When Reiha ushered Ayumi back to her house, the latter wanted to invite the princess inside to rest properly, in a bed with cushions and sheets but her description of how these princesses gained their powers and where their peace and healing laid, Ayumi abandoned the idea realizing it won't be of any help. She had to let Reiha recover in her territory, within her beloved wind and breezes. The girl still had so many questions, but she pushed them to the back of her mind until finding the right time for them to be voiced. However, one curiosity kept nagging at her mind and she could not push it away like her other inquires. So she ventured and asked Reiha shyly before the latter vanished into the skies and air.
"I just wanted to ask one more thing… when we were at that place… the passage of the souls… did you see any sakura blossoms?"
"Sakura blossoms?"
Reiha asked surprised, that was no place for anything alive, nothing could grow there, the idea in itself was absurd and contradictory, they themselves with their magical powers could barely breath and move. How could sakura blossoms be found there? How could they grow or thrive?
"Maybe Chiyasu sent them?"
The princess of the wind suggested, her lack of conviction in her own suggestion apparent but she could think of no other choice despite being assured that during that situation, Chiyasu would not send them any signals.
"It is all right… maybe I was seeing things…"
Ayumi shrugged dismissing the matter, and Reiha's wounds needed immediate and thorough care so she did not argue or question further, d allowing the princess to disappear in a guest of wind that was clearly weaker than her usual ones.
Ayumi knew she was not seeing things, but regardless of where these blooms had come from, she was profoundly grateful for them.
For the next few days, whenever Noboru's threat reverberated in her mind and sparked her senses to utmost alertness, remembering these petals calmed her heart. They had pushed her once to go forward and abandon her fears, so she clutched to their memory and tried to re-imagine their scent whenever she felt afraid and alarmed.
***
Despite staying vigilant and watchful while the two other princesses took their time to tend to their wounds and heal, nothing strange happened, no danger loomed or hindered her usual walk to the school or intruded her house. No other suspicious beings appeared, no shadows from the resurrected past leapt to reveal themselves and participate in the fight. So were the case with Laila and Noboru, it was as if they had disappeared and that encounter at the path to death had happened. For a battle that everyone was rushing to end and win, nothing of significance followed and no accidents happened or interrupted the lazy flow of the days and nights.
***
Meeting Reiha after a few days, the princess looked composed as ever, no traces of her wounds or cuts were visible, her skin proclaim white again, smooth and restored to its lustrous perfection. Ayumi was in a similar condition, Chiyasu's magic and power healing her sincerely and devoutly without any tricks or ill – intentioned pranks. The girl did not suspect foul play but she was still wary after hearing the story of the downfall between the princess of the earth and the queen of light but she wanted to believe Chiyasu's vision was cleared enough now and that the rage she held inside of her toward the entire world and her had decreased to logical and fair level.
"We have wasted enough time, although it was necessary… I suspect Noboru and Laila had recovered by now as well… and they must be on the move."
Reiha stated her concerns. Although her face remained neutral, her voice seeped with worry she tried vainly to control.
"What should we do then?"
Ayumi asked and Reiha's answer was ready.
"You still have not completed gathering the entire monarchy symbols, these are valuable relics and weapons. We lost the crown, but it does not matter… we still have the spear of light, the most powerful of them, to look for and retrieve."
A ting of guilt swept through Ayumi at the mention of the crown, but she truly did not regret that action. However, after witnessing the returning sealed enemy's power she wished the crown could be fixed somehow or id she could mold a new one, but it was useless, nothing of it had remained but dust and tears and as for the latter idea, she had no idea of how to do so and if it was feasible, the other princess would have already suggested it.
"What about Noboru? What are his plans?"
"He once wanted to destroy the symbol of light and send the world into chaos… that's the only logical explanation for going after Amaterasu… absorbing her power and taking it to his dark side, defiling it… Noriko was present back then to prevent this outcome… so now it is only logical he will go after you to defile your power and usurp, use it to grow more stronger… then god know what he aiming for after that? This part was never clear, I think only Amaterasu knew..."
"But he still has not made any move…"
Ayumi muttered, half afraid half relieved, but by Reiha's stern expression, she could tell the worse was yet to come.
"It is because the scepter and Noriko's power had deal a grave damage to his sword, it seems that it is the most powerful source nourishing his strength. My guess is he will be trying to repair it and remove the traces of Noriko's purifying power."
Reiha crossed her arms thinking deeply and voicing her conclusion for the girls to hear, Ayumi agreed with her but there was a choice to be made, a strategic first step to be agreed upon.
"And how will we do that? Should we stop him first or obtain the spear before that?"
"If the scepter could do anymore damage, it would have. I suggest we go look for the spear first."
A third voice interjected, it was Chiyasu finally coming out of her isolation.
" I believe this is a better start as well…"
Reiha pondered, but the glimmer in her eyes hinted that she was still keen on chasing Noboru and stopping him from regaining his power. Unfortunately, they could not risk splitting into groups, it was not wise or guaranteed. Noboru was not alone, Laila was at his side, along that mysterious granting– wishing box holder.
"If it is settled, then where can we find the spear?"
Ayumi asked causing Reiha to rub he forehead in an effort to prevent a certainly upcoming headache. She mumbled without any hint of enthusiasm.
"The late queen's tomb."
The Three fell silent, not exchanging looks, each struggling with his own feelings toward the current reveal and the situation to come and what it might bring. Reiha was not keen on digging the grave up, she did even know where it was anymore. Chiyasu did want to visit anything remotely related to Amaterasu, even her grave. And Ayumi felt an agitated swarm of of these feelings altogether; not wishing to disrupt the queen's resting place, fearing to desecrate the grave by accident, and a , a,xious anticipation of what Chiyasu might do or how she would react at the spur of the moment.
However, all these feelings were premature. Locating the murdered queen's burial place was the issue at hand, the starting point, and the three of them had a vague to no idea of how or where to start.
"We Know Amaterasu was buried in her palace, in an inordinate tomb, an august mausoleum…"
Reiha started by trying to piece a map with the other two, as they all settled in Ayumi's room at her request, seeking a sense of comfort at discussing a dead's burial place and the need to dig it up to obtain its treasure. it felt like robbing a grave.
"That nothing remains of today."
Chiyasu interjected, almost sounding schadenfreude. Reiha did not comment, too immersed in thinking and refraining from helping herself to a lecture about the respect of the dead regardless of their actions as it would definitely fall on deaf ears since the subject concerned Chiyasu and Amaterasu, and would fuel a much unneeded argument. Ayumi was not happy with the remark, swallowing it with great difficulty but she also remained silent following Reiha's suit for the same reasons, feeling it was a wound opened freshly and would not heal soon especially with their current objective.
"Do you know where the palace used to be?"
Ayumi asked, despite Chiyasu previous elaboration "That nothing remains of it today".
"I did search for it for few years… in recent times… but I could not find a single trace or lead to it… it is as if it has never existed."
"What, do not tell me you also wanted to pay your respects like you have been doing with Noriko?"
Reiha did not answer, she was clearly frustrated with the lack of helpful and useful interjections or plans, yet Chiyasu still went on with a wide grin.
"And yet, Noriko's humble shrine still stands and Amaterasu's grand mausoleum had perished!"
"It might have perished, fell to decay and plunder, but her remains could not possibly be removed or disturbed, no one possesses the power to touch her body, even when dead she was not powerless. So locating her grave is possible in a way."
Chiyasu huffed, and turned around to investigate Ayumi's room as if it was a habit of hers, a way to cope with the mission she hated and to find a temporary escape, looking for anything to mock the girl over, taking complete freedom at peering at the girl's belongings as is she owned the place. By that point, Ayumi had lost hope at modifying this juvenile behavior, so she let her be, lest she get on Reiha's nerves further. After thinking for a short time.
"Did she leave any clues to anyone? Did she entrust taking care of her tomb to anyone?"
"She did not need to, the power left in her body was more than enough to protect her dead body."
Another sneer came from Chiyasu's direction, as she rummaged the drawers looking for embarrassing magazines or anything shameful to no avail. "What a nerd!" She mumbled to ease her mind.
"Maybe we could ask Noriko, she should definitely know!"
"And how do you suggest summoning her spirit? She has exhausted all her remaining power in our last battle, and if she does not wish to appear then she won't."
"But this is an emergency!"
"I have just told you she had depleted all her remaining spiritual power!"
Both Ayumi and Chiyasu huffed in mutual frustration at each other, locking angry eyes for seconds before breaking it off. Reaching no useful tips or plan, Reiha stood and directed her speech at the princess of the earth.
"Then we have no other choice, you are the princess of the earth, you can ask for leads… you can trace a dead's grave."
"I hate resorting to this, I detest this part of my power."
Chiyasu turned her head away, the memory of having to manipulate the priestess ashes still fresh and eating at her heart.
"I understand that. It is truly… unsightly and disrespectful to an extent but we have no other choice."
"Reiha, you seem to have forgotten something…"
Chiyasu countered Reiha's calm negotiation with words trying too hard to camouflage their grudging nature.
"I am no longer able to amalgamate with the earth as before, I can listen to petals and stones… but the earth now refuses me… the soil repels me… they no longer feel my borrowed power or recognize who I am or my true form and duty…"
Ayumi fell silent, but Reiha still persisted in her request, putting her personal feelings, even Chiyasu's aside, for the sake of what she deemed a greater purpose and a more urgent matter.
"What little help we can gain from the ancient stones and roots are acceptable, it is worth of a try."
Chiyasu frowned, although she was not seeking anyone's sympathy, she certainly did not expect this forwardness from Reiha, and the latter's disregard to any mixed feelings about the issue.
"Please, help us give it a try."
Ayumi joined the conversation, her shy imploring words trying to break the tension. Chiyasu looked out of the window for a while before posing an important question.
"And where do you suggest we start looking? The whole landscape had changed and moved!"
"Maybe Noriko's shrine! She must had left some clues since she was the one who directed us to gather the monarchy symbols… the scepter will help us too… it might resonate to the spear if it were to sense it nearby!"
Ayumi was finally using her head, Chiyasu would say, and she was impressed though did not declare this out load or allow this brief appreciation to show on her face. Now left with no way to delay or reject this mission, she nodded reluctantly.
"All right… although I don't expect we will reach anything…"
She just had to add the last sentence, just to dim everyone's spirit the same way hers was dimmed and discouraged by this new development.
"Thank you, Chiyasu!"
Ayumi added, insisting on sounding cheerful just to convey a feeling of understanding and gratitude for the distressing position the princess of the earth was put in, and the latter merely turned her face away back to the scenery outside the window.