ON THE PILE OF DEAD BODIES, THERE SHE LAYS
tw: extreme mentions of death, minor mentions of suicide
"Khan was a man of his word. He led us to the right path rather than astray, he gave us understanding instead of shunning us out. He was a great leader, and I am forever indebted to him, nor can I ever repay him now that he is no longer with us."
The memorial stood silent as all and sundry kept their heads down in respect for their late clan leader and his sister who is expected to take his place. The said sibling, Y/N slowly walked up to the podium where one of the ministers from the Yashiro Commission stepped down after politely asking her to say a few words. The Kamisato siblings watched their friend in sorrow, their blue eyes catching sight of her downhearted stare which remained fixed on the ground.
There was no rain; it made the funeral all the more uncomfortable to be in, having been able to hear the sobs of those close to Khan or those who admired him, oftentimes hearing the shuffle and murmurs of people praying or whispering to one another about their pity for the soon-to-be clan head.
Stupid decree, Y/N thought to herself. She cursed at everything: the world, her damned archon who was so obsessed with eternity, the adopted daughter of the Kujou Clan who felt no pity for the life she took, and most importantly, herself for being unable to save her brother from erosion. The L/N breathes in to say something, but nothing comes out. Her words bubbled up in her throat in a silent choke, and so she stands in front of her brother's portrait while gripping both sides of the podium for dear life.
"I. . ." it came out as a whisper rather than a proper exclaim, which confused the crowd, asking each other if the woman had said something. Ayato frowned and fought the urge to scowl at those disrespectful. Honestly, can't a woman mourn for her brother without having to say something in front of a crowd two days after his death? Gods, he swore. "My brother was a good man," she starts, causing all the bowed heads in the room to finally perk up after five minutes of silence. "There is no other soul like him. . . I can't imagine another person having such a similarity to my brother," a small smile makes its way on Y/N's face, but she immediately wipes it off. "Although Khan was never related to me by blood, he carried the same last name as I, and that was enough for me to welcome him as a brother.
"He proved to so many people that he'd be a good leader, even to those who tried to wrong him in the Tenshukaku during the final ruling of who'd be clan head." A small pause filled the air as Y/N tried to find more words and unconsciously laid her eyes on a pair of two blue heads, who nod in affirmation and reassurance. "There. . . there were people who believed in him," an awkward clearing of a throat from the back slightly interrupted and irritated Y/N, but she moved on, "And I can tell they still do. My b-- Khan was an admirable man, and he gave himself and his vision to the Shogunate to save lives. That is what a leader does. He does not hide in the comfort of his home waiting for other people to solve the problem." All the older clan heads awkwardly looked away which made Ayaka roll her eyes. Oldies.
"Khan was never one for delivering long speeches. I bet you he's definitely mocking me wherever he is right now," Y/N jokes, trying to lighten the atmosphere, "But he was always willing to listen. Whenever he did speak, he only spoke the cold hard truth, like the day at the final ruling. Khan made people realize, he made them know, and I. . ." words stopped at her throat as she paused, looking for words and over the crowd of people dressed in black. Y/N's closer friends leaned forward and furrowed their eyebrows at the sudden pause, encouraging her to go on.
Tears pricked at her eyes. Just as Y/N thought she'd cried all the tears she had already. "I am more than proud to call a man like Khan my brother." The moment she'd finished, she ran down the steps and out of the venue. People looked left and right at each other, wondering what had just happened. Why did the noblewoman suddenly leave? Why did she suddenly stop?
Ayato took matters and stood up to the podium to resume the memorial, concealing his worries for Y/N just as Ayaka did.
The shoji door practically burst open, and if Y/N weren't careful enough, surely she would've torn the paper. She ran into her office and opened drawer after drawer, looking for her research only to find them empty. Where the hell could it have gone, she thought. Those books were filled with theories and theses regarding the cure of the Tatarigami disease, and one or two of them was research about the side effects of the Vision loss. Years of her research disappeared.
"The Raiden Shogun had thoughts of burning them," a voice drawled. Y/N gasps and turns around, catching sight of the Tengu General. "But your research. . . you write as if you were so sure," Sara hummed as she looked away from the very book Y/N had been looking for.
"Well, I mean, as a doctor, I can't say 'oh I'm pretty sure you're diagnosed with this,' to a patient now, can I?" the Resistance member chuckled as she stood up. Neither of them took a step forward nor back. Sara leaned against the door frame with her arms crossed and Y/N's book in one hand whilst the latter stood across her behind her table which spent days and hours hunched over, empty-handed. "Did Lord Takayuki ever teach you to be so audacious? Entering a clan head's estate without consent? My, my, Sara. Where have the times gone where you were so sweet and meek?"
Sara scowled. "Do not speak of our past. If the Raiden Shogun wishes for eternity, I will get rid of all the obstacles possible to give her that," to which Y/N frowns.
"But do you realize that an obstacle you got rid of was my brother, Sara?" The woman of indigo and bravery pauses. "I see you haven't read that part of my research," the doctor-noble sighed and sat down, hands over her lap. "Erosion. When a person loses their vision, erosion starts. It begins small, then spreads like a plague in their mind, spirit, and soul. They forget their ambitions, the very reason why they were bestowed a vision. Slowly, they forget those dear."
Sara caught her breath. "I didn't think--"
"Correct," Y/N spat, "you just obeyed orders like a loyal little puppy. Khan lost himself, we had to restrain him. Of course, you were too busy bringing despair upon people to even realize your action, much less know that his funeral was today." A small pit opened in Sara's stomach when Y/N scoffed with such venom. "But you know what caused his death? You want to know what made your hands dirty with my brother's blood?"
Hesitantly, the tengu opened her mouth. "What could it be?"
"The effects of erosion and his hatred. The brain of one is so powerful, and you know this, Sara. Your intellect alone is what makes you so feared. Imagine how terrified people are with your smarts and Vision." Still, the youkai remained silent. "Erosion and hatred mixed together, it created made some sort of new disease, one worse than the Tatarigami disease that not even my years of groundwork could save Khan. His aura was so sinister. Soon enough, he had to kill himself before he could wreak havoc."
The adopted daughter of the Kujou Clan watched Y/N with cold eyes. She didn't realize that the side effects were this bad. "It is my job as a general under the Raiden Shogun to fulfill my duties and carry out orders given to me. I. . . I have no regret." The H/C woman rises from her seat and walks to Sara's side. "One of my orders was to make sure you wouldn't get in the way, however, I'll let you off the hook just this once." Y/N gives the general a side-eye.
"My reason to live is gone, Sara. I don't mind being fished out and gutted anymore."
---
"Brother, excuse my tone but you want to what on what with who?" Ayaka cleared her throat. She, her brother, the two leaders of the resistance, Yoimiya and Thoma surrounded a round table with Sayu sleeping in the corner.
"Though it is a possibility. . . you could meet your doom if you do this, Commissioner," the Sangonomiya shook her head, disagreeing with Ayato's rather bright idea.
The said man sighed softly. Before he could make a valid argument, Thoma, his chief retainer from Mondstadt, cuts in.
"The outcomes of this isn't guaranteed. Now, usually I'd be on your side when it comes to solutions that decide the fate of others, this is your life we'd be risking, Master," Thoma's green eyes darkened with worry and fear as he looked up to the clan head.
Ayato smiled at the younger male. "Not only mine, but Y/N's too. Each minute we spend thinking up a storm, she's in the other universe the Shogun mentioned." Those in the room, of course minus the tiny girl often mistaken for a tanuki, look away and grimaced at the thought of their missing friend. No one wanted to think the worst. "Unless we get ourselves in the way of the Shogun on purpose, there's no other way to save Y/N."
Silence floods the room as they all looked at each other. Kokomi hummed softly before nodding. "Alright, we'll go with Lord Kamisato's plan."
Clamoring and refutes replaced the silence before.
"Silence!"
Ayaka remembered that day in the Tenshukaku where her mother hushed the whole building with the same voice and tone Ayato just did. Though she was proud, she had other things to worry about.
"Apologies for losing my cool, but you all heard me the first time. There are no other heirs nor nobles to take Y/N's place as the clan leader. As you know, we were meant to connect our clans, but were not able to do so, meaning that I don't have the authority to assign someone to her place nor can I take her place myself," Ayato breathed out, clearly tired and exhausted. "I needed your cooperation on this, and your understanding. If we fail to retrieve Y/N, we fail to retrieve her clan as well."
"He's right. People rely on us and Lady Y/N for the Resistance and so far, Lord Kamisato's idea is the only reasonable and only plan we've had so far. Now, all in favor?"
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1868 WORDS
i managed to do this draft on the train + the flight back to tokyo :))