The End is Near

As the girls began to clear the table to start the tavern for the day, a furious howling of wind started to batter the windows.

The large and rapid ringing of a bell from the village indicated another storm was attacking. 

The girls stepped outside to be met with the great forces of the winds. Air churning in unnatural spirals crying out like a thousand screaming souls. From the ocean, a monstrous wall of water surged. Twisters danced in the storms wake, lashing out like serpents made of wind and vengeance. 

The villagers desperately summoned the earth to protect them. The ground heard their call and towering walls of stone and soil erupted, circling the village like a cocoon.

The barrier held.

At first.

Then came a roar - deeper and more primal than thunder. The storm struck harder than ever before. Tornadoes battered the earth wall with unrelenting fury; their spinning cores filled with debris and raw destruction. The tsunami slammed into the barrier with a crack like earth splitting in two. The barrier shuddered, fractured - not broken entirely, but wounded enough for the storm to sneak through. Cracks formed. Chunks of stone flew. Water spilled over flooding the fields and streets and tearing through the outermost homes.

The villagers stood their ground, using all their strength to prevail once the last gust fell silent. The air hung heavy with steam and salt, debris littered the ground like scattered memories. 

Himari pointed to the cloud barrier in the sky. "Look."

Looming high in the sky, barely visible through the thick cloud barrier, were vast silhouettes of the sky islands. They were descending. Or rather... Falling.

Whatever force had stirred the storm now revealed its true heralds. The sky islands were falling, and it wouldn't be much longer until they arrived.

Sachi stared wide eyed at the sky islands silhouettes. "I didn't think they'd get here so fast..."

"Hey... Remember how you two told me when you went through the cloud barrier you were attacked by evil Yokai?" Itsuki asked.

"Yeah?" Himari hummed in response.

"Then what happens once the islands break the cloud barrier...?" Itsuki worried.

Himari paused for a moment. "Then I'm sure war will rage again, and many lives will be lost..."

Sachi panicked. "Then we have to do something quickly, before the barrier breaks. We can't let innocent people get caught up in a curse they had no part of."

"You said we had to right the wrongs of the past?" Itsuki questioned.

Sachi nodded. "That's what the prophecy says."

Itsuki sighed in defeat. "But how are we supposed to do that... Until you told me about it today, I had no idea this was even our history..."

Himari stared at Nobu's black feather in her hand. "We need to see the Tengu and Tsuchigumo. If we form an alliance with them, wouldn't that be righting the wrongs of our past betrayal?"

Sachi hummed in agreement. "I think so. In the past humans were allies with the Tengu and Tsuchigumo. The humans betrayed them out of fear and distrust."

Itsuki chuckled. "I have a feeling that the fear and distrust came from those who were too weak and insecure to believe that those different than them could be so strong and vital." Itsuki looked at over Kasumi who hid behind Emi's leg. "They couldn't trust them or rely on them because they appeared different, even though they never meant any harm..."

Himari nodded. "In the sky islands, they believe power defines you and that only the strong may survive... They believe themselves superior for being able to wield a power that never belonged to them in the first place." Himari turned to Itsuki. "In both our lands, having little magic is the core of the prejudice and misfortune."

"If having strong magic in the sky makes you hateful to those that are weak and if those that are weak on the surface use underhanded methods to take from those stronger than them out of fear..." Sachi thought for a moment. "What if we just got rid of magic altogether?"

Itsuki stared at Sachi in disbelief. "Get rid of magic?!"

Himari chuckled. "Well, it wouldn't bother me any."

Itsuki glared. "Well maybe not you, but it would change everyone's lives forever. We'd all have to readapt to life. We rely on magic a lot. It's how we grow food, build buildings, defend ourselves."

"But think about it. This all started because humans were afraid that the Tengu and Tsuchigumo would turn on them. So before that could happen, humans had them teach them magic and then the humans used it against them. It's like Himari said, it's a power that was never meant to belong to humans. Not only that but magic itself is what's causing such division among the humans and that's unlikely to change unless the core issue is addressed." Sachi argued.

"I've lived my whole life without magic and even in a world that is not made for me, I still managed to survive. It wasn't easy and not all pleasant but living without magic is not impossible." Himari explained. "Now imagine if everyone was on the same level. If there's no strong to look down on the weak and no weak that fear the strong, then wouldn't life be fairer?" 

Itsuki sighed. "I suppose you're right. I mean if you could live in a world that revolves around magic when you have none, then imagine if the world was made for everyone... But how do you even expect to rid the world of magic?"

"We form an alliance with the Tengu and Tsuchigumo by offering them to take their magic back." Sachi said simply.

Itsuki groaned. "You make it sound so simple. I doubt they would agree so easily... They may not even want their magic back or want anything to do with humans again."

Sachi's eyes grew determined. "Then we stand our ground until we find a way."

-

The faint sound of a bell.

The faint sound of a crack.

-

Himari smiled. "You've changed Sachi."

Sachi was taken aback. "Huh?"

Himari looked into Sachi's eyes. "When I first met you, your eyes were so dull and lifeless. Now, it's like they've come alive. You're not the same girl I met in that field... And I don't mean that in a bad way."

"But I haven't done anything... I'm still the same as I always was." Sachi's head lowered.

Himari shook her head. "You've grown. Maybe you don't see it, but I do. And I couldn't be prouder."

"She's right you know. I haven't known you all that long, but I can say you are different from even a few days ago." Itsuki agreed.

Sachi didn't know what to say. It was all unexpected to her. She didn't feel any different or think she had made any sort of improvement. She didn't see what Himari and Itsuki were talking about. She didn't think she was any better than when she first came here. "I don't think so..."

Itsuki put her hand on Sachi's shoulder. "Well, it's okay if you don't see it now, but maybe one day you will... But anyway, how are we supposed to find the Tengu and Tsuchigumo?"

Himari stared at Nobu's black feather. "I'll find the Tengu."

Itsuki looked to Sachi. "I guess that leaves us to find the Tsuchigumo?"

Sachi shook her head. "No. Itsuki I think you need to stay here."

"What? Why?" Itsuki's voice was hurt.

Sachi looked at the cloud barrier. "There's no telling when the barrier will break... When it does, the evil Yokai will come in swarms. You can fight Itsuki. You'll be needed to protect your family and the people who cannot defend themselves. Neither Himari nor I can do that like you can."

Himari nodded in agreement.

Itsuki looked over at her mother who was with Kasumi and all her younger siblings. "You're right... I can't leave them alone... But what about you two? Will you be okay on your own?"

Sachi held Nobu's fan up. "I'll have a little help."

Himari nodded. "I still have the sword he gave me too. Don't worry, we can handle ourselves."

Itsuki smiled. "Then it's settled. I'll leave the Tengu and Tsuchigumo to you two and you can leave the people of the land to me. You both better come back though."

Himari chuckled. "I have no intention of dying a second time anytime soon."

Sachi cringed. "Himari that's not something to joke about..."

Itsuki laughed and pulled Himari and Sachi in for a group hug. "I know we haven't known each other long, but I believe in you two. So, make sure you come back home."

Sachi and Himari joined in the group hug and nodded.