T-H-E - B-E-G-I-N-N-I-N-G
It is a day of celebration. The Sol blazing over a beautiful day at the shrine. It is a particular day though, a day only the residents of the shrine celebrate with themselves. "Nanami-sama, Nanami-sama!" Onikiri and Kotetsu jump into Nanami's arms. Tomoe only smiles to himself when he hears her laugh happily and swings the tiny yōkai around. Each year the shrine became more admirable, the rustling sound of the trees hold tiny birds chirping to each other. The wood of the shrine appears to become more sturdy and youthful. Even though the age of the deity has moved forward.
"I can not believe that Nanami-sama has been with us for four years now! We love you Nanami-sama!" The tiny yōkai continue to lather Nanami with love. "Mizuki, will you get out your special sake? Bring an extra bottle if you can. I will be joining on this toast as well." Mizuki nods and springs into the hallways of the shrine. Nanami leaves the other two yōkai and gently eases herself down beside Tomoe.
"I guess I still can't use my school excuse any more to get out of chores today, huh?" Nanami watches the glistening pond of large polychromatic koi swim gently underneath the lilypads. "You haven't been able to use that excuse for two years. Do you honestly think it would work now?" Tomoe looks at her with a blank face.
Nanami's cheeks puff out and she lets out a huff of laughter. "Despite being together for four years now, you still don't get my jokes!" She does a faint smack on the side of his shoulder. She hops on her legs and skips across the entrance of the shrine. The wrinkle waves of her white Ombré high-low skirt sways it's tail behind her actions. Her arms spread out to soak up the ardour rays produced by the blinding sun. She spins around once more and looks over to Tomoe, she gestures her hands out to him. Tomoe raises one of his own eyebrows and shakes his head. "I will not be apart of your odd games."
Nanami sticks her tongue out and flops down on the grass to gaze into the floating clouds. Tomoe noticed as the years went on with Nanami being the god deity, she slowly referred to ordering him around anymore less . It did not stop him from doing all his duties and helping Nanami, but it helps him remember when she confessed her feelings to him as a highschooler. Now she stands just less of a head of him. Her hair a few inches longer, majority of the time she would leave it down but a few times she would keep it up in a messy bun. Nanami wasn't sixteen anymore, she is now twenty. The sun slowly dips into the horizon, the group gathers around a low table. The simple beige table is now cluttered with three pitchers of Mizuki's sake and a variety plates of dango.
"Before everyone digs in, wait!" Onikiri vanishes and returns with a mysterious object behind his back. Tomoe smacks Mizuki which makes Mizuki drop his sake cup atop the table. "Hey, you didn't have to smack me!" Mizuki glares out of the corner of his eyes. "Regardless who is saying the orders, you must respect their wishes. Now stay quiet and don't drink for a few minutes, you snake." Mizuki hisses at Tomoe, Tomoe growls back.
"Both of you cut it out and please do not ruin this day. Show us Onikiri what you have!" There was a faint mutter of unison; 'sorry Nanami-sama' in the background. Onikiri places a small white cake on the table gently. Kotetsu pulls out small confetti poppers. Multicolour pieces of paper sprinkle around the room, landing on everyone. "Happy birthday Nanami-sama!" The small attendants sang together. "But it isn't my birthday!" Nanami's eyebrows furrow in confusion. "It isn't your birthday Nanami-sama but it is the day you arrived at the shrine! You gave it its new birth with your soul. We are honoured to have such a great god!"
The attendants reach to Nanami, she agains grins and brings them in for a crushing hug. "Thank you so much Onikiri, Kotetsu for making all these days wonderful." Nanami turns to Mizuki and Tomoe. "Also thank you two for helping me not ruin this shrine any further." Mizuki matches her own grin. "Please, even with our help you still have problems with weeding." Tomoe, semi-regretting his blurt out glances to the side. "Oh, I see. If you so choose to think that way Tomoe. Then you have decided to not have anymore sake for the night." While Nanami hums to her own happiness, Tomoe gapes in annoyance. "Okay, let's get this party started! Pass me one of the sake bottle Mizuki." He gives a bottle to Nanami, she proceeds to pop the cork out and take her own swig of it.
The party carries on with laughter and chatter among the five. Tomoe consumed most of the dangos out of them all, silently cursing Nanami for soiling his pleasure of not allowing him to have any sake. Several hours slip away, the sun gone and the moon taking over and replacing it with a new bright light. Mizuki had passed out laying face flat on the table because of too much alcohol consumption. The stars illuminate the sky over them, painting a new perception of the world around them. Nanami watches the constellations while Tomoe leans against an oak pillar, keeping company in her presence.
"You have watched the sky a lot today." Tomoe speaks as he lifts a small cup of green tea, the soft steam rolls over his lips going into his nose. The strong scent of the herb calms his persona from the exciting day. Nanami sighs, "well, it is the anniversary of the day I was evicted and the last day I had contact with my father." Her iconic big chestnut eyes reach his over her shoulder, "I do still wonder about the whereabouts of my father. His condition, even though I have a grudge against him. I can not stop caring about him. I believe that looking into the sky, maybe something will point out where he is or tell me a sign." Nanami looks away first, searching the sky again. "If you found your father, would you leave?" Tomoe studies her expressions, the question both of them never wanted to be brought up.
"No, I could never leave here. Though I would probably have to help my father or doing something about it. I made a promise that I would never leave, remember?" Tomoe does a slow nod, their eyes meeting again. Nanami smiles and looks back to the sleeping yōkai. "It seems like the celebration is over, Tomoe lets help them to bed." They quietly scope up the little yōkai and went to place them in their respected beds. They return, Nanami laughing at Mizuki's state and Tomoe coughing at how irresponsible Mizuki was with his liquor.
They both stood by Mizuki's side and began picking him up. "Tomoe, don't be so rough with Mizuki. He's passed out!" Nanami gave Tomoe small glare when he yanked Mizuki's arm over his shoulder. "It doesn't even matter, like you said. He's passed out, he won't even feel it-Nanami, Nanami!" Urgency overcame Tomoe when Nanami clutched her own clothing and fell to the floor. Gaining all of Mizuki's weight, Tomoe attempts to place Mizuki down properly and give aid to Nanami. "Something is happening to me, my body feels like it's dying at every nerve end." Nanami leans into Tomoe's shoulder and grits out a cry. Agony fills the back of her eyes as she thrashes out of his arms, another screech rings throughout Tomoe's ears. His ears pin back in agony. Nanami's eyes snap open as her shaking hands come into her vision. Bright blue lines begin at the tip of her fingers, the lines impulse down her hands into her arms. A crackle of lightning recoils within thunder outside. Nanami rests onto Tomoe, breathing heavily. Her skin cold and clammy against his own.
"Please Tomoe, bring me to my room." Tomoe quickly lifts up Nanami with ease. Tomoe walks over to Mizuki and kicks him in the side. "Wake up Snake!" Tomoe gyrates around and b-lines to Nanami's room. "I, Tomoe. I have never felt this way before. Shit, my legs are numb. My lungs, urgh." Nanami timidly exercises her own breathing. "Refrain from talking Nanami, please." Tomoe leers at Nanami as he sets her down on her bedding. Variations of pain expressions run over Nanami's face as she grips Tomoe's hand. Her hand grips at such measure that he could feel his own bones bending.
'Nanami, Land God of this pitiful shrine. Oh how such an event has been distilled onto you.'
A obscure voice reaches Nanami's mind. "Who are you?" All of Nanami's energy is gone, all she can do is lay with the pain now. Tomoe looks around instantly to see any intruders, confused to Nanami's random talk.
'Who am I? My Nanami, I have given you such a wonderful gift and all you can do is question me? You will thank me later'.
Blackness consumes Nanami's vision. "Nanami! Nanami!" Tomoe jolts Nanami's shoulder. Her body limp, unresponsive, cold and now lifeless. Panic fills the room as darkness explodes everywhere. The heat of the blue fire erupts around Tomoe, a low growl admits from his jaws. The door to Nanami's room opens once again, Tomoe sprinting at the new intruder.
"Ah, Tomoe wait!" Tomoe stops instantly to Mizuki's shriek. His hand blaring with fox fire an inch before Mizuki's face. "Sorry." Tomoe retracts his hand and turns around. "What happened? That kick still hurts." Mizuki peers over Tomoe's shoulder and gasps.
Mizuki takes a step towards Nanami but an arm shoots out and forces him back. "I have no idea what is wrong with her. She just broke out randomly." Mizuki studies her body, the blue lines now disappear into her clothing. They reappear as they descended onto her face, small designs decorate her sickened face.
The wind picks up and howls around them. "I-I don't know what to think of this." Mizuki kneels down shakily beside Tomoe.
"She even spoke to herself before she slipped out. 'Who are you' she said, I don't know what to make of it either. Mizuki, I want you to stay here and keep watch. Let me know if anything happens immediately. Nanami is now weakened, I have to prepare the shrine in case anything comes after us." Mizuki nods, it is a struggle for Tomoe to leave.
Every thought and feeling pleads him to stay by her side but he must do what's best. She would have asked him to do this anyways. Tomoe strides out of the room to fetch the other yōkai. It was terrible when Nanami orders him not to help her. It was the end of Tomoe himself because she is asking for him but he still can not do anything, helpless, useless, expendable.
Soaring turbulence echo's across the rafters of the shrine. The blur of Tomoe's kimono glides across the flooring to anchor the rattling doors. "Onikiri, Kotetsu, have you secured the grounds?" The projection of Tomoe's voice bounces off the walls. Both of the yōkai attendants yelped in unison, informing Tomoe of their completions. Their petite bodies scramble pass by Tomoe's long cloth legs. Onikiri quickly springs into mid-air to daintily catch an ancient oriental plate. "Nice one Onikiri! Here, place it in this drawer. That should be all!" Kotetsu beacons over to him, flailing his tiny hands to keep pressure on the pushing drawer door. The door roughly pushes Kotetsu back, his body tossing and rolling backwards. His body continues to roll, a soft feeling of fabric smothers his face.
Kotetsu blinks numerous times then looks up to see drab fox eyes peering down, Tomoe chuckles. "Here, let me help you two before things really do start getting out of hand." Groans of the twisting wood sing a harrowing tune. Malachite leafs slash against the outside barriers, and proceed to engage large memorising dances with one another.
Tomoe watches how the nature of the shine changes every moment, every moment that goes by he knows she is suffering from something unknown. As they all finish setting up for the enduring night, Onikiri and Kotetsu trail behind Tomoe's footsteps towards their masters room. The dim tepid glow of the lamps become overpowered from the casting azure of the full moon. "Ever since night began everything has turned weirder and weirder." Kotetsu silently grabs ahold of one of Tomoe's fabric wrinkles.
Silently they travel through the remaining halls. The wood whines under their own pace. Despite with all the lamps and the moonlight giving a pathway in the setting, darkness seeps everywhere. "Doesn't the shine seem terrifying to you?" Onikiri mumbles as for he has become attached to Tomoe's kimono. "It is like a giant yōkai has inhabit underneath the shine. Now he springs into action to chase us out and eat us!" Both Onikiri and Kotetsu whimper as their own imagination run wild.
A flicker of Tomoe's ears gives himself a scare. "I doubt that, I would be able to sense the yōkai already if it had that big of an aura. Also Nanami a amount of power to keep yōkai from even entering the shrine grounds." Tomoe felt his own reassurance rising back up again. "What if the yōkai is so powerful that even Tomoe-sama can not detect him! What if he is already inside Nanami-samas body!" The attendants cower in fear again. "Would you two stop coming up with these ridiculous claims? We still have to deal with Nanami, I do not need you two being irrational." Tomoe's fox slits gaze down to silence them. They do a sharp right and both Onikiri and Kotetsu slam into the back of Tomoe. Tomoe's eyes dilate, then hastily shielded himself.
Colossal amounts of white light bursts from the cracks of the walls. "I don't understand what is happening! Nothing is making sense!" Kotetsu wails, he also attempts to block out the light. The fox numbly grabs onto the door and heaves them open. The doors smack against its hinges. Clear ribbons drape across the unconscious deity. Her thick brown hair sways to the movement of the fast draft. Hesitant steps brings Tomoe's being closer to her body. Her breathing is ragged and slow, the ribbons cling across her daily school clothing.
A glimmer of sweat piddles from her forehead and singular drops onto the tatami flooring. The ribbons slither across Nanami's body and begin covering her completely. "How long has this been going on for Mizuki?" Tomoe's hard eyes stare directly into lime snake eyes. "As soon as you told me to keep watch I have been bound to this place. I even tried to take the ribbons off prior but there's a strong force dwelling from Nanami's body." Bags of blue hue under Mizuki's eyes, it is well into the night. Exhaustion sweeps Tomoe's forehead, the energy depleting quickly. Onikiri and Kotetsu shuffle over to aid Mizuki, they help ease the second familiar to the floor. Mizuki passes out again, sleeping taking over him. "Onikiri, Kotetsu, you may rest as well. I will keep watch." They thank Tomoe and fall asleep against Mizuki laxly with no hesitation. Tomoe attempts to get close to Nanami as he can.
The force is so ill that he could only make five feet from her. He drops to his knees and observes. Time goes on by, slower than he can anticipate. As every single minute goes by Tomoe loses himself.
Then the last-minute goes by and Tomoe only dreams of when Nanami is smiling with him.