Moonlight poured down on me but it did little to illuminate the area around me. Despite knowing my way around here, it still felt foreign to me. All around me hung small lanterns with the odd colored light casting eerie shadows as the summer air hit the flames.

“Mio.”

I jumped before I could help myself “dad!” I grabbed my chest and turned around slowly “you scared the ghost out of me.”

The light from his paper lantern cast a devilish shadow over his face which made his smile even more terrifying “sorry about that.” He placed his hand on my shoulder “you ready?”

As my heart slowed down I nodded “as ready as I’ll ever be.”

He laughed “good as I’m going to get?”
 “Yeah.”

“So.” He outreached his free hand for mine “want me to walk you through the process?”

“Isn’t that your job?” A quick jab at his side and he blocked it “still so quick!”

“Quick like a fox.” He laughed and braided his fingers through mine “but do you want me to go with you to the black gate?”

I paused for a moment and looked around me. If it was this dark, I could only imagine going through the black gate. “Y-yeah.” I shrugged “if you insist.”

He smiled and nodded “so we are going to pass through two gates together. And I’ll take you to the black gate, where you’ll walk the short path to meet Sakura at the end.” Slowly we began walking “the first gate is the Mighty Earth gate or the Green Gate.”

“I know, Dad.”

“Humor an old man and his stories.” Swinging the lantern, he lifted it up “so the Mighty Earth Gate is the first gate built at our temple.” He didn’t even wait for a response “when Haniyasu-hime gave her blessing to this shrine, she blessed us with a tree. A tree which bore fruit, unlike any other tree. She said that the fruit would keep the villagers from hunger through the winter but would bear no fruits afterward. She instructed the Mikos to take the seeds from the fruit and plant them around the village.”

“That is why we have so many apple trees.”

“You’ve actually paid attention to me?”

“Sometimes.” I laughed.

“You’re right. Despite us never knowing what these fruits were, the seeds grew these amazing apple trees. And now we have the sweetest and biggest apples in all of Japan.” Pride was oozing out of his every word “but she also instructed them to craft a gate. This gate would be the touching point between the earth and her.” He lifted the lantern high to illuminate the gate before us.

A towering gate erupted from the soil as if it itself was a part of the forest. Vines coiled around the dark wood that twirled up into the darker parts were the light could not reach. But the most beautiful feature of the gate was the golden idols that sat facing one another in the center.

“She placed two of her kodomas here to bathe any who walk under her gate in the breath of forest. And in their beds of gold do they sleep awaiting her return.” He released my hand “Do you remember?”

I nodded and placed my hands together and quietly whispered “my Goddess, would you allow me safe passage?” I clapped my hand once and bowed. Lowered my bow into an apological bow “forgive me for all my transgressions against your earth.” I clapped my hands once more and returned to walking position, and did another clap. Around me, the wind began to pick up. Bringing with it the fresh smell of grass and “apples?”

Dad took my hand once more “she’s given you her blessing. Shall we?” He motioned forward and we started walking down the dirt path “the next gate is that of Fudo-kami.”

“I know about him well.” I tried not laugh “I’m the daughter of a proud follower of his teachings.”

“Then enlighten me about him.” Dad loved it when I recited his teachings.

“During the burnings, Fudo-kami came down from the stars. He calmed the fires and asked the casters why they set blaze to the forest. They told him of the creatures the fae had brought to life. The beasts that no one could see or hear, but was killing everyone. The Vetala.” Dad squeezed my hand at the mention of their name “Sorry.” I took a deep breath to inhale the good and exhale the foul breath that spoke their names. “Fudo-kami called out to the creatures and asked them their intent. But no words came back, just the empty sounds of the dead. Fudo-kami demanded them to make an appearance in the flesh and the creatures responded by taking up the bodies of those they slaughtered. He asked them why they killed and they answered only with riddles and lies. The conversation with the dead lasted until the next night where Fudo-kami asked them to leave the bodies of the dead and return to their world. They refused to tell Fudo-kami that the flesh of human was too good. So Fudo-kami took the bodies with them still inside and tied them to the tree. Within seconds of being tied to the tree, the creatures attempted to flee the bodies they stole, however, the tree ensnared them in her branches.” I looked at my Dad who was smiling with glee even though the light made him look horrifying “Fudo-kami told the villagers to remove the branches and burn them on the night when the sky was full of fire. That same night the Miko of his choosing would carve from the tree his gate. This gate would protect the villagers from the dead and allow the fires in the skies to communicate with the villagers.”

“Impressive.”

“You told me that story every night.”

“Not every night.”

“Every night.” I laughed.

“Ok. Ok.” Shaking his head, he pointed to the gate “Fudo-kami’s gate, the Gate of Astrology.”

If beauty had a physical shape in this world, it was this gate. The wood was a deep red color with beautiful gold and silver reflects embedded in. Before each of the pillars burned a small flame, a flame the Mikos light every night. Beside the flame on the right stood a silver fox. The fox had such pride in himself, with his puffed out chest and cocked head. To the left was a golden fox. This fox was playful and fun, in the jumping pose with his eyes closed and tongue hanging out, he was my favorite of the protectors.

Dad released my hand once more allowing me to walk between the pillars. I clapped my hand twice and bowed “protect me my lord from those that hide in the dark. Illuminate all truths under your watch.” I raised back up and turned to my right “may I make you proud.” Clap. To the left one “may I make you happy.” Another clap and I turned forward “May-” I froze for a moment looking into the darkness. “Dad?”

“He’s just listening to your prayer, Mio.” His hand touched my shoulder.

In the distance under the mask of darkness, the outline of a fox stood watching. I bowed to it “May I be someone you’ll protect.” I raised back up and the fox was gone.

“He always did like you.” Dad took my hand again and laughed “I guess you are my daughter after all.”
 “Sure. Sure.” He pulled me along down a path of broken seashells.

“The next gate is your mothers.” We both shared a longing gaze ahead at the outline of the gate a few feet away. “Hiruko-kami.”

I took a deep breath and squeezed his hand. I never ventured this far into the shrines forest, anymore. Not since Mom had been spirited away.

“Hiruko-kami came to this village in the wake of the disappearances.” The lantern shook with his trembling hand “they came in the night; thieves we not know. They took the children and left behind a wilted petal with the kanji for “innocents.” In the last hours of spring, a woman called out to Hiruko-kami asking for protection against the thieves. Hiruko-kami told the woman to cut her hair and the hair of her children. With this hair, she would fasten a rope and tie it to the dead tree deep in the forest. Which the woman did.” He paused lowered the lantern slightly “upon entering the forest the thieves appeared. They asked the woman to give them her second son or never return from the forest.”

“And she didn’t.” I said knowing my Dad hated this part “she may have never returned but the tree was found with the rope upon it and a letter instructing her second son to make a gate for Hiruko-kami.”

He cleared his throat “it took him six weeks, working six hours a day, and only taking six total breaks. Once the gate was complete. Their mother returned.”

“And she spoke to the village about Hiruko-kami had spirited her away until they finished the gate. Because for her to travel into the forest, something must have been exchanged to the thieves for safe travel. But Hiruko-kami tricked the thieves.” We stopped at the gate “with a peach. The last peach upon the dead tree.”

Tears filled my eyes as I looked up at the gate. This was my mother’s kami, one she adored and loved. Mom used to tell me it was Hiruko-kami that gave me my name. The gate was a royal blue color. But what stood out the most was the small braids of hair wrapped around the pillars. Every first haircut given to a child in the village, their hair was formed into a small braid and placed on the pillars. A bit of a weird tradition, even for me who grew up accustomed to this. Dad released my hand and I walked forward. The smell of my mom drifted up to me and I could feel the tears begin to fall.

“It’s ok.” He said sensing my hesitation.

I didn’t want to do this. I didn’t believe in this. And being here, just made my pain even more real. I was only doing this for him, I wanted my dad to be. Happy? I looked down at the ground and clapped my hand “I’m.” The words escaped me and I just wanted to cry even more.

“Mio?”
 “Stop this.” I thought to myself “you’re almost done. Then they’ll leave you alone, no weird rituals, no more coming here, everything goes back to normal. No more fae shit and no more spells or make-believe. You go back to the forest, and you can just forget tonight.” I blushed “and I have Emily and Martin to annoy.” I clapped my hand “I’m OK, Dad.” I said.

“Let me know if you need help.”

I responded with a nod. “I’m your daughter.” Clap “I ask you to guide me.” Clap again “through the dark and into the light” another clap “will you join me?” I bowed “on this walk?” I looked up and took a deep breath, the smell of my mother drifted up again. “Good?” I turned to my dad and outreached my hand “come on.”

He looked at me with a strange expression but took my hand “now the next one.”
 “I know,” I said hurrying him down the rocky path to the next.

“Mio.” His voice cracked a bit “slow down.”

“Sorry,” I said under my breath. I just wanted to get away from that smell and that weird feeling.

“From the Gate of Youth to the Unknown Gate.” He tried to hide his worry but he wasn’t doing a good job “The Black Gate given to us by the Unknown.”

“No story.”

“A story, you shouldn’t worry about.” He laughed awkwardly.

“Going to end on that note?” The air was becoming uncomfortable, which was my fault. Sakura even advised me about asking questions when it came to this gate.

We stopped at a strangely shaped gate. It looked as though the wood was warped and water damaged but it still appeared to have this weird glossy shine to it. But behind the gate was a deep pitch black, a black I would have to venture in alone.

“It’s just bamboo.”

I jumped not expecting him to say anything “stop that!”

His normal laugh returned “Sorry about that.” He handed me the lantern “so you’ll walk down this path in silence.” He pulled back the lantern and looked at me “in silence.”

“I know,” I said rolling my eyes and grabbing it from him.

“Complete silence, Mio.”
 “Dad! I know!” I hissed. I wouldn't want to ruin this stupid ritual.

“Sakura is waiting for you on the other end. She’ll be leading you the rest of the way, preparing you for your stay.” I nodded “Good.” He placed his hand on my head “thank you for doing this for us. It means so much.”

“I know,” I said a little bitterly.

He rubbed my head “I know you don’t care about the faith. But thank you.” He pulled away and gave me a thumbs up “and the two American’s are with her.”

“What?” I started blushing “they have to see me like this?!”
He didn’t even answer, he just waved at me and walked away. “Oh my God!” I shouted “Dad!”

I turned back as he disappeared. Damn, the darkness seemed to be swallowing everything around it. I lifted up the lantern and started walking. I would have to remain completely silent once my foot stepped on the ground behind the shrine. Suddenly the feeling of dread washed over me and around me the air seemed to get colder but I lowered my foot to the ground and I had to embrace the silence I detested.