Fifty years of a mortal's life
Would be but a fleeting moment
Contrast with the life of Geten
It is nothing but a very dream and illusion
But once they are given life from God
There is no such thing that do not perish
Unless we consider this very seed of awakening
It is a grievous truth indeed


Hydrangea Tea


Otsu was a city of travel and trades of the Oumi province. With the large port of Shigatsu at the lake Biwa and its role as a port town, it thrummed vibrantly with life. Prosperous with travellers and flourishing with fortune. Since Tokugawa ruled over the land, Otsu was under the direct command of the Shogun himself. Moreover, with the construction of 2 roads of Gokaidou; Toukaidou and Nakasendou converged in Otsu, this city was to become even more crowded than ever before.

T'was truly a new era of lights for humans. A bright future.

And a grim time for the unseen beings.

Otsu was surrounded with mountains; the west with Mount Hira and Mount Hiei, east with Mount Ibuki, south with Mount Suzuka, and north with Mount Joshou. For the people of Otsu, the surrounding mountains were considered sacred. They always knew that doing any kind of harm on the mountain would be like challenging the heavens itself, messing with a greater force of a different realm. To avoid calamity caused by human errors, Mount Hira and Mount Hiei each had their own temples with monks to guard them.

But not the northern Mountain of Joshou.

Somewhere deep inside the glacial mountain, stood an old temple that existed since the early Heian era. The temple itself looked like a relic of the Ancient; rundown and decayed, the walls corroded from water and termites, rotting with mold. The shoji papers worn and riddled with holes. Even the torii gate already lost its other half. It had been empty for many years, abandoned many moon cycles ago. At least, that's what the mortals believed.

It is where the Moon God Tsukuyomi's temple where the Five Guardian Deities of Joshou resided, protecting the peace of the mountain from any kind of threat. Watching over silently.

One of those guardians was Jack the Yukihito. A snow youkai.


"It had become harder for us to live in this new era." A deep solemn voice rumbled.

The Great Tengu of Mount Joshou, North, turned to his fellow subordinates.

He was an old man with long white beard and bright blue eyes. His wrinkles lined his face. At the corner of his eyes, his cheeks. It dug deep into his skin, as if Time itself was carved along his face, depicting the many years of his existence. But his cracked features were deceiving, merely hiding a greater strength.

With his initial towering height of 7'4, he could grow ten-fold bigger if he desired to. A pair of giant falcon wings protruded from behind his back; it is said that in his true form, with just a flap of his wings, a gust of wind that could even bend the trees would follow.

His famed strength is capable of lifting the great mallet Onigoroshi that could destroy a castle with only a single strike. His appearance and reputation alone is enough to instill fear and respect towards his fellows, bearing the title "The Lord of the Mountain".

Perhaps he was a demon sent from heaven, but deep down behind his fearsome figure, resides a kind and cheerful soul that seeks nothing but wonders in everything he sees. He protects the mountain and any living thing that lives inside it. He does not discriminate; let it be humans, animals, plants, or spirits. As long they didn't pose any threat to his beloved mountain entrusted to him, he regarded all of them as his family. Humans paid their respects to him in Tsukuyomi's temple, while his enemies cowered in fear, and his subordinates respected him as a beloved friend and leader.

He and his dear friends were in the middle of drinking tea, a simple Hydrangea Tea and roasted chestnuts from the offerings to the temple. The mountain guardians fell silent as the words sunk in. Yes, it was an undeniable fact and tragedy they had to face. Tokugawa Shogunate was an era of light, blinding the creatures of the night like them. Casting them into the shadows. With the city flourishing and more people laying claim to the surrounding land, who knows when they will finally lay their hands on the mountain? The guardians might protect the humans inside the mountain, but that doesn't mean they trusted them completely. Not all of them, at least.

One of the guardians' scoff broke the silence. Leaning against the temple's wall, he was the Kamaitachi named Bunnymund, a wind-aligned youkai with a form of a huge rabbit the size of a man. He had incredible speed and agility that cut evil rogues that hid in the mountain with his sickles with dead accuracy. At the same time he cuts through his victims, he also applied magic ointment that instantly heals their wounds. The wounds may disappear, but not the pain. Rather than killing them (which he could easily do), he left his prey writhing in pain as a warning. He was considered as a formidable youkai, earning the title "The Slasher of The Wicked".

"Bah, big deal. If they even had the courage to disturb our place, I'll take care of 'em quick." The beast youkai stated as he twirled his trusted sickle for emphasis. He was always confident with his ability.

"Do you always have to use violence?" Another guardian asked.

She was the only female spirit amongst the Five Guardians of Joshou. Toothiana the Zashiki-warashi as a house spirit that brought good fortune to the place she dwells in. Compared to the other guardians, she was the one who spent the most time with humans, thus developing a certain fondness towards them. Her favorite pastime was to talk about the hosts of her previous house, who seemed like a bunch of very nice folks from the way she described them. After the destruction of the house because of a certain incident she refuses to mention, she wandered around and finally resigned herself at the temple of Mount Joshou. Because of the good fortune she brings, the temple was always protected by the sheer force of luck. She was "The Protector of Residence".

"Sometimes it's the best way to teach those fools." Bunnymund shrugged.

"But what if they come with an army like what happened at Mount Hiei?"

Bunnymund was taken aback at her argument. The razing at Mount Hiei led by Oda Nobunaga was the first time humans dared to damage the mountain, and certainly not the last.

"Please calm down everyone..."

A voice rang inside their minds. It sounded as if it came from everywhere and nowhere. They all glanced at the only one in the room who capable of doing such thing.

Sandy was a Satori; a youkai who can read and enter the minds of all living beings. People who wandered alone inside Mount Joshou often found themselves conversing inside their minds, when in truth they were talking to Satori all along. He might be mute, but he loved to listen to their problems and help them let it all out, sometimes even giving them advice. Sandy knows all and hears all, whenever he wanted to or not. Valuable as a friend, frightening as an enemy. He was "The Voice of Enlightment".

"Sandy's right. It's not that bad, isn't it? Relax." Jack said as he lazily lay at the patio outside the temple, fingers laced behind the back of his head as he gazed at the stars.

The ayakashi of snow has always been a free spirit (literally). He was the newest addition of the Guardians of Joshou, assigned just 5 years ago. Unlike the other four, he only resided at the mountain in spring, summer, and early fall. Whenever winter approached, he wandered around the land to visit every and any place that interested him. He disliked having to change his carefree lifestyle, but he had to nevertheless; the Moon God's order is absolute. Unfortunately, being a creature born from snow, the other seasons were hot enough to melt him away. Only in Mount Joshou, where the temperature was cool all year round, he could make blizzards as much as he wanted to keep him cold and intact. The only reason why the top of Mount Joshou was always covered with snow is because of the snow ayakashi, "The Harbinger of Blizzard".

"Something new isn't always bad. I mean, just look at all these amazing things they built! Isn't it about time we loosen up and just let them fix this rundown temple already?" he said optimistically.

Bunnymund sputtered in disbelief upon Jack's careless words, making a ridiculous sounding snort, "Do you ever pay attention to the trash that blabbers out of your mouth?! Or is that the only thing that come out? Just how disrespectful you could get, rookie?!"

"Oh? Sorry, I failed to see how that was disrespectful, my Exalted Senior." He shrugged as he stands up, voice laced with sarcasm. "I guess being a senior for so long turns you into a grumpy old weasel."

"How many times do I have to tell you, I'm a RABBIT!"

"Whoa, really?" Jack rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "I thought all Kamaitachi are supposed to be weasels."

"And I thought all Yukihito are supposed to be women." Bunnymund spat out smugly.

Jack growled at his insult, "Why you—"

"Stop it, both of you!" An intimidating, booming voice resounding from North, making them both flinch.

"Bunnymund, you shouldn't be so quick to judge. Let us all calm down. Wait and see how well our kind will fare upon Tokugawa's reign." He took another sip of his tea, "And as for you, Jack. As a guardian deity, you should learn to respect the tradition and heritage the Moon God bestowed upon us. The only time when we let humans tread on our realm is when the Moon God wishes to do so."

Jack and Bunnymund huffed with irritation, deciding that it was wise to drop the issue to prevent angering the Great Tengu. A thick silence fell on them, the tension heavy in the air. Jack swore he could feel it settling on his shoulders.

"L-Let's talk about something else, shall we?" Toothiana said nervously, trying to lighten up the mood.

But no one spoke up. The silence treading on.

Somehow, their gazes drifted to a point somewhere far beyond the mountain. Mount Joshou, compared to the other mountains, is the perfect vantage point to see all of Otsu without any kind of obstruction. From the temple of Tsukuyomi, they could see the most prominent structure of the city that obstructed the moonlight above. The pride of Otsu.

Toketsu Castle.

The residence of the Lord of the Otsu region. The daimyo seemed to be competent, as the city always prospered with wealth and passing travelers from around the land. Ironically, for a port town, the castle is akin to a hermit crab as it's always kept their affairs secret, to the extremes even. There were only a limited number of servants and soldiers who worked under the castle. A chosen few who were carefully selected; the brightest and most diligent in their field. They were all under oath, sworn to secrecy. Maybe they didn't want their trade secrets leaked? Nobody really knew.

"Majestic, isn't it?" Toothiana sighed in awe.

Bunnymund snorted, "Bah! Pompous humans living in their pompous tower, built from dirty tax money from the poor! Majestic my cottontail!"

"Now, now, Bunny. The lord is a just and kind ruler who looks after his land. As the one who lived in this mountain for 600 years, I can assure you that." North said.

Bunnymund rolled his eyes and clicked his tongue, "Whatever."

The snow spirit absentmindedly watched the scenery below them, tuning out all conversation. These topics about rulers and politics never really interested him, after all. Too stiff and dull. He's only in when there's fun, games, and dreams involved. Where's the fun in politics?

"Do you think the Snow Princess is in the castle too?" Toothiana inquired.

Huh? The Snow what?

"Maybe? We couldn't tell." North answered. "Do you know something about it perhaps, Sandy?"

Sandy merely shrugged while shaking his head lightly.

"What are you guys talking about?" Jack jumping into the conversation.

Toothiana turned to look at Jack. "Huh? You mean, you don't know about the rumor of Toketsu Castle?"

He spread his arms wide open as if his ignorance should be obvious. "What can I say? I'm new here."

"People of Otsu claim," North started to explain, gently setting down his cup, "There are two princesses inside the castle, one of them apparently, is a matchless beauty. A famous shamisen player who delivered something there once claimed that he caught a glance of the princess. He said that if he were to describe her beauty, it would be, a perfect snowflake descending from the heavens at winter's first light."

Jack stayed quiet for a few moments, letting the words settle down like the first flurries of snow, as his eyes glimmered in excitement. He liked unique things like this, so full of mystery and wonder. It gave him the chance to dream. A moment to ponder all the opportunities of what could be.

"Alas, with how secretive Otsu's Castle is, there was never any sign of the Snow Princess truly inside the castle. We're not even sure anymore if there's only one princess or two princesses." Toothiana also added.

Jack intently nodded at every word they said to him. Soaking it all in like a plant would do with water. These were one of the rare occasions where Jack actually paid attention to what people are saying. Without knowing it, he was leaning forward, tightening his grip on his staff, eyes wide with eagerness.

"Snowflake, eh?" he grinned sardonically. Now this is just what I need. "I'll be the judge of that."

"Forget it. It's just a load of ox dung the humans created." Bunnymund scoffed for the umpteenth time that night, waving his hand dismissively. "If such a pretty lass really existed, why would they keep her away? Humans love to show off anything that draws attention to themselves. It's in their nature. It's obvious that those rumors are just a bunch of lies to create ruckus."

Jack rolled his eyes in exasperation, "Do you always have to be such a killjoy? Is that your job around here? 'Cause I thought you were just supposed to cut down rogues. You're definitely doing great either way."

"I'm just stating the obvious." Bunnymund said through his gritted teeth, trying his best not to bite into him at his taunts. His nose twitched furiously, teeth gnashing together. He never knew what to make of their new addition, and the stress of repressing his irritation was beginning to get to him. "There is no evidence that this Snow Princess does exist. Waste your time if you must. But know this; I don't care about humanity's problems."

"Then let's make it interesting, shall we?" he replied smugly, skipping towards the railing of the temple. "Tell you what; how about a bet? I'll go to the castle now to check if the Snow Princess is real or not,"

Bunnymund face became a mix of confusion and disbelief. He raised a furry eyebrow skeptically. "Go on..."

"If she does exist," Jack continued. "You lose the bet, and you have to disguise as a human to buy us some of that famous limited daifuku down at the city for your punishment."

"Wait—I'm not agreeing to any—"

"You should do it, Bunny." North said. It sounded more like a demand than words of encouragement,

"Yeah! I want to eat some!" Toothiana added.

Sandy simply nodded enthusiastically while giving two thumbs up. Obviously he supported the idea.

"Are you all implying I should lose?!" Bunnymund yelled.

Jack snickered as he slung his staff on his shoulder, leaning against the railing. "You heard them!"

The exasperation Bunnymund tried to contain finally bubbled to the surface. With one swift movement, he was on his feet. Jack barely had time to blink before he realized Bunnymund crossed the large expanse of the temple floor and stood only inches from him. He had moved so fast a small puff of air had blown the hair that hung over Jack's eyes out of his face. Jack leaned his head back and gulped as Bunnymund pressed his sickle against Jack's throat. Clearly, his patience was wearing thin.

"Then suppose that she doesn't exist," Bunnymund sneered delightfully, stepping into the challenge. "You have to bring us my favorite oden they sell at the outskirts of the town. Make sure it's still piping hot by the time it gets here."

Jack's eyebrows furrowed suspiciously. "Are you trying to kill me?"

Bunnymund devilishly smiled, eyes gleaming, "Is that an invitation?"

"I think it's fair, Jack." North chimed in, pulling Bunnymund away from Jack by the shoulder.

"Hot food would be nice too." Toothiana sighed dreamily.

Sandy did the same gesture, approving Bunnymund's dare.

Jack sighed in defeat, but his voice was brimming conviction. "Fine then, you're on!"

With that, he leaped into the air to catch a ride on the passing wind current, leaving his comrades at the rundown temple of Joshou.

"You figure this is fine?" Bunnymund dusted his shoulder, watching Jack as he flew away.

"It'll be alright. A boy with his curiosity should be free to explore and discover." North took a bite of his forgotten snack of roasted chestnut. "Unlike us, Jack can only be seen in or during a blizzard. He's invisible to humans. It's a harmless investigation. Besides, it wouldn't be long until he returns here due to the heat."

"It's not that!" Bunnymund gestured wildly at Jack's disappearing figure, "I'm saying that this punk is a total whack! What was the Moon God thinking, making this hooligan into a guardian deity?! He's unpredictable!"

"Our Lord Tsukuyomi's order is absolute, Bunny. You should know that. And who are we to question his decisions?"

"I know! I just—" he paused, searching for the right words, grasping his ears in frustration. "...I just have a feeling that he will bring trouble for us someday. I can feel it in my whiskers."


Japanese Corner:

1. This AU took place at the beginning of Tokugawa shogunate, namely the famous period of Edo. The story begins at the springtime of year 1603.

2. The place featured in this story is a real city and province in Japan. Oumi was an old name for what now known as Shiga prefecture; Otsu is its capital. Mountains mentioned like Hiei, Hira, Ibuki, and Suzuka are all real mountain ranges on Japan. Mount Joshou and Toketsu Castle are all made up, though. In Japanese, Joshou means "Rising" and Toketsu means "Frozen". Haha! Get it? Geit it? Ok, I'll shut up now.

3. Gokaidou or "Five Routes of Edo" were the five centrally-administered routes, or kaidou, that connected the capital of Japan at Edo (now Tokyo) with the outer provinces during the Edo period (1603 – 1868). The most important of the routes was the Toukaidou, which linked Edo and Kyoto. Tokugawa Ieyasu started the construction of these five routes to increase his control over the country in 1601, but it was Tokugawa Ietsuna, the 4th shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate and Ieyasu's great-grandson, who declared them as major routes. Post stations were set up along the route for travelers to rest and buy supplies. There were 5 routes in Goukaidou; Toukaidou, Nakasendou, Koushuu Kaidou, Oshou Kaidou, and Nikko Kaidou. Two of the most important routes of Gokaidou; Toukaidou and Nakasendou, were converged in Otsu.

3. Geten (化天) literally means "land below heavens", which basically means "Human World".

4. Hydrangea Tea or Amacha (甘茶) is an herbal tea made from the roots of Hydrangea plant. Most commonly used as an offering for the temples.

5. Daifuku is a Japanese confection consisting of a small round mochi (glutinous rice cake) stuffed with sweet filling, most commonly anko (sweetened red bean paste made from azuki beans).

6. Oden is a dish consisting of several ingredients such as boiled eggs, daikon, konjac, and fishcakes stewed in a light, soy-flavoured dashi broth.


Special thanks:

Undiscovered-Muse for co-writing, editing, and proofreading EVERY single chapter!

Visit her Tumblr! Her url is: the-undiscovered-muse

Aelfeth for all the inspirations and pretty, pretty artworks and AUs of Jelsa!

Visit her Tumblr! Her url is: aelfethart

Allaynia as my favorite Jelsa author. This fanfic is dedicated to her!

She's on FF! Just search for: Allaynia


Author Notes:

Phew! This one was quite a feat to write! I hope all the roles and abilities of the guardians matched them perfectly. I also put a lot of historical Japanese references in there. This chapter mainly introduced the guardians as youkai. Elsa will be up in the next chapter!

Other than writing, I also draw their designs for this Edo AU! Visit my Tumblr url: storm-studio

Some reviews would be nice!