Leaving Town
The next few days passed mostly in a rush for Harry. Last minute items were purchased and packed, the matchbox sized trunk laden with anything remotely illegal passed to Biu for transport (including his sword), and that was done by noon of the Fourteenth.
Then Harry began to work. Locking himself in his bag, he activated the entire defense matrix before cast several time affecting spells. Between Tom's knowledge of theoretical arithmancy, Himiko's knowledge of chronal dilation and compression, and Salim's knowledge of experimental spell research over the course of centuries, Harry managed to compress a month inside the backpack into four hours outside. And then he began enchanting, working tirelessly to craft the projects he had in mind.
Once the 'month' had passed, Harry finally emerged, fully rested. Three phone calls later (and a rather extensive sum of money to various parties), and all three of his girlfriends were at his apartment, their time for the evening fully paid for, and at a premium; Friday nights ware always busiest, so the their time cost a lot more.
Sitting them down on his bed, he began with, "Ladies, I'm going to be leaving Roanapur soon; Sunday, actually. And I wanted you three to know that I've had an amazing time with you all. Going out, dancing, eating... It's like I was in a wonderful dream, you know? And I was hoping to spend one last evening with the three of you before I go." All three were smiling and nodding at that. "Now, I have a few... cheats that I'd like to use, with your permission. And some offers. I adore all three of you, and I'd love to see you three succeed. So, I have a way for us to spend more than a single night together, with only a night passing. When we're in there, it'll just be us, and we can talk however long we want."
All three agreed, and Harry opened up his bag. Once the three were inside, he resealed the bag, casting the time affecting spells.
"We'll be here for a week, and only a night will have passed," Harry admitted. "I have plenty of food, lots of space, and we three can all talk about anything we want."
"Harry," Zara began in her deliberate tone, "can this be taken down before this 'week' ends?"
"Absolutely," Harry replied, leading them to a spacious living room. "I just wanted us to be together, and not be cramped for time.
"First, I have a sat-phone for each of you," he began, handing them out. "When the next upgrade comes, Benny of the Lagoon Company will let you know to come by. My number is already programmed into each of them.
"Next, these bracelets," he continued, handing out three pieces of delicate gold jewelry, "are emergency items. If your life is in danger, grip it firmly and pull it off. Don't let go of it until you arrive. Urara," he commented, turning to the girl, "you come from a family of spiritualists; you've at least heard of some of this stuff. I am giving each of you a magical talisman that'll whisk you away to safety. It's a one-time use item, so please be careful.
"Next, you three want to open up your sex club. How far into that are you?"
"Maybe halfway," Eva admitted, smiling at the exquisite golden bracelet. "We are still minors here, but our accounts grow by the week. We haven't looked over potential locations yet, and we don't know who's territory we want to work under."
"So a ways away, got it," Harry mused aloud. "And being minors, you'd have to have a trustworthy adult to 'own' the place. I guess we can discuss that later."
"Harry," Urara began, "where jewels take?"
"Are you familiar with the legend of Yamatai?" Harry asked. Urara nodded that she had. "Well, we found it last July. And now I own it. That's where the emergency jewelry will take you. Once you're safe, we can find a way to bring you back, but your safety is paramount."
The next week was filled with four teenagers laughing, fucking, eating, and having an overall good time. Harry would later reflect that group sex wasn't such a bad thing, he had just been startled when it had come up unexpectedly in Shenhua's apartment. He also learned that bondage could be a lot of fun with the right partner, and that good teamwork made everything better, both in and out of the bedroom.
The 'next' morning, Harry escorted the three to their places, receiving a languid kiss from each of them before parting ways.
Then Harry visited Yakumo, offering him a phone enchanted to be linked to his life force so that he couldn't lose it, Yakumo was also offered a portkey. In turn, Harry was handed a massive stack of martial arts guide books.
Next came Shenhua, Lotton, and Sawyer. Each of them got a portkey as well, and Harry got a hug from Lotton and Shenhua. Sawyer's goodbye took rather longer.
Finally, Sunday morning arrived, and on the Sixteenth of October, 1994, Harry finally left Roanapur on the Black Lagoon. Smiling a bit wistfully from the top cupola, Harry took several photographs on their way out of the harbor.
The next two days passed relatively uneventfully, until very early morning on the Eighteenth when Dutch moored the Lagoon at a small island.
"I gotta say," Dutch began, as all five of them sat on the deck of the Lagoon, "you've been nothing but good for us, Harry. I really appreciate everything you've done with us."
"It was my pleasure, Dutch," Harry replied, a Coke in hand as he sat next to Revy against the outer bulkhead. "As far as Summer Holidays go, I've never had a better one. Good friends, good times... I'm really going to miss all this, y'know?"
"We'll still be in touch," Benny added, reclining in his deck chair, "so keep in touch yourself, yeah?"
"What about you, Rock?" Harry asked. "Are we okay?"
"I think so, yeah," Rock sighed out. Apparently, Revy was still pissed off at Rock for interfering with Harry's plan. "Neither of us was at fault, and I will miss you a bit."
"Well, let's all get some rest," Dutch commented, slowly getting up. "Tomorrow's going to be a long day in customs."
"One thing," Harry interrupted. "I have emergency portkeys for everyone," he said, handing out leather-banded watches. "These will take you directly to Yamatai. They're all one-use items, so they're a last-ditch thing. Dutch, I also took the liberty of linking yours to the Lagoon. If yours goes off. the Lagoon will instantly be portkeyed to a drydock cradle on Yamatai. It's been reserved for the Lagoon's exclusive use. I just want my friends to be safe."
Everyone went below deck, and as Harry was about to head to his bunk, Revy pulled him aside towards the engine room. Sitting him down in a chair, she sat in another, saying, "Harry, I'm really gonna miss you. I never had any family worth a shit, and then you come along, being the best brother I can ever dream of."
"And you're the perfect sister for me, Revy," Harry replied with a smile, taking her hand in his. "We're gonna be family for a long time."
Revy sniffled, wiping her nose roughly with the back of her hand. "Shit, I told myself I wasn't gonna cry. But you, taking me into your family, giving me the magic bag... And I can't give you anything... I don't know how-"
Harry leaned forward, pulling Revy into a tight hug as she wept on his shoulder. "You being here, being my family, is more than enough for me, Revy," Harry whispered. "I don't want anything more from you than for you to be safe, no matter what."
"O-okay," Revy replied, leaning back from the embrace, still sniffling.
"To that end," Harry continued with a small smile, "I do have more stuff for you." Revy's eyes rolled at that, but her smile belied her sarcasm. "First, this necklace. I had Dobby go through the Evans stuff, and then I enchanted the hell out of it. It's enchanted to be unnoticable and unremovable, and should provide damn near immunity to anything mind-affecting short of the Imperius curse, and even then, there'll be resistance. I also enchanted it with an additional portkey that'll activate on it's own if your heartbeat stops for more than ten seconds. The necklace will cast a Stasis charm on you before portkeying you to Blackpool, in a house there that I own. If you're that badly fucked up, I want you close so that I can make sure you're okay."
"Harry," Revy breathed out, running the silvery chain with it's pendant through her fingers, "this is too-"
"And then there's this," Harry continued, pulling a small, plush doll out of his bag. "This is a mini-Harry, enchanted with my scent and magical signature. God knows we both sleep best together, so I'm hoping that this will help you sleep while we're apart.
"However," Harry continued, "there is something you can do for me. First, keep being fucking awesome," he said, making her smile. "Second, in a week or two, my lawyer will be contacting you about some stuff that I need to get done. Right now she's researching if it's possible, but I do need a Legal Guardian. That you live in Thailand complicates things, but since you were adopted magically, she can get you an identity in Britain, and then I'll have you as family on both sides."
Revy frowned at that. "Harry, I can't go to fucking Britain. They'll ship my ass to the States because I escaped from prison when I was seventeen."
"No you didn't," Harry replied with a small smile. "See, Rebecca Lee escaped from a prison in America. Revy Gaunt has no criminal record. And I can alter your fingerprints permanently, if you want. Imagine it, Revy. A whole new second chance, completely divorced from the fuckups in America."
"Are you sure about this, Harry?" she asked incredulously. "I mean, will it even work?"
Harry shrugged, saying, "That's what Laura is researching now. She doesn't think it'll be much of a problem, but she's making sure."
"If it works, I'll do it," Revy answered, pulling Harry back into the hug. The two would spend the rest of the night cuddling and talking, like the close siblings that they were.
The next morning, the Lagoon cruised into what little was still intact of the shallow water docklands in Aberdeen. They all said their goodbyes, and Harry went through Customs. Having nothing to declare, they searched his backpack only to find three novels, two changes of clothes, some money, and a small bag of toiletries. His passport was stamped, and he was waived through.
Harry made a stop in the magical district of Hong Kong, which happened to be in Kowloon. Having been warned by Mr. Chang, he was still taken aback by the sheer level of lawlessness, as well as the walls made of compressed garbage. Still, he wandered in found the entrance, and once the world reoriented, walked down the startlingly clean streets of Magical Hong Kong.
At the local Gringotts, Harry got quite a lot of paperwork filled out, left messages for Slipshard and Laura Langley, and converted a great deal of money into Yen in preparation for his travels into Japan. His meeting with Darkraven was productive, as Frank Morgan had been going through him with updates on how Yamatai was progressing.
Apparently, Harry's massive repairs had paid off in spades. Scores of trucks were now in passable repair, as well as dozens of aircraft, and more than twenty ships. The bunkers were in nearly new condition, and the anti-ship cannons were in pristine condition.
As for the original buildings, most were now in serviceable condition, with only minor repairs needed to make most of them habitable. Morgan had communicated with Gringotts over Harry's investments, and had regular pensieve updates that could be used on his magical sandbox to reveal the progress of the various teams. In addition, Morgan's teams were making excellent progress in logging the very long, detailed history of the island nation.
Gringotts was kind enough to charter him private passage on an independent plane to Okinawa. Four hours later, Harry had landed in Okinawa City, gone through magical customs this time, was taught a spell to summon the local magical police while he was in Japan, and was now on the street. The ferry from Okinawa to the upper part of Japan wouldn't take off until morning, so Harry wandered once more.
Americans were everywhere, and Harry learned that there were more than twenty American military bases on the long but narrow island. Rumors abounded among the westerners, of a place called 'Whisper Alley' where fifteen minutes of carnal pleasure could be had for twenty dollars, of Hostess Clubs staffed by Philipina women desperate for American citizenship that would put out for a hundred dollars.
Harry, on the other hand, wandered around a bit more, finally managing to overhear a group of less sexually oriented Americans about a series of model shops by the sea wall, and how just up the street was a gaming store that supposedly sold dice 'by the gallon'.
Heading that way (and after Roanapur, Harry was accustomed to walking), he discovered the model stores exactly where the four nerds said they would be. Harry found an entirely new range of model kits, from plastic scale model firearms to robots, cars, and even anime characters. A little diversionary magic allowed him to purchase massive quantities of model kits without the owner becoming suspicious.
A half a block down, a window display caught Harry's eye. Blinking rapidly, he stared at the twelve foot long F-15 RC aircraft in the window. Fifteen minutes later, and a bit more magical influence, Harry walked out with three of them shrunk down in his bag, complete with spare parts, fuel, and extra controllers.
His wanderings eventually brought him to the various restaurants, and he eagerly grazed his way through Okinawa City. He then took a bus to the North end of Okinawa, hung his bag up in an alley, and went to sleep.
The next morning found Harry on the ferry, where he'd reserved a private berth. The next day, Harry got onto a train headed for Tokyo. There had been a few points where he'd had to switch trains, but it wasn't too terrible. There was an oddity in Okayama; while waiting on his transfer, he saw a young man a little older than him walking down the train station. Behind him hovered (hovered?!) a voluptuous woman with cyan hair, and behind her strode an angry woman with purple hair. They were outside of his range of hearing, so he didn't hear their very spirited discussion. Harry didn't get involved, so he simply boarded his train.
21 October, 1994
Nerima Ward, Tokyo
2:44 P.M.
Huffing in the chill (late October in Japan was beginning to get unpleasant), he approached the restaurant called the Cat Cafe. Morgan's information told him that the Matriarch of the Nyucheizu lived there, and to be careful in his dealings. Kho Lon was known to be capricious, but fair in her dealings, unless it was a matter of honor. In which case the elder would stop at nothing to achieve her goals.
Stepping inside, his eye caught that the ambiance of the restaurant was light and airy, with pale woods and cream colored walls. Signs in Japanese and Chinese advertised their extensive list of various ramen bowls, and the floor held both tables and booths. Their lunch rush was apparently over, as the place was empty.
"Nihao, customer!" claimed a cute, bubbly girl with lavender hair. "You sit, tell Shampoo you order, yes?"
"Actually, I'm here to speak with Kho Lon," Harry replied, smiling a little at the girl's ('Shampoo? Is that really her name?') exuberance.
"Of course! I fetch Great-Grandmother now!" she replied, darting into the back with a speed that Harry had never seen before. Sitting in a booth, Harry set his bag next to him to wait.
He didn't have to wait long before a rhythmic thumping approached. Looking, he was startled to see a three foot tall, extremely wizened woman hopping to his booth atop a gnarled cane. "Well now, we don't get many foreigners in here," she commented, sitting on the edge of the table. "I'm Kho Lon, or Cologne, locally. How can I help you, sonny?"
"My name is Harry Potter, and I'm the new Sun King of Yamatai," Harry replied, sketching a short, seated bow as he showed the halo of electricity. "Frank Morgan is a historian on my payroll, and he told me that Himiko and the Nyucheizu had some sort of..." Harry frowned for a moment before continuing with, "some sort of arrangement. The translation was unclear, but there was something between the two nations before Yamatai went silent."
Cologne nodded, her gaze wary. "Indeed there was. Yamatai would regularly attempt to raid us for strong, breedable women. A particularly distasteful arrangement was made, which ended seven hundred years ago. Every five years the Nyucheizu would 'donate' ten warriors in exchange for our influence to be largely expanded to other areas."
Harry stared at that admission with wide eyes. "Oh. Oh, hell no. No, I don't want anything like that, ma'am," Harry stated. "I was hoping it was a trade thing, and not the tribute thing. I'm very sorry that that happened to your people, Matriarch."
A wry grin spread across the woman's face as she replied, "At least you're polite and honest, young man. And English, interesting... So, now that you're here... Wait, how did you become the Sun King?"
Harry sighed, saying, "In July, my group shipwrecked on Yamatai. We later learned that Himiko used a regular ritual to keep herself young, but it went wrong. Seven hundred years ago, apparently;. Thank you for that; we weren't quite sure of the timeline. I had to go in and take over the magics, releasing Himiko's control over the island from her soul-bound corpse. Now I'm the new Sun King, and I have people working on the history as well as planning reconstruction."
"So you want nothing of the Nyucheizu? Ah, you don't know," Cologne commented at Harry's slight confusion. "We are better know as Chinese Amazons. We are in fact descended from the women warriors who fled the enslavement of Herakles some three thousand years ago. Our histories go back far, sonny, and we have long memories. So, what does the Sun King want of us?"
"I was hoping to renew ties," Harry admitted, "but if all of your dealings with Himiko were bad, I don't think that's such a great idea."
"Hmm. You seem like a good sort," Cologne mused aloud, "and your chi is clear. No poor intent, and hold yourself honestly. Let's say, just for supposition, that we decided to let the past lie. What would you intend?"
Harry shrugged at the question. "No idea, ma'am. I know nothing of your people, of it's wants and needs. I don't know what I can offer, or what to ask for in return. Like I said, I was looking to renew ties for a positive working arrangement."
"Good, good. You know that you don't know things, and aren't afraid to admit it," Cologne commented, a hint of admiration in her voice.
"Our village is in the mountains of the Qing Hai province of China, not far from Tibet. A harsh landscape, but we do well enough with the farming that our males produce. The women are all trained as warriors, and have to be ready at a moment's notice in case the Musk or the Phoenix People start trouble. The Socialists like to pretend that we don't exist, and we're careful not to antagonize them. My fellow council members don't like to admit it, but I know that the People's Party can wipe us out with little more than a thought if we become troublesome."
"So what does your people want?" Harry asked curiously.
Cologne sighed at the question. "Like many civilizations going back far enough, tradition rules all. Sadly, our traditions are slowly driving us to the brink of extinction. The people? Mostly, what they want is for tomorrow to be a lot like today. The council wants things to stay exactly as they are.
"But I've been in the world," Cologne continued, eyeballing Harry. "I've seen what's out there. The Nyucheizu cannot survive as they are. I want to force my people into the world, get them off of the edge of genetic extinction. Our village is maybe a thousand strong, and every year we have to track breeding records to ensure that inbreeding doesn't get too bad. And every year we have to drown a child with too many defects, that would be too much of a drain on the tribe."
"I see," Harry commented, mentally going over maps in his head. "I don't know what I could do about that, really. It sounds like your council would be against anything drastic, so I don't know what I might offer to help, or what you might offer in trade."
Cologne eyed him hard, looking him up and down. Nodding to herself, she said, "If you can set aside a place for a small contingent of my people, I can have my warriors train your people. My people get out into the world, and in return we fight at your side."
His mind whirled, variables calculated as the mental map of Yamatai was scanned. "I... can't set aside a specific place for your people," Harry slowly admitted. "After all, if I do it for one group, I'd have to do it for all of them, and there's just not enough space." Cologne nodded at the sensibility of the comment. "But if... If a full community was built, a place for everyone to live, no segregation or private reserves of land, would that work?"
Cologne's face twisted into a smile. "Show me your idea, sonny."
Harry pulled out the satellite photo, spreading it out on the table. "Here is the palace, these lines are the ship-breaking gantry system. The spots in green are the various small villages, in red are the old bunkers. This spot on the Northwest is the communications array, and this spot at the North is the old temple. Now here, on the Eastern side, is a roughly three by five mile plain. What if we were to build a city there for the permanent citizens? Everyone lives there, nobody special or left out."
"An interesting idea," Cologne admitted. "But how would you make it stick for everyone?"
Harry smirked darkly at the question. "It's a magical kingdom. If I say that that's how it has to be, then that's what it'll be."
"Sounds dangerous," Cologne replied, her eyes glittering equally darkly. "How would we know that you're be a benevolent ruler, hmm? You're young, oh so young," she continued. "It would be child's play to let that power go to your head."
"You're right," Harry admitted. "You are absolutely correct that my power could be abused. But like I told my Royal Advisor, I want Yamatai to be the most sensible nation on Earth. I want to set up laws that make sense, based on what's actually good for the citizens, rather than tradition or the whims of politicians. And if I'm going to set up these laws, then they'll need to apply to everyone, not just a privileged few."
"An interesting theory," she admitted. "I suppose we'll have to wait and see what you come up with. What are you plans so far?"
"I'm meeting with an Oni tribe, the Ezogashima, in Hokkaido in a couple of days. Apparently they were the original architects of Yamatai, so I was planning on seeing if I can get them to help rebuild. With them, I know what I want, and I'm hoping that they'll have some need that I can provide in exchange. Also, we'll be establishing a Government-In-Exile of Magical China. Allied, but not subservient," Harry added at Cologne's raised eyebrow. "We already have the Dragon Throne, so once some other things are taken care of, I will be able to provide sanctuary for some people. And it's all in accordance with an ancient treaty from the Sui Dynasty."
"Impressive and ambitious," Cologne commented softly. "I'll have to speak with the council about these developments, but I will be in touch."
"Of course," Harry replied, handing over a business card. "Something like this can't be rushed, right?"
"What's next for you, sonny?"
"Next is a train to the ferry to Hokkaido," Harry admitted, standing up. "According to the schedule, it leaves tomorrow. At least it's an express."
"Good, good. You getting business taken care of speaks well to your intentions," Cologne admitted.
Ten minutes later, Harry was approaching the train station when a young man in a long white robe stepped out from behind a pillar. Harry's wand was already in his hand as the man said, "Hello, Harry Potter. I am Mousse, of the Nyucheizu. I was hoping to ask a few questions?"
Harry sighed, jerking his head towards an empty row of benches. "Go ahead."
"Were you serious about offering the people of my village a spot on your lands?"
"Sort of?," Harry admitted. "It's more at a theoretical stage at this point, but no country can operate without it's citizens."
Mousse licked his lips, nervously asking, "What about tribal laws? Would they be in effect there?"
"Depends on if the law is sensible," Harry answered. "Of course, if the law applies for one group, it'll apply to all of my citizens. What's this about?"
Sitting down, Mousse began, "Among the Nyucheizu, there is a series of Challenge Laws. For example, if a male challenges a female to combat and wins, he can take her as his bride."
"Sounds like a recipe for spousal abuse to me, but okay."
"Would you allow such a law to continue on Yamatai?"
"Definitely not," Harry spoke definitively. "No coercion would be allowed. I have a sex demon there who'll be immune to being summoned and forced into service once the laws go into effect; she's practically swooning over the concept. But some sort of martial challenge for marriage? No, that just sounds like bad news to me."
Mousse sighed in relief. "Then it sounds like you'll at least have the support of the males of my village," he commented.
"That doesn't sound promising," Harry admitted.
"At least it'll give me something to pitch them," Mousse replied. "While the Council has final authority, the males have at least a little influence. We'll see what happens when they get back to me. In the meantime, where are you headed next?"
"I'm not sure yet. My train to Nekomi City doesn't leave until late tomorrow morning, so that leaves tonight for whatever."
"May I ask a favor?" Harry nodded. "Go to Kamurocho, in the Shinjuku ward. A friend of mine will be there, and with this going on, I won't be able to help her out."
"That's very vague, Mousse. Could you clear that up a little?"
Mousse sighed, scrubbing at his cheeks a bit. "Look for a blonde girl in a white leotard, blue mini skirt, and a red ribbon on her chest. Should be around Beam Street. She's hunting things that are hunting locals. If you could help her out, I would really appreciate it."
Harry frowned at that. "That's it? What's she hunting? Why does she need help?"
Mousse shrugged helplessly. "A couple of weeks ago, I ended up helping her take down something that was preying on people just outside of Nerima. I have no idea what it was, since it turned to powder and blew away when we put it down. But I do know that she'll be on Beam Street tonight, when other predators will be hunting. Around eleven at night. I'm sorry, but that's all I know."
"Fine," Harry sighed out. "I'll be there. I have to drop off a few things there anyway. But when I come back, we're going to talk about this stuff. I hate vague and mysterious crap."
Twenty minutes later, Mousse landed on the roof of the Cate Cafe where Cologne was waiting for him. "So, will he?" she asked.
"He said that he would," Mousse stated.
"What's your take, Mr. Part-Timer?"
"He's honest," Mousse began. "He's seen some terrible things. He has some training, but not much, and nothing like we do. His reflexes are good; he had his wand in hand as soon as my foot came out from behind the pillar. He doesn't like vagueness, prefers to be definitive."
"That was my read as well," Cologne commented, puffing at her pipe. "I suppose we'll see what we see."
"What's your take, Old Mummy?" Mousse asked.
Cologne smirked at the old 'disrespect'. "I'm unsure. Getting us out of China would seem paramount, but I'll want to see where this Sun King plans all of this going before I can consider committing the Tribe."
"What of Saotome?"
"What of him?" Cologne asked, looking Mousse directly in the eye. "Unless I miss my read on the boy, there will finally be an opportunity to breed magic back into the Nyucheizu. And he is ambitious without being pretentious; any promises he makes will be upheld."
"So long as any deals made to him are upheld as well," Mousse commented, looking out over the city. "He seems pretty straight-forward, but I'm certain that he would've done his level best to bury me if I stepped out of line."
"I saw that as well. Oh, don't look surprised," Cologne continued with a smirk. "Of course I was there. I wanted to see what he was made of just as much as you, and Shampoo is too flighty and heavy-handed for this sort of surveillance."
"Speaking of Shampoo, what of Saotome?" Mousse repeated.
Cologne sighed at the question. "Honor and tradition state that she has to bring Saotome in as her husband. But if we take the choice to move, the traditions that have protected us will no longer be appropriate. I will have to reexamine Shampoo's options."