Chapter 2
Honami sat on the ground. Ena had done something to make them completely obscured in darkness to everyone else. She still wasn’t quite sure about what had just happened in the past 15 minutes or so, but that was probably what Kanade and the other girl were about to inform her about. Ena seemingly secured her shoulders, knees and elbows in place before tapping Kanade on the shoulder. “You’re the one who knows her. It’s best if you tell her all about this knight and shadow shit.”
Kanade tried to sit up as opposed to just being flailed all over the ground, sighing in defeat. “Honami… you told me you had a dream about moths earlier, right? Well, there’s a good chance you found a song on YouTube or in the music streaming app you use that’s linked to them in some way.“
Honami nodded. “I found a song I didn’t download earlier— I think it was called Gasou?”
Kanade nodded. “That’s probably your song. Essentially, your abilities as a knight are influenced by the song’s contents. For example, my song allows me to increase chances of risky things working out, alongside some degree of blurry future sight… though the blurriness might just be brain fog.”
“Mhm.” Honami said. “I hope you don’t mind me asking, but what are the shadows? And how do you manage to get into those costumes?”
Ena cleared her throat. “To answer your first question, they’re sort of like projections of someone’s worst feelings. You ever felt so horrible that you want absolutely nothing but to destroy someone or something, regardless of the consequences and who? That generally tends to form a shadow. The longer they stick around, the stronger they become, and the stronger they become, the more likely someone becomes to act on their worst thoughts. Getting rid of one won’t get rid of someone’s worst thoughts, but it’ll make it so that they’re much less likely to commit suicide. You get rid of them by stabbing them, which seems redundant for something that’s essentially a bundle of cotton candy, but it works. They can be formed multiple times, too, and by ANYONE.”
Kanade added a footnote to Ena’s monologue. “Even we knights can form them, and they’re no harder to defeat than anyone else’s. When someone’s is left to simply lurk for ages, though, it makes them incredibly likely to inflict violence upon themself or to act on violent intrusive thoughts. They tend to take on the characteristics of their corresponding person. For example, back when it was just me and Yuki, we came across Ena’s, which was hostile to us upon seeing it, but seemed to almost feel guilty for lashing out on us. It tried to go out to the point of being the most observable, too.”
Ena interrupted, almost attempting to cut Kanade off from further talking about her. “To answer your second question, since we have our shit under control, we have a set list of specific phrases that allow us to do certain things. Average magical girl garbage like a transformation phrase and attack names. They’re lyrics pulled from our songs… and although you can technically still use your powers while untransformed, it’s risky because you don’t necessarily get the right amount of leverage for the situation and it can leave you feeling mentally or physically terrible.”
Honami nodded. “Okay… but how exactly do I know how to transform? How do I know what I’m doing?” Whatever part of her brain that had brought her here was resurrected, dizzying her once again. It brought on another headache, waiting for an answer from either Kanade or Ena before answering Honami. She put a hand to her forehead, rubbing it, as Ena answered the question the subconscious solved.
“Your backbrain knows the first. As for the second, I could try and call over Yuki and Amia so the four of us can show you the ropes. I don’t mind taking another person in, provided you’re less up my ass than my brother was. You can go ahead and get the transformation done. It’ll be slightly embarrassing doing it at first, and for the first few times, it is, but eventually you get used to it. It changes your appearance ever so slightly so that you become harder to recognize, but it becomes near impossible for people to recognize you for some reason.”
[ TAKE ME where there’s nobody. ]
Something in Honami muttered that phrase, almost like it was a habit and not something she had done for the first time. The headache persisted, and she swore she was being surrounded by thousands of moths once again. They swirled around Honami’s vision, making it far too bright for her to see, only dissipating about 30 seconds later. She felt like she was in vertigo, and took a moment to reorient.
A hand in front of her helped her up. “We’re friends from now on, got it? I didn’t properly introduce myself as a member of this team, so here goes nothing. I’m Enanan. I’m Nightcord at 25:00’s third member, and knight of cyclic moon. Nice to meet you, and welcome to the team, even if it’s temporary.” Honami smiled.
“I guess I should introduce myself, too. I forgot, sor—“
“No need to apologize.”
“Well— anyways. I’m Honami Mochizuki, and I suppose that makes me the temporary fifth member of Nightcord at 25:00.” She dodged Ena’s eye contact. When a hand was reached out towards her, Honami shook it, staring at her hand, which was now gloved. She needed a minute or two to get used to her own body, and Ena let her just stand there for a bit.
Breaking the silence was Kanade. “I’ve called Yuki and Amia. They should be back in a few minutes. In the meantime, the two of us should return to knight form. My phone says that it’s highly probably that a shadow is nearby. I believe that the originator is named Saki.” Ena nodded, watching as Honami stared at her feet with a look of guilt in her eyes.
[ O cyclic moon, reveal to me your stagnant ways.]
[ Which versions of the truth? ]
“Honami… it’s normal to feel nervous. It’s okay. You might make a mistake. You might trip and make a mess. But we’re here to cover for you, and to support you until the very end. If you end up getting your own team eventually and get stuck in a sticky situation, you can always call us. Got it? We’re here for you until the very end.” Kanade smiled at Honami. “Even if I’m not anywhere near physically able, I’ll try my best to help.”
A complaint was soon voiced by a voice Honami didn’t expect to hear just yet. “Aw, no need to get so sappy towards the newbie, K! You never ever ever show me that kinda—“
Amia’s whining was interrupted by a hollowed voice.
“So you’ve brought Mochizuki in for training temporarily? If that is the case, then I believe we should begin by demonstrating how to identify and eliminate shadows. Do not worry about your parents’ concern— I have dealt with that.” Honami took a deep breath in before being interrupted by Yuki once again. “Before you question me, your parents are safe. I simply put them under the belief that you are already home.”
“How do you know my name and who my parents are? I can’t recognize you, and I don’t know how you’d know me…”
Yuki stared at Honami with some sort of hidden emotion, one that might’ve even been hidden to Yuki herself. “You attend the same school I do. It’ll certainly be obvious to you who I am in a bit. Despite the fog, I believe I’ll be easily recognizable. That’s also how I was able to effectively render your parents without panic— I know vaguely enough who they are.”
Honami played with her hands a bit. She was very, very nervous.
“Should we get going?” Kanade suggested, after being met with affirmations from everyone. Honami swallowed the frog in her throat, and joined them. Kanade took the lead, being picked up by Amia to show everyone where to go so she didn’t have to walk, who somehow was perfectly stable holding Kanade. That was impressive… if only Honami could do something like that!
“Are you staring at me for my amazing, gorgeous muscles, Honami~?”
“Oh god. They’ve found someone new to tease.” Ena sighed, an air of dramatization in her voice.
“Yeah, but that’s because Honami is just so much cuter than you are! Look at her, all flustered~ how could I resist teasing her! Plus, it’s much more fun to watch you get all flustered and tensed up like a brick wall when Yuki compliments you.”
Their bickering went on for a bit, with Kanade continuing to whisper directions in Amia’s ear, before being stopped by Yuki.
“We have a job to do. We have a shadow to eliminate. Get your act together.”
Ena got all flimsy for a minute before getting everything together, whereas Amia pouted before returning to the actual task at hand— leading the rest of the group to the shadow.
[ O cyclic moon, reveal to me your darkest ways. ]
Soon, the group found it. It looked like the halfway point between a bundle of cotton candy, a storm cloud, and something else entirely that Honami couldn’t point down. There almost seemed to be some degree of crying from it, and it seemed to be muttering to itself how it was futile to continue on with its life with parents who could never accept its true nature. This is what they meant when they said it was formed from the feelings of someone…
[ I cannot change a mind, and I cannot change the truth! ]
“It’s sedated for a few minutes. You may go on and attempt to get rid of it. All of its cries are simply the innermost thoughts of its creators— those that’ll never be revealed in public.” Yuki said, before nodding at Honami. Amia gave a little wink, cheer and thumbs up, while Kanade and Ena simply smiled. Honami took a few breaths before walking up closer to it. Her subconscious took over her physical, and she knew what she needed to do. She needed to swarm it with moths to rip through it.
[ I settled fights by using nice and lovely words. ]
Next thing she knew, thousands of moths flew in a loop of sorts, where she would start and end it. They tore through the shadow, as Honami watched it turn into an almost ash. The moths then all disappeared into her outfit or right behind her. She could control this…! It was wonderful to her, like some sort of veil had been lifted that was plaguing the very depth of her mind and heart.
“That was amazing! That was a lot better than my first time… and your outfit is so cute! How come I don’t get that?! God, you’re so cute and pretty and lovely that I could just squeeze you!” Amia whined in an affectionate manner. Honami was left flustered. Everyone else in the group seemed really proud of her, save Yuki, who seemed to be permanently stuck in the same trance she had left the shadow in.
[ you’re always so dim, it hurts. ]
“Since we need to fit Mochizuki into our schedule, anyone volunteer to share their days just to show her around? I’m REALLY not the best teacher, so I’d prefer if someone else got it done.” Ena remarked. Amia raised their hand. “I’ll gladly spend as much time as I can with Mochikzuki! I do Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturdays if those work for you.”
“Those all work for me.”
“GREAT! I’ll walk you home!”
[ weeks go by, i’m dying like the rest! ]
Before Honami knew it, she was home in her bed, her window wide open, letting the sun in. Had it all been a dream? It felt too real…
But she knew it was real as soon as she saw the note.
“Here’s my nightcord! can’t wait to work with you again ∩^ω^∩
Amia#4791”
It had been real. It had all been real.