Chapter Seven: Return to Hokkan
Sakura woke up and found herself in one of the ship's rooms. She sat up and saw Aki and Tomite were sleeping on the bed with her. Tomite's arms were around Sakura's waist pulling her closer to him. Sakura smiled and kissed his forehead. Then, she slipped out from his grasp. (He better not freak out like he did earlier.) She quietly opened the cabin door and snuck out of the room. She walked quietly up to the deck and looked around. Hotohori was sitting peacefully by the door, his sword in hand. Tamahome was staring up at the sky on the steps. Nuriko was with him, lying on his back and staring at the stars. Chiriko, Mitsukake, and Tasuki were nowhere in sight, but Chichiri was sitting next to the mast. He was thinking, at least that's what it seemed. Sakura walked up the steps further and walked over to where Nuriko and Tamahome were.
"Hi, Sakura," Nuriko greeted as he sat up. "I thought you were asleep."
"I was. I just woke up," Sakura said with a smile. "What are you looking at?"
"Just the stars," Tamahome said as Sakura took a seat in-between them.
Sakura looked up at the stars and smiled. (Mother, why did you send me here? It was you that sent me here, wasn't it? Was I sent here to meet all of these people? My new friends? Or was I brought here for another reason?) "Thinking about something?" Nuriko asked.
Sakura nodded. "My mother, she's a goddess," Sakura said. "The goddess of the celestial sky. That's why Aki and I are called the Celestial Twins. I was just asking her why I was sent here."
"You don't know why?" Tamahome asked.
Sakura shook her head. "For some reason, I just appeared in Hokkan. I don't know if my mother sent me here or if someone else did," Sakura said. "I wish I knew. Maybe I could figure out why that water sprite attacked me, if I knew that is."
Tamahome put his arm around Sakura's shoulder and pulled her close to him. "I'm sure you'll figure it out," Tamahome said with a smile. "The answers always come…"
"At the strangest times," Nuriko finished.
Sakura giggled. (They're right. The answer will come to me…sooner or later.)
The next morning, Sakura woke up to the sound of the bird's beautiful morning song. Aki and Tomite woke up too and saw Sakura next to them. "Good morning," Sakura said with a smile. She seemed wide-awake already.
"You seem like you got enough sleep," Tomite said as he sat up and kissed her forehead.
"Of course, she's never grumpy in the morning," Aki laughed.
Sakura elbowed him gently and ran out of the room to look at the beautiful scenery that surrounded her. Tomite and Aki followed happily. Sakura looked out and saw the beautiful, snow-capped mountains that surrounded them and the sweet, green grass. The animals were all out and lively, eating with their young ones, and the young ones playing with their siblings. Sakura watched happily. What a peaceful morning. Sakura was then surrounded by the Suzaku Seven. They all smiled down at her.
"Lady Sakura, we will be arriving in Hokkan shortly," Chichiri informed her. "As soon as we pass through the mountain pass."
"Thanks, Chichiri," Sakura said with a smile.
Sakura watched as they slowly passed through the mountain pass. Tomite and Sakura finally saw the small view of their Tomite's home. "Wow! I've never seen Hokkan like this," Chiriko said with a smile.
Sakura looked at Tomite, whose face was lit up happily. Sakura smiled at the site of it and hugged him tightly. Tomite looked down and smiled at her. (You're finally home, Tomite.)
As the ship docked, Sakura and Tomite saw Hikitsu and the other Genbu Seven riding up on their horses. Aki carried Sakura's stuff and jumped off of the ship onto the dock. "Lady Sakura!" She heard Hikitsu call.
"Tomite! Sakura! You're back safe!" Inami exclaimed.
Hotohori jumped off of the ship and landed on the dock. Then, he helped Sakura off of the ship. Tomite jumped off and put his arm around Sakura's waist.
"We're all glad that you have made it home safely," Hatsui said.
"Everything is ready for the ceremony," Urumiya said to Sakura. "We can begin whenever you would like."
Sakura nodded as she got on Inami's horse with her. "Let's begin at once," Sakura said.
Suddenly, Sakura felt something pierce her shoulder and she flew off the horse. Blood streamed down her arm and pain filled her body. Sakura looked to see what had happened and she saw an arrow sticking out of her arm. Everyone gasped at the sight of it. "Sakura!" Aki exclaimed as he ran over. Aki knelt down and pulled the arrow out of her arm.
Sakura stood up and looked around. Then she saw him, an archer stood to the right of everyone. He looked strangely familiar, but when he saw Sakura staring at him, he ran. "Mitsukake, tend to Lady Sakura's wounds," Hotohori ordered as Mitsukake ran over and healed her shoulder with his powers.
Aki threw his arms around her. "Are you alright?" Aki asked frantically.
"I'm fine, Aki," Sakura replied. "Aki, I know that boy."
"What boy?" Aki asked. (He must not have seen the boy that shot the arrow. Who was that? Where do I know him from?)
"Come, Lady Sakura. You have to go and cleanse yourself," Hikitsu said as Sakura got back onto Inami's horse.
"What about my friends?" Sakura asked.
"I've got it covered, Sakura. I'll just get them there the same way I get around quickly. By the time you get to the temple, we'll already be settled in," Aki said.
Sakura nodded, and the she and the Genbu Seven headed back to the temple on horseback. Aki turned to the Suzaku Seven. "Ready?" Aki asked. He snapped his fingers and everyone disappeared from the dock. The next thing the Suzaku Seven knew, they were in front of the Temple of Genbu.
***The Conclusion coming soon
Sakura woke up and found herself in one of the ship's rooms. She sat up and saw Aki and Tomite were sleeping on the bed with her. Tomite's arms were around Sakura's waist pulling her closer to him. Sakura smiled and kissed his forehead. Then, she slipped out from his grasp. (He better not freak out like he did earlier.) She quietly opened the cabin door and snuck out of the room. She walked quietly up to the deck and looked around. Hotohori was sitting peacefully by the door, his sword in hand. Tamahome was staring up at the sky on the steps. Nuriko was with him, lying on his back and staring at the stars. Chiriko, Mitsukake, and Tasuki were nowhere in sight, but Chichiri was sitting next to the mast. He was thinking, at least that's what it seemed. Sakura walked up the steps further and walked over to where Nuriko and Tamahome were.
"Hi, Sakura," Nuriko greeted as he sat up. "I thought you were asleep."
"I was. I just woke up," Sakura said with a smile. "What are you looking at?"
"Just the stars," Tamahome said as Sakura took a seat in-between them.
Sakura looked up at the stars and smiled. (Mother, why did you send me here? It was you that sent me here, wasn't it? Was I sent here to meet all of these people? My new friends? Or was I brought here for another reason?) "Thinking about something?" Nuriko asked.
Sakura nodded. "My mother, she's a goddess," Sakura said. "The goddess of the celestial sky. That's why Aki and I are called the Celestial Twins. I was just asking her why I was sent here."
"You don't know why?" Tamahome asked.
Sakura shook her head. "For some reason, I just appeared in Hokkan. I don't know if my mother sent me here or if someone else did," Sakura said. "I wish I knew. Maybe I could figure out why that water sprite attacked me, if I knew that is."
Tamahome put his arm around Sakura's shoulder and pulled her close to him. "I'm sure you'll figure it out," Tamahome said with a smile. "The answers always come…"
"At the strangest times," Nuriko finished.
Sakura giggled. (They're right. The answer will come to me…sooner or later.)
The next morning, Sakura woke up to the sound of the bird's beautiful morning song. Aki and Tomite woke up too and saw Sakura next to them. "Good morning," Sakura said with a smile. She seemed wide-awake already.
"You seem like you got enough sleep," Tomite said as he sat up and kissed her forehead.
"Of course, she's never grumpy in the morning," Aki laughed.
Sakura elbowed him gently and ran out of the room to look at the beautiful scenery that surrounded her. Tomite and Aki followed happily. Sakura looked out and saw the beautiful, snow-capped mountains that surrounded them and the sweet, green grass. The animals were all out and lively, eating with their young ones, and the young ones playing with their siblings. Sakura watched happily. What a peaceful morning. Sakura was then surrounded by the Suzaku Seven. They all smiled down at her.
"Lady Sakura, we will be arriving in Hokkan shortly," Chichiri informed her. "As soon as we pass through the mountain pass."
"Thanks, Chichiri," Sakura said with a smile.
Sakura watched as they slowly passed through the mountain pass. Tomite and Sakura finally saw the small view of their Tomite's home. "Wow! I've never seen Hokkan like this," Chiriko said with a smile.
Sakura looked at Tomite, whose face was lit up happily. Sakura smiled at the site of it and hugged him tightly. Tomite looked down and smiled at her. (You're finally home, Tomite.)
As the ship docked, Sakura and Tomite saw Hikitsu and the other Genbu Seven riding up on their horses. Aki carried Sakura's stuff and jumped off of the ship onto the dock. "Lady Sakura!" She heard Hikitsu call.
"Tomite! Sakura! You're back safe!" Inami exclaimed.
Hotohori jumped off of the ship and landed on the dock. Then, he helped Sakura off of the ship. Tomite jumped off and put his arm around Sakura's waist.
"We're all glad that you have made it home safely," Hatsui said.
"Everything is ready for the ceremony," Urumiya said to Sakura. "We can begin whenever you would like."
Sakura nodded as she got on Inami's horse with her. "Let's begin at once," Sakura said.
Suddenly, Sakura felt something pierce her shoulder and she flew off the horse. Blood streamed down her arm and pain filled her body. Sakura looked to see what had happened and she saw an arrow sticking out of her arm. Everyone gasped at the sight of it. "Sakura!" Aki exclaimed as he ran over. Aki knelt down and pulled the arrow out of her arm.
Sakura stood up and looked around. Then she saw him, an archer stood to the right of everyone. He looked strangely familiar, but when he saw Sakura staring at him, he ran. "Mitsukake, tend to Lady Sakura's wounds," Hotohori ordered as Mitsukake ran over and healed her shoulder with his powers.
Aki threw his arms around her. "Are you alright?" Aki asked frantically.
"I'm fine, Aki," Sakura replied. "Aki, I know that boy."
"What boy?" Aki asked. (He must not have seen the boy that shot the arrow. Who was that? Where do I know him from?)
"Come, Lady Sakura. You have to go and cleanse yourself," Hikitsu said as Sakura got back onto Inami's horse.
"What about my friends?" Sakura asked.
"I've got it covered, Sakura. I'll just get them there the same way I get around quickly. By the time you get to the temple, we'll already be settled in," Aki said.
Sakura nodded, and the she and the Genbu Seven headed back to the temple on horseback. Aki turned to the Suzaku Seven. "Ready?" Aki asked. He snapped his fingers and everyone disappeared from the dock. The next thing the Suzaku Seven knew, they were in front of the Temple of Genbu.
***The Conclusion coming soon
