moments within melodies: pjsk sapphic one-shots

“Oi, Akiyama! You’re falling behind.”

The voice of their captain felt like it was grating against every fiber of Mizuki’s being, and they wanted nothing more than to snap back. That would end very poorly, however, so they muttered an apology and jogged to keep up with the rest of the group.

Initially, Mizuki had been excited to go on this patrol. Sure, they knew that this was just a way to keep the less experienced knights busy, but at least it was something to do. Their task was simple: clear out any monsters or enemies in the area. Mizuki and a handful of other knights were put on the task, along with a very reluctant captain.

Now that they were actually patrolling, though, they realized how boring this was. The closest thing to a “monster” they had run into was a lone wolf, who looked very confused at the sight of the group.

Mizuki was forced out of their daydreaming when they noticed the rest of the group had stopped. They had finished crossing a clearing, and the captain was gathering them up. “Okay, patrol. Here’s what’s gonna happen. I know this has been uneventful, so I’ve decided to let you all split up for a while to cover more ground.” He began to give out individual orders. “Kuwahara, you’ll go in the direction of the woods. Miyake, go east towards the ravine.” He went through the remainder of the group before reaching Mizuki. “Akiyama- explore the area surrounding the river and waterfall.”

Mizuki wasn’t too disappointed at that. At the very least, it would be a scenic detour. The patrol split up immediately, eager for independence. Mizuki soon reached the riverbank, pausing for a few moments to relax in the tranquil environment. They rarely got the chance to rest like this- they were grateful for their position as a knight, but it could be a lot at times.

They moved at a leisurely pace, with their cape fluttering in the breeze and the water occasionally lapping at their boots. The smell of oak and mint was sharp in the air, the refreshing scent a nice change from the dullness they had gotten accustomed to.

As their eyes lazily skimmed over the scenery, something strange caught their gaze. Right in the middle of the greens and blues of the riverbank was a cave, with its entrance partially obscured by hanging branches and vines. Its presence should have been mysterious or foreboding, but somehow, it wasn’t. On the contrary, Mizuki was drawn to it, curiosity and fascination driving them to the opening.

Without hesitating, Mizuki pushed a few leaves aside and stepped inside. At first, it wasn’t all that dark- the entrance provided enough natural light. But as Mizuki made their way deeper inside, that light became more and more faint until it was no more than a vague glow.

To their surprise, there seemed to be another light source not much farther ahead. They picked up the pace, and found that it was… a lamp? That made no sense. Was someone already here? 

“Hello?” Mizuki called out, taking a few steps forward to find that there was much more here than they initially thought. As they looked around, they saw a table, and chairs, and what looked like shelves.

Before they could continue, they heard something that resembled shuffling. Cautious, Mizuki placed a hand on their sword. “Who’s there?”

Suddenly, a figure jumped into their line of sight. At first, Mizuki could only make out a vaguely human silhouette. But the lamp quickly illuminated their surroundings, and Mizuki let out a sharp gasp.

It was a human- kind of. At first glance, Mizuki thought they were looking at a girl about their age, with short brown hair and a small physique. But then they noticed the two horns that protruded out the top of her head, and her slender, spiked tail. “What- who-”

The girl placed her hands on her hips and lashed her tail. “Who the hell are you, and what are you doing here?” Mizuki opened their mouth to speak, but no words came out. “You know what? It doesn’t matter. I don’t care, just get out.” 

At this point, Mizuki had also noticed the girl’s outfit. It resembled a short dress, with loose sleeves and a collar that looked like the frills of a lizard. Before they could admire the clothing further, they heard voices in the distance.

“Akiyama? Where are you?” 

Mizuki instinctively flinched when they heard the voice of their captain.

“C’mon, we wanna leave!”

Okay, scratch that. The entire group was looking for them. Had they really been exploring that long? Mizuki glanced back at the girl, whose expression now held poorly disguised fear. Though they didn’t say anything, her thoughts were obvious. Don’t let them find me.

Mizuki looked from the cave entrance to the girl, and cleared their throat. “Ah, I’m coming! I was just looking around, but I didn’t find anything.” Sensing their time with her was coming to a close, they shot her one last glance before leaving. Her expression was almost unreadable in the low light, but Mizuki swore they saw something akin to grateful surprise.

“Akiyama!”

“Coming!”

~~~

The next day, Mizuki found themselves returning to the cave. It was almost automatic; they didn’t recall making the conscious decision to make the trip. One moment they were at their barracks in the castle, and the next they were standing outside the cave entrance. 

This time, they hesitated before entering. What if the girl was gone? What if they had scared her away? What if she reacted violently to their return? 

But then Mizuki remembered the girl’s expression when they hid her from the other knights, and how purely human it was, and their misgivings evaporated. Mizuki entered the cave. “Hello?” They called. “It’s me. I was here yesterday.”

For a moment, there was no response, Mizuki began to worry. But then they saw a light bobbing in the distance, and were met with the girl holding a lantern. “Why did you come back?” Her voice wasn’t as confrontational as it was a day prior, but it definitely wasn’t friendly either.

Mizuki blinked. Why did they come back? They didn’t really have a specific reason. “I just wanted to see you again, I guess.” The girl began to light more lanterns and candles around the space, and her expression got more guarded at Mizuki’s words.

“Hmph. I thought you would say that.” She faced Mizuki and crossed her arms. “Here you go, then. Gawk at me as much as you want, I don’t care.”

“Wait, no- that’s not what I meant!” Mizuki rushed to clarify. “I didn’t mean it like that. I wanted to talk to you.”

She still looked tense, but she uncrossed her arms and sat cross-legged on one of the pillows strewn about the cave. Now that the place was well lit, Mizuki could admire the layout of it. The cave didn’t look like a cave- it looked like a home. There was a single wooden bookshelf that was practically overflowing with books, and candles lined the walls. There was a small cot with a quilt thrown over it, and a round table with a couple chairs.

“What’s your name?” Mizuki asked, daring to take a step closer.

The girl didn’t answer, instead looking at Mizuki’s arm. “You’re hurt.” Blinking, Mizuki followed her gaze, and noticed blood seeping from a wound and staining their sleeve.

“Oh, yeah. It’s nothing, just an injury from sparring,” they assured. That was true to an extent, but she didn’t have to hear about all the details.

The girl chewed her lower lip before sighing and grabbing another pillow, placing it across from her and patting it. “Sit. I have medical supplies, I might as well stitch it up.”

Mizuki had to admit- they were extremely caught off guard by this turn of events. But they obviously weren’t gonna turn down the offer, so they plopped down onto the pillow as the girl grabbed a few items from around the room. 

Wordlessly, the girl returned to her position across from Mizuki and took their arm, pulling up their sleeve with surprising gentleness and starting to clean the wound. She worked in silence for a while, with Mizuki stopping themselves from speaking in case they would somehow scare her away.

“My name is Shinonome Ena,” she said suddenly, breaking the silence. “Since you were asking earlier.” Trying to hide their excitement, Mizuki smiled in response.

“That’s a pretty name,” they said. “I’m Akiyama Mizuki!” Ena raised an eyebrow at their enthusiasm, but Mizuki swore they saw something akin to amusement in her expression. 

There was another period of silence before Ena spoke again. “So, you’re a knight.” It wasn’t really a question, given the obvious answer.

“Yep,” confirmed Mizuki. “I got the uniform and everything. Knight Akiyama Mizuki, at your service!” They bowed their head dramatically and outstretched their uninjured arm. 

That elicited a snort from Ena. “Hey, stop moving so much,” she chided, but for once there was no real animosity behind her words. “Are all knights this annoying?”

Mizuki smirked. “Nah. Just me.” 

“I figured,” Ena said, rolling her eyes. She pursed her lips together, applying a pungent mixture to Mizuki’s wound. “Most knights wouldn’t go out of their way to visit a monster, though,” she said softly. “So at least you have something going for you.”

Mizuki blinked. “A monster? I don’t think you’re a monster.”

Ena paused, her hands frozen mid-way through wrapping Mizuki’s arm with a cloth. “You’d be the first,” she said bitterly, averting her gaze downwards and allowing a lock of brown hair to fall over her face. “But… thanks.”

She cleared her throat and dusted off her hands. “Your arm should be fine now,” she said, her clipped tone a far cry from the vulnerability she was displaying moments prior. “Just maybe try to hold off on the intense sparring sessions,” she teased.

Mizuki admired Ena’s precise work and rubbed the back of their neck. “I’ll try.” Remembering something, they leaned over to reach into their pouch they were carrying. “Oh, before I forget- I brought you something.” They pulled out a small book with an intricately designed leather cover. “I saw you had a lot of books, so I stole- um, borrowed this from the castle. It’s nothing special, just a collection of short stories and stuff, but I used to read it a lot. It takes your mind away from things, you know?”

Ena stared at the gift with wide eyes, taking it cautiously, as if she expected Mizuki to rescind their offer at any moment. “To be honest, I’m more of an artist than a reader,” she admitted. “Most of those books are full of my sketches. But… I appreciate this. Thank you, Mizuki.” The last few words were spoken begrudgingly, like expressing gratitude towards them was physically painful, but Mizuki didn’t mind at all.

“No problem!” Mizuki stood up and looked around the room, having already become acquainted with the strange yet comforting aura of the cave. “I should be getting back, though. Don’t want the other knights to get suspicious.”

Ena nodded quickly. “Of course.” She turned away, clutching the book against her chest. As Mizuki neared the cave entrance, they heard Ena call out to them.

“Will you be coming back?” 

Mizuki looked over their shoulder to see Ena standing there with an expression of poorly forced indifference on their face. “Obviously. You can’t get rid of me that easily, Ena,” they assured with a laugh.

“Okay.” Ena replied brusquely. As they headed their opposite ways, Mizuki heard Ena shoot back one more faint comment about “not caring if they came back anyways” and how “this didn’t make them friends”. Mizuki could only smile, and as they thought of Ena, a strange and unfamiliar feeling blossomed in their chest.

~~~

“You’re here!” Mizuki jumped, noticing Ena leaning against the cave wall.

“Aw, were you waiting for me?” Mizuki giggled, noticing how Ena’s tail folded around her body as her face flushed with embarrassment.

“What? No! No, I just happened to be standing here,” Ena snapped. 

Not convinced, Mizuki lightly poked Ena with the hilt of their sword. “Ena was excited to see me,” they sing-songed. Huffing, Ena whipped around and marched into the main room of the cave.

“You’re intolerable,” she muttered under her breath. However, her annoyance diminished when she heard Mizuki wince. “Is something wrong?”

Mizuki cursed their own carelessness and forced a smile. “Nope! I’m doing great.” Ena gave them an incredulous look and walked over to them.

“Your physical condition says otherwise,” she rebuked. In an effort to convince Ena that they were fine, Mizuki picked up their pace, which only resulted in the stinging pain in their leg worsening and them almost toppling over. 

“Ack-” Mizuki yelped, but suddenly felt two strong arms wrap around their waist, saving them from a nasty fall. Looking up, they saw Ena staring at them with a face that was half concerned and half confused. “Uh, thanks? You have quick reflexes.”

Ena sighed. “I guess we’ll have to do this the slow way.” Ena shifted her position so that she was supporting Mizuki from the side. “Okay, let’s go.” Steadily, they made their way forward, gripping onto Ena for support until they were able to fall onto a chair.

Mizuki gave Ena a grateful thumbs up. “Teamwork, am I right?” But Ena didn’t smile back, instead pulling up a chair and sitting down.

“What happened this time?” Ena asked, busy as she readied medical supplies. “More sparring?”

Mizuki winced at her incredulous tone. “Um, yes?” They forced another laugh. “Come on, it’s true. All knights go through this.” Ena raised her eyebrows as she started applying some natural ointment to a nasty wound on Mizuki’s leg. 

“I don’t believe you.” Her voice was matter-of-fact, leaving no room for argument. Mizuki pursed their lips together, avoiding Ena’s gaze. Pausing, the dragon girl placed a hand on Mizuki’s, her touch gentle. “I’m not good at this kind of thing… but, um, I care about you. And you can talk to me.” Her voice is awkward, but Mizuki can tell she’s genuine.

Mizuki sighed, taking Ena’s hand and squeezing it. “You caught me,” they said with a weak chuckle. “I mean, I wasn’t really lying. The injuries are from sparring. But… Well, it’s never really a fair fight. I’m usually the sole target.” They let out a shaky breath, squeezing their eyes together. “The other knights don’t really like me, to say the least.”

Ena furrowed her brows. Her expression was one of concern and curiosity, and her hand hadn’t left Mizuki’s. “Why?”

That was the most difficult question to answer, wasn’t it? Mizuki didn’t know how much to divulge to Ena. Sure, they had only just met, but Mizuki felt a closeness and trust with her that she hadn’t felt with anyone else. “That’s complicated. I’m… different from the others. And they don’t like that.”

They didn’t clarify any further, and Ena didn’t ask them to. “I see.” She didn’t speak for a while, wrapping Mizuki’s leg in a woven cloth. After a few moments, she spoke. “To be honest, I haven’t had much interaction with humans. I was found outside of the kingdom gates as a baby- that was before I started showing all of this.” She flicked her tail and gestured towards her horns. 

“When I started showing these traits as a toddler, things changed. People whispered. They said I was cursed; that my mother had committed some horrible sin to warrant such a strange child.” Ena brought her knees up to her chin, her tail wrapping around her body protectively. “I was forced out of town when I was just six years old. I was six years old, a scared child, and no one tried to help me. After that, I had this disdain for humans. After all, the only thing that seemed to unite them was their hatred of those who they deemed “strange” or “different.”

Ena took a deep breath, having divulged so much of her personal life in one sitting. “But you… you showed me that wasn’t the case. Sure, some people are horrible, but you were the opposite. You cared for me when no one would.” She took both of Mizuki’s hands in her own, staring straight into their eyes. “So I guess you are different, because where most would show anger, you show compassion.”

For once, Mizuki couldn’t think of something teasing to say. It had been a long time since someone had been so genuine with them, and it was an unfamiliar feeling. It was pleasant, though. A warmth spread throughout their body, and they smiled. “Thank you,” they said, their voice uncharacteristically soft. “But you deserve compassion, you know? Those people who pushed you away… they’re really missing out.” They smirked, nudging Ena in the arm.

Ena stuck her tongue out, but it was more affectionate than annoyed. “Yeah, yeah.” She lightly flicked Mizuki’s hair with her tail. In that moment, Mizuki realized how physically close they were. They could feel every slight movement that Ena made; noticed how the frills of her dress grazed against Mizuki’s tunic. 

“I… really like you, Ena.”

Ena’s brown eyes grew wide, an adorable expression of shock and something else crossing her face. Mizuki began to worry that they had screwed up. Now Ena was going to push them away, just like everyone else. She would-

“I like you a lot too, Mizuki.”

And Mizuki felt like they could float, buoyed up by joy and affection.

~~~

Ena and Mizuki had barely went a day without seeing each other. For weeks, Mizuki would engage in their duties, get a snack, then go straight to Ena’s cave. They would eat, or tell stories, or even just sit around, enjoying each other’s company.

On a particularly nice day, they dared to venture out of the cave. They knew the dangers, but Mizuki had insisted that no one would find them. After all, it was a very out of the way area. So they lay together on the grass by the waterfall, the sounds of water flowing across pebbles setting a pleasant ambience.

Mizuki rolled over onto their side, facing Ena. “So. How does it feel to get out of your cave?” They propped their head up on their elbow.

“I… I guess it’s nice.” Ena smiled. A degree of worry still lingered in her gaze, but it was overpowered by satisfaction and peace. 

Mizuki grinned and winked playfully. “It’s because you’re with me, isn’t it?”

“Wha- don’t be so cocky,” Ena retorted, her face turning red as she pushed Mizuki onto their back.

“I mean, I would enjoy my company too. I’m pretty amazing.” Ena snorted and tackled Mizuki, gentle so that she wouldn’t cause any real harm, and she ended up on top of Mizuki. 

“Oh yeah?” Her voice was teasing, a smirk dancing on her lips. Mizuki raised their eyebrows.

“We’re doing this now?” They rolled over again, so that the positions were switched, with Mizuki now looking down at Ena. “I guess my knight training is useful sometimes.”

“Loser.” Ena began to laugh, the sound as beautiful as the babbling water next to them. More beautiful, in Mizuki’s opinion. Ena was beautiful.

The moment was interrupted when loud, thumping footsteps were heard. They were getting nearer and nearer, getting louder and louder until-

“What the hell are you doing, Akiyama?”

Mizuki felt like their heart was stopping. They scrambled off of Ena, sitting up to see a group of their fellow knights looking down at them. Their expressions were twisted into blatant disgust. Instinctively, they moved in front of Ena.

“Nothing,” they said, their voice sharp. “Nothing you need to concern yourself with.” Deep down, they knew nothing they could say would prevent the inevitable confrontation.

One of the knights took a step forward. “Doesn’t look like it. I knew you were strange, but I didn’t expect you to be playing around with a girl- no, a monster.” His attention turned to Ena, and now his expression of disgust was tinged with fear. “What kind of knight are you? You’re meant to kill monsters, not cuddle with them.”

Mizuki stood up, their hand drifting to the hilt of their sword. “Ena’s not a monster,” they said, their voice rising. “Leave her alone.”

The knight’s eyes darkened, and suddenly they turned from a bully to a dangerous threat. “Leave it alone,” he corrected. “And I won’t. I’m a knight, and I’m doing my duty. Something that you should start learning how to do.” He gestured to the group of knights behind them, and all at once, hell broke loose.

A couple of them went for Mizuki, but their primary concern was Ena. The majority of the group had targeted her, and despite her fiery exterior, Mizuki knew her well enough to see the fear in her eyes. Dodging a few strikes, Mizuki fought their way through and dropped into a defensive stance, guarding Ena. “Don’t you dare.”

Gritting his teeth, the knight in front swung at Mizuki. They dodged it with ease, ducking beneath his sword and using the opening to knock him down with the hilt of their own weapon. Despite their anger, Mizuki didn’t want to severely injure anyone. After all, they were supposed to be on the same side. Clearly, the others did not share the same sentiment.

Mizuki was good, but they weren’t good enough to hold off five knights. They were quickly getting overpowered, and silently begged for Ena to run. They paused to catch their breath, when they heard her yell. “Mizuki, look out!” 

They whipped their head around to see a knight coming up swiftly behind them, sword pointed straight at them. Mizuki knew they wouldn’t have time to properly block him, and they silently accepted their fate.

Then, the knight was on the ground. Ena had tackled him, knocking him down with her horns. She kicked him between the legs, then turned to Mizuki. “I tried to warn you,” she said matter-of-factly, a small smile playing at her lips.

Mizuki’s jaw dropped in surprise, but they quickly recovered and let out a soft laugh. “I liked your way of dealing with it better.” They both turned their attention back to the battle, working and fighting in tandem. Shockingly, things were going well. A couple of the knights had slipped away, deciding this was more difficult than it was worth.

After a while, when they thought they were safe, Mizuki turned to Ena. They were out of breath, but the relief far outweighed the exhaustion. “We did it-”

But then they saw a knight had reappeared, and was lunging at Ena. 

Mizuki didn’t think. Their body moved faster than their mind, and the last thing they remembered was the feeling of the sword being driven into their torso, and the blood-curdling scream of Ena.

~~~

Everything hurt. Everything hurt, but the worst pain was her stomach. Their vision was blurry, but they could barely make out a figure leaning over her.

“Mizuki. Mizuki! Please, stay with me.” Mizuki felt droplets of water fall onto their face, and slowly realized that it was Ena’s tears. “Why did you- why did you do that? Why do you have to be so damn heroic?” Her voice broke, and she cradled Mizuki’s head. “Please… stay with me. I can’t lose you.”

“Ena…” Mizuki’s voice seemed unfamiliar, more raspy and sluggish than it had ever been. “What’s happening?”

Ena opened and closed her mouth a few times. “You saved me. You jumped in front of me, and you got stabbed.” She sucked in a shaky breath. “B-But you’re not going to die! I promise you’re not going to die. You’ll be okay. You’ll be okay.” 

Even in their dazed state, Mizuki could tell she was just trying to convince herself.

“I- I tried my best to close the wound, but it’s pretty deep,” Ena said, her voice weak. “I’m so sorry, Mizuki.” Her voice broke, and Mizuki could feel her hands shaking as she held them.

Mizuki managed a small smile. “It’s not your fault. I made my choice, and I don’t regret anything. I would do it again.” They forced a laugh. “And I won’t die! How would I bother you as a ghost?” They needed to be strong- for Ena. They couldn’t be scared. They couldn’t show it.

But god was Mizuki scared.

As their vision got blurrier and blurrier,  Mizuki began to tremble. “I- I don’t want to die,” they said, their voice no more than a whisper. “I don’t want to die, Ena.”

Ena held them tighter. “You won’t. You won’t, I promise.” She ran a hand through Mizuki’s hair. “I… I love you, Mizuki.”

Mizuki fumbled around, their hand finally finding Ena’s. “I love you too.” And they closed their eyes, accepting the darkness that was creeping up around them, enveloping their body. Death was coming for them.

Then, it started to clear up.

“Mizuki?” Ena’s voice was fragile, not expecting a response.

“I’m here, Ena,” they choked out. “I’m here.”

Mizuki didn’t know what had happened. They should have died, they knew that, but somehow, they were alive. It didn’t make sense. It was like some fairy tale they had read about as a child, cooped up in the corner of the library, getting lost in stories of princesses and princes and knights. 

Still, Mizuki was barely a knight, and Ena wasn’t a princess. If this was a fairytale, Mizuki would be the villain, and Ena would be the dragon. Those two characters weren’t supposed to fall in love.

But Mizuki wasn’t a villain, Ena wasn’t a dragon, and this wasn’t a fairy tale. Despite this, as Mizuki looked up at Ena, seeing her tears of anguish turn into tears of joy, they felt like something magical was occurring.

No storyteller would write fairy tales about the secretive knight and the self-hating dragon girl, but maybe Mizuki and Ena could write their own.