CHAPTER 1:
MAMORU AND HINANJO
It was midsummer, and the harsh humidity in the air was enough to sap the life out of you. Luckily for those riding the subway, their commute offered them an opportunity to cool off, albeit a brief one as some of their destinations did not merit a long ride.
Among such passengers was lanky, bespectacled Mamoru Watanuki and his wife, Hinanjo. Mamoru was actually glad that this subway ride was going to be a short one since he, Hinanjo and many others had nowhere to sit, leaving them standing and clutching the handles with little room to move due to the bumper-to-bumper crowd of other standing passengers around them.
The subway soon stopped, and as soon as the doors opened, the throng went spilling out the doors like a stream. Mamoru and Hinanjo waited until most of the mass moved out, then they themselves departed.
Their subway ride, in actuality, had been but the first leg on their trek home; once they were out of the station, their next task was to find a bus stop and ride the bus the rest of the way to their neighborhood. This was to be no easy task, as the subway had deposited them right into the heart of the immense metropolis that was Tokyo.
The narrow sidewalks, some exceedingly close to the roads and all the frenzied traffic they held, were congested by hordes almost as massive and restricting as those on the subway. This coupled with the towering skyscrapers on all sides, many adorned with a big mess of advertisements and signs, had Mamoru feeling quite on edge. It was rare for him to venture this far out into the city, but today it was required of him and Hinanjo.
Luckily, though, finding the bus station was simply a matter of retracing their steps, and it didn't take long for Mamoru to re-orient himself with the path they had taken. As certain scenery began to look familiar to him, he remembered that the bus station was only a few blocks from the crosswalk they were approaching.
Both of them had been remarkably silent throughout this long passage from the clinic to the subway up to where they now stood waiting to cross the street. Mamoru assumed (correctly) that the news they were given weighed heavily on his wife, and he thought it best to allow her to process it in peace. Still, he hoped there could be some means by which he could comfort her.
Feeling uncomfortable due to his wife's situation, the crowds and perhaps worst of all, having to stand in the sweltering heat, Mamoru tugged awkwardly at his tie.
"It certainly isn't the best day for me to be wearing this suit, eh Hinanjo?" he said with a nervous laugh.
She said nothing.
"Hinanjo?"
He saw that she was staring absorbedly across the street at a little boy running excitedly to the entrance of a toy store, tugging at his mother's sleeve and ignoring her urgings for him to slow down. Mamoru could see tears forming in his wife's eyes as she looked away from the boy.
"Hinanjo…I…I…" Mamoru uneasily began, "I'm…" He sighed heavily. "Sweetheart, I'm…I'm…I'm so sorry. I really am. I know it's devastating, but I don't know what to say…there's really nothing we can do about it…"
Hinanjo turned to face him, her blue eyes filled with tears and frustration. "Don't talk like that, Mamoru!" she exclaimed. "I can't stand it! It isn't right! I don't care what they told us!" She grabbed the collar of her husband's suit and pulled him close. "There…there has to be something we can do!"
At that moment a chime sounded, signifying that it was safe to cross. With resignation, Hinanjo let go of Mamoru's suit and the two of them walked onwards.
Mamoru exited the bus, relieved to be back in his significantly less hectic neighborhood. He looked and saw Hinanjo departing behind him, her head drooped low and tears still running down her cheeks. She had sobbed quietly but intensely for most of the bus ride.
The news they had gotten from the clinic was just as much of an agonizing blow to him as it was to his wife, but he knew there was absolutely nothing he could do for her, and that caused him the most sorrow of all.
He reached out to hold her hand as they walked homewards, but she violently pushed his arm away, not even making eye contact with him.
After walking in silence for a long while, Mamoru again tried to ease her pain.
"Hinanjo…I know how badly you've wanted a child. I've wanted one just as much as you do, trust me. But…if it can't be so…it's…it's just something we have to accept. Maybe…maybe it's just not meant to be…"
"I told you not to talk like that!"
"Hinanjo, I just want to-"
"Shut up! You know, maybe if we had started trying sooner we wouldn't have to be 'accepting' this!"
"Oh, so this is my fault now? Really? You know full well that I did my best!"
"Don't make a fool of yourself right here in front of everyone, Mamoru!"
"Hinanjo, certain things are beyond our control! It wouldn't have mattered how soon we started trying!" As he spoke, he felt an ominous sensation in his bones that was all too familiar.
No…not now…not here… thought Mamoru, his eyes tightly squeezed shut.
"Mamoru, you know I've wanted a child ever since we got married!" Hinanjo continued, oblivious to her husband's distress. "For you to just…just blow it off like this is the most insensitive thing I've ever…"
Mamoru looked over his shoulder as his wife spoke; his eyes not on her, however, but on a grotesque dark mass that was rapidly approaching him.
"Cripes! I knew it, it's a blasted spirit!" he exclaimed with a scowl. "Of all times…"
This statement was enough to snap Hinanjo out of her anguish, at least momentarily. "A spirit?" she asked Mamoru. "You're seeing one again?"
Mamoru walked faster. "Yes! Get it away from me!" he called out to her. As he tried to outrun the spirit, he felt himself bump up against something hard, and to his surprise, he saw that the spirit was gone.
Unaware of this, Hinanjo gave Mamoru a vigorous pat on the shoulder and declared "Go away!"
Mamoru looked behind him, stunned. "What are you doing, Hinanjo?"
"You told me to get that spirit away from you," said Hinanjo.
"But…it disappeared before you even touched me…"
Presently Mamoru saw that he and Hinanjo were standing by a tall wooden fence which surrounded a peculiar house. It grabbed Mamoru's attention and he paused to get a closer look.
Hinanjo noticed that he had ceased walking. "Mamoru? What are you looking at?"
"Was this house here before?" Mamoru muttered.
Hinanjo came closer and examined the house along with him. "I don't think so…"
The two of them peered beyond the fence, the posts of which were adorned with crescent moon shapes on top. The house's architecture was a curious blend of Eastern and Western design, and its antiquated appearance contrasted with the skyscrapers it sat among. Yet the house was in surprisingly good shape despite its apparent age.
As Mamoru continued to gaze at the house, a strange urge suddenly came over him. He began to walk past the fence as if hypnotized, his eyes wide and his legs seemingly moving on their own.
"Mamoru! What are you doing?" asked Hinanjo.
Mamoru continued walking. The house was like a magnet pulling him in.
Hinanjo grabbed his arm. "Mamoru! Snap out of it! We have to get home!"
Mamoru flinched and blinked rapidly, coming to his senses. "Huh? What…what am I doing?"
"You shouldn't just go waltzing into other people's houses without asking!" Hinanjo reprimanded.
"I know, but…something about this house…I wanted to get closer. But I don't know why…"
As Mamoru spoke, there came the sound of the doors opening. He and Hinanjo looked towards the sound in surprise. There in the doorway stood two little girls, one with long blue pigtails that nearly reached the ground, and another with much shorter pink hair.
"Would you like to come in now?" They asked in unison.
"Erm…err…sorry…" Mamoru stammered. "We didn't…we didn't…"
"We just sort of walked here by accident," Hinanjo interjected.
This evidently mattered not to the girls.
"We have customers!" said the blue-haired girl.
"We have customers!" The pink-haired one repeated.
Before Mamoru and Hinanjo could say anything else, the blue-haired girl grabbed Mamoru's arm, the pink-haired girl grabbed Hinanjo's, and they were led inside.
"Customers?" asked Mamoru. "Is…is this a shop?"
"Yes!" said the blue-haired girl.
"This is a shop where wishes are granted!" said the pink-haired girl.
"A what?" Hinanjo said.
"Any kind of wish can be granted here…" began the blue-haired one.
"…if it's something the mistress can do!" finished the pink-haired one.
The girls led Mamoru and Hinanjo to the blue sliding doors at the end of the hallway. Then they let go of their arms, and opened the doors to reveal where this "mistress" awaited them.
Past the thick haze of smoke that cloaked the room, Mamoru and Hinanjo could see an elegant sofa. Lying on it was a woman with long black hair, donning a red kimono with a large yellow bow tied around the waist.
She sat upright and looked towards her visitors, her crimson eyes staring gravely.
"There is no such thing as coincidence," she said, "there is only the inevitable. Therefore, your entering my shop is inevitable as well."
A chill ran down Mamoru's spine, and he stood as though chained to the spot. Hinanjo, on the other hand, was more intrigued than anxious.
"What is this place?" she asked. "Can wishes really be granted here?"
"Yes," said the woman, "as long as I receive the proper payment."
"Hinanjo, this is nonsense!" Mamoru urged. "We have to get out of here!" He then looked the woman in the face, his heart beating wildly. "Who are you?"
"You really want to know?" she answered. "I am Yuko Ichihara."
"Well, Yuko, we-"
"Naturally, it's an alias," Yuko interrupted.
"Then…then why did you tell us anyway?" Mamoru exclaimed.
"And I take it that you've met my helpers as well," Yuko continued, motioning towards the two girls. "They are Maru and Moro."
"Enough chit-chat! We need to leave!"
"Mamoru! What is your problem?" Hinanjo asked angrily.
Mamoru turned to his wife. "She's giving me a really awful feeling," he muttered through gnashed teeth.
"Like another bad spirit? Or do you think she's a liar?"
"No…she just…I feel like I've harmed her…but I don't know why."
"The fact that you two are here means that you have a wish," said Yuko. She looked squarely at Hinanjo. "You in particular. There is something you are yearning for more than anything, is there not?"
Hinanjo's eyes widened. "You….you mean…you…could…"
"Tell me what you want," said Yuko, "and if you are willing and able to give me the proper compensation, I will help you."
Hinanjo turned to Mamoru. "Should we…?"
Mamoru looked down, trepidation in his eyes.
Hinanjo put her hand on his shoulder. "You said you wanted this just as much as I do, right?"
"I did," said Mamoru quietly, "and I meant it. But still…"
"Mamoru, what do you mean by 'harmed' her? This is the first time you've met her, isn't it?"
"Yes, but I just feel some kind of connection to her…and it's an unpleasant one."
"Unpleasant?"
Mamoru looked away and sighed, struggling with an answer. This feeling Yuko gave him…it resonated in his every bone and sinew, and even made him feel a bit sick, but he didn't know how to describe it.
He hesitantly turned his eyes back to Hinanjo. "She…she doesn't frighten you, does she?"
"No."
Mamoru shrugged. "Then maybe my mind is just playing tricks on me. But in any event, we've already done all we can…"
"You're right," said Hinanjo. She and Mamoru approached Yuko and, with a deep sigh of apprehension, Hinanjo poured her heart out to the enigmatic wish-granter. When she spoke of the news from the clinic, the news that she would not be able to have children, she fell to her knees and wept, the impact still very fresh. Mamoru knelt beside her, embracing her and whispering gently into her ear.
He then looked up at Yuko. "She…she and I both…our wish is for a child."
Hinanjo also turned to face Yuko. "I don't care what they said! I believe with all my heart that there must be something else that can be done! If you really can grant any wish, you're our only hope!"
Yuko was silent for a moment, contemplating this. "I said before that your coming here was inevitable," she said. "From the looks of your situation, I may indeed be your only hope." She then procured a small vial filled with a clear liquid from the recesses of her kimono.
"What is that?" asked Mamoru.
"The answer to your troubles," said Yuko. "When your wife drinks this serum, you will be able to have a child."
Hinanjo was awestruck. "Is…is that true?"
Yuko nodded. "But it will work only once. For there is one specific life that you are meant to bring to fruition."
"Is that the price then?" asked Hinanjo. "That it only works once?"
"No," said Yuko. "The price is far greater than that. Are you willing to pay it?"
"If it will really work, I'll pay anything!"
"Hinanjo, don't be foolish!" said Mamoru.
"Foolish?" asked Hinanjo irately.
"You don't even know what the price is! Who knows what kind of mischief she's got up her sleeve?"
"Why so suspicious of me?" said Yuko to Mamoru.
Mamoru cringed, grinding his teeth and breaking out in a sweat. He could resist it no longer. His gaze sank and he leaned down on the floor, bowing regretfully. "Forgive me…please…"
"Forgive you for what?" asked Yuko.
"For whatever I did to you…I mean, I…I feel like I've done something horrible, but this is the first time we've met…"
Yuko looked upon him with understanding. "I know why you feel this way," she said, "but you have not wronged me."
Mamoru looked up, his eyes wide and questioning.
"The shame you feel is not your own." With just a touch of contempt, she added, "It is a link to who came before you. Connections never fade even when those who create them are long gone."
"Mamoru, what is she talking about?" asked Hinanjo.
"It is not for either of you to know at this point," said Yuko.
Mamoru sat straight up. "All right!" he snapped. "That's enough! Let's just get to the bloody price already!"
"Very well, then," said Yuko, quite unperturbed. "The price is…both of your spiritual abilities."
Mamoru and Hinanjo stared in shock.
"What?" said Mamoru.
"You see spirits, don't you?" said Yuko.
Mamoru nodded.
"And you," said Yuko, looking at Hinanjo, "you can drive them away from him with a single touch."
"Yes," said Hinanjo. "I did that just before we came in, actually…but this time he said it went away before I could."
"That is because he came in contact with the fence. My fence is a barrier."
"Ah," muttered Mamoru. It made sense now.
"Believe me when I say that these abilities of yours would prove very useful in protecting your child," said Yuko. "But…will you be able to cope with the lack of them?"
"Well…to be honest," said Mamoru, scratching the back of his head and smiling shyly, "seeing spirits can be a wee bit tiresome at times…"
"But if you do not see them, you cannot keep your child safe from them. And as for your wife, if she cannot repel them…that is just as disastrous."
Mamoru and Hinanjo gasped.
"Think about it…is it truly worth it to you?"
Hinanjo looked down and thought hard about it. The memory of her diagnosis came to mind, and once again she began to cry. No, her yearning would not go unanswered.
"Yes…I'll pay that price!"
Mamoru looked over at his wife and the tearful insistence she displayed. He turned to Yuko and nodded, his brow furrowed in resolve. "And I will pay as well."
Yuko smiled. "Very well then." She took the lid off the vial and handed it to Hinanjo. "Your wish…will be granted."
Hinanjo held the vial in her hand, staring apprehensively at it for a moment. Then she could hesitate no longer, and imbibed the sweet-tasting liquid in one quick swallow. At once she was struck with a feeling of warmth and vitality that swiftly changed to a strange lightheadedness, as though the power of the substance overwhelmed her.
"Are you all right?" asked Mamoru.
Hinanjo grew faint and slumped over. Mamoru caught her quickly before she could hit the floor.
"Hinanjo!" He shook her, but she did not wake up. He turned to Yuko. "Wh-wh-what just happened? Is she okay? And…and what about our powers?"
"Your powers will not leave you completely until your child is conceived," said Yuko. "As for your wife, carry her home. She will wake up in a few hours."
Mamoru lifted Hinanjo into his arms and began to walk out. "Thank you."
Just before he reached the door, something came to mind. "Yuko…will our child inherit either one of our powers?"
"Yes," she said. "And the one he will end up with…is inevitable."
