Update (2/21/2016): Additional edits and corrections.
Eiko had grown more listless with time as Jiro told the story. She kept walking but she was looking worse all the time. Her hair, eyebrows, and the haori she wore were coated with frost. He prayed it wasn't his touch that had done it… She had stopped shivering now, but that wasn't a good sign. It meant her body was "giving in"; no longer even trying to keep itself warm.
Yet when he was done, she blinked and, in spite of her weak eyes, managed to look into his.
"So…that's who you are…and that's who I am…"
Jiro nodded, smiling weakly. "…Who'd have thought, huh?"
Eiko looked down, remaining silent for a moment.
"…I won't say I 'knew', but…somehow I felt it was true. I felt it in my heart… Seeing you…you didn't look like much of a stranger when we met. Part of me…I think was waiting for that moment my entire life… Something about when I was a child…seemed off. Like something should have been there but wasn't…"
Jiro's head bowed. "Now you see this is all my fault, Eiko. It was because I couldn't bear it any longer. I thought…I thought 'if only I intervene…if I do something that makes the fight just a little more in her favor…she'll live and everything will be alright…'" He sighed. "If only you had shot us a moment earlier, you would have had enough power to stop him for good."
"But…I would have killed you…"
"Who cares? What does the world lose? Some little mischievous kami who likes playing jokes and entertaining kids?"
"Jiro."
The sudden firmness of Eiko's voice made the frost kami look up, and he saw sudden strength in her gaze.
"You want to protect me. You want me to be alive and happy. But…but now that I know where my feelings come from…now that I know who I am…" She looked more anxiously at him, actually reaching out her hand and placing it on his chest.
"…Do you honestly think I want to live a long life without you?"
The young man was taken aback.
"Do you think I would have loved being in any sort of world that didn't have you in it? I can die, Jiro…because I can come back. But not you. You would have sentenced me to eternity without you. How long do you think my soul could have been 'calm' then? How happy do you think I could have been? You saw it yourself. Look at the person I am without you at my side, Jiro. Scared…timid…uncertain…weak…"
"But you're not weak, Eiko!" He insisted. "You've always been wiser and stronger than any other woman I've ever known! No matter in what form you were reborn as!"
"But I could never look past my weaknesses! And I did have them, no matter how perfect you thought I was! I could never see past any failure I ever made! Any mistake I made! I lived in a world of mortals who judged me and condemned me! Who told me everything that made me special was a blight and a curse! And I wasn't strong enough to see anything different! Jiro…you always helped me realize what I was! Like you tried to tell me: you saw that there was 'beauty' in my power! Something good! It doesn't matter how great I was if I could never see past everything I failed at!
"You gave me something nobody else could give me! My sister could give me her love, but she couldn't give me the one thing I wanted…happiness! The only time I've ever felt happy is when I've been with you! I couldn't live in a world without that! I couldn't destroy the only man I ever loved! The one who loved me just for who I was and not because I was a queen or powerful! The one who's standing next to me right now when I'm a powerless wretch being left to freeze to death!"
Jiro couldn't answer, but he was stunned. He had never expected that. He supposed he should have, but he had assumed, maybe because she had no memory of her past lives, that Eiko couldn't really feel the same way he did. As strongly as him. And yet, now that her heart was open and everything in her spirit came back to her, he realized the same thing he had: even without memory, they knew they were meant for each other. Their love transcended time.
Somehow both knew…even when they met each other fighting to the death…that they belonged to one another.
Jiro tried to think of something else to say. They continued to walk around, and Eiko grew quiet and cringed once again; her body weakening a bit more with each step. Yet the kami was so focused on what she said he hardly noticed, and still wanted to say something in reply but couldn't find the words. Finally, Eiko slowed in her step and bowed her head. Her eyes slowly closed and a smile spread across her face.
"Ah…that's better…"
Jiro, shaken from his thoughts, blinked. "Huh?"
"Warm…it feels warm…" Eiko answered as she leaned her head up, but kept her eyes closed. She actually began to pull up and out of the haori. "It feels great…can't you feel it, Jiro?"
The young man continued to look puzzled. "No…no, it's not, Eiko. It's still freezing."
"No…really…it's so warm…it's even hot… Makes me want to pull this robe off…" Her hands actually began to reach for it.
At that point, Jiro realized what was happening, and his face tightened in fear. Quickly, he grasped Eiko's arms and pulled them away from the robe, and then pulled it close around her again.
"Eiko, no. It's not warm. It's not warm at all." He said firmly, almost insistently. "Now open your eyes. Keep your eyes open."
Eiko only let out a sigh as her head slumped again. "I'm tired, Jiro… So tired… I'm mortal now...I need to sleep... Please…let me sleep…just a little while…" Her legs began to weaken. She began to sink.
"Eiko, no!" Jiro shouted more insistently, seizing her by the arms and forcing her up. "Open your eyes! You can't go to sleep! You're freezing to death!" He began to violently shake her. "Open your eyes! Stand up!"
It wasn't doing any good. The woman only continued to slump. "Please… Just…a few…minutes…" She muttered, and said no more. Her legs simply gave way beneath her all together.
Before she could collapse, Jiro quickly shot out, put his arms around her, and lifted her up. Yet he again cursed himself. Just holding her up like this, so close to his body, was making her colder than ever.
"Eiko! Open your eyes!"
No reaction at all. The woman had either fallen asleep…or…
"Wake up!" He shook her again. "You have to wake up!"
Still nothing. She was lifeless in his arms. He didn't even risk taking her pulse although he wanted to, because he knew his touch would only subject her to more cold. To his horror he could do nothing. He had no powers. No way of making heat. Not even a cape or cloak to put around her. He was holding her so close now, as close as he had always wanted, and doing so was only hastening her demise.
"Eiko…please…wake up…"
Still no response from the hime. Even without feeling her pulse he knew she was fading quickly. This ice chamber would have been death to anyone, but to a woman who was nude save for a robe? And he couldn't do anything about it. He couldn't even slow it down…
She was dying again and he was again helpless to do anything except watch her die.
"Eiko…" Tears began to fill his eyes as he held her…watching her turn paler yet...
The painful terror began to sink into him. He fell to his knees, still holding onto her. Helpless again. Always helpless. No matter what he did this was always the same result: her body in his arms. The fear and sadness came into his heart.
Yet in spite of that, his anger began to surge as well.
I love this woman. She's the most important thing in the entire world to me. I'd do absolutely anything for her. And I can't do anything except watch her suffer and die. At a time like this…when she needs me more than ever…I can't do anything. Not a single thing. I'm the only one in the world who can help her and I might as well not even exist. All I can do is make her suffering worse…
…
…What good am I to her if I can't ever help her?! What good am I to anyone if I can't do anything to help the dearest person in the world to me?!
Tears were rolling down Jiro's cheeks, but his face began to tighten up. His teeth clenched. He reached out, seized Eiko more fiercely, hugged her rapidly-freezing body to his, and then looked skyward. His eyes were filled with anger…perhaps a touch of hate…and desperation.
"…I know you're up there. I know you can hear me." He stated through clenched teeth. "I don't know if you've been watching me 'act things out' for three years and getting some sort of sick joy from it…if this is part of some 'greater design'…if you stopped talking to me because I rebelled against you…or if you honestly couldn't do anything about all of this. And right now, I don't care. You all know that I've never apologized for anything in my life. That I've never bowed down to anyone before or treated anyone with reverence. Even when I was still your frost kami I barely heeded you except when it interested me. And you know I have too much pride to ever fully bow to anyone."
Jiro risked moving Eiko away from him and lying her body on the ground.
After that, he fully prostrated himself.
"You want to see me humbled? You want to see me groveling before you? Here I am. I'm powerless, helpless, and without anything in the world. I've never asked anything from you before in my life…but right now, I'm begging you with all my heart and soul…please…please…save her. Just this once…and I'll never question you again. I'll do whatever you command or demand of me. Even if you want to throw me into the foulest hell, I'll go willingly. Just…please… Just. This. Once."
Silence greeted him; not only in the real world, but also in Jiro's mind. They hadn't spoken to him at all since the day he walked out on them. Yet he kept listening. They had other ways of speaking, after all. As tears rolled and his anger gave way to total humility and humbleness, he lay there and prayed silently that they would hear him. She hadn't completed her "task" yet. They still needed her didn't they?
Slowly, he leaned his head up from the ground. He wanted to look to her…see how bad she was…
And then he saw it.
They were surrounded by walls of ice, but he could see movement on the other side of the one in front of him. It was faint. Normally he would have dismissed it as a trick of light. Yet as he looked on a bit longer, he made it out distinctly: movement on the other side. It was rippling, waving, painting streaks against the opposite side of the ice wall and then fading again.
Heat.
He blinked twice to clear his tears, and then quickly got to his feet. In an instant, he scrambled over to the ice wall for a closer look. It was thick and solid. A good four feet thick, in fact. But it was also clear enough to where he could see through to the other side. It was an open chamber of some sort. He supposed it figured. After all, between the fire that had been put out, as well as the fact that this mountain had to have been the result of magma and the world shifting, there would be geothermal features under the snow and ice…like a hot spring.
A hot spring!
Jiro slapped his palm against the ice wall and grinned for joy. Yet his enthusiasm died almost immediately. This ice was solid and four feet thick, and without his staff he could do next to nothing. Even if he could somehow find a rock or tool to chip away at this ice Eiko didn't have that time. She couldn't possibly have more than minutes.
Feeling his anger swell again, Jiro punched the wall in fury, not even caring that he bruised three knuckles doing so. He told himself to think; try to find a way around this. He wasn't totally powerless like this… He couldn't be! He was a kami! He had to have something he could do! What could he do without the aid of his staff? Make things colder that he touched…frost things over…chill the air…all things he didn't need. He clenched his teeth angrily. So many of his powers were just used for cold or offense. He didn't have anything that everyone could just "appreciate", like those silly rabbits he had made…
The rabbits!
Quickly, Jiro swept his hand over the wall. A few tiny pieces of ice broke off, separated into tiny bits, and then formed a small snow rabbit. This one didn't move. He needed his staff to work it like a puppet for fine actions. However, he didn't care. A tiny amount of ice had been separated from the wall to make it. Quickly, he seized the rabbit, flung it away, and then ran his hands along the wall again.
In moments, dozens…hundreds of snow rabbits were being formed from the wall. Jiro generated them as fast as he could and either moved them behind him with his power or tossed them out of the way. In a short time, he was visibly eroding the wall. He wanted to look back to Eiko, knowing full well the longer this was taking the sooner she would be beyond help. Yet he used that fear only to push himself harder as he made more of them.
An odd pile of the snowy figures was soon growing in the room. They seemed to almost shower off of Jiro as he kept working. He grew more frantic as he continued. The bunnies grew smaller and more mishapened, but he continued to make them. He actually worked up a sweat continuing to work. He also didn't notice that his already weakened body was at its limit. He was draining himself dry. His own knees began to wobble. He panted as beads of salty sweat came off his brow, but still he kept pushing.
Finally, the room on the other side gave way to air. He felt a trace of a lukewarm breeze on his hand. Immediately he stopped trying to tunnel. At this point a pile of snow rabbits were gathered at his feet, and he furiously dug and kicked them out of the way with power he didn't have while he enlarged the hole. He only did so until he was certain that he could squeeze Eiko through and then turned around, snapped back into the room, and scooped up the queen "bridal style" as fast as he could.
She was still pale and frost-lined, and it terrified him that she was so wan. He dreaded to think how cold she was. But soon, he brought her into the new chamber.
Finally getting a good look at it, he noticed that the walls were glistening a bit with moisture but not melting. It was far too cold for that. In fact, the only bit of warmth was a shallow pool from the spring in the middle of the chamber pouring off steam. It made the room slightly warmer, and he could feel that, but it wasn't too terribly warm from this far.
He lay Eiko down next to the spring, hoping to get his hands off of her as soon as possible. He felt weak and dizzy himself by now. Heat didn't hurt him but it did leave him out of sorts. And he was already so weakened… His own consciousness was starting to slip, but he shook the hime…
"Eiko…wake up… It's warm in here…"
Unfortunately, she didn't stir at all and he could see why. The only warmth was coming from the hot spring, and it was so sharply cold everywhere else that all the woman would get is a few warm breezes, even this close to it. It might be enough if she was "chilly", but she was freezing to death; perhaps her heart having already stopped from hypothermia…
She needed more than this. In spite of getting hard to think, Jiro looked up weakly to the hot spring itself. Slipping her in there would probably be better but he saw that the water was boiling. Switching out "boiling to death" wasn't much of a substitute for freezing to death.
However, he got an idea. He generated, cold, right?
With that in mind, he quickly reached down and took off his pants. He might need the cloth for her later. He left his undergarment cloth on, but he dipped his feet into the water. Sure enough, it was so boiling that he let out a mild cry but quickly his own innate coldness cooled it off. He had no reference for "an ice cube in a hot drink", but the water around him went quickly from boiling and scalding to a more restful warmth. Still pretty warm, enough to where one didn't normally want to stay too long, but…
Jiro slipped in the rest of the way, and it nearly made him swoon…but it also went up to his neck. Panting again, his head lolling, he stopped just long enough to see that the water had stopped boiling around his body. It was still doing so farther out, but the area nearest him was only warm. With that in mind, and starting to fully realize just how weakened he was, he leaned back out of the water and grasped Eiko.
"Come on… Stay with me just a few more seconds…"
By now, he was so weak he could only drag her. He brought her close enough to the water to lower her own lower legs in, and then reached up and pulled off the haori. He had no time to blush at her naked body. He only used all the strength he could muster to pull her into the hot spring. Soon, the water frothed around her as she sank to her neck.
Jiro quickly drew in close, putting his arms around her to keep the water warm but not hot enough to burn. His own head nodded, nearly falling on her shoulder.
"It's warm, Eiko… So come on…wake up for me…"
In spite of his own fading consciousness he realized he could finally touch her freely. Just holding her close like this brought him a small measure of joy, but she had to wake up. He had to stay up long enough for her to wake up… His own senses were blurring. The steam and heat was too much for him. But he still held…waiting…praying…
Give me a sign of life, Eiko… Please…
He nearly passed out, and still she was still in his arms. His momentarily joy began to fade. Fear started to sink into his heart.
"Mmm…"
But finally, moments before unconsciousness, he felt the woman stir in his grip as she made just the smallest noise.
Letting out one last sigh of relief, Jiro passed out.
"I think he's coming around."
"Pft. Probably would have woke him up sooner if you just buried him in the snow…"
Jiro's mind was so disconnected and stressed from everything that he barely recognized who was talking or what was being said. He didn't know what had happened, where he was, or how he had gotten there. As he cracked open his eyes and saw faces looking over him, and above it a rough ceiling looking hewn from ice, he showed nothing but lack of recognition for a few moments.
One of the faces turned to concern while the other exhaled and moved back.
"Looks like he was knocked for a loop… Jiro? Can you hear me?"
"He'll be alright. The kenshusei is so thick-headed he wouldn't even know it if he had his brains bashed in…"
Jiro blinked a few more times, and slowly both reality and what happened came to him. He found that he was lying on the ground again and that he had been dressed in his clothes once more. He wasn't making direct contact with the ice. Rather, it seemed as if a familiar soft cape was spread out for him to lie on. His memory registered the smiling face looking over him. It was Takara.
As awareness came back to him with it soon came a multitude of questions and concerns, not the least of which was what he was doing there, how he had gotten there, and what had happened to Eiko. Yet before he could speak, a booming, jolly voice called out.
"I'm not so sure about that…but he must have a bit of me rubbed off upon him to have stood up to all of that."
The frost kami's eyes widened, and for just a moment his concerns were removed. In a flash, he sat up; ignoring the pounding to his head or the aches from his old injuries and wounds, which he failed to realize had been treated as best as possible and bound in cloth. As soon as he was up, he winced and blinked to clear his vision, then saw a welcome sight.
Sitting cross-legged in the same area, which seemed to be some sort of ice formation like a cave, the Jolly Bear crossed his arms with a smile on his face. His beard was singed and he smelled of burnt flesh and ash all over. He looked rather haggard and worn, like sitting up and smiling was all he could do for right now, and parts of his skin were blackened, but he was also quite alive.
The kami's mouth hung open.
To this, Nobuyuki gave a chuckle. "Heh, why so shocked, Jiro? Didn't think a little thing like bathing in lava was going to do me in, did you? True…I stayed 'in the tub' far longer than I wished and I might have been roasted if the lava hadn't cooled when it did, but as if such a short, small excursion could leave any mark on me, heh!"
Takara grimaced. "Don't be too cocky, Nobuyuki… Your skin just finished regrowing less than a quarter of an hour ago. I thought you were some hideous undead when you clawed your way out of the rock and ice…"
"You too, Takara?" Nobuyuki chuckled, holding up a fist. "I wouldn't be much of a Jolly Bear if I was scared of a touch of heat!" He pounded himself on the chest.
Yet, in spite of his boasting, Jiro saw his eyes water and his teeth stiffen at that. Apparently, just touching himself where flesh had recently regrown was enough to drive him into pain. He almost fell back but he managed to keep his smile and kept grinning.
A snort rang out. "And you say you rubbed off on the kid… Sure with that cocky attitude part of him didn't rub off on you?"
Jiro turned his head to one side and saw the other two. Takeshi was leaned up against a wall of ice, yet had somehow either scared up a cape or found his old one, draping it over his back to keep from making contact with the wall. Furthermore, his sides were also heavily bound, and he looked to be in far more pain than Nobuyuki. Near him, also leaning against the wall and seeming to be in slightly less pain, was Satoru. He managed a smile and a jingle when Jiro spotted him. The Ghost Hare, on the other hand, gave him a harder look.
"I knew you'd slip up some day. And sure enough, you almost get yourself killed. You always were too full of your power. Not much good without your staff, though, is it? You lucked out."
Takara cracked a half smile. "Really? That's all you want to say to Jiro after all those moments you had and now that he's finally awake?"
The rabbit-eared man snorted. "He still should have let us in on what he was doing, even if he just happened to end up doing the right thing. It would have avoided a lot of this mess…"
"I was thinking you would let him in on what happened…" The Tooth Dragon playfully answered. "How once Nobuyuki was back and he helped us warm up a bit, we went out looking for him and Eiko and expected to find them dead, and instead when we found them in that hot spring, safe and sound, how you literally broke down in tears…"
Jiro's eyes snapped open wide, although Takeshi's turned even wider before his face flushed red. "Hey…hey! Wait a-"
"How you choked up when you talked about him being dead…" Takara nearly whistled as she looked to the frozen ceiling.
The kami's eyes looked like they would fall out of his head as Takeshi's ears collapsed. He snapped to him. "You…you really did all…"
"I was a little happy to see you were alright just because that meant I would have a chance to formally apologize for having insulted you before this began!" The Ghost Hare snapped back defensively. "Do you know what that would do to my conscience if I had wronged you, you died, and I never had a chance to atone for it? I couldn't call myself a samurai ever again!"
He paused momentarily.
"…I'm sorry. There."
Jiro was stunned, while Takeshi crossed his arms, frowned, and did his best to look like his normal irritable self. The frost kami had to try hard not to bust into a giggle. There was a point where he would have burst out laughing just to see the Ghost Hare squirm. But after everything that had happened back there, Jiro realized, for all the arguing he did with Takeshi, just like the others…they meant a lot to him. And even knowing who he really was, he realized they still meant a lot to him. During his years going around spreading frost, or even spreading fun, he realized he had playmates but no friends. The gods were hardly good companions. They just called him when they needed something. He was pretty sure now why he had ended up gravitating to the Jido no Hogu-sha so much. They saw the world a lot like him. They enjoyed his fun-loving nature. Most of all…because they were his first real friends.
So for once, Jiro let it slide.
"…Apology accepted."
Takeshi didn't look to him again, but his face didn't turn angry.
Now that the Jido-no-Hogu-sha were confirmed safe, Jiro turned back to Takara and Nobuyuki. "But how did I get here? Where's Eiko? She was-"
Takara stopped him by putting up her hand. "Fine, Jiro. Just fine. See for yourself." She gestured to one side.
The young man looked and got a pleasant, if not unexpected, surprise.
A small iron pit was perched on the rock and ice, with a small fire blazing in it. Lying next to it, however, on a futon under several thick blankets, was Eiko. She looked far more healthy now. Her head injury had been cleaned and tended, her skin was once again rosy, and she was neither shivering nor still; just breathing slowly, clearly asleep. In her current position, she looked both warm and comfortable.
"Smart thinking, what you did…although I don't see how you could have found a hot spring to begin with…" Nobuyuki answered. "Impossible to see much through this ice, after all. You got her inside just in time, and it seems your own power kept the water cool enough to just warm her instead of burning her. When we found you, you were totally exhausted. You were nearly sliding under the water and taking her with you but we pulled you out. After that, I carried you back in one arm and, after Takara dried her off and bundled her up, Eiko in the other."
Jiro remained confused. "But where did you find that mattress? Those blankets? The iron pit with the fuel?"
Takara winced and bowed her head, clearly looking uneasy. Nobuyuki's own head lowered slightly, but he explained.
"…Akiko's love…is like a fire that nothing can quench. Not in 200 years have I found a spirit so fiery and passionate…yet also as innocent, simple, hopeful, and full of wonder as a child. In spite of everything that has happened, in spite of how she has to be suffering and despairing at this very moment, her belief in us…her belief in her sister…has yet to diminish. It's her love, her desire to see Eiko happy, that allowed me to use my 'gift technique' and give her these things. They're Akiko's gifts to her sister. She must have known deep down inside her sister would need means to keep warm, and she wished I could make these for her, and so I did."
"She even wished for a winter outfit for her…" Takara quietly added. "She must have known she'd need to move around…"
"That kid…so simple…so naïve…" Takeshi murmured. "It's an unforgivable sin that anyone would want to hurt her. This world already has so much innocence choked out of it by the bastards in power… Some dirty son of a bitch trying to take advantage of hers…"
Jiro couldn't help but agree with Takeshi. He had nearly forgotten about Akiko, but now that he thought on it, while Akiko's spirit may have never been immortal, she was intended to play a role in all of this as well. Once Eiko had died, it would have been her job to continue her family's line. And realizing that, it turned Jiro's stomach. He had never interacted with any of the younger sisters. He always left that to Eiko over the years. Yet he realized if they were anything like Akiko that was a tragedy and a crime too. Akiko may have been annoying and simple at times, but she had a pure heart and a kind soul. And such a thing was never a sin, and was always something that left the world better behind it. To think that Akiko would end up having to suffer just like Jiro if Eiko died… She had been so devoted to her, so determined to save her… To have it "blow up in her face" would be a horrendous tragedy for her too.
I never even thought about the impact Eiko's death over the years had on others. But this…Akiko doesn't deserve it either. She'd be heartbroken, and no decent person would want to see someone like Akiko heartbroken. Not a woman who glows so much that she lightens the heart of those she's around just by being there and eager to please…
"Jiro."
He looked up, and saw Takara was looking at him again.
"You don't happen to know anything about why Itachitoko called you a 'kami', do you?"
That was right; none of the others knew the truth yet. He realized that Eiko had been plenty broken up when he reunited with her a little while ago, but everyone was a lot more somber now…and Akiko wasn't actually with them. He began to realize they couldn't just be talking about Eiko accidentally hitting her in the heart.
For that matter, where was Hachiro and Nakamura?
"I think we both need to bring each other up to speed…although I've got more to say…"
The two sides related everything that happened. Jiro was shocked about what had happened after he passed out. No wonder Eiko had been on the edge of total despair once again. She not only lost her powers; they were stolen from her. Hachiro was in on it the whole time, and now, to his growing dread, this would make him the Yuki no Megami…or, more appropriately in his case, the Yuki no Kami. Shitakarahi had planned this out all too well. Made sure that there wouldn't be even the slightest opposition to him. He had to admire the foresight of a thing that spent the majority of its time sealed away in a statue made of cooled magma...
Of course, Jiro's story was much longer, but he didn't mind relating it a second time. He sat close to Eiko while he told his. He wished he could have leaned over and put his hand on her while he talked, but he held off; just enjoying the fact she looked comfortable for now. As it turned out, Satoru had tried to give her some happy dreams at least, but Eiko's spirit was in too much turmoil and wouldn't accept them. The best he could do was ensure her sleep was peaceful and free of nightmares.
The end result was everything growing more painful and tragic for everyone. Even the fact that Akiko's love had enabled Takeshi to bring out eggs filled with Eiko's favorite noodles and broth, letting them all to regain some of their strength from a hot meal and get warmer (for they were still imprisoned in the icy shell) drove home more sacrifices that had been made and for very little return. Jiro never thought he'd ever be grateful to any human other than Eiko, yet he found himself not only grateful to Akiko but also to Nakamura. The man had been judgmental and close-minded…but he was also a real samurai at the end, and Jiro owed him and Akiko his life. And both of them had been betrayed by that deranged little worm…
When he was done, Takara looked at him in amazement.
"So…so you're a kami, Jiro? And all this time, we've been calling you 'kenshusei'… You've got to be millennia older than us."
Jiro waved his hand with a snicker. "Don't sweat it. In fact, you're more accurate than you think. Kami aren't like yokai. You all run around whenever and wherever, all day, every day. Kami, on the other hand, are inactive until something decides to wake them up to do something. The rest of the time we're just one with nature. The big guys like the gods might always be aware, but frost kamis like me are usually just 'frost' unless we have to do something. Plus I usually don't get any experiences being a kami except when I need to interact with something. So while I may be a lot older than you four, I guess you could say emotionally or mentally I'm much closer to your ages."
"Well, that's a relief, because I'll be dead before I start calling you 'sempai'*…" Takeshi muttered. "But forget that. This only makes things even worse. There's some detail you're overlooking in your story. You said every time Eiko dies, she always has a younger sister who becomes the next queen in her place and continues the family, right?"
"Yeah."
"Then this Shitakarahi bastard has done this to death. It wasn't enough for him to keep you from training Eiko. It wasn't enough for her to give up her power. It wasn't even enough for this bastard to get Eiko's power for himself. He's going to kill Akiko too. Without her power…without her sister…Eiko's 'story' will end here. There's absolutely no way this demon can be beaten now or in the future."
The frost kami's eyes widened. He hadn't thought of that.
Takara looked to Eiko regretfully. By now, she looked like she was finally stirring, awakening from her exhausting experience. She shook her head. "That poor woman… Now I know what I've been sensing. This power isn't something foreign or external to Eiko. Ever since you first gave her the Frozen Heart, she's become the Yuki no Megami. Not an avatar…not possessed…literally the god of winter. Taking away her power has left her with only half a soul. I'm not sure what the long-term effects of that will be, but right now it has to be leaving her feeling empty and incomplete in everything…"
"Then I have to get it back." Jiro instantly answered. "I'm going right now…"
"Easier said than done." Nobuyuki exhaled. He pointed behind him, to the front of the ice cave they had been using for shelter, having used himself as a wind-break the whole time. Jiro looked, and saw right outside was another ice wall. "That wall out there is too thick for me or Satoru to break in our weakened states. It has life in it like the ice samurai did. It rebuilds itself each time we try. What is worse is that…"
He pointed forward to the fire pit. By now, most of the fuel was burned, and it was starting to lower.
"It was amazing that Akiko's love was strong enough for me to make all of this, but I cannot make things endlessly. And Takeshi cannot endlessly produce food. Both of us have made all that we can. Besides…if Akiko dies, then we won't be able to get any more from her. And then it won't be long before we're all needing that hot spring…"
"Hate to be even more of a pessimist…" Takeshi sighed. "But worse than that. Even if we could break through the shell, this whole area's engulfed in the worst blizzard in history. There's no way Satoru, me, Takara, and Eiko would be able to get through it alive…"
Satoru rubbed his chin a moment, and then let out a tingling sound.
"…That might work." Takara answered. "But it still doesn't solve how we're going to get out of the-"
The Tooth Dragon was cut off as a massive crackling and crumbling sound of what had to be tons of ice rang out. It came from right outside, and immediately the Jido no Hogu-sha snapped to attention and looked out the entrance. They were just in time to see a massive section of the ice shell abruptly collapse and spill out in front of them. Some of the pieces went into the chasm. Others just rolled out of the way and remained in piles. But the fact that a freezing blast of wind and snow whipped over them showed them what must have occurred: the shell had been broken open.
The five were stunned. Takara, Satoru, and Takeshi immediately moved back and swept their arms in front of them to shield from the blast. Jiro himself quickly moved in front of Eiko to protect her, leaving only Nobuyuki to shade his eyes and look into the blowing snow for what was the cause.
They didn't have to wait long. Soon an icy young humanoid came picking his way up and over the ice and snow.
"Hey, do any of you guys know who put that big icy dome over the palace while I was gone?" Osamu asked. "Because you wouldn't believe how hard it was to get it open…"
After taking a few minutes to build up a break against the wind and snow long enough to talk for just a bit more, Osamu came in…or, at least, in enough to where the fire wouldn't possibly damage him.
"You know, I really like heat, but…I think I'm good on it for a while after that one guy…" The snowman stated. "I always thought summer would be more 'lovely' and less 'roast-you-alive-y'…"
"Osamu, what happened?" Nobuyuki asked. "How did you break in?"
"Well…first I did what I was told and ran back down the mountain until it got cold enough for me to freeze again. Then soon after I saw this big ugly monster run by… I knew it wasn't one of Eiko's. This one…er…well, let's just say he didn't look good. I followed all the way back to Arender-ken. Once I got there, whoa…" He let out a snicker. "If Eiko thought she was locking that country in eternal winter before, phew! She hasn't seen anything yet! Pretty much just freezing everything in blocks of ice…buildings…people…trying to remodel the castle… He even tore that monster he made up apart and used him for building materials…"
"He…did what?"
Everyone snapped around on hearing a new voice, and found themselves looking at Eiko. The woman's eyes were open and she was leaning up from the futon, staring in growing fear at what Osamu was saying. It was anyone's guess how long she had been awake, but it seemed she was "in" on the conversation now.
She looked nervously to the others. "I don't know in how many past lives I ever created life…but I know now there's a good reason I did it so sparingly. Osamu's alive…just like all of those warriors I made. They're living, thinking, feeling creatures. Sure, the samurai I made with the intent of protecting me and I gave them the desire to be loyal to me…but they were still living things. They had emotions and, in time, would have had personalities and interests of their own. Killing them was an act of murder. And what Hachiro did…creating a living thing just to destroy it soon after…" She bowed her head slightly. "…It's an abomination…a horrible evil."
"Something the gods never intended, that's for sure…" Jiro grumbled.
Eiko soon looked up again. "Akiko? Have you seen Akiko?"
"I managed to sneak into the palace. Really, it wasn't too hard. No guards or nothing. I mean…all the human guards either ran off or got frozen… I don't really see why more people aren't storming it… Oh! Unless, um…everyone would normally freeze to death by the time they got inside. That would explain it…"
"Osamu…Akiko?" Eiko interjected.
"Oh! Right, right! Akiko's in there. She's on the first floor. He chained her up in one of the big rooms like you have, Eiko…or…um…'had', I guess. Anyway, I heard them arguing when I snuck in. Akiko was saying something like 'you won't get away with this' and she'd never give herself to him or something. And he was all like 'I don't care, I was going to kill you anyway to get rid of the heir, but your sister took care of that for me'."
Jiro quickly interjected before he could say another word to upset Eiko. "How is she now? Did you get her out?"
Osamu shook his head. "I was going to, but her hair had turned white and she was shivering so much she couldn't move." He answered sadly. "And when I tried to help, she told me to go help you guys. So here I am. Sorry it took me so long to get through the shell."
"Didn't take nearly as long as we would have…" Takeshi answered. He looked to the others. "I don't think I need to explain that things look pretty bad right now. Even if Osamu did that trick of his to slide on the snow up here it has to have been a while since he left Arender-ken. In a freezing cold palace, even dressed like she was…I don't think…"
He trailed off there. Takeshi may have been rough but he wasn't so cold as to say something that would only sound worse for Eiko. At any rate, Takara was looking anxious now too. They all were.
"So…what now?"
"We can't even beat Itachitoko, let alone Shitakarahi…" Takara nervously answered. "They have to be even stronger now."
Satoru looked up and jingled a bit.
"No good…" Nobuyuki quietly answered. "Even if it was in my nature to 'run and hide', there's no place in Japan safe from them…or there won't be soon. There will only be whatever fiery hell the demon unleashes…or the freezing cold tomb that Arender-ken has been turned into. Besides…it would be dishonorable for any samurai to give up now. Even if death is all that awaits us…"
"You've got a point…but I'm thinking death may be all that awaits us after all…" Takeshi sighed. "I'm badly cut… Satoru has broken bones… You're still regenerating… And Takara can't survive long in the cold or the heat." He turned his head. "And you two just recovered…one of you from the edge of death… The odds are against us all the way. This is one problem we can't 'muscle through' this time."
There was a momentary pause of silence. Jiro looked up, not sure what to do himself, or what to say in a situation like this. Yet the pause soon broke when he heard an inhale so powerful behind him that everyone looked to it. Soon after, Eiko raised her head…
…Her look, for the first time in days, becoming "regal" again.
"…I know exactly what I am going to do. I am going to return to Arender-ken, reclaim my power from Hachiro, save my sister, and then I'm going to after Shitakarahi and Itachitoko and stop them both."
Jiro looked rather concerned at that. "Eiko…you don't have your powers…"
"…No, I don't." She answered after a moment. "But that didn't stop Akiko from risking her life and everything else to save me. My whole life, Akiko has always wanted me closer to her. She's always loved me no matter how cold and distant I had to be. And I could never be there for her. Even when my parents' died, I couldn't even just hold her while she cried and comforted her. She's given up everything for me and I haven't done the same. The only thing I ever wanted to do as a result of having no powers is to be close to her. And while I realize now that they were a part of me…the one thing I still need to do is be there for Akiko like she was always there for me."
"Your sister did defy all odds and come up here to see you," Takeshi responded. "And things didn't end up too good for her, if you recall. I'm not trying to make you feel bad; I'm trying to tell you like it is. That monster doesn't care for your sympathy or heart or bravery. Those things will only get you so far."
She exhaled, bowing her head. "I know." She slowly answered. Her hands slowly clenched into fists.
Slowly,she pulled herself up and out from the covers, went to her knees, and bowed down before the five of them.
"…That's why I'm begging you to help me. Please…help me save my sister."
The Jido-no-Hogu-sha stared back momentarily, each silent.
After a moment, for once Takeshi did something unusual.
He snickered.
"I don't believe it. 'Help me'. You and your sister have more in common than you think…asking us for help when they mean to say 'please do all the work and let me tag along'…"
"Oh, come on." Nobuyuki chuckled. "Are you about to pooh-pooh one of the few nobles who actually bows to us?"
"Hurry up and get your hands and head off the ground, Eiko." Takara smiled. "You'll get yourself cold again after all the trouble it took to warm you back up."
The queen raised her head and blinked in confusion. "You…you all are going to help me? Just like that? After everything I did?"
"Like what? Get framed for murder by a wretched little man who sold himself to a demon?" The Ghost Hare answered.
"Defended yourself when you were scared and fighting for your life?" The Jolly Bear added. "Nakamura admitted his men would heal when we first spoke with him."
"And there's no real royal edict against 'causing winter'." Takara added with a shrug. "Sure…you could have hurt or killed a lot of people up here, but unlike that onmyoji and that jerk of a prince, you were never out to hurt anyone."
"I'm surprised you feel we're worthy of serving you, Queen Eiko." Nobuyuki smiled. "After we hunted you wrongly for a crime you did not commit."
Satoru gave her a bit of a smile too and jingled.
"He said although we may be ronin," Takeshi explained. "We'll let ourselves be underneath a daimyo just for today."
Eiko was speechless. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Jiro, on his part, gave her a smile.
"They really are great guys, aren't they? Anyway, you know I'm with you, my lady. I think I'm still on the 'bad list' as far as the gods are concerned, which means I'll just have to serve you instead. They did dispatch me to look after you, after all."
The hime continued to stare, seeing them greeting her with warm smiles in spite of everything she had done and knowing all about her. It must have been a foreign sensation to her…to reveal the "real her" and find out that others didn't reject her for that but accepted her completely. To have used her power in the worst way and yet to be fully forgiven for it. The woman began to tear up again; for once as a gesture of happiness rather than sadness.
Yet before she could even squeeze one out, Jiro came forward and, with the edge of his sleeve, dried them from her eyes.
"Come on, we've got no time for crying." He said with a smile. "You've got to get dressed so we can get moving."
Eiko was clearly still getting used to "being cold". Even after fully dressing up, she still cringed in the icy wind and kept her head away from it, but she forced herself on and out along with the rest of them. They others dressed themselves as best as they could, both their injuries and with whatever clothing was still intact, and then they went out too, letting Osamu lead the way.
They had barely gone twenty feet outside of the icy shell when they realized this wasn't any good. They were still up high in the mountains, where the air was thin and colder than usual. A raging storm was going, and by now it was nightfall and, between the darkness and blizzard conditions, it was a white-out. The snow that had melted before had fully fallen again, and they were nearly up to their waists in white powder. Trying to go out in this was a death sentence. Everyone clung together and shivered as they stared hopelessly into the blinding snow. Even Osamu seemed to have a hard time keeping his balance in it now that night had fallen.
"There's no way we can get back to Arender-ken in this!" Takara shouted over the wind as she tried to wedge herself between Nobuyuki and Takeshi for warmth. "Even Nobuyuki will freeze in all of this!"
The Jolly Bear himself had Satoru held over the snow, grabbing him by one arm and suspending his body. Otherwise, he'd have been buried by now. "Unfortunately, I have to agree! The storm only got worse during the night! We have to wait it out!"
"We can't wait it out!" Eiko protested. "If this is like my power, Hachiro doesn't even need to concentrate on it to keep it going! And Akiko can't afford to wait any longer!" She looked to Takeshi. "Can you get us down?"
"I can only teleport into shadows that I can see! And then only one person at a time!"
Eiko turned her head. "Jiro?"
"I need to get to a maple tree and rebuild my staff before I can make those slabs we slid down on the other day! I'm useless until I get a staff! I can't even fly!"
The queen, getting a little anxious, looked to her side. "…Takara?"
"My wings will snap clean off if I try to fly in this! I'm struggling not to have my teeth chatter as it is! And I'm not strong enough to hold passengers anyway!"
"Think you can feel a bit more wonderful, my lady?" Nobuyuki asked. "I might be able to make something!"
The daimyo shook her head. "No…I'm sorry… All I can think about is Akiko right now!" She blinked. "…Osamu?"
"Sure thing!" He cheered. "Uh…you all only want to go down one at a time, right? And you can see though this, can't you? 'Cause I sure can't."
Takeshi snorted. "Well, ain't this a fine mess! We get out of one icy hell and into another!"
Suddenly, Jiro saw Satoru go into a mild fit. He and Eiko looked to him, and realized he had been trying to say something, but his tingling had been swallowed up by the sound of the snow blowing. He hadn't been able to say a thing. He had to "freak out" to get everyone's attention. But on looking to him, he immediately made some more sounds and movements, enough to get everyone else to look to him.
"What's he saying?" Eiko asked.
"He said he can get us down the mountain and back to Arender-ken safely!" Nobuyuki answered.
The woman lit up. "He can? Then great! Do it!"
"Hold on!" Nobuyuki answered. "I know what he's going to do, and this is a risk!"
"What do you mean?"
"Satoru is the oldest of us! His power isn't nearly as good as it used to be!" Takara shouted back. "He's used almost all he had already! And he's too hurt to do much more even now! This move drains yokai like him of almost all of their life force even when they're young! If he does it, he's going to be useless to us for weeks! Maybe months!"
Eiko blinked at that. Jiro was much the same. After all, the frost kami hadn't heard of this power either. He looked to Satoru along with the woman, and he gave a helpless shrug, as if to say "that's how it is". She exhaled.
"…We'll freeze to death on this mountain otherwise, so we'll just have to do it without him! If Satoru is willing, then alright! Are you?"
The small man gave a nod and a jingle.
"He says he's honored!" Nobuyuki shouted back. "…And he said for me to 'put him down already'."
With that, the Jolly Bear turned and placed the Sand Moth on the snow; barely packed enough to keep him from sinking down to his elbows. Once down, he wasted little time. He waddled forward as best as he could, which wasn't easy due to the snow's depth but also due to his injuries. Somehow he managed to push through enough to get a good distance from them. Shivering and wincing in the cold, he brought both of his hands up. A moment later, he snapped them into the air.
Almost immediately, eruptions of gold, like a shower of sand made of the purest ore, emitted from both of his hands and blew up into a glorious shower. They shot high into the sky, beating back the snow and wind and making a fountain of the dust. Yet they didn't immediately form something. They simply sprayed high and forth, and he continued to push more out as he did so higher and more focused for a moment or two...
Eiko turned to Jiro. "What is he doing?"
"I don't know…" Jiro quietly answered, not noticing that the gold dust had not only blasted away the wind and snow, but it had also made things quiet enough to where they could speak normally again. "I've never seen him do this before…"
"Satoru is literally made out of the sand from the wings of his forebears and ancestors." Takara answered. "That's why he's so short. The first of his kind was moth-sized. But every generation they gain a little more and get older. He's nearing the end of his life…only has about 50 years left in him…and when he dies he'll give up his own sand to give birth to the next generation. Right now, he's bringing all of it forth in one shot…literally his own makeup…"
Sure enough, Eiko and Jiro alike soon got a shock as they saw Satoru seem to "erode" before them; his edges starting to wash away, seemingly pushed out along with the rest of the sand. As he began to fade, something else began to take shape. The golden shower began to fall and spread out, at first seeming to just billow out but over time reshaping and falling in just a way to take form. A big form…spreading out rather far from its initial point to blanket a large section of the snowy field.
As Satoru's legs vanished and his torso and hair started to fade away, the shape grew body parts in the form of thick sections that looked like a head, thorax, and abdomen. As his torso vanished, legs sprung out and the form gained volume. As his head and shoulders went away, eyes, antenna, "fuzz", and large, beautiful wings began to take shape. Finally, as the palms and fingers of his own hands vanished, designs were traced on the wings and the massive thing began to move.
Satoru's gold dust settled in the proper spot and what was left behind, seeming to beat away the snow and ice and wind from it, was a massive, shimmering, shining, golden moth.
Eiko stared open-mouthed in wonder.
"Wow…impressive… I think he could have done that a bit earlier though…" Jiro remarked.
"He can only do it once and, for that matter, the longer we waste time gaping at it the sooner it gets to where he can't hold that form." Takeshi responded, quickly moving forward. "That means load up now!"
Soon, they were far above the storm. The air was colder and thinner but at least it wasn't a billowing storm that was impossible to navigate through. Jiro, who had experienced flight before, knew all about the differences between storm clouds and the ones that were far higher. Of course, he had never experienced it like this before.
Satoru's final move had left them with a large golden moth who buffeted the wind around them. Once they were all on board, he rose high into the heavens and then bore them along. It was hard to see anything below with all of the thick clouds dumping inch after inch of snow on the world below, but it seemed as if he knew where they were going now that they were up in the sky with the stars and moon overhead.
Jiro couldn't help but frown now that they were in moonlight. One of the gods he had worked for had been the one for the moon. And, to be honest, he was rather bitter. He had spoken to the other members of the Jido no Hogu-sha. He had been the one to revive them for the sake of protecting children. Then why in the world wouldn't he intervene to help with Eiko? And why was he silent for so long? Letting Jiro continue to wander in the darkness of not knowing?
Maybe it's because I turned my back on him and the others… He thought, but that didn't make him feel any better.
This trip was as frigid as any of the others. Nobuyuki himself was having a hard time bearing with it, but the only one seated in front of him was Osamu, who seemed to be shouting and cheering as they flew along. The other members of the Jido-no-Hogu-sha were huddled together and lying low on Satoru's body. The Jolly Bear was making use of his warm body and providing Eiko with both a wind break and something to huddle up against. Jiro did feel a bit jealous, even if Eiko was putting her back up against his and they weren't even facing one another, but so long as she was kept warm he didn't mind. He realized where they were going and she could use all the warmth she could get before they arrived.
A part of him would have preferred if they could find a warm cave or shelter, place Eiko in there, and then barricade the entrance so she couldn't go anywhere. But he didn't have the right. He had let Akiko come along; he owed Eiko the same courtesy. This was her sister. And as much as he loved her and wanted to see her safe, Akiko meant a lot to her too and he couldn't ask her to stand aside for it. Even if he had no idea what Eiko could do other than end up in an icy casket he would let her come. Besides, she had to get her power back from Hachiro somehow.
Really doesn't help that we have no idea how to do that… Jiro grimaced. I didn't even know the Frozen Heart could be used like that. I remember they told me if she ever got out of control they would use it again, but I didn't know this would happen…that it could be used to transfer the power to someone else…
He pushed that thought out of his head. He looked to Eiko instead. He recently got her back and had his love for her enkindled again. He was scared to death of losing her again as a result, and now she looked more frail and weak than ever in this mortal body. At the moment, she was tucked into a ball, the hat and cape she was wearing pulled in close around her. Her eyes were down and her face was somber.
I never could stand to see her sad… Maybe that's why I always wanted to have "fun" with her.
"…Are you warm enough, Eiko?"
She nodded. "It's not that. I'm just…thinking again."
The frost kami leaned back. After all, the cold wind was nothing to him other than refreshing. "About what?"
"About what happens if we succeed." Eiko answered. She looked down at herself. "…I realize now that those powers are a part of me. I mean…of course they are. I'm not human. I'm a god. For so long I thought they were something external, but…but the truth is ever since my ancestor accepted that power into her, I became the power…and the power became me. And if all that's true…"
She paused.
"…What?"
Eiko exhaled. "If all that's true…maybe I was meant to live the way I did. Far at the ends of the Earth…alone…isolated…"
"Of course you weren't meant for that! How can you-"
"Jiro." Eiko cut off, looking up to the frost kami. "You've been trying to say that my power is 'beautiful' or 'special' or 'meant for something'…but I really honestly wonder if the only good it can do is defeat Shitakarahi. What is winter? It's not warm like summer or filled with life like spring or time for harvest and celebration like autumn. It's death, Jiro. It's a season for cold and death. Oh sure…sometimes children bundle up and go out and play in it, but no one poor. No beggar on the street loves the cold or chill of winter. No starving farmer loves the frost and darkness killing their crops. No one enjoys snow breaking in through their roofs or freezing outside or risking frostbite or chill… There's nothing good about winter, Jiro. It's just some unfortunate thing about nature that people have to deal with and they wish they didn't have to. That's why no one loves it. It's not beautiful. It's not kind. It's just hard…cold…and deadly."
The frost kami's expression tightened. Without hesitation, he leaned forward and took one of Eiko's hands. She blinked a bit from the chill, but then looked up and saw him staring hard at her.
"You forget, Eiko." He stated firmly. "I remember the people who made the pact with Shitakarahi…and right now you're talking just like they did."
The daimyo blinked. "Jiro…"
"It's true that winter is a season for cold and death and those are things that people think they'd be better without. But that doesn't make winter any less important, any less part of nature, or any less 'beautiful'. Winter enables all the life of the other seasons. If it wasn't for the flooding from snowmelt, lands wouldn't be fertile. If it wasn't for cold and frost causing plants to sleep, soil would be exhausted. If it wasn't for wetness, decay, and death killing and rotting away the dead, the remains wouldn't have the opportunity to be reborn by giving life to new plants and animals.
"People hate winter because it brings death, but death is as much a part of life as anything else. The world needs it to sustain life. You need to kill rice plants to get grain, or fish to have meat, or silkworms to get material for clothes. Death isn't something to be hated and shunned. It's something to accept gracefully, just like any other unfortunate aspect of nature. Your people never could accept that…just like you, right now, can't accept your power. You can't realize that even in its most terrible aspects there is beauty in winter…even 'goodness' in it. The fact that it allows spring, summer, and autumn to be so wonderful itself makes winter beautiful. And winter is the only season that allows that. That gives it a power above the others."
Eiko's held. She clearly had never thought of any of this before, but it was sinking in right now. Jiro smiled.
"You know 'your' story, don't you, Eiko? Even if that part was imbelished a little…you remember how it went? The Yuki no Megami gave her people the gift of cold so they would have relief from burning heat. The gift of darkness so that they could sleep and rest from their labor. And the gift of death so that one day the toil and pain of life could be done. Just like us...a gang of ronin going out and righting wrong and all the things we do...you should know that things that look monstrous can really be acts of love."
The daimyo didn't answer. She just stared back silently into Jiro's eyes, listening to this, thinking about what it meant…how Jiro never saw her as something horrible or dark, but something beautiful…
"…What in the world is that?"
The booming voice of the Jolly Bear reminded the two that they weren't alone, which made them both blush a bit, but also caused them to look up. Jiro, without fear of loss of balance, readily stood up on the golden moth. Eiko, on her part, pulled her collar higher to cover her mouth and nose, and then climbed over Nobuyuki's backside and looked over his shoulder. Takeshi's ears perked and Takara raised her head.
Through the thick clouds below, constantly dumping more snow on the area, there was something arising from the clouds. It looked like a cruel, jagged mountain peak; sharp and highly tapered. Yet it was also rough and somewhat crystalline. As the golden moth neared, it soon became clear that it was a massive frozen spike.
"What in the world is that?" Takeshi called out.
"I…think it's a mountain of ice…" Takara slowly answered.
"But why would he make a mountain of ice?" Jiro asked. "Just flexing his power?"
"Oh, oh!" Osamu suddenly exclaimed, immediately patting the head of the moth with his foot. "Down there! Land there!"
Takara looked up to him. "You think he's at that place, Osamu?"
"Well, he should be." The snowman answered. "I mean, seeing as that is Arender-ken Castle."
Those gathered on the moth froze.
"What…did you say?" Jiro asked.
"I told you he remodeled, didn't I?" Osamu answered with a shrug. "He made it a lot bigger, scarier, and…well…icier-looking."
For a moment, everyone was still on the back of the moth. They exchanged uneasy looks. They had heard what Osamu said earlier but they hadn't honestly thought it was this bad. After a moment, they turned and looked to Eiko.
She held only a moment before speaking, again as a "queen".
"…Take us down there."
To be continued...
* - "Sempai" is a term of endearment for "senior", and denotes a level of respect.