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Sara was accustomed from an early age to having no ambitions other than bringing glory to the Kujou clan, for her this automatically turned into protecting Inazuma and doing whatever is necessary to help the Raiden shogun reach his coveted eternity.
This for two main reasons: first of all, she was a Tengu warrior, and for this she had to protect her house, but above all she owed everything she had to her goddess, her vision, her ambitions (which was only one, only that of helping her Archon) her power, her life.
Her life is therefore perfect, she had deservedly become the general of the shogun's army and practically her right hand, she had led soldiers into battle earning their respect their loyalty, she was considered by many a hero of inazuma and was also admired by her now former enemies of the resistance.
This is at least what everyone, and even her until recently, believes.
Unfortunately, the reality is slightly different: Kujou Sara worked a lot, too much, but she had always endured this, to this had been added the nightmares she had now every night, young soldiers who begged her not to let them die and to bring them back to their families, the empty eyes of the people she had taken visions away, the hateful looks that her adoptive father gave her from time to time. But she had also gotten used to this.
Eventually she had also gotten used to Yae's revelations about Ei, and despite the discomfort that caused her not to have heard it directly from her Archon, she still respected the decision, and had continued to work as always.
Lately, however, a new set of emotions had begun to haunt her, it all started during a family reunion, where she had met her two brothers with their respective girlfriends, she felt a strange feeling of inadequacy and sadness when both couples withdrew into their chambers. She stayed for a while at the table alone, doing nothing, she didn't even think, at that time she couldn't explain why.
These strange emotions returned to her even when she was on duty in the military camp, it was a day like any other, the only event was the exchange between some soldiers of the city with some who instead had to return after having carried out their task outside of it. What she did not expect is that when she arrived in the city with them, their families were there waiting for them, for some reason seeing her soldiers so happy and cheerful, hugging their children and kissing their wives, made her feel out of place, so much that she went off in a hurry back to the camp.
She was able to understand what was happening to her only with another episode: during the Irodori Festival she felt these strange sensations all the time, happy people, the reunited families had begun to make her sick, but fortunately she had also found a remedy, for some reason the statues that represented the Raiden Shogun made her feel better, which is why she wanted to get hers (even if she had many others at home) as soon as possible. The embarrassment that first Aether and Paimon and then the Shogun caused to her by seeing her and talking to her was such as to make her decide to go away, but while doing so she noticed something that made her reflect, her feelings of sadness and inadequacy even returned when seeing only friends that they were talking to each other, and that in this case, seeing Aether and her goddess talking like that, made her feel even more unpleasant. She understood at that moment that what she was suffering from could only be a curse, and she decided not to listen to that little voice in her head that told her that what she was feeling was loneliness, envy and jealousy (especially in the last situation).
As embarrassing as the situation could be, she decided to go to Yae Miko to be healed, after all it was also her job as Head of the Shrine, now she just had to be careful that Yae didn't lengthen the speech too much and hoped to get treated right away, to get back to work immediately, she arrived at the Grand Narukami Shrine that for some reason, it was deserted.
As she approached Yae's area of residence she heard the usual teasing voice coming from behind her.
"Well well, if it's not my favorite general who goes straight to my quarters without praying to secure the favor of her goddess, that's a novelty."
While saying this she had grabbed Sara by the arm and dragged her to a table inside the house, where there was already some tea ready, and then made her kneel there with her.
"I understand from your face that there is something that worries you, as always, but today is the 3rd of the month and not the 5th so tell me what forced you to change your strict routine?"
"Well, uh, here, I just wanted to ask her if, uh, you could cure me ..."
“Don't you trust Ei's doctors? Well in fact it could ... "
"No! I trust all those on whom her excellency places her trust, it is that I believe I am afflicted by a non-physical problem, but by a curse, so I ask for your help. "
"You even interrupted my speech, you must be really upset my dear little bird, but don't worry, tell me what the symptoms are, even if I don't perceive anything right now."
Sara, used to following orders, began to make a long list of events and symptoms that manifested themselves due to her strange condition, but at a certain point she noticed that Yae Miko was barely holding back her laughter.
"Did I say something wrong? I'm just listing the symptoms and I don't think it's that funny, in case i apologize. "
"No no don't worry, rather I was wondering when this so-called curse would hit you, but I'm sorry to tell you two things, the first is that you don't have only one, the second is that they are very common and are the worst for a living being. Fortunately for you, however, I have the cure. "
"And what are they, and what is the cure?" Sara asked in an almost desperate tone.
"First of all, they are called loneliness and jealousy, the cure Is reading these books and talking more with your friends."
Yae Miko was teasing her again, she only had one goal and loneliness didn't matter to her, not to talk about jealousy.
" Guuji Yae, I want you to take my case seriously, all those you have described are not my problems"
"But how not? It is so obvious! The loneliness that has always accompanied you had to manifest itself sooner or later, moreover the symptoms are just those, while for jealousy well, you can see from how you talk and look at our dear Ei that you want something more from her, like a more intimate relationship between you two, and you can see that you are afraid that she might have it with someone else ... You didn't just tell me that when at the festival she was talking to "
"ENOUGH, AS USUALLY YOU KNOW ONLY MAKE ME MAD, NOW IF YOU EXCUSE ME AFTER HEARING YOU SAY THAT I WOULD LIKE SOMETHING FROM OUR GOD IN EXCHANGE I FEEL OFFENDED AND ALSO THE CURE YOU HAVE GIVEN ME NOT ONLY IS FOR PROBLEMS THAT I DON'T HAVE BUT IT’S EVEN IMPOSSIBLE SINCE I HAVE NO FRIENDS! "
"Wait Sara calm down, I've gone over the edge, sit down and"
"No, I have to work, thanks for the books and I wish you a good day, I’ll see you on the 5th"
And so, for the first time in her life, Sara left without Yae Miko's consent from the shrine, and if she turned around, Sara would actually see a worried Miko, a very rare sight.
While going down the stairs Sara thought about what to do, the only one who could solve the problem had only given her more doubts, moreover she had behaved in a rude way and therefore would never have allowed herself to go back to ask for help, she would have had to apologize to Yae Miko in a few days.
Arriving in her room in the Kujou Residence Sara began to think carefully about Yae Miko's words, but the more she thought about it, the more she understood that maybe she was right… No! It can’t be! She didn't need friends and especially something from her goddess! She then decided to distract herself by reading the books that had just been loaned to her.
As easily predictable, they were all books from Yae Publishing House, but it was the genre that made Sara blush, they were all light novels with a romantic theme or adventurous groups of friends who spent days together.
At the end of the reading, she put everything back in a package, with a letter in which she thanked Yae for the books and apologized, but that's not the most important thing. The thing Sara couldn't get out of her head now is that that evil fox was right.
Sara had just realized that outside of work she only spoke to animals, and rarely even with them, and that perhaps she needed a little company.
However, she did not accept to get something from Ball, that was a thought that she had to get out of her head immediately, also because in the books it was highlighted that both lovers must have feelings for each other which obviously Raiden did not feel ... But which also Sara obviously did not have! She was just very devoted, yes just devotion!
Sara had therefore decided to add another goal to follow for her life, to make at least one acquaintance (friend would be too optimistic for now), she decided that the soldiers at the camp that already knew her a little could be potential acquaintances.
However, every time she tried to approach a group of soldiers, they stood at attention and only waited for orders, while Sara, not wanting to make a bad impression, gave orders precisely, realizing that she did not know what to say.
The first attempt is gone, time for the second, this time she had decided to try to make friends with Yoimiya, the girl from the fireworks who seemed to be friends with everyone! Unfortunately, just when she approached the shop, she saw that Yoimiya was in the company of Itto, Ayaka, Ayato, and above all Kokomi, so she decided that to avoid embarrassing everyone she would leave.
Unfortunately, evening came without the situation having improved, she had tried with civilians and children normally but either they looked at her badly due to the facts of the Vision Hunt Decree, or she got jammed during the dialogues and had to leave, she then tried to talk to the shopkeepers who, however, instead of answering her, showed her all the documents in order, so she had left the city to find some sociable animal, but even there after a bit of conversation (i.e. she was talking to a quite perplexed crow ) the animals were gone.
While returning to the city Sara cried, no one wanted her, she could not go and ruin the days of her brothers by forcing them to be with her, every person she met seemed not to understand her (Sara is aware of her limited social skills, but if she cannot practice how will she improve?) or wasn’t interested in her.
"Tomorrow i need to work, i need to forget th-this ..." as she wiped away her last tears, an idea came to her, absurdly crazy and totally wrong, but the only possible one to get to work on time, drink wine.
She decided to buy 5 bottles of the best wine that there was from the local shops, obviously stating that it was for official reasons, and then hurriedly went to her room, at which point she closed all the doors and windows and asked not to be disturbed until the next morning and started drinking.
Initially she had a few tears from shame and sadness, but the more she drank the more she wanted to drink, her wings were freed and she could not find the strength to hide them, but found the necessary one to drink the other bottles ...
Unbeknownst to her, however, a few hours earlier, Yae Miko had informed a certain goddess of the meeting the day before, and the goddess, very curious about the possible outcomes of the situation, decided to pay an evening visit to her trusted general.
What the goddess did not expect was to open the door, and after closing it finding herself in front of a completely drunk Kujou Sara looking at her with an empty bottle of wine in her hand.
“You, you have to help meeee! Tomorrow I have to go back to work, and I don't know if I'm in a posshiition to do iths!”
"Sara, are you okay?"
“Ah, sorry, it'shs true that I have no friendssh how can I ask you thisshh ... Do you want to be my first friend? I can try to improve my language if you want ... or make you some ssnacks maybe or or .... er… yeah well later you could help me ssspyii on the traveler! ”
"Sara, you better go to sleep"
"Whichhh I thhhiiink is in a relationship with Ei ... What does he have more than me ... I've always been faithful, m-maybe I had to correct her but ... What I'm saying she's free to be with who-whoever she wants I don't ... oh well s-sorry um ... you want to be my frienddd ?
At that moment, a visibly excited and embarrassed Ei picked up the general to put her to bed, but was pulled to bed by a hug from Sara.
"S-Sara what ..."
“Is it s-so hard to ask a friend? Am i-i really that nasty, at least willl you help me wake up tomorrow or take my place, I must see Ei tomorrow and I don't want to losssh my job I just want to serve her I w-will limit myself and not interfere in her relationships I j-just want to see her again and and …… "
Sara hugs the Shogun crying bitterly, this led to a drastic decision by Ball to remedy the situation.
"I'll sleep with you tonight so don't worry, everything is fine, now just think about sleeping and rest, ok?"
"For real? I have a friend yessh! Now there's only Ei, thanks for waking me up in the morning, night”
And so, saying that they went to sleep, embraced and surrounded by Sara's Tengu wings.
Sara woke up more rested than ever, even if with a severe headache, she didn't remember much of the previous night, she realized she had exaggerated, but she also immediately realized that she had something in her arms, so she opened her eyes….
"Finally woke up my dear?"
“W-What? I'm really sorry for the delay I swear it won't happen again! " Sara said bowing to the ground and letting out a few tears.
“Sara I'm not here because I'm late, I gave you the day off, didn't you notice when you woke up? I slept with you. "
"I'm sorry for my unpresentable condition last night I just wanted ... I swear it won't happen again I promise you and I hope I didn't say anything inappropriate last night and I-I'll accept your punishment!"
"Oh Sara" Ei said pulling her to her feet and wiping the tears on her face "You feel lonely and jealous right?"
" I-It's not t-true"
"Don't worry, I know the truth"
And saying this she put her lips against those of the general, joining them for a kiss full of love.
"II L-Love yo-y ..."
"I love you too Sara, now let's go back to the bed"
And so, Sara returned to having only one goal in her life, but this time she was not alone, and she was happy.