Sally
Fujishima’s Estate
Noon
Sally took noticed that Mikage was taken back to what she just told her. She wanted to smirk or pinched Mikage’s cheeks but nope, she did not. Sally snapped herself as she did not do such a thing to the person she just met and she was not that kind of person. But she get up from sitting with her and was about to excuse herself since she was some rounds that she need to do after she made some already with Mikage’s father, Hiroshi. And since it was the job that was given to her and her team, she must make her own runs this time around but Mikage won’t let her just leave.
“Stay. I would like you to tell me if the dance was good enough.” Mikage indeed grabbed her wrist and both of the felt the heat from that contact as if it was burning inside out. Mikage still locked eyes with Sally who just smiled genuinely at her, though; Mikage noticed that it was still not reaching her eyes.
“I already saw it and it was nice.” Sally pointed out that made Mikage pout sadly.
“But…” Mikage tried to reason but Sally just leaned closer to her as if they were about to kiss and nope, they didn’t. Yet, neither of them felt the heat was still burning even Mikage already let lose the hold over Sally’s wrist.
“Calm down and just dance what you feel from here since that’s what I felt when I saw you earlier.” Sally was sincere as she reassured Mikage. From their closeness, Sally took noticed a spark behind Mikage’s worried eyes.
“Okay…” Sally heard Mikage weak but convinced that she could deal with it and Sally likes that spirit. Then without knowing, Sally slightly touched Mikage’s cheek which made me feel like they were in their own world. But Sally has to pull away from that touch since she got the feeling that it will be too much for her because of the job that needs to be done.
“See you later, young maiden. I have to work.” Sally smiled and that made Mikage blush even though it was her blank and neutral tone before waving her hand and leaving.
Sally went back into her patrolling around the estate while her team was checking the other part of the Fujishima land. They need to be careful since it will be in their hands as well the safety of the family.
“What just happened there?” Sally asked herself though already a part of her knew exactly what just happened there and she just did not want to entertain the thought just yet. There’s work that needed to be done.
As Sally was walking around and checking the possible breaking in of the beasts around, she set up her very microscopic gadget that only she knows how it works before she headed to the next one. As she was roaming around, she was greeted politely to which she returned as well and whenever she lost her way, she ask whoever she found and pointed her where to go. She was been doing that for already a couple of hours until she found herself in another part of the estate that seems like not being guarded well. She was about to ignore it as she did not sense something oddly different from it and when she just turned her heels to head back on her way but there was something suddenly wrapped around her wrist. Then, before she could even react to the sudden energy that was coming from the empty space or no energy at all; she was already being dragged harshly toward a warehouse. The last time Sally passed there, it was closed but as she was being dragged there, it was now opened and being thrown inside followed by a closing door.
“What the heck…” Sally groaned due to the impact when she was being thrown inside. She tried to get up and let her eyes adjust to the darkness around the place.
Sally was trying to adjust her sight but she did not do it anymore further because the candles around the room began to light up all of the sudden. She saw the same thing at the warehouse where the soul beast was being confined but there was something around the space that Sally couldn’t point out. With the curiosity kicking in her, she sat up on her spot and just released a sigh before she began activating her sensitivity just to sense anything that was lurking around inside the warehouse that made her end up inside. Sally could tell that it was not any other warehouse that she saw around the perimeter of Fujishima estate since it was smaller and there was a sudden scent of incense was lurking around.
“Better go back to work.” Sally stated as she get up and was about to head to the door to leave the place when she heard a locking sound through the door that made her release a sigh. She was totally used to that kind of thing happening around her whenever she was in a hunted place which explained why her reaction was like that. She did not even think about it anymore and just went back to her place and instead of sitting; she just laid down as she faced the ceiling in a relaxed manner.
Sally started to be lost in her world and started humming a song that came into her mind while she was waiting patiently for the door to be opened. She went into lazy mode since she could not leave the place that she was suddenly being dragged and locked in. Sally was totally taking her time and relaxing until she started to hear a voice that was singing along with her humming. The song that she was humming was an old song from the ’80s that has titled I Want To Know What Love Is by Foreigner.
I've gotta take a little time
A little time to think things over
I better read between the lines
In case I need it when I'm older
This mountain, I must climb
Feels like a world upon my shoulders
Through the clouds, I see love shine
Keeps me warm as life grows colder
Sally kept humming but at the same time, she was also listening attentively to the voice of a lady that was singing along with her jam. She could feel no threat that was coming from whoever owns that voice but Sally could not ignore the fact that there was something else that lady’s voice was emitting. It was not doing any harm but she could sense the power that has the same sense that she felt as soon as she stepped into the Fujishima estate. It was getting powerful as she got inside the estate but the same power was somewhat weakening for some reason that she does not want to be bothered by it.
In my life, there's been heartache and pain
I don't know if I can face it again
Can't stop now, I've traveled so far
To change this lonely life
“So you’re lonely that’s why you suddenly brought – dragged and even locked me up here.” Sally smirked before she continued her humming when she heard the chuckling voice of the singing lady. She likes that it likes Sally’s humor that mostly could only be heard around supernatural entities like what she’s dealing with now.
I wanna know what love is
I want you to show me
I wanna feel what love is
I know you can show me (hey)
Sally suddenly stopped humming but the singing voice of the lady kept echoing throughout the entire space. She sighs before she gets up and started looking around as she searched for something. When Sally took notice of a small structure, she looked closer, and there she knew that it was a small altar around in the dark space where she was inside the altar, there where she saw the broken fox mask.
“So it’s you. What do you want from me and even letting me see your great-granddaughter all of the sudden." Sally took note as she saw the mask at the altar but there was something else around the altar. There was an energy that was so powerful flowing around the place like a fountain that was totally reaching up to the ceiling. But the more Sally looked over it, it was totally going up and out of the place where she was and she knew that it was the old shrine since an alive shrine can emit such power yet, at the same time it was partially weakening.
Gotta take a little time
Little time to look around me
I've got nowhere left to hide
Looks like love has finally found me
Sally collected herself and kept sensing deeply what was wrapping around the space since it managed to drag her inside and even locked her up but never intend on hurting her. As she took a couple of breaths, everything began to be clear as easy cuts of a piece of cake. She opened her eyes and she saw a very powerful orb that was wrapping around the whole estate as its protection barrier but somehow she could also feel that it was weakening. It was indeed coming from the old shrine where she was. She was about to say something to the singing maiden but she did not manage to because of the lyrics of the song.
In my life, there's been heartache and pain
I don't know if I can face it again
Can't stop now, I've traveled so far
To change this lonely life
Sally suddenly wobbled and dizzy which made her fall to her knees. Just like what Mikage saw, she saw it too. But it was more drastic and brutal when everything from back then was covered with hellish fire along with the roaring beasts attacking and feeding from any beings they crossed with. Then the next thing she saw was the broken fox-masked maiden standing firmly and summoning a very powerful beast made in the history of maidens.
I wanna know what love is
I want you to show me
I wanna feel what love is
I know you can show me
“You’re in love with your soul beast to the point you could not leave this land.” Sally took notice of the reason why the great-grandmother of the shrine maiden of the Fujishima family still lingers around.
‘I am leaving tonight and when I do, my soul will be taken by my soul beast as I promise and this estate will fall if the next generation of me, won’t step up, everything that was being built through years will fall.’
“Then let it fall.” Sally just told the maiden who just laughed at her comment.
‘You know to yourself that when it happens, you’ll be either gone or a beast.’
“You know the reason why I could see the flow of the soul.” Sally released a sigh before lighting the incense at the altar.
‘Yes, stay with Mikage. She’ll be your salvation from everything you’ve been through and soon to be facing.’
“She’ll be afraid once she learns of who I am…” Sally sounded blank but the maiden could sense the sadness in them.
‘Knowing that you’re scared for her only meant that you care for her. You grew up just like your mother.’
The spirit of the very ancient shrine maiden of the Fujishima family flicked her forehead before revealing to Sally her scarred face due to the war that suddenly flashed to her mind earlier. Sally saw a glimpse of a memory of her mother dying very young due to that time and made her realize how old really she was. She sigh from thinking that and it made the maiden laugh again before patting her shoulder.
‘Stay with her to whom I bet your father will come and bless you.’
“What are you saying?” Sally caught her attention, even more, when the maiden spoke about her father whom she had never seen or heard even once in her life. Not until now.
‘You’ll understand soon enough. Stay with her and you’ll see what I mean.’
Then the candle died down and the door began to open with some family member who has been looking for her around since she’s been nowhere to be found for almost two hours already. Sally came out in a daze but before the head of the family could speak to her or her teammates, Mikage ended up in her arms, crying. Sally was taken aback when she felt the worried and warmness coming from the maiden who was holding her very dearly. She hates to admit it but she loves the warmness that only Mikage can pour into her life.