"That's what you think," Suzume said. An idea was already forming in her mind.
Suzume ran across the room, dodging the tentacles with more skill than she felt herself capable of. Hiding behind the overturned table, Suzume concentrated on the song which had come to her before. In the past Kazue had given songs of protection which had saved her life. While she concentrated on the song Ai's tentacles slammed into the table before picking it up and throwing it across the room.
Standing to face the child-like yokai, Suzume held her staff in front of her, the song on the tip of her tongue.
"I will make you suffer for what you have done."
She smirked in response. She could feel the power of the song in the first note. It vibrated up from her throat and spread outward, filling the entire room with its melody. Every inch of Suzume was aware. She could feel the flow of spiritual energy in the room: Ai's and her own twirling cores of power, and remnants of yokai who had been here long ago. Like shadows of the past clinging to the present. The song encircled them all, drawing it inward and pulling it to Suzume. She took it all in, the energy filling her with bright hot light so powerful it felt as if it would burn her from the inside.
It surrounded Ai and then she was suspended in the air, her back arched as the song drew all of her spiritual energy from her. This is what Kazue did. This is how she became immortal. The power slammed into Suzume, almost knocking her off her feet. She gasped as it entered her. Flashes of images passed through her mind so fast she could not even process them. And then as quick as it started, it stopped. Ai came crashing to the ground, falling into a heap. Suzume held up her hands. In one she held a flame and in the other a ball of water.
40
Suzume woke, eager to test the limits of her new power. She threw back the covers and sat with a jug of water in front of her. With one hand held out in front of her, she concentrated on bending the water to her will. But it remained stubbornly still. Why isn't this working?
When she concentrated on making a ball of flame appear in her hand, fire lit there with little effort. Suzume glared at the jug of water as if it was the one responsible for her power's lack of cooperation. Just then the door to Suzume's room slid open and Ai came in carrying a tray. Suzume scooted back, watching the child-like monster with narrowed eyes.
"What are you doing here? I thought I killed you." Suzume reached for her staff, which she had left lying next to her. After she had drained Ai of all of her spiritual power, she had disappeared. Suzume had assumed she was gone for good and had spent the next several hours looking for a way out of the underwater palace. After hours of searching without success, she had found the best room she could and collapsed into sleep.
Ai bowed her head as she set a tray down beside Suzume's futon. When she looked up again there was a defiant look in her eye. "Ai is one of the first thousand children. We do not 'die'."
Suzume blinked at her in confusion. "I drained you of all of your spiritual energy though."
Ai tilted her head to the side in confusion. "You almost did. Unlike Kazue, you do not know how to harness your powers adequately. So Ai has reverted to this." She gestured to the tiny body.
"Then, what, are you back for revenge?" Suzume looked at the tray of what looked like food. Why would she feed her after trying to kill her the day before?
"Ai would, but all of Ai's strength has not returned yet." She glared at Suzume in accusation.
"Then how did you regenerate?"
"There are healing pools in the palace," Ai said, arms crossed over her chest and a tiny, haughty tilt of her head.
"Then is that why I cannot control the power anymore?" Suzume asked, sounding too much like a petulant child. But she didn't care, she liked feeling in control. And the rush of Ai's energy had been intoxicating.
"Of course you can't." Ai scoffed. "Without a vessel your human body cannot maintain a yokai's power. It is no longer in you."
"Where did it go then?"
Ai waved vaguely. "Into the stream of all energy."
"And what sort of vessel would contain that kind of power? Would the Sea Stone work?" Suzume asked, leaning toward the girl with interest.
Ai cleared her throat. "Yes. It would."
Suzume leaned back. She had been so eager to learn about this new possibility, she had not even considered why Ai would help her. "Not that I'm complaining, but why are you telling me this?"
"Because you asked."
Suzume scrunched up her face in confusion. "Yesterday you tried to murder me. Remember?"
Ai sighed and then turned to look at Suzume. "Do you not even know what it means to take the power of a yokai?"
Suzume shrugged. "I get stronger."
Ai shook her head. "It means they become bound to you. Even when the energy fades, a trace of Ai remains with you. Ai cannot disobey you, no matter how much Ai wishes she could." She huffed as she turned away from Suzume.
"If that's the case then give me the Sea Stone." Suzume held out her hand, expecting Ai to produce it from thin air.
Ai shot to her feet, and her tiny hands were balled into fists at her side. "Ai has been trapped within these walls for five hundred years, do you not think if Ai had the stone Ai wouldn't have used it to escape?"
"I saw it, in the courtyard with the others..."
Ai waved her hand and suddenly they were transported into the audience hall. It was filled with light, music and the perfume of food. Yokai gathered around in the exact same arrangement Suzume had seen when she arrived at the palace, chatting amongst themselves as if Ai and Suzume were not there at all.
"This was my father's palace before Kazue captured him, locking him in a stone and forcing me to guard over his prison."
The Lord of the Sea sat on his throne, smiling down at the subjects that surrounded him. Ai reached for him but when she touched it, the illusion burst into a cloud of mist. Ai hung her head for a moment before turning to face Suzume once more.
"What you saw was a memory. Nothing more," she said to Suzume.
"Then where is the Sea Stone?"
Ai pointed upward.
Suzume followed her finger and stared upward. "In the ceiling?"
"It is on an island just off the coast."
"So all I need is a boat then?" Just the idea of being on the ocean again made her stomach flop uncomfortably. Once this was all over she swore never to step foot off of dry land again.
A crooked smile spread across Ai's face. "Kazue's wards prevent all boats from approaching."
"I already killed the umi-bozu though."
"It is more than that. There are other protections in place, deadly waves, and illusions."
It would be so much easier to just forget about the Sea Stone, go find Kaito and admit she wasn't as strong as she pretended to be. But the memory of the power lingered. It wasn't for pretend like with the Namahage, or Kazue using Suzume's body. This had been her power. She had to get it back.
"I demand you show me how to get there," Suzume said, meeting Ai's gaze.
The child shook her head before standing up.
"If you wish," she said and headed toward the door. Suzume had to leap up to chase after her. Ai led her back to the courtyard where Suzume had first arrived.
"I hate to break this to you but I cannot swim." She'd already explored every inch of this courtyard the night before and she had found no signs of an exit.
Ai ignored her to whisper something into her hands. A bubble formed between her chubby fingers and when she opened them it floated upward and into the water. Suzume watched the bubble rise up with a single raised brow.
"What is that supposed to do?" Suzume asked, her voice dripping with skepticism.
"Shhh." Ai pressed her finger to her lips. With her petite stature, cherubic features, and high voice it was a much more childish action than Suzume was sure she intended.
After a few impatient moments of waiting, a dark shadow flew overhead. At first glance Suzume thought it was the umi-bozu returned from the dead. But
as it got closer it became apparent it was not the giant monster, but a large sea turtle which floated through the wall of water to land in front of them.
It approached Ai and rested its head in her tiny child-like hands. As Ai whispered in its ear, it nodded its head.
Ai turned back to Suzume. "He will take you to the island."
"So I'm, what, going to ride on his back?" Suzume looked at the turtle dubiously.
"Precisely." Ai's smile was wide and mischievous.
"How do I know this is not some sort of trick?"
"If Ai wanted to kill you, Ai would have done it while you slept." She smiled, revealing rows of jagged, sharp teeth.
Suzume took a step back. Perhaps my chances are better with the turtle. With some difficulty she climbed onto the turtle's back. Then a thought occurred to her.
"But what about breathing—" she couldn't even properly form the question before the turtle shot off like a rocket.
She clung to the lip of its shell as it zoomed through the sea. All around her was a blur of white foam and bubbles. She held her breath for what felt like an eternity, until her vision started to go dark around the edges. Her lungs burned, threatening to expel what was in them and swallow sea water instead. Memories of her near drowning were vivid in her mind, tightening her chest with panic. Before she could give in to the feeling, they broke the surface and Suzume gasped for air. Never before had she been so thankful for the luxury of breathing.
They had arrived at a larger island and a small outcropping of rocks off the shore. The entire scene felt familiar to her. This had to be the place. The turtle skimmed across the ocean's surface before riding the waves into shore on the larger island.
"I need to go there to those rocks." Suzume pointed in their direction.
The turtle only blinked large, liquid eyes at her in response.
"Can you understand me? I need to get the Sea Stone."
It only shook its head. She sighed in exasperation. It looked like she was on her own from here. Suzume slid off the turtle's back and onto the shore. Once she did, the creature shuffled backward into the waves. She watched it go, wondering how she would get back when she had the stone. Then she shook her head. That was a problem for later. First she had to get the stone.
Suzume headed toward the smaller island. The closer she got, the more obvious Ai's warning became. The rocks were far offshore, much too far to swim even if she knew how. Large waves crashed over them, pummeling them relentlessly. Even if she could find a boat, those waves would capsize it as soon as she left the shore.
Feeling frustrated, Suzume sank down onto the sand and glared at the island, willing inspiration to strike. An hour or more passed and the sun was starting to set. She still hadn't come up with a solution. She squinted in the direction of the island, trying to avoid the reflection of the light on the water's surface. It was so intense she had to shield her eyes from it. As she did, she noticed something strange just beneath the water's surface. She stood up and peered in that direction. A thin track of rocks connected the beach with the island. The rocks were winding and slick with water and waves continued to wash over it at regular intervals, but this had to be the way across.
Standing along the edge of the shore, she felt uncertain. What if it had just been a trick of the light? Water crashed against her ankles and already the pull of the ocean was trying to drag her back down into its depths. She had to fight the urge to turn back around. I can do this. With a deep breath she inched forward onto the slippery rocks. She scooted along the rocky pathway, her hands clenched tight and clinging onto her clothes as if they would anchor her if a strong wave came to wash her away. The level of the water rose to her calves and she struggled to fight against the current. Panic clawed at her insides. Her heart was beating rapidly in her chest. The further she went, the deeper the water got. Waves rolled over her, filling her mouth with salt water as she got to a depth around her waist.
She flailed her arms in an attempt to maintain her balance and just then another wave rolled over. It pulled her under and her feet came out from beneath her. She kicked her arms and legs wildly until she found her footing once more. She gasped for breath, gulping in air as if she would never feel her lungs expand again. Then with a desperate drive to get off the island, she hurried the rest of the way across before she changed her mind and headed back to shore.
Back on solid ground once more she fell to her knees and gave her trembling limbs a moment to recover. When she looked up, she spotted the weathered wood of the torii arch forming an entry to a pathway. The pathway wound through a series of jagged rocks. Most likely the stone was hidden at the top of that path. It looked steep and slippery. Waves crashed over the little island and even now she was being sprayed with sea water. I guess I have to climb. She sighed and then started her ascent.
The climb to the top of the rocks was much more difficult than she had expected. The rocks were slippery and she lost her footing. When she fell backward she tore open her sleeve and scraped a shallow gash onto her arm. Suzume swore and hissed in pain as she stopped to look at the wound. Since it was superficial, and it was almost dark, she grit her teeth and kept on going. Climbing took forever it seemed and as she looked back to check her progress, she discovered that she had only gone a few feet from the start. How is that possible! Suzume growled in frustration and plopped herself down on a nearby rock where she wrung out her soaking clothes while she thought. Ai had warned her about illusions. Suzume had seen a pathway and taken it, not thinking about it, but perhaps there was another way up.
She decided to start over though it pained her to do so. Back at the bottom, she skirted the edge of the perimeter. As she went around, it became apparent that the island looked the same from all sides, except one. On the back facing the ocean was a sheer cliff face leading up to the shrine. Apart from being difficult to climb, it was under constant attack from the ocean. Suzume craned her neck to look up at it. There's no way I can climb this. It was completely dark now, the only light came from the half-moon in the sky. She had to be a complete moron to even consider this. Despite her own admonishments to herself, she inched closer to the ledge. Just then a wave crested the rocks behind her and the force of the water pressed her into the wall.
When her skull hit the stone, stars danced in her vision. Suzume had to lean against the stone for a moment as her head spun. When the world stopped turning, she pushed back and scooted along the ledge once more. Sea spray burned her eyes and she had to close them to protect them. It left her to fumble blindly against the stone, searching for some sort of chink or hand hold. Instead her hand found open air. Suzume opened her eyes and saw her wrist disappearing into the wall. She scooted closer just as another wave slammed into her, but she was prepared this time and braced herself against the wall. When the ocean receded, she scooted closer and found a hole disguised by the smooth stone just large enough for her to slip into.
Inside the hole was a tunnel carved from stone and leading upward. Suzume looked up at the stairs with a sigh. Great, more climbing. When she reached the top, she was panting and bleeding. She reflected on how far she had come from the pampered princess she once was. Her hands were black and muddy, a combination of her own blood and the thick mud that seemed to cover this island. If Kaito could see her now, he wouldn't be able to call her helpless. She grabbed a hold the torii arch which separated the hidden stairs from a short walkway that led to the shrine. She took a few gasping breaths, her lungs burning from exertion, before she stumbled across the walkway to the shrine building itself.
The inside of the shrine was weathered and decayed and barnacles clung to beams and floorboards. What appeared to be bird's nests were in the eaves. Bird droppings covered the entire floor in a white splatter. She took steps carefully, afraid her foot would go through the wood or she'd step in animal feces. Crabs scurried across the ground in front of her. She kicked the discarded shells and seaweed out of her way. This might be another illusion but I don't want to step in
it just in case.
In the center of the shrine was a single pedestal where Kazue had left the Sea Stone. This was it. She had done it all on her own. I cannot wait to see Kaito's expression when I show him my power is equal to his. She smiled just thinking about it.
Suzume inched closer. But instead of feeling the draw of the power she had when she was near the Flame Stone, she felt nothing. She looked down onto the pedestal and her stomach sank. It was empty. The Sea Stone was gone.
41
Suzume stared at the empty pedestal. This couldn't be real. She was convinced that it must be an illusion created by Kazue. She ran her hand over the weathered wood, but only managed to get a splinter in her finger. She hissed as the wood pierced her skin and she felt the anger rising up inside her like a glowing ember someone was blowing on. Outside the wind howled, rattling the rafters of the temple. Suzume grabbed onto the edges of the pedestal. It burned beneath her touch as the flames rose up inside her in response to her fear and anger.
She grabbed the pedestal and threw it across the small shrine space where it collided with the far wall, smashing into a million pieces. She stood there for a moment just panting for breath, anger rolling around inside her. The stone was gone. Maybe it had never been here at all.
She threw her head back and growled, letting all her frustration out in that single guttural reaction. After everything she had done, and it was not even here!
From behind her someone clapped slowly. She knew before she even turned around who was standing behind her and the rage just continued to build.
Suzume spun around to face Hisato, who was leaning against the door to the shrine smiling.
She lunged for him without thinking. Fire was filling her, threatening to consume her. She was letting herself lose her consciousness to the power. Hisato had not attempted to dodge her, but let her grab onto his shoulders. She felt the burn in her own skin, and yet she didn't let go. There was a reserve of power inside her, begging her to take a hold of it and turn into a blaze of destruction. Just as she had drawn power from Makato, the Namahage, and Ai, she could use it to consume Hisato as well. She might not get the Sea Stone but she could destroy him.
The Sea Stone Page 30