The Day of Thunder

[Togashi Satsuki]

She hadn't had much time to see the camp in the middle of the night after they made it out of the village, and as she wandered it more, she saw banners and colors of the Dragon there... already she grew concerned about the risk her own people might have subjected themselves to, coming here in such a hurry, no doubt.

As she moved through the camp, Satsuki was already in her mind starting to assess their conditions, and what she could maybe do to help...

[Canary]

"Seeing you well and whole has helped me already," a deep, quiet voice said behind her. Familiar, and, unlike the dream where she last heard it, very real.

[Togashi Satsuki]

Satsuki's gasp of surprise caught in her throat. The dream briefly flashed in her memory, but she discarded it quickly as she turned around. "Dad!"

Without another word, she quickly closed distance between them and threw her arms up to hug him tight. "It's really you...?"

[Canary]

He returned the hug with similar strength, just holding her for a bit, as though to make sure she's real. Finally he pulls back, the slightest of smiles penetrating the serenity of his normal expression. "It is. This place has always inhibited clear vision, and moreso with Yume-Jigoku's influence. I wished to see you were safe myself."

[Togashi Satsuki]

"And it tried to trick us as well, giving us false dreams... I worried it was yet another trick," she confessed honestly, but the strength and warmth of his presence reminded her very much that he was real.

"And I'm safe and sound. I had good people around me to help with that, and..." Satsuki sighed, "I'm sorry. Wu Zhe isn't coming back. I heard he remained behind to be sealed away. I couldn't bring all of our people back safely."

[Canary]

He ran a hand through her hair. "Yes... Showing you things that you fear or want is its nature," he said with a nod. At her report on Zhe, he closed his eyes and nodded. "We must all take our own path. He chose his, and it will not be for naught. His presence will help protect the purity of the seal."

He squeezed her hands. "You did well, Satsuki."

[Togashi Satsuki]

Satsuki didn't envy the fate of being locked away with the Champion of Jigoku for... who knew how long. A century? A millenia? Or longer, whenever the cycle would reach its next point in time.

Still, she felt her shoulders lower slightly as some relief came over her, along with a sense of pride. "Thank you. I wish I could have done more, but... thank you. That means a lot for me to hear."

[Canary]

He gave a full smile, a rare thing seen only around his family. "Destiny is a river with many tributaries. You helped save an entire world, Satsuki."

[Togashi Satsuki]

"That... it's a little hard to fathom that. I wasn't one of the Thunders either." It just really hadn't properly sunk in for her that the danger was truly defeated, and that she had helped in her own way by creating the ritual to seal it away.

Then something else came to mind, that was very important. "Oh! But I have something important to tell you!" In her excitement she gripped his hands tightly. "I've found the one true love for me!"

[Canary]

"Oh?" He tilted his head, curious.

[Togashi Satsuki]

"You might remember Doji Hikaru, right? Aunt Doji's retainer?" Hikaru had accompanied Satsuki and her friends back to the Dragon territories after the winter court, to then escort them to Kyuden Doji afterwards.

Not that it had been a mystery even back then that they liked eachother, though both had been so focused on the mission of helping Doji and stopping the corruption in the land, as well as all the other duties that called them apart.

"He courted me like uncle Nanzi courted aunt Doji - and I gave him three riddles to complete. He was very clever in solving them!"

[Canary]

"I do." He smiled slightly. "A key skill for someone joining our family," he noted, the slightest tone of amusement in his voice. "What were the riddles, and how did he answer them?"

[Togashi Satsuki]

Satsuki was beyond ecstatic about the topic. Probably something that had kept her spirits up in the past days. "Like Doji, I gave him three to solve. First, he must hold the stars in the palm of his hand. Second, he must show the strength of fire. Third and lastly, he must create the most sublime sound."

"For the first, he created a new type of paint that looked black, but once applied it sparkled and shone just like the stars. He gifted me then the pot of the paint, holding the stars in his hand."

As she continued, she started to blush slightly, but didn't become flustered or embarrassed. "Second, his answer was me," she pointed to herself. "This he showed me by catching my reflection in a bronze mirror, and he said; You are fire. You are brilliant and bright and energetic. And you are also the strongest, bravest woman I know. When I think of fire, I think of you, and when I think of courage, I think of you."

Much to her own surprise, she didn't become flustered when sharing the last answer. "The answer to the most sublime sound... the sound of his heartbeat. The answers were his quality and his artistic spirit, my quality with my spirit of fire, and lastly 'us'." Her words were soft and loving as she spoke of her chosen one, clearly having found his answers satisfactory.

[Canary]

"It is appropriate for a spouse for you," he agreed with a nod, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. "Clever and well thought out, but also beautiful and poetic."

"Your mother will wish to arrange a public wedding."

[Togashi Satsuki]

"I guess a public celebration would be alright..." she had never really wanted a huge party, and besides, "... as the Day of Thunder approached, we decided to bind our lives together in a private ceremony, with some of the family and close friends that were present."

Satsuki took a small breath there, not knowing how he'd take those news.

[Canary]

He raised his eyebrows, the slight hint of amusement returning. "I believe I understand," he said with a nod. Togashi had never been one for standing on ceremony. "However... you get to tell your mother that."

[Togashi Satsuki]

Her tension released in a small laugh. "Ah, yes... I will." Not that she thought her mother would be too upset, but her mother also had a sense for dramatics sometimes.

"Is... is Doji alright now? Did we manage to save her?"

[Canary]

He nodded. "She will wake if she hasn't already. She will need recovery time after this."

[Togashi Satsuki]

Then she and Hikaru had kept to their oaths. It was a great relief to know they'd succeeded in saving family, without losing other any other members.

"I'm so glad," Satsuki spoke with evident relief. "There is much to be done now; not only recovery, but rebuilding and healing from all the damage inflicted on everyone from these past years."

She looked around them. "Starting here."