Hiro and the Snow Maiden: Part 2

(Sorry for the lack of post last week; there will be a second on Wednesday this week to make up for the delay).

Chapter 4

Belfast, North Ireland

Sunday, April 9^th, 2051

“What were you doing out there?” demanded Yukiko. “I had everything under control, and then you started jumping around like a grasshopper!”

I winced, and not just because my left arm was in a sling and the painkillers were starting to wear off. They must have been the good stuff, since I couldn’t remember the trip back across the border, or even arriving at the hospital. I’d been discharged after they’d removed the bullet from my arm, and it had been a pleasant surprise to see Yukiko in the waiting room.

It had been a pleasant surprise… Boy, she looked pissed.

If I were Magpie, I’d have said something snarky like, “And a good morning to you too, my dear.” I wasn’t, though, so I kept it to myself, even if I was a little annoyed that she went right to criticizing me after I’d saved her.

Instead, I laughed awkwardly. “We were between Green’s troops and the demonkin, and they were starting to shoot. I had to do something.”

“That’s what defensive magic is for,” she said, “and I had a spell ready.”

“That shield wouldn’t help against friendly fire from behind,” I said. “Yukikins, you need to be more careful.”

Using her pet name seemed to only make her more annoyed. “Don’t you ‘Yukikins’ me! Hiro, we’re combat wizards now. You can’t be afraid of a few bullets.”

“A few bullets?” I asked, sounding disbelieving. “There were ten of them there, and we had no cover!”

“Which, as we’ve established, I was about to fix when you grabbed me and jumped straight up,” she said, crossing her arms across her chest and letting out a little huff. “What’s the matter with you? You’ve been acting erratic lately.”

In retrospect, I should have come clean about how much the Battle of the Shipyard had affected me. It probably wasn’t normal to keep reliving those moments a month later, and it wasn’t helping me in the thick of battle.

I didn’t, though. Call it pride, call it machismo, but I didn’t want to be a bother to anybody. Especially not Yukiko.

So instead, I shook my head. “It’s been a big change to keep track of everybody else instead of just worrying about myself. I guess I can’t just react on instinct anymore.”

“Especially if you’re going to act like a berserker!” she said, her expression softening a bit. “Did you really wrestle that tank hand to hand?”

“Yeah, and you should see the other guy,” I said, forcing a self-effacing laugh.

“I’d hoped Hernandez was lying…” Yukiko stepped closer, giving me a quick look over before taking a step backwards. “How did you manage to break both arms?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah, the casts… well, the right wrist has a hairline fracture, and they want me to take it easy for a bit. Left arm’s the one that ate the bullet.”

“That’s very selfish of you,” she said. “I wanted to hold your hand, and now I can’t.”

Yukiko’s jokes could sound a lot like actual rebukes, but I could tell the difference. It was subtle; the eyes gave it away. “Well, my fingers and thumbs are exposed on the right arm. You can hold that one.”

She shook her head. “No, I don’t want to make things worse, at least before you recover enough magic to finish patching you up. Bend over.” I complied and she reached up to stroke my cheek. “Hiro, you just about scared me to death.”

“I scared you?” I asked, unable to keep my tone even. “You fell off a tank and hit your head! I thought you’d…” I trailed off, not wanting to finish the thought.

“Antoni patched me up,” she said, rubbing the back of her neck with her free hand. She winced slightly; healing magic sometimes left some lingering pains.

“Now who wasn’t being careful enough?” I asked.

Her hand moved down, caressing my cheek. “You have me there, Hiro; I wasn’t expecting it to buck me off like that. Let me thank you properly.”

For somebody whose tongue could be so sharp, her lips were soft. I closed my eyes and savored the kiss. She still smelled of mud, grass, and sweat. I wondered if she’d been there all night waiting for me. Her concern gave me a warm feeling inside, mixed with shame. She shouldn’t have had to wait up for me, but I’d messed it up again.

“Now, promise me you won’t do anything that careless again,” she said. “It makes it hard for me to protect you.”

“Huh?” I wasn’t sure why what she said threw me for a loop, but it did. “Protect me?”

“Of course,” she said. “It’s my job, after all.”

“Oh, because we’re squad mates,” I said, laughing to myself. “Yeah, we all have each other’s backs.”

She shook her head, a frown creasing her face. “No, you know why.”

“Because you like me best?” I said, adding another humble chuckle.

“Because of your magic,” she said, confirming what I’d feared. “Your control is so much better than it used to be, but I can get healed from a serious injury. You can’t. You need to be more careful, Hirokins. Otherwise, I can’t keep you safe.”

Now, was everything she was saying true? Sure; that worry was always in the back of my mind. It’s why I’d been so cautious when we’d entered the area around their hideout, but so frantic to end the fight once the shooting started. The longer the battle, the worse off I’d be.

Something about hearing her say it felt like a punch to the gut. Who wants to hear his girlfriend air his greatest insecurity like it was obvious? Especially the last part.

Keep me safe? When I’d fought so hard to put myself between her and danger at every opportunity?

Right then, I wished I could be as blunt as Magpie; that guy never seemed to have any self-doubt, at least when he wasn’t doing something shady.

[Editor’s Note: The Magpie Wizard, being “shady?” I really wish Takehara hadn’t been so vague about it; a book exposing Marlowe would probably be a best seller.]

Magpie would have pointed out that she was the one who kept putting herself in harm’s way without a care. Why the heck had she even let that orc get close enough to grab her in the first place? Who hadn’t braced herself before hitting the brakes on that tank?

However, I didn’t want to be so harsh, so I put it more gently. “You need to be careful, too. If you’d broken your neck, healing magic wouldn’t have fixed that.”

“Perhaps.” She released my face and took a step back, brushing off my worries. “Anyhow, now that you’re here, Sergeant Lakhdar is waiting for our report back at the estate.”

“Ah. What’s her mood like?”

She shrugged. “Haven’t had a chance to speak with her yet. Though, considering that she probably didn’t get a wink of sleep while she was dealing with reports from four different wizard squads? Maybe downplay that you chose to arm wrestle a tank.”

********************************************************

Soon enough, we were back at Stormont Estate, the seat of the United Kingdom Remnant’s Parliament and King George V’s modest house. Our platoon had been assigned to the security detail, though lately we’d been rotated between guard duty and off-site Wizard Corps missions.

If I was honest, we were still pretty green. A lot of us hadn’t completed our second year of schooling at the Nagoya Academy of Magic because they needed us to fill gaps in the Wizard Corps. 2050 had been a horrible year for humanity; between the fall of England, the Tower Attack, and an attempted naval invasion of Sumatra, the Corps had gone through the woodchipper. Retired wizards were being activated and put back into active duty, and some of us cadets who had seen combat got promoted early.

Sergeant Carine Lakhdar was the former, as far as I could tell. She was a serious looking woman with tan skin and black hair, and I suspected she was pushing forty. The only decorations in her office were matched French and Algerian flags, and a crucifix on the far wall. I guess she always wanted reminders of where she was from, which I thought was a little weird. If I’d lost two homelands, I wouldn’t want constant reminders.

She had assembled me and the other squad leaders to talk about their raids. I felt pretty conspicuous standing there with both arms bandaged up when they looked untouched.

Their reports backed that up. It seemed like we were the only ones who had encountered a serious fight. Marion Stevens’ squad hadn’t even encountered anybody, though there were signs that the warehouse they’d raided had been a hideout at some point. The others had overwhelmed the demonkin because they’d kept the element of surprise.

Then it was my turn. I kept expecting Sergeant Lakhdar to interrupt me as I went over the series of mistakes that had landed me in the hospital, but she let me speak. It was my fellow privates who looked like they wanted to interrupt when I got to my fight with the Longbow. At least they were impressed; Lakhdar’s eyes were impassive.

When I finished, Sergeant Lakhdar studied me in silence. “That was good work, everybody. You’ll get a chance to rest up a bit, and then you’ll all be going back to your regular duty.”

“Permission to speak freely?” asked Hiroto. “Keep the missions coming! This has been way more exciting than babysitting a bunch of Members of Parliament.” There were murmurs of agreement, including from me.

“I’m sure it has been,” said the Sergeant, a smirk playing at her lips. “However, I think some of you could do with some normalcy.” Her eyes were locked on me when she said that. “Stevens, Akagawa, Gomez, you are dismissed. Report in with your squads and let them know they’ve earned a three-day pass. We’ll sort out the scheduling later. Takehara, stay here. We need to talk about something.”

I gulped as the others filed out of the room, excitedly talking about their plans. I stayed at attention, though.

“Takehara, do you play a lot of video games?” she asked once we were alone.

“No more than most people, ma’am. They were never my thing.”

Her eyebrow arched. “Really? Because you’re acting like you have an extra life hidden away somewhere.”

“I’m afraid I don’t follow, ma’am.”

“You’ve been on four of these raids, and every time you come back in the worst shape out of your squad. It hasn’t been as serious as this, but that almost seems like divine intervention.” She pulled up a tablet and started reading from her notes. “On the first one, you charged a group of six armed men without backup. You got a mild concussion on the next one when you headbutted one through his helmet.”

I winced at the memory. “I still came out ahead on that one, ma’am.”

“True, though I can’t tell if that was Immortal Form, or you just being hardheaded.” Sergeant Lakhdar sat on the edge of her desk and rubbed her forehead. “Kowalski’s Buddy is basically invincible to anything but magic. Sato has the best defensive magic in the whole platoon, at least since I transferred Marlowe out. Antoni and Gabriella are both skilled offensive mages. You have options besides leading the charge.”

That was easy for her to say; she didn’t have my speed or my strength. In some ways, she was almost a mundane compared to me at full power. If I did it right, if I was fast enough and good enough, I could stop every death and injury around me. Anybody getting wounded when I was in eyeshot was a personal failure; I should have saved Mariko’s arm, or kept Paul Wilson from nearly getting gutted in the Tower. I had barely kept Yukiko from drowning right in front of me, and that was because I had rushed in.

I forced a smile to my face. “You’re right, ma’am. I’ll be more careful next time.”

I didn’t like lying to my superior officer, but I knew my role in the squad, and it wasn’t sitting back when the spells and bullets flew around me. They relied on me to end things quickly, even if they didn’t know it. I’d just have to be better next time.

“So, we got a three-day pass?” I asked, trying to change the subject.

“Your squad got a three-day pass,” replied the sergeant. “You’re going on a mission, actually. A special assignment.”

I blinked twice. “Ma’am?”

“We both know you aren’t one hundred percent.” She stood up again, her stern eyes drilling into me. “They used to call it battle fatigue or shell shock; there’s a more serious name for it now. If I say that name out loud, it could get a promising young wizard taken off the front lines for a psych evaluation.”

My pulse quickened. PTSD? She had to mean PTSD, or something like it. Was that what those memories of the shipyard popping up all the time meant? No, that couldn’t be it. Could it? It was just because the memories were recent, right? That sort of thing happened to other people, not guys with a strong will like me.

Her expression softened slightly. “However, you don’t want that, because you’re eager to fight. The Wizard Corps doesn’t want that either, since we’re already facing a shortage, and you get results. You both get your way; my request to get you a psych eval out was turned down.”

I wasn’t sure if I should have felt so relieved about that.

“We’re officially saying that the fracture in your wrist was resistant to magical healing, so you’re going to be taking a trip home to visit family. You have two weeks, and we’ll even be sending you some company. Your orders are to relax and enjoy yourself.”

I couldn’t help but feel insulted. Hadn’t everybody else gone through just as much as I had, or worse? Another sign that people thought I needed protection…

The joke was on Sergeant Lakhdar, though. She was sending me somewhere much more dangerous than security detail at Stormont Estate, though none of us could know it at the time.

Chapter 5

Sapporo, Hokkaido Prefecture, Japan

Tuesday, April 11^th, 2051

“There’s my special little man!”

Mom’s excited shout carried even over the hustle and bustle of the shinkansen station, and more than a few eyes turned our way.

I felt my face go red as she ran up to us. “Aw, Mom…”

She puffed out her cheeks. “Don’t you ‘aw, Mom’ me! I haven’t seen my one and only son for more than a year. I’m allowed to be happy!. Now get down here!”

“I missed my favorite girl just as much,” I said, kneeling over to get to her eye level. I wasn’t the tallest guy around, but Mom was even shorter than Yukiko.

Once I’d assumed the position, she nearly launched herself forward and wrapped her arms around my shoulders. Well, she tried, at least.

“My goodness!” she said, her brown eyes going wide. “Your shoulders are so broad! What were they feeding you at that school, steroids?”

I chuckled as I hugged her back. “Nope, that’s just clean living and hard training.”

Yukiko didn’t interrupt us directly; she walked behind Mom so I’d see her as soon as I opened my eyes. There was a little smirk on her face as she watched our reunion, but she was satisfied to wait on us.

I finally broke contact with Mom and walked next to Yukiko, patting her shoulder twice. “Mom, this is Yukiko.”

Mom spun around, and her expression darkened for a second. It was gone in an instant, though, and I think I only spotted it because I’d known her for so long.

“Oh, is this the famous Yukiko Sato?” said Mom, playing with a lock of her greying hair. “I’ve heard so much about you; it’s like we’ve already met.”

“Good things, I hope.” She gave Mom a deep bow. “I’ve been looking forward to meeting you for a long time.”

Mom gave Yukiko a once over and returned the bow. “Same here. I’m Hitomi Takehara; it’s a pleasure.” She frowned again, as her eyes went to my hands. “Hiro, what happened to your hand?”

I glanced down, remembering that my right forearm was still in a brace. “Oh, I had a little training accident; nothing to worry about. I just have to take it easy for a bit.”

Mom gasped. “A training accident? What happened?”

“You know how clumsy I can be,” I said, chuckling despite myself. If she’d seen the mostly-healed bullet wounds in the other arm, she’d have had a heart attack.

“Yup, that’s my Hirokins,” said Yukiko, raising an eyebrow at me. “Definitely the clumsy sort.”

“It’s part of what’s so cute about him,” said Mom.

“He is definitely cute,” said Yukiko as she glanced around. “Is there a car waiting for us?”

“Oh, that’s right, you are one of the SatoCorp Satos,” said Mom. “No, we have a little bit of a walk. I hope that isn’t a problem.”

Yukiko bristled slightly, but again kept it to herself. “No, no problem at all. Which way are we going?” She took the handles of both of our suitcases.

“Nowhere like that.” She fixed me with a glare. “Hiro, you aren’t making your friend carry your luggage, are you? I know I raised you better than that.”

“Sorry, Mom,” I said, unintentionally chuckling again. I tapped my braced right arm. “I have to take it easy. Doctor’s orders; I don’t like it either.”

“It’s no bother,” said Yukiko, releasing the handles of the suitcases at her side. “It’s great practice for my magic.” With a gesture, our luggage floated behind us, each wrapped in a red aura. Mom’s eyes went wide at the display of power, though she didn’t add anything.

Yukiko gave me an expectant look. “Now, which way are we going?”

“I, ah, actually don’t know,” I admitted. “Mom had to move when I was drafted.”

“Hm?” Yukiko tilted her head. “Why is that?”

“Housing shortages,” said Mom. “They moved me into a one-bedroom apartment, since I didn’t need the space.”

“I hadn’t realized things were so tight,” said Yukiko.

“Don’t worry, I have enough room for the two of you,” said Mom. “Follow me; it isn’t too far.”

The tail end of 2050 had been an unusually cold winter in Japan, and General Winter hadn’t retreated yet by April. It was why I hadn’t seen Mom for so long; our trip for the Christmas holiday had been cancelled by a snow-in. So, I gave Mom some leeway to be a little clingy.

We hadn’t gone more than a few blocks before I noticed Mom starting to shiver. She’d never admit that she was suffering out loud, so I gave up my jacket without a word. She acknowledged it with a nod.

“Is that a good idea when you’re still recovering?” chided Yukiko.

“My little Hiro is hotblooded,” said Mom. “He’ll be perfectly fine.”

She was right; after all, we’d just spent months in the mountains near Niigata. I was used to a little cold. Though, the air went from brisk to chilly for me once I’d given up my coat, and I hoped we’d reach our destination soon.

My heart fell a little as Mom stopped in front of a small apartment building that stood in the shadow of an enormous, concrete tenement marked in Japanese script and what I thought looked like Russian letters. Thousands of identical buildings dotted the world and housed refugee communities from nations occupied by the Horde.

It was also a sign that this wasn’t the good part of town, though that was obvious from Mom’s apartment itself. I didn’t like the way the stairs creaked as we made our way to the second floor. The paint job on the walls was also a decade past replacement, and I hoped I was imagining those cracks near the foundation.

The thought of Mom living there alone made me… concerned.

[Editor’s Note: If I’ve placed his mother’s apartment building, he didn’t have too much to worry about. Local law enforcement had to deal with frequent complaints that they were over-policing the area. As far as I can tell, none of those complaints got far, which is pretty typical with the refugee communities in Japan.]

“It looks nice,” I said, not meaning a word of it.

“It’s a dive,” she said, “but it’ll feel more like a home with you there.”

Whatever the outside looked like, the interior was spotless. That was a relief, as I saw Yukiko subtly scan the room, giving it the same attention she would to a battlefield.

Her eyes settled on an all-too familiar family shrine tucked away in the corner for a bit longer, but she didn’t say anything about it. Good; I didn’t feel like telling that story, since it always made Mom cry.

“Make yourselves comfortable,” said Mom, taking off the borrowed jacket and hanging it on a peg near the door. I didn’t take it back, even though it wasn’t too much warmer inside than outside; it would make her feel bad about taking it away in the first place.

At least the heated kotatsu at the center of the living room was working. I kneeled at the low table and put my hands and legs beneath the blanket that covered it.

Soon enough, we were all around the table, enjoying some tea and interrogation. At least, that’s what it felt like as Mom peppered us with questions. What was North Ireland like, had I gotten to meet King George? Oh, she was sure he was a nice man, he seemed like it on TV, had we gotten to talk with him? And on like that.

I noticed that she didn’t ask about any of the fights we’d been in, or anything about life in the service. She must have known; I’d fought the Holy Brotherhood more times than I liked to remember, and then there was that demon incursion into North Ireland. It had been in the news every time, especially our part in it. I didn’t volunteer any information on the fights, though; she could be pretty emotional.

I was honest about some things, and skirted around others, especially where Magpie was concerned.

“What’s that Magpie Wizard boy like?” asked Mom.

“Magpie? Oh, he’s doing alright. We’re cool again.”

“Cool again? Were you on the outs?” asked Mom.

“Oh, he…” What was safe to mention? Mom would know if I lied… “He and Yukiko had a bit of an argument, and I was caught in the middle.”

“That old business,” said Yukiko, giving her cup of tea a thoughtful look. “It’s… complicated. We got it sorted out, though.”

“Oh? Complicated how?” asked Mom.

Ah, that was it. Mom knew the story already, but she wanted to hear what Yukiko had to say. I willed Yukiko to stop talking, but neither of us had a magical affinity for telepathy.

“He came on a little strong early on,” she said. “Scratch that; very strong. But, he eventually accepted that I only have eyes for my Hirokins.” She gave my knee a gentle squeeze under the table.

[Editor’s Note: That incident I knew about; it’s part of his public record.]

I swear, Mom could tell that Yukiko had touched me. Her eyes narrowed. “Oh, my. Did you have a lot of suitors?”

“Some men tried, before I set them straight.” Yukiko waved off the concern. “Nobody I took seriously. They were mostly after my father’s money.”

“I see,” said Mom, giving her a suspicious look.

“My love life was nothing compared to Hiro here,” she said, flashing me a quick smirk. “He practically had a fan club chasing him around the school. I’m grateful that I won; your son’s a charmer.”

And that’s exactly what I didn’t want her to say… nuts.

Mom frowned. “Wait, really? Hiro, you never mentioned that.”

“Oh, it was nothing, really,” I said. “Some of the girls in my club had little crushes on me. Nothing too big.” That was a severe understatement, but I just wanted this to end as soon as possible; my face felt like it was about to burst into flames.

“I hope you were careful,” said Mom.

“Careful?” I asked, adding a nervous chuckle.

“You used protection, right?”

“What? No!” I started, bumping my legs on the table.

“You didn’t use protection?” asked Mom. “Hiro Takehara, you know better!”

“No, I mean, I-I’m saving that for someone special!” I unconsciously glanced at Yukiko, which earned her an appraising look from Mom.

It was Yukiko’s turn to blush; served her right for sitting there and enjoying the show!

“I’m sure,” said Mom with a glint in her eyes. “These girls; were they Japanese?”

I frowned. “Well, mostly; I mean, Kiyo’s a hafu. What does that…”

“Good,” said Mom in a final tone. “Not that there’s anything wrong with foreigners, but still.” Her tone revealed that in fact, there was something wrong with foreigners in her eyes.

“Still what?” asked Yukiko, her hackles raised for some reason. It occurred to me that Yukiko’s blue eyes were unusual for a Japanese girl. Was she mixed, too? I’d never thought to ask; it had never seemed important. To me, she was just Yukiko.

“It’s not what I want for my special little man,” said Mom, sniffling as she fought back tears. “Honestly, I wish he’d told me about you before; I was worried he was going to meet some Irish girl and move to the other side of the planet.”

“Aw, Mom, you know I wouldn’t leave you alone,” I said, the words spilling out automatically. Who wants to see their mother cry, especially over something that didn’t happen?

Yukiko was giving me a look, but I ignored it.

Mom’s face broke into a broad smile. “I know you wouldn’t want to; you’re a good boy. But, I think that’s enough of that.”

Oh, thank God.

********************************************************

The conversation got a little less awkward after that. Mom took us on a walk to a little hole in the wall restaurant. Mom insisted on paying for us, though I wondered if she could really afford it; I’d always known her to pay in cash for things, but that time she used a credit card. So, I volunteered to take the check up front while they chatted and swapped the card for my own. It was a decent chunk of my last paycheck, but I’d manage.

We continued our walking tour for the rest of the night. Now that I had my jacket back, walking across the snow-covered streets of Sapporo was much more pleasant. We even got to see the Sapporo TV Tower, though we didn’t go up; Mom had a thing about heights.

It wasn’t too long before Mom was shivering again, even with her warmest jacket. Before I could finish unzipping mine, Yukiko put a hand to my chest.

“Mrs. Takehara, do you have any talent for magic? We have some spells that could use your energy to keep you warm.”

“Me? Oh, no.” Mom waved her off. “We don’t know where Hiro got it from.”

“Then let me show you a trick,” said Yukiko, directly her fingers at herself. Glowing runes spun through the air. “Saint Bernard’s Charm!”

Yukiko glowed slightly as the spell slowly converted her magic to body heat. By the time she’d removed her own coat, there was a thin sheen of sweat on her forehead. “Here, you can take mine.”

Mom frowned a little, but she was gracious when she took it. “Thank you, Ms. Sato. I’m still adjusting, and it’s been such a chilly winter.”

“Adjusting?” asked Yukiko.

“Mom and I haven’t been up here long,” I replied. “We used to live in Okinawa.”

“Don’t remind me what heat felt like,” said Mom, sounding wistful. “We lived near a United States Remnant naval base, though, so we had to be careful.”

“Why would you leave there?” asked Yukiko. “Okinawa’s gorgeous! Father used to take us down there all the time.”

“I’m sure he did,” said Mom, in a tone as chilly as the air. “My parents are from here originally, and I moved back to help take care of them.”

“Can I meet them?” asked Yukiko.

Mom barked a harsh laugh. “It depends. Can your magic summon ghosts?”

“No such thing, sadly,” said Yukiko.

“Don’t be so sure,” said Mom, looking into the distance, where Mt. Moiwa was just visible. “There’s more in this world than the Horde and what they teach you at that school. Yokai walk these streets, if you know what to look for, and there’s even more of them in the hills. Why, you might even see a Snow Maiden on a night like this.”

“Snow Maiden?” asked Yukiko. “Oh, you mean a yuki-onna?”

“Exactly,” said Mom, chuckling to herself. “There’s been dozens of sightings in the area lately, and some people who spotted her had to be treated for frostbite.” She let out a sigh. “We didn’t have to worry about snow spirits down south, I’ll tell you that much.”

I wasn’t as sure about those spirits and monsters, but I kept it to myself, like I always did. The real magic we wizards used every day seemed totally removed from Japan’s native folklore. I could tell that Yukiko wanted to challenge Mom’s beliefs out loud, but a look from me cut her off.

Instead, she asked, “Then why don’t you move back down south?”

“We don’t all have somebody else’s money,” she replied, killing the conversation right then and there. At least, killed it between the two of them; I got to play middleman, and I had to tread lightly, which ruined the rest of the tour.

It was a relief when we got home, and I was glad it was late enough that we could just end the arguments and get some sleep. Yukiko and I ended up on separate sleeping mats in the living room, though there wasn’t much space between us. I almost thought that she’d gone to sleep when I felt something soft press into my side.

“Your mother’s a piece of work,” whispered Yukiko, joining me beneath my thick blanket. The apartment didn’t have central heating, and we couldn’t run the kotatsu all night, so the extra warmth was appreciated.

If only Yukiko had only joined me for the heat… “Mom means well,” I said.

“Does she?” she demanded.

“She does, really,” I said. “She’s just kind of funny about some things.”

“That’s putting it nicely,” she said. “Which you always do; you’re too agreeable.”

“Probably,” I said, proving the point. “I’m not surprised you aren’t getting along with Mom; you two are pretty similar.”

“I wasn’t going to mention that, but she’s like my own Portrait of Dorian Grey,” she said, smirking to herself. “I guess we know what you were looking for in a woman.”

“Huh?”

“You aren’t much for real books, are you?” Yukiko shook her head wistfully. “How about she’s the Bizarro version of me?”

“It’s no fair using Superman against me,” I said.

“You’re the one who had me read those comics,” she replied. “Anyway, I admit that I can be a little… difficult. I’m willing to keep the peace, but that means you need to stand up to her.”

“You saw me try,” I said. “She’s set in her ways. It’s easier to just go along with it.”

“Exactly, I saw you try,” said Yukiko. “Not very hard, though. You roll over too easily.”

“Probably,” I said, proving the point again. “It’s just… she’s lived a hard life. I know, I was there for most of it. She relies on me, y’know?”

The streetlights were right outside the window, the light seeping around the curtains illuminating Yukiko’s face enough so I could read her expressions. She glanced over at the shrine again before resting her head on my shoulder.

“What was he like?” she asked, gesturing towards the shrine. “You have his eyes.”

“Couldn’t tell you much,” I said. “I don’t remember him.”

She sighed. “At least your father can’t be disappointed in you.”

“Huh? Why would your dad be disappointed in you?” I asked.

“Oh, I’m ‘willful and disobedient’,” she said, her voice taking on a gruff quality, probably imitating a voice I’d never heard. “We aren’t talking about him, though, and you didn’t call me out for making this about me.”

“You gave me an out,” I said. “I don’t have a lot to say about the man. I don’t remember anything.”

Yukiko nodded, which served to nuzzle her into my shoulder. “Speaking of family, I’m going to need your help breaking your mother’s heart tomorrow.”

“Hm?”

“My uncle Kaito has invited me to visit him while I’m in the area,” she said. “I really can’t say no, but I also don’t want to go alone.”

“You can’t say no? Now who’s rolling over?” I said, keeping my voice playful.

“You don’t understand,” she said. “I put out feelers with everyone in my immediate family to let them know I’d be in Japan. He’s the only one who responded. Things are… delicate with my parents.”

“How delicate?” I asked.

She rested her head on my shoulder. “I don’t like hearing jokes about ‘daddy’s money’ at the best of times, but it stings when it isn’t true anymore.”

It took me a moment to catch her meaning. “He cut you off? Why?”

“Because he’s a stubborn old fool who decided that any student in the remedial classes was a bad influence on his little girl,” she said. “He wanted you out of my life. You and the rest of our friends.”

“Wait… didn’t he insist that you bomb your tests on purpose to keep you in the remedial classes?” I asked. “What were you supposed to do?”

“Live a life of quiet desperation, I suppose,” she said. “I’m glad I decided you were worth more than my allowance.”

My eyes widened. “I… I had no idea I’d come between you and your dad…”

“Because I knew you’d feel guilty about it. Cut that out; I made the right choice.” She placed a gentle kiss on my cheek. “Anyway, I’m hoping that Uncle Kaito can talk some sense into Father… if you’re okay with cutting your visit here a little short.”

The kiss had me tongue-tied for a moment. That, and the enormity of what she had given up had really hit home. “Sure, we can take a few days to see him,” I said, squeezing her closer. “I mean, you got to meet Mom.”

Yukiko giggled to herself. “You’re right, you owe me one.”

“Mom isn’t that bad!” I whispered the rebuke, worried that she’d overheard us.

Yukiko’s eyes goggled. “No, I mean… Hm. I suppose I did mean that.” She puffed out her cheeks, pouting adorably. “Hmph, now you learn to stand up to somebody.”

“I can practice on you,” I said. “You’re too cute to be scary.”

She yawned, jetlag and my body heat finally getting to her. Shifting her weight, she came to a rest in my arms. “Sounds like I need to try harder. I wouldn’t want some demon getting ideas, after all.”

One already did, I didn’t say, and you nearly drowned. She fell asleep first; I didn’t, at least not right away. I didn’t need sleep to have nightmares.

Chapter 6

Sapporo, Hokkaido Prefecture, Japan

Wednesday, April 12^th, 2051

Mom hadn’t been too happy to hear about Uncle Kaito’s invitation.

“I took time off work to see my special little man!” she had said, eyes brimming with tears.

So that’s why she’d been using the credit card… I made a note to make sure some more yen moved from my billfold to hers while she wasn’t watching. I didn’t need it as much as she did, since the Wizard Corps usually took care of my room and board.

“How can you leave me so soon?” demanded Mom.

“We don’t have to go right away,” I said, holding up my hands defensively. “Yukiko’s uncle will understand. Right, Yukikins?”

“That seems reasonable enough,” said Yukiko. “He didn’t specify a date.” I wondered how much disappointment she was hiding. I’m sure she’d been looking forward to getting away from Mom.

Well, too bad. I wasn’t too eager to leave, either. Even if Mom had some weird opinions and could be a little rude, I really had missed her.

Besides, she needed me. Apparently, her landlord was behind on repairs, and Mom wasn’t even sure what kinds of tools she needed. I noticed that the flooring in one corner of her bedroom felt soft. She didn’t say it in as many words, but she couldn’t afford to have somebody else look into it. If that jerk couldn’t be bothered to do his job, somebody else would have to step up.

“Don’t worry,” I said. “We’ll get this sorted out. Yukiko, can you please help me out with something first?”

We left the apartment on the excuse that we’d be picking up some tools and supplies at a nearby store. That was true, though there was more to it than that.

“Can you finish healing me up?” I asked, looking down at my braced arm. “I should have enough energy to make it work by now.”

Yukiko nodded. “What should I patch up first? Your right forearm or your left upper arm?”

“Forearm,” I said. “I’ll need that hand more to swing a hammer.”

It was humiliating that we had to do triage like that. A proper wizard wouldn’t have left North Ireland with any trace of those injuries, but we’d had to do it in stages. I didn’t say anything, though; Yukiko already thought she had to protect me, and I didn’t want to hear about it again.

********************************************************

Even if I felt a little embarrassed about how I’d been patched up, at least I was well enough to go jogging again. After months of drilling by my school and the Corps, a wizard’s day didn’t feel complete without a good run.

Or, so I thought. “You must be insane,” said Yukiko when I suggested it. She was sitting on Mom’s couch in an upright pose, but the slight droop in her shoulders spoke volumes. “How can you have any energy left?”

“Not sure myself,” I said with a chuckle. We’d spent all day moving the furniture out of Mom’s room and tearing down the rotten parts; there were more than I’d have liked. “Still, I’m feeling kinda antsy. I know it’ll help me sleep better.”

Mom went and opened the window. “I guess the weather’s pretty clear… are you sure? We are pretty close to that Little Russia over there. Who knows what you could run into?”

I jerked a thumb at my chest. “I’ve got plenty of magic in the tank,” I said. “If anybody wants to start trouble, they’d better worry about me.”

“Count me out,” yawned Yukiko. “I couldn’t possibly.”

“Great,” said Mom. “Wash up; you can help me with dinner.”

Yukiko’s eyes went wide, and I’m sure she was figuring out some way out dealing with Mom without me there. I almost called off the run. Almost; I needed a little time away, too.

I silently apologized as I made my way out the door. When we’d checked out a local hardware store earlier, I’d planned out a good route through a small park. The path had the benefit of taking me away from the refugee encampments, which is where I expected any trouble to come from.

The sun had already vanished behind some taller buildings in the distance, and it seemed like everybody who could stay home had. I didn’t completely blame them; there was a fresh dusting of snow all along my path, though I’d managed to miss the flurry.

That meant I had the park to myself. It wasn’t a large space, but whoever had designed it had been smart about it. There was a drainage pond in the center and a running path that snaked around some young, bare oak trees. Even taking it more slowly to avoid slipping on the powder snow, a circuit around the park took me about six minutes. I knew how long it took Mom to make her usual Wednesday night soup and grilled fish, so I had planned to make five loops.

I was on the third lap when I nearly ran into a woman I hadn’t seen before. I wove around her and skidded to a stop before giving her an apologetic bow. “Sorry, ma’am, I didn’t notice you there before.”

“Have you seen him?”

“Ma’am?”

I gawked at her as I got a good look at her, and not just because of her haunting beauty. She had skin white as porcelain and her black hair flowed freely down to the small of her back, blowing in a breeze I couldn’t feel. What got my attention were her clothes; she wore nothing but a loose kimono decorated with snowflakes.

“Have you seen him?” she repeated in a voice just above a whisper. “I seem to have lost him.”

“Ma’am, you…” I trailed off. The chill air left my breath trailing from my mouth like puffs of smoke, but this woman’s didn’t.

A chill ran up my spine that wasn’t related to the weather. Any Japanese boy had heard tales of the yuki-onna, the snow woman. There were different versions of the spirits ranging from children born of the snow to old hags.

No matter their age, yuki-onna were bad news; they were the sort of yokai to hold a grudge if you stepped out of line, and they usually paid their grudges back by freezing you to death.

My heart raced, even though I told myself I was being ridiculous. The stories were just myths designed to keep children from playing outside on winter nights. There was no such thing… right?

Even as my instincts told me to bolt the other way, I knew I was looking at somebody in need of help. It was written all over her face; I chided myself for entertaining such a ridiculous theory. By the time I’d made the conscious choice to help her, I was already unzipping my jacket. “Ma’am, you need to put this on or you’ll freeze to death!”

She took a step back, her black eyes unfocussed. “Have you seen him? My husband… he needs me. He doesn’t know where I am.”

Whoever she was, she was out of it. I let Immortal Form flow into my legs as I sprang forward to catch her. I didn’t like the idea of being rough with a woman, especially one who was out of her mind, but she needed to get indoors. My mind raced; hadn’t I see a free clinic on my way over?

My hands passed through her like she wasn’t there, interrupting that train of thought. Before I could even register what was going on, I realized that my fingers weren’t responding anymore, numbed by an intense cold.

“You do not know where he is,” she said, her voice coming from behind. “I thought you would be different. Ah, well.”

When I spun around, I was completely alone. Immortal Form flooded my whole body, sharpening my eyes and ears, but there was no sign of her. It had the side effect of warming my hands enough that I could throw on my jacket again.

My enhanced senses let me spot a detail I might have missed in my panic; there were no footprints from bare feet anywhere to be seen.

I don’t know how long I stood there, uselessly searching for any trace of that yuki-onna. I finally stopped when I felt a headache coming on from overusing Immortal Form.

I didn’t mention a word of the encounter to Mom or Yukiko when I got back. Yukiko would have (maybe rightly) thought I was going insane, and Mom would have only worried and insisted I not leave her sight again. I couldn’t deal with either option just then.

I also couldn’t stand to not talk about it at all, though, so I found an indirect way.

“Hey Mom,” I asked as we sat down to eat. “What was that story Grandpa used to tell about the yuki-otome again?”

“Oh, the Snow Maiden?” she asked. “I haven’t thought about that one in ages; you haven’t asked me for a ghost story since you were in elementary school.”

“Is that when he graduated to comic books?” asked Yukiko.

“Just about then, yes,” said Mom, giving me a teasing poke to the cheek. “He suddenly wanted to be the strong one, not the one who got scared.”

“Plenty of stuff in the real world to worry about,” I said. “So, how did it go again?”

Mom paused to think back on it. “Gosh, it’s been years since I heard it too… I’ll try to do it justice, though Yukiko, you should have heard the way Dad would tell it.”

Mom botched it a bit in the retelling; I ended up filling in some details she forgot. Here is the story as I know it:

In the mountains, there was a young nobleman who was caught in a snowstorm while travelling on the way to see his fiancée, a wealthy woman from an estate on the north of the island. All seemed lost until a beautiful young woman with skin white as porcelain named Oyuki found him and gave him a place to stay.

The nobleman noticed some odd things about Oyuki; she was completely unbothered by the cold, and her skin was always cool to the touch. He found this odd, but love can blind you.

The two were taken with each other right away; the nobleman’s fiancée was an older woman with a harsh personality, while Oyuki was kind and winsome. The two fell in love, and he ended up spending the whole winter in her hut. They began to address each other as husband and wife, although there was nobody around to officiate the marriage. The nobleman was satisfied to give up his birthright to be with Oyuki.

All was well until the spring, when representatives of his fiancée stumbled upon their hut. He fought hard to resist them, but he was dragged away. Oyuki had been out gathering fuel for their fire, and he had no way to let her know what had become of him.

The nobleman eventually slipped away and returned to their mountain home, only to find the hut abandoned with no sign of Oyuki. Days of desperate searching turned up nothing except a newly dug gravestone marked “Unknown woman with skin white like the snow.” Devastated, he went to his unloved fiancée and lived a life of quiet misery.

Ever since, there have been tales of people traveling through remote places stumbling across a crying woman dressed only in a kimono, begging for help finding her husband, only to vanish when she realizes that they don’t know him. Some who are rude to her are found the next day frozen solid. Either way, it’s best to avoid strangers in the wild spaces and to mind your own business. Those who run into the yuki-otome never come out better for it…

Yukiko gave me a smirk as Mom finished up the story. “Didn’t realize you were so easy to scare, Hirokins.”

I realized I’d been holding my breath and I let it out as a shaky chuckle. “I-I’m not scared…”

Mom laughed. “Good thing you the Corps doesn’t having you fight yokai!”

“Real demons are frightening enough,” said Yukiko. “That wasn’t a bad ghost story, though. My compliments to your father, Ms. Takehara.”

The conversation drifted away, thankfully. Had I really run into the yuki-otome? And if I had, would anybody believe me?

I spent a while struggling to get to sleep, and not just because Yukiko kept hogging the blankets. I eventually decided to chalk it up to my frayed nerves. I mean, the woman I thought I’d seen talked about her husband, like our family’s own, unique yuki-otome legend. What were the odds of that being the real version of the yokai? It was just the stress getting to me, which was exactly why I was here in Japan. A few days of rest and I’d be myself again.

Hopefully.

[Editor’s Note: I can see why Hiro’s a little unsure of his senses here. I haven’t been able to find any legends or stories that match Hitomi Takehara’s version. It seems to be a creation of her father’s side of the family.]