Percy Jackson: The Firstborn

Kyoto

Inside one of the most important shrines in the city of the yokai, the scent of incense drifted gently through the open corridors while a light breeze stirred the paper streamers hanging from the wooden beams. Beyond the veranda, carefully maintained gardens stretched toward the forest, their ponds and stone paths almost completely still except for the occasional ripples caused by a passing koi. Without a doubt, it was a truly beautiful place.

At the center of the room sat the well-known Yokai Queen, Yasaka, positioned gracefully beside a low tea table. She maintained her usual elegant posture despite the exhaustion hidden behind her serene expression. Her long golden hair fell over her shoulders, blending naturally with the magnificent nine tails resting behind her. To anyone visiting Kyoto for the first time, she represented exactly what they would expect from the ruler of the Youkai: a dignified and refined leader who appeared impossible to unsettle. Only those who truly knew her would notice the faint exhaustion lingering around her golden eyes.

Across from her sat Amaterasu. Aside from being a close friend of Yasaka, she could also be considered the authority above her. At that moment, the two women were simply enjoying each other's company. A simple tea set rested between them as they drank slowly, allowing themselves to forget, even if only for a few minutes, the countless responsibilities resting upon their shoulders.

Amaterasu calmly lifted her cup and took another sip. Her amber eyes, very similar to Yasaka's, remained on the kitsune for several moments before she finally spoke.

"You're worrying too much."

Yasaka gave a faint, tired smile, though her expression conveyed more resignation than anything else. She placed her own cup elegantly on the table before responding.

"I know, Amaterasu-sama, but I am the leader of Kyoto. At this point, worrying is practically part of the position. If I ever stopped doing it, I'm fairly certain the elders would assume I had been replaced."

Amaterasu tilted her head slightly.

"I don't know why you even give those old fossils the time of day. All they have to do is listen to you and obey. After all, none of them would be capable of leading as well as you. Besides, if they ever truly cause you trouble, you know you have me."

The firmness in her voice made it clear why she was the leader of the Shinto Pantheon.

"Thank you, Amaterasu-sama." A small smile appeared on Yasaka's beautiful face at her friend's support. "But I would rather keep you out of those matters. Someone like you should only appear when the situation becomes serious enough for everyone to start panicking. If I relied on you for every problem, I have no doubt that some yokai clans would eventually lose respect for me. They might even abandon my faction and join the Eastern Yokai Faction... and that is the last thing I need right now."

"Hm... you're right." After thinking about it for several seconds, Amaterasu was forced to agree. "That could become a problem not only for Kyoto, but for all of Japan."

The goddess took another sip of tea before continuing with her usual calmness. "Even so, never doubt that I am capable of solving any problem."

She paused briefly. "Although sometimes I prefer to allow people to solve their own problems whenever they can."

"I know."

The conversation naturally faded into a comfortable silence once again. Neither woman felt the need to continue speaking. They had known each other for centuries and had already held conversations like this countless times. As the years passed, those topics had become so familiar that they inevitably returned to them again and again. That was simply how life worked when one lived for so long; sooner or later, even conversations began to repeat themselves.

That was even more apparent between Yasaka and Amaterasu. Although the nine-tailed kitsune deeply respected Amaterasu as the supreme deity of the Shinto Pantheon, at some point over the centuries, their relationship had stopped being merely that of a ruler and her protector. Thanks to the constant support the Shinto Pantheon had provided to the yokai faction under Yasaka's leadership, that respect had gradually developed into a sincere friendship that both women deeply valued.

Yasaka's gaze eventually drifted toward the shrine gardens, where several shrine maidens could be seen tending to the flowers.

"Kunou has been asking about you quite a lot lately," Yasaka said with a faint smile. "Apparently, she's convinced that you've been avoiding her."

The kitsune's words seemed to immediately capture the goddess's genuine attention. Amaterasu raised an eyebrow before letting out a small laugh.

"I've been busy dealing with a few matters."

"I told her exactly that." Yasaka laughed softly as she remembered the conversation. "She looked at me with the most serious expression you could possibly imagine and informed me that adults always use being busy as an excuse whenever they don't want to play."

Amaterasu let out a quiet laugh at that.

"...She gets smarter every time I see her."

"I wish she didn't," Yasaka replied, causing Amaterasu to look at her curiously.

"What are you saying? Don't you want your daughter to be intelligent?"

"That's not it." Yasaka gently shook her head before tracing one finger around the rim of her cup. "I simply want her to remain a child for a little longer. Every year she understands more... and that means she is beginning to notice things I would rather she didn't."

The kitsune's expression slowly fell, revealing the deep sadness she had been hiding.

"Unfortunately, she is already beginning to realize how busy I am. She notices every time I leave early to attend to my responsibilities and whenever I return late at night." Yasaka lowered her gaze toward her cup before adding, "It has reached the point where she recently asked one of the maids whether I ever get any days off."

Amaterasu listened in silence without interrupting her.

Yasaka let out a small sigh before continuing.

"And unfortunately, there is nothing I can do. Every morning there is another meeting related to disputes between the clans, not to mention the elders' constant requests. There were already many after the Nekoshou incident, but after what happened with the devils, they have become much worse. Everyone wants reassurance that Kyoto is still stable. I understand why... they deserve at least that much. But sometimes I look back on an entire week and realize that..." She smiled bitterly. "I haven't shared a single proper dinner with my own daughter."

Amaterasu placed her cup on the table as she silently observed the woman sitting across from her. For once, she did not truly have an answer to give. She was the leader of her pantheon and had ruled as its queen for many years, so she understood better than almost anyone the weight that accompanied leadership. However, she had never had children and had not spent enough time caring for them to honestly claim that she understood what Yasaka was going through.

"Has Kunou said anything to you directly?" the goddess finally asked. It was the only thing she could do: honestly ask about the source of the problem.

"Not really, but I can see that she wants to. She simply doesn't know how." A small, tired smile appeared on Yasaka's face as she gently shook her head. "Kunou is still very young. She doesn't understand why I have to attend so many meetings or why there are days when I can barely see her. To Kunou, I am simply her mother, and I should be available whenever she needs me."

The Sun Goddess lowered her gaze toward the tea inside her cup. Until that moment, she had assumed that a child like Kunou, having grown up beside the leader of the Youkai, would eventually understand her mother's obligations naturally. However, listening to Yasaka made her recognize the reality of the situation. It also served as an example that helped the goddess understand that if she ever had a son or daughter of her own, she could not expect that level of maturity from someone who was only beginning to discover the world.

"Sometimes it is more difficult than usual," Yasaka continued honestly after noticing the goddess's prolonged silence. "She doesn't usually throw tantrums, but sometimes she insists on staying awake until I return, even when the maids try to take her to bed."

The kitsune took a moment to organize her thoughts before continuing.

"One night I returned so late that I found her asleep outside the entrance to my chambers. I had to carry her inside, and I slept with her for the rest of the night. The following day, I had to cancel two meetings because she refused to let go of me." Yasaka smiled at the memory, although the guilt remained evident in her eyes.

"Have you ever considered stepping away for a few days?" Amaterasu asked. "You don't truly have to abandon your responsibilities. Simply allow someone else to handle them temporarily."

"I have considered it," Yasaka admitted. "But every time I try to arrange it, another problem appears. Besides, there aren't many people I can trust with control of Kyoto without one of the clans attempting to take advantage of the opportunity."

Amaterasu fell silent once again. She understood that concern perfectly. Even she had to be careful when delegating her responsibilities, despite having her mother to assist her. Izanami was powerful and capable, but she was not exactly known for being the most reasonable goddess whenever something upset her. In the end, power could be delegated for a time, but trust was something entirely different.

"Then the problem isn't only that you're busy," she said after thinking about it. "You also don't trust anyone else to truly maintain order within the faction."

Yasaka looked up at her, slightly surprised by the accuracy of her words. "I suppose that's one way to put it." The kitsune sighed and adjusted one of her tails behind her. "I only hope that when Kunou grows older, she will at least understand why I couldn't spend more time with her."

Amaterasu felt deep sympathy for her friend. "And what happens if she doesn't understand?? And more importantly, what will you do if she becomes rebellious and begins to resent you?"

An uncomfortable silence fell over the room. The Sun Goddess's words had been direct and far too clear to ignore. Yasaka slowly lowered her gaze toward the table, perfectly understanding what Amaterasu meant.

"That..." she murmured after several seconds. "That is precisely my greatest fear."

Yasaka shifted slightly in her seat. She appreciated the goddess's advice, although she could not deny that she was somewhat surprised by the amount of interest Amaterasu was showing in the conversation.

"What would you do, Amaterasu-sama?" Yasaka asked after a moment. "In a situation like this."

Amaterasu took a moment to reflect. The question seemed simple, but it forced her to imagine a life completely different from the one she had lived until now. She could picture herself ruling Takamagahara while trying to raise her own children, divided between her duties and her desire to remain close to them. The thought of returning every night only to discover that they were already asleep felt far more unpleasant than she had expected.

"I wouldn't allow my responsibilities to consume all of my time," she finally replied. "I would continue fulfilling my duties, but I would establish boundaries from the beginning."

"Boundaries?" Yasaka asked curiously.

"Periods of time when no one would be allowed to interrupt me unless there was a genuine threat. That would make it easier to reserve certain days to spend with them. If someone tried to summon me over some insignificant dispute during that time, they would have to wait."

A small smile appeared on Yasaka's lips. "That sounds very strict."

"It would be necessary if I truly wanted to spend time with my own family," Amaterasu made clear, leaving no room for discussion.

"And what if someone in Takamagahara complained about your absence?" Amaterasu looked at her as if the answer was obvious. "As far as I'm concerned, they can go to Yomi and cry all they want. I would never change my mind."

Yasaka burst into laughter at the goddess's firm response. "I suppose no one would dare oppose the mighty Sun Goddess."

Amaterasu ignored the kitsune's small tease and continued thinking aloud. "I also wouldn't want them to be raised entirely by servants. I would prefer to leave them in the care of a close friend, my mother, or even Izanagi rather than allow some ordinary servant to be completely responsible for them."

Yasaka made a slight grimace. As one of the last nine-tailed kitsune, if not the last apart from her own daughter, it was difficult for her to imagine a similar situation. She did not have a family member to whom she could entrust such a responsibility, even if she wanted to.

"Yes... I suppose everything would have been easier if my mother were still here with me," the kitsune said thoughtfully. Yasaka's fingers tightened slightly around her cup. "Although it would also be much easier if Kunou's father hadn't decided to abandon us before she was even born."

Disgust became evident in her golden eyes. Yasaka did not feel the slightest sadness whenever she thought about that man. The only thing that remained was a deep contempt that had continued growing with every passing year.

"But expecting anything from him would be a waste of time," she added coldly. "Kunou only has me, so I can't allow myself to fail her as well."

Amaterasu slowly drummed her fingers against the table. She already knew the story and fully shared Yasaka's contempt for that man. Honestly, she did not know what she would do if the father of her future children abandoned her just before they were born. She would probably make certain that he could never have children with another woman.

The goddess pushed that shady thought aside before looking back toward her friend. "You are nothing like him, Yasaka, so you shouldn't compare yourself to that man," she assured her, trying to encourage her.

"I know." Yasaka let out a faint sigh. "But that doesn't mean I don't feel guilty sometimes."

Amaterasu did not attempt to argue. She had already made her opinion clear. "I'm just saying," she replied before taking another sip from her cup.

"I also believe it is important for them to learn to be independent," Amaterasu continued thoughtfully. "But not too early. I don't want them to behave like adults before their time. I want to enjoy their childhood as much as possible."

Yasaka tilted her head slightly. It was beginning to sound more like Amaterasu was speaking to herself than advising her. "Uhhh... that's rather specific." The kitsune remained silent for several seconds as she studied her friend's expression. "It would also depend on how many children I had," Amaterasu added calmly. "If there were several, I would have to make sure I didn't give more attention to one than the others. Although each of them would undoubtedly have a different personality."

Yasaka's golden eyes widened slightly. "Several?"

"That's right."

"Amaterasu-sama..." The Sun Goddess finally emerged from her own thoughts and looked up.

"What is it?" Yasaka shifted somewhat nervously, uncertain whether she should ask the question. The conversation had begun with them discussing Kunou, but at some point Amaterasu had stopped referring to Yasaka's situation and had begun describing with far too much ease how she would raise her own children.

"Forgive me for asking something so personal," Yasaka began with a mixture of curiosity and surprise. "But after listening to you speak about all of this... are you thinking about having children?"

At the question, Amaterasu blinked repeatedly. Her red lips parted slightly, prepared to answer, but before she could utter a single word, light footsteps were heard approaching through the corridor.

A shrine maiden stopped just outside the room before bowing respectfully. "Lady Yasaka."

The kitsune looked away from Amaterasu and almost immediately recovered the same serene elegance she displayed during all of her official meetings. "What is it?"

"Serafall Leviathan is here. She says she has personally come to deliver something on behalf of Lord Damon."

Yasaka blinked in genuine surprise before instinctively looking toward Amaterasu at the mention of Damon. The question she had just asked was momentarily forgotten.

"...Serafall?"

The shrine maiden nodded once. "Yes, Lady Yasaka."

Unlike Yasaka, Amaterasu did not appear particularly surprised by the visit. If anything, a trace of anticipation appeared on her face as she remembered Damon telling her that he had a surprise prepared for her.

Not wanting to wait any longer, the Sun Goddess nodded slightly.

"Let her in."

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Thank you for reading )

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