Upon arriving at the harvest festival, all three of us stop in awe of the massive scale of this event. Rows and rows of stands lined with endless amounts of streamers decorate the place. Intercoms are blaring some annoying modern pop tunes, and the noise of the crowds almost overwhelm my ears. I'm not sure of how large Kazamatsuri's population is, but there must be hundreds, if not thousands of people. What makes me feel uncomfortable is that the majority of them have some ties to Gaia. I'm sure Hitomi must be feeling just as nervous about trying to blend in with a crowd of people she doesn't like. Chizu-san, on the other hand, shows no sign of fear whatsoever. Despite the fact that she's not smiling, she looks like she enjoys being here.
"Ah, the harvest festival..." Chizu-san deeply breathes in the surrounding air. "I smell some good food. Who's up for some fried dango?"
"Fried...dango?" Hitomi and I both look at her with odd expressions.
"It's an American practice to deep-fry everything, and it's delicious!" She screams passionately at us, pointing towards one of the stands with vigor. "You have not lived until you have at least tried fried ice cream!"
"Yeah...sure," Hitomi and I nod awkwardly in unison. Neither of us have any idea how Americans got the idea to ruin fine Japanese dining, but I guess how you take it differs from person to person. Chizu-san seems to love it, so maybe it's worth trying.
Upon approaching the fried ice cream stand, Chizu-san reaches into her back jean pocket (which is quite possibly the worst place to put things in), and pulls out a small hand purse. "Two fried ice creams, s'il vous plait," she orders. Is fried ice cream a French invention?
The man at the stand quickly serves us the treat, and Chizu-san puts her hands together in fervent prayer, uttering words I can't make out. She then dives into her treat, finishing it in seconds. A mild smile stretches across her face for a brief moment, before she starts yelling for a second helping.
"She must really like it..." Curious, I bite off a small bit of the external cake batter. It tastes like a baked sugar cookie, with cinnamon-tasting ice cream hidden inside. It's a unique blend of sweetness that would make any sweet tooth weep tears of joy. Final verdict: it's good.
"Hey, Hitomi..." I turn around to ask Hitomi if she wants some, but she's disappeared. All of a sudden I start panicking. Where could she have gone? Is she being kidnapped? I highly doubt that, since she's capable of defending herself. But my mind refuses to be at ease. I have to find her.
"Hitomi! Where are you, Hitomi?" I call her name multiple times, hoping to find her in this massive crowd. I should have been aware that I was leaving Chizu-san behind in the process, but she's not as likely to lose her way by herself. At least, I hope so...
Interlude: Hitomi
I was drawn away by a familiar sight. I could recognize Nishikujou anywhere, but I never expected her to be here, at a Gaian festival. I notice she is wearing her teacher disguise, so I assume she's here to monitor students and socialize with them. And she's clearly enjoying herself...
I feel hesitant to approach her, simply because I've strayed so far from Guardian that she might take me for an enemy. I'm prepared to kill, but in front of a crowd of hundreds? It's a losing battle for me either way.
But she spots me anyway. A frown stretches across her thin lips, as if confirming to me that I made a mistake coming here. A surge of people briefly blocks out any more chance of eye contact, and next thing I know, she's gone. I want to go after her and speak to her, but I know not where she went. For all I know, she may be off calling for reinforcements to capture us. I have to warn the others.
"Imako! Chizuru!" I call out their names, trying to head back the way I came. But the crowd is getting so thick that it sweeps me off course. I try to fight against it, but am knocked down and stepped on. I scream in pain, and the crowd immediately thins to get a good look at me. Crap, now I'm the center of attention.
"Hitomi!" I hear Imako's voice close by, and witness him push through the crowds, rushing to my side. "Are you okay? What happened?"
"I'm okay...for now," I croak in agony. "Nishikujou-sensei is here...and she knows I'm here."
End of Interlude
Interlude: Chizuru
Where are they? I finish three fried ice creams and the two of them just run off? Talk about passionate. Well, better go find out where they're making out.
The crowds seem pretty thick today. It wouldn't be a good idea to just dive right in, although I can't just standing here. Perhaps I can find them with my scout bird...
I have to hide somewhere. If a civilian ever caught sight of a girl summoning a bird, there's no doubt it would lead to questions I can't answer. I run behind one of the stalls. Making sure no one sees me, I call forth my scout. A red summoning glyph materializes on the pavement, and an inconspicuous-looking crow floats into sight. I touch it to renew the contract, and send it flying. I close my eyes, switching my view to that of the crow's.
The feed's in black and white, but it's clear enough that I can see the individual faces of every human on the street. The bird circles around, and I try to spot Imako, since he would be the most recognizable. The bird can't hear very well, although from my own hearing threshold I pick up a scream. I feel tempted to break the connection to see what is going on, but I need to find Imako first. That's when I see the crowd clearing up.
Right in the middle is Hitomi, and approaching her is the gray-haired figure of Imako. Neither one seem to be in any particular danger, although...out of the corner of my eye...
"A Guardian agent?! Here?!" He's fairly concealed, with a sniper rifle aimed directly at Hitomi. I have to stop him!
"Hey, who's out there?" I feel a pressure on my back. If the stall owner finds me, it's all over. I have to act fast. I order the fowl to kamikaze the hunter's face, then break visual connection. I stand up quickly and bow my head to apologize.
"Sorry!" I apologize quickly.
"Hey, lady, if you wanted more ice cream, you gotta go up front," the guy reminds me. "Don't trap me in there." And he walks off. I breathe a deep sigh. Perhaps I should go order another fried ice cream...
BANG!
As soon as I hear the gunshot, I see the ice cream guy fall straight down to the ground like a ragdoll, a dark red puddle of blood slowly pouring out from his chest. As the man bleeds to death, the thick crowd screams and scatters about in a panic.
All I can do is breathe a deep sigh of regret. "Well, there goes that idea."
End of Interlude
"What the heck was that?!" I ask loudly, shocked by the commotion.
"They're already after us! Come on!" Hitomi pulls me away from the crowd, running back towards the ice cream stall. By the time we get there, though, Chizu-san is already gone. Frantically, I search around for her.
"Chizu-san! Chizu-san!" I call out.
"What?" She answers in an annoyed tone, walking into the stand from the back door. "Did you come for more fried ice cream? You'll have to ask the corpse out back."
"No!" Hitomi yells. "We came for you! We've got to get out of here!"
"I know," she answers. "I need to go make a new scout bird when we get home, too."
"We already decided we can't go home anymore!" I remind her. "We have to head directly for Guardian HQ to free your father, remember?"
"I haven't forgotten, but we still need a base of operations," she answers. "More importantly-"
A silence falls as the ground shakes from a near-inaudible shockwave. Everyone stops dead in their tracks to turn to the forested hills beyond Kazamatsuri's borders. A beacon of light signals a brief flashback to my backlog of memories, a fierce tremor forming in my heart and legs.
"Salvation..." I utter.
"What?!" Both of the girls look at me in utter disbelief.
"There's no time! We have to leave now!" I scream.
"But what about my parents?!" Chizu-san shouts.
"Honestly, it may have been a mistake all along to come here," I answer, perhaps in not the most reasonable way. "If we don't leave now, we'll be caught in the blast!"
"Don't you dare say that!" Chizu-san rebukes at me. "I did not come here just to leave my parents for dead! Either we get them out now, or I surrender myself to the Earth's will!"
"I agree with Chizuru," Hitomi defends her. "As much as I want to live, if I ignored the welfare of a friend, I could never forgive myself. Still, if it's in your best intentions to leave, I will follow you."
"You guys..." Amidst all the chaos in the background, I can't help but lower my head, torn by a difficult decision. I have little time to act, so I chose what I feel is right. "Alright, let's go save them."
Our first step is to infiltrate Guardian HQ and free Dr. Hanaoka. Chizuru decided that I would stay outside to cover their escape, while she and Hitomi would infiltrate the building to rescue the hostage. Strategically, it's a solid plan, since I can cover a wider range with my attacks, but at the same time, I wish I could have gone in to see her father myself. Oh, well. I guess I'll see him eventually, provided the plan works.
I set up a field outside GuarGuar to extend my roots around, and wait. Since the city will be devastated by Salvation anyway, it does some good to set a little foundation for some of the infiltrating plants. All I have to do watch out for incoming agents...oh, there's one.
A cloaked woman emerges from the alleyways fairly slowly. I'm tempted to leave my station and help her, but she could very well be an enemy. She turns to me, and I see a smile stretch across the only part of her face I can see.
"Why, hello again, Tanuma-san," she addresses me. "Perhaps for the last time..."
"You...What are you doing here?" I ask.
"Kazamatsuri is my home," she responds warmly. "I have family and friends here, and it's not within my power to just leave them behind. But...you still have a chance. You and Hitomi have a future together."
"Why can't you come with us? You can be part of that future!" I offer her escape, but she shakes her head.
"I have a lot to confess to you, Tanuma-san," she tells me with grief. "Do you know why I gave you the ticket three months ago?"
"You were trying to recruit me into Guardian because of my powers?"
"I knew Hitomi's mother," she answers. "Strange as it may sound, I was once part of Gaia, too. The robes you see me wear are those of a Gaian summoner. Although I have lost my ability to use familiars, I was able to watch the growing Hitomi from a distance. I knew how much she suffered, so I made a deal with an agent named Nishikujou to find her a suitable friend to take care of her."
"So you're her godmother?" I take a guess, left eyebrow raised.
"You could say that," she answers. "In my point of view, I'm just an druid who serves the Earth in my own way."
"That's oddly specific," I comment, eyebrow still raised. "Why serve the Earth if you're not part of Gaia anymore?"
"I just hold different beliefs," she explains. "It isn't the will of the Earth to destroy humanity. Salvation is happening solely because humanity is lazy, ignorant, selfish and forgetful. They aren't doing their part to sustain the Earth. There are some exceptions to the rule, so we did have some chance to prove ourselves. But Kazamatsuri has become like Sodom and Gomorrah, wicked in every sense of the word. But you are Lot, the only righteous man in the city. You and your friends must flee this place, lest Salvation consume you."
"But I can't flee yet," I tell her sorrowfully. "My friends are still in Guardian HQ..."
I look up at the ominous, darkened sky. The light of Salvation is slowly expanding, and at the rate it's going, it seems we might not make it to save Chizu-san's mother in time...
"Imako!" I hear Hitomi's voice behind me. I turn around and see her, along with Chizuru and a fairly old dude who I assume is Dr. Hanaoka. They rush towards me, and stop only to see the impending spectacle soon to overcome all human life in this forsaken city.
"So this is Salvation," Dr. Hanaoka observes. "I never thought in all my years I would ever live to experience it..."
"We have to rescue Mother!" Chizu-san impatiently interjects.
"I fear it might be too late for her," Dr. Hanaoka grieves. "Salvation has likely reached Gaia Headquarters by this point. We must seek shelter or we will be consumed as well.
"How can you say that?!" She yells at him. "You don't want Mom to die, do you?!"
Dr. Hanaoka falls silent. Chizu-san grits her teeth and tears up, looking just about ready to scream at him. In the middle of this commotion, I notice that the lady has disappeared without a trace. I look around for her, but all I see is a letter stuck underneath my shoe. As I pick it up, Hitomi approaches the frustrated Chizu-san, hoping to comfort her on the matter. "Chizuru...isn't your father enough?"
"No...It's not enough..." Chizu-san starts sobbing instead. "I want my family together again...I want my mother back!"
On the front of the letter, I read the words: 'Do not read until you reach these coordinates:' along with a set of coordinates I have no understanding of. Maybe Hitomi would know something?
"Chizuru, we can't go save her," Hitomi tells her softly. "We'll die here. Would your mother want that?"
"Shut up! I want her back!" She starts screaming at her. "Why are you acting like my mother has no say in all this?! You don't have parents!"
"You're right, I don't," Hitomi responds. "And neither does Imako. But we're still alive. And I think our mothers can rest peacefully knowing that we're safe."
"Uh...yeah," I concur, to prove Hitomi's point.
"But...but..." Chizu-san starts breaking down, and before she can form any more words, so does the city. A great tremor can be heard as the ground starts cracking underneath us. The tops of buildings start breaking down as the light of Salvation crawls closer to our position. I turn to the others with a determined face, in contrast to their terrified expressions.
"Hey, Hitomi," I ask her. "Do you have any idea where these coordinates might lead to?"
I show her the letter, and her eyes widen.
"These are coordinates to a Guardian shelter," Hitomi answers, surprised. "Where did you find this?"
"An old friend of ours gave it to me before you came," I tell her. I'm a little adverse to tell her everything immediately, and Hitomi raises her left eyebrow in confusion. "Think we could make it before the light hits us?"
She nods affirmatively. Dr. Hanaoka seems eager to leave as well.
"We'd better get going, then! Lead the way, Hitomi-chan!" Dr. Hanaoka resolves himself.
"Father?" As Chizu-san tries to ask him about his reasoning for sheltering with the enemy, he speedwalks after Hitomi in the direction of the only available exit from Kazamatsuri. The rest of us follow suit, running as fast as we can. With teary, longing eyes, Chizu-san looks in the direction of her old neighborhood. I just pray she can get over the loss of her mother.
And now I, EisenKoubu, finish my record concerning the destruction of the people of Kazamatsuri. And it came to pass that Imako and his friends did successfully escape, unknowingly fulfilling the prophecy which the Key had foretold. Although he had saved but a handful of people, his actions have preserved the future of generations to come.
The rejuvenation of the Earth is the will of the Key, and it seems to have been done. For now, the Earth will live on for the remainder of this loose family's lives, and to them, that's all that matters.
I am humbly grateful to those who have read this story so far. It means so much to me when people read my stories, and so much more when they tell me whether they like it or hate it. But don't tell me yet! The epilogue draws near...