You are Exalted!

Disclaimer: I own nothing in this story.

Arc 1: Exaltation.

Chapter 1.7: Iriomote-Jima.

"I can't believe we're finally here! This is going to be the best school trip EVER!" Miyuki Kanzaki, clad in a pale yellow summer dress, danced on the pier of the town of Ishigaki.

Ranka Daibuji sighed and caught the arm of her room-mate before she ended in the water. "Please stay calm, Miyuki-chan. We still have to take the ferry and I would prefer that you don't drown yourself before our arrival." The tomboy was more sensibly clothed in blue denim shorts and light vest than her habitual leathers.

Saeko Akagi checked for the twelve time that her camera was still strapped at her wrist. The artist was in a short grey skirt with a white blouse. "All right, we're almost there. Let's stay with the main group, I want to take a few shots in the ferry."

Tomoe Kaze ensured that her straw hat was firmly anchored to her head and whirled in her short western dress at me. "At least, this time, you're not in your school uniform, Anbã-chan."

I smirked and looked at my jeans and navy-blue tee-shirt. "I'm not always in a fuku, Tomoe-san. Sometimes I'm in bloomers."

The group of girls from my dorm groaned at my little joke. The Senaga Institute regularly organized school trips in the Ryukyu Islands. Sometimes they also went to Central Japan with Kyoto and Tokyo as the regular destinations.

The ferry travel was without any particular incident except for the teachers with us who needed to herd fifty children. Trust me, cats are nothing compared to teenagers released in the nature.

We arrived at Ohara Harbour on Iriomote Island and the teachers explained our tour one last time: We could wander a bit along the way, but we were to stay in groups of five or more. We have to walk along the east coast up to the Iriomote Wildlife Centre and had a lunch. Then we had to go up to Uebara Harbour to take a boat and go down the Urauchi-gawa river to see the Mariyudo-no-taki Waterfall. We then had to return to Ohara Harbour, buy whatever souvenirs we may want and finally take the return ferry.

Miyuki laughed as she looked at the pamphlet with a map of the island. "This is great. The weather is fine and we saved plenty of money to buy a few things. Nothing is going to spoil this little adventure."

I looked at her with horror and turned to my room-mates. "Oh... no... Now, we're DOOMED... If anything happens, it was Miyuki's fault."

Miyuki gasped in outrage as all her comrades nodded at my prediction. "Hey!"

I laughed with the girls, but I felt uneasy. I was an Exalt and fated to have "an interesting life" in the Chinese curse meaning and I was in the Worm setting which implied conflict until the Entities were dealt with... Nope, not a good combination.

Saeko took a few pictures of all of us in front of the statue of the famous Iriomote Cat on the harbour and we went on our way. There was a heavy sensation that made me feel like Dorothy on the Yellow Brick Road... Hope I wasn't going to sing as if I was in a musical...

The East coast was the proof that Mankind could respect nature. Blue sky and blue ocean, the cries of the gulls and the transparent quality of the water: Truly an aspect of the paradise that is Earth and Mother Nature.

Hoshizuma no Hama Beach or Star Sand Beach is made of one of the most unusual types of sand in the world. It was the bones of one species of protozoa in the ocean, over millions of years old fossil skeletons. The local people believed that the Star Sand fell from the wings of fairies. We searched for some, but found only really small specimen. I discretely collected many in my Elsewhere pocket as I might find a use for it later.

The Iriomote Wildlife Centre was oriented towards the Iriomote-yamaneko ("Iriomote mountain cat"). The locals called it yamamayaa ("the cat in the mountain"), yamapikaryaa ("that which shines on the mountain") and meepisukaryaa ("that which has flashing eyes"). They were a critically endangered species with only an estimated 100 population size.

We admired "Yon", the only Iriomote Cat in captivity on a video camera. The male cat was fourteen years old, the longest known lifespan of any Iriomote cat. It was in a large outdoor cage and was the survivor of a car accident in 1996. Medical complications prevented its release back into the wild.

"Oh... He is so... CUTE!" Tomoe had a little obsession with felines. She promptly used half of her money to buy some paraphernalia in the Centre. All related to Iriomote cats and Yon of course. I was more interested or should I say worried about the Habu, a local species of pit-viper with a 3% fatality bite.

We took lunch with a nice view of the ocean and I gleefully ordered Chanpuru, an Okinawan stir fry dish of tofu, spam, egg, moyashi (bean sprouts) and goya (bitter melon).

Ranka rose an eyebrow. "Why are you so happy with such a typical dish, Anbã-chan?"

I laughed. "Because I can say that it is the first time I eat such a treat."

The girls blinked and looked to each other. Ranka slurped finishing her ramen and reached for a dish of sata andagi, a plate of sweet deep fried buns of dough. "You're really weird sometimes, Anbã-chan."

We finished our lunch and walked the north road that should take us to Uebara Harbour. Saeko continued to take photos, most notably of the many panels about the Iriomote cats in the area, telling by-passers to reduce speed.

I saw her suddenly froze as she was taking a shot of us in front of a panel. "Girls... Don't make any sound and slowly look to your left."

We followed her whispered suggestion and I could hear the soft gasp of Miyuki, the sudden breathing in of Ranka and the little cooing sound of Tomoe. There was a very characteristic cat pointing its head out of a bush at a dozen of metres of us.

Saeko kept her camera directed at it as it emerged from the bush and took a few graceful steps on the road and I could hear her taking photo after photo. "It's so beautiful... It's a real cutie... I never thought we could see one live in nature."

"Whatdowedo? Whatdowedo..?" Miyuki was almost hyperventilating.

"We don't move and we keep whispering... This is really rare since they're nocturnal. It should be sleeping in a tree hollow or a cave at this time... Must be a transient young male... Look at its fur: It's magnificent..." The male cat I was admiring had light brown fur with the characteristic five stripes along its head and dark brown spots covering its body like a leopard. I didn't see a white spot on the back of its inquisitive ears which confirmed its was a young cat. Its light amber eyes were calmly and curiously looking at us.

The cat and I heard it before my room-mates. "...no..." The sound of a fast vehicle approaching. "No..." The cat followed its instincts and pounced along the road, trying to reach the safety of the other side. "No..!" It almost made it as the range-rover took the curve behind it. Too fast. "NO!" The left side of the bumper caught it in mid-leap. The wet sound of the collision turned my blood to ice. I was running to the fallen cat as the driver visibly not a local and realising his stupidity, accelerated away.

"YOU SON OF A BITCH!" Ranka was threatening the runaway vehicle with her fist.

"Ohgods! Ohgods! Ohgods!" Miyuki, completely panicking, was biting her knuckles.

Tomoe, pale as a ghost, was running after me while Saeko, grinding her teeth, took a photo of the departing car, hoping to catch its numerological plate.

I knelt near the bloodied cat. It was still breathing. My eyes focused on it and I saw the hidden truths of its pains: It was dying. External and internal bleeding, most of the bones of its left side were broken and already some organs had failed.

No...

Tomoe was alarmed as my hands reached to it. "No! Don't touch it. It might claw at you. We must wait for..." She abruptly stopped and back-pedalled as the Glorious Light of the Sun erupted from me.

First, I willed it to know no pain like those who served faithfully my exalted predecessors were blessed with. And then I began to care and mend its wounds. Under my agile fingers Essence was released: Cleansing away infection, re-awakening dead tissues, stimulating cellular regeneration, knitting bones and sinews and compensating for the missing biological mass.

The girls from my dorm at the Senaga Institute stared, awed, at the iconic display of my Anima Banner: A magnificent white and gold male Lion, with a mane sparkling and fluctuating like the corona of the Sun during an eclipse. The totemic image of the King of the Beasts was seemingly helping and protecting the small cat between its mighty paws. Saeko was absently taking photos of the display and Tomoe was alternating between her bleached dress and what I was doing.

I was a brilliant bonfire visible for miles: Even in daytime, it didn't take long for others to spot me.

Within an hour, our classmates of the institute knew where I was, what I was doing, what I probably was and were recording it for posterity. My room-mates had prudently stayed with our teachers to escape most of the questions from our comrades. The veterinarian staff of the Iriomote Wildlife Centre were patiently waiting on the side, somewhat knowing that I was treating and saving the life of the cat.

It opened its amber eyes and gazed into my blue ones. It seemed to recognize I was a friendly heroine of the Sun. A common language of sounds and gestures leapt from my very being and bridged understanding between us.

"Warm... No pain... Why?"

"Light from me. No like pain so heal."

"You biped. Biped bad. Chase from den. Why helping?"

"Lost my den. Building new den. Want protect all dens."

"Wounded. Run among trees again?"

"Promise. Heal all."

"You Sunflower sky. Smell Alpha but alone. Why?"

"Dangerous. Many dangers. Must protect others."

"Alone bad for Sunflower. Need Pride for hunt."

"Need Pride. Searching for members, den and Iron Teeth."

"After pain darkness. Hear Mother Ground. Not time for Eternal Hunt in Warm Land. Join Sister of Light. Help Sister of Light."

I frowned and hesitated. Comprehension was limited by the animal's intelligence, but... "Mother Ground? Sure?"

"Warmth Green and Soft Breath. I also alone. Want sister to hunt along. Accept?"

I plunged my eyes into the core of its being. My past lives took also the decision to not be alone in their struggles and many times having a loyal companion made all the difference. "We be of one blood, thou and I."

My caste mark blazed into its eyes and my Lion bend to touch its nose as the first threads of a sacred bond between me and it were forged.

I sighed in relief as I finished my medical task after using the antic Call. I smiled and turned to the veterinarians. "It's okay. It's healed." An ovation rang around us. "I treated all its wounds and it should be without pain for another hour. Please check if everything is good."

I rise as the medical staff gently and slowly approached the Iriomote cat. I smiled feeling sheepish at my room-mates who were looking irritated at me. We rapidly found the five of us with a teacher inside the medical van speeding back to the Wildlife Centre while the rest of the group were resuming their tour and gossiping about what happened. Two veterinarians were checking on the calm cat in a transport cage while smiling at the interrogatory I was experiencing and the teacher was trying to not burst into laugh.

Ranka crossed her arms and looked at me flatly. "So... You're a parahuman."

I licked my lips. "Well... I have powers, yes."

Tomoe imitated Spock. "And you just received them or..."

I grimaced. "No, I discovered them a few days before coming to the institute."

Miyuki sobbed. "And you didn't tell us? You traitor..."

I shook my head. "I gave my Word of Honour to Uehara-sama. I wasn't to use my power except in case of a vital emergency and you know I always keep my word."

Saeko put her hand on Miyuki's shoulder. "That's okay, Miyuki-chan. She didn't do it with malice. Besides, she did promised us she would talk about her secrets later." She gazed at me. "Well, now we all know the big secret behind her special classes."

Ranka nodded. "Yeah... And it was... awesome." She laughed. "Wow... That aura... I thought you were a Sayajin for a moment."

"Yeah! And I loved how you were comforting that poor cat while healing it. It was like a scene from a Shoujo manga." Tomoe's eyes were almost sparkling. "Oh, and you'll buy me a new dress to make up for me."

Miyuki dried her tears. "Oh yes, I suppose we should forgive you." She smiled evilly. "That's mean a few little concessions from you of course." She laughed... evilly... "Don't worry, just something "normal" between friends. Bwahahahaha... Ouch!"

Saeko put down the arm she used to give a little head-slap to her disturbed room-mate. "Don't be ridiculous, Miyuki-chan. She never stopped helping us before. Nothing has changed except that we know. She don't need to do more." She smiled at me. "So, what is the story of your origin?"

I nodded, smiling with all of them and my eyes were suspiciously a little wet. It seemed that I forged more links than what I thought. "Yes. I need to bring you up to speed. Our classmates are going to riot if we don't feed the Gossip Monster and I jut paint big targets on your backs. Well, everything begin on Yonaguni-Jima during the total solar eclipse..."

The return trip had been... a circus. We barricaded ourselves in our dorm and simply fell down on our beds. They simply... Did. Not. Stop.

Who I was? Where did I really come? How did I gain my power? What was my power? Could I show them? Could I do this and that? Did I say everything to my room-mates and why they didn't speak about it? Why was I staying at the institute? When will I join Nippontai? Will I make a new team? Am I a super-villain? Could they have my autograph? And of course my favourite: Will I go on a date with him now?

Unconquered Sun gave me strength. And of course I had to be debriefed by the director and my JSDF liaison who, of course, weren't very happy of my grand revealing.

Oh, they did understand the circumstances. There was also the fact that I awed the entire population of Iriomote for saving one of their precious endangered cats. The posting of the various videos taken by our classmates on the Internet were gaining millions of Japanese followers and an overall glowing report on my actions. I was even becoming a fucking MEME: "Gao-Hime-Chan saving her subject." I suspected a member of the JSDF leaking that particular nickname to the public.

But nevertheless, I made a public demonstration of my power and my identity had just been revealed to the Nation... Well, I was a Solar.

"Anbã-chan...? I hate you..." Mumbled Ranka, not even trying to turn her head to me. I groaned at her.

"We didn't see the waterfall and we couldn't buy even one Chinsuko (traditional sweet sold as a souvenir). I can't feel my body and we just talk to them... Uehara-sama was scary..." Miyuki was trying to dress into her nightclothes.

"And the yummy military-man wasn't better... I could almost feel him trying not to scream at us..." Tomoe had managed to reach the window and close the shutters. I turned an incredulous eye to her. The yummy military? That's what she saw first?

Saeko looked at the camera in her hand. "Well... As we said, it's Miyuki-chan's fault." The girl in question managed to squeak in protest. "At least they didn't take my camera. But I suppose after all the videos of our classmates, it's not that important." She snorted. "I always wanted to be known for my artistic talent, but not like this. Not as an actor in my own adventure on the Net." I giggled at that. I was sure they would be postings on Youtube of my healing with an appropriate soundtrack.

I rose from my bed. "Don't worry girls. It will be all right." I smiled. "Now that I don't have to hide my skills at the institute, I can show and do many things." I reached in my trunk and took a vial of scented medical oil made with a simple Alchemical formula. Caste mark glittering on my forehead, I began to massage my comrades despite their protests and rapidly transformed them into puddles of flesh-coloured goo moaning in relief. The oil would ensure they're in good form for tomorrow...

Because tomorrow: "It has begun."

Notes: I was laughing a lot during this chapter.

Unfortunately, the Iriomote cat "Yon" died in December 2010 from pulmonary oedema. The species is still critically endangered.

The inspiration from most scenes came from episode 21 of Azumanga Daioh.

The iconic image of my anima wasn't supposed to be a male lion. I wanted it to be a phoenix. I don't know what happened, but suddenly my muse pounced on me with bared fangs and I couldn't say her no.

The word "Gao" came from the sound Japanese use to imitate a lion roar.

I wonder if someone is going to recognize the origin of the words I used to create the bond with my future familiar.

And now, a question for my readers: What should I call my Iriomote Cat?

For now, I have Pikaryaa, Mayaa and Meep.

Luminous Amber

Abilities known: Guns 1, Martial Arts 4, Melee 1, Thrown 1, Integrity 3, Resistance 3, Survival 3, Medicine 3, Occult 3, Athletics 3, Dodge 4, Stealth 1, Linguistics 2, Drive 1 & Socialize 3.

Charms known: Ox-Body Technique, Body-Mending Meditation, Friendship With Animals Approach, Spirit-Tied Pet, Touch of Blissful Release, Second Medicine Excellency, Wound-Mending Care Technique, Flawless Diagnosis Technique, Spirit-Detecting Glance, Mastery of Small Manners, Shadow Over Water & Seven Shadow Evasion.

Background: Artefact 8(Infinite Resplendence Amulet, Wondrous Belt of Perfected Tools), Allies 1(Verdant Wind), Backing 1 (Member of the JSDF), Contact 1(Okinawan government), Familiar 1(First tier of bonding with Iriomote Cat) & Resources 1.

Next Chapter should be about the beginning of a revolution.