Through the Gate! The Miko and the Mysterious Shrine! (Pt 2)

[Koneko]

Through the Gate! The Miko and the Mysterious Shrine!

(Kiyomi's Introduction and Initial Time Travel Part 2)

(Read Part 1 First)

"Huh...?" Glancing up, there was a fairly thickly wooded area around Kiyomi, then she turned to see a smaller, old-style fence only slightly guarding the shrine and no covering. "Where did... Everything go...?"

"Where am I?" The now confused miko said, looking back to the forest shrine. It was definitely the same one as she was accustomed to seeing, except the rattling of the doors had stopped and it looked in a bit better shape than it normally did. She walked up to it to examine it closer, never having been so up close to it before, though it didn't seem to have the ominous aura as usual. "That's odd," she said before trying to open the small doors just to check if perhaps there had been an animal inside, but it held firm and didn't give. Scanning her surroundings again, she wasn't sure what happened or what she could do. "Maybe I... tripped? This could be just a dream for everything to be so different, and it happened so fast I could have hit my head and not realized it..."

Kiyomi was doing her best to convince herself this wasn't real: how could she have ended up somewhere else so fast? Of course she was superstitious, heck, she knew ghosts and unusual thing were real from the gift she was born with alone. Just a part of her couldn't believe she'd just stepped through the torii right into... Somewhere else? Sometime else? She really wasn't sure herself at this point, but, even though it felt real, she couldn't think it to actually be so without some kind of indication she'd passed some kind of boundary into another place. "I'm sure I'll be waking up in my bed in a little while and mom will have gone to pick up Hiriko and Airi in my place and let them know what happened," she reassured to herself, "but, I could at least go ahead and explore a little bit... I mean I'm sure this is just a dream, so maybe it'll be an enjoyable one and i should just explore what my mind has to offer until then!"

With her mind made up, she walked back under the now Ofuda-less and nearly Shimenawa-less torii and began to wander up the path away from the shrine, at least trying to make note where it had been by landmarks and trees. While convinced it was some dream she was having, it never hurt to make sure - maybe the dream could turn into a nightmare and she'd have to run back for safety. Continuing her way down the dirt path, it was only a short ways until she heard the sound of people, it seemingly sounded like those going about their daily life. Walking closer, she then could see the outskirts of a very old-style village, then stopping again in confusion. 'Am I... dreaming about being in the past? Or maybe I'm dreaming there's a recreation of an older era near our shrine... Or maybe... Maybe I suddenly was struck by a vision?! That might be it! I connected with a past spirit that used to live here and I'm seeing a vision of their life because they want to show me something! Well maybe if I look around, I can find out what they want me to see!' Now convinced this had to do with her gift, yet still believing she must have been asleep and safe at home, she took proceeded to make her way towards the village, thinking she would not even be visible to the people there.

[Taishou89]

An old man dressed in traditional attire for a man of the feudal period casually approached down the stone path leading to the old shrine, humming a folk song as he went. Stopping when he suddenly spotted the appearance of a young shrine maiden whom he had never seen before. "Oh! Excuse me, My lady, but I have not seen you before." the man bowed to the young girl. "If thou art looking for Lady Fusae, She can be found in the village blessing the recently planted crops." As the man looked up from his bow, a sinister look shown in his eyes. "If I may inquire, where might thee be from?" The man emitted a strange and dark aura, and despite his kind smile, his intentions were ill.


Unbeknownst to Kiyomi, her unexpected travel through time, combined with the ominous comet of the ages, had caused a strange aura and energy to emit that could be sensed by any nearby yokai and spiritually gifted individual. As the man rose from his bow, a fearsome look appeared in his eyes as his iris' suddenly changed from brown to red. A hand reached out to grab for the young Shrine maiden. Until a whistling sound of a Kabura-ya arrow pierced the air and with a glowing pink aura arched and came down at an angle, through man's arm, severing it completely before landing in the ground between them and causing a small sacred barrier to separate the two and protect the young maiden. The man hissed in pain and recoiled back away from the girl and the barrier. "Stand back girl!" the voice of the older priestess, some short distance away, called as she notched and readied another arrow. 

Immediately after the arrow had touched, his human disguise began to fade as his true form appeared to reveal large upstanding gecko like creature with. Hissing in anger at the intervention of the elder priestess. Fusae had been drawn to the shrine after sensing the burst of energy and spiritual aura that had emitted when Kiyomi was transported, she had not expected to find this gecko youkai however, but was in the habit of carrying her bow and quiver wherever she went. "Away with thee, Gecko, or this next arrow will take thy life next." She ordered the lesser youkai. Pausing for a moment as he sensed the powerful aura of the old priestess, he gave her a glare and hissed loudly before turning and fleeing into the forest, deciding not to risk taking on the powerful priestess. "Art thou alright girl?" the older priestess asked as she approached, returning the arrow to it's quiver.

[Koneko]

Glancing around while taking in the sights of the path, Kiyomi could hear the approaching hum of a man she assumed wouldn't even notice her as she continued down the way. Surprise overcame her, however, as she realized the man had ceased humming and was talking directly to her. Bowing politely as hastily as she could, the miko was so caught off guard she hadn't time to glimpse at the man and still held some shred of belief this was a vision of some kind. 'I thought no one would see me, but maybe I'm in this vision as the person themselves... I guess I should just agree about looking for the Lady Fusae he mentioned, but I'm really not sure what to say about where this person I'm in place of might be from...' Having quickly deliberated at least that much from her shock, she then spoke up in apology, "Ano, please excuse me, I wasn't paying attention... Yes, I'm looking for Lady Fusae, thank yo-" Raising from her own bow as she talked, for just a moment her eyes caught a glimpse of what she swore was a lizard in place of the man while taking a small step backwards as she now finally realized the sinister aura surrounding him.

On another habit for the times she had encountered spirits that had malicious intent for her, one of her hands began to reach into her kimono to clutch for one of the ofuda she kept on her person just in case. 'Is he possessed by an evil spirit?' she thought as panic began to overcome her for what was happening. Taking another step back, her fear only grew as she could sense his dark intentions through the friendly expression he wore culminating into a shrill scream as he lunged to grab her. Then the sound of an arrow whizzing by and the sight of it entirely severing the man's hand put a look of horror on her face. "Stand back girl!" Kiyomi looked over the see an older priestess, without any further question she nodded and took a few more timid steps back, speechless from the terror of the moment as the man suddenly had turned into a giant lizard. 'He IS a lizard?! How can that be?!'

One more tinge of fright came over her hearing the gecko's hisses before she collapsed to the ground on her knees after he scurried away from the older miko's command. 'Her arrow... I can see a pure aura around it, but why did it take his hand off like that...? What was he anyways? And... and this... isn't a dream, is it... But how can it be real?' The young priestess' mind was racing, there was simply too much for the to take in all in one fast incident. Her hand had let go of the ofuda in her garb and both arms sat at her chest with her hands lightly balled, both defensively and as if trying to recover herself. "I... I'm alright..." the young woman replied slowly, finally looking up, thought her terror of the event stayed apparent, "Thank you... For stopping him, but what was he? And... where exactly am I?" Taking the hand offered to her to stand back up as Fusae offered it, she couldn't help but impose another question out loud, "Why are you talking and dressed like someone from the Sengoku Jidai era...?"

'...And... how do I get back home if this actually is real once I figure out just where and what here is...?'

[Taishou89]

As the girl took her hand and rose, "He? Oh Child twas nothing more than a minor Gecko youkai. There are many that dwell in the forest." However it was the Girl's next question had her puzzled at the strangeness of her question, but at the same time the manner in which she spoke seemed different, but perhaps she had come from a distant region of Japan where that was the dialect, but she knew of no similar sounding dialect. "Art thou well?" Fusae reached her hand out to feel the girl's forehead. Flinching for just a moment as her hand crossed Kiyomi's aura, she proceeded. "Nay, no fever" she said aloud still puzzled by the girl's strange question. Almost immediately as her hand had crossed her aura, she was able to gauge and discern that this girl did indeed have a strong spiritual aura, but not one of a youkai or otherwise related, she was indeed human, but gifted. "What is thy name, young priestess? What shrine doth thou belong to?" The older woman gazed into her clouded eyes as she tried to asses this strange young miko. From the moment she arrived she could already sense the spiritual aura of the young girl, but hadn't known if it was was her until just now. Initially Fusae had been lured when the Comet of Ages of Kiyomi's era had caused a surge in spiritual energy to emit from the shrine in this period, but finding this young girl had undoubtedly signaled that this was indeed related to the surge of spiritual energy. 'Could this be somehow related to that ominous comet in the night sky last night?' Her mind pondered as the girl introduced herself and her shrine.

 "I am Fusae Hayashi, the head priestess of the Kiso Village and shrine." The old woman continued to look over her with some curiosity "Hoshino Shrine? I know not of this shrine you speak, nor have I heard of Chiyoda nor Tokyo, is it far from here?" Fusae asked her. Standing at 5'3", and dressed in the traditional red hakama and white kosode of a Miko, she was in her early 50s, and her black hair was tied traditionally and kept behind her and shown with streaks of grey showing her advancing age. She was still physically quite fit for her age, even if it started to show that she was not a young maiden anymore. "Lady Fusae!" A voice called down the path, as a group of 10 men armed with a mix of spears and bows approached with haste. "Please forgive us, we took up arms and made haste." A middle aged man, carrying a spear reported as he stopped and bowed. "All is well, Hachiji. Twas but a minor gecko youkai, but it fled into the forest." Fusae addressed the man whose name simply meant 8 o'clock, or the hour of his birth. "Kiyomi, It might be safest if we retire to the village as the hour draws nearer towards darkness. Thou may spend the night at my home." Fusae suggested. It was indeed so, the afternoon sun was drawing to a close and the old shrine was still some ways from the village where they had a newer shrine that Fusae tended as the main shrine of the village.

[Koneko]

"A youkai?! But..." Kiymoi said in complete shock, though she finished the rest of her statement in thoughts, 'but youkai haven't been seen in at least a hundred years... at least not in the cities anymore...' She couldn't wrap her head about encountering a demon, let alone that there were supposedly many of them just like it in the forest. Though she was quickly pulled from her thoughts as the older priestess placed her hand on her head, snapping her back to the moment as she heard her comment about her wellness. "O-oh... No I'm alright, I shouldn't be sick... My name is Kiyomi Hoshino and I work for my parents at Hoshino Shrine in Chiyoda City, Tokyo," the young miko introduced herself as asked with a light, polite bow like she often gave to visitors before listening to the woman introduce herself in return, "It's very nice to meet you Lady Fusae." It was the returned confusion of the elder miko that gave her absolute concern, 'never heard of our shrine or where I live? Is it really possible... That this is a past era? But how could it be and how did I get here by just going close to the old shrine?!'

The young woman was having such a hard time wrapping her head around all she had to take in at once, and then the next most important question about it hit her. 'If i really did end up... at least somewhere else, how do I... get home...?' Her mind wandered to the dream her youngest sister had mentioned that morning, realizing that it may have come true and would upset the entire family. "My home should have been just back up near the path because the old forest shrine is a small part of our shrine... Though I don't think I can say I've heard of Kiso either..." Kiyomi's tone seemed to be fading to some grief as she was really starting to understand the gravity of her predicament, studying the priestess in some thought she could at least help her in the meantime until she could figure out just what exactly caused her to end up here and what to do. The young priestess was pulled from her thoughts as she heard the sudden approach of villagers and a man calling out to her elder, jolting in shock as she realized they were armed, but nervously calmed as she'd never seen such an approach in person like that. Her gaze was then pulled back to the older miko, responding with a polite bow, "right... Thank you for your generosity, Lady Fusae, I'll follow you."

The tension she felt through herself hadn't left as they walked back to the safety of the village, worry beginning to fill the young woman's mind. Thoughts of being unable to get back to her family that she loved dearly and uncertainty of what she would do if she couldn't get back. Would she even be safe here given the encounter just now and the small fact she was susceptible to being possessed by particularly strong spirits? Well undoubtedly under Fusae's watch, but what if there was a moment she wasn't around? Then there was what would she do for herself if she just had to accept living her life here? Would she just become a student or attendant under Fusae? She could help some villagers maybe, but she'd have to get used to such a jarring change of life if it became clear this was an era long bygone. "Eto... Lady Fusae? Just how dangerous does it get around here? Is there anything I should be worried about?" Kiyomi decided questions might be best to ask now in hopes she could prepare herself or know to stay close by if things could be far worse than she'd know. "Is it common for youkai or spirits to attack the people around here?" Her wonder and absorbing of her surroundings had faded for the time being out of so many concerns piling at once, but she tried to hold a faint bit of hope she might be able to find a way home and tried to resolve in herself to make that something to try to find some courage.

[Taishou89]

As they proceed down the trail, escorted by the armed villagers, "Hmm?" Fusae was a bit puzzled by the young priestess' question. "... Our village is fairly safe for the most part, yet we are not immune to the many wars and battles that rage across the country. The deaths and hardships of man from such turbulence has created a fertile ground by which many Youkai have been drawn and born of the death and grief of the wars. The many deaths have also resulted in many souls wandering this earthly plane in vengeance or sorrow, unready or willing to move on to the next world." She spoke as the group finally passed under an old and simple wooden torii with layers of moss on it's side, as the group excited the tree line of the forest and came out on a hill overlooking a small valley lined with many farm fields. At the base of the hill and path was another shrine that was larger than the old forest shrine, but small in comparison to the major shrines of larger towns. The sun had begun to kiss the large hill across from the valley as it began to dip behind it on it's cycle. "Welcome to Kiso, young lady. Fear not, thou shall be safe here."

Proceeding into the village, one by one the armed villagers that had accompanied them retired to their homes as the sun set. By the very sight of the buildings, clothing, and the very hairstyles of the villagers, it would not be hard for Kiyomi to fully realize that she was right smack in the middle of a page from the history books. The very lack of any electrical devices, the smells of burning wood from the many irori within homes, mixed with the rural scent of farmland and it's ancient method of fertilization. The appearance was very familiar to many historical displays of such villages of Ancient Japan in her era, but the smells would be rather unique and uncommon for any who had not traveled to a less developed country as Japan was in Kiyomi's time. The two did not have far to go once they passed the shrine and under it's Torii, as Fusae's home was next door to the Torii. Inside Kiyomi would find the makings of a simple single room home with humble genkan at the entrance just through the tatami blinds that functioned as the door. "Please rest thyself, I will prepare us a meal." Fusae welcomed the younger priestess as she set her bow and quiver down.


Later that evening as Kiyomi made herself comfortable sitting by the Irori, Fusae served her a bowl of rice and another bowl of a simple Nabe stew made from various vegetables grown locally in her own garden. "Eat up child, lest thee become famished and withered." Fusae spoke as she fixed herself a bowl. "If I may say, I have sensed a strong aura from thee today and tis without question that thou hadst quite a strong spiritual power for thy age. I must inquire, though, why hast thou traveled here? A strong aura, different from thy own, also lingered around that old shrine as well, when twas without one prior." the old priestess paused as she set the ladle aside and began to eat. "Didst thou sense it?" Fusae asked to test the girl's awareness of her own aura and abilities as Kiyomi seemed to not have much knowledge about Youkai or the present times, which seemed odd for a Priestess of her age and with her strong spiritual aura.

[Koneko]

As they passed through the torii Kiyomi was met with being stunned once again, farm fields she was only accustomed to seeing on rare occasions her family had left the city for various reasons. It was quite the sight to take in and one that usually filled her with admiration and wonder, but this time was different as the sinking feeling in her stomach seemed to only grow. "Souka..." the young woman replied, her gaze trailing to the ground for a moment in discouragement before turning back to her elder, "you see, where I'm from there... isn't much war or strife, at least not quite like there is here..." Looking back ahead to the shrine they now approached, she still felt a nervousness as the night approached despite the assurance of Fusae, yet she at least knew she could trust that this miko was speaking in confidence that she would be safe just from what she'd observed earlier.

Observing her surroundings once again with more curiosity as they moved through the village of Kiso, she began to wonder if she would be able to survive herself in such a place if she was unable to go home. Certainly she could do some kinds of work, she wasn't entirely helpless, yet this was a completely different lifestyle from many of the comforts she came to know in life and was something she'd only gotten an idea of in history books and classes in school: living it would be a different story. It hadn't been long, but overwhelming homesickness was already overcoming her as they soon entered Fusae's home. "Thank you for allowing me to stay here, Lady Fusae." Properly leaving her sandals near the entrance, she bowed in gratitude before gently taking a seat near the irori, she tried to keep her tone even, but there was a lingering sadness from the fears and uncertainty that were building inside of her and a forlorn gaze as she glanced around the small place. It was nearly like having an entire house around the size of her bedroom back home, and an adjustment that it was essentially a kind stranger's home.

After the fire was set, she stared deeply into it, lost to thoughts of how her family was doing: were her sisters alright? Was Airi overcome with grief that her dream came true? Her parents were almost certainly searching for her by now, trying to find any trace of her. Even with all the proof this was real, there was a small piece of her hoping she'd go to bed later and wake up in her own room, just having suffered a nightmare. She was pulled away from her mulling thoughts, thanking her elder has she was handed food but found herself struggling to have an appetite as she merely looked at the bowl of stew she held in her hand. "Y-you're right..." she replied to the encouragement to eat with a forced smile, slowly pulling a bite to her lips, blowing on it before going ahead and taking it into her mouth. It was quite decent, but it once again only stirred up a desire for the comfort of her own mother's cooking. "I've always had a strong ability, my parents have always considered me blessed even though this gift has caused quite a lot of trouble for me with spirits if I haven't stayed under some fairly watchful eyes to make sure I was alright. I actually keep a few talismans on me just in case ever since a few incidents gave my parents a really bad scare," Kiyomi began to explain, in a way assuring she was quite aware of her own aura. "But, as far as traveling here... I... Maybe it sounds strange, but I wasn't trying to travel anywhere. I was at home cleaning the area of my family's shrine when I heard a noise coming from the forest shrine and, before I even had time to realized anything changed, I was... here. I'm not actually sure how I got here aside from it somehow has to do with the old forest shrine... All I know is that shrine already had a-" The young miko paused, thinking a little harder on the notion a different aura from her own, even pausing pushing the food around her bowl.

The older woman had mentioned a different aura lingering around the shrine, not the aura of the shrine itself and that finally made her really think about it. She had sensed something before she got close to the old shrine: the comet. Yet she couldn't really understand if that had anything to do with her situation, it did stand out as odd that she'd not only sensed it, but could see it with the sun in the sky yet as it was and with her not exactly sharp eyesight at that. "The old shrine has always had an ominous aura as far as I can remember... But I did strangely sense a comet passing by, is... Is that what you mean?" She was trying to piece everything together, desperately trying to make sense of her situation and find out why this happened at the very least.

[Taishou89]

It would not have taken much for Fusae to notice that a sadness had gripped the young Miko. It was obvious that though the girl was Japanese and a Miko of significant spiritual power as well, she still seemed quite out of place by her mannerisms and speech. Not to mention the land from which she came from, was entirely unknown to Fusae, she who had traveled and roamed the country for a portion of her life, tending to the sick and spiritual needs of the helpless. It was still very possible that the land from which Kiyomi had come from, this Chiyoda, Tokyo might be some far off part of Japan that she herself had yet to travel. "My dear girl, what be the matter? Art thou not famished after such a long day?" Fusae asked, noticing that Kiyomi had barely touched her food. She was pleased to know that the girl was well aware of her own power, even if she did not seem to know nor ever encountered Youkai before, but her mind shifted to concern over the young miko's feelings.

'Indeed, that old shrine has always had a strange aura about it...' As she quietly listened to Kiyomi tell of her day's affairs, but perhaps more peculiar was the fact that she seemed to have traveled instantaneously. "Dost thou mean to say that thou hast traveled through the old shrine?" Fusae asked as she searched within her own mind for any recollection of any text of such a thing happening before. Finding no memory of any account of a similar instance, she came to the previous thought that the event was likely related to the comet the night prior. It was then as Fusae was just thinking about the comet, that Kiyomi had mentioned the occurrence of the strange comet before her mysterious interaction with the old shrine. "Strange comet, sayeth thee? Strange indeed, my young girl... Twas several nights prior, that a strange comet had appeared in these skies and lingered up until last night. It caused much unease among the people, though it's energy itself did not seem ominous, but to ease the minds of the people the Emperor decreed for all temples and shrines to offer prayers that the Gods offer their assistance and that this comet take on a more auspicious nature..." Fusae explained as she poured a cup of tea and served the young Miko, before she added another cord of wood to the fire and stoking it to burn more evenly. 

"... But Just this very day as the sun was at it's peak, news reached Kiso village that an obscene and terrible tragedy had occured at the Hokkyokusei-ji Temple in the Hida Mountains. All 49 Monks who resided there were brutally slain. The monks there were likely conducting their ritual at the Emperor's request, as I too had done, when they were slain and left partially devoured, quite possibly by a demon. Though I know not, how an entire monastery could be slaughtered by a demon, since Hokkyokusei-ji was known to specialize in spiritual training and exorcisms." Fusae paused as she pondered the thought. Looking up at the poor girl, whose own sadness she could still sense, filled her with sympathy. It was apparently so that the girl had traveled not by her own intention and likely across a great distance, with no idea of how to return home. She was as a cat, trapped in a snare in a land similar, yet strange to her. "Young Kiyomi." Fusae started as she moved closer to the girl, placing a hand on her own to express her own care. "... I know not why thou art here, nor thy homeland, but perhaps the Gods have sent thee here for some purpose, that of which I cannot ascertain." As she softly gazed upon the young girl. "I am truly sorry that you have come from your land of peace to our land that may very well be set upon by an evil far greater than that of greedy and power hungry men. I truly am... If perhaps we can find a way, that you may return to your home, I will be glad to be of assistance in any way necessary." She said, and for the first time since they met just earlier that day, a small, but warm and encouraging smile, crossed the normally stern face of the old priestess.

[Koneko]

"That's right, I approached the shrine and suddenly I was here instead of still at home like I should have been..." Kiyomi reinforced, placing down the bowls of food to graciously accept the tea handed to her, "though I saw the comet just earlier this afternoon during the day... It's strange, but maybe it's still related because it was only after I saw it this all happened..." The young miko did always enjoy a nice cup of tea to help ease herself when she was feeling stressed or a little out of sorts, so she hoped this cup handed to her would perhaps also bring her up just a little bit. Though it was the next thing the older miko had to say that nearly floored the girl in shock, such a horrific thing had occurred and the news coincided with her arrival here in this entirely different time. 'Could it still be I was brought here for some reason, but different than how I first thought? But if I was... then what am I supposed to do and how would I be able to even stop anything?'

The young priestess wondered if there could be something that pulled her here because of her abilities, but she already struggled to keep herself from being taken advantage of by spirits that could possess her thanks to her powers. It brought in the question to herself how she could truly be of use here if she already struggled just to keep her own control on her own powers, let alone only have a small amount of her talismans to keep herself safe: would she really be of use to whatever force brought her here? Gently blowing across the surface of the tea, she took a cautious drink not to burn herself as the homesickness hit her once again, yet the warmth of the tea staved it off just a little bit being one thing that felt reliably familiar. Kiyomi's attention was soon pulled up and away from the cup as her name was called for and she noted the gentle hand upon her back. Listening as she was spoken to, the words felt reassuring despite some of the ominous implication of danger in some, yet it was the promise to help try to find a way to return her back home that finally pushed her composure over.

Gently setting down her cup in front of her, Kiyomi looked up at Fusae for a moment before shifting up to hug her tightly, the desire to cry she'd somehow managed to keep held back this whole time finally overtook her in heavy sobbing. "L-lady Fus-sae... Th-th--th-thank y-you..." was all she could manage for the moment, the offer was enough to bring some kind of ease to her internal worries and suffering to be away from her home. Of course there was a possibility there was no way back, but what mattered more to her was the fact help was offered and that was enough to give her even just enough hope that maybe there was a possibility. It took a short while for her tears to dry a little and some sense of politeness to come back to her as she slowly pulled back and away. "I'm sorry... for acting like that Lady Fusae... I was just so relieved for the offer of help," she apologized with a very soft bow before further explaining, "I've never been without my family for very long, so this is... really hard for me to be on my own like this..." Sitting back fully, she reclaimed the tea and took another sip of it before managing to find a little appetite and slowly begin to eat better than she had before. "I don't know what I can do to help around here, but I'll do my best to try to do whatever I can. I can't thank you enough for helping me even this much already and even being so understanding of my abilities without even knowing me."

[Taishou89]

Fusae was taken aback as the young girl suddenly embraced her and began to sob. "Oh my dear child." as she warmly wrapped her arms around the young miko. "... all will be well my dear... I'm sure of it, the Gods would not set this upon a gentle soul as thee, if it weren't for some important purpose... There there, all will be well." She patted the girl gently as she continued to sob.  'This poor young girl... She has much to learn if she is to get by in these times... I must do all that I can to aid her until her fate can be revealed or she can return to her home.' Fusae vowed silently to herself as the young girl's sobs continued.


When Kiyomi's sobbing finally subsided and she drew back, Fusae couldn't help but see a memory of her younger self when she was about her age. She too had been a soft young miko, totally unlike who she was today. Fusae owed all of who she became to another priestess, older than her by about 6 years, but much stronger and courageous. As the memory played in her mind, she could see that warrior priestess now. Fusae had been fleeing from a group of boar youkai who had intended to have their way with the young miko before devouring her, when she tripped on a root in the forest and the pigs had caught up to her, she thought it was all over, until a arrow radiating a pink aura shot through the air and pierced through not one but two of the youkai who happened to be aligned. The shock and surprise caught boar demons off guard as a second arrow struck down another of their comrades, when they had finally glimpsed the source of the arrows, another priestess. Just as she drew back another arrow, the pig demons scattered into the forest, deciding the young miko they had before them was not worth it. 'Yuzuki...' 


"I don't know what I can do to help around here, but I'll do my best to try to do whatever I can. I can't thank you enough for helping me even this much already and even being so understanding of my abilities without even knowing me." Fusae was drawn from her memory when Kiyomi spoke. "Oh my dear child, worry not. Thou reminds me of someone long ago who was very similar and in a perilous situation, had it not been for a more senior priestess who had lent her assistance. So too shall I, for thee my dear. If no one helped another in need, evil would take the world with ease." Fusae spoke as she poured herself more tea before holding it out to offer Kiyomi. "More Tea my dear?"

[Koneko]

'I remind her of someone else?' Kiyomi thought to herself as she glanced over at her elder, curious to who she could be talking about and wondered what that situation had been, yet the rest of the statement managed to ease some of her fears. "Thank you so much again and you're right. It would be much darker in the world if no one helped, so I won't take it for granted." The young miko managed a small smile, but there was almost a calmness about her that came with it as she took comfort in the assurance she would be helped and guided through at least navigating such a large, unexpected change for her. "More Tea my dear?" With the offer, a tiny piece of her normally more lighthearted nature managed to peak out as she accepted the offer, "please! This is really wonderful tea." Holding the cup she'd been drinking from out to allow Fusae to have an easier time pouring more. After the older woman filled the cup, she brought it back to herself and let it cool, even blowing across it softly until she could take another drink.

The more she sipped on the tea and took into account the help she was offered, the more she started to have some hope that things would be alright and that she'd be able to make it through this situation, even if that meant she'd be stuck here forever. Kiyomi hoped more for an outcome that would allow her to go home, even held a small desire that, when she'd go to bed in a little while, she'd wake up to find herself home and laying in bed still. Yet she tried to remind herself this was proven to be her reality now and that she needed to accept that to make sure she would make it through this with that comforting help. "Lady Fusae, since I offered to help, in the morning, don't hesitate to show me anything you think I can learn to do to start helping. I want to start doing anything I can right away." The young woman's motivation lied in the fact she knew if she sat idle, it would only allow her upset and fear to be without the things she knows to fester and grow. If she could at least keep herself busy and keep her focus on helping, it would at least help her keep her chin up through this even with lacking confidence in what she felt she could offer to the people here. 'I can do this and I can find a way to get home... I just have to keep telling myself I'll find my way through this like back when those possessions first started to take some of my eyesight... And I have to remember that I'm not alone at least, this older miko is kind enough to help me this much already and even saved me earlier.' She took another sip of tea, another tiny motion to try to gather any little bit of courage from inside herself to try to keep her nerves in check.

[Taishou89]

"Tomorrow I hoped we might go back to that old shrine and take a closer look. Since this Shrine was built and is dedicated to Inari Okami, I am not too sure whom is enshrined at that old shrine." Fusae spoke as she rose from her seat and moved to retrieve some extra bedding material for her guest. Just as she set the bedding down for Kiyomi, Hachiji gently announced his presence, bowing several times as he entered the Genkan of Fusae's home. "Pardon me, Priestess Fusae. The Ofuro is ready and hot for thee and thy guest." Hachiji bowed again. "Thank you Hachiji, tis much appreciated. Oh this is for thy wife, prepare this as thy would to prepare tea, and do it twice a day. She shall feel much better within 3 days time, but let her rest for 2 days more." Fusae handed the man a little paper pouch containing some herbal remedy. "Thank you Priestess Fusae, I bid you both good night." Hachiji bowed again before leaving through the doorway.

"Help would be much appreciated my dear, as I am getting older it does get harder to keep up with the needs of the villagers both spiritually and medicinally, but I do get by. Do you perchance know how to prepare herbal remedies?" Fusae inquired as she began to clean up her own dishes. "My dear, don't forget to eat. You will not be able to sleep restfully on an empty stomach and you will need your strength." Fusae mentioned as she added another piece of chopped wood to the fire to keep it burning. "When you are finished, Ye may bathe first, I suspect that thou might be tired after such an eventful day and from thy journey." The old priestess spoke as she poured herself more tea and began to sip. 'Twill be quiet a long road ahead, but fear not my dear child. I shall help guide thee along.'

[Koneko]

As the shrine was mentioned, Kiyomi looked back to Fusae and removed her focus from her thoughts, trying to gather some hope they could at least find something out as far as getting home or what may have caused what happened. Any little bit they could figure out would help. "Right, we'll go back and take another look," she piped in just before their attention was pulled to the village man that entered and let them know about the ofuro. The young priestess sat and observed the exchange, a very faint smile coming to her to see this not only was a fairly friendly village so far, but it seemed her elder took very good care of the villagers and the villagers each other. It brought a form of comfort to her in a way, there were few back home that cared for her in such a communal way outside of her family and it struck the cord of the small touch of yearning in her for a place and community she truly felt a part of. 'Maybe... Maybe helping really will make the most of however long I'm stuck here, and maybe it won't all have to feel so hopeless if I can at least feel I belong for a little while,' she determined to herself in thought, encouraging that she still found herself in a beneficial outcome despite how terrifying it was to suddenly be pulled away from all she knew. Help was already on the table for her, there was more and more proof by the moment she was safe at least under the watch and guidance of this elder priestess, now it was up to her to keep her chin up and find what cheer she could in her to return the favor and be of assistance until she could find the reasons and calling for her to be here.

"Oh, goodnight!" the young woman called back as the man started to leave, not wanting to seem impolite despite having gotten lost in her own thoughts. Her gaze then turned to the miko that spoke to her again, taking into consideration what she was told, affirming her in that helping was the correct choice to have made. "I'm sorry, but... I don't know very much, only a few here and there when my parents were looking for anything that would help preserve and slow any further issues with my eyesight. I'm willing to learn, though, anything I can learn to do to give you a hand and show my appreciation for everything so far." Kiyomi gave a small bow of her head as an addition gesture and she finally wore a fuller smile, the warmth that came with it showed a completely different side to the girl that had been lost in her own distress for much of the time here so far. Yet, as the food was mentioned, she flustered slightly before retrieving the bowl, an appetite finally having found her as she'd been calming down over the course of discussion. "I guess I should eat and not let another kindness go to waste," she agreed, pulling the bowl closer to her mouth and eating the rest of the lukewarm contents: better to eat it mildly cold after working through her feelings than let such a kindness slip through, especially in an era of history known to be rife with hunger. It didn't take her long to finish, another compliment coming from her about the food tasting good before she finished the remainder of her tea and tidied up the dishes she had used to be a gracious guest. With a deeper bow, she excused herself with gratitude to be the first one to get a chance to bathe, on the way thinking perhaps it would help bring her nerves the last bit of relaxation she needed to full ground herself with a little bit more courage.

Reaching the Ofuro, Kiyomi slowly disrobed as she once more had to get used to the lack of some of the modern comforts with a bath, she slid in to at least find the water was nicely warmed in this case and tried to find relief in getting the sweat and dirt off of her from her unexpected journey cutting out the possibility of a bath earlier after her chores. Working her fingers through her long hair, she glanced at it and remembered she'd also dropped the pin that had held the bulk of it nicely back when she cleaned earlier. 'I wonder if they found it back home on the ground... I bet mom and dad are worried sick looking for me and... Airi... Hiriko... I'm sorry your big sister isn't home like I promised...' disheartened once again at the thought of worrying everyone, she moved her thoughts back to her hair as not to be overcome by the distress once again, 'If I'm going to be here awhile, I may need to find something else to help keep it tied back so it doesn't cause me too much trouble, especially if getting attacked by youkai is something I need to worry about...' With a small sigh, she carried on washing it, but determined for now she would lightly braid the length of it after removing most of the water in a little while. 'I always heard stories about youkai, but they're something i never thought I'd really see them like I do ghosts... And it's scarier than I could have ever thought on top of all of it, so I'll have to make sure I really learn all I can so I do get hurt or worse.' It was a daunting thing to think about on top of everything else, but, much like her devastating encounters previously that pushed her eyesight to be as it was already, it was something she'd need to learn to protect herself from too. 'I wonder if all are that dangerous or if some of the other tales I've heard about some youkai being nice are true, I hope so because I don't want to keep ending up in too many scary situations like earlier...' the miko thought, soaking a little longer and taking time to enjoy what would likely be a rare warm bath for awhile.

Soon she got out of the water and squeezed her hair out over the ofuro itself so as to keep most of the wrung water off of the floor, then began drying and redressing herself to return to the main home of Fusae. While she still teetered between wondering if she would be okay and convincing herself she for certain would be, she managed another smile as she informed the older priestess of her own turn for a bath. "Thank you for allowing me the chance to take a bath first, Lady Fusae, it's all yours now," she said as she came through the doorway, hair draped slightly over her arm so it wouldn't drag and get dirty again from being wet at the ends. As her elder excused herself and went on her way, she moved to the bedding set out for her to sit and began to braid her long hair until she was satisfied it would remain mostly off the ground, then found at least something to keep the end of it tied with. Then patting her face, she once more gave another effort to push away the worries and tried to think about how she would be helping others around here along with Fusae. 'I'll be helping, that's what matters! Being a good person and doing my best to bring some kind of happiness and hope to others!' Instilling positive thoughts before bed might help her wake in a better mood by the morning, and helping was something to look forward to, even if it wasn't the normal routine. With her doing her best to set herself up for a better tomorrow, she got ready to sleep so that she could get all she needed for the unexpected things tomorrow would bring.

Kimi wo Mite iru