"Well, if you have a plan then" said Kat, as she summoned a flame at the end of her tail which she made sure to keep far away from Minor just in case.
"Now, I know your flame freezes, but if we just…" said Minor twisting her hands, and giving a slight grunt of effort.
Suddenly the area around the tree burst into flames. These were orange instead of Kat's usual purple. She could feel a slight drain on her reserves, more than the ember required but much less than the field would.
Kat watched as the snow melted before her eyes. As the fire dimmed, not even a second past before grass and flowers exploded from the ground. They popped up without end, until Kat heard a creaking sound.
Kat whipped around to see the source of the noise but as she turned, instead of finding a pointed pine tree behind her, instead she stood a hundred metres away from a giant sakura tree that extended far into the sky.
Kat couldn't help swallow what little water was in her mouth. As Kat continued to look around, she saw smaller trees dotting the hill, but compared to the behemoth in the centre they looked like mere shrubs.
The large tree also had some sort of presence. Even without focusing Kat could feel it pressing into her being, as if she was slowing being squeezed and compressed on all sides. Her demonic energy flared, and in turn so did her aura.
After a moment, the energy retracted, but her aura continued to climb. Pushing back against this force. It was strange, as Kat felt her aura changing slightly, it contained not just the usual calming sensation but stalwart fortitude.
It was like a lake slowly absorbing the ripples from a stone that had been carelessly thrown. It could not hope to permanently affect such a serene lake but it would endeavour to try. This silent war continued for an unknown period of time, everything seemed to be frozen, the leaves, the branches, Minor, and even Kat's own body, as her aura crashed against this foe with its full force.
In the end, a strange sense of stalemate was reached. Kat's aura exploded for a moment, gaining a huge degree of ground, and covering more area than Kat had ever seen before, before retracting itself back to cover a small area around Kat…
It was strange, she never once got the feeling that she had lost, it was closer to… an understanding that the sakura tree meant no disrespect. *Which is weird in itself. How can a tree mean no disrespect? How can it respect something either for that matter.*
Just as Kat's mind was stabilising itself, a figure appeared to walk out of the sakura tree and slowly walked towards Kat… or at least that is how it appeared. The figure was rapidly approaching despite its tranquil movements. Kat enhanced her eyes with a bit of demonic energy and what she saw only further confused her.
In her field of view, Kat saw Major… or… something close to Major. She looked fine on her left hand side, but her right hand side looked to be made of the same wood as the tree behind her. It was carved in great detail as if no expense was spared, but it did not compare to the true appearance of the left.
A few more seconds was all it took for Major to approach Kat. The figure stopped a respectful distance away, perhaps two metres separated the two. "Greeting intruders. I see you mean me no harm and I welcome you to this garden" said Major(?)
*What the hell is this? Please tell me what's going on.* Kat looked down at Minor who still rested in her arms and looked just as confused if not more so. *Dammit Minor.* Kat decided, the first course of action would be to put Minor down.
Simply so that in this conversation she could stand on her own two feet. However, Kat was still wary of the figure before her and made sure that while her tail flicked around seemingly aimlessly it always drifted towards Minor, ready to wrap around her and pull her away at a moment's notice.
"Who leads your delegation. I may be welcoming but I do request you state the reason for your presence here" said Major(?)
Kat glanced at Minor who glanced back at Kat with a pained look. *She's your sister, I think it's better you do it.* Thought Kat in Minor's direction. Somehow the message got across.
Minor swallowed and turned to Major(?) and said "Greeting, I am known as Minor, and what might generously be referred to as one half of the being called Shizuka, and this is my friend Kat. We are seeking out my other half to prevent the body with both inhabit's death"
*Really Minor? That is how you lead?* Despite her thoughts, Kat kept her face schooled. Showing as little variation in expression as she could. "Indeed? Is it as you say? Interesting news indeed." The figure seemed to be contemplating something as it spoke.
"I must say, while expressing… doubt for your claims is not the correct words, it is something akin to that. I am aware that I am fighting my own half in a war of truth. Your appearance here would seem to indicate my victory but… the simple fact that this realm has not collapsed seems to indicate that things are in fact, not so simple" said Major(?)
Minor gulped "Well, um, what might I call you as we discuss?"
"Ah, where are my manors. I suppose… this is rather more confusing than your average discussion. You say you are Minor, a half, of what I would consider myself… and yet I myself am yet a half of that… this does complicate matters.
"Would you first… explain to me exactly how it is you came to exist? I have my suspicion of course, and that is why I believe this war of truth to be mine… but, would you care to state who you believe yourself to be" requested Major(?)
Minor swallowed "I believe myself to be the remnants of your sister. I cannot claim to be Haruka herself, but I do claim to have once been Haruka in so much a she was. I have reached the conclusion that when Shizuru combined with me to save her life, I was not as gone as it was believed"
The figure nodded "Yes. That is the belief that I have held to. Of course, you must understand it is even harder to simply take such a precious truth at its face. I wished for nothing more, and I would not be in this situation had I not desired for this truth… what further information can you use to prove this" said Major(?)
*Ugh, I thought it was bad at the start of this conversation but what is up with her. Is this all of Major's stuffy manners or something? She's so unbelievably formal.*
"I have but few ways to verify my claim. You must understand our limited ability in soul arts. I believe myself capable of sharing memories with you, but that may also be quite the risk if shared in sufficient amounts.
"If that does not strike you as acceptable, then it is possible that my companion's word may suffice? You should remember Kat from our Mother's summoning, and we know demons are unable to lie, thus her statements can be taken as truth" said Minor as formally as possible, but Kat could see her tails trembling
Major(?) nodded, but her both halves of her face remained unmoved "You speak true, to my knowledge at least, however, it is possible for your companion to merely be a construct. I do doubt this, as she feels even more solid than your existence does, but it is strange that her own existence seems to even eclipse mine… and that gives me pause of course"
*What the hell does that mean? My existence eclipses hers? I really want to ask but… no this is Minor's show, I won't interrupt.* "It seems you have finer capabilities in this manner than I do" said Minor "When I first gazed upon Kat in this realm, I did not recognise her for what she was, thinking her but a mere constructed that I had taken to summoning to help my thoughts"
"Intriguing, you say you lack my capabilities?" said Major(?) "But I am but a fragment, of… if you are to believed, a half. You are whole, may I ask how it is my powers eclipse yours?"
Minor's tail froze. Kat held her breath, but Minor managed to speak, though it was a strained thing "I believe, that I was clear before. I hardly dare to call myself half of the existence that is Shizuka.. Once, I may have been, but for many years I have been locked within the mind as you are now. I know not if this diminished me or if… if recent experiences have empowered me"