Unselfish Wish

Chapter 24- Returning to Where We Should Be

Tsukiyomi waited for her to say something, anything. Although he'd waited for her for eleven years, these minutes, no, mere seconds, felt like an eternity. Fumiko was trying her best to get her emotions under control. Though others thought she had no awareness of what her emotions wrought, she knew all too well. It was the true reason behind her tolerance of people's bad behavior. At any time, even at six, she could have turned her powers on her considerably weaker human tormentors, but as long as they stayed limited to insults, chasing, and pushing, she'd let it go.

She had seen Aiko lose her temper once, causing a freak hailstorm. It had led to several accidents on the roads nearby, even though it was a nasty woman at the grocery store that had caused the upset. Nobody was killed, but several people were hurt. Fumiko had vowed that this was not going to be her. Aiko had sworn to her she'd never let it happen again, but the incident had stayed in Fumiko's mind. She had to choose joy, or she could hurt people that were innocent. She knew her parents had left her to deal with Tsukiyomi herself, trusting her to use good judgment.

She sighed, her shoulders drooping as the storm outside faded away. After years of practicing balanced thought and emotion, she simply could not hold onto her hurt for the sake of making Tsukiyomi feel guilty. He certainly deserved it after the mess he'd made, but she knew he was aware of how badly he'd messed up. She was surprised at how much he allowed his emotions to dictate his actions. Perhaps too much time as a recluse? She thought. She placed her hand on his bowed head.

"Please rise, Tsukiyomi-no-Mikoto. I accept your heartfelt apology." He stood and went to pull her into his embrace, but she held up a hand. "We must have an open and honest conversation about what is going on here, between us. It has become so mixed up that I don't know where we stand." He simply nodded. She is right, I have not been forthright with her at all, he thought. "So..." She twisted the jade ring on her finger. "Was your proposal as your human self legitimate?"

He held up left hand, which bore the carved jade dragon ring she'd slid on Kiyoshi's finger. "Yes, it was indeed genuine." She nodded, but as much as he wanted to pull her close, he could sense it was the right time. He had to clear the air first. "There is more you are unaware of. My sister, Amaterasu..." She raised her brows. "She knows about us." Fumiko gasped. "And she so far, approves."

"But there are conditions, are there not?" She asked. She was well aware that it would not be so easy to gain approval from the ruler of the kami. He sighed.

"Susano'o is here nearby to test you, first of all. If he approves, it's the same as Amaterasu's. By the way, there is a thing between those two, but don't say anything." At Fumiko's shocked face, he grinned. "What?"

"Well, but isn't she your ex-wife?" She cried.

"Oh. Well, you can't think of such things in human terms. We are gods and goddesses that live for eternity most of the time, and are reincarnated if we do die. We never really thought of each other as... spouses." He shivered. "Half the time we are born asexually anyways, especially those of us that are essentially primordial. Regardless, you can't hold kami to a human standard. She's known and trusted Susano'o the longest, for all his trickster ways, he will usually do the right thing." It's such a hard thing for humans to understand in the modern era, when... well, incest I suppose... is illegal and considered immoral. It just doesn't apply to millenias-old gods and goddesses who were encouraged to keep their power within the primordial beings- which was almost always family, he thought.

"Okay, if you say so... but what else are you not telling me? Simply testing me cannot be everything." Her hands were now fisted on her hips as her eyes narrowed on him. He sighed, running his hands through his hair. No fair, she thought, I want to do that.

"Sooooo... if you pass Susano'o's test, I have to take you to Takamagahara before you turn eighteen so that Amaterasu can bless you with immortality." She gasped. Her grandfathers and her guardian beasts had taken extra care to educate her on Takamagahara, and this kind of blessing was quite rare. Even her parents had not been given the opportunity to reside there. Train, yes, but never permanently. "If not, I will have to wait for you to be reborn, woo you again- hopefully- and try to meet the requirement once more. I am not giving up, by the way. I don't care how many reincarnations I have to wait out to make you my bride." He huffed.

"But that's just a year from now... When did you know this, Tsukiyomi?" He blushed.

"I sought permission around the time you moved here. It was then that Amaterasu told me." He rushed out. "After making me wait for a week just to lay eyes on her," He added, rolling his eyes.

"So you've known for about a year and a half, and you're just telling me this now? Court life in the heavens is no picnic, as I'm sure you're aware. They will delight in picking on the human. It's going to be Unnan all over again, except much worse and for eternity." She crossed her arms, feeling frustrated. There was a reason several gods preferred human women. The most they would demand was material things, which were far too easy for gods and goddesses to shower their lovers with. In Takamagahara, it was one massive power play. I must train in preparation for dealing with god-level tramps, she thought. At least there I can unleash my full strength without as many repercussions.

"As if I would let them do anything to you, my beloved." He said harshly. "I dare them to try." She laid a hand on his arm.

"As much as I appreciate how willing you are to defend me, you can't always be there. For sure if you rejoin the court, Amaterasu will make full use of your talents." He sighed unpleasantly.

"I forgot about that. She is going to smile widely, sending me off to do things I don't like just to piss me off, all the while reminding me how much I owe her." He rolled his eyes. Fumiko giggled. From what she'd heard, Amaterasu was quite fair but was not afraid to let people know when they'd made her angry. She must have forgiven Tsukiyomi for the past, but it was clear she felt he'd neglected his rightful duties as a primordial god. "But Fumiko, she will have your back, as my wife and her sister-in-law. Regardless of our past, she wants me to be happy."

"That's fine, but she is quite busy managing things, I am sure." She sighed. People with impure intentions were experts at being sneaky. They always struck when the good guys were distracted. Oh well, she thought, it's not like I can't defend myself... I just wish it wasn't necessary.

"I will see if the same benediction she has allowed for you can be granted to your guards. If she is feeling generous, we might get lucky. The only issue is, that would move our time frame up a bit in order to do it before everyone turns eighteen." He tapped his chin. "Don't even think about stopping me." He pointed at her as she opened her mouth to protest. "What's the point of being Tsukiyomi-no-Mikoto if I can't do this much?"

"Fine. So... We are engaged, you are taking me to the palace of the gods, hopefully with my friends, on a time crunch. I need to train more, pass Susano'o's test, and figure out how I can still visit my parents. Sound about right?" She summarized. He nodded and pulled her into an embrace, this time with no resistance, holding her close with his chin resting on top of her head.

As it should be, he thought.