“Wait, is there Thanksgiving here?” I looked over at Hisai, and he just stared at me blankly. Even the usual knowing smirk was gone from the man’s face.

  We were sitting in meditation at his sect overlooking the waterfalls that fed into the small lake that the Cove Garden Retreat was situated next to, which led partly to its name. The connection between the sect and Buddhism back home was remarkable, even down to the copper and light brown robes the sect chose for its colors.

  “Thanksgiving?” Hisai said the word slowly. He seemed to be trying to taste the word as he said it .

  I opened my eyes and looked over at him and found he was already staring at me. “Yeah.”

  He shook his head slowly. “No, no, I don’t think so. What is it?”

  I blinked and thought it over. “Well, in theory it’s supposed to be a holiday back home, in my country- “

  “On this planet, Earth,” Hisai interrupted.

  I nodded. He always seemed to interrupt me when I talked about home. Always wanted me to call it Earth instead of “back home.” It was almost as if he expected me to be content here, and this was my home now. Well, truth be told, this world, Taria. It was starting to feel more and more like ‘home’ the longer I lived here. I lowered my head for a moment and nodded. “Yes, on Earth.”

  “Continue please. It sounds interesting, this holiday.”

  I nodded and looked back at him. “Well, in theory it was supposed to be a holiday where families and friends came together to celebrate everything they were thankful for. It came from a point back in time when the colonists left Europe and went to the Americas and the natives helped them survive their first winter. In practice, most families just get together and gorge themselves with shrimp cocktail, deviled eggs, and turkey until they can’t even move. Then they sit and watch football.”

  Hisai’s eyes glowed with curiosity at all the unfamiliar words I said, but he didn’t interrupt me as I explained. I explained everything.

  “Europe is a different continent. One country was a huge naval power and conquered and built colonies all around the world. Football is just an American sport with big athletes where they throw a ball and try to score touchdowns,” I answered his unasked questions.

  Hisai just nodded his head in understanding. “I assumed. Large athletes, though? Hm, a bit like the sumotori?”

  I mulled it over and nodded. “Yeah, some of them. In fact, before I was brought here, I heard about a young sumo wrestler who left the sport to play college football. They were saying he was going to do well.”

  He nodded. “Well, we don’t have any football players, but we do have sect members who like and practice sumo wrestling. Then there’s Jonii.”

  I nodded. “He actually seems like he might have been interested in football back home.”

  Hisai just inclined his head and didn’t correct me. That made me ponder a little. Earth was my home as much as it was Johnny’s.

  “In fact, we have a young sumo wrestler visiting us tomorrow, and one of his elders. I do think hosting a Yokozuna is enough of a reason for a feast.”

  My eyes went wide, and I thought back to the teahouse delivery I did. “Nenshoki is coming here?”

  Hisai didn’t seem to hear my question as he rubbed his chin with his thumb and forefinger in thought. “The other elders are usually looking for some sort of reason to have a get-together and feast. I don’t know why they would object.”

  I just watched him think, and then suddenly he clapped his hand on his knee. “Yes, I think we shall do it. It’ll also give you and my sumo instructor a feeling of home, maybe.”

  Without another word, he jumped to his feet. “You take your ox and get your lady friend. If you’re supposed to be with loved ones, then she should be here for our Thanksgiving.”

  I perked up at this and then nodded my head. “Yeah, alright. I think me and Betsy should be able to get to Sunjin and back pretty quick.”

  Hisai nodded his head. “I wonder if I can get…. a coveringHm.”

  He was talking to himself, and I just sat there and watched him. I guess we were done meditating at this point. Hisai blinked and then stared at me. “You'd better go collect Betsy and get going.”

  Without another word, I climbed to my feet and took off.

  _______________________

  It was a good thing it was still early when I got Betsy and left. The next morning we entered the woods where the Cove was situated. The sect had let me use a small cart that was basically just a bench with wheels and a covering. I had basically kidnapped Niku and only given her enough time to pack some essentials for an overnight stay in the sect.

  “Come on, Betsy, we’re almost there!” I yelled up, trying to encourage her not to crash out.

  Betsy ran herself ragged and was being extra ornery, but she trudged on with the promise of a feast the night we got back. Niku had gained a regeneration pill from her master and snuck it to Betsy back in Sunjin, but it was still a lot.

  Zhong Fen and his team of protectors waved as we rode by them on the path.

  “I read about the feast tonight thanks to you. I’m looking forward to it!” he shouted at me as we rode by.

  Niku just looked at me with a raised eyebrow. “A feast?”

  I gave a giggle-snort and nodded my head. “Yeah, why did you think I stole you away?”

  Niku looked mocked hurt. “I just thought you wanted to see me.”

  I nodded. “Well, duh. That’s why I came and got you. So I could see you, and we could have a meal together by some fancy sect chefs.”

  She nodded and scooted a little closer to me and snuggled against my arm and rested her head on my shoulder. “Yeah.”

  It was only a few more minutes, and we were rolling towards the barn area that acted as parking for wagons and the sect’s work animals. Hisai was there to meet us, and he had some of the junior sect members unhook Betsy from the cart.

  “Very good. I felt you guys on the way,” he welcomed us back.

  I raised a hand and pointed at Betsy. “She needs help.”

  Hisai closed his head and inclined his head. “Yes, she does. You ran her hard. Poor lightning ox. Betsy, you did a noble thing helping the young Niku get here in plenty of time for the feast.”

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  While he talked, he walked so he could look right at Betsy. That slight cocksure smile he always wore seemed even stronger than usual. “No worries, my wonderful spirit beast. You need rest and…”

  He reached inside his robes and pulled out a small glowing blue pill. “This will put you to sleep. A deep sleep that you desperately need.”

  Betsy bellowed and shook her head, unhappy with having to sleep the feast away. I frowned as well. I didn’t want her to miss the festivities. Especially if this was supposed to be Fantasyland Thanksgiving. Where would I be without Betsy?

  “Do not worry. It’s still early. If you do not wake in time, I’ll have an alchemist come wake you and bring you to dinner. You will wake feeling like you’ve slept for a week, and your core shall be glowing bright with that electric mana that fuels your speed,” Hisai explained.

  Niku breathed in deeply, and her eyes went wide. Hisai’s explanation sounded good and satisfied both my and Betsy’s misgivings about putting her to sleep, but I looked over at Niku with a raised brow. I looked at her only for a second and figured I’d come back to that line of thinking. I called up to Betsy.

  “It’s up to you, girl. If you want to take it or not,” I told her.

  Niku took a step forward. “If she doesn’t take it, I will.”

  I frowned and now looked back at Niku.

  Hisai just laughed and shook his head. “I’m sorry, my lovely Niku, this pill is, uh, well, as you know, a little too strong for someone not in the spiritual realm of cultivation.”

  Niku frowned but nodded.

  The hell are they giving Betsy?

  With this, Betsy’s long tongue came out, and she took the pill from Hisai’s hand and swallowed it down. I raised my eyebrows instantly as I felt her droop. The ox didn’t fall to the ground, but it was heavy.

  “Well, you probably should have waited until we found you a comfy place to lie down,” Hisai said with a frown. He snapped his fingers, and some of the junior sect members ran over and helped guide Betsy over to an enormous pile of hay and got her to lie down. By the time she was lying down, she was giving loud snores, and I thought I could see the roof of the barn get sucked in.

  I stared at Betsy and listened to her epic snores before I turned to Hisai. “The hell did you give her?”

  “A Benedine Pearl,” Niku answered me quickly; her eyes were the size of dollar coins back home.

  Hisai looked at her with a winning smile. “Correct. It’s rather strong-“

  “And expensive,” Niku interrupted.

  Hisai pushed through the interruption. “Restorative-dormant class pill. It’ll knock her out and cycle her core as she sleeps. She should wake fully restored unless she’s truly a monster.”

  I blinked and nodded, working the knowledge through my mind. I may or may not have taken little liquid blue pills back home to help me sleep in the truck. That paired with Busy B ensured I slept like a rock. “So, uh, is this something I can take every night?”

  “Are you having trouble sleeping?” Hisai cocked a brow.

  “One pill a month or you’ll dull their soul,” Niku said.

  I blinked and looked over at her and then back at Hisai. It wasn’t that I was having problems sleeping, it’s just… I sighed and shook my head. “No, I’m not.”

  Hisai nodded. “Then you shouldn’t take them, and Niku’s warning is correct. If you take them too often, your core can actually overfill, which will lead to deviation, give you a constant grogginess, or you may not even wake up.”

  Now my eyes went wide, and I nodded. “Alright then, I will not take it.”

  “Not without someone like Niku or her master guiding you,” Hisai said.

  I nodded along as we walked along a cobblestone path, but we weren’t going into the sect’s main building like I thought we would. Instead, Hisai was leading us around the buildings to the front gates. Niku was still holding onto my arm as we walked, and I held her close. Our letters had gotten more serious since Halloween, and it seemed like our relationship was really growing. Honestly, it was nice having her close to me like this.

  “Where are we going?” I asked as we walked.

  Hisai grew serious. “You two came just in time to meet Nenshoki and the young Hiroshi. I understand you’ve met Nenshoki before, but this meeting might be, uh… serious? Maybe is the right word. It’ll be uncomfortable anyway, I think.”

  I nodded and told myself I’d have to try not to be a fanboy when I met the Yokozuna that was just like one of my favorite wrestlers back home. As we walked along, I saw a small group of people waiting by the sect’s main gates. I didn’t know or realize when I first came, but there was actually a road that goes around the entire sect and leads to a small pond where the actual front of the sect was. The gate was purely a sort of ceremonial place that acted as the sect’s “front gates.” It went against the sect’s open nature, but for things like this I supposed it was necessary.

  I recognized some people from the sect’s little sumo club, and then there was Jonii standing behind the group. He looked as solemn and serious as always, and I figured if anyone had to get home, it was him. Maybe he just needed a good massage? That’d be an excellent Christmas gift for him, I think.

  Hisai moved over to him, and they spoke for a few minutes. All I could really hear was Jonii telling the timing right, Hisai, they were due at any moment. Then, just like it happened in one of the isekai books when the timing matched up just right, the door next to the large gate built into the large brick wall opened. I smirked when I thought about how I had been the one now in one of the isekai books as a young man, almost a boy, wearing the robes of the sect stepped through the door.

  “May I present Yokozuna Nenshoki of the Hajima beya and his junior disciple Hiroshi, the recently crowned junior yokozuna,” the boy called. He looked surprised when he realized the group was practically crowding the door. He recovered quickly and then bowed towards Hisai, me and the rest and then moved out of the way.

  Nishi… no, I told myself. That isn’t his name. I don’t care how much he looked like the wrestler I knew back home. His name was Nenshoki.

  The large man stepped through the open door and barely fit. He looked just like he did back at the tea shop when I met him, though he was more serious now. The smiling face was gone as he looked around through the black thick-rimmed glasses he wore. The yokozuna wore a deep forest kimono that tied together and then had a sort of red blazing pattern on the bottom of it. His garment made me look twice, but then Nenshoki stepped out of the way.

  The younger disciple stepped through, and he looked exactly like a gerbil, a battle gerbil if you will. Or a… I breathed in deep. THE BATTLE HAMSTER?! No, wasn’t this boy’s name Hiroshi? And he was young, barely a teen if I had to guess. He wore a kimono that matched the green of his elder, though it wasn’t as fine of fabric. I watched the young man scratch at his chest softly as he looked over at the large group with his big brown eyes.

  Hisai stepped forward after they both walked through, and the young Cove sect member walked back through the door and closed it. I wasn’t sure if anyone else noticed it, or even Hisai noticed it, but the man gave a very noticeable grimace when he took in Nenshoki, and I got utterly confused.

  “Yokozuna Nenshoki, Disciple Hiroshi,” Hisai greeted solemnly.

  “Welcome to the Cove Garden Retreat.” He gave each of them a very deep bow. I noticed he didn’t clasp his hands in front of him like the cultivators usually did. Instead, he kept them at his sides, and I realized he was doing a more sumo-like bow.

  “I’m told you’ve organized a feast,” Nenshoki said with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.

  “Yes, a friend of the sect is from far away, and they have a celebration they call Thanksgiving. For him, it’s a time when friends and family come together and feast and just be thankful they’re together. I figured that two such renowned sumotori coming to our doors for an unprecedented reason would be a good reason to be thankful. We can strive forward in pursuit of the Heavens together,” Hisai explained.

  Nenshoki instantly lost his smile so much that it turned into a deep frown that very much did reach his eyes. He looked at me, the obvious outsider, and then back at Hisai.

  “Well, if only we all still had homes and family and friends to be thankful for,” Nenshoki said coldly.

  My eyes went wide, and I stared at the man, who had been nothing but cordial and friendly the time I met him. He had a lot on his mind and was going through the proverbial wringer, but he was kind. Now? What in the world was this? I stared at him and then glanced at Hisai, who had lost the smile he was forcing on his face.

  I felt Niku’s hand close my mouth, and I looked at her. She held a finger to her lips and looked serious before she spoke very quietly. “I’ll explain later.”

  I stayed silent and nodded and looked back to the sect’s other guests. Even the boy Hiroshi looked a little shocked.

  All Hisai could respond with was. “Yes, well, Jonii here is our resident sumo expert. He’s been training a local team, and we’ve already started to experiment.”

  My brows furrowed. Experiment? Experiment with what?

  Jonii took this as his cue and stepped forward towards the two sumotori. He bowed deeply and when he raised his head . “If you both will follow me, I’ll lead you to your rooms.”

  “Sumo expert, huh? You look like you’re from somewhere far away as well,” Nenshoki said, eyeing Jonii after he and his junior returned the boy.

  “Yes, quite far away. I’ve been a student of sumo and other martial arts for quite a long time though,” he explained.

  Nenshoki looked impatient but nodded his head, and Jonii turned and led the two sumotori away.

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