Unselfish Wish

Chapter 4- A New Home

Minato Ward, Tokyo, Japan

Fumiko looked out her window in wonder at the huge city as they drove.

"Papa, you said we will have a garden- are you sure there will be room in this huge city?" Her eyes were huge. Their smallish town, now a combination of 3 smaller villages, paled in comparison to the endless urban area, although Fumiko thought she'd really rather the countryside's beauty.

"Of course, daughter, we have a large piece of property. Don't let the skyscrapers intimidate you." He laughed. One advantage to deities as fathers, both he and his wife had never suffered from poverty, or really wanted for anything. They sent even more valuables for their granddaughter.

"Okay." She still sounded very unsure, a bit intimidated by the landscape.

After a bit more driving, they pulled up to what looked to be a small mansion with a huge garden on the side. There was a wall all around, so it was impossible to really see inside. It was a very pretty and modern house, with lots of windows. The garden was traditional Japanese.

"Papa, may I build a small shrine in the garden corner?" At this inquiry, Aiko and Fumio glanced at each other.

"Of course dear, but are you doing it alone? I can order one built." Fumio said, not sure what the big deal was. He doubted someone with as much power as Tsukiyomi truly needed a shrine, he just wanted one. Pouty little brat, he thought.

"No, I must do it, and quickly." She seemed a bit frantic.

"Why the rush? We just got here..."

"Hmm? I don't know, I just know I have to hurry. He told me so." She was completely distracted by the idea.

"He?" Fumio was now very concerned.

"Tsukiyomi." She said, still sounding distracted.

"What! Don't tell me he showed himself to you?" He grasped her arm, making her look at him. "Be careful. I have explained our divine origins and the danger to you already-" She laid her hand soothingly on his arm.

"No, it was more like, I heard his voice clearly in my head. And he is different from grandfather, Papa. I was never frightened in his presence." She smiled gently. His concern dropped a bit at her insistence. "He was worried about me, I could tell. Sad I was leaving."

"Oh. Well, I suppose you must do what you promise." He patted her hand, still uncomfortable at the idea of having any god with basically a free-access portal to his house. He may have given the moon god permission, but he was not certain he appreciated the liberties he was taking.

"Yes, I'm very glad to have learned his name."

"Well, I'll get materials for you tomorrow. For now let's go to bed." He sighed. There were times he longed for normalcy, but there was no point in dwelling on it. He still had reservations about how attached to Tukiyomi she seemed tp be, and how focused the god seemed to be on his daughter. Despite her burgeoning divinity, relationships between mortals and gods rarely had a happy ending. He and his wife could never forget how their own mothers had ended up. He didn't want to see her beautiful soul crushed by a deity that may care about her but isn't likely to truly value her. She deserved to be treated with the utmost care and respect.

"Yes, Papa."

That night, she dreamed of Kiyo, only he had Tsukiyomi's voice, and he was again urging her to complete the shrine as quickly as possible always just beyond her reach. She awoke startled, thinking that it would be nice if Tsukiyomi was in fact Kiyo, but figured she really shoudn't be so greedy. Tsukiyomi had visited her dream himself, in the hopes that she would build the shrine and end his loneliness. Fumio was correct that he could go wherever he wanted, but having the shrine there was like his own house (regardless of actual size).

Over the next two weeks the mini shrine was completed. The dream had continued every night until it was completed. The dreams were a terrible torment. She would not wish a dream in which a beloved is just out fo reach on her worst enemy. She even wrote his name, welcoming him. She did not sense his presence, but continued to pray to him daily, using his name and hoping that this would increase the chances they would reach him. She registered for school, which was set to start one month after the move.

Her mother happily helped her shop in preparation for school. She had a new fashionable uniform and lovely accessories. Though her parents had convinced her not to change her hairstyle, she was allowed to get a trim and conditioning treatment. Aiko had joyfully escorted her to a spa for a girls' day including a manicure and pedicure. She'd also insisted that Fumiko purchase and learn to apply some basic cosmetics. A girl never knew when it would become necessary, and if she was one day to reside in the palace of the gods, cosmetics would be one of her best weapons.

She approached her new school somewhat nervously. After all, she had never been accepted back in Unnan. Well, no use worrying over such things, she thought. Hopefully, being more slender would help her blend in a little. She seemed blissfully unaware that every eye was on her striking and ethereal beauty- males with lust and females with admiring jealousy. She walked over to the class listing and saw herself listed in 1-A. She was tapping her chin and staring at the school map when she was approached by a bright young woman with a short black bob and big brown eyes.

"Hello! My name is Saotome Hinata! Are you in 1-A?" This was asked with a huge, friendly smile.

"Err, yes I am. Nice to meet you, I'm Tachibana Fumiko." She bowed, grateful to have been approached at all.

"Ha ha ha ha don't be so formal! You're prettier than a picture Fumi-chan." The open-faced girl bumped into her lightly, teasing.

"Eh, really? Thank you...." She blushed. Compliments from people outside of her parents were rare. Her first impulse was to deny the compliment, but her parents had raised her to be diligent and accept praise gratefully even if you were not sure it was deserved. Trust the other person to be genuine.

"Call me Hina-chan. And yes, really! Come on, let's go to class!" Hinata linked arms and dragged her away.

"O-O-Okay, H-H-H-Hina-chan." Fumiko wasn't sure what to make of this girl, but it was nice to be approached in such a friendly manner.

"Yosh!" With Hinata leading the way with a fist in the air, off they went.

And so the first day began. With Hinata by her side, the day seemed to fly by. Her cheerfulness was infectious. By the end of the week, Fumiko and Hinata had formed a small group of friends, including Shimizu Kaori and Maeda Sayuri- all nice girls who appreciated Fumiko's personality. They all agreed that she was too pure for her own good and needed their protection. She settled into a comfortable school life.

She continued to send prayers to Tsukiyomi, accompanied by reports of how things were going and how much she missed his presence. She felt slightly abandoned by her precious god, but she could not bring herself to give up or truly be angry. He had not failed her yet.

She continued to dream of him, many of her trying to reach him but he was always out of reach. She was increasingly sad about his absence and continued to hope that he could connect to her little shrine. She wasn’t sure if perhaps she’d missed a step in her research, but held out hope one day soon she could sense him again.