Chapter 9: Shinro; Direction
"Yuu! Have they reached her yet?" One of the higher ups yelled menacingly at the messenger.
Yuu trembled and gave a shaky reply, "Y…yes…"
"Then things are proceeding as they should."
Walking deeper into the cave, Mikan felt her eyes growing tired as they tried to adjust to the low light. The four of them were wary of the miko they were following, but while not having any weapons to defend themselves, they had not much of a choice if they wanted answers.
"We are close." The miko's voice resounded in the deep cave.
Then within a few steps, they entered into the main cave and were greeted by fresher air than the stale one in the tunnel. The soft glow of a few algae was bright enough to illuminate the large space. In front of them was a small shrine adorned with flowers and kneeling on the ground was a woman in her late twenties with the same attire as the miko.
Upon hearing footsteps approaching her, she lifted her head and stood up. Bowing towards the shrine, she immediately looked at Mikan with her piercing brown eyes and walked towards the table with a crystal ball.
"Yura, you haven't been treating our guest nicely." The older miko chided her apprentice with a silky voice.
The miko named Yura bowed and moved behind the shrine.
"Forgive my apprentice; she's not good with words." The older miko regarded the group and smiled gently. "Please, do take a rest, you have travelled far."
At this, Yura returned to the group with four pillows that they could sit on. Once they were seated, Yura spoke.
"My name is Yura Otanashi. This person here is Serina Yamada. Just as Yamada-sensei has mentioned, I am her apprentice and we have received instructions from Kami to guide you in your journey."
Sumire looked at the two miko's and spoke up, "You mention Kami, meaning you can hear his voice?" Do they worship him?
"Yes we can, and yes, we worship him. He is the one who bestowed us with our gifts so we should be thankful towards him, Sumire-hime."
Mikan looked at the elder miko and voiced her question, "How do you know about us when we don't even know about you?"
Serina looked at the young girl and pushed back a lock of her hair which slipped from her ear.
"We know because we are told. You cannot hide from the eyes of the ones above. You may find it strange because we have never ventured beyond this cave, but we hear Kami's voice everywhere."
"Then where is the 'Voice of God'?" Natsume interjected, irritated by the long-winded speech.
The elder miko glanced in the direction of the voice and smiled when she laid eyes on him.
"Natsume Hyuuga."
Natsume raised an eyebrow. After the recent events, this unknown lady knowing his name was no longer a surprise. In fact, he was waiting for her to answer his questions.
"I presume, you have not told them of that yet."
"And what might that be?" this was no time to be playing games.
Serina looked at the young man and tapped the side of her head, "I know what you hide. However, it is your secret to bear and it is you who will choose whether to share it or not."
Ruka looked questioningly at his best friend. What was he hiding? Was there something that Natsume was hiding that he could not even share the burden with his friend?
"Of course, why would he want to share something with me after I, who was his 'best' friend, didn't even believe in his words." Ruka thought sadly to himself.
"King's Guard Ruka Nogi. Do not berate yourself for your distrust. We are only human, and it is natural that we falter under pressure. Having blind faith is not necessarily a good thing, but you will learn from that experience. You are growing." Ruka looked up from the ground and stared at the oracle with mouth agape.
Sumire and Mikan looked at each other, what was the secret past between these two men that were travelling with them? Why did they not know what was going on?
Serina looked at the puzzled looks on the princesses' faces and smiled, "I am the Voice of God. I hear God's voice and I channel it to those who deserve to hear it. You, who have travelled far, have not travelled in vain. I will answer your questions, even those you do not voice out."
Looking at Sumire first, Serina began voicing out her inner thoughts, desires and questions.
"You want to know why Mikan is loved more than you in the palace despite your rank being higher than hers. You want to know if you are beginning to become like your mother, cruel and twisted. You want to know your part in this journey. You want to know why you are together with your sister, rather than her, being the sole heroine. You…"
"Stop. Please do not say anymore." Sumire whispered.
The thoughts which she had pushed into the abyss of her mind were being voiced out by this woman. It is true that she was jealous of her sister and wanted to know what part she had in this journey. She always felt uneasy that the servants wanted to treat Mikan better than her but could not do so for the fear of her mother. She wondered if these feelings would push her into the darkness her mother had. Sometimes, she felt like she was an unwanted presence, that no one needed her beyond the requirement to succeed the throne. Deep in her heart, Sumire envied how the villagers loved Mikan but never acknowledged her when she went on official visits.
The only comfort she had in the last few weeks was the wakizashi that was attached to the side of her hip. Despite everything, the sword still acknowledged her presence and chose to split itself into two so that she had some part in all of this.
Serina looked to the Mikan and began voice out the inner secrets of her heart.
"You want to know why you were born into your rank as a princess despite having no Alice. I know that you desire to disappear from the palace, but deep down you feel a strong responsibility to your subjects. You want to know why you were chosen as the bearer of the main sword, you who have no Alice, unlike your sister. You want to know if the rising feeling of revenge in your heart is clouding your judgement."
Mikan stared at the miko and made a mental note that she not a force to be trifled with.
Serina looked to Yura who nodded her head. Then after the long period of silence, she broke the stillness. "You have a long journey. Please take a bath at the spring in this cave. It has healing properties and your fatigue will disappear. I will tell each of you the purpose of why you are here after you have replenished your energy."
Smiling, she motioned the two men to follow Yura while Serina led the two ladies to the small spring deeper in the cave.
Once again, Koko and Yoichi were tasked to locate the princesses by the furious commander Goshima. After a day's ride to and fro from the castle, Goshima asked commander Mihara to accompany the two younger captains in their task.
No matter how much both the captains complained about the way Goshima goes around carrying out his orders, they could not compare it to the way Mihara did his. Known throughout the army as 'Medusa', he was relentless when it came to punishing his subordinates. Also, those who had worked with him long enough nicknamed him 'Hound Medusa' for his astounding abilities to flush out criminals and capture them with his Alice.
Izumi had always aimed for the people to be treated with fairness, allowing criminals to have a fair trial, but this did not hinder Mihara from twisting that orders. He allowed his prisoners to a fair trial, after they have suffered a lost in a limb or two, 'justice' which was dealt out at his whims and fancy.
The small group of 20 marched into the forest, with their weapons hidden, but after they had passed the boundary of the barrier, Mihara ordered them to take up arms and search the perimeter of the forest.
"They have nowhere to hide. The next village is in another 50km. Even if they have a day's head start, they will have difficulty going pass these thick hedges.
Riding their horses through unchartered terrain proved difficult initially, but the men soon got used to it. After riding for a few hours, Yoichi noticed something on the ground. Urging the rest to continue on, he nudged Koko and they both dismounted their horses.
"Looks like someone made camp here. The marks of the pins are still quite deep. They haven't gotten far." Yoichi said while scanning the ground for other clues.
"The tracks look like two women." Koko murmured. This was not adding up, where was Ruka and their mysterious helper? Why have the tracks reduced?
Yoichi interrupted his thoughts, "looks like the tracks disappear. Either they got smart and started covering their tracks or… they suddenly grew wings and took flight?" Yoichi added in jokingly.
Suddenly a menacing aura appeared behind them, "the young captains taking a break?" Mihara slurred.
Koko and Yoichi immediately stood up and saluted.
"No sir. We found footprints. It seems that the princesses were around recently." Koko reported.
"But the tracks disappear. So we have no idea which way they were heading." Yoichi added
"Good… we're catching up to them." The older man smirked before barking out orders. "No one is to rest until we have found clues of the princesses' direction!"
Mikan and Sumire sat in the warm waters of the spring and their tired muscles slowly relaxed. It has been weeks since they were able to get a decent bath. Most of the time, any form of water found was immediately placed in their waterbags. If there was extra, they would use it to wash their faces and wipe down their bodies.
Using the plants that were provided, they were able to remove dirt and any smell from their hair and bodies. Relaxing in the water, each remembered what the miko had told them.
"Sumire, about that the miko said… is it true that you were envious of me?" Mikan asked.
Sumire looked into Mikan's eyes and let out a sigh.
"There were times where I didn't understand how you could be so well-loved. Sometimes I wished for that love myself."
"But no one treats you badly," Mikan thought back on all the times which she was beaten by her mother or by random servants, "You were never physically or mentally abused."
Sumire thought for a while before answering, "That's true. But despite that, my mother didn't love me. I was just a child born out of a loveless marriage. She made sure you suffered, but that didn't mean that I lived a happy life."
Silence enveloped the two and the only sound heard was the constant dripping of water from the small waterfall.
"I'm sorry. You were suffering more than me, it was wrong of me to harbor such thoughts which seem so much more childish and insignificant when compared to what you were going through. Because of this, sometimes I wondered if the anger within me is turning me into my mother." Sumire said while letting the water in her palm drip back into the spring.
Mikan moved closer to her sister and gave her a hug. "But with you there, you who were always watching out for me in your own way, it made the suffering a little better. Unlike the other servants who just acted the way others have, you never raised a hand nor treated me cruelly. You didn't take a side, and even though I would have liked you to be on mine, it was the wisest course of action. You have the right to feel the way you are, but you are definitely not becoming your mother. You have so much more compassion and kindness within."
Sumire hugged her sister tight and began to cry. She was relieved that someone told her what she always wanted to hear deep down in her heart. She was happy that her sister still accepted her for who she is despite not standing up for her when she could.
"I love you Mikan, for who you are. I never really cared that you didn't have an Alice because this world seemed so cruel with it and yet with you, it really felt as if having an Alice didn't matter at all. Please, if you have any trouble, please do not hesitate to confide in me. I will be there for you just as you have for me."
Mikan wiped away her sister's tears and looked at her shining green eyes, "We are in this task together for a reason. There was a reason you were given a part despite not being able to draw the sword out of the boulder the first time. So, no more thoughts on being insignificant. You are needed. The God's have made sure of that."
Smiling, Sumire pulled on her sister's cheek and grinned, "with that all out, I feel so much better. Now… who do you fancy more?"
"What was Sumire implying?" Mikan thought to herself as she watched her sister exit the pool and began drying off.
Seeing the confused look on Mikan's face, Sumire rolled her eyes and continued, "I mean, who do you think is more good looking? Ruka or Natsume-san?"
The boys allowed the warm water to run over their wounds and aching muscles. True to her words, the spring did relieve all tension and their wounds were beginning to heal. Sitting under the falling beads of water from the waterfall, Natsume was able to gather his thoughts.
"She knows too much and will she keep her promise about keeping silent on that matter?" Natsume began an internal war within his head. "Wait, what was the that she was referring to? Is it about my past? Is it about my memories? Is it about the weird dreams I've been having?"
Ruka looked at his best friend and poked him, "Natsume."
The raven-haired boy moved out from the waterfall and soaked in the clam waters of the spring.
"Are you going to tell them about that?" Ruka asked indicating to the three emerald beads in the braid Natsume kept hidden all the time.
Instinctively, his hand reached out to ensure that it was still there. It served as the only proof that he was fit enough to join the ranks of the imperial army. Natsume's eyes glanced towards the three crimson beads which contrasted against Ruka's blonde hair.
Natsume thought carefully, he had secrets he did not want revealed no matter what. This was one of them.
"No. It's not something to tell." Natsume finally replied.
"But Mikan-hime would soon find out about it if she is going to access my memories whenever she likes. How is she doing it though? I'm sure I was sleeping with the barrier Alice activated. Why is she able to penetrate it?" The more Natsume thought, the more questions surfaced in his mind. Did he really know the princess that well that he subconsciously just let her in?
Ruka studied his friend who was deep in thought. Though they were of the same age, Natsume always seemed more reflective in his actions and did not trust as easily as he did. He was also more diligent and spent more hours on training, often training after hours secretly until Tono chased them off the grounds because he couldn't sneak into the maid's quarters.
"Haha, that was one hell of a time when he was still in the army." Ruka thought bitterly.
Feeling his hands grow wrinkly, Ruka motioned to exit the pool and Natsume followed closely behind him. However, he got flicked in the forehead hard.
"Ruka, stop beating yourself over the past. What's done is done. No point in harping over it. Sure, I was mad at you for that incident where you didn't believe me, but I've forgiven you. There were benefits living outside the army." Natsume said while pulling on his clothes. He could tell Ruka was thinking about the past by the way his eyes were unfocused and glossed over his surroundings.
"How did you…" Ruka began.
"Your eyes. They tend to go unfocused when you're reminiscing." Natsume explained.
"There he goes using his unique skill." A familiar feeling sprouted in Ruka.
"You'll always be my best friend Ruka, no matter what happens. You know me well enough to know that I don't say these things lightly." Natsume reminded his friend before exiting the cave with the spring, leaving a shocked Ruka stunned with his shirt hanging over his head.
"I will now answer your questions. Basically, you want to know your mission from here on." Serina looked at the four before continuing.
"Now for your mission…" Serina drawled on as she unrolled a very old parchment and motioned for them to come closer.
"A map of the surrounding lands of Nuru?" Ruka questioned the shrine maiden.
"Yes. But it is an older one."
Sumire tried her best to make out the cursive writing on the lands which were around the well-known Nuru Kingdom. "Aqua… Aria… Fuoco… Terra… Aren't these kingdoms gone?"
Serina shook her head and pointed to Terra. "Right now, you are all in the Terra kingdom, or what's left of it."
"What do you mean?" Mikan asked.
"Do you remember the story of how the world was created?"
How could the four of them forget? It was a classic fairytale told to children about their kingdom, where the brave little girl started her lineage and took up a palace in the Nuru kingdom. That was true till Mikan and Sumire inherited the swords.
"As time passed, the four kingdoms surrounding Nuru faded into history as they were no longer needed for protection. As Nuru experienced peace, people forgot about the brave battles fought. People forgot about the promise the four elements made to the little girl. However, just because people have forgotten, it does not necessarily mean that the four elements do not exist. If they didn't, you wouldn't be here right now." Serina began her explanation.
"Till today, the four elements still serve the humans and the gift which they bestowed to their human counterparts is within these chosen people. Just as the little girl in the story had to gather the Alice stones to defeat evil, you and your sister have to do the same." Serina looked to the two princesses.
Motioning to Yura, the katana and wakizashi was brought out. Serina unwrapped the purple cloth round both the swords and unsheathed them.
She pointed to the blade of the katana and the group moved closer, noticing that there were small grooves within the blade.
"What you are seeing now, were the place where the Alice stones were once wielded. This is the first time the sword has split itself into two and thus as you can see, the katana has four grooves while the wakizashi only has two. In short, Mikan-hime, you are to collect four Alice stones while Sumire-hime has to collect two."
Picking up their respective weapons, Mikan touched the grooves and voiced her question, "how are we to know which stones to collect?"
"In the story, it is stated that the little girl had mastery not only over the four elements but also over life and death. Which stones you two are to collect respectively is uncertain, only the sword knows."
"What about life and death? How are we to collect Alice stones for them? There is no one living that controls these two!" Sumire asked exasperatedly.
Sumire had a point and the group were once again facing a brick wall. Only Gods had the power over life and death, they would never entrust such important matters to the hands of mere mortals.
Serina smiled gently at them, "You will know when the time comes. Besides, if you get stuck, the swords will help you. For now, I would point you in the direction of the Terra kingdom since you are already in its territory. Start from there and the sword will lead the way."
"What about the humans carrying these Alices? What can you tell us about them?" Natsume asked as he studied the map.
Touching her chin, as if thinking how to phrase her answer, Serina finally answered Natsume.
"These humans have been isolated from society for a long time. Your logic and understanding would not equate to theirs. They will most likely be untrusting towards you, but if you can win them over, like the little girl in the story, you will succeed. The fate of this world depends on you two, hime. If you choose to abandon your mission halfway, this world will fall to darkness and the terror that accompanies it is something that cannot be fathomed. People would suffer and the world would cease to exist as you know it."
Mikan shuddered in her spot when the impact of Serina's words finally sunk into her. She did not have time to think about the larger picture and now when it was brought to light, this was no game where she could just pull out suddenly.
Natsume clutched his sister's Alice stone in his pocket as he stared at the cursive word 'Fuoco'. According to the map, Fuoco was located in a dessert but not many people except merchants travel via the dessert as it was a perilous land. He could not shake the familiar feeling that welled up within him.
"Hyuuga… Hyuuga…"
The crimson-eyed boy was suddenly drawn into a plane of blackness. In front of him, he saw the numerous sand dunes and in the middle of this scene, tents of various colours pitched. He saw the large castle made of sandstone standing magnificently amidst the dunes. He felt the grains gently moving around his feet.
In another moment, he saw a young lady with black hair running around with a sheer red scarf over her head. She giggled and run at the same time, careful not to trip over the thick rug on the ground.
"Stop running please!" Someone pleaded with the lady, and she turned around to stick out her tongue. At that moment, Natsume caught a glimpse of her eyes despite having three-quarters of her face covered; staring back at him was the same crimson eyes he had.
"Natsume!"
Natsume jolted back to the present and turned to see Mikan putting a hand on his shoulder. She wore a worried expression and within her brown orbs, he saw that his face had gone pale.
Serina looked to the young man and nodded. She knew that he had just seen something but decided not to dwell on it.
"Do you all know the properties of an Alice stone? How it is made and how it is used?" Serina looked to the rest.
Ruka and the two princesses nodded.
"An Alice stone is made when one's lifespan is shorter than their Alice capabilities. If they happen to perish before their Alice is used up, an Alice stone is produced in their hands at their deaths. Alternatively, if one uses up their Alice before they perish, then they would lose their Alice and no longer be an Alice user." Mikan explained.
"That is correct. Do you know why you can see the souls of the Alice stone Mikan and Sumire-hime?" Serina continued.
Mikan and Sumire pondered, they had never really thought about why they could see the previous masters of the stones. They just accepted that they were not human by the aura they had around them and it did not surprise the princesses whenever they saw a little child or a grown adult with such an aura walk past them.
"It is because you have seen death. Only upon seeing it, can you see their souls. The more traumatizing and important the death, the clearer the image. This is why Ruka-san can only see a slight outline while the rest of you can see a person with their Alice's aura."
Serina looked to the hole in the cave and noted the moon's position in the sky. Turning her attention back the four young adults, she imparted one last advice, "if you are ever stuck in your mission, the story that has been told to you would be your ultimate guide. It has all the clues you require, and if need be, consult the sword. I will pray for your safety and success. It is late, do rest here for the night and begin your journey early tomorrow. You will need all the strength you can get."
Serina motioned for Yura to bring the four to their beds while she stayed back to consult the crystal ball on the table.
"Hm… her best friend is on her way here, but there are people hot on her trail. Yuu did mention about another party arriving."
The crystal ball then changed the scene to the palace in the Nuru kingdom. There she was met with the sight of Kuonji cruelly torturing his captives before storming out to discuss with people dressed in white.
"Your ambition is clouding your heart Kuonji… even if you wanted to atone, you are too late."