Day 62

[from StarLight]

With a flourish, Sanae's transformation was complete once more, the energy of the White Star Emblem surging through her body as she clutched the transformed artefact in her hand. "Alrighty then!" she declared confidently. "Let's go defeat a giant water serpent! Wow, didn't think I'd be saying that when this show started."

Sanae jumped up off the floor, and instead of coming back down, she found herself floating two feet up in the air. At first it was a strange sensation to get used to, but by channelling the energy of the Emblem, and concentrating on where she wanted to go, Sanae found that she was able to fly around her bedroom with ease. "Hey, this is easier than I was expecting!" she exclaimed. "Pretty fun, too!"

"The longer you take, the more damage that monster can do to the city," said Kousen sternly, watching on unamused. "I know you're still finding your feet, but you can find your feet on the way there."

Sanae sighed. "Fine," she said, coasting to a halt by the window. "You know, the audience are probably going to end up not liking you."

"As long as the city of Mitsuzawa is safe, that's all that matters to me," said Kousen. "I know you probably resent me pushing you like this, but I feel that I have to, for the good of the city."

Sanae nodded, and unlocked her window, throwing it open. "Well, now that I've gotten the hang of flying, this'll be the fastest way out."

Kousen nodded, but then a thought occurred to her. "Wait, what about your parents? Shouldn't you tell them you're going out somewhere, so they don't panic that you've gone missing?"

"My parents aren't home," said Sanae. "They're archaeologists, they spend all their time working at dig sites. They dug up your Emblem, actually, at a site just outside of town. That's how I got hold of it."

"I see," said Kousen. "That must be hard, not having your parents around."

"Actually, it's kinda convenient from a story perspective," said Sanae. "I mean, if my parents were to walk in here right now and see me like this, and you… just being there… that would be really awkward, you know?"

"True," said Kousen. "Although I don't think I mentioned this, but since my existence is still tied to the Emblem, you're the only one who can see me. Other than the audience, of course."

"That's also pretty convenient," Sanae remarked. "But wait, won't that make it look like I'm talking to myself?"

"I suppose so," admitted Kousen, "but if you fly high enough, nobody should notice."

"Alright then," said Sanae, nodding. "Let's go!"

Sanae turned back to the open window and flew through it, soaring out into the open sky. After taking a moment to enjoy the freedom of flight, she looked back at the house and noticed Kousen was still hovering above it, seemingly frozen in place. Curious, she flew back over, and noticed the youkai staring blankly into the horizon with a look of sheer amazement on her face. "What's wrong, Kousen?" Sanae asked her.

It took Kousen a moment to respond, and when she did, her voice was quiet and awestruck. "This is not the Mitsuzawa I remember," she said.

Sanae followed Kousen's gaze, looking out into the horizon. They were only about thirty feet up, but even at this altitude it was possible to get a sense of just how large the city was - much bigger than in Kousen's day. In the distance, the tall skyscrapers of the central business district were clearly visible, dominating the skyline. The cars passing by below looked surprisingly small considering they weren't all that high up.

There was a low roar as an aeroplane passed by high above them, and Kousen suddenly looked up, alarmed. "What is that?!" she exclaimed, eyeing the unfamiliar contraption with astonishment. "Another monster?"

"That's just an aeroplane," explained Sanae. "It's a flying machine that lets people travel to faraway places."

"That's a… machine?" Kousen repeated in disbelief. "That's a contraption that humans built? And it flies?"

"Yep," said Sanae. "And it only crashes, like, once in a million flights, which is pretty good if you think about it."

"You humans have made so much progress since I was gone," said Kousen. "It is truly remarkable."

"Yeah… hey, wait, weren't you the one saying we had to hurry up and defeat that monster as soon as possible?" said Sanae suddenly. "Come on, we can admire humanity's accomplishments later! Right now we have to go save people!"

Kousen nodded, shaking herself out of her bewilderment. "You're right," she said. "I'm sorry. I guess both of us are going to need some time to adjust to things, but right now, we need to worry about stopping that monster instead. Let's go."

"Let's," said Sanae, nodding. The two of them flew off, heading towards the monster's roars which they could now hear even from across the city. "So," asked Sanae suddenly, "how do I actually fight this thing?"