Chapter: Ocean or the wave
They had left the building, greeted by the morning light of the twin suns. The morning heat rose as they walked along a pathway lined by brilliantly colored chrysanthemums before approaching an iron gate. Aikko pushed the gate open and stepped through. Mikoto followed behind her, suddenly feeling hard stone beneath her feet. Gone was a soft crunch of earthen pathways. In its place was the hard, barren, rocky soil she was used to on her travels. Aikko smirked as she noticed Mikoto's expression changing. "You are not imagining it." She said, motioning her head for Mikoto to look behind her. She turned, and there was nothing but an empty rocky terrain. "how?" then it hit her.
"A portal?" she asked. Aikko nodded. "They come in all sizes."
she took a few steps back, looked at the ground, and saw an image of the gate she had walked through just beneath its surface. "The garden is very private and isolated," Aikko said, pointing off into the distance. It would take days to walk to it."
Mikoto fretted her brow, wondering why. "Mother likes her privacy, especially with father." She tilted her head. "Many a daughter has been conceived in that garden." She giggled, "Among other places…This way," she continued to walk and finally stopped, standing next to a large sphere-shaped stone disc. Around its edges were expertly carved runes. "I will meet your challenge later," she said with a grin, stepping up on the stone. She held her hand out.
"I can manage…" knowing she was talking about, "and no, you won't." Mikoto, without taking her hand, stepped up and onto the stone. "We are so much alike, sister," Aikko had a look of total joy. She even giggled.
"Sister?" Mikoto shrugged without saying anything more, walking across the stone to the other side and looking out across the vast garden.
It was all there before her, the garden spreading out and fading in the distance. The wind roared up the face of the canyon, carrying the full menu of scents that her vampire senses instantly decoded. The aroma of water, cooking fires, and food intermingled with the earthy scents of the forest below. Her sensitive ears picked up the distant murmurs of conversations, constantly humming underneath the wind. Without hesitation, she stepped closer and leaned a little farther, the tips of her boots hanging over the sphere's edge. The runes etched into the stone pulsed to life, their soft glow reflecting across the advanced leather of her shoes.
The sight below was captivating. A blending of nature and civilization. "not bad," little misaka said. "I do prefer what Vita did…but this has its points too."
Small townships of stone and wood were nestled within the green canopy, with various-sized buildings peeking through the gaps in the foliage. Intricate roadways and pathways wound through the landscape, connecting settlements in a complex network. Elegant bridges arched over wondering streams and good-sized rivers. She could see stone towers rising above the treetops like silent sentinels. Small walkways made of wood and vines hung between them. People moved along the aerial walkways between lower plateaus, looking like small birds crossing the open spaces. Terraced fields and cultivated gardens blended seamlessly into the wild growth.
"It's beautiful. Isn't it? Sister." Aikko said, coming up behind her. "Mother and father built it all." She stood by her side, her hair beginning to drift in the updraft. "two plus miles down in some spots…" she said, gesturing to the canyon's depths. " See the lake across the way? It was once nothing more than a small trickle. They built a dam and rerouted the water into the rice fields."
"Rice!?" Mikoto licked her lips. She remembered sticky rice, gooey rice, crunchy rice, and how it clung to her fangs. Drenched with sweet and savory sauces coated her tongue." if you even…" she said with a hint of malice, thinking back to the smell of coffee and toast. "would what?" little misaka feigned innocence. The attractive woman was nearby in front of a wok, making stir fry.
Aikko nodded, a hint of pride in her voice."Yes, Father is clever when collecting seeds." She pointed along the rim on the other side. "fruit trees, berries, and other things, all from your earth, are very yummy."
Licking her lips in a very teasing move. She laughed, shaking her head like a child at a party. "this entire garden was nothing more than some abandoned water hole. A small one at that. Wars had destroyed almost everything…that Bahamuth and his bitch would continue to raid and take from it over and over." She said it was a fluent mixture of hate and pride. A glare settled in her eyes, instantly going from soft to hard, "Mother and Father's arrival changed everything." She turned her eyes from the view and peeked at Mikoto. " he got his ass kicked so many times he never returned," she said with a growl.,"And thanks to you, he never will." She took a deep breath. Her chest puffed, and the winds swirled, picking up dust and rolling stones along the surface like tumbleweeds. And exhaled, "to the library," she yelled.
A bright flash followed. A portal opened, showing Kitsune and other beastlike people walking around, chatting and laughing. Behind them, in the distance, were massive stone buildings.
Aikko covered her mouth, giggling.
"you didn't really have to do that? Did you?" Mikoto glared over her shoulder at the Kitsune as she stepped off and out of the portal.
"no…" she answered, "little sister,"
The shimmering air faded, leaving Mikoto breathless. She turned to glare at Aikko as she stepped off the stone disc. Feeling the ground beneath her feet, she turned to look ahead. Her eyes widened, surprised and awe-struck by the impossible sight before her.
The Great Library of Alexandria stood resurrected, its grandeur defying all she had known from books and artist renditions.
"Is this…?" her mouth almost hanging open, the tips of her fangs catching the light.
Aikko's tails swished as she nodded, a knowing smile playing on her vulpine features. "The Great Library, reborn in impossible splendor and supersized." Her head tilted, eyes sparkling. "Mother and father visited often during their travels back on earth." She said as they walked along the smooth stone road. Aikko's voice took on a scholarly tone. "You know, it's far more than just a library. It had much more than books," Her tails swayed with each step, "There are living quarters, places to eat, study and read…."
Mikoto's eyes darted along the entrance, checking out the images on each façade. There were no Greek or Roman warriors in battle; instead, there were foxes and other creatures. And saw their opponent, the Bahamut image. In another frieze, Bahamut was running away. Furrowing her growing, thinning her eyes, she saw him. or thought it was him...shading her eyes. "is that?" trying to take it all in, keeping her thoughts to herself. "It's… overwhelming. Sounds more looks like a university.."
"or a Mall." Little misaka said.
Aikko chuckled. "There are quiet areas for writing, extended boring lectures, and the most beautiful landscaped gardens you've ever seen. " She continued but stopped when they passed by a group of robed figures engaged in a heated discussion. Their voices, rising in different languages, filled with sharp consonants, clicking tongues, and flowing syllables. Mikoto winced at the loudness, her vampire ears too sensitive. She casually covered her ear. "How can they understand?" she asked, more curious than annoyed.
Aikko's tail flicked playfully behind her as she glanced at the group. "lingua stones," she explained with a smile. "look closely at those colored stones on the chokers and necklaces. The magic woven into the jewelry translates every word, but it's more than that. The stones capture the intent and emotions, so nothing is lost in translation."
"communicators or translators?" little misaka wondered aloud, "Star Trek?"
Mikoto's attention lingered a little longer on the faint glow of the lingua stone. The magic thrumming softly in the surrounding air. She quickly snapped out of her thoughts and continued.
"How many works did they have?" Mikoto asked.
"They say more than 500,000," Aikko replied, her eyes gleaming. "On every subject, anyone had ever written about. Quite the collection, wouldn't you agree?"
Mikoto's eyes narrowed as her tone became serious. "And how did you come by such a massive collection from Earth?"
Aikko slowed her pace, meeting Mikoto's gaze. "Mother collected some of it during her travels on earth, but father…father is the true source." A hint of awe crept into her voice. " he remembers everything." She paused, letting it sink in before continuing with growing excitement in her eyes. "the library has the complete knowledge of the gods, the wisdom of the dragons of creation, even the diaries of Tessa."
"Wait," little misaka interrupted, her words cutting like a blade," did she say Tessa?"
Mikoto closed her eyes tight, clenching her teeth, feeling little misaka agitation. Outwardly, she focused on Aikko, and it was her turn to choose her words carefully. "These diaries of Tessa….what exactly are they?"
Aikko laughed with disbelief. "Really? You can't tell me you've never heard of Tessa?" she shook her head, amused. "She was the first queen of the vampires. The architect of the original vampiric empire? "She glinted with curiosity. "How is it possible that you don't know a part of your own history?"
Mikoto fell silent, her mind racing. Little Misaka's anticipation urged her to probe further. "Hey," Little Misaka's voice reminded, "they told you to read up,"
"Busy," Mikoto grumbled. "A few battles, visits to other realms, and giving birth...nothing major."
Overlooking her inner child. Mikoto's lips curled into a sardonic smile at her words. "I've heard the name," she said, her tone carefully neutral. "Everyone has their version of vampire lore." She pulled the excuse out of thin air. "chasing three children around is quite time-consuming and exhausting.
Aikko's eyes lit up, her smile exploding." I bet it is…" she laughed, shuffling closer. "You have to tell me everything about them!" she said, exhaling a long breath, her eyes glimmering. She felt she had gotten a little more information.
"nice one," little misaka said, shaking her head, "way to sacrifice your children…" she huffed, "you know she only heard giving birth and chasing three children around..right?"
"Shut up"
As they neared the entrance, the crowds grew denser, reminiscent of excited fans queuing for the sold-out premiere of a show.
"Is this… normal?" Mikoto asked,
Aikko's laugh was light and musical. "you've barely scratched the surface of the impossible."
On either side of the enormous doors stood two towering stone statues. It took a moment, but then she realized she knew one of the figures. "So, is that...?" She gave Aikko a side-eye.
The Kitsune's smile got bigger. "One cannot deny how good Mother looks when sculpted in stone, can they?"
"And the other?"
"Ptolemy I Soter." Aikko shrugged. "Said to have laid the plans for the original library. But who really knows?"
Both statues stretched their arms outward – a gesture of welcome or perhaps a warning. Carved in gold letters above the doors in a language she could easily understand. "Chishiki wa kiken ni nariuru," she whispered.
"Knowledge can be dangerous," Aikko murmurs, her voice taking on a serious edge.
Mikoto nodded, feeling the truth of those words in her bones. "Especially if you don't know how to use it."
The two colossal doors came into view, their carvings in dark stone contrasting with the glimmering handles and brackets that resembled brass. Her eyes were drawn to the intricate designs on its surface, and her heart started pounding. She knew it—the great wave off of Kanagawa. Every intricate detail captures the immense power of it. Standing tall beneath the cresting wave, Mt. Fuji served as a sentinel, symbolizing the cherished homeland. She felt a wave of mixed feelings - nostalgia and confusion. How did this image end up in another realm? She understood its meaning. "not even the tallest mountain cannot withstand the power of the ocean." So, what was she? She wondered, "Either the wave or the mountain."Keeping that in mind, she entered the library through the doors that were gradually opening.