WEEK 3 - NIGHTSHADE

[foundationmods]

Finally, the whole truth of this affair had come out.

The Witch they had known as Yuuko was actually Nirrti, the Witch of Misfortune.
And Watanuki was actually the real Witch of Dimensions, as the two of them fought over the power that title brought, as well as the name and identity of a long dead woman...🗈

Though things had finally changed, perhaps it wouldn't be for the better. Nirrti herself seemed much different than how she was before, and Watanuki was the one who had brought all of them here...with that in mind, it was hard to tell how their future would shake out...

However, it wasn't all bad. A few more places were open to them, the second floor becoming a much more inviting place to be, and there was still everything they had gotten used to before. And now, they all knew that Nirrti's promises were nothing but empty air...

...or, perhaps, now they would merely change.

MONDAY | TUESDAY | WEDNESDAY | THURSDAY

CALENDAR | LOCATIONS | PRIVATE CONVERSATIONS | NIRRTI PC POST | WATANUKI PC POST

Comments

[cryosurgeon]

The other library, maybe? Or outside?

[excavated]

Outside would work.

[cryosurgeon]

[Nodding, Erhard leads Syaoran out into the garden, being careful not to touch any of the plants. Belladonna can have practical applications, but it's still poisonous.]

You don't seem bothered by sharing large chunks of your history, even the sad parts.

[excavated]

I think it's something people should know, since it also relates to Kimihiro.

[ He's a little quiet as he says this, walking steadily towards the garden as he stares up into the sky. ]

Or to be more accurate, it's the events that lead to his existence being born.

[cryosurgeon]

And it's a story you can tell, because of the connection between you?

[Erhard feels sorry for both of them. Any anger he had toward Watanuki has faded to almost nothing by now. He believes that the witch genuinely meant them no harm.]

full trc spoilers

[excavated]

Yes. That's because it was my story to begin with.

[ He tinkers a little bit with his goggles contemplating how to start this. ]

I guess I should start from the beginning. This all started fifteen years ago. I was born in a country called Japan, and I lived a normal life. My father and mother taught me many things at home. And when I was about to turn seven, my father told me that there was something that I must do. And that there would be a world I have to go to. He gave me his sword... a sword that was passed on from generation to generation.

Then I went to see the Witch of Dimensions - the one that existed at the time. Yuuko-san. Where she granted me the wish of my parents: to go to another world, so that I would meet someone who would be important to me in the future. My mother was a dreamseer, so she could see glimpses of the future in dreams, and that's what she saw.

So Yuuko-san then sent me. To another world. A country called Clow. And that's where I met her.

[cryosurgeon]

You were really young to travel anywhere by yourself, much less to another world. But it was important that you meet her, wasn't it?

[Syaoran must be very brave. He didn't run from such a huge responsibility. Erhard envies him a little.]

What's she like?

[excavated]

I was. But if it was something I could do, I wanted to do it. And it was important that I met her. That I met Sakura.

She was kind... warm. Sakura had a smile that could light up the world. When I met her, she was undergoing purification rites for her seventh birthday. She was the one I was destined to meet. She also looked like my mother, when she was young. And when I met her parents, the king and queen of Clow, they also looked like my mother's parents.

[ For good reason. ]

And I was with her. For seven days. Those seven days were important to me. She showed me around the country, and I learned a lot about her. How she had powerful, latent abilities. How she could understand all living creatures, like the trees, the birds, and especially the water. She even protected me from her brother, who tended to act like a bully to me.

When she did that, I promised her. That next time, if anything happened to her... I'd be the one to protect her.

[cryosurgeon]

[Erhard feels his chest tighten at that. Syaoran said there was sadness in his story. Any number of things could've happened.]

... did something happen to make you feel like you failed her?

[excavated]

. . . [ He just quietly nods. ] I was only going to be in Clow Country for seven days, until Sakura's birthday. On the sixth night, Sakura and I went up to see the stars. But then suddenly... she had a vision. She heard bells tolling and spoke some words, telling me to stay away. She collapsed then and I went to see her father. I told her that I had to protect her. Since the reservoir accepted me, I was the only one who could enter along with her for the final day of the purification rites. On that day... [ He hesitates, just slight. ] ... someone from another world showed up and cursed Sakura.

[cryosurgeon]

Cursed? How? What did it do to her?

[He hates to ask, but he knows so little about magic. Part of him resists believing in it, even now.]

[excavated]

He put a seal of death on her.

[ He doesn't even need to really explain it past that, really. ]

[cryosurgeon]

I... I'm sorry, Syaoran. You were both so young, and to have that happen....

[He's not the type to give hugs, but he can try to show solidarity even if he's not used to it. So he rests a gentle hand on the boy's shoulder.]

That's why you were so upset when Watanuki appeared to be dead, isn't it? Because you already lost one important person.

[excavated]

Don't misunderstand. Sakura did have the seal of death... but she's not dead.

[ Let him finish his story first. ]

But you're right that I was upset for a similar reason, here.

[cryosurgeon]

If she's not dead, can she be saved?

[He's in so far over his head. If they get out of this mess, he needs to learn more about magic. For scientific purposes, of course.]

[excavated]

I saved her already. But... it took too much to do it. I made many sins in order to save her.