Chiyoko: The 1 000 Generations Child

Chapter 16: Tax Evasion

Chiyoko kicked in the huge wooden doors to the Elders' Courtroom.

"You!" Sohei slammed his hands on the table. "Can't you see we're in the middle of speaking justice?" He pointed at the yokai standing in the golden cage.

"Oh, hi, Nick. Did they finally get you? Was it for fraud, embezzlement or illegally selling candy?"

"Tax evasion," Nick sighed. "You can do anything as long as you don't touch their money, apparently." Nick swirled his finger at the Elders. "So greedy."

"You!"

Chiyoko rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, Scotty. I get it. Beam him up already. I've got to talk to you. Now."

Sohei's blood boiled. He carved his fingers in the wooden table.

Makoto signed him to calm down.

Sohei dropped himself in his chair, both his arms and legs crossed. A look of displease spread widely on his face. "Hmph."

Makoto looked up at Chiyoko. They forced a calm smile, but thunder lurked behind that facade. "We're still in the middle of going over the evidence, Kizuna Chiyoko-dono. Could it wait 30 minutes?"

Chiyoko walked towards the table. "It can't wait 30 minutes," she said as she took the hammer. Her finger slid across it as she examined it closely.

She grinned. "I hereby judge Nick as not guilty!"

Chiyoko hit the hammer on the table and a golden light teleported Nick back to Earth.

"You!" Sohei slammed his hands on the table breaking it.

Ritsuko quickly grabbed her notes off the table and held it closely to her chest as her meticulous hairdo, glasses and front slightly got disshelved in the submerging panic.

Chiyoko noticed the scared Ritsuko and glared at Sohei. "Don't use all your vocabulary in one sentence, Scotty. It might hurt your brain..."

Makoto signed Sohei to calm down.

Chiyoko's grin widened. "Now that you're all done, I need a favour."

Kazumi's mouth fell open. "You come here disrespecting the Elders and then you ask them a favour?! She's gone completely mad."

"Au contraire, Bel-Air" Chiyoko replied, "my mind has never been this clear. You're going to love what I'm about to propose you all."

Reina shifted on her chair. She leaned her elbows on the table and rested her cheek on the back of her hands.

"We'll be the judge of that," she said, "Tell me, what do you have in mind?"

🔹꒰ঌ😈໒꒱🔹

Yusei shuffled towards reverend Sei. "So you're Kizuna Chiyoko's mom mom?"

"I've donated my egg cell, but it was Sakura who birthed her. So you could say she's her mom mom and I'm just her mom."

"And this Sakura is human?"

"I'm positive she is. Why?"

"A mere human-yokai can't get physically older, yet Kizuna Chiyoko has gone from a child to adult body in the time I've known her.

How is that possible?"

Reverend Sei held her hand to her chin and muttered: "Maybe the purple essence had something to do with it?"

"What purple essence?"

🔹꒰ঌ😈໒꒱🔹

The Elders listened carefully to Chiyoko's proposal.

Reina shifted forward on her chair. "After all those years running away from it, why now?"

"All these acts of kindness, they made me realize that there's so much more satisfaction in helping others than in being feared by them.

It's time for me to grow up and face the consequences of my actions.

Let me set things right."

Reina straightened her back. "You say it's time for you to grow up, Kizuna Chiyoko, but from what I see and hear, you've already grown considerably since the last time you appeared before this Court."

Reina held out her hand. Chiyoko gave her the hammer.

"We grant you your wish," Reina said as she hit the hammer on the table.