Chasing a Rabbit by the Tail

"We will take care of you.  Please, don't worry.  Please relax."  Medea's word rhythm was rather hastened at the sight of Ryofu in her condition. Like Luna, she was worried of her condition, but she did not had the benefit of the moon rabbit's soldier training.

"Emergency personnel!  We need to get her onto a stretcher cart!"  The scylla called.  The crew had responded was immediate even before she barked out the order.  Some of them were wheeling in a long cart with a bed on top towards Ryofu's way.  A large machine hummed to life nearly, opening up to reveal a circular opening about 3 feet in radius with an extension that looked the same length as the bed of the stretcher cart. The whole process was systematically fast.  Ryofu was carefully moved onto the comfortable bed of the cart with a thin blanket draping over her body.

"This is where we need to be at.  You've done well..."  Luna whispered assuring.  She knew Ryofu didn't had much of her senses left after the ordeal as was fading fast.  Luna will what she can to make Ryofu's transition to unconsciousness as smooth as possible.  Her palm moved to Ryofu's forehead before her light gray eyes started changing colors, taking on a more lilac color.  "Please rest"  Ryofu was't just hear Luna's soothing voice through her ears, it also was crooning from within her mind as well as her body starts becoming very comfortable, relaxed, and sleepy.  The pain and fatigue from before starting to fade as Ryofu's senses were drifting towards sleep.  "I will stay with you, I will watch over you."

Things were moving fast after they entered the room. People were moving back and forth, and she could vaguely hear voices shouting things that were getting harder and harder to hear. She could see the concern in Medea's face, and she tried to say something back, something that would ease her worries, but all she had was focused on just staying awake at this point. She felt herself moved onto something comfortable, and finally, finally, she could relax.

Most of the voices going through the air were lost on her, muffled by her own body starting to fail her. God, things still hurt. Even as it was growing harder to see and hear, that was the one constant: that her body was screaming at her for the exertion. She was sweating pretty hard, and her breathing was labored.

All of the sudden, she felt something touching her head, and a nice, bright light. It was the first voice that Ryofu could make out clearly since entering the room, and it felt...really nice. Luna was there, with her, like she was hoping. The exhaustion was slowly reaching a point where she couldn't stay awake anymore, and part of her felt like that was fine. She felt...safe, for the first time in a while.

She gave a small smile to Luna, before darkness took her, finally passing out on the stretcher. Ryofu had one last thought before it all went black:

"Even if they can't help me, that's fine. Miss Luna...Medea...all of them...I'm so happy to have met you..."

Luna held her concentration even after moments after Ryofu had fallen asleep. The pain was an even further distant than before, the weariness fading out. Ryofu's dream became pleasant and relaxing, as if she was finally living her own life as oppose to fighting a conflict to the whim of someone else. After a moment, Luna's eyes returned to their normal pale gray before nodding to the kitsune and the scylla. "Hestia, Angie, she is ready."

"She looked like death warmed over...." Hestia remarked in a rather languid and relaxed manner, despite the context of her word. She and some others were pushing the cart towards the machine. As the bed reaches the extension of the machine, there were a few audible clicks as the bed slid into the extension, deattaching itself from the cart. The transition was seamless and smooth that wouldn't have disturbed Ryofu even if she wasn't in a deep sleep. The extension started sliding back into the machine, pulling Ryofu into it feet first. A soft was heard from within as it vibrations very slightly. At the same time, a soft blue line of light was moving from the top of Ryofu's head and down her body.

"Alright, the deep scan and the magi-imaging is coming up." Angie called to the others as they made they towards her, the image of Ryofu's body comes out on the monitors of the console she is manning. The rest of her body seem to be healthy, albeit wears and tears in some places. However, once the imaging of the lungs comes up... "Uh...you know the bacteria that Medea discovered in her orb? Well, they totally messed up her lungs to the point that there are several white lumps everywhere."

Angie was shortly joined by Hestia, Luna, and Media as they looked at the monitor, each reacting differently to the diangostic: Angie crossed her arm over her chest trying to figure something out; Medea was extremely worried of the well-being of her friend; Luna was in a state of thought that was hard to read; Hestia was relaxing using her two tails as a seat. "Well...her lung is completely infected; the disease has compromised its defenses. I wonder how long has she straddled betweeen life and death." The kitsune mused as she crossed her arms over her chest. Luna closed her eyes in response, knowing the answer to that.

After some seconds of silence, Hestia pushed herself off of her tails stretching out her arms. "Well...I am holding a meeting to discussed some of the options we have for her. Luna, Angie, Medea, Zack, Kamath, follow me." She gestured to those she called on towards the room adjacent to the laboratory. They followed Hestia towards the openning door, though Luna paused a moment to look behind her toward Ryofu for a few second before she walked into the room with the others.

Ryofu was having one of the most comfortable bits of rest she had ever had in her life. If only for this moment, all of the pain seemed to fade away, leaving nothing but an inky blackness.

Sure enough, just as Luna had hoped, Ryofu had the time to dream, for once in her life. It was an alien feeling for her, but it felt as real as the earlier pain. Ryofu was carrying yet another stack of papers to Luna, who looked absolutely overworked as usual. She was busy signing, approving, going over every little detail, that she barely noticed Ryofu set down the new stack next to her current one. She'd been at this for almost a full day now, and it was clearly getting to her. The bags under her eyes were incredibly visible, as the rabbit scribbled away at the papers. She wasn't sure what had exactly caused all of this, but it was no doubt IDOL work.

"Luna, you've been at this for hours. You need to rest."

"These are important, Ryofu. They need me to finish them. And...and I'm fine." She didn't even look up to her as she continued filling out forms.

Ryofu sighed a little, knowing that words wouldn't get to her when she was like this. But, she was determined to help her, whether she wanted it or not. Slowly, she circled around to the back of her chair, unnoticed by Luna, she placed both of her hands on her shoulders. "Just remember, Luna, you forced me to do this."

"...wait, what do you mean by tha-" Luna's statement was cut off by a gasp as Ryofu's hands lit up with that familiar crackle of chi as they began to knead and massage her shoulders.

"All of this will be here in the morning. But you need your rest. You have to be in top form if you want to do your best, right? You always used to tell me that, after all."

"W-Well, yes, but...t-they need me, to finish these, and..."

"Shh, it's okay. Everyone that you're doing these for are your friends. And they'd want you to take care yourself as much as I would." She could see Luna melting into her chair, conflicted, and yet making no motion to remove Ryofu from her position.

"I...maybe you're right..."

"Good. Now all that's left for you is..." Ryofu brought one of her hands off of Luna's shoulder and up her ear, bringing it close to her mouth to speak in a hushed whisper. "...sleep."

That one word seemed to have a profound effect on her, as her whole body seemed to slump and relax, as she finally relented and let it take her. She was out like a light in that one instant. Satisfied, Ryofu grabbed the smaller woman in her arms and carried her to her room, gently sliding her in and tucking her into the bed. Satisfied that she'd be out for some time as she recouperated, Ryofu left the room and stepped out of the house.

"Ryofuuuuu!" was all she heard before being tackled by a familiar brown haired woman. She took the tackle in stride and held her as they both spun from the impact.

"Chinkyuu..."

"Sorry, I couldn't wait any longer so I came to see you! Are you all done with work today?"

"I think so. Luna will be out for a while, so she'll be fine. So I think we've got the whole day to ourselves now."

"Oh, that's perfect! There's this new resturant that opened up that we have GOT to try, an- Hey, are you okay? You're crying...?"

The statement caught Ryofu off-guard, as she brought a hand up to her cheek and felt the wet tears streaming down her face. She hadn't even noticed it, or could even explain it, but she felt...happy. So incredibly happy. She held Chinkyuu close, in a tight embrace. "I-I don't know...but..I'm just...really happy to see you, I think..."

The brown haired girl was confused, but held back. "Well, I'm always happy to see you. And, cmon, l know the perfect thing to take your mind off of it!" She said as she broke the hug and took one of Ryofu's in her own, dragging her along. Ryofu went along with it, the two laughing together.

Back in the real world, Ryofu was still out cold on the stretcher. "Chink..yuu..." She mumbled in her sleep, the tears from her own dream coming out as she was lost in her own dream. It wasn't sad tears, but happy ones, as, for a time, she got to see the person she loved one more time as people worked around her.

For the first time in what felt like years, Ryofu could spend the day with Chinkyuu. But, that couldn't be right. She was always with her, right? She couldn't quite explain why, but it felt like that wasn't the case for some reason. She couldn't quite shake the feeling as the two of them went off to this new place that she supposedly found.

"So, where is this place you wanted to show me, anyway?"

"So...I kinda lied. It's not a resturant. But! I think you'll like it even more! And we ARE getting something to eat!"

She could only stare, but offered no resistance to her friend dragging her along through town. They went past a number of places that she felt familiar with: a few houses that belonged to some friends, a few of which the pair waved at as they went by, a few places where they always found good food, that sort of thing. Eventually, the pair made their way to the outskirts of town, where a thick forest seperated it.

"Okay, now, Ryofu, I'm gonna need you to close your eyes, alright?" She moved behind Ryofu and placed her hands over her eyes, shielding Ryofu's vision.

"What's all this about, anyway?"

"It's a surprise! Cmon, just trust me!" Ryofu could hear a huff in her voice as she tried to convince her.

"...alright, fine. But you're gonna have to guide me if I'm not going to be able to see anything." Ryofu eventually relented, closing her eyes naturally.

"Good! And don't worry, I'll be right here guiding you." Chinkyuu didn't need to keep holding over her eyes, but something told Ryofu that she wanted to stay close, so she didn't question it. The pair walked onward, with her brown haired friend staying close and keeping her from peeking on the trail. The two walked for about 5 minutes through the wooded area, occasionally stumbling a little but making their way forward. This close, she noticed that she had a unique smell on her. It smelled of...cinnamon? It was really nice, either way.

Eventually, she felt Chinkyuu's hands leave her face and heard her walking forward. Taking that as her cue, she opened her eyes and found quite the sight. The two of them were close to a cliffside overlooking the sea, the sea breeze feeling wonderful and the view was nothing short of perfect. Chinkyuu had rolled out a picnic blanket over the grassy outclearing and had a lot of food waiting for them. "Well? What do you think?!?"

Ryofu could only let out a small laugh. "Much better than any resturant." She ran over to join the one person she loved more than anyone else, and...

Slowly, Ryofu's form had started to stir on the bed. She had been out for a few hours after Luna had helped her sleep and gotten her comfortable. She didn't think she'd slept that good...well, ever. The last thing she remembered was Luna's pretty eyes, and how calming they were. Slowly, she brought herself up out of bed, trying to gather her bearings as she noticed the familiar form of a certain rabbit next to her.

"Oh...hey, Luna..." She smiled as she looked over at her, not even registering that tears were still running down her face. She hadn't noticed it yet, or perhaps wasn't awake enough to realize it.

The stirring and the opening of Ryofu's eyes caught her attention.  Still watching her, Ryofu would be awoken to the sight of Luna's smiling face.  "Good morning, Ryofu.  I hope that you had a restful sleep..."  Luna paused for a moment to turn around to grab a small hand towel and slowly and carefully wiped the tears off Ryofu's cheek.  "Are you hungry?  I brought in soup, if you are."  She moved to the side to slide the cart forward showing the things that are on the cart, notably the bowl, utensils and canteens.

Ryofu was still groggy as she woke, not in any pain but still adjusting to her new surroundings. The strange, foreign concept of "an actually halfway decent rest" was one her body was unfortunately not used to. She groaned a little as she pulled herself up, trying to regain her bearings. The sight of Luna next to her when she woke was one she could get used to.

"Yeah, it was...better than I normally get, that's for sure..." she said as the wooziness was starting to settle. The bed was suprisingly comfy that they were on, for a hospital bed. The towel grazed across her face confused her for a second, before she felt her cheek and noticed it felt...wet? "O-Oh! I, uh...wow, when did that start up, sorry..." When had that started? Was she crying in her sleep? All she knew is it was probably pretty embarassing.

The smell of the soup Luna had prepared for her was enough to make her stomach grumble and distract her from her distress. She hadn't eaten since they had met earlier, and she didn't quite know how much time had passed since then. Normally she was used to going a while without food, but something about a good sleep was enough to make her famished.

"Really hungry, yeah! Thanks!" She said as she took a tray with the bowel, taking an apprehensive sip. The flavor was perfect, and even if her taste buds hadn't really had the opportunity to be refined, she could appreciate a soft Cream of Mushroom flavor. A little hum escaped her after the first sip.

But, before she went too far, she had to know. After all they had done, she couldn't ignore it. "So...how'd it go?"

She took some time to wipe the tears from Ryofu's other cheek before putting the towel away still smiling despite the embarrassed reaction that was given.  "It's alright, dreams can sometime have that effect on us."  She paused short of inquiring what the dream was about.  The tears mean something very emotional had occurred within her dreams and she did not want to pry on anything that would be sensitive.

The sensitivity of the mood was broken briefly at Ryofu's pleasant hum after sampling the soup causing a brief giggle.  Her reaction was rather cute. "I am glad you enjoyed the soup but I am afraid I cannot take credit for cooking it as I do not have much time to do much with my cooking silents.  Medea was the one that made the soup for me to take it to you.  She had been rather worried ever since.  I will make sure to let her know that you are OK."

It was the question of Ryofu's health that does make her pause briefly recalling all of the information that Hestia and Angie had passed onto her.  "Well your lungs are in a state that they are not likely to be recovered.  Healing magic would not rid of the source of your illness either."

"That being said, the situation wasn't totally hopeless as she figured that if we cannot save your lungs, we will transplant new ones."

"Medea made this? Man, she's multi-talented, huh? I'll have to...thank her in person, later." She could tell the look that Luna had, and what it meant. Luckily, Luna had already done so much for her. It was only fair.

"...it was of..her. You know, the one I told you about on the plane? I'd never really gotten a restful sleep in, like, ever. I guess, seeing her face and hearing her voice was a little overwhelming, was all..." she trailed off with a small chuckle to herself that sounded more somber than normal. She took small sips of the soup, hoping it would get her mind off of things.

What Luna told her was pretty familiar for her. Doctors had given a similar response. One that was essentially hopeless and beyond the ability of modern medicine.

And then she proposed her alternative.

The decision was enough to make her almost drop her spoon. "W-Wait, you can do that?!? That's, like...a really big deal, to just give somebody new lungs, right? Am...am I really worth all that? Just some person that tried to attack you at first glance, and spent her whole life lying, and cheating, and doing everything she could just to keep living to that next day..." All of Ryofu's insecurities and doubts were in full view. Normally, she'd consider acting like this to anyone as some form of weakness that someone could exploit, but around Luna, it didn't...feel like that at all, and she couldn't explain why.

"Even if such a thing would be possible back home, I'd have never been able to afford it 5 times over...you'd essentially be doing it for nothing at all. Is that really okay? Do I really deserve it?!?" Her eyes were pleading for an answer, and deep down, she feared that she was right. She'd done so many horrible things to good people, over the years. All for her own sake. She was here, right at the precipice of a second chance, and now, more than ever, she had to ask the important question.

Luna had expected such a response from Ryofu and was not startled from the sudden volume increase of her voice; although said response had drawn some attention from a few of the staffs passing by the lab room before they continued on their business.

"And it is not true that we gained nothing from the operation." The rabbit iillusionist explained. "Since magic is the main method of healing in this land, methods such as this operation and medicine tends to be overlooked. We've anticipated such instances where magic will fail in situations, not just healing. This is why we are proceeding with these developments so that magic and science work in tandem, each covering what the other lack."

Luna's expression changed to a more somber and sad expression, her long ears folding slightly forward as she replied. "From what you have told me, it was for the sake of survival in a rather hostile world where war is a commonplace. Those without some sense of pragmatism would have trouble staying alive. Your choices is less of choices but more of an ultimatum to simply live. As a result, you were shaped by that world." Her voice held the same warmth as before but with the audible traces of sadness.

"But now you are within another world with a chance at a second life. To actually live, not to survive, live." Luna emphasized the word at the end. "But the question is what will you do now?" She lets a brief pause to allow Ryofu to think for a moment. "You do not have to answer that right away since it is a decision that may not be realized at moments' thought. But I trust that you will make the most of it. You are worth it." A smile punctuated the end of her words.

"You are worth it."

It was the one thing she didn't feel like she deserved to hear. It was something she never felt like she could tell herself and mean it, not after all that she'd done. But now, Luna was telling her exactly that.

She was right. This was a whole new world for her, where none of that mattered anymore. All of that in the past was what brought her here, right at this moment. It mattered. Just like she did.

This time, she was well aware of the tears that flowed from her. "O-Oh...god, I'm such a crybaby lately...I'm not like this normally, honest!" She said as she tried to wipe them away. Even Luna would be able to notice a smile on her face as she did. Tried as she might, she couldn't get them to stop, but this time, they were of a much different emotion: Joy.

Eventually she reached a point where nothing she could do could get them to stop. "Oh, hell with it!" She said as she brought the rabbit into a tight hug, heartfelt and quite strong. All she could do was hold her close, going "thank you" over and over and over again, so many emotions welling up in her all at once. It felt so nice to have someone believe in her.

A little time had passed, likely Ryofu having made a scene in the ward, before pulling back. "I...I don't really have, anything, here. And I don't even know where to start. But, you guys, this IDOL thing...it's doing a lot of really amazing things, for people that need it, huh? People like me. And, you, and Medea, are the only friends I've got here. Is...is it weird if I say that, I kinda...want to stay here, with you? I'm sure I could be helpful! Really!"

She squeaked as she was hugged hard but did her best to return the hug. It was a very emotional moment for Ryofu and she deserved much hope in her heart. Afterward, Luna rolled her shoulders a bit after getting a bit compressed from the hug.

"Well we do what we can to help but we try to not interfere. After all, people cannot grow if we are the bulk of the development. It is also more on the prudent side too since should we rush too much into choices for purely altruistic reason, our interjection may cause more tragic occurrence. From that I speak from experience of such experience myself should one fail to do so..." Luna's voice grows increasingly soft after speaking those words, followed by a complete pause of silence. Her eyes became vacant for a brief moment becoming lucid again. "It is why we try to understand everything possible so that we can make better and more well-informed decisions."

"And with that, we would be happy to accept you. We actually have some people that would be happy to accept you. Medea, of course, would be happy to see you more often but Hestia also seemed to have an interest in you as well. I also know of another of my colleague that might be interested in meeting you as well, though she is not here at the moment."

She listened with rapt attention as Luna described more of IDOL to her, slowly finishing off her soup. She was confident in how she saw things, however: that they had helped her when no one else not only wouldn't, but likely couldn't, to boot. There was likely a lot she didn't know or understand about this place yet, and the many people in it, but she knew that good people were here, people that welcomed her. And something about that felt...really nice.

Her entire face lit up at Luna's acceptance. "Oh, thank you! I promise, I'll do anything I can to be helpful! And I'll get to see you, and Medea-oh, Medea's gonna be so happy to hear this! This is...wow, this is a lot to take in. But, really exciting too! Hestia's the fox...person, right? I think I remember seeing her before I passed out earlier. And if they're friends of yours, then I can't wait to meet them! Man, I'm gonna have to catch up on a lot o-" Ryofu's mile-a-minute thoughts were cut off by a small cough. She knew how it felt, but she wasn't going to let it ruin her good mood today. "Looking forward to that going away, too, hehe..." She slumped back into bed, deflated just a little by the reminder of her condition.

'Hey, Luna..." Ryofu's voice had gotten slower, a bit quiet and uncharacteristically soft. "I really...appreciate, all of this. I didn't think, anything today...was possible. I promise, I'll...do anything I can to be helpful." Her expression matched the tone of her voice, equally open. It was an expression she hadn't worn this openly in what felt like an eternity. "But, for right now...feeling kinda tired again. Guess my body still kinda hates me after, well, all of that, huh? I don't blame it, really. But...would it be weird if...I asked if you could do that...thing, you did earlier? That eye thing. I don't think I'd ever slept that good, like, ever. Sorry, if that's...kinda weird, to ask...hadn't really gotten real sleep like that in years, I guess..."

She was glad Ryofu was still cheerful regardless of her condition. Unfortunately Ryofu's body can only handle so much regardless of how she felt emotionally and her voice was tale tell sign of the fatigue that was rapidly creeping up. Luna would be more than willing to let her rest once more, but there was one more thing she wanted to confirm before she allowed Ryofu to sleep again.

"Well I certainly pull you back to sleep again. Although I do need to confirm something first. Do you want us to proceed with the transplant while you are asleep? I can keep you sleeping until the surgery is over. If not yet, we can wait for a bit longer until you feel you are ready." Luna asked with a soft smile. She knew Ryofu would like to be rid of this disease but was not sure if she was prepared mentally or emotionally yet and wanted the green haired woman to feel confident to proceed first.

Ryofu didn't even have to give it a second thought before answering. "I don't see why not. Getting to, not have this pain, anymore? Sounds...like a dream come true, really. If you wanna...start, right now, then...go right ahead."

Luna would notice how she looked almost serene as she answered. She was never more sure about anything else in her life. Even through the pain and exhaustion, she felt content in a way that she had never had before.

"Just...one thing." She reached up her arm, lightly grabbing one of Luna's hands. "When I wake up, I want...the first thing I see, to be you and Medea. Can...you do that, for me?"

Ryofu's request once again lit a smile upon Luna's face. It warmed her heart that she was so appreciated and the warmth radiated into her smile. "I will do so. Medea and I will be there when you wake up. And by then the operation will be complete. There will be more that is after that since the more difficulty part takes place after the operation. But we will help you get through it. Then you will finally be free."

With one hand, Luna squeeze Ryofu's hand and the other reaches over to Ryofu's forehead and touch it once more as her eyes stares into Ryofu's. The soft pale gray gradually changing into the lovely lilac color once more. The subtle depth of the shifting colors was drawing Ryofu deeper and deeper in until she once again felt herself drifting into a very peaceful trip back. On top of that Luna began to recite something, her voice soft, wispy, and tranquil:

"As I focus on the beauty of life,
dreams come in guide me to peaceful sleep now.
The world, the open sky, the grass below.
Heading into my paradise, I go."

"Later on...remind me to, tell you about, that dream I was having, okay?I...I thi-" Ryofu's thoughts were cut short by a short gasp as she was greeted by those eyes once again, locked in to that gaze. Her body settled instantly with a small sigh, more than happy to let the feeling wash over her. It was a strange mix of sensations to it: one that made her rapidly more and more exhausted, but one she also didn't want to look away from. Like, if someone was ready a really good book before bed. It felt like the most natural thing in the world, and she thought she kind of loved the sensation.

It didn't take long before the tiredness washing over her took hold, her body relaxing and her mind growing slower and slower, before finally closing her eyes drifting off to an incredibly peaceful sleep with a wonderfully honest smile on her face. Right before she hit total unconsciousness, she heard the familiar voice of Luna that felt both so far away, and right next to her at the same time. "Lu...na..." was all she got out before the comforting darkness took her, capitulated by small, sweet snores.

She finished guiding Ryofu into the land of dreams and allowed her subconscious to roam to wonders. The smile still remained on her face as she pulls out her tablet from her pocket and started to tap on various keys and buttons before sending the message.  It took about 15 minutes before the several medical personnel came in and started to move Ryofu's stretcher carefully out of the room.  The pace was slow and deliberate so not to wake Ryofu up.  However with Luna nearby, Ryofu's much needed sleep was not interrupted regardless.

Luna, Ryofu, and the staff walked through a large white double-door with an unlit sign labeled "Operating" above.  Angie was towards the back behind a computer panel, looking up towards Luna and the patient before looking back down, her expression rather focused.  Not only was her arm slid over the panels but some of her tentacle were touching panels that were at the side too.  Hestia was waiting along side with a cart full of medical tools for the surgery.  Unlike the scylla, Hestia looks relaxed and languid.  Her tail was noticeably missing and her long pink hair was stuffed was somehow shortened and stuffed inside a green surgeon cap.  She was also wearing a surgeon gown along with a pair of gloves.  Meanwhile,

"Well looks like the patient here.  I was considering taking a nap on my tails if I wait any longer."  Hestia quipped in an amused voice.  Despite her nonchalent manner, her expression even looked alert, her body was straight, focused, and even meticulous.  "Well not that she is here, let's get started."  Then suddenly, her demeanor took a 180 turn as her expression become dead serious.  "Luna, take your place next to her and make sure she stays asleep.  Arven, hook Ryofu to the monitors.  Angie, perform a scan on her vitals when he is done.  Klein, wheel in the organs and scan them for impurities. Jessie, get the anethetics ready."  As Hestia barked out orders, the entire room flared to life as each personnel followed the kitsune's order in a brisk but orderly fashion.  As soon as the operation begun, the entrance to the operation room closed automatically. Then seconds after the "Operating" sign lit up.

Luna's constant presence would likely have been a calming sight for Ryofu had she been awake, and it was clear she was quite the help when she was asleep, as well. Even as they moved from one place to another, nothing could wake Ryofu from her deep sleep. It felt so nice to have a calm, relaxed sleep without any hint of pain to rouse her. In a way, part of her wished she could stay like this forever.

Inside the confines of her mind, it was as though Ryofu had picked up on where it had left off. Over a beautiful view of a rocky cliff, sitting over a blanket and enjoying a perfectly made lunch with one of the people Ryofu loved more than anyone.

The salt in the air was a relaxing experience, as the two talked. One might call it gossip, about how the pair went on and on about things that didn't really matter. Work, family, school, the future. Friends they had, and the things they got in to. For a time, it made them both feel...normal. Something that felt like such a foreign concept to the both of them, and yet, it was a feeling that the two of them could get used to.

"So, what's this boss of yours like, anyway? You never really talk about work all that much, but you always seem really happy when it's over."

"Well, there's not much to say. She's really nice, and you can tell she cares. She's always overworking herself a bunch, too. Sometimes I have to force her to take a break."

"Really? Wow, and she doesn't get mad about it?"

Ryofu shook her head at the question. "I think she knows I do it because I don't want her blowing out from too much stress. At least, I hope so, anyway."

Chinkyuu put on a little pout at the answer. "That didn't really answer my question, though! What is it you do that you never get to tell me about, huh?!?"

Ryofu took a few glances, and then motioned for her to come closer, cupping the side of her ear to whisper. "What if I told you I was a secret agent?"

The brown haired girl took a second to respond to that information, before an incredelous look crossed her face. "You? A secret agent? ...really?"

She chuckled a little at her reaction. "Well, not really. It feels like it sometimes, though. I kinda like it."

The two giggled as Chinkyuu tried incessantly to get more info out of her, to no avail. However, unbeknownst to the two of them, a familiar figure with cute little ears was watching the conversation from afar, just past the wooded clearing. One that was very welcome in Ryofu's mind, but at the same time would be an unexpected guest...

"I apologize for my work habits. I do make an attempt to try to reduce the workload that I do but it is a work in progress. That being said, I do wonder how did you figure me when we haven't met for too long." The response was from a familiar moon rabbit that was making their way towards the couple. Her warm smile and pleasant demeanor was full indication that this was actually Luna and not the dream one from before.

However, this Luna was different from the one that Ryofu had put to sleep last dream. While her appearance was the same, her spiritual being was a lot more potent that Ryofu's chi sense would detect the difference. Even more so than before, there is a very calming aura surrounding Luna. Her hair flows in slow motion behind her as if not fully confined to the laws of gravity. Her eyes were no longer pray gray but a light lilac color. Her steps almost looks as if she was floating, the essence of gracefulness.

The voice made Ryofu turn backwards to see the familiar face, one that she was more than happy to see. She waved as Luna approached the two of them.

"Oh, hey Luna! Guess you didn't need that nap, after all...oh well. You seem a lot better than earlier, so that's good! And...a little different?" She tilted her head a little as she tried to figure out what that strange feeling was. It felt like it was on the tip of her tongue, but for the life of her, she couldn't place it. Were her eyes always that color? And she seemed a lot more...peaceful, than when she had left her. Maybe she was just imagining it.

She shook her head, convinced that she was just looking too deep. To Ryofu as she was right now, she didn't process it as a dream, but just another day, as reality. "Oh, right! I almost forgot! You two had never met before, right?" She scootched a little to the side so that she wasn't sitting inbetween the two of them. "Luna, this is Chinkyuu. She's...really special to me. Chinkyuu, this is Luna."

The brown haired girl got up and brushed herself off a little, trying her best to look presentable to her best friend's boss. "'Really special?' Come on, Ryofu, you can just be honest about it!" She leaned in close to Luna. "We're dating." She whispered with a sly wink.

"C-Chinkyuu! You didn't have to..." To this day, she was one of the only people that could truly fluster Ryofu down to a blush.

"It's fine, it's fine! You trust her a lot, right? There's no harm in it." With that she turned back to Luna. "Ryofu's told me a lot about you. You've been helping her open up a bit, lately, you know? I don't think I've ever seen her smile this much in ages. Oh, sorry, never introduced myself. I'm Chinkyuu. Ryofu and I have known each other since we were kids. It's really nice to finally meet you in person!" The warm smile on her face was a sharp contrast to the teasing from earlier, and yet both felt as open and honest as can be. While Ryofu might be percieving this as another day, Luna could see this as something more: this was the person that Ryofu had lost, that she cared for above all else, that she no longer has and whose death still haunts her to this day.

"A pleasure to meet you. I am Luna Maladine. A pleasure to meet you." Luna bow in distinguished matter with one arm folded over her chest. She returned Chinkuu's warm smile with her own. Her lilac eyes took in the other woman. Judging from the words that were exchanged to each other and to her, this was the one she had lost long ago prior to coming to this realm. From what she had seen, she was really a lovely girl in sight and soul. It was no wonder Ryofu had loved her. It was so tragic that she had perished in the machination of the war in Ryofu's realm.

"Ryofu does have a wonderful smile doesn't she? She had a rather harsh life which mad muted it for a while. But once she had been given the opportunity to flourish, she had grown to become quite happy and I am glad to be the catalyst of it."

The brown haired girl giggled a little. "I know, right? I tell her all the time that she's a lot prettier when she's happy, but she never believes me. She's far too hard on herself. You'd never know her soft side since the second you bring it up, she always gets so flustered, but that's super cute to-"

A hand went over Chinkyuu's mouth, cutting her off. The blush on her face was very noticeable by this point, but she was hiding it with an expression that was half playful and half annoyance. Luna might also notice a slight eye twitch, too. "That's enough outta you. Luna doesn't need to hear about everything that we do."

Chinkyuu rolled her eyes, making not motion to remove her hand covering her mouth, her words muffled. "Alright, alright. Maybe I took the teasing a liiittle too far. But you know I do it because I love you." Before she could react, Chinkyuu planted a quick kiss on her cheek before running back to the picnic blanket.

Ryofu tried to reach out to grab her before she could but by the time she reacted, she was far too late, and could only stand there, looking at her. She sighed as she shook her head. "Jeez...what am I gonna do with you...?" She turned back around to face Luna. "Sorry about that, Luna. She's a little...energetic, when she gets going. We were just about to sit down for some food. Did you wanna join us?"

"It is alright. It is good to meet her." She turned back towards Ryofu, smiling amiably before nodding. "Yes, a moment to relax would be pleasant. She looked over to where the picnic is before she began to follow Ryofu to where they were at before. "Now that I think on it, I do not believe that I have spoken much about myself of whom I am and my history have we?"