The Path Forward (1)
The Spirit King meeting had ended. Or rather, it was on a break. They'd decided to give Aqua and Pompeii time to sort out their thoughts and reconvene tomorrow morning.
[Um...]
Aqua wore the most serious expression in the world. For the first time, she was truly grasping the weight of the title "Spirit King."
[Terra. What do you think?]
Aqua recounted the meeting's events to Terra, seeking her opinion. Leaking the details of a Spirit King conference to outsiders might seem risky, but those bound by contract were one in heart and mind anyway—no issue there.
[There's no need to open the Spirit Realm.]
Terra answered without hesitation. It wasn't a snap judgment; her thoughtful nature meant she'd already mulled this over.
[If spirits want to see humans, they can just go to the human world.]
[But there are already humans who've come to the Spirit Realm.]
[That was an emergency. Everyone will understand.]
In a way, that was the perfect answer.
[Um...]
But Aqua seemed reluctant to accept it outright. Terra didn't push to convince her. If anything, her face said, Spirits have different thoughts, after all.
She really takes after Uluru in moments like this.
Of course, Terra's understanding differed from Uluru's hands-off approach.
Aqua sank deep into thought.
While Aqua wrestled with her dilemma, I went looking for Uluru.
"Uluru. Does this mean my qualification as Aqua's Spirit King—and hers—is officially proven?"
[Yes. You've worked hard.]
Uluru, tending to the baby salamanders, smiled softly. Pompeii was nearby, caring for them too.
[Shiiik!]
[Shaaah...]
The larger salamanders diligently licked every inch of the babies' bodies. Mandu was among them.
[Shiit?]
The babies looked up at me, faces begging for pets. They were as tiny as Mandu had been at first.
I reached out, stroking their foreheads, necks, and backs. Their skin, not yet fully hardened, felt sleek and slightly squishy.
[Shishit!]
[Shiit!]
The watching babies threw themselves at me, demanding their turn. As I lavished affection on them for a good while, a question popped up.
"Uluru. Why did Pompeii make all the spirits keep quiet about successors?"
That explained why the human world knew nothing of Aqua. Pompeii's gag order had hushed even the other spirits about successors.
Uluru replied with her usual smile.
[Sylphs have no Spirit King or successor. It was probably to spare their feelings.]
She gazed at Pompeii with gentle eyes, proud of his consideration.
"Why hasn't a new Wind Spirit King been born?"
[I don't know.]
Uluru looked up at the Sacred Mountain.
[Perhaps... the balance is off.]
"The Spirit Realm's balance?"
[...No. It's nothing.]
Uluru shook her head as if to say forget it. Her reaction felt off, but she clearly wasn't elaborating.
I switched topics.
"Why the rule that successors can't leave the Spirit Realm?"
Uluru smiled faintly.
[Successors are the most important beings here. It's preparation for any danger.]
[It's not exactly a strict rule. We can't force them. Just a gentle 'be careful, won't you?']
Coming from a mother figure like Uluru, it would feel like an ironclad rule to Terra and Aqua.
[Terra had no interest in the human world until Aqua left. Aqua held back seeing that. Just when we thought it was time to let them both go... that incident happened.]
The Wind Spirit King's death. Pompeii's fall to darkness. Niagara's rejection of human world ties.
Uluru, ever respectful of all views and never voicing opposition, must have stayed silent as always.
The stifling situation dragged on until Aqua ran away and met me.
[But it's a relief. You met a fine spirit master like him.]
"I'm the grateful one."
Uluru glanced at Aqua, who was clutching her head and groaning in thought. Terra stood blankly beside her, keeping watch.
Affection seeped unavoidably into Uluru's voice.
[In your arms lie this realm's two most precious children. Please care for them without harm.]
A smile spread across my face.
"Of course. That's a spirit master's role."
To me, those two were irreplaceable treasures.
I headed to the basin housing Pompeii's Temple with Pompeii, Terra, and the sylphs. Time to tidy up after the battle's devastation.
Rumble rumble rumble—
Terra gripped her trident, pouring spirit power in. The scorched, upheaved earth flattened once more.
[Here we go!]
[Bwoooong!]
Sylphs zipped overhead, scattering sylph flower seeds. Terra finely tuned her power, spacing the blooms perfectly.
She spent ages caressing the soil after, adjusting waterways and bug paths.
"Pompeii."
I called to him, blankly watching Terra with his mouth buried in his mint muffler.
"Who gave you those comics?"
Pompeii's dazed face hardened.
[Akira.]
Kazami Akira. Contractor of the Wind Spirit King.
[He said the Wind Spirit King loved them dearly. As a memento, they should be mine.]
"When?"
[Last fall.]
"You met him in person?"
[A sylph relayed that Kazami Akira wanted to meet me. I opened a passage and went.]
"What happened?"
Spirits could discern human good from evil.
[I didn't meet him. He wasn't at the spot—just stacks of comics.]
Pompeii glanced at the Sacred Mountain, then continued.
[Good thing. If I'd seen his face... I probably couldn't have held back my rage.]
Pompeii needed someone to blame. And Kazami Akira bore responsibility—protecting spirits was a spirit master's duty.
Spirit masters don't pity those who lose their spirits. Crossing worlds for a spirit you saw alone, only to fail—that sin weighed heavy.
But Kazami Akira's case is different.
450,000 people. He'd sacrificed his Spirit King to save that many.
[Did Akira harm the baby salamanders?]
"...We'll find out from here on."
As we talked, Terra and the sylphs finished. Pompeii rose as they approached.
[Right. Time for my duties.]
The sylphs buzzed excitedly as always. Pompeii watched, then bowed his head.
[I'm sorry.]
The sylphs halted, staring.
[You lost your Spirit King—that was the real pain. I was too wrapped up in my own thoughts.]
His voice grew misty as he spoke.
[From now on, I'll care for you in the Wind Spirit King's stead too.]
A burly sylph laughed heartily.
[It's fine, Lord Pompeii! Sylphs are fiercely independent!]
Their unofficial leader.
[And we're grateful, actually. We sylphs can't cry, being wind and all.]
[Yeah!]
[We want to sob but can't!]
The sylphs giggled in agreement.
[Thanks for crying and grieving our share.]
[The Wind Spirit King would thank you too!]
[But enough now! Got it, Lord Pompeii?]
Pompeii gazed silently. His head drooped; his thin voice trembled.
[Thank you, everyone.]
Thud, thud.
Terra patted his shoulder. I surveyed the basin.
A massive battle had ravaged it, but now life would root anew.
Earth hardens firmer after rain.
Turned once, it'd overflow with nutrients—surely brighter flowers than before.
Night had deepened. Spirits slept; only the crackling campfire lit the area.
But Aqua tossed restlessly.
[Um...]
Probably dreading tomorrow's meeting.
She sat on a rock, gazing at the star-packed sky and vivid Milky Way reflecting faintly on her.
I approached slowly from afar, where I'd watched her worry.
"What're you doing?"
I feigned ignorance.
Aqua looked up, weakly raising her arms—hold me.
I scooped her gently, sitting on the rock. She burrowed in like a fledgling.
[It's hard.]
Her voice brimmed with complaint.
I stroked her limp back softly.
"What's hard?"
[Um...]
Aqua perked a bit.
[I've decided what to say tomorrow. I agree with you!]
She chattered like a kid showing her diary.
[Humans are great! But I know some are bad!]
She'd fought perverts with me once.
[So we can't open the Spirit Realm to all humans! Baby spirits might get bad influences!]
I nodded slightly. Relieved, she beamed and went on.
[But like you said, just spirit masters... that could work! They're all good humans!]
I had no plans to judge or add to her view. I wanted her to grow as Spirit King, not stagnate echoing me.
Still, her clear thoughts were impressive—I pinched her cheek lightly.
[Hee hee hee!]
Aqua grinned delightedly, then pouted.
[But... it's hard.]
The real dilemma followed.
[Didn't Niagara say? As Spirit King, I must firm my thoughts.]
Deep reflection and contemplation, Niagara urged.
[So I pondered. Why we're here. Why Pompeii changed so.]
Aqua sighed hugely at the Giant Cave—pitch-black, impenetrable.
Spirits inside still battled inescapable grief.
[I thought passages to the human world were gifts, blessings for all.]
Her voice quavered tearfully.
[Never imagined so many spirits would hurt because of it.]
For pure Aqua, big-sis to all spirits, it cut deep.
[Meeting spirit masters via passages is surely a blessing. But...]
She gazed up with teary eyes.
[I just don't get it. Tell me—what do you think? Are we blessings to each other?]
My thoughts. Aqua craved them.
I hesitated.
My words will hugely sway her.
I'm her spirit master, family, guardian. Kids—especially spirits—are blank canvases. She'd paint in my colors.
So I'd only listened. In her crucial growth phase, I feared altering her.
Blocking Aqua's potential with my influence.
I wavered. But I had to speak. She wanted it.
I glanced at the starry sky, gathering thoughts, then opened my mouth.