Roots
In a forgotten field, the seeds begin to sprout
The setting sun casts an orangish glow over the decrepit ruins of what was once the bustling city of Okayama. Houses and buildings lie in a state of disrepair with shattered windows and decaying structures as the evening wind echoes through the corridors formed between them. Vines and overgrowth weave in and out of buildings, nearly encapsulating the man-made structures and painting the city's streets a verdant green.
"Ughhh...Nori-Noriii, how much farther do we have to goooo?
Rina lets out an exhausted whine as she trudges close behind Noriko. Noriko's gaze continues to dart around their surroundings, attentively guiding their way forward.
"It shouldn't be too much farther now, Rina. Just hang in there for a little bit longer."
Deep in her stomach, Rina begins to feel a pang of hunger. Akin to her whines, Rina's movements have also grown sluggish. Even looking at her, every step appears to be heavier than the last.
"Rina, hurry up. The sun will be setting soon and I'd like to make it to the shrine before nightfall."
"But, I'm tiiiiired."
Noriko chuckles at her partner's sluggish whining, taking one eye off the path ahead to glance back at Rina. Rina's movements have grown tired and she seems to struggle more with each step she takes. Slowing her pace, Noriko drops back next to Rina and assumes a smug tone of voice as she teases her friend.
"Oh, but Rina, where did all your excitement to see the shrine go? Weren't you so excited to see somewhere connected to the tale of Momotarou?"
Rina's ears perk up at the mention of the folk tale. Her movements seem to pick up in pace, goaded on by Noriko's comment.
"Well, I suppose I could keep going a little bit longer. Not every day you get to see stuff like this, right?"
Noriko chuckles at Rina's sudden shift in attitude. Smiling, she looks forward to guide the two as they work their way in and out of side streets. Eventually, Noriko stops in front of a small rotting wooden gate. Behind the gate lies a long corridor decorated with ornate statues all covered by a roof. The glory of the sight robbed by years of erosion, leaving everything in various states of disrepair.
"Rina, we've arrived. This...is Kibitsu Shrine."
Rina's face shifts to a look of disappointment and exasperation.
"Ehhh, really? This is it? I expected something a lot more...flashy and amazing."
Noriko starts down the pathway leading to the interior of the shrine with Rina following close behind. Stepping over fallen debris, Noriko examines the interior of the shrine as the two venture further inward.
"Well, if you consider this shrine lay unkept underneath the flaming hell the outside world was before, we're lucky it's still here at all."
"Yeah, I guess…"
Rina seems unimpressed by Noriko's blunt response as the two continue into the shrine. Noticing a small shrine at the end of a side path, Noriko runs to the shrine, urging Rina to come along.
"Come on, Rina. This is a part of our duty."
Stopping in front of the small offerings box, Noriko pulls out her rucksack and rummages inside it, retrieving a small bag. From inside the bag, Noriko takes out a single seed that seems to shimmer in the light of the setting sun. Dropping the seed in the box, Noriko then bows twice, claps twice, and bows once more with Rina following suit. Aloud, Noriko begins to pray.
"I am Ishida Noriko, a disciple of the Shikoku region's Shinju-sama. It is with great honor we come to visit your shrine this evening. We bring news of the Vertexes' defeat at the hands of the Heroes, agents of the Shinju-sama. The world is once again free for the gods to re-inhabit. We offer this seed in hopes for the rebirth and growth of the world outside.
The inside of the box seems to glow for a moment as Noriko finishes her prayer. Bowing once more before the small offerings box, she turns back towards the shrine's main pathway.
"Let's go, Rina. There are plenty more minor shrines before we reach the major one."
"Mmhmm!"
Rina quickly follows behind Noriko as the two continue along. They stop at another shrine where Noriko performs the same rites, dropping another seed into a similar offering box. Rina steps up beside Noriko as they proceed deeper toward the major shrine.
"So, what are all these prayers supposed to do? It was one of the main things the Taisha asked of us, right?"
Thinking back to the orders she received from the Taisha, Noriko begins to explain. Replaying what the official had said in her memories, she could clearly recall how the official stressed the importance of praying at all of the shrines that they would come across.
"One of your most dire tasks is the purification of the Shrines. Any shrine you come across, pray and offer one of these seeds. They are an extension of the Shinju-sama and will welcome gods of pure intent and will to the shrines."
"So, the Shinju-sama is blessing all these shrines? But, didn't it use most of its power helping Yuuki-sama?"
Rina was correct, much of the Shinju-sama's power had been expended in the final climactic battle between the Heroes and the gods of the heavens. Yuuki Yuuna, the Hero of legend, had channeled the power of the Shinju-sama and Heroes past in order to deliver the finishing blow to the rampant gods.
"Much of its power was lost in the final battle, yes. But, from what I hear, these seeds were found at the base of the Monument to the War Dead. They say the highest-ranking mikos were overwhelmed at the spiritual energy of the seeds, so they must have some connection to the Shinju-sama."
Explaining the significance of the seeds, the two come to a large staircase. Noriko turns and points up the staircase.
"Ah, Rina, this is what we're here for."
At the top of the stairs lies a large temple. Despite the decrepit and decaying surroundings, the building seems almost untouched by the passage of time. The deep brown wooden panels lining the side of the shrine seem to shine in the light of the setting sun, its dim orange shine almost completely obscured behind the treeline. Behind the girls, the moon begins to peek its head out from beneath the mountains in the distance.
"This is the real deal, the central shrine. Are you ready, Rina?"
"Yup, let's go, Nori-Nori!"
The two girls bow twice in unison as they begin the same ritual they had performed several times during the evening. This time, there is a much more pronounced grandiosity to the girls' movements. Rina keeps her hands clasped as Noriko leans over, dropping a seed into the box as she prays.
"Oh, divine Kibitsu, hear our call. I am Ishida Noriko, an agent of the Shikoku region's Shinju-sama"
Noriko motions to Rina as she prays, gesturing for her to speak as well.
"Oh, a-and I am Konoe Rina, an agent of the Shikoku region's Shinju-sama"
As Noriko begins to sway in a breeze that begins to flow around the two girls, she continues her prayer.
"We have come on behalf of our divine protector to welcome your grace back to your domain. For many years, your home has laid trapped under the clutches of the gods of the heavens. But, now, you are free to walk the Earth once again. We offer this seed so that you may use it to grow your heavenly power once more and bring a new age for humans to worship you anew."
The inside of the box begins to glow with a bright light that seems to overflow from the small slots and wash over the entire area surrounding the girls. A warmth washes over the two girls as they conclude their divine prayer. Bowing once more, Noriko and Rina ease from their rigid stance and Noriko turns to Rina with a smile.
"You did great, Rina."
"W-what just happened, Nori-Nori? All the light and that fuzzy feeling I got…"
Noriko nods as she walks over proudly to her young companion. Putting her right hand on Rina's left shoulder, Noriko smiles at her.
"You and I...We just granted a god entrance to our realm again. That's the entire purpose of our journey. We're setting free the gods that were ripped from the Earth in the Vertex calamity."
"Wow…"
Rina's face is painted with an awestruck expression as she stands in shock of the gravity of the two girls' actions. As the aura surrounding the two begins to dissipate, the moon slowly begins to rise into the sky, illuminating the shrine in a pale white light. Noriko's expression slowly morphs from one of pride to one resembling unease. Her hand, still on Rina's shoulder, begins to shake as she addresses her partner.
"H-Hey, Rina, w-we should f-f-find some place to set up soon, okay?"
Noriko begins to stutter her words as her entire body begins to shake uncontrollably. Rina, noticing the sudden shift in Noriko's body language, quickly grabs Noriko's hand and leads her back to the main pathway. Venturing further into the shrine, Rina notices a large building with a decaying door left ajar. Rina quickly leads Noriko into the building and slams the door shut.
"It's okay, Nori-Nori. Relax, we're okay."
Rina holds Noriko by the shoulders as she attempts to comfort her superior and dear friend. Slowly, the shaking begins to fade away and Noriko starts to ease up. Grabbing some wooden debris from the decaying wreck of the building's inside, Rina pulls out her bag and takes out a small firestarter. After a few lights, the pile of debris starts to catch fire as its soft glow lights the center of the large room. Noriko lets out a soft sigh as she starts to speak.
"Th-thanks, Rina...I really appreciate it."
"Geez, Nori-Nori...You've seen what the outside used to look like, fought Vertexes with Commander Kusunoki, and agreed to this mission and you still haven't gotten over your fear of the dark?"
Rina's teasing seems to cut deep at Noriko as she cries out at her partner.
"It's not like that and you know it!"
Rina notices Noriko's visibly upset demeanor and slides closer to her partner. Patting her lap, Rina motions for Noriko to lie down. Sliding back slowly, Noriko eases her head down onto Rina's lap and curls up. Rina begins softly stroking Noriko's hair as she remembers what Noriko had once told her…
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The light of the full moon casts a shining light on the busy streets of Takamatsu. People bustle back and forth, many heading home from the day's work or into the local bars. The streetlights further illuminate the city streets as the rumble of car engines pass.
On a small side street in a third-story apartment, a young girl in her pre-teens watches the stars in the sky out of the glass door to the apartment's balcony. The television blares behind her as a breaking news headline comes across the screen.
"Disaster strikes at the Great Seto Bridge! Several have gone missing at the Great Seto Bridge after a freak explosion decimated a large majority of the bridge. Rescue crews have been vigorously searching for survivors while the Taisha remain silent on what may have caused the explosion."
Her ears perk up at the mention of the Great Seto Bridge as she turns towards the television and begins watching attentively. As she listens to the woman on-screen relay the horrors of the accident, a loud knocking reverberates through the apartment. The young girl panickedly lifts herself from her seat and runs towards the door.
"Mom? Dad?"
She calls out to her parents as she quickly opens the door to be met with an unfamiliar sight. Standing in front of her is a figure draped from head to toe in robes with a mask bearing the emblem of the Taisha covering their face. The girl is stopped in her tracks, falling dead silent, as the masked figure, revealed to be a man, begins to speak.
"You are Lady Noriko of the Ishida family, yes?"
"Y-yes?"
Noriko nervously chokes out a response as the man begins to speak once more.
"I am an agent of the Taisha. Though I wish to have come under better circumstances, unfortunately that is not the case. I have come to inform you of the apparent disappearance of your parents, Marika and Hiroto Ishida. The two were assisting the Taisha with matters at the Great Seto Bridge when an...accident occured…"
Noriko's face grows stricken with disbelief. Her eyes grow pale as her legs give out underneath her. Dropping, she clasps her head with her hands, trying to work out the gravity of what the Taisha agent had told her.
"No...That's not true...you're lying...Mom and Dad...they're not…"
Struggling to complete her thoughts, Noriko's eyes begin to well up.
"Mom...Dad...They can't be...They...No…"
Tears begin to stream down Noriko's face as she begins to come to the reality of the situation.
"Waaaaaaaaahhh"
Noriko starts to weep uncontrollably as the Taisha member kneels before her, offering a tissue. Her sobbing carries on for several minutes as the robed man sits down in front of her.
＊＊＊＊＊
"It's...It's been almost three years, but I still can't help it. That...that was the night the Taisha took me in. I've always thought the one that came to see me felt so much guilt he couldn't help it."
Rina continues stroking Noriko's hair as she finishes her story. Noticing tears starting to build up in her partner's eyes, Rina pulls a handkerchief from her bag and dabs Noriko's eyes.
"Noriko...You know, Nori-Nori. I don't think I had a hard life. I've always come at things with a positive attitude and I always try to give it my all, you know?"
"Yeah?"
Noriko coughs as she responds to Rina's prompt. Attempting to clear her throat and calm her nerves, she closes her eyes and listens to her dear friend's words.
"I always thought I had to be the positive one. I saw girls like Suzu-chan and how Commander Kusunoki acted with her and thought I wanted to be like her. I wanted to be the go-getter that everyone could rely on...but, you're way stronger than I am."
"Rina…"
A calming smile paints Rina's face as she gently strokes Noriko's hair. Twirling locks of silver hair between her fingertips, she continues.
"You went through all this sadness. You lost your parents, your home, everything that you cared about was gone in an instant. But, you kept fighting. You helped us Sentinels when times got rough. To me, you were as good a leader as the commander. You always knew the right thing to say and took charge. You're amazing, Nori-Nori."
Noriko opens her eyes once more and looks up at Rina's face. A gentle warmth seems to emanate from Rina's expression, putting Noriko's troubled heart at ease.
"I...I really don't think I'm that great, Rina. I'm too uptight, I can be hard to get along with, and I break down at the site of moonlight."
"But, that's exactly why you're great!"
Rina throws her hands up in the air as her shout echoes inside the large chamber.
"If someone who went through as much as you can still stand up and fight, then you can do anything! That's why I agreed to go along with you so easily, you know?"
Noriko begins to chuckle at Rina's excited declaration. A smile once again spreads across her face as she sits upright next to Rina. She claps both hands on her face with an air of renewed determination as she seems to regain her vigor. She reaches for her rucksack and pulls it to her side, pulling out a small ration kit.
"Okay, Rina! Dinner then we get straight to bed! Tomorrow, we wake up early and march for Okayama Castle."
Rina sits upright, "standing" at attention before her friend and superior before saluting her.
"Ma'am, yes, ma'am!"
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Nori-Nori's never been as strong on the inside as she lets on. She acts calm and strong on the outside like she's trying to make herself believe it. Deep down, she's just as nervous and worried about this journey as I am. But, together, we'll be alright. If she can be strong for me, I'll just have to be twice as strong for her.