Day 1: For the first time + For the last time
Don't ever leave me
Her feet drag along the ground, raising the dust in her wake as she gets away from the macabre scenery surrounding her, dozens of lifeless bodies lying in between the flames devouring the battlefield.
The crackle of the flames mixes with the sound of the drums announcing the deaths and the dying yelling of the enemies she leaves behind her to perish.
And even though she should keep advancing, Sara can't help but stop for a brief moment to catch her breath, letting her body rest against the robust trunk of a tree as the nauseating smell of iron and ashes filling the air becomes too much for her to bear, seeping through her nostrils to her lungs making her cough and gasp for air, her labored breathing becoming ironically visible in the air.
A grunt escapes her lips after a particular violent fit of coughs, before she gathers her strength and pushes herself off the support of the robust trunk to keep moving, trying to escape from any possible straggler enemy that might still stand on their feet. On her escape, Sara takes the pink kerchief wrapped around her belt to press it against her mouth as she goes through the fire, leaving a track of blood behind her as the deep wound in her chest, close to her heart, bleeds out profusely.
As Sara advances, the sound of drums is replaced by nothing but a deafening silence only interrupted by the timid and agitated chirping of the birds around her and the sound of running water of the nearby river. The ashes of the ground beneath her feet quickly get covered by a vast mantle of green grass as the orange-red hues painting the sky turn into azure-grey colors.
A brief smile plays on the general's lips upon the change of such a macabre scenery into a more amicable one, before she forces herself to continue walking, dragging her feet over the green grass, tinting it of a crimson color, before she reaches the bank of the river, following it until her body can't continue any longer and her knees give out making her stumble and fall into the cold water.
A gasp escapes her lips as she fights for air trying to not drown, tinting the crystal clear waters with the color of her blood, before Sara gathers all her strength to use her good arm and pull herself out of the cold running water, coughing and flinching as she crawls over the green grass to reach a big rock resting on the side.
Her labored pants and coughs fill now the quiet air as more water is coughed out of her lungs, before she lets her injured body rest against the rock, shaking hard against it.
A pathetic grumble escapes her lips as Sara tries to bring her hand up to stop the blood gushing out of the deep wound in her chest, before it falls onto the grass weakly, the pink kerchief she used to cover her mouth while escaping from the fire and now to try to stop the wound, grasped tightly around her hand as she clenches her eyes tightly.
And yet Sara can't help but open them to gaze up at the sky briefly, seeing the dark clouds beginning to cover it as it turns into a darker hue of grey and a timid thunder roars above her.
A lonely tear runs down her cheek as she rests against the rock.
She and a couple of her soldiers were supposed to go for a small exploration at the border upon the tip-off of a possible small group of rebels getting armed, when they were ambushed by a bigger group of them.
The fearsome general barely had the time to fend off their attack, blocking their swords before counterattacking, when the piercing yell of one of her men distracted her, making her make the mistake of turning her back on their enemies to look at her men trying to go in their aid.
Sara didn't get to take a step forward, when a rebel jumped in front of her to pierce her chest, close to her heart, with a sword.
Sara's yell pierced the air as a lightning flashed in the sky, striking and starting a fire that was used as a distraction that helped her to be able to attack their enemies, piercing them with her arrows meanwhile her men battled out, before they ended up dyeing on the battlefield among the enemy.
The stoic general can't help but let out a heavy and shaky sigh as guilt washes over her upon have led her men to a futile death while she feels her strength slowly leaving her body, sinking more into the rock behind her as her vision begins to get blurry.
She can only chuckle at how powerless and pathetic she feels, reflecting on how the body of Inazuma's fearsome general lies still against a rock waiting for death to come and take her away, instead of being running away.
She didn't only fail to help and save her soldiers, the men that trusted her with their lives, but also failed to deliver this new and precious information to her beloved Shogun to quickly come up with a surprise attack that could stop the rise and counteroffensive of the rebels.
As the light of her vision on her waist fluctuates and her eyes begin to flutter close, the sound of thunders increases while more lightning crosses the dark grey sky and a crow overflies in the middle of it to descend to the ground, walking over the grass tentatively until getting closer to the dying general.
Sara then hears a weak caw, before she feels her face being pecked lightly, making her grunt as she slowly and with difficulty opens her eyes to find herself looking into a pair of blood red small and round eyes, hearing the crow in front of her caw in acknowledge while tilting its head.
A weak smile spreads across her lips as she brings her hand up to pet the bird's head without realizing how her hand is stained of blood, tinting its gleaming black feathers of a crimson color.
- Sorry little one, but I don't think I can continue.
She pants laboriously, petting the crow some more, before she hears it cawing, kicking her stomach lightly to get off her and walk over the grass again towards the hand grasping the pink kerchief tightly, taking a corner of it in its beak to try to pull it.
The general can only grunt as she does her best to shoo the crow away, careful to not tear the precious kerchief.
- Leave it alone.
She grunts, tightening her hold around it as she remembers the woman that gave it to her, and how she keeps such a trivial garment as her lucky charm.
She can't help but let her mind slowly drift to the first time she saw Yae.
Sara remembers how the monsters burst into the forest destroying everything in their wake, destroying everything that was her home obliging her to escape, before she tried to fly away, the wind lashing at her at full force as she fell from the top of the cliff unable to spread her damaged wings to do it.
Sara still remembers her body hitting the rocks beneath her as if she was a rag, before crashing onto the hard ground, pain taking over every fiber of her tiny self as she gasped for air, tears running down her face upon that being her end, her vision fading slowly into black, before she felt a warm touch on her hand.
- Hold on, little bird.
She heard a feminine voice saying with tenderness, feeling said woman tying something around her broken arm as a blur of pink hair filled her vision, before darkness and warmth consumed her.
A fond smile spreads across her lips as Sara remembers how Yae was the one finding her and saving her, before the Kujou clan fostered her.
It wouldn't be until several years later when she would officially met her.
It was the day of her eighteenth birthday, when Sara got a letter reporting her that she would be part of a mission with the Shogunate to protect Inazuma, and even though the young soldier was excited to serve her worshipped Shogun and fight to protect her people, she couldn't help but feel anxious about it, taking a walk to calm her nerves, before she found herself at the base of the stony stairway leading to the Grand Narukami Shrine.
Sara remembers the anxious feeling bubbling inside her calming down as soon as she looked at the shrine's gates and before she took a deep breath and started to go upstairs, stepping onto the sacred grounds, before the captivating sight of a lovely and large bloomed centenarian Sakura tree caught her eye.
Enchanted by its vivid pink color, young Sara found herself walking towards it to stop under its shelter and gaze up to appreciate the beauty of the hundreds of Sakura petals embellishing its branches, before she bowed in respect, something inside her telling her to close her eyes to pray for its respects and ask humbly for protection and the success of the mission.
As she was praying, she couldn't help but hear a melodic giggle filling the air mixing with the rustling of the trees while prompting her to open her eyes to find a gorgeous pink haired priestess close to her.
Time seemed to stop for a moment as Sara became captivated by her mesmerizing amethyst eyes looking into hers while a playful smirk played on the other woman's lips, before a sudden gust of air blew, making the Sakura petals around her flutter as well as her heart.
- I wasn't expecting you to come here.
The priestess said, and Sara couldn't help but think it was because soldiers didn't visit the shrine often nor went to pray.
- I… huh, I'm being sent on a mission, so I was just...
Sara stuttered awkwardly, trailing off as she noticed the enchanting smirk on the other woman's lips turning into a soft smile, her eyes glinting with something alike care in them as she walked closer to the soldier.
- I see...
The priestess said, before stopping right in front of Sara, brushing the pink kerchief tied around the belt of her uniform causing the pink haired woman's smile to widen, before she pushed the soldier's bangs off to leave a feathery kiss on her forehead.
- Then you have my blessings.
Yae said, leaving a stroke on Sara's cheek to then cup it, warmth filling Sara with her touch.
- Be careful, my little bird, and come back home safe and sound.
The softness and care laced in her voice as she called her by that nickname made Sara gasp loudly, her heart beating hard against her ribcage as Sakura petals danced around them.
Warmth and love still fills her body nowadays as Sara remembers the first time they met and how she fell in love with the sly but tender priestess ever since that very day on.
A soft smile plays on her lips upon such a precious memory, gazing at the pink kerchief in her hand, grasping it tightly as she closes her eyes for a brief moment, Yae's mesmerizing amethyst eyes and vivid pink hair filling her mind.
Her always insufferable but lovely playful smirk making her smile widen as Yae's melodic laugh resounds in her mind making her heart flutter and pump blood through her body fast.
Come back home, my little bird.
Yae's soft but concerned voice echoes in her mind, encouraging Sara to gather all her strength to open her eyes with a fiery determination blazing in them.
- Wait for me, my little fox. I'll go back home... even if it's for the last time…
She whispers while fighting to sit up, tightening her hold around the pink kerchief that it's also her personal lucky charm one last time, before she ties it around her belt and rises from the grass, using the big rock behind her as help to stand up, before she unfurls her wings as her companion flies to rest onto her shoulder.
- Will you guide me back home, little one?
She asks the invertebrate bird fondly, stroking its beak as the crow caws happily and flaps its wings ready to fly out of there and guide her back home.
Sara can only giggle in return, before she flinches slightly while flapping her wings too, ready to go back home and see her gorgeous and lovely girlfriend even if it's the last thing she does.
The tengu bites her lips as she flaps her wings faster, lifting in the air to begin flying with the rain falling over her complicating her flight and making her fall to the river once again.
A grunt escapes her lips as she feels the cold water seeping through her clothes, stinging her rip open wound, before she gathers all her strength to lift in the air once again, her beloved companion guiding her in between the deafening thunders roaring and the raging lightning illuminating their flight back home in the middle of a curtain of pouring rain.
In another part of Inazuma, a certain pink haired priestess rests on her couch reading one of the latest novels published by her editorial, sipping her black tea with milk calmly, when a loud thunder reverberates making her mug crack and wet said book.
- Damn.
Yae curses as she rushes to dry the mess made, before a strong lightning strikes, making the lights go off.
A shiver runs down her spine as she walks to the window of her private chambers to watch the raging storm unleashing outside, before another deafening thunder reverberates, making the floor beneath her feet shake with rage as a lightning blinds her for a brief second.
Yae moves away from the window scared by such an unexpected rage, before a crack startles her, making her turn around to see one of Sara's precious masks shattered on the floor, red pieces scattered over it.
A gasp escapes her lips as Yae brings her hands to cover her mouth, quickly looking back through the window to see the raging storm lashing harder than before, a bad feeling running through her body.
As the thunders keep roaring loudly and the lightning striking, illuminating the vast sky in the middle of the pouring rain, the bad feeling bubbling inside Yae's body only increases, a nagging voice in the back of her mind urging her to leave the safety and comfort of her private chambers to go out.
A displeased grunt escapes her lips, before her feet quickly guide her through the hallways of the shrine, waving at the few shrine-maidens that dare to leave their chambers to contemplate such a mesmerizing yet frightening spectacle.
- Lady Yae?
One of them calls her name as Yae heads to the door.
- I'm just going to make sure everything is okay – the Head priestess reassures the shrine-maiden, seeing a look of pure horror on her face upon her recklessness that makes her chuckle, before she gives her a soft smile while taking an umbrella with her – Don't worry, it won't take me long.
She ends up saying, seeing the other woman nodding reluctantly with a worried expression on her face, before the pink haired priestess gets out, opening the umbrella to find shelter under it on her way to the Sacred Sakura.
The nagging feeling inside her keeps increasing with every step she takes, before she reaches the centenarian tree, a feeling of calm washing over her as her free hand rest over its robust trunk and as she closes her eyes to pray.
- Please, keep Sara safe and sound.
She prays for Sara's well-being and safety, her hand clenching slightly against the centenarian tree's bark, before the weak chirping of a bird in between the sound of the pouring rain hitting the ground pulls her out of her musings.
Surprised, Yae opens her eyes just in time to see a black crow perched on one of the branches of the centenarian tree, making her gasp, before she observes the bird descending from said branch to walk over the ground shakily.
The priestess can't help but crouch to pet its head in an attempt to calm the bird down as the fabric of her umbrella shelters the crow from the pouring rain.
- It's okay little one. You're safe now.
She reassures the crow, hearing it cawing in return, before its caw becomes more agitated, noticing how the crow flaps its wings frantically.
- Don't worry, nothing will happen to you.
Yae tries to reassure the crow, frowning while she pets its head, but her touch, far from calming the crow down, only seems to agitate it even more as the small bird flaps its wings quicker while cawing and pecking her hand.
The priestess fails to notice how the crow is trying to warn her of something, before a strong gust of wind blows almost taking her umbrella with it, obliging the pink haired woman to hold it tightly if she doesn't want to get soaked by the pouring rain and while the Sakura petals swirled around her fly to get lost in the horizon.
As a blinding lightning strikes, Yae can't help but jump scared, taking a pity look at the crow on the ground hoping it takes the hint and follows her inside, before turning around to go back to the shrine, when she sees a pair of large black but damaged wings that can only belong to her beloved general.
The happy feeling she feels upon seeing her lover coming back home safe and sound is soon replaced by horror as she notices the blood gushing out of Sara's chest profusely as well as the several wounds covering her body.
Yae gasps horrified, her umbrella falling to the ground with a loud thud, before she notices the attempt of a soft smile Sara gives her only to fall forwards.
- SARA!
Yae's piercing and terrified yell fills the air as the priestess runs to take Sara in her arms before she could hit the ground, cradling her tightly against her chest as she feels the strong but injured general shaking against her.
- Sara?
Yae asks fearful, stroking the general's face to see Sara's golden eyes opening slowly with evident exhaustion and pain in them.
- I just… needed... to see you... one last time...
Sara says laboriously in a whisper, trying to bring her hand up to touch Yae's face, only for it to fall halfway as her eyes flutter close again.
- Sara! Sara please, open your eyes... please keep talking to me... Sara!
Yae's frantic and heartbreaking yells calling her girlfriend's name alert the rest of the shrine maidens that something isn't right, urging them to get out of the safety and comfort of the shrine to help their Head priestess.
As the first shrine maidens rush to the pink haired priestess' side, Yae can't help but look at them with a distressed expression painting her features as tears run down her face.
- Quick, inform the greatest healers of the region and the Shogun about this.
Yae tells them sternly, seeing them scurrying away in the middle of the pouring rain as one of the best healers of the shrine, along with her, rushes to where she is.
- Lady Yae – Miyuki calls the Head priestess, kneeling beside her as the pink haired woman cradles Sara's body close to her chest.
- Miyuki, please, help me.
Yae implores the other woman as tears keep flowing down her eyes, seeing Miyuki nodding and helping her to take the bleeding general inside the shrine to try their best healing the deep wound in Sara's chest together.
- Please stay with me, my love.
Yae cries out shakily as she does her best to press her hands against Sara's wound to stop the bleeding, before the rest of the healers come in their aid to help them healing the general.
Several days go by before Sara is finally out of danger and slowly waking up.
The first thing the general feels is she soft and fluffy sensation beneath her sore and injured body contrasting with the feeling of the hard cold rock against her before she ventured into the stormy weather.
The second thing she feels, is a warm sensation wrapped tightly around her hand.
A soft smile slowly spreads across her lips as Sara squeezes the hand wrapping hers lightly, before her eyes flutter open, blinking a couple of times to get used to the sudden light of the sun filtering through the curtains to then see a certain pink haired woman sleeping beside her while taking her by the hand.
The soft smile on her lips can only widen at the sight of her lovely girlfriend beside her looking as gorgeous or even more than the first time she saw her, before she brings her free hand up to place it over Yae's cheek, stroking it shakily as she pulls a rebel strand of hair off her face and behind her ear.
Sara can't help but notice Yae's lips uplifting into a soft smile as her beloved places one of her hands over hers and her eyes slowly flutter open to trap the general in their mesmerizing amethyst color.
Yae's smile widens infected by Sara's as tears peek out of her eyes, before she pounces on Sara carefully to hug her, to feel it isn't a dream but reality and that her girlfriend is alive and recovering from her injuries.
- Don't ever leave me.
Yae whispers against the space between Sara's neck and shoulder, tears falling down as Sara hugs her tightly against her body with her good arm, leaving a kiss on her temple.
- Never, my love.
She replies serious, looking at Yae in the eyes as a promise, before they share a deep emotional kiss, happy to be in one another's arms once again.
The general can only smile happy to be back, to be able to see her beloved girlfriend one more time as a warm feeling envelops her, her wings wrapping the woman resting over her body tightly in them.