Author's note: I am not Japanese, I have not studied Japanese culture extensively, and this story is fictional, but I try to base it as much as possible on reality. That said, I tried to do as much research as possible, but I am bound to get things wrong. So please, willingly suspend your disbelief.
Part II: The Trials
Mikan Sakura was favored by the Gods. Or so said everyone in her village.
At one time or another in their life, every human had experienced the blessing of the Gods. The majority of people suffered few nightmares, passed peacefully into the next life, and enjoyed life to the best extent. Without doubt, there were always hardships to overcome, brutal winters to endure, sicknesses to recover from, wars to fight in. The Gods made it easier to live as long as humans gave them their proper due.
But Mikan Sakura was special. When she was not even a year old, she had recovered from the shivers, which was not unheard of, but nobody who recovered from the shivers had rebounded as quickly or as vibrantly as she did. For years after, she glowed with the intensity of a fire, excluded warmth and kindness with every smile. There was an undeniable attraction to her as she drew in everyone like moths to her flame, like planets to her sun.
The Gods kept her alive for a reason. Most of her neighbors, acquaintances, friends, and family believed it was to follow in her grandfather's path, to become the most divinely blessed priestess recorded in history, and to bring peace and prosperity to their people.
They always said she was destined to do something extraordinary.
This is the tale of Mikan Sakura, a mere mortal, from the village of Minamimura and how she conquered the Trials and became a demigoddess.
Of all the village festivals, Mikan Sakura loved Aki Matsuri the most in Minamimura. Perhaps it was her upbringing as the granddaughter of a very devoted priest or perhaps it was the village legends of the gods saving her life; most likely both had influenced Mikan into becoming a faithful woman.
Also, she loved festivals in general.
Most (actually all) of the people in the village had expected her to start training as a shrine maiden, to eventually become a priestess like her grandfather, but Mikan had started her monthly bleeding and her ripe teenage years had passed, and she showed no intention of becoming a woman of faith.
Mikan had her heart set on a different future.
And that future of hers was late.
At the village torii, Mikan waited, already having bade her other friends farewell. The festival raged on, the aroma of grilled chicken and fried pancakes making her stomach grumble. Although it was the beginning of autumn, the summer heat lingered, unbeknownst to Mikan. She was always warm, no matter the season.
The afternoon sun beat down upon her, but even in the bright light, Mikan's skin faintly shimmered of its own accord, just enough to catch the eye of those who passed her but indistinct enough to conclude it was a mere trick of the light.
Like her skin, the other villagers concluded it was a mere trick of the light when one second, a harmless snake slithered beside the main path, and the next, Mikan's foreign friend appeared out of thin air.
"Surprise."
Mikan startled, whipping around to see her childhood friend, dressed in a plain yukata and grinning at her. "Natsume! There you are, I thought you would be coming from the other direction."
"I had to fetch something first," he explained, pulling a freshly made takoyaki out from behind him. Mikan beamed up at him, snatching the snack out of his hands.
"Thank you!"
And with that, the two of them fell into step together and went to enjoy the festival.
Conversation between them flowed easily, like rivers to the ocean. Excitement was infectious between the two of them as they each built on the other's emotions. Some of Mikan's friends and elders stopped them to say hello and exchange pleasantries, though those conversations did not last long in the bustle of the festival.
Several villagers had speculated who the young man was, where he'd come from, what his family name was, how old he was; none could decide on a concrete answer.
Mikan's grandfather said he was the son of another priest in a different village; his proof was how often Natsume was seen at the temple and his dedication to maintaining the various shrines.
The baker said he had once overheard the young man telling Mikan either his family name was Hyuuga or he was from Hyuuga province.
The farmer on the west side of the village said he often saw Natsume walking off towards the mountains, though he could never follow nor quite catch up to him to ask where was going.
Nobody ever saw him arrive, nobody ever saw him leave, but he was always gone by nightfall. His visits never lasted more than a day, and he never visited more than once a week. Most of the time, he was attached to Mikan's side; he had no interest in knowing the other villagers.
Everyone agreed upon the fact that sooner or later, Mikan and Natsume would eventually marry.
And at that moment, reaching the end of the festival booths, Mikan was putting her plan into action. They had played the games, ate the food, released the lantern, made the wishes. There was nothing left except walking leisurely and keeping each other company.
The sun had begun to set, the last rays providing a golden glow among the village. Natsume would leave soon, before the sun fully set, as he had always done each time they had seen each other.
Before it was too late, she had to say something. She had danced around this question for years and especially during the last few months until finally, she had to admit to herself that she did not know for certain if they were going to marry. Natsume had shown signs of potential interest, but the years had passed with no definite plan. She didn't even know if he liked her the way she liked him.
Mikan started nonchalantly, "Grandfather is getting quite old, and I will start running the household soon. It would be a good idea to find a partner to help me with such things."
Their pace did not falter, and Natsume took the change of topic in stride. "Hmmm, well, you know the blacksmith's daughter down the lane from the bakery? She has a real knack for numbers so she could help you take care of the house affairs."
"That is true," she agreed. A pause. Nearby, a frog croaked. "But, well, usually it would be a spouse with whom I share a household so I am looking for a man to be my partner."
Natsume seemed to frown; or maybe it was just a trick of the light, Mikan reasoned. "A man? Huh. Then maybe you should ask… Hmmm, you do not have many male acquaintances."
"I do not." Because my best male friend is you.
"Oh, perhaps the blacksmith's apprentice then."
"He is a bit too old." And already set to marry in the spring.
"I see. You would prefer your partner to be the same age as you?"
"Yes." Mikan stared intently at Natsume's face, willing him to understand.
Natsume pulled out the dumpling he had been saving and bit into it. He didn't see Mikan's heavy gaze as he chewed silently.
Mikan continued to stare.
Finally, Natsume noticed and looked down at his dumpling before looking back at Mikan and extending it to her. "Would you like some?"
Not for the first time, Mikan wondered if the traditions in Natsume's village differed from Minamimura's customs. If a boy and a girl shared food and weren't family, it was one step closer to a marriage proposal.
They had shared food many times. Perhaps this was Natsume's hint? Was Natsume shy?
No, deduced Mikan, recalling all of Natsume's bold and brazen behavior when they were little. He is not shy.
"Yes, thank you." Contemplating her next move, she accepted a bite of Natsume's dumpling and passed it back to him. He finished it, his mouth overlapping where hers had been. Her pulse spiked as her mind raced, imagining all the romantic subtext there could be in Natsume's one action.
She needed to be as blunt as possible.
"All the boys in the village do not seem interested in me because they think I am spoken for." Mikan felt as though she were confessing a great secret.
"Spoken for?"
"Spoken for to be a wife."
"A wife? People think you are ready to be a wife?" In an instant, Natsume's confusion cleared and Mikan nearly shouted when she saw him finally understand. "You want to marry."
"Yes, I want to marry you, specifically." Mikan did not dare to avert her eyes, trying not to think how horrifically embarrassing her confession might be. Did she really just say that? Did those words come out of her month?
She couldn't be ashamed of them now; those words were the key to her future, a future she wanted with Natsume by her side.
To Mikan's relief, the look in Natsume's eyes was not disgust or disappointment; it was more akin to awe and wide-eyed wonder. Honestly, had the boy not seen any of the hints she had been dropping the past couple of years?
"You want to marry."
"Yes," emphasized Mikan.
"Marry me?" asked Natsume, to be clear.
Seeing her opportunity, Mikan clasped her hands together jubilantly. "Oh, yes, Natsume, I would love to marry you!" Her eyes sparkled teasingly.
Despite their quite serious subject of conversation, Natsume couldn't help smiling at Mikan's antics. Admittedly, he had not seen this twist coming, never had considered it…
He stopped beneath a maple tree as he contemplated the idea. Turning to face Mikan, he held both of her hands in his. Immediately, her palms began to sweat with their closeness. When they were little, they had held hands, grabbed onto one another to pull the other along to wherever they were going. But that had been years ago.
"Us two, get married?" he whispered reverently, rolling the idea around like a strange flavor he was trying to pinpoint.
To help him overcome whatever internal struggle he had, Mikan explained, "We are both certainly old enough, and I care for you, Natsume, more than I have cared for any other person in my life."
Mikan had never kissed anyone before, and the few kisses she had witnessed in her life had happened so briefly, so fleetingly, that she never dwelled on them too much.
But now, standing in front of Natsume, the boy she had known from childhood grown into a man, Mikan could not deny the attraction that tingled inside her.
In the distance, lanterns flickered on as the festival-goers prepared for the impending darkness. Night was about to fall; Natsume had to go. Still, he did not speak, looking down at their intertwined hands and gently caressing the back of hers with his thumb.
"Natsume?" prompted Mikan. She wanted an answer.
But Natsume did not have one for her. "Meet me on the beach when the sun is highest in the sky tomorrow."
Since Natsume had not outright rejected her, Mikan still felt the flutter of nervous hope twisting in her tummy as she carefully stepped over the sharp rocks to reach the ocean. At first, she didn't see him, so intently focused on her steps until she had nearly bumped into him.
He was standing still, peering out upon the horizon. However, at her approach, he turned, his face at ease: no negativity, no preparation for crushing disappointment. Mikan relaxed a bit.
"You want to get married," he stated.
Undeterred by his monotony, Mikan smiled and stepped closer to him. "Yes, Natsume, I would like that very much." Natsume nodded thoughtfully, and Mikan noticed the ring of rocks encircling them, as though they had been purposefully placed. Her stomach tightened and her palms buzzed, as though they had been struck with lightning. "Are we getting married right now?"
"Would you want to? Get married right here?"
Mikan pretended to ponder his question seriously, though her heart thudded heavily in her chest. "I mean, ideally, my family would be here and we would need to do the rituals to make it official, but I would like it to be on a day like this out here. I like the sun, and I like it when it is warm."
At her response, Natsume smiled. "Yes, I also like it when it is warm."
Mikan hesitated before trying something new: allowing her budding feelings to unfurl like the leaves of a plant in the sun. "I like it when I am with you. Do you… feel the same?"
"I do," said Natsume solemnly, as though he truly were saying his marriage vows. He reached out a hand, and Mikan took it, unable to suppress her happiness.
Turning back towards the ocean, Natsume spoke, "Hayate, carry us to Narumi."
A strong wind slammed into Mikan's back, and she yelped in surprise as she instinctively curled herself into Natsume's arms. Eyes shut, she allowed Natsume to hold her as the roar of a whirlwind buffeted them both, but Natsume stood as firm and strong as a mountain and as warm as her family's hearth.
At last, when the winds had died and the sheer terror had dissipated, Mikan opened her eyes to see a fluffy mist surrounding them and a set of large red doors. "Where are we?"
With an arm still wrapped around Mikan's shoulders, Natsume knocked twice on the door, the sound unnaturally reverberating and echoing, even in Mikan's chest. Mikan bent down and felt the mist, which was more solid than she expected, partitioning it and digging until she had created a hole.
All she saw was green and brown and little lumps. She looked up and startled to find the sun almost at her eye level, though the light was obscured by -
Clouds! They were standing on clouds!
Alarmed, Mikan rose and gripped Natsume's shoulders. "Did we die? Are we in heaven?"
Natsume laughed a bit and took her hands in his.
Then Mikan noticed the subtle glow of Natsume's skin. She stared, trying to make it make sense in her mind, but when she ran through the possibilities twice, she knew there was only one conclusion.
"You are a god."
"Yes, I am. I am Natsume, the God of Fire." Natsume smiled genially, as though he had not just revealed the ultimate plot twist of Mikan's life.
As Mikan tried to reconcile the concept of Natsume, her friend and the man she wanted to marry, with Natsume, a literal god and the God of Fire whom her family worshipped devoutly, she remembered all those years of casual friendship between them.
She had yelled at him! She had hit him! She had pushed, teased, called him names!
"Oh no!" Immediately, she dropped to her knees and pressed her forehead to the clouds. "Please forgive me, O Great One. My sins - "
"Stop. Mikan, please stop." Natsume dropped to his own knees and pulled her upright. The panicky fear in her eyes twisted his heart. "I never want to see you do that to me ever again."
"Natsume, you are a god," she whispered, almost afraid to raise her voice at him, almost afraid to look at him.
He tilted her chin up so she couldn't look away from him. "And you are the woman I love."
The fear melted away, and Mikan snapped to attention. "You love me?"
"Yes, I love you." Without a second thought, he pulled her closer and kissed her until all her worries washed away and all she could think about was Natsume.
Breathless, they pulled away, only to rest their foreheads against each other. Pure bliss coursed through Mikan, and she smiled at the overwhelmingly pleasurable sensation. Even though he was a god, he was still just Natsume in her heart.
"Mikan, will you marry me?" he whispered roughly.
Before she could give her answer, a voice interrupted.
"Well, well, what do we have here?"
Part II: The Trials