Mikumo

Mikumo

 

Mikamo started acting weird when Mikumo was about to turn seven months old. A few weeks after that milestone, the news arrived at the Academy that Representative Kuramitsu of Seniwa had ordered a complete turnaround of his previous policies. Seniwa’s new isolationist policy now closed off their country to the outside world.

“It’s all right,” Mikamo assured Washu. “I have asylum. If it gets worse, I can get citizenship here right away.”

“But then your family…” Washu started.

“Sure, I’m worried, but… I mean, it’s nothing to brag about, but this kind of thing happens a lot in my country. I know how to deal with this.”

Washu was relieved to hear that. A month later, however, Mikamo left to go on a walk with Mikumo and never returned.

It was a sunny day. Washu had been out of town, giving a lecture in a neighboring city at Naja’s request. When she returned to the farm in the evening, her husband and son were already gone. According to the butler, Mikamo had taken Mikumo on a walk right after Washu departed. Before noon, he called to say, “I want to show Mikumo the ocean, so I’ll be back late.”

“Good grief, not again,” laughed Washu to the butler. Mikamo had a tendency to take Mikumo on adventures on a whim, so she did not think of the excursion as a big deal. When the sun set, however, she started to feel uneasy. Unable to contain herself, she ran outside.

As if waiting for her, Akara Naja was standing there.

“Naja! Mikamo and Mikumo haven’t come home yet. Will you look for them with—” She tried to start running, but Naja grabbed her arm. “Naja…?”

Naja looked at her silently, but her grip was firm. The expression on her face told Washu what had happened.

“You know…don’t you?!” Washu shook Naja’s shoulders and yelled. “Where are they?! Where did they go?!” She shook her again and again. “Answer me!!”

Naja averted her eyes but spoke in a voice Washu could clearly hear. “They went home…”

“…!!” Washu tried to run, and Naja embraced her. “Let go. Let me go!!”

“It’s too late…”

“No!!” With a roar of anger, Washu shoved Naja aside.

“Washu!!”

Washu looked up at the sky. She knew that, if she used her powers, she could make it there. Powers inside her that she had never used… That she had even forgotten she had. She must use those powers to bring back Mikamo and Mikumo!!

The moment she tried to do so, however, something kept stopping her.

That would only repeat the same thing all over again.

“…!!”

That would only repeat the same thing all over again.

“…!!”

That would only repeat the same thing all over again.

“…!!”

THAT WOULD ONLY REPEAT THE SAME THING ALL OVER AGAIN.

Washu opened her eyes wide. She could not defy the voice inside her. All the sadness and turmoil in the world could not sever the chains of those words. Losing all strength, she collapsed to the ground.

“Why…?” Washu mumbled, neither to herself nor Naja.

Naja picked herself off the ground and said, “Niwase Mikamo’s real name is Kuramitsu Mikamo.”

“…!!” Washu turned to face Naja, aghast.

“Yes, he’s the grandson of Chairman Kuramitsu, of Seniwa’s supreme council. The chairman died last month. The person on the news is a body double. As you know, Kuramitsu was enthusiastic about opening up the country, and he wanted to do it while he was still alive… So he was quite aggressive about advancing his agenda. But his son Misaka, the next in line, and current de facto leader, is Mikamo’s father. Misaka was against the rapid reforms. And the faction opposed to opening up the country found it hard to accept the fact that Misaka’s son, Mikamo, was at the Academy. Misaka was worried about Mikamo’s future and told him to return home. That meant your son, too, Washu-chan.”

“He said he would stay here…”

“That’s where home is for Mikamo. That’s where his family is.”

“But I…”

“He wanted to leave Mikumo-chan with you, but…” Naja murmured, with downcast eyes. “You’re living in a world that won’t allow you to make decisions by yourself, whether you like it or not. There are a lot of defectors from Seniwa. The ones who supported opening the country, the ones who lost the power struggle. What would happen if they came after Mikumo-chan here? Jurai and Seniwa consulted with each other and determined that Jurai would take care of you, Washu-chan, and Seniwa would take care of Mikamo-kun and Mikumo-chan. It’s ridiculous, but powerful people are always cowards.” She noticed that Washu had stood up. “Washu-chan…?”

At that moment, Washu disappeared without a sound. “She teleported?!” Panicking, Naja activated the tracking device on her wristwatch. She had placed the transmitter on Washu when she hugged her. Confirming that the signal came from Washu’s library, Naja sighed in relief.

Then her breaths came faster, overwhelming her. Her body trembled.

“I’m sorry, Naja-kun.” Professor Ikuma emerged from under the trees.

Naja turned around, shaking. Tears streamed down her cheeks. “Professor!! What should I do?!” She clung to him and sobbed.

He gently patted her head. “What a conundrum. Someone as smart as Washu-kun can understand the situation from the perspective of all involved parties, so she can’t even bring herself to cry… Poor thing. It’s heartbreaking. I thought of her as my own daughter.”

“Are you sure you don’t mean granddaughter?”

“What did you say?”

Hoooonk!!

“H-hey! Don’t blow your nose on my sleeve!!” Ikuma bopped Naja lightly on the head.

Naja crouched down, holding her skull. If she did not make light of the situation, she felt that her guilt would crush her.

Ikuma, aware of her feelings, mumbled, “We’ll have to let her be for a while.” He signaled with his eyes to the butler and the maids. That was the only thing he could do for Washu.

 

In the dilapidated school’s library, Washu stared at the spot where Mikamo used to sit.

Yes… I’m a liar…

She thought back to his words. She now understood what he meant. Jurai, Seniwa, and the Academy. The most powerful countries and institution in the universe. Blocked by those three obstacles, she could not even leave the Academy, much less go to Seniwa. The people she cared about the most were now beyond her reach.

I can’t do anything about this the way I am right now. Washu was all too aware of her own helplessness. She curled up on the chair and looked at the jewels on her pendant. Ripping it from around her neck impulsively, she tried to throw it, but her anger suddenly dissipated, and she slumped down into the chair. The jewels slid out of her hand onto the floor.

How many hours did she stay like that? The sun had set long ago. She remained motionless, staring blankly at nothing.

“Washu-chan…” There was the old woman, standing before her. Weakly, Washu turned to her. The old woman sat down next to the empty shell of Washu and said, “Don’t be silly. You know you should cry at a time like this.”

Fat tears tumbled from Washu’s eyes, which had moments ago been as blank as a doll’s. She started sobbing and clutched the old woman like a small child. She cried out for the first time, awkwardly at first, unable to find a voice. But once she started, her sobs continued unabated, and she wailed her heart out.

 

How long had it been? Washu awoke to the morning sun shining in her face. She had cried herself to sleep. The old woman had stayed by her side all night and was asleep herself, leaning against a sofa. Washu got up and draped the blanket that had been placed over her on the old woman instead.

“Thank you, Nana.”

Washu realized that she had taken on a child’s form. She had transformed while crying in her sleep, but she did not feel like turning back. She noticed the fallen jewels beside the sofa and quietly scooped them up. “Heh. I don’t know who you are, but you can’t keep me down.”

There was no use brooding. I can’t do anything right now. But… Washu was forming a plan. She started to run and then tripped on her own baggy clothes. “I forgot about my outfit…”

 

It had been two nights since Washu holed herself up in the library, and Naja had not been able to sleep. She was sitting, spaced out, on the sofa in her lab.

“Guess who?!” Someone covered her eyes from behind.

“Washu-chan?!”

“Ding ding ding!!”

Naja turned around and opened her eyes wide at the sight of Washu. “But you’re so…”

“Are you surprised? You knew I had powers.”

“That’s true, but… Ohhh.” Naja sighed in relief and hugged the small Washu.

“I’m sorry I worried you.”

“I thought you didn’t like me anymore,” Naja said.

“It’s not your fault. But you should wipe that snot off your face.”

“Oops, sorry.” Naja stepped away and blew her nose.

 

“Say, Naja… I want to see Mikumo,” Washu began, once Naja had calmed down.

“What?”

“I wish I could have him back. But right now, I just want to see him… That’s all.”

“But Mikamo-kun is…”

“I told you, I want to see Mikumo, my son.”

Naja stared at Washu in stony silence.

“If I could just have that life back… The three of us, a family. Living our normal, routine lives… Aren’t I terrible? It was like that, just a few days ago… But I’ve accepted this new reality already.”

“But that’s…”

“But I’ve realized that I have a family, too, and a place I call home. So I understand how hard the decision must’ve been for Mikamo.”

“Thank you. It’s good to hear that,” Naja was grateful that Washu considered her a member of her family.

“Besides, I can easily imagine what Mikamo’s parents will do to him, showing up with a baby in tow.” Washu glanced sidelong at Naja. “An engagement announcement as soon as he returned home, I suppose. Right, Naja?” She was in complete control of this conversation. A twelve-year-old girl was scolding a grown adult. It was a strange sight. “But I’m worried about how Mikumo will be treated.”

“…” It was true, there were no guarantees. Naja thought that Mikumo’s treatment would be up to Mikamo and the influence he had.

“If only I had the kind of power that no one could gainsay…” Washu muttered. Naja felt the same. “Anyway,” Washu continued, “I’ve got something to ask of you. Could you introduce me to an Academy grad student?”

“I can’t do that. I know what you want to do, but they won’t be so easily…”

Academy grad students were chosen from among those who completed their respective departments’ coursework. They became the heart of Juraian scientific and technological research. But the sum total of the Department of Philosophy’s technology was so varied and complex, no one grad student could grasp it all. There wasn’t even an individual with that much knowledge in the military.

And, to top it all off, the Academy grad students were so proud that nobody could control them.

“It’s all right! I only want you to introduce one person to me.”

“…?”

“Actually…” Washu stealthily whispered into Naja’s ear.

“Washu-chan…you’re so wily.” said Naja. And yet, her face broke into a smile.