The Crown Made of Wishful Tears

The stars were glimmering across the night sky with more shine to them than usual. As if they had stolen during the daytime all what they could reflect of the sun's rays. The dark firmament was glittering like a celestial painting, shadowing the earth beneath her with a strong yet ominous light, the fate of those under her reach lying within that light's flickers. For the happy eyes, the stars looked like the wishes their hearts had made while waiting for the sun light to bring it true, but for the sad eyes, they reflected their tears and the broken hopes of their souls.

These beautiful yet strange stars, glamorously lit but with a torch of a sinister promise, did not only flash briefly during Ayumi's meditation, they dominated the obsidian sky night after night. They could be spotted dangerously during the day as well if one stupidly tried to catch and gaze upon them. Stars that were challenging the bright of the sun.

"Stop looking you idiot, you will burn your eyes and go blind!"

Chisato, wearing sunglasses, harshly reprimanded the ever curious Yuki who was trying to steal glances at this abnormal phenomena every now and then along the road to the school.

"But they are amazing! Brazen enough to appear alongside the sun! they must mean something!"

"Yes, your blindness."

Yuki huffed in frustration, her friend was right after all, she could not deny. Now turning to her other friend, hanging her head down as if weighed by the dark circles around her eyes, she asked Ayumi:

"And you, what is the matter with you? Still solemn about the lecture you got from the teacher at the trip?"

Ayumi sighed rubbing her eyes, and Chisato continued trying to get a rise out of her to energize her before starting the classes:

"In front of everyone?"

"No, it is not that…"

Ayumi barely huffed through her yawns, leaving the two girls, Chisato and Yuki, two steps behind due to shock. Usually, Ayumi would keep ranting about similar situations and the injustice she received as the perfect student she is and would be deeply troubled and embarrassed, fearful of the other students silly comments or harassment... But obviously, that was not the matter.

"I just could not get enough sleep during the whole weekend! I want to sleep!"

Ayumi almost cried, and the curly head girl carefully questioned:

"Unable to sleep because of the possible punishment?"

"No! Just unable to sleep! My life doesn't revolve around the school alone!"

A third step was taken back in utter shock... Ayumi wasn't lying, she really seemed unbothered by the incident and looked just tired and sleepy, yawning every few steps. Her words were so controversial to her usual self. Her life, by her own definition and words, revolved only about being the best in school but something else was on her mind now, something that the two girls could not figure.

Indeed, Ayumi was unable to get satisfactory sleep during the weekend going through with the meditation routine Reiha advised her about, taking it more seriously than what the princess of the wind intended. But it was all in vain, she could see or feel nothing, just fragments of the same dream, and a flash of those stars, purely sinister in her vision. Reiha was a little disappointed and asked the young girl to try no more as this solution was not working, but seeing these stars now, trying to declare themselves among the morning sky had to mean something. And the princess of the wind was already investigating the matter.

***

"Ayumi… we are out of green tea for some reason…"

"Really?"

"It is so strange, I swore I bought a whole back the other day!"

Ayumi went into the kitchen to see her grandma, feigning ignorance about the fate of the previously bought green tea pack. Oh, how much she had drunk of the distasteful thing over the weekend, not only Reiha's but also her grandmother's.

"I can go now and buy some of you want. I know it helps you sleep."

"But is not now a little bit late?"

Her grandmother wondered looking at the o'clock hanging on the kitchen wall. It was nine and a half.

"It is alright, the shop is nearby, it will only take seconds."

Ayumi veered herself out of the kitchen and to the house door, wearing her jacket and shoes quickly, pushed by guilt. Her grandma did not object. The shop was fairly near, only one street ahead but that was not the problem. The problem was the gloomy small shop owner. The man had naturally sad features, and his spirit was as down and nonexistent as his smile. There was always that gloomy aura that Ayumi hated, but she kept shopping at the little place out of pity. She was not in the mood to have a negative chat about the harshness of life then again, as she was walking down the street, she thought to herself, since she holds now the power of the light can she reach his heart and help him out, just like the late Queen Amaterasu did?

"Good evening, how are you today mister Hashimoto?"

Ayumi walked in with a confidant smile, ready to try her powers out but instead of the low desperate laden voice she was used to hear, a booming hello and a cheerful smile welcomed her. Wow, she thought, was she that powerful already?!

"Hi, Ayumi, I fine! How are you and your grandma? I hope you both are doing well."

"Yes, we are fine, thanks for asking."

"I guess you are here for some green tea, I know your grandma well!"

"You sure do!"

Ayumi was answering taken by astonishment, the man had never looked that lively or was that chatty. He usually handed her the bag with a quiet nod and that was it. Did her presence alone now do this?

"You seem in a good mood today! I pray something wonderful came your way? Did you daughter finally get married?"

Ayumi asked testing the water, although the last question was out of curiosity; such a beautiful daughter he had but she was never lucky with love or marriage.

"No, but that doesn't matter, I will always be there for her! My health is still backing me I hope!"

Ayumi did not know what to answer other than with a smile, stammering to get a response out but could not. No way a man can turn this confident and cheerful over one night. Was he on something? Oh god, the poor man, was he so desperate he had to resort to this?! Was her powers like these things?!

Ayumi took the tea bag silently, leaving the change on the table before saying goodbye and leaving. The whole thing seemed too weird, she could not believe it was her powers doing.

Upon returning home, the first words Ayumi uttered were:

"Did something new or good happen to mister Hashimoto? He was unusually very friendly today!"

"Oh, you noticed this change too?"

Her grandma replied, already getting ready to prepare her favorite drink. Of course the girl had noticed, who would not notice the change from a solemn semi – silent guy into a sunshine of smiles and optimism?!

"I have not heard that anything had changed with him. Maybe he finally got therapy!"

Her grandma suggested and Ayumi did not believe that. It was too quick, although her grandmother knowing of the change assured her that it'd been going on for a few days, proving her powers were unrelated.

Despite seeming not important, Ayumi was concerned over the matter and could not tell why. The next morning, she took the long road to school just to see the man. And indeed, he was as happy and energetic as yesterday with an added element of a weird behavior. As Ayumi lingered a few minutes to watch the man while hiding behind a bush like a spy, the later would gaze upon the new strange stars as if dazed by some dream. His smile grew wider and his eyes glowed with hope, not affected by their strong heat or glittering. Ayumi glanced quickly at those stars that none could explain yet, assuming they were part of the world Reiha came from and talked about. Maybe they were the reason behind the man's sudden happiness. Confirming her theory was Chisato's tale about her depressed uncle, who lived alone and refused to see anyone. Since these stars appeared, he had been inviting the family to rekindle the dead relationship, appearing at last shaved and in a good form. He was happy without having a reason to be, for real. He was broke and divorced! The family was surprised but cheered for him and decided to support him. The problem was, that he would suddenly leave the meetings and go stare at these stars. "These stars are definitely a clue to grasp at them!" Ayumi thought to herself.

***

On her way to return home, Ayumi could not help herself but take a detour to the small market shop again, to get another glance at Mister Hashimoto. It was the afternoon and the unexplained stars, starting to get more attention out of people and media, glazed more potently as the sun was preparing to set down. Ayumi sneaked a look at the man from across the street, he was slumped on his chair. She waited for a few minutes for him to get up and gaze at the stars in order to ask him what did they mean to him and why was he doing this? What did he see in them? What was the meaning of this act? Ten minutes passed and his position did not change. Ayumi began to get worried, and hurried to the shop.

"Mister Hashimoto, are you all right?"

She called loudly but the man did not answer, so she put her hand carefully on his shoulder trying to awaken him up, but instead he only slumped down further into the ground, like dead weight. The girl jumped back from the scare before collecting herself and getting on her knees checking his pulse. He was not dead for sure but his pupils were completely turned smoky white like the color of those stars. He was stuporous, not responding to anything, as if his soul was completely in another dimension, a happy one apparently from the wide smile on his face, making his comatose state even more scary. Ayumi turned around to call for help, but before she could yell, darkness engulfed the place in an instant. Ayumi rose to her feet alerted, turning around as the darkness started to glimmer with flashing stars, the same ones that had been occupying the sky for the last few days.

"Who is there? Noboru?"

Ayumi uttered thinking the dreaded foe has finally declared his return but instead, a short white - haired girl with translucent sparkling wings appeared in front of her.

"Oh, I see you have a wish as well that is not coming true, for most part."

The little girl giggled, floating with her wings in the air then descending into Ayumi's eyes level without touching the ground.

"Do you want me to make you live your wish?"

This time she was asking seriously, but getting no response from the girl, she huffed in boredom. Planning on getting back to her, she took a short flight to the man sprawled on the floor. Seeing this, Ayumi got back to her senses, yelling at the girl with wings:

"What are going to do to him?"

"I am claiming my price. In the end, I made him live his wish and he will never be happier from now on."

The flying fairy – like girl declared triumphantly, as she extended her hand to the lying man and when Ayumi tried to jump her, she pushed her with a strong flutter of her wings sending her back to the ground. She then proceeded to claim her prize as she said, extracting a white light out of the man's body and absorbing it into the large silver scepter she held in her hand.

"What are you doing? What is this?"

The girl turned at her, intoxicated by the power flowing her scepter and body, coming from that sliver light.

"This man has always been miserable, he was never able to attain happiness until the stars decreed he deserves a chance."

"What kind of chance?"

Ayumi asked furiously, and the girl continued with her childish voice:

"The same chance I am offering you. A chance to live the happy fantasy you cannot attain."

Ayumi was taken back for a moment with this offer, but she shook her head refusing to listen to this insanity and retorted in anger:

"And what is you price? What did you extract out of him?!"

"His soul, simply. People's desperate souls when turned satisfied by their fantasies coming true supply me with infinite power. As you can see for yourself, I am keen on harvesting it all!"

The fairy – like girl, who looked innocent in appearance was clearly not that innocent in her mind and heart, went on after witnessing Ayumi's shock.

"It is a fair trade, he gets to live happy and he doesn't need his soul in his fantasy world."

"And what about his family? The ones who care for him?"

Ayumi almost shouted, repulsed by the idea but the fairy girl was surprised to hear these words, unable to understand where the wrongness lied in her "offers and trade".

"Honey, you are so innocent! His family would be better off without a dead weight bringing only misery and negative thoughts into their lives! He is free now and so they are. He would not accept the offer if he did not know this as well!"

"I don't' believe that! How many people have you been doing this to them? Is this the work of those strange rebellious stars?"

"Rebellious?" The girl laughed in amusement with a hint of pride.

"Yeah, you could say they are rebelling against the rule of a useless sun! The queen of the sun had long been dead, and no one could soothe another... So I returned with this perfect offer! And I still intend to offer it you, I can sense it in your heart!"

The girl flew closer to Ayumi, gently touching her heart. The girl watched this silently as she started to think that what Noriko and Reiha were dreading was becoming real. Evil creatures, in response to Amaterasu's lost power, are beginning to emerge and make their moves. But unfortunately for that fairy believing she was doing people good by leaving them to rot in fantasy, she could not pick up that she was standing directly in front of the girl holding that lost power.

"Don't be surprised, my new power allows me to touch what is in people's hearts and realize their deepest wishes that were sadly unaccomplished by their cruel fates. I am Esther, one of the princesses of the stars! And now I can read your heart!"

The princess of the stars, as she had introduced herself, laid her hand flatly against Ayumi's chest. It was warm and calming, but now that the girl knew what laid beyond this touch, she could feel the deception carried by that hand. She stepped backward, pushing Esther's hand away and ready to unleash her power even at the cost of burning her hands again, hoping she could wake the man up from this false trap of happiness. In retaliation, the fairy with the speed of a shooting star, was facing her, their noses almost touching, she held one of Ayumi's hands with a strong grip while sneaking the other one on Ayumi's heart again stating:

"Poor girl yearning for what she cannot define yet, or more accurately... dare not declare to her rigid fearful mind! But I can help you, with this I defiantly can!"

The fairy took a few steps back, taking out of her silver semi – transparent dress a little golden crown. A crown which Ayumi immediately recognized from her recurrent dream and flashed during her meditations; Amaterasu's crown!

"How did you steal this?"

"You know of it? I didn't steal it, I just happened upon it to my good fortune. You know, the stars of fortune and fulfillment are on my side!"

Esther explained innocently as she admired her precious find. then, she locked eyes with Ayumi suggesting once more, tireless of the trials and persuasion. 

"Now girly, should I make your dream world come true?"

The princess of the stars tried to persuade the teenage girl with the unparalleled shine of the golden crown and for a moment Ayumi's heart was taken by the golden pure light... maybe she could be reunited with her parents once more, maybe she could escape her boring routine she calls a life, away from any stress, free from any bonds of grieve and yearning for those long gone. The fairy smiled, thinking she finally managed to reach to to the girl's heart at last. However, Ayumi was not a lost cause yet, one quick glance by accident at the unconscious man was enough to shake her up. Fearing she might lose herself again, Ayumi shoved the princess away, unleashing a similar pure golden light out of her hands with a painful cry. 

"Excuse me if I claim to know myself better than you do!"

The fairy was quite surprised upon witnessing the beam light before fading and disappearing.

"That light... Are you her reincarnation?"

"No, I am even better!"

Ayumi gloated, knowing this not to be true, but it was a failed attempt to scare her enemy. The fairy was pushed back few miles, but she was in her own territory of the night stars, she could not be harmed easily, and she did not find Ayumi, despite this power any threat in her current position and situation. The fairy of the stars clearly held the upper hand and she was determined on persuading the young girl into giving up to her dreams and fantasy, seemingly finding a fresh perfect prey.

"I don't know how you came across this power, but it is obviously not much and not to your advantage!"

The fairy smirked watching Ayumi gnawing in pain at her burnt hands.

"This power is not what you want or need. You have a longing that I can fulfill it!"

The fairy spoke to the young pained girl, fluttering her lustrous wings. The darkness submerging the place, the fairy's territory apparently, concealed their existence from the outsiders' vision, and grew thicker while the stars shone brighter and brighter, like a magnet pulling from the teenager's heart a wish, sealed and hidden deep inside, remaining dormant for so long, or forced to lay as such. Ayumi's body was shaking a little the same way her thoughts were being tossed inside her mind, slowly following the stars trail. Could it truly delineate the path she herself could not draw for a dream she yet could not totally unfold out of its cocoon? Her heart was tired, yearning for an adventure, for new people, missed ones and new ones. She suddenly felt her legs giving up, heavy beneath the burden of that dream. Something different, something far away from all this world's rules and pretentiousness. The smile she wore all the time in an attempt not to worry anybody, in order to keep a stoic yet funny and lovable character was crushing her all of a sudden. Her hand reached to one of the stars trying to grasp it, it was surely to hurt her skin and flesh, such searing shine... Then, amidst her slowly woven daydream, came the vision of her lonely grandma who gave her more than what she could actually afford, both in emotions and in lifestyle, who had been working hard solely for her granddaughter's sake until her retirement, spending her pension for the single purpose of her only granddaughter's happiness. Why was her grandma not a part of that dream? Why was not she a step on the ladder of escape? How selfish could Ayumi be?

The fairy watched the struggle, portrayed dynamically on the girl's face, in amusement. She was finally ready to embrace the stars' light, and the fairy would get a soul potentiated by a power she could never imagine having before. Nevertheless, the young girl's hand that was about to reach to one of the most illuminated stars , fast, like a dash of light, changed its direction snatching the crown out of the fairy's hands. The latter shrieked in anger failing to anticipate this turn in events.

"You think you have just won because you got the crown? I can take it just as easily as before! And know you ignorant brat that this crown won't be able to bring your dream to life, and neither will your power!"

The fairy fluttered her wings furiously, conveying her anger and disappointment but Ayumi did not care now that her self – confidence was restored by being able to snap out of that "selfish" ambiguous trance and claim the golden crown that did not, thankfully, burn or hurt her. The fairy prepared for an attack, flapping her wings and stirring stardust as she waved her sliver specter. Ayumi held the crown in her hand awkwardly, unable to tell how to use it or channel her power through it and the fairy's smile widened in mockery at the girl's obvious delimma.

"Maybe you don't wish for your dream, but I still wish for that power! My power!"

Ayumi did not pay mind to Esther's last comment, she was trying to focus and channel her next attack through the crown, the surrounding environment not helping her at all, but was that what she was supposed to do? Could the crown restore the slumbering people's souls? Esther flew toward her but before the two items of silver and gold clashed, a storm flew across the territory of night sky blowing out the stars' light as if they were feeble candles. The fairy turned around, scare showing on her face for the first time.

"That cursed wind…"

"Reiha!"

Ayumi exclaimed happily, and in an instant, Reiha manifested out of her storm. Seeing the crown secure in Ayumi's hands, finally getting her chance to breach the princess of the stars' barrier, she directed her speech at the fairy princess.

"Esther, I see you are still trying to take your doomed opportunity whenever you can."

"Come on Reiha, you don't seem like an early lark to me, you look more like a night owl, you must prefer my stars to the sun! I know you do!"

The fairy retorted snickering, her stars revealing to her something about the princess of the wind that Ayumi could not see. However, Reiha did not respond, not even with a sharp glance. She was already preparing her next storm to deliver the final blow.

"Do you not have a wish? I know you do, these stars can make it come true!"

"A pathetic excuse of a princess like you know nothing of me, I am woman who has no wishes but still gets whatever she desires!"

Ayumi could not but gape at the princess of the wind cool response, how solemn that woman was yet at the same time she could be a real sarcastic confident princess, no, not a princess... a queen of the wind was more befitting her elegance and strength. The fairy was now being pushed by anger over the edge she was trying to throw the princess of the wind of.

"If you think I am alone, you are wrong!"

The fairy declared in ultimate credence, calling loudly for her twin sister princess.

"Seira!"

Ayumi went near Reiha, preparing for the other fairy's appearance but it was not dramatic at all. A similar fairy in build and appearance floated for a little while in daze, before collapsing on the ground, her wings torn by vicious roots Ayumi knew too well.

"I guess I am the one who is not alone...."

Reiha commented, turning to the side Chiyasu barged from, flaming with anger as she threw the defeated beaten up fairy in her sister's face.

"Surprisingly..."

She added, no intention of sneering or judging the princess of the earth. Esther stood astonished at the sight, calling hopelessly to her fainted sister.

"Don't worry, I have not killed her yet!"

Chiyasu clarified, no intention in soothing the worried twin sister of course.

"I am getting to this, at my pace!"

"You monster princess! We are just alike!"

Esther seethed through her clenched teeth, her wings fluttering dangerously as her specter glowed with a baleful light.

"Do not you dare compare my earth, a principal element ,to your fantasy shit! You sister crossed her line long ago thinking I was an ordinary human being, offering to grant my wish, as if it will ever be granted!"

The princess of the earth spat out, her eyes flowing with disdain and rage, which were intensified upon hearing the next feebly uttered words.

"Poor Chiyasu, you fight and fight, only in a vain attempt to free your anger. It is true after all, you wish will never come true!"

Seira, the badly injured fairly resting at her crouching sister's lap muttered barely, getting every ounce of mockery and pity she could out of her battered body.

"Enough!"

It was Reiha who intervened this time, fearing Chiyasu's anger will cause more damage than help and destroy the lost souls in its path of wrath. Commanding her wind into a giant blow, in mere seconds the two fairies dissipated in a beautiful sliver light, ethereal sparkles like morning dew and truthful tears, their dark territory vanishing and their stars dimming into disappearance like lost dreams.

"Why did you do that? I was about to finish them both!"

Chiyasu objected but Reiha paid her no mind, merely answering.

"I don't plan on destroying people's souls, you could not maintain your anger at that moment."

Chiyasu wanted to object again, but the wind princess was right, she was not supposed to harm innocent souls and people in this realm as an element princess but she had no idea how far her spontaneous attack would go. Having finished what she came for, the princess of the earth was about to leave before the gleam of unsullied gold caught her eyes that widened in surprise at seeing the crown.

"So that's how they grew their power and escaped into this world!"

"Unfortunately. It seems that the barrier between this world and ours is weakening. We have grown old yet are not freed yet, and Noriku's powers are not helping much anymore, the priestess had been dead for centuries as well."

"That woman's powers are calling to all the creatures seeking to possess them or take revenge!"

Ayumi did not need anyone to clarify that the earth princess was speaking of Amaterasu, the same tone of hatred was one indication. The girl carefully jumped into the conversation:

"Maybe we should have interrogated them more before… destroying them… maybe they knew where the other items are."

Reiha saw the point but shook her head, it was to no avail.

"I assume the items have been stolen and separated among different creatures and worlds perhaps. If they knew anything of the other items, they would have went after them before revealing their existence."

"Maybe they just wanted what belonged to them."

Chiyasu suggested with resentment as she looked at the golden crown in Ayumi's hand, and Esther's words describing the crown as "her power" came into the girl's mind. She asked in a careful tone:

"What did Esther mean that this was her power, the crown?"

Reiha remained silent, and Chiyasu quickly answered as she would never waste a chance to scorn the dead queen. 

"That crown did not belong to Amaterasu, it was not even golden!"

"It originally belonged to the two stars' princesses?"

Ayumi asked suspiciously, knowing Chiyasu had a tendency to exaggerate things when it came to the dead Queen.

"They abused their powers, so Amaterasu purified the crown and claimed it."

Reiha intervened much to Chiyasu distaste. Nevertheless, the latter went on with her story:

"Keep telling yourself that. They clearly did not see eye to eye and wanted to handle the power of the stars differently. The stars are a reflection of the light of the sun, and Amaterasu did not want to waste a single attribution to increase her power and dominance."

Ayumi looked at Reiha waiting for her argument that did not come. She looked at the crown asking:

"So... should I keep it?"

"Of course you should, it is yours!"

Reiha bolted the answer quicker than usual, a slight irritation drawn on her face and reflected in her tone. On the other hand, the princess of the earth raised an eyebrow in surprise to Ayumi's question.

"Keep on that mask girl, it will fall apart faster than you think."

She commented before disappearing as well. Ayumi looked at Reiha waiting for answers. The latter sighed and explained.

"It not untrue that the stars fairy abused their given powers, drowning people in illusion and fantasies. That was not Amaterasu's vision of soothing ailing hearts, it was not her definition of "peace of mind". She wanted people's happiness to be real, the way it has never been for her. She obviously gained the upper hand and the crown chose her, turning gold under the influence of her power."

This version was a middle ground between Reiha and Chiyasu's point of view, and it was partially satisfactory for the young girl to hear, but Reiha still felt the urge to clear all the doubts, so she went on:

"This crown is Amaterasu's, using it she became the queen and was able to reach to people's heart. That crown is not gold or silver. It is made by the countless wishes and tears of those who had never seen their dreams come true, and Amaterasu alone understood their pain. That is why, she was the perfect guardian for the crown and the most suitable to use its power wisely to help people grow out of their despair and seek their dreams."

"I see. If it is this way… I trust you, Reiha."

Reiha did not comment, but merely asked Ayumi to try the power herself, pointing at the sleeping man, still clutching at his dreamed world and happiness, false it may be. Ayumi kneeled beside the man, the crown in one hand, putting the other gently at the man's shoulder.

"Mister Hashimoto, I know your life has not been easy and there is much we don't know about. But still, your family and your daughter, they need you! You are a good man, and so is everyone bewitched by those false stars' light. I truly pray for your happiness and the strength to attain it!"

Ayumi talked to the unconscious man, directing the words at the same time at herself unknowingly. To her surprise, the man started grunting and waking up.

"Mister Hashimoto!"

Ayumi shouted in a mixture of surprise and happiness.

"See, that was what the crown was meant to do."

Reiha spoke encouraging Ayumi and lifting her spirit up.

"So all the trapped souls have been set free now?"

"I presume so. Your sincere words and concerns about them resonating with your own, had definitely reached out to them."

"I see…"

Ayumi whispered, holding tightly to the crown, while the princess of the wind words replayed in her mind.

"Your sincere words and concerns about them resonating with your own..."

Reiha clearly knew how to read people without needing anything being spelled out to her but Ayumi was already too tired to dive into the subject. She already had to come up with an excuse for the lying man.

"Please be careful and hold strongly to what is yours now!"

Reiha demanded gently from the girl, who finally showed a little glimpse of the true power she had and its true meaning.

"I will, don't be afraid!"

Ayumi promised the princess before the latter disappeared as well. She hid the crown between her clothes, the crown made from the thousands tears shed over the wishes and unfulfilled dreams, turning into desperate prayers.