Chapter Three: The Lunar Priestess
~Where do the elves live? Where do the fairies play? In the forest, in the trees! With the flowers, birds and bees~
Legends tell of certain small villages scattered across Ishgar. These villages are populated by what is believed as elves and fairies. It is said that these villages protect the world itself.
Over the years many people have tried to find these villages and find out if these strange creatures really exist. No one ever did and the legends have almost been forgotten.
Truth is, they are not elves or fairies. Sorry to disappoint you. They're humans. Wizards.
Each of the three remaining villages have a 'royalty' of sorts.
The Lunar Priestess, The Sun Princess and The Eclipse Prince.
They're so apart from the rest of the world they've never heard of Zeref.
Their magic is so pure, the very thought of black magic has never occurred to them. They're immortal. They've never thought of death. They've never left their respective villages and they never plan to.
Except one day someone met them. Someone made a mistake. Someone fell in love. Now there is one non-immortal child in the Moon Village. She is the Lunar Priestess. The daughter of the village's former Lunar Priestess. And she ages unlike the rest of her village. She is curious unlike the rest of her village. And she wants to leave.
How careless.
…
"Are you sure you're fine Sakura?" Airi asked when Sakura woke up on Namiku's couch at midnight.
Sakura nodded.
"You just… collapsed. So we brought you back here" Airi said.
Sakura nodded again and stood wobbling slightly.
"Where are you going?" Airi said, glancing at the kitchen where Namiku was.
"To get some fresh air" Sakura replied, before opening and shutting the door behind her.
Airi sighed and let her go. A few moments later Namiku came back from the kitchen carrying a tray with three cups of tea on it.
"She didn't…" Namiku said.
"She just went outside. Fresh air" Airi said making quotation marks with her hands.
Namiku sat the tea down on the table. Airi took a cup and watched Namiku as she left the house.
"Geez" she muttered.
…
Sakura's POV
"Sakura!"
"Coming, coming!"
"Quick cover her eyes!"
"Eh?"
"Don't look or I'll knock you out!"
"What are you three up to?!"
"It's a surprise!"
"This is mean!"
"Come on!"
"Are you ready?"
"Just show me already!"
"1…2…3!"
"What!?"
"Happy Birthday Sakura!"
"Sakura"
"Huh?"
"Why are you crying?" Namiku asked.
"I… am?" I said touching my wet cheeks.
Tears flowed from my eyes. I couldn't seem to stop them. I hid my face in the crook of my arm.
"I'm not sure" I replied quietly.
"Did something happen with the dark guild?" Namiku asked.
"I don't know" I said.
"Then what's wrong?" Namiku said softly.
"I don't know" I said.
"Well that's annoying" Namiku sighed. She took my hand and gently pulled me towards the house. I wiped away my tears and followed her.
As we entered the house I saw Airi asleep on the couch. Namiku walked over to her, took the tea cup from her hand and pulled the blanket over her.
She picked up the two remaining cups of tea, handed me one and gestured for me to follow her as she entered the last door.
I now knew the first one was Airi's bedroom, apparently where the boys were sleeping, the second was the bathroom and the last one was Namiku's old room, now her study of sorts.
Inside the room it was obvious it had been her bedroom. Nothing had really changed except her bed had been replaced with a couch.
She sat down on the couch and set her tea cup on her lap. I followed her but found myself instinctively sitting on the ground just below her. She looked surprised but just smiled.
I wrapped my hands around the tea cup and brought it to my lips. It was nice. And surprisingly familiar.
Namiku peered down at me. "Thanks for helping us today" she said.
"What? Uh… it's okay" I smiled.
"I'm annoyed my plan didn't work though" Namiku muttered.
"Airi's didn't either" I said.
"Airi's?" Namiku repeated.
"Run" I shrugged.
Namiku giggled. "You're strange Sakura" she said.
"You think so?" I asked.
"Yeah. You appeared out of nowhere, you're a bit of an airhead and you act like you've never done some things" Namiku said.
I considered her words. She was observant… "There's a reason for that last one…" I muttered.
"There is?" she asked.
I looked up into the blonde's blue eyes. "Namiku-chan. I have part amnesia" I said.
"You… have what?" Namiku blinked.
"Part amnesia. I can remember the basics. My name, my age, my birthday and my purpose. I only know fragments of my past. I think I'd rather not find out the rest of it" I whispered.
"Then… what are you looking for if you're not looking for your memories?" Namiku asked quietly.
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you" I smiled.
Namiku didn't know what to say so she kept quiet.
…
Normal POV
Sakura was sitting outside early the next morning when Ryo emerged from the house without her noticing.
He almost didn't notice her either but when he glanced sideways and saw her sitting under a nearby tree, he almost yelled in surprise. She heard him gasp and looked up.
Sakura fiddled with her pencil before giving up and pushing the small journal into her black bag that was swung across her shoulder.
Sakura looked up at him. "What are you doing up this early?" she asked.
"I could ask you the same thing" Ryo muttered.
"I slept half the day yesterday" Sakura replied.
"Whatever" he murmured.
He wouldn't look her in the eye and she sensed unease.
"It's not your fault you know" Sakura said.
Ryo's head snapped up and he stared at her.
"No I can't read minds if you're wondering" Sakura sighed.
"Then how…"
"I've been told I'm good at reading people's emotions" Sakura shrugged.
Ryo shoved his hands in his pockets and looked away from her again.
"Although I can imagine why I would want to, why did you leave Grim Skull anyway? I mean people who are actually in dark guilds are there because they want to be right?" Sakura asked.
Ryo shoved his black hair out of his face and sighed. "I never wanted to join their guild. I was an outcast in my town. No one wanted me. Grim Skull basically forced me to join and the townspeople were more than happy to help" he said.
"That's awful" Sakura said.
"It's life. Not everyone is going to like you, no matter how hard you try to be perfect" Ryo muttered, leaning against the tree she was sitting under.
"Perfection is different in everyone's mind. No one realizes it but it is some mythical state we can never achieve. It doesn't exist" Sakura said quietly.
Ryo looked at her in surprise. She stood up and brushed her skirt off.
"You still haven't told me why you left" Sakura said.
Ryo looked at her and she looked back.
"It's none of your business okay?" he muttered.
She sighed and turned around. "At least you remember"
Ryo watched her leave wondering what those four words meant.
…
"Morning Airi" Sakura said when she walked into the house an hour later.
Airi sat on the couch reading a book. She looked up and smiled. "Hey Sakura" she said.
"Sakura!" Namiku said cheerfully, emerging from the kitchen with a smile.
"Are the rest of them still asleep?" I said, pointing to Airi's closed door.
"The rest of them?" Airi repeated.
At that moment the door opened and Akihiro and Jay walked out.
"Morning" Jay said.
"Good Morning" Akihiro added, pushing up his glasses.
"Where's Blair?" Namiku asked.
Jay rolled his eyes. "Hey Sleeping Beauty! Your princess is calling you" he said into the room.
"Shut up!" was Blair's reply, while Namiku turned red.
Airi, Akihiro, Jay and Sakura laughed.
"Have you seen Ryo this morning?" Akihiro asked.
"No" Namiku and Airi said.
"He's out there" Sakura said pointing out the window.
They looked out the window and saw Ryo in the same place Sakura had left him over an hour ago.
"I'll go get him" Jay said. He opened the door and went outside.
Sakura sat down next to Airi and peered at her book. "What are you reading?" she asked.
Airi blushed a little and showed her the cover.
"You like learning about magic?" Sakura said, reading the title.
Airi nodded with a smile.
Sakura smiled back as she felt a twinge of familiarity again.
…
"We never got the chance to properly thank you" Akihiro said.
"Huh?" Sakura said.
"Thank you Miss Sakura" Akihiro and Blair said in unison, along with Jay who addressed her as Sakura.
"Thanks" Ryo added.
"Um…" Sakura said.
"I already told them everything" Namiku explained.
"I didn't really do anything" Sakura said. Then she suddenly stopped.
"Sakura?" Airi asked carefully.
Sakura stood up.
"Sakura?" Namiku said.
"Shh" Sakura hissed.
The 6 of them shut up as she walked to the door and went outside.
"What is she doing?" Jay asked.
"Um…" Airi and Namiku muttered.
When Sakura's scream sounded they all snapped upwards and ran towards the noise.
"Sakura!" Namiku yelled.
"I-I'm fine!" Sakura called back.
They all relaxed their guard and walked towards the white haired girl who was standing in the middle of the path ahead.
"What are you- hey who is she?" Namiku asked.
"Um…" Sakura sighed.
Standing in front of Sakura was a girl only the tiniest bit shorter than her. She had purple eyes, blue hair pulled into a ponytail with a single streak of purple through it and peachy skin. She wore a pale purple tank top that ended three quarters down her stomach, a short black skirt, light brown boots that went past her knees and a metal bracelet with different coloured gems on it. Dangling from her ears were white teardrop earrings and clutched in her hand was a silver tiara with a purple gem in the centre.
"Who the heck are you?" Airi said.
"Airi!" Namiku scolded.
"Does that matter? Take me with you!" the girl said.
"Take you where…" Jay muttered.
"SS! You'll take me won't you?" the girl said stubbornly. She looked the same age as Sakura.
"SS?" Airi repeated looking at Sakura.
Sakura sighed. This girl was one of the few memories she still had. "Luna. What the heck are you doing here?" she said.
"I ran away! I'm going to be a wizard like you!" Luna said.
"Your father will kill me. No, your entire village will kill me" Sakura retorted.
"They know nothing about death!" Luna snapped.
"Luna Lovehart. I will drag you back to your village if I have to" Sakura said.
"Don't play the full name game with me Sakura Sachiko!" Luna complained.
"Then go home!" Sakura snapped.
"No! I've always wanted to see the outside world and you wouldn't take me with you when you left! So you either let me come with you or I'm going to see the world for myself!" Luna said crossing her arms over her chest.
"Oh my god…" Sakura said.
"Sakura…" Namiku said.
"Luna. You do realize someone will come after you. They won't just let you leave. And you know why" Sakura said looking the girl in the eye.
"Because I'm royalty, blah, blah" Luna sighed.
"Royalty?!" the rest of them exclaimed.
"Ah… Luna, these are my… friends, Namiku, Airi, Jay, Akihiro, Blair and Ryo. Everyone, this is Luna Lovehart, The Lunar Priestess" Sakura introduced.
"Don't say that! I've abandoned that title!" Luna complained.
"Hold on. The Lunar Priestess of the Moon Village from the Night Fairy Legend?" Airi said.
Sakura and Luna shared a glance.
"More or less" Sakura replied.
"There's a legend?" Luna said at the same time.
"She's a fairy?" Airi exclaimed.
"No" Luna and Sakura said in unison.
"The legend is a legend for a reason Airi. It's only partly true. They're humans like us" Sakura explained.
"And you know this how?" Ryo questioned.
"Because I met them one day" Sakura responded.
"Their villages are supposed to be impossible to find and you just met them one day?" Airi said.
"Yeah why?" Sakura said as if there wasn't something weird about that.
"You have weird friends Namiku" Jay said.
"Don't lump me into that you jerk!" Airi snapped.
"So does this mean you'll let me come with you?" Luna asked.
Sakura looked Luna in the eye. "Luna, you don't understand what I'm trying to do here. No one does. I have to do it alone" she said.
Everyone went silent. Luna scowled. "So don't tell me. I don't need to know just please take me with you!" she pleaded.
"What are you trying to do?" Namiku asked quietly.
"Like I said last night Namiku-chan, you wouldn't believe me if I told you" Sakura said sadly.
"Try me" Airi snapped at the same time Namiku said it in a much nicer voice.
"Tell me too!" Luna said.
They all stared at her.
"We all have a purpose in life no?" Sakura said quietly "Mine you ask? I told you Namiku, I barely remember anything. My name is Sakura Sachiko, I'm 16, my birthday is July 6th and my purpose…"
Sakura looked at all of them.
"My purpose is to find the Glitch in Time"
…
"The Glitch in Time is what she said"
"What the hell does that mean?"
"She won't tell us"
"She barely knows us. I'm surprised she told us this much"
"What did she mean she barely remembers anything?"
"She has part amnesia. She says she would like to keep it that way. Can you imagine something so bad that you don't want to remember anything in case a clue of it slips into the memory?"
"I guess not…"
"If there's one thing I've learnt throughout our work it's that everyone has their individual purpose"
"I've learnt to expect the unexpected through my experiences. I never expected this"
"SS is a nice person. She's changed since I last saw her"
"In what way?"
"She's so sad. So, so sad"
…
"Sakura…"
"You don't have to believe me or understand. But I have to leave to continue my purpose"
"As much as I hate to admit it, you've grown on me"
"I'm coming with you no matter what you're going to do!"
"I like you a lot Sakura. I feel as if we were meant to meet"
"You saved us. We owe you one"
"I am definitely too curious to leave it at that"
"You're cool Sakura. I agree with Namiku"
"I guess I'll come…"
"You'll help me?"
"What are friends for?"
Kanade: Thanks for reading~ Hope you liked it! Please review!
Next Time:
"There's unnatural activity happening around the capital city"
"We'll meet up in Crocus"
"Luna!"
"This place is amazing!"
"The Royal Family?"
The Capital of Fiore