadashi, there's something about him you should know." She helped him up the best her little self could and led him past the model globe. A room of books and endless shelves. But again, there was a pedestal with a book upon it. Lazhu sighed and approached the book, flipping to a certain marked page.
"Tsukiyomi has many forgotten memories and things in his past. But once something traumatic comes back, he will remember. When he Denver's something, it's recorded in this book. Every timeline has one. I kept his secret from him. He isn't what you think and he certainly hasn't lived in Whither all his life. He was taken, just like now. Darkai is the most dangerous place in all of Moonrose. The leader there has been a big part in Tsukiyomi's past. The yokai king, Zankoku Kibishi. His whole name gives me chills. He has taken over and will continue to take over unclaimed walls. But this man has also damaged Tsukiyomi mentally and physically. He doesn't remember but when Tsukiyomi was a child, he was taken and he…" Lazhu couldn't even bring herself to say the horrors of it.
"Kibishi has imprisoned many people and used them. But Tsukiyomi, his 'precious pearl' and or 'Pet' had escaped that imprisonment. He escaped twelve years of torture, sex trafficking, rape, abuse, and many other terrible and unimaginable things. Only because of the power Tsukiyomi holds, the power of a half yokai, as well as the wonders of his body being intersex, him having both male and female anatomy and genitalia. He never told you he was one because he was scared. His yokai potential land chi can be powered by mass amounts of emotion, but once mastered, it can be commanded almost immediately."
Tadashi was silent. It took him a moment to process everything. He thought the two promised to not hide anything from each other. And why would Tsuki be scared to tell Tadashi that he was a half-yokai? Did he think Tadashi wouldn't accept it? His thoughts were interrupted by a voice and the sound of feet on the marbled floor approaching.
"Miss Lazhu, I know you said to wait but- Hey, your that guy!!" She said pointing at Tadashi.
"These three will help you get Tsukiyomi back. They are to join you on your journey outside the walls. This is Kirishige and the two behind her are Fukuro and Karasu, you've met them." Lazhu said.
Tadashi greeted the three then thanked Lazhu as she wished him and the rest of them good luck. She hoped. She hoped to Rose that they would be safe. That they would find Tsukiyomi and that he'd be okay.