Unselfish Wish

Chapter 28- Sorting Out the Time Crunch & Unfortunate Delays

Tsukiyomi wasn't one to use his smartphone much, but he knew their friends would be shocked if he just... popped in to visit them. So he made a group chat with them all, and asked for their eighteenth birthday dates. They had been vaguely aware of the deadline for Fumiko to ascend,but not the details. He opened the discussion with a statement that they were not required to go, and to let him know if they planned to stay in the human realm. All five responded that they wanted to go.

They had fifty-one weeks to work with at most, to ensure that everything was completed before Fumiko's next birthday. In the meantime, they had to figure out how to tell their families, and hopefully find a date, the sooner the better, to get everyone blessed. Hinata was the first to turn seventeen in August, followed by Yutaka later the same month. Kaori was after them in October, Atsushi in December along with Sayuri. It was convenient that Fumiko was the oldest of the group. It meant that they were going to miss their third year of high school, and Hinata had brilliantly decided they could just say they were studying abroad, and suggested they make it a special New Year's event.

They roped Fuujin into agreeing to be the fake representative to organize their "study" and due to Amaterasu's insistence, he could not say no. He wanted his granddaughter to have her friends, and he was thrilled for Aiko and Fumio, but he was still not happy that his precious Fumiko planned to wed Tsukiyomi. He wasn't sure the palace of the gods was the best place for her pure soul. Ryuujin just rolled his eyes. He personally, was on board. He'd met Tsukiyomi a few times for tea, and regardless of everything else, it was clear that the moon god loved his granddaughter like nothing he'd ever seen.

Amaterasu agreed that New Year's was perfect, but wanted the wedding to take place that day, meaning that the blessing needed to be a few days before. They would all ascend on December twenty-eighth just to make sure they had plenty of time. Susano'o had been pouty since returning to the palace, and she was at a loss as to why. It seemed to get worse every time she mentioned their brother's upcoming nuptials, or she talked about anything related to the couple, really. Is he... jealous? She wondered. That could only be possible if he has his heart set on someone, right? She then became determined to figure out who her brother was pining after, ignoring the small twinge in her own chest at the notion.

Fumiko was overwhelmed at how... soon... everything seemed to be happening. She was thrilled that their entire friend group wanted to go, as well as her parents. To be married- to god no less- before she even turned eighteen seemed utterly bizarre. She knew it happened all the time in other places, when parents gave permission, but it was not very common in Japan- as in, almost never- since laws had been changed in 2016. This situation was a little different, of course, but if you ignored the supernatural aspect, even Fumiko had to admit it all sounded a bit creepy. She didn't feel like it was wrong, at all, but as things ran through her mind, that had popped up more than once.

Tsukiyomi, on the other hand, was thrilled things were finally moving in the right direction. Personally, though, he had plans to wait on... well, consummation, until Fumiko was actually eighteen. He blushed just to think of it. He had never had any children, though sometimes scholars mixed up one of the deities from Susano'o and Amaterasu's fight as his. Tsukiyomi and Amaterasu's... intimacy had been limited and their marriage had been short. He'd never indulged in human affairs or other goddesses for a variety of reasons. Fumiko was the first to actually make him feel overtly lustful, and this embarrassed him, even if "modern thinking" made it more acceptable. Shinto culture had long held purity as sacred.

Time waits for no-one though, and soon summer had passed and fall was upon them. Hinata and Yutaka had celebrated their birthdays together with a pool-and-pizza party at the end of summer break. Tsukiyomi had struggled during the party, seeing Fumiko walking around in a pale turquoise bikini, at Hinata's insistence. Her lush curves and pale skin had been torture, much to Hinata... and everyone's... amusement. Susano'o and Amaterasu had even joined in the fun. Because of Amaterasu's golden hair and perfect figure, many humans had assumed her to be an American tourist and hit on her, much to Susano'o's frustration. Despite both brothers' unique situations, they had all had a great time.

For some reason, there had been more and more Yokai appearing. They didn't really attack, just seemed to be scouting. Most of the time Fumiko would simply snap and they would disappear, but it was getting more and more difficult for her purification to work as effectively as it had before. She had been feeling oddly tired, too. She did not tell anyone, as was her usual way. She knew Tsukiyomi would simply insist on ascending early if she said a word, and while she wanted to go, she didn't want to rush things any more than they already were. There was a strange, almost haze in the air.

Tsukiyomi was taking a trip to Takamagahara at Amaterasu's insistence, as she had some tasks she wanted him to take care of. She had not given an inch on allowing him to take his place at court after his wedding. To her mind, he'd shirked his duty long enough. Besides, Fumiko had proved she was more than capable of taking on powerful foes. At least, she had before. Her friends had forgotten that Tsukiyomi was away, and assumed he was walking her home. Fumiko did not bother to correct them. The problem was, all day she had been getting dizzy, and the haze around the area had thickened. She snapped, and it wavered but did not clear as it should.

Her last thought as she hit the ground and her consciousness faded, hearing the guardian beasts call out to her in concern, was that she should have told Tsukiyomi she was feeling off.

When she awoke, her wrists and ankles were bound. She was on her side, on a a futon, in a small room with no windows. There was a small table and a single chair. The room was dirty and cold, the fireplace empty. The air felt heavy, like it was crushing her. The wooden door opened, and a man walked in? Probably a Yokai, Fumiko thought. Whatever he was, he walked in with the swagger of someone who thought he'd won the lottery. He sat on the chair and threw one leg over the other. He was attractive, tall, with long vibrant white hair and gold cat's eyes. Oh my, Fumiko thought, he's got ears! Cat ears! It was hard not to think it was a little cute, in a way. He wore traditional clothing in shades of blue.

"Welcome to Yomotsu-kuni, demigod. I am Tsuneo, the white kitsune." Oh, so he's a kitsune, not a cat. Darn, she thought.

"How many tails do you have?" She asked, not thinking about her situation too much. She had time. He raised a brow.

"Well... that's kind of a rude question, you know? Like asking a woman her age." He huffed.

"Fine, don't tell me. Why am I here?" She said petulantly. She could feel her guardians, therefore, she was not overly concerned.

"Oh, well, surprisingly higanbana root smoke affected you. I've been spraying it on you for weeks. Brought you here for the bounty from Lord Ritaru. I'll get a year's worth of endless food and wine from his bar if I turn you in." He grinned.

"Look, I'm sure to you that's a fantastic reward, and I hate to sound pompous, but do you really know who I am?" Fumiko asked. He didn't seem evil, but then he had to know what would happen to her if captured by greedy Yokai.

"You're the little demigod Yokai are trying to take as a bride, right?" He asked in total seriousness.