The carriage sped along a road while I was inside trying not to puke from motion sickness.  It had been several hours since we left the city, but I was told that I should still keep quiet.  By the time the suns were starting to set, the carriage started to slow down before stopping.

 

“*Sigh*  This is far enough.  Miss Fated One, stay in there, I’ll take care of our stalkers, then we can talk.” (Fia)

 

I simply nodded my head and saw Fia move from the coachman’s seat.  I moved to the window on the door and moved the curtain out of the way.  There I saw Fia stop walking and three people in light armor with the Fafnir family crest.

 

“Who are you?  You are not the one that is supposed to drive this carriage.”

 

“I don’t see the point in explaining to people that aren’t going to leave this place alive.  Just know that my Goddess has a bone to pick with all of you, and I’m the one that will be doling out the punishment.  Now, the time for talk is over.” (Fia)

 

All three people took a stance and shining weapons manifested out of nowhere.  One person had something that looked like a zweihandr, one had an axe, and one had a halberd.  Seeing this, Fia scoffed.

 

“Oh please.  I get that this place is really behind in a lot of things, but it’s almost insulting that you think that this is enough to be considered powerful.” (Fia)

 

Fia did something and the area around her and the other three started to catch fire.  The large embers that came from the fires then started to change shape into birds that flew around, waiting for Fia’s order to attack.  The heat I could feel from the area, even inside the carriage, was actually quite comfortable, though the three that were confronting her obviously didn’t share the sentiment.

 

“T-this heat.”

 

“Oh?  If you can’t stand the heat, then get out of the kitchen.” (Fia)

 

Those words must have been some sort of signal since the fire birds flew into one of the people.  The second it touched him, his entire body caught fire.  I expected to hear screams of pain and to smell the smell of cooking flesh, but I didn’t.  The man just silently fell to the ground.  The fire coating his body the reformed into the bird it was before and started to fly around again.  For a second, I thought I saw some kind of black thing leave the corpse, but I put it to the back of my mind as a trick of the light.

 

Being enraged by his comrade’s death, one of the now two enemies ran towards Fia and swung his axe at her.  She dodged it easily and tapped him on the shoulder as he passed her.  She then moved back, kicked him in the chest, and he flew back to his starting position.

 

“Heh.” (Fia)

 

Fia smirked and snapped her fingers.  The guy she kicked then exploded.  Seeing this I nearly puked again.  When I managed to regain my composure, I saw the final enemy’s terrified face looking at Fia like she was a monster.  I should commend him at least a little, because instead of running away, he ran toward her with a warcry.  As soon as he swung his Soul Weapon at her, it wavered and disappeared before it hit her.

 

“Wha!?”

 

“You see, Soul Weapons have the potential to be very powerful, but you need to have a strong will to coincide with it.  A weak will leads to a cowardly soul.  The more cowardly the soul, the higher the chance your Soul Weapon will fail you in your most dire time of need.” (Fia)

 

Grabbing the man’s arm, Fia tossed him back and spears of flame sprouted from the ground, piercing him and killing him instantly.  Once the final enemy was dead, Fia quickly gathered the bodies, or whatever was left of them, together and started to burn them.  I sat back in my seat with wide eyes at what just happened.

 

{Are you ok, my Fated One?}

 

“It’s just the first time I’ve seen people killed.” (MC)

 

{I know that this will make me sound unfeeling, but you need to get used to it.  This may have been the first time you’ve seen this, it will most certainly not be the last.  And in the future, it will be by your hand at times.}

 

“…” (MC)

 

“Goddess, give her some time to digest what she saw before talking about things like that.  She’s only five, after all.” (Fia)

 

Fia had entered the carriage while I was deep in thought.

 

{I’ll keep that advice in mind.}

 

“Good.  Now…Miss Fated One, let’s all have a nice, long chat.  You and my Goddess have a lot of catching up to do, and I’d like to get to know you as well.” (Fia)

 

Fia’s words finally managed to shake me from the thoughts about what I just witnessed for the time and I focused on now.  I don’t know what it was, the realization that I was now free of that place, the fact that Amaterasu and I were able to speak again, or a mix of the two, but all the things that I’ve been bottling up for the past five years started to break free.  The temperature around us fluctuated from warm, to hot, to nearly blazing, and back to warm in rapid succession.  Tears fell from my eyes to promptly evaporate.

 

“*Sniff* Why?  Why was I born here?  Why did I have to be born to a bunch of people like THAT!?  Why did it take so long for you to get here!?  Why didn’t you do something to keep Saki alive!?  Why didn’t you do SOMETHING!?  Do you know how hard it was to basically be treated like I don’t exist!?  To have the one person that I consider an actual mother die and not even be allowed to grieve or give her a proper funeral!?  To be harassed and abused in the form of nobility training every day for two years!?  Of the three people I could actually trust in that place, one died, and the other two are forced to treat me like filth in front of other people.  Even if I know that they don’t mean it, it still hurts.  And what about the others there!?  They looked at me all the time like I was some sort of abomination!  All because my eyes!  AND, I DON’T EVEN HAVE A NAME!  It’s so, so hard to act like it doesn’t bother me!  Constantly being called girl in the coldest and derogatory way!” (MC)

 

As I sobbed and let out all of my grievances, I could hear the sounds of Amaterasu crying and I felt someone grab my arm and pull me into a hug.

 

“Let it out.  Let it all out.  Things haven’t been easy for you, we both understand that.  Let it all out and the two of us will explain things as best we can.  Some will sound like excuses to you, and you may even hold a grudge against us for that, but it is true all the same.” (Fia)

 

I continued to cry, and cry, and cry.  Before long, I fell asleep.  When I woke up next, the suns were in the sky again and the carriage was moving.

 

{My Fated One…I’m sorry.}

 

That was the first thing I heard from Amaterasu since last night.

 

“I don’t blame you, at least I don’t think I do.  It’s hard knowing that there are reasons, and probably good ones, for why it took so long to get here, but having your body make your emotions unstable and amplifying certain ones to an extent, both negative and positive.” (MC)

 

{Your Solar magic affinity also plays a small role.  As a higher form of fire magic affinity, it will amplify certain emotions.  Add that to the fact that, even now, your body has more mana than you can consciously control, and it makes sense that you can’t really control your emotions like you want to.}

 

“There is also the fact that you actually feel safe for the first time since being born.  The vigilance that you’ve unconsciously held for the longest time can finally be loosened, so you have even less control.” (Fia)

 

“Mmm…So, can we continue what we were supposed to talk about last night?” (MC)

 

“Sure.  I’ll start.  For one, Goddess Amaterasu was never NOT worried about you.  The day you were born, she summoned me to the Divine Domain and asked me to immediately come to get you out of this country.  Problem is, the people here don’t really hold any true faith in my Goddess, so I couldn’t appear in a temple or shrine dedicated to her.  Add that to the fact that this country is ridiculously isolationist AND an island country, and it takes time to get here in a reasonable fashion.” (Fia)

 

“…So, it’s going to take a few years to get out of here then?” (MC)

 

“No.  It’ll be way faster getting out than it is getting in.  What took me so long was the secrecy part of getting here.  I had to make sure I went as undetected as possible, and there are a lot of cities and towns that I had to pass through or by to get here.  But, with this carriage and the note that that…” (Fia)

 

“Sperm donor.” (MC)

 

“Yes, the note that your sperm donor gave us, we can basically get to the border in a straight line.  It’ll take about a month, but still faster than getting to this point.  Getting past the border to the only land-based route out of here will be a whole other kind of ordeal, but we’ll take care of it when we get there.” (Fia)

 

{On my side, I didn’t sit back and just watch as Fia made her way here.  I cursed all the people that ever did something bad to you or hurt you in any way, with the exception of that knight person and maid you befriended, with petty little curses.  I’ve also made that sperm donor, as you call him, infertile.  That particular curse will also spread to anyone he adopts into the family in an attempt to keep it going.  I also made it so that the mongrel that carried and birthed you never fully recovered.  That’s why she always looked sickly and why she could hardly handle the paltry heat you produce.  As for why you were born into that family, it’s a lot harder to explain in a simple way.  If you want the most basic of explanations, then it was simply the body your soul was most compatible with.}

 

“What about Saki?” (MC)

 

{…That is…*Sigh*  I’ll just tell you bluntly, I couldn’t do any more.  I already extended her life longer than her soul could handle, if I did any more, either her soul would have broken, she would have gone mad, or I would be overstepping my bounds in interfering in the mortal world.  She was originally going to die while you were still an infant, but I couldn’t let you be left to be taken care of someone that would treat you horribly.}

 

“…So, that’s what she meant when she said her soul felt tired.” (MC)

 

I was satisfied with the explanations I was given and I sat in silence as I ruminated on everything I was told.  A few hours later, I had my thoughts all sorted.

 

“Amaterasu.” (MC)

 

{Yes?}

 

“Thank you…for what you did for Saki in the beginning, as well as sending Fia……” (MC)

 

{There is no need for thanks.  It was only natural that I’d do everything I could to keep you protected and, hopefully, happy.  I’m sorry I couldn’t do more.  But now that you are free of that place and we can speak with one another, I can finally start on the second part.}

 

“Hehehe.” (MC)

 

“Goddess Amaterasu.” (Fia)

 

{Before I let you continue, Fia, will you please drop the formal act?}

 

“…*Sigh*  I was trying to keep a noble image, you know.  I want to make a good impression on your Fated One after all.” (Fia)

 

{I got that, but you’d have to drop the act eventually.  It’d be to mentally taxing on you if you upheld it for the rest of eternity.}

 

“True…Screw it.  Miss Fated One, please take good care of Rasu.  She may seem like she’s got it all figured out, but she’s just a hot-headed person whose more punch first, talk after.  Also, I would like to ask for your help to dissuade her when she comes up with dumb ideas.” (Fia)

 

{Oi!}

 

“Hehehehehehahahahahahahahahaha!  You two get along so well, I’m jealous!” (MC)

 

“Hehe.  Oh!  Rasu, I think it’s about time.” (Fia)

 

{You’re right.  My Fated One, I think it’s about time you got a name.}

 

I couldn’t stop myself from smiling.

 

“I’d love one.” (MC)

 

{Before that, I have a request.}

 

“I’m listening.” (MC)

 

{Will you come up with a family name for us?  If I give you a name, you might end up with the family name of those mongrels.  I want to avoid that, and I’m sure you feel the same.}

 

“Very much so.  Hmmmm.  I got it, though I hope you don’t mind the name being from something in my previous life that I liked.” (MC)

 

{I don’t mind at all.}

 

“Then, our family name will be Okami.” (MC)

 

{…That name feels…familiar for some reason.}

 

“Ignore that, what is my name?” (MC)

 

{Hehehe.  I came up with it five years ago, I just couldn’t call you by it until you were safe.  From now unto eternity, your name will be Keeno.}

 

“Keeno…Keeno Okami…” (Keeno)

 

I couldn’t stop the wide smile from spreading across my face.

 

“I love it.  I absolutely love it.” (Keeno)

 

Chaos Realm:

Order: Keeno Okami, future Goddess of the Sun and Death.  I like it.

I agree.

Astraea:  Mama?  Papa?  Who is that?

Someone that we’ll be watching for a while.

Astraea: But what about Luna and Tama?  And Aunty Atmos?

…

Order: They’ll still come to visit, so don’t worry.

Astraea: OK.  Oh!  Oh!  Papa!

Hmm?

Astraea: Can Evelyn come over soon?

Sure.

Astraea: YAY!