Stage 121: Heart and Mind are the Same Thing.
Sending Yuuhi-chan to join your family at their early supper, you walk silently to where your priestess prays alone. At least, she ~looks~ like she's praying; truth be told she may just be sitting and trying not to think of what she may have done.
The Temple of Ryujin Owatatsumi on Mikimoto Pearl Island is dark when the doors are closed. There are some vents near the ceiling for air circulation, but they don't let that much light in because of the overhang of the roof. As a result, the many candles here are what gives the room a warm, golden glow which is emphasized by the dark wood the building is constructed from and the lighter paneling on the inside. Most spirit children have better eyesight than humans, and you can see in the dark entirely, while Yui-chan's eyes literally glow, so it's not like truly dark in here.
Yet looking at Kiku-chan, you get the sense she would be perfectly at home in a dark room, curled up on a bed and hugging her knees.
It really is understandable. If you understood the point of her sending you to meet your blood-relative Ryuu Nabiki, it was to understand what dealing with powerful, dangerous youkai could do to a person. It almost entirely destroyed Nabiki; she was shell of her former self inhabited by a living, breathing curse that was the youkai of Aokigahara. You brought Nabiki back to life – to existence – by sacrificing A Wish-Granting Jewel, a true relic of the heavens which rebuilt her pearl and granted her the birthright she'd been robbed of. You're pretty sure that wasn't what was supposed to happen, but they say demigods can change reality and alter fate so you put it to the test.
Test so far successful, but that doesn't mean that Kiku-chan is going to simply be relieved right away. It was an exceptionally dangerous thing to do; without the immortality your wife assisted you in achieving, you would be dead right now.
That thought brings you up short.
