Chapter 18: 017: Pie’s Wisdom
A few days passed after the departure of Fugaku with some clansman. As suggested, Sora gave the katana to Fugaku as a token of love and protection. Now, Sora stood outside the familiar threshold of his inner world, pondering Senbonzakura's enigmatic parting words. "You may try to control your soul," echoed in his mind, stirring a mixture of curiosity and apprehension within him. He glanced around, taking in the surreal landscape that seemed to shift with his thoughts—a testament to his growing influence over this domain of his mind.
The concept of controlling souls felt weighty and profound. What did it mean? How could he even begin to understand such power? Senbonzakura had always been a mentor, but now, the path ahead seemed murkier than ever.
With a deep breath, Sora attempted to focus, recalling the techniques he had read about in his favorite manga, games and movies—the "K method" for fixing problems by not focusing on them. Closing his eyes, he tried to let go of his anxieties, embracing the tranquility of the moment. And so, he embarked to the village in search of pie.
Due to war, many of the establishments were closed so he wasn't successful. Disheartened by this, Sora wandered into a quiet corner of the village and stumbled upon an inconspicuous ramen shop. Its entrance was unassuming, the sign was new and a welcoming warmth emanated from within. Sora pushed open the door, greeted by the aroma of simmering broth and the sound of clinking utensils.
"Welcome," a gentle voice called out. Sora looked up to see a woman with kind eyes and a warm smile behind the counter. "Please, take a seat wherever you like."
Grateful for the invitation, Sora settled at the counter, the afternoon sunlight filtering through the curtain. The woman approached with a menu, her presence calming amidst Sora's swirling thoughts.
"It may seem like an odd request, but, Is there any pie in the menu?"
"Yes, it's on the menu, but sorry, we're out of pie today," she apologized softly, noticing Sora's disappointed expression.
"Oh, that's alright," Sora replied politely, trying to hide his lingering disappointment. "I'll just have a bowl of ramen, then."
"A BOWL OF MISO RAMEN DEAR" the woman said to the man behind the curtains
"Got it" said a man in the back
As the woman waited with Sora, she started some small talk.
"You seem like a good kid. What brings you here today? Oh and it's Momo for you dear"
Sora hesitated for a moment, then decided to open up a bit. "My name is Sora miss,I was looking for pie, actually. It's silly, but I really wanted some pie today."
Momo chuckled warmly. "Pie has a way of comforting us, doesn't it? But sometimes, what we find when we don't get what we want can be just as special. Just like me, my dream was to be a successful kunoichi but I became a chef and with that I met my husband Teuchi.The ways of life are unexpected, but they have a way to make us meet our destiny"
Sora nodded thoughtfully, sensing there was more to her words than just pie. "How did you and Teuchi start meet?" he asked, genuinely curious.
Momo's smile softened with nostalgia. "It's a long story, but it began when we were kids. I was an aspiring kunoichi, but it diidn't work, so he comforted me. We were neighbors and childhood sweethearts, so when my plan did not work, I wanted to help him to accomplish his goal. He was an aspiring chef, so we traveled through the land of fire in search of new flavors and came back to the village for our newborn. Together, we built this place from scratch. We even have our own accident-prone little helper."
Just then, a loud crash echoed from the kitchen. Momo's expression shifted briefly to concern before she composed herself and turned off the stove with a flick of her finger, as if by some unseen force.
Sora watched in awe, realizing there was more to Momo than met the eye. "You have a special gift," he remarked softly, not wanting to startle her.
Momo smiled knowingly. "Some call it a gift. I just see it as a part of who I am."
Just as Sora was about to ask more, a small figure darted out from the kitchen, tears streaming down her face. It was Ayame, Teuchi's daughter, a young child with a shy demeanor.
"Mama, I dropped it," the girl sniffled, pointing at an empty pan on the floor.
Momo knelt down, comforting her daughter with a gentle embrace. "It's alright, sweetheart. We'll clean it up together."
Teuchi darted through the curtains to console his daughter.
At first, Sora wanted to warn him to be careful and not collide with Momo, but he phased through her like she wasn't even there.
Sora opened his eyes wide, trying to come up with an explanation.
"Dont worry Ayame, the pan was empty and you didn't break anything" consoled Teuchi to his little daughter
Before Sora's eyes, the curtain behind them swayed gently, as if moved by an unseen breeze. He watched in astonishment as Momo, Ayame's deceased mother, intervened, effortlessly turning off the stove with a telekinetic gesture to prevent the food from burning.
Ayame's tears stopped, comforted by her mother's presence and his father's hug.
Sora felt a shiver run down his spine—a realization finally dawned on him.
"You… you're a ghost," Sora whispered, his eyes widening with understanding.
Momo glanced at him, her gaze soft yet confirming. "Yes, I am."
Sora took a deep breath, absorbing this newfound truth. "And you turned off the stove… using your soul."
Momo nodded gently. "It's something I learned to do after I passed away. Sometimes, the love and care we have for our family transcend the boundaries of life and death."
Sora felt a surge of self realization—the power to control souls, to influence the world around him through spiritual energy, it was within his grasp. He was a "fullbringer", capable of controling souls, just as Senbonzakura had hinted. He finally solved the puzzle.
As Teuchi finished comforting Ayame and they began cleaning up together, Teuchi appeared through the kitchen door, he apologized for the mishap.
"I'm sorry, Momo. I was held up" Teuchi said, his voice tinged with regret.
Momo smiled warmly, her eyes shimmering with affection. "It's alright, dear. Sora here kept me company."
Teuchi glanced at Sora with a knowing look, silently acknowledging their shared understanding of the spiritual realm.
"Does she also…?" sora asked pointing to the little ayame.
"For now, yes, children have a way until they eventually forget it, or maybe no and she keeps her gift as she grows. Teuchi did not had it at first, but it seems my presence helped him to awaken something. The ways of life are unexpected, that keeps it interesting" said Momo while Teuchi went back to the kitchen to cook his meal
As Sora finished his ramen, he felt a sense of peace wash over him. In this humble ramen shop filled with the warmth of family, both living and departed, Sora realized that his journey had led him to a profound revelation—a deeper understanding of his own abilities and the mystery of souls.
A/N: I failed my classes and it was horrible, I gave my best and failled miserably... Oh well, that is life I guess. You can make everything right (or what you think that is right) and still fail. So, now I am in my winterbreak and I will try to post more often.
So now the reveal that Sora is a fullbringer, and everything that it entails. I thought about his fighting style and realized that, while his disney princess song could (and will) have unexpected results, he needs an offensive tool in the short term, so yeah, expect a little training arc and then we start the war arc. I want to explore some characters and motivations (so, expect some whacky and weird reasons that I come up with, for the desicions that some characters took in the manga/anime).
Oh well, as always, please have a beatiful and nice day.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
charlesmc
charlesmc Creation is hard, cheer me up with some stones!
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone