Unto Another World

Written by Becki

(C) Namco

....Yeah.. I took forever updating this thing.. If you've read my profile recently, you'd know that I've been having some problems ..; I feel really unconfident about my writing lately.. I really appreciate everybody's ongoing support and everything, but my expectations of myself is just too high, but then when I actually read what I write, it just doesn't quite meet up to what I want it to..

Well, I got this chapter finished, and with all that I'm going through right now, I think the angst will be more realistic.. maybe. By the way, Sheena's 'real' name in this fiction is Shiori. It kinda sounds like Sheena, and it means 'Violet' in Japanese. I thought that it'd fit her.

Oh, and I also had a vocab test the day after I finished writing this, so I used a lot of my vocabulary words in this chapter to help me remember. If you see a lot of words starting with 'A', don't mind it, it's from my vocab list ;

.....I'm such a bad person.. sorry everyone...

Becki

------------------------------------------------

3. Hammer of Godly Thunder

------------------------------------------------

"Grandfather.." She whispered through the darkness, abed and resting her head on the pillow. It was dark within the room, but it was suddenly brightened when Igaguri lit a match with a hiss and set it on a lamp. The word tasted so sweet and comforting on her tongue that Sheena said it again. "Grandfather.."

"Shiori.." He said in a soft whisper, lowering the lamp. "What is it?"

"Grandfather, tomorrow will be the day. I've.. I've trained for such a long time now but.." She pulled her blankets over her nose and watched the pulsating shadow of Igaguri as the flame flickered.

"What is it child..?" He said patiently. Sheena sat up slowly, withdrawing the sheets.

"What if.. what if I bring great shame to Mizuho..? What if I fail..? Mizuho cannot afford more humility, I don't know if.."

"Shiori.." Igaguri interrupted her unending flow of doubt. "How can you think so doubtfully? Are we not all here, ready to catch you if you falter? No, we do not expect this burden to be carried by you alone. Even the greatest pactmakers had friends."

"But.." She was silenced when Igaguri stood up. He reached into a dusty gray shelf and retrieved an old wooden box. He sat back down and took it in his lap. She watched with curiosity. For years she had seen that box on the shelf, admiring faded black lettering on the side, the silver latch that closed it. There was a certain calling it had to her, it seemed. A comfortable presence that it possessed.

With his thumb he pressed the silver lock on the front. It seemed to glow for the briefest second and then returned to normal. He opened the box and Sheena waited to see what were inside.

A deck of cards...

He spread them out so all cards were assembled in a frail fan. On them more letters were written, so elegantly brushed on the parchment. She noticed that the cards were more paper-like, more like small scrolls than the thicker surfaced cards that she used. They looked almost fragile..

Igaguri selected a white colored one among the creme colored cards and handed it to her. She looked at it to find that it was completely blank except for a thin, decorative border around it.

"Grandfather..?" She queried after turning the card over, confirming that it had nothing on it.

"Mizuho has a great legend, Shiori." He said as he displayed the fan of cards before her. They all had letters on them, thick black characters in the Mizuho language. Each letter represented an element of some kind. There were twelve in all, including the one she had. Sheena listened as he continued. "The twelve Guardians of our mystical village were in our favor, each harnessing the elements that the earth provided to us."

"Yes, that legend is well known." She interrupted, not able to make a connection between the cards and her situation.

"Yes, but not all of it. Listen well, my child. You know well of the Great Kharlan war and the fatigue of mana, correct? Well, Mizuho's ancestry is old, very old. Our roots trail back to those times, four thousand years ago.

"The twelve Guardians helped Mizuho in the war, they were one of the most feared in our army. But when mana was depleted, their power began to fade. The Guardians began to rely on the mana of humans and yes, even elves to sustain their power."

"Grandfather, I don't.. understand." Sheena said helplessly, holding the blank white card between her thumb and curled index finger. "You speak as if the Guardians were almost like Summon spirits.."

"Ah, yes, in a way they were. But the great leader of Mizuho changed it. Using forgotten arts, this leader was able to seal the Guardians and sustain their power in these ofuda talismans and fuse them with magic. The Guardians, however, are capable of answering the call of anybody who has the will to possess them. It was then a custom of Mizuho that whoever possesses all twelve Guardians become the new leader of Mizuho. But it was not known, that the twelve Guardian was stolen." Sheena who had listened in intense care widened her eyes and flinched back slightly.

"Stolen?"

"Yes. By whom is unknown. But this secret was kept silent by the original leader of Mizuho, who had sealed the Guardians away into their dormant forms. Since nobody rose up to challenge the possession of the cards, the leadership of Mizuho passed down to the heirs." Sheena traced the edge of the card with her finger, frowning as she studied it.

"Is this card a counterfeit of the last card? So the people wouldn't panic if they only saw eleven?" She asked, trying to wrap her head around the whole idea. Igaguri shook his head gravely.

"No. That is the Twelfth Guardian." She nearly dropped it in surprise.

"But.. how.. is that..? Did.. did you find it Grandfather?"

"No. A young girl I discovered in the Gaoracchia forest did."

"Then why isn't there any writing on--.." Sheena paused, then rewound what he had said in her mind. She stared at him as it clicked in, and he took no heed and continued.

"I was certain that this was the final Guardian, lost so many years ago. But when I came to look upon it, it had nothing on it. Yet, the radiance of the Guardian pulses from that card." He said, looking over at the white sheet she held. Sheena looked down.

"So.. so that means.."

"Shiori. That card held the Guardian of Heaven. The Guardian who looks over all elements and spirits. This is how I knew you were a Summoner. Because you had this card in your possession. Because it was blank."

"What must I do, grandfather?" It seemed all so unreal. It stung fiercely that her true parents had abandoned her to the mercy of the Gaoracchia forest. It was a deeper gash to the wound now that it was apparent that her parents had some type of connection with the thief of a Guardian of Mizuho.

"Tomorrow, you will form the vow with Volt. This will grant you part of the power of the Elements. It is a test of the Twelfth Guardian. It will awaken once you have formed pacts with all Primary Eight Summon spirits. And when that happens, I will abdicate, you will become the next Chief of Mizuho."

"But grandfather! Four of the summon spirits and their temples have been lost so long ago!" She said, recalling her studies. After the Kharlan war, no accounts of half of the summon spirits had been taken. "And.. and I couldn't be chief.." She stumbled, trembling at the idea. Would the people of Mizuho.. truly accept her as their leader..?

"Then you must find a way through time.. and through yourself. Do not lose yourself in doubt, you should not abase yourself this way." He held his hand out, and Sheena gave back the blank card of the Twelfth Guardian. "I will keep this until the day you return to Mizuho with the Eight Summon Spirits by your hand and when you are prepared to take your place according to the customs of Mizuho. But also so you remember your place.." He selected three cards from the twelve. Thunder, wind, and fire.

He held out the three cards, and hesitantly she took them, silently reading the characters in her head. Although they were condensed forms similar to Summon Spirits, she could feel the power within the surface of each card.

"Keep these. Use them whenever you are in need. You must be ready."

"If.. that is what you wish." She said sadly, unable to say anything else as she looked away from the three Guardians in her hand. He brushed his fingers across her forehead and gave his warm, comforting smile.

"It is not my wish, but that of the Guardian of Heaven."

------------------------------------------------

With deft, nimble fingers, she twisted the ribbon and crossed the two ends together, slipping one beneath the other. Her thick hair gathered high and tightly on her cranium, and she pulled the pink ribbon out to form a small bow. The ponytail was very messy and wild, but it kept the hair clear of her shoulders. She had accoutered herself in a simple garb colored in the ceremonial color of white. Examining herself in the mirror, she studied her face. Vivid and fierce brown eyes stared back, critically staring back. Sheena scowled at her reflection, and turned away.

She rested a covered arm on the wooden window-like frame of the paper door, and hesitated. In her other hand she carried a deck of plain gray cards with emblems painted on them. Scattered within the deck were three special cards in particular. Closing her eyes, she washed aside all memory of Igaguri's legend away from her mind. If her mind was not focused, she could fail.

Finally, she slid aside the door and stepped into the sunlight.

The sun greeted her enthusiastically, the warm rays streaking down to meet her. Raising her hand in rebuke to the light, she cast a shadow on her face and narrowed her eyes. A group of ninjas stood at the bridge, dressed tightly and dark despite the ceremonial attire they had worn the night earlier. Men and women both stood and waited.

Sheena took a deep breath and walked forward. Two men were talking to each other quietly at the front of the group. As she approached, they both simultaneously turned and looked at her. One of them was Igaguri, clothed in light blue, and the other was a tall man with a serious face.

"Vice Chief." Sheena bowed her head as the man greeted her with identical greeting. She looked up between the gap of her bangs and forced a smile. "Was your mission successful?"

"No, not quite." The vice chief replied with regret in his voice. "We had not returned quickly enough to attend the New Years festival. We arrived early this morning." Igaguri raised his eyebrows looked at the vice chief on Sheena's behalf.

"No, Tiga, she was asking about the mission itself." He said almost jokingly, with that certain spark in his kind eyes. Tiga laughed.

"Of course. Yes, it was, Sheena. Perhaps one day you too would be a great asset to Mizuho's information network."

"Perhaps." Sheena said, secretly excited by his compliment. "You are accompanying us to the Lightning Temple..?" She then asked, noting that he had not changed from his traveling garb. "Aren't you tired from your mission?"

"Nonsense." He waved his hand. "I'm not that old."

"Come." Igaguri interrupted, but with an acceding tone directed towards Sheena. "We have lingered too long. Sheena, Nobuo and Megumi will escort you to the boats. Tiga, the others and I will prepare the way for you to Volt."

Sheena put on a determined face and clenched her fist, holding it up with her knuckles parallel to the sky.

"I'm ready."

------------------------------------------------

"You look very grim, Sheena." Megumi said, her long, brown hair tied high and a white headband across her forehead. She had kind hazel colored eyes and a delicate face. The attire she wore gave her status away as a ninja, with the high collar and dark cloth.

"It's very misty this morning." Sheena replied. She sat at the prow of the ship, her elbows on the wooden edges, her eyes looking out across the foggy waters. It was a thick white veil, her eyes could only make out the lines of the edges on a small island away in the distance with a tall silhouette of a tower. The small boats dipped in the water with a clean, watery sound, but the morning was strangely quiet.

"Indeed it is. There was some soft rain very early today." Nobuo noted, dipping his oar into the tranquil flow. Orochi and Kuchinawa sat at the bench behind their parents, with oars moving in rhythm. The shared a small stretch of silence. Sheena touched her forehead where the sticky mist adhered with the perspiration, and brushed the loose strands away.

"Father.." Kuchinawa said suddenly. Nobuo jerked slightly to note that he was listening. "What was the news you learned with Vice-Chief Tiga at the mission?" Sheena and Orochi were suddenly alert and interested. The adult matters were often serious and usually effected the entire village. Megumi exchanged glances at her husband, who blinked and stopped rowing.

"It was nothing of import. The strange activity in Flanoir was a false alarm." Nobuo said, and continued back into the rhythm of rowing.

"We met with some trouble on our way at Ozette when we were returning." Megumi explained. "That is why we were so delayed."

The conversation halted as the boat began to skid against the shallow ground of the sea as they reached shore, letting out a sharp, scraping sound. Quickly, Nobuo and Megumi jumped out from the boat, the water to their knees. With great endurance, they showed little expression on their faces that revealed how cold the water was, and pulled the boat quickly to shore making as few splashes as possible. Kuchinawa and Orochi both withdrew their oars and placed them horizontally in their laps as Sheena looked up at the moss covered tower above. Birds circled sleepily around the top, the silhouette of their wings like blades in the morning air. There was a strange air above the tower, the clouds seemed darker around it then at any other patch in in the sky. Through the mist she could see how dark the shadows were.

"There are small electrified particles of mana that encircle the tower." Orochi explained, but Sheena cut him off without any thought.

"I know. They cause small bolts in the temple itself every so often when the opposite charges disturb each other." More lessons from the Elemental Research Laboratory. She was not alien to scientific logic, but the world seemed so much more complex and confusing the more she learned of it. Nobuo pulled the small wooden boat upon shore and Megumi was tying the ropes. Orochi and Kuchinawa stepped out of the boat to help their parents. Sheena, however kept her eyes fixed on the Temple of Lightning with unblinking eyes.

Once the boat was secured upon the shore, the five of them quickly made it towards the temple's entrance uphill. A crowd was gathered and were already adumbrated as warriors of Mizuho by the emblems marked on their attire. They were all in the same eerie, silent zone. Her skin prickled as they all gave her the identical gaze from above the masks that hid most of their faces. It was such a drastic change compared to the liveliness they all shared at the New Year's Festival the night before.

Not realizing that she had held her breath until that moment, she let it out with a rattled sigh, then quickly sucking it back in when she grasped what she had done. No, there would be no signs of weakness on her part. But as soon as she stepped into the temple, she felt how cold it was. Her hands itched to clutch her arms to keep her heat from escaping, but she endured it. Think like a ninja would, she told herself. Let nothing natural or unnatural hinder your thoughts or thwart your operation.

Her fingers were curled in a tight ball, her nails almost piercing the palm. Lighting struck in the background, and she nearly jumped back in surprise. If anybody noticed her jolt, they made no signs of knowing, and she reprimanded herself bitterly for her shock. She knew every detail of the temple, yet it continued to surprise her.

Kuchinawa and Orochi stood by on her left and right, slightly behind her. Their parents followed, their faces unreadable. Ahead at their path, two metallic structures loomed out at the sides, sparkling with long, thin strands of electricity like dwindling snakes. They fizzed and disappeared, struck again, and then faded away. Sheena watched as they approached the fence of electricity, her heart pounding like lead in her chest.

"Two by two." One of the ninjas said, though she did not know who had said it. Sheena regained her posture as Megumi took her hand kindly with unbreakable support.

"Come, on three." She said in her motherly way, and Sheena nodded, understanding. The electricity zoomed by, crackling in the cold air.

"One... two..." Megumi said slowly under her breath, and the wave disappeared momentarily. "Three!" The two of them sped through away from the danger of being shocked, and landed safely on the other side. There was some manner of creature hiding within the gloom, and was aroused by the movement. Ever observant, Megumi had two small blades tucked between her fingers, and she threw them with startling accuracy at the monster that had begun to advance. The blades cut through the stuff of its flesh, and it shrank back, retreating into the darkness once more.

Sheena was astonished when she had done this, for she had not noticed the creature. Megumi regained her pose from the fighter's stance, and stood up, her eyes gray.

"Draw your cards, Sheena." She ordered, and looked around the area. With a swallow the girl nodded, and took out her deck, her deft fingers shuffling them like the wind.

When the last pair of ninjas crossed the line of electricity, Nobuo nodded to Megumi and the party continued on to the depths of the temple. Sheena felt considerably more comfortable with her deck at hand, feeling the consolation of the guardians hidden within.

To find a way through time.. and.. myself..

It seemed selfish to be so worried. How could she be so faithless in not only her own abilities, but those of her kin and people? She terminated all thoughts of the ill fortune that had made its way to her hands the night before, and concentrated on the task at hand. She must. With great abhorrence, she shook her head and clambered on.

They followed the staircase at the center path, avoiding a certain metal pad on the ground. Sheena stole a glance around the temple, the purple strands of mana around was unnerving, and the lightning that struck along with the thunder the crashed after it did not help much either. Her feet pounded the ground with little noise like she was trained, and she could hardly feel them. They had finally reached a dark room where the thunder was muffled and the lightning dim. There were two staircases along the sides of the room, leading up into the darkness. Nobuo pointed his hand towards the one on their right side, and all simultaneously nodded.

The staircase led up eventually to a small platform raised above the room they were previously in. Most of the warriors of Mizuho were already there, waiting. They all turned and looked as they sensed the new group coming in, all glances towards the young summoner. She stepped forward to see Igaguri at the altar on the platform, and he was mumbling quietly.

"One.. two..."

"Grandfath-- Chief!" She mended herself, not wanting any of her affection revealed in such a critical time. She was unable to hear what the old man had said, and came closer to listen. However, he was quiet again and turned to face her.

"Sheena! You are here." He said. Beside him Vice Chief Tiga stood, his face neutral. Igaguri stepped back from the altar, with a strange look on his face. This expression startled the girl, and she also took a step to the rear, her eyes troubled.

"What's.. wrong?" She asked, her hands up, the deck folded against her fingers.

"Nothing, nothing." He assured her, and gestured towards the altar. "Volt awaits." There was a friendly spark in his eye the once again coaxed her confidence and warmed her endurance. She gave a slow nod and stepped forward. One warrior stepped in and flipped a switch to a long cone-shaped figure at the center of the altar. Instantly a sharp metallic rod rose from the top. The warrior stepped back, and there was a pause of silence.

There was not a long wait for what was to happen next. There was a great crack of lightning that came from the darkness of the ceiling in charged bits of mana, so strong and powerful directed on the rod. Sheena almost shouted in surprise, but held fast to her silence and covered her eyes from the brightness.

".... ... ... ...... ." She heard a loud booming voice echoing in the area in some unknown tongue. The accent was rough and demanding, and she understood not what it had said. When she opened her eyes, they caught a large mass of violet floating above her head over the altar. Her gaze made out dark, sharp eyes and veins of electricity pulsing through the purple bulk.

"... .. .... ." It said something again, louder and more violently this time, with an air of threatening force about it. Sheena's eyes were wide as the intensity of the light was fed brighter and brighter. Her mind spun in dilemma, and she was unsure of what to do. Suddenly all the lessons at the Elemental Research Academy were forgotten in that instant, and her world spun.

"The vow!" Someone yelled, she was unsure who. "The vow!"

"I.. I am Sheena!" She called out rapidly. "I ask for thou power.. thou power in.. the establishment of a pact.." She faltered, but it mattered little for the spirit thundered again and interrupted her.

"..... .. ... ... . .. ..." The language was just as abstruse as it was before, and her understanding would not acquiesce. Sheena shut her eyes and covered her ears, she was unable to see how astonished the Mizuho Warriors were. Igaguri had an expression of complete shock, Tiga was yelling orders over the loud ethereal voice. Nobuo and Megumi had their weapons drawn with their hands stopping Orochi and Kuchinawa. Sheena shook her head abruptly.

"I.. I don't.. understand!" She said to the spirit, her eyes blazing with both fear and determination. There was a slight abeyance as the crackling around Volt grew louder in volume. Sheena had a strong feeling that this attempt was being addled with Volt's sudden anger. She wished more than anything that she was wrong. Igaguri stepped towards her and raised a hand to her.

"Sheena, we--" But this gesture must have abraded the last bit of patience the Summon Spirit had. Without even an admonition, Volt disturbed the mana around him. Sheena, who was the only one of the group who had the ability to even sense Mana, pushed the elderly Chief back and gave a warning cry.

Bolts of lightning fell like rain with great acrimony as Volt adverted against them. Sheena heard yelling all around her, and there was a scent of something burning. Everything grew hot, her skin burned like fire as she felt the bolts circling around. Shouting, she tried to get her cards out and in ready position, but the chaos of noise was too great.

When she forced her eyes open through the whiteness of the sparks, she saw Nobuo and Megumi running together in a pair towards the angry spirit. The mana intensified again, she almost winced when she sensed the great power there was.

"No!" She yelled towards them, but there was little chance they would hear. She grabbed Kuchinawa's arm and dragged him back as he went to pursue his parents. Orochi was blocked by Tiga, and the two brothers watched in dismay as their mother and father grew so close to the beast with their weapons naked.

Thunder rang out, drowning out her scream as the thin white waves sparked out, instantly catching the long metal dagger Megumi held. She released a startled yell, but her discipline was not so cracked that she released the blade. She was forced back and fell silently to the ground in a crumpled stance, unable to hear her husband yelling her name. Sheena could see her face as she lay motionless on the ground, her hair strewn and body crushed. Tears poured down unwillingly, scalding her face as it trailed down. She covered her mouth and let go of the frozen Kuchinawa's arm, who was watching, horrified.

Nobuo accurately threw two blades, both mimicking the silver arc of Volt's lightning. More of the warriors came forward towards the spirit, encouraged by Nobuo's actions. Kuchinawa began to follow, but Igaguri touched his arm.

"Let the trained warriors take care of this, Young Kuchinawa." He ordered, face grave.

"But--.." He started immediately, but stopped when he saw who he was addressing. So he was forced to do nothing but watch. Orochi looked at his brother soberly with pain clearly displayed on his face. Sheena looked up towards the scene, unsure of what to do. She then realized the tears that escaped and bowed her head, angrily wiping them away. Mana kept pulsing strongly and built up at a constant rate. She glanced up, not recognizing what was happening.

Volt was in his aerial position, hovering above as the warriors began to attack. Sheena instantly found the aura distasteful and almost dangerous, but she could not say what was wrong. A circle of light drew itself out under the area Volt was floating over, and a sudden wind billowed. The ninjas, too, realized that he was doing something that was not for their benefit.

But they reacted to late. Suddenly Volt seem to unleash his fury, a terrible power that swept in a straight line towards the warriors. Sheena reached out a hand as it was happening to warn them, but she had been far too slow. Nobuo was struck in the shoulder by a fork of lightning, and fell against the cold ground. A ninja clothed in dark purple fell just closely behind, his dagger clattering to the ground. Sheena clenched her fist and stood up straight.

"Stop!" She ordered hysterically, pointing directly at the spirit. Its vivid eyes turned towards her, and the electrical currents zapped through the translucent purple flesh. Sheena suddenly felt all boldness she had fall away, and she stood there before the spirit, her deck of cards uselessly scattered all around the ground.

"Sheena!" Simultaneously she heard Kuchinawa and Orochi call her, trepidation in their tone. She forced herself to look as the spirit recharged its spell, collecting mana between his two pincher-like appendages.

Someone knocked into her and pressed her down on the ground. She felt her head slam against the floor, but her thick hair matted the fall. Igaguri hand his arm pinned across her shoulders, and he knelt as the spell that was supposed to be for her passed over his head, barely missing him. With the subtle movement of his hands, he pulled out an ofuda talisman. It instantly caught her eye, and she sat up as Igaguri had pressed the talisman into the air, and it stuck even when he took off his hand. She instantly read the character on the paper as water.

"Guardian of Water, I plead for my cause.." He said, his hands before him, just a few finger spans away from the levitating paper. "I ask for thine power to aid this task.." Immediately, Volt's attention was on the Chief. His eyes were narrowed as he observed Igaguri's request. Sheena knew not whether Igaguri knew he was the center of attention, but he had not stopped. "Rain your torrents down in our favor!"

He raised his hands, one palm stretched up towards the ceiling, the other just behind the talisman. Before him a figure began to developed in the air. A strange, bird-like silhouette that shone like the radiant moon before it solidified. It had a circle of magic that framed its back, shining characters of many elements around it.

Sheena was so mystified by her foster grandfather's calling of a Guardian of Mizuho that she was so surprised to hear another crackling of thunder pierce the air. Before her very eyes lightning flashed and blinded her sight. Through the cracks of her fingers which covered her face, she saw the Chief stagger back, and she heard him cry out in surprise. But the cry was instantly halted as he slammed back into the hard ground. The Guardian's shape seemed to cringe, and it disappeared in an instant. The talisman slowly floated to the ground, and landed with its back facing up.

"Grandfather!" Sheena called desperately without thinking, and absent-mindedly stepped forward towards both the chief and the Summon Spirit. With his unfailing reflexes, Tiga grabbed her wrist and pulled her back to a safer area before she tread further.

"Vice Chief! Let me go!" She ordered, her eyes intense and shining. Tiga was still as calm as he always was, and pushed her behind.

"Sheena, don't be foolish. Orochi, Kuchinawa! Take her back to the village immediately. The other warriors and I will finish this." He said gravely, and Orochi was about to protest when the Vice chief admonished him coldly. "Obedience is the first lesson to being a warrior of Mizuho, Orochi. This is an order." Faintly there was a look of great desolation in the young ninja's eyes, but he simply nodded. Kuchinawa said not a word.

Sheena on the other hand, was less complying.

"No!" She said, eyes tense with a feeling of great forlornness.

I am returning home like a failure that I am.. Grandfather, you should never have trusted me so..

"Go!" Tiga said so vehemently that she flinched. Kuchinawa grabbed Sheena's arm and began to pull her towards the stairs, towards the exit. Viciously she snapped back her hand to escape his stronger grip. She was astonished at his strength and that he had touched her so quickly. Trying to turn again, she stretched out a hand as she looked at Igaguri's crumpled figure on the ground as they absconded away.

"No..!"

------------------------------------------------

She sat alone in the corner with her secret weeping, all alone in the darkness with her face over her arms. Her white clothing was smeared with gray, torn and ripped at the cloth. Her eyes only reflected the flashing lights and her ears repeated the deafening thunder.

On the ground beside her, her deck of cards were carelessly dropped and scattered around. Distantly through the walls she heard voices deep into the night, hours after the tragedy..

"The chief! The Vice-chief has returned!"

She reacted slowly, but surely, and she raised her head and looked into the empty, black room. Drying her eyes with a wipe of her sleeve, she clambered to her bare feet. With silent steps she exited the room and stepped out into the cold.

Torches were already lit as the worried villagers congregated around the bridge. Remaining in the shadows, she crept closer softly, listening for their words. She stood under the cherry tree where the fortunes had been tied the night earlier, her hands on the trunk.

"Vice Chief! What had happened..?" A woman exclaimed, and Tiga's tired, weary voice answered patiently.

"Chief Igaguri is only unconscious. But countless others have.." He trailed off, and there was a shuddering silence that followed. Sheena took in a sharp breath as she remembered seeing Nobuo and Megumi being struck down so easily. She thought of the brothers and covered her face, the desperate emotion of sadness and loss consuming her.

"What will we do, Vice Chief?"

"Tomorrow we will lay to rest all the deceased. I will call up a meeting afterwards." She noticed how they had not mentioned her even in the slightest. She collapsed to her knees with her arms wrapped around the cherry tree's trunk for support. Her forehead touched the bark as she squeezed shut her eyes, pressing the tears from them. Before her weariness took over her fatigued body, she mumbled to the night, the words forever lost on the winds.

"Guardians... watch over us all.."