After climbing out to look at the wreckage of the Starflight Express, it was clear that there was going to be no flying anymore unless they could find another way to do it. It was in golden bits and pieces, except for the one car they managed to save themselves in.
The land itself seemed healthy enough around the area. Trees scattered about the place on the flat land to the west of the mountain they smashed into. When Suzuri squinted, she could see rice paddies along the skyline. they were in the far east, all right. Zipang was just a few miles walk from here. Nowhere else in the world grew rice.
Art looked over to Suzuri. "Love," he said gently, "Do you have anything you need to talk about? I see that whoever caused this was an enemy in your past life, too."
"There's a lot of things that need to be talked about," Alicia said, also staring off into the distance. She now understood the beckoning feeling Art and Suzuri experienced in the Tower of Najimi first hand. "Sisters, you remember when the lovebirds were drawn to the tower outside of Aliahan?"
Tara blinked a few times. "Yes."
"I feel that way right now. Like I should head in the direction of those paddies. There's something out there that calls me," Alicia said, unable to even turn to look at them.
"Are you from here?" Angelo asked.
Seth dusted off a tree stump and sat on it. "Zipang used to be a close ally of Romaly back during a war that engulfed all of the world. They're known for being very spiritual, very magical people. Legend has it that the Orochi family has roots there."
"The Orochi?" Alicia asked. "That's... that's what I heard."
Angelo leaned against a tree in his usual fashion. "My, my," he said. "This is all very well, my friends, but if our next plan of action really is to go to Zipang, we should start hoofing it before it gets too dark to do so. We've blown ourselves way off course if we plan on heading to Tantagel to confront the Dragonlord."
Alicia grunted. "Art, Suzuri, you're our team leaders. We started on this adventure because of you and your unborn. You can decide what to do."
Art shook his head, "I'm not the leader. I'm following Suzuri."
Suzuri twitched. "Oh you can't mean-" She suddenly stopped, then said, "Okay fine. Let's move out. We can talk on the way."
Getting down the mountain wasn't so hard, once Art picked up a very slow moving Suzuri. He carried her piggyback until they reached flat land again. Everyone else's path was remarkably easy.
The grasslands smelled like stagnant mud, but that was fine, since no one really took the time to notice the smell. The party passed many monsters and rice paddies before they noticed a gigantic temple in the distance. It seemed to tower over everything else in sight. A beautiful gate decorated with yin-yang symbols stood to separate the village from the grasslands. A capital of spirituality indeed.
Suzuri stood at the door, cringing. She felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up straight. It wasn't a "I don't like this aura," she said. "It's making me nervous." She reached for Art's hand, who also started to shake. "I don't really want to go in there."
"You should frighten you," Angelo said. "Anyone who serves the Goddess Celestria's probably feeling the same way right now. I follow a different faith entirely."
Alicia pressed her hands to the door and pushed the gate open, and the aura only flowed out to make Art and Suzuri grip each other tighter in fear. The place appeared to be nothing but a normal little village at the base of a magnificent temple, but the entire group could sense something different about the place.
"What's wrong, babe?" Seth asked, looking at Alicia.
"I don't know," Alicia whispered, "But I have been here before. I know this place."
A woman stood at the stairs up to the temple. "Visitors!" she said, coming down to greet them. "I have anticipated your arrival."
Alicia stared at the woman. She looked exactly like the ghost she saw at the docks back in the port town. "I... I know you," she breathed out. "Are you Himiko?"
The woman shook her head. "Himiko? Oh dear, no, we haven't heard from our beloved queen for about 200 years," she said with a slight scoff. "She was the one who aided the hero Loto on his quest to defeat Zoma." When she approached the group, she looked directly at Suzuri. "We have a Devout of Celestria here. I am honored."
Suzuri glared at her, feeling Art grip around her shoulders to keep her from flying off the handle. "And you're an Orochi, aren't you?" she asked.
"A servant of the Orochi," the woman replied. "My name is Ei." She bowed before everyone. "I must have forgot my manners. Welcome to Zipang, the land of spirits. Dear guests, come with me to the temple. You seek answers." She turned around and started back up the stairs as the group followed up.
The temple was more than breathtaking. The floors were made of polished wood. It was certain that this temple was not only in charge of ruling the people, but managing the religion to everyone there. Symbols of five headed dragons littered the place.
"I've heard this is the place for the wayward spirits," Alicia said. "Ones who are outside of Celestria's reach."
Ei laughed. "Oh, yes," she said. "All of those who refuse Celestria's grace and peace, or who have been denied it, come to rest here, in our land."
"Is that why this place feels so haunted?" Tara asked.
"That's right," Ei said, showing them to the sanctuary of the temple. "Excuse me," she said to Alicia. "I'm sure you know this feeling. We of the Orochi have been the one who have countered against the light of Celestria since time began. Our Emperor, the Orochi Dragon, has laid many a seed in mortal women so that he might be able to find a way to make one who can come to the depths of hell and live among us inferior humans. Princess, you are the only one to survive."
Alicia shook her head. "I'm afraid I don't understand."
"You are the daughter of our Emperor," Ei explained again. "You can traverse the depths of hell with the downtrodden and damned spirits of the dead, as well as live among us humans and rule in place of the Emperor. Welcome home."
Seth stepped back. "That's why she has the ability to interact with spirits, even though she looks just as mortal as we do. Mortal beings that have no magical blood cannot see spirits as you do. Angels, Dragons, Demons, and from what I understand, the Descendants of Loto, are the only ones who are ever able to see them," he said, looking away. "I sensed something about you, Alicia."
Alicia shook with fear. "Is this... why I grew up alone? Why I was shunned for being different? So I could come and be a ruler of the gate to hell?"
Ei smiled. "It is a time to rejoice! Aren't you happy to have returned to the place you belong?"
"I've always strugged to find a place I belong," Alicia said. "Always out of place. But this? This is furthest from where I wanna be." She stepped back from Ei. "I want to see this world and learn more about it." Then, after she gathered her thoughts, she stood up straight. "I've learned that... where I want to be is where I belong. Unless you're gonna answer my friends' questions, then this isn't where I wanna be."
Seth gave her a nod of approval.
"Princess," Ei said, more sternly, "You're only going to further aggravate the Emperor if you are not careful with your words."
"Let me see him," Alicia said, daring Ei to even try anything just with her expression.
"He will not come without an offering," Ei said darkly. "We will make him an offering, and then you will see the Emperor. This matter will be addressed." She glared over at Suzuri. "All of you are welcome to sleep here in the temple while we prepare to call forth the Emperor. Then he will answer all your questions."
Suzuri muttered, "Much abliged."
Art nudged her for her sarcasm. "Manners, love."
"Aye," Suzuri grunted back at him.
"I'm sorry that the Celestrian Powers do not reach you here, but fill you with fear," Ei said, almost laughing. "There has to be a place for the wayward to travel to, otherwise they might terrorize the rest of the world."
"Maybe that's why you guys revived the Godfreys and the Nightmares?" Tara thought aloud. "Maybe then, you could get revenge on Celestria?"
"That was the work of our Emperor, reviving the Godfrey family of Gittingham," Ei said. "We here in Zipang only service our great Lord, we do not do his work."
"So it was true," Angelo thought aloud.
"Address the Emperor in the morning," Ei said. "For now, rest in our spare room." She opened up a sliding door which revealed six beds arranged neatly along the walls. "We often house the homeless, so we always need room for them to stay." When everyone was inside, she shut the door behind them.
"I don't like this," Tara said. "I hate this."