Prologue - The Holy Tree of Masaki Shrine
Holding hands, the pair emerged at the head of the path through the forest and into the clearing. Before them was a large tree surrounded by a small pond. The birds sang in the surrounding forest and the tree's leaves dappled the clearing.
Sasami Jurai smiled happily and glanced up at her companion, Ken Akamatsu; a classmate and her latest boyfriend. He was tall and thin with straight, dark hair grown long; she liked the way it lifted and teased in the late spring breeze that moved Funaho's leaves. He was kind and gentle and he loved Sasami very much. At twenty, he was a year older than she. They'd met at university and they'd been dating for a few months.
"Wow, Sasami, this is really nice. That's a cool tree! It's really big."
Sasami smiled. "This is the holy tree of the Masaki shrine. It's name is Funaho. It's very old."
"It's a great place for a picnic!" Ken said.
They found a flat, dry, grassy place on the edge of the pond surrounding Funaho and began unloading the picnic basket Ken had carried up from the valley below. In a few moments, the two of them had arranged everything on a colorful blanket and they began to eat.
"Sasami," Ken said a little while later. "That was delicious, as usual."
"Thanks!" Sasami replied, beaming.
"But not," Ken said, leaning closer, "as delicious as you..." And he pressed his lips against hers. Sasami returned the kiss with gusto and they both smiled when it was done.
"Thanks, Ken. You know I like it when people enjoy my food."
"Oh, I enjoy your food!" he said. "I enjoy everything about you!"
Sasami giggled and turned her face up to his to be kissed again; which he did. The kiss was longer this time, their lips moving. Sasami felt Ken's tongue gently probing and opened her lips, letting him kiss her deeply. His arms went around her and pulled her close and her breath caught in her throat at the pressure of his body against hers.
Moments passed, their passion rising, their sighs and cries climbing into the blue sky. Always before, Sasami had stopped them, but this time... This time there would be no stopping. He loved her, she knew, even if she was only fond of him. But Sasami's curiosity had decided for her; and soon, very soon, the last of their clothing had been cast aside and it was time.
"Now, Ken," she said huskily, looking into his eyes. "Take me now..."
"Sasami," said a voice.
They looked up. Standing atop the pond was a girl. Even through his surprise and desire, Ken could tell that she was very beautiful and that she looked a lot like Sasami.
She looked exactly like Sasami.
"Who... Who... Who is that?" he stuttered.
"Tsunami!" Sasami cried. "Not now! We were just getting to the good part!"
"No, Sasami. It is not your time. Young man, you should go home now."
"Uh... Uh... Yes ma'am!" Ken leaped up and grabbed his trousers, holding them around his waist as he ran back toward the valley and his waiting car, his unbuttoned shirt flapping behind him.
"Call me!" Sasami yelled after him, giggling. "Oh Tsunami!" she said, turning back to the pond. "What was wrong with him?"
"You must wait, Sasami. The time will come and you will know when it does," Tsunami said gently.
Sasami considered this for a moment, then nodded in agreement. "Okay, Tsunami. I guess you're right. And it really didn't feel right, anyway. I don't really love him, I just wanted to, you know, try it." She smiled at Tsunami, who smiled in return. "Do you know when I'll find my true love?" she asked.
Tsunami smiled wider. "Maybe," she said. "But it won't be for a while yet. Be patient."
Ken paused at the first landing long enough to put his trousers on, wishing he'd remembered his shoes and reflecting on some of the odd stories he'd heard about the Masaki Shrine. Being interrupted by a girl who looked enough like Sasami to be her twin sister was bad enough; that same girl showing up from nowhere and walking on water was simply too much. He loved Sasami dearly, but it might be time rethink their relationship.
Holding hands, the pair emerged at the head of the path through the forest and into the clearing. Before them was a large tree surrounded by a small pond. The birds sang in the surrounding forest and the tree's leaves dappled the clearing.
Sasami Jurai smiled happily and glanced up at her companion, Ken Akamatsu; a classmate and her latest boyfriend. He was tall and thin with straight, dark hair grown long; she liked the way it lifted and teased in the late spring breeze that moved Funaho's leaves. He was kind and gentle and he loved Sasami very much. At twenty, he was a year older than she. They'd met at university and they'd been dating for a few months.
"Wow, Sasami, this is really nice. That's a cool tree! It's really big."
Sasami smiled. "This is the holy tree of the Masaki shrine. It's name is Funaho. It's very old."
"It's a great place for a picnic!" Ken said.
They found a flat, dry, grassy place on the edge of the pond surrounding Funaho and began unloading the picnic basket Ken had carried up from the valley below. In a few moments, the two of them had arranged everything on a colorful blanket and they began to eat.
"Sasami," Ken said a little while later. "That was delicious, as usual."
"Thanks!" Sasami replied, beaming.
"But not," Ken said, leaning closer, "as delicious as you..." And he pressed his lips against hers. Sasami returned the kiss with gusto and they both smiled when it was done.
"Thanks, Ken. You know I like it when people enjoy my food."
"Oh, I enjoy your food!" he said. "I enjoy everything about you!"
Sasami giggled and turned her face up to his to be kissed again; which he did. The kiss was longer this time, their lips moving. Sasami felt Ken's tongue gently probing and opened her lips, letting him kiss her deeply. His arms went around her and pulled her close and her breath caught in her throat at the pressure of his body against hers.
Moments passed, their passion rising, their sighs and cries climbing into the blue sky. Always before, Sasami had stopped them, but this time... This time there would be no stopping. He loved her, she knew, even if she was only fond of him. But Sasami's curiosity had decided for her; and soon, very soon, the last of their clothing had been cast aside and it was time.
"Now, Ken," she said huskily, looking into his eyes. "Take me now..."
"Sasami," said a voice.
They looked up. Standing atop the pond was a girl. Even through his surprise and desire, Ken could tell that she was very beautiful and that she looked a lot like Sasami.
She looked exactly like Sasami.
"Who... Who... Who is that?" he stuttered.
"Tsunami!" Sasami cried. "Not now! We were just getting to the good part!"
"No, Sasami. It is not your time. Young man, you should go home now."
"Uh... Uh... Yes ma'am!" Ken leaped up and grabbed his trousers, holding them around his waist as he ran back toward the valley and his waiting car, his unbuttoned shirt flapping behind him.
"Call me!" Sasami yelled after him, giggling. "Oh Tsunami!" she said, turning back to the pond. "What was wrong with him?"
"You must wait, Sasami. The time will come and you will know when it does," Tsunami said gently.
Sasami considered this for a moment, then nodded in agreement. "Okay, Tsunami. I guess you're right. And it really didn't feel right, anyway. I don't really love him, I just wanted to, you know, try it." She smiled at Tsunami, who smiled in return. "Do you know when I'll find my true love?" she asked.
Tsunami smiled wider. "Maybe," she said. "But it won't be for a while yet. Be patient."
Ken paused at the first landing long enough to put his trousers on, wishing he'd remembered his shoes and reflecting on some of the odd stories he'd heard about the Masaki Shrine. Being interrupted by a girl who looked enough like Sasami to be her twin sister was bad enough; that same girl showing up from nowhere and walking on water was simply too much. He loved Sasami dearly, but it might be time rethink their relationship.