Final Showdown

by Karin De Havin

  She gave me a devilish grin. “Maybe I don’t have one.”

  When I threw a bit of rice ball at her, I realized something dangled from my neck. My empty hand reached up to touch cold metal. “What is this?”

  “It’s a sacred necklace. A gift from Amaterasu.”

  Holding it up to get a better look, I sucked in a breath. “It’s the same mirrored necklace my mythology teacher wears.”

  She nodded. “Yes. He’s one of us.”

  I slammed my hand on the tatami floor mat. “I knew it!”

  Ren came over and sat next to me. ”Mr. Tanaka was your back up protection at the academy. He’s also an expert on Japanese mythology, and for obvious reasons works for the PSIA.”

  Leaning forward, I stood up with some helpful support from Ren. “We better get to the island. Something is calling me.”

  It took us ten minutes to get ready and take the taxi ride to the dock for the ferry to the island. Standing on the bow of the ferry, I stretched my arms out wide as if that would unlock the new powers Amaterasu had given me, but nothing happened. Hopefully the island won’t be as disappointing. Itsukushima Shrine had the reputation of being one of the most beautiful shrines in Japan. As we sped across the bay, I could see why Miyajima Island ranked as the third most beautiful place in Japan. The little island with the giant floating red tori gate welcomed us to the Itsukushima Shrine.

  The bright red tori should have been a clue to what the temple would look like. There were a series of red walkways and white pavilions built right over the water. I had seen many temples that tried to give the impression that were floating, but this one actually was. Itsukushima Shrine, originally built in 562 AD, rightfully earned its place as a National Treasure. The temple itself was dedicated to three Shinto goddesses. I could see its beauty easily reflecting that of a goddess, especially after actually meeting one.

  You almost needed sunglasses as the temple was painted a shocking bright red with accents of bleach white trim and shoji doors. With the extra light that reflected off the water, the temple positively glowed—just like the Sun Goddess herself. Walking out on the pavilion deck, I looked back at the mainland and wished I could travel back in time and see what it was like before the big modern city of Hiroshima existed.

  Ren busily fed some of the little sacred deer. Nearly five hundred of them freely roamed the island. I couldn’t deny they were pretty irresistible. Almost as cute as Yuki who I already missed so much it hurt. I hoped she wouldn’t have to linger long with her mistress. I couldn’t help but go a bit picture-crazy as the deer wandered around scratching against various stone lanterns and other statuary. They acted like the ancient relics had been placed on the island just for their pleasure. We walked along the shoreline, which was dotted with stone lanterns. The temple must be very beautiful at night with the lanterns reflecting in the water. There could be no more perfect spot to recoup after my meeting with Amaterasu. Beauty lingered everywhere.

  Ren waved her hand in front of my face. “I’m glad you are enjoying the islands beauty, but we are here for a reason—remember?”

  “Right.” I sat on one of the lanterns and closed my eyes. I concentrated on finding the mysterious amulet. Some kind of indescribable psychic power bubbled up inside me. “I know where it is!”

  Racing as fast as I could toward a small patch of pine trees on the far side of the temple, I shouldn’t have been surprised Ren caught up with me in seconds. I slowed my pace once I realized a few Japanese tourists were staring at me. I lifted my camera and said loudly enough for them to hear, “Look, there’s a monkey.”

  They turned their gaze back to the temple. Ren laughed. “Good cover.”

  An almost magnet-like pull pushed my body straight toward one of the large rocks that had been shaped into a rustic lantern. “It’s here.”

  Ren stood lookout as I walked behind the stone and carefully dug under the back corner. Thankfully, the ground gave way easily as it rained recently. About a foot down, my nails hit a small metal box. Pulling open the box covered with etchings of the sun, it felt like an Indiana Jones moment. “Look Ren, it's a small cast bronze candle. “I turned the amulet, about the size of a computer mouse, over in my hand. “It has a strange skull-like engraving on the side.”

  Ren’s eyes grew wide as I held it out to her. Her hands shook as she examined the amulet. “I can’t believe it is real. We all heard stories about it but back at headquarters.” She turned it over in her hand. “But we never really believed it actually existed.”

  She handed it back to me. “What is it? How is it going to help fight Death?”

  “It is his candle. The one that can kill him.”

  “Okay, you are going to have to fill me in. I haven’t read about Death’s mythology yet.”

  “We believe that each person has their time on earth. When your time is close to being over, Death writes your name in a book and then shows you your life candle. Death gives you a choice of doing his bidding by condemning another person to death, or he snuffs your candle out.”

  My head whirled. “But this isn’t a real candle. How can I snuff it out?”

  “You must face Death and it will become real.”

  Talk about things suddenly turning very serious. “So that is my power? I can transform this into a real candle—Death’s candle?”

  “Yes. The greatest of your powers. But it will not reveal itself until the perfect moment. Until then you must perfect your power by transforming other sacred objects. That is what Kenzo is working on. He’s gathering them up for you.”

  Talk about being put under pressure. For some unknown reason my stomach growled loudly. “How could I be hungry at a time like this?”

  Ren laughed. “I’m the same way after I’ve used my powers. Let’s go get some food at the ryokan. This one is famous for its baths and their traditional six course kaiseki dinners.”

  “I don’t know which sounds better, the food or the bath.”

  Tucking the amulet safely back inside its box, I placed it on the bottom of my backpack. We walked silently to the main street and caught a taxi to our ryokan. As we drove away from the temple, I gazed up at Mt. Misen, the big mountain on the island. The mountain stood shrouded in a mist that hung down over the primordial forest. As I thought of the candle in my backpack, I wondered if the candle was as old as the forest. How long had it waited to be put into use?

  As the taxi sped up a series of hills, I could tell the ryokan must have a spectacular view. Which also meant Ren really knew how to spend the PSIA’s money. The driver dropped us off and Ren stood proudly in front of the traditional Japanese inn. She turned around. “Take in the view while you can.”

  The sun just touched the back of the hills casting an orange glow through the trees. “It must be spectacular in the fall.”

  She smiled. “Wait until you see inside. Our room has a view of the entire valley.”

  So, we were sharing a room. Ren must have a line in her budget she couldn’t cross. Still, I had to admit it had been fun enjoying living the high life. Of course, the reality that I was just a student waited for me back home.

  As we walked into the entry and took off our shoes, the fragrance of jasmine flowers and grilled meat filled the air. My stomach growled even louder this time.

  Ren chuckled. “Tell your stomach to relax.”

  I nodded and followed a blue and white kimono-clad older woman to our room. When I walked through the door, I realized Ren was exaggerating about the view. The room looked out across a grouping of small hills that framed a valley dotted with large traditional Japanese houses.

  Ren smiled as I pulled open the sliding doors. “Why don’t you go out and enjoy the view? I’m going to freshen up.” I walked out onto the large balcony positioned perfectly to enjoy the setting sun. Breathing in the scent of pine, I jumped when I heard a familiar voice—my shy fox turned ghost. I said in Japanese, “What are you doing here?”

  “I was sent to make certain you found t
he object.”

  “Yes, I did.”

  Kyubi floated nearer to me, her white mass taking on an orange cast from the setting sun. “Amaterasu will be pleased. Can I see it?”

  Feeling slightly offended, I went over to my backpack and dug through my stuff until I hit the bottom. I pulled out the metal box and turned back around to find I faced not one, but two ghosts. I wanted to scream for Ren, but she probably wouldn’t hear me with the bathroom door closed. Hiding the box behind my back, I confronted the second ghost. “Who are you?”

  It quivered but said nothing. “Kyubi, what is going on?”

  “This is a test of your newfound powers. Concentrate on the other ghost. What do you see?”

  My blood pressure boiled. I had no time for parlor games. “Look I’m starving. Can we do this after dinner? Ren should be out any moment.”

  “No. Do as I ask.”

  Wow, the shy ghost had grown a pair since she went to Kyoto. “Fine.”

  With my legs spread apart as if I faced a gale force wind, I focused in on the second ghost. First, I noticed the second ghost was twice as thick as Kyubi. Could that be because Kyubi was really a fox? When my eyes scanned along the outline of the white mass, I detected a bumpy edge. “The second ghost is not an exact copy of you. In fact, it’s not a ghost at all.”

  The second ghost quivered again. Then, as if my words pushed a magic button, a strange fog slowly formed around the second ghost. When the fog dissipated, I bit my lip and stumbled backward. “Ren?”

  She smiled a devilish grin like a child that stole a cookie from the cookie jar. “Now you know my power.”

  I could barely get the words out. “You’re a shapeshifter?”

  She sped next to me and whispered in my ear, “Bingo.”

  Chapter 8

  Spring Break = Castles

  May 1st 7:00AM

  I looked over at my breakfast companion and couldn’t help but smile. Ren’s big secret had finally been revealed. Yet, the Kitsune still refused to reveal itself.

  She put down her chopsticks and narrowed her eyes. “What are you staring at? I’m still me…well most of the time.”

  We both laughed and several of the older ryokan guests glared at us. I had to admit the dining room had been totally tranquil until we showed up. The view to the manicured garden accented by blooming cherry trees, and a bamboo fountain in the corner tapping out a song deserved our full attention.

  I whispered, “Sorry, I’m sure I’ll get over the fact you are a shifter…eventually.”

  She pointed to my breakfast tray dotted with pretty blue and white plates and bowls filled with pickled treats, fish cake, teriyaki eel, a small salad, miso soup and rice. “Dig in. We need to be at the train station by nine o’clock. Iwakuni is up a small mountain and we have to take a taxi and then a cable car to get there. But the view is totally worth it.”

  “Sounds amazing.” I bit into the teriyaki glazed eel dangling from my chopsticks. “And so is this.”

  I plowed through my miso soup, fish cake, rice, and pickled treats. The sour taste of the pickled vegetables mellowed out the fish. “Wow, that hit the spot.”

  Ren stood up and bowed to the older couple next to us. “That breakfast should last us half the day.”

  By the way my stomach was bloated, more like until dinnertime. Back at the room, we grabbed our roller bags and I threw on my backpack, relieved I could feel the additional weight of the candle amulet at the bottom. I tried not to think about whether I could actually kill. That responsibility would add even more weight to my load.

  Once at the train station, we hopped an express train to Iwakuni. Ren busily typed away on her laptop. “Sorry, I have some emails to answer. It’s about an hour and a half journey. Why don’t you just relax? There’s a bit of steep hiking to do, and I know you must still be recovering from Amaterasu’s touch.”

  I forgot she knew what it was like—electrifying and draining. I leaned back in my not so luxurious seat and closed my eyes. My body relaxed and enjoyed the click clack of the train tracks. I didn’t fall asleep, instead I flashed through all the amazing experiences I had so far in Japan. Tori would never believe any of my paranormal adventures, so I didn’t bother to fill her in. But as I ran through them in my head, I knew they would make an amazing Supernatural episode.

  The voice on the loud speaker announced, “Iwakuni Eki.”

  Ren gave me a nudge. “We are here. I can’t wait for you to see this castle. Not the biggest in Japan, but it has a breathtaking view.”

  I laughed. “Are you trying to best Kenzo in the tour guide department?”

  Her grin took over her small face. “We might have a bit of a competition going.”

  As the train slowed, I pulled down my roller bag and then tossed my backpack over my shoulder in less than a minute. “I’m getting used to the routine.”

  “Good, because after we hit Kumamoto, we will have to do it one more time.”

  We headed toward the door and out into the station. As we waited for a cab, I couldn’t help but contrast the small box-like station of Iwakuni to the ultra-modern station in Kyoto. Yet, it was refreshing to be in a smaller city for a change.

  The taxi driver loaded our bags in the back and slammed the trunk. Ren gave him the address of our ryokan, a nice tip, and he sped away. I stared at the small mountain where Iwakuni Castle sat proudly, surrounded by a dense forest. Its white painted façade stood out against all the green of the trees that framed it like a picture. We walked past the gate house painted white accented with natural shingles at the roof and waited in line for the cable car to descend from the mountain.

  We wove our way up the stairs to the cable car house. Ren pointed to the car as it came to a full stop. “Be sure to turn around and take in the view. You can see the whole city from the mountain.”

  As we boarded the cable car, a loudspeaker blasted the cute, feminine voice of our disembodied tour guide. Our car worked its way up the mountain and the castle grew larger and larger. When we were almost to the top, I followed Ren’s lead and turned around. Below us Iwakuni spread out as far as you could see, accented by the Nishiki River as it snaked its way around the city. The famous Kintai Bridge, a series of wooden half-moon bridges, danced across the river. Stunning didn’t even begin to capture the beauty of the view. While the cable car worked its way into the docking platform, Ren tapped my shoulder. “Erin, turn around.”

  There, standing on the platform, stood a man I hardly recognized. Dressed in black pleated trousers and a white button-down shirt and holding a salaryman briefcase stood Kenzo. I walked next to him and looked him up and down. “Who are you? And what are you doing here?”

  He laughed and bowed deeply. “Mr. Sawada at your service.”

  “Stop playing around.” Ren pushed between us. “We have a castle to see.”

  Kenzo and I followed behind her. He tapped the side of his briefcase. “I have something for you, but you won’t get to see it until we return to the ryokan.”

  “Come on can’t I just get a peek?”

  He glanced at the mingling tourists weaving their way along the main path to the castle. “No, it’s top secret.”

  I gave him a shove. “Kenzo, you could be a Japanese version of James Bond the way you are acting.”

  “I’m flattered you noticed. But the name is Ajento Sawadasan to you.”

  “You are such a tease.”

  Kenzo had a twinkle in his eyes. “Always.”

  Ren motioned for us to join her by the big wooden sign with the kanji for Iwakuni Castle blazed in bright white across it. “Look you two. I’m the tour guide today.” She eyed Kenzo. “Please stick close to me and listen up.”

  “She sure is a taskmaster.” Kenzo gave me a wink. “I’m a much more laid-back tour guide.”

  I laughed. “Don’t get me started on how laid back you are.”

  Ren clapped her hands together, and just like disciplined children, we fell in line behind her.

 
; “This is the main castle keep.” Ren pointed to the black and white façade. “The original castle was built in 1601 but was torn down in 1615 because of the Tokugawa Shogunate’s one castle per province rule. It wasn’t rebuilt until 1962. The tragedy of the castle was that it took seven years to build and only seven years later it was demolished.”

  I turned to Kenzo. “If I was the guy who owned it, I’d be beyond ticked.”

  He laughed. “Oh, I’m certain the first Lord of Iwakuni, Kikkawa Hiroie, was quite miffed. But when you play both sides you get caught in the middle. He built the castle under the Mori clan and then switched to the Tokugawas.”

  Ren hands flew to her hips. “Hey, I’m the tour guide today.”

  Kenzo did a zipper motion over his mouth.

  I stifled a laugh. “Sorry, Ren. I’m all ears.”

  My apology hit deaf ears. With lightning speed, Ren took off across the path and up into the entrance of the castle. “Looks like we are sans our tour guide.”

  Kenzo frowned. “I don’t like it when she displays her skills in front of the public.”

  I tried to lighten the mood. “It’s okay. People will just think she drank a case of Red Bull.” Normally, my joke would get him to lighten up—not today.

  We worked our way past a nice small ornamental pine garden and up the steep path to the castle entrance. Ren promised me a white castle, but actually the first two floors of Iwakuni Castle were black. The effect made the bright white top two floors appear as if they were wings as they jetted out in different angles. The main windows on the third floor had a Moroccan arched shape to them. They gave the castle an exotic feel. The black tile roofs had tips that stretched out like wings. The top roof peak looked majestic flanked by two huge dolphin ornaments. The castle may not be the biggest in Japan, but it certainly held its own in beauty. As we entered the castle and walked up the stairs, we passed a small museum full of samurai armor and swords. It looked interesting, but Kenzo kept going until we hit the top floor viewing area.