Walking home with my path illuminated by flickering lantern light was almost peaceful. I thought about what Yusuke said and projections being sighted in town and wondered to myself silently if that is what I had seen. But, that would have meant that I was believing in this whole fae nonsense and I was above that. I don’t know why this person was bothering me so much. Our town constantly got visitors from the cities. Most came to pray at the temples for loved ones and others came to take a breather. But what it said lingered in my head we believe in you.

I walked up the stone steps to the temple and tried to clear my mind of the words dancing in my head.

“You were almost late.”

I squeaked a bit and jumped in place “Dad!” I shrieked turning around.

He laughed his belly bouncing behind the deep green robe he wore. “Did I scare you?” He rubbed his bald head and gave me a big smile.

“No.”

“Are you sure? It’s a sin to lie at a shrine.” He was holding a bucket full of water. No doubt he was headed to the ritual chamber with it.

“And it’s a sin to scare your children. The Goddess might have to get revenge for me.”

He splashed a little water at me from the bucket “I think lying to your father is a worse sin and will keep her from helping you. Luckily you are cute and I forgive you.”

I stuck my tongue out.

“Be careful. Crows will peck it out.”

I rolled my eyes.

“What took you so long?” He asked “I was about to send Sakura for you.”

“I was in town.”

“With that Abe boy?” He was now the one rolling his eyes “it’s not that I disapprove of him as a person. But as a boyfriend-“

I tossed my shoe at him “ew! No dad!”

He chuckled a bit “glad to hear that. Thought I was going to have to send the Goddess after him to make sure he treated you right.” He busted out laughing “and here I was worried I would have porkers for grandchildren!”

“At least they would look like someone else in the family.”

“Hey!” He tried to contain his laughter “this is baby fat.”

“From onigiri and Sakura’s famous oolong tea. With how many sugars?”

“Six.”

I turned to see a girl standing behind me holding the door open. She was smiling at us both with an eyebrow arched up on her forehead.

“Are you both trying to give me a heart attack?” I shouted at her.

“Got her twice tonight Sakura-chan.” Dad said laughing more “two points for the shrine team!”

Sakura smiled “quit picking on her Father.” She placed a hand on my shoulder “don't want her too spooked before the ritual.”

“Always a stick in the mud.” Dad winked at her “but you’re right. May we be forgiven.” He picked up my shoe and tossed it to me “but I’m still leading two to zero.”

“Shut up old man!” I stuck out my tongue again.

“Crows are going to eat it one day.” He turned away and started walking through the courtyard “make sure she is ready Saku-chan.”

“I hate it when he calls me that.” Sakura sighed as I walked into the house. “How was your day today?”

“Uneventful.” I tossed my bag beside the shoes I had taken off “your brother kept me on my toes.”

“That boy.” She shook her head. Her long black hair dancing all around her. I admired her beauty so much more than I should. Miko’s let alone priestesses should not be admired for beauty but for Goddess like knowledge and faith. But who couldn’t admire those deep brown eyes and perfect doll-like skin? Even though we were the same age she was very well filled out, much like Emily and the maiden outfit made her even more desirable. “Stop staring at me like that.” She snapped “it’s weird.”

“Sorry.” I pointed to the half open flap on her chest “was afraid they might fall out.”

She went blood red and clapped her hand over her nearly exposed chest “I-I’m sorry.”

I grabbed her chest and she squealed “why be ashamed of these beasts?”

Sakura went blood red and slapped my hand. A couple of miko’s walked behind us and started giggling “get going.” She snapped at them “I don’t think everything is in order, is it?”

The two of them bowed “sorry ma’am.”

“Continue.” She turned her attention to me and grabbed me by the ear “and to your room with you!”

“Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!”

She marched me into my room and finally released me “seriously Mio. You had to act like that in the front of the house?” She shook her head again and put her hands on her hip “if your mom was here she would have beaten you. I’m tempted to as well.”

I grabbed her chest again “with these big things! I would be squished!”

“Stop!” She hissed going red and slapping me again “you’re being bad tonight!”

I laughed and sat on the bed “more than usual?”

Rolling her eyes, she sat beside me “you know you can’t play around like this when I am high priestess right? I have an image to hold up and a shrine to uphold.”

I looked at her and sighed “I’m happy you are happy. But sometimes I miss it when we were just friends.”

“That can’t be helped now.” Even she seemed a bit hurt.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to-“

“No.” She smiled at me “sometimes I even wish I wasn’t chosen. But your mom did choose me and she had never been wrong before.”

“But at least I get to see you every day. Which reminds me your brother said hi again.”

“So he’s still mad?”

“More like upset and a little jealous.” I laughed “if he could pretend to be a girl to become a miko he would.”

Sakura laughed slightly “as funny as that is. It’s true. His dedication to the faith is powerful.”

“That is one word for it.”

It’s hard have your friend taken away from you. And Sakura was my best friend I had ever had. Loyal and friendly, my rock when I needed her and my voice of reason. The day my mother called to her to become one of her miko was the worst day of my life...well one of the worst days. She had to leave school, leave childish ways and become a part of the shrine. It was painful for me so I could only imagine how Yusuke felt. Sakura was his only sister and the one that brought us together as friends. Yusuke wanted nothing else but to be a part of the shrines was even studying to become a priest but, that all changed when my mother called Sakura. See once someone is chosen from a blood-line no one else in that family can become a part of the shrine. They feared family relationships would cause problems within the shrine that would in turn cause it to become tainted. So Yusuke was biter and a bit sore despite it having been some years ago.

“So he is doing well I take it?” She asked with a half-hearted smile. Talking about Yusuke was not her favorite subject. He ignored her when he came to the shrine, avoided eye contact and only spoke to her when my father made them.

“Eating a lot more. Your mom is putting a lot of stress on him since your dad went to Tokyo.”

She sighed “still up to her old antics?”

“You can take a dog from the dog house-“

“But you can’t get rid of he flees.”

We both laughed.

“She’s been coming to the temple more.”

“Who?” I asked as she sat beside me on the bed.

“My mother.” She took a deep breath “came to us claiming a projection is floating around in town asking how to get to our shrine. Your father tries to keep her from spreading panic in the town by telling her that it’s most likely a visitor from the city. But you know how she can be.” She rolled her eyes.

“Relentless?”

“Unwavering.” Sakura rose her brow up again “she insists it's a projection from the-” she went quiet “the fae.” She mumbled a quick prayer before continuing “so your father has been on clean up duty. She told everyone in town and now people are panicking asking for extra blessings from the shrine and asking for extra protection rituals. It seems the great gossip that is my mother strikes again!”

“You know she can’t help it.”

“She doesn't believe it is a problem. She believes everyone deserves the right to know. Despite it causing panic. But that is why tonight is important.” She looked at me “I should of told you when I knew but you father made me promise.”

“What?”

She looked down “tonight’s ritual isn’t just a ritual to commune and ask protection from the Earth Goddess. But a sealing.”

“What?” I jumped off the bed and stood in front of her “what are they sealing?”

Her deep brown eyes looked at me “what do you think?”

“Me?”

She nodded “the priest from the second western shine told your father to give the people what they want.”

“And they want me to be sealed in that room for an entire day?!”

“It’s to purify you.” She sighed “don’t take it personally. Plus, you won’t have to clean the shrine all day tomorrow with us.”

“But I have to stay an entire day in a water filled prison?”

“That’s a little dramatic.” She snapped “it’s not a prison.”

“It's a locked room. With a single bed on a rock in the middle of a room filled with water. No, not a prison. But I forgot. It’s pitch black even in the middle of the day.”

“You get candles and floating lanterns to guide your spirit to communicate with the Earth Goddess.”

“Oh joy.” I sighed and walked to my desk “two candles and three floating lanterns that are prone to catching fire. But why?”

“You know why.” Her voice was soft and comforting “you know the town blames you for the bell. And now with the sightings it’s even more cause for alarm. They believe that your dad not purifying you that day cursed the town and has weakened the barriers.”

“Because it’s totally not some weird creep from the city but a faerie. Yeah.”

Sakura mumbled a prayer “be careful calling to them. But I agree with you. I told your dad it was foolish to send you in there alone.”

“And what did he say to that.”

“He agreed.”

I stopped for a moment “he agreed?”

“But he has to keep the town from rioting. So he had to agree to this. But he knows that being in that room alone for an entire day would be wrong. And following a ritual to commune with the Goddess. But fates have sent us some happy news. You know Mr. Ishii is back correct?” She looked at me.

“...Yeah.”

“Well he has two children with him who’s true mother has agreed to allowed them to be a part of the shrine.”

“No. You’re kidding me.” I rose my hand to get her to stop “you’re saying dad is going to purify them the same day as me?”

“Correct.”

“So Martin and Emily are going to be locked in the room with me?”

“Not till morning. But yes. And how did you know their names?”

Ignoring her I continued “how does the town feel about that? A fae lover and two American’s together. Locked in a room?”

“You’re not a f-“ she paused “a lover of them and they are just humans like us. Flesh, blood and bone. They just look different.”

I put my hand on my hip.

“At first they didn’t like the idea. But that room. Can make a person crazy.” She looked at me “even I was uncomfortable at first. A boy and two girls in the room of the Goddess. The last time that happened- “

“Was my family.”

She nodded “yes. But your father pushed on and eventually the council agreed to it. So at least you have someone there with you. Plus, you’ll get to know them two. And who knows the Goddess might bless you all!”

“This is bullshit.” I said.

“Mio. Watch it.”

“You can’t disagree with me!”

She looked away “I don't choose the things we do. I just have to abide by them.”

“I’m not mad at you Sakura. A little hurt you didn’t tell me. But I forgive you.” She smiled at that “but they are going to have to leave me alone. I can’t help what I did or what my mom did.”

“We pay for the sins of our parents.” She whispered “but your father is hopeful this will end all that.”

“But why did Ishii-sensei agree to this?”

“They were not going to let him move back here.” Sakura fell quiet “he left the faith and thus couldn’t live here. You know those rules.” I nodded “but they were ok with him returning if he returned to the faith and brought with him atonement.”

“Emily and Martin?”

She nodded “I don’t agree with his methods but he was able to return and we gain new followers.”

“What methods?”

Sakura looked at me “him bringing them here.” She was avoiding eye contact from me. What was she hiding? But when a maiden has a secret involving the shrine it was a secret no one would hear from them. “I don't feel as though he gave them a choice in the matter. I heard the girl was fine with this but the boy claimed to be of other faith much like his mother.”

“Agnostic?”

“Christian.”

“I heard she was agnostic.” I said.

“Apparently she follows a form of Christianity known as Catholic. However, she gave permission for them to join the shine upon coming to Japan.”

“Will she be joining the shrine?”

She shrugged “I have no idea. Mr. Ishii said he is working on convincing her. You know she is not here at the moment?”

I acted like I didn’t know “no. Why isn’t she?”

“Until she is ok with joining. She can’t live here.”

“But she is ok with forcing Martin to join?”

She shrugged again “I don’t know Mio. I just know what I am told. Martin, that boy may not even show. If he is truly of another faith he’ll have to leave the village tomorrow at sunrise. Mr. Ishii said if he didn’t he would join his mom in Tokyo.”

I sighed.

“It’s a lot. I know.” She motioned for me to sit back on the bed “all at once.”

I sat back down beside her and put my head in her lap “you smell like her.”

“Huh?”

“You smell like my mom.” I inhaled deeply “you’re wearing her gown right?”

She ran her fingers through my hair “she asked that I continue to keep her alive in her letter.”

“Are you ever going to let me see that letter?”

“Nope.”

“That was too quick.” I laughed hiding my hurt feelings.

“She wrote it for me and the priestesses to come. Unless you want to become-“

“I don’t.”

She laughed a bit “you need to get ready though. We don’t have much time.”

“I know.” I sighed softly rising up “will you be there with me?”

She petted my head “It’s my job stupid.”

I smiled “but I wouldn't mind hearing it from you.”

Sakura stood up and walked to the door “I’ll be there with you. Now get ready!” With that she left the room leaving me to my thoughts and to get ready for tonight.