Jisedai
by Vega
~~~
Spoilers: Entire Series and all three OVAs
~~~
Chapter One: "Key"
~~~
Four years.
Four years had passed since I'd watched my little sister get swallowed up by the red light, pulled inexplicably into the ancient novel. Four years since I had read her life. Four years since Taka-san had served my sister that cup of hot chocolate.
Three years since I had witnessed the return of the fallen Shitisenshi. Three years since the destruction of the wanna-be god Tenkou that had warped Nakago to his cause, that had been the reason for all of Yui-chan's suffering.
Eleven months since the marriage of my sister and her fiancee, of the Suzaku no Miko and Tamahome, her eternal protector. Eleven months since my nephew had been created - a living Shinzaho.
Six months since Mayo-san had come to her senses, relinquished her claim over my brother-in-law, summoned Suzaku along with my sister, and returned to this world. Six months since my sister woke up, her child back in her own womb, and the red power of Suzaku shining contentedly from behind her flushed cheeks. Once a Miko, always a Miko.
Two months since Mayo-san accepted the basketball scholarship to an out of town highschool and moved.
One month since my nephew was born. I half expected to see the mark of "Oni" glowing on his forehead, but there was none.
Two days since I finished the painstaking repair on the Shiji Tenshi Sho. Two days since the hot glue gun and burned my knuckle, since I'd cut open the tip of my finger on the paper shredder, since I'd spilled the white out on my best pair of pants, and since I'd gotten the tape caught in my hair.
Two days since all was set right in the Universe of the Four Gods.
With the pages repaired and the book held with love once more, the citizens of Sailou, Konan, Kutou, and Hokkan were relieved of the floods, fires, droughts, and vermin that had slowly been taking over their world as the novel fell into disrepair.
And now I stood before the shining wall of safety deposit boxes, clutching the novel carefully between bandaged hands, and weighing my options. The safest thing to do with it would be to burn it - but could I really condone the genocide of thousands of innocent people just because they existed in a world where gods ate Miko? And if I were to destroy the book, would Taka cease to exist? And my nephew? And my sister and her best friend?
I couldn't burn it.
I couldn't risk returning it to the library either, or keeping it on my own book shelf where someone could just take it by accident. I couldn't donate it to any private collections for fear of another Tenkou rising. So I did the only thing I thought was right - I dropped the kami-forsaken thing into the metal box, slammed down the lid, and shoved it into it's place in the wall. The bank clerk beside me raised an eyebrow, but said nothing as she closed the door on the safety deposit box, locked it, then handed me the key.
I thanked her quickly and fled, a nagging feeling of guilt in the back of my head.
But I had done the right thing, hadn't I? No one would ever be sucked into that book again - no one. With that self proclamation, I took one last look at the deposit box key in my hand and chucked it towards the nearby river.
Let the damned book stay there for all eternity.
by Vega
~~~
Spoilers: Entire Series and all three OVAs
~~~
Chapter One: "Key"
~~~
Four years.
Four years had passed since I'd watched my little sister get swallowed up by the red light, pulled inexplicably into the ancient novel. Four years since I had read her life. Four years since Taka-san had served my sister that cup of hot chocolate.
Three years since I had witnessed the return of the fallen Shitisenshi. Three years since the destruction of the wanna-be god Tenkou that had warped Nakago to his cause, that had been the reason for all of Yui-chan's suffering.
Eleven months since the marriage of my sister and her fiancee, of the Suzaku no Miko and Tamahome, her eternal protector. Eleven months since my nephew had been created - a living Shinzaho.
Six months since Mayo-san had come to her senses, relinquished her claim over my brother-in-law, summoned Suzaku along with my sister, and returned to this world. Six months since my sister woke up, her child back in her own womb, and the red power of Suzaku shining contentedly from behind her flushed cheeks. Once a Miko, always a Miko.
Two months since Mayo-san accepted the basketball scholarship to an out of town highschool and moved.
One month since my nephew was born. I half expected to see the mark of "Oni" glowing on his forehead, but there was none.
Two days since I finished the painstaking repair on the Shiji Tenshi Sho. Two days since the hot glue gun and burned my knuckle, since I'd cut open the tip of my finger on the paper shredder, since I'd spilled the white out on my best pair of pants, and since I'd gotten the tape caught in my hair.
Two days since all was set right in the Universe of the Four Gods.
With the pages repaired and the book held with love once more, the citizens of Sailou, Konan, Kutou, and Hokkan were relieved of the floods, fires, droughts, and vermin that had slowly been taking over their world as the novel fell into disrepair.
And now I stood before the shining wall of safety deposit boxes, clutching the novel carefully between bandaged hands, and weighing my options. The safest thing to do with it would be to burn it - but could I really condone the genocide of thousands of innocent people just because they existed in a world where gods ate Miko? And if I were to destroy the book, would Taka cease to exist? And my nephew? And my sister and her best friend?
I couldn't burn it.
I couldn't risk returning it to the library either, or keeping it on my own book shelf where someone could just take it by accident. I couldn't donate it to any private collections for fear of another Tenkou rising. So I did the only thing I thought was right - I dropped the kami-forsaken thing into the metal box, slammed down the lid, and shoved it into it's place in the wall. The bank clerk beside me raised an eyebrow, but said nothing as she closed the door on the safety deposit box, locked it, then handed me the key.
I thanked her quickly and fled, a nagging feeling of guilt in the back of my head.
But I had done the right thing, hadn't I? No one would ever be sucked into that book again - no one. With that self proclamation, I took one last look at the deposit box key in my hand and chucked it towards the nearby river.
Let the damned book stay there for all eternity.
