Standard disclaimers apply

Once Murakami returned with the schedules for Manatsu, Mayura and Miyuki, he gave Miyuki the schedules to peruse. After comparing their schedules with Izumiko's, Miyuki felt like slapping his head at the sheer lack of attention on the part of the Hojo Academy's faculty. Was it really that hard to shift his schedule to match Izumiko's own? Their schedules were the most closely matched!

However, before Miyuki could utter a single complaint, Izumiko suddenly appeared in the room wearing a kimono worn by royalty, the outer robe a deep, royal purple with pink flowers on the bottom edge. The most startling features, besides the clothing, was the light, purple shadowing around her eyes and her loose hair, giving her the appearance of a royal beauty.

"Crap;" muttered Miyuki, "Not again! I thought she couldn't be possessed by the Hime-gami anymore!" The now identified kami turned to face Miyuki before stating in a regal, commanding voice:

"As long as my vessel does not fully become me, she will always be susceptible to my possession. While Izumiko is much more stable than she was, that does not mean she has fully entered into her capabilities yet." The Hime-gami turned to face the other screeners before settling on Mayura.

"Before I state my business, I would like to personally extend my gratitude to Mayura Souda." A gentle smile graced the ancient kami's face as she explained; "Izumiko, before attending Hojo Academy, always felt isolated from other people around her. Not only did you welcome her with open arms, you gave her the feeling of belonging that she has always craved for as a child." Once her gratitude had been expressed, the Hime-gami shifted her attention to everyone in the room.

"I have come . . . because I have sensed two forces at work in the life of my vessel. One of them is to protect her; the other is to do harm to her. Both of these forces played a role in my existence in the distant past . . . before I became a vengeful spirit." The Hime-gami, noting her audiences' riveted attention, continued her tale.

"Before I became the Hime-gami, I was a simple shrine maiden at Tamakura. For those that are aware of my familiar, Wamiya, it was at this time that he and I bonded as master and servant." The Hime-gami paused, as if remembering the story of her beginning was tiring; "As I left childhood behind, my powers and connection to the beings of the mountain began to appear. However, not much was made of the discovery, for at the time it was quite common among those that served in the shrines." A look of deep sadness came upon the kami's face as she continued her tale once again.

"When I turned 17, a young monk around my age happened upon me in the forest while I was dancing; he was instantly smitten." The Hime-gami's gaze shifted till it fell upon the Sagara men; however, before her reason could be questioned, she returned her gaze to scope the audience; "He interrupted my dance. At first, I was irritated that he would spy on me so brazenly. However, my irritation dissolved as he began to praise my dancing, saying it was the most beautiful dance he'd had the pleasure of being witness to." A slight smile of fondness crept upon the kami's face as she recalled the mountain monk that had broken her shell, "We courted for a year before we were married. We had two children; a boy first and a girl second. Our son, in order to continue his father's work as a mountain monk, took his father's surname; the same was true of my daughter, as she took on my maiden name." The Hime-gami's face instantly fell as seriousness descended upon her countenance.

"These two siblings are the ancestral founders of the Sagara and Suzahara lines." Shock flickered on everyone's faces as they unconsciously glanced at the Sagara men, whose stunned faces were comically similar in appearance; "I would have spent the rest of my life as a wife and mother had tragedy not befallen our family." A neutral face with a hint of rage took over the Hime-gami's gaze as she continued the revealing tale.

"I was in the market, purchasing some wares I was lacking for our evening meal when the spoiled son of a daimyo glanced my way." The neutrality began to gradually fade as the rage became more prominent; "He was overcome with lust, desiring me for himself. He immediately went to his father, saying that he'd finally found his bride. In a week's time, the Daimyo's guards came to our town, demanding to know where they could find a particular young woman with my physical traits" The Hime-gami's face shifted to a more neutral gaze, obviously hiding a great anger; "As my beauty was quite well known among the villagers, in no time the guards came upon the temple's front doors." Great anger overcame the Hime-gami's face at the conclusion of her horrific tale, "Upon learning of my marriage, the Daimyo demanded I abandon my husband and children and marry his spoiled child; naturally, I refused such an arrogant request. Unfortunately, the corruption of the son was present in the father as well." The lights on the ceiling began to flicker as the Hime-gami's anger increased, "They murdered my husband! And as if this insult was not enough, they would have killed my children if Wamiya had not whisked them away to safety! In my rage, I vowed vengeance upon all of humanity for their cruelty." Suddenly, the room settled as the Hime-gami finished the tale from her distant past:

"The Daimyo, terrified of the power I yielded due to my rage, ordered my capture and execution. A few years later, the prince found another maiden, and together, they had a son and a daughter." The Hime-gami's distant look that she'd had at the start of her tale returned as she spoke of the man who'd caused the tragedy; "However, that boy never completely forgot me or my beauty; thus, the man's wife, and by extension, his daughter, despised the memory of me. This hatred was passed from mother to daughter until this current generation." Miyuki stood, having been the first to connect the dots.

"Are you saying that all of these incidents are happening on purpose?! That someone is targeting Izumiko?!" The Hime-gami nodded in agreement of Miyuki's conclusion.

"My time grows short; I must depart for now." Upon closing her eyes, the ethereal glow around Izumiko's body faded, leaving the girl behind.

Izumiko squeaked in surprise at where she was; what happened? The last thing I remember was doing my homework in the infirmary while I was waiting for Mayura . . .

"What's going on? Why am I here?" Miyuki stood quickly and placed his hand gently on Izumiko's shoulder to calm the girl down; upon seeing Miyuki and the way she was dressed, Izumiko put two and two together.

"I thought the Hime-gami couldn't possess me anymore?" Miyuki, ignoring her question for now, asked the princess about the Hime-gami's visit.

"Do you remember what the Hime-gami talked to us about?" A pensive look captured Izumiko's expression as she searched her memory for the connection between her and the Hime-gami.

"I do; she knows the source behind the way the students have been behaving. Unfortunately, because she was killed before the prince's marriage, she doesn't know who the descendants of the wife's daughter are." Miyuki groaned internally as this was so typical of dealing with the Hime-gami; she knew of the danger but not how to stop it.