《Kurisumasu》


 Kurisumasu Chp.1

    Paul stood in the cool grey light of pre-dawn, wondering what he was doing there. The beach was a study in monotones, grey sky, white sand, black sea and rocks. Inari and Kiko were a short way up the beach behind him, Inari sleepily leaning against Kiko, who wasn¡¯t all that awake herself.


    Tatsuo had arrived back at the mountain a few hours earlier, just after midnight. He¡¯d looked care-worn, frayed around the edges metaphorically. He and Katsu had been missing for just over a week, with not a word from them. Paul had refused to worry himself too much. They were both capable people and as far as anyone could tell, they¡¯d reached the train station in Tokyo safely enough without any sign of pursuit. Where they¡¯d gone from there had been a mystery.


    Katsu had phoned her father¡¯s office from the station, and left a voice message asking him not to be concerned, and that she would contact him in a few days. Paul didn¡¯t think the hunters were a serious threat any more, as they¡¯d found themselves the hunted overnight. Investigations were ongoing, but Division 3 was no more, the majority of them having been arrested or suspended pending review for the smaller fry.


    Besides, Paul mused, he¡¯d been too busy to worry too much.


    There had been days when he wondered if he had a touch of second sight, as well as Sight. He¡¯d told Inari that the real work was only just beginning at the end November. The days following had proven just how accurately prophetic that was.


    This December, Japan had woken up to the fact that Yokai, ¡®Others¡¯, were real and that their beloved Emperor was one. Specifically a Ryu or dragon, which perhaps shouldn¡¯t have come as a surprise given that the Imperial line claimed unbroken descent from the First Emperor of Japan, Jimmu, who was, according to mythology at least, the grandson of the Sea God Watatsumi, who was described as a sea dragon, and thus the great-grandson of the Goddess Amaterasu, who was also known to take on the form of a dragon at times.


    So far, the public response had been positive. The day after the Emperor¡¯s special address to the Diet and the nation in general, had seen a veritable tsunami of interest. Kami town had almost doubled in population over-night; mostly reporters and news crews, it had to be said. The local police force was so overwhelmed trying to organise them, and stop any and all of the local yokai from being swarmed, that the mayor had put in a request to the Japanese Self Defence Force for assistance.


    Inari had done something to the boundary stones as well, after she caught a paparazzi photographer trying to get a picture of her undressing in the bath-house. Now it was physically impossible to cross the boundary, except at the torii gate. There also appeared to be a heavy mist surrounding the mountain; at least, from the outside. From the inside of the mountain¡¯s boundaries, the air was as clear as ever.


    Paul had talked himself hoarse before the end of the first day after the Emperor¡¯s speech. He¡¯d actually been relieved to see the olive green uniforms of the Japanese Self Defence Force turn up, even though he wasn¡¯t in general in favour of military intervention. But the primary role of the JSDF was as a search and rescue organisation, and the way people were flooding into town it was taking on the appearance of the aftermath of a natural disaster!


    The advantage of being Inari¡¯s Herald was that his voice carried the weight of her authority. The disadvantage as far as Paul was concerned, was that everyone that Inari didn¡¯t talk to, tried to talk to her through him. There was, however, something very satisfying about being able to tell some self-important government official to go sit on a bamboo shoot, to use a colourful Japanese metaphor.


    Still, Paul reflected as he watched the slow swell of the slate-grey sea, the past week had been one filled with incredible amounts of activity. Small mana convertors were going up everywhere: the only reason they weren¡¯t being cranked out faster was a lack of crystals. There was already a lab producing synthetic ones in town, but it wasn¡¯t up and running just yet. So far, the Oni had control of the only source¡­


    Which is why he¡¯d been glad to see Tatsuo turn up at the kitchen door, looking like a starving wolf. He hadn¡¯t said much, only that he and Katsu had taken the train to the coast, narrowly avoiding a small team of hunters, and from there had taken to sea aboard a vessel owned by a family friend.


    Where Katsu was now, he hadn¡¯t said, only saying that they had to meet here¡­ and that there was something wrong with her.


    Paul glanced to where Tatsuo stood next to him. The young Oni was normally stoic to a fault, but he looked nervous, worried even. Which meant that if it showed, inwardly he was probably frantic.


    ¡°Hey, Tatsuo, care to tell me what¡¯s going on?¡±


    Tatsuo shook his head slowly.


    ¡°No, Paul-san. She¡¯ll be here soon, no words could explain it until then.¡±


    Paul sighed, looking round the small bay to the west of Kami town. It wasn¡¯t much more than a pocket of sand and shingle a couple of hundred metres across, trapped between cliffs either side. In summer it was a semi-popular surfing spot, but in the dead of winter the only other inhabitants were some seagulls perched on the converted cargo containers that were a surf-shack in summer.


    It was the perfect spot to land a small boat clandestinely. Once again Paul wondered if perhaps Katsu¡¯s family weren¡¯t involved in the ¡®export and import¡¯ business that was so often a fact of life in these sorts of areas. Although he had no proof that any kind of smuggling was going on, he had enough experience to know the area was perfect for it, and that historically at least, it was a common way to supplement income when the fishing was poor.


    Paul frowned, there was something moving out at sea. It was very hard to make out details. Quite apart from the slight sea mist drawing a veil across the scene, it was almost impossible to see where grey sea ended and grey sky started, and without the horizon to serve as a guide, estimating distances was difficult at best.


    Still, something was moving, a low grey shape, almost indistinct against the flat grey water. Paul squinted, wishing he¡¯d brought binoculars. It almost looked like a large rogue wave¡­


    Paul blinked, opening his mouth to say something¡­ and stopped.


    As it entered the bay Paul realised what he was looking at was a wave¡­ sort of. Something was moving below the surface of the ocean, something large enough and swift enough, it was creating a bow wave, making the surface hump up above it, rolling over it and falling back into the trough of its wake.


    Paul backed up a half step as the wake headed inexorably towards the shore, shoving aside the water. The sea foamed, as if breaking over rocks, as two parallel rows of flat grey plates broke the surface, cutting through the water like shark fins.


    Then, still some few dozen metres offshore, the wave vanished. The water flattened out, as whatever it was below the surface stopped. For a moment nothing happened, and then the surface humped up again, as a vast steel coloured shape rose form the depths.


    Paul¡¯s eyes widened as, water streaming off it, a huge creature stood up.


    ¡°K...K...Kaiju!!¡±


    Paul hadn¡¯t realised that Inari had come up behind him, until she spoke.


    ¡°There¡¯s no such thing as kaiju, Paul.¡±


    ¡°The hell you say! Then what¡¯s that?!¡±


    Paul pointed at the creature, standing waist deep in the ocean, and still towering forty feet above the sea. It had a hide like steel, with a matt grey, almost metallic sheen. In basic shape it was human¡­ Paul looked again, she was human¡­ if the subtle swelling in the armour plates around the chest area was any guide. Although she did have a tail, and long black hair that was plastered to her back between the twin rows of plates jutting out from either side of the spine. Long hair that framed a human-like face..


    Paul blinked¡­ as his brain caught up with his eyes.


    ¡°Holy Crap! Th.. that¡¯s Katsu?!¡±


    Tatsuo nodded slowly.


    Fifteen minutes later, more or less, Katsu lay stretched out mostly across the sand, her van sized head resting on her truck length arms near the base of the cliff on one side. Despite which, her tail still had surf lapping around it, as she was longer than the bay was wide. Tatsuo had sat on her forearm, leaning against Katsu¡¯s cheek, as he explained what had transpired since they parted.


    They¡¯d been pursued by a pair of hunters, who had proven to be very persistent. Despite giving them the slip at the train station, they¡¯d caught up with Katsu and Tatsuo at the port. Katsu had ¡®borrowed¡¯ a small yacht from a family friend, leaving a note for him. They¡¯d hoped to give them the slip out at sea. The yacht was small enough to evade radar if one turned off the transponder.


    A small part of Paul¡¯s mind wondered about that again. But most of his attention was occupied by Tatsuo¡¯s tale.


    They had thought they¡¯d lost the hunters again, but the pair, one woman and one man, turned up several hours past dawn in a power boat a long way back behind them but gaining ground.


    Katsu had played cat and mouse with them all of the following day, evading them by hiding among the islands and staying ahead despite the power boat¡¯s greater speed. The hunters had to put into port to refuel near to sunset, and Katsu had sailed though the night, going dark in case they came back out looking for them.


    It was midday on the same day that Inari, Paul and Nonemu had emerged through the Torii gate that the hunters finally caught up with them. Katsu, exhausted, had tied off the previous night to a buoy some 180 miles south-west of the island of Kyushu.


    The hunters had appeared, in a much larger vessel. Evidently they¡¯d decided that capture was no longer an option. The .50 cal deck gun had riddled Katsu¡¯s small yacht with holes, until it hit the fuel tank for the emergency engine. The fire it sparked quickly spread, and Katsu had ordered them to abandon ship.


    Which uncovered a slight problem.


    Apparently, Oni don¡¯t swim, or even float. Tatsuo¡¯s denser bone structure meant he wasn¡¯t buoyant. After a brief argument Katsu had given her life jacket to Tatsuo, so he¡¯d at least stay afloat, and then tripped him pushing Tatsuo over the side away from the field of fire as the hunters deck gun swept the yacht. Tatsuo¡¯s last sight of Katsu had been her falling backwards, over the rail on the other side of the yacht from him, as blood sprayed from her shoulder.


    As Tatsuo paused, taking a sip from the thermos of tea Kiko had brought with them, Paul studied him. He seemed to be unperturbed, but Paul made a mental note to talk to him later¡­ possibly after he¡¯d had a can or two of beer and loosened up. Paul knew a thing or two about the effects of trauma, and he knew the signs of someone on the verge of developing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Nipping that in the bud, so to speak, would save a lot of anguish later.


    As Tatsuo told it, Katsu, no matter how good a swimmer, wouldn¡¯t have survived long without a life jacket, even if she hadn¡¯t been hit. Tatsuo had tried swimming in the cold, rough, water to find her. But the hunters caught up with him first, hauling Tatsuo aboard their vessel. He¡¯d fought, but the freezing seas and exhaustion had sapped his strength and he¡¯d been quickly overpowered.


    The hunters had spent most of the afternoon searching for Katsu¡­ while Tatsuo was trussed up below-decks. It had been sometime after dark when things evidently went pear-shaped for the hunters.


    Tatsuo didn¡¯t know what happened, but there¡¯d been a series of screams, and then silence. The boat had suddenly stopped rocking, and then with a ripping splintering sound, Katsu had ripped off the hatch and peered down at Tatsuo. She¡¯d literally picked the hunters boat up, and opened it up like a tin can.


    The young Oni had looked sheepish as he admitted to being terrified at first, not recognising her after her transformation. Katsu had chuckled¡­ a vast, rumbling, tectonic sound.


    Paul felt there was a lot that Tatsuo had missed out, but none of that was relevant to the main problem at present, as Tatsuo asked Inari.


    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°Inari-sama¡­ can you turn Katsu back? She¡¯s tried herself but nothing happens.¡±


    Inari and Kiko exchanged a look, and then Inari sighed.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a question of turning her back. She¡¯s undergone a transformation, and this is the result. It cannot be undone.¡±


    Tatsuo nodded, resignedly.


    ¡°I¡­ feared as much. We spent days on one of the smaller islands in hiding. Katsu can¡¯t talk like this, but she can write. She told me she thought she died. Drowned after passing out from blood loss. She remembers sinking down into the depths. But, Kami can¡¯t die, so she surfaced again, like this.¡±


    Paul¡¯s lips twisted into a wry smile.


    ¡°Let me guess¡­ you were thinking about attacking the hunters, and thought of Godzilla, right?¡±


    Katsu ducked her head, smiling sheepishly, then nodded.


    Paul frowned.


    ¡°Ok, I can see what shaped her transformation, but where would she get the power from, Inari? Something like this would take a huge amount of mana, right?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right Paul, but¡­¡±


    Inari paused, making a circle of her thumb and forefinger and looking at Katsu through it, frowning.


    ¡°That is strange. There is another spirit there.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s pregnant?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s not a part of her, but linked. Like a bound spirit. That¡¯s the source of her power.¡±


    Paul studied Katsu, eyebrow raised. Katsu ducked her massive head again, looking evasive now.


    ¡°You know what it is, don¡¯t you?!¡±


    Katsu nodded and carefully, moving slowly, giving people time to get out of her way, she wrote in the sand using one tip of a talon to mark neat characters in the wet sand.


    ¡®Battleship Yamato¡¯


    Paul studied the foot high letters for a moment, then sighed.


    ¡°Should¡¯ve realised when I heard the position. That¡¯s the wreck site isn¡¯t it? But why there?¡±


    Katsu nodded, then erasing the letters with the palm of her hand, wrote again.


    ¡®Grandfather¡¯s grave.¡¯


    Paul frowned.


    ¡°Ok, he served aboard, but why go there unless¡­ oh! I get it! It was supposed to be a rendezvous site! Somewhere you could tell your father to meet you, that no-one else would know. Right?¡±


    Katsu nodded again, smiling.


    Paul frowned¡­


    ¡°Ok, but¡­ Oh! Hey, Inari, places can have spirits, right? What about objects, like battleships?¡±


    Inari shook her head.


    ¡°It shouldn¡¯t have.  It¡¯s ordinary steel for a start, and cold iron and magic do not mix, apart from the one exception. But besides that, it takes time for enough mana to build up, centuries at least, before there¡¯s enough to create a spirit.¡±


    Paul nodded slowly, he¡¯d suspected that was the case. Still¡­ he frowned. Evidently they were missing something vital.


    ¡°Ok, leaving that aside...Inari, one question. I¡¯m guessing the additional mass Katsu has gained is part of the reason it takes a lot of mana to do this? But if we¡¯re shrinking her form down to human proportions, wouldn¡¯t that mean it¡¯s a net gain in energy, and doesn''t require power? Since it would be converting the extra mass back into energy..¡±


    Inari shook her head.


    ¡°No¡­ the transformation, if we could do it, would still need mana to power it, and yes, mass from somewhere was added to her. That mass would have to go back to where it came from. Energy cannot be created or destroyed, but it can be borrowed or transformed.¡±


    ¡°Huh.. so...maybe the wreck is short by a few hundred tons then, and somehow that mass would have to be transformed back into energy, zapped back to where it came from, and then transformed back into the battleship?¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s where it came from then yes, but it can¡¯t have. A shipwreck couldn¡¯t serve as a source of mana.¡±


    ¡°What, not even with all those lives lost aboard, all the emotional energy put into what was Imperial Japan¡¯s great hope? Surely that¡¯s a source of mana?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ yes¡­ but how would it absorb and store that?¡±


    Katsu reached up, and carefully pulled something out from among her hair. Between her yard long, talon tipped fingers it looked like a hair pin, but as she laid it out on the sand Paul could see it was a sword, specifically a katana. Its saya or scabbard still solid despite the marine life encrusting it, although the sharkskin of the hilt was blackened with decay and rotten strings of the Ito or silk cord dangled from it. However, the golden Imperial chrysanthemum symbol of the tsuba or hand guard, was still bright as Paul rubbed a thumb over it.


    Paul blinked at it for moment, then covered his face with his palm.


    ¡°Of course! I¡¯m an idiot. The sword, not the ship!¡±


    Inari looked a question at him, as Paul carefully wiped the sword clean on a corner of his coat. Seeing her expression, he shrugged.


    ¡°This is the Yamato sword¡­ by repute it used to belong to the original general Yamato. If I recall the story correctly, it and the other half of the billet of steel it was forged from centuries ago, was presented by the Yamato clan to the ship builders when they were laying the keel for the battleship. The legend goes that the unused steel billet was supposed to be for another sword, a twin, for the emperor, but the general or the swordsmith died before it could be made. Anyway, the unused billet was built into the keel of the battleship, symbolically making the ship the twin to the sword. However, the point is that although I couldn¡¯t swear to it without a comparison test, I would bet this sword was made of iron from your mine, Inari.¡±


    ¡°Ah! Which would make it a mana battery, yes?¡±


    ¡°Exactly so. I think the sword used to hang on the bridge. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ve seen a photo of it like that, but if there¡¯s any kind of magical connection between it, and the unused billet that was supposedly incorporated into the ship¡¯s keel, then that could also serve as a link between the ship and the sword. So, the ship¡¯s steel hull would act as a huge mana collector, channelling it into the sword.¡±


    ¡°And, as you say, all that emotion, all those lives and all those deaths... that would explain where the power to transform Katsu came from.¡±


    Paul nodded, then turned to look thoughtfully out to sea.


    ¡°Something forged a link between the sword and Katsu, genetics maybe, or a subconscious identification with the ship by a certain young goddess, who knows?! But the ship, the sword and Katsu are all joined and the power for her transformation came from the ship.¡±


    Paul stopped talking, thinking for moment as he stared out at the gently undulating, slate grey ocean, then he continued.


    ¡°So what if we reversed the polarity of the mana flow? If you and Kiko work together, to push energy into Katsu, so it flows back down the link. Maybe you can transform some of the extra mass and send that with it, and reshape Katsu into her old human form? Not so much transforming her back, but re-transforming her to her old self?¡±


    Kiko, who had remained silent up until then, spoke up.


    ¡°There are stories of samurai who forged mystical bonds with their swords, being able to transform themselves to a certain degree. Growing taller, stronger as they drew upon the power of the sword. They described it as reforging themselves each time. This is like that. So, we would not be undoing a transformation, but re-doing it. I think it could work Inari¡­ and we can¡¯t leave her like this.¡±


    Inari nodded slowly.


    ¡°Perhaps¡­ but we are in uncharted waters here. I will risk it if you both agree though. Kiko, Katsu?¡±


    Kiko nodded without hesitation, Katsu fractionally behind her, and with an uncertain expression writ large upon her face.


    Paul glanced at Tatsuo, and shrugged.


    ¡°I think that¡¯s our cue for us mere mortals to retreat to a safe distance, and get out of the way of the Goddesses while they work.¡±


    Tatsuo looked doubtful.


    ¡°Perhaps¡­ perhaps I should stay and support Katsu?¡±


    Katsu shook her massive head, causing her tail to swing in sympathy, churning the waters of the bay. Inari added her voice.


    ¡°No Tatsuo, although the thought does you credit. But this is transformative magic, you would not want to get caught up in it by accident, and the less living things around Katsu, the less we have to shield against accidentally changing.¡±


    Tatsuo nodded, reluctantly, and allowed himself to led by Paul to a safe distance away, although not without glancing over his shoulder at Katsu, in an emotionally charged look. Katsu, for all her size, looked scared and vulnerable, but none-the-less determined. Tatsuo tried to project reassurance at her and a confidence he didn¡¯t really feel.


    Some moments later, Katsu sat hunched up on the sandy beach, trying to take up as little space as possible. Her legs were drawn up with her arms wrapped around them, and her chin resting on her knees. Her tail was wrapped around her hips and ankles. Paul could almost see the imaginary egg shell around her as he sat on a nearby rock with Tatsuo perched nervously beside him.


    Kiko paced around Katsu¡¯s vast bulk, drawing a basketball-court sized circle in the sand around her, as Inari followed behind Kiko, filling in spaces with inches high characters drawn in the damp sand. The two Goddess, one new, one very old but ever young, hurried to complete the containment circle so they could begin the spell at dawn.


    Paul thought the timing probably wouldn¡¯t matter a great deal, as Inari had explained, but it certainly couldn¡¯t hurt to add an extra little ¡®kick¡¯ to the transformation spell they were about to work. If all went well, Katsu would end up looking like herself, rather than a Kaiju sized hybrid between herself and Godzilla¡­ which Paul supposed, would make her a kaijin technically.


    Tatsuo started to stand up, saying as he did.


    ¡°Perhaps I should..¡±


    Paul placed a hand on his forearm, restraining him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t. You couldn¡¯t help, and you¡¯d be in the way. Your time comes afterwards, that¡¯s when she¡¯ll need you Tatsuo.¡±


    ¡°After?¡±


    ¡°Mm. You¡¯re an Oni, you and your clan know how to deal with trauma. Katsu is human, from a sheltered and relatively privileged background. She won¡¯t know how to deal with the residual feelings she¡¯ll have after this, the mental scarring and lingering terror are foreign to her. If I read her personality right, she¡¯ll try to bottle it up, deny what she feels, until she breaks down from the internal stress. It¡¯ll be your job to prevent that, to encourage her to express what she¡¯s feeling, safely, to you.¡±


    ¡°Ah. Um, Paul-sensei, any suggestions on the best way to do this? I...I don¡¯t know her that well and¡­ well, as you say, I am an Oni, not human. What works for us might not for her.¡±


    Paul hid a small smile, as he was sure Tatsuo was angling for advice, without letting on he had no idea himself.


    ¡°Oh¡­ it¡¯s much the same I¡¯d guess. You show her, by doing it yourself. Show, not tell, usually works. You talk to her about how you felt then and how you feel now, allowing her to express her feelings by sharing them with you. You share coping mechanisms, encourage her to explore different methods until she finds ones that work for her, by revisiting and exploring them yourself. You could even be seen to learn new ones if she encounters anything that might help you. I can download some literature for her and you when we get back to the temple; it¡¯ll be human based obviously, but you can go over it with her and talk about ways it¡¯s different for Oni, and maybe you¡¯ll even find something new.¡±


    Tatsuo nodded slowly, trying to look as though he knew what Paul was talking about. Paul let the young man have his pride and pretended to be fooled as he continued.


    ¡°Of course, you¡¯ll have to show her it¡¯s ok to be open about how she feels. Emotional wounds are pretty much like physical ones, it¡¯s best to let them drain so you don¡¯t end up with something festering away below the surface. You two have shared a singular experience, but one that has commonalities with others, so you could show it¡¯s ok to reach out to other people, by doing so yourself. Kind of like how we¡¯re talking now.¡±


    ¡°Ah.. I see. As I thought¡­ umm¡­ Paul-sensei...¡±


    ¡°Yes, you can always talk to me too, Tatsuo. Any time. Feel free to mention that to anyone you think might need to hear a bit of a ¡®Survivors guide to Trauma¡¯ sometime.¡±


    ¡°Ah. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome¡­ and if you pick up anything new, pass it along to your clan. Knowledge shared is knowledge increased after all. Might even help your status as clan leader.¡±


    ¡°You think so?¡±


    ¡°Hm, yeah. Who is stronger, the one who hides his fears even from himself, or the one who allows others to see he was afraid, and over-came that fear?¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ I see. Yes. That is true.¡±


    Paul glanced at the horizon and then his watch.


    ¡°Well, looks like they¡¯re on track to get started for daybreak, the sun will be over the horizon in a few minutes.¡±


    Tatsuo nodded, and stood up, waving at Katsu and shouting.


    ¡°Hoi! Katsu! Good luck. You owe me an ice-cream after this!¡±


    Katsu waved back carefully, a smile on her face.


    Tatsuo sat back down, and then seeing the unspoken question on Paul¡¯s face, grinned and explained.


    ¡°Oni get sea-sick¡­ I didn¡¯t know that before. Katsu said if we survived, we¡¯d get ice-creams and she¡¯d pay as her apology.¡±


    ¡°Ah. I see. That, by the way, was exactly the right thing to say to her.¡±


    Tatsuo nodded, as if he¡¯d known that all along.


    Inari and Kiko were too far away to hear what they were saying, although there was clearly some chanting going on; the slight sea breeze that had picked up as daybreak approached swept their words away. As the horizon the bounded the ocean lightened, Katsu began to glow with an eerie aquamarine light, like sunlight seen though many feet of very clear water. Golden threads of magic bloomed from where Inari and Kiko stood on opposite sides of the circle containing her, at the same time as ghostly blue/green balls of fox-fire sprang up at the compass points.


    The light from within Katsu increased in intensity, and she threw back her head and roared¡­ Paul grabbed Tatsuo, kicked his legs out from under him forcing him to sit down, and held him in place by the shoulders.


    The roar, which started at an ear splitting decibel level and gut trembling low frequency, dwindled, diminishing in volume as the pitch increased from Godzilla-like low frequencies to something like a human-scream as the encompassing globe of light shrank.


    Objectively, only the time between one breath and the next passed; subjectively it seemed to go on for hours. But eventually, the bubble of light decreased to only a few yards across, and then went out with a sudden, silent, ¡®pop¡¯ that was more felt as a shiver in something more esoteric than mere common-place air.


    Katsu lay curled in the fetal position in the centre of the containment circle, alive, naked and human. Around her was an expanse of what had been sand that glittered and sparkled in every colour of the rainbow, changed into something new. Tatsuo tried to stand again, but Paul managed to hang onto him¡­ such was the level of the young Oni¡¯s exhaustion.


    Inari and Kiko conferred momentarily, walking around the circle of strange sand, and then as Katsu slowly sat up, Inari waved Paul and Tatsuo over as Kiko started to sweep away the circle drawn in the damp sand.


    Tatsuo, of course, plunged across the sand for Katsu, sweeping her up into his arms, while Paul crossed to where Inari stood, holding the Yamato sword.


    ¡°It worked then?¡±


    Inari nodded, abstractly, then held out the sword to Paul.


    ¡°It worked, but there were consequences.¡±


    Paul glanced at the sword, and then did a double-take, looking again as he saw it was restored, as if newly presented to the General all those years ago.


    ¡°Huh.. oh well. No chance passing that off as the actual sword now, Katsu might as well hang onto it.¡±


    Inari gave Paul a look of fond exasperation.


    ¡°Paul-san, think¡­ the sword is the ships soul. She sleeps for now, but she can be said to be alive once more.¡±


    ¡°So? I don¡¯t¡­ Oh! Wait¡­ you mean¡­?¡±


    Paul turned to stare out to sea, at where the sun was rising above the small rocky island that sheltered the bay from prying eyes. There, some distance away, along the path made by the dawn, between the pair of small rocky islands guarding the mouth of the bay, was the shadow of a sleeping armoured steel giant. A vessel long lost, and now restored, at anchor off the coast having been brought back from her abyssal grave by the combined might of three Goddesses.


    The Battleship Yamato had returned.

 Kurisumasu Chp.2

    The advantage to being one of the few gaijin in town was that everyone knew who he was¡­ the disadvantage was that everyone knew who he was, which meant if someone wanted to talk to him, he couldn¡¯t just blend into a crowd.


    Paul was sitting in the coffee shop he¡¯d found earlier on, when a man stopped by his table and paused. He was an older gentlemen, with a rigid and severe bearing, who despite the thin grey hair evidently was in good health. Paul couldn¡¯t help thinking he wore his tailored business suit like a set of samurai robes, and would look better in them than Paul had in his. He was also rather on the tall side for a man of his nationality.


    ¡°Ah, Holmes-san? Forgive my intrusion, but we need to speak.¡±


    Paul glanced up, and nodded.


    ¡°Yamato-san, I presume?¡±


    The man paused in the act of opening his card holder, and glanced between it and Paul. Paul flashed a slight smile.


    ¡°The resemblance between you, and your daughter, is unmistakeable. In height if nothing else.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ I see. Your observational skills have not been exaggerated then. Personally, I think Katsu takes after her mother more.¡±


    Paul nodded slowly.


    ¡°Yes, I can see that. I met your lady wife when we came by your residence¡­ Oh, sorry, please, sit down. What can I do for you, sir?¡±


    Yamato-san sat down, and sighed, running a hand through his thinning grey hair.


    ¡°I am not entirely sure to be honest, Holmes-san. I am a businessman, a man of numbers and hard decisions¡­ I.. I am hoping you can help me make sense of all this...this..¡±


    ¡°Magic, Goddesses and other yokai stuff?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes. That, Holmes-san.¡±


    Paul nodded slowly.


    ¡°I can understand your confusion, and honestly, I¡¯m still trying to get used to it myself. Still, I¡¯ll help if I can. Where would you like me to start?¡±


    Yamato-san shook his head,


    ¡°Ahh¡­ I don¡¯t know? Perhaps.. I am told my daughter is a goddess now? How do I¡­ I mean.. what..¡±


    Paul held up a hand, forestalling him.


    ¡°Ok.. firstly, yes Katsu is a Goddess now. Goddess of what I¡¯m not sure, but linked in some mystical way with the battleship that¡¯s anchored out in the bay. Please believe me, that was in no way planned or expected. As I said to your lady wife, you have our apologies for having deceived you before, but it was necessary...¡±


    Yamato-san shook his head.


    ¡°That part I understand Holmes-san. You and Tatsuo-san felt you had to invent a story to protect lives, my daughter¡¯s included. No, that is not the problem¡­ it¡¯s.. Holmes-san, would it come as a surprise if I said I do not know how to talk to my daughter now?¡±


    ¡°Oh, that. No, no it wouldn¡¯t. Ok, I won¡¯t lie to you Yamato-san, she will have been changed by her experiences, as would be anyone else. But she is still your daughter, sir. In fact, I¡¯d advise treating her no differently than before, as she¡¯ll need the sense of familiarity given everything that¡¯s happened.¡±


    ¡°Ah.. that sounds like good advice. I¡­ am not sure if I can however.¡±


    Paul frowned slightly, tilting his head and regarding Katsu¡¯s father thoughtfully.


    ¡°I see. Am I to take it that yours is not a particularly close relationship?¡±


    Yamato-san shook his head, not looking at Paul.


    ¡°You would be correct. I have, from time to time, regretted that we do not speak more. That things between us are not as.. open.. as is normal.¡±


    Paul sighed.


    ¡°I can honestly say I know that feeling. But, I think perhaps given her character and yours¡­ and may I say, you two are rather alike in that regard, it was perhaps inevitable. Neither of you are emotionally effusive from what I¡¯ve seen. Still, she knows you¡¯re proud of her accomplishments. I think honestly, you have a better relationship than you might think. Just one that¡¯s mostly unspoken.¡±


    ¡°Ah. That is.. good to hear. People speak highly of your understanding Holmes-san. It is reassuring that you think that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not infallible, but in this case, I don¡¯t think I¡¯m wrong. So¡­ trust your instincts sir, as I said, she is still your daughter.¡±


    ¡°Just so¡­ however, this¡­ boy, Tatsuo.¡±


    Paul¡¯s lips twitched slightly, as he suppressed a smile.


    ¡°Okayy¡­ and we¡¯re back onto normal ground. You have your concerns the same as any father would.¡±


    Yamato-san smiled fractionally.


    ¡°Indeed yes. What can you tell me about him?¡±


    Paul shrugged.


    ¡°Well, for a start, despite being an Oni, he¡¯s pretty much the same as most young men his age. A bit of an idiot at times that needs a decent woman to temper him¡­ as I¡¯m sure your lady wife would agree.¡±


    Yamato-san laughed ruefully.


    ¡°Ah, I see you truly do understand! Yes, I remember my days of youthful folly¡­ and my dear Yua would agree with you I¡¯m sure.¡±


    Paul grinned.


    ¡°Some things are universal Yamato-san, and as I¡¯ve been saying a lot lately, Yokai aren¡¯t as different from humans as it it might appear. He¡¯s had a rough time of it, and had far too much responsibility thrust upon him far too soon.. but he¡¯s managed pretty decently, which speaks highly of his character to my mind. Yes, he¡¯s made a few minor mistakes and some bad choices¡­ but honestly, who hasn¡¯t at his age? He is, as we English say, a decent young chap.¡±


    Yamato-san nodded slowly.


    ¡°So, you think he can be trusted then?¡±


    ¡°To look after your daughter? Yes, I think so. He genuinely loves her; I really don¡¯t think he¡¯s the heart-breaker type. Actually, given how much he identifies with the samurai of old, I¡¯m pretty sure the only way Katsu could¡¯ve gotten a confession of love out of him was to beat it out of him. Like I said, a bit of an idiot at times.¡±


    Yamato-san laughed slightly.


    ¡°That I am sure of. Did I mention my wife, Yua, is quite practised at Akido?¡±


    ¡°No, but I am not surprised. She has that air of being calmly centred and rock solid, like she¡¯s a fixed point in the universe, about which life¡¯s troubles flow around.¡±


    ¡°Hm, that¡¯s a good way of describing it. I must remember that, thank you.¡±


    ¡°All part of my job sir, finding the right words to describe what everyone knows.¡±


    Yamato-san nodded slowly, then sighed.


    ¡°There is another matter Paul-san¡­ one I am told you you may be able to help with?¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    ¡°About this¡­ battleship¡­ is it real?¡±


    Paul shrugged.


    ¡°I honestly don¡¯t have an answer to that. I mean, yes it¡¯s real in a physical sense. I think. If you¡¯re asking me if it¡¯s really the same ship that was launched all those years ago¡­ I can¡¯t say. That would take a team of divers or something to go and see if the wreck is still there. Although, I seem to recall reading the bow crest was removed from the wreck and placed in the museum, so perhaps check if this ship has hers¡­ But anyway, it¡¯s a manifestation of the spirit that was born out of that ship, so it¡¯s probably ¡®realer¡¯ than any simple assemblage of steel could be. I think it¡¯s probably safe to proceed on the assumption that it¡¯s the actual Battleship Yamato, and that she¡¯s alive in every meaningful sense of the word, and somehow linked to Katsu. Which I suppose would make her the owner, or Captain maybe...¡±


    ¡°Ah. Yes. Questions of ownership are likely to become very complicated.¡±


    ¡°Hm, yes. I can see that. I think getting someone out to the wreck site to check if that is still there might be urgent. After all, if the wreck is still present, then it at least eliminates the claim from the Navy I suppose. Although come to think of it¡­ I think questions of ownership are a moot point anyway. That ship is, after all, a Yokai of some sort. Technically, she¡¯s a person according to the new laws being drafted.¡±


    Yamato-san blinked, then nodded slowly.


    ¡°Ah, yes¡­ I can see that. In fact, one could argue if that is the case, then she is, in fact, a member of the Yamato family.¡±


    Paul¡¯s lips quirked upwards¡­


    ¡°A good point. In fact, I think one could say Katsu has a new ¡®little¡¯ sister¡­. or daughter perhaps. Either way congratulations, Yamato-san, on your new family member.¡±


    Paul was hard pressed not to laugh at the look of dismayed surprise on Yamato-san¡¯s face.


    ---------


    Still, Paul reflected, sitting on the veranda of his residence later, the past week had been utter chaos, the business with the Yamato, or Yamatos perhaps, being just one example¡­ and damn all but a lot of talking had gotten done really. Paul sighed, and with a rueful twist smiled, admitting to himself that it wasn¡¯t quite true. A great deal had been done, just not by him. Which was what irked.


    Everyone else was having fun, doing stuff, and he felt like he was stuck in detention doing homework.


    He looked up as he heard Inari¡¯s voice singing, as she walked up the path towards him. It took him a moment however to process what she was singing.


    ¡°Hey, Inari.. why are you singing ¡®The Holly and the Ivy¡¯?¡±


    ¡°I heard it in town today, Paul. Is it not a seasonal song?¡±


    ¡°Well yeah. I guess. Just, the idea of you singing it makes my sense of reality go tilt slightly.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    ¡°Yes, depending on who you ask, it¡¯s either a celtic pagan song, or a traditional Christian hymn. Either way being sung, albeit beautifully, by a Japanese Goddess, seems just a touch weird. Like having chips... ah, fries that is, with sushi.¡±


    Inari giggled.


    ¡°That tasted very nice, and your expression was comical. Besides, you should be flattered that people are interested in English foods suddenly and the local restaurants are catering to that.¡±


    If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    ¡°I know, I know¡­ but it¡¯s hard to explain. Ah, never mind. Where¡¯s Kiko? I thought you two would be spending the evening together as usual.¡±


    ¡°Ah, she got caught up in something. What is an LBGT Quiltbag anyway?¡±


    Paul blinked at Inari, and then shook his head.


    ¡°I should¡¯ve known gender politics would show up at some point.¡±


    Inari sat down next to Paul on the steps, and lifted the bottle of beer out of his hand, taking a drink from it, before handing it back.


    ¡°I have another one of those, if you want?¡±


    ¡°No thank you, that¡¯s one of your English beers isn¡¯t it?!¡±


    ¡°It is¡­ don¡¯t like it?¡±


    Inari shook her head.


    ¡°Hm. I don¡¯t dislike it, but it¡¯s very rich. I feel like it should be a soup it has such a strong flavour.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, yeah. I noticed the local stuff is closer to what I¡¯d call a pale ale.¡±


    Silence stretched out for a moment, then Inari nudged Paul with her elbow.


    ¡°So¡­?¡±


    Paul sighed.


    ¡°Ok. So. If I recall correctly, for most of Japan¡¯s history being attracted to the same sex wasn¡¯t exactly illegal. But it could get you into trouble socially. Yes?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s simplifying it, but yes.¡±


    ¡°Right. So, nowadays, people are more, well I¡¯d like to say open, but that varies. There is more awareness that gender isn¡¯t binary. Ah, isn¡¯t one thing or the other. Problem is, there are people who feel threatened by that, for various reasons, mostly because they belong to a prior generation when it was illegal, but also because they honestly can¡¯t handle the idea that reality doesn¡¯t meet their expectations. These people try to make society say that people are either male, or female, and that you can only have sex with those of the opposite gender to yours. In other words, force reality to conform to their narrow views. Of course this is worse in Japan, due to the local culture of conforming to society''s expectations ¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s silly!¡±


    ¡°Says the Goddess and kitsune, who is able to to change gender at will.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t get it? Why would that matter though?¡±


    ¡°Ok. So, there are people who feel they are forced to be something they are not. A gender, or sexual orientation. For reasons I don¡¯t think I¡¯m going to be able to explain, they see you and Kiko as iconic. You¡¯re a couple of goddesses in a homosexual relationship. Like it or not, they¡¯re using you as a rallying point I guess.¡±


    ¡°Again, I say that¡¯s silly. I feel the way I do for Kiko because she¡¯s Kiko. If she¡¯d been a man, I would feel the same. It¡¯s not what shape she is, but who she is.¡±


    Paul shrugged.


    ¡°What can I say.. mortals are sometimes shallow and more interested in surface appearance. Although, out of curiosity, have you tried appearing as a man to Kiko?¡±


    ¡°MmHm. She was appreciative. But like me, she thought it didn¡¯t matter in the end. And I¡¯m more comfortable like this. She told me to be myself, so, here I am.¡±


    ¡°Ah. I see. I suppose that¡¯s probably a better attitude anyway. Not everyone is as enlightened though, and those that get hung up on insisting people have to conform to a very narrow definition of what¡¯s ¡®acceptable¡¯, can be beastly towards those who don¡¯t conform. That, and as I said, modern Japan is very big on conforming. But then, with so many people in such a small area, I suppose that¡¯s inevitable.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so. We are inspiration for those that are different, yes?


    ¡°You give them hope that things may change now. Yes.¡±


    ¡°Ah. Then that is good.¡±


    ¡°I suppose yes. It¡¯ll cause conflict, but some battles are worth fighting, and anything that promotes tolerance and love is worth fighting for in my book.¡±


    Inari smiled, and leaned against Paul, resting her head on his shoulder.


    ¡°You are such a romantic Paul-chan.¡±


    ¡°Nah, just selfish. I see people being happy, it makes me happy. Why would I not try and increase that then?¡±


    Inari punched his ribs lightly.


    ¡°You know no-one believes you when you say things like that, right?¡±


    ¡°I know, I know.. but I have to keep up the facade of being a hard-bitten, cynical and world-weary author. My fans expect it. Although at this rate I shan¡¯t have many of those left. I¡¯ve already left my deadline behind me in the dust and I haven¡¯t got half-way though the first draft. I¡¯m slightly surprised I haven¡¯t heard from my editor yet.¡±


    ¡°Maybe they know you¡¯re doing other more important things?¡±


    ¡°Hush, don¡¯t let my editor hear you speak such blasphemy.. as if anything is more important!¡±


    Inari giggled, then stretched¡­ before resting her head on Paul¡¯s lap.


    ¡°And what do you think My Herald?¡±


    ¡°That I know better than to answer when a woman asks that sort of question.¡±


    ¡°You are wise indeed Paul-chan.¡±


    They were silent for while, watching the sun sink slowly, enjoying the peace. Inari spoke after a bit.


    ¡°Paul..?¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°Do you think you could explain this new holiday of Kurisumasu to me? You¡¯re English after all...¡±


    Paul sighed.


    ¡°Yeah¡­. But I¡¯m not sure I can do a good job of it. It¡¯s not something that was ever designed or organised, it just grew as a conglomeration of bits and pieces that were stolen from other traditions. Bit like the English language really.¡±


    ¡°Your people do that a lot.¡±


    ¡°I know. I guess if we like something we copy it. Ok, I¡¯ll give explaining it a shot. Let me think...¡±


    Paul paused for minute or two, then sighed.


    ¡°Alright, to understand Christmas, you have to understand the context it comes from. Put simply, it gets as cold as Hokkaido in the places the tradition stems from. Midwinter used to be grim, dark and scary, back a few thousand years ago. There was a pretty good chance you wouldn¡¯t make it though to spring if you were a farmer or woodsman back then. So, the Winter solstice was celebrated as the half-way point, when you could reasonably expect to know if you were going to make it out alive or not. And humans are weird. So partying in the face of death, is not unknown.¡±


    ¡°So.. it¡¯s a ¡®Yay! we¡¯re alive!¡¯ Celebration?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s where it started. But civilisation advanced, and it became less about ¡®yay we lived¡¯ and more about gathering with friends and family and celebrating those ties. Showing appreciation by exchanging gifts, and never mind the religious trappings. At least, that¡¯s my take on it. Although, honestly, I think if you were to ask ten people what it¡¯s all about, you¡¯d probably get twelve different answers.¡±


    Inari nodded, then looked up at Paul from where she lay.


    ¡°Hey Paul¡­ are you going to be ok? I mean, your family are back in..¡±


    Paul interrupted.


    ¡°My family are right here. The family I chose that is. Rather than the one I just happened to be born into and apart from that, had damn all else in common with.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Inari was silent for minute or two...then sighed.


    ¡°You know¡­. The other Kami were all descended from Izanagi-no-¨­kami and his wife Izanami no mikoto, who were created by the first gods, Kunitokotachi and Amenominakanushi. They are mostly all one family, at least, all the first rank Kami.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, so?¡±


    ¡°So, I wasn¡¯t. I¡­ don¡¯t know who my parents are, or when I was born. I¡¯ve never had a brother or sister.¡±


    ¡°Oh. And Shoko and Rin are your only children remaining that we know of so far. ¡°


    ¡°Hmm. So, I think I like the idea of choosing your family.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I can see that. You know, there¡¯s a tradition I know of, I think it started in America, called the Orphans feast. Basically, you throw a huge feast for everyone who doesn¡¯t have some place else to go, or family to be with. Now I count myself damn lucky to have found you and everyone here. So that now I think about it, maybe we could do something like that? Invite all the yokai and humans alike, who are stuck here, or have no-one else to be with. Maybe do some sort of gift exchange, somehow?¡±


    ¡°You could be Santa-san!¡±


    ¡°Oh hell no! I am so not the type.¡±


    ¡°Please Paul-chan¡­.¡±


    Paul peered down into Inari¡¯s pleading face.


    ¡°You really want me to do that?¡±


    ¡°MmHm! It¡¯d be fun!¡±


    ¡°Alright then, on one condition. You be Mrs Claus.¡±


    ¡°Santa-san has a wife?¡±


    ¡°Sure, who do you think organises it all?¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ but, how can we include Kiko into our story?¡±


    Paul shrugged.


    ¡°Uh¡­ I don¡¯t think Santa has a concubine or second wife. Oh! I know, instead of you being Mrs Claus, you two are just helping Santa-san out, right? After all, you used to have messenger foxes; it¡¯s not a stretch of the imagination to think they made deliveries too, and I could see Kiko as assistant to you, the celestial records keeper. So she¡¯s Keeper of the Scrolls, the naughty and nice list in other words.¡±


    Inari giggled.


    ¡°You do have a wonderful imagination Paul. Is that what were are going to be telling the children then?¡±


    ¡°Sure, why not. Hey... come to think of it. We could actually do this! I mean, we could ask for donations to the temple, not money but a thing, a toy or a book, something like that. We could use that trick with the paper foxes and use them to deliver gifts to some children¡­ although we¡¯d need a way to determine which children.¡±


    ¡°Why? Why not all of them?¡±


    ¡°Numbers. There¡¯s probably a few hundred in Kami alone. I don¡¯t know if we could organise something on that scale so quickly.  We should restrict it to those that don¡¯t have anyone else, at least at first. So they know that someone at least is thinking of them this year. Ah¡­ Inari? Is there any kind of magic that could ensure that the kids get gifts that they¡¯d at least like? A way to match what¡¯s donated, to the recipient? I mean, it¡¯d be a bit awkward if a naga ended up with a pair of socks for example.¡±


    Inari giggled at the mental image, then looked thoughtful.


    ¡°Yes, I think so. There¡¯s a spell to ensure a gift will go to someone who¡¯d appreciate it.  It¡¯s not a powerful spell, so it doesn¡¯t require much mana. It should be possible to make a lot of them. I could weave it into the messenger fox, so they¡¯d take the gift where it was wanted.¡±


    Paul nodded.


    ¡°Ok, so, I¡¯ll mention this idea at the town meeting tomorrow, maybe get the JSDF involved since they know how to handle logistics; they can handle organising the donations. If we get the kids to write to Kiko, as Keeper of the Scrolls, she can compile a list. You handle distribution and magic. How¡¯s that sound?¡±


    Inari studied him, and slowly nodded.


    ¡°I can do this if you want...¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I do. If I¡¯m going to play Santa-san, let¡¯s do it properly. If you don¡¯t mind lending your name to this?¡±


    Inari shook her head.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s a good thing. It¡¯s not a tradition we have, but neither is Kurisumasu.¡±


    ¡°True, and hey, all traditions have to start somewhere. So, let¡¯s start a new one. Right?¡±


    Inari beamed up at Paul.


    ¡°Yes! Let¡¯s do this!¡±


    Paul grinned.


    ¡°Ok then. New tradition; Inari helps out Santa-san by ensuring every young Yokai who doesn¡¯t have anyone else to give them a special gift, gets one from him. How¡¯s that sound?¡±


    Inari giggled.


    ¡°I like it! I will ask Ms Mitashi to tell the children to write letters for Santa-san, and send them to Kiko.¡±

 Kurisumasu chp.3

    The Japanese Self Defence Force, or more correctly the Ground Self Defence Force, i.e Army, had offices in town that consisted primarily of a set of one story pre-fab buildings put up on an empty building plot.


    Of course, senior ranks got an actual office, in an actual office building¡­ but when Paul had approached the Colonel who had command over the contingent in town, he had referred Paul to a Major in the logistics branch, and apparently majors weren¡¯t sufficiently senior enough to warrant an office with luxuries like windows or apparently heating¡­


    Paul blew through his fingers, warming them up, before knocking on the door. There was a crash followed by a somewhat panicked sounding...


    ¡°Come in!¡±


    Paul stuck his head around the door, because it wouldn¡¯t open fully. It felt like there was something jamming against it.


    The room inside was packed with file boxes, all full with paperwork. It looked as if his knocking had disturbed the balance of one of the stacks, causing it to topple. There was a young woman, her short and somewhat plump frame ill-suited to her surroundings, struggling to squeeze past one of the stacks.


    ¡°Ah¡­ Major Yagi? If this is bad time?¡±


    ¡°No, no.. just..¡±


    Paul backed up, as Major Yagi managed to escape the confines of her office, and shut the door behind her, wincing as there was a protracted thump as another stack collapsed.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s not normally this chaotic, but I had the entire company¡¯s paperwork pulled out of the offices it was stored in due to a beetle infestation, and there was nowhere else to put them.¡±


    ¡°Beetle infestation?¡±


    ¡°Paper weevils.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Ok¡­ um, there¡¯s a spell for that...¡±


    ¡°We have bug spray. Anyway, what can I do for Inari¡¯s Herald today?¡±


    Major Yagi flashed a smile, which made her eyes light up behind the large round glasses she wore. She was a shortish, plumpish woman of middle years, with a short bob of brown hair and a face that spoke of mixed ancestry. Paul found himself smiling in response.


    ¡°Please, call me Paul, otherwise you make me sound like a newspaper.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    ¡°You know, The Herald..¡±


    Major Yagi laughed briefly, nodding.


    ¡°Sorry, very well Paul-san, how can I help you today?¡±


    ¡°We need a bit of logistical support for a project. You see, Inari is substituting for Santa-san this year, delivering presents to yokai who otherwise may not have anyone else, and ...¡±


    Paul paused as the Major was looking at him wide-eyed¡­


    ¡°Ah.. is everything... ok?¡±


    ¡°S..s..Santa-san?!¡±


    ¡°Oh! Oh no... sorry to ruin Christmas, but no, I didn¡¯t mean that literally. As far as I know, he isn¡¯t real.¡±


    The Major sagged, leaning against a wall, looking both relieved and faintly disappointed. Paul chuckled.


    ¡°Sorry for the confusion, I guess all things considered I probably should¡¯ve been a bit clearer there.¡±


    ¡°Yes! I mean, for a horrible moment I thought he was both real, and that I was going to be permanently on the naughty list for thinking he wasn¡¯t...¡±


    Paul grinned.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯d understand¡­ Anyway, since we¡¯ve got something of an influx of Yokai, many of whom fulfil the definition of refugee, with little or no family or social network, we figured we¡¯d do a sort of combined ¡®welcome to the neighbourhood¡¯ and Santa Claus thing, and ask for donations of gifts to the temple. The JPS are happy to take the donations and funnel them here, same as regular parcels. Inari is handling delivery and distribution of presents¡­ but we need someone to handle unwrapping the parcels of donations, and gift wrapping them for delivery. I¡¯ve managed to organise a storage and handling facility, well, technically it¡¯s an empty warehouse but it¡¯ll do for now. We just need a small army of people...¡±


    ¡°...and you¡¯d like the JSDF to provide that small army?¡±


    ¡°If it wouldn¡¯t be too much trouble, please. I¡¯ve already asked the Colonel, and gotten the ¡®ok¡¯ from him, and he said to talk to you, since logistics is your division.¡±


    Major Yagi thought about it a moment, then nodded and pushed her glasses back up.


    ¡°We can do this. I¡¯ll start by asking for volunteers to give up their off-duty time, but if it turns out we need more personnel I can put a request in to one of the nearer bases for a squad detachment.¡±


    Paul nodded slowly.


    ¡°That sounds like a plan, I¡¯ve no idea how much of a response we¡¯ll get. So, it would make sense to start small and scale up the operation as much as needed, rather than mobilising enough people to mount a full-scale invasion and have most of them stand around idle.¡±


    Major Yagi nodded, then grinned slightly.


    ¡°So, any specific personnel requirements for Operation Northpole?¡±


    Paul snorted in laughter at the name, and grinning replied,


    ¡°Well, some people who are good at origami would help. Inari has this trick of magicking up messenger foxes using an origami fox mask¡­ which means we¡¯ll need a few hundred of them folded.¡±


    Major Yagi nodded, her eyes wide and shining.


    ¡°I know how to do that! Um.. can we watch when she does that?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see why not. I¡¯m sure that¡¯ll be ok.¡±


    Major Yagi grinned.


    ¡°Real magic¡­ it¡¯ll be worth it just to see that. Oh! I know! The post service sells these blocks of origami paper in blue and white, with their logo embossed in it, for folding envelopes. We could use those!¡±


    ¡°By all means, that seems very appropriate! Oh, by the way, since I¡¯m landing you with more work, I could perhaps have a word with the School Principle Ms Mitashi, and ask her if you can borrow the sports hall to store all those boxes of paperwork in for awhile, if that would be helpful? Quid pro quo, you know.¡±


    Major Yagi sighed.


    ¡°That would be most helpful, thank you. I¡¯d have to post a guard, but it would be better than not being able to use my office.¡±


    ¡°Ok then, I¡¯m off to see Mitashi-sensei next, so I¡¯ll bring it up when I see her. Hopefully you¡¯ll be able to reoccupy your office by tomorrow. Thank you for your time...¡±


    Major Yagi bowed slightly.


    ¡°We¡¯re here to serve! Please convey my respects to Inari Okami!¡±


    Paul grinned.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do that, although you know you¡¯ll probably end up meeting her.¡±


    ¡°Meet her!?¡± Major Yagi squeaked in surprise.


    Paul nodded grinning.


    ¡°Yup¡­ although I¡¯ll give you plenty of notice first. I wouldn¡¯t worry about it too much though, she doesn¡¯t stand on formality with people she likes. Anyway, I¡¯ll see you later.


    Major Yagi nodded numbly as Paul departed.


    Paul was walking, or rather ambling since he was early, through the town on his way to see Ms Mitashi when from somewhere behind him someone called his name. Paul sighed inwardly and turned around¡­ and blinked in surprise.


    Walking towards him was a witch.


    Paul corrected himself, she was an older woman, maybe in her late thirties, with long brown hair and brown eyes peering at him through a pair of half-moon glasses with black rims. However, what made Paul think she was a witch was the fact that she was wearing a broad-brimmed pointed hat, and a black cape.


    That and the fact she was also carrying a broom was something of a hint too.


    Paul waited for her to catch up, and bowed slightly as she stopped in front of him.


    ¡°Is there something I can help you with, Mistress?¡±


    The witch looked slightly taken aback at being addressed politely for some reason.


    ¡°Ah.. Herald of Inari, I have come to entreat with you for the release of my daughter...¡±


    Paul held up his hand, interrupting her.


    ¡°Hold on¡­ I¡¯m guessing this isn¡¯t a conversation for a public street. There¡¯s a decent cafe nearby, perhaps we could be civilised about it, and talk over a cup of tea?


    ¡°Ah¡­ yes. That sounds¡­ better.¡±


    Paul led them to the harbour side cafe, which despite being a gimmicky ¡®maid¡¯ cafe, laid on a decent cup of tea, as well as a rather nice line of patisserie cakes and pastries. The young girl in faux maid¡¯s uniform greeted them at the door.


    ¡°Welcome home master, mistress!¡±


    Paul grinned slightly, it was silly honestly, but it amused him. He spoke to the young girl in English, as he knew she welcomed the opportunity to practice it and had confessed to finding his accent ¡®charming¡¯ on a prior visit.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    ¡°Hello Airi, is my usual table available?¡±


    ¡°Ah.. yes, Sir. Do you want your usual tea?¡±


    ¡°Yes please, and whatever the chief recommends in the way of cakes.¡±


    Paul half turned towards his guest, addressing her in Japanese.


    ¡°Ah, forgive me, is English tea acceptable?¡±


    The witch nodded, still looking a touch nonplussed. Paul rather suspected that she hadn¡¯t expected to be treated politely for some reason. Once they were seated in the corner table for two that Paul preferred, Paul feeling a touch more comfortable with his back to a wall and clear line of sight to the rest of cafe, he steepled his fingers and regarded the nervous looking woman.


    ¡°Perhaps introductions are in order? Paul Holmes, Herald to Inari Okami and author, at your service Mistress. And you would be?¡±


    ¡°Haruna Maaya...um¡­¡±


    ¡°Would I be correct in assuming your profession, or vocation at least, is what is commonly referred to as ¡®witch¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes. Although until recently I owned and ran a shop, selling herbs and..¡±


    Paul held up his hand, forestalling her longer explanation.


    ¡°You mentioned a daughter?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes! I have come to beseech and entreat you to...¡±


    ¡°Release her.. yes. I know, you said. Except I have no idea who you¡¯re talking about. Perhaps if you could start at the beginning? I now know who you are, who¡¯s your daughter?¡±


    ¡°Oh! Er, her name is Akio. She¡­ she¡¯s not a bad person, she was just doing what she had to.¡±


    Paul sighed¡­ whatever the problem was, this was not going to easy. He leaned back, as Airi came up with a tray laden with the tea things and a plate of fancy cakes. Maaya was silent, except to answer Airi¡¯s questions about how she liked her tea, as they were served.


    Once Airi retreated Maaya asked.


    ¡°Why does she talk to you in English?¡±


    ¡°Hm? Oh, she¡¯s hoping to travel once she¡¯s old enough, so I offered to let her practice her English on me. Now, have a drink of the tea, it¡¯s really rather good, and gather your thoughts before starting at the beginning.¡±


    Paul waited, emptying his mind of other considerations as he studied the woman in front of him. Her accent and manner of dress marked as her being from a rural area somewhere up north he thought, although he was still learning the distinctions in accents. However, the hat style was not Japanese, nor was the cloak. It was a stereotypical ¡®witch¡¯s¡¯ hat¡­ which now that he thought about it, was based on an old sort of European hat, or so he seemed recall.


    ¡°So, Mistress Maaya, if you are feeling a bit more centred?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes. Thank you. I was not expecting to be met with politeness.¡±


    ¡°I gathered¡­ perhaps if I ask a couple of questions to get you started?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that might be best. It¡¯s hard to know where to start it¡¯s so tangled.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. So, the hat and cloak are not normal articles of clothing, and appear to be European in origin. I¡¯m guessing they¡¯re traditional, formal, wear for witches. So, when did your ancestors come to Japan?¡±


    Maaya blinked in surprise, and then shook her head.


    ¡°Of course, you¡¯d be more familiar with them.. Yes, you are correct. As far as we know the five families fled persecution in Belgium some time between 1630 and 1650.¡±


    ¡°Ah, not long after the Pilgrims sailed for the New World. I suppose going in more or less the opposite direction made sense.¡±


    ¡°Exactly, yes. It had been divined at the time that the lands to the East would be most hospitable to us. So the five families travelled the old Silk road routes, and took ship to arrive here almost three years later.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯ve been living quietly somewhere in the Northern regions ever since?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes. A secluded, almost hidden village, known to only a few, until recently¡­ but about ten years ago the agents of the Special Security Division found us, and threatened us with extermination unless we worked for them. We¡­ supplied them with magical items, at first, and then they demanded children, those with magical aptitude, to work for them.¡±


    ¡°They trusted them to work as agents?¡±


    ¡°Not fully. They never trusted us completely, because of our ability to use magic. They were servants, at best. Mostly they were treated as a necessary evil. They had to wear special collars that bound our power, so they could only use it if they were ordered to. The rest of us were monitored all the time, our powers bound, so we couldn¡¯t rescue them. If any of them... ¡®misbehaved¡¯... those of us at home would be punished for it.¡±


    ¡°So, the hunters enslaved them in effect. Forcing cooperation upon pain of reprisals.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ my daughter is... was, one of those enslaved. Forced to use her magic in their service, to hunt down what they called ¡®monsters¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ I think I know who your daughter is now. She was captured trying to restrain Suzue, yes?¡±


    ¡°If that is the young Goddess¡¯s name, yes.¡±


    ¡°I thought she was released though? I¡¯m sure Ash said she was relatively uninjured but when Division three fell apart she was taken to a hospital to be on the safe side.¡±


    ¡°She was, but the police arrested her.¡±


    ¡°Okayyy¡­ so why approach me? Wouldn¡¯t you be better off talking to them? After all if she was acting under duress then she is not responsible for her actions.¡±


    ¡°We have tried but the police don¡¯t believe us. After all, the only physical evidence is the collars we were forced to wear, which are just a buckle and a short length of leather to anyone without magic. They don¡¯t understand how we were compelled to obey, there¡¯s no written proof that the Agents ever threatened us.¡±


    ¡°Ah. Yes, that does present a problem. Hm. Would you swear in front of Inari that what you said is true? That your daughter was acting under duress, and that you and the rest of your group were unwilling participants.¡±


    ¡°I would so swear, upon my craft, that it was so.¡±


    Paul nodded.


    ¡°Ok, good enough for me. Sit, drink your tea. I¡¯ll make some phone calls. I can¡¯t promise success, it¡¯s not like I have any real authority, but I do know a few people I can have a word with and see what they can do. It might take a day or two to get her released; are you staying in town?¡±


    ¡°I..ah¡­ I suppose I can. I only arrived here this morning. I honestly hadn¡¯t thought...¡±


    Paul held up a hand, silencing her.


    ¡°Ok, well, the temple complex has guest houses, I think one or two of which are still free. You can stay there, for now.¡±


    ¡°Ah. Thank you!¡±


    Paul nodded, already planning on what to say. For a moment he wondered who best to call, then inwardly shrugged. When in doubt, start at the top¡­or near to it at least, and he owed a certain someone a call anyway.


    Taking out his cell phone he hit two on speed dial, and waited. The phone picked up on the third ring.


    ¡°Ah, hello. This is Paul Homes, Inari¡¯s Herald. Is he available? Oh.. yes I can wait a moment.¡±


    Paul took a sip of his tea, waiting. It didn¡¯t take long for the person he wanted to speak to, to come to the phone.


    ¡°Ah, good afternoon, sorry to call up unexpectedly but¡­ no, no trouble, not this time I.. oh. Ok, Ok¡­ yes I know, we probably should¡¯ve given you a call about that sooner, for which I formally apologise but we were a tiny bit more concerned with getting the young woman home to her parents at the time. Given that she was in the nude and¡­ Oh? Ah.. yes well, I imagine the Navy probably would be a tiny bit upset about a battleship suddenly just appearing off the coast. What..? No! They most certainly can not have it back. Yes I know it was theirs, but firstly there¡¯s the question of if it¡¯s even the same ship, and secondly, even if it is the original, about which which I have doubts, it is now a Yokai. Yes, that¡¯s right.. she¡¯s alive. The ship has a spirit or soul of her own and is a sentient being, making her alive in all pertinent senses of the word. So, unless the navy has started using enforced conscription¡­ yes, you may quote me on that. In fact Prime Minister-San, if they keep on bothering you, refer them to me, because I have no qualms about swearing like a sailor at them¡­ Yes, you are most welcome. Oh... that reminds me. Could someone from your press office have a chat with the editors of Shukan Shincho Weekly, and remind them that Yokai have the same legal protections as everyone else, including those laws pertaining to libel and slander. Again. Yeah, I¡¯m not sure how a Yokai battleship would react to being called a ¡®demon spawned ghost ship here to devour the souls of the living¡¯¡­ but I find it a touch offensive. Thank you...¡±


    Paul paused momentarily, as the person on the other end of the line was speaking to someone in his office, and quietly asked Maaya.


    ¡°Do you know where Akio is being held?¡±


    ¡°We were told at a facility with the others... which I can¡¯t imagine is safe for her.¡±


    ¡°No, it wouldn¡¯t be... Ah.. yes, oh thank you. Much appreciated. Anyway now that is dealt with, the reason I called you is that apparently Division 3 were coercing some young women into working with them, providing magical support. Although enslavement might be a better term for it, given that their families were punished if they resisted. Anyway, problem is, at least one of them is being held at the same facility as the other goons...ah, ¡®agents¡¯. You can see how that might be a problem, since I¡¯m not sure if witches shouldn¡¯t be classified as a type of Yokai or Other...um, yes. Yes, I¡¯d say there¡¯s considerable risk to them there if they¡¯re in with the other inmates. I¡¯m not sure if they¡¯re even capable of defending themselves, something about their powers being bound unless ordered otherwise.¡±


    Paul paused for a bit, listening, while Maaya watched wide-eyed as she finally worked out who Paul was talking to. After a few moments, Paul interjected.


    ¡°Yes, Prime-Minster-san, I understand all that. And I¡¯m not suggesting we circumvent due process. But I think the same conditions do not apply to these individuals as it does to the other members of Division 3. They don¡¯t represent a threat, to anyone really...well, yes, alright except to the monster hunters, maybe. I¡¯m not suggesting they go free, but perhaps releasing them on bail? Umhm.. yes¡­ well I suppose they might have been indoctrinated, but¡­ ok. Um, just what sort of ¡®more positive environment¡¯ are you suggesting¡­ what, here?! Ah.. well. I suppose yes we could supervise them but...¡±


    Paul paused, listening, taking a sip of his tea as he did so. Subconsciously he nodded, then sighed aloud.


    ¡°Alright, you¡¯ve twisted my arm as we say. We¡¯ll take responsibility for all three of them, if you arrange release and transport. I¡¯m not sure where to house them but, we¡¯ll manage. Thank you sir¡­ and yes, next time something similar happens I¡¯ll make sure to call immediately. Good day.¡±


    Paul hung up, and grinned at Maaya.


    ¡°Ok, problem solved, mostly. Akio, along with two others from your village will be released on bail, and brought here.¡±


    ¡°Only¡­ three?¡±


    ¡°Yes...why, how many were there supposed to be?¡±


    ¡°Five, one from each family¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh. Oh, dear¡­ that¡¯s all that was found. Ok, I¡¯ll email Abe-san¡¯s office and let them know that. Perhaps there¡¯s an explanation¡­ who knows, maybe they escaped?¡±


    Maaya shook her head.


    ¡°They were hunting monsters¡­ the explanation is obvious. But we were never told anything. I only knew my Akio was the one captured because I recognised her from the picture in the newspaper.¡±


    Paul nodded slowly.


    ¡°Ok, I don¡¯t have names yet, so perhaps we should hold off on letting the families back in the village know about their release, until we do.¡±


    Maaya nodded slowly.


    ¡°That would be best. I would have to post them anyway. There¡¯s no phones.¡±


    ¡°Ah. Hm, I¡¯ll have to check with Inari, but we might be able to use a messenger fox¡­ it¡¯ll be faster, but it¡¯s subject to local magical conditions. Dead patches, that sort of thing.¡±


    Maaya shook her head slowly.


    ¡°Using such a spell for such a trivial matter¡­ it doesn¡¯t seem right.¡±


    Paul chuckled.


    ¡°It¡¯s more like a test run for it, before we use the spell for something else. Actually, I¡¯d appreciate it if you sent them something roughly biscuit-tin sized, so it¡¯s a proper test run.¡±


    Maaya blinked, taken aback, and then nodded.


    ¡°As you wish Herald¡­ although they will think me a bit strange if I send them a tin of biscuits.¡±


    ¡°Biscuit-tin sized.. it doesn¡¯t have to actually be one. You can send them a nice long letter in a box. Actually, that would probably be a good idea. The town hall has been printing out leaflets about Kami¡¯s sanctuary status and what the changes in the law mean. Grab a few of those to send back home, so that they know that the girls are coming to a safe place. You know where the temple is?¡±


    Maaya nodded, and Paul continued.


    ¡°Ok then, if you could buy a block of the origami paper the post office is selling and one of their parcel boxes, and grab those leaflets, then meet me back at the temple. I¡¯ll tell Inari what¡¯s going on. That is, if she doesn¡¯t already know.¡±


    Maaya nodded, still looking a bit bewildered. Paul glanced up at the clock on the wall, and decided he¡¯d just walk a bit quicker to his meeting with Ms Mitashi, and if he was bit late he was sure she¡¯d understand.


    ¡°Let me guess, still feeling as if someone has pulled the rug out from under you?¡±


    Maaya looked up at him startled, then nodded warily.


    ¡°Yes. I ...I expected to have to beg...¡±


    ¡°I got that, hence the formal wear. Psychological armour. Well, I suppose you weren¡¯t to know, I don¡¯t do things quite the same way as elsewhere. I mean, despite having the Prime-Minster and the Emperor¡¯s personal numbers on speed dial, I don¡¯t surround myself in layers of bureaucracy and red tape. My job as Inari¡¯s Herald is to facilitate communication; to serve as her voice, her eyes and her ears if one translates the phrase literally. But I can¡¯t do that if I¡¯m not approachable, can I?¡±


    ¡°But¡­ why? Why would you help me?¡±


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I? You brought to my attention an injustice, one that I could do something about, so I did. I mean, why not? Anyway, sit and finish off the pot¡­ it¡¯s my treat. I¡¯m afraid I have somewhere else I have to be now. I shall see you later, at the temple.¡±


    Paul stood up and turned to go, then a thought struck him.


    ¡°Ah.. oh yes, don¡¯t let the guards at the entrance worry you, they¡¯re just there to keep annoying reporters out. I¡¯ll call ahead to let them know who you are. Anyway, bye for now.¡±

 Kurisumasu chp.4

    Lightning played over the surface of the helipad on top of the Tokyo Skytree. This was not unusual; as the tallest structure in the city it was only natural. This, however, was not natural. The lightning was a continuous crackling barrage of dazzling blue-white light and deafening sound, accompanied by a twisting wall of almost solid wind that scoured the flat surface of the helipad clear of everything that wasn¡¯t bolted down.


    Almost everything¡­


    At the centre of the localised storm was a crouched figure, curled in on herself, oblivious to the primal chaos around her, heedless of the javelins of raw plasma arcing down from the heavens around her, untouched by the twisting vortex of hurricane strength winds which didn¡¯t even stir a single strand of her long straight hair.


    Suzue Nakamoto, Suz-metal or the Goddess Suz, kneeled crouching at the centre of the helipad. The purely elemental violence of the storm screaming around her was nothing in comparison to the emotional storm that raged within her.


    She could hear and feel the cries and prayers of her followers¡­ Every. Single. One.


    Their prayers thundered in her ears like the sound of an audience at one of their concerts before the music started, chaotic, babbling and random. A surf-like susurration of thousands of overlapping voices. The thoughts and emotions behind the prayers poured though her, leaving her mind bobbing, weaving and spinning randomly like a ping-pong ball in a washing machine.


    ¡°Please..¡± she begged, although to whom she had no idea, ¡°..please, make it stop! Make it stop! Oh please!¡±


    Over and over she whispered her own prayer¡­ as around her the air echoed her mental state.


    Brokenly, her mind and memory careened from one thing to another, memories that weren¡¯t hers filling her mind. She saw the police station where she¡¯d been taken through a dozen different pairs of eyes. She remembered the concert, from a few hundred points of view, all eyes on her and the agents in black shooting at her with some sort of dart gun, before they were mobbed and almost torn apart by the crowd, before security pulled them out.


    Whatever she¡¯d been shot with burned through her veins, making her mind reel as it threatened to pull her down into the blackness that had almost engulfed her, drowning her in the mind¡¯s night, burying her alive in a chemical grave.


    The battle she¡¯d fought inside the police headquarters she recalled solely from her own perspective; there¡¯d been none of her own there to witness it. She¡¯d been chained, manacled, to a metal chair bolted to the floor. They¡¯d been careless of her, thinking her harmless as she mumbled, drooling, barely conscious due to whatever witches brew seethed in her blood, blanketing her mind in lassitude and dampening her power.


    But then¡­ the snarling fury of her outraged followers had surrounded her, pressing in against the walls of her soul until it broke through and the storm had filled her. She¡¯d felt the rage of the crowd, the fans nearby outside and had screamed¡­ and the heavens had answered her with thunder.


    Lightning had blasted in through a window, striking her, melting the shackles from her wrists, setting the cheap nylon carpet ablaze as it freed her. She¡¯d reached out and twisted the air, throwing a rope of storm-born violence down to herself, tearing the building open with a tornado¡¯s vortex.


    Events after that were hazy¡­ there¡¯d been a struggle, she thought, or perhaps that had just been within herself. Automatically she¡¯d found the highest point around and came here, to where she could stand in the heart of the storm as she tried to master her new-born Goddess-hood, as she was flooded with the prayers of thousands of her fans.


    Suzue thought of Moeka, her band-mate, her best friend, dearer to her than any sister¡­ and without knowing how or why, she could hear Moeka¡¯s voice repeating like a litany.


    ¡°Please be alright, Suzue, please come back. Please be alright...¡±


    It was like seeing the pole star through storm clouds. A clear, steady, fixed point of reference in the whirling chaos that swirled around and within her. Suzue fastened onto it, held it in her minds eye, and gradually the storm calmed, drawing back, leaving her in the still centre.


    Until a single shrieked word pieced her; ¡°No!¡± as clearly as if it had been screamed next to her ear.


    In her mind¡¯s eye she could see it, a dark street, a young woman dressed in a costume that echoed her own stage garb, a group of shadowed male figures looming menacingly as the girl backed up against a wall.


    Without thinking, Suzue held out a hand, and obedient lightning leaped into it, carrying her away.


    Half a city away, down by the docks near the ferry terminal, the darkness was rent asunder, banished as a figure materialised in an actinic column of crackling lightning. Four drunken young men scrambled away from the enraged Goddess that had appeared between them and their prey¡­ but not quickly enough to dodge the Leven bolts that blasted them into unconsciousness, branding a furious deity¡¯s wrath across the skin of their backs in a starburst of fractal-like forked burns centred on the three characters for ¡®G¨­kan-sha¡¯ or rapist etched in their blackened skin.


    Turning her back on the four piles of smouldering human trash, she walked over to the young woman cowering curled up and crying against a shuttered shop window.


    ¡°Hey¡­ Suska, it¡¯s ok now.¡±


    ¡°How...¡±


    The woman, no, Suzue thought, the girl looked up at her, and her eyes widened. She scrambled to kneel at her Suzue¡¯s feet, head bowed.


    ¡°Goddess Suz! You heard me! You came!¡±


    ¡°Of course I did, your need was genuine.¡±


    The girl, Suska, genuflected.


    ¡°I am not worthy...¡±


    ¡°Nonsense! Stand up, be proud. You are worthy.¡±


    ¡°Oh! Thank you..¡±


    Suzue waved that aside.


    ¡°C¡¯mon, let me take you somewhere safer. We¡¯ll find a police box and make a report.¡±


    ¡°Ah...must I?¡±


    Suzue studied Suska for a moment, then shook her head.


    ¡°No, those vermin have been punished, and I can see you don¡¯t want everyone to know, even though you have nothing to be ashamed of.¡±


    Suska nodded slowly.


    ¡°My..my parents wouldn¡¯t understand. No-one would...I.. I lied to them about where I was, so I could come to the concert. They would say it was my fault, for being out so late dressed like this...¡±


    ¡°The One¡­ the other fans will understand. There are forums, support groups. This need not be your burden alone. You can talk to others, and find help. You can be strong and whole.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I understand! I will do that!¡±


    ¡°Good. See that you do. I know who you are, I will check up on you and see if you are doing well. If you need my help again, I will be there. Now, let¡¯s find you a taxi. Make sure you get home safe.¡±


    ¡°Thank you Goddess! Thank you!  I don¡¯t know how to repay..¡±


    ¡°No need. What¡¯s the point of being a Goddess if I don¡¯t look after our own?¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ yes. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Tsk. No need to keep thanking me either. I did what anyone else should do. Now, come on.¡±


    Suzue held out her hand, and if a small spark jumped between her and Suska when she hesitantly took it, neither acknowledged it.


    One of the louts groaned as they walked past, and Suzue paused, then shoo¡¯ed Suska a bit further away before bending down and twisting the lout¡¯s ear painfully, making him squall in pain, coming fully awake.


    ¡°Hey you, pig! Listen to me.¡±


    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    ¡°Wha..you bi..¡±


    Suzue sent a crackling jolt of lightning racing down his nerves, making him jerk and writhe in pain as he was, in effect, tazered.


    ¡°Shut up and listen, filth! I am the Metal Goddess of Storms, Suz. I¡¯ve marked you, and I¡¯ll be watching you from now on. You step even a hair out of line, and I¡¯ll make you a smoking grease-spot on the ground!¡±


    Suzue clenched her fist in front of the terrified youths face, allowing a crackling nimbus of spitting blue-white plasma to form around it.


    ¡°Understand?!¡±


    ¡°Yes! I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m sorry!¡±


    ¡°Shut up, worm. Your apology is worthless, your words are hollow and empty. Prove it instead, scum. Tell those other dung beetles what I said when they wake up, and then turn yourselves into the police. Confess everything and take your punishment like the men you aren¡¯t. Then live virtuous lives from now on. Because if you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll blast you so hard your ancestors will feel it! Got it?!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Suzue stood up, and walked away from the sobbing, grovelling man¡­ and she and Suska went to find a taxi rank.


    Once Suzue was sure Suska was on her way safely, she listened for Moeka¡­ and smiled as she found her pole star. Thrusting her arm into the air Suzue called upon her powers and rode the lightning once again.


    Moeka, in the meantime, was kneeling in front of a small Inari shrine near the Tokyo dome. She¡¯d given their security detail the slip with ease during the chaos and blindly walked until she saw familiar red torii gates and the fox statues with their red bibs.


    She¡¯d been kneeling, praying, ever since.


    A clap of thunder half-deafened her, as the park and the shrine were lit up by lightning. Moeka¡¯s heart jumped, and she stood, turning to look.


    There, just outside the entrance to the shrine, stood a figure as familiar as her own¡­ wreathed in smoke and mist from where the lightning had hit wet grass. Moeka started to run, as Suzue strode up the path between the gates.


    Heedless of the tiny prickling bolts of energy coruscating around Suzue, Moeka threw herself into her dearest friends arms, and wept into her shoulder for the sheer joy at her return.


    It was some time later, long enough that the unexpected storm had blown itself out and only occasional mumbling rumbles of thunder echoed across the sky from over the horizon, barely loud enough to be heard over the city¡¯s ever-present noise. Moeka and Suzue sat on a stone bench, Suz¡¯s arm around the shorter Moe¡¯s shoulders. They looked for all the world like a pair of young women coming home from a party.


    ¡°Hoi, Moe¡¯ ¡­ fancy being my Herald?¡±


    ¡°Me?!¡±


    ¡°Um. Who else would I ask?¡±


    Moeka thought about it a moment, then nodded.


    ¡°Ok. How?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ maybe we should ask Mother Inari?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think she¡¯s answering her calls right now. I tried, Suz.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll try, Goddess to Goddess.¡±


    Suzue washed her hands at the cleansing station, stood before the shrine and bowed, then clapped twice before bowing again, framing her prayer in her mind.


    Nothing happened.


    After a moment, Suz bowed again, and backed away.


    ¡°Hm. I think she¡¯s busy. I felt¡­ something. Like a pat on the head, but so softly I¡¯m not sure I imagined it.¡±


    ¡°I felt that too. I think she¡¯s listening. But you¡¯re right, maybe she¡¯s busy. Now what Suzue?¡±


    Suz thought a moment, her eyes shadowed, then she nodded, once.


    ¡°I think I know. Come here..¡±


    Moe took two paces to stand beside Suz in front of the shrine, Suz turned them both so they faced each other, side on to the shrine. Moeka giggled, struck by how much like bride and groom they looked, then with a conscious effort put her serious face on.


    Suzue spoke.


    ¡°Before Mother Inari, do you promise to serve me faithfully, to be my Herald?¡±


    ¡°I promise...¡±


    ¡°Then let it be so.¡±


    Suzue bit her left thumb drawing blood, then pressed it against the centre of Moeka¡¯s forehead. Light spilled forth from the mark, as it glowed like a hot coal. Moeka hissed as she drew a sharp intake of breath, and then breathed it out in a sigh as the light faded, leaving her skin stained red in a Kami mark, where the blood had been


    ¡°So it is done. You¡¯re now my Herald.¡±


    Moeka nodded, then tilted her head, listening.


    ¡°What...what is that noise¡­ it¡¯s almost like, voices? Whispering?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re prayers, all our fans, or at least, the ones that truly believe. I can hear them all the time, so can you I suppose. It.. it almost drove me mad. But I think I¡¯m learning to filter them out.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ that¡¯s my job isn¡¯t it? To listen for you? To tell you which ones you need to do something about.¡±


    ¡°Umhm. Yes. Although we share it, it¡¯s almost too much for one, even if she is a Goddess. But a Goddess and Herald...¡±


    ¡°You think Mother Inari and her Herald do this?¡±


    ¡°Maybe...maybe it¡¯s different for each one. It can¡¯t be any harder than answering fan mail.¡±


    Moeka nodded, they tried, but they got thousands of letters a week¡­ the record company¡¯s staff screened a lot of them. But still, there were hundreds that they read and answered. The more Moeka thought about it, the more it seemed like it was the same, really. Prayers or fan mail, it still all needed to be read and answered if possible. She wondered if a ¡®form letter¡¯ answer to prayers was possible? Then another thought struck her, making her frown.


    ¡°So, now what do we do? What is a Goddess¡¯s job?¡±


    Suzue shrugged.


    ¡°Same as before I suppose, we have our mission from Inari, but she told us to use our judgement. I.. I¡¯ve already answered one prayer. One of our fans was being attacked. I defended her. I¡¯d like to keep doing that when it¡¯s needed. I have power now, I should use it to defend the powerless. But¡­ I think we need to focus on the human touch too.¡±


    Moeka groaned.


    ¡°More pop-up gigs, right?¡±


    Suz flashed her grin, a spark blazing in her eyes for a moment.


    ¡°Yeah! At least we don¡¯t need to worry about security!¡±


    Suzue poured a river of crackling light from one hand to another, causing Moeka to giggle as she answered.


    ¡°Or power if you can harness that Suz!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not plugging a stack of amps into me! I know where Asagi would say we stick the cables!¡±


    Moeka giggled again as Suzue grinned, then sighed a bit.


    ¡°We¡¯d better get back, they¡¯re going to be worried.¡±


    ¡°Hoi, yeah! Last we saw you, you were out cold after those idiots darted you! Although security buried them under a pile of bodies for that, the police carried you off...¡±


    ¡°I know, I was held at the police headquarters. They¡¯re working with the Hunters, or rather, the Hunters are the police¡­ some of them anyway.¡±


    Moeka¡¯s face abruptly went serious, losing the cute little girl look she had when she smiled.


    ¡°Who do we trust? If we can¡¯t trust the police?¡±


    Suzue shrugged..and then paused and grinned.


    ¡°Who else... we trust our fans! How many of them do you think work security? Or could do? We could ask for volunteers. Moeka! We could raise an army if we tried!¡±


    ¡°You mean you could. We don¡¯t need an army. Not unless you¡¯re planning something...¡±


    ¡°And if I was?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d tell you to stop being silly. Concentrate on doing good instead. You¡¯re a Goddess now Suz, act like one.¡±


    ¡°Maybe I¡¯m a Goddess of war as well as storms.¡±


    ¡°Ha! You don¡¯t even argue with the waiters when they you bring you the wrong order.¡±


    Suz pouted, although the twinkle in her eyes indicated she was very far from being serious. Moeka was silent for a bit as they walked through the park, heading for the main road and hopefully either a bus stop or taxi rank.


    Eventually Moeka spoke.


    ¡°I was wrong, we do need an army though.. sort of.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    ¡°Mm. An army of volunteers. To help protect the Yokai.¡±


    ¡°Oh! Yes. What should we do? Hold a press conference, or a web cast? Put out a letter?¡±


    ¡°Yes. All of those. More pop-up gigs and public appearances, reading or hearing that magic is real and yokai exist isn¡¯t the same as actually seeing it!¡±


    Suz skipped, and turned walked backwards, almost bouncing.


    ¡°Oh! Oh! Let¡¯s tell everyone we¡¯ll be playing in Yoyogi park tomorrow afternoon! Free!¡±


    ¡°What if the hunters turn up?¡±


    ¡°Just let them! I¡¯ll be ready this time! Besides, would they dare?¡±


    Moeka shrugged.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. They dared to try at the concert. We should make it hard for them to find you.¡±


    Suzue shook her head.


    ¡°I¡¯m not hiding, we never hide.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re definitely going to need that army then!¡±


    ¡°Mm¡­ we need a castle too, or somewhere to stay that we can defend.¡±


    ¡°A castle? Oh! How about Chiba castle? It¡¯s closed to tourists right now, but we could rent it. There was talk of playing a gig there, I looked.¡±


    Suzue nodded, the replica Edo period castle was a tourist trap, but it was built like a real castle.


    ¡°Ok, there¡¯s a concert hall there, and the park just outside. We can work with that. That¡¯ll do. It¡¯ll be safer than a hotel.¡±


    Moeka nodded, and taking out her phone started typing.


    ¡°I¡¯ll let everyone know to meet us there instead, and then tweet that we¡¯re looking for fan volunteers for protection.¡±


    ¡°Ah! Me too.. let me borrow your phone Moe, mine got fried.¡±


    ¡°Better ask our manager to rent the castle first though.¡±


    Suzue shook here head.


    ¡°No, I¡¯ll do that. It¡¯s not a band expense, it¡¯s personal.¡±


    Moeka looked at her friend quizzically.


    ¡°Personal? If something happens to you, again, that¡¯s band business isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Suzue shook her head.


    ¡°No, this is to do with me being a Goddess, so it¡¯s personal, not professional.¡±


    Moeka shrugged.


    ¡°Not sure if there¡¯s a difference, but alright. I¡¯ll go half with you, then you won¡¯t empty your account¡­ you using your incognito account?¡±


    ¡°Yes, and thank you!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re in this together. Ok, money transferred.¡±


    Moeka tapped her phone, logging out, and started to pass it across to Suz then hesitated, noticing the lightning still crawling across her skin.


    ¡°Um.. maybe I should type for you?¡±


    ¡°Oh! Yes¡­ I¡¯ll have to get some gloves.¡±


    ¡°You think?!¡±


    Moeka giggled adding.


    ¡°Certain fans are going to go mad if you start wearing rubber suits!¡±


    Suzue¡¯s cheeks flamed red at the thought of wearing a latex bodysuit.


    ¡°Moeka!¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll learn to control it! Definitely! It¡¯d be too embarrassing!¡±


    Moeka¡¯s girlish giggle didn¡¯t sound at all innocent!

 Kurisumasu chp.5

    Shoko-san was humming a happy little tune to herself. She was out shopping in Kami, by herself. When they¡¯d returned home from Tokyo, Paul-san had given her a bus pass, and a weekly allowance and told her she could do whatever she liked with them.


    So now she was happily walking through town, sucking on a peppermint candy cane, her miko robes trimmed with green sparkly tinsel and a Santa-san hat on her head. The shop owner had even altered the hat for her, so her ears poked through two holes.


    She considered herself the happiest Kitsune alive right now! She even had a whole two thousand yen left to spend, enough for a used video game for Aimi-chan perhaps, as long as it wasn¡¯t a popular one.


    Shoko considered the matter carefully. She wanted to get presents; that was what one was supposed to do for Kurisumasu, and Paul-san had said she could do what she liked with her allowance. But if she wanted to get nice presents, she¡¯d have to either save up, or find more money somehow.


    It was a bit of a conundrum, because she also wanted to spend her allowance too. Shoko found money complicated, until recently she hadn¡¯t really had any use for it. If she needed food, she worked for it. The local farmers knew that if they found a pail of milk on their doorstep, it was because she¡¯d milked the goats for them, and taken some for herself. Sometimes she¡¯d do chores that obviously needed doing, like weeding or painting, and they¡¯d leave out things for her, like bacon or cheese.


    But now she had money, she could buy what she wanted.


    She still did things for the people living around her, because that¡¯s what one did. It was good to help people, and she enjoyed it. Before Paul came, Shoko had often hidden nearby after she¡¯d finished doing something like the weeding, just so she could watch people¡¯s reactions when they found what she¡¯d done. There were times she¡¯d skipped away from a place, hugging herself in glee.


    Money however, meant that she could do more, not less. If someone was short of few eggs, instead of having to spend an hour or two collecting them on a neighbours farm, she could buy them from a store.


    Although it was still more fun to collect the eggs herself. Just it was quicker the other way, which meant she had more time to do things¡­ and people still were pleased to find even store bought stuff on their doorstep.


    The really good part though was that now she didn¡¯t have to hide, she could ask them what they needed, and give it to them directly. The bus pass had come in handy, because now she could collect a shopping list from the older neighbours, and head into town to get stuff for them. She¡¯d gotten more head pats recently, than she¡¯d ever had before, and now instead of people leaving plates of fried tofu out, she could sit at the table and eat!


    Money also meant she could buy things for herself, like pocky, rather than trading with Tomaso for it¡­ but she still gave Tomaso funny-looking bugs and other things she found, because that¡¯s what Tomaso liked and Shoko liked her reaction when she found her something interesting. Just nowadays Tomaso could invite her into her house, and they could look up information on whatever-it-was together!


    Only just yesterday Tomaso¡¯s mother had even brought them both a plate of cookies and a glass of milk each, as they¡¯d sat at the kitchen table looking up stuff in Tomaso¡¯s books. Oddly enough, she¡¯d thanked Shoko for being friends with Tomaso¡­ Shoko hadn¡¯t quite understood why though. But apparently humans had peculiar ideas about what people should be like, and Tomaso had problems making friends. Tomaso¡¯s mother had tried to explain, something about Tomaso being autistic.


    Shoko had shrugged, saying it was nothing. Tomaso was different, but no more than any other Yokai, and she was friendlier than a lot of humans were. Tomaso¡¯s mother had gotten an odd look on her face at that point, but had nodded and thanked her again.


    Thinking of Tomaso, Shoko decided to walk past the book store in town, and see if they had any books on the natural world for her. Buying one would be a big gift, the large ones with full colour pictures were not cheap and it would mean Shoko would have to save up even more of her allowance. But Tomaso would enjoy it so much that it would be worth it. She hardly ever smiled, rarely said anything at all¡­ but if you knew what to look for, Tomaso¡¯s moods were as easy to read as the sky and wind were, and just as reliable as the smell of rain on the wind, so Shoko could tell when Tomaso was smiling on the inside by the way she half closed her eyes. But a gift like that might even make her smile just a bit. Shoko got a warm happy feeling inside just thinking about!


    A few minutes later, and Shoko had her nose pressed up against the glass front of the book store. There in the window was a HUGE book on wildlife, with glorious colour pictures¡­


    Shoko bit her lip, it was a perfect gift for her friend¡­ but it cost nearly six thousand yen! That was nearly half as much again her weekly allowance, even if she didn¡¯t spend any of it! Shoko sighed, she already knew that the bookseller wouldn¡¯t let her pay a bit each week. She¡¯d asked just yesterday for Jiao when they¡¯d been shopping for school books together. Paul had said he¡¯d buy Jiao¡¯s as well as hers in the end, although he¡¯d glared at the book store owner.


    Shoko crunched the last of her candy cane, sighed and walked away from the store, wondering what to do. As was usual when she wasn¡¯t paying attention to where she went, her feet ended up taking her some place she hadn¡¯t been, and Shoko looked up, and found herself wandering down a side street she hadn¡¯t seen before. She smiled to herself, happy that her feet had decided she should explore instead of worry.


    There was a cafe nearby, with a delicious smell coming from it. Shoko went to look, almost laughing as she read the name. The place was called The Yokai Cafe! It¡¯s sign almost, but not quite, like the The Ok Cafe¡¯s sign board in the anime of the same name. There was a chalk board outside it with the words ¡®Grand Opening¡¯ on it.


    She looked at the price list in the window, and was tempted, but as she debated the relative merits of a french cream horn over a strawberry parfait, she suddenly forgot all about treating herself. There in the corner of the window was a small sign; ¡°Help wanted: 3 afternoons a week. 1£¤k per hour.¡±


    Shoko hurried inside, and stopped as a bakeneko in a maid¡¯s uniform came up to her.


    ¡°Welcome to The Yokai cafe! My name is Etsu, how may I serve you?¡±


    Shoko blinked, and then grinned.


    ¡°You¡¯re a real cat spirit?¡±


    The girl nodded, smiling back.


    ¡°Yes! We¡¯re all real yokai here...and I know who you are! You¡¯re Shoko, from Yokai Metal, you¡¯re famous! Anything you want is on the house...¡±


    Shoko shook her head.


    ¡°Oh, no. I should pay like everyone else, it¡¯s only fair¡­ but that¡¯s not why I came in. You have a sign saying help wanted? I¡¯d like a job please.¡±


    The girl¡¯s green eyes widened and her long white tail with the black tip stiffened out of surprise.


    ¡°But...you¡¯re famous! You¡¯re a star, why do you need a job?¡±


    Shoko sighed.


    ¡°I only get four thousand yen a week allowance, and I want to buy presents for my friends.¡±


    The girl¡¯s ears flattened and her tail dropped.


    ¡°Being a famous musician doesn¡¯t pay well?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know... Paul-san says I¡¯m not allowed more until I know how to handle money. Which is fair I suppose, I never had any before.¡±


    ¡°Oh! I see¡­ well, I suppose there¡¯s no harm in asking Kokoro-sama, she¡¯s the owner of the cafe. No-one else has applied yet, but today is only our first day open.. so.. anyway. This way if you please miss.¡±


    Kokoro turned out to be an oni. She was in the kitchen, smartly dressed in black trousers, white shirt and tie, with a green apron. She had a pair of spectacles on, and was very carefully making tiny spun-sugar flowers to go on top of some confections of mostly cream and flaky pastry. She peered at Shoko and the cat girl maid over the tops of her glasses.


    ¡°No customers in the kitchen, I know I told you that Etsu-chan.¡±


    ¡°But boss, Shoko-san is applying for the job.¡±


    Kokoro dusted the powdered sugar off her hands¡­ although you could hardly see where it was since her skin was almost the same colour, and pushed her glasses up into her short black hair as she regarded Shoko thoughtfully.


    ¡°Oh. I see. Well, show me your hands Shoko-san please.¡±


    Shoko held her hands out, turning them over when Kokoro indicated. Shoko had no idea what she was looking for, but whatever it was, she seemed to find Shoko¡¯s hands acceptable.


    ¡°Etsu-chan, please show Shoko-san the proper way to hold a tray, then you copy her Shoko.¡±


    Etsu picked up a tray, placing several glasses on it, and balanced it on the fingertips of one hand, carrying it aloft. She weaved around the kitchen table with grace, before placing the tray down.


    Grinning at Shoko she said,


    ¡°Your turn Shoko-san.¡±


    Mildly puzzled Shoko picked up the tray, and copied what Etsu had done. She even added a bob of a bow at the end, since she wanted to make a good impression.


    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    Kokoro-san studied her thoughtfully.


    ¡°How good are you at adding up and subtracting?¡±


    ¡°Eh? I can do sums in my head, even big numbers, and get them right. I¡¯ve been helping Paul-san with the temples ledgers. I know how to use an abacus.¡±


    ¡°Ah, most people use calculators...but an abacus could work as a nice feature too¡­. Ok, when can you start?¡±


    Shoko thought for a second, and shrugged.


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t have anything else planned for today¡­ So, now?¡±


    Kokoro-san smiled slowly.


    ¡°I like your spirit! Ok, we don¡¯t have a uniform for you yet, so we¡¯ll start you with something easy. I¡¯ve a stack of flyers that needs handing out; if you can get those done by lunch time, we¡¯ll count that as your first shift. How¡¯s that sound?¡±


    ¡°Ok!¡±


    After Kokoro-sama had explained what she was supposed to do, Shoko-san set off with a satchel full of flyers and leaflets, distributing them around town¡­ concentrating on where journalists might be, but only handing the ones with discount coupons to people that seemed friendly. Kokoro-sama was counting on their curiosity about Yokai to bring them in, but she wanted to make her cafe known as a yokai friendly place too, which meant not too many reporters, and not the bothersome ones.


    Shoko wondered how Kokoro-sama would take care of reporters who were bothersome, but she figured that the slim short-haired woman was an oni after all¡­ she could throw them out the door quite literally. With one hand!


    Shoko quietly giggled to herself at the mental image. It would be like something from an anime! She wondered if she should get some chalk, and mark lines at one metre intervals so Kokoro-sama could keep score of how far she threw them¡­ maybe she¡¯d ask when she got back.


    Shoko had almost finished handing out the flyers and was heading along the sea-front to the Ocean Life Centre when she ran into an unexpected situation that made her stop and stare. There was a tall young woman walking along the sea-front in the opposite direction to Shoko. For a moment Shoko thought it was Katsu, they looked so alike¡­ but her hair was as white as Katsu¡¯s was black, her eyes were a shade of light grey that was almost steel-coloured, and she was completely naked.


    Shoko wasn¡¯t the only one staring at her because of that.


    The other thing that made Shoko stop and stare was that despite appearances, the odd looking woman utterly did not feel like she was human. Her aura was a yokai of some sort¡­ Shoko couldn¡¯t tell what though, she¡¯d never encountered anyone whose aura felt so strange. It was dense, almost palpably solid, and hard and gave off the sense of tremendous power and sadness. But for all that, she seemed oddly fragile and although her face was expressionless, she radiated bewilderment and confusion. The way she kept looking around also made Shoko think she was either lost, or looking for something¡­ or probably both.


    Shoko looked around, but there didn¡¯t seem to be anyone looking after the young woman, and she didn¡¯t like the looks she was getting from the young men. She considered calling Paul-san, but he¡¯d said he was going to be busy today. So Shoko decided to deal with it herself.


    ¡°Excuse me, are you lost?¡±


    The woman looked down at Shoko, as if she was trying to remember if she knew her or not¡­ and then slowly shook her head.


    ¡°No. I know where I am.¡±


    ¡°Oh. That¡¯s good¡­ have you lost something?¡±


    Besides your clothing that is... Shoko thought to herself. Up close the woman looked a lot like Katsu did, and not just because she was tall, their faces were almost the same too. The woman slowly nodded.


    ¡°Yes, I have¡­ but¡­ I don¡¯t remember what.¡±


    Her voice was odd too, it was flat, monotone...and yet¡­ she sounded puzzled. Shoko looked at her for a moment. Could this actually be Katsu, somehow? Paul-san had said she¡¯d turned up, changed somehow. Shoko hadn¡¯t seen her, she¡¯d been resting at home since the day before yesterday.


    Shoko studied the woman thoughtfully, then shrugged.


    ¡°Ok! I¡¯ll help you look. First things first, you need clothes.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Shoko blinked¡­ whoever, or whatever she was, she was either some yokai from somewhere very remote and unused to human society, or she¡¯d lost her memories if she was actually Katsu.


    ¡°Um.. well.. I guess to keep warm and because it¡¯s rude to walk around naked¡­.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Then I need clothes.¡±


    Shoko started to weave an illusion around the woman, but she looked around and then strode towards the group of young men nearby. Shoko¡¯s eyes widened as she walked up to them, looking up and down first one, then another. She stopped in front of one that was almost as tall as she was.


    ¡°I need your clothes. Your jacket, shirt and trousers. Take them off.¡±


    The young man laughed at her.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got a better idea. Let¡¯s all go for a ride, and we¡¯ll give you something to keep you warm..¡±


    The young man put his hand on the odd woman¡¯s arm as his friends closed in around her. Shoko got two steps towards them, and suddenly the rude young man came flying over the heads of his friends. By the time Shoko had run over, the only person standing was the white haired version of Katsu.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have done that!¡±


    ¡°Was that against the rules of engagement? He initiated combat first...¡±


    ¡°Not the point, yokai aren¡¯t allowed to fight humans like that!¡±


    ¡°Yokai? Is that what I am?¡±


    Shoko didn¡¯t know what to say to that¡­ she just stared at the woman, who was calmly removing the jacket from the unconscious youth. It wasn¡¯t until she started tugging at the belt of his trousers that Shoko recovered.


    ¡°Stop that!¡±


    ¡°Why? You said I need clothing.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s stealing! Besides, I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll fit you¡­ Here, stand still a moment.¡±


    Shoko grabbed a denim jacket from the hood of the car and rewove it using magic, then passed the resulting skirt over to the young woman.


    ¡°Put this on, then we should go...¡±


    The young woman studied the skirt for a moment as if she¡¯d never seen one before, which was possible Shoko thought, then fastened it around her waist. She zipped the green nylon jacket up as far as it would go, which was only about half way before her curves stopped it.


    ¡°This jacket is inadequate to cover me.¡±


    Shoko looked at her, and sighed. Somehow, she looked even more naked now.


    ¡°I can see that. It will have to do though. We can¡¯t stay here, let¡¯s go!¡±


    ¡°Go where?¡±


    ¡°Away! Anywhere that¡¯s not here. After that, umm¡­..¡±


    Shoko fell silent as they walked, hurriedly, away. Where to take this odd yokai? She pondered¡­ her first thought was to take her home, but the more she thought about it, the less she was sure that was a good idea. At least, not right away.


    If this was Katsu, her parents would be looking for her¡­ and while if that was the case Paul-san or Kiko could call them, there were reporters lurking around outside the temple still. Paul-san had told her it was important they didn¡¯t find out that Katsu was part of their family, not just yet. So she could have a normal human life still.


    Shoko didn¡¯t understand why that was important, but both Inari and Paul-san had said it was, so she decided that perhaps risking exposing maybe-Katsu to the reporters wouldn¡¯t be a good idea. Perhaps she ought to take her to her home instead.


    Except of course, Shoko didn¡¯t know where the Yamato residence was either¡­


    In the end she did the only thing she could think of, which was to head back to The Yokai Cafe, with could-be Katsu in tow.


    The cafe was busier than when Shoko left earlier, Etsu was busy serving, so Shoko found them both a table by the kitchen door, and slipped inside to find Kokoro-san.


    ¡°I¡¯m back, Kokoro-san!¡±


    ¡°Oh Shoko-san¡­ that was quick! There¡¯s a lot of customers.... would you mind helping serve?¡±


    ¡°Ok. Can I use the phone first please?¡±


    ¡°Ah, of course, you¡¯ll want to call Holmes-sama and let him know where you¡¯ll be, yes?¡±


    ¡°Yes, and I need to make another call as well if that¡¯s ok...but I need to look up the number for that and I don¡¯t know how.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ call directory enquires. Dial 104, and ask. This isn¡¯t going to cost a lot is it?¡±


    ¡°No. It¡¯s a local number I need, the Yamato residence.¡±


    ¡°Oh, ok. Don¡¯t take too long, we could do with the help really¡­ the flyers worked!¡±


    Shoko grinned.


    ¡°Yay!¡±


    Three quarters of an hour later, and Shoko, who was wearing an apron and helping serve, heard the bell jingle on the door. Looking up her eyes widened slightly¡­ Katsu had walked in, with Inari. Shoko glanced over at the corner where the faux-Katsu sat.


    ¡°Well, that answers one question.¡± She muttered to herself, before hurrying forward.


    ¡°Mother Inari, Katsu, thank you for coming. I didn¡¯t know what else to do!¡±


    Inari ruffled Shoko¡¯s hair, smiling at her as she spoke.


    ¡°You did well, daughter mine¡­ We¡¯ll take care of the false one from here.¡±


    Shoko suddenly had a bad feeling¡­


    ¡°Ok¨¡san! She¡¯s done nothing wrong, Inari-sama¡­ she¡¯s just sat there quietly, eating. I¡­ I don¡¯t think she means any harm.¡±


    Inari and Katsu exchanged a look, and Katsu remarked.


    ¡°I would like to speak to the person who is wearing my face. See who she is.¡±


    Inari nodded slowly, then glanced at Shoko, and then over at Kokoro who was peering out through the kitchen door nervously.


    ¡°Mm. Talking is better than fighting, and I think the proprietress would prefer it if we didn¡¯t destroy her cafe on the day it opened. Besides, I think I¡¯d like to try some of those pastries...¡±


    Shoko took that as her cue and launched into work mode, getting Inari and Katsu seated at the same table as not-Katsu, while taking their orders.


    Shoko hurried through to the kitchen, where she was pulled aside by Kokoro, who hissed at her.


    ¡°Hst! Shoko, is there going to be a fight?¡±


    Shoko shook her head.


    ¡°Ok¨¡san Inari likes the look of your pastries too much.. and I think Katsu is too curious.¡±


    Kokoro nodded looking relieved.


    ¡°Ok¡­ good. Having two Goddesses in my cafe on opening day is nerve wrecking though. Not to mention whatever that¡­ doppleganger... thing is.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s lost, that was she is. I think, I could be wrong, but I think she¡¯s a fragment of Katsu¡¯s power that got broken off somehow...¡±


    Kokoro scowled at that, which despite her being an oni, only managed to make her look mildly displeased. Her face wasn¡¯t really built for it, as it seemed to naturally settle into a smile instead.


    ¡°There are stories about that sort of thing¡­ cautionary ones.¡±


    Shoko nodded slowly, she¡¯d heard the same stories too, then shrugged.


    ¡°Still¡­ I think this is one of the ones where the moral is, don¡¯t make assumptions. She doesn¡¯t seem to be a bad person. I can¡¯t imagine any part of Katsu being a bad person really. Besides, anyone who enjoys a chocolate torte that much can¡¯t be all bad...¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s true, and she¡¯s polite as well. I suppose we¡¯ll just have to see. Still, saying Inari eats here is going to be good for business! Ok, let¡¯s get to work now!¡±

 Kurisumasu chp.6

    Katsu had been meditating in her room when Shoko called to tell her someone enough like herself as to be her twin sister, had been found wandering around town.


    She¡¯d received that news with a degree of equanimity, but then, enough had happened in the past two weeks that she seriously wondered if she¡¯d lost the capacity to be shocked. Katsu sighed, and agreed to meet with this person, whoever she was. Shoko-san seemed to think she was probably not human, but a yokai of some sort.


    Katsu wasn¡¯t discounting that this doppelg?nger was an attack on her. Katsu hadn¡¯t been entirely truthful with Paul-san when she¡¯d described her family¡¯s business holdings. Her branch family of the Yamato clan were a majority shareholder in Yamato Transport, Japan¡¯s largest surface transport and logistics firm. You could see one of their vans with the distinctive turquoise and cream livery, bearing the black and yellow logo of a mother cat carrying her kitten, on almost any street every day.


    What wasn¡¯t generally known was that Yamato Transport were key shareholders in Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding as well as the Mitsui-O.S.K. Shipping Line, which were the core businesses of the Mitsui keiretsu or set of interlocking businesses spanning mining to banking to ship-building and shipping itself, which operated as a coordinated ¡®system¡¯ for mutual benefit and to save money on costs which could then be passed along to the end users, making them more competitive.


    As her father had said, they and the Yamato clan were essentially the invisible keystone in the whole business edifice of companies owning shares in each other. An organisation that was one of the Big Six keiretsu that had been controlling most of the Japanese economy, in one form or another, since the Edo period¡­ and as her families only child, Katsu was heir to the business that controlled approximately twenty percent of the entire Japanese economy.


    It was perhaps a stretch of the imagination to think that someone might have thought to use a yokai as a means to attack her, but it wasn¡¯t impossible. Not that she was worried it might be one of the other Six; cooperation and non-competition between the Six ¡®houses¡¯ and their associated businesses was very much the order nowadays. However, there was always foreign, notably Chinese, competitors trying to gain a toehold in Japan¡¯s economy, and disrupting one of the key shipping and ship-building businesses would certainly do that.


    All of which flashed through her mind as she considered what to do.


    Katsu sighed. As a Goddess she had more power than she¡¯d ever imagined possible at her fingertips, and no idea how to use it. She¡¯d needed Inari and Kiko¡¯s help just to change her form¡­ Katsu paused briefly to shake her head at that. She¡¯d subconsciously wished to be invulnerable and she¡¯d certainly gotten that. But it was an undeniable fact that even Kiko, a sheltered shrine maiden and scholar of obscure subjects, knew more about how to use her Divine power, than Katsu did.


    Which actually, now that she thought about it, supplied her with the answer to what her next move would be. She needed to call in Inari as an expert on the subject. Katsu however, found herself feeing somewhat hesitant to do so. It wasn¡¯t like calling one of her high school peers for help with her homework after all.


    Not that she ever really did that either, but the point still stood.


    Inari Okami was a Goddess of the First Rank, possibly the only first rank goddess now, whereas Katsu was barely a goddess at all, and then only technically. Inari was thousands of years old, she¡¯d been a Goddess long enough she hardly even remembered being mortal, if she ever had been. Whereas she, Katsu thought ruefully, was still so much a rookie that the ink was barely dry on the scroll confirming her status.


    Katsu¡¯s eyes darted towards the family altar where that scroll hung in pride of place¡­ below which lay the Yamato sword.


    She had no idea what that sword¡¯s powers were, except it obviously wasn¡¯t a normal sword, and she took an obscure sort of comfort from the fact that Inari had confessed to not knowing either. But if one was to face an unknown potential enemy, then having her strongest asset along with her might not be a bad idea, and if nothing else, it was a very good sword.


    Although, Katsu corrected herself, the sword was perhaps only her second strongest asset¡­ the battleship that still lay anchored off the coast was probably her greatest one. However, so far, no-one had managed to get aboard, the lack of ladders hampering attempts. Not that anyone had seriously tried either¡­ it was all a bit too eerie for most sailors, and until the question of who owned it was settled, no-one wanted to be accused of trespassing either.


    Katsu had her own opinion on that. If she let her mind go blank she could almost catch a wisp of something on the fringes of her mind¡­ a feeling as if she was floating in the ocean, her eyes closed and almost asleep.


    She was fairly sure that sensation wasn¡¯t her imagination. There was a sense of another presence there.. someone, or something that was distinct from her, but linked in a way she was entirely unable to put into words.


    It was the same feeling she got when holding the sword, but she was unable to tell if it was the same individual, or another very similar one. Although, the sense of presence she got when she held what she was beginning to think of as ¡®her¡¯ sword, was far stronger. Almost as if the being was standing behind her.. or at least in the same room.


    Katsu wondered what, if anything, she¡¯d feel if she was standing on the deck of the Battleship Yamato. Would that too feel much more ¡®there¡¯ as well?


    Reaching a decision, she picked up the sword, tying it to her waist. Even without trying she could feel it¡¯s spirit, as if it was awake and eagerly standing by her side¡­ she could almost see it out of the corner of her eye, it¡¯s presence was so strong.


    Katsu frowned¡­ no, not an ¡®it¡¯, definitely a ¡®she¡¯. A young girl, her age, wearing an old style school uniform¡­ with a waterfall of snow-white hair just as long as hers.


    Katsu¡¯s eyes narrowed thoughtfully as she realised that almost matched the description of the individual Shoko had found.


    But, if that was the case, then what was sitting in cafe in town? Because the sword was unmistakably riding on her hip, and without a shadow of a doubt, it¡¯s spirit was right there too. Katsu¡¯s eyes widened as the obvious answer occurred to her, then she shook her head. It was pointless to speculate just yet.


    Katsu turned, walking away from the family altar as she went to find the phone and call Inari, or rather, call whoever was looking after the only land-line phone at the temple, and ask them to pass on a message to Inari. With luck, she¡¯d know the answers to her questions soon enough, although what she¡¯d do after that remained to be seen.


    An hour and some few minutes later, and Katsu found herself walking alongside Inari, as they entered a small, side-street cafe which went by the name of ¡®The Yokai Cafe¡¯¡­


    A name, which at first glance, was entirely appropriate, as the serving staff and quite a few of it¡¯s customers were not human.


    Katsu felt a slight disquiet at the thought that she too was hardly what one could call a normal human girl any more. Her gaze flicked to one side, glancing at the tall, self-confident Inari. She didn¡¯t blame her for what had happened, no-one could¡¯ve predicted the side-effects of receiving a portion of Inari¡¯s Divinity had had.


    Sometimes, even the Kami were making it up as they went along. Inari had given Katsu a seed of Divine power, but even she couldn¡¯t have predicted it would take root and bloom in the way it had.


    Katsu was comforted by that realisation. That even a Goddess of the first rank wasn¡¯t all knowing and all powerful¡­ because then it meant even mortals had a chance, that fate for even the lowest, was not certain.


    Katsu shook her head, clearing it of pointless maundering. She glanced round the cafe¡­ and froze. Shoko had been right, whoever, and whatever the Other was, aside from some minor details, she was identical to Katsu. Her hair was white, her eyes were grey, and she lacked the thin scar above her right eyebrow that Katsu had earned from her Sensei when she finally beat him¡­ but otherwise, the girl wasn¡¯t just similar, or like a sister¡­ she matched her perfectly.


    Katsu frowned minutely, the Other her even moved the same way.


    Katsu was used to studying how opponents moved, so much it had become a habit. She was also used to watching herself move, perfecting her technique in front of a wall of mirrors or on video. As such she immediately recognised the economy of motion that the other used, even when reaching for a tea cup.


    Clearly, whoever or whatever the person was, they were trying very hard to be her. But then, what was the point of going so far as to even copy the way she moved¡­ if they then made their hair the complete opposite?


    Unless of course, the idea wasn¡¯t so much as to copy her, but they were trying to be human, and Katsu was the only example they had to go on. She nodded to herself as Shoko showed her and Inari to a seat at the same table as the look-alike, while not really paying attention to what was being said.


    Reaching her conclusion, Katsu spoke.


    ¡°So, which are you? The sword or the battleship?¡±


    There was silence at the table for a moment, as Inari looked at Katsu in confusion, and the other girl stared at her in surprise. Katsu replayed in her head what Inari had been saying. She¡¯d learnt the trick of listening while not paying attention in school.


    Katsu glanced at Inari.


    ¡°I am sorry I interrupted your explanation of the rules for sanctuary towns, but I wanted to know what we were dealing with.¡±


    Inari still looked confused. Katsu glanced at the other girl, and then back at Inari.


    Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    ¡°You hadn¡¯t worked it out Inari-sama? That person is a manifestation of either the spirit of the Yamato sword, or of the battleship. It¡¯s the only logical reason to make a body that¡¯s almost identical to myself. She wanted to be human, but only had myself to model her body on and not knowing how it works, she only made a few superficial changes in order to be distinct.¡±


    The other girl nodded.


    ¡°I knew you would understand¡­¡±


    ¡°Hoi. It would have been better if you¡¯d asked before using my face though.¡±


    The girl shrugged.


    ¡°Our link isn¡¯t that strong yet. I know you know I¡¯m there.. but that¡¯s as far as it goes.¡±


    ¡°So, which are you? Sword or ship.¡±


    ¡°Both, the sword holds my soul, but the ship is my body.¡±


    ¡°So, what¡¯s this in front of me, us, then?¡±


    The girl looked at Katsu for moment, then sighed.


    ¡°Curiosity given form¡­ I have a few of your memories, some from...other people who held me before you, some from my Captain. But, I wanted to see the world myself. So, I made myself a human body too.¡±


    Inari shook her head, slowly, wonderingly.


    ¡°I have heard of a lot of things over the years, but this is new. One mind, or soul, split over three different bodies.¡±


    The girl shrugged.


    ¡°I don¡¯t feel split...¡±


    Katsu looked thoughtful.


    ¡°More like¡­ one soul, copied three times but all linked so it works like one, perhaps?¡±


    The girl shook her head.


    ¡°There¡¯s just one of me. I can¡¯t explain it really¡­ but it¡¯s like all three bodies are just one really.¡±


    Inari leaned back, looking as baffled as Katsu felt.


    ¡°That.. shouldn¡¯t work. Although it obviously does. I suppose perhaps we were wrong. Omoikane would be fascinated...and annoyed.¡±


    Katsu nodded. Omoikane was the god of wisdom and intelligence. Although, now that she thought of that, it did raise another question.


    ¡°So, what do we call you?¡±


    ¡°Yamato.¡±


    Katsu just gave the white haired girl a level look.


    ¡°Yamato is my... our, family name. What¡¯s your personal name?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know? I don¡¯t have one.¡±


    Inari and Katsu exchanged a look, and then Inari shrugged.


    ¡°One of the responsibilities of being a Goddess, finding names for new¡­ beings. She¡¯s your responsibility.¡±


    Katsu¡¯s mouth twitched fractionally upwards at the corners.


    ¡°I hadn¡¯t planned on being a mother yet¡­ but I¡¯ll take responsibility. I¡¯ll think about it, maybe I can ask my parents for ideas. I should introduce them to the newest member of our family certainly.¡±


    Inari bit her lips, not-quite succeeding at hiding her amusement at the idea.


    ¡°She¡¯s not entirely your daughter Katsu¡­ after all, her spirit existed long before even your parents were born.¡±


    ¡°I know, but how else to describe it? She exists because of what we did. Hoi¡­ Inari¡­ you and Kiko had a hand in this too! Will you take responsibility for this?¡±


    Inari¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, and her voice squeaked as she exclaimed.


    ¡°Me!¡±


    ¡°And Kiko¡­ the pair of you got me this way.¡±


    ¡°I..I.. but..¡±


    Katsu¡¯s lips curled up slightly in amusement at Inari¡¯s stuttering bewilderment. Belatedly, realisation dawned upon Inari that Katsu was teasing her¡­


    ¡°You¡­! Alright, fine. The three of us then. But you can explain to your parents how your ¡®daughter¡¯ has three mothers, as well as three bodies!¡±


    Inari laughed at Katsu¡¯s dismayed expression.


    One hour, a pot of tea and a plate of some truly excellent pastries later and they¡¯d quizzed the girl about what she knew, what memories she had that were of Katsu. The answer to which was, not much. She didn¡¯t know, exactly, how it had happened, but she¡¯d become self-aware at the moment Katsu had transformed from the kaiju-like body she¡¯d manifested, back into human. Inari theorised that somewhere in the process, when Katsu¡¯s power had spilled back along the link into the battleship, it had carried a portion of the Divine ¡®pearl¡¯ that Inari had originally given her.


    Katsu remarked eventually.


    ¡°Well, if nothing else this settles the question of ownership of the reborn Battleship. She is not only alive, but clearly a person. She ¡®owns¡¯ herself.¡±


    Inari nodded.


    ¡°True, it¡¯s not permitted to own people nowadays, so I¡¯m told. Still, perhaps until you find a crew it would be best to hide your nature.¡±


    The girl tilted her head, regarding Inari coolly with her grey eyes. Katsu briefly wondered if she looked like that¡­


    ¡°Why would I need a crew?¡±


    ¡°To sail you, to operate¡­ things.. whatever it is that makes a ship like you move.¡±


    Katsu snorted briefly, Inari had no idea how the Yamato actually worked. She spoke up.


    ¡°You have diesel fired boilers, powering steam turbines. Just lighting those needs a number of people, not to mention those needed to operate the engines and control the rudder, all just to move. Then there is all the other machinery that needs to be human controlled. You need a crew.¡±


    The warship-girl stilled, her eyes losing focus as she stared off into the distance. Then she blinked and shook her head.


    ¡°No, no I don¡¯t. I can feel the heat and power in my engines. I just rotated my forward turret fifteen degrees starboard. Everything works, I don¡¯t need anyone to do anything.¡±


    Katsu stared at her, taken aback, then glanced at Inari.


    ¡°Magic¡­ if a haunted chamberpot can chase people, I suppose a living warship can operate herself.¡±


    ¡°But...but what about fuel, ammunition..?¡±


    ¡°Foxfire is normally cold, but it doesn¡¯t have to be. I don¡¯t know about how her guns work, I hope we never need to find out.¡±


    The warship-girl smiled fractionally.


    ¡°I have a full load of ammunition, but I feel that I could make more if I could find suitable material to transform. I¡¯m alive, I eat, my body grows...is that not normal?¡±


    Katsu nodded slowly.


    ¡°You are right... that will take a bit of getting used to. A living ship¡­ I wonder if more could be made? It could change the entire shipbuilding and shipping industries if we could make ships that didn¡¯t need crews or fuel, that could repair, or heal, themselves. Hmm, some crew might be a good idea though. Just to keep the ship-person from getting lonely if for no other reason.¡±


    When Katsu realised she was being looked at by the unnamed girl and Inari, she shrugged.


    ¡°My family is in ship-building and shipping¡­ of course I am going to think about the implications of living ships.¡±


    Inari nodded slowly.


    ¡°I¡­ see. Well, you were bound to become the goddess of something. I think this may be your first step on the road.¡±


    Katsu shrugged, rolling her shoulders, uncomfortable with the idea of her fate being determined.


    ¡°I choose my own path...¡±


    Inari shook her head.


    ¡°You misunderstood me, I meant, you would find what role you feel best suited for. What job is best for you¡­¡±


    Katsu¡¯s lips twitched.


    ¡°Ah. I see. Even kami need jobs.¡±


    Inari nodded, Katsu¡¯s nascent smile dying unborn as she realised Inari was serious.


    ¡°OH...you.. mean kami do need jobs?¡±


    ¡°We need a purpose. A reason to exist. The power you use has to come from somewhere. When people pray to you, asking for your aid, there is an exchange of power. One can gain mana from other sources, but being given it is the easiest way. Moreover, if one is immortal, then it is best to have some enduring purpose in life, a function to give one a reason to continue to live.¡±


    Katsu considered the matter, then shook her head.


    ¡°That¡¯s hard to imagine...doing the same thing, forever.¡±


    Inari shrugged.


    ¡°Well, you don¡¯t need to...I mean, I didn¡¯t. But it¡¯s best to start with something familiar, and as your family already has associations with ships and the sea...¡±


    ¡°And business, we have a shrine to you Inari, Goddess of prosperity and business, at home.¡±


    ¡°You do? Oh, thank you! Yes.. I can feel it now that I think of it. Still¡­ you could become the Goddess of.. oh, living ships or shipping perhaps.. That is, if you choose to Katsu.¡±


    ¡°Or warships perhaps.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps¡­ although one shouldn¡¯t be too specific at first.¡±


    Yamato nodded slowly.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure about calling you Goddess¡­ could I call you big sister?¡±


    Katsu blinked in surprise, then looked thoughtful.


    ¡°A.. little sister. Hoi, aren¡¯t you a goddess too?¡±


    Both Inari and the girl shook their heads, and Inari answered.


    ¡°No, whatever trace of Divine power there was, came from you. Either she didn¡¯t receive enough to form a pearl of her own, or it was used up giving her life fully. So although she has a living spirit of her own, she isn¡¯t a goddess herself. It¡¯s more like she is your Herald.. linked and able to partake of your powers, but not the source.¡±


    Katsu nodded slowly¡­


    ¡°I think I understand now. I think little sister would be best, I¡¯m not sure my parents are ready to be grandparents yet¡­ and I don¡¯t want to try explaining how that happened. Although, perhaps to anyone else, we should be cousins. Then people wouldn¡¯t get the wrong idea about my father...¡±


    Yamato tilted her head, looking at Katsu.


    ¡°Should I not just tell them the truth?¡±


    ¡°That you¡¯re the human avatar of a battleship and a sword, born out of magic? I¡¯m not sure they¡¯d believe you.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Well, if you think it¡¯s best...sister-cousin.¡±


    Katsu shook her head.


    ¡°One or the other, both together makes us sound too rural.¡±


    </a> ¡°Cousin Katsu then¡­ but I can still call you On¨¥san, can¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°I would be happy if you did Im¨­to-chan¡­ although we still need to think of a given name for you.¡±


    ¡°I trust you On¨¥san...¡±


    Katsu sighed. This was not how she pictured naming her first born.. not that she ever really had done that before, but if she had, this wouldn¡¯t have been it she was sure. She stared down into her tea cup, wondering what would be an appropriate name¡­ had this been how her parents had felt? Although they had a lot longer to think of something. Still, she wondered how they had done it? It seemed such an important thing, picking a name that would, in all likelihood, determine how others would see a person for the rest of their life. Although, at least she had some idea what the person she was naming was like¡­


    Katsu looked up, inspiration striking.


    ¡°Katsumi. How about that?¡±


    Inari looked at Katsu.


    ¡°Victorious beauty? Isn¡¯t that a little obvious? How about Kikuko, chrysanthemum?¡±


    ¡°Katsumi was my grandmother¡¯s nickname, she was the national Akido champion for twelve years until she retired from competition. I¡¯m named after her, partly. It¡¯s a family name.¡±


    The warship girl nodded.


    ¡°Katsumi... I like it. Although¡­ perhaps I could use Kikuko as a nickname?¡±


    ¡°Hm. With your hair, that would be inevitable. We have white chrysanthemums growing at home. Speaking of, we should go and meet my parents. Inari-sama, do you¡­?¡±


    Inari shook her head.


    ¡°No, I think you can manage from here on. I¡¯ll stay here a bit longer and enjoy some more of these delicious cakes.¡±


    Katsu¡¯s lips twitched.


    ¡°Well, at least you don¡¯t need to watch your weight, being a Goddess has it¡¯s perks.¡±


    ¡°True, true.. one of the small benefits. I can be whatever shape I wish.¡±


    Katsu smiled.


    ¡°I really must learn how to do that. Tatsuo would appreciate it.


    Inari laughed and shook her head.


    ¡°Oh no, I think he prefers the shape you have already...although he probably wouldn¡¯t care what shape you were really.¡±


    Katsu¡¯s cheeks stained red slightly as she nodded.


    ¡°Hm. You¡¯re probably right. One of the reasons I love him.¡±


    Katsu stood up, as did Katsumi after a split seconds hesitation.


    Katsu nodded at Inari.


    ¡°Thank you for your help Inari-sama, we¡¯ll leave you to your treats. Come on Katsumi, I think I should find you something of mine to wear before we meet my parents.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Katsu sighed.


    ¡°I¡¯ll explain as we walk, once I¡¯ve paid our share of the bill. But let¡¯s just say what you are wearing makes you look like you¡¯re not a good person..¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Katsu sighed to herself¡­ she¡¯d heard younger children were full of questions, and it looked like Katsumi was no different.

 Kurisumasu chp.7

    Katsumi was, as Katsu found out, full of questions¡­ about everything. Emotionally she was a child, with a child¡¯s curiosity. But then, since she¡¯d literally been born yesterday, that was to be expected.


    Still, Katsu wondered how much of her personality was in Katsumi¡¯s? And had she been quite so.. trying¡­ to her parents? She didn¡¯t remember being that young, but she presumed she must have been the same.


    Katsu bought a small selection box of pastries for her mother before they left the cafe. It wouldn¡¯t do any harm to surprise her with a small gift, just to say thank you¡­ and if Katsu also meant it as an oblique and rather belated apology for being tiresome as a child, than that was neither here nor there.


    As they walked through town, on their way to the Yamato family home further up the coast, Katsu did her best to answer Katsumi calmly and honestly. Although she couldn¡¯t help glancing out to sea, at the long low shape of the battleship at anchor. Briefly she caught a glint of light from the ships optical tracking system, which were basically a pair of large telescopes either side of the high castle-like bridge. Katsu couldn¡¯t help thinking that they were analogous to eyes and wondered if the ship was watching them¡­


    ¡°Katsu?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Do you know a young oni girl, with pink hair?¡±


    Katsu glanced at Katsumi, frowning.


    ¡°That sounds like Jiao, Tatsuo¡¯s little sister. Why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°Hm.. I thought she looked familiar. Just.. she¡¯s on the beach, near the water, surrounded by three men and she doesn¡¯t look happy.¡±


    Katsu scowled.


    ¡°Where?¡±


    ¡°Starboard bow, Bearing 027.5 degrees relative. Range thirty one yards. Behind the large rock group in front of us.¡±


    Katsumi pointed at a cluster of boulders that marched down to the sea across the beach. Without saying anything, Katsu slithered down the slope of the concrete sea-wall and marched across the beach. Reaching the boulders she placed the paper bag containing the daintily wrapped box of delicate pastries carefully on a dry rock, and scrambled up the boulders.


    Standing on the boulder, her hand resting on the hilt of her sword, she scowled down at the tableau. Jiao was backed up against the boulders, near the sea¡¯s edge, effectively backed into a corner. In front of her was man in a suit. Either side of him were two men, one holding a large video camera, and one holding a boom microphone with a large fluffy cover. The man in the suit was asking Jiao something so intently, he was almost shiny faced with emotion. Jiao seemed to be almost on the verge of tears.


    ¡°Hoi, you! What do you think you are doing?! Leave the little girl alone!¡±


    The men looked up at Katsu.


    ¡°Who do you think you are, interfering in the right of the free press!¡±


    ¡°The ¡®press¡¯ has no right to bully small girls into tears!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not a girl, it¡¯s an oni!¡±


    Katsu growled¡­ a low dangerous sound at the back of her throat, and settled into her first stance, ready to draw. The camera man and the sound man both backed up half a step, but the reporter put his hands on his hips.


    ¡°She is a young girl, legally, who you are harassing and have just insulted. YOU will leave now.¡±


    ¡°This is a public beach, we have every right to be here! Who do you think you are interfering with the free press?!¡±


    Katsu felt¡­ strange.. as if her skin was too tight and something inside her was fizzing and boiling over. She closed her eyes, and spoke in a cold, tight, voice.


    ¡°Who am I? I¡¯m the person telling you to leave for your own good! While you still can walk. I am the Goddess of Battles, Protector of the helpless, Defender of the innocent.¡±


    Katsu wasn¡¯t sure where that last bit had come from, it was as if someone else was speaking through her, but as soon as she said it, she realised it felt right!


    She opened her eyes, and looked down¡­ the ground seemed strangely far way, and the pale faced men seemed oddly small. She stepped down off the rock she was standing on. The sand somehow seemed to be higher up on this side¡­ at least, at first.


    But as she stepped forwards, she realised that she¡¯d grown¡­ the reporter barely reached her knees. Katsu had a brief moment of panic as she thought perhaps she¡¯d taken on her Kaiju form, her clothes ripping to shreds as she¡¯d suddenly increased in size.


    But she could feel the hilt of the sword under the palm of her hand, and it felt the same size, in proportion. A glance downwards reassured her that she was still fully clothed and no different in shape at least¡­ if somewhat scaled up so she stood at least eighteen feet tall.


    She bent down, and with her forefinger, she flicked the video camera out of the camera man¡¯s grasp, and then crushed it under her heel.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you were doing, but I very much doubt she gave you permission to film her and even if she did, she is a minor, and therefore cannot legally give informed consent. Final warning. Leave. Now.¡±


    The cameraman and the sound engineer grabbed an elbow each of the reporter, and dragged him away, still protesting about his rights¡­


    ¡°Katsu, I can hit those three with a shell from my secondary guns in a few more moments, once they are far enough away.¡±


    Katsu turned to look eye-to-eye at Katsumi, where she was sitting on a boulder behind her. She shook her head.


    ¡°Tempting, but no. Better to let him go and let others know they cannot behave like that without consequences¡­ besides, once he¡¯s been sued into oblivion he¡¯ll wish we¡¯d just killed him.¡±


    ¡°Still...¡±


    ¡°Katsumi. No. That¡¯s an order.¡±


    ¡°Yes Teitoku!¡±


    Katsumi didn¡¯t quite salute at Katsu¡¯s tone of voice, addressing her as Lord Admiral¡­ but she definitely twitched as she repressed the urge to do so.


    Katsu glanced down, and to one side, where Jiao stood opened mouthed and wide-eyed, looking up at her. Katsu suddenly wondered if perhaps she¡¯d inadvertently traumatised Tatsuo¡¯s little sister?


    ¡°Um, Jiao? It¡¯s just me Katsu. Are you¡­ ok?¡±


    ¡°Katsu?¡±


    ¡°Yeah...¡±


    Katsu braced herself as Jiao took a deep breath and opened her mouth.


    ¡°THAT WAS SO COOL!!¡±


    Katsu took a step backwards in shocked relief, wincing at the volume, and leaned back against a boulder as Jiao jumped up and down in excitement in front of her. She was fairly sure Tatsuo would be shocked to discover that his Imoto knew some of the gestures she was directing at the retreating men¡¯s backs.


    Jiao left off her impromptu victory dance, and hugged Katsu¡¯s knees.


    ¡°Thank you! They were being mean and they wouldn¡¯t leave me alone! They wanted to know everything about Tatsuo, but I think they were too scared to confront him directly, so they were pestering me instead. I¡­ think they know about you and him¡­ the reporter asked some very rude questions about Oni and human women which I think meant he was trying to get me to say Tatsuo forced you to..to..¡±


    ¡°I get the idea Jiao.¡±


    ¡°Anyway, I thought I could hide among the rocks.¡±


    ¡°But why didn¡¯t you go and get help?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I was on the beach anyway looking for driftwood, and they wouldn¡¯t let me leave! So I ran and hid here instead ¡­ and then you came.¡±


    Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    Katsu glared in the direction the reporter had been dragged off in by his crew, then shook her head.


    ¡°Did you get his name Jiao?¡±


    ¡°Mmhm.. yes. I should make a complaint, shouldn¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°We will go and make a complaint to the police.¡±


    ¡°Um. Katsu¡­ maybe you should change?¡±


    Katsu nodded, then hesitated¡­


    ¡°Ah¡­ I¡¯m not...¡±


    Katsumi spoke up.


    ¡°I know how Teitoku. If you¡¯ll permit me I can help.¡±


    ¡°You know how?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s similar to how I incarnated myself. But¡­ mostly you just need to relax.¡±


    Jiao glanced up to where Katsumi sat cross-legged on a boulder, and raised an eyebrow.


    </a> ¡°Katsu¡­ should I be concerned that you appear to have an evil twin sister? Perhaps I should tell my N¨©san?¡±


    Katsu¡¯s lips twitched in amusement at the thought.


    ¡°Jiao, this is Katsumi, who is not my evil twin. She¡¯s¡­ sort of my Herald. Something like that anyway. It¡¯s complicated.¡±


    Katsumi shrugged.


    ¡°I am the incarnate spirit of the Battleship Yamato, given life by Katsu.¡±


    Jiao blinked.


    ¡°Oh¡­ I would have thought you were her sword.¡±


    ¡°That too. As she said, it¡¯s complicated. Katsu, with your permission, shall I help you shift forms?¡±


    ¡°Ah.. yes¡­ I think we should go home and I don¡¯t want to alarm my parents.¡­ um, alarm them even more than we will anyway. Plus, doorways would be impossible like this.¡±


    ¡°Ah. Yes¡­ clearances. I recall having similar problems with bridges. Very well, please could you sit down so I can reach your shoulders.¡±


    Katsu nodded, sitting down on dry sand further up the beach, with her back to a suitable bolder. wondering what she was about to do. Katsumi stood on the bolder, reached up, and started to massage the muscle groups in Katsu¡¯s shoulders and back. She almost asked Katsumi what she was doing, but recalled she¡¯d said something about relaxing, so Katsu said nothing, but closed her eyes, trying to relax.


    After a few moments, Katsu felt a warm sensation of relaxation form between her shoulder blades, swiftly spreading outwards. She sighed, giving into the sensation. Moments later Katsumi stopped, remarking.


    ¡°There¡­ done.¡±


    Katsu opened her eyes, and slowly stood up, finding herself eye-to-eye with Katsumi as she hopped down off the bolder..


    ¡°Where did you learn to do that?¡±


    ¡°You have memories, which I share, of being massaged by someone hired by your sensei after a tournament.¡±


    Katsu paused in brushing the sand off her clothing.


    ¡°Oh¡­ yes. I remember that now. You copied her, just from memory?¡±


    Katsumi nodded.


    ¡°Just so. I can recall those memories I have perfectly. I¡¯m not sure why it works like that, but it¡¯s useful.¡±


    Katsu glanced up and down the beach.


    ¡°Ok, we should be going. Jiao, come with us, Tatsuo would want me to keep you safe. We can call the police from home and make a report about what happened.¡±


    Jiao nodded slowly¡­ looking up the beach towards the town and wherever the reporter had gone.


    ¡°That¡¯s maybe a good idea¡­ I don¡¯t like that man, he was mean! I don¡¯t think he liked the idea of yokai being treated like people.¡±


    ¡°I think you may be right. Luckily, there¡¯s a lot more humans who do.¡±


    The Yamato family, or rather Katsu¡¯s branch family of the Yamato clan, had lived in the same place for at least 900 years. Nothing remained of the original dwelling, but the home had been added to and expanded upon by every generation. Sometime before the end of the Genroko era in 1704, a high roofed wall had been built around the compound, fortifying it. The three girls stood in front of the massive, iron bound wooden gate in the wall. Jiao without saying anything reached up and slipped her small hand into Katsu¡¯s.


    Katsu flipped up one of the apparently ancient domed iron nail heads, each as big as the palm of her hand, and pressed her thumb against the concealed electronic lock. There was a muted beep and a soft click as the smaller postern door unlocked, then Katsu pushed open the door that took up the lower right quarter of the massive slab making up one half of the gate.


    Katsu paused in the courtyard beyond the gate house, glancing at her watch.


    ¡°Hm, assuming nothing has happened to disturb their routine, Mother and Grandmother will be in the old tea-room behind the main house at this time.¡±


    Jiao perked up slightly.


    ¡°I¡¯d like a cup of tea I think...¡±


    For some reason, that amused Katsu, although she wouldn¡¯t say why. She smiled enigmatically and lead the way between the maze of buildings.


    The tea-room was a long rectangular, single story pavilion, enclosed by paper screens that could be slid aside or removed entirely. Katsu and Katsumi slipped their shoes off on the veranda, putting on the soft black slippers that sat neatly in rows on a rack. Jiao was slightly surprised at the number of pairs, there had to be at least a dozen. There was even a pair small enough for her feet. She guessed they must have visitors quite often.


    Katsu slid aside the screen door, and bowed before entering¡­


    Inside, the ¡®tea-room¡¯ was empty of furnishings, the floor was entirely covered in tatami matting, with free standing racks of weapons, swords, spears and so on, against the shorter walls at either end.


    In the middle stood two women, wearing white gi over black skirt-like hakama pants. Jiao could immediately see the resemblance between Katsu and the younger, brown haired woman...and on second glance, the similarity between her and the iron-grey haired older woman.


    Jiao¡¯s eyes went wide as she took in their clothing and stance, and then she gasped as there was a sudden flurry of movement, ending in the younger woman landing with a thump on the matting. She immediately sprang to her feet, bounding up without using her arms, and bowed to her partner.


    ¡°Daughter, we have visitors.¡±


    The brown-haired woman glanced at where they stood in the doorway, her eyes going wide.


    ¡°Katsu, daughter¡­ perhaps you¡¯d like to explain why you seem to have acquired a sister I did not know about?¡±


    Jiao could see Katsu swallow, even though her face remained impassive.


    ¡°Mother, grandmother¡­ this is Katsumi. She¡¯s ah...um..¡±


    Katsumi bowed, and spoke.


    ¡°I am pleased to meet the Yamato matriarchs. I am Katsu¡¯s Herald, the Battleship Yamato. I thought it would be easier to meet in this form. I apologise for borrowing your daughter¡¯s outward appearance, I don¡¯t have much experience at being human and this was the only example I had to copy.¡±


    The older two women exchanged a look, and then Katsu¡¯s grandmother shrugged.


    ¡°I think this calls for tea, Yua.¡±


    ¡°Hm, yes Mother. I¡¯d say so too. Katsu, you are covered in sand, and perhaps your guests would like to freshen up as well?¡±


    Katsu nodded. Without saying a word, she lead Katsumi and Jiao out and into the main house. After a few moments Katsumi quietly asked.


    ¡°Are you, no, are we in trouble with your mother and grandmother?¡±


    ¡°I might be, I don¡¯t think you are. I think they just don¡¯t know quite what to make of you. Paul-san told father you were alive, but I think everyone just thought of you as a ship until now. Not something.. someone, who would be suddenly here and not able to be ignored any more.¡±


    ¡°Ah.. so now they have to think what to do about me?¡±


    ¡°And how to react to what you are¡­ although, your introduction was smoothly done. That might help. Hmm.. Jiao-chan, could you be extra charming? So when we tell them what happened, they¡¯ll focus on that instead.¡±


    Jiao grinned, looking even cuter than usual.


    ¡°I think I can do that On¨¥san!¡±


    Katsu¡¯s lips twitched upwards in a fractional smile.


    ¡°Yes. Like that.¡±


    Jiao glanced backwards over her shoulder.


    ¡°Do they fight like that everyday?¡±


    ¡°Practice sparring, and yes, most days. My Ob¨¡san says it keeps her fit, Mother agrees. Since Grandmother wins most of the time, she¡¯s probably right.¡±


    Katsumi glanced at Katsu.


    ¡°Do you not train with them?¡±


    ¡°Sometimes, usually with Mother. I don¡¯t think I could compete at Grandmother¡¯s level. She was an Olympian silver medallist in Judo and national champion in Aikido. I prefer kendo and archery instead, even though I compete at school in Aikido too. With my frame, I¡¯m better suited for kendo or archery anyway. I have a longer reach, and can handle a stronger bow.¡±


    Katsumi grinned.


    ¡°We have bigger guns and a greater range, yes?¡±


    Katsu¡¯s lips quirked upwards.


    ¡°Exactly so.¡±


    Katsu slid the door open to her room, saying as she did so.


    ¡°We¡¯ll pick out something for you to wear Katsumi, I don¡¯t think a Goddess¡¯s Herald should go around looking like a gang member.¡±


    Katsumi nodded as she stepped into the room behind Katsu. She glanced to one side, and let out a strangled gasp, back-stepping so violently she careened into the door-frame, which sent her spinning out into the corridor, almost colliding with Jiao. Katsumi ended up collapsed against the far wall, white faced and panting, her eyes wide and filled with fear.


    Katsu stared in bewilderment for a split-second, at a loss as to what could have caused Katsumi to react like that. She looked in the direction Katsumi had glanced before she reacted¡­ and saw her mirror. The mirror that she¡¯d gotten from the sea-life centre, and was decorated around the edges so you looked like you were underwater.


    Realisation dawned, and she hurried over to where Katsumi had her face buried in her palms, sobbing.


    ¡°It¡¯s ok Katsumi, you¡¯re safe. It was just a painted mirror, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°I...I remember...dying. Being drowned, and rotting away. I¡­ Oh Katsu, I¡¯m scared!¡±


    Katsu wrapped her arms around the terrified girl, holding her against herself.


    ¡°You¡¯re safe. It can¡¯t happen again. You are here, your soul is in the sword, you said. Even if the battleship part of you sinks, the rest of you is safe, and we can raise that up again. I promise, I will keep you safe.¡±


    Katsumi sniffed, and nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ it¡¯s just..¡±


    ¡°I understand. Jiao, could you take down that mirror for me please.¡±


    Jiao nodded and disappeared into the room for a few minutes before calling out.


    ¡°Hoi, it¡¯s too heavy for me to lift, but I¡¯ve turned it around for now, is that ok?¡±


    Katsu looked at Katsumi, who nodded in return.


    ¡°That¡¯ll do Jiao-chan, thank you.¡±


    Jiao reappeared in the doorway, looking concerned.


    ¡°Are you going to be ok Katsumi?¡±


    Katsumi nodded slowly.


    ¡°Mm¡­ I think so. My¡­ prior existence is not something I recall very well. The memories evade me.¡±


    ¡°Like a dream, or a very bad nightmare I suppose, yes?¡±


    Katsumi nodded in agreement with Katsu.


    ¡°Yes, just so. Most of the time, I don¡¯t think of it. But...but seeing myself.. like that. It was too vivid a reminder. For a moment, the memory of that was all I could think of, as if I was..was.. there.. again.¡±


    Katsu nodded.


    ¡°They call that PTSD, post traumatic stress disorder. I¡¯ve been doing research on it, after what happened to me. I.. I died and drowned too.¡±


    ¡°I know. I think...I think that¡¯s why our souls reached out and formed a bond. There was no-one to save me before and I didn¡¯t know how to save myself¡­ but I could give you the power in me, and save you from the same fate.¡±


    Katsu stared into Katsumi¡¯s eyes as she knelt in front of her.


    ¡°I¡­ think I knew that. Deep down. So, when Kiko and Inari worked their magic, I .. reached out, wanting to return the favour with the power I was sending back to you.¡±


    ¡°Hm. That¡¯s how it felt to me too. Like you reached down into my dark grave in the ocean, and pulled me back up into the light and air. Out of gratitude, and to save me from what was nearly your fate.¡±


    Katsu nodded.


    ¡°We share a lot. Fears too¡­ although I knew that mirror was there, and I¡¯ve been using it to face that fear. I should¡¯ve realised it would affect you the same way.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been staring into that mirror since you got back?!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a mirror. I even remember when I bought it. But when I look into it, I remember drowning too. Every time. That¡¯s why I kept it. Fear loses it¡¯s power if you stare it down.¡±


    Katsumi looked at Katsu wide-eyed for a moment, then shook her head.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t do that. Not like that. I think you¡¯re stronger than me Katsu.¡±


    ¡°Not stronger, more stubborn. I won¡¯t let anything control me. Not even my own fears.¡±


    Katsumi considered that, then nodded.


    ¡°I can be that strong, I think.¡±


    Katsu smiled a little.


    ¡°No, you already are. It was worse for you, you suffered longer. It makes sense it would be more than you can bear alone. But now I¡¯m here to help you too, you don¡¯t have to face your fears alone, because they¡¯re not just yours. We can stand together, and be strong enough for each other.¡±


    Katsu stood, and reached down a hand to Katsumi, who clasped it with hers, smiling wanly, and allowed herself to be pulled up. Katsu nodded as she pulled Katsumi upright.


    ¡°That¡¯s what families do, after all. Help each other. And we are sisters, regardless of where we came from. Now, let¡¯s get you some proper clothes, and wash the sand and salt off before it starts to itch too much.¡±


    Katsumi nodded, and although she held onto Katsu¡¯s hand, she stuck out her tongue at the mirror¡¯s back as they passed it.

 Kurisumasu chp.8

    Paul stared up into the branches of the tree, scowling. It wasn¡¯t that it was the tree¡¯s fault, as trees went it wasn¡¯t bad. A fine healthy specimen of a momi fir, perhaps thirty five or forty feet tall, just like many of the others growing on the mountains around the temple.


    No, the tree wasn¡¯t the problem¡­ it was the fact that it was right in the middle of the temple complex and that it had, most decidedly, not been there yesterday.


    ¡°Shoko-san!¡±


    There was a rustle up in branches somewhere, and Paul thought he could make out small body up high.


    ¡°Hey, get down here now, please.¡±


    There was a set of crashes as the person descended in a controlled fall, bouncing from branch to branch, until a small heart-shaped face peered down through the lower branches at Paul. It was manifestly not Shoko-san, not unless she¡¯d swapped her fox ears with their black tips and red-gold fur, for white cat ears.


    ¡°Nyaan?¡±


    Paul stared up at the cat-girl perplexed, wondering what she was doing here.


    ¡°Um. Good morning miss.¡±


    The girl dropped the final few feet, and bowed.


    ¡°Good Morning Herald-san. I am very sorry if my work disturbed you.¡±


    ¡°Um.. please, call me Paul, or Paul-san if you must. No, your.. work¡­ didn¡¯t so much disturb as¡­ Well, why is there a huge great tree in the middle of the courtyard, and for that matter how?!¡±


    The girl grinned, and preened just a little.


    ¡°Lord Sura asked me to place this tree here! As a gift to Inari Okami and specifically to you Paul-san.¡±


    ¡°Okayyy¡­ again, how? It looks a bit big for you to carry.¡±


    ¡°Nyaan! Now, yes. But when I brought it here, it was just a tiny sapling. Lord Sura enchanted it so it would borrow some days of it¡¯s life, fifty years hence. When it comes time to remove it, the spell can be undone and it will be a sapling once again.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ see. Well, that explains how, but why?¡±


    The cat-girl, or Neko, tilted her head to one side, in a distinctly cat-like expression of puzzlement.


    ¡°It¡¯s a Tree, for Kurisumasu... I was told you¡¯re English, you should know that!¡±


    Paul leaned back slightly, looking up at the tree.


    ¡°Yeahhh¡­. Normally they¡¯re a lot smaller, so they fit inside the house, and they have decorations on them.¡±


    ¡°Lord Sura thought you¡¯d want to decorate it yourself¡­ and it¡¯s so big because he wanted it to be the best!¡±


    ¡°Well, tell Lord Sura, thank you and it¡¯s exactly how I imagined a Boar forest spirit would imagine a Christmas tree to be.¡±


    ¡°Nyaan! He¡¯ll be pleased!¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t get your name by the way, or why you¡¯re doing this.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m Aki, and I owed Lord Sura a favour, not a big one though. This was repayment.¡±


    ¡°Ah, ok. Pleased to meet you Aki-san. So... is there any more work to be done on it?¡±


    Aki shook her head, then looked faintly embarrassed.


    ¡°Ah, well¡­ no. My job was to place it where it would have enough room, and trigger the spell. After that, there was nothing else to do.¡±


    ¡°Then what¡­ oh. Let me guess, couldn¡¯t resist climbing it?¡±


    The Neko grabbed her ears, ducking her head to hide the fact her cheeks were flaming red.


    ¡°Nyaa! It¡¯s a very nice tree!¡±


    ¡°Agreed, it is...and if you¡¯re not busy once we¡¯ve got the decorations sorted out, perhaps you could help us hang them?¡±


    ¡°Oh! May I?!¡±


    ¡°Yup, come around again this evening. We might just have figured out what we¡¯re doing by then...¡±


    ¡°Nyaa! I finish work at the plant nursery by five, I¡¯ll come straight from work.¡±


    Paul nodded, thinking to himself that explained why Lord Sura had asked her..


    ¡°Ok, I¡¯ll see you then.¡±


    Aki scampered off, leaving Paul wondering what twist of fate would result in a neko working in a plant nursery. A dryad he could understand¡­ still, maybe she just liked plants.


    Half an hour later, and Paul put the breakfast tray down next to the hump under the quit.


    ¡°Inari, sleepy-head.. food.¡±


    ¡°Mph!¡±


    ¡°C¡¯mon Inari, it¡¯s a bright, brisk day.. oh, and we¡¯ve got a damn great Christmas tree in courtyard, thanks to Lord Sura.¡±


    Inari moved, so that an ear poked out from under the covers. Paul reached out, and brushed a fingertip over the little black tuft of hair at the end, setting her ear to twitching.


    Inari¡¯s protest was muffled by the blankets and the quilt heaped up on top of her. Paul sighed, and with one hand lifted the covers, using the other to waft the bacon-scented air rising from the tray into Inari¡¯s blanket den.


    After a moment, an inquisitive nose emerged, sniffing the air, followed by the rest of Inari as she emerged, bleary eyed. She smiled sleepily up at Paul, and then sat up stretching.


    ¡°Good morning Paul-san.¡±


    ¡°Morning Inari, sleep well?¡±


    ¡°Mm. Yes...thank you.¡±


    Paul pressed a cup of coffee into her hands, and she sighed as she inhaled the curl of steam rising from it, before she set to eating breakfast.


    She was working on her second cup of coffee when she remarked.


    ¡°Did you say Christmas tree?¡±


    ¡°Oh, you heard that? Yes. You know anything about it?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ I thought it would be nice if we celebrated Kurisumasu, for you.. after all you¡¯re away from your family.¡±


    Paul snorted and shook his head.


    ¡°No I¡¯m not. You¡¯re all right here. But thank you for the thought.¡±


    Inari smiled at Paul, her unguarded expression full of love... before she buried her face in her mug again, her cheeks a touch bit pinker than they were before.


    ¡°Ah..I was thinking we could put it in the Main hall and..¡±


    ¡°Inari, it¡¯s about thirty, forty feet tall.¡±


    ¡°Oh! But how¡­?¡±


    ¡°Magic apparently, the Neko, a nice girl by the name of Aki, who brought it said something about borrowing a few days of it¡¯s life from about fifty years into the future, presumably when it¡¯s full grown. That¡¯s the other thing, it¡¯s growing in the courtyard¡­ fully rooted etc.¡±


    ¡°Oh. I think Lord Sura might have misunderstood what I wanted..¡±


    ¡°That¡¯d be a safe bet. But it¡¯s ok, we can still decorate it. In days gone by it was customary to ¡®dress¡¯ a tree outside, and hang lanterns on it as a guide for travellers... Oh! Now that¡¯s a thought! Ok, you know you said you¡¯d need some place high up to put a beacon for your messenger foxes to navigate by? Would thirty something feet be high enough maybe?¡±


    Inari giggled and nodded.


    ¡°Yes! That would make a perfect star on top of the tree!¡±


    ¡°Splendid! And provided it remains dry, we can have the JSDF people pile the presents under the tree prior to distribution. Might even manage to persuade them to wear green pointy hats, since they¡¯re filling in for Santa¡¯s elves.¡±


    Inari blinked, looking at him in puzzlement. Paul shrugged.


    ¡°The story goes, Santa has little elves helping him at the North-Pole, making the toys and so on.. Although, come to think of it, I suppose here that would be Koropokkuru maybe?¡±


    Inari nodded slowly.


    ¡°Yess¡­ although the little people aren¡¯t known to be particularly helpful to anyone, not since their princess was kidnapped about..oh.. four hundred years ago.¡±


    Paul raised an eyebrow, and Inari shrugged at his unspoken question.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know the details, but the story is she fell in love with a human man. They ran away, and her family said she was kidnapped. After that, they¡¯d have nothing more to do with humans. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s happened to them since, but they were never very social even with other yokai.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ well. Anyway, ancient scandals aside, we need to figure out how to decorate a nearly forty foot tall tree. Which is going to take a hell of a lot of tinsel and baubles I bet!¡±


    ¡°What and what?¡±


    Paul blinked, and then smacked his palm on his forehead.


    ¡°D¡¯oh.. Of course, you¡¯ve no idea what those are! Ok, step one, show you some pictures of Christmas trees. Step two, see what we can come up with, illusions maybe. Step three, deck the halls etc.. Um, there¡¯s a thought, the oldest sorts of decorations used to be what one could find in nature. Does holly or ivy grow around here?¡±


    Inari nodded, looking thoughtful.


    ¡°There was a time when those were used to make decorations, long ago¡­ but for a different ceremony.¡±


    ¡°Do you remember how? It would be good to bring in a little of the old into the new.¡±


    ¡°Mm. Yes. I think so. You want...oh what is the word.. garlands? Long strings of ivy with small holly twigs woven into them. Is that right?¡±


    Paul nodded.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, garlands, swags, or boughs. As in the song ¡®deck the halls with boughs of holly..¡¯ and so on.¡±


    ¡°Ah! So that¡¯s what that means.. I heard the song in town yesterday and I wondered.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s a very old traditional English Yuletide or Christmas song, although honestly, most people can never remember more than the first verse or two. Me included.¡±


    Inari chewed on a strip of bacon thoughtfully, then swallowed remarking.


    ¡°We could make paper lanterns and light them with foxfire. If Rin and Shoko help, we can do many different colours too. I¡¯ll ask Kiko to assist in building a spell so they stay lit, and don¡¯t need to be recast every evening.¡±


    Stolen novel; please report.


    ¡°That sounds like a good idea¡­ beats LEDs anyway. No wires everywhere.¡±


    Paul looked thoughtful for a moment, then smiled an odd crooked smile as he continued.


    ¡°You know¡­ if we made a version that has a pre-made talisman built into the base, that you just activate by touch, we could mass produce those by printing and then sell them.¡±


    Inari tilted her head looking at him.


    ¡°Why would we do that? They wouldn¡¯t work without magic.¡±


    Paul nodded.


    ¡°Which would mean you¡¯d have to buy a small household mana convertor to power them wirelessly, right. At least until we start building a municipal ¡®grid¡¯ of mana convertors, and realise Tesla¡¯s dream of wireless power distribution.¡±


    ¡°Oh! I get it! Encouraging people to use magic by making it more like technology.¡±


    Paul made a ¡®so-so¡¯ rocking gesture with his hand.


    ¡°Something like that, I was thinking that magic isn¡¯t as developed as science, because it hasn¡¯t worked in most places for ages. But, now we¡¯ve fixed that problem, we could do something to develop new ideas based on what we¡¯ve found out via science, and come up with real world applications for it. You know, start people thinking what else they can do with this stuff, rather than just keep doing the same thing over and over.¡±


    Inari paused, a slice of toast half-way to her mouth as she thought.


    ¡°I...see. Ambitious as always my Herald. But why? The old ways work.¡±


    ¡°They work sort of.. but only a few people can do magic the old way. I want to make it as ubiquitous as technology is, and as easy to use. Which will require a rethink of how it¡¯s done, and a whole new set of techniques and magical technology. Because if it¡¯s as widespread and useful as technology is now, then it can¡¯t just be easily forgotten again, or shunted aside as a relic. If it¡¯s useful, it¡¯ll thrive and since the core of magic is the mana convertor, that¡¯ll mean people will want to have those everywhere. Which will ensure the continued survival of yokai.¡±


    ¡°Ahhh, I see! Sneaky¡­ but your first attempt at doing magic wasn¡¯t very successful Paul.¡±


    ¡°I know, I¡¯ve been studying. I had the right idea, but I forgot to add limiters. The theory was sound at least. But yes, I plan on trying again with something a bit less ambitious. The lanterns would be an excellent place to try again¡­ with a little help from you and Kiko of course.¡±


    Inari nodded.


    ¡°Of course we¡¯ll help¡­ I can show you how we do it, then you see if you can copy that, yes?¡±


    ¡°Maybe not copy exactly, but get the same effect yes. And make sure I don¡¯t blow myself up or something.¡±


    Inari giggled


    ¡°Yes, I think that¡¯s a good idea. Ok, we can help, it¡¯ll be fun too, certainly more entertaining than folding a few dozen paper lanterns.¡±


    Paul smiled a bit lopsidedly.


    ¡°Let¡¯s hope it¡¯s not too ¡®entertaining¡¯ though.¡±


    Mid-morning found Paul sitting outside the main hall, keeping warm by an iron dish-like brazier, designing talismans to conjure and control foxfire¡­ or at least, trying to. He¡¯d so far consigned a dozen or more sheets of paper to the flames as failures. Those that hadn¡¯t immolated themselves anyway, which was why he was working outside, a safe distance from the old, and very dry, timber building.


    The crunch of footsteps across the gravel made him look up, and then smile as he recognised the witch, Haruna Maaya, leading three young girls. The youngest of them looked to be maybe twelve, and the oldest was perhaps seventeen or eighteen¡­ and bore a marked resemblance to Maaya, leading Paul to assume she was Haruna Akio, Maaya¡¯s daughter.


    Paul stood up as the group of four came over to him and he smiled, addressing Maaya.


    ¡°I see you met them at the train station with no bother then.¡±


    ¡°Yes, thank you again Herald-San.¡±


    ¡°Please, call me Paul. Glad I could help. Warm yourselves by the fire a bit. I¡¯ll tidy up here and see about putting some tea on.¡±


    Maaya nodded, as her daughter picked up the latest talisman Paul had been working on.


    ¡°Ah, careful that¡¯s..¡±


    There was a brief surge of power and the carefully inked diagram drawn in silver conductive ink flashed with a brilliant purple light before the paper ignited.


    Akio dropped the talisman onto the gravel, fanning her fingers where they¡¯d been scorched.


    ¡°Cool!¡±


    ¡°Well, it would be if that¡¯s what I was trying to do¡­ dammit. Back to the drawing board.¡±


    Maaya scowled at her daughter.


    ¡°Akio! You mustn¡¯t meddle with other people¡¯s work.¡±


    ¡°Oh don¡¯t fret Maaya, I¡¯ve been trying to build a working talisman all morning.. so far I haven¡¯t hit upon a layout that works right.¡±


    Paul was suddenly aware that all four witches were staring at him intently.


    ¡°Ok, what?¡±


    ¡°You have been inventing those?¡±


    ¡°Um.. yes? Did I do something wrong?¡±


    The youngest witch giggled.


    ¡°Boys can¡¯t do magic!¡±


    The next older girl added.


    ¡°And you don¡¯t just make up spells, they have to be carefully copied from the family grimoire. The most anyone does is substitute components...and those are just.. well, they¡¯re scribbles of ink! How can those be spells?!¡±


    Paul tilted his head, regarding them in a puzzled way.


    ¡°Um¡­ ok. I have the feeling this explanation might take some time. Maaya, I think your village¡¯s magical tradition is very different, more like old school hermetic or perhaps shamatic magic.. right?¡±


    Maaya nodded slowly.


    ¡°You are close, but not exactly right. I don¡¯t recognise what you are doing here though.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s called, making it up as I go along¡­ ok. With your permission Maaya, I¡¯d like to show you four something that¡¯s liable to overturn what you think you know about magic.¡±


    ¡°I doubt that, but please proceed Hea.. Paul-san.¡±


    Paul flashed a smile at the woman and three girls.


    ¡°Ok, follow me¡­ and the Great and Mighty Oz will show you his workshop..¡±


    Maaya looked nonplussed, but all three girls giggled.


    Paul lead them to his workshop, casually waving to Yuri whose turn it was to be on guard today. The girls clustered close to Maaya as they passed the tall and imposing Oni, not quite flinching as she smiled at them, but definitely twitching.


    Any fear they felt though was quickly forgotten as they looked around the workshop itself. Maaya frowned as she peered around.


    ¡°I can tell that a great deal of magic has been worked here.. but I cannot tell what sort or how.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re probably sensing the residual field actually¡­ and it¡¯s not precisely magic, but raw mana that¡¯s created here.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t create mana! It has to be drawn from somewhere.¡±


    ¡°Well, technically true.. but what I¡¯m doing is converting ordinary electrical energy into mana.¡±


    Maaya shook her head.


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡±


    ¡°I beg to differ. Watch.¡±


    Paul pulled on the lever that opened the sluice gates, sending water rushing over the water-wheel outside. Once that was turning at full speed, he engaged the generator, sending power through the heavy cables to the mana convertor set up. Crossing over to that, he carefully brought the convertor to sizzling, crackling life¡­


    Turning round he saw that all four witches eyes seemed to be as big and round as dinner plates in their shocked, pale faces, with mouths hanging open.


    ¡°Like I said...¡±


    ¡°How are you doing that!? How does it work?!¡±


    That was Akio, almost pleading with him.. the next younger girl had conjured some fire to her hand and was twisting and turning her fingers, playing with it with a look of wonder on her face. Even Maaya looked stunned as she spoke.


    ¡°There¡¯s¡­ so much power just pouring off that..that..¡±


    ¡°I call it a mana convertor.¡±


    Akio spoke up.


    ¡°How does it work?¡±


    ¡°Ok, you may not know, but the origin of magic is certain crystals trapped in earthquake fault lines. When there¡¯s a quake, the crystals get squeezed, and through a process called piezoelectric effect, make electricity. This interacts with certain other crystals, which turn it into mana. There¡¯s a few more steps involving haematite and magnetic fields, but that¡¯s the gist of it. What I¡¯m doing is recreating that, using pure electricity, on a very large scale.¡±


    Maaya shook her head.


    ¡°That¡¯s no magic I¡¯ve ever heard of.¡±


    ¡°That would be because it¡¯s new. Something I put together.¡±


    The youngest witch looked at him and breathlessly exclaimed.


    ¡°You can do that?! Just.. make up something new!¡±


    ¡°Well.. yes.. if you have half a notion as to how magic works. I mean, not just the rote application of spells, but the actual theory behind it. How it all works¡­ Ok, how many of you understand maths and physics?¡±


    All four of them looked between each other, but no-one volunteered. Paul sighed¡­


    ¡°Ok, detailed explanations will have to wait otherwise I¡¯m just going to sound like I¡¯m talking gibberish.. but suffice it to say, I¡¯ve figured out some of the underlying mechanisms behind magic..taken the back off the clockwork and seen what makes it tick so to speak. I don¡¯t understand more than a tenth of it.. but it¡¯s a start. Enough that I can design new spells. Ok, you..¡±


    Paul pointed to the youngest witch, then frowned slightly.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.. we didn¡¯t do introductions. I¡¯m Paul, and you are?¡±


    ¡°Dot. It¡¯s short for Dorothea..¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my great, great grandmother¡¯s name, she was born in the old country Mother says.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Ok then Dot, do you know how to cast a circle?¡±


    ¡°Of course, that¡¯s the first thing we learn! For protection and binding.¡±


    ¡°Ok, do you know why it works? Why not a square?¡±


    Dot blinked, and looked at the others, who shrugged.


    ¡°It.. it just does...¡±


    ¡°Ok, it¡¯s because the circle conducts mana, which as it flows around it, produces a vortex, like a whirlpool¡­ this twists anything trying to cross the line, so it also swirls around the circle. This generates a null spot, like the eye of the storm and also breaks up any pattern in the mana, aka spells.¡±


    ¡°Ohhhh¡­ Mistress Maaya, did you know that?¡±


    ¡°I did not¡­ but, what has that to do with creating new spells.¡±


    Paul grinned, warming to the topic.


    ¡°Ok, so, the circle is the simplest example of what I¡¯m doing. By creating patterns that manipulate the flow of mana, I can give it shape and form¡­ which is what a spell is, basically. There is a bit more involved with it. For example, I use iron oxide ink to create the outer-most circle, because that absorbs mana and in effect acts as an antenna to pull in power from the mana field being generated here, and I use words and symbols to inscribe intent into the talisman, because those interact with the weak mana field created by the body¡¯s biomagnetic field, in effect imprinting my will into the conductive ink.¡±


    ¡°I.. don¡¯t think I understood most of that.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter¡­ basically, it¡¯s sort of more like traditional Japanese magic, but with weird science added in.¡±


    The middle girl spoke up.


    ¡°Um, my name¡¯s Chiyo and¡­ and can I learn to do this? Only I¡¯m not very good at traditional magic, and this way kind of feels like it almost makes sense to me already...¡±


    Paul looked at Maaya.


    ¡°Would that be ok? I mean, I hadn¡¯t planned on taking on a student and I¡¯d need her parents permission I guess¡­ but so far, I¡¯m the only one that understands how all this works, so if anything were to happen to me¡­.¡±


    Maaya shook her head slowly.


    ¡°Her parents don¡¯t want Chiyo back¡­ they.. well they have yokai blood in the family line so..¡±


    ¡°Oh. Well damn! That¡¯s cold of them!¡±


    Chiyo stared intently at the floor, scuffing it with the toe of her beat-up sneakers.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know what I had to do¡­ but if you did, you wouldn¡¯t want me either...I don¡¯t even want to be me too.¡±


    Paul took three steps closer to her, and put his hand on Chiyo¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Kid, you are now, officially, my apprentice. The first apprentice technomage, ever. And in case you are worried, I have spent half my life in and out of war zones and some of the nastiest hell-holes around the world¡­ there¡¯s not much left that can surprise or shock me about what people will do to survive. And no, I am not bothered by whatever it is you did, because it wasn¡¯t your fault. That¡¯s reserved for the people who forced you to work for them. There¡¯s nothing about you, that can make me think less of you.¡±


    Chiyo lifted her head, and studied Paul¡¯s face for a moment. Then she reached up, and undid her cloak clasp, before letting it slip to the floor.


    For a moment it looked as if the young girl was wearing another cloak underneath, one of shimmering shining gauze¡­ then she spread her wings.


    Paul blinked, and then frowned. The shimmering transparent wings strongly resembled a dragonfly¡¯s in structure and texture, but were perhaps more akin to a butterfly¡¯s wings in shape¡­ although it was hard to tell as they were sadly crumpled and torn, with great rents running almost the entire span of them in what was clearly a deliberate pattern.


    ¡°The Hunters did that? Clipped your wings so you couldn¡¯t fly away?¡±


    Chiyo nodded, tears welling in her eyes. Paul growled softly under his breath.


    ¡°Just when I think I couldn¡¯t hate them more¡­ Ok, I¡¯ll have a word with Inari and Kiko, see if our resident Goddesses can do something to fix those for you.¡±


    ¡°They can do that?¡±


    ¡°Probably¡­ I¡¯m assuming they haven¡¯t healed because they¡¯re dead tissue, like hair or finger nails.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ once damaged they can sometimes be repaired but not healed.¡±


    ¡°Hm.. well, repair might be a more accurate word then, but still it should be possible. I can ask at least, and if they can¡¯t, I¡¯ll see what science can do for you instead.¡±


    Chiyo stared at him for a moment, then went down on one knee.


    ¡°I pledge my life and my service to you Herald-san!


    ¡°Ah.. um¡­ I accept your pledge, and promise to do my best to look after you, to um.. protect and train you to the best of my ability and..and.. oh for goodness sakes, get up. Enough with the medieval oaths and stuff...¡±


    Chiyo giggled.


    ¡°That¡¯s NOT how it¡¯s supposed to go!¡±


    ¡°Like I know? Alright everyone, impromptu class over, let¡¯s go get something to eat! Maaya, we need to discuss what taking an apprentice involves as far as your people are concerned, and make sure I¡¯m not about to step on any cultural landmines.¡±


    Maaya nodded.


    ¡°Agreed¡­ although I think there will be great deal of ¡®making it up as we go along¡¯ because I can¡¯t recall ever hearing of anyone taking an apprentice before, not in this sense. Children study their family¡¯s branch of magic, usually with their mother, or an aunt or some other relation.¡±


    Paul nodded.


    ¡°I take it, it¡¯s a female only thing then?¡±


    ¡°Yes.. men don¡¯t do magic. In fact, I would¡¯ve said can¡¯t¡­ until today.¡±


    Dot piped up suddenly.


    ¡°Can I be a ¡®prentice too?! I don¡¯t want to work with smelly old herbs and bits of animals any more!¡±


    Paul opened his mouth to answer, but Akio jumped in.


    ¡°Me too! Your magic is cool Paul-san, and I don¡¯t wanna go home. I want to explore and learn about the outside world and not be stuck in the village all my life doing nothing!¡±


    Maaya looked horrified at her daughter.


    ¡°Akio!¡±


    Paul held up his hands.


    ¡°Whoa, girls..hold on! Ok, Dot, I¡¯ll need to talk with your parents. Akio, you would need your mother¡¯s permission..¡±


    ¡°No I don¡¯t! I¡¯m seventeen. I can do what I want. And I don¡¯t want to waste away in the sticks! I like the city, and I like using magic to do stuff¡­ although, maybe not the way the Hunters wanted me to. That was icky.¡±


    Paul looked at Maaya who had a pinched-lipped expression as she held in her reaction. Sighing he shook his head.


    ¡°Look, Akio¡­ firstly I¡¯m not 100% sure I know what to do with one apprentice, much less three. I¡¯ve hardly even begun to figure this stuff out myself. It could end up with you teaching me¡­ and hold your horses, before you fly off in a temper! Secondly, while you are right about the age of consent and so on, you owe your mother your freedom. If she hadn¡¯t had the sheer guts to approach me, I would not have known what happened, and you three would be still be in jail somewhere. Given that she¡¯s missed you, it¡¯s hardly fair to be wanting to leave her the day after you get free, now is it?¡±


    Akio muttered something that probably wasn¡¯t very polite, then nodded reluctantly. Paul patted her shoulder.


    ¡°Take heart though, we can work something out. Even if I do take you on as an apprentice, I won¡¯t be teaching all three of you full time, so you¡¯ll have to head home. Besides, here is hardly the bright lights of the big city.¡±


    ¡°It is in comparison.. you have electricity for a start.¡±


    ¡°Ok, ok, enough. Food...lets go and get some. Ah, first however, a quick lesson. Watch and pay careful attention to the shut down sequence. Getting it wrong can result in a wrecked mana convertor, and potentially the loss of eyebrows from the resulting explosion.¡±

 Kurisumasu chp.9

    Paul sat with his back to the mossy wall¡­ at least, he thought it probably had been a wall a few centuries ago, but now it was a more-or-less straight line of haphazardly piled stones covered in moss, with a few remaining on top of one another. Still, as an archaeologist friend of his had said once, one stone is just a stone, two stones is a feature and three stones is a wall.


    Paul wondered about it though.. outside of the temple walls, he¡¯d hardly examined the mountain he¡¯d inherited. The dense bamboo forest didn¡¯t really lend itself to idle exploration. But still¡­ He recalled Shoko saying, way back when he¡¯d first met her, that she lived some distance away in the forest¡­ and yet, in all the weeks since, he¡¯d never investigated it, never even asked. Now that he thought of it, he wondered what her place was like?


    Paul sighed. He was procrastinating again, distracting himself, as he did sometimes when faced with something he didn¡¯t really want to think about.


    The truth was¡­ he really wished Inari and the rest of what he¡¯d come to think of as his family, hadn¡¯t latched onto the idea of celebrating Christmas, or Kurisumasu. Not that he was against it, as such.. but he never enjoyed this time of year.


    He was no Scrooge, spitting ¡®Bah! Humbug!¡¯ at all and sundry¡­ but he just did not like the forced merriment and false jolliness or the sense that one was obligated to enjoy all the decorations and hoopla of the traditional festive cheer... or else.


    Most years he¡¯d rented a cabin or hotel room some place far away from the bustle, and spent most of December purposely avoiding looking at a calendar, usually writing or reading. The year before this one, he¡¯d stayed at a converted bothy in the Highlands of Scotland, from the first of December through to the end of January. He¡¯d brought enough supplies with him for the entire stay, and he¡¯d literally seen no-one else the whole time. He¡¯d only known it was time to leave when the porridge oats had run out.


    Now, here he was¡­ centre stage of a small community full of people expecting him to throw himself into celebrating the festive season, because he was English, and it was a holiday tradition they associated with Western culture.


    The devil of it was, he really didn¡¯t have the heart to say anything either, because they all seemed to be enjoying themselves immensely.


    Inari had been singing Christmas carols, badly, while weaving garlands. The three young witches that had somehow ended up as his apprentices for now, had been laughing and playing around as they copied and assembled the design for the foxfire lanterns that he¡¯d finally gotten to work. Shoko, Aimi-chan and Jaio were, last he saw, scrambling up and down the tree, hanging ornaments they¡¯d made from scraps and bits and pieces.. Aimi-chan had found online a whole slew of videos on how to make your own home-made decorations.


    Shoko would likely have a permanently sparkly tail well into the new year.. PVA glue, glitter and fur were not a good combination.


    Although, it wasn¡¯t as bad as what happened to Aimi-chan. Paul snorted.. who knew glitter and ghostly ectoplasm would mix like that? Aimi-chan now sparkled all the way through. It reminded Paul a bit of the transporter effect from Star Trek, at the roughly half-way stage when the person was a ghostly outline full of twinkling points of light. It didn¡¯t seem to be causing her any discomfort, if anything, she seemed to be in high spirits. Briefly he wondered if ghosts could get high off things living people couldn¡¯t, like glitter perhaps.


    Even Kiko had thrown herself into the task of playing Santa-san¡¯s helper.. she¡¯d trimmed the red skirt of her miko robes with white fake fur, found herself a santa hat and a red & white striped candy cane pen, and had set to work with lists and a clipboard. Even her glasses had a tiny sprig of fake holly on them. The JSDF had arrived in a convoy that afternoon, and formed a human chain up the steps, transferring donated presents up from the trucks to be stacked under the tree, prior to distribution by messenger fox.


    They had worn pointed green hats, which looked somehow fitting with their uniforms.


    It was all so very merry and Christmas-y that Paul had felt a strong desire to be somewhere else...anywhere else¡­ and so he¡¯d ended up deep in the forest, up high enough that he was beyond where the bamboo grew and into the pine trees.


    Paul sighed, he really didn¡¯t want to be a grinch.. but he¡¯d had enough, and rather than snapping at someone, he¡¯d taken himself off to be by himself.


    Closing his eyes, he leaned back against the ancient wall, and just listened¡­ letting his mind drift and his thoughts quieten into formlessness, until he was no longer doing, or thinking, but he was just present in the moment.


    How long he was like that he had no idea, which was rather the point, but gradually he became aware of something niggling at the edge of his awareness, like the tentative nibble of a fish on a line. Without moving a muscle Paul came to full alertness, focusing on what it was that caught his attention.


    After a moment he inwardly sighed, and then barely even moving his lips he spoke gently.


    ¡°I know you¡¯re there and I mean you no harm. Why don¡¯t you come out and say hello properly?¡±


    There was the faintest whisper of sound, an almost silent rustle, with hesitant pauses in between, of someone walking as silently as possible over the thick spongy mat of pine needles that carpeted the forest floor at this altitude.


    Paul estimated that the person, although he wasn¡¯t entirely sure there was only one set of footfalls, was standing directly in front of him, no closer than ten or twelve feet away. Cautiously he opened his eyes just the barest sliver, just enough to see out of.


    At first sight, he thought it was a deer, snow white, with a delicate dappling pattern of golden fawn coloured patches like evening sunlight falling through tree branches upon new snow.


    Then she folded her arms across her chest, just under the small mounds of high conical breasts.


    Paul¡¯s eyes open wide in surprise, causing the Kirin to snort and take a step back, stamping in alarm.


    ¡°Easy¡­ I mean you no harm, really. I¡¯m Paul, Inari¡¯s Herald.¡±


    The Kirin paused, regarding him out of eyes the colour of the sky on a cloudless winter¡¯s day. She tilted her head, her silver white hair tumbling like a waterfall of silk, glinting gold as it caught the late afternoon sunlight.


    Paul regarded her in return. She was approximately centaur shaped; from roughly the waist down she had the legs and body of a deer. Her torso was human, more or less, although her forearms sported a fine pelt matching the deer half of her body. Her face was elongated around the nose and mouth, suggesting a muzzle with widely spaced nostrils and a pale pink nose pad like a deer. Her ears were large, and also deer shaped, and highly mobile, Paul noticed, swivelling to pinpoint the slightest sound. From her forehead sprang a single deer-like antler, curving upwards and backwards, with small side branches jutting up like twigs on a bare winter¡¯s tree branch.


    The Kirin snorted, sidling, and Paul¡¯s eyebrows rose as he caught sight of her back¡­ a thick mane of stiffly upright silver hair ran down the human-like spine and along the deer-like lower back terminating in a tuft at the end of a tail that was long and more cow-like than the small bob a deer normally would have. What caused his surprise however, was the subtle shimmer of silver gilt scales to either side of the mane, somewhat resembling an over-sized koi-carp¡¯s scales.


    Paul could well understand why Kirin were described as chimeric, related to deer, unicorns and dragons.


    The Kirin settled down, still standing with hooves splayed, ready to run. She huffed and regarded Paul warily.


    ¡°I know who you are human.¡±


    ¡°Ah, well that saves time.¡±


    ¡°I know what you are too. I don¡¯t know why you are here though. Why did you come out here, and wait for me?¡±


    ¡°Why did I do what now? I was just looking for some peace and quiet, away from the bustle.¡±


    The Kirin froze, looking at him, ears back and her eyes wide.


    ¡°You.. you¡¯re not here to talk to me?!¡±


    ¡°Well, I wasn¡¯t, but now you¡¯re here. Hi there¡­¡±


    The Kirin made a small sound, sort of a whinny, which after a moment Paul realised was her version of laughter. He chuckled as well.


    ¡°So, why come here to my temple, Inari¡¯s Herald?¡±


    Paul glanced behind him to the tumble down ruin, then back at the Kirin.


    ¡°This is your temple?!¡±


    She hung her head, scuffling the pine needles with a fore-hoof.


    ¡°It was¡­ I never wanted a temple anyway. The forest is my temple. The mountain is my altar.¡±


    ¡°You and Joyce Kilmer, ah, never mind you wouldn¡¯t..¡±


    ¡°I think I shall never see, a poem as lovely as a tree.¡±


    ¡°Oh! Ah.. well that¡¯s what I get for making assumptions.¡±


    ¡°The old priest used to come here and share poems with me. That one is my favourite.¡±


    ¡°That figures, so¡­ what should I call you?¡±


    The Kirin shook her head.


    ¡°I have no name, I¡¯ve never needed one. Why would I? There is only me...¡±


    ¡°Point¡­ if you¡¯re the only one of your kind I guess it does make it a bit easier. Lonely though..¡±


    The Kirin shrugged.


    ¡°I have never needed companionship before. But then, I am never truly alone¡­ I sense everyone on my lands, and everything that they do.¡±


    Paul looked thoughtful, tilting his head to study the Kirin..


    ¡°Hold on a minute¡­ are you the mountain¡¯s spirit?¡±


    ¡°Yes, among other things. Did no-one tell you I was here?¡±


    ¡°Nope.. I mean, yes they mentioned you existed, but apart from that, no details. But then it has been a bit busy of late, so I suppose they can be forgiven.¡±


    ¡°It has been rather more interesting than usual, yes.¡±


    Paul grinned.


    ¡°One way of putting it...Um, forgive me for asking, but you¡¯re a spirit, presumably you can manifest as anything right? So.. why that shape?¡±


    The Kirin shrugged.


    ¡°I was as you see me, once, long ago. I died here, and my spirit became one with the land. I.. I suppose it¡¯s out of nostalgia, or a habit really.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see. That makes sense. Although I did wonder. I mean, it¡¯s a distinctive and quite beautiful ¡®look¡¯, which are both good reasons to choose it.¡±


    The Kirin¡¯s cheeks flushed a pale pink as she ducked her head, hiding her face.


    ¡°Th..thank you.. although you flatter me.¡±


    Paul shrugged.


    ¡°Just saying how I see it. Although it figures, this is a beautiful place¡­ how could it¡¯s spirit be anything less than sublime in appearance?¡±


    The Kirin made a small noise, a sort of strangled squeak, as her ear-tips flamed scarlet.


    ¡°S..stop.. you¡¯re embarrassing me!¡±


    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡°My apologies mistress Kirin¡­ how might I make amends? If I had a brush and comb I could offer to braid your hair if you wished..¡±


    If anything, her blush deepened.


    ¡°I..I.. ah! I¡¯d like that but not now! M..maybe another time!¡±


    ¡°As you wish. What would you like now?¡±


    ¡°Um.. ah.. perhaps.. you could tell me why you came out here?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you know already?¡±


    The Kirin shook her head, tossing her long silver locks about, setting it drifting like gossamer on a summer¡¯s breeze.


    ¡°Ah, no¡­ I¡¯m aware of where everyone is, and most of what they say and do.. but I don¡¯t always pay attention, and I certainly don¡¯t know what they¡¯re thinking. So, I knew you were here, but not why.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see¡­ well, not much to tell. Christmas has never really been my favourite time of the year. The family I grew up in celebrated it as if we were duty-bound to.. everything had to be perfect. So, I¡¯ve sort of avoided it ever since, and yet, now I¡¯m supposed to be all about it just because I¡¯m British and we in the West kind of invented the modern idea of what Christmas is. It just got a bit overwhelming really. So rather than start snapping at people, I took myself off.¡±


    ¡°Oh! Oh dear. You were seeking solitude and I interrupted.. I¡¯m sorry!¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m sorry I gave you cause to think I was out here seeking an audience with you, so you put in an unnecessary appearance¡­ I guess we¡¯re even?¡±


    ¡°Hm, I suppose, yes.¡±


    Paul grinned.


    ¡°Still, a pleasure to meet you all the same!¡±


    The Kirin nodded gravely, recovering some of her composure.


    ¡°Also, I am glad to meet the Herald of Inari.¡±


    ¡°Please, call me Paul. I¡¯m not much of a one for formality.¡±


    ¡°Paul-san then.. as I gather most call you.¡±


    Paul nodded, thinking of Shoko-san when he¡¯d first met her, and he¡¯d first heard her call him that. Which lead to the events of the past few months flashing through his mind¡­ causing him to draw in a deep, somewhat shaky, breath.


    ¡°Are you well Paul-san?¡±


    ¡°Sure, I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°Your hands are shaking.¡±


    Paul glanced down, and wrapped his hands around his knees.


    ¡°Ok.. maybe not entirely. It¡¯s just.. well, a lot¡¯s happened in a very short space of time and it¡¯s kind of thrown most of what I thought I knew about how the world worked right out the window¡­ and I just now realised that, so¡­ no, I¡¯m not fine, but it¡¯ll pass.¡±


    The Kirin studied him for a moment, then slowly walked over to where he sat against the tumbled-down wall, and carefully lowered herself to the ground alongside him. Paul held his breath subconsciously scared he¡¯d frighten her off.


    ¡°Lean against me, human.. if you wish.¡±


    ¡°You sure? I mean¡­ you seemed pretty wary...¡±


    The Kirin snorted at him.


    ¡°Humans, mortals, were often a threat to me. You however, are not at all threatening at the moment. You¡¯re alone, scared, and unhappy. You more resemble a lost child right now. But then, mortals are all like children to me.¡±


    The corner of Paul¡¯s mouth twitched upwards.


    ¡°Thanks, I think¡­¡±


    Paul sighed, and leaned against the Kirin¡¯s warm flanks, finding the texture more like plush velvet than hair or fur.


    ¡°Not that I¡¯m disagreeing though. I¡¯ve been surfing the wave...ah.. clinging to the back of a wild horse, for a while now and I guess it¡¯s finally caught up with me.¡±


    The Kirin snorted again, a soft chuff of breath, warm and fragrant of flowers and green grass.. and shook her head. Her long silver gilt hair brushing against Paul¡¯s cheek felt like the breath of a breeze more than something physical. Paul sighed.


    ¡°And I should stop talking, shouldn¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°First sensible thing you¡¯ve said so far.¡±


    Paul chuckled, and shifting his position curled up against the Kirin, resting his head against her side.


    ¡°Hoi¡­ If I fall asleep, you¡¯re not going to vanish are you, or turn into a statue or something?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll stay. Now rest. You¡¯ve done much, and come far. You¡¯ve earned a moments respite, and this mountain has ever offered solace and a place to rest to those travel-weary and troubled souls that find it.¡±


    ¡°That would explain a lot¡­ took me awhile to recognise it, but the whole mountain feels like home, or how I imagined that would feel, right from day one.¡±


    ¡°Hm. Paul-san...¡±


    ¡°I know. Shutting up.¡±


    The Kirin¡¯s silence had a distinctly amused air to it. Paul sighed, and closed his eyes, thinking to himself that a nap probably wouldn¡¯t hurt. It wasn¡¯t that cold and he was well wrapped up, and besides, the Kirin¡¯s flanks were warm even if, technically, she was a spirit and not really real.


    After a short while Paul drowsed off, lulled into sleep by the sense of quiet contentment and the rhythmic breathing of the Kirin under his head. While he slept the air lost it¡¯s damp chill, and out of the grey leaden sky, snowflakes drifted down. Fine like powdered sugar at first, but quickly turning into a steady fall, like large soft white owl¡¯s feathers drifting in the air, piling up over everything, burying the forest in a pristine blanket. The Kirin glanced upwards, and wove a fine net of magic around herself and her sleeping charge, turning aside the cold and the snowfall.


    Above, the sky turned from silvery grey to dark lead and finally black as the unseen sun slipped below the horizon. Finally Paul stretched, yawning...and then stopped as his boots encountered the soft resistance of the snow ringing them.


    Lifting his head he looked around, and swore slightly.


    ¡°Dammit! Why didn¡¯t you wake me?¡±


    ¡°You needed the rest. Why should I wake you?¡±


    ¡°Well, quite apart from not freezing to death in my sleep, now it¡¯s dark and the path is buried in snow. I doubt I can find my way back to the temple.¡±


    The Kirin looked at him, a look of amusement evident despite her not-quite human features.


    ¡°As if I¡¯d let harm befall you, do you feel cold at all?¡±


    ¡°Ah.. no..now that you mention it. Sorry, I¡¯m not used to magic still. I apologise. Although, I still need to get back.¡±


    ¡°Oh well, if that¡¯s all that bothers you.¡±


    The Kirin lifted her head, and called, a low hooting sound that seemed incongruous coming from her. After a moment, as stared off into the darkness, Paul could make out a shadow among trees, one that paused at the edge of the clearing.


    ¡°Kotan Kor Kamuy will guide you back to your friends, who have noticed your absence and are looking for you.¡±


    ¡°Ah, thank you again. For everything. I think my head is clearer now too...¡±


    The Kirin stood slowly, as Paul did, and bowed to him, which Paul returned.


    ¡°You are most welcome Paul-san, you are taking good care of my mountain, and of my daughter Inari.¡±


    Paul blinked.


    ¡°Wait¡­ Inari is your daughter?!¡±


    The Kirin smiled softly and nodded.


    ¡°She is indeed, although it¡¯s been so long I think she¡¯s forgotten. Now.. best be on your way young one, your friends grow worried.¡±


    Paul, recognising a dismissal, started to turn to go, only to stop as a thought struck him.


    ¡°Excuse me, one last thing¡­ if I need to talk to you again, how might I get your attention?¡±


    ¡°Oh, that is the easiest thing, just ask. I always know what is said and done here. I am the mountain, the forest, the rushing waters and the hidden still places within the ground.¡±


    ¡°Oh, of course¡­ well, again, thank you.¡±


    ¡°No Paul-san, thank you.¡±


    Paul glanced back once over his shoulder, as he walked to where the caped figure stood among the trees, but of the Kirin there was no sign, not even the gap in the snow cover where she¡¯d sheltered them.


    As he grew closer, Paul realised that what he¡¯d taken as a person wearing a cape, wasn¡¯t. What stood there was a large owl, its wings suggesting a cape, the outline of its head resembling a hood. It stood about four feet tall, regarding Paul from large unblinking eyes, making Paul feel uncomfortably like a mouse.


    ¡°Well, shall we be off?¡±


    ¡°Hooroo.¡±


    ¡°Right. Lead on then.¡±


    The owl hopped, leading the way¡­ and as Paul noticed that the space between the trees in this direction seemed to be a bit wider, hinting at a path under the snow, it flapped its great wings, and took to the air, skimming silently over the ground.


    Paul hurried, hoping not lose sight of the owl, but he needn¡¯t have worried. The owl only went a few metres before alighting again, waiting for him to catch up.


    Paul studied it as he waded through the snow; it was grey, with streak marks making it blend in with the tree trunks, although its underside was a creamy grey-ish colour, a few shades paler than the lighter streaks among its flight feathers, and dotted sparely with brown streaks.


    Paul was no ornithologist, but aside from the size, he guessed the owl was a Tawny or brown owl, common across most of Britain, Europe and Asia. He could probably have found it¡¯s cousins nesting in Hyde park if he¡¯d ever looked.


    The owl hooted at him, as it waited some distance off, a distinctive and much imitated; ¡°Hoohoo.¡±


    ¡°Ok, ok, coming¡­ say, you¡¯re a Tawny owl, right?¡±


    The owl, Kotan Kor Kamuy the Kirin had called it, preened itself. Paul got the definite impression it was pleased at being recognised. He frowned a little, dredging up a faint memory.


    ¡°Hmm.. if I recall correctly, aren¡¯t you sometimes called Cikap Kamuy?¡±


    ¡°HoHoo!¡±


    The owl seemed to nod, before it flapped its wide wings and flew off a short distance, perching on a half fallen tree that leaned at an angle, propped up against one of its fellows.


    ¡°Ah, thank you for helping me, Honoured Kami.¡±


    The owl hooted softly, and dipped it¡¯s head, slowly blinking as if to say ¡®don¡¯t mention it.¡¯


    ¡°Although, if I recall correctly, you¡¯re a Kami of material success and order¡­ should I take this as good omen?¡±


    The great owl fluffed itself, individual feathers rising and falling as it gave itself a slight shake, before tilting it¡¯s head almost entirely on one side, regarding Paul.


    ¡°Or are you doing this as a favour to the Kirin, and anything else is extra?¡±


    The owl swivelled its head level and nodded, slowly blinking one eye after the other. As he drew level with it, it sidled down the tree-trunk until its head was level with his, and leaned forward, nibbling at his hair gently with its beak. Paul stood carefully still, a normal owl was capable of snipping off a finger neatly with its beak. However, Cikap was careful to only gently preen his tousled black hair, before it sidled back up and flew off again.


    Paul got the definite impression he¡¯d just had his head patted, and his hair ruffled indulgently.


    In this way, Paul slogged through the snow. He hadn¡¯t thought he¡¯d walked that far on the way here, but now it seemed to take ages walking back, following the Owl god. He scowled as they crossed a small bridge over a flowing stream, that he definitely did not remember.


    ¡°Are you leading me back by a different path for a reason?¡±


    ¡°Hoo?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am sure. I always remember where I¡¯ve been, and this is not the path I took here.¡±


    ¡°Hooroo!¡±


    Paul sighed.


    ¡°Well, whatever. Long way around it is.. I certainly don¡¯t want to try back tracking.¡±


    ¡°Hoo..hooo!¡±


    ¡°Fine, lead on. I¡¯m sure you have a good reason, whatever it is.¡±


    ¡°Hoo!¡±


    Cikap ruffled his feathers, and flew off, although perhaps not quite as far as before. Paul trudged along after the owl Kami.


    Rounding a bend in the path, he spotted a light below, a warm golden spark some distance off, that bobbed and swayed. He blinked, then grinned, and looked up at the rather smug looking owl.


    ¡°Alright. I get it. You weren¡¯t leading me to a where, but to a whom. Sorry for doubting you, however briefly. Thank you very much. I think I can manage now.¡±


    The owl bobbed its head, and hooted softly once before flying off back the way they¡¯d come. Paul hurried forwards, towards what quickly resolved itself into a lantern on a stick carried by Inari.


    ¡°Hey Inari!¡±


    ¡°Paul!¡±


    Inari rushed through the snow, her geta hardly leaving an impression as she ran over it. Paul had just enough time to realise her hair was once again the colour of ripe rice grains, and her snow-white fox tails were streaming in the air behind her, before she flung her arms around him, burying her face in his shoulder and neck.


    ¡°Whoa, easy¡­ careful with the lantern.¡±


    ¡°Oh bugger the lantern! I thought I¡¯d lost you Paul!¡±


    Paul hugged her, holding her tight.


    ¡°No chance Inari, I¡¯m not that easy to kill. Besides, I had help. The local spirit and an owl as a guide.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Oh.. I¡¯ve been an idiot, of course the local spirits would look after you! But I was so worried when there was no sign of you and snow started falling..oh...¡±


    Paul stroked Inari¡¯s hair as she cried, shuddering against him as her pent up tears came flooding out now that she had no need to hold them back.


    ¡°Shush, there, it¡¯s ok now. I¡¯m sorry to worry you so.¡±


    ¡°I..I searched and searched.. but there was no sense of you anywhere!¡±


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t there? No wonder you were worried. Hmm, I think maybe I wandered into some sort of local pocket of magic that blocked you. Something the Kirin was hiding in perhaps.¡±


    ¡°Kirin? You.. saw a kirin?¡±


    ¡°Well..yes. Sort of. She said she was a spirit, the local genius loci¡­ spirit of place, in fact.¡±


    ¡°But, she¡¯s not a Kirin! She appears as a young girl, if she does.¡±


    ¡°Huh?! But then what did I meet?¡±


    Inari drew back, her eyes wide.


    ¡°Oh¡­ I know. Although I can hardly believe it. I mean, yes she¡¯s a spirit of place...or places¡­ of all Japan.¡±


    ¡°Oh! Um. Well now. Huh, I guess that¡¯s why she said you were her daughter¡­ born of the land so to speak.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Yes, of course.¡±


    ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s head home now, before it starts snowing again.¡±


    ¡°As you wish Paul.¡±


    Paul held Inari¡¯s hand as they headed back. For long moments they said nothing, and then Paul sighed.


    ¡°Um.. Inari?¡±


    ¡°Yes..?¡±


    ¡°Ok, I know you¡¯re not asking.. but I owe you an explanation as to why I went off by myself.¡±


    ¡°You owe me nothing Paul-san. If you don¡¯t wish to speak of it, you need not. I¡¯m just glad you came back.¡±


    ¡°Ah.. well I didn¡¯t intend to be gone as long as I was either. I¡¯m sorry for that. It¡¯s just¡­ well, Christmas has never really been a happy time of the year for me, and usually I just ignore it as much as possible. But, everyone seemed determined to enjoy it, and I didn¡¯t want to spoil things, so I took a breather, and went for a walk.¡±


    Inari stopped to look at him and sighed, shaking her head.


    ¡°Paul-san¡­ this celebration is meant to be for you! If you rather we didn¡¯t then..¡±


    ¡°No! No.. it¡¯s¡­ Look, I am enjoying watching everyone having fun. Shoko-san is a delight. Don''t stop them on my behalf. But.. ah I dunno, bad memories and habits I guess.¡±


    Inari looked thoughtful, then nodded once decisively.


    ¡°We are making new traditions. So, we¡¯ll make one for you¡­ if you need time alone or something, then you shall have it.¡±


    Paul smiled.


    ¡°Ok¡­ we can find a compromise I guess. I can always find something to do in my workshop I suppose. There¡¯s toys to build for a start¡­ and yeah, walks in the snow too. Remember when you asked if you could come with me? That¡¯d be nice. I¡¯m not saying I don¡¯t want company... but quiet companionship would be far, far better and much appreciated.¡±


    ¡°Then that is what you shall have my Herald.¡±


    Inari linked her arm through his, and rested her head on Paul¡¯s shoulder, her hair shimmering softly with its own internal glow against the dark wool of his coat, like the harvest moon in the night sky. Paul smiled softly, and planted a gentle kiss on the crown of her head.


    ¡°Thank you for being understanding Inari. Even if you were purely mortal, you¡¯d still be a goddess to me.¡±


    Inari hugged him a bit tighter, not saying anything, letting her actions speak for her as they wound their way home.

 Kurisumasu chp.10

    The week before Christmas, or Kurisumasu, passed quickly. Paul thought that Inari must have had a quiet word with the rest of their merry band, as he found himself frequently sitting quietly with Inari, Shoko or one of the others¡­ not talking but engrossed in their own business, as he worked on his.


    He also found himself smiling at times, for no good reason, but just because he was silently content.


    The first time it happened, Inari glanced up and caught him with a slight smile on his face. She raised an eyebrow at him, to which unasked question, Paul just shrugged and returned to the task in hand, still smiling. Inari had made a tiny ¡®Eee!¡¯ sound and had the biggest grin on her face for hours afterwards.


    The donated presents, in light of the weather, had been stacked in the main hall¡­ and it was only after Paul noticed that the JSDF contingent had made a delivery for the third day running that he went to check it out.


    The pile was large enough that he had some immediate concerns about the floor joists.


    Spotting Major Yagi he skirted around the perimeter of the small mountain, and caught up with her as she was studying a clipboard.


    ¡°Afternoon major¡­ that¡¯s quite the haul!¡±


    ¡°Good afternoon Holmes-san¡­ ah, yes. Although this is only a third of it.¡±


    ¡°Bloody hell! Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes sir! The rest are in a warehouse in town, we¡¯re organising more trucks and volunteers to move them, but I don¡¯t think there¡¯s the space here for it. However, Inari-sama insists that the presents have to come here first.¡±


    ¡°Hm, that¡¯s right. The mana field is strongest here, and that star on top of the tree outside acts as a guidance beacon for the messenger foxes. They¡¯re basically automated drones, in effect. They need a navigational beacon to steer by or they get lost.¡±


    ¡°Oh! Is that how it works? Like radio direction finding in planes¡­ ah, I have a cousin in the air-force.¡±


    ¡°Yes, exactly like that.¡±


    Paul turned to eyeball the pile, a thoughtful look on his face.


    ¡°That¡¯s a third of our total?¡±


    ¡°So far, sir. The JPS say they¡¯ve still got donations pouring in from all over the country, even overseas. It seems word has spread. I¡¯m expecting another lorry-load later today, and at least two more before the 24<sup>th</sup>. That would roughly double the quantity.¡±


    Paul nodded.


    ¡°Never underestimate the power of collective guilt I guess.. It¡¯s too much though.¡±


    ¡°Sir?¡±


    ¡°Even delivering to every child, human or yokai, in Kami, we¡¯d only dent that heap a bit. We need to think bigger.¡±


    Major Yagi, who was also in charge of the volunteers folding paper foxes, looked doubtfully at Paul over her glasses.


    ¡°Um, how much bigger, sir?¡±


    ¡°Prefecture wide, at least. Depends on if we get a late rush of donations as people realise it¡¯s getting close and those that have been putting it off decide to do something at the last minute.¡±


    Major Yagi sighed, nodding.


    ¡°We are going to need a lot more paper folding then¡­ sir.¡±


    ¡°Yeahhh.. pity there isn¡¯t some sort of machine that could do it.¡±


    Major Yagi nodded, then looked thoughtful.


    ¡°Umm, maybe someone could make something like that, I¡¯ve seen videos of paper aeroplane folding machines made from Lego stuff. Although the paper fox masks are a lot more complicated.¡±


    Paul¡¯s eyes widened as an idea struck him¡­


    ¡°Not a machine, well not just a machine, but a spell! Some sort of mechanism to deliver a sheet of paper at a time onto a surface, which will print the fox spell upon it then a spell diagram built into it is triggered that folds the paper in the specific pattern making the mask! I could do that! Although.. Inari would still have to initiate them in bulk and imprint directions, program them. She¡¯s the only one with the power to do that.¡±


    ¡°You could? That would free more personnel to wrap presents, a lot more.. I was thinking it was going to be close, and if we got a late surge we wouldn¡¯t get it all done in time, but now we might.¡±


    Paul nodded.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m sure of it, leave it to me. Although¡­ then we do have another problem. The beacon isn¡¯t strong enough to reach the whole prefecture, and there¡¯s still dead spots here and there...¡±


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t the foxes carry their own power source? Like a battery?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s easy enough, but the dead spots also interrupt the signal. They¡¯d get lost.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ pity you can¡¯t fit them with GPS.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Wait a minute! RDF, radio direction finding! That¡¯s still a thing right? As a back-up to gps.¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course. All airports have RDF beacons.¡±


    ¡°Right, and radio waves are just an electromagnetic field, which I could tune into with the right spell! We could use the commercial RDF beacons to navigate the drones by.¡±


    Major Yagi frowned.


    ¡°I..could be wrong.. but I¡¯m sure my cousin said the accuracy of those wasn¡¯t great.. down to the nearest few tens of feet maybe.¡±


    Paul shook his head.


    ¡°That¡¯s all they¡¯d need, the spell animating the messenger foxes can home in on its destination as long as it¡¯s within a half mile.¡±


    ¡°Ah. Ok, how long before you might have the paper folding thing ready to go?¡±


    ¡°This evening, probably, at the latest. I have apprentices now, they can help out in the test phase. Major Yagi, could you find out the information on RDF beacons for Hyogo prefecture?¡±


    ¡°Yes sir! Right away sir!¡±


    Major Yagi snapped off a salute, and hurried off¡­ leaving Paul chuckling behind her. She¡¯d evidently temporarily forgotten he was a civilian. Although, he supposed that a Herald might outrank a Major.. in much the same way that a Sargent with a plan outranked a Lieutenant with no idea what was going on. Or so it was said.


    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    A short while later, and Paul and his three apprentices, and one senior witch, convened in his workshop, brainstorming how to make a paper folding spell. The middle one of the three girls, Chiyo, had knack for this form of magic.. and quickly ended up being the unofficial team leader. Akio, the eldest and evidently a closet punk at heart, pouted a bit about that. Paul surmised that she thought that, as eldest, she should be in charge.


    So he set her to doing fault testing, I.e finding ways to break the design and finding errors. A task she attacked with glee.


    While the girls worked on the spell side of the mechanism, Paul quickly whipped together a crude paper delivery system, mated to a simple ¡®wood block¡¯ style printer and mana power supply for the gizmo, and then went on to start designing a spell circuit that would detect the RDF signal and turn it into navigational instructions. Which partly involved looking up the wiring diagrams of radio systems, because what better spell inscription was there, than the actual circuit diagram of the thing the spell was copying the function of? It certainly looked arcane enough to his eyes.


    He was testing the concept, having folded a simplified radio-control spell talisman into a paper aeroplane, when Major Yagi came in. The paper aeroplane dive bombed past her, banked, and zipped past her again as she spun in place.


    As Paul gestured, it pulled up into a stall turn, and zipped down to land on the work bench. All the while Paul was grinning like the 12 year old boy he¡¯d momentarily become.


    ¡°I see you got some sort of spell to work...¡±


    ¡°Yup, turns out, magic and radio-waves synergise quite nicely. You have the data I asked for?¡±


    ¡°Yes sir¡­ luckily it¡¯s not classified, and they didn¡¯t ask for an explanation.¡±


    ¡°Hoo, yeah, that would¡¯ve been an awkward conversation. Thank you Major.¡±


    Paul glanced at the short, mousy, and hesitant army major, and grinned at her.


    ¡°Wanna stay and watch the magic at work?¡±


    ¡°Oo! Can I?! Ah¡­ that is..¡±


    Major Yagi didn''t get any further as Paul was laughing.


    ¡°Major, I am not going to tell anyone if you want to forget about being an adult for a few minutes and play hookie, because this stuff really is that cool, and frankly I get a blast showing off too!¡±


    ¡°Hookie?¡±


    ¡°Cutting class, ducking out of school..¡±


    ¡°Oh! I never..¡±


    ¡°I am not surprised¡­ c¡¯mon, take a walk on the wild side with us, just a bit.¡±


    The Major looked torn for a moment, then carefully took her jacket off, hanging it up over the back of a chair.


    ¡°Ok then¡­ just for bit.¡±


    ¡°Atta girl¡­ hey, I can¡¯t keep calling you Major Yagi if you¡¯re off-duty.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes¡­ call me Hachi.¡±


    ¡°Hm, lots of older siblings?¡±


    ¡°Yes, seven.. I think my parents ran out of ideas when they called me Eight.¡±


    ¡°Right.. ok, watch closely, this is how the magic works...¡±


    Paul showed Hachi how the spell diagram was laid out on the talisman, contained and powered by the circle of iron-oxide ink made from shavings of the iron ore from the mine. He showed her the simple battery powered mana convertor that would act as backup power in the event of a localised dead spot.


    Finally he ran a pre-enchanted test sheet through the gizmo, which folded it into a fox mask, which Paul invoked by twisting one of the two calcite crystals in series in the circuit, which polarised the mana flow. He twisted the first crystal, so it aligned with the second, allowing the energy to flow through, and the fox mask sprang to life.


    It floated up a few feet, ghostly blue energy swirling around it like clouds of smoke, taking on the form of a small fox. Around it¡¯s neck the cylinder of the mana convertor hung on a silver cord of silken thread, over a red silk bandanna bearing Inari¡¯s Mon, or seal, in gold. Paul handed it a small note, which it clamped in its jaws.


    ¡°Take that to Inari.¡±


    The messenger fox bobbed it¡¯s translucent head, and ran off though the air. Hachi watched it all in wide eyed astonishment. Even Maaya seemed impressed, in spite of herself¡­ while the three young girls hopped up and down in glee and excitement.


    Paul kept a careful eye on his watch, and within a few minutes the messenger fox returned, dropping the folded over bit of paper into his hand with a yipping bark, before it dissolved into wisps of something not-quite smoke-like that curled upwards and vanished.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ three minutes and twelve seconds. Inari is at the town hall, so given the distance, that¡¯s roughly twenty five miles an hour. I can easily increase that, I was being conservative with the power, just in case we have the same problem as the lanterns had with resistance in the circuit producing heat¡­ so, I figure maybe a top speed of seventy five once it¡¯s optimised. That¡¯ll do.¡±


    Hachi finally found her voice..


    ¡°That. Is. SO COOL!¡±


    Paul grinned, and bowed like a magician at the successful conclusion of a trick.


    ¡°Cool enough to seduce you away from the army life?¡±


    Paul thought he had to give her credit, Hachi actually thought about the suggestion for a moment, then shook her head.


    ¡°Tempting..but no. I mean, what would I do? I don¡¯t have your imagination, or their talent.. I¡¯m just a clerk really.¡±


    ¡°Someone¡¯s got to keep the books for the temple¡­ but yeah. Although I could teach you the process, and let you come up with your own spells.¡±


    Hachi shook her head once again.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare¡­ it¡¯d be like juggling live grenades.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­true enough. Tell you what though, I was thinking of working on some utilitarian spells, stuff that¡¯d be of use in ordinary life. Would you mind being our beta tester, or one of at least?¡±


    ¡°That I could do, yes. As long as it¡¯s just in my off-duty hours. I don¡¯t know what the JSDF regs are on practising magic while on duty.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d be a bit surprised if there are any, but only a bit. You have some very ¡®detail orientated¡¯ and somewhat weird people writing regulations. I mean, more so than most armies.¡±


    Hachi snorted with laughter, nodding.


    ¡°There are regulations covering everything¡­ I¡¯d have to look, but I¡¯d bet that there are some for the use of witchcraft and magic by JSDF personnel.¡±


    Paul opened his mouth, then closed it, looking thoughtful for a few moments, before speaking.


    ¡°Major Yagi.. might I ask you to quietly see if there are such regulations, strictly ¡®off the books¡¯ as it were. Just in case there¡¯s anything in there that could become a legal landmine later¡­ before we can have a quiet word with an august personage to fix them in case anyone else thinks to look them up.¡±


    Hachi¡¯s eyes widened, and then she pushed her glasses up her nose.


    ¡°That is a good point, and one I shall look into. Off duty that is.¡±


    An hour and a bit later, Major Yagi had gone back to her duties, Paul¡¯s apprentices and Mistress Maaya were off elsewhere, comparing his methods and their more traditional ones, in spell casting. Paul had firmly told them to do it outside after Chiyo had exploded the bug she¡¯d been trying to enchant.


    The workshop door opened and Inari came in, carefully avoiding going too close to the iron and steel around the place. She stopped to examine the half-constructed Mark II mana convertor Paul had been puttering with while he waited for the special order crystals to grow. She came over, and stared at the fox mask printer, then turned to look at Paul.


    ¡°Is that the thing you used to create that messenger fox?¡±


    ¡°It is, what do you think?¡±


    ¡°I think it has disturbing implications¡­ creating a familiar like that. One is supposed to put a fragment or imprint of your own soul into it. But that.. either it did or didn¡¯t. If it did then how many hundreds of fragments can be shorn from your soul.. and if it didn¡¯t, then whence comes the life that imbues it?¡±


    Paul shook his head.


    ¡°You¡¯re thinking the wrong way about it. I created a program. Something that behaves as if it¡¯s alive, even though it¡¯s not. You¡¯ve seen my computer, with the right program that too can behave in a way that resembles a living being. We call it an artificial intelligence. I can introduce you to one later, it¡¯s a sort of artificial assistant called Cortana. But either way, what gets imprinted into each one of the messenger foxes is a copy. You can make an infinite number of copies, each one perfect. The rest is just a question of how much mana you can throw at it.¡±


    ¡°Still...¡±


    Paul grinned.


    ¡°I know, it¡¯s bringing mass production to spell making. That has to be unsettling for you.¡±


    Inari nodded, and then sighed.


    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t complain...your new ways have wrought much good. But still. I wonder if we might take a step too far some day.¡±


    Paul nodded.


    ¡°I know, I worry about that too. I mean, with a complicated enough program we could mass produce an army of soldiers, capable of fighting and killing.¡±


    ¡°And if not us, then someone, sometime, will. Eventually.¡±


    ¡°Exactly Inari¡­ but that cat¡¯s already out of the bag. According to the myths, the gods created humans¡­ and look where that ended up.¡±


    Inari snorted.


    ¡°Now you sound like Amaterasu, she never did think much of mortals.¡±


    ¡°Well, she kind of has a point.. if you ignore all the good that came of it too. Still, this idea isn¡¯t difficult. I mean, If I don¡¯t put this up on the website along with the others, then someone else will think of it sooner or later¡­ and maybe not as well.¡±


    Inari sighed and nodded. They¡¯d had this discussion back when Paul first invented the mana convertor.


    ¡°You¡¯re right of course¡­ we have no right to restrict people from using this knowledge, all we can do is hedge it with warnings. If they then choose to ignore them, it is their responsibility.¡±


    ¡°Well, not quite how I¡¯d phrase it, but true enough. Although I think I¡¯ll take a leaf out of Dr Strange¡¯s notebook, and put the warnings first.¡±


    ¡°Dr Strange?¡±


    ¡°Fictional sorcerer supreme, and Avenger.. and a source of good advice for all he¡¯s a comic book character.¡±


    Inari raised an eyebrow at him.


    ¡°We¡¯re taking inspiration from comic books?¡±


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t knock it. Some of them are written by really smart guys, who thought this stuff through logically.¡±


    Inari still looked dubious, and inwardly Paul sighed, chalking up yet another thing for her to get acquainted with at some indeterminate point in the future.


    ¡°Anyway, hypothetical theological implications aside, will this do for our immediate purposes? Can you enchant the few hundred fox masks we¡¯ll produce?¡±


    Inari nodded without hesitation.


    ¡°I have no doubt, I¡¯ve done similar in the past and I have a good grasp of my limits now.¡±


    Paul grinned.


    ¡°Ok then, Operation North Pole is a go for prefecture-wide delivery. We¡¯ll work on Nation-wide next year, and who knows¡­ maybe even go global!¡±


    Inari laughed, throwing her head back.


    ¡°No one could ever accuse you of lacking ambition my Herald!¡±

 Kurisumasu chp.11

    T¡¯was the night before Christmas, and all through the house not a creature was stirring¡­ well, except for Paul, who wasn¡¯t sleeping.


    The presents were all laid out, wrapped with care, in the hopes that Inari Okami would soon be there.


    Paul snorted to himself, as he turned away from the Christmas tree, truthfully it was the night before Christmas Eve, and while it was as pretty a scene as any Hallmark card, it was hardly a traditional Christmas.


    Paul decided to walk the perimeter, not for any reason but it was slightly better than wandering aimlessly. It was silent, the snow muffling everything. Here and there lights shone through the windows. Aimi-chan was playing video-games, Kiko and Inari were curled up together in Kiko¡¯s room, still awake judging by the sudden sound of feminine laughter that drifted out on the night air, like a warm gust of air escaping through a doorway.


    Shoko he guessed would be asleep, probably with visions of sugar plums dancing through her head, along with other treats. Jiao was with her clan, doing whatever Oni did to celebrate the solstice, which he gathered was a three day affair starting the day before, and carrying on to the day after as measured from sunrise to sunrise. Although Tatsuo was supposed to be cutting it short for a family meal with Katsu¡¯s family. Paul sort of wished he could be a fly on that wall, since it would also be the first time Tatsuo would meet Katsumi, the avatar for the battleship Yamato and Katsu¡¯s Herald.


    And he? Well he was out walking in the snow. Idly he wondered if the Kirin would show up again, there were a few things he wanted to ask, although nothing of great importance. He wasn¡¯t paying much attention to his path, just staying in sight of the temple walls as he walked. He didn¡¯t want to risk getting lost again. Inari would probably kill him if he did¡­ even if she had to bring him back to life to do it.


    The wall around the temple was quite close to a small cliff at one point. It wasn¡¯t very high, ten or twelve feet at most depending on where one stood. The area at the base of the cliff was a small clearing, with some curious mounds of snow, as if it had settled over something. Paul studied the edge of the drop-off, and picking up a length of fallen bamboo, poked the edge with it. It seemed sound enough so he carefully stood as close as seemed prudent, and leaned slightly over, peering down into the moonlit clearing.


    It took him several moments to work out what he was looking at, but eventually he surmised that the clearing was a small cemetery, with snow piled up over grave markers. Paul shuddered, and not from the cold, and was about to go on his way, when something caught his eye.


    One of the piles of snow seemed shorter, and what he¡¯d taken to be a shadow, proved after a careful look to be an open pit, its edges ragged but unmistakably rectangular, with clods of dark earth scattered on the snow around it.


    Paul scowled down at that. Something, or someone, had been digging at the grave. There did not seem to be enough loose dirt for them to have done more than go down a few inches, which implied that perhaps his approach had scared them off. Although, if there were tracks, he couldn¡¯t see them from where he stood.


    For a moment he considered his options, and then shrugged. Likely it was just a wild animal, hungry due to the snowfall. As an outside possibility it was something supernatural, in which case he had every intention of performing a tactical retreat, back to the sanctuary of the temple, i.e. Run like a scared rabbit. Taking a quick look wouldn¡¯t be much risk, he hoped.


    At this point in the film, he thought ruefully, the audience would be screaming at me not to go down there.


    Paul took out the penlight torch from his pocket, and clicking it on, made his way down the short flight of narrow steps carved into the rock face. He figured he was probably more in danger of slipping on an icy patch, than encountering something nasty in the small derelict graveyard. Besides, he wasn¡¯t particularly worried about ghosts or other supernatural creatures. Some of them were his best friends after all, and the rest had enough good sense not to risk angering Inari.


    Up close the grave was less a pit, and more a shallow scrape in the bare earth. He still wasn¡¯t sure what caused it, but there was a definite absence of tracks. Either going to, or leading away¡­ which was probably a good sign.


    Although that just left the question of what had shoved aside the snow and grass and dirt, and why?


    Paul stood on the lip of the shallow scrape, shining his penlight down into it, trying to decide if it looked like something had been digging down, or up, when the edge under his feet crumbled.


    Paul reflexively twisted, trying to land as he had been taught to, rolling to cushion the fall. But his foot slipped in the snow, and he fell heavily on his back, striking his head against a stone semi-buried in the dirt.


    For a moment he lay there, staring up at the night sky through purple stars, trying to breath. He managed to suck down a gasp of air, and laid still, cataloguing his injuries, seeing if anything felt broken.


    ¡°You know Paul, if there had been something nasty in there, you¡¯d be in a lot of trouble right now.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, thanks love. I know.¡±


    Paul¡¯s breath froze in his chest, he could swear he felt his heart skip a beat¡­ he swallowed and whispered.


    ¡°Kate?¡±


    Above him an achingly familiar face appeared as Kate leaned forward, from where she sat on the half-tumbled-down gravestone.


    ¡°Who else love?¡±


    Paul blinked, drinking in the familiar heart-shaped face with spray of freckles across her cheekbones and nose. Kate¡¯s green eyes that seemed to be perpetually twinkling with merriment, and the wisp of copper-red hair that stuck out from under the Santa hat.


    Paul blinked.


    Kate, or whatever it was pretending to be Kate, was wearing a rather saucy Santa outfit, with hat, cowl, jacket, mini-skirt and stockings.


    He was pretty sure she¡¯d never worn or even owned anything like it before¡­ although, it did rather look like something she¡¯d buy to tease him with.


    ¡°You¡­ can¡¯t be Kate! And what¡¯s with the sexy Santa outfit?¡±


    Kate shrugged.


    ¡°It felt suitably inappropriate, Darling.¡±


    ¡°Hang on, Kate would never call me darling...¡±


    ¡°As in Santa darling? Yes I would! Besides, if I¡¯m not Kate, then you¡¯re arguing with yourself.. while lying in a grave I might add.¡±


    Paul sat up, carefully, and eyed the apparition.


    ¡°Well, no sign of chains...that¡¯s a good sign.¡±


    Kate snorted in laughter, looking and sounding very real.


    ¡°My name¡¯s not Marley, Jacob or Bob.¡±


    ¡°I notice you don¡¯t deny being a ghost though.¡±


    ¡°Of course not, but then you¡¯ve known I was here for a while now. I just decided it was high time I put in an appearance.¡±


    ¡°Why now?¡±


    ¡°You needed me¡­ and you were lying in a grave at midnight on the Solstice.¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ it¡¯s a bit after ten, and the Solstice was yesterday.¡±


    ¡°Alright, so I¡¯m a bit late! You know me Paul love, when am I ever on time?¡±


    Paul snorted.


    ¡°Ok, that¡¯s true¡­ what do you mean, I needed you though?¡±


    Kate sighed, and hopped off the gravestone, bending down to offer her hand to Paul. After a moment¡¯s hesitation he took it, surprised to find that she felt very real and alive. Kate leaned back slightly as she pulled Paul up out of the grave, and then hugged him once he was standing.


    ¡°I¡¯ve missed you lover...¡±


    Paul nodded, not trusting himself to speak immediately. He wasn¡¯t discounting the possibility he was dead, or passed out and hallucinating.. but he didn¡¯t much care right now.


    After a moment, Kate leaned back and punched his upper arm lightly.


    ¡°You though! I never thought you¡¯d be a cruel tease though!¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°The way you¡¯re leading on that nice Inari!¡±


    ¡°What?!¡±


    ¡°Oh come on Paul! Even you¡¯re not that dense! It¡¯s obvious she has feelings for you, and what do you do? Play hard to get while flirting with her shamelessly!¡±


    ¡°WHAT?!¡±


    ¡°Are you going to keep repeating yourself Paul, dear?¡±


    ¡°Wha¡­ no. Kate, how the hell?¡±


    ¡°Oh come on! Think Paul! I¡¯ve been there the whole time you know. And let me tell you, it¡¯s a good job I couldn¡¯t manifest a body before, or you would¡¯ve got your ears boxed! Dropping her into an icy cold pool! Really!¡±


    ¡°Kate¡­.ok this is ridiculous. You¡¯re not real!¡±


    ¡°I feel real.¡±


    ¡°So does Aimi-chan when she¡¯s trying hard enough but..¡±


    ¡°No. I mean, I feel real. I know what you think I am, but I don¡¯t feel any different. I still love you Paul, although right now maybe not as much as before. You¡¯ve been mistreating Inari.¡±


    ¡°I. Have. Not.¡±


    ¡°Yes you have¡­ it¡¯s obvious she loves you. But you just keep pining after what you can¡¯t have¡­ or couldn¡¯t anyway. It¡¯s not fair to her you know. I mean, it¡¯s not like I would get jealous, not even when I was alive. You know that.¡±


    ¡°I know, and you know I¡¯m not like that. We¡¯ve had this conversation, you should know that.¡±


    ¡°I know...and I still think you¡¯re wrong. I told you before, you¡¯re too hard on yourself, hold yourself to too high a standard. You¡¯re NOT a Paladin, so get down off your charger, and for heavens sake, roll a wench or two in the hay!¡±


    Paul opened his mouth to argue, and stopped. That had been more or less exactly what Kate had said years ago¡­ he narrowed his eyes at her.


    ¡°Either you¡¯re reading my mind...¡±


    ¡°Or I was there when we argued about this the first time. Paul, it¡¯s me. Really, honestly¡­ it¡¯s me.¡±


    Paul leaned against a grave marker, and sighed.


    ¡°Well..damn. Now what? Do you vanish when the sun rises? Or show me scenes from my past or something?¡±


    Kate laughed.


    ¡°I¡¯m not the ghost of Christmas past, love! I dunno, I¡¯ve never done this before! I was watching you, and you fell, banging your head and I just¡­ panicked... and suddenly here I am!¡±


    ¡°You were watching over me?¡±


    ¡°Well, someone has to, lover! You have no idea how nerve wrecking it is though! Or how many times I wished we could talk, or even just touch!¡±


    Paul smiled slightly, and reached out to take Kate¡¯s hand, giving the warm soft flesh a gentle squeeze.


    ¡°You have no idea how many times I wished that too.¡±


    ¡°Actually, yes I do¡­ I was there.¡±


    ¡°Ah.. all the time?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t go anywhere else you know. And by the way, if you don¡¯t bed Inari.. I am very tempted to try myself!¡±


    ¡°Geeze Kate! No! There are limits!¡±


    Kate grinned lopsided at him¡­


    ¡°Paul¡­ you¡¯re not the only one who can¡¯t resist a challenge...¡±


    ¡°Ok, no. Nope. That¡¯s just too weird...¡±


    Kate laughed musically, grinning at Paul like a naughty little Santa¡¯s helper¡­


    ¡°I know I don¡¯t normally play for the other team, but Dammmmn Paul¡­ she is hot!¡±


    Paul sighed.


    ¡°You know, when I imagined us having a conversation again, this is SO not how I pictured it going.¡±


    ¡°Aw, you know me, when has that ever happened?¡±


    Paul raised an eyebrow at Kate.


    ¡°Point. You always managed to surprise me and I suppose this is no different. But please, do not seduce Inari, my life is complicated and weird enough as it is.¡±


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    Kate leaned against Paul, sighing.


    ¡°I was only joking Paul¡­ well, about seducing her. She is hot, and I still think you should. But I¡¯ll be good. Although I wouldn¡¯t kick her out of my bed...¡±


    ¡°Ok, Kate¡­ enough. So now what, now you¡¯re here?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been here all along, you just couldn¡¯t see or hear me.¡±


    ¡°Ok then, now you¡¯ve manifested. Now what do we do?¡±


    ¡°Well, getting in out of the cold would be a good start, before one of us catches their death of it.¡±


    Paul just gave her a level look¡­


    ¡°Under the circumstances, that isn¡¯t funny.¡±


    Kate¡¯s hand flew to her mouth, as her eyes grew round.


    ¡°Oh! oh.. me and my mouth! I¡¯m sorry Paul I didn¡¯t mean...¡±


    Paul held up a hand.


    ¡°Shh!¡±


    ¡°But..¡±


    ¡°Shh! I heard something!¡±


    Kate clamped a hand over her mouth, looking around. Then sotto voce said.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t...maybe it was just the wind...¡±


    Out from among the snow covered bamboo forest a dark form rushed, more shadow than body¡­ Paul dug the toe of his boot under the bamboo pole he¡¯d been carrying, flicking it up into his hand and spinning it as he took up a defensive stance in one smooth, fluid movement.


    He swung the pole at the thing¡¯s head... and it passed though the dark form rushing at him, like the thing was made of smoke. Paul barely had time to side step as it rushed towards him, talon tipped fingers and arms out-stretched.


    The shade barely brushed against his shoulder, but even that light contact left Paul felling sick and weak, chilled to his marrow. He barely managed to swing the pole again, hitting where the legs would¡¯ve been, but only a vague trailing wisp of smoke-like something showed.


    None the less, the ghastly apparition seemed to stumble, tipping forward to smash into a grave marker. Paul could swear he heard it cursing him, as it struggled to float upright again. He leaned on his staff, trying to summon up his strength¡­ only to stop and stare as Kate leapt from the top of one of the grave markers, driving her elbow down into the shades back, as if she was some WWE wrestler¡­


    The thing screamed, not loud, but with a shrill hissing sound that made Paul¡¯s ears ache.


    ¡°Back off bitch. He¡¯s mine!¡±


    ¡°Go crawl back into your grave you lousy revenant!¡±


    The ghost sounded female too¡­ and seemed to be growing more distinct as she fought Kate, who conversely, seemed to be getting more translucent. Not that either of them seemed to have noticed.


    Paul thought like chain lightning for a second, and then backed off a few paces and hurriedly sketched a spell into the pristine snow. He whistled, causing both ghosts to glance his way, then gestured a sort of ¡®over here¡¯ wave.


    Both Kate and the unknown ghost raced across the snow at him, Paul noticing absently that neither left footprints or even so much as disturbed a single flake. With both of them in the centre of the circle, Paul slammed the bamboo staff down in the last part of the diagram, hitting the ¡®on¡¯ symbol.


    As he¡¯d hoped, the spell flared into life, trapping both shades within separate halves of a double circle. Paul immediately felt as if an iron band had been released from around his chest. He took a deep breath, and sighed.


    ¡°Ladies¡­ I swear, you¡¯ll be the death of me. Literally. Kate, you were drawing your strength from me. I don¡¯t begrudge you that, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s sustainable. And you, whoever you are, I¡¯m sorry if we disturbed your rest, but the more you fought the one bound to me, the more you drew strength from her, and thus the more it drained me. I can¡¯t permit that.¡±


    Kate¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°Oh! Paul.. I didn¡¯t know! Please believe me. I¡¯d never do anything to hurt you!¡±


    The other ghost, who now Paul could see her clearly resembled some Edo period noble woman, gave Kate a contemptuous look.


    ¡°Cease your pathetic lies and attempts to seduce your prey.¡±


    Paul gave her a withering look, addressing her in high Court formal speech.


    ¡°Lady, that is my former wife you address. I have no doubt she didn¡¯t know what she was doing as she is new to this.¡±


    ¡°What do I care? You are food.¡±


    ¡°I am Herald to Inari, that alone should concern you.¡±


    The woman¡¯s eyes widened, and then she knelt, bowing her head.


    ¡°Forgive me! I didn¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Why should I show mercy to someone so willing to prey on the weak? I should treat you as you treat those you think are lesser.¡±


    The woman flung herself flat on the snow, still not disturbing a single ice crystal, which Paul could see glittering through her.


    ¡°Mercy my Lord! Please... it has been so very long that anyone even made an offering. I was starving and desperate! I could feel myself fading away like others before me have!¡±


    Paul looked at her, and then at Kate.


    ¡°Ok, can you leave this graveyard?¡±


    ¡°No my lord.¡±


    ¡°Kate, if I free you from the binding, do you know where my workshop is, and could you go there and fetch something for me?¡±


    Kate glanced down at her hands, and shook her head.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can go that far from you and still manifest.¡±


    Paul frowned, and nodded slowly, as Kate confirmed what he¡¯d suspected.


    ¡°Ok you two¡­ I am going to undo the binding. You behave yourselves while I set up something to provide for you my lady; it¡¯s only to tide you over until I can arrange something more permanent.¡±


    ¡°Thank you my lord Herald!¡±


    Paul used the staff to erase part of the binding, releasing it with a small flash and smell of ozone.


    ¡°Ok, no funny business or you¡¯ll answer to Inari.¡±


    ¡°You have my word! I apologise for my earlier¡­ indiscretion.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ ok. I need to collect some materials, you have my word that I shall return promptly as possible. I won¡¯t abandon you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you Lord Herald.¡±


    Moments later, Paul leaned on the bamboo staff catching his breath and trying not to think about how exhausted he felt. Kate stood nearby, the woods behind her faintly visible through her, her feet making no mark upon the pristine surface of the snow.


    ¡°You should leave her to fade away Paul, she¡¯s dangerous.¡±


    Paul lifted his head, glaring at Kate.


    ¡°Firstly, I gave my word. Secondly Kate, you would never be so heartless.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯d kill you Paul without a second thought, she was feeding off me and you.¡±


    ¡°Rather than just you feeding from me?¡±


    Kate leaned back, looking hurt.


    ¡°Paul!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true though¡­ she drained me, through you. That means you are gaining your strength through me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not doing it on purpose!¡±


    Paul sighed.


    ¡°I know Kate¡­ I know. But now I realise what Inari said is true. You are everything that was Kate, except her soul. Kate wouldn¡¯t condemn someone to that fate.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure? Remember Afghanistan?¡±


    Paul sighed.


    ¡°Not the same¡­ she¡¯s done nothing to deserve her fate.¡±


    ¡°That we know of!¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t know if she has either. Jury¡¯s out still. I have to give her a chance, she could be another one like Aimi-chan.¡±


    Kate sighed, and nodded.


    ¡°And this is why I love you Paul. You see the best in everyone. Alright, I shan¡¯t object. I¡¯m sorry, but she frightened me like I have never been.¡±


    Paul smiled crookedly.


    ¡°Yeah, me too. She scared me spit-less. But you know we can¡¯t let that affect us.¡±


    Kate nodded, then sighed, holding up her hands and looking through them.


    ¡°Although I¡¯m tempted to sling her down into the deepest pits of hell for what she¡¯s done to me! I was solid and alive seeming, and now if you tried to touch me your hand would go right through! Dammit, I can¡¯t get laid like this!¡±


    Paul chuckled.


    ¡°Oh.. we have to fix that then!¡±


    Kate grinned at him, nodding enthusiastically, making Paul laugh.


    Once they were at the workshop Paul grabbed his box of special inks, and a sheet of white plastic foam-board, which he cut into rectangles with a box cutter as Kate watched with interest.


    ¡°What are you making Paul?¡±


    ¡°Waterproof talisman cards for a start. Whatever I do, it¡¯s gotta go outside and last until I can figure out something more elegant.¡±


    Paul picked up a piece of chalk and crossed to the blackboard. Glancing at a diagram already chalked out, he copied a part of that, and then stood back and studied it.


    ¡°Hm¡­ so, the obvious place to start is collecting mana but.. ah. Kate, I need your help with an experiment please.¡±


    ¡°Ok, what do you want me to do?¡±


    Paul took out a box and opened it, removing a slim rod of black iron.


    ¡°Ok, touch that please.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°A mana battery, I want to see if you can absorb the power from it. Tell me how it feels.¡±


    ¡°Ok...¡±


    Kate touched the rod, or tried to, as her hand passed through it. She lifted her hand up and looked at it, puzzled.


    ¡°It¡­ didn¡¯t really feel like anything?¡±


    ¡°Hm. So, at a guess, your energy matrix can¡¯t absorb or interact with raw mana...¡±


    ¡°If you say so Professor¡­ you know I got an art degree.¡±


    Paul snorted.


    ¡°Don¡¯t sell yourself short Kat, about two thirds of this stuff is things I picked up from you. All that new-age woo-woo stuff you know.¡±


    ¡°Should I say I told you so?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t get too chuffed love, the other third is pure science!¡±


    Kate laughed, shaking her head.


    ¡°Alright, so now what?¡±


    Paul picked the rod up, and held his hand out.


    ¡°Ok, try it again, just rest your hand on top of mine. But be careful, if I¡¯m right you should go solid, and it¡¯d be a bit messy if your hand was inside mine.¡±


    ¡°Eww! Yeah, ok.¡±


    Kate rested her hand over Paul¡¯s hand. For a moment nothing happened, and then a thin ribbon of pinkish blue energy streamed up from Paul¡¯s flesh and wrapped itself around Kate¡¯s hand. She gasped, her eyes widening and lips parting in surprise, colour flooding her cheeks.


    Within seconds Kate looked as solid and life-like as Paul, and as she lifted her hand away, ribbons of energy followed until the flow thinned and snapped, arcing back onto itself.


    ¡°Whoa¡­ that¡¯s one hell of a rush, Paul! Why¡¯d it work with you?¡±


    Paul nodded thoughtfully.


    ¡°I figured, if your energy matrix can¡¯t use raw mana, but you can absorb it from living beings, then I thought, maybe I could act as sort of transformer or filter, absorbing the mana and piping it through me to you.¡±


    Paul turned back to the black board, and sighed.


    ¡°Now¡­ how to replicate that effect? How to turn raw mana into living energy? What did you call it, Chi?¡±


    Kate nodded, standing alongside Paul and studying the diagrams.


    ¡°Could we use something living as a filter?¡±


    ¡°Maybe, but what if it dies? Plus, I¡¯ve no idea what this might do to something living on a long term basis.¡±


    Kate made a sort of soft humming sound as she nodded, not exactly agreeing but as Paul thought of it, more it was her ¡®processing...¡¯ sound.


    ¡°We need a tree...¡±


    ¡°A tree?¡±


    ¡°A ginkgo tree, they are supposed to have vibrational frequencies that are life giving.¡±


    Paul looked sideways at Kate, leaning back a bit.


    ¡°Vibrational frequencies?¡±


    Kate nodded in the direction of the circuit diagram for the fox masks.


    ¡°Well, what would you call what you¡¯re doing there?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a radio circuit...oh! Yeah, everything living has a biomagnetic field, which has a resonant electromagnetic or radio frequency. So if ginkgo trees and humans are resonant, then yeah, they could interact mediated though the mana field. Hm, soooo¡­. Yes that could work. Thanks Kate!¡±


    ¡°Glad to help...¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m going to need a ring of those talismans, ah.. seven I think. No, make it eight, since that¡¯s a lucky number. I think there¡¯s some sort of geometric effect to the mana field. Oh.. Bother! Where the heck do I get a ginkgo tree!¡±


    ¡°Paul, slow down, you¡¯re only saying half sentences.¡±


    Paul took a deep breath, and let it out.


    ¡°Ok, I need to sketch out a diagram you can copy onto the talismans, I know where to get a ginkgo tree but they¡¯ll be closed.¡±


    ¡°Alright. I get it. Lady whatsherface should be ok until tomorrow night easily, probably the night after.¡±


    ¡°Ok¡­ still, I¡¯d better tell her we can¡¯t set her up until the plant nursery opens. It¡¯d be cruel to make her wait not knowing.¡±


    ¡°Paul, she just tried to eat your soul...and you¡¯re worried about making her wait?¡±


    ¡°You know me love, what¡¯s my code, the one I live by?¡±


    ¡°Never be cruel or cowardly?¡±


    Paul nodded, then after a short thoughtful pause, shook his head.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s part of it yes¡­ but not all of it. It¡¯s ¡®be kind¡¯. That why I do what I do, not because it¡¯s fun. God knows it¡¯s not because it¡¯s easy. It¡¯s not even because it works, because it hardly ever does. I do what I do because it¡¯s right! Because it¡¯s decent! And above all, it¡¯s kind! And God knows, the world needs all the kindness it can get.¡±


    Kate¡¯s expression softened and she stepped closer, putting her arms around him in a hug.


    ¡°Geeze Paul.. you are such a softy. No wonder we love you.¡±


    ¡°We?¡±


    ¡°You know what I mean¡­ now come on, we have a hungry ghost to save! To work!¡±


    ¡°Yes my lady!¡±


    The next half hour was full of intensely busy silence as Paul sketched out in chalk ideas and diagrams until he felt he had one that stood a chance of working. Kate, who it had to be said had the better penmanship, inked the design onto a blank white talisman, while Paul headed outside to find a golden ginkgo biloba leaf. He knew there were some trees on the temple grounds, but they were massive things, impossible to move. A leaf would do for test run at least.


    Kate had just finished inking the sixth talisman when Paul came back.


    ¡°Hey Kate, drop that and find a box or pot or something quickly will you!¡±


    She looked up, and saw that Paul was cupping something in his hands.


    ¡°What? Oh! You found a seedling! Excellent!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s pretty tiny, and I¡¯m sure another day or two of this weather would¡¯ve killed it but it looks like I got lucky!¡±


    Paul carefully put the root-ball of the tiny fragile seedling into the cracked coffee mug that Kate handed him, then stood back and looked thoughtful.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to have to build it a temporary pot, one with some spells built-in to keep it in a sort of habitable bubble so the weather doesn¡¯t kill it. I know a dryad that owes me a favour, so I can call in that and ask her to look in on it from time to time, make sure it¡¯s ok¡­ But this¡¯ll work.¡±


    Dawn was just beginning to lighten the Eastern horizon, when Paul and Kate made their way back down to the small forgotten graveyard. Kate was carrying the tiny sapling in its protective bubble and cardboard pot. Paul had a bundle of stakes with the talismans attached to them, tucked under his arm and a shovel slung over his shoulder.


    ¡°My lady.. I¡¯ve returned...¡±


    Out from the dark shadows between the trees, the pale shade of the noble lady drifted, her face lightening as a smile crept across her lips at the sight of him.


    ¡°So I see...I was beginning to despair of ever seeing you again. Have you..?¡±


    ¡°Yup, it took a bit to work out a solution and find the right materials but we got there in the end. Um.. forgive the odd question, but do you know anything about plants and how to grow them?¡±


    The ghost, who by now was solid enough to make out she was wearing an archaic kimono of a rather fine design, looked curiously at him.


    ¡°When I was alive I was renowned for my floral displays and arrangements. I was Ikebana-dao for the temple, mistress of both rikka and nageirebana.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a yes, since I have no idea what you just said.¡±


    ¡°Uncultured barbarian!¡±


    ¡°Differently cultured, I bet you couldn¡¯t tell Brahms from Beethoven. That aside, would you know how to look after a Ginkgo sapling?¡±


    ¡°Yes of course, why?¡±


    ¡°Because the spell I¡¯m about to build to keep you fed, so to speak, needs a living ginkgo tree as part of it..and it¡¯s really the wrong time of year to be planting one out I suspect.¡±


    ¡°Yes, rather! Oh¡­ I see. You want me to tend the tree?¡±


    ¡°At least until it¡¯s established, I can ask a dryad that owes me a favour to look in from time to time, but it¡¯s winter, she¡¯ll be asleep now. So someone has to look after the poor thing, at least for a few months. I¡¯ve done what I can with spell craft too.¡±


    The ghost drifted over, inspecting the tiny sapling in Kate¡¯s hands.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a very good specimen¡­ are you sure it¡¯ll be enough to do what you need?¡±


    ¡°As sure as I can be considering I don¡¯t think anyone has done this before. The theory is sound.¡±


    ¡°Well, I can keep it alive I think. It¡¯ll need warmth most urgently.¡±


    ¡°Taken care of, the pot it¡¯s in has a built in spell that¡¯ll warm the soil gently and keep a bubble of warm air wrapped around it.¡±


    The lady looked up sharply at Paul, surprise on her fine-boned aristocratic features.


    ¡°You have? How ingenious! I wish I¡¯d had something like that when I was tending my own garden! There are so many tender plants I could¡¯ve grown with that...¡±


    Paul looked around thoughtfully.


    ¡°This.. wasn¡¯t a graveyard when you were alive, was it?¡±


    ¡°No, this was my garden, but how did you guess?!¡±


    ¡°Logical deduction; yours is the oldest grave, and this little clearing is south facing and nicely tucked into the cliff face so it¡¯s sheltered. Plus looking at the shadows I can see the tracery of flower beds and paths by the way the light is creating shadows on the snow¡­ the centre of the spiral path, what was there?¡±


    The ghost stared back across the centuries and sighed.


    ¡°I used to be a lily pond.. two J¨­ across and one deep at its centre.¡±


    ¡°Circular, lined with the local red clay from the mountain?¡±


    ¡°Yes, why does that matter?¡±


    ¡°Oh, partly because it¡¯ll keep the roots moist, but mostly because the local clay contains minerals that act as a sponge, soaking up mana¡­ so if we plant the tree there, the talismans will create a pool of living energy around it. You can then soak in that when you need to¡­ that is, if you don¡¯t mind sharing. I¡¯m sure if you do, other people be drawn to it, and might even will help you turn this place back into a garden fit to be proud of again.¡±


    The lady smiled wistfully, the expression softening her harsh features, making her seem younger.


    ¡°I¡¯d like that, and I would welcome the company. With renewed strength I could roam further too, maybe look after the temple gardens once again.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d welcome that, I¡¯m no gardener. In fact.. we¡¯d better get started before it¡¯s dawn since I¡¯m counting on your instructions on how best to plant this sapling!¡±


    ¡°Oh! Of course, yes¡­ come this way!¡±


    By the time the tree was bedded in, watered carefully and the ring of talismans set up in a circle around it one J¨­ or nine feet eleven inches or 3.03 metres in radius, the sun was poking one tiny sliver above the horizon, and even Kate was looking more like an almost transparent stain of colour in the air.


    Paul looked at her sadly.


    ¡°I wish you could stay my love, but, until tonight¡­ I love you!¡±


    He could just see her lips shaping the words ¡®Love you too¡¯ as she faded from existence.


    For a long moment Paul stood, staring at empty air, then he wiped the tears, sweat and dirt from his face and with a sigh swung the shovel back over his shoulder, heading for his bed finally.


    The sun was sending a long shaft of rosy golden light through a crack in the screens when Paul climbed under the covers of his bed. Remembering what Kate had said about Inari, he reached out, and pulled her warmly feminine body closer to him, wrapping her in hug, as he planted a kiss at the nape of her neck. Not caring if she was awake and heard him, and too tired to check, he murmured into her golden hair.


    ¡°Love you Inari...¡±


    He wasn¡¯t sure if she heard him or not, but she wriggled, snuggling closer and gave a small contented sigh as she settled in his arms.

 Kurisumasu chp.12

    And then it was Christmas Eve.


    In the rush of last minute preparations, details overlooked or not thought of, and the general bustle of putting Operation North Pole, as it had become known, into action, Paul found he hadn¡¯t had the time, or the inclination really, to talk to Inari about Kate. He¡¯d barely even had time to mention the neglected graveyard and it¡¯s sole occupant. Who, Inari informed him, was Lady Norita, a former flower arranger and miko of noble birth and uncertain temperament, who¡¯d been sent to the temple by her family after punching her would-be suitor hard enough he¡¯d broken off their arranged marriage once he regained consciousness. Inari had chuckled when regaling him with the tale, despite the centuries past. Paul got the definite impression she¡¯d liked Lady Norita. He forbore from mentioning exactly what sort of ghost she¡¯d been.


    Paul had checked on the little Ginkgo tree during the day, and found it in a ring of melted snow, looking positively glowing with health. So he decided to leave it well enough alone, although he resolved to mention it to the cat girl, or neko, Aki-san who worked at the local plant nursery. He figured she¡¯d be able to tell if it truly was doing alright. Gardening really wasn¡¯t his strong suit.


    Major Yagi and the cadre of JSDF volunteers who¡¯d helped wrap the presents, were filing into the courtyard when Paul returned. Dusk was already falling, despite it only being mid-afternoon technically, and as the last of the young men and women bowed respectfully at the Torii gate, the foxfire lanterns lit themselves without fuss, filling the whole place with multicoloured light, and a chorus of murmured soft sounds of appreciation and awe.


    Aimi-chan appeared from one of the shadows, and slipped through the crowd to Paul, clinging to his arm with a smile on her face. Paul looked down and patted her arm.


    ¡°It¡¯s pretty isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°It is Paul-san. Everyone here is so happy! I can feel it, like hot chocolate warming me from inside.¡±


    ¡°Mm.. that¡¯s a good idea¡­ I¡¯ll just go put a pan on...¡±


    ¡°No need, Shoko¡¯s already got one set up.¡±


    ¡°Oh.. perhaps I should go see if she..¡±


    ¡°Paul-san, maybe you should rest and enjoy it. You¡¯ve worked so hard after all.¡±


    ¡°But..¡±


    ¡°If you start cooking, what with all the people here, you won¡¯t get out of the kitchen until everything is over and everyone has gone home.¡±


    Paul gave Aimi-chan a hard look, making her squirm.


    ¡°Ok, did Inari put you up to this?¡±


    ¡°Mayyyybe¡­ she might have mentioned to me that you should take it easy and enjoy the evening.¡±


    ¡°Riiight. Ok then, if she wants me to take it easy, then that¡¯s what I¡¯ll do.¡±


    ¡°Good! Whatever you want, I¡¯ll fetch it, as long as you promise not to stir from that bench over there by the brazier.¡±


    Paul raised an eyebrow at the very specific location, which gave the perfect view of the courtyard¡­ and the ¡®coincidence¡¯ that ¡®someone¡¯ had lit a brazier by the bench, so a person sitting there wouldn¡¯t even need to move because of the cold.


    Clearly Inari was up to something. However, Paul decided to go along with it for now.


    As he sat, watching the proceedings, Major Yagi gathered the men and women who¡¯d volunteered to spend their off-duty hours helping, around the base of the tree and the heap of presents underneath it.


    The carefully stacked pile of colourfully wrapped presents, each with an origami fox-mask and thumb-sized silver cylindrical mana generator attached, was almost high enough to reach the lower branches of the tree, which were high enough that Paul could walk underneath without fear of snagging.


    From out of the main hall strode Inari and Kiko, both clad in long cloaks of grey wool, and both unmistakably wearing the aura of a Goddess. Paul wondered if any of Kiko¡¯s friends would recognise the shy, hesitantly introverted, shrine maiden she had been, in the confident and self-assured young Goddess she had become.


    Certainly her cousin, Masami Kobe, who ran the P.R campaign, seemed to be bewildered by the transformation, and she¡¯d been here for most of it.


    Paul shook his head, shaking out the wool gathering, and paid attention to what was going on. Inari and Kiko had paced around the perimeter of the heap, marking a faintly glowing circle in the snow, and had now taken up position either side of the tree and the presents. Paul frowned in thought, realising that they were using a modified version of the same containment spell they¡¯d used on the beach weeks ago to turn Katsu back.


    He supposed it made sense, they were going to be channelling a lot of power to invoke all of the masks at once. It probably would be a good idea to contain any spill over and not accidentally invoke anything else.


    The gathered throng fell silent as Inari and Kiko raised their arms and chanted in some archaic language that Paul rather thought was probably proto-Japanese, or possibly no earthly tongue at all.


    Abruptly they brought their arms down in unison, despite not being able to see each other, and the circle around them and the tree flared brightly. For a moment nothing happened, and then, like smoke rising from a just-lit bonfire, the blueish transparently smoke-like forms of the messenger foxes began to rise.


    Through the branches of the tree they rose, twisting and twining, wraith-like, with the presents securely held in their mouths hardly even seeming to brush against the pine needles. Faster and faster, thicker and thicker the column of ghostly figures rose and grew, until it seemed to be one solid tornado-like mass of translucent blueness studded with brightly wrapped boxes...


    Then, from the top, around the golden glowing beacon star, the messenger foxes spread outwards like an inverted stream of water being poured onto the ground, individual foxes scattering in all directions, shooting like comets across the sky to every compass point.


    For long minutes, the mass of presents and foxes poured upwards and outwards across the sky, until the last few at the bottom trickled up through the tree and were gone on their way to where ever the spell took them. Delivering presents to whichever yokai children throughout the prefecture best suited whatever they carried.


    Paul still had no idea how that spell worked, as it seemed to require a degree of omniscience. Which is why Inari, who did know, was the one doing the invoking with Kiko¡¯s help. Paul rather suspected that it was all to do with the difference between mere magic, or techno-magic, and actual genuine Divine Power. The raw power was about the same, but it operated on a whole different plane of reality, one he knew nothing about.


    As the last messenger fox and it¡¯s precious cargo vanished into the distance, Inari and Kiko took a step back, as one, and broke the circle. Spontaneously a cheer went up from the crowd, and as Kiko blushed, Inari turned and bowed at the laughing, cheering soldiers. Paul couldn¡¯t hear what she said, but he could read her saying ¡®thank you¡¯ at least in part.


    Thinking the show to be over, he started to rise, only to stop as Kiko approached him. He sat back down as she stopped in front of him, suddenly noticing that the self-effacing quiet young researcher and miko was nowhere in evidence, replaced by the commanding presence of the Goddess in front of him, as she spoke in ringing tones.


    ¡°Paul Holmes¡­ in my research of English Christmas traditions, I have come across one I had not heard of before. Namely, the Lord of Misrule. Have you heard of it?¡±


    Paul raised an eyebrow, and raised his voice so that the waiting circle of soldiers could also hear him.


    ¡°I have, somewhat...¡±


    ¡°It appears that in this tradition, one person is appointed by popular acclaim to be crowned ¡®King of Christmas¡¯ and to rule over the festivities.¡±


    Kiko held out her hand, and someone from within the circle handed her a wreath of ivy, decorated with golden stars and tiny jewel-like baubles.


    ¡°Paul Holmes, by popular vote, you are anointed as King of Christmas¡­ three cheers!¡±


    The waiting soldiers, who were evidently in on the scheme, cheered as Kiko ¡®crowned¡¯ Paul, and then four rather beefy fellows laid hands on him, and hoisted him laughing onto their shoulders, carrying him off as they followed Kiko.


    From his vantage point, Paul looked around for Inari, but didn¡¯t see her as they headed for the main hall, and then around it...and there in the covered courtyard behind it, was laid out a feast that would have had Dickens reaching for his quill and Bacchus biting his knuckles in envy.


    Although the covered area wasn¡¯t technically a hall, it was most definitely decked with boughs of holly, among many, many other decorations¡­ a fire-pit ran down the middle of the stone flagged space, upon which three whole hogs were roasting, and that was the least of the feast, as the robust looking army-issue tables almost groaned under the weight of food.


    By the tables and benches stood what seemed like everyone Paul knew, or had met. At a glance he could see Tatsuo and Katsu, with Katsumi beside her looking confused. At another table stood Suzue and Moeka, along with the rest of their band. Paul hadn¡¯t even known they were in town!


    Jiao and Shoko came running up, dressed in matching holiday finery of red kimonos trimmed in white faux-fur and patterned with white and silver snowflakes. Laughing they grabbed his hands, as the soldiers lowered him down, and gabbing away about who knew what, they urged him forward, leading him up to the dais, upon which was placed what could only be described as a throne, fit for Santa-san himself¡­ and next to that stood Inari, dressed in a modest maids uniform in Christmas colours, not unlike the girls¡¯ kimonos.


    Paul raised an eyebrow at that. Inari bowed her head, and as the crowd hushed, spoke.


    ¡°It is this one¡¯s understanding that during the Feast of Misrule, the highest shall serve the King as lowest. Is that not so?¡±


    ¡°I.. believe it¡¯s something like that, yes.¡±


    ¡°Then, how may this one serve you, master...¡±


    Paul¡¯s lips twitched as about a dozen different answers sprang to mind¡­ and then grinning he turned and spoke.


    ¡°How may you serve me? Why.. how better than by being yourself!!! Screw old Traditions, today we make new ones!¡±


    The laughter was uproarious, although he rather fancied he saw a look of mingled relief and exasperation on Inari¡¯s face¡­


    Paul held up his hands, getting the throngs attention and making a patting gesture, as he lowered them, requesting silence.


    Once it was quiet, he spoke, projecting his voice so those at the back could hear.


    ¡°Friends, my good friends, family and loved ones¡­ I admit, you fooled me. I had no inkling of what you were about. And I am deeply touched¡­ but then most of you have probably thought I wasn¡¯t quite right in the head from time to time anyway.¡±


    Paul paused as the laughter rolled around the space.


    ¡°Truthfully, I am deeply moved by this, more than you probably guessed I would be. I am so very glad you are all here and cared enough to go to all this effort.¡±


    From beside him, Inari spoke up.


    ¡°It¡¯s our way of saying thank you for all the efforts you have gone to Paul-san¡­ without which, this would be a very different time indeed.¡±


    Paul shrugged.


    ¡°I think we all worked equally hard to bring about that change¡­ and on that note, I have but one more proclamation to make as King of Christmas and Lord of Misrule. As ancient Tradition dictates, let us all eat, drink and be merry!!¡±


    The cheer threatened to raise the rafters, and rattled the boughs of holly.


    Paul grinned, and sat on the utterly Christmas-y throne, finding it surprisingly comfortable. He snagged Inari by the wrist, and gently pulled her down, so she ended up sitting on his knee with a giggle.


    ¡°You know I¡¯m supposed to be serving you, right?¡±


    ¡°Oh hang that a nonsense for a minute¡­ thank you Inari. Whatever clouds of depression were hanging around me have been completely blown away by this. I haven¡¯t felt this cheered in¡­ well a long while.¡±


    ¡°Just spreading a little of that Kurisumasu spirit!¡±


    ¡°Well, I think I like it better than Christmas¡­ I wasn¡¯t kidding though when I said I was completely blind-sided. I didn¡¯t have a clue you were up to something even. Well done.¡±


    Inari wriggled with pleasure at Paul¡¯s praise.


    ¡°You have no idea what lengths everyone went to to do this. Everyone was in on it, and worked to keep you distracted and busy enough you wouldn¡¯t notice the preparations. The last few days there were dozens of families all over the town cooking dishes for this feast. Which the army smuggled in along with the presents as Kiko and I kept a highly specific ¡®go somewhere else¡¯ spell running to hide it all as everyone pitched in to get it all ready¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m impressed all over again¡­ that sounds like a lot of work for everyone, all to say thank you to me?¡±


    ¡°Yes, well, and to party after all our work.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I bet it had more to do with the latter than the former.¡±


    Inari frowned at him slightly.


    ¡°People are truly grateful towards you Paul. You¡¯ve changed everyone''s lives immeasurably for the better, why would they not be grateful for that?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m not saying¡­ well, what I am saying is that I don¡¯t think I did that much. Just¡­ I dunno, started the ball rolling.¡±


    ¡°A ball that had been stuck for centuries, that no-one even had any idea could be moved. You did the impossible¡­ and then went on to show everyone else how to do it too. Of course they are thankful for your efforts Paul.¡±


    Paul opened his mouth, and then reconsidered his reply, and finally shrugged.


    ¡°Ok¡­ when you put it that way I guess you¡¯re right. Certainly, enough people seem to agree with you too. So.. about this serving me thing?¡±


    Inari laughed, hopping off his knee and bobbing a small bow.


    ¡°As the master wishes!¡±


    Paul awoke slowly and lazily, they had indeed eaten, drunk and been merry the night before. But not so much that he felt hung-over¡­ although that might also have had something to do with the dried celestial peach pills that Inari had given him.


    Paul smiled to himself, this was by far the oddest, and perhaps the best, Christmas morning he could remember¡­ if it was still morning, which he had his doubts about.


    He could feel the by-now familiar warmth of Inari curled against his side. Paul smiled, last night had been memorable for more reasons than just the party. Inari had presented her portrait to Kiko. Paul hadn¡¯t been able to wrap it, as he¡¯d been working on it up until the last moment, so the paint had been still been wet.


    Although the original reason for the painting no longer pertained, as Kiko had no intention of going anywhere soon and was taking Goddess lessons from Inari, she had nonetheless been appreciative of the painting. So much so that Paul had quietly removed himself to give the two some privacy.


    The workshop had been quiet, and dimly lit by the red glow of the banked forge fire that Paul had left burning to keep the cold at bay. Paul hadn¡¯t bothered with the lights, but had sat himself down on the blanket he¡¯d left by the fire.


    He¡¯d been pleased, but not surprised, when he¡¯d felt a familiar hand trailing across his shoulders, and heard Kate¡¯s voice saying.


    ¡°Merry Christmas lover.¡±


    She¡¯d walked around from behind him, sitting herself on the edge of the bench in front of him, smiling at him seductively, seeming very much alive and real... and wearing a rather small wispy red baby-doll nightie, a Santa-hat and sprig of mistletoe on the waistband of her tiny red panties.


    It had been quite a few hours later, near dawn, that Paul had finally sought his own bed. He¡¯d been mildly surprised to find Inari in his bed, in her nine-tailed silvery-white fox form. He¡¯d smoothed a thumb over the red kami markings in the fur of her brow, smiling at her sleeping face, murmuring.


    ¡°Love you Inari. Whatever shape you¡¯re in, you¡¯re cute.¡±


    He¡¯d briefly wondered why she¡¯d transformed herself, but at least he didn¡¯t feel like he was cheating on Kate with another woman, as he settled down to sleep with Inari curled in the crook of his arm.


    Now, in the grey light of day, Paul stretched and yawned, warmed as much by his recollections as the quilt and the soft, gently curvaceous body next to him. Inari had relaxed at some point in her sleep, transforming into mostly human, or kitsune shape, retaining the fox ears, tails and silky white hair alone.


    Paul quietly got dressed, and went to salvage breakfast from the wreckage of last night¡¯s feast. There was plenty to choose from, despite many of the celebrants departing with cloth wrapped boxes of left-overs. The soldiers in particular had been grateful for that, barracks food in the JSDF was good, so he was told, but nothing beat a home-cooked meal, or even reheated left-overs.


    Inari slowly emerged nose-first from the covers after Paul placed the tray of food by the bed. She sat, nude as usual, and groomed her ears fox-like as she smiled sleepily at him.


    ¡°Morning Inari, sleep well?¡±


    ¡°I did, and good morning to you..¡±


    Inari paused, sniffing, and then frowned slightly at him.


    ¡°Paul-san.. may I ask an indelicate question?¡±


    ¡°You can ask...¡±


    ¡°Who is she?¡±


    ¡°Who is what?¡±


    ¡°I smell another woman¡¯s scent on you. A rather unmistakable and¡­ intimate.. scent.¡±


    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Oh! Ahh¡­. I¡¯ve been meaning to tell you about it since yesterday, but there wasn¡¯t time for private conversation.¡±


    ¡°Paul.. my Herald.. I¡¯m glad you¡¯ve found someone to..¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Kate.¡±


    Inari blinked at him, momentarily struck dumb. Paul took the opportunity to press a cup of tea into her hands, and continued.


    ¡°She¡­ appeared.. the night before last. Just as real and alive seeming as when she actually was. Ok, her emotions seemed a little¡­ off. She was colder towards other people than I remembered her being, but apart from that, she was much the same.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Paul¡­ you know she¡¯s not real?¡±


    ¡°I know, but everything about her seems it¡­ very real¡­ um. Even she says she feels the same. Anyway I¡­ well suffice it to say I arranged a Christmas present for her. Well, for both of us, really.¡±


    Inari made a circle with her thumb and forefinger, and peered at Paul though it. After a moment she sighed, and lowered her hand.


    ¡°As I thought, she¡¯s draining you of life force Paul. It¡¯s not critical¡­ yet.¡±


    ¡°I know, I knew what she was doing. But I can spare it and¡­ well it might not be all of Kate, but it is still some of her¡­ quite a lot of her in fact.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t keep doing that Paul! She can¡¯t be allowed to feed on you.¡±


    ¡°I know¡­ and more importantly, she knows. I¡¯ve already figured out how to feed her another way, without draining me. I prototyped a design with Lady Norita actually. It won¡¯t be as intimately pleasurable¡­ but it¡¯ll keep Kate fulfilled without doing any harm, and then hopefully she won¡¯t be tempted to snack on me. Well, maybe a nibble, now and again...¡±


    Inari sighed and shook her head.


    ¡°No good can come of keeping her here Paul.¡±


    ¡°Maybe not...and I know you mean emotionally, for me. But she¡¯s not ready to let go yet, and I¡¯m not yet ready to let her go either.¡±


    Inari nodded slowly.


    ¡°Very well¡­ if you can prevent her from harming you, then we¡¯ll do nothing about this. For now.¡±


    Paul nodded.


    ¡°Thank you for understanding Inari...¡±


    ¡°I should be the last person to take someone to task for an ill-advised love affair.¡±


    ¡°Fair point I suppose. From what I gather, your track record isn¡¯t exactly stellar.¡±


    ¡°Paul! You...¡±


    Paul grinned at her, dropping his mock serious expression. Inari huffed in exasperation.


    ¡°Tease.. although you are somewhat right my Herald. I have not always been wise in matters of the heart.¡±


    ¡°Maybe not, although Kiko is good for you, and vice versa. I was thinking last night she¡¯s hardly recognisable now, she¡¯s gained so much in confidence. Not all of which is because she¡¯s a Goddess either.¡±


    Inari nodded.


    ¡°I know! She talks of planning a future together, the three of us.¡±


    ¡°Three of us?! Inari, I am still mortal.¡±


    ¡°Maybe so, and technically so is Kiko¡­ but death when it comes for either of you, won¡¯t be more than a momentary pause due to a minor inconvenience.¡±


    Paul stared at Inari for moment, then closed his mouth.


    ¡°Huh¡­ well. Heck of a benefits package, but do I get a choice?¡±


    Inari stared at him, wide eyed in surprise.


    ¡°You...you¡¯d want to die?¡±


    ¡°In the fullness of time, yeah, maybe. I have someone waiting for me you see...¡±


    ¡°Oh! Oh Paul¡­ I.. hadn¡¯t considered that aspect. Yes, of course you have a choice. When the time comes¡­ although I might have to bring you back just a little in order to ask you first, should it happen accidentally.¡±


    Paul grinned.


    ¡°Like if I blow myself up a bit too successfully? Yeah, no need to ask. Of course if I¡¯m not done living then by all means haul me back. Kate said to live a long life and have plenty of adventures to tell her about when we meet again. I¡¯ll tell you when I¡¯m ready. Although, probably not for a very long time I¡¯d imagine. Apart from anything else...now that I think of it, I¡¯ve got to figure out how to tell Kate I cheated on her, with herself...¡±


    Inari frowned,


    ¡°Um.. I don¡¯t think that¡¯s how it works.. I don¡¯t think that¡¯s cheating¡­ exactly. Although, if it is, then technically it¡¯s necrophilia.¡±


    ¡°Ew, no!¡±


    ¡°Well, you did just spend all night making love to your dead wife, before climbing into bed saying you loved me!¡±


    ¡°Eww Inari it¡¯s not like¡­. Wait a minute! You heard that?!¡±


    Inari blushed, every visible inch of her going pink.


    ¡°Ah, oops..yes...more than once actually. I sleep like a fox after all.¡±


    Paul felt his own cheeks flaming, as he drew in several deep breaths.


    ¡°Okayyy¡­ why did you never say anything?¡±


    ¡°Because you obviously thought I was asleep still, and never hinted at it when you knew I was awake.¡±


    ¡°Oh. I¡­ don¡¯t know what to say, for once. Well, except, yes. I do love you...¡±


    Heedless of her nudity, or anything else, Inari threw herself into Paul¡¯s lap, flinging her arms around him and holding him tight.


    ¡°Oof! Inari! And Merry Christmas to you too.¡±


    ¡°Oh Paul!¡±


    ¡°Hang on Inari.. before you get too carried away, this isn¡¯t going to change things between us.¡±


    Inari leaned back, looking hurt at him.


    ¡°Paul? Why not? Is it something I..¡±


    Paul shook his head, and leaned forward to kiss away the frown on Inari¡¯s brow.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing about you. It¡¯s me¡­ inside I¡¯m a mess in case you haven¡¯t noticed, and this business with Kate.. Kate¡¯s ghost¡­ has stirred stuff up for me. Until I sort that out, I can¡¯t really commit to taking things further, can I? It wouldn¡¯t be fair to you.¡±


    ¡°Umm¡­ no? I mean, I¡¯m sure I could...¡±


    ¡°Inari, no. If I can¡¯t give my heart fully, and I wouldn¡¯t be able to, then it could poison our relationship. Which, given that we could be together for a very long time, isn¡¯t a risk we should take.¡±


    Inari sighed, resting her head against Paul¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Sometimes, I wish you weren¡¯t so sensible¡­ but yes, alright. Although part of me very much wishes otherwise.¡±


    Paul chuckled.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯d noticed¡­ me too.¡±


    ¡°I had noticed that!¡±


    Paul coloured and shifted position.


    ¡°Ah, Inari..¡±


    Inari grinned wickedly¡­


    ¡°I could help you with that, call it an extra present maybe¡­?¡±


    Paul shook his head, chuckling despite his discomfort.


    ¡°No Inari, I think not. Although I appreciate the offer... and the view.¡±


    Inari¡¯s cheeks flamed red once again, as she buried her face against his neck, laughing.


    While Inari showered and dressed, Paul went for a walk to cool off and to give the matter some serious thought. He hadn¡¯t intended to confess his feelings to Inari, reasoning that it would make matters a whole lot more complicated. But now the cat was out of the bag, and among the pigeons so to speak, he had to figure what to do next¡­ which was all very well, but his brain was rattling like a pinball machine in an earthquake and just coming up tilt.


    Rounding the corner of the temple he stopped dead in his tracks; just inside the Torii gate was a small crowd of people. He immediately recognised Rin, the Mayor and Ms Mitashi, more or less surrounded by a half dozen other adults and children.


    He slowly started to back-track, but had managed no more than a half step back towards the corner, when Rin called out.


    ¡°Hoi! Paul-san¡­ we have a problem!¡±


    Paul sighed, just when he thought he could get some peace and quiet¡­


    ¡°Ok, coming...¡±


    Coming up he saw that there were three, perhaps four families, all with children looking upset and parents at various levels of irateness. Paul frowned.


    ¡°What seems to be the problem?¡±


    Ms Mitashi opened her mouth, but before she could say anything a somewhat rotund and balding father jumped in.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell what the problem is! YOU got your presents mixed up, that¡¯s what! We were promised presents that would suit our children, and look at this.. this.. stuff!¡±


    The man waved a half unwrapped present, which appeared to be a makeup set and a dress-up princess costume.


    Paul tilted his head quizzically.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see what¡¯s wrong...¡±


    The man pushed a small boy forward.


    ¡°Is this your idea of what¡¯s suitable for my SON!¡±


    Paul blinked, dismayed. But before he or anyone else could say something, a pinched faced woman pushed a tearful looking girl forward, who was clutching a toy pirate sword to her chest as if she feared it would be snatched away.


    ¡°Or my daughter! I mean really! It¡¯s bad enough she gets into scrapes all the time, but encouraging her to act like a boy!¡±


    The rest of the parents joined in, as more people started filing through the Torii gate, adding their complaints. The Mayor and Ms Mitashi started to look alarmed as they slowly backed up in front of what was rapidly becoming a small mob of angry parents, letting loose a tirade of narrow minded pettiness.


    Paul glanced to one side, and saw that Rin had backed up until Rin was almost hiding behind Paul, covering their ears.


    Something seemed to seethe inside of Paul.. his voice was quiet, dangerously quiet and his English accent was cuttingly precise, each constant honed to a razor¡¯s edge, as he spoke.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡±


    Those closest to Paul started to fall silent, allowing the more strident voices at the back to be heard.


    Paul¡¯s temper boiled over.


    ¡°I said enough! SILENCE!¡±


    Paul¡¯s voiced echoed around the courtyard, as a mob of crows took flight from the trees raucously, their cries fading into the distance in the sudden, ringing absence of voices.


    The balding father with the distraught young boy gripped by one thin shoulder started to open his mouth, and Paul held up a single fore-finger to hush him.


    As Paul did so, the ground seemed to kick at his feet, and a low rumble, more felt than heard, shuddered through the air. Paul automatically braced himself, his face impassive despite not knowing what was happening at first. The trees rustled, shaking as if a breeze was in them, even though the air was still.


    After split-seconds thought, Paul realised it was a minor earthquake. The sort of trembler that could strike anywhere in Japan on an almost monthly basis, and was usually so minor as not to be worth mentioning.


    Paul was struck by a sudden whimsical thought, and smiled slightly.


    ¡°Do NOT make me lose my temper any further, or you really won¡¯t like the consequences. Understood?¡±


    The man looked baffled at Paul for a moment, then, as a faint after-shock set the ground under everyone¡¯s feet trembling again, his eyes widened. He glanced downwards, as a small stone bounced across the flag stones, and swallowed nervously.


    ¡°Ah, no.. Lord Herald-san! I..I apologise!¡±


    Paul sighed, and shook his head.


    ¡°Alright everyone¡­ adults over there, children over here. I want to have small chat with the recipients first, and this way everyone can see what¡¯s going on¡­ without interrupting. Understood?¡±


    There was a quiet chorus of agreement and nods. Ms Mitashi without saying anything rounded up the children, leading them to the far side of the courtyard, while the Mayor did the same with adults.


    While Paul waited for them to sort themselves out, Rin sidled up behind him and murmured.


    ¡°Bit of luck with that earthquake, you¡¯ve got them convinced you did that.¡±


    Paul couldn¡¯t resist. Smiling inwardly he asked in an off-hand voice.


    ¡°Oh? What makes you think I didn¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°What? No, you didn¡¯t...you couldn¡¯t.. could you? Oh! Um.. wow. Ok.¡±


    Paul half turned to look at Rin sideways, and winked slyly. Rin¡¯s eyes widened, and as realisation sunk in, Rin had to work hard not to laugh at themselves.


    While Rin struggled to contain their amusement at being fooled, Paul strode across to the small group of children. He knelt down in front of them, and held up his hand.


    ¡°I promise, I won¡¯t shout, and I won¡¯t take your toys away. No matter what anyone else has said. You have my word on it.¡±


    The small band of boys and girls looked among each other, and the girl clutching the pirate sword stepped forward.


    ¡°You won¡¯t let our mummies and daddies take them away either?¡±


    ¡°I will try to make sure that won¡¯t happen. I think I understand. Inari gave each of you the one toy you¡¯ve all been secretly longing for, but didn¡¯t dare ask for. Am I right?¡±


    There were a number of glances across the courtyard, and a few nods. Paul sighed.


    ¡°They can¡¯t hear you, it¡¯s safe to talk. So, I¡¯ll ask you again.. are these toys those that you secretly wanted, and thought you¡¯d never get?¡±


    The pirate girl spoke up.


    ¡°Mummy only ever buys me dolls and other girls stuff and those are no fun at all!¡±


    Paul glanced at the young boy, still holding the half unwrapped and somewhat battered looking make-up set.


    ¡°I think some here might disagree, but I understand that you don¡¯t find them fun.¡±


    The young lad spoke, shyly.


    ¡°It.. it¡¯s not right though. Boys have to play with boys toys, and girls with girls toys. So Daddy says.¡±


    The sturdy looking girl nodded, putting her arm around the frail shoulders of the young boy.


    ¡°That¡¯s what they say.¡±


    Paul glanced up at Rin, and raised an eyebrow. Rin shrugged.


    ¡°That¡¯s the countryside for you¡­ even among Yokai, the old gender stereotypes linger on.¡±


    ¡°Like a bad smell¡­ Ok kids, listen up. You do know who I am, right? So you know I speak for Inari. Now, She believes that people should be free to be whoever they are, that¡¯s the whole point about Yokai now being able to go out in public and be seen as they really are.¡±


    The children glanced among themselves, and then the young girl with the pirate sword took out her hair pin, and suddenly she had a pair of long brown rabbit ears, and a cute button nose that twitched.


    ¡°Mummy says it¡¯s still rude to be seen in public like this.¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh.. well, kids, here¡¯s a quick lesson for you. Grown-ups aren¡¯t always right. Inari says it¡¯s ok to be who, or what you are. Because she¡¯s lived thousands of years and has seen and knows everything! That means you don¡¯t have to hide the fact you are Yokai, or that you¡¯re a girl who likes to play rough and tumble, and dreams of being pirate, or a boy who likes pretty dresses and make-up, or whatever it is that makes you, uniquely you. This world is full of people who are afraid of things they don¡¯t understand and want to make everything and everyone simple and all the same, like they¡¯ve been stamped out of cookie cutters. You do NOT have to listen to those people. You can be brave, and you can be free, and different. You can be what you want to be. Because you can tell those people to shut up and leave you alone, politely, and you will have the law on your side...as well as people like Inari and me.¡±


    Rin added from behind Paul.


    ¡°And me too.¡±


    There was a soft Fa-woosh! sound, as Rin conjured a ball of fire into their hand, and the children Ooo¡¯ed in amazement and delight.


    Paul grinned.


    ¡°Right, and Rin¡­ who never listens to what anyone tells them. There¡¯s also the Goddess Kiko, Inari¡¯s girlfriend, and the Goddess of Storms Suzue, who will happily kick anyone¡¯s ass, and so on¡­ plus the police and the Mayor. So, yes.. you can be who you are, and like what you like and most importantly, play with the toys you love. Do you understand now?¡±


    The children all nodded enthusiastically. Paul slowly stood up, and glanced at Ms Mitashi.


    ¡°So, did I leave anything out Ms Principal?¡±


    ¡°No Herald-san, I think you said everything that needed saying¡­ except perhaps to add that some rules are there to keep children safe. Common sense ones like looking both ways when you cross the streets, and less so ones like coming home when it starts to go dark or telling your parents where you are going when you are playing outside. And if you¡¯re not sure, then you should wait and ask a teacher or another grown-up. Do you all understand now?¡±


    The children chorused ¡°Yes, Miss Mitashi!¡±


    Paul nodded at Ms Mitashi.


    ¡°Right, easy part over. Now I¡¯ll go talk to the parents.¡±


    Paul walked across the courtyard, saying to Rin as they went.


    ¡°You know.. some people just do not deserve the kids they have¡­ oh well. I guess I need to remind them that they need to be the parents their kids deserve.¡±


    ¡°Good luck with that. I say we get rid of the lot of them and let Inari adopt the kids.¡±


    ¡°Hmmph, don¡¯t tempt me, Little Fox.¡±


    Paul couldn¡¯t help thinking that the group of parents looked more mulish and ill-behaved than the children. He stood in front of them, hands behind his back, legs apart just in case there were any more after-quakes, and regarded the mutinous looking crew. Paul frowned¡­ they were, logically, all Yokai, and yet not one of them showed it.


    ¡°What a cowardly lot you are.¡±


    There was a muttering chorus of disagreement, and some angry looks, which Paul ignored.


    ¡°Here we are, standing in the sanctuary of Inari¡¯s temple, and you shivering bunch of spineless lily-livered cowards are still hiding your true natures!¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t insult us like that!¡±


    Paul turned to glare at the balding man in the front.


    ¡°Oh can¡¯t I? And just who is going to stop me? You?¡±


    Paul took a step towards the man, who squawked in fright and moved to stand half behind the mayor.


    ¡°Mayor Namora! Are you going to let him bully us like that?!¡±


    </a> ¡°I rather think I am Hikigaeru, it makes a change from you trying to bully people.¡±


    Paul had to bite the inside of his cheek to stop himself from laughing. He scowled at the group.


    ¡°You¡¯re a pathetic bunch of fools who are an insult to Inari and myself. We risked our lives to win the right for all Yokai to be free to live without hiding what they are.. and you throw it back in our faces.¡±


    Judging by the shocked, and then shame-faced expressions, nobody in the group had quite thought of it that way. Paul plunged on¡­


    ¡°But not only do you insult Inari by still hiding what you are, but THEN you have the nerve to try and force your children to be the same as you. You, who are so terrified that you cower like rabbits still, teaching your children they have to conform, to be like everyone else...¡±


    Finally someone got up the nerve to answer Paul back.


    ¡°But..what about the toys?¡±


    ¡°What about them?! The spell on the messenger foxes did exactly what it was supposed to. It directed them to deliver the present to a child who would best appreciate it, who most wanted what the messenger was carrying. Is it our fault that what your children want, isn¡¯t what you expected them to? That what you thought would be ¡®appropriate¡¯ for them¡­ isn¡¯t what they wanted? You, Hikigaeru, have a son who likes pretty dresses and make up.. So what?! Maybe he¡¯ll grow up to be a fashion designer, or maybe he¡¯ll grow up to be a daughter instead of a son. That is his right, to be free to be what he is. And you, Mrs rabbit, have a daughter who¡¯s rough and tumble¡­ you want to go tell the Yamato family that girls can¡¯t fight? Maybe Katsu should hide her kendo trophies away perhaps? No? I thought not¡­¡±


    Paul paused to draw breath, and then shook his head, looking away from them.


    ¡°You are all disappointments, failures, the lot of you. You don¡¯t deserve those kids, if this is your idea of how to be parents.¡±


    Out of the band someone spoke.


    ¡°Hoi, you can¡¯t say that!¡±


    Paul growled out.


    ¡°Oh can¡¯t I?! It¡¯s my job to speak the truth to kami, you think I¡¯m going to do less with you worms?!¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t tell us how to raise our children! You have no right..¡±


    ¡°Oh don¡¯t I? And what about their rights? Like the right not to be screwed up by your lousy parenting, because you are still so terrified at standing out, that you force them to conform to stereotypes that were out-dated when Inari was young! What about their right to grow up to be healthy and happy adults, who accept what they are. Hmm? Have you thought at all about that?!¡±


    There was silence, as Paul stood, glaring at the crowd. Eventually he shook his head.


    ¡°As Inari¡¯s Herald, and magistrate pro-tem for yokai, I am making a ruling here. Inari¡¯s spell worked. The children received gifts that were exactly what they wanted, whether or not they admitted that to you, and regardless of what you think of that. They can keep and play with them as they wish and it is NOT your concern, as that is between Inari and them.¡±


    Paul scowled at the adults.


    ¡°I am also telling you, you will take your children home, and you will think long and hard about your actions as parents. You WILL read up on how to be a parent, because quite frankly, if there was such a thing as a parenting licence or test, I¡¯d fail the lot of you right now for this! And you may thank your lucky stars that Inari isn¡¯t here, because she wouldn¡¯t be nearly as lenient.¡±


    Paul could see out of the corner of his eye Rin nodding empathic agreement.


    ¡°Now, go and say sorry to your kids for your appalling behaviour, go home, and try to make sure you don¡¯t ruin the rest of Christmas for them.¡±


    One by one the silent adults filed past Paul, eyes downcast, shamefaced and contrite. Here and there, without comment, they shed their disguises and stood as yokai. Those ones murmured their thanks, or apologies, as they passed him.


    Eventually, Paul stood alone in the courtyard with Rin, Ms Mitashi and Mayor Namora having left with the last of the chastised parents. Paul heaved a sigh, and hung his head.


    ¡°Did I do the right thing, Rin?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Of course!¡±


    ¡°I was pretty much telling those people how to raise their kids.. practically ordering them even.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but they were screwing it up.¡±


    ¡°Still doesn¡¯t feel right though...it feels like...how I wished someone had spoken to my father actually. Maybe I was just, I dunno, projecting my own problems, or something.¡±


    Rin snorted.


    ¡°No. Well, maybe yes.. but you were right too.¡±


    ¡°Maybe¡­ shitty thing to happen at Christmas though, Rin.¡±


    Rin shook their head.


    ¡°No, it was the perfect gift.¡±


    Surprised Paul turned to look at Rin, taking in their earnest expression. Paul raised an eyebrow, inviting an explanation. Rin grinned at him.


    ¡°Think about it, you just told those kids they can be whatever they want, that they have a guaranteed right to be how and what they are¡­ and perhaps, you just gave them somewhat less shitty parents as well. I¡¯d say that¡¯s a pretty good gift!¡±


    Paul snorted.


    ¡°Yeah, I guess so...and I shouldn¡¯t be surprised you¡¯d see that. How does that Gloria Gaynor song go? ¡®I am what I am, and what I am needs no excuses¡¯...something like that?¡±


    Rin giggled.


    ¡°Yeah, something like that!¡±


    Rin started to sing, their voice surprisingly deep but somehow still feminine sounding.


    ¡°I am what I am


    I don''t want praise, I don''t want pity


    I bang my own drum


    Some think it''s noise, I think it''s pretty


    And so what if I love each sparkle and each bangle


    Why not try to see things from a different angle


    Your life is a sham


    Till you can shout out


    I am what I am!¡±


    Paul laughed as Rin sang, joining in on the last line, shouting out the lyrics.


    ¡°Life''s not worth a damn till you can shout out, I am what I am!¡±


    Rin collapsed against Paul, giggling so much that they could hardly breath, not that Paul was much better off. As the pair of them leaned on each other, Inari and Kiko walked into the courtyard arm-in-arm, and stopped at the sight. Inari blinked in surprise and raised an eyebrow at them. Paul grinning and still somewhat breathless, carolled out.


    ¡°Merii Kurisumasu!!¡±