Sakura sat with a scowl on her face, staring out the window of her little room while Tomoyo combed her wet hair. A little girl with red hair lay on her cot on the far wall, sound asleep.
"How did you find her?" Tomoyo questioned, tugging on an especially stubborn knot. Sakura shrugged.
"She was just sitting on the edge of the street, crying. I asked a nearby storeowner if they knew what had happened and they said her mother was taken away… and her father is in the army. She was too torn up to tell me where she lived, so I brought her here," Sakura explained. Tomoyo nodded, a worried frown on her face.
"Her mother had magic, didn't she?" Tomoyo freed the knot and picked up a pair of scissors. Confidently, she began to trim Sakura's hair, holding her head still when she tried to swivel around in surprise.
"What makes you think that?"
"I know Touya and you think me naïve, and maybe I am, but I am a relatively smart person. I know all about the politics of this war…" Tomoyo trailed off, concentrating on cutting at a straight angle. The scissors were dull and she made a mental note to ask Touya to sharpen them later.
"I guess it was just hopeful thinking…" Sakura sighed. Tomoyo glared at the back of her head.
"Why? Because I would be even more of a burden knowing what's going on around here?" she demanded. Sakura flinched as another piece of her hair was snipped off.
"No, I'm sorry, I'm just—"
"Suspicious of me," Tomoyo finished. Sakura quieted and became very still. Tomoyo kept to her work. "I've thought about it long and hard. How could I have possibly come as far as I have on my own?" she mumbled. They spent a few minutes in silence as Tomoyo finished her task. When she was finished she started running her fingers through Sakura's hair, admiring it. "Please, remember Spinel and Cerberus… the lights that were with me when you found me. They're the reason I made it so far and they're the reason we found each other. There's no reason for you to be so suspicious of me… because not even I understand the powers at work here." Sakura nodded slowly, a look of confusion on her face.
"Cerberus?" she asked, turning around to face Tomoyo. Tomoyo nodded.
"Yes, don't you remember? He was with me, then he went to you, then he disappeared…" Tomoyo took in Sakura's look of confusion. "You mean you don't remember? Touya asked me about a book from the king…" Tomoyo whispered. "He said you thought it was connected to me." Sakura frowned, displeased with Touya's actions. "Judging from the timing and all, I assumed you came to the conclusion from Cerberus…" Tomoyo trailed off. Sakura still looked confused.
"I remember mentioning that to Touya privately, yes, but I didn't say it because… well… it was instinct," Sakura argued. Tomoyo raised a delicate eyebrow.
"Instinct connected me to a king?" The little girl stirred in her sleep and the two young women quieted down. Sakura glared at Tomoyo who just looked at her strangely. Sakura stood to change into her ever present shorts and a shirt slightly fancier than the one she had been traveling in. Tomoyo stopped her, however, with a peculiar glint in her eye. Huffing, Sakura raised her brows in question as Tomoyo reached under her cot and, with a flourish, produced a light green dress with a lacey bust and a knee length skirt.
"I'd been waiting for an opportune moment to give this to you, but now that you're all cleaned up…" Tomoyo smiled brightly. "I grabbed it at the shop. I was hoping it would fit you and I just know it'll look gorgeous!" Tomoyo announced. Sakura looked genuinely shocked, staring at the dress.
"Tomoyo, I told you that I don't need anything new," she stated. Tomoyo shook her head vigorously.
"Sakura, you told me you would kill to wash your hair and wear a pretty dress… and here is your opportunity. We're not running through the forest anymore," Tomoyo reasoned. Sakura bit her lip and took the dress into her hands. The dress was obviously not of the best quality, but it was pretty. Glancing quickly at Tomoyo, she changed into the dress. Tomoyo danced with glee, pushing Sakura back down to a sitting position once she was dressed and got to work on her long hair.
"Tomoyo, you don't need to—"
"Shush!" Tomoyo ordered. She was smiling brightly as she put half of Sakura's hair in an intricate braid, tying off the end with a strip of cloth. Sakura sighed and looked down at the dress, touching her hair.
"Thank you, Tomoyo," she said quietly. Tomoyo popped up in front of her, smiling brightly.
"And about Cerberus, Sakura—" Sakura held her hand up to silence Tomoyo.
"I don't know where you got your ideas from, Tomoyo, but I don't remember seeing anything but Spinel. And I don't want to speak about this Cerberus," she stated, leaving no room for argument. Tomoyo gave her another strange look and nodded slowly. Sakura stood. "Now you should be cleaning up, too." Sakura left the room before Tomoyo could respond and shut the door behind herself. Stopping in the hallway, she moaned and rubbed her temples. "Now why does my memory suddenly feel so fuzzy…"
Stopping at the end of the hallway, Sakura paused to slip her boots on. When she stepped out into the shop, her eyes immediately found Hashi, Touya, and two young men holding a long sword in their hands. "It's a family heirloom…" one with dark hair was saying as his eyes found Sakura. She smiled politely as he paused, causing Hashi and Touya to turn around.
"Akane! What a lovely surprise!" Hashi smiled broadly, leaning heavily on his cane and favoring his uninjured leg. Touya frowned and glanced back at the customers, a slight glare in his eyes. "And what a pretty dress! Why, I was beginning to forget you were a girl…" Hashi laughed heartily.
"Ha ha," Sakura laughed sarcastically with him as she approached the group. The customers were still gawking at her as she came closer. Her boots were short, reaching her mid-calf, leaving her legs bare up to a spot just above her knees, where the dress started. The bodice hugged her breasts and the sleeves hung slightly off her shoulders. Sakura stared back at the men awkwardly as she pulled her quickly drying hair over one shoulder.
"It's hard to believe one could ever forget a young woman like this," one of the men shook out of his stupor and grinned cutely. His black hair was combed back and his face was tanned by the sun. The man looked familiar, but Sakura couldn't quite put her finger on it. Touya cleared his throat.
"We've been discussin' a tact for repairin' this sword here…" Touya mumbled, an accent of the Borderlands thick in his voice. Sakura's eyes widened with realization.
"And there's the other one," the dark haired man's companion smiled, dimples in his cheeks. Sakura glanced back at the hallway, seeing Tomoyo enter in a floor-length dress.
"Oh, you're the nice men from the gates!" Tomoyo smiled, immediately catching on. Sakura turned back to the men with a smile, ashamed to have been caught off guard. The companion, a man with light hair and blue eyes, shifted to see the newcomer better.
"It's strange to run into all of you here. And am I sensing a bit of a lag in that accent, Jiro?" he winked at Touya, who shuffled uncomfortably. Hashi, however, laughed it off.
"Akane and Aria are the classiest peasants you'll ever meet, but I refused to take Jiro in unless we worked on that horrible grammar!" Hashi shook his head at Touya. "Can't have my customers thinking we're not capable of our work, now, can we?" Touya shook his head quickly, standing up straighter. The customers smiled goodheartedly.
"Well, it's working," the dark haired man replied. He looked directly at Sakura. "I don't believe we ever had the chance to properly introduce ourselves… My name is Yamazaki Takashi." He stepped forward with his hand held out. Sakura extended hers with the intent she shake his in welcoming, but he quickly brought her hand to his lips and kissed it gently. Sakura couldn't help but blush slightly as Touya tried burning a hole in the back of the soldier's head with his eyes.
"And I am Eren." The blonde soldier became bold enough to squeeze passed everyone else and make his way to Tomoyo, giving her a sweet smile. She smiled brightly in return as Touya's glare moved to the blonde. Touya cleared his throat loudly.
"I think we c'n have this repaired within the next two weeks… It'll be good 's new," Touya growled. The blonde turned back around.
"That's great news! Ne, Yamazaki?" Eren grinned as he turned back to Tomoyo. "Your name is Aria, isn't it..." He started a conversation with Tomoyo, who giggled flirtatiously, much to Sakura and Touya's discomfort.
"So… Eh, Akane…" Sakura turned curiously to Yamazaki, the question in her eyes. Before Yamazaki could continue, a loud thump was heard in the back. Touya and Sakura instantly froze, spreading their feet apart in readiness. Tomoyo thought quickly.
"Oh, that chest! I brought home some of my work and I guess it fell off my bed after all of my rushing earlier… I should have just put it on the floor…" Tomoyo turned around quickly, but was stopped as Hashi limped passed her.
"I'll check on it, child. It's only fabric, I'll make sure it didn't break anything else in its fall…" he mumbled as he shuffled down the hallway.
"Work?" Sakura questioned. Tomoyo grinned delightedly and clapped her hands together.
"Oh, Akane! I forgot to tell you! When you left on that walk about a week ago, I went around the area looking for work… and I ran into Kagi again! Remember him? Well, his wife was fixing up that dress we sold him and she loved the craftsmanship so much that they hired me to help out! They sent me home with a bunch of torn fabric to repair. I'll be working there every morning starting next week," Tomoyo explained, excited. Sakura smiled uneasily in return.
"The merchant? That's great… It's good you've found something so quickly," she said. Yamazaki cleared his throat and Sakura turned back to face him. He was handing Touya his sword, grinning at her.
"It was absolutely wonderful to see you again…" Yamazaki started.
"You two should join us for lunch, our treat," Eren finished. He was still smiling at Tomoyo, who was laughing at something he had said. Sakura flinched as Touya 'accidently' dropped a hammer and yelled 'oops!'
"We can't, actually," Sakura said, taking a small step back as Yamazaki moved closer. He looked genuinely disappointed.
"What are you talking about, Akane? We were already planning on lunch, this way we just have some company…" Tomoyo smiled at Eren. Touya glared at her, dropping the hammer again. Tomoyo grinned at Sakura apologetically.
"So the raven swooshed down with the key gripped in its beak, clawing out the soldier's eyes and flying away, never to be seen again…" Yamazaki ranted on about an old legend, Sakura staring at him with wide eyes. Eren stared at him incredulously as Tomoyo giggled, watching Sakura's expression.
"To think that such a battle would start over a little kitten…" Sakura muttered, every word of Yamazaki's story sinking in. Tomoyo sighed, wondering how someone like Sakura could believe such a thing. The four of them had finished eating a small lunch of bread and stew some time ago, remaining at their table to exchange stories. Yamazaki's continuous talking soon relaxed Sakura's tense muscles as Eren flirted endlessly with Tomoyo.
Suddenly, a crash was heard as a man was flung through a window across the street. Yamazaki and Eren leapt to their feet and moved in front of the girls as yelling and screaming was heard. Sakura glared through a gap between the men as she saw two robed figures climb through the smashed window. Yamazaki noticeably tensed and immediately returned to his seat, staring down at the table. Sakura watched questionably as Eren glanced at his partner with a pained look on his face before reclaiming his seat next to Tomoyo.
"Two in one day…?" Tomoyo muttered in Sakura's ear. Sakura clenched her teeth as she glared at the robed figures head on, clenching her fists. As they grabbed the man on the ground, ranting and bleeding, she moved to stand and come to his rescue, but Tomoyo's hand gripping hers kept her rooted to her seat. She turned to Yamazaki and Eren, her mouth open to yell at them, but stopped when she saw the looks on their faces. Yamazaki sat glaring at the table, his knuckles turning white with the intensity of his clenched fists. Eren held his head in his hands, blocking out the scene.
Sakura didn't look as the man was dragged away screaming. Slowly, everyone went back to their business, avoiding the dangerous mess now scattered along the street. Once the robed figures were out of sight, Yamazaki stood slowly and made his way to the broken window, Eren in tow. Glancing quickly at Tomoyo, who nodded, the girls followed them. Yamazaki had climbed into the dark shop through the broken window and emerged with a broom and a burlap sack. The soldiers got to work cleaning up the mess, citizens skirting around them in their hurry. Sakura took a deep breath and marched over to a neighboring shop.
"Excuse me, sir, do you know if that man had a wife or children?" Sakura asked the shopkeeper. He glanced at her nervously, quickly surveying the area for any unwanted ears.
"No, not that I know of. And I've worked next to him for the past ten years. To think, he was one of them…" he mumbled, hurrying away from Sakura. She glared at his retreating back.
"Sakura…" Tomoyo cupped one of Sakura's hands in her own, looking worriedly at her. "I don't think this is a problem you can fix." Sakura sighed, pulling her hand from Tomoyo's grip. The two girls watched Yamazaki and Eren work steadily, ending by hammering a torn piece of cloth over the shattered glass.
"What will happen to his shop?" Sakura asked Yamazaki as he approached her. He sighed.
"When he's registered at the prison, he'll tell them he was a shopkeeper. The palace will repossess the building and sell it to the highest bidder," he explained. Sakura nodded slowly, looking at the dark shop. It hadn't been opened the entire time they had been in the area, she realized. Eren smiled apologetically.
"What can you do, though? We can't have people like that around…" he trailed off, looking to the side. Tomoyo frowned at him as Yamazaki clenched his jaw. "Perhaps we should move to a different spot?" Eren smiled brightly at Tomoyo. "I'm not quite ready to end the day with you girls yet," he said hopefully. Tomoyo gave him a smile, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. Yamazaki glanced curiously at Sakura.
"You know, I'm sure Tomoyo has a lot of work to do. And with Hashi's injury, I should really be helping Touya out…" Sakura fidgeted as she gave her excuses. Tomoyo didn't answer.
"We should walk you back, then," Yamazaki smiled somewhat sadly. Sakura nodded and turned on her heel, leading the way. Everyone rushed to keep up with her. When they reached Hashi's shop, Hashi was nowhere in sight. Touya was pounding away diligently at a piece of metal in the back, not noticing the new arrivals. Tomoyo quickly said goodbye to Eren, who tried and failed to make her stay behind. Sakura was about to follow Tomoyo into the shop when a hand on her own stopped her.
"Akane…" Yamazaki was looking down at his feet. Sakura bit her lip and gently pulled her hand away. He looked up at her urgently. He glanced to his right at Eren's retreating back and spoke quickly. "Please, don't let what happened today mold your opinion of me. I'm not… I mean, I don't agree…" he couldn't seem to explain himself. With a deep breath, Yamazaki fisted his right hand over his heart and spread his feet apart, standing tall. His other hand was clenched firmly behind his back. With a shocked gasp, Sakura stumbled back, only to bump into the door frame. Yamazaki grinned at her. "I had a feeling you would know…" He took a step toward her, knowing she couldn't back away, and took her hand again. "I saw Aria stop you… Akane, please let me see you again." His eyes pleaded her. Sakura swallowed a lump in her throat and looked down at their hands.
"Perhaps…" she couldn't help herself. Yamazaki smiled.
"I'll find you, then," he said and fisted his hand over his heart for her once more. He cautiously glanced around himself as he walked away, working up to a jog to catch up to Eren.
Sakura jumped as she felt a hand gripping her shoulder and spun around. Touya stood behind her, his narrowed eyes watching Yamazaki.
"Did that soldier just give you Clow's salute?"
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