"Earth to Miru."
Miru Arai blinked and gave a startled look at her best friend Harumi Kojima. Harumi had short black hair that barely brushed her shoulders and intelligent green eyes, which were now staring intently at Miru.
"Sorry. What?"
Harumi blew out an exasperated breath. "I've been talking to you for the past twenty minutes. Do you remember anything I've said?"
Miru tried to think, then shook her head, sending her long black hair swishing across the back of her school uniform.
Harumi sighed again. "Momo-chan was right. We need to get you out of the house tonight."
Miru looked away from the knowing eyes of her friend. Today marked the four year anniversary of her father's death. Miru had been very close to her father and his death, and her mother's subsequent coldness, had been very hard on her.
"We're going to spend the night at Momoko's," Chidori announced.
Chidori, whose real name was Alicia Summers, had come from America two years ago. She had long auburn hair and intense blue eyes. She'd been put into the same class as Harumi and Miru. The two girls had been asked to tutor the American girl, since they both spoke English very well. Chidori had quickly become fluent in Japanese and all three had become close friends.
"Her father just came back from China and brought a bunch of stuff that Momo-chan wants to show us," Harumi said. "You know her and old dusty antiques."
Miru smiled. The last member of their group, Momoko Endou, was still in junior high. She was half-European, half-Japanese.
"I really shouldn't . . ." Miru said half-heartedly.
"Come on," Chidori said. "Your mom's probably already getting drunk at some bar."
Harumi stared at Chidori in shock as Miru bowed her head in shame.
"Chi-chan, that was totally uncalled for," Harumi growled.
"Maybe. But it's true. We all know that Arai-san gets drunk and—"
"Shut it, Chidori!" Harumi growled. "It's rude to discuss Miru's mom like that, especially in front of her."
Chidori had the grace to blush and apologize.
"I'll walk you back to your place," Harumi said to Miru, "and then we'll go over to Momo-chan's. I left my stuff there this morning, and Chidori is running to her place after school."
Miru gave a nod.
"It'll be fun," a subdued Chidori said. "We'll have tempura and cake and drink tea and talk about boys."
"And Momo-chan will go off for an hour at least on the latest antique that her father bought her," Harumi chimed in, determined to lighten the mood.
Chidori started to get a bit more animated. "And we'll have a pillow fight and her brothers will try to pull pranks on us—"
"But we'll get them first," Harumi said, grinning.
"And then we'll stay up late telling ghost stories and fall into terrified sleep."
Miru finally giggled. "You make it sound like we'll be camping out there all weekend or something."
"Who knows," Harumi said with a shrug. "Maybe we will."
After school Harumi and Miru said goodbye to Chidori and walked to Miru's house. Harumi waited in the living room while Miru packed a few things for their overnight stay. As she entered the living room, Harumi fixed her friend with a dagger stare.
"You didn't bring any text books did you?" the younger girl asked.
Miru gave her friend a guilty look.
"Ah hah! I thought so. Take them out right now!"
"But, Haru-chan—"
"We're going to Momo-chan's to have fun. No studying allowed."
"But—"
"No buts, Mi-chan. This is strictly a have fun night. You can get all brainy later."
Miru sighed and smiled as she pulled the text books from her bag. They left the apartment after Miru wrote a note for her mother telling her where she'd be. Miru and Harumi chatted lightly back and forth as they walked to Momoko's house. Momoko was a cute round girl with long dark blonde hair that Miru and Harumi had met on a field trip to Tokyo Tower. The girls had been gazing out over the city when Momoko had come up and handed Miru a pendant—a small silver crane that her father had given her—that she usually wore around her neck. When Miru checked the chain she found it had come undone and the pendant had fallen off.
The girls introduced themselves and Miru invited Momoko to her house to thank her for her kindness. There they learned that Momoko was two grades below Miru and Harumi. She was also half Japanese, her mother being French. Miru and Harumi had introduced Chidori at a later date and the four girls had become inseparable.
Miru and Harumi saw Chidori standing on the sidewalk ahead of them and they waved. They all walked up to Momoko's house together.
Momoko's house was a large two story affair with an immaculate garden and a high stone wall. It had been in the Endou family for generations and when Momoko's grandfather had passed away the house had fallen to Momoko's father.
"This place always makes me feel small," Chidori said as the three girls approached.
"Well you are the shortest one of the group," Harumi said helpfully.
Chidori stuck out her tongue as Miru knocked on the door. Dita, Momoko's younger sister opened the door.
"Momoko, it's your friends," the little girl called.
Momoko literally came bouncing down the hallway.
"Hey guys," the bubbly girl said. "Come on in. Kaa-chan's just getting some snacks ready."
Momoko led Harumi and Chidori up to her room, while Miru snuck away to the kitchen. "Good evening, Sera-san," Miru greeted.
"Miru-chan, how are you doing?" the plump woman asked affectionately.
"I'm well," Miru said with a smile. "I just wanted to know if there was anything I could help you with."
"No. I'm fine. You go on up and I'll bring the snacks in a moment."
"You're sure?" Miru insisted.
"I'm sure," the woman said firmly but kindly. "Now go have fun. And if I catch you with a school book I'll take it from you and hide it until you leave."
Miru laughed and left the kitchen. She really liked Momoko's mother. The woman knew how to kick back and relax as well as when to buckle down and work. Miru made her way up to Momoko's room and knocked on the door before going in.
"We were just about to send out a search party," Harumi teased.
"Not bearing any snacks?" Chidori quipped.
Miru smiled. "Sera-san sent me packing before I could grab the tray."
The girls all laughed and chatted about school and other things until Momoko's mother came in bearing a large tray laden with goodies.
"Arigatou!" the four girls chorused.
"Enjoy," Sera said before leaving.
"Itadakimasu!" the girls yelled and snagged their favorites from the tray.
"Your mom makes the best daifuku," Chidori said to Momoko as she savored the bun.
"I could eat your mother's tempura every day for breakfast, lunch, and dinner," Harumi said.
Miru nodded. "Let's face it, Momo-chan. Your mother is the best cook in Tokyo."
"Hai!" Harumi and Chidori agreed enthusiastically.
The girls chatted intermittently as they ate. Finally they had the tray of goodies polished off.
"So, Momo-chan. Where's this book you were all excited to show us?" Harumi asked.
Momoko popped the last of her daifuku bun into her mouth and bounced over to her well endowed bookshelf where she retrieved a small red-leather bound book.
"I'll never understand her fascination with old books," Chidori said.
"If it's musty, leather bound, and at least fifty years old, Momo-chan will sniff it out," Harumi teased.
Momoko grinned happily as she came back with the book in her hands.
"I found it in Hong Kong when I visited my dad two week ago. Dad looked it over and said it was some kind of spell book and told me not to get it. But the characters were so beautifully drawn, just I had to."
Harumi took the book and opened the cover. After a moment she passed the book to Chidori.
"The characters are very well drawn," Harumi said. "Can you read it?"
Momoko shook her head. "I recognize some of the characters, but it's really old Chinese. Even Dad couldn't get much out of it."
Miru stared at the characters on the page. They seemed to swim and change before her eyes. Quietly she read, "This is the story of the Four Beast Gods, their mikos, and seishi."
The other three girls turned to look at Miru. She kept reading, almost as if compelled.
"A dark pall has fallen over the Four Lands and events have been set in motion that will determine the fates of all involved. Reaching across the worlds, the Beast Gods summon the four girls who will become their mikos and gather the seishi to save the lands."
Miru gave a small shudder and looked around at her friends, noticing them staring at her. "What?"
"You just read that book," Chidori said.
Miru blinked and looked down at the book in her lap. The characters were once again beautifully drawn, but foreign. "I did?"
"Well words were coming out of your mouth while you were staring at the book," the auburn-haired girl said.
Miru handed the book back to Momoko, her palms tingling where the book had rested. Chidori held out her hand to look at the book again. She scanned a few pages and shook her head.
"I can't make heads or tails of it."
Momoko took the book back and rose to return the book the shelf.
"So what do you guys want to do now?" the blonde asked.
Before anyone could answer a glow began to fill the room. Momoko dropped the book with a startled cry. It landed on the floor and fell open. Beams of red, silver, blue, and gold light shot out of the open book and surrounded the four girls. The lights brightened and intensified then merged, becoming blinding white. After a moment the light faded, leaving the room empty.
