Lily, Nina, and Ashina traversed the area of the Capricorn Kingdom, St. Garnet Haven, searching for Maiken and the Sacred Arms. While searching around, Ashina took Lily and Nina around the Kingdom to show them around while they were already there, to get them familiarized with the vast and beautiful area.
The kingdom was nestled between towering mountains and rolling hills, with much of its territory covered in dense forests and icy rivers. The winters are long and harsh, with snow blanketing much of the land, while the summers are brief but filled with an explosion of greenery and life. The land was rich with mineral deposits, giving rise to thriving mining industries, and its forests are home to unique flora and fauna that are often harnessed for medicinal and mystical purposes.
St. Garnet Haven, the kingdom's capital, was an ancient city built into the side of a mountain, a fortress that looks both inward and outward, symbolizing the kingdom's dual nature of introspection and resilience. The city took its name from the large garnet deposits found in the surrounding mountains, and the gem is regarded as a symbol of protection and strength.
The spiritual heart of the kingdom, the cathedral is dedicated to St. Garnet, a legendary figure who is said to have protected the land in ancient times. Pilgrims come from all over the kingdom to visit the cathedral, where the sacred garnet stone is displayed. It is said that this stone has magical properties, capable of healing the sick and blessing the strong. The interior of the cathedral is awe-inspiring, with towering columns and stained glass windows depicting scenes from Capricornian myth and history, casting an ethereal light throughout the sacred halls.
Lily sighed softly as they searched around, holding her hands in front of her gracefully. "This kingdom is too vast and I doubt we will find her here. If August and the others didn't call yet, I'm not too sure she's even around.."
"Yeah, I'd have to agree. We've asked the locals around as well, but they say they don't even know who Maiken is, let alone where she is," Nina said, feeling a bit tired from the walking she's been doing. She glanced up at the sky, noticing the moon rising and exhaled. "We should probably heard back..."
Ashina nodded, closing her eyes and sighing softly. "Yeah you're probably right. Alright, let's head back."
"I heard you three were looking for Maiken," A voice spoke from nearby.
The three turned around and noticed a woman leaning against a wall, tossing her Zodiac Crystal, the Sea Garnet, up and down. They glanced at each other and began to grow curious about the woman.
The woman had a distinctively elegant and captivating appearance. She had long, flowing dark teal or bluish-green hair tied up in a high ponytail, with loose strands framing her face, giving her a refined yet slightly playful look. Her hair color contrasts beautifully with her vibrant red and floral-patterned kimono, which adds an air of traditional elegance to her appearance.
She had soft, delicate facial features, characterized by large, expressive red eyes that are both alluring and intense. Her gaze was direct and confident, suggesting a character with poise and self-assurance. Her lightly blushed cheeks gave her a youthful and vibrant look.
She was wearing a striking red kimono adorned with floral patterns, symbolizing beauty and grace. The floral motifs add a touch of traditional charm. The teal sash wrapped around her waist provided a nice color balance to her overall outfit. The kimono was form-fitting, enhancing her slender figure while maintaining an air of modesty.
"Ahh, Miko Garnet. It is nice to see you're still doing well," Ashina said with an air of professionalism, bowing toward Garnet. "Ladies Lily and Nina, this is Miko Garnet, the Capricorn Zodiac Knight and just like the Pisces Zodiac Knight, she's the princess of St. Garnet Haven. Miko Garnet, Lily and Nina, the Virgo and Libra Knights respectively."
Garnet wiggled her fingers toward Lily and Nina with a soft chuckle, smiling at them with a alluring expression. "It's nice to meet some fellow knights..~"
Lily bowed toward Garnet, smiling at her. "It's nice to meet you as well."
Nina waved back to Garnet, softly chuckling. "The feeling's mutual..~"
"So, have you seen her? We really need to find her and get the Sacred Arms back before anything bad happens," Ashina said, her tone filled with urgency.
Garnet pointed at the cathedral, everyone's eyes shifting to look at it. "The Fallen have taken over the Cathedral...that is where they have her. There's too many of them for me to face off alone, so I retreated to save myself and Imara, the Capricorn Champion."
"There are four of us now, so let's go in there and save Maiken and take back what's ours," Ashina said, preparing to summon her weapon.
"That's not a good idea. Marching in there without a plan and while you're all fatigued? You'll die before you even get the chance. It's best if we all just return to St. Goken Academy and formulate a plan before trying to face off against them. They have a Dark Zodiac Knight and the Zodiac Killer within their ranks," Garnet protested, getting off the wall and stepping closer to Ashina, gently patting her shoulder.
"Plus...You carry a Dark Impulse within your heart. You don't truly believe you stopped Maiken... out of the goodness of your heart right? Power and control can be dangerous when used incorrectly," Garnet said, her tone low enough for only Ashina's ears to bare her words.
Ashina looked down, clenching her fist slightly as Garnet walked by. She looked back and watched as Garnet made her way along the path back to the academy.
"C'mon now!~ We should hurry, or else Yae Misao will worry dearly about us," Garnet giggled, humming as she walked off.
Nina and Lily felt some underlying tension between Garnet and Ashina, glancing at each other before making their way to the academy as well. Ashina scoffed softly and held her arms underneath her chest, following behind the group.
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Everyone made it back to the St. Goken Academy and met up in the dining hall together for dinner and to discuss our findings. We all noticed that Liao Ru, April, Heifer, and Coral looked the most tired out of all of us and suspected they found more than the rest of us did.
"So did you all find anything about Maiken's whereabouts?" Misao asked, gracefully cutting into her food.
"Well, my group figured out there is more at play than just Maiken and the 3rd Sacred Arms. The Fallen aren't only planning to use Maiken for their evil deeds, but they are planning to unseal a Dark Lord," I said, leaning back in my chair and crossed my arms.
"Apparently The Fallen are going to extreme measures to bring upon the downfall of the Zodiacs, but not just that. It sounds like they want to destroy Earth as a whole," Nagini said, scrolling on her device to find information about The Fallen and their whereabouts.
Coral slightly shifted in her seat, poking at her food lightly. "We...uhm...found Maiken and had a fight with her. We were nearly able to bring Maiken back to St. Goken, but two Fallen Legends stopped us and abducted her..."
"Scarlett and Darkness," Heifer added, exhaling softly with some slight frustration.
The names of Scarlett and Darkness caught my attention as well as Maliz. At the revelation that Maiken was abducted when they were so close to getting her back filled some of us with a bit of dread.
Garnet gracefully ate her food, her eyes closed and a small hum escaping her lips. She opened her eyes and glanced at Ashina, noticing her not saying a word. Garnet closed her eyes once more, patting her mouth with her napkin. "Y'know...all of this could've been avoided if someone didn't try to force her to fall in line."
Ashina glanced at Garnet, shooting a slight leer at her. "What are you implying..?"
"Isn't it obvious? This is all your fault. Your fight against Miko Maiken wasn't all altruistic nor was it a selfless act. You were practicing power and control. You literally fought her because she 'wouldn't fall in line'. Before Yae Misao became the New Headmistress of St. Goken Academy, none of you actually considered her feelings," Garnet said, sipping her tea.
Ashina's leer soon became a glare, her gaze lingering on Garnet. "It doesn't matter if we want to be here or not. We all can not deny our fate and she was too stubborn to understand that. It is her own fault for not falling in line, so don't even try to shift the blame on me!"
Garnet set down her teacup, opening her eyes to meet Ashina's gaze. "Ashina...You can try to deny the obvious truths and facts about what really happened...but the truth of the matter is that you tried to kill Maiken. You were not acting in the way of the Shrine Maiden...you were acting out of dominance.."
Ashina's eye twitched then she grunted, sharply rising to her feet, reaching over the table and gripped Garnet's kimono. Garnet stared into Ashina's eyes unflinching, her arms remain at her sides.
"What are you gonna do..? Fight me like you did to Maiken..? You're gonna try to discipline me because I spoke the truth..? Do it...hit me. It won't wash away the guilt you feel inside. It won't erase the looming darkness inside your heart," Garnet said, her voice dipping into a low, challenging tone.
Ashina grit her teeth, her breathing becoming slightly heavier as she stared at Garnet with annoyance. Memories of her past battle against Maiken flashed in her head, further fueling her anger and annoyance.
"Enough," Misao said, her tone firm and tinged with authority. "Miko Ashina, release Miko Garnet. Miko Garnet, stop antagonizing Ashina. This is not how we operate as sistren of the Miko. I don't know what's been getting into everyone lately, but something's gotta change."
Ashina released and stormed off with an annoyed groan, slamming the sliding door behind her. There was a bit of silence in the room, an awkward moment to each of us. Glances were shared around the room, no one daring to get up to check upon Ashina.
I stood up and decided to bite the bullet. "I'm gonna go see if she's alright.."
"Careful, darling...she might try to bite your head off," Maliz said with a dark chuckle, grunting softly as April lightly smacked the side of her head.
"Maliz..!" She scolded through her teeth.
"What? I'm just trying to lighten up this obvious awkward moment..." Maliz rolled her eyes, sitting back in her seat and crossing her arm.
I smiled at the two then began to make my way out the dining room to find Ashina. "I'll be back.."
Misao watched me leave then let out a soft sigh, slightly slouching in her seat and rubbing the temples of her head. "Who knew the Modern Age would be so mind numbing...? I wish sometimes people would act more... non-aggressive like the Ancient Era.."
"You'll get used to it, Misao. Besides, it's just a slight disagreement. I'm sure things will settle down," Liao Ru said, standing up and collecting everyone's empty plates. She gently rubbed Misao's head before walking off. "Don't stay up to late."
"Yeah..." Misao sighed softly, slightly leaning into her touch and watched her walk off.
With that, the dining room began to clear out and everyone prepared to rest for the night to prepare for the events of the next day. There was still a bit of lingering tension in the air, but not as much as it was between Ashina and Garnet.
I made my way outside and heard aggressive grunting and battle cries, hearing the sound of metal clashing against a hard surface. I walked around the corner, noticing Ashina training by herself and releasing her anger and stress. I stared at her for a moment then slowly approached her.
"Miko Ashina," I called out, walking closer to her.
Ashina paused mid swing of her katana, glancing back then sighed. She lowered her sword and turned to face me. "What do you want..? Come to laugh in my face about how I was so vulnerable in the midst of Garnet's stupid provocation..?"
"I don't know who you take me for, but I'm not as dark as Maliz. You should be glad it was me and not her. She would've laughed in your face," I said. I looked around and gestured for her to follow me.
Ashina let out a soft sigh then began to follow me to her shrine, the two of us sitting upon the steps. There was a bit of silence as we sat together, neither of us knowing what to say to each other in the moment.
"You seem to hold a lot of guilt within your heart, Ashina. Guilt is one way that Darkness can easily target you and corrupt you with his influence," I said in a soft tone, looking up at the night sky.
Ashina rested her arms against her knees and placed her head upon her arms. I heard her quietly breaking down into a quiet sob, my gaze narrowing to look at her. A bit hesitant, I placed a hand on her back then began to gently rub her back in slow, comforting motions.
"All I wanted was for there to be order...I never wanted to fight Maiken. I just wanted everyone to just play their parts and try to live as happily as they can as a Maiden. This...this shit is not easy," Ashina quietly confessed, gasping to catch her breath in the middle of her sobs.
"No one understands what it's like to be the Miko of Oracle's Daughter, the expectations of an Oracle. I have to keep everyone in line, protect my home and my fellow sisters. If I let one slide with rebellion, I have to let everyone get away with rebellion and that's not order...I never wanted to hurt Maiken like I did," Ashina continued, breaking down even further and cried softly, leaning against me for comfort.
I looked down at Ashina, gently wrapping my arm around her and exhaling softly. I gave her comforting rubs upon her shoulder, gently brushing strands of her hair from her face. "There's always two sides to every coin and story. Why wouldn't Maiken want to fall in line..? There has to be a reason."
Memories slowly flooded back into Ashina's mind at my question and she began to thoughtfully think about how to answer. "It's because...she didn't want to be a Shrine Maiden and wanted to follow the ways of her Father. She wanted to be a Warrior like him, but her mother forced her to walk down the path of a Shrine Maiden..."
"And as the next Miko of Oracle, it's up to you to keep everyone in line huh..? I understand your point of view even if people may paint you as the antagonist, but I also understand her point of view. To be forced upon a certain path is not how some people wish to live. And it already takes a lot to be truly devoted to your Faith as either a Holy Maiden like Lily or a Shrine Maiden like you," I said, keeping her close in my embrace and sighed softly.
"It sounds like all Maiken wanted to do was forge her own path without feeling forced or feeling the pressure of unreachable expectations weighing down on her. The world was too harsh on her, turned her heart and soul black with disdain and frustration. It sounds like there was a communication issue," I added, looking down at Ashina.
Ashina sighed softly, sniffling and wiping her tears. "I suppose you're right, but now she's in the hands of the Fallen and it's my fault...I was the nail in the coffin for her dark path.."
"It's not too late to save her and get her back. April, Coral, and Heifer were able to somewhat get through to her...so we can still get her back before they decide to fully corrupt her spirit. We can get her back together. You don't need to carry that weight alone," I said softly, gently raising her head for her gaze to meet mine.
Ashina stared into my eyes, the darkness within her heart dispelling and her spirit becoming renewed. A soft blush began forming on her cheeks, her breathing slowing and becoming calm. "I trust you..."
I nodded and gently caressed her cheek, wiping away any lingering tears. "Stand proud, Ashina...stand tall...and stand brave. You are the future of Shrine Maidens...and Maiken needs us and you. Don't try to carry the burden alone. Strength always comes in numbers as it can come from yourself."
Ashina nodded, closing her eyes at my touch then a soft smile curled on her lips. "I understand, August...thank you.."
We stayed outside for a moment longer, enjoying the comfortable silence and the gentle breeze. Soon, we got up to head back inside to get some rest as tomorrow promised a new day of activity that we would need to prepare for.
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The next morning was filled with activity, everyone meeting in Misao's Dojo and sitting around the room. We began to devise a plan on saving Maiken and retrieving the Sacred Arms from the hands of the Fallen.
"Alright, as we know from Ashina's and Garnet's information, Maiken is being held at St. Garnet Cathedral, where I sealed Mariella away when we first battled. The Fallen are stacked with allies of their own, Archer, the Zodiac Killer, Scarlett, and Darkness," Nagini said, displaying a holographic screen in the middle of the room.
"Don't forget Darkness's sister, Pendela. She's also on the playing field as well," Garnet added, sitting against the wall.
Liao Ru hummed softly, opening her eyes. "The woman who wields the Crest of Death.."
"The Crest of Death? You mean The Reaper is also in play? Geez, just when you think things couldn't get more complicated," April sighed, running her fingers through her hair.
Nagini nodded, looking at the holographic screen ahead, crossing her arms as she sat upon her floating device. "Is that so? Looks like The Fallen are taking it to the extremes with wanting to revive the Dark Lord. Since we know where they are, the easy part is done. The hard part is if we will be fast enough to stop them.."
"Obviously they need the 3rd Sacred Arms as a key to unlock the Dungeon I imprisoned Mariella in, so it's just a matter of if we make it in time and can we stop them from actually awakening Mariella," Nagini finished, glancing at each of us.
I sat with my arms crossed, remembering the words Henosis spoke to me yesterday about the Dark Lord.
"...as you are now, you won't be strong enough to defeat the Dark Lords on your own, even in your strongest form,"
Those words echoed in my head and I opened my eyes to look at everyone. "If they do manage to awaken the Dark Lord...we might end up in complete danger. It takes 20 Days for a Dark Lord to completely destroy a planet. If we aren't fast enough, we lose. This is an all or nothing problem. We can not afford to lose."
"I agree. Dark Lords aren't your typical enemies. They are Apostles of Chaos, they destroy, steal, kill, and wreck havoc no matter where they are. It is in our best interest to succeed no matter what," Misao said.
Everyone nodded and the time for making the plan to attack the cathedral began. We carefully planned our way of entry, who was going to deal with who, and how we were going to save Maiken and possibly the entire world. The pressure was now higher than ever. Failure was not an option. If one thing went wrong, it would all be over. We had to win.