[Inari Standoff]: The Birth of Two Moons

(Perhaps all of this was a stroke of good karma. I once gave Aika Mihara a second chance at life, and Inari returned the favor to me. For a long time, it felt like I was stuck in all of this pain and misery. The memory of everything I've had to go through would just linger around me. But now...I feel like I just woke up from a bad dream. It's time for me to fulfill my promise to Aika. It's time to use the chance Inari gave me, to prove to the world that she was here. The first step? Finally letting go of the past.)

The next day, Osamu went back to the one place he thought he'd never return; the pier. Six months ago, he consumed Rousoku's ashes in a fit of grief and regret. For six months, he clung to those ashes, the only thing remaining of the woman who conceived his first child. There he was, standing before the great, blue ocean, his hair tied into a messy bun.

Taeko and Shinju accompanied him for moral support and watched as he twisted off the lid to Rousoku's urn.

"Are you sure you want to do this? There's nothing wrong with keeping her, you know." Taeko said.

Osamu shook his head. "I've been clinging to her phantom for all this time. I've learned from Aika and Inari that my life may not be worth much to me, but it's worth everything to the people around me. Rousoku never wanted me to look back and regret my decisions. She was proud that I came back here and helped so many people. And now...I am too. I won't hold Rousoku back anymore. She deserves her rest too."

Shinju walked up to him, taking a handful of Rousoku's ashes, much to Osamu's surprise. "We'll do it together."

Taeko followed suit and scooped what was left of Rousoku into her hands. "Together."

Osamu smiled and nodded, his eyes glimmering with happiness. “Together."

With his best friends by his side, Osamu tipped his handful of ash towards the longing waves of the sea and scattered Rousoku's ashes into the waters. All of the agony, horror, and regret they each went through were all scattered along with Rousoku's remains.

All of it was finally laid to rest. Osamu closed his eyes and turned his thoughts to Rousoku. He used to only see violent replays of the night he watched her die. He used to recall her words of scorn and blame, and how he so bitterly directed that anger right back at her.

Now, thinking of her brought memories of her smile, her laughter, and their barefoot walks along the beach together. Her memory no longer haunted him. They made him immensely grateful that Rousoku existed. They made him honored that of all the people int the world, Rousoku chose to love him.

Her words of forgiveness echoed around him as he let go of the last fistful of ashes. "If you've found happiness, you've done right by me, and most importantly, yourself. Isn't that why you originally left Kyoto? You said that it was because of me that you found the will to go back home and fix your life. I'm thankful for that. Osamu, if you're happy, then my short life was worth living. If you've saved people, then perhaps my life was worth losing as well. You followed your heart and found your purpose. No one can blame you for that. So...let's let go of all the venom and hatred. You made the right choice when you left, Osamu."

Osamu stood and watched as the last handful of ash became one with the sea, the flakes cradled by the waves and laid to rest on the ocean floor. "I followed my heart and found my purpose. I swallowed your ashes so that you could punish me forever. But it was your ashes that kept me in that airport. It was you that brought Inari and I together.

“You're funny, Rousoku. You were supposed to punish me...but you saved me instead. Thank you. Even in death, you worked hard to help me. You deserve your rest. I promise, I'll earn everything you did for me."

In that moment, Osamu felt someone's arms wrap around his chest, as though he were being hugged from behind. It shocked him at first, but he soon recognized whose embrace it was. Rousoku's. He felt her warmth against his back and her hand hover over Inari's heart beating inside of his chest. Osamu turned around to face her, but no one was there.

"You okay, Osamu?" Taeko asked.

Osamu looked around but he didn't see any sign of her. But he chose to believe that Rousoku really was with him that whole time, from the moment he first swallowed her ashes until now. She was watching, always rooting for him, always protecting him. Now her warmth was gone, her presence no longer lingering over him. There was no need for her to be there anymore. Osamu had set himself free.

"I'm okay, Taeko. Everything is finally as it should be."

(There is an upside to all of this...)

The rest of that day was as normal as normal could be. A bright, full moon shined in the sky that night as Osamu and the girls slept in bed, each of them fast asleep. Suddenly, both Yoko and Izanami were jolted awake.

"Izanami?! What's wrong?!" Yoko asked.

"I think I'm going into labor!" Izanami cried.

"You too?! At the same time?!" Yoko recoiled. "Everyone! Wake up!"

"Huh?! What's going on?" Osamu groaned, squinting his eyes. "What time is it?"

"Osamu, the kids are coming! We're going into labor!" Izanami said.

"Wait, labor?! Right now?!" Amatsuki recoiled, instantly snapping out of her grogginess.

It took a few seconds for Izanami's words to really dig through Osamu's tired and barely-functioning brain, but when they did, he sprung up from bed as well, panicking more than anything.

"Crap! Okay!" Osamu cried. "We need to get you two to the hospital! Amatsuki!"

"On it! I'll get the car ready!" Amatsuki replied.

"Come, Yoko. I'll help you walk downstairs." Tsukiakari said.

"Okay! I'll grab Izanami then." Osamu said.

Gekko and Osamu carried the precious cargo downstairs and right out to the car, their groans of labor and pain drowning out the sound of crickets and gentle night breeze.

"Oh my god, this is actually happening! I can't believe this is actually happening!" Osamu squealed.

"Stop panicking, that's their job!" Amatsuki chided. "We have to get them to the hospital in a timely...wait..."

"What?!" Osamu shouted.

"I just realized something." Amatsuki said. "The hospital is going to think you're a massive perv when they find out both of these kids are yours."

(Oh...my...god...)

"Crap, you're right! What am I even supposed to say?!" Osamu questioned.

Amatsuki laughed. "Maybe we can convince them Izanami is having a virgin birth!"

"No! I want them to know I'm having this baby because Osamu and I had lots and lots of sex!" Izanami protested.

Yoko nodded. "Same here! I'm not hiding it at all!"

"Don't just bilaterally agree to sacrifice my reputation!" Osamu groaned. "You two don't mind what people think of you, but the doctors are going to look at me like some weirdo! I can't handle that!"

Yoko, Izanami, Amatsuki, and Tsukiakari all chanted in unison. "You are a weirdo!"

(That night...I became a father of two.)

Amatsuki whipped it to the hospital like a coked up stunt driver. Everyone rushed Yoko and Izanami inside, where they were put into the same birthing center. While Tsukiakari and Amatsuki remained fairly calm throughout the ordeal, Osamu couldn't stop freaking out. He did everything from pacing back and forth to unintentionally catching a glance of the 'crowning'.

As scared, excited, and nervous as everyone was, everything went smoothly and Yoko and Izanami gave birth to two beautiful, healthy babies. Yoko birthed a girl while Izanami birthed a boy.

"Oh gosh!" Tsukiakari sang, tears filling her eyes. "Osamu, you're really a father now!"

"I...yeah...I really am..." Osamu mumbled, the shock still not worn off.

He stood paralyzed in the middle of a raging battlefield called parenthood, in a century called love. He gave well-deserved kisses to both Yoko and Izanami, the girls reposed in their beds with their babies wrapped in blankets in their arms.

"Good job, both of you! You two were amazing! Now then...what should we name them?" Osamu asked.

"Well, I decided that if it were a girl, I'd name her Kiyoko. It means 'Pure Child'. Is that all right with you, Osamu?" Yoko asked.

"Yeah, that's a great name. Kiyoko Ashikaga?" Osamu questioned.

Yoko nodded. "Of course, dear!"

Osamu smiled and kissed Kiyoko's forehead as she cried in her mother's arm. Yoko held Kiyoko close to her face, rubbing her finger against her tiny little nose and fat little cheeks.

"You're so adorable! I always knew Osamu and I would have adorable kids! Ain't that right, baby? Who's a cutie patootie? That's right, you!" Yoko sang.

(Does anyone else think motherhood has awakened the sweetest side of Yoko?!)

"How about you, Izanami? It's a boy, right?" Osamu asked.

Izanami caressed the boy's thin, black hair, unable to take her loving eyes off of it. She was sweaty and exhausted, but her ear-to-ear smile was all the proof anyone needed to see just how excited she was to be a mother again.

"Yuuto. I decided on Yuuto if it was a boy." Izanami said. "Yuuto written as...hmm...'Gentle Person', like me!"

"Sounds lovely, Izanami! Thank you for this, both of you. I'm a father now, and you're both mothers. Honestly, I...I just couldn't be happier."

Taeko, Shinju, Rei, and Kagutsuchi all gathered at the birthing center to see the kids. It was almost five in the morning and they each got out of bed and raced down to the hospital as soon as they got the call from Tsukiakari. Tsukiakari recorded video on her phone while everyone took turns holding Kiyoko and Yuuto in their arms.

"Yuuto! So cute!" Taeko fawned, cradling Yuuto in her arms. "I'm Auntie Taeko. Welcome to the world, little guy."

"What? If anyone's the auntie it's me!" Shinju protested. "I'm actually related to Izanami!"

"You shush." Taeko said. "We can both be aunties. How's it feel to be a mom again, Izanami?"

Izanami folded her raven hair behind her pale ear. "It's a dream come true. He already looks so much like Osamu."

Osamu laughed. "You're right. It's kind of freaking me out a bit."

"It just means he'll be handsome and have a big poofy mane of wavy hair!" Taeko sang. "Congratulations, Osamu. They're both beautiful."

"Thanks, Taeko." Osamu said.

"Ooo! My turn! I wanna hold my little brother!" Kagutsuchi interjected.

"Oh, of course! Sorry about that." Taeko said, passing Yuuto to her. "Here. Ain't he precious?"

Kagutsuchi's eyes sparkled with joy and affection as she held Yuuto in her arms. "He's so cute! Hello, Yuuto! I'm your big sister, Kagu! Oh, and I guess that makes you Gekko's...uncle?"

"Wait, what?" Tsukiakari recoiled.

"Well, it's your grandmother's kid, which makes him Amaterasu's half-brother, so...yeah, Yuuto's your half-uncle." Amatsuki reasoned.

"That's so weird." Shinju giggled.

"At long last, my eugenics plan from the first volume paid off." Yoko said, handing Kiyoko over to Rei.

"You're still on about that?!" Osamu asked.

"If you think I was kidding when I say that, you don't really know me." Yoko said.

"What a cutie pie she is!" Rei sang. "She's got your hair and eyes, Yoko!"

Yoko crossed her arms and flashed a smug grin. "I did pretty damn good, huh?"

"Kiyoko has the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen." Taeko complimented. "Man, if this was the Warring States era, I'd be pretty miffed about an Akiyama taking the Ashikaga name."

Yoko laughed. "You're like a grizzled veteran, Taeko."

"I mean...I am a grizzled veteran."

"Just don't go telling her any awful stories about the war." Izanami said.

"Are you kidding me? I'm going to spoil her rotten! Both of them!" Taeko cheered.

For just that one night, no one thought of what the future would hold for them or their children. They all lived in the moment, showering Yuuto and Kiyoko with love. Whatever difficulties the two newborns would face later in their lives, for that moment, their only calm was in the arms of their parents and loved ones.