Tsukiyomi awoke to a familiar smell. Tadashi wasn't there. He usually wakes up beside Tsuki. Did something happen? He got out of bed, his head slightly aching. He walked over to the small window, seeing his reflection in it. The cut on his neck had healed and was a scar, but the arrow wound was not healed. The roll of bandages and cloth was on his nightstand. He took off his shirt to change the blood stained bandages. The herbs didn't heal it right away, they only manipulate the pain and help it heal a bit faster. He got dressed and put his hair up with the regular, plain, boring, brown piece of cloth. Before he left the room, he had second thoughts about taking his katanas. He just left them beside the door.
The familiar scent led him down the hall and into the dining room of the ship where everyone else was. Everyone but Tadashi. He was in the kitchen. On the table laid a large breakfast, platters of steaming fried fish.
Mei smiled at Tsuki. "Goodmorning, Minakami! How are you feeling?" she asked,
"Better, my head hurts a bit." Tsuki glanced at Karasu who gave him an evil look. Fukuro had guilt written all over her face, the two weren't sitting by eachother which was also strange. Tadashi came into the room with the last plates of food, and Tsukiyomi found a seat next to him.
"Well, me friends, we made it ter wall Falendgore! We're here because of Qingse." Auquirious said with a mouthful of her food. Qingse spoke quietly as they always did.
"Yes, I know where the letters are. Originally, Rose wanted to display the letters in the Cathedral of Time in wall Clorina but they were misplaced and brought all the way to the Calemdom castle. The wall is run by Coran Godwin. He is the king of Falendgore. I hope he's nice."
"Right! We're probably close to Falendgore by now. There's an airship landin' area right outside of the castle." Auquirous said, getting up to go and guide the ship over that way. It landed after a while and everyone got off. They grabbed their weapons for security. They had landed within the walls of the kingdom. Outside of it was the wall itself of Falendgore, this was only the castle grounds.
Tsukiyomi stepped upon the grassland and could tell it wasn't all real, well it was, it was just dying. He could feel its dying aura. The castle wasn't. It was big, but not as tall as the walls. As the group made their way to the castle entrance, there were two little girls sitting on a quilt in the grass. One was a demon, the other was a human. They seemed to be related.
"Colette, I thought you said Papa didn't have any guests coming today?" The demon sister said, "I wasn't sure of it, Atreya, I'm sorry!" The human one said. In the distance, a woman in a beautiful dress came out of a path leading into bushes and flowers. One of the girls ran to her.
"Mama! Mama! We have guests!" The child named Atreya had explained.
"I see, love. Why don't you and Colette go in and tell father!" She sent them in and introduced herself to the group as they approached her. "Welcome to Wall Falendgore, Calemdom castle. I am Asmi Godwin, queen of Falendgore. The two girls are my daughters. Colette and Atreya. Come with me inside. My husband is waiting for you."
The group followed Asmi down the flower path upon which she came and into the castle doors, into a throne room. It was all heavily guarded which made Tsuki a bit nervous. A man was sitting on a throne, a table full of papers in front of him. He was being trampled by his daughters.
One of the girls ran away from her father and up to Mei. She was a bit shaken by this.
"O-Oh! Hi there.."
"Papa, is she a yokai?" Atreya asked, holding onto Mei's legs. Mei looked down at the girl, nervous as to what to do. The king walked over to Mei and pulled the little girl off of Mei and picked her up.
"I apologize, My daughters don't know any better. Atreya, apologize to Mei Lian." The king said. Mei smiled and brushed it off.
"No, it's alright! Wait, you know me?"
"You're a wall leader of course. Mei Lian, Leader of wall Nevilliotus! I am Cran Godwin, King of Calemdom, leader of, well, this wall! I see you've already met my lovely queen, Asmi and my two little princesses, Colette and Atreya."
Coran walked over to his throne and gathered all the scattered papers and threw them aside, uncovering a chest. He carried it over to Tsuki.
"Minakami Tsukiyomi, correct?"
Tsuki nodded.
"This chest belonged to Rose. It holds all of her letters ever written, including the ones to you. It seems to be locked and I couldn't figure out how to open it. There must be a certain key that opens it, a strangely shaped one at that, considering its keyhole."
The keyhole did in fact look strange. A weird shape. Tsuki looked at his pendent then back at the lock then back at his pendant then the lock.
"My pendant is the key." He said, taking off his pendant and putting it into the shape, turning it counterclockwise. The chest opened. Inside were scrolls and unopened letters, scattered papers and broken pieces of weapons and glass and jewels. "I can't look at anything yet, Lazhu needs to first." He closed the chest and held it close, putting his pendent back on. The two girls ran up to Tadashi, jumping up and down. They both held something. Tadashi took it, seeing that it was the wall artifact. It seemed to be their grandfather's black butterfly hair pin according to Coran.
The group soon took off with the letters after a drink with the royal family. Tsukiyomi always thought traveling meant staying in one wall for a longer amount of time, but he understood that time was limited for this journey. He may not have known the reason just yet but he would. He thought they would just stay and explore, but it was one place after the other. He had gotten used to flying. And he had gotten used to eating at the table like a family would, he had gotten used to talking to people. He had gotten used to people being important to him and him being important to others. He had gotten used to sleeping with Tadashi, and had gotten used to having his own room. He had gotten used to the kisses and hugs and being held.
The ship took off and was departing for Clorina. Tadashi prepared lunch and they all sat down at the table, like a family. Everyone was exhausted, deciding to take a break in their rooms. It was the middle of the day and Tadashi and Tsuki sat next to each other on their bed. Tsuki hated to think about it but he was in an aroused mood. Tadashi was always on his mind. He wanted to say something but it came out awkward.
"Tadashi, being with you, seeing your rare smile, it…makes me happy. It makes me feel innocent and alive, like I was as a child before everything happened. Before I was damaged and broken," Tadashi interrupted, squeezing Tsuki's hand.
"You are not damaged. You may have lost things in your past, but that was the past. You have a whole life ahead of you. We're all still so young." Tadashi looked away, breaking his wall of coldness. "Do you like me? The way I like you?"
Tsukiyomi's mind went blank. The question had finally come out, neither of them were ready for it. But considering they had been kissing and cuddling and… doing other things that two people would do in a romantic relationship, he assumed the answer he would give would have to be yes. But how would he say that to Tadashi directly? Tadashi sighed as he was not given an answer yet.
"Someone once told me that there's a weird pleasure loving someone who doesn't exactly love you back. It might be hard to find it in words. I understand. My mind keeps flickering between the words of 'He's everything I've ever wanted' and the words of 'If it is true, would he want me as well?'. I will not beg you for your time or try to convince you to choose me. I've said this before and I will keep saying it. I promise that I'll be by your side through the good and bad times. I'll be there for you no matter what. It's silly. You have such brilliant eyes, so beautiful you could get lost in them. I guess I did. I lost my mind trying to figure out yours. I don't know what you think, I want to help fix you, fix everything, all of the broken things you say you have."
Tsuki squeezed Tadashi's hands, the words that then came out of his mouth seemed to be from somewhere deep down. He said them so clearly as if something or someone else had spoken them for him.
"Tadashi, don't try to fix me. Love me while I learn to fix myself. I was afraid of falling in love. Because all love has done for me in the past has hurt me and broken me down to the smallest pieces. But I changed my mind. I don't know how I brought myself to love someone again. I loved people a long time ago. And then I forgot, I forgot how to love. Until now."
Maybe that was it. Maybe that was the 'I love you too' Tadashi was looking for. The strangest thoughts and the strangest words came to Tadashi's mind. Their temples touched, as well as their noses. Their faces rubbed against one another. Tadashi smiled a rare smile, the kind one.
"I want you.I want everything and all of you. Your pain, your sadness, your happiness, all of it. I want to take you all in with one breath. If we ever do have a future, I want to share it with you. I promise I will never do anything you don't want."
Tadashi stared into Tsuki's eyes as his pupils began to grow, his eyes lighting up. Tadashi felt like he was going to burst into thousands of pieces.
Tsuki felt his heart start pounding against his chest, his cheeks felt hot and his body moved on its own with the help of Tadahsi's gentle hands. Tsukiyomi got pulled on top of Tadashi into a sitting position, making out, their lips not leaving each other. It wasn't like last time where there was no control. No, this time it was only emotion controlling their bodies. Tadashi helped lift Tsuki's shirt off. Nothing bad, just to feel him more, to turn him on.
Suddenly, the door handle seemed to be fondled open. Kiri peaked her head in, her eyes widened, then she slammed the door shut.