The Last Sky Of The Earth

OUR FIRST downfall was something I realized that fate had already written. It was unexpected; it nearly drove me over the edge of sanity. I lost them all and the clan's honor had fallen. The Knights were left defeated and torn by their failure.

But the light of hope never left me. It shines within me in its ever bright form. With that, I chose to continue the legacy. For I can't let it all fall and be buried forever.

Armed with a passionate heart that burns like the fire, together with an efficient mind that flows like the water, followed by a guiding will that blows like the wind, while nurturing the strength that thrives like the earth... All of us embarked on a long-overdue quest that leads to another danger.

It was a bloody journey dangerous enough to test us. But our willpower never swayed for the sake of our chosen paths.

However, I chose a path that destroyed my true existence. I decided to lead at the cost of my identity. One would think it was a pathetic choice. Others would hesitate to do the same for me. But my faith in them as their leader remains. In return, their loyalty to me stands firm. And now my decision would surely lead me to a new era.

But one unsuspected reunion changed everything.

Now the era I chose to create has slowly become a distant dream. And with the dark sky as my witness, I knew the battle would become more dangerous than ever.

But I won't stop, for I already made a choice. I would stand firm to it until I regained our lost honor. I vowed to become stronger and resolute to finish the journey. No deadly ancient prophecy or skilled enemies would ever stand in my way. I would fight whatever it takes... whatever happens.

For I am protected by the 12 Knights of the Sky.

I am Shinomiya Kourin, the princess of the Shinomiya clan.

I am the Shrouded Flowers' last hope.

I am... the Last Sky of the Earth...

Remain as a memory that's enough for me... -- U, Baekhyun (EXO)

xxxxxx

ONE NIGHT.

One night was all it took to change everything.

One night gave way for one girl to feel an immeasurable pain.

On that one night, everything that she had to protect disappeared.

That fact remained in Kourin's mind after all that had happened. She was naïve back then. She was a carefree teenage girl. She enjoyed all the privileges to become a normal girl even though it wasn't the life meant for her. In other words, she enjoyed the life of being a princess.

But Kourin never realized that the privilege she received for possessing such freedom would come with a price. It was a terrifying price that took the lives of the people she cared about, trampled the loyalty of those who remained by her side, and trashed the honor that her clan had protected and upheld for so long. Until that moment, she wasn't sure what happened, if it was all still a dream.

Kourin's tears fell as she recalled that night. Those tears were the proof that not everything would remain a dream. She was sitting in the prayer room where another proof of the truth opened her eyes to the harsh reality of the world was placed. She had a lot of questions, but none of them had any answers until now. No one could give her the answer she so desperately needed.

"Lady Kourin..."

Kourin turned in the direction of that voice. She saw two people slide open the prayer room's shoji door. A man and a woman-both were a few years older than her-had entered.

"Kana-san... Takeru-san..."

Both of them sat behind Kourin a few feet away from where she was sitting. Kana was sitting in a seiza-style while Takeru was in an Indian position. It was obvious to them that they were estimating the atmosphere first before speaking.

"Everything's ready. All that's left is your order and we'll proceed with the plan," said Kana.

But as for Kourin, there she was, still facing the altar where the framed pictures and urns of those that she had lost were placed. Her mother, her father... and even her older brother Hitoshi. In a blink of an eye, she had lost those three in her life. She lost them in a battle she never thought she would face in her entire life.

"Are you sure about your decisions?" Kourin asked them out of the blue.

Kourin didn't hear any reply from them. But it wasn't a problem for her. After all, her decision wasn't something she came up with easily after the events. Almost all of those who heard it, even Kana and Takeru, had a reluctant expression on their faces. But it was the only way she could think of until their missions were all over.

Kourin already made a choice ー and she needed to stand firm to it. She hadn't only thought about her welfare here when she decided that. She also thought about the others ー the remaining ones who still showed their loyalty to her despite everything. Simple gratitude wasn't enough because of the loyalty they had shown towards her and her family.

"We already made our decision, my lady. Nothing could ever change that," Kourin heard Takeru answer.

"So don't ever doubt us again. We'll continue serving you and protecting you in every way possible," Kana added.

Kourin's tears fell once more. She didn't know what to say in response to what they had told her. She no longer hid those tears out of joy and gratitude. But she knew they were telling the truth. At the very least, she trusted her instinct on that one.

With a smile as Kourin wiped her tears, she stood up. Kana and Takeru followed soon after. She faced those two once more after giving one last look at her family's pictures. Those photographs were the last proof that they had once been alive with her.

"We'll proceed. Let's go."

That was all and Kourin went out of that room, along with Kana and Takeru.

xxxxxxx

OUTSIDE of Izumi Temple where Kourin stood at the moment, she saw everyone involved there. She knew they were waiting for her.

"It's time."

All of them, including the other monks working in that temple, kneeled on one knee as they bowed their heads in front of Kourin. Was it weird for her to be treated like this? No. They did that because of one reason.

Kourin was chosen to be their leader. Well, soon-to-be and the next in line. The heiress to the position, to put it simply.

For a girl like Kourin, the responsibility she had to bear was immense. The responsibility to restore the honor of her clan rested in her hands. But as she said, she already made a choice. She chose to carry the burden as the princess of the Shinomiya clan. She knew she had just come of age a year ago. To their family and even to the three other clans his family serves, the coming-of-age was 14 years old. They were handed over the position that they were destined to inherit early and for another three years, they would be trained so that they could properly carry out the responsibilities entrusted to them. So by the time they'd reach the age of 17 when the succession ceremony would take place, they would be ready. But it doesn't matter.

What was important for Kourin at the moment was to do everything right. She had to carry out the responsibility of being the next leader of the clan. Not just her clan. She also had to lead even the three other clans.

Carrying out an immense duty such as this was the only way for Kourin to continue her dead father's legacy. At least that way, she would be able to end a battle she never thought would end all the hard work of the people around her over the years.

"My lady, we're all ready to leave."

Kourin nodded as a response to what the monk had said. She faced the others soon after. She could've laughed at the sight. Just by looking at them at that moment, she could see that they were determined and unbelievably stubborn as she was. Stubbornness seemed to be inherited. It was the one thing on her mind at the moment.

Starting from that day, Kourin won't only leave Kyoto. Along with the path she had chosen, she chose to kill a certain someone.

Weird as it might have sounded, she had to kill Shinomiya Kourin for good. She had to destroy her existence as the Shinomiya family princess.

This was the only way for another persona in her to be born. A persona with a life Kourin had to live from that moment on. A persona that, hopefully, would help her protect what was left of her since that night.

A persona... that Kourin now named Fujioka Rin.

The future in which my heart should've chosen you had already disappeared like an unfulfilled dream. So now, I'm in a place I can never return to... -- Florence Joyce

xxxxxx

Kourin finished saying goodbye to the monks at the Izumi Temple. Yes, she knew it was dangerous to do what she thought of doing just to save the rest of the people who were serving her family. But she had one compelling reason why she chose to "kill" her true identity. Unfortunately, not even her older sister knew that reason.

For now, it was even better for Kourin. She knew that her sister would still know it no matter how she hide it. That was how skilled her Mari-neesan was.

"Do you have to hide that even from us?"

Kourin stopped walking to her own study room in that area. Since the Shinomiya mansion was destroyed, they were temporarily staying in the vacation house owned by the Yumemiya clan in a secret place. It was laid in the heart of an unnamed forest somewhere in Kanagawa Prefecture. They said it would be good for them to hide there first while they were still arranging the necessities for the move that they would make.

Kourin knew who said that. Even when she was outside Mari's study room, it was easy for her to find out who the speakers were. It was a trait that she possessed and was trained to be used to its full potential with the help of her first shadow guardian Kisaragi Tetsuya.

"You know a Knight must not show any sign of weakness, Shigeru. Even though the world doesn't really know me as a member of the Shrouded Flowers."

"And now your sister had just done the same sacrifice you did for the Shrouded Flowers' sake, Lady Mari."

Kourin was right. It was Miyuzaki Shigeru who said that.

"I see that everyone had gathered." It was Kourin's sister who spoke again. And by everyone, it means that the study room also included the other Knights that made up the 12 Knights of the Sky.

They were the exclusive guardians and bodyguards of the Shinomiya clan, specifically the members of the main branch. And that would mean Kourin and her sister. Also, she and her sister were the only ones left in the main branch.

"We had to. Now that the princess had come up with this kind of decision."

It was Miyuzaki Takumi who spoke, Shigeru's younger and only brother.

"And to think you actually gave your consent for her to do this. Just what in the world are you trying to do, Lady Mari?"

That was one of the worrywarts of the Miyuzaki clan and Takumi's twin sister, Tsukasa.

"I know it's really shocking for the two of you. But I also know that you can immediately figure out the reason why I consented to my sister's decision despite its absurdity, as most of you would call it."

Kourin didn't hear anyone speak after Mari said that. There was only one reason she did not inform her older sister about her decision. As for the rest, she was truly surprised when her sister didn't even hesitate to agree with her plan.

"I have to admit, Lady Mari, that the princess was truly absurd for her to discard her identity as Shinomiya Kourin, as a family princess. Pardon me if I'm out of the line for saying this. But I think that... there is an even bigger reason for you to allow her to do that."

Kourin just smiled sadly at what she heard from Amiko. This was the youngest of the 12 Knights and her current shadow guardian. And this young knight was probably the only person that could tell other people, especially Mari, that Kourin was crazy. That her decision was absurd. But Amiko knew her as well as her sister.

Kourin heard a sigh as she continued to listen from outside that study room. But she just didn't know who did that.

"You're astute as ever, Amiko. My sister's decision was something that we need to take advantage of, especially at this point. But this is one mission that I'll be giving to all of us. I'm not sure how this will turn out for all of us. But..."

"But whatever it takes, we have to finish it. At least for the princess' sake. Am I right?" This time, it was the man who spoke. And Kourin knew that voice.

"This isn't just for her, Chrono. This is for all of us. For the sake of everyone's future that our parents and relatives had tried to defend with their very lives that night," Kourin heard Mari state to the half-Japanese man she referred to as Chrono.

"Ending those wretched Dark Rose members would be the answer to that, huh?"

It was Chrono's cousin Yumemiya Mamoru who spoke this time.

"Does this mean our mission has something to do with them? Is that what you're trying to say, Onii-chan?"

"That's right, Miyako. Of course, I could be wrong. We might actually be dealing with a different mission."

"No, you're not, Mamoru. It's true. Our mission will go exactly as you stated it a while back," Kourin's sister suddenly announced that she would expect to surprise the others. "We're not going to let another battle with them as our enemy end the same way again. This time, as we hunt for the Dark Rose and fight them ー eliminating them along the way, we have to protect what was left of us. We have to make them believe that the princess had truly died with the rest of my family. Whatever it takes, we have to eliminate them ー the same way they tried to eliminate all of us that night."

The way Mari had spoken those words was something laced with pain, bitterness, anger, and determination ー one that Kourin was sure the 12 Knights could tell that had originated from all that had happened since that night they lost everything.

The Shinomiya clan's honor had fallen, and the other three (Azuraya, Yumemiya, and Miyuzaki) were left torn and trampled upon by the enemies. Now they just had to implement the ultimate counterattack to end this battle ー once and for all!