Chapter 15
"I am pleased to see you," Mr. Yanagi offered. He was dressed in his priest's work robes – light grey undergarment, dark grey outer robe, and peaked hat. He was a tall, gaunt man with short white hair, dark skin, and a beak-like nose. I'd never seen him with any expression friendlier than a frown. That was his current appearance – not happy to see me.
"Thank you," I replied, pasting on a smile. From his reaction, it wasn't what Reiko would have done. "I'm happy to be home and looking forward to seeing everyone."
"Hnn," he gave one of the many meaningless grunts common in Japanese. It could have meant almost anything but in this instance, I took it to mean, 'That's enough chitchat'. His grabbing my roller case and leading the way out the small station's door without another word confirmed that suspicion.
Do you want to say hello? I asked. Perhaps once we get back to the Temple? We need to be careful about mentioning our situation in public.
I fear he will not wish to speak to me. I have disappointed him, though my intent was just the opposite. I was always secure in his regard, but he can be a strict man. He prefers for everything to follow the path he has set out. My choice to cede my body to you has allowed us to fulfil many of his goals for me, but not in the manner he had anticipated.
And almost completely outside of his control. I agreed. I wonder if he's happy that we brought positive PR for the Burakumin and hurt the Inoue, or is he mad because we did it despite his telling us not to.
I find it likely that he feels a bit of both. The question is which he feels more strongly. Likely, that fluctuates based on the circumstances of the moment. I … I would like to talk with him, given the opportunity. And to the rest of my family. I have missed them in our time in Tokyo. I know I effectively gave them up when we summoned you. However, I still love them dearly.
You may have some ground to make up with the Twins. You tricked them into helping you give up your life. They're probably feeling a lot of guilt and anger about that. They may be putting the blame mostly on me, but they can't be happy with you either. Your parents are probably feeling guilt for different reasons.
Yes. We will need to talk.
I'll try to arrange it. Together or separately? I mean – do you want to meet all of them at the same time or individually?
It would be best to talk to them all together – to get it all out at once. They I can try to find opportunities to converse with them separately afterwards.
That sounds good. You've got a goal for the week.
And you? How do you anticipate spending this respite?
I need a plan. I've been here about six weeks. I've been so busy trying to find my footing I haven't really made time to sit down and figure what I want out of this new life. If there were a way to permanently give you back this body …
I would still not wish for that outcome. You have proven to be able to meet the needs of my family and people. You can be the hero I never could.
I'm just not sure that's what I want to do with my life. I've been a villain. I've been a hero. I helped a lot of people, but I also hurt a lot of them too. While I don't necessarily regret that life, I don't think I want to live it again. And this is a different world. As tough as things have been here and might be again, I just can't see them getting as bad as they were in my world.
If you do not wish to become a Pro Hero do you wish to continue at U.A.? What other options might you consider?
I don't know. I do have other skills. And I'm still young enough to learn – even younger in this body. As for U.A.? It's like going to Harvard or MIT. Even if I don't use everything I learn there, the reputation and connections are a good thing.
You may want to consider transferring into one of the other courses within the school. Business or general studies might offer a broader choice of classes. Many successful people, in all walks of life, have matriculated at U.A.
Maybe. I don't know.
Watching out of the window as the greenery passed by in the fading evening light, I noticed the road followed a small stream that flowed down from the mountain. A flash of red light in the shadows of a rock hanging over the stream caught my eye. A firefly? I started looking for more. Flashes of different colors could be seen all around. Then I noticed they weren't flashing as quickly as a firefly usually did. They were lasting seconds at least. We were moving so I couldn't keep my eye on the same one for too long.
More and more of the lights were swarming around the moving car – a riot of color and movement. It was beautiful. I knew that bugs didn't act like this or move in the way these things were. As I watched, I realized they were interacting with my poltergeists – going around them, through them, in some cases dancing with them. I remembered once seeing a flock of starlings flying together a whirling, ever-changing pattern. This reminded me of that, bringing out the same feelings of amazement and delight.
Emily – what are those?
Spirits. She sounded surprised. Although, I am not certain which sort.
I glanced at Mr. Yanagi. He kept looking in the rearview mirror then glancing at me. I suspected he could see them as well. But, he didn't say anything so I didn't break the silence. We arrived at the Temple a few minutes later followed by a cloud of blinking lights and glowing spirits.
"Ohhh … kirei desu ne!" I understood them – How pretty! The Twins were dancing around point to the spirits. "Fuyūrei to hitodama to onibi!"
I guess they know what they are, I thought.
So it would seem. They have always had a closer relation to the different sorts of spirits. I have concentrated on either the fuyūrei or channeling the souls of the recently departed. These types of spirits are almost pure nature spirits – they are so far removed from their human origins.
"Karera wa anata o suki desu," one of the Twins said to me. I think she said, 'they like you'. Talking about the spirits, I assumed.
I had asked Emily not to automatically translate. I wanted to try to understand as much as I could on my own. I was ready with my new standby phrase 'Moichido itte kudasai' – please say that again. I knew for anything new or serious I would have to ask Emily, but I needed to try on my own as much as I could – at least when around the people who knew my situation.
"Hello Mieko and Miyoko," I said in Japanese. "I am pleased to meet you. I am studying Japanese. Please take care of me." The twins weren't identical, though they often dressed that way and wore their hair in similar shoulder length cuts with straight bangs. Mieko was the quieter of the two – with a round face and searching eyes. Miyoko's face was longer, almost triangular with a sharply pointed chin. She was the cheerful one who seemed to dance even when standing still.
They looked startled, then began to giggle uncontrollably – holding their hands in front of their mouths. I smiled at them. Mr. Yanagi just looked at us and shook his head while wheeling my case into the house.
You want to say hi? I asked. Let them know you are still around?
I would like that. Please say – Little sisters, I am still here. I have missed you so. I hope you will allow me the opportunity to apologize for mistreating you and that you will someday forgive me.
I repeated Emily's Japanese – I had gotten good at parroting her. This time I knew what she was saying though I didn't recognize the words. I guess it was that 'perfect understanding' Emily had mentioned earlier.
The girls stopped giggling and became somber. They looked at each other then responded. Emily translated. "What you did was really stupid, Big Sister. Making us help you do it was really mean," said Mieko.
"We're glad you're still here, but we're still mad at you," Miyoko continued.
"We'll forgive you," Mieko said. "But not just yet."
"So why are all the different spirits hanging around you now?" Miyoko changed the subject and the mood.
"Wakaranai," I said, not relying on Emily's translation. "Anata wa?" 'I don't know. Do you?'
"Let's go talk to Mom," Miyoko again changed the subject. The girl was going to give me whiplash. "Tomorrow we can try to call a smart spirit and ask."
Mrs. Yanagi had saved a dish for me. The cooking was much better than I could do on my own, though not as tasty as Lunch Rush's – but his used quirk magic so it was an unfair comparison.
"Emily – that's what we call Reiko's spirit – is still in here," I pointed to my head. I was using English. "She has been helping me learn Japanese and doing a lot of translation. But I need to learn faster so I am going to try to spend most of this week not having her translate. You may hear me stumbling and fumbling along. Please help me learn."
"Hai, shimasu." 'Ok, I will.' She continued after I yawned. "Nemuidesu ka?"
"Moichido itte kudasai" I asked her to repeat.
She put her to hands up to the side of her face and closed her eyes. "Nemuidesu ka?"
Assuming she was asking if I was sleepy or wanted to go to bed, I nodded. "Hai, so desu."
She reminded me where the bathroom was and helped me lay out my futon in Reiko's room. All the while, she was drilling me on vocabulary – pointing to objects and naming them. I repeated after her. Every ten or so new items she would go back and point to something we had already covered and prompt me to name it.
After she left us alone, I found there were a number of spirits floating about the room. From her lack of reaction, I guessed either Mrs. Yanagi couldn't see them, or she was used to them being around. It was like sitting inside a kaleidoscope – the various colors and shapes moving in ever-changing patterns. Eventually they lulled me to sleep.
In the morning, the spirits still filled the room. I could see through them easily, and when I reached out mentally, I had no trouble forming a connection. Each spirit was different from the others. Some were the familiar poltergeists. There were also small balls of light and shadowy shapes that flickered on the edge of my senses. Most lacked real shape, but some spirits showed human traits like glowing faces or floating heads.
I noticed a few fiery figures, mostly shapeless and always changing. If I 'called' them, the room began to heat. So, I 'pushed' them back. They didn't leave the room, but faded further from the world, taking the heat with them.
Seeing the variety of spirits, feeling them in my mind, was different to feeling bugs or the capes I controlled at the end. Insects are effectively mindless – little more than hunger and a drive to survive. I couldn't remember how having all the capes I controlled as Khepri felt in my head. That was a bad time in many ways.
These spirits felt gentle, playful, mischievous, curious, sad, and hopeful – such a range and all the emotions were pure. These were spirits free of their earthly origins. I was only getting a hint of their essence and none of their purpose, but it was – wondrous.
I sat silently bathing in their presence.
The shoji door opened, revealing the Twins in their yukata.
"幽霊がたくさんいる!" Miyoko said.
I need to know what they are saying. I told Emily. Please translate.
"There are so many spirits!"
"Why are they here?" I asked.
The girls closed their eyes and held their hands out. The spirits started dancing around them, fading in and out of reality. One spirit, larger with an almost full head and torso, floated before them, glowing a gentle blue. The girls communicated with it. I could feel the conversation happening but couldn't make out any words or images – only getting vague impressions.
"They say you are interesting. Different. Tasty?" Mieko said, stressing the last word.
"So many?" I asked. "And so many different types."
"Something changed?" She replied. "Is this because of the possessing spirit?"
"Emily, you want to join in?" I asked aloud.
Please speak for me, she requested.
"This is your sister speaking. Taylor and I have been joined together for six weeks and yet we have seen nothing like this until we returned to the valley. It raises the question of whether the cause is a recent occurrence or if the location is the essential element."
"Has anything changed?" Miyoko asked.
"A great deal has happened, but I cannot think of a …"
The temporal displacement? I interrupted her. Could that have anything to do with this?
I suppose it is possible. Perhaps being ever so slightly removed from the human world is bringing us closer to the spirit world?
"Stop that." Mieko demanded. "I can hear you whispering, even if I can't understand it. That's impolite."
"Says a twin that communicates silently with her sister using only raised eyebrows and grimaces." Emily shot back. I smiled. I didn't know sisterly rivalries and teasing firsthand, but I had seen it with Emma and Anne. Before things turned to shit.
"We were thinking of something that happened as a result of the fight we were in a few days ago," I said. "The docs say we're partially out of phase with normal time – whatever that means. Just by a little. Maybe less than a second. Could that mean anything?"
The Twins resumed talking with the spirits. From their faces, I could tell they weren't making a lot of headway. After a few minutes Mieko's face set into a frown. Miyoko turned to us.
"They don't know," She said. Her twin huffed. "I don't think they understand time the same way we do. All they say is that you are more interesting to them. So now you'll have more spirits following you. You should get to know the different types and practice using them. It's going to be so cool when you go back to U.A. with so many new spirits!"
Remembering what Emily had said about connecting to her sisters, I asked, "Can you two help me with that? Emily says she doesn't know as much about different spirits as you do."
"That sounds great!" Miyoko cheered, bouncing up and down, clapping her hands.
"Only if you'll listen to us." Mieko said more sternly. She was frowning, but I thought she might be fighting to suppress a smile.
"I will."
We moved to the same bench that looked over the valley that I'd found my first night here. In the sunlight many of the spirits disappeared. I could still sense them around me. It felt pleasant rather than crowded. The girls raced to the bench and claimed the seats before I arrived. They looked so satisfied. I had some poltergeists create a seat for me in midair and didn't gloat.
"While every spirit is an individual," Mieko lectured. I heard her father's voice in hers. "There are four broad categories that most of those following you fall into." She counted on her finger as she named them. "Fuyūrei you already know. They are the simplest of the spirits – furthest from their humanity, though the ones most prone to interacting physically with the human world. They often act as servants of more advanced and powerful spirits."
She summoned a gently glowing orb about the size and shape of a tennis ball. It faded from direct view, being easier to see from the corner of my eye. It reminded me of the stories of the will-o-wisps or faerie lights Mom would tell me from French folklore. "This is a hitodama, a soul light. They are remnants left behind when human souls leave their bodies. They are as simple as the fuyūrei, if for a different reason. They are mostly invisible to normal humans, though they sometimes glow."
"They are light and can see light," Miyoko added. "Since you can feel through the fuyūrei, I'll bet you can see through their eyes. Or use them as a distraction because other people can see them. Zoom!"
Mieko gestured for another shape – this one dark and amorphous. "This is sort of the opposite of the hitodama. It is an inka – written as shadow fire. They are remnants of spirits who pass to the spirit world. They are never seen by normal humans, though their dark fire may be spotted on rare occasions."
"They know without seeing," Miyoko chimed in. "If you can use their knowing while they're invisible, you'll be able to use them as spies! How cool would that be?"
"Many of the more advanced spirits among these," Mieko gestured to those with more human shapes. "… are onibi. They are spirits who have a connection to the human world but are not driven by strong emotions or purposes – or they lost them over time. Inka are a type of onibi."
Then she called up a flaming mass the size of a small dog. The flames flowed and undulated in the air. I could feel the heat on my skin and in my mind. "This is a tenka – written as heavenly fire. Be careful with them. These spirits can burn things in the human world. They are less common than the onibi, but far more dangerous."
"I don't think you should use them unless someone is really bad," Miyoko said, crossing her arms.
"So many different kinds of spirits?" I wondered.
"Oh, these aren't all. There are lots more," Miyoko said.
"The ones that aren't here don't seem to be attracted to you," her twin added. "Or maybe they just haven't found you yet. We'll have to hope none of the really strong spirits are attracted to you – especially the angry ones. They can be very dangerous. I don't know if you could control them."
"Thanks," I said, offering them a bow. "This is great. Maybe you can help me work with them. If these sorts of spirits are willing to help me like the poltergeist do, it could really expand my capabilities as a hero."
"I don't know …" Mieko started.
"Come on!" Miyoko interrupted her. "It'll be fun."
"Oh alright." Her sister sighed.
I stopped and asked them something that hadn't occurred to me before. "Do you two want to be heroes?"
"While it'd be cool," the perky twin answered. "Our quirk doesn't really work great for fights and rescues. You go save the world. We'll stay here and keep the Temple going for another generation."
"Someone's got to," Mieko muttered. "There's always been Yanagis at Haitsuki-ji Temple."
That was when Mrs. Yanagi called us for breakfast.
"You have to leave for school shortly," she reminded them. They rushed towards their rooms – though Miyoko stopped to give me a big hug before running to join her sister.
At breakfast, Mrs. Yanagi informed the girls of my language lessons and insisted that unless we were working on something very important that I should forego the use of my translator and speak only with my own language skills.
"Of course, if you want to let them practice their English on you, I have no objections," she said in English.
The girls ran to catch the bus before I could test them in that language.
I helped Mrs. Yanagi to tidy up in the kitchen, using my spirits to move the dishes from the table to the sink and to scrub them clean. She smiled and began her naming game again.
Just as we finished, Mr. Yanagi came in. He gestured with his ceremonial baton for me to follow him. He silently led me to the temple hall where we had our first conversation several weeks ago. He settled himself on his knees on the tatami floor.
I followed suit – still surprised at how easily this body adopted the uncomfortable position. As he glowered silently at me, I was tempted to ignore him and examine the simple intricacies of the large room. It was obviously old, exactly how old I didn't know and was loath to start up a conversation with Emily to find out. If the girls could detect our communications, I had no doubt their father could as well.
"Inoue-bugyo was blackmailing me," he started. Emily took a moment to translate, surprised by the revelation. "He had found that his family holds the deed for this Temple. They always had. Their ancestors paid for its construction and supported it for centuries."
I saw the muscles in his jaw clench and unclench repeatedly. He looked into the distance, gazing over my head. "He came to me demanding money weeks before your entrance exam. He sounded desperate. I believe he would have sold the Temple out from under our family – ignoring our history and the fact that the Yanagi have upheld our side of the bargain for all these years."
"I paid him and he was satisfied, at least for the moment. Then you came along," He glared again – pointing with his baton. "You had to defy him." His voice was rising. He slammed his fist onto the rice mat. It lacked the satisfying crash of striking wood or metal.
"You almost cost this family everything!" he roared. He thrust the baton towards my chest. I caught it with my hand before it could touch me – locking my arm in place and keeping my body from rocking with my poltergeists.
He struggled to push the baton forward, then to pull it back. I kept it still for five seconds then released it.
He snarled at me. I returned his look blankly. I wasn't going to start a conflict with Emily's father, but I wasn't going to let him hit me either.
"And now?" I asked. I realized Emily was still translating. I wondered if she was getting better or if she was too used to conflict with her father for it to affect her greatly. "Now that the heroes and police are investigating him, what are you going to do? Have you told them of the blackmail? Given their presence, I'm guessing this is a lot bigger than him and me or him and you. What are you doing to protect your family now?"
He closed his mouth tightly and blew through his nose in frustration. He tried to stare me down – but he was an amateur compared to so many I had faced before. I have my weaknesses but being easily intimidated isn't one of them. After several minutes, he looked away.
"He is hiding something – something dark and dangerous – and it is about to come out." His voice was quiet, almost contemplative. "And he is going to blame us. You and me. And he will try to take us down before this ends."
"If he is desperate," I began, my voice cold and biting. "do you think he would have been satisfied soaking you just once? You, a man he hates and still has power over."
Yanagi paled, his eyes jerking to mine as I ground inexorably on. "Or, would he have been back asking for more and more, until you had nothing left to give. Then would he have been satisfied? You know him much better than me. Would he have left you and yours alone after that? Or would he have still sold the Temple and kicked your family out to suffer and starve? What kind of man do you think he is?"
He sighed. "The very worst sort. He must not have known all these years. He must have just discovered the deed – otherwise he would have been holding it over my head every day of every year since he took over his family."
"Sounds like he was coming after you, one way or another," I stated. "Maybe it was a good thing I managed to get outsiders over whom he has no power involved."
"You couldn't know this would happen – that the Pro Heroes and government investigators would come. You were lucky."
"Maybe." I agreed with him, to a point. "There was some luck. But I was working to raise awareness. To get people asking questions. To shame the government into acting. And it worked."
"It's not over yet. Don't count them out – Inoue and his family. They have more resources here than the investigators have brought into the valley. The outsiders may not be able to stop Inoue before he does us irreparable harm."
"Then we'll need to be prepared to protect ourselves." I said. I could think of ways to help fortify the grounds and buildings. We would not be an easy target.
"Hn." He sat silently for several minutes, looking at the statue on the altar. It was old. The carved stone had lost most of the original details, but you could tell it was a sitting Buddha, smiling over the room and grounds beyond. It was draped with beads and paper chains. Unlit candles flanked it on either side. An unpeeled orange and a flower blossom sat in a tray before it.
Finally, he broke the silence. "So, who is this person in need of help you are bringing on Monday?"
"He calls himself Jin. He has at least two active personalities – often clashing with each other in the space of a single sentence. But, I am going to let Emily tell you more about him. She's the drive behind helping him." I prodded my passenger. Your turn to talk. I think I defused most of his temper.
"Father …"