December 25th, 1921 (Taisho 10)

Champagne, France

Iris sat mutely on her bed clutching Jean-Paul as heaps of presents sat, unopened, on the table in front of her. "Merry Christmas, Jean-Paul," she whispered into the stuffed bear's ear.

"This is outrageous, Father!" The tall man banged his fist on the table. "It's Christmas Day and we aren't even allowed to see our daughter?"

Henri Chateaubriand watched calmly. "Conduct yourself, Robert, as befits the heir to the estate. I don't like this any more than you do, but we have no choice." Veined knuckles wrapped around the head of his staff. "None have been born in so long, I had hoped..." The patriarch's voice trailed off before resuming. "The family curse has returned."

"Father – "

"I find it almost laughable that you even dare stand here and plead with me. Do you remember what happened the last time you and Marguerite broke into that room without my knowledge nor consent?"

The slight-built woman spoke up for the first time. "That – that was not Iris' fault. We startled her, and – " She stopped talking when Robert rested a hand on her arm.

"Shameful! You, Lord and Lady Chateaubriand, members of the flower of French nobility, stooping to such vile, common deeds!" He leaned back into his chair, breathing heavily from the outburst. "You are dismissed, the both of you."

"Father – "

"Do not make me repeat myself." Rising from his chair, the old man poured himself a shot of cognac. "This audience is over."

"Think ill of me as you wish," called the old man as they left. "Remember everything I do is for the good of our family."

The young woman was deathly pale as she and her husband exited the drawing room. "Oh, poor Iris... locked up all alone in that dungeon," she sobbed.

Robert put an arm around her thin shoulders. "What can we do, Marguerite? I am truly sorry you married into this cursed family!"

"Don't say that, Robert, please." Her china-blue eyes, the exact same shade as her only daughter's, flashed. "I will not be separated from Iris. Curse or no curse, she is still my daughter."

"It's not as though we'll never see her again," tried her husband, attempting to ease her worry. "When she is older, she will be able to control her powers and come live with us again – "

Marguerite rounded on him. " – with the parents that locked her away in the first place?" Her face crumpled. "I – I can barely stand the thought of it; my poor girl, alone and frightened in that dungeon..."

His face softened and he reached out to touch her hand. "It is too cruel – we are living in an enlightened age of steam. Flying machines, weapons of war, miracles of science and medicine... is there nothing, no one who can help poor Iris?"

To pass the time, Iris made her presents fly around the room in wild circles. She furrowed her brow, concentrating so they would not collide on their erratic flight paths.

The knock that came on the heavy wooden door startled her so badly, all the presents fell into a jangled heap amid crunching sounds of landing.

"Iris?"

"Who are you?" she called in a trembling voice. Menacingly, the broken parcels hovered and framed her face in the background.

"Iris, may I come in?"

"No!" The padlocks shuddered and heaved as spiritual energy pressed against the door with incredible force.

"Iris, I just want to talk to you. Your Papa and Mama say the door has been locked from the inside. I promise nothing bad will happen."

The presents dropped a fraction. "... Are you sure?"

"I am sure."

The door creaked and swung open, enough to admit a strange woman. She was dressed simply in a suit, her brown hair swept up on her head.

The strangest thing about her, Iris found, was the woman's presence – which felt very much like her own. She pushed gently with her mind; to her surprise, it was returned.

Unnoticed, the presents tumbled to the floor.

"My name is Ayame, Iris," said the woman kindly. "I came from Japan to visit you."

Iris realised she had been staring and quickly scrambled for Jean-Paul. "Pleased to meet you," she mumbled into his ear.

"How are you?"

"Fine."

Ayame's expression changed subtly. "... Iris, your Papa and Mama have come to see you also."

Silence. The little girl's eyes faded.

Robert and Marguerite entered the room slowly. "I – Iris..."

She stared dully back at them. "Papa. Mama."

The woman's face crumpled. "Iris... Mama is so sorry..."

"Iris, Papa and Mama have something for you." He reached into his jacket pocket; with a shaking hand, he withdrew a silky pink ribbon. "Look, there's one for Jean-Paul too."

"It would look lovely in your hair," agreed Marguerite.

An awkward silence ensued.

A few hours earlier, Iris' parents had agreed to a meeting with a visitor from Japan. The woman, dressed conservatively in a suit, sat with her hands folded in her lap; a contrast to the bombshell she dropped on them.

"Lord and Lady Chateaubriand... I wish to take Iris back to Japan with me," said Ayame gently.

The couple blanched.

"I know this is hard for you both, and for Iris as well. But her gift is strong, and it will save many lives someday if we train her."

"Her gift? You mean the curse."

Ayame shook her head. "No. Such strong spiritual energy is a blessing."

Robert stirred slightly. "You spoke of 'we', Miss Fuijieda. There are others like Iris?"

"Yes – I too possess spiritual power. Japan has been plagued by demons; we only just managed to repulse a major invasion at great cost a few years ago. To protect the city, we are assembling a unit of spiritually strong people – they are the only ones who can harm the demons."

"... You want our Iris to become a soldier?" Maguerite's eyes flashed. "Putting her in harm's way?"

"That's not what I meant," hastily amended Ayame. Diplomacy was still something a little difficult for her and that small mistake had almost cost the fledgling Teigoku Kagekidan a potential warrior. "We have learned from the past, and built special armour to protect the girls. They are at very little risk, I assure you." Torn between telling the truth and convincing the Chateaubriands to give up their only daughter was a fine line.

"She will be living with others with her cur – gift?"

The relieved woman nodded, glad to have a question she could readily answer. "Yes. She will be trained to use her powers. But most importantly, we will treat her as a normal girl.

Robert and Marguerite exchanged glances. All they ever wanted for Iris – but at the cost of potentially losing her for good, raised by strangers in a distant land.

Marguerite broke the awkward silence, kneeling in front of Iris. She shrank back, clutching Jean-Paul tighter. "Iris," she began kindly, trying not to notice, "would you like to go to Japan with Miss Fujieda?"

Robert's head snapped around to stare at his wife, all composure lost. Ayame blinked in surprise.

"Lady Chateaubriand, this is a grave matter, perhaps you would like to consider it carefully..."

"There is nothing to consider." She clasped her hands in front of her, her face deadly pale but determined. "It is what we feel is best for Iris – but it is not our place to choose."

Iris gazed up at her mother with wide blue eyes.

Robert grasped her shoulder and led her out of the room. "Please pardon us while we discuss this offer," he said to Ayame.

"I understand. This must be a hard decision to make at such short notice."

They went into a neighboring room and shut the door. "Marguerite..."

"Robert... please don't say anything." Tears brimmed in her eyes. "Asking me to send my only child halfway across the world, alone... but if it means she doesn't have to be locked up in that dungeon..."

He saw her point. Japan – far-flung and distant – was still better than Iris' prison cell. At least she could grow up in the sunshine, with others with the same curse – no, gift.

People who would love her, raise her, understand her better than her parents ever could.

Ayame nodded slowly. "Iris," she began, "would you like to come back to Japan with me? It's a very nice place with plenty of things to see."

Her china-blue eyes brightened momentarily, then dimmed. "Iris won't go," she whispered. "Iris doesn't want to hurt people."

The adults glanced at each other. "... You won't, I promise." Ayame took a deep breath. "Iris, look at me."

Robert and Marguerite stared at her. "Miss Fujieda – "

Iris did – and gasped as she felt a gentle pressure come closer; a feeling very much like the power she possessed. She pushed back tentatively.

"See? I know you have great powers, Iris, but you're too young to control them. We can teach you how to use them to help people."

Ayame fought to keep her voice even as she spoke. The raw power that had penetrated her defences like a knife through butter had almost knocked her down – and the child seemed unaffected by such a large manifestation of spiritual power.

Iris Chateaubriand would truly be an asset to the Teigoku Kagekidan – if she chose to go.

Her eyes moved around the room; from her parents, to Ayame, and back again to her parents.

"... Iris will go."

At the harbour, only Iris' parents were there to see her off. Ayame had given them some time alone as she handled the passports and travel documentation.

"Iris... be a good girl for Mama. Listen to Miss Fujieda." Marguerite paused to compose herself. "Papa and Mama love you very much."

Iris nodded from behind Jean-Paul.

Her mother stretched out her arms to hug her – and gasped, astonished, when the little girl rushed forward into the hug.

"Mama," said Iris into Marguerite's dress. "I'm sorry."

"Oh, Iris..."

Robert knelt down, putting his arms around them both. "We are sorry too, Iris... Papa and Mama don't want to be parted from you either."

From afar, Ayame smiled.