Chapter 3
"Man, I'm beat!" Hiyori puffed and fell into her computer chair, slumping as far down into the seat as she could without falling out. Her mom and dad had run all around town to talk to suppliers and manufacturers for the hospital, plus her mom wanting to go furniture shopping to turn her brother's room into a guest room.
"He doesn't usually stay the night anymore when he visits," her mom stated sorrowfully. She wasn't wrong. Her brother didn't usually stay much anymore. Sometimes when his flight came late, he would pass out on the couch for the night but he usually spent his nights at hotels. He doesn't just come home to see us so having a neutral point of contact is easier for him than trying to have everyone meet at his old house.
Is that what growing up is? Not wanting to be home as often as possible? She knew her brother and father didn't get along very well. He wanted Masaomi to take over the family business at the hospital or at least go to medical school to carry on the tradition. He didn't want anything to do with it. Father stopped talking to him for a while but mom softened him and everything was at least smoothed over. Masaomi loved to travel and be with his friends so Hiyori didn't get to see him much.
Hiyori frowned, staring at the ground as if it would bring her some comfort. Her brother was always gone. Her dad and mom worked long hours every day. Was this what being an adult meant? She wondered if her dad really wanted to be a doctor when he was her age. Did he hesitate when picking colleges? Did he even want to go to college? He always talks about how he loves what he does and it's an honor, but did he always feel that way? What if he wanted to just fall in love and write poetry? Or maybe he wanted to go on adventures and paint landscapes. Did he settle for a doctor because of the ease? What if she went to medical school and hated it? What would her parents think?
The last rays of sunlight crept through the curtains as the sun began to fade. Fear bubbled up in the bottom of Hiyori's stomach. Nighttime meant Phantoms and lately her dreams have apparently become deadly. She clenched her stomach, hoping to ease the pain of her growing anxiety. Fatigue enveloped her. She knew this feeling all too well. Her soul was slipping out again.
This is such bad timing! Hiyori yelped as she stood over her now sleeping body. Looking around her bedroom, she made sure nothing was lurking as the sun completely vanished below the horizon. She sighed in relief but it was short lived as the walls of her room began to pixelate and float away, leaving her completely surrounded by darkness. Her eyes widened in terror. What's going on?! she thought. There was a hot wind coming from behind her. It grew stronger and stronger, whipping her hair about her face and shoulders and causing her feet to slip. The ground illuminated under her, revealing Hiyori standing alone in a desert. In front of her, wrapped in black and purple silk, was a wimpering baby. At first she wasn't sure what to think or do. Slowly, Hiyori approached the baby. The closer she got, the louder the baby cried.
"What's wrong little one?" she heard someone reassure the baby. Footsteps came up from behind her and walk past, picking up the child up and holding it close. Studying the shadowy figure, she realized it was Yato. Hiyori recognized that smile and those eyes. "Why are you crying?" he cooed.
She hesitated then proceeded to walk closer. The wind was burning her skin and she winced. The air was suffocating. The closer she got, the heavier she felt and the harder it became. "Yato!" she called, but he didn't hear her. She fell to her knees overwhelmed by the heat and exasperated by the sudden weight gravity seemed to have on her.
"You miss mommy, don't you," he nuzzled the baby. Hiyori reached out to Yato, unable to speak anymore. Then she saw it. Yato and the baby were both looking at Hiyori. The baby was no longer crying and she could see the baby's eyes were just like hers. Yato had a stoic look on his face, almost sad.
"Yato?" Hiyori mouthed. The ground began opening up underneath her. Her feet sank into the sand and before she knew it she was up to her chest and falling fast. She tried calling out to Yato, but there was no air left in her lungs. The earth crushed her as she sank further and further; Yato watching her fall but not moving. His face disappeared in the blackness as the world swallowed her up. She continued to fall but where was she falling too? She could hardly keep her eyes open. What was happening? Was someone messing with her? Who was that baby and why did Yato say "you miss mommy, don't you?"
She didn't know how long she was out. Her fingertips grasped for anything around her but she felt nothing. The once unbearable heat and pressure had given way to void and obscurity. Again, Hiyori was left with nothing. Where am I? she thought. What will happen to me? She thought about how Yato was supposed to come over at night and protect her. How was he supposed to protect her if he couldn't find her. And most importantly, what was going on?
After what felt like an eternity of floating endlessly, there was finally something solid underneath her. She opened her eyes to see a bright blue sky and large white clouds. She could hear seagulls in the distance. Though blurry, Hiyori could see a large set of concrete steps that led down to a vast, sparkling ocean. Boats drifted lazily on the water and she could hear people talking behind her.
"Who is she?" one person questioned.
"I don't know. I've never seen her before," another attested.
"Is she an obscure goddess?"
"Maybe. I wonder what wish bore her."
Hiyori didn't have the energy to bother with figuring out where she was. Instead she allowed herself to just drift back into sleep. Before she knew it she was back in darkness. Will I ever get back? Am I going to stay here forever? Will Yato and Yukine find me? Am I still alive?
"Hiyori!" a voice she thought she knew called out in the bleak abyss, but it was so far she wasn't sure she just imagined it.
"Hiyori, we're coming!" There it was again. She opened her eyes to see two faint lights in the distance. Were they coming for her? She'd almost lost all hope to be rescued. She didn't even try to respond, sure it wasn't even real.
"Listen to me, Hiyori! Don't give up! We're coming to you!" The voice was louder, closer now. She looked up again to see two figures in the lights running towards her. It took a while, but eventually she could make out the figures coming to her aid. It was Yato and Yukine. For once she believed she would be saved from this terrible dream. Just as she felt her body begin to fade into the darkness surrounding her, there were hands grabbing onto her and pulling her back to life. Yato panted, Yukine at his side spent from running as well. Their light was so warm and safe she couldn't help but take a deep breath in and take in both their wonderful scents. Scents she'd nearly forgotten about and narrowly had traded in certain death for.
"Hiyori," Yato held her close to his chest, "we're bringing you back. Just hang on to me."
She didn't fight it. She hardly had to energy to fight at all. Hiyori allowed herself to be engulfed completely in his light and fell fast asleep. When she woke, she knew she was back in her body because she felt every ache and pain. In her half-phantom form she didn't feel pain quite like she did in her human form. There was a pain in her chest as well that she couldn't ignore. She went to put her hand on her chest only to have someone else take it in theirs. Through foggy eyes, Hiyori saw Yato and Yukine sitting alert at her bedside. Yato held her hand in his. Both looked beaten and bruised.
"What….happened?" Hiyori managed to sputter.
"It happened so fast Hiyori," Yukine began. "When we got here, we didn't even have time to think."
Yato became rigid, trembling as he recalled the hell they had all just been through. "It wasn't a normal phantom this time. It was something stronger, smarter. This was a living curse. It's what's been festering, trying to get you weak Hiyori."
She could only listen and try to hide her fear. A curse? Someone put a curse on her?
Yato stood and walked over to her window, hands in his pockets now trying to contain his anger. He focused on the stars burning bright in the midnight sky. "Someone who knows that you're a half-phantom is trying to get you to turn completely into a phantom. When they weren't successful, they instead tried to trap your soul in one of your nightmares. When your soul left your body, the curse kept you from being able to return to your body."
"Yato," Yukine interjected, "what are we going to do? Now Hiyori's not safe no matter what. If she's asleep, phantoms will try to take her. And if her soul slips out again, the curse will come for her. We have to find a way to save her!"
You can save her by cutting her ties with you. He could hear Lord Tenjin's words pierce him like a knife. He's known all these years that he was right but both Hiyori and Yato were too stubborn to do it. At this point, Yato wasn't sure he had much choice anymore. If she continued to lose her body, the curse would eventually do its job and kill her if her nightmares didn't turn her into a phantom first. There was an ache in his body that took over, but he couldn't let Hiyori see it. This time, the decision literally meant life or death for Hiyori.
Yato leaned hard on Hiyori's window sill, putting all his weight on his hands as if all his godly strength had left him. Memories of all their time together flashed in front of him like photographs. He'd have to give it all up. Everything they ever did would be as if it never happened. He'd be left with all the pain of remembering. Even if it meant saving her, Yato wasn't sure he had it in him to do it.
"Yato," he felt Yukine standing behind him, "it's ok. I'm willing to do whatever it takes to save Hiyori. I might only be a regalia and your thoughts don't flow to me like mine do to you, but I've been with you long enough to know what you're thinking."
Yato closed his eyes tightly and gritted his teeth.
"We have to do whatever we can, Yato."
Hiyori sat up in bed. Although she was weak, she couldn't sit back and do nothing. "Guys," she said in a small voice, "let me help. I don't know what I can do, but I at least want to try." Tears began lining her eyes and the pain in her chest grew. "I don't want you two to keep getting hurt trying to protect me!"
Yato crouched down, thoughts swirling in his head so loud yet so confusing. Why was this so hard? She was just human after all. He'd done this so many times. What made this time so different? Hiyori would go on with her life. She'd finish school and go to college. All the pain and torment of this life would be far behind her. He'd be doing her a favor.
"Yato, please." He sucked in his breath feeling arms around his waist. Hiyori laid her head on Yato's back and sniffed tears back. She wasn't entirely sure what he was thinking, but she knew it couldn't be good.
"I don't want to do this either," Yukine stuttered, his eyes wet and his face red, "but if we don't, she could die and it would be all our fault Yato."
The former god of calamity remained silent but inside he was screaming. He felt sick with the weight of all his choices. Yato knew what was right, but the truth is he simply didn't want to do it. Could he live with himself the rest of his days if any harm came to Hiyori? Or worse, if she died. Yet, could he live with himself if he were to ever find out that he could have saved her without severing her ties? Did he even have time to try to find such a way?
Grabbing Hiyori's hands and pulling them off gently, Yato stood and took a deep breath. "Hiyori," he said lowly, "I wish so many things. I wish none of this had ever happened to you. I wish there was a way to fix all of this and make everyone happy. But," he paused as a tear escaped his eye, "nobody grants wishes for gods."
Hiyori was breathless. She couldn't believe what she was hearing.
"SEKKI!" Yato ordered angrily. He couldn't help it anymore; he could hardly see the lines of her ties through the tears in his eyes. The words poured from his mouth, but all he could hear were Hiyori's pleas to stop. Hiyori yanked and pulled on the ties desperately trying to get him to stop. Each one he cut caused her heart to ache more and more.
"STOP! YATO! PLEASE! DON'T DO THIS!" Hiyori begged, but he wasn't listening anymore. Everything began fading right before her eyes as if a whole lifetime of memories were just a dream she was waking from. "NO!" she screamed, closing her eyes tightly and grabbing the last thread with both her hands. "You can't do this! Not before I got to tell you I love you!"
Everything stopped and all Hiyori could hear was the sound of metal against metal. Was it over?
Hiyori opened her eyes slowly to see Yato standing in front of her stunned. If he had cut her ties, how did she still know who he was?
Yato stared at the last tie in complete disbelief. It had turned to gold, shining brilliantly and completely unbroken.
"Ya…..Yato…." Yukine muttered in shock, "I can't cut it…."
Hiyori looked down on the tie that refused to break. What happened? "What is this?"
"I don't know," Yato stammered. "I've never seen this before. Yukine-"
Yukine reverted and looked at Hiyori who looked at Yato who couldn't take his eyes off the golden string his Sekki couldn't touch. He reached out and touched it. It was light yet solid. How could this be? Of all the ties he's cut, he's never seen this happen.
The room lightened and the tie faded. Observing Hiyori, Yato looked for anything in her face that would tell him his task was successful. "Hiyori?"
"Yato?" she blinked, bewildered. "Am I dreaming?"
Tears still fresh on his face, Yato smiled. "Not anymore."