Standard disclaimers apply
Izumiko Suzahara blinked as the sun streaming through her room at the Tamakura shrine caressed her face with its' warm touch. Izumiko stretched, much like a feline, as she shifted herself so as to place her feet on the floor.
Much had changed over the course of her life, especially since she'd joined Hojo Academy. Ever since she had gotten back from her first year there, the revelations of her true connection to the Hime-gami and of Miyuki's adamant desire to help her carry the burden had been cycling through her mind. Despite the young monk's deep desire to protect her, Izumiko couldn't help feeling apprehension at how the events of the school festival would affect her second year at Hojo Academy.
While Izumiko contemplated this conundrum, Miyuki was at the archery range doing some thinking of his own. However, much like the arrows that kept missing the center of the target, Miyuki couldn't pinpoint what was bothering him so much.
"Ah, the page boy." Stiffening at the sound of his arrogant father's voice, Miyuki turned to face the man with a scowl.
"What do you want?" Yukimasa Sagara, not having expected his son to be so tense, responded with actual concern in his voice:
"Is something wrong?" Miyuki scoffed at the tone in his father's voice; since when had Yukimasa ever cared about his own son? Yukimasa sighed before saying:
"I know I'm hard on you Miyuki but please, try to understand my position. Humanity's fate rests in how you interact with Suzahara." Miyuki stiffened as his father had unknowingly brought up what had been bothering him since the school festival.
"In case you didn't notice, the way I interact with her isn't the problem." Yukimasa, intrigued by what his son was saying, stayed quiet as Miyuki continued:
"Every damn person she comes in contact with wants something from her. Whether it's her spiritual perception or simply her presence, every person and being Suzahara comes in contact with wants to use her for their own gain." Yukimasa was stunned to see Miyuki turn an angry, no, furious gaze upon him as he continued his speech, saying:
"What I find most interesting in this whole equation is that no one ever considers what she wants. And don't you dare deny it!" Miyuki shouted out as the rage he felt over the pattern he had seen over and over again burst forth; "You're all so damn selfish! If she's so important to you, shouldn't what she truly wants be more important than her power?! She's not some toy for you to prostrate yourself to one moment and then manipulate behind her back the next!" Suddenly, Yukimasa burst out laughing, stopping Miyuki's rage as confusion set in. Miyuki's rage threatened to return at Yukimasa's callous response when his next words struck a nerve.
"At last I can see why the Hime-gami chose you. I just can't believe we didn't realize it before." Miyuki was about to ask what Yukimasa meant but he simply smirked and said:
"I'm sorry son; the answer is something you must discover for yourself. Even if I were to tell you now, you would not be willing to believe me unless you had already come to terms with the truth yourself." Miyuki's earlier irritation returned as he asked:
"What truth?" Yukimasa's smug remark did nothing to alleviate his confusion as he said:
"When you can answer that, you'll understand why you want to shelter her as well as help her attain what she wants."
