Question of Faith

“All right, girls, that’s all the time we have today, so let’s link hands and end in prayer,” Chi-chan says, wrapping up the Bible study.

The circle of girls around her all link hands as they look to Chi-chan, who waits for everyone’s hands to be joined.

“Any special prayer requests?” she asks, looking around the room.

All the girls silently look at her, sparking the desire to tease them.

“Oh, come on, girls, you can ask for anything. I know some of you need a miracle to get through finals, and a few would like one for romantic pursuits,” she teases as a chorus of protests about boys and midterms rises from the circle. “All right, all right, we’ll keep those on the down low,” Chi-chan says, settling the girls. “But, seriously, any special requests?”

“I have one,” Momo says, raising a hand.

“Momo-chan, you already have enough converts under your belt. Save some for the rest of us,” Chi-chan says with a giggle.

“It’s not that,” Momo says, eyes turning down to her shoes. “Next week I’m going to Kyoto for a cousin’s wedding, and I’ll probably be asked to demonstrate my archery skills, so…” she says, voice trailing off.

“Oh, so you’ll be gone for all of Holy Week?” Chi-chan asks.

“I should be back by the 2nd or 3rd.”

“All right, anyone else?” Chi-chan asks the group.

When nobody answers, she tells everyone to bow their heads in prayer.

“Lord, thank you for this time to study your word and enjoy the fellowship of fellow believers. As we enter the final weeks of Lent, help us remain steadfast in our fasts and fervent in our prayers. We also ask that you keep your daughter, Momo-chan, at the forefront of your mind as she travels to her cousin’s wedding. If she’s asked to demonstrate her skill, keep her aim strong and true.”

Her smile thickens as her eyes peek just a bit for her following words.

“Also allow her a bit of fun on her birthday, since she won’t be with us to celebrate it with her.”

Gasps erupt from the circle as Momo’s hands squeeze tight.

“All this we pray in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.”

With that, the circle breaks up, and the girls take a few minutes to stack chairs and chat afterward. Momo spends much of the time receiving well-wishes from the girls as she tries to stack chairs, until an unseen voice catches her attention.

“You have a visitor,” her guardian says, voice calm but serious. With others around, she can’t answer aloud, so she signals a simple “who?” with her eyes. “The Metropolitan,” her guardian replies, making Momo’s eyes go wide.

It isn’t their usual meeting day, and showing up without warning isn’t like her. For a moment, Momo considers the possibilities of a trap, some nefarious plot put forth by a demon. The thought is refuted as quickly as it comes.

“No way could the enemy step foot on holy ground, any more than my guardian would ever lead me into a trap,” she thinks, easing her mind.

“She’s in the restroom traversing the firmament,” her guardian explains. “She requests you come alone once you’re finished.” Momo gives a simple nod, and her guardian’s presence dims for a moment as he informs the Metropolitan.

“I’ll meet you at the door once I’m done,” she whispers to Kasumi, who stares at her, confused.

“Done with what?” Kasumi asks.

“You know,” Momo whispers, trying to prompt Kasumi’s memory. “Restroom.”

“Oh, okay, I’ll come with,” Kasumi says, turning toward the door. The move shocks Momo, as Kasumi has always avoided the Metropolitan like the plague. Her usual reactions to the Metropolitan range from mild annoyance to outright hostility.

“No,” Momo says, grabbing Kasumi’s hand. “I have to go alone.”

“Why’s that?” Kasumi asks, confusing Momo.

“She doesn’t know?” Momo wonders, trying to come up with an explanation. She knows the message has to have traveled from the Metropolitan to her guardian, then to Kasumi’s guardian, and finally to Kasumi. She isn’t sure how the message would get lost with that short of a telephone, but none of the possibilities seem good. The more she thinks about it, the more confused she grows, until a new voice startles her from her thoughts.

“Oh, don’t think you’re getting away that easily,” Chi-chan calls after Momo and Kasumi as they walk to the door. She pulls the two of them into a group hug, squeezing just a bit more than the other girls.

“Take care on your trip,” she says to Momo. “And you take care of your own,” she says to Kasumi. “I expect to see both of you at the Good Friday lock-in.”

“We’ll be here,” Momo assures, pulling away from the hug. “Have a good night, Onee-sama.”

“Good night, Tachibana-san,” Kasumi says, following Momo up the stairs.

As they reach the top, Momo turns toward the bathroom, and Kasumi turns to follow.

“Kasumi, didn’t your guardian say anything?” Momo asks as Kasumi follows her.

“No…” she says, turning, confused at the question.

“Ugh, well, we can sort this out later, but the Metropolitan is here and asked to speak with me alone.”

“Huh!” Kasumi gasps, her mouth gaping. “What could she want?”

“I don’t know, but just wait for me at the door. I’m sure this won’t take long.”

With that, Momo continues up the stairs and heads directly to the women’s bathroom. She quickly peeks to make sure nobody is watching and traverses the firmament as she steps through the doorway. Her breath becomes heavy, and her vision narrows. Stepping this shallowly is possible without transfiguring, but like wading in a pool in regular clothes, it's uncomfortable. She’s knee-deep in the firmament, so to speak, not entirely hidden from the senses of normal people, just enough to fade into the background. Like a waitress at a restaurant, nobody will notice her unless they are specifically looking for her or she directly interacts with them.

She walks into the ornately decorated bathroom, its mild pink-and-green color palette barely illuminated by the faint streetlight filtering in through the open window.

“So that’s how she got in,” Momo thinks, looking to the three stalls.

Of the three, only the middle one is closed and locked. Momo enters the one on the far right, shuts the door, and clears her throat.

“To what do I owe this unexpected visit?” Momo asks, voice calm and professional, without a hint of personality.

“Sorry to drop in so unexpectedly,” says a voice from the next stall. Unseen by Momo, the Metropolitan sits upon the porcelain throne. Her legs are crossed, and her folding fan, depicting the icon of Righteous Gideon, covers her face.

“But I thought it best to address my concerns immediately.”

“Who am I that my betters should have such concern on my behalf?”

“No need to act coy,” the Metropolitan says, her voice growing stern. “I’ll have you know that I was present for part of your little… escapade at the shrine the other night.”

“Oh,” Momo gasps, shoulders tightening as she prepares for the lecture.

“Don’t worry, I’m not here to lecture you; that can wait till later. But I do have major concerns for both you and Mist.”

“What can I do, save for hearing your words?” Momo asks.

“See, that is exactly my concern,” the Metropolitan says, not letting Momo hide behind fancy prose and humility. “You never assert yourself. I only arrived in time to see the arch-devil burning, and you three pull away, but Cardinal Fire Marshal’s report made no mention of you or Mist.”Her words carry spite, as if Marshal’s actions personally slighted her.

“I wasn’t a witness to the battle itself, but questioning your guardians leads me to believe you two played a critical role in luring him from his lair. Would you deny it?”

Momo slumps in her seat. She knows saying anything to contradict the cardinal’s report could spiral into just about anything. Power plays, scandals, even demotion or excommunication could be on the table, none of which she wants.

But she also knows she can’t lie to her superior, much less in a church. That has to be why the Metropolitan insisted on meeting here.

“I…” Momo begins, knowing she needs to say something but unsure what to say. “I won’t refute your words…”

“But you won’t confirm them either, will you?” The Metropolitan’s words hang in the air for a moment, as if she is waiting for Momo to confirm.

When she doesn’t, the Metropolitan sighs and slumps back in her throne.

“Well, in any case, there isn’t much for me to do, no. Her report never denies the occurrence of other Maidens, so there’s technically no lie. I could accuse her of the lie of omission, but I’d need a miracle to substantiate that claim without your official testimony.”

“I’m sorry,” Momo says, wiping a tear away.

“No, I’m sorry,” the Metropolitan says, leaning forward in her throne. “It’s my duty to get you the credit you deserve, whether you want it or not. You and Mist played a role in that exorcism and deserve the credit; I’m incapable of grasping it for you.”

The air grows still between them as the Metropolitan allows Momo to fully absorb her words. Once the moment passes, she springs into a new offensive.

“Onto other matters, I’d like you to help me help you with something.”

“Oh, uh, yes, what is it?” Momo stammers, caught completely off guard by the flanking attack.

“How is Mist doing?” the Metropolitan asks, lips curling despite her tone remaining even.

“She…” Momo begins, unsure where to begin or end.

“How is her spiritual development coming along? I recall you had nothing but praise for her before she became a Maiden. So much so, I removed her scales and granted her the sight long before the Cisomary season. Surely she’s made astounding progress during the Lenten season.”

“Uh…” Momo stammers.

She isn’t sure what to say, caught on an even tighter rope than the other topic. Sure, the consequences are smaller, but they would be aimed directly at Kasumi. Momo knows she is the only shield Kasumi has, and thus has to act as such.

“She may not be progressing as we’d hoped, but considering her first experience with the faith was a mere six months ago, her progress is commendable.”

“For an ordinary laity, yes,” the Metropolitan agrees. “But what about for a Maiden?”

The words strike like a curved sword around a shield, hooking it and dragging it down.

“I’m not trying to panic or discourage her, which is why I’ve come to you instead. You two are as close as two humans can be, outside of marriage, which is why I need your honest opinion when I ask this.”

Momo unconsciously leans toward the stall wall, hanging on every word like an executioner’s ax.

“Do you believe she honestly seeks out God for His own sake, or something else?”

The words come down like a guillotine. Momo’s fists and jaw clench, and her throat closes up.

Her emotions get the better of her, and she is forcibly expelled from the firmament. Fully physical, she feels the full force of the built-up emotions she’d been able to suppress till now.

*BAM*

She explodes from the stall, nearly knocking the door from its hinges as she races to the front door.

She can’t speak her honest thoughts in the church lest she lie, and she can’t suppress them any longer either. She has to get out, get somewhere she can vent.

But as she enters the shoe room, her eyes meet a scene that is like jumping from the frying pan and into the fire.