Under the Sacred Sky
Some people were never meant to be while others seem as if they were made for each other. But what if no matter what life-time, no matter what period, those special two people would always find each other again because that is how it's meant to be. These are the stories of multiple lifetimes, multiple realities where a shrine priestess and samurai will always find each other no matter what. Because it's a promise and their love was too strong to stay for one life-time.
She was praying when Setsuna found her. The young priestess, dressed in her traditional shrine priesetess robes, stood in front of the crackling fire in the room, eyes closed and lips moving. Setsuna hadn't made a sound, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed and Yunagi lying against the wooden wall. She watched the priestess softly, the reflection of the bright flames casting shadows across her handsome face.
"Secchan," Konoka turned around, smiling at her.
"Konoka-hime," Setsuna nodded to her, straightening and bowing.
The young girl sighed, shaking her head. "How many times have I told you not to call me that?"
"I'm sorry," Setsuna replied automatically.
The way Konoka looked at her, she always felt like she herself was looking back at an angel.
"As much as I'd like this to be a friendly visit...I know the Shinmeiryu don't usually approach me unless it's for healing or something like that," Konoka said.
"Well...there's been some trouble down in the villages. Some demons from the uzoku tribe attacked," Setsuna explained. "We managed to fend them off but a few of the children got hurt."
Konoka's brows knitted together, her eyes troubled. She placed the sticks down on the floor and hurried after Setsuna who had disappeared out the door into the dark night. She had to run to catch up to her.
"Wait, did you say the uzoku tribe?" Konoka asked once she'd caught up.
"Yes," Setsuna's expression darkened. "It seems my brethren want revenge after that last attack."
"But that's silly! It wasn't even us that attacked them," Konoka exclaimed.
"They believe that since that attack, the curse is still upon them," Setsuna said.
Konoka took her hand, holding it tightly. "You don't believe that now do you?"
Setsuna didn't answer because some part of her still did. Brought up by the village elders ever since she was kicked out of the bird tribe for having white wings, a curse that they believed, she owed her life to Konoka and her father. Out of everyone there at the time, only those two hadn't shunned her, hadn't put on fake niceties and pretended like it didn't scare them that she was half bird demon, the things that terrorized the villages on a frequent basis. Then she'd learned Shinmeiryu swordsmanship from Eishun and quickly rose among the ranks as captain of the defence forces.
"Can I ask you a question Secchan?" Konoka's voice was quiet. Setsuna glanced at her, curious.
"What is it Hime-sama?" Setsuna said.
"Do you believe in fate?"
"What?" Setsuna's expression turned to one of confusion.
"Fate," Konoka repeated.
"Well...I believe that everything will happen the way it's meant to happen I suppose."
"Kaede was telling me about something the other day. She said that in this world everyone has a soul-mate and they're tied together by the finger by a red string. She also said that maybe there's only one person for everyone, " Konoka said.
"One person...," Setsuna murmured. She never would say it but she loved the priestess.
"Let's make a promise ne Secchan?" Konoka stopped making Setsuna stop. Turning to face her, the priestess raised a fist, pinky fingerupraised.
"What are you doing?" Setsuna stared at her, bemused.
Giggling, Konoka said. "It's a promise! Just do as I do."
Setsuna shook her head at Konoka in amazement but she complied anyway. Sometimes the girl came up with the weirdest things. Konoka chanted something and a red stream of energy formed around her pinky finger, streaking across to Setsuna's and tying around it in a knot.
"Underneath the sacred sky this loosened thread now turns into a bond," Konoka grinned in the darkness, one of those grins that made Setsuna's heart beat so much faster.
It shimmered for a few seconds before disappearing.
"Wait...a bond?" Setsuna echoed.
"Yep, so no matter what, we'll always find each other," Konoka said happily. Nudging her with her elbow, she grinned at her and said before walking down the path, "Come on let's go."
Setsuna blinked in surprise before shaking her head and hurrying after her, smiling to herself.