Tsukiyomi was awakened by the feeling of warmth. He turns over and sees Tadashi get into the covers. "Did I wake you, Love?" He laid down next to Tsuki, their faces in front of one another. "Not really, I couldn't sle-" Before Tsuki could finish speaking, Tadashi had kissed him softly. Their heads touched, Tdashi slid his hand on Tsukiyomi's face, caressing it. "It's midnight, everyone else is asleep."
Tears fled from Tsuki's eyes. "Love, why are you crying, I'm here, aren't I?"
"I wish I was stronger. I wish I could've done something and stopped him before he made it all worse-" Tadashi Put Tsuki's hand against his chest. Tsukiyomi felt his heart beating fast. "Feel this? Can you hear it? Just focus on that. I'll stay right here, alright? You're not going to lose me and I am not going to leave you." Tsuki heard his heart, loud and clear. With the dim candle light slowly going out, Tsuki could see the redness in Tadashi's face. Tadashi moved on top of Tsuki, gently hovering overtop of him. Tadashi kissed him softly. From there on out, Tsuki realized that Tadashi was completely crazy about him. Why? There was nothing special about him at all.
Tadashi put his head on Tsuki's shoulder, Tsuki wrapped his arms around Tadashi. Tadashu stopped for a moment just to hold him close. Tsuki continued to cry, he knew the reason. Even though Tadahsi said he wouldn't leave, it still scared Tsuki. He didn't want to close his eyes. He was afraid of being trapped in that dark place in his mind again.
"You're allowed to scream and you're allowed to cry, but you cannot give up so easily on anything. I know you are strong and will get stronger and I know how capable you are of many things. I've seen it. Oh, Tsuki, how can I express how much you mean to me?" Tadashi held Tsuki even tighter. Tsukiyomi put his arms around Tadashi, not letting him go. His mind became fuzzy and his arms eventually got tired and dropped from Tadashi as his eyes flickered. And just as he was afraid of, he found himself in the darkest place inside his head. The ground made of black and oily liquid, never ending darkness all around him, nothing but shadows going on for miles and miles. This was where those voices came from, the bad memories too, the Reflection. Everything awful was here, except for Kibishi.
Tsukiyomi sighed, the sound echoed within the darkness. Then his eyes landed on something in front of him. It was Tadahsi and…him? No…that wasn't him.
"STOP!" he exclaimed at the reflection, the body of Tadashi disappeared and the Reflection looked at Tsukiyomi. Around Tsuki, the water rose up and became a cage, trapping him inside. The voice of Tsuki, only distorted, echoed around him as if there were a million of them. "Why 'no'? We're the same person! It shouldn't matter!"
"That isn't true! You look nothing like me!
The Reflection laughed. "I can imitate anyone's appearance But you, I can't. Because we are the same, we are attached, we share the same body, the same vessel, Minakami. We share the same hair, the same pain, the same feelings!"
"But you are always appearing as my yokai-side"
"'Our' Yokai side! Yes! Because that is our true form! There is no I nor Me, only We!"
Tsuki came to the realization of why he doesn't look like his sister, it was because of the Reflection corrupting his yokai-side. The thought of Mei made Reflection happy. It suddenly transformed into Mei.
"Why would you look like me? You're a curse! Why did I even agree to coming with you!" It teased. It began to transform into people Tsukiyomi loved, people who cared. First Kiri, "I was always going to let the Hunters catch you!" Then Qingse, "You're a disgrace to every kingdom, you criminal!" then Auquirious, "We're nothing alike, why would I side up with someone like you?"
At this point, the Reflection was changing itself into the people Tsukiyomi cared about most. They were all lies, of course, lies to try to manipulate his mind. The Reflection mimicked Lazhu and Tadashi and it finally hit Tsuki. He went insane, screaming to stop. His screams turned into sobs. He wondered why couldn't Tadashi hear him? Why couldn't he wake up? The Reflection appeared as him again. Distorted and wrong.
"You see? No one will love you when they see your true form, your true self. All of your fickle insecurities are mine, they are me, we are one. It will only be us, I suffer too. It's unfair how you live in that world while I'm stuck inside of you!"
Tsukiyomi broke his way out of the cage. "You're better off stuck in here than out there! Why do you thrive to make me suffer!?"
"US! IT IS US! TSUKIYOMI!"
"Tsuki!" Tsukiyomi opened his eyes to the room, Tadashi's hands were on his face. Kiri, Mei Lian, and the others were all in the room. Karasu had his knives pointed at Tsuki, a fearful look on his face. Tsukiyomi was covered in sweat, his breathing was heavy. His eyesight was blurry with tears. He heard the distorted voice in his head, "KILL YOURSELF KILL YOURSELF!!" It yelled over and over. His body moved on his own, his mouth was in control though. He started to scream uncontrollably.
"NO!! GET THEM AWAY FROM US!! THEY'RE TOO LOUD! STOP IT! STOP IT!! KILL ME!! KILL US NOW!!!" Tsukiyomi reached for one of Karasu's knives, grabbing it and proceeded to cut his arms and wrists with it. Tadashi and Mei hurried to retrieve the knife before Tsuki cut something important. He didn't want to cut himself, something else was controlling him. It was as if the Reflection was feeding off of this.
Karasu backs away. He would've done something to Tsukiyomi if Tsuki hadn't taken the knife. Fukuro hid behind Karasu, covering her eyes from the self harm that was being inflicted. Qingse had already left the room. Mei finally prys away the knife. Tsukiyomi began to bleed all over the sheets. Auquirious and Kiri left to get bandages and clean sheets. Mei lian began to cry. Tsukiyomi wouldn't stop screaming, his skin began to change, forming red scales, his eyes turned from blue to a bloody black color. His cut up hands covered his ears.
"STOP IT! LEAVE ME ALONE!! BE QUIET!!"
"TSUKI!"
Tadashi slammed Tsukiyomi's flailing body down, holding his bloody arms in place. Tadashi looked him straight in the eyes. Tsukiyomi was scared of Tadashi for the first time, everything suddenly stopped.
"Nothing is hurting you! You're okay, you're going to be okay! Just calm down!" Tsukiyomi was once again in control of himself. His body shook though. Tadashi let go and put his hand on my head. "He has a fever."
Mei Lian suggested the bath house on the ship. Sitting in cold water would help the fever go down. Tadashi picked Tsuki up and carried his bloody body to the bathhouse.
The bath filled quickly. Once it was full, Tadashi helped Tsuki in. Tsukiyomi shivered as the water hit and it stung his arms. He regretted the cuts.
"Love, what happened? What did you see and hear?" Tadashi stroked his hair, soaking it in the cold water. Tsukiyomi shivered, the water turned a pinkish color around him. He muttered and his worlds were cold just like him.
"The Reflection…It was awful. I don't know what it is anymore. But..it imitated you and Mei and everyone, it imitated all of you and lied. It just seemed so real… The things you said to me.."
"Tsuki, that wasn't me!"
"But it was so real." Tadashi grabbed Tsukiyomi's shoulders.
"Tsuki, listen to me! That wasn't them, that wasn't me! No matter how real it seems, you have to understand that it isn't. Whatever that Reflection said when it imitated me, none of it is true! I would never say anything bad to you, I would never hurt you!"
Before anything else could be said, Tsukiyomi's pendant glowed. It was another memory. Around them was a battlefield. Bloody, ruined, dead bodies lying everywhere, all species. But others were still fighting. One side were corpses who seemed to be plagued with the darkness. The others were all three species, fighting against them and clean. There was a figure, blacked out, unable to be made out in the distance. It looked a bit like the aura of the Reflection.
Rose was off to the side, covered in blood. Then there was Tsukiyomi, his past self. He was angry. Aggressively attacking many demons and yokai all at once with his katanas. "ROSE!!" He cried, "GET BACK, YOU MONSTERS! I WILL AVENGE MY LADY! I serve to protect the guardians, pray to the gods and guardians, bow to the divines and heirs of all kingdoms! I will not give up until my duty of protection is proven and done! I will kill you and end this pain and suffering for not only myself but for every innocent soul on the face of this earth! You will pay for what you have done to Rose!!" Tsukiyomi wondered who his past self was speaking to. He wishes he could fight like that now. The memory ended and the words 'I will not give up until my duty of protection is proven and done..I will kill an end this pain and suffering…for not only me but for everyone'
"Tadashi, I want to kill him…"
"What?"
"I want to kill Kibishi…I want to end him"
"He's stronger than you, all of us-"
"I was once stronger than him!"
"Tsuki, that was over five-hundred years ago. You were older and more skilled."
"How can I do something if I haven't even tried?" Tadashi ignored him, putting bandages on his arms and a hand on his forehead.
"Your fever went down. We should head back."
Tadashi was quick with his actions. He didn't say anything. Was he mad? He grabbed a towel and dried Tsukiyomi off. He took Tsuki's hand and took him down the hall. His grip was strong. "Tadashi, that hurts!" Tadashi ignored Tsuki's cries and continued to drag him down the hall. They had gotten to their room and Tadashi locked the door. Tadashi dragged Tsukiyomi all the way to their bed, This all seemed so familiar. But Tadashi had never been this cold to Tsuki.
"T-Tadashi, you're scaring me."
"I'm the one who's scared!"
Tsukiyomi went silent. "I'm scared for your safety! You are not the same as you were in your past life! You are not as strong as you were then! I can't…I don'yt want you getting hurt!"
Tsukiyomi stayed silent, guilt washing over him. He put his hand on Tadashi's face and gave him a small peck.
"I won't get hurt. I can't promise it though. All I can do is try."
With that they got under the covers and went to bed. Again, with the goodnight kiss on Tsuki's forehead.But Tsukiyomi was determined, he would do it. He will kill Kibishi.