A/n: So... This oneshot basically turned into a miniseries. Gonna drop a spoilers warning, too!

⚠️SPOILERS⚠️

Hope you all enjoy! Love you all!!!

~✨Celestial✨~

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Searching for blood springs and their source were Louis' and Yakumo's top priorities at the moment. With their newly acquired companion, Echo, they knew their task had become easier to accomplish, but it still wouldn't be a walk in the park.

Leading the way, Echo guided Yakumo and Louis through the ruined city center. While they were scavenging through the parking garage after defeating the Lost on the lower level, Echo suddenly froze as her golden eyes flashed a bloody crimson.

Yakumo, his Oni Bane slung over his right shoulder, noticed her sudden change in demeanor. He peered over at her in confusion, wondering why she had suddenly stopped. "Hey, what is it? You oka—" His eyes widen as he received a whiff of a familiar scent, his gaze darting over to his other companion. "Yo, Louis. You smell that?"

Louis nodded, walking up to a blood spatter in front of Echo. "Yeah. Human blood..." He kneeled down, examining the crimson substance. "An escapee?"

"Now where did she run off to?" An unfamiliar voice grumbled which was accompanied by stomping boots. Echo, Louis, and Yakumo looked away from the blood and toward the owner of the voice. A fuchsia-haired revenant wielding a bayonet rifle rounded the corner and spotted the trio. He dashed over, glaring at them with a growl. "Hey, chumps! What the hell are you doin' here?"

"None of your business," Louis sneered, turning to face the revenant.

"Oh, really?" He scoffed, getting up in Louis' face. "Then tell me this. Why would scum like you have the sweet stink of a human on ya?!"

"How ridiculous," Echo mumbled, which went unheard by the unknown revenant.

"The girl belongs to us," the stranger declares. "Put your paws on our property, and you're ash. That clear?" He shoved Louis aside, walking over toward the ledge and hopping down to the lower level.

Yakumo closed his eyes for a brief second before opening them. "Fresh blood is some powerful stuff." He checked in with Echo, making sure she was all right. "You hanging in there?"

"Yes, I'm fine," Echo reassures him, nodding.

"So," Yakumo began. "What's the plan now? We know it's just a matter of time until they find that missing human."

"You know the plan," Louis stated.

Yakumo grinned under his mask. "Hell yeah! Let's hope she hasn't been devoured by horrors yet."

Trekking through the ruins, the trio soon found themselves fighting through throngs of Lost until they reached the park. Echo activated the mistle, allowing everyone to rest for a short while and regenerate from any injuries due to their constant struggle against the Lost. Finding peace for only a fleeting moment, they relaxed before continuing forward.

A large cocoon loomed in the distance. Its intricate design glimmered as the rays of the sun bounced off the surface, creating a multitude of colors. In the direction of the crystalline structure came a scream. Echo, Yakumo, and Louis ran as fast as they could, arriving just in time to see the fuchsia-haired revenant they came across in the parking garage. He held the wrist of a human girl, who was struggling against his grip. "Let go of me!"

"We lost the race," Yakumo grumbled. "Well, strength succeeds where speed fails." He went to charge forward to rescue the human, but he was stopped by Louis.

"Wait! This place is..." Louis eyed the cocoon, noticing movement as he listened to the revenant shout at the human girl.

"Hurry it up, you damned wretch!" The revenant hissed, tugging on the girl's arm. "Without your blood, we'll all suffer! Or didn't you think about that when you ran off?"

From the cocoon emerged a Lost resembling a woman. Its petal-like wings expanded, revealing its body and immense tail. It attacked the revenant the second the human escaped his grip. His body flew back, landing on the ground as he fell unconscious. The Lost tried to kill him, but Louis used one of his gifts to stop it.

"Take him somewhere safe!" Louis commanded Yakumo.

"You owe me for this..." The redhead muttered before charging forward with his blade. He stood in front of the collapsed revenant, ready to defend him from the enemy. He went to swing his weapon when the Lost flew toward him, but his eyes widened when a halberd pierced its chest. With a howl of pain, the Lost's body disintegrated into a cloud of ash. "What the hell...?" Yakumo muttered, staring at the sharp tip of the halberd.

The halberd was grabbed before it could fall to the ground. The sound of flapping wings grabbed Louis', Yakumo's, and Echo's attention. Looking toward the source of the sound, they saw a girl with glistening white wings. The tips of the feathers that formed her wings were black, which complimented her (h/c) locks and (e/c) eyes. A white blouse, black shorts, and knee-high boots adorned her figure as she stabbed the halberd into the ground and leant against it with a sigh after landing on the ground. "I've been looking for a reason to get rid of you..." She sighed, folding her wings against her back.

Yakumo lowered his weapon to examine the stranger with narrowed eyes. When he saw who it was, his eyes widened as far as they could. "No way..."

"What is it?" Echo asked, looking toward her companion.

She received no answer as Yakumo's attention was solely focused on the girl standing a few feet away. He slowly trudged toward her, but a hand was placed on his shoulder and he was yanked back. Louis was the one to stop him. "Keep your distance," he warned, knowing exactly why Yakumo was acting in such a manner. Echo was the only one who was puzzled.

"Why?" Yakumo demanded, eyes still focused on the winged girl.

"You may think it's (Y/n), but it isn't," Louis answered.

"What're you talking about, Louis?" The redhead demanded, his anger flaring slightly. "I can clearly tell that's (Y/n)!"

"Those wings..." The sable-haired boy began, glancing at the girl. "She's become a Peace Keeper."

Echo stepped forward, curious as to what the two were discussing. "Peace Keeper?"

Louis nodded. "There are a total of six Peace Keepers within the Gaol of Mist. They're neither human nor revenant. Each one has a dominion they watch over. As the name entails, their job is to keep the peace within their domain."

"Then what's the deal, Louis?" Yakumo questioned.

"In order for someone to become a Peace Keeper, they must sacrifice their memories willingly. It might be (Y/n), but it's not the (Y/n) you know, Yakumo. All her memories before she became a Peace Keeper are gone."

"You three," (Y/n) spoke up, all eyes falling upon her. "I suggest you move along. If you insist on making trouble, I will have no qualms in dealing with you myself."

Yakumo refused to see the truth. He shrugged Louis' hand off his shoulder and approached the Peace Keeper. As he did, he noticed she was wearing the pair of silver earrings he gave her before their final mission as mercenaries together. Staring into her (e/c) eyes, he saw they were dull and held no recognition for him at all. Still, he wouldn't give up after being reunited from being apart for months. "I don't care if her memories are gone. There's gotta be a way we can help her remember. I'm not losing her a second time."

"You speak nonsense," (Y/n) scoffed, yanking her halberd free as she watched Yakumo approach her. "Memories only serve as a hindrance. I do not wish to reclaim mine."

Yakumo froze after hearing her declaration. Her words shook him, but it didn't shatter his determination. He knew this wasn't the (Y/n) from his human days and wouldn't give up. He continued forward, dropping his blade to appear less threatening. "I am gonna find a way to return your memories." He reached out to touch her, but before his hand could graze her arm, one of her wings lashed out and swatted him away. He grunted in pain as he rolled across the ground before coming to a halt near the ledge.

"Leave now, revenant. I will not warn you again," (Y/n) declared.

Yakumo pushed himself off the ground as Louis addressed the Peace Keeper. "We won't cause any trouble. You are the watcher of this dominion which means you know the most about it."

"Ask your request before I lose my patience further."

Louis took a few steps forward. "We're searching for blood springs. How many are within your domain?"

"Three," (Y/n) replied. "One is behind this cocoon while the others are located in the dried-up trenches and the howling pit. Now, is that all?"

"Come with us," Yakumo said, hoping she would agree and allow him a chance to revive her memories. "We'll be out of your hair quicker if you help us."

Louis narrowed his eyes in the redhead's direction. "What are you saying, Yakumo?"

Said boy pushes through the small pain in his back from his earlier tumble and walks over to Louis. Under his breath, he whispers for only Louis and Echo to hear. "If she tags along, there's a chance I might be able to get her memories back."

"(Y/n) gave up her memories willingly. Restoring her memories may be impossible," Louis stated.

"If there's even the smallest chance, I'm gonna take it," Yakumo proclaimed. "Like I said, I'm not gonna lose her a second time."

"Are you sure about this?" Echo questioned.

"Never been more sure about something in my entire life."

Louis thought for a few seconds before coming to a conclusion. "All right. With (Y/n) accompanying us, it will also benefit our search."

"Thanks, Louis," Yakumo sighed in relief.

"Before you thank me, we better make sure (Y/n) will truly accompany us."

Without skipping a beat, Yakumo asked the Peace Keeper directly. "So, you taggin' along or what?"

(Y/n) stared into his lime green eyes. "Yes, I will accompany you. As you stated, it will get you out of my hair quicker."

Yakumo was relieved to know she would be joining them. He knew their time together was short, but he hoped it would be long enough for him to figure out a way to restore her memories.

(Y/n), knowing the area like the back of her hand, guided Echo, Louis, and Yakumo through the dried-up trenches. They had encountered numerous of Lost on the narrow pathways, but none of them were able to hold their ground against the group.

When they were blessed with moments of peace, which wasn't very often, Yakumo would try to spark up a conversation with the Peace Keeper. He would tell her about his time as a mercenary after the Great Collapse, hoping it would help her remember. Unfortunately, (Y/n) wasn't the talkative type and only hummed in response to signify she was listening to his rambling.

After a few minutes, Yakumo noticed she checked out mentally and zipped his lips. He lingered a little ways from the others, staring sorrowfully at (Y/n)'s back. While her mind was void of their time together, his was filled to the brim with all the moments they shared before his untimely demise. The girl he's loved for so long was standing a few feet from him, but at the same time, it wasn't her. Gripping Oni Bane tightly in his right hand, he gritted his teeth in frustration. He cursed mentally, wishing he had been there to stop (Y/n) from becoming a Peace Keeper.

Due to his mind and heart being overwhelmed with different emotions, Yakumo failed to notice the Lost jumping down from a ledge up above. It landed in front of him, startling him. He tried to swing his blade, but the Lost lunged forward and tackled him over the ledge. Fortunately, he and the enemy landed on a thorn of judgement. Their struggle continued, the Lost being able to damage Yakumo's purifier mask. He cursed under his path, his hand flying up to his mask and assessing the damage.

(Y/n) flew down to where Yakumo fell and eliminated the Lost. She saw his damaged mask and stabbed her weapon into the thorn before sitting on her knees beside him, her wings folded up against her back. She grabbed his chin with her finger and tilted his face upward, causing him to stiffen and his eyes to widen. "You wouldn't happen to have a spare mask with you, would you?"

"No," Yakumo confesses, feeling the miasma beginning to affect his body. His eyes flashed a threatening crimson, but he was able to keep his composure. Unable to determine how long until he frenzied, he gritted his teeth. "Damn..."

"Lucky for you, I've a solution." (Y/n) took off Yakumo's mask, startling him.

"What are you—?!" He knew this was the girl of his dreams, but he couldn't help but panic at her careless action.

"As much as I abhor revenants, you are one of the rare ones who care more about others than yourself. A shame to lose you to an idiotic mistake on your part," she scoffed. Tossing the broken mask into the depths below, she bit her lip and drew a small amount of blood. "Just trust me."

Placing her hands on Yakumo's cheeks, (Y/n) leant forward and pressed her lips against his. Using her tongue, she transferred the blood from her bitten lip and forced it into his mouth.

Unwillingly, the redhead swallowed her blood as his entire body was petrified from the feeling of her soft, slightly chapped lips. He couldn't believe the situation he found himself in. It wasn't his first kiss with the girl, but it felt like it was. As the blood traveled down his throat, he didn't register the irony taste as he was enthralled with her intoxicating kiss. Unable to move a muscle, he stared into her (e/c) eyes with his wide lime green ones. He saw something flicker in them, but it vanished after a few seconds. He wondered what it was but couldn't bring himself to end the kiss.

Once the cut on her lip sealed, (Y/n) pried her lips from Yakumo's. She seemed to stall for a few seconds before explaining her motives. "The miasma won't be an issue for a couple of days. You'll be fine without your mask. Although, I do suggest securing another one right away."

"What did...?" Yakumo tried to ask, but he was still dumbfounded at their intimate exchange.

"A Peace Keeper's blood is able to counteract the miasma radiating off the bodies of the Lost hence why we've no need for purifier masks. My blood will quell your body's urge to frenzy for a while. Just exceed caution to avoid being ambushed by another Lost." She stared intently into his eyes, her thumbs tracing his cheekbones. "I won't be around to save you next time."

"Thanks for the save, then," Yakumo muttered, wounded at her words. He wanted her memories to return so they could be together again. But it seems it will be a difficult task to revive the girl's memories.

"Now," (Y/n) removed her hands from his cheeks, pushing herself to her feet. "Let's regroup with the others."

"Yeah..." Yakumo mumbled, looking away from (Y/n). "We shouldn't keep them waiting."

The Peace Keeper spread her wings and reached out toward Yakumo, wrapping her hand around his wrist. "Hold on. I'll fly us up there."

Yakumo nodded, reluctantly meeting her gaze and wrapping his own hand around her wrist. "Let's go."

(A/n: There's no Mia in this story for plot convenience. Sorry😰)

After discovering blood springs in the dried-up trenches and the howling pit, which took them two full days, the group headed back to home base. What shocked the trio was when (Y/n) asked to accompany them to the church they called home. Yakumo was ecstatic to know she would be with them a little longer because he had yet to discover a way to recover her memories. Not even Louis or Echo had discovered a way to help her.

Once back at home base, (Y/n) headed for the hot springs to relax at Murasama's suggestion. Yakumo, who had been talking with Louis, saw her walk by and head toward the hot springs. He excused himself and decided to follow her. Before he could enter the changing room, he was stopped by Coco. "What do you think you're doing, Yakumo?"

"Getting my girl back," he proclaimed, entering the changing room and exchanging his clothes for a single towel wrapped around his waist. He left the changing room and stepped outside to where the hot springs were. His eyes immediately landed on (Y/n), who was sitting in the warm water with her wings curled around her and creating a cocoon of black and white. Behind her wings, which he couldn't see, she was hugging her knees close to her chest and resting her head on top of her knees.

Yakumo submerged his body into the water as he cautiously approached (Y/n). He sat down in front of her and tapped a finger against her feathers gently. "Knock, knock. Anyone home?" He grinned. When he didn't receive a snarky reply as per usual when he tried to talk to her, his smirk fell. Now he was concerned. He slipped his finger through one of her feathers and lifted it, peering through the small slit to check on her. "Hey, you okay?"

(Y/n) lifted her head slightly, revealing her (e/c) eyes and nothing else. "I'm fine. Leave me alone, Yakumo."

"Fine," he sighed dejectedly. "I guess I'll—wait a second..." His lime green eyes widen after hearing his name slip from her lips. This was the first time he's heard her call him by his name and not "revenant" since reuniting with her a couple days ago. He tried not to get his hopes up, but they skyrocketed when he saw her body tense up. He gingerly took ahold of the bend of her wings and pushed them aside so he could see her entirely. "Do you...remember?"

(Y/n) shoved him back with her wings, resulting in him to fall into the water. She wrapped the feathery appendages around her body to conceal herself from him. Hesitantly, she answered his question. "I remember everything. When we became mercenaries after the Great Collapse... Our first kiss... Your death... All of it."

Yakumo kept his distance for now. "Why did you become a Peace Keeper?"

She buried her head back into her knees, her voice slightly muffled. "I decided to become a Peace Keeper after your death. I had no idea you had a BOR parasite implanted in your heart and didn't want to be alone. Instead of dying, I searched for another way out. When I was approached by Mido, he told me I had the potential to become a Peace Keeper. All I had to do was give up my memories. After learning that, I agreed without needing any time to decide. Once my memories were wiped clean, I became one of the six Peace Keepers." When she heard the water slosh, she relaxed her wings and lowered them. She looked around and couldn't find the redhead. "Yakumo?" Her heart was racing as her mind filled with poisonous thoughts.

'Is he mad?'

'Does he hate me now after learning the truth?'

'Will he ever forgive me?'

Suddenly, two arms wrapped around her waist from behind and a face was buried in the crook of her neck. She gasped, the feathers on her wings ruffling from the sudden touch. When she felt warm lips press against the side of her neck, a shudder coursed through her body and sent a chill down her spine. Not even the warm waters of the hot spring could ward off her goosebumps. "H-Hey, what're you doing, Yakumo?!"

"What does it look like? I'm hugging you," he stated calmly.