Chapter 11:

Chapter 11: Kanna

The Fading Spark


Kanna held her hand out, trying to feel for any incoming raindrops falling from the clouds overhead. It was a dark gray day, very unlike last week’s bright and sunny forecast. When she felt no rain, Kanna chanced getting rained on, keeping her umbrella folded under her arm as she stood outside the theater. The dark clouds must have been a bad omen too, as Kanna checked her phone, reading the text from Goro.

Goro:Something urgent came up, so I won’t be able to make it. Sorry.

Checking the air again, and accepting the fact that there wouldn’t be a date, Kanna shrugged and walked off, content with finding some other way to pass the time until the next train arrived. She ended up walking into a park. With the clouds overhead keeping most inside, Kanna had the entire park all to herself. The clouds had yet to burst, so she took her time looking at trees, spotting fish in the pond, and finally sitting on a bench to rest.

“No problem…” She said aloud as she wrote her reply to Goro. When he replied with another apology, she told him it wasn’t the end of the world, to which he sent back a laughing emoji. Kanna replied back with the same before opening her umbrella to twirl for fun, waiting for the rain to fall.

It had been nearly a week since the Izanami incident, and in that time, Goro hadn’t turned into Kaiyo Omo to her knowledge, and as a result, neither had she. Part of her couldn’t wait to be Hanabi Ryu again, but another part was a little scared too. In the past she only ever had trouble transforming and her powers suddenly shorted out prematurely before she turned back to normal.

“That was the first time my powers literally left me in the middle of a fight,” Kanna said to herself. And the worst had happened, she died because her powers failed her. “What if I don’t get another chance like that again?” Kanna was thinking back on the time she lived through the memory in the storage closet. “And why did I relive that moment specifically?” Kanna asked herself. When no answer came to mind, Kanna returned to spinning her umbrella. And when she finally got bored of that she turned to her phone and checked for more texts from Goro. He had sent another text, promising a free cup at Edamame.

“Gosh, he’s so dreamy,” Kanna heard Trimy behind her say. The golden dog was peering over her shoulder, reading the texts for itself. “Standing up his beautiful girlfriend for the second time in a row. You know, Kanna,” Trimy continued, with Kanna drawing a line with her mouth. “I think it's about time for your first break up. That Goro guy is no good.”

“Quiet you,” Kanna said, flicking the dog's nose to get it off her back. She then patted the bench for Trimy to sit next to her. And when Trimy jumped up to sit at the edge of the bench opposite to her, Kanna wrapped her arm around the dog and pulled it close for a hug.

“You’ve become the very thing you despised the most, you know that?” Trimy complained.

“Whatever do you mean?” Kanna asked with a big smile on her face, puting the umbrella between her and Trimy so she could browse through the pictures on her phone. The first picture that showed up was the aftermath of Izanami’s attack on her and Goro’s first date. The festival stands were in shambles behind them as she and Goro posed for a selfie. Goro held up the stuffed squid she later named Squidy, while she held the marble Goro had won between her fingers in a peace sign. The next was of the two with ice cream later that day. They had been on a lunch date since then and the following picture was of them with each their own bowl of ramen. The last two were pictures taken during his work hours at the cafe. One with her looking at the camera with Goro taking someone’s order, and the second was one Goro had taken when she first walked into the cafe. She was wearing the same trench coat, sun hat, and sunglasses that day, trying to be sneaky. She had texted her picture to him only to have the latter sent to her right after. Kanna had liked that, even if it was a tad embarrassing.

“I still think you could do better,” Trimy reiterated.

“Yes, yes, I know,” Kanna said, swiping through the photos again. She glanced at Trimy who was watching the sky, most likely waiting for the clouds to finally break.

“What do you see in him?” Trimy asked. “Why do you like him?”

Kanna quirked her mouth and hummed to herself for a moment. “Well, he’s fairly handsome for one,” she started, guessing that Goro was only so good looking because of his shape shifting ability. “He’s a very good listener.” Again, she mostly attributed his awareness to how perspective he was as Kaiyo Omo. “He’s not picky about food, he seems kinda strong, and he’s overall just kind.”

Although, him not being picky and being strong probably has a lot to do with him being a monster too. Kanna thought. But that last point is the most important one, considering who he really is.

“If Goro wasn’t even half as kind as he is, I would have dumped him already, Trimy.” She told her dog friend, all while expressing her feelings through her eyes. Trimy tore away for a moment. The dog looked sadder than Kanna had ever seen it be.

“You okay?” Kanna asked. Trimy glanced her way for a brief moment and licked her face until Kanna let go of the dog. Spitting the slobber out of her mouth, and wiping her face dry with her sleeve, Kanna felt the first of the raindrops hit the top of her head.

“A monster is coming,” Trimy told her.

“Squid Lord?” Kanna asked.

“You wish,” Trimy said, and Kanna smiled at how ironic she thought that sounded. Agreeing with the dog until she saw a large shadow passing by them overhead.

“Are you going to-” Trimy began to say, but Kanna was already standing twirling her scarf around herself, the raindrops bouncing off of her scarf as she spun it. The two shared an awkward look as Kanna smiled, excited to do what she does best. Trimy smiled back and shook its head. “Be careful.”

“I will,” Kanna said, letting the magic teleport above the skyscrapers. Her shawl she was wearing glowed and turned to pink stardust, as her sweater became the same silver and black kimono, her pants became violet leggings, and her shoes transformed from her favorite boots into a simple pair wooden sandals. And finally, her modern black umbrella changed shape to a purple and pink paper one. And as she spun it, watching the giant flying bird monster glide in circles around her, she heard the sound of dark matter piecing itself together behind her.

“Friend of yours?” She asked Kaiyo Omo.

“Yes, his name is Martria,” Goro answered. “He was the one who took the goddess away the last time we saw each other. And a friend of mine promised him a day to rampage for his help.”

“Is that so?” Kanna said, looking over her shoulder at her darkly cloaked villain of a boyfriend. The tentacles that made up his cloak were wiggling and moving with anticipation. Kanna then turned back to the flying bird monster, putting two and two together and deduced that this Martria was pretty powerful if Kaiyo Omo was worried. She took one more look at Goro, and corrected herself.

No, he’s on guard about me, Kanna sighed.

“Want to share, it's awfully wet outside?” She suggested. Breaking the ice between them and making room under her umbrella for him. Kaiyo Omo’s cloak of tentacles relaxed, and he raised his hand, declining the offer. “Your loss,” she told him. Kaiyo Omo flew closer to Hanabi Ryu, but not too close as Martria landed on a building, turning to them in the pouring rain. The giant humanoid bird wore an old and tattered black hood and wrappings, its beak was blood red, same as its eyes, and his claws, extensions of his wings, were opened wide, challenging the villain and the hero.

“I commend you for your bravery!” Martria told them with a booming voice. “Let us lay waste to this city and see who is strongest!” Kanna turned to Goro as the bird man laughed maniacally.

“Go easy on him,” he asked her. “He’s an old timer, deep down.”

“I’ll take your word for it,” Kanna said, folding up her umbrella and whipping her scarf into a sword. She laughed to herself as Goro pulled out his chakram. He glanced at her confused. But Kanna was the only one that knew she had gotten her date with Goro regardless. And that’s what Kanna ended up taking out of her life threatening experience. That so long as she could find happiness, even in the bleakest of times, she’d rise up with the power necessary to triumph. And that included her relationship with Goro and this fading spark of hers.

Martria leaped from the building, roaring his battle cry, Goro charged forward, throwing his ring blade in an arch, and Kanna readied her kendo stance and raised her scarf sword to the sky. Lightning struck it, imbuing it and her body with blue electricity, ready to fight and save the world one more time.

“I love my job…”