High up in the mountains of Japan, there is a town. This town is known by many names, but it is known by everyone. For here in this town, there is a shrine. The Shrine of Dreams.
Located at the peak of one of the lower mountains surrounding the town, it has one of, if not the best, views in the entire world. The shrine looked out over the landscape which was dotted with several small villages, and larger cities. Off in the distance was the Pacific Ocean; a pristine sea of blue that met the sky at the horizon, and continued on for eternity. The shrine itself was a very simple Japanese style building. After a short climb up a set of stone steps, one would reach it, and its incredible view.
There is a legend that goes along with this shrine. It is said that there is a spirit that resides within the shrine that will grant the wishes of the people that visit. This legend is believed to be true. Some of the older citizens tell stories of the spiritual being. And like the town, it is known by many names: The Spirit of Dreams, The Dreaming Spirit, The Wishmaker. No matter the name, the story they tell is the same.
The legend states that a wish or dream, written down, and placed in the shrine box, would be read by the spirit. The spirit, judging your wish to be good and genuine, would then, through indirect means, help you to fulfill the wish yourself.
While some shrug it off as nothing more than a myth, others still believe that there is a certain 'magic' that radiates from the shrine.
Today was a typical winter day in the town. Snow covered the mountain peaks, and there was a slight chill in the air. Up on the stone staircase leading to the shrine, there was a girl, a teenage girl to be exact. Her name is Luka; fourteen years old, with long silky pink hair and eyes as deep and blue as the sea. She was dressed appropriately for the weather; a thick white jacket, a pair of jeans, and a light blue scarf.
Step by step, she made the climb up the mountain side; heading for its peak. The snow on the ground around her shone brightly in the sunlight, and the tall pines gave off a fresh, pleasant scent. She was nearing the top of the long staircase, breathing heavier than normal from the climb. Slowly the shrine came into view. And the pinkette continued climbing until she reached it.
The girl had a reason for coming to this shrine. She had a wish. She didn't want money, or popularity. She wanted a friend. Yes, it was true. Luka was pretty much alone. Aside from her mother whom she lived with, she didn't really know anyone else. She was fairly new to the town and had been having difficulty meeting new people and new friends. She would go to school like most kids her age, but she was 'the new kid' so most didn't go out of their way to introduce themselves. And Luka was a little too shy to try and go up and meet new friends, especially when they all hung out in groups.
This was her deepest wish. Someone she could talk to, hang out with. Someone she could simply call…a friend.
The pink haired teen approached the old looking structure. It was in a surprisingly good shape considering its age. She made her way over to the structure, taking in the incredible view around her. It was the first time she had ever been up here, and she found the landscape to be absolutely breathtaking.
Now at the shrine, she placed a hand on the old oak door pushing it open with a creak. She took a step inside taking in her new surroundings. It was fairly plain; just a few tapestries with an odd symbol embroidered onto them. It looked somewhat like a heart with two long streams that came out the top and flowed around the center design.
At the back of the shrine was the fabled box; the same design etched into it. Seated next to it was a small stack of parchment paper and an old ink pen. The pinkette slowly approached this pedestal, suddenly feeling more anxious than ever. She picked up the pen in her hand, and pulled out a single sheet of parchment from the stack. She thought briefly for a moment; wanting to get the wording just right, and then she placed the pen on the paper.
'I wish I had a friend'
Luka gently placed the pen back in its holder and placed herself just in front of the very old looking box. She almost felt an energy coming from the container, as if radiating some mystical power. She felt nervous now. Luka wanted to believe; wanted this to work. She brought her wish up to her chest, closed her eyes, and wished with all her might.
"I… wish I had a friend…"
She then delicately inserted her parchment into the slot, and released; the paper falling into the box with a small swishing sound. The pink haired girl exhaled, as the weight of her anxiety melted off. It was done. Now all she had to do was believe that this spirit really did exist.
She exited the shrine, making her way towards the long steep staircase down the mountain and back to town. A light snow had begun to fall since she had been in the shrine. Luka zipped up her coat a little more and then started stepping down the staircase. Just a few steps down, there was a small patch of ice resting on one of the edges. The pink haired girl was not aware of this and so when she placed her foot there, she slipped.
Time seemed to slow to a crawl. Her body was unbalanced, and as she stared down the mountain at what was certain death, she thought of her wish and how she would never know its outcome. She closed her eyes, a single glistening tear forming in the corner.
Suddenly, all movement stopped and she felt a tight grasp on her wrist. What..?
She tentatively opened her eyes and was met with beautiful shades of teal.
This new person seemed to be straining herself; trying to stop Luka from falling, while keeping herself from being pulled with her. This broke Luka out of her momentary shock, and she put her foot down securely on the steps; making sure she had her balance back. The teal haired girl then released her wrist, before sitting down on the steps, seemingly worn out from such a strain.
"Are…Are you O...Okay?" she asked while calming her breath.
"Yes! Thanks to you…you, just saved my life."
"Don't mention it…"
Luka had never seen this person before, and with hair like that she would be easy to remember. Long teal twin-tails flowed down her delicate frame. She was dressed similarly to Luka except for the colors; a light pink snow jacket, a pair of jeans and some white, fluffy earmuffs. She was very cute, and Luka felt her cheeks warm slightly when she came to this realization.
"So what's your name?" the tealette asked.
"Um, Luka… My name is Luka."
"Well, it's nice to meet you Luka. I'm Miku."
"N-Nice to meet you, too."
Who was this girl? And where did she come from? She radiated such confidence. Much more than Luka did.
"So what'cha doing all the way up here?" Miku asked.
"Oh…just came to visit the shrine."
"Makin' a wish to the spirit, eh?"
"…Yeah, I guess so… Is that weird?"
"Not at all. People are welcome to believe whatever they want."
"Do you believe in the spirit?"
"I'm not sure… But it sure would be wonderful if it was true." The tealette smiled at Luka. This caused Luka to smile as well. "So you live in town then?"
"Yeah, what about you?"
"Kinda…"
Kinda? What does that mean? But before she could ask, Miku spoke again.
"I've never seen you before; did you just move here or something?"
"...actually, yes. What about you? Are you new? I haven't seen you at school or anything."
"No, I've been here longer than I can remember." she laughed slightly. Luka thought it was kind of a weird thing to say since she was so young. But brushed it off as nothing more than saying she's been here her whole life.
"So, what are you doing up here? You know…besides saving me." Luka blushed slightly for some reason.
"Me? I like the view. It never gets old, no matter how many times I see it…"
"This is the first time I've been up here, but it is amazing." She gazed out at the town below. It seemed so small…
A gust of wind blew past the two of them, causing each to shiver.
"Wow, is it cold up here. You wanna head back to town together?"
"Yeah...okay."
The two of them stood up at the same time and began climbing down the stairs that would take them home. Luka was extra careful to avoid the ice patch she had slipped on, and was cautious of any others that might be lying in wait.
During the descent, Luka was still somewhat in shock over what had happened. Her life had been flashing before her eyes when she was miraculously saved by this stranger. She glanced out of the corner of her eye at her savior. She seemed to have this very positive aura about her; as if anything she did would have a happy ending.
Throughout their climb down the steps, Miku continued to talk and comment about anything that her mind wandered to. From the way the snow would gather on the surrounding pine trees to her favorite kinds of music. It all seemed so effortless to Luka, who was more on the shy side of things. But surprisingly, she found herself opening more and more to the teal haired girl. And as it turned out they actually did have a few things on common.
Eventually they reached the bottom of mountain and were now back at the edge of town. By now the sun had begun to disappear behind the horizon, causing the sky to change colors beautifully. Hardly any of the townspeople were out, it being a little too cold.
Luka looked around. She was still somewhat new to the town, and still getting used to finding her way around. But there was something that she recognized. It was a small coffee house. She remembered it because there was a cute snowman holding a coffee cup just beside the door. Now that she sort of knew where she was, she was able to figure out that her house wasn't too far away. But seeing the coffee house gave her an idea. All she had to do was work up the courage.
"So, which way do you live?" Miku suddenly asked.
"Um, that way…I think."
"Hehe, still getting used to town then?" She laughed slightly.
"Aha, I guess." Luka scratched the back of her head, embarrassed. "What about you?"
"I'm back that way a bit." The tealette pointed behind her. "So I guess this is where we part ways then. Maybe we'll see each other aga-"
"No wait!" Luka interjected. She didn't want to part with Miku right now. She wanted to spend some more time with her. For the first time in a long while, Luka actually felt happy. Somehow, being with the teal haired girl made her feel happy and warm. She also seemed to bring out the parts of the pinkette that were usually hidden behind her shy exterior.
"Hmm?" Miku looked questioningly at her.
"Um… would you maybe, like to have some hot chocolate, in this place…with me?" Luka was so nervous; she almost forgot to add the reason. "As thanks...you know, for saving me and everything… I'll pay." She looked up at Miku, a blush on her face, with nervous eyes.
The tealette simply stared at Luka, smiled, and responded with a big nod. "Of course. I'd love to."
A/N: Hey everyone,
I hope you enjoyed this first chapter of this new story. I'm currently in a block on my other ones so i finished this up and am publishing it in the meantime. Thanks for reading and please leave a review. (i love reading your feedback) ^^
Oh, and thanks to IdrewAcow for beta-reading. :D