On Astral Tides: From Humble Freelancer To Astral Emperor

Interlude Six – Families

Sana grimaced as her stepsister let out a happy cry watching the television. Ugh, I really can’t stand her. Though it’s not like I don’t totes get her excitement. It’s amazing, am I right?

The TV was displaying the press conference again. It was big news, not just because of the strange, impossible thing it represented, which was incredible enough, battles, magic, and supernatural beings, but because Japanese people were involved. Her grimace turned into a smile, putting aside her annoying bitch of a stepsister for a moment. I can hardly believe it. I knew there was a lot of strange stuff going down at dad’s new workplace, but it’s even bigger than I thought. It’s like, crazy, right?

“He’s so handsome!” she squawked, and her voice set Sana’s teeth on edge. Sure, her bitch of a stepsister wasn’t ugly, but she wasn’t half as pretty as she thought she was, just an ordinary highschooler, a year older than Sana. Even so, she was treated way better by her own mom, which made Sana unhappy. She’s only doing it to impress her boyfriend. I mean, how lame is that?

Despite her distaste for speaking to her stepsister, Sana had to speak up, feeling almost compelled, a good feeling. “Yeah, he’s totes hot. No question.”

Her stepsister, Ikeda-san, turned to took at Sana, and her face crumpled up into the usual annoyingly superior, smug expression that Sana utterly loathed. “There’s no point in you getting all excited, Sana-chan. Looking like that, he wouldn’t be interested in you.”

“Don’t call me Sana-chan, Ikeda-san.” Sana snapped back, frustrated as usual. “We’re not close.”

“Nonsense.” Her mom called from where she was busy in the kitchen. “She’s your sister, Sana dear. I’ve told you to get along. Call her Aya-chan.”

“No way. I’d totes rather drink bleach.” Sana crossed her arms under her chest, frowning. Mom, I’m your daughter not her… why are you always taking her side? I hate this. Maybe… maybe I should move in with dad after all. He’s going to be moving soon, right? To that fancy new building… and the Shrine has everything… saunas, swimming pool, more…

“Sana!” her mother hissed, coming into the room, angry. “I didn’t raise you to be such a bad child! It’s all your father’s fault. He never had any ambition and was always too soft on you!”

“It’s not your fault, mother.” The bitch said, smiling maliciously at Sana. “Sana-chan is just going through a phase. Though she has been staying out late a lot more recently. It’s probably… no, I don’t want to say it.” Her smile was now a wide smirk, as she toyed idly with her dark brown hair, in a way she thought was cute. I’ve seen real cute, and ya don’t cut it, haughty cow.

“Why not say it?” Sana glared back. “Ya think I’m scared of you?”

“Well, you are made-up like a slut, and dressed like that, I bet you’re doing compensated dating.” Ikeda-san continued, and Sana felt anger boiling up inside her as she continued. “Why else would you dress like a gyaru tramp? It doesn’t make you any cuter, Sana-chan. And you do seem to have a lot of unexplained money. What else could it be?”

“No, Sana wouldn’t do that.” Her mother said, and for a brief moment Sana thought she was siding with her for a change, until her next words dashed those faint hopes. “You wouldn’t, would you? Doing that would ruin your life forever. Though you have been staying out late, saying you’ve been with your father. I do think you should get rid of that makeup and fake tan, Sana. It… doesn’t look good. I feel ashamed to see you next to the studious Aya-chan. Why can’t you be a good, proper girl like her? I know it, it’s your father’s fault. You take after him. I wish you’d be more like your new father and Aya-chan.”

Seeing red, Sana resisted the urge to scream and hit out. Her eyes strayed to the TV, where her dad’s boss was showing off. Oddly, that calmed her down, well, not so much him, but the girls with him. Taking a deep breath, ignoring the gleam in Ikeda-san’s eyes, as she was expecting Sana to lose her temper and thus be in the wrong, Sana managed a smile of her own, though it was rather brittle. Not this time, high and mighty bitch. You think you’re so special, but I know special. You’re totes not it.

“Mom, ya’d take her side over me? I’m your daughter, that’s lame and so unfair.” she said calmly.

“Well, Aya-chan is my daughter too, and your sister. I don’t want to be disappointed in you all the time but it’s hard. But you didn’t answer my question. Just what have you been doing?”

“She’s not my sister!” she snapped back reflexively. “Besides, I’ve already told ya, I’ve been spending time with dad and at his workplace.” Sana said, tossing her head, offended.

“Oh really? I bet he’s just covering for you.” Ikeda-san scoffed. “After all, you’ve always said he was a loser without ambition, not like my dad. Why would you want to hang around his loser workplace? Ugh, why are we even talking about this?” she turned back to the TV. “Those girls are gorgeous. I wish I was like them.” She turned back to Sana. “None of them are dressed up like a tramp, Sana-chan, why don’t you learn from them? Maybe you can reach my level if you try. Well, for a few years.”

“Dad was a loser.” Sana admitted. “I was embarrassed by him, ashamed of him. But he’s totes trying to act his age and get a real job.” She defended him, enjoying her superiority. It was then she shuddered, remembering. That rich girl Hinata-chan was scary, and I’ve not said a word since, don’t want to get me or dad in trouble. I’ve kept the secrets, but now there’s no point. Her smile grew superior, and she revelled in the way her calm demeanour was annoying her bitch of a stepsister. You think it’s just those girls on TV? You’re out of the loop. You don’t know anything. “In fact, he’s working for someone very important.”

“Your father doesn’t have that level of drive or luck.” Her mom denied. “He’ll never be successful. It would take real magic to make that happen.”

“Oh, I see.” Sana knew she’d won. Damn, this is going to be satisfying. “Well, Aya-chan…” she said, nearly choking on that manner of address, trying not to see her mom’s annoying, delighted smile at that. “… so, you like those girls then? They are totes cute, ya feel me? I’d like to get some fashion tips from them. Maybe I will go for a new look.”

Taking the bait, the bitch sneered again. “They wouldn’t give you the time of day, Sana-chan. People like that, important, beautiful people, they don’t hang around with the likes of you. But me… one day I’ll be somebody! I’ve got ambition, more ambition than seedy dates and selling my body in dirty Tokyo bars.”

I’m trying to be good here, but she makes it damn hard to ignore her slanders. And mom’s just letting her talk shit about me again. Yeah, I’m totes moving in with dad when the move happens. Even if he was still a lame loser and an embarrassment, at least he cares about me. “Oh, I don’t sell myself, Aya-chan. But if I was, I’m sure I’d make more than ya would. Guys like girls who aren’t stuck-up bitches, ya get it? I doubt they’d even pay a single coin for you.” As her mom shouted at her to apologise, and the bitch turned bright red with anger, Sana continued. “Who cares about that though? Ya think you have what it takes to be like those girls? Don’t make me laugh. Ya ain’t nice enough, that’s for sure. Those girls are totes kind and don’t look down on others.”

“How the hell would you know?” her stepsister snarled, angry at being called out. It’s called a taste of your own medicine, bitch. “You think you’re so popular and know it all, don’t you? Well, like father, like daughter. You’ll be lucky to work in a dead-end job when you’re not young and interesting to dirty old perverts.”

This is when you step in, mom. This is the worst row we’ve ever had. No? Well, don’t say I didn’t warn ya… be happy with her as your daughter and him as your husband. I’m done… Since her mom only stood in silence, unwilling to criticise the bitch even after all her insults, Sana decided.

“Maybe I’ll work with dad. I’m not smart, but it’s getting in on the ground floor.” She smirked. “The TV sure is interesting. What do you think they do, actually?”

Thrown off by her calm change of subject, the bitch flapped her lips like a fish, and Sana held in a grin at how stupid she looked. Her mom, happy that the fight had momentarily stopped, spoke up. “Sana, from what they say, it’s all fighting and saving the world, like they saved Prince Henry and Princess Eleanor, right? As a Japanese person, it makes me proud to see our own doing well.”

Maybe you should show me the same respect, mom? Dad too… ugh, no, it’s hard to blame her for splitting up with him, but people change. Dad for the better, mom way totes for the worse. “No way, most of it’s business, ya know. There’s a lot more to it. Ya got to have a lot of staff handling the research. Crazy stuff, sometimes.”

“Don’t talk like you know anything about it!” Ikeda-san laughed derisively. “That’s not the sort of world you have any place in.”

“You’d think so, right?” Sana said imperiously. “Want to make a bet, Aya-chan? I bet you I know them…” she pointed at the TV, where her dad’s boss was shown talking down a reporter again with great poise.

“That’s stupid. I know you hate me, but making stuff up… well, I suppose a liar doesn’t know when to stop.” The bitch sneered, before looking at Sana’s mom. “I’m sorry, Sana-chan is being bad. I’ll teach her to behave properly and not be such an embarrassment to us, mom, as an elder sister.”

“Ya sure are dumb. You. Ain’t. My. Sister. How many times do I have to say it? So, what stakes are there?” Sana smiled to herself, remembering a story she had heard from the cute little amber-haired girl, Shaeula. Some of the people at the shrine were quite intimidating, the big black girl with the broken Japanese for one, but apparently Shaeula had tricked her into losing a bet and having to hug dad’s boss naked. Not that I hate dad’s boss enough to subject him to anything like that! All his women are cute or beautiful or both, and Ikeda-san is just a plain old viper. No man should be forced to hug that.

“When you lose, I want you to tell me and mom what’s really going on, what you’re doing. We’ll put a stop to your delinquent ways. You have to smarten up as well and drop that awful gyaru fashion. You look a mess. I never want to be seen with you.”

“Fine. Well, in that case, when I win, how about you start dressing like me? Since you’re so confident. I’d ask ya to do what you’ve accused me of doing, but the thought of that is totes repulsive. No guy would get it up for you, I’m sure.” As her mother gasped and threatened to wash out her mouth with soap, Sana continued goading the furious Ikeda-san. “Well, Aya-chan, maybe you’ll be happier being a fun gyaru-gal. Life’s too short to be such a bitch all the time, ya feel me? Besides much as I hate ya, you’re still part of this family. Not my sister though. I’m not going to break mom’s heart by making you do anything bad. I’m a good girl!”

“No, you’re an idiot and a liar. So go on then.” Ikeda-san turned to the TV. “Prove it. But you can’t, can…” Sana pulled out her phone, and brought up a photograph. It was her, posing for a selfie with Shaeula and Hyacinth, the latter looking rather confused. In the background her dad was just about in shot, as well as the side profile of his boss. As there was silence from her bitch of a stepsister, Sana grinned triumphantly. “Ya know, there’s one hell of a scary girl who made me keep all this secret. She’s a real cutie, just as much as any of them. And she’s not alone. Girls from Hanafubuki sure are something. You think you’re hot stuff, well if you saw any girls from there, you’d know ya ain’t nothing special, ya feel me? But now I can talk, because it’s all out in the open.”

“No, that’s fake. Photoshopped.” The bitch shook her head. “You won’t trick me, Sana-chan.”

“Trick ya? Come on, I thought you wanted to be my sister? And you don’t even trust me?” Sana laughed happily. “Cute little Shaeula is a fiend for messages. She sends them endlessly to everyone. Here.” She opened up an app, and there were a number of photographs. “Think I ‘shopped them all ya dumb cow? Dad… he works for him.” She jerked her thumb at the TV. “Here’s the thing, mom. Dad… well, sure, he’s only a secretary, not a very manly job, ya feel me? But he’s giving it his all, and it's a job with real prospects! He’s even got first dibs on a spot in a nice new apartment that’ll be built soon in southern Tokyo.” She turned to her mother, and grinned.

“Mom, I was thinking… I’m going to move in with dad. Sure, I used to hate him, but… I don’t like it here. Ya want to live your life with him and her…” she jerked a thumb at the dazed bitch. “… more power to ya. Life’s for living. But me… well, it’s more exciting. Now that stuff is out in the open, Hinata-chan won’t be so mad when I hang about the place. Though I’ll never cross her. I’ve been a good girl and kept my mouth shut.”

“Sana, you can’t, I have custody of…” her mom began, and Sana sighed.

“I’m old enough to pick for myself, mom. It’s not like ya can’t visit me, though it might be awkward seeing dad. It won’t be for a little while, anyway. Until then…” she turned back to the TV. “I guess you two have to learn a hard lesson. Anyone could be someone special now. The world is different, and more fun.”

“Is that… what you really want?” her mom asked, and Sana felt a brief twinge of guilt, before crushing it down.

“Sure is. Besides, even dad can do a little magic now. Perks of the job.” She grinned. “I really want to learn, though again, I’ll be a good girl and never abuse it. I don’t want Hinata-chan or that big black girl to bury me under the shrine. Most of all, they never looked down on me, ya know? I’m not that smart, and I’m a gyaru through and through, flashy and insolent. But Shaeula and the others, they are nice to me, and don’t accuse me of stuff. Ya think he’s charming?” she pointed to the TV. “He’s got those girls from Hanafubuki too. He’s a real player. Well, ya might get to meet him.” She smiled at the bitch, who backed off a step, looking confused.

“What are you talking about?” mom said, and Sana laughed happily.

“One thing ya don’t know about the little cutie on the TV is she is hell on making sure people pay their debts. Ya lost, and I know ya would never pay up. You’re too self-obsessed for that, and look down on me way too much, Aya-chan.” Her snickers were mean as she continued. “So I’ll tell Shaeula about our bet, and she’ll make sure ya don’t back out. I mean, you going to say no to her? Ya want to try barring her way?”

As her stepsister went pale, perhaps imagining that, Sana turned back to her mom. “Don’t worry, a month or so in my shoes might make her nicer. As for you, mom… sorry, but ya be happy with him if you want. I won’t blame you. After all, it’s a world where a man can have as many women as he wants, getting divorced and getting a new guy is nothing special. As for me… It’s a land of opportunities, ya feel me? Even a dumb girl like me has a chance to be someone special, if she knows the right people. Dad’s good for something after all.” And with that she left her spluttering, dysfunctional family behind and went to her room, well satisfied. So there ya have it. It’s a weight lifted off my shoulders. Knowing too much is scary. But… seeing the boss and those girls on TV, it sure makes it all seem real. I know them! I know them, I’ve been to their house! I have chats on the phone… if I’d have told myself this a few months ago, I’d have thought I was high on drugs, ya feel me?

********

“Daughter-in-law, there’s no need to fret.”

Junko listened to her elderly father-in-law as he tried to console her. Her two daughters were sitting watching the TV, making sounds of appreciation and surprise. It should be three, but my Marika isn’t here. She’s… she’s…

Glancing back at the TV again, she bit her lip, frustrated. “I’ll fret if I want, old man! The shrine, the shrine. I wish Marika was never interested in it in the first place! Who cares about it? It’s all a…” she trailed off, frustrated that she couldn’t say it was nonsense, misplaced faith, foolishness.

“It is simple truth. I am very thankful to Marika, she is a good, diligent, well-mannered girl, and has been a credit to the shrine and her duties.” He said calmly, which just made Junko angrier.

“I don’t care about that! My little girl, she shouldn’t be doing something so dangerous! She’s still in elementary school!” At her raised voices, she glanced back, but her other daughters, Marika’s older sisters, were ignoring her, caught by the shocking footage on the television, all anyone had been talking about these last few days. Idiots. All they see is the pomp, the foreign royalty. They forget the blood, the death. Even the wounded Prince. “What about Kyoto? Marika could have died there! So many others did! It’s all his fault…” her tone was venomous.

“Life is dangerous. Putting aside the first tragedy of Kyoto. The second… those people who died were not involved, daughter-in-law. Yet they died nonetheless. Look at the world. War, disease, famine. The kami may be gods, but they no longer have the power to influence the world. Or they didn’t. Imagine it, Junko. If such was to happen in Nishimorioka… what would we do?”

“I…” she hated that she couldn’t refute that. “But what are the chances of that happening?”

“Ever-growing. Did you expect to see such things openly discussed?” her father-in-law said. “This was inevitable. It is why we kept faith, why Chairoakitara shrine is so precious. Even so, consider this. Marika writes to us without fail, she is a serious young girl. She writes to you as well, doesn’t she?”

Junko nodded, unable to deny it. My youngest is very mature, more so than her older sisters. But whether she acts maturely or not, she’s still only a child, away from home, exposed to danger. “She does, and your point is?”

“You know of the strengths this Chirurgery brings. Marika has been the beneficiary of such, and further training. Imagine, were an assailant to try and kidnap her, Marika would be able to fight him off with the strength of a grown man. Would my other granddaughters fare as well?”

“That won’t…” she wanted to say it couldn’t happen, but she was unable to lie. Japan was largely safe, serious crimes rare, but young girls were attacked by perverts. It wasn’t unknown.

“Marika has also made connections. Look.” The TV was showing Oshiro-san and Dannan-san, two that Junko had met and had persuaded her to relinquish her little Marika. Now they were famous, celebrities, and apparently the heroes of Britain. “The world will continue to change. What was once hidden is now freely discussed. For fifteen hundred years and more the shrines and temples of Japan guarded these secrets. Now we reap our just reward.” He smiled at her look of disbelief.

“I did it for faith of course. But I believe good work should be rewarded. Fortunately, so does Oshiro-san. He grieved for the fallen, but he saved a number of them. You were there, you know this. And Marika… you said her future would be dim indeed, if she continued to inherit Chairoakitara shrine. Now, being the head of such a shrine will be a noble, prestigious thing. There are many thousands of shrines in Japan, but the number of those that remain true is but a fraction of that, and it has shrunk.”

“I don’t want Marika to be involved in dangerous things.” Junko repeated.

“Dangerous things come unbidden. Would you rather she faces these alone, or…” he pointed to the TV. “… have her under the care of the heroes of Britain? They know how to fight and to win, and how to make others stronger. More to the point, they have compassion for others.” He pointed out, and Junko had to admit that was true. Even in Kyoto, she had seen Oshiro-san was devastated by the losses yet in the end he didn’t give up and let it break him.

Before she could answer, her oldest daughter came out, hurrying over. “Mother, that’s Oshiro-san, right, right?” she said excitedly. “I know his sister, he used to live here in town!”

I know he did. Looking at her wide-eyed daughter, she sighed softly. “Yes, that’s him. His sister and her friends visit the shrine a lot.”

“Marika-chan is with him in Tokyo, right? I wanted to go to school in the big city…” she puffed out her cheeks in a pout, and Junko snatched her up in a hug, making her giggle.

“I can’t let all my daughters go, can I? I’d be lonely. Besides, I never wanted Marika to go… she’s too young.”

“Why?” her middle daughter asked, eyes still glued to the TV, sighing in wonder. It’s the young who don’t realise what this means. The chaos, the danger, the end of all we know. They didn’t see the protests or the escalating riots, the dangers of criminals misusing such mystical powers. Wars. All they see is the excitement, like one of their storybooks or cartoons.

“She gets to play around with heroes!” her daughter continued, giggling. “I wonder, do you think Marika-chan might be on TV too? I wish I was… then everyone at school would be so jealous.”

“Hey, when Oshiro-chan comes to the shrine next, we should go speak to her. Her brother is special, she is too, right?” her oldest asked, and the middle sister nodded enthusiastically, still gripped by the footage, which was now Dannan-san running faster than a car, leaping tall walls.

“Yeah, yeah! We can ask her how Marika-chan is doing, and… maybe she can show us some more magic? Seeing her burn up that desk was crazy. But that’s nothing compared to her brother.”

“No, I don’t want you getting involved.” Junko protested. “This isn’t a game. People… people have died.”

“Marika-chan’s fine though, right? She texts and calls a lot, and even writes letters. Who even writes nowadays?” her middle daughter laughed.

“Yes, but she could have been killed, if she put a foot wrong.” Junko refused to back down.

“But she wasn’t, was she, daughter-in-law?” her father-in-law said. “Accidents can happen. Even crossing the road is dangerous. I don’t expect to make a point that the dangers are the same, but… Junko, it’s time you took an interest in the shrine. If you read the records, the old wisdom… even if you don’t approve of Marika’s choice, you can understand it. As for the others…” he smiled at his other two granddaughters. “Would you like me to speak to Oshiro-san for you? She might be able to teach you a little. Though she does not come to the shrine so much anymore. I believe her strength is now beyond that.”

“You would? Awesome!” her middle daughter clapped happily, while the oldest nodded, brown eyes sparkling.

“I don’t…” Junko began, before trailing off. Father-in-law is right. It pains me to admit it, but burying my head in the sand won’t make it go away. We’re lucky there’s been no trouble here in Nishimorioka, probably because the town is close-knit and the Oshiro’s are well known here. “… no. I’ll do it myself.” At that her daughters were surprised, her middle daughter even looking away from the TV for a moment. Meeting their eyes, she spoke, deadly serious. “This isn’t a game, or a fun story. You aren’t going to be playing around, wielding magic like Oshiro-san. No. This is just … I want my daughters to be safe. And… I honestly don’t know how now.” Memories of the horrors of Kyoto came flooding back, the wailing relatives of the dead sons and daughters of the shrine. If that was my Marika lying there, cold and bloody… I’d have tried to kill him. Whether his fault or not… he took her away. Yes, father-in-law is right. Marika has advantages, much as I hate to admit it. As a genuine shrine maiden, now with gifts, her future is secure. She can go far. But… the danger matches the gain. Perhaps exceeds it…

“Mother, it’ll be fine. We won’t do anything dangerous.” Her eldest said, and father-in-law spoke.

“I insist you learn about Chairoakitara shrine.” He said firmly. “I know you found it boring and foolish before, but…what if you could meet our kami? Marika could, when she returns. And she has met other kami, in the flesh. Besides…” he grinned. “Aren’t hakama cute?”

“Well yeah.” Her middle daughter said, pouting. “But all the dancing and the ceremonies are boring… wait, are they?” she realised it, and Junko held in a sigh. “No, I bet the old ceremonies have something to do with the magic, right?”

“I don’t mind putting in a word with Oshiro-san, and helping you learn the ceremonies. But you two have to promise me that you’ll treat them with respect, and give it your all, as Marika would. That’s why she was chosen to travel to Tokyo. She believed and was rewarded.”

“We promise.” They chorused, and began to watch the TV again, chattering about Oshiro-san and their own prospects, what they’d like to be able to do in the future.

“See, Junko?” father-in-law said, a warm smile on his face. “I expect that true shrines around Japan will be bombarded with applicants. Shrine maidens are no longer a part-time job to earn a few coins of pocket money. A genuine shrine maiden can command actual power and respect. Not so bad now, our dusty old shrine, is it?” and as he laughed, Junko had no answer, which annoyed her.

“I guess not. But… I wish Marika could come home.”

“She will return during the holidays.” He comforted her. “And I dare say you will be shocked by how much she has changed, even from Kyoto. They grow up so fast at that age, and a strong-willed, hard-working girl like Marika will give her all. Be proud of her. Worry for her yes, but trust in him.” He pointed at the TV. “After all, he saved the Princess, did he not? He would do the same for Marika, I’m sure.”

“He’d better. Because if Marika gets hurt, I swear I’ll never forgive him. I don’t know what I could do in revenge, but I’d find a way…” Marika. I still don’t know what possessed me to let you go. I know you’re happy now, but even so… you’re so young. Be well, be safe, and… come home soon. I miss you. Watching the news, which had pushed out almost all other events worldwide, commentary, documentaries, reports and more on an endless loop, she finally released her long sigh. In the end, it’s too late for any protests now. If I took Marika back, and the worst did happen here in Nishimorioka… ugh, what’s the right choice? I just don’t know…