metallicbubbles chapter 15 . May 30: Thanks for the comments. I bealieve that Sakura is actually one of the bightest characters in fiction, so she have to heal one way or another, and Li has to have a farewel like that, isn't he? This two kids are actually very young, so I guess is just natural for them to behave this wey about intimate. We're about to finish! Thansk and sorry for the waiting.
Idem
Every person who could fit in the main courtyard of the Tsukimine temple was concentrated there. Everyone, busy as they were with the reconstruction and the return to daily life, managed to take a few minutes to listen to the speech that General Issa read, which had been sent by Emperor Yasuhito himself. Behind him, led by Tomoyo, Arashi, Sorata, Omoi and Junichiro, the entire Tomoeda samurai corps stood mournful guard.
In the center of the courtyard, three mortuary pyres were rising flames into the evening sky, rapidly consuming their contents.
"Just as the story of the Forty-Seven Ronin inspired us in recent years, today Tomoeda will embrace the unforgettable Feat of the Sorceress and the Gaijin as a legend of love, devotion and fidelity. May we cherish the memory of the pious Hoshinomegami, the mighty Hogo Okami, and the brave Ou. May their memory prevail in time." Issa paused and after clearing his throat, continued: "According to the wishes of the last member of the Ou Clan, feudal lord of the village, the leadership will be inherited to the Arisugawa-Kishu family, being that from today the ones in charge of all administration in the eyes of the Emperor will be Sorata and Arashi Arisugawa."
The ceremony went on for a few more minutes, and once it was over, with the pyres reduced to ashes and the people leaving the temple, Tomoyo thanked Issa for his protection, renewing the invitation to return to Tomoeda in his retirement.
The priestess and the new owner of the villa entered the main worship hall in solitude. Arashi took a few steps away from the deep-eyed Tomoyo.
"Well, it's done... Are you sure it was the right thing to do?"
"It would have been harder to believe if we had told the truth, wouldn't it?" Said those words, Tomoyo's haggard face lit up with a smile, and her eyes twinkled. "Anyway, Mrs. Arisugawa…"
"Don't call me that."
"...we can't let the truth get in the way of a great story!"
"You encourage lying."
"Call Junichiro, I have a job to do."
"You are no longer in charge of me."
"Okay, could the important Mrs. Arisugawa send someone to call Junichiro for a task I wish to entrust him with?"
"Don't call me that. What kind of job anyway?"
"You'll see. We must get ready!"
"What for?"
"For the future, of course."
What happened on the Night of the Dragon…?
"...no matter how powerful you are, your age or experience, your body has limitations. Trying to generate and use that much magic in a single moment would destroy you, and probably everyone near you. However, between you and Li they could try to manipulate an external source of magic..."
An external source of magic... the memory made Sakura jump back to her feet almost with a leap.
"You just have to hold on a little longer." She said suddenly, turning to the twins, disconcerting them. "As I told your father, I will take care of you from now on... hold hands." Without understanding, and still victims of the pain that the Gi escaping from them caused them, they listened. Sakura pointed the scepter at them, saying the well known magic words.
The vital energy contained in the twins left them completely, joining the tidal wave that with increasing violence swirled around them, and a few seconds later, at Sakura's command "Secure", they were converted to crystal. Sakura gestured without taking the resulting card, burying it in the earth beneath her feet, hoping that it might keep them safe if she failed.
"It's our turn, Xiao-Lang." She said, raising her voice so that it stood out amidst the noise from the swirling around them.
He had no need to ask, he understood perfectly what it was about, with determination he took Sakura's hand, and they looked at each other with intensity for a few seconds.
"Ready?"
"Yes."
With their free hand, they lifted the Star Scepter and Wu Xing, causing them to touch, achieving an effect that further shook the sea of energy above them, following the simple, yet demanding steps Tomoyo had given Sakura some time before, hoping they would work. The light became dazzling, and a strange sensation akin to the absence of gravity came over them.
Chapter 15.
Feat of the Sorceress and the Gaijin.
There is the possibility that death is only a void. Being under the influence of some drug, or being in a coma is considered by some as the ultimate experience of death. There are, however, those who maintain the theory that it is only a pause, consisting of a time that is so brief that it is negligible before the affected person resumes his or her destiny once the earthly life is over. Neither science nor magic have an answer yet to this question, perhaps the epistemological error of both positions is their separate search for the answer.
The point of that reasoning was, regardless of the results, that such a pause in the continuity of thoughts was experienced by Sakura and Xiao-Lang simultaneously, giving them a strangely familiar sensation for a tiny instant, as they were suspended in the void. For a second or a lifetime, difficult to really establish the duration, they floated in space, in a timeless universe, where the only thing their minds were able to process was the sensation of their intertwined fingers. It was peaceful, idyllic, and in its minimalism, very beautiful. Tomoyo warned her that it would happen. Falling in love with emptiness would represent the disappearance into it, the return to infinity, the ultimate renunciation.
But it would not be that day. There were still many things to do.
He gave a squeeze, causing her to remember that this hand was attached to the rest of her body... the soothing sensation was disappearing in inverse proportion to her rediscovery of the physical barriers that separated her spirit from nothingness... just as darkness was yielding to the return of light, sense and consciousness.
Her return ticket to her place of origin.
Tomoeda District, Tokyo Prefecture, Japan. Late Autumn, present time.
She heard her name several times in the distance. She was terribly confused, there was actually too much noise, between the chirping of frogs, crickets and night birds, but others that it had been a considerable time since she last heard them: cars in the distance, music emitted by a distant radio or television, and a plane flying several miles above them... and the voices... familiar, longed-for voices that she came to believe she would never hear again.
She opened her eyes to see the stars slightly dulled by the impurities in the air and the artificial lights around her, she immediately felt the change in temperature, it was very cold, and when she finally sat up, she found that Xiao-Lang, still holding her hand, was also sitting up, just as confused as she was.
"Sakura" and "Li" were the words heard from a few meters away in three different voices, going to meet her, The cards mistress was hopelessly excited when she stood up and saw her best friend running, overtaking Kero and Eriol to meet her, her face pale, but now very relieved.
"Xiao-Lang... we came back…"
"It seems so." His words sounded absent, apparently he was not fully assimilating it, Sakura herself did not seem to have finished understanding or believing it.
The scepter of the star became a key, Wu Xing set ablaze in blue disappearing in the hand of its owner. She and he looked at each other, searching each other's eyes for confirmation of the miracle.
Tomoyo's plan was to hug her cousin as a greeting, but she stopped short a couple of meters away, causing the other two to crash into her back.
The reason? The newcomers were kissing, long and sweetly, celebrating their return and their victory. He would lift her a few inches off the ground in the embrace.
When they finished the display of affection, they returned completely to the present and reality, watching the reactions of their friends. Eriol plainly looked away, smiling, Tomoyo covered her mouth with both hands throwing sparkles out of her eyes, while Kero, in his seal beast form was apparently unable to blink and had his muzzle so wide open that it gave the impression that his lower jaw would fall out at any moment. It was the latter who began the interrogation:
"What happened to you guys? Where did you go? Where did you get those clothes? And more importantly... WHY THE HELL ARE YOU KISSING? WHAT'S GOING ON?"
Sakura, however, did not respond. She walked until she was between Tomoyo and the guardian, hugging them both by the neck, while letting tears fall down her face. Moved, they had no choice but to reciprocate the embrace.
"What an interesting outfit." Said Eriol casually glancing at Li's armor.
"You have no idea." The boy answered.
"Is it me or do you look taller?"
"I think I grew up a little bit... It's a long story."
"One of my escorts is a paramedic, should we call her to check Li?" asked Daidoji, seeing the blood on the eyebrow of the improvised samurai.
"No, thank you very much," he replied, quickly relocating to the current context, "but if you could help me with a car to take me home... you know... I don't think an Uber would want to take me dressed like this in the middle of the night."
"Of course... but... Oh, my goodness, is he all right?" The young girl asked in dismay, looking at a point behind them.
Without giving them time to react, she walked hurriedly until she reached the designated place, kneeling down next to a person who was lying on the cobblestones. Sakura and Xiao-Lang imitated her, and both were about to faint.
"Mr. Kurogane," exclaimed Xiao-Lang as he recognized the black armor.
Tomoyo gently grabbed the back of his neck and with unusual skill removed the kabuto, revealing the face of the former owner of Tomoeda Village, completely unconscious. Eriol approached behind Tomoyo's back to hold her by the shoulders.
"You shouldn't touch him, Daidoji, we don't know who he is and…" His speech was abruptly cut short, his hands remained static a few inches from the girl's shoulders and he crossed his eyes rather comically behind his eyeglasses.
The reason was as strange as it was decisive: the tip of the Silver Dragon's blade was a couple of millimeters from his nose, in a threatening attitude.
"Don't you dare touch Tomoyo, stranger." Kurogane said in his deep and exaggeratedly manly voice, making the girl holding him feel throbbing. "Who the hell are you anyway? I have enough with one gaijin, so beat it." He lowered his sword when he saw Eriol backing away, and his gesture calmed down when he saw Tomoyo. "Did we make it?"
"I don't know... Did we make it?" The girl asked Sakura, who only exclaimed "Hoe" at the unexpected and strange turn of the night.
There was no need to clarify anything for the moment, Kurogane fainted again, but seemed infinitely calmer.
"What should we do...?" Sakura asked, worried. "No... we can't send him back, I don't think we can even try..."
"I guess at least for the time being I'd better take care of him... we'll figure out how to solve his problem later."
"Okay, would you mind helping us, Tomoyo? It's time to go home…"
And then, another bucket full of cold reality fell on the couple, in the form of a simple circumstance: now "going home" was not synonymous with "together".
Sakura's night flight back home made her think of many things, as she passed over the neighborhood, which she now found exaggeratedly illuminated by streetlights and cars.
Kero had tried to engage her in small talk and get some information, however after learning that they had only been gone for a couple of minutes, she began to evade the questions, apparently having a lot to think about before she began to answer, and the guardian decided to give her space.
A nostalgia unknown to her settled in her stomach as she passed over the penguin park, and trying to reconstruct the map of the village, she found that the location might have been the same as the cottage she shared with the gaijin in that now very distant summer of seventeen hundred and eighteen. Had it all really happened? What if it was just a collective hallucination that Xiao-Lang shared with her? But...the clothes? the new shape of her staff? The Wu Xing?
With stealth she landed on the roof of the house she shared with her father and brother, and without much trouble she slipped through the window into her room. The stave, the bed, the doll that Tomoyo had given him years ago... everything was the same, there was not even an accumulation of dust... would it all end like this? What happened to Tomoyo, Arashi, Junichiro... Did they survive that night? Would she have a way to find out?
Exhausted, and thinking she needed a break, she pulled out the cell phone Xiao-Lang had stashed in her armor, and plugged it into the outlet. Carefully undressing, noticing that there was a tiny amount of blood on the only cut on the suit, at the level of her shoulder, she treated it fleetingly and then put on a pair of cotton pajamas that, for her internal clock, she had put ex profeso on her bed almost three months ago.
She approached her desk, equally confused, not knowing what to do, and affectionately stroked the head of her guardian, who was looking at her uneasily.
"See you tomorrow, Kero."
"See you tomorrow..." He said, unable to hide his concern, watching her lie down.
The girl's mind flew as sleep overcame her... she was happy to be back home, but she had an overwhelming feeling that she had not properly finished everything she had started in ancient times. Perhaps some sleep would restore her peace of mind.
The luxury SUV that Daidoji had provided them had carried Xiao-Lang, Eriol and their impromptu guest to their apartment block with celerity and exemplary discretion. For a moment Eriol thought about using some magic to transport the very tall samurai, considering among other things his stature and that he was carrying heavy armor and a sword. His eyes widened in surprise as he saw Li carry the man on his shoulders just as a soldier carries a fallen friend, practically effortlessly, walking to the nearest elevator. Stunned, the Brit could only push buttons and turn doorknobs the rest of the way.
"So far so good, Hiiragizawa, thank you for your help. I will phone you tomorrow."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, don't worry, I can take it from here."
Eriol, perplexed, made his way to the hotel where he was staying. He missed seeing the couple for only a couple of minutes, but when they reappeared, both by their behavior and their magical power, he knew they were not the same ones who had disappeared.
Xiao-Lang, for his part, carried Kurogane to the room that had once been Wei's, carefully deposited him on the bed, spent several minutes removing the armor, leaving the man in only kimono and hakama, and sensing that he was comfortable, let him sleep.
He entered his own room after that, but did not turn on the light. On his desk he saw his computer still on, showing the e-book he had recently started reading, realizing that he did not remember the subject matter of it.
A few minutes after one o'clock in the morning, his cell phone gave the first sign of life after being connected. He watched the device's operating system start up, and after much thought, he dialed one of the frequent numbers, hoping someone would answer on the other end. A direct line call, without intermediaries.
"Good evening, mother. Sorry about the hour... yes, don't worry, I'm fine, but I have a small emergency and I need you to help me." He waited for his mother to stop questioning him, "I would prefer that we talk about it in person, could you send a transport to go to Hong Kong tomorrow...? No, not a commercial flight... I need someone to travel with me without a passport... in fact, without any documents... Please make sure Wei is present. Thank you. Don't worry, tomorrow I will tell you a lot of things that happened and that you need to know. We'll see each other…" It was the first time he felt the bond with her pressing on his chest like that, and he hesitated a few seconds before hanging up. Finally he made up his mind and added a new farewell phrase: "I love you, Mom."
He could almost feel the trembling in Ieran's hands when he cut the call, and he himself felt liberated after letting those words out. He had never given so much importance to his family, but he came to a conclusion after that adventure, and of course, the reason was in Sakura: if he wished to establish somewhere far in the future a family with her, he could only give the importance to that commitment if he gave the same treatment to his family of origin.
He then opened his messaging app, searching for the conversation with Sakura:
"Sorry to bother you at this hour."
"I must travel to Hong Kong for a couple of days, and upon my return we should have a long talk with Hiiragizawa."
The messages were reported as received, but not as displayed, surely the girl was already fast asleep by that time. As with his mother, he felt that something was missing. What difference did it make anyway? It wasn't something he didn't know. With that thought in mind, he wrote one last message, sent it and then began to remove his armor.
Kero heard the alarm, thought it was Sunday, and surely Sakura would turn it off after a couple of minutes of fighting the morning sleepiness that always plagued her. That morning, however, the alarm went off immediately. Puzzled, the sleepy guardian poked his head out of the drawer that made up his room.
"Good morning." Sakura greeted, already dressed and finishing brushing her hair.
"Good morning... is something wrong?"
"Why?"
"Well... it's just that normally at this hour and on a Sunday you're begging for every second of sleep, lazy as always."
"I guess my internal clock is on the fritz," the girl replied with a casual smile.
There was a brief silence as the card mistress finished tidying up.
"What happened in those minutes that you and the brat disappeared, Sakura?"
"It's a long and complicated story, Kero, and I promise I'll tell you all about it, but for now... I need to go see Tomoyo... I'll bring you candy."
The guardian floated slowly until he reached her by the door.
"Of course. I'll be waiting." He said, placing one of his tiny front paws on the crown of his owner's head.
Sakura left the room and checked her cell phone screen, noticing three unread text messages, all three from Xiao-Lang:
"Sorry to bother you at this hour."
"I must travel to Hong Kong for a couple of days, and upon my return we should have a long talk with Hiiragizawa."
"I love you."
A little elevated by such a direct message at that hour of the morning, she passed through the dining room, reading the activity board, noting that the house would be alone for a few hours. She had forgotten her father's routine and how hard he worked. And then he saw the ever-changing picture of her mother. She thought it was time she gave her the weight and importance she deserved.
"Good morning."
Li's words were brief, trying to preserve a calm atmosphere as he burst into the room where Kurogane had spent the night. The samurai, sitting in a seiza position, was looking at the window.
"Good morning." He answered with the same parsimony, without turning around.
"I thought you might like some breakfast. I hope you like Chinese food."
The man turned to sit across from his host, who took a seat and brought him a tray of food. Kurogane looked at the viands, and could not hide the fact that he was indeed starving. Without much thought, he began to eat diligently under Xiao-Lang's gaze.
"So, is this your home? The place where you and the sorceress came from?" He asked, straight to the point.
"Yes."
"And where is she?"
"At home, I guess."
"So it was true that you are not husband and wife."
"We are not. But she is as important to me as if she were."
"Where are we anyway?"
"This is going to be a long explanation... We are in Tomoeda. The correct question is not "where are we", but "when are we". I will understand if you can't believe what I am going to tell you next."
"You'd be surprised what I can come to believe, kid... and speaking of beliefs... was Tomoyo really with us when I first woke up a few hours ago or did I just hallucinate her?"
"No, she wasn't. Although I couldn't say it was a hallucination either. Considering that there are many topics to discuss and we have somewhat limited time, I suggest we chat while we travel." That said, he went out and in a jiffy returned with a change of new clothes. "I don't know your size, but I think this will suit you." He said, leaving on the bed a pair of jeans, a black T-shirt and sneakers among other things.
"And where will we go, if I may ask?"
"To Hong Kong, I must report the latest events to my mother."
"That's going to be a long trip."
"Don't worry. We'll be there before noon."
Kurogane frowned, confused... Hong Kong in less than four hours from the capital of Nihon? It only took him a little common sense to figure out how to dress in the new clothes, he looked with distrust at the corridors and artificial lights of the building, he made a frightened face after getting into the cab, and very little was missing for him to refuse to board the small plane that was already waiting for them on one of the private runways of Narita airport, however, his pride did not allow him to resist after seeing that the gaijin, being almost a child, got on without complaining. The journey for the samurai had just begun.
"Thank you for receiving me so early, and sorry for the inconvenience." Sakura said apologetically, bowing to her cousin, who received her in the immense garden of her house.
"It's never a bother." The young girl answered with a radiant smile. "Although the truth is that I'm a little worried about…"
"About what?"
"Well, your behavior since last night... I don't know how to say it, but I feel something strange about you... something different... you are a few centimeters taller, and your haircut is slightly different."
"How do you notice these things?"
"We've been best friends for five years, and I've been dressing you for four. There's no way I wouldn't notice those changes. However, whatever happened, I'm not going to force you to tell me anything, it's something that probably affects only you and maybe Li, so…."
"You're wrong, Tomoyo... what happened, more than anyone else, is your business. Do you mind if we sit down?"
"Of course not."
They took a seat at the tea table.
"I will tell you about what happened when we disappeared, also about a very important person to me who had the same name as you... and about our shared heritage". She spent a few seconds in silence, trying to find the right way to start the story... she had so much she wanted to tell that the events made a bottleneck in her throat.
"It's always good to get to the beginning of everything." Tomoyo anticipated, seeing her favorite cousin's uneasiness.
"Well... after we disappeared…"
As soon as she began to tell about the Dragon's first attack on the Tsukimine temple, the words began to flow naturally. She tried hard not to omit anything, she told her about Arashi, Junichiro, Miu and Tomoeda from ancient times, about the hard trials to go through, about Li's illness, about the misadventures facing the Dragon twins and their troublesome father... She spent about two hours summarizing the events, only taking a couple of short breaks to drink some tea to refresh her throat; and then she told more. And then she delved into that part so important to her own personal history and that of her cousin: the figure of Tomoyo Amamiya Tsukuyomi, who despite being only seventeen when they met, was a high-level sorceress with whom they both shared blood and heritage, and told her about her power, commitment, dedication and a complicated relationship with the owner of the village in turn.
"Wow... I didn't imagine that our lineage went so far back in history or that it was so important…."
"I thought so myself... but now I am convinced that our heritage goes beyond history... it gives us a mission, and this time I am very happy to be able to share it with you."
Ieran opened the door to her own office inopportunely and entered, behind her the four sisters of Xiao-Lang, Meilin and Wei slipped in. Kurogane occupied a seat on the antique sofa at the back of the room, while Li sat partially on his mother's desk, facing the newcomers.
"What's going on, Xiao-Lang," the Li Clan leader asked. She looked at her son carefully, noticing that there was something radically different about him... it wasn't just his appearance, even though it had changed. It was his demeanor, even his magical signature.
"I love your hair," Meilin said lightly, putting her hands on her hips, and pointing with her eyes to the small ponytail the boy had tied at the nape of her neck.
"Thank you, in fact, that's one reason why I asked Wei to be present, I need a cut. By the way, this is Mr. Kurogane Ou." He said pointing his outstretched hand at the man, whom they had not noticed.
It was only needed for him to stand up for the four older sisters to hold their breath, causing both Xiao-Lang and Ieran to have the urge to slap each other on the forehead, and made Meilin roll her eyes.
"It smells like desperation around here, doesn't it?" Said Meilin, scathingly.
"Yes, a little... mother...?" Xiao-Lang asked, and at a glance from the question, the four girls left the room amidst complaints.
"So, son? What's the emergency you wanted to talk about?"
"First and before I begin to tell you everything, I wish that Mr. Kurogane receives the full support of this family. In my time of need, he looked after my welfare and even my learning. I owe him a lot and I want to repay him."
"Done."
"Well..." Without knowing it, he faced the same predicament as Sakura: "Where to start?" And he thought that a picture was worth a thousand words: "I recovered one of our family heirlooms."
"Really? What is it?"
Li took a couple of steps forward, joining his palms together and generating the blue flame glow familiar to all. An instant later, Wu Xing was on display before her family. Even Ieran, stoic and accustomed to seeing amazing things all the time, could not help but show a gesture of astonishment. Xiao-Lang deposited the sword in her mother's hands, and stepped back a few paces. Ieran weighed the sword without fully understanding what was going on... I mean: yes, it was a Wu Xing sword whose power could be felt from a distance, also the forging was exquisite, but why did the wolf say it was a family heirloom? The answer to that question slapped her in the face as she read the inscription on the side of the blade.
"It's not possible... this is the Wu Xing sword of…"
She was speechless when she saw her son again, standing a few steps in front of the oil painting that tried to make a representation of the mythical Hogo Okami Li. The historical figure in question had been born and died before the invention of photography, so only approximations of his physical appearance were preserved, but some elements coincided, such as age, height, complexion and hair color...
"We have a lot to talk about, Mother."
The meal had been served by the time Sakura's story concluded. Tomoyo had barely interrupted her with some incidental expression, depending on the timing of the story, which could range from laughter to concern.
"So... you and I…?"
"Yes. We are the sixteenth generation of the Amamiya Tsukuyomi family starting from one thousand seven hundred and eighteen... although in reality, I am no longer a Tsukuyomi, but the first Hoshinomegami. And that is very important and valuable because it makes me see that I am not the rare one... and that I am not alone. Magic is just a circumstance in my case, but the heritage that binds us to Tomoeda and our family is what really weighs... maybe I'm making it all too big, but I have the impression that we have an immense responsibility because of our lineage."
"I see... Mom once told me that our family was very important to Tomoeda, but frankly I thought it was something related to Grandfather's economic power... I never imagined it had to do with a magical title or inheritance... and how come we don't know anything more about the protection of Tomoeda or Tokyo?"
"Apparently, my mom should have told me, since the con is passed from mother to daughter, but I was very young when she passed away, so…."
"Okay, then... I'll investigate everything I can about our family, but there is something more important that we should discuss right now." Tomoyo said, getting completely serious and dazzling Sakura with the glare she threw out of her eyes.
"And what is…?"
"How far did you get with Li?"
"Hoe!"
By the evening of the second day in Hong Kong, preparations were being finalized for Xiao-Lang and Kurogane's return to Tomoeda. After the moving story of the events of that summer in the Tokugawa period in Japan, the Li family pledged to give financial support to the samurai while he solved his problem or came of age in his native country, i.e., his twenties. Kurogane, however, did not accept it as a gift, and pledged to return the aid yen for yen when the time came.
"So, you naughty boy... how are you enjoying the joys of married life?"
"Meilin..." Xiao-Lang reproached as he tried to put all the extra luggage into his suitcase.
"It's a joke. Knowing you as I do, surely you managed to live in a different house."
"Yes, right?" He replied, casually, but set off his cousin's alarm bells.
"Wait... what does that answer mean...? Do you and Sakura…?"
"Of course not! Why the sudden attitude?"
"You are too transparent... well, she will tell me sooner or later all the things you dared to do in those months."
"Please leave her alone, I don't think whatever happened, and that's not why I'm acknowledging anything, is something that should be talked about over the phone or video call."
"And who said I'm going to do it that way?"
"What do you mean?"
"Well, Wei is going with you to Japan, and your mother told me that it might be useful for me to come with you. I still have things to sort out around here at school... but before you know it, I'll catch up with you."
Xiao-Lang did not respond immediately, but stopped what he was doing. He did not react with the gesture of annoyance that the girl expected, on the contrary, the boy smiled broadly, apparently happy to join one more member of his family to his daily life.
"Mr. Ou," Wei asked after knocking a couple of times on the door of the room occupied by Kurogane, entering, "We are ready to leave. Would you like me to help you carry your luggage?"
"You are Mr. Wei, aren't you?"
"At your service."
"None of that." Said the boy, and bowed ninety degrees to the venerable steward. "The bra... Li has told me much about you, I have heard that you were his and his family's support in the death of his father, and that you also instructed him in martial arts and other disciplines. I am very honored to be in your presence, and I would be even more honored if you would call me by name and treat me as a disciple. To Li, you are not a butler. You are like a member of his family."
The man stood mute for a moment with his eyes wide open, so wide that the chain glasses slipped down his nose.
"I thank you for your trust and sincerity, Mr. Kurogane."
"And we need to work on that 'mister' thing, don't you think?"
"We'll see."
On the fourth day since their return, the attitude and uneasiness of those involved was more than evident despite their eagerness to behave naturally before their families, friends and acquaintances. This was particularly noticeable in Sakura, who had unwittingly worried her father and brother, as well as Kero and Yue with her attitude. "It would be best if you let her process it alone for a while," Yue had said with almost nonchalant seriousness in a private video conference with Kero, to the frown and crossed arms of the diminutive guardian. The truth was that Sakura still had that nagging feeling that something wasn't completely concluded.
That morning, however, the guardian was traveling in her owner's handbag, with the promise that Sakura would finally tell her everything she needed to know about her two-minute absence.
The Torii arch of the Tsukimine temple was the meeting place. Sakura along with Kero and Tomoyo arrived a couple of minutes after Xiao-Lang and Kurogane.
Eriol was already waiting for them there. He had previously interviewed Li on the phone, receiving from him a brief summary of what had happened and thus preparing him for that day's talk.
All gathered there, Eriol welcomed, and could not help but get defensive with Kurogane. Apparently, as with a crush at first sight, they shared a mutual dislike that neither could hide. The wizard gave way to those present, indicating that their host was already waiting for them inside.
"Can I help you with anything?" Tomoyo asked Kurogane without turning to look at him as they walked.
"No." He answered, sparingly, while looking straight ahead. He had been unconsciously staring at her while they were being welcomed. "Sorry if I disturbed you."
"It doesn't bother me, don't worry... and there's no need to use keigo, I'm not a princess."
The boy just nodded. The fact was that her resemblance to the other Tomoyo was eerie despite their age difference, at least in the physical section.
Upon entering the worship hall of the temple, a wave of nostalgia invaded the time travelers. As expected, many things had changed, some wall or furniture had been restored, but almost everything remained the same as they left it, and from their position they could see the inner garden, where Sakura could see that there were still rose bushes of the same species that Arashi cultivated.
Sakura was very pleased to see Professor Mizuki. Eriol had summoned her too, being that she was a member of the family in charge of the temple at present, and apparently the best literate in the history of the temple. And it was she who began to dispel the doubts about the story the kids had told. She took them to another room of the temple, the one that once served as a dormitory for the priestess on duty, and that now was something like a small gallery. It is worth mentioning that before that day and the madness of time travel, neither Sakura nor Xiao-Lang knew that room. Kaho began to explain:
"There are many historical items here, and they are not usually displayed to the public, most of them are from after the beginning of the Tokugawa period, and have been accumulating in this room since about the end of the 18th century. When Eriol told me your story, I set about looking for anything that might be consistent with the stories you tell... and the result was astounding. There are many things here to back up what you told us, but there is one thing you should definitely see."
The entourage followed the professor to a display case containing a very old book, apparently the original, with beautiful illustrations, and Xiao-lang's stomach lurched when he recognized Junichiro's angular handwriting in it.
The title read:
"The Secret and Heroic Feat of the Sorceress and the Gaijin."
By Junichiro Yanagisawa.
The book was inside a display case and had been cured, they could not take it, however, relief came to all when they saw that the professor had a modern reprint with annotations.
"This definitely interests me... could I, professor?" Asked Tomoyo requesting the book, and as soon as it was handed to her, they all sat down in a circle in the center of the room.
"Will you read it out loud, Daidoji? It's always a pleasure to hear your voice." As soon as Eriol finished that sentence, he could feel Kurogane's brown, almost red eyes piercing his temple.
"Yes... let's see..." The girl cleared her throat and began the introduction: "The eighteenth century in Japanese history is well known for its hermeticism and cultural consolidation, and is a crucial period for understanding the nation it is today. Common to this period is the birth of epic legends that explained the identity and reinforced the values of the nation, and Junichiro Yanagisawa was one of the authors who joined that movement. It is estimated that the epic poem "The Secret and Heroic Deed of the Sorceress and the Gaijin" was written between one thousand seven hundred and twenty and one thousand seven hundred and thirty-five, and it sought to exalt the values of loyalty, honor and bravery through characters as beautiful as incredible and diverse, emphasizing that it did not matter the place of origin of a hero, as long as he could properly represent any of the above qualities."
"That sounds a bit excessive…" Sakura said with an embarrassed smile.
Tomoyo skipped the rest of the introduction as she felt it added nothing more and went straight to reading:
"It was the ninth year of Emperor Yasuhito. Tomoeda and Edo were prey to a terrible evil from the mainland. The Joseon dragon, clamoring for revenge, ravaged the lands of my ancestors, burning crops and killing anyone who resisted it. Those were years of darkness in which the inhabitants sought the protection of their gods and their leaders.
Worried and grieving over their losses, the Black Steel King and Priestess Tsukuyomi implored the gods for divine help."
"I never begged for anything." Kurogane said, leaning his chin on his hand.
"The gods, moved by their pleas, sent their heralds to earth to soothe their pains."
In the forests of Tomoeda, the tear of a star illuminated a cherry tree and from one of its blossoms a young girl was born, whose beauty was capable of inspiring thousands of poems, and her kindness capable of redeeming demons. Hoshinomegami appeared among men.
At the same time, from the turbulent waters of the continent, a wolf swam across the ocean, and when he set foot on Tomoeda, the Moon turned him into a man on the condition that he would offer his life for the protection of Edo. Hogo Okami bravely accepted the commission."
"I think it's obvious that we weren't born there, right? I think that's a bit excessive, too." Li interjected, scratching the back of his head.
"Hoshinomegami and Hogo Okami met at dawn, after they both fought the Joseon Dragon for the first time. Knowing it was their destiny to be together for eternity, Hogo Okami asked for her hand in marriage."
"This is starting to get interesting," Tomoyo interrupted herself, clapping her hands lightly, unable to hide her excitement.
"I cannot allow a gaijin to take our goddess," the King of Black Steel asserted himself, and challenged Hogo Okami to a duel. The challenge was accepted, and for three days and nights the king and the hero fought to the death."
"That fight lasted only a few minutes, until I defeated Mr. Kurogane," Li intervened again.
"Until I what?" Asked the samurai, offended.
"Both warriors having shown that their honor and power knew no rival, the King granted Hoshinomegami's hand, in exchange for Hogo Okami defending Tomoeda with his life. For him there was nothing more important than her, so he accepted without thinking. The priestess Tsukuyomi rewarded him with a sword so powerful that Mother Earth responded to his orders."
"That's very cute." Kaho said with a mischievous look, making both Sakura and Li lower their faces, blushing.
"From that day on, the sorceress and the gaijin mingled with the people of Tomoeda, giving them their protection and wisdom.
During the day Hogo Okami revealed the secrets of agriculture and animal husbandry, the manipulation of the elements and arts of war that no one in Nihon had ever known."
"It's no big deal, it was just a little Kung-Fu, and I can assure you that back then they already knew a lot about agriculture and animal husbandry... once again, Junichiro exaggerated."
"Hoshinomegami, for her part, gave comfort and relief to the sick, her touch alone was capable of curing the most terrible ailments."
"I only did that once, and I almost died trying, Junichiro is definitely exaggerating, that wasn't it." Sakura said.
"And in the nights…"
Everyone turned to look at Tomoyo, who had stopped abruptly in her reading, leaving everyone on tenterhooks.
"And in the evenings..." Eriol urged.
The girl widened her smile looking at the puzzled gesture of Sakura and Xiao-Lang.
"And at night they loved each other so intensely and passionately that flowers bloomed, tides rose, fertility returned to the women and virility to the men who had lost them."
Li covered his face with both hands, while Sakura shook her arms violently, reaching a new color record on her face, giving the impression of suffering a small hyperventilation.
"That definitely didn't happen," the young girl tried to explain.
Tomoyo, not before giving them a suspicious glance, resumed reading to momentarily rescue her cousin.
"We lived in calm for a while, until the dragon, disguised as an old man, lured Hogo Okami into the forest. The hero came and fought the old man, but the dragon was crafty and deceitful, and taking advantage of his courage and mercy, he poisoned him."
Both Xiao-Lang and Sakura darkened their faces at that part of the story.
"To Hoshinomegami's aid, Haha Miu, Tomoeda's mother, made a pact with Death herself for the Gaijin's life, giving herself in exchange, and taking half of the Dragon's life.
Angry at their failure, The Night of the Dragon began, a night that darkened the sky for weeks, in which Hoshinomegami, Hogo Okami, the King of Black Steel, Saber Storm and Tsukuyomi fought together for the fate of Tomoeda and Edo.
The battle ended with the death and disappearance of the Dragon, restoring calm and peace to Edo. But the price for that peace was very high.
Hoshinomegami, Hogo Okami and the Black Steel King sacrificed their earthly lives, ushering in a new era of prosperity for all of Nihon.
Tsukuyomi, grieving for the losses, enchanted this poem, to give thanks through eternity, for the day when those brave heroes will be reborn or reappear in the world.
'Through my voice, beyond space. Through the veins of time my blood will run until it reaches them'."
Tomoyo became pale after reciting those words. She closed the book in her hands and made a visual sweep of the crowd. She looked at Sakura with a strange look and then at Kurogane.
"Could you give Sakura and me a moment alone, please?"
Everyone nodded, except Eriol, who seemed too self-absorbed, and reacted until Li reiterated the request. They all obeyed, leaving Sakura and Tomoyo in the room.
"Is everything is alright, Tomoyo?" Sakura asked once they were alone.
The young girl turned to look at her with a radiant expression, and allowed Sakura to notice that something had changed.
"Better than ever... Is this your home?"
Sakura felt a strong lump in her throat as she recognized Tomoyo's way of speaking, but the one from ancient times. Without being able to help it she hugged her cousin.
"Tomoyo (A)! But... how is it possible…?"
"Our blood. This young lady is also a descendant of mine. It took a lot of work to find out and manage to make an incursion beyond time through a relative, but I finally succeeded... I will only be able to do it once and I didn't want to pass up the opportunity to see you again, but I felt it would be rude to possess you, so…."
"The truth is that I think it's also rude for you to possess Tomoyo…."
"But I'm not here to talk about magical ethics, I don't have much time, so let's be diligent." That said, the priestess examined the room, apparently looking for something, and found it in the display case where the original book was kept. She reached out for it, and for a few seconds they both waited for something to happen. "Why isn't it working?" she asked in annoyance, looking at her executing hand.
"Tomoyo (D) can't use magic." Sakura reminded her, making a silly smile.
"Oh, that must be it." Without saying a word, the young girl took Sakura's hand, made her point it to the exhibitor, and before an unintelligible order, the metallic lock gave way, giving access to the book. "It has been more than three hundred years, I hope it is still there..." Terrified, Sakura saw how the priestess tore the cover of the book. But after the scare, came the surprise: "Here they are…"
Tomoyo (A) removed a couple of objects from the lid. The first was an old paper envelope that looked as if it would tear on contact. The second was a Clear Card.
After returning the book to its place and closing the display again she extended both objects to Sakura.
"Please, this envelope must reach Haganemaru..." She said with something like guilt in her gesture. And this other item is yours.
Sakura took the card. It was the same one she created on the night of the dragon, though she was unaware of what the result had been.
She gently took the object, immediately feeling the familiar aura of the Dragon Twins. She felt a pleasant tingle in her abdomen as she saw Dal and Teayang, back to back, holding hands, as they both looked at the bearer of the card. Unlike other Transparent Cards, the caption at the top was not written in Chinese as was customary, but in Korean, although the bottom was in English. The card read:
"용서"
"Forgiveness"
"You saved them," Tomoyo (A) whispered as she saw the commotion in the cards mistress. "I knew that you had survived because of the power that flowed from this object, that's why I dared to try to find you beyond the ocean of time... and because besides, your survival would mean Haganemaru's survival."
"Were you injured that night?"
"We're fine... since you left us until today that I managed to communicate with you it's been about three years. The village has prospered a lot under the guidance of Arashi and Sorata, Junichiro is already our scribe, he personally took care of putting a few spices to the story you just read, and in just days Arashi will give birth to her first child. And it was thanks to you. We owe it all to you."
"It makes me very happy to know everything you tell me."
"And for me to see that you are well, and with the one you love." She paused as they held hands, and her expression gave way to a wistful smile. It was time. "I must leave now... I'll probably spend a week asleep after this afternoon."
"Will we meet again?"
"It's very unlikely... but who knows...? You taught me to believe that the impossible is just a little bit more delayed. Thank you for everything, Sakura. Have a long and happy life, and if possible, never forget us."
They hugged each other tightly, somehow knowing that this was the final goodbye.
"Thank you for teaching me so much, and don't worry, Tomoyo (D) and I will take care of the inheritance you left us."
Still hugging Sakura, the priestess looked at the hand of the girl whose body she had borrowed, and blinked a couple of times, surprised and with renewed joy.
"Wow... so his Thread was reaching here... who knew…?"
Undoing the embrace, Tomoyo stood with her arms fainted, crestfallen, recovering from the trance. She turned to Sakura after looking at her hands in confusion.
"So... she was…" Daidoji was conscious during the whole time of possession.
"Yes, Tomoyo."
"I should deliver this to Mr. Ou then, shouldn't I?" She asked as she fondled the envelope apprehensively.
"She would appreciate it."
The young girl was silent for a few seconds. And then, out of nowhere, without her making any gesture or showing any indication, thick tears began to fall down her cheeks.
"Gosh... she really loved him... what do you think she meant when she said that her Thread reached this far?"
"I have no idea."
Once again gathered in the room, Tomoyo, now recovered, resumed reading with the final explanations to the story:
"There is evidence that most of the characters used in the ode were inspired by real people. Among such evidence is the involvement of various branches of the Li family throughout Asia and even in Europe and America, so it is believed that the Gaijin may have been a member of that family. About Hoshinomegami, however, there are no civilian records beyond this poem and other correlative writings, some military anecdotes of the period, and oral tradition. Thus, after several investigations carried out by various scholars of the period, the list of persons, real or fictitious, would be the following:
'The King of Black Steel' may have been inspired by a young feudal lord of Tomoeda Province named Kurogane Ou (1702-1718), who apparently died during the events recounted in the poem.
'Tsukuyomi' in Tomoyo Amamiya, a religious leader of the same fief (1701-1784), some years later espoused a Portuguese Christian missionary, converting him to Shinto and having him change his name to Taro Amamiya.
'Saber Storm' in Arashi Arisugawa, samurai and military leader (1695-1770), succeeded Ou as feudal lord, during his last years was part of the Emperor's Council.
'Haha Miu' in Miu Miyabe, another religious leader (1652-1718), who died on the eve of the events recounted in the poem. Many texts of the period treat her as a figure to whom all virtues related to kindness and family love are attributed.
'Hogo Okami' (1704?-1718) was treated as an actual person by a branch of the Li family, even though the recovery of his corpse was not possible, and the mausoleum in his honor in Hong Kong is symbolic.
'Hoshinomegami' (1704?-1718) became part of Tomoeda's endemic folklore, and most historians take her as the idealization of the values she represents, rather than as a real person.
'Junichiro Yanagisawa' (1700-1769) wrote many other epic poems, tales and fables, being one of the most prolific authors of his time."
There was a strange feeling in the atmosphere, nothing bad actually, it was a kind of satisfaction. After her last talk with Tomoyo, Sakura felt that she was finally closing the cycle, but the one who was really upset was Eriol. Since the reading of the biographical cards he had stood up and had circled the group several times, before the intrigue on Li's face and Kurogane's exasperation.
"Are you feeling well, Eriol?" Sakura dared at the Englishman's uneasiness.
"I don't know... tell me something, Sakura... did you receive the title of Hoshinomegami? That is to say... are you the Hoshinomegami of the story?"
"Yes…" She answered hesitantly "it was given to me by the priestess Amamiya... is something wrong?"
"It's just that...'' Eriol seemed to hesitate whether to say what he had in mind or not "in my previous life as Clow, when I was a child and I learned that I was a projection sorcerer, my mother told me the story of Hoshinomegami and the incredible things she did in Japan... Since then, I aspired to be like her. My mother even told me that that projection sorceress manifested her power through cards, and from there I took inspiration to create the Clow Cards. My mother learned the story from my grandmother, Ming-Yi Li. You also initiated my story, Sakura."
After so many emotions, the meeting finally ended. Eriol stayed at the temple a little longer, apparently, having to attend to some unfinished business with Professor Mizuki. Under the Torii arch, Xiao-Lang had asked Kurogane to wait for him for a couple of minutes so that he could properly say goodbye to Sakura, to which the samurai agreed with a snort.
Giving them enough space to make their "farewell", which in his opinion was too corny, the boy waited a few meters ahead, with his hands in his pockets, and looking at the aspect, although rural, modern of what was once his village.
"Mr. Ou?"
Kurogane couldn't help a little startle when he heard Tomoyo's delicate voice behind his back.
"Yes?"
"I have a message for you."
With those words said, she extended the newly received envelope to the former samurai.
"Thank you."
"It's a pleasure." A car stopped a few steps away from them, "I guess we'll see each other often, Mr. Ou, I hope we can get along well."
Kurogane didn't respond, just gave a bow that seemed more like a nod as the girl boarded the vehicle and got lost down the street.
He stood undecided for a few minutes looking at the envelope, until he finally made up his mind and opened it. In it was a long letter signed by the former priestess. It took him a while to read it, and he read it at least three times, trying to assimilate the whole message. At the end he held the old paper to his nose, hoping that it retained at least a little of the essence of his first love. Unfortunately for him, it didn't. Three hundred years turned out to be a long time.
"I think this is the first time we have seen each other directly."
Sakura was livid at the vision in front of her. She knew she was dreaming, the sensation was very different from when she had an evocation or a prophecy, it was eerily real.
"Who are you?"
The question was born from the feeling she experienced beyond what her eyes saw: the person in front of her had the appearance, the demeanor, even the tone of voice she remembered from her late mother Nadeshiko... however, there wasn't that soothing aura the woman could transmit to her children when she contacted them, instead there was a very unsettling feeling in the atmosphere. The woman smiled broadly, spreading huge wings of gray, brown, gold and white plumage, flapping with the created wind, Sakura's clothing.
"The real question is: who are you? I've seen other sorcerers before, they all have something special, but you stand out. Only one before you in the last centuries had ever challenged and taunted me the way you did."
"But... I have not challenged anyone, I would never make fun of anyone... if I did, I really regret it, and I hope I can compensate you somehow…"
"That innocence is truly inspiring. However, it won't save you. For taking away someone you love you started a dangerous game against me. The old woman paid part of the price for what you did, but you still owe me, and believe me... I never forget a debt."
Sakura, beginning to thread the mentions of her interlocutor, recoiled in fear... that person who shamelessly usurped the image of her mother, who knew that event so intimate and incredible about her, and who also claimed Xiao-Lang as hers and spoke of payments in the figure of grandmother Miu...
"You... you are…"
Her intention was interrupted by a quick movement of the hand of that beautiful winged woman. Sakura felt the cold touch of steel brushing her lips, forcing her to silence. The object that forced her silence was a huge scythe.
"Don't say it today. We will meet again, Sakura Kinomoto, and when that happens, I will take something from you just as you took something from me in the past."
Sakura woke up with the feeling that a bad dream leaves you with, but she did not remember the theme of the dream. She had the impression that it had been something about her mother, but without the tranquility that usually accompanied such dreams.
She sat on her bed, watching the moon through her window. It had already been a week since her return from feudal Japan, and thanks to her last conversation with the old priestess, her calmness and readjustment were going smoothly.
Still very sleepy, she checked her cell phone screen to see that it was a few minutes before 1 a.m., which meant she still had plenty of time to rest, and she also noticed a text message from the only guy allowed to text her after hours. The notification indicated that it was a picture. Drowsy as she was, her mind wandered, making her blush as she imagined something improper on the boy's part in sending a picture at that hour, and hoping she wouldn't have to reciprocate, although the truth is she wouldn't dare that much.
As she opened the file, a gratifying nostalgia hit her full in the chest. She remembered the night of the bazaar at the temple, more than three hundred years in the past, when Xiao-Lang bought the qipao from her, and made everyone look at one point on the display table for no apparent reason, discovering his true intentions:
He had hidden the cell phone inside a jar and activated the shutter with a delay.
The result was a high-definition, color digital photograph of the 18th century moth.
Sakura was grateful that he shared it with her and lay back down, hugging her pillow.
Only details remained to be worked out, even Kaito could wait. Her heroic deed for the ancient times was coming to an end.
Chapter 15.
End.