Ohmygawrsh guys I'm so sorry… it's been what, a year or more since I've posted a chapter? I feel so guilty now… sorry…
This is really just a quick fluffy filler chapter to get myself back into the mood for writing this story.
No, this isn't the original. I dunno where the hell it got to, but I looked. -shrugs-
The original chapter wasn't anything like this, but I'm actually kind of glad that I lost it. The way I had it set up before, there would have been a big gap. I filled said gap with this wannabe chapter.
I can't tell you how many times I spelled Rei-chan's name wrong when I wrote this. I now have two completely unrelated characters in two completely unrelated stories, both with the name Rei. (or Rey) Too bad the other "Rey" is a boy. O.o"
"Hoshizukiyo" – the name of this chapter – roughly means "Starry Moonlit Night". It also happens to be the ending song for this game. One could take this as foreshadowing that we are drawing near to the end of this story. Three, maybe four chapters at most. It depends on how long it takes for me to get to an ending with which I am satisfied.
Chapter 7 – Hoshizukiyo
The path before the caravan narrowed, and the scenery grew more and more bleak and desolate with every step. Discomfort and reluctance grew within Saiyaran and ReiLuna the closer they drew to their abandoned home. Neither of them wished to return to the place of their birth, for their last experience had left nothing but a bitter taste, harsh bruises, and stinging memories – scars that refused to heal. The two became increasingly disheartened, but, without any other options to pursue, followed the Shella caravan grudgingly.
Night fell hard and fast, and with it, an eerie, foreign chill filled the air. It wasn't long before Sai could see his breath.
"We'll stop here for the night," Amidatti announced shortly after the final rays of light had faded from view, "It's too dangerous to continue walking this road after dark." He pulled an ancient-looking artifact from his rucksack. It was ring-like and adorned with mysterious runes that seemed to radiate a red, pulsating energy. Extending his hands over a small circle of firewood, he murmured something under his breath; almost instantly the wood caught fire and a blaze roared to life. The heat flowed outward in waves, washing over Sai and ReiLuna, filling them with relied and comfort neither of them had felt in what seemed like ages.
The Yukes of Shella dozed off quite quickly, leaving Sai and Rei to their own devices. Soon, the only sounds were the rhythmic breathing of the Yukes, the occasional pop from the fire, and the near-constant chatter of Rei's teeth as she shivered.
"Still cold, Rei-chan?" Sai asked sympathetically. He imagined she would be – her meager outfit didn't appear to be particularly warm. She shot him a dumb glance.
"N-no," She shivered back, "I-I'm s-shivering b-because I f-f-feel like it." If sarcasm had a physical form, it would have dripped – no, oozed – from her frozen words. Sai dug around in his pack for a minute, then pulled out a worn brown blanket and offered it to Rei. Clearly well-used and threadbare in many places, but a blanket nonetheless, Rei accepted it without a second thought, wrapping it around herself and covering as much of her exposed skin as possible. Sai slumped a little closer to the fire.
"T-thank you." Rei said quietly, still trying to calm her shaking. Sai smiled and nodded his response. Taking the blanket with her, she walked over to the caravan and lay her racket inside. She also paused momentarily to give their exhausted papaopamus a star carrot to reward the creature's constant efforts. The great beast gratefully accepted this unexpected treat, eating it quickly, then laid his massive head down and closed his gentle black eyes for the night. Leaving her racket in the caravan, Rei stumbled back to her place by the fire and sat down there once more. The smile still hadn't left Sai's face.
"I-I'm sorry for…y'know…judging you and treating you badly like I did," The words came off Rei's tongue clumsily, as if she could barely utter them as quietly as she did. "Can you forgive me?"
Sai's eyes widened, taken aback momentarily by Rei's unexpected change of attitude.
"What's put you in such a talkative mood? This is…unlike you, to say the least." He said. Rei's eyes narrowed playfully, and she gave him a quick, light punch to the shoulder.
"Don't change the subject on me. I'm trying to be serious." Her smile faded. She didn't have to tell him – Sai knew by her face that she meant what she was saying. "Can you ever forgive me?" She reiterated. A foreign expression crossed her face as she did this; it was one that Sai had never seen. He couldn't quite pin it down – it was somewhere between concern, affection, and mild panic. His own expression softened once more.
"I— "
A twig snapped in the bush directly behind Rei. A tiny shriek passed her lips as she reached for her weapon, only to find it not there. Her eyes widened with sudden fear. A low growl issued from the brush. In a flash, Sai was in front of Rei, sword unsheathed and shield at the ready. There was a kind of ferocity that burned in his eyes that was unknown to Rei – she stared at him, bewildered, for a few moments. Sai stood there, motionless, for a minute or two, his ears trained on the forest and his eyes locked on the bush. A moment later, as quickly as it had approached, the creature melted back into the shadows and silently vanished. Still, Sai waited before dropping his arms to his sides. He sheathed his sword and dropped his heavy shield to the ground with a thud. As soon as she saw his hands were free of any potentially lethal objects, Rei leapt up and threw her arms around Sai from behind. He yelped quietly in surprise.
"I can't believe you fought like that to… protect me…" she trailed off, her voice small.
"Well, actually, I didn't really do any fi—" Sai started.
"Shut up, you're ruining the mood." She whispered. She finally released her deathgrip hug from around his shoulders. Sai flopped to the ground, laying his head down on the soft earth. A moment later, he felt the weight of Rei's head on his shoulder. He glanced over and found her huddled next to him, looking drowsy. "Thank you, anyway…" she said simply.
"Anytime," Sai replied coolly, "but seriously – why are you acting so different?"
"I dunno…"She answered sleepily, rubbing her eyes and drawing the blanket up to her chin. "Maybe it was that mouldy bread I ate…" her voice fell silent. A moment later, her breathing slowed and deepened, and sleep claimed her. The crystal pendant glittered blissfully around her neck, a tiny corner of it peeking out from beneath the blanket. Sai sighed and gazed up into the darkness for a minute. A thousand stars flickered and danced in the shadows of the night.
Somewhere far away, a lone wolf howled its sad requiem to the heavens.