It began with the blare of a horn.
She was startled from her sleep, and her head whirled to her bedroom door at the sound of boots pounding the marble floors in the hall outside of her room. Climbing from her bed, she padded toward the racket and she peeked into the moonlit corridor. The castle guards shouted orders at one another, sprinting past her room – as though to battle – and she shut the door in fright.
She'd never seen the sentries in such a state, and more importantly, their actions did not bode well with her. She wondered if there was some incident outside the castle that put the men in such a state of frenzy, and darted to the window to investigate.
The night was dark, with only a crescent moon illuminating the sky. Below, fires dotted the neighboring villages, and she leaped back in alarm.
As she contemplated what to do, her mother barged into the room – crystalline hair unbound, still dressed in her nightgown, with bloodshot eyes darting this way and that. An influx of her mother's personal attendants poured in around her and swarmed to various locations in the room, yanking apart her closets and chests.
"My girl, you are safe!" Her mother exclaimed. She pushed the door shut behind her, quickly tugging the beam down to lock it.
"Mother, the village is on fire!"
"I know, my sweet girl, but we cannot dwell on that now," She declared, hastening forward to embrace her daughter. "Now, I need you to be brave, can you do that for me, Sakura?"
The young girl bobbed her head in acquiescence and waited for her mother to proceed.
"Good. I knew you could, you are a very good girl." Sliding delicate translucent strands behind her pointed ears, she pulled her daughter close. "You and Ino are going to go on an adventure someplace safe. When you arrive, you are not to tell anyone who you are or where you have travelled from, is that understood?"
Sakura studied her in confusion. Although her mother's eyes were stony, her voice quivered - a sound the young girl had never heard before - and dread pooled in the girl's belly. It was as though her mother was saying goodbye, but surely she would be accompanying them on this journey.
"Mother, who am I to be if I am not allowed tell people who I am?"
"You will be called Hanako, and you will be a peasant."
Sakura bristled and stepped away from her mother, her eyes locking onto Ino's – who had gone unnoticed until then – on the opposite side of the room.
"But… I am a princess," Sakura stated confusedly, as her mother exhaled loudly.
"Sakura, you will do as I say." Her mother rose to her full height, her voice no longer wavering. "Kasumi, dress her."
The servant, Kasumi, hurried forward and dressed Sakura in a pair of darkly colored trousers she had never seen among her clothing before, and a similarly colored tunic. Sakura surveyed another servant as she clothed Ino in a similar garb. Her mother spoke quietly to Ino, who nodded determinately at the queen as a cloak was fastened about her neck. A bubble of exasperation traveled to Sakura's throat. She never did like when her mother was upset with her. Arguably, she was upset without proper explanation, but Sakura knew she would be reprimanded if she said this aloud.
Appropriately dressed for travel, and each girl handed a stuffed satchel, her mother knocked on the bedroom door in a patterned manner, and an identical knock answered. The queen unbarred the door and stepped aside for a sentinel, who appeared ready for travel and Sakura's eyes widened. He would be the one leaving with them. Her mother would be staying, having made no preparations for the voyage. Sakura's lip quivered and for the first time since her mother entered her room, she wondered where her father was, or, Ino's parents for that matter. Surely, they wouldn't allow her to depart from the castle with a strange man.
The castle shivered from the force of an eruption and the servants rushed to lock the door again.
"Your Majesty, we must depart now," the man cautioned.
The queen knelt and beckoned both girls. Sakura and Ino hurried to the queen, and she wrapped her arms around them, reluctant to part from the two.
Pulling apart from them, she examined their petrified expressions, their eyes darting between her and the soldier standing behind her.
"Girls, I cannot guarantee what the future will hold for you, but I want you both to know that you are loved. Today will mark a dark day in your lives, still, you will honor your parents by living long and meaningful lives. Do not allow these events to break you, instead learn all you can from them and build your strength. Ino, your mother and father send you their love, and regret being unable to see you off," The queen stroked the girl's cheek. "Be careful to protect your identities, and be good for General Hatake. I love you both. Be safe."
She kissed them both on the forehead and ushered them toward the general, who was holding open the door to the passageway previously hidden behind a tapestry.
Without delay, he bent down and gestured for the princess and her friend to climb onto his back. Once settled, he rose and took off in a sprint.
Sakura's head swiveled around at the sound of a distant shriek and she nuzzled her head into the general's cloak, her own billowing behind her, and cursing her own helplessness. The princess grabbed at Ino's closest hand, wrapping her other tight around General Hatake's neck, at the sound of her friend's choked sobs. Only then did she begin to comprehend the situation. They would not be returning to her home and she would not see her parents again. An insurmountable sadness penetrated her mind at the realization. She observed as the general traveled with precision through the maze of halls she was only just recently becoming familiar with.
Remote footsteps echoed throughout the underground passage. Sakura was sure it must be servants with knowledge of the tunnels who made the decision to abscond the castle walls, however, when the general hurried his pace she was no longer so sure.
"Girls, your hoods," the general advised.
The two pulled said hoods over their heads and yanked down on the strings that tightened and held them in place.
The general reached the door leading to their exit and listened for a moment, ignoring the pounding footsteps behind them.
"General?" Ino whispered.
He shushed her and continued to listen, protracting the unsettling moment. Sakura's head swiveled around to observe the darkness behind them. They had to get out. Despite this truth, General Hatake was taking his time moving forward, and while she was sure he had good reason for doing so, she was a scared little girl who just said goodbye to her mother and was running from an enemy she didn't know.
"I'm scared, General Hatake," Sakura whimpered.
"Hold onto me tightly, the both of you. We'll be moving quickly. Do not raise your heads for any reason."
The door opened and the girls quickly followed his orders. There were several dwindling yells in the distance, added to the roar of the myriad of fires that were lit throughout the kingdom. The two of them bounced along with each leap the man took, occasionally loosening their hold on him accidentally when he would jump away from some force unknown to them.
After a while, he halted his movements and lowered them to the ground. Sakura raised her head to look around the forest and Ino pulled on her sleeve anxiously. The princess eyed her confusedly, pivoting on her foot and catching a glimpse of the castle, her home, in flames.
"We'll continue moving forward, girls."
"The castle—"
"Is no longer your concern."
"But, mother—"
"We will continue toward safety, Hanako. You will not question your mother's orders," he stated, sharply.
Sakura turned back to the castle once more with shimmering, tear-filled eyes, watching as the flames danced toward the moon challengingly, and looked back at the dark, dense forest before them, taking hold of Ino's hand and promising herself that she would get through tonight.