Mirror Sword and Shadow Prince

by Noriko Ogiwara

“You mean it wants to possess you?” At last, Toko realized what relation the creature had to her. She remembered what Takehiko had said about the prince never approaching a woman. What he had said now took on a new meaning.

  “Tonight the moon is full,” Oguna continued, “and the creature’s power is at its height. If I’m not careful, I may lose. You’re more important to me than anyone else. But it’s all I can do just to confront my own self. I need to concentrate all my energy on that.”

  The thought occurred to her that by her very existence she distracted Oguna and placed him in danger. “You make that creature sound like a jealous wife,” Toko said.

  “Not a wife, a mother,” Oguna said quietly. “She loved me more than anyone. And she died for me, leaving that creature behind on earth. To her, I was everything. Even in death, that’s still true.”

  Toko felt a cold shiver run down her spine. “That’s not what a mother is like.”

  “My mother was no ordinary person. Nor was my birth normal.”

  Toko could think of nothing to say. She could only stare at Oguna.

  “You know, don’t you?” he said sadly. “Yes, I found my parents. And I cannot escape those shackles.”

  “What difference does that make?” Toko was practically yelling. “Yes, I knew. Don’t you see? Even though I knew, I still chose to be with you.”

  Oguna’s fingers gripped her shoulders so hard it hurt. “She’s coming,” he whispered desperately. “We’re too late.” He yanked Toko toward him and pressed her face against his chest so firmly that she thought she would suffocate. “No matter what happens, you mustn’t move away from me. You understand? There’s nowhere else that you can hide. And close your eyes. If you look at it, it will take your soul.”

  Toko’s knees shook, making her feel like a coward. But she had to admit she was afraid. And closing her eyes magnified her fear. Oguna’s breathing sounded harsh, and she could feel his heart pounding. She clung to him tightly, her own heart racing, and the beating of their hearts fused into one. Something was coming. She felt it with complete certainty. Its presence transformed the quality of the very air around her. The hairs on the nape of her neck stood on end.

  I chose to do the stupidest thing in the stupidest possible way. But it was too late now. She was as helpless as the time when she had fallen into the pond so long ago. And this time, everything depended upon whether or not Oguna could save her. She could feel him staring at something even as he held her in his arms. The creature must be very close. Toko heard a low female voice, haughty and domineering.

  Release her.

  “No, I won’t. I won’t let you harm her.”

  She is not worthy of you, the woman said coldly. You need concern yourself with only one woman—me. Of all men on earth, you are closest to the gods. You do not need a woman from this world. I will protect you. You need look only upon me.

  “Mother, I cannot fulfill your expectations. I’m not a god. I grew up in Mino with Toko. It’s impossible to erase the days we spent together.”

  Is that why you have been resisting me? For such a foolish reason as that? It does not matter where you were raised. You cannot erase the bond of blood that joins us. Such thoughts are nothing but memories, whereas the bond that joins us runs in your very veins. You are mine.

  “Even so, I want—” Oguna began but the woman cut him off.

  Stay with me. You need not fret. Surely you know that there has never been a time when I did not think of you.

  Toko gripped Oguna harder. She could feel that he was struggling to remain detached.

  Let the girl go. The voice suddenly sounded harsh.

  “No.”

  She’ll be the ruin of you. She’s detestable.

  Which one of us is really detestable, Toko thought. Despite her terror, she felt anger swelling inside her.

  Kill her.

  “If you kill Toko, then I will kill you and sever this tie,” Oguna suddenly said aloud. His voice was low and hard.

  If you kill me, you too will die.

  “Even so, I will kill you.”

  You cannot kill me. I am your mother, the creature said gently. I know how you suffered when you killed your brother Oh-usu. Would you also turn your hand against the mother who bore you? For a mere girl?

  Toko felt Oguna’s pain as if it were her own. Why did the woman press him so relentlessly? Toko could not bear it. She had not come here to make Oguna suffer like this. But Oguna spoke again. “Even so, I will kill you. You and I were not meant to be together on this earth. I was never meant to be born. I should never have existed in Toyoashihara.”

  If that is how you feel, then I accept, the creature agreed abruptly. I would rather choose that than have you taken by another. Kill me and rejoin me. If we return our souls to the state prior to our worldly births, perhaps we can rise to the heavens together.

  Toko prayed desperately from the depths of her heart. Somebody, help! Please! But there was no one who could change this situation. There was only Toko.

  “Stop,” she said to Oguna. “Please don’t.”

  “Toko.”

  “I don’t want you to go to that extreme for my sake.” She opened her eyes, which had been shut tight, and looked toward the creature. Something white seemed to flash before her eyes. She blinked in surprise for instead of the creature she had been expecting, she saw a woman—a tall, slender woman, wearing a gown with trailing sleeves. Her black hair flowed down her back like the night. Although terrified by this apparition, Toko could still see that the woman’s face was noble and even beautiful. She must have been an unsurpassed beauty when she was alive. Toko could also see the resemblance to Oguna. So this was his mother—the person Toko had wished for many years that she could meet.

  I must at least give you credit for your courage, the woman said. You’re an impudent girl to look at my true form.

  “I won’t let you kill Oguna,” Toko said. “You don’t want him to die either, right? For it was you who protected his life with the power of the Sword.”

  Yes, it was. And I can continue to protect him. But it goes against my will to have his heart taken by another. I will not have him sever his bond to me when I have sacrificed so much for him. She pointed a pale finger at Toko. Everything will be fine once you are gone. We don’t need you. This child belongs to me, and to me alone.

  Toko cringed as the phantom reached out to grab her. Would the woman steal her soul so that she could never return to the living again? The thought froze Toko’s heart. At that moment, a light shone. Caught in its beam, Oguna’s mother hesitated. Frowning, she shielded her eyes with her hand. What is this?

  Toko turned to see its source. A yawning distance stretched behind her, and through it, the light shone like an arrow. Somehow it seemed familiar. An even more familiar voice spoke in her ear.

  “Toko, this way. Come back.”

  But I haven’t moved, she thought. Where’s Oguna? I thought he was right here. Instantly, she understood, and understanding, she opened her eyes. Although she had thought they were already open, they had still been shut tight.

  There was Oguna. She was lying in his arms, as if she had fainted.

  Toko started to speak and then saw the Misumaru shining on her chest and Sugaru’s face peering into hers. So this had been the familiar light, and it was Sugaru’s voice that had called her.

  He smiled smugly. “Honestly. You’re always getting into trouble, Toko. I came to your rescue, didn’t I? You owe me one now.”

  chapter

  ten

  THE LAST

  MAGATAMA

  The Last Magatama

  NO ONE WAS surprised to see Sugaru appear out of nowhere. It had happened too many times before. But Oguna’s men were astounded to learn that he knew Toko. Takehiko stared at the two of them and groaned. “I’ll never figure either of you out. Obviously, you’re both good friends of the prince. I just pray that it turns out for the best.”

  “I can’t vouch for myself, but
you don’t need to worry about Toko at least,” Sugaru said. “She’d do anything for the prince, no matter how crazy.” Toko felt like kicking him, but she had to acknowledge that this statement improved her status yet again in Takehiko’s eyes. After he had gone, she turned to Sugaru. It was a little easier to talk about last night’s hair-raising experience in the light of day.

  “If you hadn’t come, I would have died, stripped of my soul. I put on such a brave front the last time I saw you, but now I owe you my life.”

  “You were in a pretty tight spot,” Sugaru agreed, looking pleased that Toko seemed so penitent. “But I can’t criticize. After all, you were the one who said that being with Oguna could cost you your life.”

  “I did say that, didn’t I?” Toko recalled the day on the beach when she had parted from Sugaru. “I knew exactly what I would be getting into. I vowed that I’d stay as far away from Oguna as possible because I hold my life just as dear as anyone else does. Yet as soon as I saw him, my resolve disintegrated. I had no choice but to follow him, no matter what might happen. I guess that’s our fate.”

  Oguna had wept when Toko had regained consciousness, something she had not seen him do since he was five or six years old. She had been forced to shove her own needs aside and focus on comforting him. His sense of responsibility toward others was far greater than that of anyone else, and he had been deeply affected by what had happened. Toko was very glad that she had survived, of course, but for Oguna’s sake as well as her own. She knew now that if she really cared about Oguna, she had better not die before him.

  “I want to live,” Toko said slowly, watching the sunlight on the camellia leaves. “Last night brought that home to me. What I did was really stupid, but I learned a lot from it. I even found out a little more about the nature of the Sword’s power. Not to mention the fact that I’ve seen how that creature of death keeps Oguna in its clutches and won’t let go. I don’t know if I have a chance against it, but I’m not going to run away anymore. I’m going to stand my ground to the bitter end and try to survive.”

  “That sounds more like you, Toko. You’ve really pulled yourself together.”

  “You think so?” Toko hadn’t noticed any change herself. Things had just happened.

  “You know, I’ve been thinking,” Sugaru began, but then said abruptly, “Actually, first there’s something I’ve been wanting to ask you. It’s about the Misumaru. We’ve got four magatama—what’s the fifth one supposed to be?”

  Taken by surprise, Toko thought for a moment. “Let me see. I’m trying to remember what Lady Toyoao said … There were eight stones in the necklace worn by the Goddess of Darkness. They were called Aka, Kuro, Ao, Shiro, Ki, Midori, Kagu, and Kura. The Goddess took Kura for herself and gave Kagu to the God of Light. Of the stones that were left, Ao belonged to the Water Maiden who gave it to the Wind Child. That leaves five.”

  Sugaru touched the necklace around his neck. “The stones here are Midori, Ki, Kuro, and Shiro—green, yellow, midnight blue, and white.”

  “That leaves Aka. The stone in Hidakami must be Aka!” Toko said, excited at finding the answer.

  To her surprise, however, Sugaru said, “But Aka was supposed to be the one guarded in Mino.”

  “What?” Toko’s voice rose. “But I retrieved the stone of Mino from the emperor’s palace. It’s Shiro, the white one, not Aka.”

  “Even so, the stone of Mino was originally Aka, meaning bright, and it was supposed to shine pale pink. Lady Akaru was named for the beauty of that magatama.”

  Toko looked shocked. “I never heard such a thing before. Where did you learn of this?” Sugaru did not answer. “Kisako’s the only one who would know,” Toko realized suddenly. She frowned. “Since when have you been talking to Kisako?”

  Sugaru grunted noncommittally. Toko looked indignant. “So you did go to see her, did you? And here I thought you were going all over Hidakami in search of the magatama.”

  “What difference does it make?” Sugaru said, feigning indifference, but he looked unusually flustered. “With the Misumaru, it’s just a short flight away. I went back to Izumo when I was looking for you before, you know. Anyway, don’t change the subject. What I was trying to say is this: I can’t figure out what kind of magatama we’re supposed to be looking for—the one that’s in Hidakami.”

  Confused, Toko said nothing. The magatama of Mino was Aka, yet the one she had found and brought to life was Shiro. One stone had some of the attributes of another—what could that mean? “I don’t get it either,” she said.

  “Well, I’ve been thinking about it, and I think it’s because these stones belong to the gods. They aren’t real stones. Their color, their light, and their power are manifestations of something else,” Sugaru said. “What we see here, these stones that we call magatama, maybe they don’t actually exist in this world. If so, then the fact that one changed color might be insignificant.”

  This thought made Toko uneasy, and she stared intently at Sugaru. “What have you figured out? What are you trying to say?”

  “Well, actually …” He took a deep breath and then said, “I arrived with impeccable timing last night, didn’t I? But it wasn’t because I knew what was going on. It never even occurred to me that you would be with Oguna. But I heard you. I knew that you were calling for help.”

  Toko started and then blushed. “But … I didn’t call you. How could I? After what I had said to you.”

  “Yet I still heard you. Clearly. Like the jingling of a bell. The four magatama that I bear don’t seem to respond to the fifth stone, the one that should be here in Hidakami. Instead they’re drawn to you, just as if you were the magatama.”

  Toko looked baffled. “But … that’s so weird …”

  “Maybe not. If you consider the possibility that a magatama doesn’t have to be a stone. Think about their purpose. I went back to Izumo to ask about that. The magatama were a gift to quell the evil power left on this earth. Right now, that power is what we call the Sword, the force that flows through Oguna’s body. But you no longer wish to destroy the master of the Sword. You now want to help him. Right? I don’t know why, but it seems that the Misumaru is in agreement with that desire.”

  “But why?” Toko asked, her face troubled. “That desire comes from pure selfishness. Even though I knew what my mission was, I abandoned it simply because I couldn’t stop myself from loving Oguna. There’s no way that the Misumaru could be on my side.”

  “Perhaps you’re right … Maybe it’s me, not the Misumaru, that’s in agree-ment.” He grinned. “At any rate, there’s no one else in the world who so willingly lays their life on the line to confront the Sword the way you do. That at least is certain. Personally, I think the force of that love could easily rival the power of a magatama. Either that, or the true bearer of the Misumaru is you. Just as you once believed.”

  “I don’t believe that at all now,” Toko said. Sugaru’s words embarrassed her. She was painfully aware of just how ordinary she was.

  “Well, never mind. I’ll hang on to the Misumaru for now. Who knows? The magatama of Hidakami may exist after all.” Sugaru waved and walked off to renew old friendships.

  Left behind, Toko was bewildered. Why would he compare her to a maga-tama? And what a shock to learn that the one from Mino was Aka, not Shiro. If that’s true, then what happened to Akaru’s magatama? Does the original one vanish when the bearer changes? Perhaps we’ll find a stone in Hidakami as beautiful as Akaru. Suddenly she wondered what the color could mean. The Tachibana of Mino had never hidden their magatama away. Nor had the high priestess hesitated to give hers to the emperor when she read the omens. It was a treasure but one that was meant to be used. The Keeper of the Shrine had known that well.

  If the magatama she had entrusted to Lady Akaru was the original stone of Mino, then why did it change color? She told me that the mission of our people was to protect the emperor’s line …

  Toko had been standing there for some time, lost in thought,
when Oguna approached through the camellia grove. It was clear from his expression that he was despondent. Toko was not surprised. Last night’s encounter had been so traumatic it had made him weep. She could guess how hard it would be for him to recover after that.

  “It’s a lovely day, isn’t it?” she said, overly cheerful. “I slept fine. I’m better now.”

  Oguna sighed. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I can’t bear to think what would have happened if Sugaru hadn’t come.”

  “Why are you apologizing? You have every right to be mad at me. It was my own fault. I followed after you even though you warned me not to.”

  “I’m apologizing for taking you from that little fishing village in the first place. I should never have done that. It was a mistake to keep you here just because I wanted to.” He stared at her with anguished eyes. “I never want to go through that again. I’d rather have my arms and legs chopped off. The more I love someone, the more I hurt them. I thought that with you, it would be different. I thought that I could protect you. But I was wrong. You too will—no. I just can’t let that happen.”

  “Are you planning to send me away?” Toko asked in a small voice.

  “You have Sugaru,” Oguna said dully. “He can take you somewhere safe. And his power will never cause you grief. He’s better than I am, in every way. As a person, as a man—”

  But Toko did not let him finish. Before she even registered what she was doing, she had slapped his face so soundly that the noise of it echoed in the clearing. “You coward!”

  “What do you mean?” Now Oguna was angry too. No one had dared to slap him for years, and Toko’s accusation seemed totally unjustified.

  But Toko stood her ground. “Just what I said. You’re a coward. I’m the one who nearly died, but did you hear me say anything about leaving you? So why are you the one to run away? At the very least you could try to comfort me.”

  “Are you saying that I should make you stay? How could I possibly do that? I’m not that stupid. Surely you don’t want to stay here after what happened, so what’s wrong with my saying so?”