Sunny's home: the Shrine is in danger

ehi

(I start)

After a long night, Sunny wakes up even more troubled than when she fell asleep. She gets up, the dog still by her side, and search for Gerhman, that is cooking a sort of breakfast in the kitchen Yawn... uh... she walks to him, unable to say anything and hugs him from behind, resting her head against his back.

(are we waiting for Gehrman?)

(yeah, once we get to the shrine you can come in)

(ok, I will wait your warning)

Oh... Hey Gerhman's turns around and kneels in front of Sunny, and hugs her back, putting her head beneath his neck ...how are you feeling? His voice is coarse and by looking at the heavy bags under his eyes you understand that he didn't sleep this night

I... she tries to say something but what can she say? She looks at Gerhman, her eyes starting to fill up with tears as the memories of last night run into her head Oh... I'm... I'm good. She smiles. It's her usual smile. Sunny can't be sad, she has to keep up with her name, she has a mission in this world after all: to bring sunshine in the lives of who surrounds her Let's go back home... She whispers, still not moving from his hug, waiting for his arms to fall off

he caresses your face with the back of his hand and looks you in the eyes ...I know that you're not...and this is totally understanding. The last thing you should do is to feel bad about your feelings he is sad too, and the watery sparkles in his eyes resonate with yours. But his sadness is almost a comfort to you...he is letting you know that it's okay to let it all out ...are you sure you want to go back in there? I didn't have the time to...clean everything. It can be very painfull to see the scene

She nods. She has to go back, it's their home after all, and she cannot live in fear, even if it all looks so scary to her eyes right now. Her hand barely touches Gerhman's, as she slides out of his embrace and leaves him, the cold soon hitting him as the warmth of her body against his fades. We will go back there. She says, as she walks to the wardrobe, pulling out a large coat. Gerhman's clothes don't seem to fit her at all, but it's all she has after her kimono got sliced and ripped to pieces Let's go, then... She puts the coat on, staling one of his berets along with that and putting it on her head to cover the lowered ears

he slowly gets up and nods at you if this is what you want. But Remember...you are not alone, I will never leave your side Sunny after going in his room for a few instants, he comes back to you wearing a heavy coat ... let's go then...

You can hear the sound of many cars approaching. The Maserati of Romantic leads the smal convoy, followed by his usual cargo of supplies for the Sunshine and its inhabitants. The cars stop before the building and some of the guards of the Shrine come out to help the workers with their boxes. No one has noticed what happened the previus night. I get out my car. "Sunnyyyyyyyy!!!! Guess who is here? And guess what am I bringing you"

I storm into the Shrine, with a huge basket full of snacks, some of them prepared by my wives, who cannot wait to meet you.

As soon as you get in the Shrine is completely deserted. There's not the usual happy Sunny to welcome you. Something feels weird, that day. Oh... hi, Roma... A voice, behind you, captures your attention. It's Sunny, Gerhman is by her side. She's wearing his clothes. She smiles at you, walking slowly towards you as she doesn't even look at the basket full of snacks, her tail down that barely moves behind her

I rais an eyebrow

Gerhman is wearier than usual, and a mix of emotions show up on his face as he notices you. He tightly holds Sunny with a hand and the pommel of his weapon with another you know stuff right? His deep voice echoes with anger ... i need to know how to kill a demon...

I raise an Eyebrow. "Why the change of clothes, SUnny? Trying a different style?" I pat your head. Your reaction is different than usual and i look at you in confusion. It seems that just now I notice Gerhman. I raise a hand to cheer him, but his question take me by surprise. "That's... not the first question I would expect at this time of the morning, Gerhman... why asking?"

Sunny sighs, her eyes looking down on the ground Let's... walk inside... She whispers. Her voice is more quiet than usual, she walks past you both and enters the Shrine. One step, then another, then she stops and freezes, suddenly bursting into a cry, falling on her knees. Ugh... uhh... sigh... Her little body trembles at the sight of the emergency kit on the floor, remembering how the tragedy started, remembering when she first entered the Shrine, welcomed by a totally unaware fox

gerhmans unfortunately doesn't seem surprised, but a painfull expression appears on his face, as he was stabbed by a thousand knifes. He lifts Sunny and holds her in his arms, trying to calm her down by gently stroking her hair ...you don't have to do It...not know...

Not now*

"Sunny!!!" I follow Gehrman and help him carrying on you. "Let's take her inside! A doctor! We need a doctor!" While one of the workers run calling the doctor of the Sun Shrine, I caress the hair of Sunny. "What happened, dear? How do you feel?"

She seems to be impossible to calm down, her body shivering and trembling as she covers her face, burying it in her own hands, hiding the tears I... I'm fine! I'm fine, I promise! I'm... ugh... she gulps, rising her face to look at Roma before wrapping her arms around him.

Gerhman looks Roma in the eyes ...last night...someone entered the temple and...kidnapped her if thinking about what happened is making Sunny more upset you can see him getting more furious by the second ...she took Sunny to the Woods, there is where I found here and after I took Sunny home... He clenches his fists, almost hard enough to make him bleed ...but I didn't manage to kill the bastard. So I'm going to ask you one more time he is talking through his teeth at this point ...how...do you kill...a demon...

I hold Sunny as tight as I can, pulling her head on my neck. Even before Ger tells me the truth, I understand that something bad has happened. As his words hit me, a stream of thought erupts in my mind. Love for Sunny, hate for the person who hurt her, disappoitment for the chief of the guard who did not prevent this from happening (and that soon eill be fired and probably forced to leave the country) but most of all despite for myself. I wasn't here when this happened. I was home, looking Dian and Dante moving their first steps. A beautiful moment... that now means nothing. "Sunny..." tears start crawling on my cheeks. I look into your eyes. "What... who... I am sorry, Sunny... I am so sorry..."

Sunny keeps smiling through the tears, leaving a soft kiss on you cheek to wipe yours. I told you I'm fine, Roma. her cry now seems a laugh, she forces it out of her throat, shaking even more. But then, she remembers again: the woman entering the temple, she welcoming her, the blood, the bath, her teeth, her hands grasping onto her body, the cry, the screams... her forces abandoning her... the surrend. I'm... f...ine... she keeps whispering

Sunny, do you want me to enter in here First? ...I know that it will not do much, nor it will change anything... but at leat it will be away from your eyes he nods at Fergus making him guard the Temple, and touches your forehead with his

I take you inside, following Ger. "Should we take her to bed, Ger?2

Let's wait outside, Roma... she whispers, hopping off from Gerhman's arms, walking towards Roma to wrap him into a warm hug I am fine... I will explain everything to you once the rooms are... like they were before the encounter.

he strokes Sunny's hair one last time before he walks towards the building don't worry little Fox, it will take just a few minutes he gives Roma a strict look. He doesn't utter a Word but you understand its meaning "keep her safe while i'm gone...or else". And as he disappears into the temple you start to think that he isn't referring only to the time he's in there to clean

I take Ger to my car, the same we took when I showed you the Sunshrine for the first time. I lay you in the backseat and sit closer to you, making you lay your head on my laps. "Sunny... please, I want you to tell me everything. We are friends, right? We even told eachother that we..." I grab your hand... how little meaning has now our declaration of love before the horror you are facing. I am not able to end the sentence. I just hold your hand and caress your hair.

Sunny freezes, her heart loses a beat, jumping in her throat. She had vivid memories of the confused night she had spent with that terrible demon... but saying it was totally different. She didn't want to live again that horror through her own words, yet that was what Romantic was asking her to do. And she wanted to make him happy. I... will tell you everything, once we're inside... Gerhman is cleaning up the traces...

you hold yourselves inside the car for what feels like an eternity then Fergus barks towards the car and you see Gehrman approaching you I have done the best I could*he tries to give you a tired smile but his mouth stops in the middle, not even capable of faking It* ...the shrine is empty, I made myself sure about that... We can go inside once you can feel like it Sunny he tries to ask you this one more time; he knows what will be the answer...but even in that he's trying to spare you some pain, after all the one that you have inside

"Thank you, Ger." I say, with a whisper. I take Sunny with me: I look at her, waiting for a sign of her approval and, when she gives it to me, I move in with her, with Ger at our side.

You all get inside the Shrine, sitting down on the pillows around the table in the main room. Sunny brews some tea for everyone and sits next to Roma, taking a deep breath I was... waiting for guests... and one came. she starts, trying to hold back her tears It was a woman, a large huge woman. She seemed confused and she was hurt so i took her inside... I helped her healing her wounds, and proposed to take a cold bath since she was sweating. A shiver runs along her spine I took her to the bath and she asked me to take the bath with her, and I agreed since my job is to fulfill the guest's desires... she said almost as she was trying to justify herself. Was it all her fault that that had happened? She couldn't tell I was washing her back... and she grabbed me. Her eyes were glowing. Her body started becoming hotter and hotter, like a wild fire... along with everything around us. She... used me... and I was... agreeing with that, at first... but then she started becoming feral, she hurted me, until I collapsed. She brought me to the inner chamber once i was passed out and... forced me to do... unholy things... and there was blood... lots of blood... and i passed out again, finding myself into the forest once woken up. She tried to drown me into a pond while she kept using me... until Gerhman found me and she stopped. She vanished, I have no clue of what she could be or where she is right now...

Gerhman understood the situation; he was a detective after all and he saw the temple and the trail of the misdeed....but it didn't make It less painful to hear it from Sunny ...I know what that... beast Is. The piece of shit was a devil. His voice is more similar to a growl

(We take a dinner break, relpy and we come back once we're done)

(Ok)

The more you two talk, the face of Romantic turnin into something feral. There is... something in the air, like your istinct is telling you of a sudden danger. Like the man usually calm and pacific has something hidden inside him. Sunny, who has a link with the realm of magic, can even seen a strange aura around him, golden like the purest sunshine. "What is the name of this... creature"

"Tell me the truth, Sunny. I will take care of her: there will be no place in the universe where she will be able to hide"

Her name... her name is... It took the blink of an eye. The blink of an eye and the room, if not the whole temple, is devoured by the flames. All around you starts to burn down, from the tapestry to the furniture, to the curtains. Everything dragged down into a hellish vortex. Sunny looks around, not immediately realizing what is happening, but once the fire starts to get close to you all, she suddenly gets up. The mark on her shoulder is glowing of a dark magic, hurting her that moans in pain, covering it with one hand as she cries out in pain W-WE NEED TO GET OUT OF HERE! She yells, while everything around you is on fire, only few, but maybe too long steps divide you from the safety.

He instinctively shields Sunny, then realizing what is happening he wraps his coat around the kitsune, to protect her from the flames THROUGH THE MAIN DOORS. NOW! He doesn't waste time and runs across the door, holding the little Fox in his arm and ready to knock the Doors down with a shoulder bash

"Ger, take Sunny!!!" As I am sure you have her between your arms, I charge in the flame, opening thwe way. Tendrils of roses fevelops from my jacket and push away any kind of obstacles. The door is locked between us. It's a door really resistent, made to make this place almost a fortress, I asked for it since the beginning. Yet, it was not enough to protect my beloved Sunny.

"Emperor, give me streght."

I whisper and slam myself against the door, knocking it down and rolling on the grass. The way is opened

Sunny is wrapped into the coat, the smoke is soon filling the room, making it harder to breath. The fox is curled up into Gerhman's arms, trying to peek out to find Roma through the smoke. R-Roma? ROMA! She screams till losing her voice while seeing Roma charging the flames. She quickly sneaks out of Gerhman's arms, running towards him. Once the door is open she runs at him, falling on her knees as her tiny hands grab his face Roma! Roma are you alright?

Gerhman's pulls Roma by the scruff of his short and he takes him and Sunny at a safe distance from the Fire ...i-is everyone allright? He starts coughing for all the smile; then he turns around to Watch the Shrine in the hopeless attempt to save It; but all he can do is to pass a hand through his burnt arm and watch the flame engulf his home

His shirt*

From all the smoke*

Around us, guards and workers are yelling and tring to turn off the fire. I cough and hug Sunny. "I am all right... I had to use a apark of the power of the Emperor to open that door and I had not the time to channel it properly" I sit on the grass, taking a second of silence for my jacket. My eleventh favourite jacket burnt. That demon will pay for this too. "What generate this fire?"

Once having assured that Roma was fine, Sunny's eyes turn to the Shrine: her home. Burning down. Nothing but ashes remaining of all that she had built in that place. She feels her heart twitch in her chest, in pain, as she can't help but stare at the flames devouring everything. She remains quiet, on her knees, frozen tears running across her face as she looks again at Roma I... i think... it was... her. It had to be her, because if it was not her... it would've been Sunny's fault.

T-this can't be... His voice tremble. It was just a house...but it was their house; the house in which he promised to always stay by Sunny. But know it's gone, because he didn't mantain his promise. He looks at Sunny, with tears running down his face, afraid that he's going to lose her too

"It was... her?" I stand up, ripping away what is left of the jacket and of the shirt. "Is that bitch still here? Where is she?"

Sunny shakes her head, tears still running down her cheeks. She's not here anymore... Sunny walks next to Roma and whimpers to his ear, her voice broken S-she came... f..or.. me...

Whispers*

the flames brighten the old detective's face, and he stares at them with a mix of determination and emptyness she will not touch you again *another promise. But this time he will maintain it... or die trying It.

*

We have to go now... But we will be back; once all of this will have ended

"Sunny..." I hug you tight. "Why? What did she want from you?"

She looks at Gerhman I agree.. the sadness on her face is evident ... just for now, we'll have to go. I wouldn't want to bother Nagusa again but... I think that her place would be the safest... and with less people around... her eyes then switch to Roma I don't know... nor I want to.

And I'll come with you Little Fox. I'll follow you to the edge of the world... If you'll have me he kneels before Sunny, and even Fergus nods and barks in agreement

"Sunny... please, come to the Mansion" I grasb your hands and look at you almost in desperation. "There we can protect you and I will ask Aelya and Lust to study what that creature did to you. Please... I failed in protecting you, at least give me the change of helping you now."

I... seeing what happened here I wouldn't want to take the risk of being a threat to your family. she looks down at herself, what did she become? If you only could you do me a favor... bring me to Nagusa... and come visit me there

I will be waiting for you

(End here?)

(end)

(Thanks everybody for watching and special thanks to the log readers as well, stay tuned for part 4!)