Work Text:
“Madame Kujou.”
Sara tries to ignore the bitter feeling in the back of her throat, that travels down to the pit of her stomach, at the title. “Yes, soldier?”
“Here are the reports you asked for.” The soldier hands her a stack of papers. “Is there anything else I can do for you, ma’am?”
There it is again.
“No,” Sara says a bit too quickly, and a little too forcefully. “You are dismissed.”
The soldier doesn’t seem to notice the shift in her mood, but he bows and leaves her office. She doesn’t understand why this causes her to feel terrible either. “Madame” . . . “ma’am” . . . why can’t her soldiers just call her ‘General’ like they do her brother? They share the same rank, but why does there need to be a distinction between them? General for him and . . . and . . . not General for her. And ma’am . . . it feels just as bad.
The press of the quill against paper becomes harder as she tries to focus on the work before her, but the thoughts won’t leave her alone. The tip snaps and a blotch of ink ruins the document she was working on. “Damn it.”
That was her last quill. She’ll have to use one of her feathers.
The inky black Tengu wings stretch out behind her, and she plucks one of the looser feathers to use. A few years ago, she would have had to double check to make sure no one was around to get an emergency quill from her own wings, in case word got back to her father . . .
“Your wings are hideous, you must hide them,” he would tell her. “Wear them under your robes, I don’t care how uncomfortable it is,” he insisted. “No! You cannot wear those. Those are for boys, and you are a girl–”
Sara chokes on air as the memory comes back to her.
Before the panic attack can set in, Sara counts and breathes just like Miko taught her. She manages to calm herself down.
Better to not think about the past. Focus on work . . . and try to not break anymore quills.
Sara’s mood does not improve throughout the day. She’s short with her soldiers whether they deserve it or not, which only makes herself feel worse.
At the end of the day, she marches into Tenshukaku, heavy footsteps echoing down the halls. When she enters her shared room with Ei, she just wants to go to sleep and ignore these feelings. To her surprise, Ei is already there.
“Hello love,” Ei greets with a soft smile. She gets up from where she was sitting – reading a light novel from Miko – and crosses the room in a flash to have Sara in her arms. Almost instantly, Sara started to feel better.
“Did you finish work early today?” Sara asks.
“Yes, since Miko is back at the Shrine I was able to work without interruption. I love her, but I seem to get more work done when she’s not here.” Ei presses a kiss to the side of Sara’s jaw, “How was your day?”
What does she tell her? The truth? That every time someone called her “Madame” or “ma’am” she felt like lashing out? No, then she would think that there’s something wrong with her. “It was long.”
“You do sound tired,” Ei murmurs into the crook of her jaw. “So let me help you relax, love.”
Ei stands up on her toes to kiss Sara soundly on the lips, stealing her breath away. She gasps as Ei trails kisses down the edge of her jaw until she’s sucking on her pulse point. Warm hands work their way under the layers of clothes and roam across her chest. She opens her eyes and –
There’s a mirror across the room. There’s a woman that Ei is touching and kissing, but that can’t be her, right? Sara . . . she . . . she? Sara shouldn’t look like that.
“Sara?” Ei pauses and glances up. “Is everything alright?”
No, no, it’s not right. That body in the mirror . . . it shouldn’t be Sara’s. Sara has to tear her gaze from the mirror to look at Ei’s purple eyes.
“I’m sorry,” Sara mumbles. “I don’t think I’m in the mood.”
“That’s okay,” Ei kisses Sara softly and removes her hands from her chest. She entwines her hand with Sara’s. “Would you just like to lay together?”
Sara nods.
Ei leads her (that doesn’t quite sound right in their own head now) over to the bed, and they lay down on the piles of sheets and pillows. Sara’s tucked into Ei’s side, and she finally feels peace for the first time that day. Maybe with some sleep, these feelings and confusion will go away.
“Madame Kujou–”
“Ma’am–”
“Miss–”
“Lady Kujou–”
“You’re a sweet girl–”
“Thanks lady–”
By the end of the week, Sara can’t look in the mirror.
She’s removed the one in her office. Covered up the one in her personal quarters. Pointedly ignores the one in Ei’s room.
What Sara sees in the mirror just . . . doesn’t match how she feels.
If it was just avoiding mirrors for the rest of her life, she would do it. But . . . other things aren’t helping.
People always refer to her with feminine terms. That’s logical, she’s supposed to be a woman. Why does it make her feel uncomfortable then? Sick to her stomach? Incredibly angry?
Ei and Miko have both noticed. She’s been short with them as well, without meaning to. She doesn’t want to be seen without the lights off. She’s been closing herself off.
Sara tries to tell them that work has been stressful. Miko’s solution to this is to force her to take a day off and come up to the Shrine to relax. Sara knows it won’t help with the conflicting feelings inside, but she goes anyways.
“You’re thinking awfully loudly there, little bird.”
Sara startles and glances up at Miko. She invited the Tengu up to the Shrine to relax, but Sara was doing anything but that. Thoughts won’t leave Sara alone.
“Sorry,” Sara murmurs.
“No need to apologize,” Miko sets down her book and runs her fingers through Sara’s hair. “If there’s something troubling you, you can tell me.”
It takes Sara a moment for all of the thoughts to settle and speak, “Miko . . . have you ever looked in the mirror and realized that how you look in your mind doesn’t match what you see in the mirror?”
Miko stills. Sara wonders if that was the wrong thing to say. Miko resumes her action and softly says, “While that thought has never crossed my mind, that doesn’t mean it’s not right. Sara, do you have that thought often?”
She waits for Sara to speak. “Every time I look in the mirror.”
“That’s a very heavy thought to keep to yourself, little bird,” Miko says. “Thank-you for trusting me enough to share it with me. If you’re still feeling brave, would you share with me how you see yourself?”
Sara takes a deep breath, “A . . . flatter chest. Less . . . curves, I suppose.”
“So, more masculine?” Miko asks.
When Sara tries to answer, it comes out as a sob instead. The Tengu is surprised – why are tears falling? Sara doesn’t feel sad, instead . . . relief.
“Little bird,” Miko murmurs as she helps Sara sit up to pull into a hug. “You must’ve kept that inside you for so long. It’s okay. It’s okay.”
Miko holds Sara until the tears stop falling, which is . . . a while. Sara does feel lighter afterwards.
“How do you feel?”
“Better.”
“Good, good,” Miko rubs soothing circles onto Sara’s back. “Say . . . would you be willing to try something for me?”
That tone of voice . . . it can only mean trouble for Sara. “That depends on what it is.”
“Oh, just a little makeover.”
“Makeover?” Sara repeats.
“Only if you’re up for it,” Miko says. “I want to see if we can attempt to match the reflection in the mirror to the reflection in your mind.”
Sara startles, “You . . . think we can do that?”
Miko smiles, “There’s a few things we can try. What do you think?”
With a deep breath, Sara agrees.
Miko’s idea of a makeover isn’t as terrible as Sara feared it would be. The Tengu was shocked at the command of “take off your shirt” but complied. Miko winds a wrap around Sara’s chest, occasionally asking “is it too tight?” but it never is. Miko finds a looser fitting shirt for Sara to wear and spends a good amount of time fussing over hair. However, that’s the extent of the makeover.
“Oh,” Miko steps back, a smile splayed across her lips. “You look handsome. Dashing, even.”
“It doesn’t feel like you did much,” Sara says. “And you always call me handsome.”
“Sometimes it’s the smallest things that can make the biggest difference,” Miko insists. She grabs Sara’s arm to drag across the room. Miko brings Sara in front of the mirror . . . the sight is incredible.
Their chest is flat. Their chest is flat! The shirt Miko chose hides the curves of their hips and any remaining volume in their chest. Their hair has been pulled back to reveal their undercut and tied on the back of their head.
“What do you think?” Miko asks. Her steady hands on their shoulders ground them. “Did we get closer?”
“Yes,” Sara gasps, choking on another sob. In the mirror, they see themself smiling. They don’t really understand why they’re so happy.
“Do you see why I called you handsome?” Miko scratches the side of their head, nails gliding through the soft hair. “You really are, little bird.”
They release a shaky sigh – who knows how long they’ve kept that in – and places their hand over Miko’s, “Thank-you so much, Miko.”
“You’re welcome,” Miko says. She continues to pet Sara’s head, but it looks like there’s a question on the tip of her tongue. She waits until they have calmed down. “Little bird . . . may I ask you a question?”
Sara nods, “Yes.”
“If you don’t have the answer yet, then don’t worry,” Miko insists. “Love . . . are you a woman?”
“Uhm,” Sara’s mouth suddenly feels dry. “You know I am.”
Miko rolls her eyes, “Not biologically. I mean, who you are. You don’t seem to see yourself as one.”
Sara stares at the mirror. What they see feels right. It isn’t feminine at all. Things start to line up. They hated the traditional dresses they used to be forced to wear. They hated being referred to as ‘Madame Kujou’. They hated all these things but tolerated them because they thought they had no choice. But maybe now . . . they do.
“No,” Sara says. “At least . . . I don’t think so?”
“Do you think you feel like a man?”
“No,” Sara says without thinking too much. “I like . . . looking like this, but that doesn’t feel right.”
“Then, nonbinary?” Miko says. “Neither man nor woman.”
That resonated in their chest. It seems to fit right at home with their Tengu bones. “I’m not sure, but that feels . . . better.”
“We’ll go with that for now,” Miko smiles as she hugs them, arms wrapped around their shoulders. “How should I refer to you then? They? Xem? Is Sara still good?”
“They,” Sara says, growing more confident “And . . . I am rather quite attached to my name.”
“Good. And if there is anything else that I can do to make you feel more comfortable, let me know.” Miko punctuates that with a kiss to the side of their head. “I also think you should talk to Ei. Obviously, she’ll need to know but . . . I think she will understand what you’re feeling right now more than I.”
Sara glances up, “Should I do it now?”
“No, it’s far too late,” Miko steps back and tugs on their shoulders. “Let’s go to bed – and we’ll have to take the wraps off.”
They turn to Miko and attempt to not pout, “Do I have to?”
“I’m sorry, little bird, it’s not safe to sleep with them on, or keep them on too long,” Miko tugs at the shirt, pulling it over their head. “There are actually safer methods, anyways. I’ll get you a binder as soon as I can, okay?”
“Okay,” Sara concedes and lets Miko undo the bindings. Very pointedly, Sara ignored looking back into the mirror before climbing into bed with Miko.
The next day, Sara explains the previous night’s revelations to Ei, with a little help from Miko.
“Thank-you for trusting me enough to tell me this Sara,” Ei murmurs as she holds them. They always feel safe in her arms. “I understand what you’re going through, albeit in a different direction. Please let me know if you have any questions, or if there’s anything I can do to help you.”
“I will,” Sara says. When Ei releases them, they hold their tongue. There is something they’d like . . . but it’s too soon, even if Miko promised them last night.
“What are you thinking, little bird?” Miko asks. “Ei did just say you should let us know if we can do anything.”
They raise their hand to their chest, palm hovering over the fabric. “I . . . I would like a way to bind my chest again. That felt nice.”
“Binding your chest with wrappings like we did last night is dangerous in the long run,” Miko explains again. “But, I know someone who makes garments that can do the same thing.”
“I would like that,” Sara says. “. . . As soon as possible, if we can.”
“Or,” Ei says. “We could just get rid of your breasts.”
Sara blinks owlishly, “How?”
Ei begins to draw the Musou no Hitotachi from between her breasts and purple light casts shadows across the room . . . until Miko grabs the hilt and pushes it back in.
“Ei, no!” Miko scolds.
She stares at Miko, “Why not?”
“It’s stupid and dangerous!” Miko insists.
“She has a point,” Sara says thoughtfully. “I’ve read stories of archers who would cut off their breasts for the ease of drawing the bow.” Although Sara held the blade in their hands with the same intention, they had never followed through; speaking it aloud proved difficult. “Cutting them off would solve the problem.”
Miko closes her eyes, shaking her head with a sigh. “Sara, that’s what top surgery is for. We’re not cutting any tits off with a sword. Before we arrange for surgery, we’ll get you a binder, alright?”
Ei appears to be a little disappointed, but Sara nods understandingly. “Can we go and get the binding garment today?”
“We can,” Miko nods. “They’re here in Inazuma City, so it should not take long.”
“Let’s go and get it,” Ei says.
Sara blinks, “You’ll be coming with us?”
Ei nods, “Yes, I want to support you however I can. And, we can also get lunch in the city.”
“You just want dango,” Miko accuses.
“I do not!”
Sara can’t help but smile. They’re quite lucky to have such wonderful partners who are enthusiastically supporting them.
Sara is running drills with their soldiers when Ei finds them. She smiles as they command, “Hello love, you look dashing today.”
They hope their soldiers can’t see their blush. Both Ei and Miko have been lavishing them with praise as they’ve started transitioning. It does seem to wash away some of their concerns . . . but it is very embarrassing.
“Good afternoon, Your Excellency,” Sara bows slightly and lowers their voice, just enough so that the soldiers can’t overhear. Ei pouts. “We’re in front of my men, I must set a good example.”
“You can set a good example by being personal with your lover,” Ei says. She looks like a kicked puppy, and a few soldiers are looking over, no doubt concerned about their Shogun’s mood.
“My apologies Ei,” Sara quietly says. Ei perks up in an instant. “Is there something you needed of me?”
“I just wanted to see you.” Sara prays to any other Archon that their soldiers can’t hear Ei’s flirting. “And to check-in on my troops. But mostly to see you.”
“Well,” Sara says, straightening their back and trying desperately to regain any shred of professionalism. “In my personal opinion, we are still prepared to defend Inazuma even though we have downsized our active troops and relocated resources. These are some of the best troops I’ve trained–” Ei listens with a smile, but they don’t think she’s truly paying attention. She may just want to hear the sound of their voice. “–and I think you’ll find their performance satisfactory.”
“I have no doubts because these troops have been in your capable hands,” Ei says.
“Is there anything else you’d like to know?” Sara deflects.
“I will listen to whatever you tell me.”
Sara sighs, “If you’re going to be like that, I’m just going to get back to work observing my soldier’s drills.”
“Then you’ll have to forgive me, because I’d like to stay by your side for a little longer.”
They don’t mind this. Instead of flirting, Ei stands with them in comfortable silence. Sara almost considers reaching out to grab Ei’s hand to just touch her, but they know to remain professional in front of their troops.
“Your Excellency! Madame Kujou!”
Like now.
A messenger runs up to the two leaders, slightly out of breath, “A message to Madame Kujou from Shikanoin Heizou.”
Sara takes a deep breath and accepts the letter, barely noticing that the clear skies have suddenly become stormy and gray. Ei’s voice cuts through the tension like the Musou no Hitotachi slicing Orobashi in twain.
“That is General Kujou to you, soldier.”
The messenger stands ramrod straight, “I’m sorry, Your Excellency?”
“General Kujou is no ‘Madame’,” Ei says, her voice as cold as steel. “Give them the proper respect that they deserve.”
“O-of course, Your Excellency,” the messenger stammers in a panic. He bows deeply. “Forgive me, General Kujou, for the disrespect to your name and title.”
“At ease,” Sara murmurs. This whole situation is awkward to them. As much as it pains them to be called ‘Madame’, they weren’t ready to correct their subordinates on it yet. “Let Shikanoin know that I will meet with him this afternoon after his lunch break.”
The messenger nods and scurries away as fast as he can. Once out of earshot, Sara turns to Ei, who looks very proud of herself.
“You didn’t have to do that,” Sara insists.
“I did,” Ei says. “Since discovering your identity you’ve been more . . . relaxed with yourself. More comfortable. I won’t have someone taking that away from you with careless words.”
“That’s still no reason to scare someone,” Sara says, but it’s more of a murmur. The part of Sara that prioritizes propriety knows the Shogun shouldn’t act like that, but a deeper part is pleased that Ei is standing for them. “But . . . thank-you.”
Ei smiles and leans in to kiss Sara’s cheek quickly, fast enough that they can’t stop her. “It is the least I can do for you, little bird.”
Excitement hums in Sara’s veins as they land on the steps of the Grand Narukami Shrine. Miko promised to help them with the next steps of their transition.
“Good evening, Mada–” Inagi Hotomi glances nervously over her shoulder at an approaching Miko at the slip. “. . . General Kujou.”
“Little bird,” Miko musically calls out. “You’re early.”
“I hope that’s fine,” Sara murmurs nervously.
“It is.” Miko smiles. “You’re always welcome to visit me at any time. But come, it’s not everyday that you let me play with your hair.”
Miko takes a strand of raven black hair in her fingertips before she drops it and entwines her fingers with Sara’s. A tug on their hand brings them close enough for a kiss. [maiden] politely looks away.
“Let’s get started,” Miko eagerly pulls them through the Shrine to her personal quarters. Along the way, shrine maidens greet Sara with polite bows and ‘hello sir’s. Each maiden shoots a nervous look at Miko, who nods approvingly.
Once they’re inside Miko’s quarters, they ask, “Miko, did you threaten your shrine maidens into calling me ‘sir’?”
“No,” Miko says, rolling her eyes. “I informed them that you should be referred to as ‘General’ and ‘sir’ as that’s the respect you deserve as the Shogun’s favored general.”
She clearly threatened them, but she’ll never admit that to Sara. Miko puts her hands on their shoulders and directs them over to her vanity.
“Now,” Miko pushes them down into the seat. She runs her fingers through their hair. “You only have to look once I’m done, okay?”
Sara nods. She must have noticed that they were avoiding looking in the mirror. They have their binder on, but they didn’t want to chance the spike of anxiety.
“I’m going to play around a bit, without cutting, so don’t worry,” Miko grabs a few clips from the drawer before she starts combing their hair with her fingers again. “In the meantime, tell me about your day, little bird.”
“I’d rather hear about yours,” Sara says.
“I asked you first.”
“It wasn’t interesting.”
“I still want to hear about it.”
When Miko is dead set on something, there’s no changing her mind. Sara sighs, “I spent my morning doing paperwork, then I went on patrol.”
“And how was that?”
“I crossed paths with Itto and Shinobu. He did try to challenge me, but I had to stop a thief that tried to steal from Netsuke no Gen Crafts while I was standing there.”
Miko chuckles, “Right in front of you?”
“It was not clever on his part. Shinobu aided me in capturing the felon,” Sara says. “Then, I bought dango milk for Ei and I made lunch for the two of us.”
“I missed your cooking?” Sara isn’t looking up, but they’re sure that Miko is pouting.
“I will cook you dinner after this.”
Miko ducks down to kiss their cheek, “Thank-you, little bird. You are wonderful. Now, what else have you done today?”
“I worked on paperwork until I came here,” Sara says. “See, my day was uneventful.”
“Maybe, but I got to listen to your voice, so I don’t mind,” Miko insists. She taps on their shoulder. “Look up for me, please.”
Sara glances up at the mirror. Miko has arranged their hair in such a way without cutting it to make it appear shorter. It makes their angular face look more masculine.
Miko ducks to appear in the mirror. She smiles as she kisses the side of their head, “Do you like it?”
“I do,” Sara says. “Can you cut it to look just like this? And keep it short in the sides?”
“Most definitely,” Miko says. She kisses them one more time. It seems she can’t help herself. “You can look down now, if you’d like.”
“I think I want to watch this.”
Miko smiles. “If you want to.”
She throws a towel around Sara’s shoulders before she begins to cut their hair. Raven locks fall onto their shoulder, and it’s almost like a weight is lifted off their head. They always kept their hair short, or as short as their father allowed them. Now, it feels right.
“I’m going to have fun with this part,” Miko murmurs as she runs her hand along the shaved side of their head. “It’s so soft.”
Sara closes their eyes, “That does feel nice. Is this how you feel when we pet you in your fox form?”
“Probably,” Miko chuckles. “Now that this is done . . . I believe you owe me dinner.”
“There is one thing I must do first.”
“Hhm?”
They rise to their feet and soundly kiss Miko. She makes a surprised noise against their lips before melting into the kiss. Sara murmurs against her lips, “Thank-you for doing this for me, Miko.”
“Of course, little bird,” Miko purrs. “Both Ei and I would do anything to help you feel more like you, so you don’t need to thank us.”
“I feel like I should.”
“There’s that sense of duty you have,” Miko sighs and playfully flicks their forehead. “Now, you promised me dinner.”
Sara chuckles and finally lets go of Miko. They feel lighter, and it’s not just the haircut. Every small bit that they change makes them feel better, and it feels even better knowing that they have both Ei’s and Miko’s love and support.
It’s a perfect night. A warm breeze rustles the Sakura trees in Inazuma City, lit perfectly by the glow of lanterns and the stars in the sky. A night you wouldn’t want to miss, so Sara is enjoying it with Ei and Miko out on the balcony. Ei found a board game for them to play, and Miko found sake for them to drink, though they’ve all been too focused on the former to only take a few sips of the latter.
“Because you landed on my property,” Ei says, glancing down at her card. “You must pay me 2600 mora.”
Miko glances up from her paper mora with a shocked look on her face, “How much?”
“2600,” Ei responds, a smile slowly creeping onto her face.
“You’re lying.”
“No, I’m not! Look at the card!” Ei shoves the card over, and giggles as Miko scans over the small lines, her face slowly growing more disgusted.
“That’s unfair!” Miko shouts, nearly throwing up the paper mora, to be lost to the wind. “What is the game even called again? Where did you find it?!”
“A Fontaine ambassador shared it with me,” Ei explains. “It’s called Monopoly.”
“It should be called fucking stupid, that’s what it is,” Miko growls.
Ei laughs again, and Sara can’t help but chuckle. They reach over and pat Miko’s back, “At least you haven’t been stuck in jail the past three rounds for landing on a corner tile.”
“You haven’t been losing money while in jail!” Miko exclaims. She crosses her arms and huffs, “I swear, if I lose this stupid game I’m ripping the board in two.”
“Don’t be a sore loser, Miko,” Ei says.
“I think I deserve to be sore with a game this unfair.”
“I think maybe we need to stop here for the night before you two decide to get a divorce,” Sara intervenes. “And we’ve barely even had any sake yet.”
Miko glances at the bottle. “Alright, fine. But we have to agree that no one won since we didn’t finish the game.”
“Right,” Ei nods, eager to keep her wife.
They quickly put away the game, and when Sara puts it back inside they shove it to the back of the cabinet, hopefully to not be played for a long time. There are better games in there anyways.
When they return, Ei and Miko are sitting side-by-side, having quickly kissed and made up. Miko is drinking straight from the bottle, and motions Sara over. “Come here, little bird, you were gone for too long.”
Sara laughs as they sit down next to Miko, “I was gone for less than a minute.”
“Too long,” Miko insists. She pulls them close, while Ei uses her free hand to hold Sara’s in hers. “It’s your turn for some sake.”
She brings the bottle up to their lips, and they have a small sip. Miko passes it to Ei next, who – due to her nature as an Archon – drinks nearly half the bottle. Miko has to slap at her hand, “Hey! Save some for the rest of us!”
“I’m saving you from getting drunk,” Ei argues, chuckling slightly.
“We’re not trying to get drunk,” Miko huffs. “Only tipsy.”
“Ei can have my share,” Sara offers.
“Thank-you, love,” Ei says.
“Both of you,” Miko rips the bottle out of Ei’s hands and begins to sip on it. “Terrible.”
“We love you too, Miko,” Sara says.
As Miko drinks the rest of the sake, a comfortable silence falls between the three of them. Sara loves moments like these, where they aren’t expected to say anything. They do grab Ei’s attention, and notice the fond look in her eyes, “Sara, you look . . . comfortable.”
“Actually, I fear my shoulder may get stiff in this position,” Sara insists.
“I don’t mean physically,” Ei chuckles. “You’re more comfortable with yourself.”
They blink, “I . . . don’t quite understand.”
“What Ei is trying to say,” Miko picks up. “Is that since you’ve come out, you’ve become not only more comfortable with yourself, but you’re kinder to yourself too. It’s clear to see you’ve become a bit more confident and relaxed.”
While embracing their gender has made them feel better, they hadn’t noticed that. The only word they could describe it as . . . right. “Really?”
“Yes,” Ei nods. She moves to Sara’s side, to bracket them in between her and Miko. “It has been like watching a flower bloom. You knew that it was going to be amazing, but now it has unfurled its leaves, it is breath-taking to see.”
“That’s . . .” Sara takes a deep breath, trying to resist the urge to cry at Ei’s words. “That’s–”
“True,” Miko finishes. She leans closer into their side and rests her head on their shoulder. Ei also moves closer, throwing her legs over Sara’s lap. “And I’m glad Ei and I have been able to help you become this wonderful version of yourself.”
“And we’ll always love you, no matter who you are,” Ei adds.
Sara can no longer stop the tears from spilling. Ei and Miko hold them as they cry. They’ve never felt so loved.
“Thank-you,” Sara manages to gasp out as their sobs die down.
“For what, little bird?” Miko asks.
“For loving me.”
“You don’t need to thank us for something we give willingly,” Ei insists.
“I just . . .” Sara gasps. “I don’t think I ever expected to have someone love me like this. All of me. And now I have two people who do . . .”
“We always will,” Miko insists, grabbing onto one of Sara’s hands and squeezing it. “We always will love you, Sara.”
Sara cries between their loves, but they feel safe, like they never have felt before.
This freedom is almost similar to their childhood. Back then was a simpler time, where Sara had the freedom to be who they wanted to be without fear, where simpler truths clashes with simpler enemies, such as demons and monsters of the forest. Even though those demons were the ones that wounded them, Sara soon realized that they would rather face them than the judgement of humans.
When they were adopted by Takayuki, they suddenly had a vision, a new name, and a specific role to fill. They had to try and fit into a mold that wasn’t made for them. This was their duty, and one that they carried because it’s what they thought they had to do. To honor the Kujou Clan. To appear as a strong figure for Inazuma. To be worthy of the Shogun’s attention.
Stepping outside of the shadow of Takayuki, into the light of love, they felt a freedom that they hadn’t felt in a long time. With the help of Ei and Miko, they felt the freedom to be themself. They know that their loves will stay by their side as they move forward.