(Kazuha x Tomo) Ephemeral Autumn Leaves

2. Fleeting Eternity

"Your hand is injured," Gorou noted, taking hold of Kazuha's hand and gently prying the Electro Vision from between his fingers. Kazuha instinctively jerked away, pulling the Vision back into his grasp.

"I'll give it back to you," Gorou assured in a soothing voice. "But we need to treat your hand and bandage it before you get an infection." Cautiously, he reached forwards once again to take the Vision from Kazuha's hand. The dejected boy reluctantly obliged, and though he parted with the Vision, his crimson eyes remained firmly transfixed on it.

"Let me get some ointment for that hand, and a bandage," as his friend treated him, Kazuha remained in a daze, gazing off into the distance but not really even seeing what was there.

"There we go, that should do it," Gorou said, wrapping the last of the bandages around his palm. "It should heal after a bit..."

"Gorou-Sama..." Kazuha whispered.

"I told you, just Gorou," the young general corrected.

"Do you know of a way to rekindle a Vision?"

"Rekindle?" Gorou cocked his head in confusion. "I've...never heard of anything like that before."

"There must be a way," Kazuha whispered. "There has to be a way to allow Tomo's ambition to live on..."

"You're very determined about this huh," Gorou noted. "I don't know of a way...but...there is someone who might..."

The desperate expression that appeared on Kazuha's face was heartbreaking. Gorou feared giving his friend too much hope, only to have that hope broken once again. But if there was a chance that Kazuha could somehow rekindle Tomo's Vision, he knew he had to help him.

"The chief priestess of the Grand Narukami Shrine, Yae Miko," Gorou explained. "She's a mysterious woman but also very wise. If anyone in Inazuma knows of a way to rekindle a Vision, it would be her."

"The Grand Narukami Shrine?" Questioned Kazuha. "Can she be trusted? She's one of the most prominent individuals in Inazuma yet the Raiden Shogun hasn't stolen her Vision as far as I know. She must have some relationship with the Archon...won't she turn me in if I visit her?"

"I have a...complicated relationship with Guuji Yae to say the least," Gorou gestured to his ears, a trait he shared with the shrine maiden. "I know her well enough to know that her stance on the Vision Hunt Decree is...neutral I suppose you could say. I don't know exactly how she's managed to avoid having her Vision stripped of her, but I can say with certainty that she won't turn you in. The only danger you'll face is getting to the Grand Narukami Shrine—you'll have to return to Narukami Island. I can escort you to the edge of Kannazuka and get you a better boat to send you off, but I'm afraid you'll have to travel the rest of the way on your own."

"That's more than enough of your assistance," Kazuha spoke with gratitude. "Thank you Gorou...you don't know how much that means to me."

"Aw of course!" Gorou smiled, giving his friend a gentle slap on the back. "That's what friends are for right?"

For the remainder of that day, Gorou and the troops he was with accompanied Kazuha from Nazuchi Beach to the edge of Tatarasanu. The further they traveled, the more dangerous it became—they laid low in the underbrush, avoiding areas where they might encounter other people.

"We're just south of the Kujou Encampment now," Gorou explained. "With our numbers as they are, we can't afford to have a confrontation with them."

At the mention of the name Kujou, Kazuha felt his heart clench up. After all, Kujou Sara had been the one who defeated Tomo.

He turned his gaze up to the sky as it's hue began to shift to a bright orange-pink glow. Though there was not a trace of a cloud in sight, he detected the slightest change in the pressure of the atmosphere, and the scent of rain blowing in from the ocean breeze. "A storm is brewing," he muttered.