Chapter 1: Rise and Shrine
The sun started to rise over the mountain. Its rays sparkling against the morning dew of the lushes plant growth. Morning mist still graced the air around a centuries old temple compound. All was peaceful and serene, until the disrupting sound of an alarm clock rang out. "Yukari get up or you'll be late again." said a feminine voice.
Sun light inched its way into the room illuminating its white walls. A girl stirred in a bed fighting to stay asleep. "Yukari I'm not going to tell you again to get up." said the girl's mother. "Fine I'm up already, sheesh." Her slender frame slowly irked itself to the edge of the bed until she fell out of the pillow top mattress, taking the alarm clock with her. "Ouch, aw man is it gonna be on of those days again?" she groaned.
She stood herself up and stretched. After turning off the alarm clock she lumbered toward the bathroom. Her long black hair was curled and messy from just rising from bed. Her uniquely aqua colored eyes were just barely opening trying their hardest to stay awake. After managing to get to the bathroom she started to undress out of her nightwear. She reached behind the curtains and began to run a shower.
The warm water fell onto her bare skin and served to wake her up slowly as she walked in. She reached for the soap and washcloth and began to cleanse herself. After rinsing her body she lathered up some shampoo and rubbed it into her dark hair. Meanwhile downstairs her mother was cooking breakfast while an elderly man sat at the table reading the newspaper and drinking a warm tea. "Is she up yet?" he asked. "Yes, she is in the shower now." said her mother.
Yukari got out of the shower and began to dry her wet body then proceeded to wrap the towel around her. After wiping the condensed water from the mirror she started to brush her teeth. She turned on the radio to listen to the weather report for the week. "That's right Miki its ten past six and traffic is looking great on the Yasino turnpike with some slight road work along route 10. Now here's Maho Tanaka with your weekly forecast." said the male voice. "Arigato Sosuke, it's looking great out this morning with a cool 69 degrees and clouds giving way to early sunshine then a warm 73 degrees with cool breezes coming though. A severe thunderstorm warning will be in effect around 8'o clock for the Mt. Minori region so make sure you're ready because lightning may take some power lines out." she stated. "I hope grandpa is getting all this; I don't wanna have to go out in the rain again to fix another blown fuse like last time." Yukari thought.
She finished brushing her teeth and then her hair when her grandfather yelled up the stairs. "Yukari you move as slower then my medication! Get down here or you'll miss your bus again." "I'll get there grandpa, hold your horses." she replied. She got her school uniform on and packed her bag with her books. She put her shoes on to complete the ensemble. Before leaving her room she grabbed a twisting metal necklace with two rounded ends with spirals on each called a torc and placed it around her slender neck. It hardly fit being that it was to big for her as it dangled around her collar bone.
Yukari made it down the steps and into the dinning room. She was greeted by her mother and grandfather. "Good morning dear, sleep well?" her mother inquired with a smile. "Fine, didn't want to get up." Yukari yawned. "You can't afford to sleep in child, otherwise we'll get another call from the school about another absence." remarked the old man as he drank his tea. "I surprised you can even get out of bed you old prune." she said with a smirk. "I'm stronger then I look ya little…." he was cut off by her mother "Now now, that's enough you two. Just sit and eat you breakfast." Just as she was about to dig in, the old man stopped her. "Just one minute Yukari I need you to doe something before you eat and leave for the bus." "What grandpa? Can't it wait til after I eat?" she said as her stomach growled.
"No, it can't. I need to run out to the temple shrine and bring me utility box. We need to be ready for the storm later." he said whilst eating his rice. "Awww, come on grandpa can't that wait? Besides I hate going in that creepy old shrine." she whined. "Yukari I'll remind you that it is the duty of the Fujimori clan to keep watch over this temple and the shrine that …". "Conceals a horrible demonic power that if ever unleashed would wreak misfortune, havoc, misery, and woe on all dwell here. Yeah I know the legend grandpa you only told it to me and my brother like a thousand times when we were little." Yukari interrupted. "No offense grandpa but this is 2010 A.D. and we are a little ghosts and demons these days." she remarked. "Even if what you say is true Yukari, both I and your father were entrusted with protecting this temple like my father and so on. Ever since you great ancestor Finn Cuulain traveled from the west carrying the evil being now sealed in the shrine settled here in Japan and married into our clan we have remained vigilant for generations to ensure the safe of our family and the world." decreed the old man.
"Grandpa as fascinating as that story is it still doesn't change the fact that that shrine is still freaking creepy." Yukari replied. "And it still doesn't change the fact that the utility box is still in there and you have to go get it." the old man remarked smiling. Yukari shot him a look and then went out to retrieve the box. She stepped out of the house and out toward the temple area. At seventeen Yukari knew she shouldn't be so creeped out by the shrine. After all the Fujimori family was one of the few families in the area to live on a temple compound and manage it. Though her twenty six year old brother Kazuya lived over in America as a business representative for Honden Corp. Lucky him, he got to get away from the Temple, while she had to be stuck here still attending high school at Kamikuro High, working as a shrine maiden, spending her days listening to her crackpot grandfather Shinji and trying to please her mother Isane. The young girl walked into the old shrine adjacent to the main temple and cringed at the sight of some cobwebs. "I really hope I find this box quick, this place weird's my out." she whispered to herself.
She came to a shelf where her grandfather all sorts of temple artifacts and tools. "Man, grandpa need to really clean this place up…ah chu!" she said as the dust made her sneeze. "Ah I found it." she said and she stood on a stole to reach it. As she pulled it toward her she lost her balance and fell back then quickly rolled to one side to avoid be crushed by the box. "Wow, that was a close one." she sighed. As soon as she regained her focus her attention brought to the demi-shrine that housed the main artifact. As a small child she always wondered what was in there. Her grandfather always said told her it was a monster. Now she just wonder what the artifact inside looked like. She then snapped out of her wonderment and picked up the heavy box as best she could and waddled back to the house. As she left the shrine the artifact within caught a ray of sunshine and glinted it back.
"Here is your stupid utility box, now can I place eat my breakfast?" she said as she dropped the box on the floor. "Yes you may, thank you Yukari." said the old man. Though he got one her nerves often Yukari knew her grandfather cared for her. The young girl sat down and began to eat her food. "Um, Yukari." her grandpa said. "Not now grandpa, I'm eating." She replied. "Yukari." he said again. "Grandpa it can wait." she said as she put another clump of rice in her mouth. "Uh, Yukari." he asked once more. "Oh what now grandpa?" she snapped back. "Your bus is here." he said as he pointed to the window. "What?" Yukari exclaimed as she coughed on her rice.
She quickly stuffed her face with food, grabbed here bag and ran out the door. "Have a nice day sweety." her mother said as she left. "You know as weak as she is that girl sure can run." the old man said as he took another sip of tea. Yukari raced toward the temple steps in a desperate attempt to make it to the bus in time. At a good pace she was making good distance that was until she tripped and fell of to the side. Her ordeal didn't end there for she fell onto the smooth border stones which were still slick from the morning dew. Yukari was now sliding down to the bus at twice the normal speed. "Ahhhhhhhh!" she screamed as she slid to the bottom.
Yukari reached the bottom with a thud. She groaned in pain for a second and then looked up at the bus driver. "Going to be one of those days huh Yuk?" he asked rhetorically. She got up, dusted off, and then got on the bus as the other students laughed. She sat toward the back as usual. "Still having trouble with those steps huh?" a voice called out. Yukari turned to see the face of her friend Miku. Miku was a thin girl average height with short black hair and glasses. She was sitting in her seat reading as she greeted her friends. "Good morning Miku. What book is it today?" Yukari replied. "Sun Tzu's Art of War." Miku said rather enigmatically. "Yuki-chan!" yelled a squeaky girlish voice. Before Yukari could turn around a small brown haired girl sprang up behind her seat and grabbed her under the arms and fondled her breasts. "Oh is my sweet Yuki-chan hurt after that nasty fall? Here, let your beloved Sato-chan make it all better." said the young girl.
Before she could say anything else the small girl was struck in the head by a paper fan. "Sit down, shut up, and stop bothering Yukari. The girl just got of the slip'n slide from hell and now you try rapping her. Really Satomi have some control." said a taller girl with long silver colored hair. "Oh its ok Tomo-chan. Satomi just caught me off guard. Good morning to you both." Yukari replied with a smile. "Yukari be honest you have no guard." Miku stated while still reading. "So did you study for the test today Yuki-chan?" inquired Satomi. "I fell asleep after chapter four I'm afraid." said Yukari reluctantly. "Good luck then, you'll need it." said Tomo.