BE WARNED: EMOTIONAL DAMAGE AHEAD
This is also the longest part by far. I did not want to lessen the emotional impact by splitting it up, so now it’s all in one place.
Kagutsuchi’s new appearance
It had been about one year since Kagutsuchi’s ascension. Things were progressing more smoothly than expected. At first, there was a lot of retaliation at Kagutsuchi’s ascension. Many were confused about the whole incident, and some did not want to accept him. A few were suspicious of Kagutsuchi’s rise to power. How was he able to accumulate strength so quickly, enough that it overwhelmed a god who had ruled for thousands of years? But what was more impressive was how well he took up the mantle after Hien’s passing. Kagutsuchi was a benevolent and kind god. He treated his disciples fairly. He held up the sun for the world, bringing warmth to the people. He fulfilled his duties well. Some dragons even favored Kagutsuchi over the previous Ryuo of Light. Over time, the doubts surrounding him faded away. People started to believe it was for the better. Some dragons even wondered whether they judged him too harshly. Kagutsuchi was now their new god.
Ever since that day, Tsukuyomi had not talked with his brother. He was busy fulfilling his own duties and catching up on the management of the mindscape due to the absence of the Moon god. There were no moon dragons awakened during this time. No one knew why, but it wasn’t brought up. The tale of the moon dragons’ disappearance was swept under the rug, only remaining as faint whispers among the people. They didn’t dare acknowledge what happened all those years ago. But for the Ryuo of the Moon, that day lingered in his memory.
Sometimes, Rinze would visit the Dream of a Radiant Moon to invite Tsukuyomi for tea. He had to turn down her offer on multiple occasions, unfortunately. Rinze would then leave with a faint smile each time, but he could never tell whether it was genuine. Tsukuyomi felt terrible. He was unable to find the time to talk with anyone. Especially his brother. He needed to talk to him about what happened. About both the duel and… everything he experienced leading up to it. Gazing up at that large full moon, Tsukuyomi saw gold cracks running along it. Recently, he noticed that the moon would change appearance according to his current mood. Sometimes it bloomed beautifully and sometimes, a great shadow loomed over the surface. The water rippled whenever he sighed.
Tsukuyomi didn’t have any followers yet. Well, the ones he would’ve inherited are all gone. He tried to seek answers within the realm of memories but to no avail. There was nothing he could find and he constantly wondered why. Why was the disappearance so complete? Why was there nothing left behind? He finally became a god, but he came no closer to understanding the disappearance of those that came before him. Days and weeks passed with no answers.
On the other side, Kagutsuchi’s followers had noticed that he was disappearing from the Heavenly Realm more frequently as of late. They were curious, but they didn’t dare question their god of his whereabouts. Kagutsuchi would always return like nothing serious happened, so no one else seemed worried either. They did observe a few changes, however. Initially, he was very secretive about his location and refused to talk about where he went. He was frequently lost in thought or distracted. Later, he grew more irritable and avoided interacting with any of his disciples. The fire in his eyes behaved weirdly and he smiled less. And now more recently, it seems as if he has locked away some of his emotions. He sometimes forgot conversations he had and his facial expressions appeared artificial. He became uncomfortable around other dragons.
No one said anything about it, but they sensed it. Kagutsuchi always reassured them that he was completely fine. They believed it because they wanted to. They didn’t want another dramatic change to happen again so quickly. No one liked change. So life went on.
On one particular day, Kagutsuchi was scheduled to visit the lower level of the Heavenly Realm in order to spread his faith. It was bright and sunny in the Heavenly Realm. Kagutsuchi had just returned from one of his unexplained trips and was preparing to meet some young dragons. Some Fabled dragons advised him that it could be a good idea to inspire young new talent while also solidifying his position as a Ryuo. Kagutsuchi was tired that day, however he didn’t want to admit it himself. How could a god grow tired? They wouldn’t believe it either. Thus, he found himself in a very familiar place. A place from a bygone era, one he wanted to forget.
The school grew into view as he circled in the sky above it. Kagutsuchi stared at that place with undecipherable eyes. Dragons were peacefully roaming about the premises. A large group of them, presumably students, were filing out into the largest courtyard. Kagutsuchi studied the students closely. There were smiles on their faces. Some of them were jumping for joy, ecstatic to meet such a divine presence for the first time. Some of them in the back of the group seemed nervous, but even they couldn’t hide their excitement. Teachers were shouting instructions at the students.
Kagutsuchi narrowed his eyes. Was he like that too? He couldn’t remember anymore. It was all a distant memory, hidden behind layers of thick walls. He tried to suppress the memories, but the more he watched, the more it bubbled through. Good job. Such a phrase was never spoken to him. Instead, he’d be the one watching on the side, envious of those that received praise.
“Lord Kagutsuchi?” A Fabled dragon approached Kagutsuchi, their voice snapping him awake. “Is there something wrong?” Kagutsuchi looked at the dragon for a moment and then shook his head.
“…No. There’s nothing. Let’s begin.” Kagutsuchi smoothly started his descent to the courtyard. As he came closer to the ground, the students’ cheers and gasps grew louder. Most were awestruck, wide-eyed and mouths agape. Their eyes sparkled from the overwhelming presence arriving in front of them. They chattered excitedly amongst themselves.
“Look! Look!”
”Is that really the Ryuo of Light?!”