Cherry found herself in a nice little clearing in the forest on Zunesha's back. The sounds of the minks going about their lives were far, far away and even the local birds were quiet here.
"You said this one was going to be different, right?" Robin asked.
"Mm," Cherry affirmed. "I'm not entirely sure what's going to happen, though I do have a general idea."
"What?! You didn't mention that!" Robin exclaimed.
Cherry shrugged. "Once you're facing the transcendent stage things start to get weird. No two tribulations are identical at this level, even between people practicing the same method. There's no point worrying about it; rather worrying is an active detriment to your chances."
Robin wanted to argue, wanted to ask her to just stay in her current realm. She could still grow stronger, and even with just her current cultivation reaching the peak of the world would be easy enough for her. The other tribulations she had witnessed Cherry go through were terrifying, but after seeing her come back from being reduced to charred bones those didn't seem so bad in hindsight. This time was different though; it wasn't her body but her soul that was in danger! ON top of that, Cherry didn't even know what she was in for!
Robin held her tongue, though. She saw the confident, determined expression cross her beloved's face and she couldn't stop her. This was a path that Cherry was dead set on, as much or maybe more so than her own quest to unearth the true history of the world.
Cherry took out a rather large cultivation pill and the second pink dyna stone gem and fused them together. The pill quaked in her hands as it was threatening to explode, before she shoved the whole thing into her mouth and sat in the middle of the clearing.
Robin stood back at the tree line with Cabernet to make sure that no one would interrupt.
Nothing seemed to happen for almost half a minute before the wind picked up, shaking the leaves of the trees.
Except there was no wind; the trees were swaying, but the air was deathly still. It gave an eerie atmosphere with ever increasing tension. Robin could actually feel… something… flowing towards the center of the clearing where Cherry was sitting. From there the mysterious something flowed up, up, and up beyond what she could sense.
Cherry's eyes opened slowly. "Ah, so that's how it is?"
*...*
A single bolt of lightning, black as the void crashed down on Cherry's head. It made no sound, but its appearance perfectly silenced the surroundings. Robin thought that it had been so loud that she had gone deaf for a moment, before the sounds of the worlds returned as if they'd never left.
The next thing that Robin noticed was that Sakura Tengoku was still sheathed on Cherry's waist. Cherry herself sat still and silent, staring ahead blankly.
…
Cherry rolled herself out of bed at the sound of the morning bell in town. Today was a special day so she was too excited to insist on sleeping in like she did everyday, until Grandma threatened to kick her ass that is.
She raced out of her room and towards the dining room, where she found Grandma Angela had prepared a veritable feast for breakfast.
"I knew that you could get up on time, you little brat." Grandma Angela reprimanded her playfully.
Cherry didn't mind her words at all and immediately dug into the food. Grandma usually insisted on a finely tuned and healthy diet with only a few treats in moderation.
"You're going to throw up if you keep eating like that, you know? It isn't going anywhere." Grandma Agnela sighed, sitting down to have some before it all disappeared. "I suppose you must be excited for today?"
Cherry nodded her head enthusiastically, electing not to speak with a mouth full of bacon and eggs.
"I'm not going to go easy on you just because you're my granddaughter, just so you know. Actually, I might be a little less lenient…" Grandma Angela spoke, appraising her.
Cherry paled a bit and the old woman chuckled. "I'm just teasing, I'm sure you won't disappoint in your performance.
Cherry finished off her first plate and took a deep breath like she hadn't breathed at all since she'd started eating. "I'm gonna kick YOUR ass this time, you old hag!"
Cherry was out the door, cackling to herself before Grandma Angela could show her how much she liked that taunting. She'd get her chance to do so soon enough, though.
In her haste, Cherry slammed into a brick wall that hadn't been there the day before and tumbled backwards, only to realize that it was actually Borke she'd run into.
"Hello, Cherry." Borke gave her his usual warm greeting with a calm smile.
"I swear you get bigger every time I see you, Borke." Cherry commented, brushing herself off then allowing Borke to help her to her feet.
"Really?" Borke missed the exaggeration in her claim, assuming it was literal.
He looked so happy about it, though, that Cherry didn't have the heart to correct him. "Yeah, I reckon you'll be as big as a giant eventually."
Cherry and Borke walked outside, where they found Slenk doing his morning warm up.
"Good morning, Cherry. Ready to graduate?" Slenk asked.
Cherry nodded. "More than ready. Grandma's too stubborn, can you believe she-"
*rumble*
Cherry turned to look towards the north. Ominous, dark clouds were rolling in from the sea. They situated themselves over the Thornwood and were slowly creeping closer. Cherry couldn't take her eyes away from them, they were-
"Pay attention, Cherry!" Grandma Angela's sword clashed with Cherry's as she hastily raised it in defense.
"What's happening?" Cherry wondered aloud.
"You're in the middle of your graduation exam and you're daydreaming, that's what's happening!" Grandma Angela forced her on the defensive.
Several more exchanges had Cherry on the back foot and it all felt so… wrong.
*Rumble!*
Cherry was distracted again and suffered for it as a wooden sword clipped her jaw, making her stumble backward.
Grandma Angela lowered her wooden sword and sighed. "As I thought, You're not ready for this yet."
"No! I am, I just… I just…" Cherry's head was swimming. The dark clouds over the Thornwood were closer now, almost suffocating with their presence.
Cherry dropped her wooden sword. "What's with that storm…?"
"What storm, Cherry? It's a clear sunny day?" Slenk spoke from where he sat on the sidelines.
"What…?" Cherry didn't understand.
*RUMBLE!!!*
The dark clouds emanated a bone deep thunder with no sign of lightning in sight.
"Why isn't there any lightning? There should be lightning, shouldn't there?" Cherry felt sick and swayed on her feet.
"Are you alright, Cherry?" Grandma Angela asked, concern on her face.
"Why do you look so old?" Cherry asked. "You're not supposed to look old…"
"You little brat! One day you'll be old too, see if your grandkids point it out for you!" Grandma Angela rebuked.
*CRACK!!!* *RUUUMMMBBBLLLEEE!!!*
The first strike of lightning Cherry saw filled her not with fright and surprise, but rather with dread to the depths of her heart.
She ran.