Under the Cherry Blossom Tree

The sun was setting, which meant it was evening in the distant spiral galaxy. Starlight glittered in the horizon and illuminated the now silent valley beneath. Renato, a young grey wolf, sighed as he looked up at the blanket of stars on this night. He had been on an expansive journey all these years, traveling many galaxies and experiencing countless civilizations so far away from his home of Washington. How he wished he was stargazing under the cherry blossom tree back in his beloved hometown. Instead, he was residing in an foreign landscape now – and he barely knew anyone in this place. Just then, Renato heard a crackling noise from within a nearby bush. To his shock and delight, out popped a large, wise-looking cat creature! “Greetings,” the cat creature said. “My name is Frey.” “Hello, Frey. I'm Renato.” “Ah, Renato,” Frey said, “It is good to meet you. I am one of the members of the Shayukulian people. We reside in this lovely planet, and it seems that your journey has brought you to us. Tell me, what is it you have sought in these treacherous nights?” “To be honest, I’ve been searching for answers… anywhere I go, I'm looking to discover something,” Renato admits, the stars twinkling in agreement. “You have found the right place,” Frey said. “Come, join me in our city and experience the wonders within – you may even find the answers you seek – and who knows, you may stay here and serve a purpose of your own.” Frey invited Renato to meet the rest of the Shayukulians who, to his pleasant surprise, were LGBTQIA-diverse individuals such as himself! He realized that he would find a sense of awareness and acceptance among these people, if not a certain kind of deep respect. Renato spent time with Frey and the Shayukulians, and soon he started to believe that he could be so much more than just an explorer looking for answers – he could be the leader the Shayukulians had been looking for many moons. The days turned into weeks, and soon enough Renato was confident that he knew the Shayukulian people and their customs. He was trained to serve as a leader for the Shayukulians and ended up becoming a part of the community. One day, Frey came to him and aired some worrying news. The Leader of the neighboring city had been disrupting their truce with their enemies and Frey wanted Renato to come along to find the source of his intentions. Renato reluctantly agreed, knowing this will bring him back to his homeland in a roundabout way. He and Frey set out on an incredible journey above the stars and within their own broken hearts.

The quest started out as a tiring travel experience, as they only had their solemn stars as their brightening guide. But as they explored unknown lands, ancient temples, strange monuments, their bond only strengthened and by their midpoint, Renato felt a certain strength within himself that he had not known before – the seeds of leadership were sprouting inside him from his newly found home. On the other hand, Frey remained wrapped in world-weariness; a millenia of suffering and hate seemed to weigh him down. Between tales of seeping darkness and growing power shadows, Renato and Frey both learned about the troubling situation of their birthplace.

At Fallon, the city of their home, the streets were littered with broken dreams and crumbling buildings that were once beautiful places of life and adventure. Along with the remaining Shayukulian elders and Frey, Renato helped get the city back to its roots and slowly the living testaments of their stories returned, gathering in the city’s central square. Renato took a leap of faith, looking inside his heart and proposing that they all join together to fix the damage done; to heal the people and make the city into a place of shared home and love. Filled with a newfound passion, they set aside their differences, putting aside their hate and battles, and everyone came together to create a safe and accepting city, a place where Shyukulian’s and the LGBTQIA-diverse individuals could feel understood and acknowledged. Renato had never seen so many children happy and playing, laughing in the streets. He had never before seen a place of such acceptance and open-mindedness atop a cherry blossom tree.

One night, however, a letter from the neighboring ruler arrived - he had been conspiring with the enemy, and was running out of patience. He was going to attack the city unless he was provided with a dozen Shayukulian warriors to serve in his army. The entire city was struck with fear, but Renato refused to surrender, finding their courage to stand up against the tyrant. Gathering their strength, they planned a heroic battle of love, a battle they were sure they will win no matter what fate revealed.

The day of the battle arrived, and they all went on a stirring mission. In the heat of the battle, Renato was shot by an arrow of the enemy. As he looked up in the sky to embrace his end, he met Frey’s kind gaze and realized that his journey had found an unexpected destiny; he had came here in this strange place to find it difficult to accept himself, but he ended embracing the truth about who he was. The battle came to an end with the Shayukulian army victorious. Although Renato was injured, the cherry blossom trees around the city soared again in their fragile beauty, delightfully reaching their highest peak, while the people of Fallon patted each other on their backs with wide grins of relief. They had won their freedom, and kept alive their tradition, their city and their hopes. Their future was brighter than ever beneath the starlit sky. Renato smiled in the same place he had once found himself consumed by doubts, sealed with the realization that no power in the world can break the solidarity of friendship.