Fastidioso

A bath in a lake is exactly what Mafuyu needed. She sinks to the very bottom, closing her eyes as she feels the water lick her injuries and bruises. It stings. And as always she loves the numbness that follows, allowing her to forget the weight of being alive. To forget she's just a war asset, that only he was loved, and to forget the events of the day before. 

Or so she thought. After all she was thinking about that just now. 

Mafuyu swims to the surface, letting the water drip from her hair. She was hidden behind plants, so her companion couldn't spot her. Though it's probably time to climb out now. She scoots to the shore, quickly dressing up after leaving her clothes out for hours to dry. Her change of clothes had disappeared along with the black horse, never to be seen again. Will her father be upset with her about that?

Anyhow, Mafuyu brushes away the thoughts of worry, combing her hair with her fingers. She makes her way to the other side of the lake, where her companion resided. 

She quickly searches for him, before spotting the white-haired knight sitting on a rock, looking down at the lake. His capelet and vest are off, leaving him in the blouse and ridiculous shorts. Strangely, his hair is tied up to the tiniest of ponytails. Mafuyu gets a good view of the nap of his neck, noticing slight scorch markings. The view pains her… she wants to touch-

“M- Mafuyu!” The white knight jerks, feeling her cold fingers touch his neck. He nearly falls into the lake. 

The prince blinks, not realizing what she's just done. “S- Sorry. I just…” she begins before meeting the white knight's dull eyes, “What's with the ponytail?”

The white knight blinks. “It might be hard to understand…” the white-haired begins, “You see, sometimes I feel masculine. And sometimes I feel feminine.”

Mafuyu blinks in bewilderment. That's… not what she expected. “So… are you not a man?”

A small smile escapes the white knight. “Only sometimes,” he(?) says with a light chuckle. Mafuyu's heart warms up with the noise, it feels… nostalgic, “It's kinda similar to you. You're a man by choice, right? Even though you were born otherwise. Well for me, I choose who I want to be depending on my mood.”

Mafuyu lowers her gaze. “Being a man by choice…” she echoes back. That left a bitter taste in her mouth. Did she choose to become the Prince of the Morning? Well, the Queen always wanted a son, so Mafuyu was sent away to become exactly that. She agreed to it, no? She did… but why does her chest feel cold?

“Mafuyu?”

Mafuyu meets the white knight’s empty gaze. “So you're… a woman right now?” She blurts out, changing the attention to her companion.

The white knight nods.

The conversation ends at that. Mafuyu watches as the knight returns her attention to the lake, breathing heavily. Mafuyu decides to sit behind her, sliding onto the rock. The white knight gasps lightly, before turning away from Mafuyu. 

Strange.

Why was she hiding- oh wait. 

She hasn't explained anything from that battle. Mafuyu frowns at the thoughts beginning to race her mind. She wants the white knight to speak, but would it be wise to-

“I am… was… the co-leader of The Resistance,” The white knight begins, bringing her knees to her face, “I am the second strongest asset besides Kamishiro. After all, he raised me. He shared all his knowledge with me.”

Mafuyu shuts her eyes, head pulsing with pain. “So the reason you were insistent on joining me on this journey… was to assassinate me?”

The white knight winces. “N- No! I- I didn't want to! But they made me…” she blurts out, before reaching for Mafuyu's hands, “I could never kill anyone who's innocent, Mi Príncipe. I know you're innocent.”

“I am?”

“Well yes. All you do is follow orders. You didn't start the war. You're a pawn just like everyone else, right?” 

Mafuyu can't help but draw her attention. The white knight's pale fingers gently rub her knuckles. “Just a pawn…’ she echoes.

“Mafuyu, do you support the war?”

“It's my duty,” Mafuyu immediately responds, almost mechanically, “If my parents believe taking over that Kingdom is necessary for our safety, then I have to follow their command.”

The white knight winces. “Even if it's at the cost of innocent lives?”

These questions are making her head hurt. That's completely out of her control. “I'm supposed to be the one interrogating you, white knight,” Mafuyu snaps, a bit harsher than she meant to be.

“My name is K, you don't have to call me white knight,” The white knight retaliates. 

Mafuyu frowns. “No it's not,” she grumbles, “I heard Kamishiro call out Yoisaki.”

The white knight tenses. “W- What?”

“If you're to earn my trust, you will spill everything, understand?’ Mafuyu growls, seizing the white knight's hands. The latter yelps in surprise. 

“Fine. I guess my name is Yoisaki! I don't actually know,” She blurts out.

“What?”

“I don't know,” She repeats, “I lost my memory years ago. I only know what my friends have shared with me.”

Lost memory? The thought covers Mafuyu with ice. If anything, it's her memories that keep her going. A reason to live despite the world crushing her with all its weight. Losing them… could Mafuyu even dare live? 

“Sorry,” Mafuyu mumbles, releasing her grip. 

“I don't really mind. After all, what's there to miss if I don't remember?” The white knight says with a weak laugh, “Though my past self did leave something for me to remember, strangely enough. A note.”

Mafuyu tilts her head. 

“To never let this scar fade away,” she says pointing to her left cheek, “I don't know why. Though the thought of it always leaves me feeling empty.”

What a strange request. 

“Is that all?” Mafuyu asks.

The white knight stares blankly. “If there is, I can't remember right now,” she says with the smallest of smiles. Mafuyu can't help stare at her chapped lips and analyze the light curves. Something about it made something inside her stir, like flowers blooming inside her stomach. The ice that covered her heart could melt with that smile.

Mafuyu winces at the thought. This feeling wasn't foreign to her at all.

Her dearest…

Her mind's confusing the two of them again. If she could, she'd claw out her brain to fix it properly.

A gentle weight on her shoulder snaps her back to reality, realizing the white knight had leaned on her. Mafuyu's throat closes in on her, ice spreads across her body. She wants to push the white knight away but she can't. Her arms refuse to. 

“What are you doing?” She musters.

“You look like you're in pain, so I'm comforting you,” she says as if it was obvious.

Why was this… her mind…

…

Ten years ago…

The damsel huffs, wincing as her legs burn. They itch, yet she can't touch them. And honestly it was deserved. Everyone and even their dog knew that those fringed iris were to not be touched. Yet, here she was, having mindlessly run past a whole field of them.

El Palacio Mañanita was in the far distance, exactly how she wanted it to be. Inside held plans for her that her heart couldn't just face. Couldn't accept the truth. There's no way the things she's just heard were real. She just heard wrong, that's it!

Her path is blocked by a giant wall. Black painted brick, just like that of the palace. Vines adorned the wall with blooming bright red flowers. 

This barrier wasn't going to trap her.

The girl has had her fair share of physical training. Jumping this wall would be a breeze. She takes a few steps back, ignoring the pulsing of her ankles, before running forward with all her speed.

Mafuyu leaps over the wall with ease, yet her shoe gets stuck against the edge. Losing balance, she trips over, falling off the black wall with a thump. Her ankle is the first to give her a sharp pain. Tears that were already streaming came in larger waves. Gosh, her parents would laugh at this. Why was she crying over a small sprain?

Well, Mafuyu was always a crybaby.

Mafuyu curls up against the wall, whimpering in pain as her legs and back pulsed with pain. She didn't know what hurt anymore. 

“Hello,” a whispery voice reaches the girl's ears. She quickly looks up, her body freezing in fright. Yet the sight before her was immaculate. Has an angel come to take her away? Was it finally her time?

The first thing she noticed was long white hair, glowing in the moonlight. It looks soft like silk, smoother than marble. Not to mention equally glowing milky skin. 

This was no angel. This was a goddess.

“I'm Kanade,” the figure continues to speak, kneeling down to Mafuyu's level, “I want to help. May I take a look?”

Mafuyu nods, unable to speak words. This goddness seemed to be no older than her, though Mafuyu couldn't quite tell due to the giant navy hat that covered her head, hiding her face within a deep shadow.

“Have you been in the field?” Kanade asks softly, inspecting the bright red rashes on Mafuyu's legs, “Those iris are poisonous. But I suppose they're so pretty you can't help but to touch them, right?”

Mafuyu can't reply. She looks at the hat, noticing said flowers decorated it.

Suddenly a sharp pulse of pain runs up her legs. She hisses in pain, sobbing uncontrollably.

“Pardon me. I should have warned you,” Kanade says softly, revealing a bottle with a clear liquid inside, “This is an antidote. It does sting a little, but it'll take the rash away.”

Mafuyu nods, bringing her hand to her mouth and bites down on it as Kanade pours more of the antidote.

“Oh, don't do that. You can cry and scream. It hurts a lot, it makes sense if you do,” Kanade says with a chuckle, pulling Mafuyu's hand away from her mouth, “Don't suppress your emotions, okay?”

The princess quickly nods, rubbing the rest of her tears away.

“What's your name?”

The purple-haired looks up. Can she even tell this stranger her name? Mafuyu Asahina, princess of the Kingdom they were just outside of. Kanade would just return her back home, exactly what Mafuyu didn't want.

And it's not like she could speak. Her throat was completely closed by a large knot that refused to go.

She hated not being able to reply to such a goddess. The white haired girl would probably get tired of her and continue her way.

Gosh, such disappointment she is-

Mafuyu inhales sharply as she's crushed by a sudden warmth. She feels it go under her arms, wrap around her torso. She feels her head be buried into periwinkle polyester and her vision is covered with that white hair. 

“It's okay, mi Yuki. You don't have to say anything if you don't want to,” Kanade's voice is right beside her ear. It's soft like a lullaby, as warm as a fireplace in the winter.

What is this? Kanade's arms are wrapped around her body. “W- What are you doing…” Mafuyu manages to squeeze out, her voice barely above a whisper.

“I'm hugging you,” Kanade replies with a soft chuckle, “You're hurting. So I thought a hug will cheer you up.”

…

Mafuyu lowers her gaze, her vision blurring with swelling tears. The white knight has not moved from her position, it's possible she'd even fallen asleep.

Mafuyu fights for her life to not sob or sniff. She wipes the mess on her face with her sleeve.

Her mind is too cruel for her own good.