BON FESTIVAL (5)

"Crap!" Tadaaki Ogata blurted as he ran awkardly with his belongings. There was no real need for him to hurry. He was only suppose to get settled into his dorm, and sign up for his course; that wouldn't take him very long. Tadaaki still wanted to get done with it as quickly as possible. He wanted to be at Tokushima before the crowds arrived for the Obon Festival. He was always anxious visit his ancestors graves and attend the Bon Odori Dance Festival.

The Osaka University campus was in sight. He was almost there. Hopefully he'd have enough time to unpack, sign up, and catch the train.

Tadaaki wasn't paying attention as he was running. He was too focused on attending the seasonal event to notice that someone was in front of him.

The two collided and the contents of their backpacks went everywhere. Tadaaki saw he'd accidently ran into a girl in a wheelchair.

"Hey! Why don't you watch where you're going!" the girl's friend blurted angrily.

"Oh my gosh! I am so sorry about that! I wasn't paying attention! Please let me help you!" Tadaaki apologized awkwardly as he helped the young woman.

"It's alright," The girl excused him as he and her friend helped her back into the wheelchair.

"Are you alright, Asagi?" The girl's friend asked her.

"Yeah, I'm alright, Ayana," The girl replied.

"I'm so sorry about that, Miss. I wasn't paying attention. I apologize for that." Tadaaki continued as he picked up the young lady's school supplies.

"You're alright, sir. You didn't hurt me," The girl excused him with a smile. Tadaaki blushed when he saw it.

The girl took the initiative and began helping with his supplies as he helped with her's. "Mythology," He heard her say.

"What?"

"I was just looking at your book on world mythology," The girl replied, "You're taking the course too, aren't you?"

"Uh, yes, yes, I am," He answered with an embarassing look. "Are you?" He asked.

"Yes, I am," She responded, "I'm Asagi Kusanagi. This is my friend Ayana." They bowed as she introduced herself.

"Nice to meet you, Miss Kusanagi," Tadaaki replied with a bow.

"And you are?" Asagi's friend ,Ayana, asked.

"Oh! Sorry. I'm Ogata... Tadaaki Ogata."

"It's nice to meet you too, Mr. Ogata." Asagi replied. Tadaaki couldn't help but blush when she addressed him like that. Normally everyone ignored him.

"I'm sorry for barging into you like that." Tadaaki apologized again. He wasn't a very social person and that clearly showed.

"You're alright. We all get a little busy from time to time."

"I'm sorry for being brash, Mr. Ogata. I'm very protective around my friend, I shouldn't have been so harsh," Ayana apologized.

"No, no, no, you're alright. I understand." Tadaaki stuttered.

"So what's the big hurry? We're just signing up today, and classes don't start until Wednesday?" Asagi inquired.

"Oh, I'm kind of in a hurry. I want to be in Tokushima before the crowds arrive." He responded.

"You're going to the Bon Festival, aren't you?" Ayana asked.

"Yes," Tadaaki replied before remembering he was in a hurry. "Crap, I'm sorry. I need to go," He blurted before running off. "Nice meeting you!" He managed to get out as he retreated.

"Nice meeting you too." Asagi let out a humorous chuckle as she saw him leave. "He seems nice." Asagi thought out loud.

"He's a little awkward, isn't he?" Ayana responded.

"We're all like that sometimes," Asagi paused. "Come on, let's get signed up," Asagi suggested.

/

Tadaaki lit the candles and began carefully placing them around the graves of his ancestors. Once he was finished, he knelt down reverently, and began to pray.

Obon is a time when people in Japan came to pay their respects to their ancestors, as well as to family members who have passed away. Contrary to what one may have thought, it wasn't a very mournful season, things were reverent, yet at the same time they were very pleasant. Everyone around had a welcoming smile on their face as they began to clean the headstones of their family members, which Tadaaki promptly did as well. The festivities would only grow more cheerful as the night went on, especially when the Bon Odori came.

Tadaaki ,when he was still in high-school, had been surprised to learn that the tradition didn't originally start out as a Japanese, family reunion festival, but had actually originated as a Chinese Buddist custom. The custom itself had centered around the Chinese Ghost Festival, which originated from the story of Maha Maudgalyayana ,or Mokuren. Mokuren was a disciple of the Buddha, who saved his mother from the Realm of Hungry Souls by making offerings to the Buddha's monks. After seeing the release of his mother's soul he began to dance with joy. Eventually the tradition carried over to Japan, and evolved into what it is now.

He was also surprised that other places practiced similar traditions, like the Dia de los Muertos in Mexico.

Tadaaki loved this sacred tradition, and the story of Mokuren. It was fun to him; He'd enjoyed the festivity it ever since he began to understand it. It was what inspired him to learn about other cultures, their practices, and histories. He was more facinated with the mythologies and religions than anything else. Although he didn't belong to any particular faith himself, he was a superstitious person. That was just how he was.

He began to read the names of the graves as he polished them. Kyohei Yamane. He wasn't actually related to the man. Dr. Yamane had simply taken his grandfather ,Shinkichi Yamada, into his home after his mother and bother had been killed.

Hideto & Emiko Ogata. They were the ones who'd raised Tadaaki's father after Shinkichi passed away.

It was strange to think that his family had been involved so closely in the 1954 incident. It was tragic to think about, however it could have been much much worse. Still, he found it a little hard to believe that he ,at least to a small degree, was connected to it. He also couldn't help but think about the incident that occured twenty years ago.

He was only three years old when it happened, yet as he watched the monster on the TV screen destroying Tokyo, he felt something. It was like he was spiritually connected to the creature.

Thousands had died in that attack, and the monster had left the city a radioactive wasteland. Since then the radiation had been contained, but there were still traces of it being found, and cases of radiation sickness were still comming in.

He didn't hate the monster. It was just an animal trying to eat. What was so wrong about that? Still, he couldn't help but wonder. It seemed almost impossible that a creature like it had survived into the modern day. But given what everyone else had been through over the past decade ,what with Gamera and the Gyaos, anything was possible.

As Tadaaki stood their ,cleaning his anscestors graves, he wondered if he would ever get the chance to see him again. The monster that had affected his life so greatly...

One Week Later

"We are almost there, Hikaru." The captain told him as they approached the island.

"That is ,Grand-Deacon Hikaru, worm!" Hikaru exclaimed arrogantly.

Hikaru and his underlings had taken the boat and forced the captain to make a course for the island of Izu Oshima. Had it just been the cult members themselves the man could've beaten them, but they weren't alone.

"Baka!" He insulted Hikaru.

AAYAOONG

One of the juvenile Gyaos hissed frightening the captian.

"Say another word again ,worm, and we shall feed you to them!" The deacon threatened, "Ready yourselves brothers and sisters. The Grand-Priest ,Shinagami, wishes for us to complete this mission as soon as possible," He told the rest of the cult members.

As they worked he returned hull of the boat. Hikaru watched as the island came close and closer. He was curious why Shinagami wanted him and the other members of the team to come here of all places, but it wasn't his job to question him. It was only his job to obey the Grand-Priest. Still he couldn't help but wonder...

What was here that ,Shinagami, wanted? Hikaru asked himself. He didn't bother trying to ask again. He would find out in time.

Once the boat landed they began their trek, east. They decided to take the captain with them as a hostage just in case anyone tried to stop them.

Hikaru heard two of the cult members struggling with one of the boxes before they accidently dropped it.

"Be careful with that, you fool!" Hikaru exclaimed. The boxes were carrying powerful explosives inside. If something happened they would all be blown to kingdom come.

"Forgive us, Grand-Deacon Hikaru." The cult members apologized before picking the box back up.

The team trudged through the island all night long. By the time dawn began to break over the horizon, they'd made it to the base of Mt. Mihara.