[Center][color=ed1c24][h2]Fujiwara no Mokou[/h2]
Level 8 (holding 2 level ups)
43/80

Location: Location: Frozen Highlands - Moon Mountain
Wordcount: 925 (+2)[/color][/Center]

Mokou, as per usual, was not bothered much by the mountain as they ascended. Her hands were kept in her pockets, the Immortal barely making marks in the snow as she walked on top of it thanks to her natural flight. Mokou’s thoughts often trailed onto herself, so she did not initially notice the mountain’s strange effects. It was only when the darkness slowly overtook all sight and sound that Mokou stopped, standing stock still in a pitch black void with not even a breeze.

[color=ed1c24]“... Another trial. This place sure likes its tests”[/color] Mokou comments, slowly turning around to investigate her surroundings, pulling out a hand from her pockets and forming a ball of fire at her fingertips. She was used to these trials at this point, and whatever else was coming next, she’d handle just as easily.

“It’s over… That woman has destroyed me…”

Mokou’s immediately froze as a voice reached her ears, one that she hadn’t heard in the thousand years she had lived. Her eyes slowly shifted, and within the void was a familiar sight… Her old home. Complete with a smaller, younger Mokou and her Father in a sight she remembered all too vividly. The day he had been humiliated by Kaguya for failing one of her ‘trials’, and the day she had seen his descent into self destruction, his reputation forever sullied by Kaguya’s actions. The Fujiwara name was left shattered, which was a death knell for her Father.

And she knew exactly why this was being shown to her… Because this was the exact moment where she made her decision to get revenge.

The scene before her shifted, showing a quiet mountain pass. The site where a young Mokou was standing before a dead courier, holding a distinct vial in her hands with a grim expression. The present Mokou didn’t cry out, already knowing what was about to happen as the young girl uncorked the vial and drank from it. The single biggest regret she would ever have.

[color=ed1c24]“You think that just showing me past events is going to get me, huh?”[/color] Mokou asks aloud, her voice not as solid as she would have liked. She was used to illusions, this was no different.

But the illusions didn’t stop. In fact, they kept shifting, showing other moments of her life. Her father's hatred when he learned what she had done, her years as an outcast, her attempts at befriending others only to watch them wither away, her first attempt at undoing her immortality. And with each vision, a new voice spoke out. Each one filled with hatred and disgust at Mokou. The Phoenix was a woman who was hard to rattle… But each voice put a knife to her heart, jabbing at each of her regrets from a life filled with them.

“Ungrateful.” “Heartless!” “Demon!” “Murderer!” “Fool.” 

Mokou’s eyes squeezed tight, her hands clasped over her ears as the cacophony rose higher and higher with voices from her past. People she outlived, people she had killed, all assaulting her with their collective rage and hate. She shouldn’t have taken that Elixir. She didn’t deserve it. The immortal life that had awaited her selfish act was one filled with pain, regret, and apathy. 

[color=ed1c24]“Shut up”[/color] she muttered as the voices kept growing around her, a faint orange aura shimmering around her. Alas, the visions seemed to take the statement as a challenge, swiftly intensifying before Mokou yelled [color=ed1c24]“[i]SHUT UP![/i]"[/color] and threw her hand out in a sweeping motion, a torrent of fire tearing through the air to simply burn away the past. Unlike her normal magic, this one was far more primal and unfocused, not at all similar to her condensed and elegant volleys.

… Yet, that simply made the regrets grow, and whatever she did burn away simply returned with greater force. The momentary anger dissipated within Mokou, leaving her to try to shield herself from the hate bearing down at her from all sides-

“Sphea?”

Suddenly, the cacophony died out as Mokou’s eyes snapped open. The sight didn’t vanish, a maelstrom of faces and discord… But in front of her was a clearing… And a familiar white haired woman. At least, for a second, before Mokou blinked and realized it was just her Spheal, looking up at her with innocent eyes.

“Sphea? Sphea!” the Pokemon cried out, bouncing forward and nuzzling her leg. It didn’t seem to know why she was so distraught, but it was clearly demonstrating that it was here for her. That it [i]cared[/i] for her.

[i]“I can’t help you cure your curse… But, so long as I live, I can help make your days worth living. A future means nothing if you can’t live in the present.”[/i]

The voice of her old friend ran through Mokou’s mind as she stared down at the Spheal who shared that individual’s name. And slowly, she smiled. Barely noticeable, but still evident as she knelt down to pick up Spheal and cradle them in her arms, the voices still present but beginning to dissipate.

She had hundreds… Nay, thousands of regrets over the course of her long life. Mistakes that she could never take back no matter how much she tried. But there were still those who cared about her… And moreover, a world that she needed to restore.

One day she’ll finally find a way to achieve a perfect rest. But in the meantime… She’d live. Not just because of the Hourai Elixir, but for those who lived for her too.