Chapter Text
"... Kujou Sara, you are the finest general this nation has seen in two centuries. Can I trust you to eliminate this interruption?"
She sits, hands in her lap, pads of her fingers worrying the leather grip of her bow. Feathers tickle her back. In front of her is the Shogun, looking more troubled than she's ever seen, features overcast just like the skies over Inazuma often are; if she were less trustworthy, Sara wouldn't know the reason, but now she does.
A threat, in the form of an outsider. There's a reason they don't let travelers come in anymore.
While Sara may not be the body that holds eternity in its breast, she is the arm that reaches, ensuring it is kept. Her arrows are sharp, sparking with her Shogun's power in the form of a Vision, and her gaze is sharper. This, as all other issues are, will be a simple matter.
So, she answers as such. "Of course you can trust me. I will eliminate the traveler immediately."
Her legs are still folded under her as she starts to stand when the Shogun's voice cuts through the air, a blade that sends her right back down to the ground.
"No, not alone. Sara, it is my belief that the threat has joined the Sangonomiya Resistance. You'll need the army."
Now, her breath catches in her throat, just slightly. A threat big enough to warrant the Shogunate's full forces? That is much more than she was expecting. When she let that wily traveler off the hook in the basement of the police's quarters, she did not expect it to have such dire consequences. Now, her men may die in battle; each wound will be one she has inflicted. On her feet, she bows low and mournfully, wings sweeping down to the floor, and murmurs an apology.
"And for what are you apologizing?"
In that voice, there is a shred of warmth, something her Shogun has long since lost. The barest hint of an 'I care' that makes her words fall apart in her mouth.
"Nothing. It's nothing. I'll rally the troops."
--
That was exactly thirty-eight hours ago. Since then, Kujou Sara has not slept. Instead, battle plans have been poured over, orders have been given out, and troops have been mustered.
Not a cloud lingers in the sky this morning, and the sun is a perfect thing in the sky, as yellow and round as an egg's yolk. Sara sits by the small cooking pot, a fish slowly frying, strands of seagrass mixed in; an army's breakfast, if she's ever seen it. A long time ago, before she was a general, she would've foraged for this herself, but a soldier brought it up to her tent right at the crack of dawn. Here, the sea is shallow, and only small fish can make it near their encampment, so small that they're barely a meal. It's little more than a minnow mixed in with a heap of seagrass.
It's not like she isn't used to it, though. With a sigh, she takes her chopsticks in trembling hands and flips the fish. A bit overcooked, but damnit, it's the least of her worries. They're a few miles off of their planned point of attack. In mere hours, they'll be fighting.
Of course, Sara is confident that the Shogunate's forces will win, but--but what if Sangonomiya is there? Normally, the resistance forces are easy to push back, but with her there, it becomes impossible. She tries to tell herself that there's no reason for Sangonomiya to show up in the fray, but then again, this battle is much more significant than any of them know. It is easy to tell when change is in the air; Sara has come to hate this feeling. She wishes she could dispel it, but it's a heavy thing.
No point in getting too caught up in worrying now, she says to herself. While the fish finishes its cooking, she makes sure every cord of her armor is properly fastened, secures her Vision against her hip, adjusts her mask, slips on her gauntlets--now the fish is even more burned, and breakfast is a miserable affair conducted alone in full gear. General Sara, finest leader of the Shogunate forces, a complete mess at the moment.
A failure, perhaps. She bites her tongue, even though it's dead silent. You haven't failed yet-- there's no reason to fear. To ease the worry, she grabs the battle plans once again, diagrams directing her to victory: where she'll send her men and when. They're already memorized, but she'll look again, run it over again, make sure this is a victory. The traveler will be brought back to the city in chains.
Her tent is too stuffy, she decides after a while, and she abandons the plans to step out of the tent. It's cool out, despite the sun, with the promise of rain in an hour or so. A lovely day, really, if she was privy to enjoy it. Suitable conditions for a battle, she thinks instead. If they'd like to avoid the treacherous conditions created by the coming rain, it would be best to leave shortly before the banks start to flood. Sara sends out to order, and watches with crossed arms as the army assembles, grabbing polearms and bows, a perfectly oiled machine.
They'll leave the tents, she decides. Hopefully they'll be able to move back and tend to the wounded after the battle, no need to deconstruct what they've already set up.
"General Kujou, a moment please," a sergeant says, and Sara turns to them, frowning.
"What?" Her nerves are getting to her, making her voice more biting than usual. It's hard to be calm right now. She hopes they understand.
"I apologize, but... we seem to have a small issue. A scout returned just two minutes ago, reporting that the Sangonomiya Resistance appears to be rallying their army--"
"Damnit!" she growls, then, "We need to move now, I feared this would happen. Did they report any sightings of Sangonomiya herself?"
The sergeant shakes their head. "No. General Gorou was seen heading down the mountain, a blond outlander was seen as well."
"That's our target. They're to be captured on sight, not killed. Spread the word through the ranks along with their description, please."
Sara turns a shoulder to them, signaling the conversation is done. It's not unusual, she supposes, that the rebels have seen them; they're rather close to the presumed location of their barracks. Any smart army would send patrols to check for enemies, and any army led by Sangonomiya is going to be smart.
So, they must fight now. A moment of hesitation is another life lost. The Shogunate's army must always have the upper hand.
In three minutes and eighteen seconds, they are marching from their camp, down the sand flats, and into battle. The forces of the resistance are visible on the horizon, just like a gathering storm, approaching quickly. Sara does not let her men falter, only marches along at the same pace, the army under her behest and steady hand.
There is no time to be scared. In battle, you cannot hesitate. If there is a chest to stab in front of you, you must stab it. In front of her is the body of the Sangonomiya resistance, and she will strike decisively.
It ends now.
--
You have failed, Sara thinks, and stares at her army falling to pieces before her. Perhaps it has ended now, but not in the way she planned, or ever wanted it to go. The damn outlander-- how are they so strong? Her men fell in front of them like chess pieces, leaving her in check. And Sangonomiya, her appearance was like getting shot in the heart with a fine-tipped arrow; Sara isn't sure if she'll live through the shock. All she can do is curse internally, trying her best to rally the troops who no longer have any will to fight.
Sangonomiya has won once again, at least on this battlefield.
She steps back once, and then again, falling asunder. General Kujou may flee this battle alive, but her soul will be scattered across the flooding land. The wind whips at her, almost painful. You have failed. It hurts. It all does.
The damn leader herself stands a hundred meters away, in range of her longbow, perhaps, but Sara will not dare the shot. She keeps an arrow notched in case, hands trembling on the grip. For the shame she has caused, she will pay dearly, that much is certain. For interrupting eternity, for stowing away ambitions, for fostering the change which has brought so much pain, she will pay.
Her anger is a living thing, forcing her legs to carry her forward again, pushing past a now-confused army toward the glittering bubbles surrounding their enemy. Ten meters away from Sangonomiya, she pauses, and lets her eyes drill right into the ones before her. Like a sunset, they are, bringing change with them. A new day that Sara will not let her have.
"Tonight, under the light of the moon, you will meet me here. Bring no allies, and I will bring none either. I wish to talk."
In hindsight, Sara cannot explain her words. Perhaps it's the anger, or sadness, or any other emotion--but it's just genuine curiosity. She wants to know why her enemy is so dedicated to their cause that they will sacrifice everything for it; she must understand her enemy to fight them. And Sangonomiya is honorable, despite everything. She'll uphold these words.
"Making plans with me in the middle of battle, General Kujou? It seems unwise," but despite her tone, the hand on her chin betrays her intrigue. They are both calm, unmoving, an eternity together as time flows around them, a bloody battle continuing without them.
"Maybe it is, but I need to know you. You need to know me. I think it will help this war, and perhaps lead to some good."
Is this traitorous? Will the Shogun find out--well, she doesn't have to. If Sara doesn't tell her, then she won't know. It's quite simple, really.
"Then I suppose I'll meet you here at midnight."
Sangonomiya smiles, and then, she is gone, gracefully stepping back into a web of her own water. Sara spreads her wings as far as they will extend, each feather splayed, and shouts for the Shogunate forces to retreat.
Today, the enemy has been victorious, but a lost battle doesn't mean a lost war.
--
"So why, exactly, have you brought me here?"
Just as she expected, Sangonomiya has arrived, and she hasn't brought a single other soul. Was it foolish of her to set this up? Perhaps. Under the moonlight, however, she can’t bring herself to care.
"I simply think we could stand to know each other a bit better. Your ideas are completely asinine and incomprehensible. You must think mine are the same. Two sides cannot fight a pointless war."
Sangonomiya stares, and does not move an inch. Sara swallows thickly.
"Perhaps I'd just say that this is also pointless and move on, but I can't say that you don't intrigue me, Kujou Sara."
"I intrigue you, do I?"
"You have an air about you that I don't quite understand. You fight for honor, that much I know, but... why would you fight for someone who is taking everything away from her own people? Is that what honor means to you?"
"Her will is the right one. The people do not understand that they will erode, unless if time is allowed to course past this island."
"... I see.
"The reason I fight is because your entire commission, and the will of the Shogun, is flawed. As humans, we change--although neither of us are fully human. Maybe that's why it's so easy for you, and that is why it's so difficult for me to understand what my people want. But I must consider: how would I feel if my Vision was taken? Perhaps ambition sires change, but is it not human nature to change? Even you and I change, in our own ways. Once we were young, and one day, we will die. It is a simple thing to understand, the inevitability of this."
Sara cannot quite explain her next actions, but she flings herself forward, an animalistic growl rumbling deep within her chest, and she pins Sangonomiya to the ground. Her sword is in her hand, pointing at her neck--
She has dueled for the Shogun's honor before, though that was years ago. Of course she was younger, but the challenger was easy enough to bring to his knees; she didn't hesitate to bring down the crippling blow with her sword, bow cast aside. There was not a moment of fear, or a what if, she simply did what needed to be done, emotionless.
You are the arm of eternity, enforcing the will of your archon. The thought falls to pieces, and Kujou Sara hesitates for the first time in her life.
Sangonomiya doesn't move, and here, Sara has a second chance, a third chance, to strike her down.
"You're calling me a fool?" she says instead, voice stuttering and much too weak. The hands holding the sword tremble.
"Did I ever say you were a fool? I'm only saying that you do not understand the truth of the matter. No matter how many times you say that eternity is necessary, you must remember that change is inevitable. The flow of time is a dimension none of us can truly touch, not even an archon. The only true fool is one who thinks they will change this."
They stare at each other for a while, as Sara tries to process the words. The Shogun isn't wrong--she can't be wrong, can she? For all these minutes, Sangonomiya does not move at all, just stays underneath her, breathing softly, eyes locked on the blade. She cannot bring it down onto her enemy, despite the orders she has been given.
Sangonomiya Kokomi, with eyes as deep as the ocean itself, a sunset and sunrise hiding inside of her, smiles slightly. She doesn't smile back, but she feels herself soften, hands finally casting the blade aside in the sand.
"... Sangonomiya, do you think that... that things could be different, if the course of our lives was altered even a little? That if there was no war, no pain, no eternity, nothing but..." her voice falters. She doesn't even know what she's trying to say, but she knows what she's trying to say--and Sangonomiya knows what she's trying to say--
Do not tell the Shogun; I am a traitor.
That is the last thing she thinks, before leaning down, letting Sangonomiya cup her cheek, letting their lips press together.