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—
Their lips touched. Sara closed her eyes and leaned in to hold her god's waist.
"No," the Shogun whispered, placing her hand on Sara's chest and lightly pushing her away. "You are dismissed, General."
Sara watched her walk away. Her heart pounded in her chest and she gripped the balcony's rail. She let out a pained exhale and turned away to go.
—
The following morning, Sara followed her schedule as usual. An uneventful day, mostly, if not for her men whispering among themselves that she was in a terrible mood and that they should try to not worsen it, and the fact that the Arataki gang had caused some disturbances again. Their leader was brought in for questioning, it wasn't anything major, but it was important to maybe show the group of troublemakers that actions have consequences.
Alone in her office, she thought about the previous night. She received an invitation to join the Almighty Shogun for tea, little did Sara know that the Shogun herself wasn't aware of that. It was a ploy to bring the two together, directly from the Archon's mind, perhaps with a touch from a certain kitsune. Their evening was enjoyable nonetheless, until that very last moment…
Someone knocked on her door.
"Come in."
The door opened and a familiar face greeted her.
"Shinobu?"
"Hey, Sara," the green haired girl walked in. "I came to pick up my partners, but they were let go with just a warning, so I thought I'd pass by to thank you and say hello."
"I see. It's good to see you, Shinobu, but there's no need to thank me. They didn't do anything requiring legal action this time."
Shinobu sat in one of the chairs in front of Sara's desk.
"I know, but still. Someone else might have locked them up for it, so thanks for always being fair."
"I'm only doing my job," Sara sighed and shook her head.
"You're always doing your job," Shinobu took off her mask and stretched her arms. "Anyway, are you doing okay, Sara?"
She looked concerned. Did she hear the men talking about her current disposition? Sara pondered for a moment if she should say she's fine and send the visitor away.
"I... am not," she admitted, seeing the worry on her friend's face being shown more clearly.
"Do you want to talk about it?"
"I would like that, yes," she leaned on her chair, sighed and rubbed her forehead. "Could we meet later this evening?"
"Of course. The usual spot?" Shinobu asked, getting up from her seat.
"Yes," she arranged the papers in front of her. "Thank you, Shinobu."
"No problem. I'll see you later then," the girl smiled at Sara and put her mask back on before going out the door.
—
A low rumble of thunder could be heard in the distance. The Shogun sat alone in her chambers at Tenshukaku, the lights were low and her eyes closed.
"Why don't you act on your feelings?" Ei asked her.
"There are no feelings to act upon."
"Nonsense. We may not share everything, but I sometimes feel what you feel. You care for her. Deeply."
"You may have changed the rules, but my general principles remain the same. Such things have no place in my considerations."
"That's not true, not anymore. You are allowed to love her back, and you should. I fear that you-"
Lightning lit up the skies and the room, followed by the loud roar of thunder.
"This conversation is meaningless. I refuse your guidance in this matter."
"Very well," Ei sighed. "But you will see I have reasons to worry about you sooner or later."
"Enough."
With that, the Shogun withdrew and left Ei in charge and unable to reach her. She sighed again and stood up to light the lanterns in her room.
—
Following that lightning strike, Shinobu looked at the sky as she approached Sara.
"I hope whatever you're going to tell me has nothing to do with that," she joked.
"I'm certain it has not," she replied looking at her friend. "Thank you for coming."
Shinobu sat next to her and took her mask off. They were on the outskirts of the city, facing the sea. The sound of water and thunder filled the air.
"So, what's wrong?"
"I…" Sara looked down, scratched her head and faced Shinobu again. "Her Excellency invited me for tea last night."
"Oh!" she raised her eyebrows, surprised, but then lowered them. "Oh… I imagine it didn't go well then?"
"It did. It was wonderful. It started a bit strange at first, but soon we were discussing battle techniques. She then led me to the balcony to demonstrate something and I… I kissed her."
"Whoa… that's big."
"I know… after that, she pushed me away and left," she looked towards the ground again.
"Oh, Sara…" Shinobu reached out to touch Sara's back, rubbing it gently.
"I wish I didn't feel this way. These feelings I have for her, they are… wrong. I'm disgusting, I shouldn't-" she groaned and brought her hands to cover her face.
"Hey, don't say that," she gripped her friend's shoulder, giving her a light shake. "You love her, don't you? You could have anyone you want in this country, but you only love her. You shouldn't be ashamed, it's a beautiful thing, honestly."
"Ah. I'm sorry, Shinobu," she looked up to her.
"No, no, I've been over you for years now. You can have anyone in this country, except me," she smiled.
Sara smiled back at her. That short talk managed to get her mind off of things and put her a little more at ease.
"Thank you for this, and for being my friend."
"No need to thank me, that's what I'm here for. Well, that and because I'm a certified professional," she held out her hand. "Now, that will be five hundred mora for every ten minutes."
The two laughed and their conversation turned to lighter subjects under the starry night.
—
A letter was delivered to Tenshukaku. From Sara, to the Shogun. She stared at the paper for a moment before finally picking it up and reading it. In it, she requested a meeting outside the city, close to the forest. Her reasons were not stated and the Shogun found it strange and unlike her. Still, it was almost the time indicated on the letter, she decided to see what the General wanted, and perhaps finally find a way to make Ei stop questioning her actions.
She waited in front of the trees and watched as the leaves danced in the wind. Hearing footsteps behind her, she turned around and saw Sara bowing to her.
"Almighty Shogun. You wished to see me?"
The Shogun turned her back and frowned, she was ready to confront Ei when a man came running from the woods.
"Help, please!"
He looked wounded. His face was bruised and his hand pressed his side.
"They have my wife. They broke into our house and she's still there! Please!"
Sara stepped forward and offered support to the man.
"Sir, calm down. Where is your house?"
"Following the path, by the foot of the mountain. I'll go with you, we need to help her, we need to-"
"No. There are men patrolling the plains, find one of them and have them take you to the city. I'll promise I'll do what I can for your wife."
She patted the man's shoulder and sent him on his way. The Shogun saw her looking over at her and readied her weapon. The two rushed into the woods.
Approaching the house, they heard voices coming from the inside. A woman screamed and a man laughed. Sara kicked the door down and fired her arrows, bringing the man down. The woman sobbed and ran to her. Between unintelligible words, she pointed to a door and then ran outside.
The Shogun watched as Sara opened the door and looked inside while trying to keep herself in cover.
"It's some sort of warehouse. It's too dark, I can't see," she whispered.
Suddenly there was noise all around the house. It was a set up. Several fatui agents surrounded them ready to attack. Sara stepped away from the deposit to look through a window. A clink of metal came from the dark room, the Shogun saw a flash, she heard an explosion and Sara hitting the ground. She drew her sword and razed half the house in a single slash.
The Shogun rushed to Sara's side. She saw black feathers soaked in red. There was blood pooling on her chest. Sara was shaking, her lips quivered and her wings flapped uselessly against the wooden floor. She wanted to say something and looked into her eyes. And then all was still.
The world froze, the Shogun froze. She couldn't help but look at Sara, all the blood, her eyes. She finally managed to move, running her fingers down Sara's hair and cheek. A sound of wood creaking came from behind her. The people outside approached. She heard their footsteps and gripped her blade. Her attacks were violent and without restraint. Trees were cut down and rocks were shattered. The forest itself was leveled by her slashes, her blows sent waves that caused part of the island to ruin and be swept away by the sea.
Having ended the aggressors, she walked back to what was left of the area that once was a forest and carried Sara's body away.
She looked at the destruction she had caused and gripped the body firmly. Closing her eyes, she thought about what Ei was trying to tell her and how she didn't listen. The weight on her arms suddenly began to lift. She opened her eyes and saw the body and the whole world around her disappearing as if it was being burned away.
"Do you finally understand?"
Ei's voice came from behind her. They were in her plane. Rage burst inside the Shogun and she darted towards the archon. She grabbed her by the throat and dragged her on the ground.
"Why do you torment me with such visions?"
Ei coughed and struggled to reply.
"I had to make you see!" the grip tightened around her neck and she groaned. "You thought it was real, and what did you do?"
"Try that again and I will do what I was created to."
She let her go and opened her eyes. It was her chambers at Tenshukaku. There was no letter and no meeting. Still, she was shaken by what she had just experienced, by what she was forced to experience. She thought of Sara, her mind brought back the image of her lying on the floor in a pool of her own blood.
Lightning cracked the sky.
—
The training dummies were set and the area emptied. Sara took a deep breath and readied herself to start her training routine. A messenger walked up to her, apologized and informed her that the Almighty Shogun requested her presence immediately. She thanked the man and sent him away, looking up to Tenshukaku with a sigh.
Walking into the room, Sara saw the Shogun's back turned to her.
"Almighty Shogun. You wished to see me?"
Sara could've sworn she saw a fearful expression on the Shogun's face for less than a second as she turned to see her, but it must have been her imagination.
The Shogun walked towards her, never breaking eye contact, and started pacing from side to side.
"Are you well, General?"
"Yes. I'm ready to receive your orders, Almighty Shogun."
"Good."
The pacing continued. Sara never broke her posture and the Shogun kept looking straight at her. That lasted several minutes.
A messenger ran through the door and knelt to them.
"Report! A large number of beasts was sighted spreading out from around Araumi."
Sara and the Shogun looked at each other.
"I'll mobilize the troops."
"Take every unit with you. I'll defend the city."
—
Standing on the road that leads into the city, the Shogun watched Sara advance with several soldiers until she was a dot on the plains. Weapon in hand, she waited. The army was to deal with the beasts, the Shogun positioned herself to end any that managed to break through, possible stragglers or ambushes that could pincer her forces.
Finally, one of the creatures emerged nearby. The Shogun struck it down with a single blow. It showed signs of battle, did that mean the beast was lucky to escape the front line or was the army faltering? The Shogun removed those thoughts from her mind.
One became two, and later three. Soon, the creatures swarmed in. They were being swiftly dispatched by the Shogun, but their sheer numbers meant trouble even for her. She couldn't help but think about her main force. Was Sara safe? Her blood soaked wings appeared in her thoughts. She closed her eyes and swung her blade with strength, lightning spreading from her movement and decimating scores of the beasts.
Soon, their numbers began to decrease until there were none. She held her position and waited. Either more enemies would appear or her general would return in victory.
A soldier came running from the plains, he stopped and bowed in front of the Shogun.
"Your Excellency, we believe the beasts have been stopped. Casualties were kept to a minimum, but the General was wounded."
"Where is she?" the area around her became electrified.
"K-Konda village, the chief's house" the soldier shuffled backwards on his knees. "The wounded are being brought to the village for trea-"
Paying no more attention to the man, the Shogun opened a rift and vanished to the village.
Her sudden appearance in the village caused some panic among those who were there, but they quickly realized that it was their own god and bowed in respect. Images of the nightmare Ei made her see kept creeping into her mind. Having located the chief's house, she walked there decisively and opened the door in a swift movement.
"Where is the General?"
"Ah! Y-your Excellency…" the medic looked at her, startled, but managed to continue, "She's unconscious," the medic gestured to a corner in the room. "The bleeding was hard to control and I did all that I could, but I'm by no means an expert in tengu-"
"Leave us."
The healer bowed and left the house. Now alone, she saw Sara in a bed. Blood seeped through her bandages and her breathing was shallow and fast. The Shogun's fingers moved to touch her hand, and feeling it cold, she held it firmly.
"I'm sorry," Ei spoke to the Shogun.
"You had nothing to do with this," she took a moment. "Do you think she will recover?"
"I do not know, but… if you wish to talk to her, there is a way."
"I do. Please," she squeezed Sara's hand.
The room shifted into darkness. When light returned, the Shogun stood in a forest. Through a dense fog, she saw trees without leaves, they looked dead. The sky was dark and the ground she stepped on, dry. In front of her, she saw a tree trunk fallen on the ground, and on it sat Sara. She looked distracted, staring into the distance.
"Sara?"
Sara looked at her, wide-eyed. A smile formed on her face, the Shogun had never seen a warmer expression on her before. She looked beautiful, but it made something twist inside the Shogun. All around them, the mist cleared and the trees were colorful once more. Bright grass and flowers bloomed, stars lit up the sky. The Shogun looked at all the change and her attention was brought back to Sara when she spoke.
"My shogun," her affectionate expression maintained. "I'm so happy to see you."
"Hello, Sara," she sat next to the General. "How are you feeling?"
"Ah… I confess I'm tired, but that doesn't matter. You're here. I always wanted to show you this place," she took a deep breath and sighed, looking at the starry sky.
The Shogun followed her gaze. The stars shone brightly. It was the night sky of Inazuma, but somehow even more alluring.
"This is the forest where I lived," Sara continued. "Before the Kujou clan took me in."
"It's beautiful," the Shogun spoke while looking at Sara.
"Isn't it? I sometimes come here to think."
Sara's expression dropped, she rubbed her hands together and she stared at the ground.
"That attack we suffered. Did we hold them back? I can't seem to remember what happened."
"Yes. Inazuma is safe," the Shogun reached out to Sara's face, lifting her chin towards her and fixing her hair.
"I'm glad," she smiled and leaned into the Shogun's touch on her cheek.
They sat like that, looking into each other's eyes, until tears began to form and roll down Sara's face onto the Shogun's hand.
"I love you, my Shogun," she closed her eyes as the tears continued to fall. "I know I shouldn't, but I do."
Wrapping her arms around her, the Shogun pulled Sara close and held her in a tight embrace.
"And I love you. I'm sorry it took so long for me to understand and accept it," she felt Sara pull her even closer together. "I thought that I couldn't, that-"
Something caught her attention at the corner of her eye. The trees around them were being covered in mist once more.
"What's happening?"
"I'm tired, my Shogun, that's all. I'm sorry."
Feeling Sara's hold on her started to weaken, the Shogun held her face so she'd look directly into her eyes.
"You will stay here with me. Do you understand?"
"I…" Sara's eyes grew heavy. "I'll try. For you, my Shogun."
"Good."
Sara was cradled in her shogun's arms, both in the forest of her mind and in the village. It was the longest night the Shogun experienced, but she never let go of her general.
Sunlight hit the house, chasing away the darkness from the room. There was noise outside as the people worked to resume their lives. The Shogun remained still, protecting Sara in her arms and watching over her. She felt movement and saw her general's eyes open slightly, she smiled as warmly as she did in the forest. Her lips moved, but sound didn't come out. But the Shogun knew what she said.
My shogun.