I woke up in the middle of the night, on the floor.
Madison didn’t seem to hear me.
I suddenly remembered struggling to convince her to use the bed, and that I’d be willing to sleep on a mat on the floor. I sighed and went back to sleep, had another nightmare, and we woke up early. Madison watched me perform my morning exercise routine, which I think interested her as an animator, and we both got dressed.
I had Madison take a shower first, and we made our way downstairs where father, who never slept for over two hours at a time, had already made breakfast. By smell alone, I knew what he was making: carne guisada tacos, refried beans, and waffles. His Tex-Mex cuisine’s quality was enough to sustain a successful restaurant.
Madison’s presence was enjoyable. I always wanted siblings, but as the only survivor of my nuclear bio-family, and adopted by parents who themselves couldn’t conceive, this wasn’t a plausible possibility. So, this was a welcomed change of pace, and I could tell that my father was enjoying our company as well.
The news confirmed that some within the GSSDO’s membership were at once human and yet starmen. With the appearance of magical girls, superheroes, kaijū, pet monsters, secret societies with ties to the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of England, and now human-aliens, it seemed as if fiction itself was becoming real. I pondered if the fantasies of men were precognitive, and if the lore stored in my eidetic memory from years of avid readership might have information useful in the trials and tribulations to come.
Madison asked my father, “So, you run a vtuber corporation?”
He admitted, “Primarily? Yes, but I deal with plenty of media. The real money lies in merchandizing, such as toys, figures, comics, video games, etc.”
Madison noted, “I think I saw some of your products advertised in the Winter Comic Market last year. I bought a copy of the ‘Weltuntergangsuhr’ dōjin compendium there, which I think centers on one of your talents.”
Dad confirmed, “Oh yeah, that was a remarkably enjoyable fanwork, which is why we ended up licensing it and contracting with the author to adapt it into an animated series.”
I asked, “How familiar are you with my father’s work?”
Madison admitted, “My knowledge of your father’s work is minimal. I mostly watch clippers and not the livestreams. From what I could find in guidebooks and video essays, his vtuber lore is … different from that of most other Vtuber companies.”
He explained, “Yeah, if you’re talking about the Mythopoeic style, I grew up enamored with the classic worldbuilders, like Dunsany, MacDonald, Tolkien, Lewis, Chambers, Lovecraft, Kirby, Morrison, so on and so forth. So, I intentionally sought to create my own mythic style.”
As the conversation gradually progressed, Madison asked, “So, do you go to conventions?”
I told her, “Yes. Conventions are an important part of my father’s business, but it’s not indispensable. Though conventions are also a time for me to cosplay.”
A thought crossed Madison’s mind before she asked, “Could you show me?”
I told her, “Sure, I can cosplay for you, but I can’t guarantee that you’ll recognize who I’m cosplaying as.”
After dinner, Madison and I went back to my room. I stripped down to my underwear and Madison noticed the scar on my back.
She asked me, “What’s that on your back?”
I told her, “It’s a puncture wound I got when I was seven.”
I turned and showed her the entry wound. “Here’s the other side of the scar.”
She looked dumbstruck and asked me, “What happened?”
I explained, “Oh, on my seventh birthday, I was impaled in a freak vehicular accident and almost died.”
Madison simply responded, “Oh my God. I am glad you’re alright.”
I promised, “I’ll give you the full story later, but let’s focus on why we came up here first.”
I got changed into the last costume I used. A Chinese girl, from the adaptation of a CLAMP manga which aired from 1998 to 2000 AD.
She asked me, “Who is this supposed to be?”
I confessed, “Lǐ Méilíng, if you don’t know who that is, that’s fine. Hers was a story way before our time.”
Madison asked me, “Ah, who would you like to cosplay as, then?”
I thought about it, and said, “I’ve been reading an old comic from my great-great-grandfather’s childhood. It was a magical girl story from the now defunct Disney corporation…”
I asked her, “Have you ever used cosmetics in your cosplay?”
I confessed, “No. I know nothing of the subject.”
Madison suggested. “Let’s try some makeup to prepare for your future cosplay.”
I knew nothing of makeup for two reasons. First, I had no interest in it. Second, I didn’t have a mother to teach me. So, when Madison directed me to sit in a chair and be still, I did as she directed. That’s when the girl pulled out a whole makeup kit from her bag.
Madison asked me, “Can you please close your eyes?”
I said, “Okay.” And complied with her strange request.
When she began, she asked me, “Have you tried to reconnect with your mother’s family?”
I explained to her, “So long as I keep my Christology, I will never be accepted by my mother’s family.”
She asked me, “So you must choose between blood inherited or blood shed? What an awful choice, but I take it you’ve made your decision.”
I told her, “Without a second’s pause, I choose my God over my family. I choose the principle of my principle.”
Madison asked me, “Principle of my principle, that sounds remarkably scholastic.”
I asked her, “Are you familiar with Scholasticism?”
She told me, “I’m familiar with the language, but not the actual wereldbeeld.”
Once more, the use of Dutch vocabulary where context was enough to translate the idea.
In total, preparation took 15 minutes. Foundation matching took 20 minutes. Application took 40 minutes, highlighting and contouring took 20 minutes. Setting took 10 minutes. Blush, eyeshadow, and lips took 20 minutes. Final touches (hair and accessories) took 10 minutes. During which time we discussed many things.
Madison told me, “You can open your eyes now.”
I complied, and saw that Madison was holding up a hand-held mirror for me, but in the mirror was a face unknown to me. My skin was a very light brown complexion consistent with that of Chinamen from the Hénán province. I touched my face in stunned disbelief at the image in the mirror. I simply did not recognize the face in the mirror, but the hand was clearly mine.
She told me, “I have a friend whose hobby is magic. He manipulates sense perception and heuristics to create illusions. This got me thinking, is there a way to manipulate your paternal family’s sense perception and heuristics to get them to see you as their own kin? Then, when you mentioned cosplay, it hit me.”
I turned my head and looked her in the eyes.
Madison noted, “It’s remarkable just how much you inherited from your father. Almost everything about your face, frame, and hair all come from your paternal inheritance, but your skin tone and female nature came from your maternal lineage.”
Madison told me something I have never thought of, “I noticed how much more you look like a Shi than you do… I don’t think you told me what your maternal family’s name was…”
I told her, “My mother’s maiden name was ‘Munashe’. It means ‘God is with us’, like Immanuel, but in Shona, not Hebrew.”
She thought aloud, “Munashe? What a lovely name.”
She continued, “I don’t know much about Jewish or Chinese aesthetics, but I can tell you right now that any family in Japan would be proud to have such a cutie as seen in the mirror as their daughter.”
I asked her, “What are you getting at?”
This is when she revealed an ability to access and exploit the more manipulative aspect of the female psyche to her advantage.
“I think that we might be able to use this trick to soften the hard hearts of your patrilineal family. When they see you like this: as their selfsame granddaughter rendered in their own image reflected to themselves… I think they might, even if for a moment, peer behind the superficial and see with their eyes what they have closed their heart and mind’s eye to.” She plotted.
“By changing your accidents and appearances, we will life the veil and make them to see your essence.”
For a moment, I allowed myself to entertain the idea. “This might work…”
I permitted Madison to work her cosmetic accidental transformation on my neck, arms, and legs, and I dressed in my last cosplay. A Japanese school uniform comprising a black turtleneck under a charcoal-black, long-sleeved sweater with white and red striped cuffs, and a top curved shield with wings divided by a cross atop the brachium. A sailor cape split posteriorly, like coattails, with a single red stripe. A white necktie with a diagonal red stripe across its bottom. A white, pleated skirt reaching half-way down the thighs, white ankle socks, and black Mary Janes.
It was an odd experience to see myself in the mirror. I looked no different from any other Chinese girl.
It was then that my adoptive father knocked on the door, “Bee”, my nickname, “I’m coming in.”
I responded, “Okay.”
When my adoptive father opened the door, he said, “Honey, the Queen of CANZUK is…”
He stopped mid-sentence and just stared in disbelief, but he quickly regained his composure and asked, “Is this a ploy to reconnect with your father’s family, Will?”
I was taken aback by both my father’s momentary shock, with a face almost as if he had seen a ghost, but also by how quickly he figured what was going on. Madison was elated.
My father cautioned us, “Look, I understand the desire to mend those broken relationships, but girls… Please don’t get your hopes up too high about this.”
With that, my father departed.
This took the wind out of Madison’s sails a bit, but I reassured her, “Don’t be sad. He’s just telling us to temper our expectations. He never said we couldn’t try, and he didn’t say it wouldn’t work.”
That seemed to help a bit, but she was still concerned about her plan, so I changed the subject. “What’s your religion?”
Madison asked me, “What brought this on?”
I explained, “Well, Japan and the Netherlands are both confessional states, so I was just curious.”
Madison explained, “The official religion of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is the Dutch Reformed Church, and the official religions of the Empire of Japan are Shintō, Buddhism, and Confucianism, but it is a bit more complicated than that. You see, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, under the zilveren koorde, provides monetary support for the not just Calvinist clergy, but also for other Protestant clergy, as well as the Roman Catholic clergy and the Jewish rabbinate, a portion of which themselves have their own Noahide projects.”
As a Catholic Jewess, the Noahide movement always struck me as disturbing, but it was something I left for another time.
Madison continued, “Japan, similarly, provides monetary support to the historical religions. Japanese law has a rather over-encompassing definition of Shintō. Any religion which once had membership within the Shintō Dōshikai or Kyōha Shintō Rengōkai, is legally a form of Shintō… So, for legal purposes, Tenrikyō, Ōmotokyō, and Konkōkyō are considered forms of Shintō. The emperor himself has directed funds to the reconstruction of Shintō shrines in foreign nations: such as funding the restoration of the formerly abandoned Tsubaki Grand Shrine of America, negotiating the reconstruction of the Chōsen Shrine in Seoul, and negotiation the reconsecration of the Gaoshi Shrine in Taiwan.”
I asked her, “How on earth did he manage the last two?”
Madison explained, “He proposed the Chōsen Shrine to serve the function of museum, war memorial, tourist attraction, and temple, all under the jurisdiction of Korea. He also made good on his promise that the temple would be consecrated to Dangun, the legendary founder of Korea, as the temple’s primary deity, and to Douglas MacArthur, a Korean War hero. As for the temple in Taiwan, it was consecrated to Sun Yat-sen, the father of the nation.”
I asked her, “Didn’t India do something similar?”
Madison admitted, “I know little about Indian law.”
I asked, “Hey, Sheska! What’s the definition of ‘Hindu’ according to the Indian Constitution?”
The hither to inactive AI answered, “Hinduism, as defined by the Constitution of the Dharmic Republic of India, includes not only all Vedic and Agamic religions but also includes all forms of Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, and Zoroastrianism. Prior to the reformation following the Indo-Pakistan War of 2035, which abrogated the Socialist constitution of the Republic of India in favor of a Dharmic republican constitution, the constitutional definition did not include Zoroastrianism under the legal definition of Hinduism.”
Madison asked, “So, as far as Indian law is concerned, Japanese Buddhists are Hindus?”
The AI answered, “Correct.”
I told her, “The Indian government also funds ISKCON missions to promote Hinduism abroad.”
Madison seemed surprised that I knew this, so I explained, “I found this out when a Hare Kṛṣṇa temple opened up at the end of the neighborhood.”
After a moment, Madison opened up, “My mother got pregnant out of wedlock, and in order for my father to marry her, he had to convert to the Dutch Reformed Church.”
I asked her, “So you’re a Calvinist?”
Madison pondered, “Officially, I am a member of the Dutch Reformed Church, but I have difficulties with some doctrines.”
I asked her, “Could you elaborate?”
Madison confessed, “I do not understand how God could create something that he hates. It seems to me that God must love all that he has created, otherwise why create it at all? Why put salt into your own eye?”
I asked her, “So, it’s the doctrine of double predestination you have an issue with?”
She confessed, “That, and… the lack of assurance that anyone has that they are among the elect. As the good book says, ‘Niet een iegelijk, die tot Mij zegt: Heere, Heere! zal ingaan in het Koninkrijk der hemelen, maar die daar doet den wil Mijns Vaders, Die in de hemelen is. Velen zullen te dien dage tot Mij zeggen: Heere, Heere! hebben wij niet in Uw Naam geprofeteerd, en in Uw Naam duivelen uitgeworpen, en in Uw Naam vele krachten gedaan? En dan zal Ik hun openlijk aanzeggen: Ik heb u nooit gekend; gaat weg van Mij, gij, die de ongerechtigheid werkt!’”
I asked, “I think I heard, ‘have we not in your name…’, so are you referring to Matthew chapter seven verses twenty-one through twenty-three?”
She confessed, “Yes. So that is where I am. I believe in God, but I am skeptical of the Calvinist doctrine because it simply does not make sense to me.”
She pondered, “Maybe the Calvinists are right, and it’s a problem with me, or maybe I was not sovereignly elected, and so I was never meant to understand. Or maybe it is not my place to understand yet, but I will. It is a source of many nightmares for me, honestly.”
After the age of secularization and the esoteric subversion of religion, science, and philosophy came a revival of traditional religions across the world. CANZUK formed as an Anglican state, with constituent countries of Calvinist and Catholic creeds. The Russian Federation reestablished the Russian Orthodox Church as the state religion. The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church played a crucial role in reestablishing the Ethiopian monarchy and creating the Tewahedo Kingdom of Ethiopia. Then there was the establishment of the Republic of Assyria as a confessional state under the Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East. A new successor to the Papal States emerged, with the Roman Confederation of the Church, lead by the Bishop of Rome, which comprised: the Italian Republic, Republic of Friuli, Republic of Lombardy, Republic of San Marino, Republic of Sardinia, Republic of Sicily, Republic of Tuscany, Vatican City State, Republic of Venice, and Republic of Corsica as its constituent countries. The Tengrist Republic of Türkiye replaced the Republic of Türkiye, when Tengrism replaced Islam after the apostasy of the Turkish people. Though not all these confessional states were theological, with some instead being theosophical, such as the Cao Dai Republic of Viet Nam which replaced the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
We talked a bit about theology, but then defaulted to watching the news to keep up with what I need to do, as a superhero and magical girl. Madison logged into one of her family’s accounts on my laptop and found a national alert for the citizens of Japan and the Netherlands. The Emperor and the King have spoken. Given the situation, we clicked on the video for the Japanese.
The Emperor of Japan said, “日本の皆様、この度の未曾有の災害により、多くの尊い命が失われ、さらに多くの人々が負傷しました。私たちの心は、被害に遭われたすべての方々と共にあります。この大変な時期に、多くの勇敢な人々が救援に駆けつけてくださったことに深い感謝の意を表します。”
As he spoke, he himself translated his own speech into Japanese Sign Language.
Knowing that I was fluent in both English and American Sign Language, but not Japanese nor JSL, Madison set the video to English and ASL subtitles, with the latter accomplished through the orthographic methodology of ASLwrite. A system added to Unicode in the 2030s. Even in 2075 AD, the Japanese traditionalism was strong, as evidenced by JSL still using Sutton SignWriting as its official orthography.
“To all the people of Japan, in this time of unprecedented disaster, we mourn the loss of many precious lives and stand with all those who have been injured. Our hearts are with everyone affected by this tragedy. We express our deepest gratitude to the many brave individuals who have come forward to assist in this time of need.”
“特に、名も知らぬヒーローが危険を顧みず、多くの命を救うために尽力してくださったことに心から感謝しています。彼女の勇敢な行動は、まさに天照大神様と天之御中主神様のご加護を受けたものであり、その献身と勇気は日本全国に希望をもたらしました。”
“We are especially grateful to the unknown heroine who, without regard for her own safety, dedicated herself to saving many lives. Her courageous actions are truly under the protection of Amaterasu Omikami-sama and Amenominakanushi-no-kami-sama. Her dedication and bravery have brought hope to the entire nation of Japan.”
“さらに、国際社会からの支援と協力にも感謝申し上げます。日本自衛隊やアメリカ軍を含む多くの救助隊員が、放射線やその他の危険にもかかわらず、被災地での救援活動に尽力してくださいました。これらの方々の努力により、多くの命が救われ、私たちの国は再び立ち上がる力を得ました。”
“We also extend our heartfelt thanks to the international community for their support and cooperation. Members of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, the American military, and many other rescue teams have risked their lives in hazardous conditions, including radiation exposure, to provide aid in the affected areas. Through their efforts, many lives have been saved, and our country has found the strength to rise again.”
“私たちは、この災害を乗り越えるために、互いに助け合い、強く、そして希望を持ち続ける必要があります。天照大神様と天之御中主神様のご加護のもと、私たちは必ずや再生し、より強い日本を築いていくことでしょう。”
“As we work to overcome this disaster, it is crucial that we continue to support one another, remain strong, and hold on to hope. Under the divine protection of Amaterasu Omikami-sama and Amenominakanushi-no-kami-sama, we will surely rebuild and create an even stronger Japan.”
“この素晴らしいヒーローおよびすべての救援隊に対し、日本国民を代表して感謝の意を表します。特に、このヒーローが日本を訪れる際には、ぜひお会いし、直接お礼を伝えたいと願っております。”
“On behalf of the people of Japan, I extend our deepest gratitude to this remarkable heroine and all the rescue teams. We earnestly hope to meet this heroine in person when she visits Japan and express our thanks directly.”
“天照大神様の光がすべての人々を照らし、天之御中主神様のご加護が皆様の上にありますように。”
“May the light of Amaterasu Omikami-sama shine upon all people and may the protection of Amenominakanushi-no-kami-sama be with everyone.”
“日本国民一同を代表し、心から感謝を込めて。”
“On behalf of all the people of Japan, with heartfelt gratitude.”
With that, the speech ended, and the emperor departed.
Flabbergasted, I asked, “The emperor wants to meet me?”
Madison told me, “That is what he said.”
I refused to entertain the idea. “As flattered as I am, I’m not interested…”
Madison asked, “Why not?”
I confessed, “There are more pressing concerns for him to deal with, such as meeting with the Supreme Commander of the GSSDO.”
Madison suggested, “That may be true, but I think you should meet with the emperor.”
I asked her, “Why is that?”
She explained, “First, I’m sure he’s as stressed as anyone else in this situation, and meeting one of the great heroes who served the nation, seemingly with no possible political motivations, might help put not only his own mind to a relative ease, and thus make more levelheaded decisions, but it might also help the people of Japan.”
I confessed, “That didn’t cross my mind.”
She continued, “I remember my father commenting that Mr. Trueman’s adoptive daughter has a photographic memory. Am I correct?”
I noted, “Your powers of observation and recollection complement you. Yes, ever since I had my near-death experience three years ago, I’ve had a photographic memory.”
Madison asked me, “You had a near-death experience before?”
I promised her, “We’ll talk about it later. It’s a bittersweet memory, but one I’m more than glad to share.”
I wanted to cover my bases, and therefore I asked, “So, do you have any more reasons for me to meet with the emperor of Japan?”
Madison pointed out, “Sakura is worried about her family. Is it possible for you to identify their faces if you saw them in the field?”
Madison explained, “As distressing as managing the dead and the dying certainly was, you might be the best shot at helping families find closure.”
I reluctantly agreed, “Alright, I’ll meet with the emperor, but I must meet Sakura first. If I can help her find her parents, alive or dead, then it would help me make up for my failure to help her when she needed it.”
I asked her, “Anything I need to know before I go to meet the emperor?”
Madison informed me, “Emperor Shinhito is a devout Shintōka. Not only has he funded apologetical work for Shintō within Japan, but he has also personally funded the restoration of abandoned overseas shrines, such as the Tsubaki Grand Shrine of America and the reconsecration of the Luye Shrine in Taiwan. He also established the kikanhō, or Law of Return, which fast-tracks citizenship for Japanese descended diaspora.”
The similarity to the Isreali law of return (חוק השבות), did not escape my notice.
I asked her, “Anything I need to know about the religion?”
Madison explained, “Well, I guess you might want to know about the emperor’s two favorite deities, but that requires a little background context. The scriptures of Shintō are the Shinten, which includes the Kojiki (古事記), Nihon Shoki (日本書紀), Rikkokushi (六国史), Fudoki (風土記), Jinnō Shōtōki (神皇正統記), Kogo Shūi (古語拾遺), Kujiki (旧事紀), and Engishiki (延喜式). Amenominakanushi-no-kami is the first kami mentioned in the Kojiki as the first of the three self-generated gods of creation, or Kotoamatsukami (別天神), alongside Takamimusubi-no-kami (高御産巣日神) and Kamimusubi-no-kami (神産巣日神). According to the Kojiki, when Amenominakanushi-no-kami appears, he unfolds the Heavens and the Earth. One variant of the Nihon Shoki also mentions them, but only in that one variant.”
I confessed, “I have read the Kojiki. The parts written in Classical Chinese were easy enough to read, but I was stuck with English translations for the parts written in Old Japanese. In Basil Hall Chamberlain’s 1919 translation he relayed the name of the first kami as Deity Master-of-the-August-Center-of-Heaven, the second as Pleasant-Reed-Shoot-Prince-Elder Deity, and the third as Heavenly-Eternally-Standing-Deity.”
Madison looked a bit dumbfounded before I reminded her, “Photographic memory, remember?”
That’s when Madison dropped a bombshell on me. “Emperor Shinhito identifies the God of Abraham with the Deity Master-of-the-August-Centre-of-Heaven.”
I asked her, “Excuse me?”
Madison explained, “I do not know the specifics, but you might need to ask him yourself when you meet him. He has always loved comparative religion and mythology.”
I confessed, “I mean, it kind of makes some sense. The Rig Veda records a mythologized memory of an urmonotheistic precursor to the polytheistic religion in book 10, hymn 121. I don’t have a difficult time thinking that the Japanese scriptures might do the same…”
I asked her, “Anything else?”
Madison reminded me, “When visiting Japan, remember that the Japanese state and laws regard the emperor as an arahitogami (現人神), or a deity in human form, and an akitsumikami (現御神), or a manifestation of a deity. In the former capacity, he is legally both human and a god. In his latter capacity, as part of the divine lineage, he functions as a temporal manifestation of the Sun Goddess, Amaterasu, and therefore his rule is by divine right. Because he is both a god and a man, he exists in both worlds, making him a bridge between the human world and the Plane of High Heaven, Takamagahara (高天原). It is for this reason that not only do his devotees create seishi (生祠), or monuments enshrining living gods, in a practice also called seishi (生祀), or the worship of a living being as a god, but his devotees are encouraged to ‘gratefully receive the emperor’s mind and will.’ That is why the Nipponophile community refers to him as the God Emperor, harkening back to how American newspapers referred to him prior to Japan’s defeat in the second world war.”
I admitted, “Unnerve me, why don’t you?”
Madison then explained, “But this is what the imperial cultists and state believe. Most Japanese do not actually believe this, and the emperor himself does not act as if he himself does either. Though he has never seen fit to speak one way or another on the matter.”
The purpose of her warning was clear.
I contemplated what my next move would be, and since nothing of note happened in the news, I asked Madison to write something for me. Madison played a game of Skud Paisho (牌數) with my father, which she roundly lost, as well as a game of Tak with me. It turned out that while her luck was better than mine; I have a better grasp of strategy. To thread the needle of luck and strategy, I offered to teach her how to play the Royal Game of Ur tomorrow.
During dinner, we watched an independent reporter in the State of Palestine covering the story of a Palestinian Christian Metahuman uprising, emboldened by the events in Hong Kong, called the Outremer Crusader Party, promising to use telepathy to root out and irrevocably destroy the Islamic Resistance Movement and establish a Christian homeland in the Holy Land. The video being analyzed showcased a collection of young Palestinian men, with their faces covered, flanked their leader, a middle-aged man, in support. Only the speaker’s strong, bearded face was visible.
As he spoke, I translated.
“أيها الإخوة والأخوات، أبناء الأرض الفلسطينية الحبيبة،”
“Brothers and sisters, beloved people of Palestine,”
“نجتمع اليوم لنواجه الحقيقة، الحقيقة التي حاولت حماس، لعقود طويلة، إخفاءها عنكم. منذ تأسيسها في أواخر الثمانينيات، لم تكن حماس سوى مصدر دائم للمشاكل والمعاناة لشعبنا الفلسطيني. لقد وعدت بتحريركم وبناء مستقبل مشرق، لكنها بدلاً من ذلك قادتكم إلى حروب لا تنتهي وصراعات مستمرة.”
“We gather today to confront the truth—the truth that Hamas has tried for decades to hide from you. Since its founding in the late 1980s, Hamas has been nothing but a constant source of problems and suffering for our Palestinian people. It promised to liberate you and build a bright future, but instead, it has led you into endless wars and continuous conflicts.”
“نحن هنا اليوم لنلقي الضوء على الفظائع التي ارتكبتها حماس بحق الشعب الفلسطيني. حماس لم تكن يوماً حاميةً للشعب، بل كانت جلاده. استخدمتكم كدروع بشرية، وكأدوات لتحقيق أهدافها الخاصة، دون أن تولي أي اعتبار لحياتكم أو كرامتكم. حماس لا تهتم بالسلام أو الازدهار، بل تسعى فقط لتعزيز قوتها على حسابكم.”
“We are here today to shed light on the atrocities committed by Hamas against the Palestinian people. Hamas has never been a protector of the people; it has been their oppressor. It has used you as human shields, as tools to achieve its own goals, without any regard for your lives or your dignity. Hamas does not care about peace or prosperity; it only seeks to strengthen its power at your expense.”
“على مدى عقود، استغلت حماس معاناتكم، وزرعت في قلوبكم الخوف والكراهية تجاه الآخرين، محولةً الشعب الفلسطيني إلى رهائن في يدها. بدلاً من البحث عن حلول سلمية وبناء دولة مزدهرة، اختارت حماس طريق العنف والتدمير. لقد كانت الحروب التي خاضتها حماس بلا جدوى، لم تحقق سوى المزيد من الدمار والخسائر لشعبنا.”
“For decades, Hamas has exploited your suffering, planting seeds of fear and hatred in your hearts, turning the Palestinian people into hostages in its grip. Instead of seeking peaceful solutions and building a prosperous state, Hamas chose the path of violence and destruction. The wars it has waged have been futile, achieving nothing but more destruction and loss for our people.”
“كل مرة تبدأ فيها صراعًا جديدًا، كانت حماس تستخدم أطفالنا ونساءنا وشيوخنا كأدوات دعاية، لتظهر نفسها على أنها الضحية أمام العالم. ولكن الحقيقة هي أن حماس هي من تقف وراء هذه الكوارث، متجاهلة صرخات الأمهات وآلام الأطفال.”
“Every time a new conflict starts, Hamas uses our children, women, and elders as propaganda tools to portray itself as the victim to the world. But the truth is, Hamas is the one behind these disasters, ignoring the cries of mothers and the pain of children.”
“لقد آن الأوان لنكشف الغطاء عن الأكاذيب التي روجتها حماس. لقد حان الوقت لشعب فلسطين أن يعرف الحقيقة – الحقيقة التي حاولت حماس طمسها منذ تأسيسها. أنتم لم تكونوا يوماً محور اهتمامهم، بل كانوا يهتمون فقط ببقاء سيطرتهم وسيادتهم على حسابكم.”
“The time has come to uncover the lies that Hamas has propagated. It is time for the Palestinian people to know the truth—the truth that Hamas has tried to erase since its inception. You were never their priority; they have only cared about maintaining their control and dominance at your expense.”
“نحن هنا، كحزب صليبي، لنعدكم بشيء واحد: سنستخدم كل الوسائل المتاحة لنا، بما في ذلك قدرات أصحاب القوى الفائقة، لتحرير الشعب الفلسطيني من قبضة حماس. سنعمل على إزالة التأثير الضار الذي غرسته حماس في قلوبكم وعقولكم، وسنكسر جميع نظم الدعاية التي سعت لتضليلكم واستغلالكم.”
“We are here, as the Outremer Crusader Party, to promise you one thing: we will use all the means at our disposal, including the abilities of those with superpowers, to free the Palestinian people from Hamas’s grip. We will work to remove the harmful influence Hamas has planted in your hearts and minds, and we will break all the propaganda systems that have sought to mislead and exploit you.”
“نحن نؤمن بأن فلسطين تستحق أفضل من هذا. تستحقون حكومة تحمي حقوقكم وكرامتكم، حكومة تسعى لتحقيق السلام والازدهار، وليس لإشعال الحروب والنزاعات. نحن نؤمن بدولة تعزز حقوق جميع أبنائها، بغض النظر عن دينهم أو عرقهم.”
“We believe that Palestine deserves better than this. You deserve a government that protects your rights and dignity, a government that seeks peace and prosperity, not one that ignites wars and conflicts. We believe in a state that upholds the rights of all its people, regardless of their religion or ethnicity.”
“أيها الإخوة المسيحيون في كل مكان، سواء كنتم كاثوليك أو بروتستانت أو أنجليكان أو أرثوذكس شرقيين أو أرثوذكس مشرقيين، ندعوكم اليوم للوقوف معنا في هذا المسعى النبيل. إننا نحتاج إلى دعمكم وصلواتكم وتضامنكم في مواجهة هذه المعركة ضد الظلم والاضطهاد. فلسطين الأرض المقدسة، هي جزء من تراثنا الروحي والمكان الذي مشى فيه مخلصنا يسوع المسيح. دعونا نوحد جهودنا لننشر رسالة المحبة والسلام التي جاء بها المسيح، ولنعمل معاً من أجل مستقبل أفضل لشعب فلسطين.”
“To all faithful Christians around the world, whether you are Catholic, Protestant, Anglican, Eastern Orthodox, or Oriental Orthodox, we call upon you today to stand with us in this noble endeavor. We need your support, your prayers, and your solidarity in this fight against injustice and oppression. Palestine, the Holy Land, is part of our spiritual heritage, the place where our Savior Jesus Christ walked. Let us unite our efforts to spread the message of love and peace that Christ brought and work together for a better future for the people of Palestine.”
He concluded his speech with a prayer.
“يا ربنا يسوع المسيح، نلتجئ إليك اليوم لنكرس فلسطين لك، لتكن هذه الأرض التي مشيت عليها مباركة بسلامك ومملوءة بحبك. نطلب منك أن تحرر شعبها من الظلم والاضطهاد، وأن تملأ قلوبهم بالحب والرحمة. أرشدنا يا رب في كل ما نقوم به، واجعلنا أدوات لسلامك في هذا العالم. آمين. شكراً لكم.”
“Lord Jesus Christ, we come before you today to consecrate Palestine to you. Let this land, which you once walked upon, be blessed with your peace and filled with your love. We ask you to liberate its people from injustice and oppression and to fill their hearts with love and mercy. Guide us, Lord, in all that we do, and make us instruments of your peace in this world. Amen.”
This troubled me. Having been born with dual Isreali and American citizenship, I always wanted my Isreali countrymen to prosper peacefully, and while I support the evangelization and conversion of both Israel and Palestine to Christian nations, I worried that this new turn of events would cause another, potentially more severe, period of destabilization for Palestine.
After dinner, I summoned the Lolita Princess at 1 km and 500 m in the air. As my alter ego fell to the Earth, I oriented myself to the boarding school in which she remained. I leaped and bounded over buildings to reach my boarding school, which was still attended by loyal staffers keeping compassionate care of the few students stranded there.
I found the window of Sakura’s room and knocked on the window. I heard her get up from her bed and walk to the window. Her cadence showed confusion, as she couldn’t see me through the closed curtains.
When she peered through the window, Sakura was in disbelief at my presence, and I told her, “I’m sorry for being late, but may I talk with you?”
Sakura, still in shock, asked me, “What do you need my help for?”
I confessed, “I’d like to help you find your parents. May I come in?”
Sakura, still dumbfounded, said, “Of course.”
I awkwardly squeezed through the window and entered the room.
Sakura asked, “I have to be dreaming.”
I assured her, “No. This isn’t a dream. I came here to ask for your help.”
Sakura asked, “With what?”
I told her, “I understand your parents are missing? I’d like to help to find them.”
Sakura asked me, “How do you plan to do that?”
I confessed, “I have a photographic memory, so I remember the face of everyone I encountered during my escapade in Japan, so I can tell you if I saw them at any point. I also plan to journey back to Japan to petition the government to let me help with reuniting the victims with their families.”
Upon this revelation, she ran to her desk, grabbed a framed photo, and handed it to me. I immediately recognized the mother as a decedent I pulled from the wreckage. I did not recognize the father. So, he was neither a person salvaged from the wreckage, nor a rescuer I encountered.
I asked her, “Do you have anything from your parents that I can smell?”
She, dumbfounded, said, “Excuse me?”
I told her, “I do not recognize the man in the photo, but I have a sense of smell more powerful than an elephant. I might track him down by scent.”
Sakura snapped out of her dissociation and immediately began searching for a piece of paper, then a pen and scribbled down an address, which she handed to me.
“This is my parent’s home address. You might find something in there!”
I thanked her, “Dōmo arigatō gozaimasu.”
Before I could tell her, she pieced together the news about her mother.
“You said you didn’t recognize my father … does that mean you recognized my mother?” She asked trembling, holding back tears in her flushed face.
I broke the news, “Yes. I’m sorry.”
She understandably broke down into a hysterical fit of tears.
I kneeled to comfort her with a hug, and she clung onto my dress, incoherently lamenting in a language I could not understand.
My heart broke for her, and I wept with her as I confessed, “I’m sorry, I should have been faster.”
I prayed over and for her mother, “O Merciful and Eternal God, Who desires that all souls be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth, we humbly implore Thy infinite mercy for the soul of Sakura’s mother, who has departed from this life. Though they were not united to the visible fold of thy Holy Catholic Church, in thy boundless love and compassion, look not upon their shortcomings, but upon the sincerity of their heart, and the good they strove to do in this life.”
“O Sacred Heart of Jesus, who died for all mankind, grant that in their final moments, they may have turned to Thee, even if only in their heart, and may have received the grace of perfect contrition, so that they may be purified by Thy most precious blood.”
“Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Mercy, intercede for this soul before the throne of thy Son, that they may find refuge in His Sacred Heart, and be granted the grace of eternal salvation.”
“We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May their soul, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.”
I then prayed for her father, “St. Anthony, when you prayed, your stolen book of prayers was given back to you. We ask you now to please pray for all the missing children and adults of the world. Pray for their friends, family, and loved ones in their time of suffering and sorrow. Pray that all missing people may be returned to our keeping. Or, if we must continue in our loss, pray that we may be given Christ’s comfort and peace.”
Finally I prayed for Sakura herself, “Dearest Jesus, who wept at the death of your friend and taught that they who mourn shall be comforted, grant us the comfort of your presence in our loss. Send Your Holy Spirit to direct us, lest we make hasty or foolish decisions. Send Your Spirit to give us courage, lest through fear we recoil from living. Send Your Spirit to bring us your peace.”
I promised her, “You’re stronger than you think, Sakura. Trust me. I’m going to do what I can to find your father.”
I let her cry as needed, and she let me go on her own time. At which point, after making sure she was safe to be alone, I left. It was now time for me to test my hypothesis. Since I could retract my alter ego from as far away as Australia, could I summon her as far away as Japan?
My alter ego vanished itself, and my civilian identity experienced a flood of memories instantaneously integrated into my body and soul, but not letting myself be overwhelmed, I willed my alter ego to appear again. This time, at 35.7101°N 139.8107°E. My gambit worked, and at 12:00 JST, I found myself in free fall 500 m above the rebuilt Tokyo Sky Tree, upon which I landed.
Using the Earth’s magnetic field, which I could see and feel, I navigated with leaps and bounds to the Imperial Palace. I knew the coordinates because I had looked it up prior to my mission.
During my meeting with Sakura, my civilian identity discussed how to go about this meeting with Madison. She taught me about fifty lines and what they meant, then showed me a few basic phrases in JSL, and a few things to write on paper, detailing the proper way by which kana and kanji were to be written and signs were to be articulated, just in case they were necessary.
I landed in front of a startled a pair of security guards and recited; verbatim, what Madison told me to: an apology, and a plea to meet with the emperor, then I handed them what Madison wrote. Two men recognized me from the news and called their supervisor. After their brief conversation over the radio, I heard a voice in broken English direct me to follow the guard. Their English was adorably inept, but I knew that my attempt at Japanese would be cartoonishly worse. They at least knew more about the vocabulary and structure of my native tongue than I did theirs. They lead me into the Imperial Palace and to the waiting room, though I didn’t have to wait for long before security led me to the office of the Emperor himself.
The God Emperor of Japan looked up from his book, stood up and simply said, with stellar US English pronunciation, “Hello, Princess. I am thankful that you accepted my invitation to talk.”