Chapter Eight: Let the Ceremony Begin
Sakura arrived with the Genbu Seven and found Tamahome, Hotohori, and Nuriko sitting on the front steps waiting for them. Sakura hopped off and smiled at them. Hikitsu walked up behind her and escorted her inside. "Inami will take you to the bathing grounds where you are to cleanse yourself," Hikitsu said.
Sakura nodded and followed Inami to a spring in the back of the temple. Uruki came too to assist Sakura since she was a girl too. Sakura undressed and handed her clothes to Uruki who set them aside. Then, she washed herself in the spring. "Lady Sakura, you may want to think about your three wishes while you bathe," Inami suggested.
(Three wishes? What do I want to wish for? I know I have to wish for Hokkan's good fortune in the future, but is there anything else that I need to wish for the people of Hokkan? I could always wish for Tomite and I to be together. Should I wish that I can come back here whenever I desire? But, if I wish for Tomite and I to be together, then there will be no need for such a wish. What about everyone else? Should I ask them what they want? I know what I could do. I could wish for one thing the happiness of the Genbu Seven.)
"Come on, Lady Sakura. Everyone is waiting," Uruki called.
Sakura walked out of the spring and Inami and Uruki dressed her in the attire of a Priestess. "Ready?" Inami asked with a smile.
Sakura nodded. (This is it. Time to summon Genbu.)
Inami and Uruki opened the doors to the shrine and walked to their spots. Then Sakura turned the corner. Her face filled with happiness. Everyone smiled at her and Sakura walked up to the alter. She knelt down and bowed her head. The fire grew larger and larger until a man appeared in it. The man stepped down and Sakura stood up on her feet. "You are Sakura, I assume," the man said. "I am Genbu, the god of the northern country, Hokkan. I will grant you three wishes that you will tell me in your head. They will be granted, if it is possible. Now wish."
Sakura wished for the three things that she thought of in the spring. Then she opened her eyes. Genbu stared into her eyes and smiled. "It is done, however, only 2 of your wishes could be granted. Your final wish, I can not grant," Genbu said.
Sakura nodded. "Do you have another wish?" Genbu asked.
Sakura shook her head with disappointment. (My heart it feels like it has just been shattered into millions of pieces. Oh, Tomite, how can I face you now? Why can't we be together? Why?) "Then you will be able to summon me when you are ready to make that last wish. All you have to do is call out my name and I will grant your last wish," Genbu said as he disappeared. The flame went out and everyone hurried over.
"So…what'd you wish for?" Umiyame asked.
"Why don't you look outside?" Sakura said as all of the Genbu warriors ran to look out the window. They saw the streets filled with people. All of the people were happy, and they seemed to be a little wealthier.
"They're happy," Inami said as she went to thank Sakura, but she was gone.
"Sakura?" Tomite asked as he ran off to go look for her.
Then he saw her, she was sitting in the garden looking at her reflection in the fountain. She looked disappointed. Tomite walked over and put his arm around her. "Sakura? What's the matter?" Tomite asked.
Sakura turned around and buried her face in his arms. "Why are you crying? What was the wish that couldn't be granted?" Tomite asked.
Sakura looked up and whipped her tears away. "What do you think it was?" Sakura asked angrily.
Tomite gasped realizing what she had wished for. (She wished for us to be together forever and it couldn't be granted. Oh no. How could he do this to us?) "Sakura, I'm sure there is a way for us to be together," Tomite said as he hugged her tightly.
"There is," Aki said from the entrance.
Sakura looked up and saw Aki standing in the doorway. "Sakura, you know what you and Tomite have to do," Aki said.
"Aki, no. Every couple that has gone through hasn't made it," Sakura cried. "I don't want to risk losing him. I can't."
Aki walked over to Sakura and knelt down in front of her. "You know that if you get the other god's consent that it will happen and you two can stay together forever," Aki said. "You've got to. You two are truly meant to be together. You have to try."
Sakura looked up at Tomite and shook her head. "I can't," Sakura said.
Tomite lifted her lips to his and kissed them. "We're going," Tomite said to her. "I want to be by your side forever, Sakura. If this is the only way for us to be together, then we have to take that risk. If you have any doubt in your heart, Sakura, we will never truly be together."
Sakura took a deep breath and nodded. She stood up and closed her eyes. "Genbu!" Sakura summoned and the god appeared in front of her.
"Your last wish?" Genbu asked.
"Take Tomite and I to the Judgement Gate to be judged by the gods," Sakura said nobly.
Genbu snapped his fingers and Sakura and Tomite found themselves in front of a huge gate surrounded by desert.
"This is it?" Tomite asked.
Sakura nodded and squeezed his hand tightly. Tomite smiled down at her. "We'll make it, Sakura. I love you," Tomite said with a smile.
"I love you too," Sakura said as she kissed him quickly.
Then they faced the Judgement Gate. "Let's go," Tomite said as they started walking toward the gate. Then they walked through. When Sakura opened her eyes, Tomite was smiling next to her. They looked in front of them and saw a beautiful garden in front of them. Just then, Aki appeared with a woman that looked like Sakura except with blonde hair. They were smiling at them brightly.
"Mother. Aki," Sakura gasped.
"The gods have consented to your relationship, Sakura. Congratulations," Aki said with a smile. "Tomite, brother, welcome to the family."
Sakura turned toward Tomite and hugged him tightly. "I told you we could do it," Tomite whispered into her ear. "I love you, Sakura. I will never leave your side…ever."
***Thanks for reading. Sorry if it didn't end like you wanted it to, but you know how it is. I know this was kinda short, but it was my first fic and I kind of ran out of ideas at the end. I almost started adding more characters from other anime series but it would've gotten too confusing. Well thanks so much again! Right a review and tell me what you think! Be sure to look for more fics by me! ~ Yukiko
***I'm creating a 2nd part to this story because some people thought it was too short. So look for part 2 soon. I think I'm going to call it The Priestess of the Four Gods. It'll be about Sakura's friend and Sakura, of course. So, be on the look out. However, it's going to be a crossover of a bunch of Anime. So look in the crossover section!
Sakura arrived with the Genbu Seven and found Tamahome, Hotohori, and Nuriko sitting on the front steps waiting for them. Sakura hopped off and smiled at them. Hikitsu walked up behind her and escorted her inside. "Inami will take you to the bathing grounds where you are to cleanse yourself," Hikitsu said.
Sakura nodded and followed Inami to a spring in the back of the temple. Uruki came too to assist Sakura since she was a girl too. Sakura undressed and handed her clothes to Uruki who set them aside. Then, she washed herself in the spring. "Lady Sakura, you may want to think about your three wishes while you bathe," Inami suggested.
(Three wishes? What do I want to wish for? I know I have to wish for Hokkan's good fortune in the future, but is there anything else that I need to wish for the people of Hokkan? I could always wish for Tomite and I to be together. Should I wish that I can come back here whenever I desire? But, if I wish for Tomite and I to be together, then there will be no need for such a wish. What about everyone else? Should I ask them what they want? I know what I could do. I could wish for one thing the happiness of the Genbu Seven.)
"Come on, Lady Sakura. Everyone is waiting," Uruki called.
Sakura walked out of the spring and Inami and Uruki dressed her in the attire of a Priestess. "Ready?" Inami asked with a smile.
Sakura nodded. (This is it. Time to summon Genbu.)
Inami and Uruki opened the doors to the shrine and walked to their spots. Then Sakura turned the corner. Her face filled with happiness. Everyone smiled at her and Sakura walked up to the alter. She knelt down and bowed her head. The fire grew larger and larger until a man appeared in it. The man stepped down and Sakura stood up on her feet. "You are Sakura, I assume," the man said. "I am Genbu, the god of the northern country, Hokkan. I will grant you three wishes that you will tell me in your head. They will be granted, if it is possible. Now wish."
Sakura wished for the three things that she thought of in the spring. Then she opened her eyes. Genbu stared into her eyes and smiled. "It is done, however, only 2 of your wishes could be granted. Your final wish, I can not grant," Genbu said.
Sakura nodded. "Do you have another wish?" Genbu asked.
Sakura shook her head with disappointment. (My heart it feels like it has just been shattered into millions of pieces. Oh, Tomite, how can I face you now? Why can't we be together? Why?) "Then you will be able to summon me when you are ready to make that last wish. All you have to do is call out my name and I will grant your last wish," Genbu said as he disappeared. The flame went out and everyone hurried over.
"So…what'd you wish for?" Umiyame asked.
"Why don't you look outside?" Sakura said as all of the Genbu warriors ran to look out the window. They saw the streets filled with people. All of the people were happy, and they seemed to be a little wealthier.
"They're happy," Inami said as she went to thank Sakura, but she was gone.
"Sakura?" Tomite asked as he ran off to go look for her.
Then he saw her, she was sitting in the garden looking at her reflection in the fountain. She looked disappointed. Tomite walked over and put his arm around her. "Sakura? What's the matter?" Tomite asked.
Sakura turned around and buried her face in his arms. "Why are you crying? What was the wish that couldn't be granted?" Tomite asked.
Sakura looked up and whipped her tears away. "What do you think it was?" Sakura asked angrily.
Tomite gasped realizing what she had wished for. (She wished for us to be together forever and it couldn't be granted. Oh no. How could he do this to us?) "Sakura, I'm sure there is a way for us to be together," Tomite said as he hugged her tightly.
"There is," Aki said from the entrance.
Sakura looked up and saw Aki standing in the doorway. "Sakura, you know what you and Tomite have to do," Aki said.
"Aki, no. Every couple that has gone through hasn't made it," Sakura cried. "I don't want to risk losing him. I can't."
Aki walked over to Sakura and knelt down in front of her. "You know that if you get the other god's consent that it will happen and you two can stay together forever," Aki said. "You've got to. You two are truly meant to be together. You have to try."
Sakura looked up at Tomite and shook her head. "I can't," Sakura said.
Tomite lifted her lips to his and kissed them. "We're going," Tomite said to her. "I want to be by your side forever, Sakura. If this is the only way for us to be together, then we have to take that risk. If you have any doubt in your heart, Sakura, we will never truly be together."
Sakura took a deep breath and nodded. She stood up and closed her eyes. "Genbu!" Sakura summoned and the god appeared in front of her.
"Your last wish?" Genbu asked.
"Take Tomite and I to the Judgement Gate to be judged by the gods," Sakura said nobly.
Genbu snapped his fingers and Sakura and Tomite found themselves in front of a huge gate surrounded by desert.
"This is it?" Tomite asked.
Sakura nodded and squeezed his hand tightly. Tomite smiled down at her. "We'll make it, Sakura. I love you," Tomite said with a smile.
"I love you too," Sakura said as she kissed him quickly.
Then they faced the Judgement Gate. "Let's go," Tomite said as they started walking toward the gate. Then they walked through. When Sakura opened her eyes, Tomite was smiling next to her. They looked in front of them and saw a beautiful garden in front of them. Just then, Aki appeared with a woman that looked like Sakura except with blonde hair. They were smiling at them brightly.
"Mother. Aki," Sakura gasped.
"The gods have consented to your relationship, Sakura. Congratulations," Aki said with a smile. "Tomite, brother, welcome to the family."
Sakura turned toward Tomite and hugged him tightly. "I told you we could do it," Tomite whispered into her ear. "I love you, Sakura. I will never leave your side…ever."
***Thanks for reading. Sorry if it didn't end like you wanted it to, but you know how it is. I know this was kinda short, but it was my first fic and I kind of ran out of ideas at the end. I almost started adding more characters from other anime series but it would've gotten too confusing. Well thanks so much again! Right a review and tell me what you think! Be sure to look for more fics by me! ~ Yukiko
***I'm creating a 2nd part to this story because some people thought it was too short. So look for part 2 soon. I think I'm going to call it The Priestess of the Four Gods. It'll be about Sakura's friend and Sakura, of course. So, be on the look out. However, it's going to be a crossover of a bunch of Anime. So look in the crossover section!
