''To Your Eternity'' || (Fushi and Nameless Boy x Original Female Character)

Part 6 || Where Are You?

You were separated from Kosetsu. You didn't know where he was. All you had was Joaan, and you had forgotten his name.

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"Guuuu.... I'm so hungry I feel like I'm going to die, mama..." a little girl pretending to be her doll said. "Oh, Usajirou don't worry! Mama will make food for you!" the little girl then said. She used the mud to turn it into mudballs, and then pretended to feed it to her dolls. "It's done! Eat up!" she said. Then pretending her dolls are saying this, she said, "So good! Mama's cooking is amazing as expected!" She then proceeded to accept her own compliments by saying, "Oh! Thank you!" The little girl turned her attention to another girl, who was having an adult conversation with her grandmother.

"What are you looking at, March?" A tall girl then said. "N-nothing Parona!" March said quickly. "I see. Look. What might this be?" Parona said, with her hands behind her back. She then pulled out a stuffed animal crab. "Here!" March pretended it was her child and said, "They were born safely?!" Parona replied with, "Yup! Six healthy young male crabs!" March said, "I'd just been thinking we need more children! With this, our family has eight people!" "That's right." Parona said. "Dearest! A meal in thanks!" March said, handing Parona the mudballs. "Oh, it looks so good! The food you make is the best after all.~" Parona said. "Fufu! Aren't you glad you married me?" March asked.

"It's time to eat, March." March's dad said. "Papa! Mama!" March exclaimed. "Were you playing with Parona again?" her dad asked. "Look we had another child! Kanitarou!" March said. "Ooh, good work!" her said said. "Sorry for troubling you all the time, Parona." March's mother said smiling. "It's no trouble at all! I feel at ease playing with March!"

-After March was done eating-

"Hey, hey! Want to play?" March asked Parona. "Sorry, I want to train today. How about tomorrow?" Parona asked smiling. "Okay! Got it!" March said excitedly. "It can't be helped, Papa is at work today! You can't be selfish!" March said to her doll. She then heard rustling. "I wonder what that sound might be.." "March!~" Parona said. "Let's play!"

"Where are we going?" March asked. "I actually found a really nice place. Let's go play there." Parona said with a smile on her face. They bumped into people. "What are you doing?" a tall girl with short hair said. "She's a village girl, isn't she? Did you not hear the order to assemble?" the same girl asked. "Go back." Parona, obviously annoyed, had no choice but to turn back to the village.

"Rejoice, all of you. This village was lucky to be selected this year. The ritual to thank the god who blesses Ninanna with peace and prosperity, shall occur in this village. Then we shall offer an unsullied girl to the spirit bear. The selection shall be carried out by us Yanome, as dictated by tradition." the tall girl with short hair said. A man pushed March, a baby, and another child up and said, "This year, there are only these three." An old lady then stood forward and said, "Let's see."

She looked inside the first girl's mouth, and in her eye, then she looked inside of the baby's mouth. She then looked inside March's and said, "This one." Everyone then said, "Congratulations March!" The parents of March kept thanking everyone, and people kept congratulating them. "Congratulations? For what?" March asked. "You've been chosen for a very prestigious position, March." her dad said smiling. "Prestigious...?" March asked, obviously confused. But as soon as she walked back into the house, her mom and dad hugged her and said, "We're sorry March!" "W-what happened Mama?" March asked. 

"You are to die, March." the tall girl with short hair said. "Wha-" March said, in shock. "You shall be the sacrificial lamb to the spirit bear. For everyone's sake." The tall girl said again. "Lamb..." march stuttered out. "I am of the Yanome. My name is Hayase. I have been assigned to watch over March until the completion of the ritual." The tall girl said to the family. "Father, you must keep some distance from March. Until the ritual, I must ensure that she remains pure. Apologies, but no men, even her father, may not approach her." Hayase said, blocking the father from March.

"And... if..." the dad stuttered out. "Yes?" Hayase inquired. "If we were to refuse...?" March's father asked. Hayase looked at the baby in March's mother's arms. "Someone else would become the sacrifice, is all."

"March doesn't want to die." March said, looking at Hayase. "Dying means that I won't become an adult, right?" March asked. "That is true." Hayase replied. "So I don't want to die." March said. "That's too bad." Hayase said calmly. March attempted to punch Hayase. "WHY ARE YOU DECIDING EVERYTHING FOR MARCH?!" March screamed. "That's how it is." Hayase said, looking down to March. "WHAT?! WHAT IS THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?!" March yelled, tugging at Hayase's clothes. "NO! NO! NO! I DON'T WANT TO DIE! WHY IS MARCH THE ONLY ONE WHO HAS TO DIE?! WHY IS MARCH THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN'T GROW UP?!" her parents looked terrified. Suddenly her dad got up and yelled, "MARCH!" he then smiled and said, "Be obedient..."

"Then as for the ritual's schedule... On the day of departure there will be a banquet. This will be the last day March spends in the village. If I were you I would use this day to say farewell to family and friends. Over the next three days, we shall climb the mountain. Myself and five men will escort her carefully, so have confidence that she will be safe, Father, Mother. Once reaching the altar, we shall quickly finish the ritual. We shall clean the altar, then have March sleep on it. We shall return immediately without waiting for the spirit bear to descend. If anything remains after a year, we shall collect it and return it to you. That is all. March, do you have any questions?"

It time skipped to the day of the ritual. "No." March said, emotionless.