-A Red Sun Sinks-


The Invincible Bride of the Unconquered Sun walked through the gates of Lotus, the ears of it's people full of the same glorious song that burst within her heart. Song of Sun and Moon, of Heaven and it's many Stars, of the Love of Sol Invictus. She sung songs of demons scorned, their masters running in defeat at the God-Kings arrival, songs of a wicked false Empress smote by the jaws of Luna's chosen, and the blades of Ignis Divine. Her songs of glory over countless weeks turned to dirges of loss. To see the Uplifter of Men swallowed by endless wretched sand, burned under vitriolic green sunlight. Songs of the burning rage she felt inside her, songs that were as scorching and wild as the flaming anima that burst from within her.
In her many temples, she would dance as she would sing. Her body moved with such divine grace and beauty, onlookers would feel it their greatest sin should they even blink. The movements of her form were exquisite, they were glorious almost beyond what mortal man and woman could hope to comprehend. Days and days, never ending, never ceasing her dance save to sleep and eat and with each passing day as she sang songs of glories most divine, her golden light would flare brighter and brighter. It was like watching the sun itself dance atop the balconies and stages of Lotus. Her heart may race, and her legs and throat may ache, but the Invincible Maiden never ceased and those who witnessed her felt their hearts swell for her as did hers for all.

~\_/*\_/~

Months could pass, and even if the fact that Rising Echo was gone the disparity of it could strike when knowing the hole he filled in Lotus was empty. She could walk down the halls of his Bureau and see in the eyes and bodies of those whom he employed carried the same sadness as she did. Oh she knew Echo was not dead, and so did all else who would listen to her(and that was a great many), but that did not change the fact that meeting him whenever one pleased was no longer an option... and when they could was entirely outside of the foreseeable future.
She did not want spirits to die so slowly, so painfully, or at all. She would spend any day she was not performing speaking with any member of the staff. Everyone from the lowest clerks to the those directly under Rising Echo, she would simply spend hours talking with them as they worked and hoping not to distract them. If she felt their work was slowed, she would simply apologize, and to their dismay leave and wait to speak with them again after their shifts.
It was not long before many of the members of staff treated Yomiko as they would a sister or a mother. The sorrow they shared, and her love of their city made them just as a family. Konoko, when not mysteriously gone, would often join her mother in chats with the men and women and was happy enough to simply listen or sleep.

~\_/*\_/~

A red demon. Flames of blood burst from it's eyes, it's mouth and it's flesh. A red demon that beset her without end. Every few nights, she would wake up, her dreams making her feel as vulnerable as she did when she was only a girl. She rubbed her neck and always went to get a glass of water from the fountain at the ground floor of her palace. She would sip from her glass while looking out over the City. Flames in the distance, orange and harmless. Torches of those who would work during the night. Mostly guardsmen and those who would prefer not to face a guardsman. O' but Lotus was rich with all sorts, and for all their flaws she knew there was always goodness to them. She would sigh and slip back into sleep.

"No, stop!" is all she could whimper as her dream avatar. A red demon of fire again would assault her mercilessly. She felt her blood gush from her in gouts of crimson flames, flames that the demon would feed on. With each drop shed, the demon was more distinct. Dreadful and beautiful, powerful and composed of not but rage. Rage and Yomiko.
"YOU WOULD SUBMIT TO ME! LEST YOU BECOME AS WEAK AS YOU WERE!" It bellowed at her, flashing before her memories. Memories she tried so dearly to leave behind, memories she just wish would die. With every cut upon her perfect flesh, she felt rage well up within her. "NO!"
This was the last time... it had to be the last time. She could not sleep, her muscles burned and ached. She could feel the fire in her, even when she was awake. This was the last time.
The red demon, the demon that was Yomiko's rage suddenly turned it's gaze from her. The little girl was no longer little. The little girl was the Invincible Bride of Sol Invictus, the Zenith Sun and before the demon she shone exactly like it. In her hands were blades of furious love, across her breast was armor of her compassion. "I would not submit to you... the rage in my heart is something that must die! You will die, demon! And I will destroy you!"
She cut at the fiend, red fire fell away and turned to gold and the gold of Yomiko's heart absorbed into her and only made her radiance grow brighter. It bellowed, it was ripped and torn slowly apart by her twin blades. Soon, it was little more than a burning rib-cage and skull, it could not move, it could only speak to her soul. "You are not invincible, Yomiko. One day I will rise again, I will show you what you need to be invincible. I will be waiting."
The demon burst, and the last remnants of it's red flame were taken back in by the swordswoman and dimmed to nothing.

She awoke the next morning, glowing as brightly as the Sun outsider her window. The strength of her soul was too great now to be kept within her, even as she slept. She walked again to her balcony as it faced the rising sun and she smiled.

"O' Lotus, my love. It is going to be a good day." And so she started to sing again, on the brightest of days.