Katsu had been meditating in her room when Shoko called to tell her someone enough like herself as to be her twin sister, had been found wandering around town.
She’d received that news with a degree of equanimity, but then, enough had happened in the past two weeks that she seriously wondered if she’d lost the capacity to be shocked. Katsu sighed, and agreed to meet with this person, whoever she was. Shoko-san seemed to think she was probably not human, but a yokai of some sort.
Katsu wasn’t discounting that this doppelgänger was an attack on her. Katsu hadn’t been entirely truthful with Paul-san when she’d described her family’s business holdings. Her branch family of the Yamato clan were a majority shareholder in Yamato Transport, Japan’s largest surface transport and logistics firm. You could see one of their vans with the distinctive turquoise and cream livery, bearing the black and yellow logo of a mother cat carrying her kitten, on almost any street every day.
What wasn’t generally known was that Yamato Transport were key shareholders in Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding as well as the Mitsui-O.S.K. Shipping Line, which were the core businesses of the Mitsui keiretsu or set of interlocking businesses spanning mining to banking to ship-building and shipping itself, which operated as a coordinated ‘system’ for mutual benefit and to save money on costs which could then be passed along to the end users, making them more competitive.
As her father had said, they and the Yamato clan were essentially the invisible keystone in the whole business edifice of companies owning shares in each other. An organisation that was one of the Big Six keiretsu that had been controlling most of the Japanese economy, in one form or another, since the Edo period… and as her families only child, Katsu was heir to the business that controlled approximately twenty percent of the entire Japanese economy.
It was perhaps a stretch of the imagination to think that someone might have thought to use a yokai as a means to attack her, but it wasn’t impossible. Not that she was worried it might be one of the other Six; cooperation and non-competition between the Six ‘houses’ and their associated businesses was very much the order nowadays. However, there was always foreign, notably Chinese, competitors trying to gain a toehold in Japan’s economy, and disrupting one of the key shipping and ship-building businesses would certainly do that.
All of which flashed through her mind as she considered what to do.
Katsu sighed. As a Goddess she had more power than she’d ever imagined possible at her fingertips, and no idea how to use it. She’d needed Inari and Kiko’s help just to change her form… Katsu paused briefly to shake her head at that. She’d subconsciously wished to be invulnerable and she’d certainly gotten that. But it was an undeniable fact that even Kiko, a sheltered shrine maiden and scholar of obscure subjects, knew more about how to use her Divine power, than Katsu did.
Which actually, now that she thought about it, supplied her with the answer to what her next move would be. She needed to call in Inari as an expert on the subject. Katsu however, found herself feeing somewhat hesitant to do so. It wasn’t like calling one of her high school peers for help with her homework after all.
Not that she ever really did that either, but the point still stood.
Inari Okami was a Goddess of the First Rank, possibly the only first rank goddess now, whereas Katsu was barely a goddess at all, and then only technically. Inari was thousands of years old, she’d been a Goddess long enough she hardly even remembered being mortal, if she ever had been. Whereas she, Katsu thought ruefully, was still so much a rookie that the ink was barely dry on the scroll confirming her status.
Katsu’s eyes darted towards the family altar where that scroll hung in pride of place… below which lay the Yamato sword.
She had no idea what that sword’s powers were, except it obviously wasn’t a normal sword, and she took an obscure sort of comfort from the fact that Inari had confessed to not knowing either. But if one was to face an unknown potential enemy, then having her strongest asset along with her might not be a bad idea, and if nothing else, it was a very good sword.
Although, Katsu corrected herself, the sword was perhaps only her second strongest asset… the battleship that still lay anchored off the coast was probably her greatest one. However, so far, no-one had managed to get aboard, the lack of ladders hampering attempts. Not that anyone had seriously tried either… it was all a bit too eerie for most sailors, and until the question of who owned it was settled, no-one wanted to be accused of trespassing either.
Katsu had her own opinion on that. If she let her mind go blank she could almost catch a wisp of something on the fringes of her mind… a feeling as if she was floating in the ocean, her eyes closed and almost asleep.
She was fairly sure that sensation wasn’t her imagination. There was a sense of another presence there.. someone, or something that was distinct from her, but linked in a way she was entirely unable to put into words.
It was the same feeling she got when holding the sword, but she was unable to tell if it was the same individual, or another very similar one. Although, the sense of presence she got when she held what she was beginning to think of as ‘her’ sword, was far stronger. Almost as if the being was standing behind her.. or at least in the same room.
Katsu wondered what, if anything, she’d feel if she was standing on the deck of the Battleship Yamato. Would that too feel much more ‘there’ as well?
Reaching a decision, she picked up the sword, tying it to her waist. Even without trying she could feel it’s spirit, as if it was awake and eagerly standing by her side… she could almost see it out of the corner of her eye, it’s presence was so strong.
Katsu frowned… no, not an ‘it’, definitely a ‘she’. A young girl, her age, wearing an old style school uniform… with a waterfall of snow-white hair just as long as hers.
Katsu’s eyes narrowed thoughtfully as she realised that almost matched the description of the individual Shoko had found.
But, if that was the case, then what was sitting in cafe in town? Because the sword was unmistakably riding on her hip, and without a shadow of a doubt, it’s spirit was right there too. Katsu’s eyes widened as the obvious answer occurred to her, then she shook her head. It was pointless to speculate just yet.
Katsu turned, walking away from the family altar as she went to find the phone and call Inari, or rather, call whoever was looking after the only land-line phone at the temple, and ask them to pass on a message to Inari. With luck, she’d know the answers to her questions soon enough, although what she’d do after that remained to be seen.
An hour and some few minutes later, and Katsu found herself walking alongside Inari, as they entered a small, side-street cafe which went by the name of ‘The Yokai Cafe’…
A name, which at first glance, was entirely appropriate, as the serving staff and quite a few of it’s customers were not human.
Katsu felt a slight disquiet at the thought that she too was hardly what one could call a normal human girl any more. Her gaze flicked to one side, glancing at the tall, self-confident Inari. She didn’t blame her for what had happened, no-one could’ve predicted the side-effects of receiving a portion of Inari’s Divinity had had.
Sometimes, even the Kami were making it up as they went along. Inari had given Katsu a seed of Divine power, but even she couldn’t have predicted it would take root and bloom in the way it had.
Katsu was comforted by that realisation. That even a Goddess of the first rank wasn’t all knowing and all powerful… because then it meant even mortals had a chance, that fate for even the lowest, was not certain.
Katsu shook her head, clearing it of pointless maundering. She glanced round the cafe… and froze. Shoko had been right, whoever, and whatever the Other was, aside from some minor details, she was identical to Katsu. Her hair was white, her eyes were grey, and she lacked the thin scar above her right eyebrow that Katsu had earned from her Sensei when she finally beat him… but otherwise, the girl wasn’t just similar, or like a sister… she matched her perfectly.
Katsu frowned minutely, the Other her even moved the same way.
Katsu was used to studying how opponents moved, so much it had become a habit. She was also used to watching herself move, perfecting her technique in front of a wall of mirrors or on video. As such she immediately recognised the economy of motion that the other used, even when reaching for a tea cup.
Clearly, whoever or whatever the person was, they were trying very hard to be her. But then, what was the point of going so far as to even copy the way she moved… if they then made their hair the complete opposite?
Unless of course, the idea wasn’t so much as to copy her, but they were trying to be human, and Katsu was the only example they had to go on. She nodded to herself as Shoko showed her and Inari to a seat at the same table as the look-alike, while not really paying attention to what was being said.
Reaching her conclusion, Katsu spoke.
“So, which are you? The sword or the battleship?”
There was silence at the table for a moment, as Inari looked at Katsu in confusion, and the other girl stared at her in surprise. Katsu replayed in her head what Inari had been saying. She’d learnt the trick of listening while not paying attention in school.
Katsu glanced at Inari.
“I am sorry I interrupted your explanation of the rules for sanctuary towns, but I wanted to know what we were dealing with.”
Inari still looked confused. Katsu glanced at the other girl, and then back at Inari.
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“You hadn’t worked it out Inari-sama? That person is a manifestation of either the spirit of the Yamato sword, or of the battleship. It’s the only logical reason to make a body that’s almost identical to myself. She wanted to be human, but only had myself to model her body on and not knowing how it works, she only made a few superficial changes in order to be distinct.”
The other girl nodded.
“I knew you would understand…”
“Hoi. It would have been better if you’d asked before using my face though.”
The girl shrugged.
“Our link isn’t that strong yet. I know you know I’m there.. but that’s as far as it goes.”
“So, which are you? Sword or ship.”
“Both, the sword holds my soul, but the ship is my body.”
“So, what’s this in front of me, us, then?”
The girl looked at Katsu for moment, then sighed.
“Curiosity given form… I have a few of your memories, some from...other people who held me before you, some from my Captain. But, I wanted to see the world myself. So, I made myself a human body too.”
Inari shook her head, slowly, wonderingly.
“I have heard of a lot of things over the years, but this is new. One mind, or soul, split over three different bodies.”
The girl shrugged.
“I don’t feel split...”
Katsu looked thoughtful.
“More like… one soul, copied three times but all linked so it works like one, perhaps?”
The girl shook her head.
“There’s just one of me. I can’t explain it really… but it’s like all three bodies are just one really.”
Inari leaned back, looking as baffled as Katsu felt.
“That.. shouldn’t work. Although it obviously does. I suppose perhaps we were wrong. Omoikane would be fascinated...and annoyed.”
Katsu nodded. Omoikane was the god of wisdom and intelligence. Although, now that she thought of that, it did raise another question.
“So, what do we call you?”
“Yamato.”
Katsu just gave the white haired girl a level look.
“Yamato is my... our, family name. What’s your personal name?”
“I… don’t know? I don’t have one.”
Inari and Katsu exchanged a look, and then Inari shrugged.
“One of the responsibilities of being a Goddess, finding names for new… beings. She’s your responsibility.”
Katsu’s mouth twitched fractionally upwards at the corners.
“I hadn’t planned on being a mother yet… but I’ll take responsibility. I’ll think about it, maybe I can ask my parents for ideas. I should introduce them to the newest member of our family certainly.”
Inari bit her lips, not-quite succeeding at hiding her amusement at the idea.
“She’s not entirely your daughter Katsu… after all, her spirit existed long before even your parents were born.”
“I know, but how else to describe it? She exists because of what we did. Hoi… Inari… you and Kiko had a hand in this too! Will you take responsibility for this?”
Inari’s eyes widened in surprise, and her voice squeaked as she exclaimed.
“Me!”
“And Kiko… the pair of you got me this way.”
“I..I.. but..”
Katsu’s lips curled up slightly in amusement at Inari’s stuttering bewilderment. Belatedly, realisation dawned upon Inari that Katsu was teasing her…
“You…! Alright, fine. The three of us then. But you can explain to your parents how your ‘daughter’ has three mothers, as well as three bodies!”
Inari laughed at Katsu’s dismayed expression.
One hour, a pot of tea and a plate of some truly excellent pastries later and they’d quizzed the girl about what she knew, what memories she had that were of Katsu. The answer to which was, not much. She didn’t know, exactly, how it had happened, but she’d become self-aware at the moment Katsu had transformed from the kaiju-like body she’d manifested, back into human. Inari theorised that somewhere in the process, when Katsu’s power had spilled back along the link into the battleship, it had carried a portion of the Divine ‘pearl’ that Inari had originally given her.
Katsu remarked eventually.
“Well, if nothing else this settles the question of ownership of the reborn Battleship. She is not only alive, but clearly a person. She ‘owns’ herself.”
Inari nodded.
“True, it’s not permitted to own people nowadays, so I’m told. Still, perhaps until you find a crew it would be best to hide your nature.”
The girl tilted her head, regarding Inari coolly with her grey eyes. Katsu briefly wondered if she looked like that…
“Why would I need a crew?”
“To sail you, to operate… things.. whatever it is that makes a ship like you move.”
Katsu snorted briefly, Inari had no idea how the Yamato actually worked. She spoke up.
“You have diesel fired boilers, powering steam turbines. Just lighting those needs a number of people, not to mention those needed to operate the engines and control the rudder, all just to move. Then there is all the other machinery that needs to be human controlled. You need a crew.”
The warship-girl stilled, her eyes losing focus as she stared off into the distance. Then she blinked and shook her head.
“No, no I don’t. I can feel the heat and power in my engines. I just rotated my forward turret fifteen degrees starboard. Everything works, I don’t need anyone to do anything.”
Katsu stared at her, taken aback, then glanced at Inari.
“Magic… if a haunted chamberpot can chase people, I suppose a living warship can operate herself.”
“But...but what about fuel, ammunition..?”
“Foxfire is normally cold, but it doesn’t have to be. I don’t know about how her guns work, I hope we never need to find out.”
The warship-girl smiled fractionally.
“I have a full load of ammunition, but I feel that I could make more if I could find suitable material to transform. I’m alive, I eat, my body grows...is that not normal?”
Katsu nodded slowly.
“You are right... that will take a bit of getting used to. A living ship… I wonder if more could be made? It could change the entire shipbuilding and shipping industries if we could make ships that didn’t need crews or fuel, that could repair, or heal, themselves. Hmm, some crew might be a good idea though. Just to keep the ship-person from getting lonely if for no other reason.”
When Katsu realised she was being looked at by the unnamed girl and Inari, she shrugged.
“My family is in ship-building and shipping… of course I am going to think about the implications of living ships.”
Inari nodded slowly.
“I… see. Well, you were bound to become the goddess of something. I think this may be your first step on the road.”
Katsu shrugged, rolling her shoulders, uncomfortable with the idea of her fate being determined.
“I choose my own path...”
Inari shook her head.
“You misunderstood me, I meant, you would find what role you feel best suited for. What job is best for you…”
Katsu’s lips twitched.
“Ah. I see. Even kami need jobs.”
Inari nodded, Katsu’s nascent smile dying unborn as she realised Inari was serious.
“OH...you.. mean kami do need jobs?”
“We need a purpose. A reason to exist. The power you use has to come from somewhere. When people pray to you, asking for your aid, there is an exchange of power. One can gain mana from other sources, but being given it is the easiest way. Moreover, if one is immortal, then it is best to have some enduring purpose in life, a function to give one a reason to continue to live.”
Katsu considered the matter, then shook her head.
“That’s hard to imagine...doing the same thing, forever.”
Inari shrugged.
“Well, you don’t need to...I mean, I didn’t. But it’s best to start with something familiar, and as your family already has associations with ships and the sea...”
“And business, we have a shrine to you Inari, Goddess of prosperity and business, at home.”
“You do? Oh, thank you! Yes.. I can feel it now that I think of it. Still… you could become the Goddess of.. oh, living ships or shipping perhaps.. That is, if you choose to Katsu.”
“Or warships perhaps.”
“Perhaps… although one shouldn’t be too specific at first.”
Yamato nodded slowly.
“I’m not sure about calling you Goddess… could I call you big sister?”
Katsu blinked in surprise, then looked thoughtful.
“A.. little sister. Hoi, aren’t you a goddess too?”
Both Inari and the girl shook their heads, and Inari answered.
“No, whatever trace of Divine power there was, came from you. Either she didn’t receive enough to form a pearl of her own, or it was used up giving her life fully. So although she has a living spirit of her own, she isn’t a goddess herself. It’s more like she is your Herald.. linked and able to partake of your powers, but not the source.”
Katsu nodded slowly…
“I think I understand now. I think little sister would be best, I’m not sure my parents are ready to be grandparents yet… and I don’t want to try explaining how that happened. Although, perhaps to anyone else, we should be cousins. Then people wouldn’t get the wrong idea about my father...”
Yamato tilted her head, looking at Katsu.
“Should I not just tell them the truth?”
“That you’re the human avatar of a battleship and a sword, born out of magic? I’m not sure they’d believe you.”
“Oh. Well, if you think it’s best...sister-cousin.”
Katsu shook her head.
“One or the other, both together makes us sound too rural.”
“Cousin Katsu then… but I can still call you Onēsan, can’t I?”
“I would be happy if you did Imōto-chan… although we still need to think of a given name for you.”
“I trust you Onēsan...”
Katsu sighed. This was not how she pictured naming her first born.. not that she ever really had done that before, but if she had, this wouldn’t have been it she was sure. She stared down into her tea cup, wondering what would be an appropriate name… had this been how her parents had felt? Although they had a lot longer to think of something. Still, she wondered how they had done it? It seemed such an important thing, picking a name that would, in all likelihood, determine how others would see a person for the rest of their life. Although, at least she had some idea what the person she was naming was like…
Katsu looked up, inspiration striking.
“Katsumi. How about that?”
Inari looked at Katsu.
“Victorious beauty? Isn’t that a little obvious? How about Kikuko, chrysanthemum?”
“Katsumi was my grandmother’s nickname, she was the national Akido champion for twelve years until she retired from competition. I’m named after her, partly. It’s a family name.”
The warship girl nodded.
“Katsumi... I like it. Although… perhaps I could use Kikuko as a nickname?”
“Hm. With your hair, that would be inevitable. We have white chrysanthemums growing at home. Speaking of, we should go and meet my parents. Inari-sama, do you…?”
Inari shook her head.
“No, I think you can manage from here on. I’ll stay here a bit longer and enjoy some more of these delicious cakes.”
Katsu’s lips twitched.
“Well, at least you don’t need to watch your weight, being a Goddess has it’s perks.”
“True, true.. one of the small benefits. I can be whatever shape I wish.”
Katsu smiled.
“I really must learn how to do that. Tatsuo would appreciate it.
Inari laughed and shook her head.
“Oh no, I think he prefers the shape you have already...although he probably wouldn’t care what shape you were really.”
Katsu’s cheeks stained red slightly as she nodded.
“Hm. You’re probably right. One of the reasons I love him.”
Katsu stood up, as did Katsumi after a split seconds hesitation.
Katsu nodded at Inari.
“Thank you for your help Inari-sama, we’ll leave you to your treats. Come on Katsumi, I think I should find you something of mine to wear before we meet my parents.”
“Why?”
Katsu sighed.
“I’ll explain as we walk, once I’ve paid our share of the bill. But let’s just say what you are wearing makes you look like you’re not a good person..”
“Why?”
Katsu sighed to herself… she’d heard younger children were full of questions, and it looked like Katsumi was no different.