.chapter two, the ceremony
Hayate rushed down the road walked recently by Sukai and Kiro as they made their way to the biannual Waterbender Academy's Graduation Ceremony. He took in a deep breath while turning a sharp corner.
The boy ran into a few people on his way there, but overall it was simple to locate. The Graduation was to be held at the Hissorino Yume Falls, a massive plume that towered above Sakuramura. Directly in front of it was a huge disk of ice that floated in its basin, where people tended to gather for special events. Not surprisingly, this was also the location for the Graduation Ceremony.
An interesting fact about the Hissorino Yume falls: while countless gallons of water come crashing down at unfathomable speeds with amazing force, it never seems to create any noise. In an ancient dialect, it appears as though its name meant "Whisper of Dreams".
Hayate smirked as he approached the disc of ice, noticing that there were still many vacant seats that weren't branded with a conspicuous slip of paper marked "reserved". Casually, he took a seat in the seventh row, able to see the podium well enough despite his distance.
People continued entering the outdoor stage, contrast incredible between some of them. While many were clothed in regal attire, billowing dresses and hand-ironed suits, others were barely clothed at all with virtually only rags to cover them.
A few moments afterwards, a short, stout man came to the podium and began yelling. From his seat closer to the back, Hayate could hear little.
"Fellow Citizens of Sakuramura, proud parents of graduates and graduates of course," came the voice, "we are gathered here today in order to promote skilled individuals to a higher rank, to a grade where they can be considered defenders of the city, protectors of the land, guardians of the City of Flower Petals!" The man seemed irritated all of a sudden. "However, the acoustics out here seem to be rather horrible."
He took a step back and with unprecedented enthusiasm and speed raised his arms and clenched his fists high above his head, causing all of the water surrounding the platform of ice that they were standing on to encompass it in a sphere of ice; the water freezing immediately. The outdoor location now seemed reminiscent of a stadium, with the ice distorting the image of the Hissorino Yume falls behind, creating a mysterious effect. He heaved a heavy sigh, and began speaking normally. To everyone's surprise, it was now far easier to hear him.
"As mayor of this proud city I pass the right of speech to a gifted young child, "Sakuramura's Jewel" as she has become known. Prodigy of the Sakurajin family, Mitsukai Sakurajin!" Upon hearing the name of the girl he had just met, Hayate was intrigued. Was the little twerp really so powerful?
He could make out her petite form as she stood up on stage and coughed once or twice. "Um… Hello." She began, not in the most elegant of ways. Her voice was now meek and childish, as though she were intentionally trying to appear innocent and helpless. "I am sure you are all aware of the challenges I, as the Sakurajin prodigy, was to face over the years. With of course the passing of my beloved mother in the great battle of the Camellia to my baby brother's own attempted suicide, petal bending was my only way…" But Hayate was tuning out. All of the old women and female graduates were crying tears of sincere sadness while husbands and younger men just rolled their eyes at the obviously exaggerated sob story.
He looked around; people were still entering the stadium. Many seats were still available, so he assumed most of the people would arrive later and skip the pointless banter.
As Sukai stepped off of the podium, met with applause and tears, another man stepped up and began his tale. The line was extremely long, there must have been at least thirty people left with some very long speeches themselves.
Six, seven more people completed their sermons, but at this point Hayate realized that he was better off in class. His heart skipped a beat as he turned around and felt faint, all the while laughing at the inner irony that his teacher and entire homeroom class entered.
He was able to spot his older sister Haruhi, but dove for cover before anyone could see him. There were still at least twenty people to go and he couldn't remain here for that much longer. Then again, he couldn't just leave either, seeing as they would be bound to notice him… Instead, he sunk into his seat, looking as invisible as possible.
--
The speeches seemed to multiply in time and blandness, but after what seemed like several lifetimes the final speaker left the stage, making room once more for Sukai. She still wore her innocent face that concealed an inner demon, and Hayate smirked at the mental image.
"As prodigy of the Sakurajin family, I shall begin awarding these fine students their certificates." Thunderous applause ensued, and Hayate realized he was home free. However, shivers haunted his cowering spine as a glacial hand met his shoulder blade. He looked up at the disgusted face of Mrs. Ouren, his teacher, who seemed incredibly enraged.
Thinking on his feet, Hayate knew he had to get out of there as fast as possible since excuses never worked with this monster of a human being. Jumping from his seat, he sprinted for the exit and ran through Sakuramura's streets, not looking back.
Eventually, when he was at least half a kilometre away from the makeshift stadium he stopped to catch his breath. Good; it seemed as though he wasn't being pursued. He inhaled deeply once or twice, but on the third attempt coughed in a raspy tone. Smoke; there was smoke in the air, and he breathed some in. That wasn't all that uncommon, of course, seeing as the climate often welcomed bonfires and fireplaces with open arms, but it was definitely uncomfortable.
If possible, though, Hayate swore that while all the other smoke smelt honest and quaint, each one from its own little corner of the city, this smoke smelt dark and malicious, unnatural to a point. He dismissed the thought.
And then there was the first blast.