Chapter 10
The next day Hiyori had promised to help her parents with errands and general tasks. Her mother wanted to go shopping in the afternoon. "I haven't been able to do anything leisurely in so long!" she complained. Hiyori agreed and said she'd join her. Her father needed to talk to wholesalers in the morning first.
In her bedroom, Yato stood agitated by the window. "It's not a good idea to be so far away in the middle of all this," he said with an annoyed tone.
"It's ok, Yato," Hiyori said, trying to diffuse the coming argument.
"You don't know that!" Yato continued. "I can't protect you around all those people. It's too much of a risk."
"Yato," Yukine walked into the room, "she can't stay cooped up in her room forever. She's human. Eventually her parents are going to get curious why she's not getting out as much. If they start questioning her, what is she supposed to tell them?"
"I don't know," Yato shrugged his shoulders dramatically, "but anything is better than attempting to be social in the middle of a crisis!"
"It's actually a good idea," Yukine interrupted. "For one, if Hiyori stays in one spot she'll be easier for your dad to locate her. And secondly, if too much negative energy continues to grow in the house, Hiyori won't be the only one in danger of a phantom. Her whole family could potentially be hurt."
Yato grumbled, but eventually agreed. Hiyori grabbed his arm in both of her hands and looked up at him with a light in her eyes he hadn't seen in a while. "Thank you, Yato."
How could he be upset at that face? "Just stay within my line of sight today at least," he gave up. "I'll be following you to make sure you're ok. I can't risk you being completely alone."
Hiyori nodded. She knew nobody would see them anyway so it made her feel safer knowing he would be close by.
"Hiyori, are you ready?" her mother called from downstairs.
"I'm comin!" Hiyori grabbed her purse, slung it over her shoulder, and ran out the door behind her mother with Yato and Yukine trailing behind. Her father held the door of the car open for her. She nodded to Yato and Yukine as they ascended to the rooftops to follow the car into town.
"I'm going to stop at the sanitation supplier first," her father began as he drove over the overpass and turned into the business side of town. "We keep running out of quite of a few of our sanitary supplies. The nurses complain endlessly about running out of cotton swabs, alcohol pads, all those little things."
"Well they can't do their job very well without the right equipment, dear" her mother replied with a smile. Her mom's job at the hospital was more about representation and quality control. Her father was strictly business and wasn't always a good people person.
"Back in my father's day, we just used bottles of alcohol and towels! Now all anyone wants are all these tiny packages of individually wrapped convenience items!" He retorted.
"Times change, dear," her mother soothed from the passenger seat. "If you want the hospital to stay successful, you'll have to change with it as well."
Her father sighed heavily. "It's ridiculous, but I know you're right."
Her mother grabbed her father's hand and held it as he drove. Hiyori studied them together. Her father's hands were rough and tired. His fingers were long and worn nearly to the bone. On the contrary, her mother's hands were always smooth and delicate. She used the same moisturizer for years and Hiyori knew the scent very well. Her slender fingers intertwined with her father's like a perfectly-fit puzzle piece. Hiyori never really paid much attention to her parent's relationship. They were so different but complimented each other so well. Her father ran the household like he ran the hospital. Everything had a place and everything must be in its place. Chores were always a big deal growing up. Hiyori learned very quickly that as long as she did all her chores when she was supposed to she wouldn't get in trouble. Her dad's punishments were rough.
But her mother always swooped in with grace and mercy. When her father would lose his patience her mother would comfort Hiyori's brother and her. Of course her father would apologize later on and Hiyori respected him more because he could admit to his faults. She wondered what kind of parent she would be if she ever had children. Would she be strict yet humble like her father? Or would she be loving and empathetic like her mother? Hiyori's heart skipped a beat remembering a dream she'd had before. At first it was fuzzy but she could clearly see Yato holding a baby. Upon looking more closely, she could see the baby had Hiyori's eyes. He asked the baby if she missed her mommy. Was Hiyori that baby's mother? Who was the father?
Looking out the window, Hiyori focused on Yato as he jumped from building to building. She was curious if Yato had ever thought about being a parent. Was that something gods thought about? He had told Yukine that gods relied on regalias to teach them about the human world. If regalias had human feelings, surely at least one of them wanted to be a parent and had talked about it with their master. Hiyori was sure it was taboo just like regalias having relationships but they were still human regardless of them being dead or alive. Yukine probably never even had a serious girlfriend before he died. Now he'd have to spend the rest of his spiritual life thinking about all the things he couldn't do. He couldn't grow up, go to college, fall in love, get married or have children of his own. Hiyori hoped Yato wouldn't be so cruel as to deny him a relationship now. Hopefully Yukine could fall in love at least and experience that part of life he wasn't able to before he passed.
Hiyori was full of mixed emotions. She couldn't help but feel out of place. Even her friends in school talked about life after graduation. Some had big college plans. Others wanted to travel and experience other countries. Some girls already wanted a family and swooned over details of their elaborate wedding days and what colors they would choose. Hiyori used to shudder at the thought of planning her life out. She could hardly get through each day let alone plan out several weeks, months, or years. She wanted to ask her mother what she was doing at seventeen years old. Was she thinking about any of this? Was Hiyori just odd?
Completely lost in thought, Hiyori hadn't realized the car stopped. The clouds above drifted slowly across the sky and aided her in her journey through the endless ideas.
"Hiyori," her mother's voice broke her train of thought. "Are you listening?"
She shook her head. "I'm sorry. I was just thinking. Did you say something?"
"You seem to be thinking a lot lately," her mother noted. "I suppose that can't be helped."
"What do you mean?" Hiyori pulled on the driver and passenger seats to get closer. Her father was outside the car talking to a supplier while her mother was knitting something in her lap.
"Well you are about to be an adult. And this is your last year of school. I imagine you must have a lot on your mind." Her mother focused on her craft.
Hiyori sunk back into her seat. "Yeah, I guess you're right."
"Speaking of becoming an adult, have you decided what you want to do for your birthday? It is next weekend you know."
Birthday? Seriously? Hiyori forgot her own birthday. In the midst of everything going on she hadn't even thought about her birthday. Friends from school had asked about it. They argued that eighteen was a big deal and deserved a big celebration. Hiyori wasn't sure she wanted anything big anymore. The last couple of years Yato had tried too hard to make her birthday some enormous party but with Kofuku in charge of planning it basically flopped. Of course she didn't mind. At sixteen he had tried to reserve an entire park for her with a DJ and a buffet. The DJ became ill upon showing up and the food order was lost. Yato was embarrassed but Daikoku came to the rescue with pizza for everyone and they all sat in the park and enjoyed each other. By the end of the night Yato was all smiles and in a much better mood. Hiyori loved having everyone close to her there to ring in another year around the sun. This year, she just wanted something simple. No big plans. No parties. Just friends and family.
"I think I would like to have dinner this year," she told her mother.
"Hm. Who all would you like to invite?"
"Ami and Yama, of course." Hiyori tapped her cheek, thinking. "And Yato and Yukine." The words slipped out of her mouth before she could stop them. After all these years of keeping them a secret, their names poured from her so naturally that she forgot she wasn't supposed to mention them. It was too late now.
"Yato? Yukine? Who are they?"
"Uhh…." Hiyori searched for a way out of the conversation but couldn't find one. Maybe this time she didn't need to. If she was ever going to introduce them, now would be as good a time as any. "They are friends of mine."
"You've never mentioned them before." Her mother folded the yarn and put it aside, turning back in her seat to look at Hiyori. "You have friends who are boys?"
"Well yeah!" Hiyori's face glowed red. "I mean I go to school with boys and girls, ya'know."
"So they are friends from school?"
"Well, not exactly. Yato is from a different school. Yukine is his little brother." She tried to conjure a story that would make the most sense.
"How long have you known them?"
That was going to be difficult to explain. Instead, Hiyori lied. "Not very long. But they are a lot of fun to hang out with. I feel like I've known them forever."
"Well, any friends of yours are welcome to come. We'll talk about restaurants later and reserve it for that weekend."
Hiyori exhaled deeply. It felt like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. At least she finally told her mother. Whether or not she remembered them after her birthday would be a different story.
Her father opened the car door and got in so Hiyori sat up straight and buckled in again. "Damn suppliers always make things so complicated!" he bellowed as he drove off.
"Now dear," her mother said with a smile, "think of all the good you're doing for your team at the hospital. They'll really appreciate it."
He held his breath for a few seconds then let it go; his shoulders dropped and he eased his body. "I suppose you're right."
Hiyori chuckled quietly. Her parent's relationship has always been something she looked up to. She hoped she would have something that pure and wholesome one day.
"I've got a couple more stops to make. Do you want me to drop you ladies off at the mall while I finish up?" her father asked.
"Yes, please!" Hiyori piped up excitedly. She loved her father but riding in the car all day is not something she would miss when she graduated. After a few minutes her father pulled into the parking lot and her and her mother got out of the car. They waved goodbye to him and proceeded inside. From the corner of her eye she saw Yato and Yukine land on the roof of the mall. He pointed to his cell phone to let Hiyori know to text him. She opened up her own phone and saw a message from him.
Let me know what stores you go to. Yukine and I are going in through the other side.
She texted back ok and put the phone away. Her mother led the way through the main corridor. Larger "for sale!" signs were plastered on nearly every window. Thirty percent off sweaters. Seventy percent off handbags and backpacks. Twenty percent off jewelry. Hiyori passed a store and something glistened catching her eye. It was a pair of earrings. They were small dangling ones. Hanging delicately from sterling silver studs were two blue sapphires, the smaller one on top and the larger one underneath and a tiny white diamond separating them. The lighting of the shop hit them perfectly and each stone shone brilliantly. She pressed her forehead against them glass in awe. Her heart skipped a beat when she thought of what Yato had told her once.
I like blue better, myself.
Would it be silly to buy something just because Yato would like it? Lately she had found herself picking out outfits and wearing her hair in ways that might get his attention. She wasn't like that in school. Because everyone had to wear uniforms, girls usually found other ways to make themselves pretty and more attractive. Some girls wore expensive jewelry or put their hair up in fancy designs. Others used a lot of makeup or dyed their hair odd colors. Hiyori had always been plain. Of course she liked to dress up on the weekends and during breaks from school but she never really wanted to get anyone's attention at school. Is this what normal girls did? Do they find out what boys like and gravitate toward it? It seemed so odd to her that anyone would do that.
Just as she was about the abandon the store, her mother walked up next to her. "They're beautiful aren't they?" She asked Hiyori.
"Yeah, but they're too fancy for me," Hiyori deflected.
"You know, you are almost an adult and you don't have any nice jewelry at home." Her mother bumped Hiyori's shoulder with her own. "It wouldn't hurt to have something to wear during nice occasions. They'd be perfect for your birthday dinner!"
Hiyori looked down at the earrings again. Her mother was right. She didn't have anything like them at home. It would be nice to have something nice to wear for her birthday.
"Excuse me!" her mother called out to the attendant before Hiyori could debate about it any longer. "We'll take these!" She pointed to the earrings in the case.
"Those are a wonderful choice!" the spritely shop attendant announced from the other side of the store. "I'll be right over to get them for you!"
"Mom, you really don't have to do that!" Hiyori's face glowed with embarrassment.
"Nonsense," her mother said taking Hiyori's hand in her own. "You're my daughter. Think of it as my birthday present to you."
A sting of sadness pelted Hiyori's heart and she could sense the same pain in her mother's eyes. Without warning, huge tears ran down Hiyori's cheeks and she buried her face in her mom's shoulder hugging her tightly. She knew this wasn't the time or place to be breaking down but she couldn't stop it. Everything she'd been feeling and keeping from her parents broke loose like a river from a dam.
"Hi-Hiyori…." Her mother struggled to calm her. "They're just earrings sweetheart."
Hiyori continued to sob uncontrollably. She couldn't imagine life without her parents but so many times in the last few years she'd nearly lost her own life and everyone in it. She'd be leaving behind a mother and father who loved her dearly. Hiyori had been so careless because she'd acted on impulse but now that she was almost an adult herself, she felt sick thinking back on all the times she'd risked it all. It wasn't right. None of it was right. Now here she was alone with all her memories and feelings and none of it she could manage.
Yato turned the corner to hear someone's cries echoing throughout the mall. Strangely it sounded familiar to him.
"That sounds like Hiyori crying!" Yukine alerted Yato.
"I know," Yato replied calmly trying to scan the area for her face, "we have to find her!"
"She was supposed to text you!" Yukine warned him.
"Well we can't help what was supposed to happen! Just help me look for her!"
They both followed the painful cries through the crowds of people and loud noises. When they found the source of the crying, it was too late. The tail of a snake-like phantom slipped between Yato's feet and he followed it with his eyes up and up. The serpentine creature had completely coiled around Hiyori and her mother. He could barely see Hiyori in the middle sobbing against her mother. People stared at them wondering what was going on but Yato and Yukine knew this was exactly what the demon wanted. It was getting stronger and preying on Hiyori's emotions to summon phantoms to try to take her while she's down.
"Come, SEKKI!" Yato yelled and ran towards the spirit with the two blades in hand. It was quick and spat venomous blight at him to keep him at a distance.
"Yato, don't let that stuff touch you! Look what it's doing!" Yukine motioned for Yato to look at his pants. Some of the venom had splashed onto this pants and were burning a hole right through them.
"This isn't going to be easy," Yato huffed. "They keep getting stronger as she gets weaker. We need to find its weakness and fast!"
Yato continued to dodge attacks and the venom it spewed but was running out of ideas. "We can't keep dodging it forever! If we don't kill it soon it's going to choke Hiyori out!"
Yukine looked over the monster. "It won't let go of Hiyori. We can use that to our advantage. It can't do close attacks so it's trying to keep us far away. We need to zero in."
"Yeah but how?" Yato jumped backwards as the phantom lunged in with its teeth again.
Yukine looked around again and saw the sprinkler system. "Throw one of my blades at that spout!"
Yato was confused. "Really? The sprinkler? What is this an 80's horror movie? How is that going to work?"
"Everyone will scramble to get out and cause the phantom to lose track of you! Use that to get close to him!"
Yato was impressed. "Nice! Okay, Sekki!" He threw one of the blades at the sprinkler and soon each one popped off and water began showering everyone inside the mall. Just as Yukine had predicted everyone started yelling and running to get outside. Yato stayed low and kept between the pagodas. The phantom looked around frantically for him but couldn't see him.
"Now's our chance," Yukine whispered. "Run me up the back and go for the head!"
Yato sprinted up the monster's back, his Sekki in hand, and struck its head from its throat before it even realized he was there. In a cloud of black smoke, the phantom disappeared and the room lightened. Water continued to rain from the ceiling and drenched Yato. He caught his breath briefly and looked over to see Hiyori's mother in shock. Hiyori was unconscious on her mother's lap and not responding. They had killed the phantom. Hiyori should be safe. Why was she out cold?
"Yato!" her frightened voice called from behind him. He turned sharply to see Hiyori in her phantom form.
"Hiyori!" he called back but just as he stepped towards her, the floor beneath him began to rumble and break away. He tried to steady himself but the quaking ground got the better of him and he nearly fell through one of the emerging trenches. He through his Sekki to Hiyori and quickly climbed back up. Running to her he picked up Yukine and jumped over the dividing concrete. "Take my hand!" he implored her but they all heard a roar from underneath them.
"Wh-what was that?" Yukine trembled.
"I don't know," Yato held him steady in his hands while trying to ignore his own shaking legs. "I'm not sticking around to find out."
Yato went to grab Hiyori's hand but it felt like something invisible was pushing him back like a force field around her. "Hiyori!"
She mouthed Yato's name but no sound came out. The rest of the mall fell away around them and it was just darkness. Hiyori tried yelling for him again but to no avail. No sound was coming from her mouth. She yelled and cried over and over until her lungs burned but still nothing.
There was another roar. Closer this time and louder. Hiyori looked at Yato. Her eyes were full of terror. What was happening? What had she done?
Yato stood ready. "Yukine, I don't know what we're up against but we have to be ready no matter what."
A low growl crept up from Yato's left side. Yukine only nodded and took a deep breath.
Flames grew like a wall between Yato and Hiyori. Another growl and the beast materialized from the fire. It was well over ten feet tall. Like a lion that walked on its hind legs like a human, its enormous arms were cuffed with gold bands and its huge backwards-C shaped horns were adorned with thin gold bangles. Gold hoops hung from its ears. Eight inch fangs protruded from his upper jaw and his claws were razor sharp like daggers. A purple and gold cloth was tied around its waist. Yato couldn't look away. He'd never seen anything so horrifying yet so majestic at the same time.
"We finally meet, Yato god," the beast growled and smiled sinisterly at him and Yukine.