Chapter Text
It was a plain, unremarkable afternoon. Most people walked hurriedly whichever way to reach their destinations, cars zipped by every so often– likely in a rush to get home, and children were running over to their friends as a few escaped the clutches of school.
Yet, despite the frantic pace, two girls walked along slowly, unperturbed by the world around them. They seemed to be taking in their surroundings, with the shorter of the two – a girl with short brown hair – occasionally pointing at something that caught her eye, the taller of the two – a girl with long purple hair tied into a neat ponytail – indulging the other’s curiosity.
They carried this small little act on, hands interlocked comfortably– neither willing nor wanting to let go. The girls were just content with this shared moment.
Drip, drop.
The brunette stopped walking, the purple-haired girl stopping immediately. “Mafuyu, it’s raining.”
“Huh?” She looked at the girl, confused until she felt something wet land on her head. “Ah, you’re right Ena.”
“Come on, let’s ge–”
In the few seconds she took to speak, the initial drizzle intensified into heavy rain that pelted them and the people around relentlessly.
“–t to cover…” Ena bemoaned as her mood dropped.
The people that were walking around had quickly pulled out their umbrellas, something that the pair had unfortunately forgotten, the day’s forecast having been one of a sunny day.
“Alright, come on Ena.” Mafuyu said to the girl, a smile tugging at her lips from the comical timing of the rain. “There’s a covered bench over there.”
“Alright.” Ena nodded as Mafuyu led the way, gently tugging the girl over to their place of shelter for what they hoped would be a few minutes.
Once they had arrived and set their things down, Ena was the first to speak her mind. “Geez! We’re both completely soaked!”
“Well, it was unexpected, so there wasn’t much we could do to avoid it.”
Ena sighed as she pinched her nose. “I should have brought my umbrella today…”
“Hm.” Mafuyu approached the girl and lightly patted the girl’s back. “I neglected to bring mine too, Ena, so I am also at fault.”
“...” Mafuyu did have a point, she had to admit. Really, there was no one to blame since the rain was completely unexpected. “Yeah… You’re right.”
Without further fuss, Ena plopped onto an empty seat, having chosen to ignore the dampness of her uniform. “Well, at least we weren’t carrying anything that would be ruined by the water.”
“Yes, at least.” Mafuyu answered as she took a seat beside Ena. “Still, we might get cold.”
As naturally as she breathed, Ena wrapped her arm around Mafuyu’s and leaned onto her shoulder.
“There, we’ll be much warmer now.” Ena mumbled as she let herself enjoy the heat radiating from the girl beside her.
Cold as she may have been from the outside, she was very much the warmest person she’d been blessed to have known in this life.
And well, all their lives.
The pair peered towards the deluge of rain, the unrelenting droplets seemingly not waning in strength.
At that point, they both knew that they would be there a while, and probably risk running a cold later. So, with a resigned sigh, Ena spoke. “So, we’re gonna be here a while it seems.”
“And?”
“Well, anything you wanna do to pass the time?”
“You know I’ve never been very good at small talk.”
“Yeah, not in this life, or the other ones.” Ena chuckled, her eyes suddenly sparkling with an idea. “Speaking of, how many lifetimes has it been?”
Mafuyu paused in thought as she tried to recall a specific number but came up empty-handed. “I may have lost count.”
“Haha, I guess even you can’t keep track of all of them.”
“Well, it would be unfeasible.”
“Yeah, but I’m sure you remember the memorable ones?”
“Memorable ones…” Mafuyu whispered as she leaned her head on Ena’s own. “Yeah, maybe I have.”
A smile tugged at Ena’s lips. “Care to share with the class, Mafuyu?”
“Mmmm, maybe if you share first.”
“Wow, really?”
“You brought our past lives up first, so I think it would be best if you started it.”
“Honestly, what am I going to do with you?” Ena slightly shook her head, the motion tickling Mafuyu’s cheek. “Fine, fine. Funnily enough, I think the one I’m thinking about also started with rain…”
“I think it was that time I was the princess of a kingdom?” Ena said.
“Oh, was it the one where I was one of the members of your royal guard?” Mafuyu asked, a spark of familiarity coming to her.
“Wait there were a lot of lifetimes where you were, but I’m talking about that time we first met after you were saved from drowning.”
“Oh. I think I know which one you’re talking about.”
“Yeah, and it all started–”
With a crack of thunder and a flash of lightning, the ship rocked from the storm as the violent waves crashed and churned against its wooden hull. All its passengers struggled to keep balance as members of the crew rushed around to plug leaks, secure cargo, and handle whatever else the captain was yelling for them to do.
Amidst it all, a young girl and her little brother were holding onto each other, trying not to give in to the fear in their hearts.
They had originally snuck out of their sleeping areas to try and catch a glimpse of the night sky, but the sudden appearance of rain – followed by a raging thunderstorm – had thrown their plans for a loop.
“I remember how panicked we both were, trying to not fall over while looking for our quarters or our parents, whichever came first.”
“It must have been terrifying.”
“Well, not as terrifying as what you probably went through.”
“Well, that is true. I had just escaped–”
On a makeshift raft that barely even qualified as a boat, with its lone passenger desperately clinging on for survival as the waves thrashed it about and the incessant pouring of rain made visibility nigh-impossible.
The purple-haired passenger, unfortunately couldn’t hold on for much longer as the sea was much too violent. Before long, the raft would capsize and be engulfed by water. Its lone passenger, consumed by the waves surrounding her.
In what she thought were her final moments, she barely caught a glimpse of a large ship in the distance.
“I honestly thought that I should have died there.” Mafuyu exclaimed. “There should have been no way to save me.”
“But you were, and I’m grateful to the captain on that ship for finding you.”
Mafuyu felt a smile tug at her lips. “And so was I. I owed him a debt of gratitude from that day forward.”
“I hope his soul is at peace, wherever it is.”
Ena’s gaze swept over their drenched surroundings, her eyes catching a glimpse of an old man cheerfully walking around with his hyper active grandchildren. Plastered on his face was a familiar tough expression Ena still barely remembered.
“I think his soul is doing just fine.”
“What makes you say that?”
Ena let out a gentle chuckle. “Call it a hunch.”
“Alright.”
“Looking back at that day, I still find it funny that you practically begged him to take you under his wing.”
“And I was rejected each time.”
“Until he suggested–
“–that you join the Royal Guard instead.” A gruff voice stated firmly as he gazed on the stock-still figure of the girl he had insisted his crew save.
“Bu–”
“You’ve been at this for the past few weeks, girl. My mind will not be swayed.”
“…Then I will continue to ask until you accept. I have a debt to repay and I cannot just leave it be.”
The man sighed. “You really are persistent.”
“...”
Silence persisted between the two as the man took a seat and grabbed a pipe laying on his desk.
“If you can become a member of the Royal Guard, then I will accept you.” He declared as he lit the pipe in his mouth.
“Huh?”
“The King and Queen have hired me to serve as the captain of their fleet after that… debacle weeks back. Do you know what that means?”
“That you’re working for them in an official capacity?”
“Correct”, he nodded, “And that also means I have authority.”
“You get to decide who meets the standards to do ship work, I assume?”
“Correct again. And right now, I refuse to allow you on any of my ships.”
Mafuyu looked the man in the eyes, her gaze unwavering. “Then I shall do as you say.”
She turned around to leave. Her next course of action was clear now. In order to repay her debt, she needed to rise the ranks in this unfamiliar kingdom.
Once the door was shut, the man let out a long breath, a cloud of smoke briefly filling his vision. “You’ve got potential girl, but is this really what you want?”
“And that’s what got you to enlist as a knight-in-training, huh?”
“Yes, yes it was. It was terribly easy to get in, mind you.”
“You were just a different breed, Mafuyu. Some of our greatest knights came from that round of enlistment.”
“Only Kanade and Hoshino were the real standouts.”
“Well, you’re not wrong…”
Ena sighed. Mafuyu was right. As good as all the recruits were, when it came down to it, only those two were able to stand a chance against Mafuyu’s overwhelming strength.
“I still remember how my dad dragged Akito and I out to see all the new recruits who could potentially become members of the royal guard. The duels were painfully boring.”
“But you managed to stay awake the whole time, no?” Mafuyu slyly smiled.
“It helps that yours always ended in record time.”
Mafuyu nodded. “Like I said, they were too easy. My duel with Kanade, however, was probably the first time I felt like I met an equal.”
“Akito wouldn’t shut up after it.” Ena pinched the bridge of her nose, her head aching at the memory of her brother’s yap session. “He declared over supper that he would one day become a knight as strong as you two.”
Mafuyu was amused by her girlfriend’s annoyed expression. She was cute like that, prickly on the outside but a soft and kind girl beneath.
So she decided to push on the soft side. “And I do believe that’s also when you started paying attention to me?”
Ena froze.
Then Mafuyu watched as the girl’s ears suddenly became tinged with the color red.
“I-I mean, who wouldn’t?” She weakly tried to defend. “You were the m-most promising of the recruits that season and I wanted to know more about our potential royal guard member…”
Mafuyu felt the urge to chuckle at the girl’s attempt to justify her past self’s actions. “So I assume that–
“–You wish to invite me for… Tea?” Mafuyu paused in her sword maintenance, the princess looming over her with what looked like an annoyed expression.
“That is correct.” She responded proudly. “I wish to know more about our kingdom’s star recruit.”
“No thanks, I have drills to attend later.” Mafuyu starkly refused.
Ena held back her voice. “Excuse me?”
“While I am honored by your offer, princess”, Mafuyu then resumed her ministrations. “It would be unbecoming of a new recruit to… mingle, as they say, with members of royalty.”
Ena felt a vein pop. This brat. “Really? Even if it’s a request from said members of royalty?”
“That would be correct.” Mafuyu said curtly as she sheathed her sword and packed up her tools.
Ena watched the girl go about her task, appalled at her complete indifference to the fact she just casually brushed off a request from royalty. As the girl completed her task and stood up, Ena decided that she would remind her that this was a request that would not be denied.
“Thank you again for your kind offer, Princess Shinonome–”
Mafuyu felt something grip her ear, then pull it– hard. Her head jerked back at the unexpected strength that pulled her back.
Then a smooth voice that was likely laced with something threatening entered her ears. “As royalty, I kindly request that you join me for afternoon tea today, is that understood?”
Mafuyu had no other choice but to acquiesce to the girl’s “kind request”. “I understand…”
Ena let out a hearty laugh at that recollection.
Mafuyu waited for the girl’s laughter to subside before talking. “With how strong you were, I briefly wondered if you were some royal guard member in disguise.”
Ena bit back another laugh that threatened to leave her mouth. “Well, someone wasn’t complying with royalty’s orders, you know?”
Mafuyu rubbed her ear gently. “The strength you used was completely unnecessary.”
Ena leaned in and whispered into the girl’s ear. “Aw, do you want me to kiss it better for you?”
This time, it was Mafuyu’s turn to briefly turn red in spite of her stoic expression.
As a reward, Ena placed a gentle kiss on the girl’s ear. “There, feeling better?”
“…Well played.”
Ena teasingly stuck her tongue out at the girl. “Don’t think I didn’t notice.”
Mafuyu averted her gaze in an attempt to prevent Ena from seeing how quickly her face was turning red. Ena, however, already knew that she had successfully embarrassed her girlfriend back.
“You’re really something else when you’re like this, you know?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“That you’re infuriatingly adorable sometimes.”
“Sometimes?”
“That’s what got your attention?”
“Using ‘sometimes’ might be underselling it.”
Ena was speechless. This girl was really something else.
“Don’t try to oversell yourself here. You were extremely awkward when we had tea together.”
“To be fair, I was coerced into going against my will.”
“Excuse me?!”
“But the tea was enjoyable, I’ll give you that.”
Ena opened her mouth to say something, then closed it. She really had no words.
“And don’t think I didn’t notice you staring at me the whole time.”
A small flush appeared on her cheeks once more. “A-Alright, alright! That’s enough!”
Mafuyu’s lips curved slightly at Ena’s embarrassment. “Regardless, I still think you’re cuter.”
And that was enough for Ena’s face to erupt into an adorable shade of crimson.
“You are so unfair!” Ena shouted as she grabbed Mafuyu’s collar and shook her vigorously.
Despite that, a small smile managed to remain plastered on Mafuyu’s face. The shaking also subsided soon after, Ena deciding it wasn’t worth the effort.
She did, however, quickly sneak in a quick peck on Mafuyu’s lips, which was rather effective at getting the girl’s brain to freeze.
“You’re not winning that e-easily.”
Mafuyu blinked, before she whispered: “…That’s fair.”
Despite their respective levels of embarrassment, that did bring up a fond memory for both of them.
“Hey, do you–” They began at the same time, before stopping.
“Y-You can go first Mafuyu.”
“No, it’s fine. You go first Ena.”
Ena pouted. “Mafuyu…”
“Ena.”
The pair locked eyes for a while, neither willing to back down until eventually, one of them caved.
It was Ena.
“Fine, I’ll say it. Do you remember that winter festival?”
Mafuyu’s eyes widened as the memory of that night flooded her thoughts almost immediately.
“Of course.”
If her years of service have taught her anything, it was that the whims of Princess Shinonome were always to be played along with. Getting on her bad side was the last thing anyone would ever want to go through– if the lingering pain in her earlobe was anything to go by.
“Come on Mafuyu, hurry up!” The princess’s voice beckoned her.
“Ah, coming princess.”
Ena clicked her tongue. “How many times did I tell you, just call me Ena when we’re alone.”
Mafuyu bit back a sigh. Charming as the girl was, she was willful over the smallest of things.
“As you wish, Ena.”
“That’s better. Now, hurry up! It’s been a while since the last Winter Festival, so I want us to enjoy this!”
Mafuyu’s steps paused, memories of the event that caused this kingdom to delay its celebratory activities.
Tragic events that have long gone. She turned her gaze back to the castle they had just left, its exterior scarred by burns and littered with the occasional dent or hole.
Despite it all, it remained standing, like a stalwart protector.
She felt something wrap around her hand as she gazed at the structure that had seen and experienced so much. When she looked down she saw Ena’s gloved hand was holding onto hers.
And despite the glove being in the way, she could swear she felt warmth coming from it.
“Mafuyu, it’s okay.” Ena’s voice gently coaxed her attention. “What’s done is done.”
“I understand that, but…”
“We all made our choices that day. All that’s left is to move forward.”
That was easier said than done, neither girl would deny that, but Ena’s words still rang true. Besides, it was a holiday. It would be best to not get caught up in the sadness of the past, but to live in the here and now that they had fought so hard for.
With a sharp breath, and a slow exhale, Mafuyu calmed her raging thoughts, and turned her focus back to Ena.
“Shall we go?” She asked as she gently squeezed Ena’s hand.
Ena jolted slightly at the sudden action, her cheeks warming up slightly. “U-Uh, yeah, l-let’s.”
Unfortunately for Ena, the walk over to the festivities was a restless one. As she tried her best to focus on the way ahead, she found her gaze would drift back down towards the hand that was holding onto hers. If it weren’t for the weather, she’d be able to feel the familiar comforting warmth of the girl she adored for so long.
She felt her face heat up again at her own admission. The realization that her feelings for the girl went beyond simple infatuation was difficult to accept, but she could no longer deny the feelings that had only grown stronger over the years. She understood now that if she had to spend the rest of her life with someone, it would be with Mafuyu.
And so be it if anyone disagreed, she had made her choice.
Her heart beat sped up.
She only hoped Mafuyu felt the same.
“Here, I thought this might be to your taste.” Mafuyu said as she handed Ena a hot skewer.
“What is it?” Ena asked, tentatively.
Mafuyu only gave a cryptic grin. “I think it’ll surprise you.”
Ena raised an eyebrow at the response before she shrugged and took a bite.
At first, she felt the crunch of something that had been fried before a familiar soft and airy texture followed. Her eyes sparkled. “Is this!?”
She looked at Mafuyu, her eyes expectant.
Mafuyu nodded. “It is. One of the stalls was selling eccentric foods and this one happened to be among them.”
“Can we get more?” Ena practically begged. “It’s really good!”
Mafuyu let out a mild chuckle. “As you wish, princess.”
“Hey! It’s Ena tonight!”
“Of course, of course.” Mafuyu calmly replied as she walked off.
“Don’t just leave me, show me the stall!” Ena whined as she followed the girl.
After buying out most of the vendor’s stock (and eating most of them), Ena and Mafuyu soon caught sight of a few games and competitions set up to help everyone have fun.
Some were catered to energetic children, while others were simplistic and catered more to the elderly.
Ena’s eyes landed on one that seemed to cater to the artistically inclined. Mafuyu, of course, where the girl’s gaze had drifted off.
“Do you want to try it?”
Ena looked back at Mafuyu, slightly startled at being asked so suddenly. “H-Huh?”
“You’ve been staring at it for a while. It’s fine if you don’t want to.” Mafuyu said, not wanting to pressure the girl into doing something she didn’t actually want to.
Ena looked back at the game, then nodded. “I want to try it, so let’s go.”
It was a simple game. Players were given a certain amount of time to try and draw an object that the host would only show them briefly. The closer they were to the actual object, the better the prize they would receive after.
And Ena’s first attempt did not go as planned.
Ena looked at the “consolation prize” in her hand with a grumpy expression. “Seriously? Just a single piece of candy?!”
“They can’t exactly give the best prize to someone who lost, can they?”
“Oh, be quiet! I’m going again!”
And again, Ena returned with a single piece of candy.
“One more!”
Candy.
“Another!”
Candy.
It went on over and over until Mafuyu had to step in and stop the girl from spending her whole allowance on a game stall.
“But I swear I’ve got it this time!”
“Ena, I will give away the skewers we bought if you don’t stop right now.”
Ena’s face morphed from one of annoyance to one of horror. “You wouldn’t!”
Mafuyu nodded. “I would.”
Resigning herself to the reality of not being able to win, Ena nodded, defeated.
As they walked away and looked for other games to play, Ena swore to herself that she’d win a prize in the next festival that had this stall.
For the rest of the night, the pair would walk around, play games that caught their fancy, and bask in the festive atmosphere.
Eventually, the time would come for one of the Winter Festival’s main events, a gift exchange.
Whether it be for family, friends, lovers, or strangers, it was a tradition for townsfolk, and even members of royalty and nobility, to exchange gifts.
But this exchange would be something different for Ena.
This was a special exchange that she hoped would go well.
As the people gathered in the town square, Ena pulled Mafuyu away towards somewhere more secluded, somewhere where they were assured of complete privacy.
“Ena?”
“Yes?”
“Why did you drag me out all the way up here just to exchange a gift?”
They were currently on the castle roof, the only sources of light being a few torches and the collection of lights from the celebration area.
From up there, they could see the people below happily chatting away, exchanging gifts, and opening them.
“The gift I want to give to you is a special one, Mafuyu.” Ena began. “Forgive me, but I don’t want anyone else to see this.”
Mafuyu nodded. “Alright Ena, if that’s what you want.”
Ena smiled. “Thank you, Mafuyu.”
She looked back at the view below, her face solemn. “We’ve all been through a lot, haven’t we?”
Mafuyu moved closer to the girl and followed her gaze. “Yes, we have.”
“When I look back at all that’s happened, I still find it all hard to believe.”
“...”
“You went from almost dying to becoming one of the greatest knights in this kingdom. Someone who is respected and feared in equal measure.”
Mafuyu looked at Ena, unsure of where this was going, but remained intent on listening.
“So much changed over the years, but sometimes I feel like I haven’t changed.”
“Ena…” Mafuyu wanted to interrupt her, but Ena shushed her.
“Let me finish first.” She pleaded. “Sometimes I feel like I haven’t changed at all, but I think I have.”
Mafuyu remained silent.
“I’ve gone from always being sidelined and put down, to being someone who now has the responsibility of paving the way for a prosperous future.”
Ena continued. “I’ve met opposition from so many people, even the people I thought I could trust”, her expression grew downcast after those words, “But I’ve always risen above and beyond to prove them wrong.”
“You’ve done well in doing so, Ena.”
Ena nodded. “Thank you, Mafuyu.”
She then turned to the girl. “Thank you, really, from the bottom of my heart, for always being there.”
“I know that I was kind of pushy and willful, and still am, but I’m thankful to the world for allowing you to enter my life.”
Mafuyu met the girl’s gaze, her eyes clearer than they’ve ever been.
“You’ve been a source of strength and security for me for so long, and I’m thankful that you were there to help me even when I felt like everything would collapse.”
Ena took a step closer.
“So, here.” She stopped in front of her. “As my gift to you, I give you something that only I could give.”
Ena’s gaze was clear as she stared at Mafuyu while her heart beat rapidly in her chest. There was no turning back now.
And without wasting a second, she gently captured Mafuyu’s lips with her own, causing the girl to take a step back, before stabilizing her footing.
Mafuyu didn’t seem to be against the kiss either, rather, she seemed to have leaned back in.
When people spoke of their first kiss, Ena often heard people say that it was a wondrous moment, almost as if the laws of the world stopped and obeyed the people stuck in their special moment.
To Ena, however, there was no fanfare, no slowing down of time, or a big cheer from some imaginary crowd.
Only two people sharing a tender moment, one that spoke millions of words and millions of feelings without needing to mutter a single one.
It was a moment that Ena knew belonged only to them.
And after what felt like an eternity, she broke the kiss and whispered to the girl she loved.
“I give you my heart.”