1996, Postwar Era

Okinawa Prefecture,

Naha City, Japan

"-ports of a cult rising in Tokyo, Japan led allegedly by Cyber's Chief Technical Director Hikawa. When asked to comment on the rumors, Hikawa-san was unavailable-"

With a moan, a hand came down on the radio alarm clock, silencing the broadcaster before the reporter could finish announcement. Bleary-eyed, the young man rolled onto his back, yawned, and slowly sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Next to him, the clock flashed 07:00 AM in large, red digital letters.

The youth stretched, and a slow, excited smile spread across his face. "Last day of class." Tenchi Masaki whispered.

Fifteen minutes later found the Second Year racing down the stairs, clean and dressed in a fresh school uniform. He was greeted by his father, who sat with a cup of coffee in one hand, a newspaper in the other, and two slices of toast on two separate plates resting on the kitchen table. The front of the newspaper held an image of a sharply dressed man in a suit, his eyes barred out. Cyber's Chief Hikawa linked to rising Doomsday Cult of Gaea.

"Morning Dad."

The newspaper dropped, revealing the upper half of a bespectacled man's face. He smiled behind the paper and set down his coffee before folding the paper neatly and placing it at his side. "Morning Son. Figured you'd want something light today, it being your last day of school and all."

Tenchi smiled gratefully. "Thanks Dad. Me and some of the guys are going out for yakiniku to celebrate once schools out." He patted his stomach. "Gotta save room for later."

His father, Nobuyuki, chuckled. "Make sure you have some Inari-zushi for your mother. You know how much she loved that stuff."

Tenchi snorted. "You know its because she was feeding kitsune."

"See, you say that, but I know where it all went." Nobuyuki grinned playfully, then leaned over the table and whispered solemnly, "The time has come. You're a kitsune pup, Tenchi." He grinned.

Tenchi groaned. "Mom's gonna beat you bloody when she sees you on the other side-you know that, right?"

"From my darling departed Achika? I would expect nothing less." Nobuyuki chuckled. "She had a possessive stream a mile long that neither of your grandparents displayed, almost as if she was raised by that so-called demon your grandfather's always on about." The man paused, and his expression sobered. "You know, she'd be quite proud of you if she was here today, Son."

The youth's eyes softened, and in a rare display of kinship-one which grew rarer as the years marched on-Tenchi moved to embrace his father with one arm. "Thanks Dad."

Nobuyuki patted his son's arm, and for a moment the two stayed like that, reflecting on the woman who had been such a huge part of their lives, taken at the young age of thirty-two by gods much crueler than makeshift demons in old shrines.

It was Nobuyuki who ended the moment. "Speaking of, are you sure your still up for spending your summer with your grandfather? Normally boys your age would rather spend their summers on the beach with friends, chasing girls and getting tan."

Tenchi released his father but held his peace, taking the man's words into careful consideration. His old man was right-it wasn't normal to spend the entire summer at a Shinto shrine way up in the mountains. His friends had already asked him about his plans, and had even tried to convince him to stay behind, rallying together in a rare effort to 'get their friend a life'.

Yet as tempting as it was…

He was compelled to return to the shrine. Year after year, summer after summer.

Maybe it was the off-brand Bushido that his grandfather drilled him in-something that never failed to impress the guys and rarely sparked the attention of the girls. Maybe it was the muscles he found himself developing in caring for the shrine with his grandfather, leaving him to start the new year of school tanned, toned, and more in shape than most of the school's jocks.

Yeah right. And he was from outer space.

The real reason, though Tenchi dared not admit it to anyone, was simple.

Obsession.

This was it.

This was the summer he was going to get into that damned cave.

With no small reluctance, Tenchi nodded. "I'm sure Dad." He'd promised himself year after year that he'd swipe the keys from his grandfather and venture inside the Demon's shrine. "I just…want to carry on Mom's traditions, is all. You know, keep her memory alive."

Nobuyuki frowned, a flash of concern on his face. "You know that isn't necessary, Tenchi. All you need to do is look in a mirror and see her face staring back at you. You're allowed to live outside your mother's shadow, Son."

Tenchi took a seat at the table and took a long and contemplative bite of his toast. "I know Dad."

He'd seen someone at the cave. A demon, a person, a woman with the wild hair of an ogre, watching him with feral feline eyes.

He'd heard the whispers of tengu on the nearby wind, always coming from the direction of the cave.

Nights chasing small kodama spirits around the great big holy tree, which sometimes shot lights from its leaves which bounced off the surrounding water, and spotting the kappa that lived in the lake which fed into the tree's well, almost drowning him when he was nine, no longer with a mother to shield him.

He remembered a childhood playing with a seven-tailed kitsune's pups under the watchful eyes of two mothers and the mentorship of a third, invisible presence always near the cave.

And he remembered his mother's maroon eyes, once so filled with vitality now dim and dark as her life slipped from her body. "Set her free. I failed her. I'm so sorry Tenchi. But she needs to be released. The debt remains unpaid."

"I know."

"Masaki-kun, over here!" A young man with glasses hailed him as Tenchi entered the school yard, and seeing the young Kamikura, Tenchi jogged over to meet him. "What is up my fellow future third year?" Kamikura asked. "Are you ready for the easiest, most smooth sailing day of our lives? Cause ain't shit getting done today! We're free!"

A large, meaty arm fell around Tenchi's shoulders, and the youth looked up into the heavyset complexion of his childhood friend, Amagasaki. "After today, we're going to be swimming in bitches! All the first and second years girls will be after us like cats on mice!" He grinned raucously. "Beach parties, Babes, and bikinis-what more could you want?" The teen narrowed his large eyes, and his expression grew furtive. "Or…are you still chickening out on us, Man?"

"C'mon, lay off him Amagasaki." Ikeda, the third and final member of their group, nudged the larger teen none-too gently. He then sent a sly glance to Tenchi. "We all know its because he's already gotta chick in the mountains waiting for him!"

Sighing, Tenchi played along, raising both his hands. "Caught me red-handed." He said, and watched with some amusement at the look of shock on his friends faces. "Yep. Got me a shrine maiden waiting for me up in the hills." He said, "Been there for almost as long as I have but stayed behind when I came to school in the city after Mom died." He made a show of grief. "She was with me when she passed, you know…Sobbed so hard she fell asleep in my arms. I had to carry her to her room alllll…by…myself." He held onto each word, watching his classmates lean in, hanging on to every syllable uttered. He made a gesture to his eyes, as if wiping away a tear. "She swore she'd marry me if I took up the family business. And well…who am I to deny?"

For a long moment silence descended on the group of friends.

Then Tenchi began to grin, and found himself once more heckled by his friends.

"Dude, you are so full of shit!"

"Masaki had us going there-"

"Man, you fucking old grannies is what you're doing!"

Tenchi laughed.

Above their heads, the school bell rang, signaling the start of their last day of the school.

As the students filtered into the school, it was only Tenchi, by sheer chance, who noticed the strange, blond foreign exchange student on the edge of the campus, watching the students enter with an easy smile. He wore their uniform, yet for the life of him, Tenchi could never recall having seen the stranger on campus up until that point.

He paused to observe the stranger, and found himself staring into a pair of heterochromia eyes-blue and brown, who regarded him with furtive amusement. The young man smiled at him from beneath a lions mane of neat, slicked back hair.

Ikeda nudged him, gaining the highschooler's attention. "Yo, Masaki, lets go. You want to be late for school now of all times?"

The youth grunted and looked at his friend. "What, sorry. I just-have you ever seen that kid around here before?"

"What kid?"

Tenchi looked back over his shoulder.

The exchange student was gone.

"…never mind. Let's go."

The classroom was a madhouse. Kids took pictures with each other, passed around yearbooks, and spoke about their future plans for summer. Banners celebrating graduation were hung up, and games were being played with such enthusiasm that at times the students even got the teachers and class presidential bodies to drop their serious facade and celebrate. Tenchi himself easily found himself caught up in the celebrations, his eyes passing from his friends and around the room, watching as on occasions, the shy transfer student who had joined them midway through the school year-Kumashiro Sakuya-sent a shy smile his way before ducking her head down and giggling with her friends.

Huh.

Well damn.

Might need to try and see if there's a thing when we come back after summer. Tenchi thought, and felt an unexpected, excited flutter in his chest. It'd been a hot minutes since he'd gone out witht a girl. School stressed him out, and though his dad discouraged it, most of his time after school was spent at a second job, bringing in some extra cash to support the household-and maybe give himself some financial independence. Might be nice to spend some of that yen I've been hoarding on going someplace nice with a girl. Maybe take her to the beach before summer's hold died, or to a theme park where they could ride the roller coaters and see the view from the gondola.

Longing beat in his chest.

Fuck. He'd not been on a damn gondola since his mother was in good health.

"Yo, did you see, Kumashiro was giving me the eyes Man."

Tenchi stiffened and turned to Amagasaki. "The fuck she was!'

Kamikura and Ikeda looked at each other and sighed. "Yo Lovebirds, knock it off." Kamikura said. "Or at least get a love hotel after school's out."

Ikeda nodded. "We're talking serious shit here, you get me?"

Tenchi and Amagasaki paused, surprised by the solemness which had overtaken their two friends. "What is it?"

Looking around them, Kamikura pulled out a magazine. Ayakashi Monthly was branded atop the cover in kanji, and beyond a gold pentagram labeled atop the black front and back cover, appeared unremarkable.

Tenchi raised an eyebrow. "Getting into the occult now, Kamikura?" He grabbed the magazine before anyone could stop him, and opened it to a random page. He stopped, staring at the images on the page. "This is…" He looked up, a deep frown on his face. "This is my grandfather's shrine! What the hell is this Kamikura!?"

Kamikura hissed and brought a finger to his lips, Ikeda ripping the magazine out of Tenchi's hands before he could flip through any more pages. "Dude, shut up! You'll bring the whole school down on us!"

The youth scowled. "Then you better start answering my questions." He growled, and leaned in close. "The fuck is this? Ikeda, open that damn book back up!"

Reluctantly the taller youth did as told, and after flipping through some pages-many of which were labeled with occult labels, alleged sightings, ghost stories, and something which looked like a blurry fox, Tenchi slammed his hand down. "Here. Here. Why the fuck is my grandfather's shrine in some hocus pocus book?"

He stared back down at the image, unnerved. The image above his finger was not of the shrine, but of the cave. The demon's cave.

Beneath it, a small headline: Myth or menace? The Demon which fell from Heaven.

"Wait Masaki, really? That-that's your granddad's place?"

Tenchi didn't respond, instead reading the first few lines of the article. Bright lights fill the night sky on a new moon, where youkai encounters skyrocket as secret lovers meet their demise. But is this the fabrication of scorned lovers seeking excuses? Or is something more menacing residing in the depths of the seven hundred year old Masaki Shrine?

Tenchi looked up, uncertain if he wanted to read further, and met Kamikura's nervous gaze. "Is this what you wanted to show me?" He demanded.

"Ah…n-no. I-I hadn't even paid attention to that article. It just-its screams fake alien abduction bullshit, you know?" the student laughed nervously. "People making stories up for their fifteen minutes of fame, you know how it is."

Amagasaki leaned over, plucking the book out of Tenchi's hands. "If it ain't his boring shrine, what is it than?" He flipped idly through the pages, then handed it back to Ikeda when the round faced boy gestured for it.

Kamikura shared a look with Ikeda, and with a small nod, Ikeda opened the magazine up about halfway through the book.

Tenchi stiffened, and beside him Amagasaki inhaled sharply.

The headline read, "MASS SUICIDE AT SCENIC OKINAWA BEACH-DOOMSDAY CULT SPREADS THE SEEDS FOR A NEW WORLD" Images of people-twisted and mangled, their faces frozen in horrific rigor mortis, intermingled expressions of pain, despair and horror laid below in a two-page image of a beach. Some kind of strange occult symbology had been painted in red on the sand around them.

The youth swallowed. "That's ah…that's some pretty good special affects there." He said lightly. "Those…those almost look like real bodies."

"That's because they are."

The four boys jumped and turned to the newcomer, startled to find Kumashiro Sakuya staring over Tenchi's shoulder. Beneath their scrutiny the young woman flushed, and dropped her gaze. "I…was in a car accident when I was little." She revealed. "I was the only survivor. Some of the bodies you're looking at…they looked like that, too, when paramedics arrived to resuscitate them." Frowning, she looked back at the boys. "You shouldn't read that kind of stuff." She warned. "You open yourself to it the more you look at it, and its hard to go back to normal afterwards."

The four boys held their silence, mixed emotions ranging from shame to rebellion crossing their features.

"Sorry." Kamikura mumbled. "It's just…this happened at a popular beach right outside of the city."

"Then don't go to that beach." Kumashiro said. "…Unless…you want to disturb the scene of a mass suicide. You know how this island is after the second World War."

Mumbled words and excuses rose from the group, and with a soft frown Kumashiro Sakuya turned and walked away, returning to her friends, who cast scornful looks after the boys.

Tenchi took a long breath, then closed the magazine. "She's right, guys."

Ikeda frowned. "Just like Shrine Boy to take a girl's side." He huffed.

"Maybe." The youth muttered. "But she has a point. We…don't need to be looking at gory scenes like that." The boy shook his head, suddenly grateful he was leaving for the mountains. Mass suicides from a doomsday cult? At least he could handled his grandfather's off-brand weirdness. "This stuff is too similar to the Tokyo subway attack last year with sarin gas. We don't need to be looking at it." He sent a pointed gaze to all his friends. "…Or spreading rumors about it happening on a popular beach. This is fringe shit. Let it stay that way."

First period came and went, though the mood had soured somewhat for the four boys. Second period roused their moods as the graduating senior class pulled up, granted a late arrival for the lone privilege of dressing up in whatever they wanted for their highschool graduation.

"Look, its Guts!"

"That's like…four luchadores! And they brought the wrestling ring with them!"

"Guys, guys, look, it's 'A Flock of Seagulls'." Someone giggled.

"I'm counting like…five gojiras, three mecha-gojiras, a mothera, and some asshole who wanted to be gojira jr."

"Ha! It's the Emperor guys!"

"Is that Nobunaga right next to him?"

"Holy shit, its a gundam! How much money did they sink into that thing!?"

"Everyone, everyone, look look look look!" One of the students pointed excitedly out the window, one hand slamming against a desk madly. "Its all the Sentai warriors! All nineteen series of them!"

Tenchi looked out the window, watching a rainbow of colored spandex filter onto the school grounds, only to diverge into random poses made all the more hilarious as the 'Sentai Multiverse Clash' posed with the wrong warriors. It earned a laugh from him, and as he watched, a part of him considered his next year. He'd be in his third year after summer ended, and would also be allowed to create his own costume.

Wonder what I'll show up as. He thought, watching the cast of colorful characters migrate across the school grounds, posing as some of the faculty staff came out with cameras. A samurai? No, too overdone. What about one of those American Rambos? The one man armies who can take on anything with enough firepower? He snorted. They'd stop me at the gate. What about…a prince? Oh! A star prince! From like, a galaxy far, far away! His eyes trailed upon an entire class who'd dedicated themselves to Star Wars, to include a dude dressed as Slave Princess Leia, and dropped the idea. No way I could top that. Could do Yosho, maybe. I mean, he is my ancestor and everything. But I'd need someone to play the demon. He smirked. That's it. Me and my girlfriend. She can dress up as Yosho and I can be the demon and she can gut me with a foam sword. I could get one of those confettii cans and spray it all over the staff when I go up for my degree. It'd be perfect!

His eyes darted away from the window, finding Kumashiro off in a corner, looking less and less interested in the display being broadcast by the seniors.

Frowning, the young man slipped away from the window, casually walking up to the young woman. "Hey uh…Kumashiro-san?"

The teen sent him a long side eye, but otherwise said nothing.

"I um…I wanted to apologize to you. About the magazine. My friends and I…apart we have some solid brains, but lock us in a room together and we share a single braincell, you know? And so I just wanted to say…I'm sorry. Those images were insensitive and none of us took the time to consider how it might impact you or the other students." Kumashiro Sakuya turned to regard him coolly. Tenchi scratched the back of his head. "I also wanted to let you know…I…lost my mom when I was a kid too. It wasn't a car accident or anything but…I watched her waste away-cancer. So…I don't know, um…if you-if you ever want-I mean need-anyone to talk to-"

"Masaki-kun."

Tenchi started. "Y-yeah?"

"Stop before you dig yourself into a deeper grave."

The young man flushed. "Right. Sorry." He turned away, feeling the blush of shame and embarrassment spread to his ears and down his neck, leaving him a bright shade of pink.

"…Thank you…none the less. I…appreciate the effort."He looked back at her. Was it his imagination, or was Kumashiro beginning to blush as well? "And…fuck cancer." The last was said so quietly Tenchi wasn't certain he was supposed to hear it. She smiled nervously at him none the less. "Cousin died the same way.

Tenchi nodded. "Yeah. Fuck cancer. Breast cancer."

"Prostate cancer." The smile became more genuine on Kumashiro's face.

"Fuck cancer!" They exclaimed together, and in glee at their own antics, laughed a sound that was hidden beneath the cries and shouts of their fellow classmates.

The bell rang, signaling the end of class. The beginning of summer.

Kumashiro smiled, the ice long since melted from her gaze. "Hey…I know we both probably have plans for this summer, but when school starts up again…do you want to…hang out more?"

And Tenchi Masaki smiled. "I'd enjoy that." He said, and felt his chest warm as the young woman beamed at him.

They were released early that day. Lunchtime hailed with it the start of summer, with classmates staying behind to celebrate the graduation of the third years. Tenchi, Amagasaki, Ikeda, and Kamikura had little connections to anyone in the graduation class of '96, and so after pictures were finished, yearbooks were signed, and the occasional phone number subtly exchanged when no one was thought to be looking, the four boys found themselves freed from campus grounds.

A woman passed them as they departed, entering the grounds even as they left, and Tenchi caught a glance at her; she was dressed in a semi-formal western attire, with black slacks and a light blazer over a black blouse. She kept her hair short, and her dark eyes twinkled as they met Tenchi's in passing.

New teacher. Tenchi thought, and in the next moment dismissed her, smiling widely as the four headed into town and to the nearby train station. A rail pass scan, and in fifteen minutes and three train stops, the boys were off and in the greater Okinawa city district. The city was busy-not near as chaotic as Tokyo, but with the lunch hour open, everyone had somewhere to be. Locals rushed in sharp business suits across busy intersections, tourists gawked and stared, housewives window shopped, and even the occasional American G.I., made obvious by their cropped hair, strolled past looking for a bite to eat.

The four made their way down a main street, cut over to a side street, then down a quieter street about a half-mile from the station, empty of the bustling crowds either touring or looking for a quick bite-and-go before returning to work. The yakiniku joint, while by no means the largest, still had a decent gathering for lunch. Tenchi spied kids dressed in neighboring school uniforms who'd also come to celebrate their freedom. He wondered if he'd recognize any of them.

The western exchange student was there.

The boy did a double take, and saw the young man-he looked like a third-year-watching him again. Tenchi nodded in acknowledgment.

They boy nodded back.

"Hey Masaki, come on!" Ikeda grabbed him by the arm and dragged him away.

The yakiniku was tender, savory, and tasted of summer's infinite possibilities.

Sunday found Tenchi with a small travel bag packed and a wallet full of yen in his pockets, standing outside a train station with his father.

Nobuyuki slapped his shoulder as the bell sounded, informing everyone of the inbound train. "Enjoy yourself Son." He said. "Don't let your grandfather work you to death up there."

"As if." Tenchi smiled at the man. They were almost the same height, though Achika had always been tiny. Tenchi was still hoping to at least meet his father's height, if not surpass him, but it looked like his genes might just work against him. "Besides, you know how few people spend their summers haunting that old shrine. I'll spend more time swimming in the lake than sweeping steps."

"I know, I know, but it's a father's job to worry for his son-especially when his mother isn't there to do it for him." The older man smirked, and found the image reflected on his son's face.

"You take care too, Dad." Tenchi replied. "Don't go getting yourself in prison looking for a 'step-mom' for me, alright? I might struggle to come and bail you out in the middle of the night when I'm up in the mountains."

The train arrived in smooth silence, its doors opening with a soft sigh and belching out new arrivals. The outbound passengers waited patiently on the sidelines, and as the flow ebbed, began their own pilgrimage inside.

"Can't blame a man for trying!" Nobuyuki winked. "Now get out of here before the train leaves."

Tenchi snorted, then turned and rolled his bag up onto the train, slipping inside and finding a seat towards the cabin's middle. Placing the bag in the overhead compartment, the youth took his seat with a sigh, preparing himself for the long two-hour train ride, its exchange to another line, another thirty minute ride, before finally taking an hour long bus up into the mountains.

Grandpa Katsuhito didn't have a car, after all.

As the train departed, he caught his father's smiling face as the train rolled past, then leaned back into his chair and closed his eyes. He missed the blond young man who passed him on the next train stop, taking a seat a few spots behind him, and fell into a long and deep sleep.

He dreamt of holy swords, ogre-haired demons, black feathers, and heterochromia eyes observing him from a Heaven set ablaze.

Katsuhito met him as Tenchi stepped off the bus. The old man had not aged a day from what Tenchi's memory always whispered to him; a tall man, straight-backed, long, gray hair closing in on white tied behind his back, and cleanshaven outside of a thin mustache. The man stood dressed in a Shinto priest's attire, hands folded behind his back as he patiently awaited his grandson to retrieve his bag from the bus.

Tenchi looked at the old man-an intimidating, stoic person to those not close to him-and watched the old man's face break into a smile, the wrinkles on his face overtaking the stoic persona and revealing the warmer man hidden below the surface. "Tenchi, it's good to see you." The bus departed in a hack of blue-black smoke, and Tenchi returned the smile warmly, stepping forward to embrace the elder Masaki.

The hug was returned with a strength and vitality that always surprised the young man, before he was held at arm's length, his grandfather appraising him quietly. "You're journey was good?"

"Slept like a baby." Tenchi replied. "Some weird dreams though-lesson learned, don't eat half-priced natto before a long train ride."

Katsuhito raised a brow in amusement, but offered no comment.

The teen continued. "I bought bento from Okinawa Station." He said, and raised a plastic bag.

At that Katsuhito laughed. "You never cease to be your parents' son, do you? Full of questionable decisions and sincere gestures. Come, lets head up to the shrine before the crows realize whose returned. They'll steal the bentos before we've even opened the box."

Tenchi looked skyward. A single crow circled over their heads. More would come, he knew. They always did. Even now, a deep, throaty croak filled the sky, a sure announcement from the scout of his arrival.

Katsuhito held out a hand. "They are not so bold with me. I'll take the bentos. I doubt they will fly away with your luggage."

Tenchi eyed the corvid above him. "I don't know," He said, half-serious, "I've seen them get pretty big." He handed the bag to his grandfather and readjusted his grip on the travel bag.

"Then we will simply fight them off."

They traveled unmolested to the shrine, though they had gathered a decent following as they traveled up the one-hundred-and-eight steps to the shrine. Tenchi's shirt was dark with sweat by the time they reached the summit, yet his grandfather appeared no worse for wear, despite the heat of the day and the full humidity of summer. Walking up and down these things all day must do that to a person. Tenchi thought, feeling perspiration glide down his back. But still…how does he do it? He doesn't even look sweaty.

The official shrine was small, the final step decorated with a humble red torii gate and a little wooden offering house with a pair of modest kitsune statues resting outside it. Off to the right and out of sight by a line of trees was the staff building, where his grandfather primarily worked when not tending to the shrine, and further behind that, the small and humble house which supposedly, their ancestors had built following the Demon's defeat at the hands of the Heavenly Samurai, Yosho.

As was customary, both Masakis' stopped to pay their respects to the shrine. A crow landed on top of one of the kitsune statues, eying them both greedily. Idly Tenchi wondered if it was one of the Old Murder that had kept his mother and him company in his youth, or if this was one of the newer yearlings who'd decided to hang around the shrine. It angled its head to regard him with one large, black eye, and around its beak Tenchi spied the first bit of white signifying the creature's advancing age.

"Long time no see." He murmured, and watched the sleek creature turn to regard him with its other eye before taking off.

The house was a blast of cold, welcomed air. A quick disposal of shoes in the foyer, the bentos delivered to the fridge, the travel bag deposited in the solo guest room, and Tenchi dropping himself in the lone washroom with a long and grateful sigh. Grandpa would make him work for that same bath tomorrow, he knew, but that first day of arrival was always a grace period-a time to recuperate, to recap, and to reconnect after a long year apart.

They shared their bento at the kitchen table, Grandpa's old short-tailed cat sitting in his lap and yowling for scraps as the two family members caught up on what had transpired in the eleven months apart. Tenchi spoke of school, of studies, of classroom misadventures and the rare instance of using the odd Bushido his grandfather taught him to defend Amagasaki from a group of rival school bullies. Katsuhito spoke of shrine affairs, family members Tenchi saw maybe once a year, the rare tourist visit-made interesting because they were tourists-and local government representatives inquiring about the possibility of making the shrine a national heritage site.

The old brown bobtailed tomcat, who had seen its best days as a shrine mouser come and go and had since retired to The Good Life, gave up its pleading with its favored human and moved to investigate the newcomer. A single mew was rewarded with a small piece of chicken kaarage. Its new favorite human found, it crawled into Tenchi's lap, nose twitching as it tried to slip between his arms and onto the table for more tasty bites.

Tenchi tapped it gently on the nose instead. The cat flinched and then retreated back into the teen's lap. More opportunities would come. The perfect predator knew when to bide its time.

"A national heritage site?" Tenchi asked, looking at his grandfather with wide eyes.

His grandfather nodded. "So they claim. There are older shrines, I know, but few. Many of the shrines took damage to their original infrastructure during The War, but the Masaki shrine is one of a handful that escaped the destruction." The man's brown, almost maroon eyes gleamed behind his glasses. "They claim its to preserve the heritage of Okinawa. I believe it is their attempt at creating another tourist destination to draw in revenue."

"I mean…would that be such a bad thing?" Tenchi asked with honest curiosity. "You'd get more donations, upkeep would be easier, there'd be more staff at hand…you wouldn't have to work so hard. No offense Grandpa but…you can't keep doing this alone forever."

The elder raised an eyebrow, and before Tenchi could react, swiped one of the smaller pieces of the chicken kaarage from the bento.

The cat yowled. That was supposed to be his!

"I'm not so old that I can't still outpace you in a walk up the shrine." Katsuhito replied, placing the food in his bento and replacing what was stolen with a piece of unagi. "Nor am I yet incapable of beating you in combat, which you will come to remember in tomorrow's training."

"Grandpa…" Tenchi moaned.

"Until you can outpace me, I have no reason to retire." Katsuhito said. "Nor entertain the prospects of 'heritage sites' or additional help." He smirked, watching as the youth tried and failed to hide a small pass of chicken back to the old tom. "Unless, of course, it is your wish to see some pretty girls in your summers up here…but then, why come and bother your old and ailing grandfather?"

Another groan from the teen. "It's not." He assured.

"It's the demon's cave, isn't it?" Some of the humor had died in his voice.

"Grandpa, stop teasing."

Katsuhito gave him a measured look. "Stop spoiling the cat, Tenchi. I assure you, though he would say otherwise, Old Ko'neko is well fed and cared for." He straightened with a soft sigh. "It is not that I do not enjoy the idea of additional help," He said, "But I worry that this shrine will…lose meaning if it becomes a tourist attraction. We are anonymous out here, and left to practice in peace. If we become a busy tourist attraction, not only would that peace be lost, but the gravity of our position-of the Masaki line-could be lost too."

"To maintain the sanctity of the Shrine and the sword which serves as guardian and gatekeeper to the Heavenly Demon." Tenchi quoted, and Katsuhito nodded.

"Imagine Tenchi…tourists from all walks of life, few of which who even speak Japanese, climbing the steps to torment the demon's cage. To attempt to enter despite the many safeguards and signs placed around the cave. To touch the priceless heirloom-which you yourself have not yet laid eyes on-for the sake of a photo opportunity or for bragging rights." The elder stared at Tenchi solemnly. "Would you abide by that?"

Tenchi bristled at the words. "No, of course not!" He cried, earning a yowl from the cat in his lap. "It'd be disrespectful. They'd be taking something sacred, like Mount Fuji, and…" The teen trailed off, and Katsuhito nodded.

The youth sighed. "I see your point." He muttered, and eying the unagi, reached for the piece with his chopsticks. "Still, even you can't deny it'd be nice to have some pretty girls around here, Grandpa."

He was too slow.

With a deft swiftness that belied its twenty years of age, the old tomcat lept up and grabbed the unagi, darting across the table even as the two men began to yell. It was off and around the corner before either of them could rise and give chase, and watching it vanish, Katsuhito leaned back and began to laugh, shoulders shaking. "You see what happens? Don't feed a spoiled cat, don't disgrace a shrine as a tourist trap, and don't visit the demon's shrine!" He laughed uproariously, huge, rough bellows that spoke of a youthful exuberance a man half his age rarely held.

Tenchi ignored him, looking back towards the direction the cat had run off to. "Damn." He muttered. He loved unagi, but they'd only had one bento left back at the Station. He'd gotten it for his grandpa knowing it was a rare treat for Katsuhito, who rarely had the funds to splurge on such things as expensive food, but still…

He turned back to his bento with a sigh and found two large pieces of unagi on his plate. Katsuhito was still laughing.

A small smile on his face, Tenchi joined his grandfather in laugher.

One day he'd figure out how his grandpa did that speed thing and be twice as fast.

One day.

At nine in the evening, the sun had long ago set and Tenchi lie awake. The Thieving Tom had come to join him in the guest room, and had taken up a purring position right in-between the teen's legs. Tenchi, who'd never owned a cat-his father's job was too demanding and his own lifestyle could never support the care of an animal-found himself strangely touched by the animal's overt attention. He could hear, hell, feel the animal's purrs against the summer sheets and through his legs. It was a comforting, if distracting presence, made all the more difficult by how hot the little furball was.

You could shoo him away any time. Tenchi told himself. But you won't, you know why? 'Cause deep down you're a big ol' softy. He snorted. Yosho's probably rolling in his grave right now.

Like he cared.

A tap at his window.

The lad turned his head, and something moved outside the small window. He watched it bob and sway, and then another tap tap tap against the glass. The teen looked at the cat, who'd shifted only enough to kneed the sheets, his purring loud and deafening in the relative silence of the room. Cat's not scared. Tenchi noted. Must not be a threat, otherwise he'd be the first one out of the room.

Tap tap tap.

Mindful of the cat, Tenchi eased himself out from beneath the blankets, sitting on top of the futon as he looked once more at the window. Absently a hand reached out to scratch the old Tom's chin, and the purring increased a tenthfold. Smiling, Tenchi rose to his feet and listened for his grandfather, who slept right next to him in the hallway. If he listened closely, he could just make out the old man's gentle snores.

Okay Monster-Man, whatever you do, don't wake up Grandpa. Tenchi silently prayed. He'll whoop both our asses then send you back to a layer of hell you don't even belong to. One thing his grandfather was not was a morning person. Disturbing the Elder's sleep was by far the Number One Rule of the house.

The close second being 'Thou shalt not visit thine demon's cave.'

With a deep breath, the youth approached the window and tapped back, as much of a warning as a signal that he was there. The tapping stopped, and the thing outside bobbed and weaved around the window. Carefully, Tenchi inched the window open, and watched as something dark wedged something through the crack.

It was a crow's head. It stared at him with beady, black hole eyes. "Come." It croaked.

Tenchi sighed. As impatient as ever I see. He thought.

"Food?" The crow said, even phrasing the word as a question.

The lad raised a finger to his lips and hushed it. The crow beat its wings but did not enter. "Come, come!" It cried, then nipped at his fingers when Tenchi tried to shut the window.

"Hush!" Tenchi whispered loudly. "I'm coming, but be quiet! You'll wake grandpa!"

"Come!" The crow cawed again, and then, in a softer coo, "come."

"Give me a moment!" The lad whispered hotly, and moved to his travel case. "By the gods, always so impatient!" He rummaged around in the case, then withdrew a small box, its container shrink wrapped to preserve the contents inside.

Now the crow was getting bolder, hopping against the windowsill and impatiently fluttering its wings as it watched him. "Food! Come!"

"Is that all you can say?" Tenchi grumbled.

"Is that all you can say?" The crow repeated, and Tenchi was unnerved by the almost mocking tone of the bird's voice. It cawed, then turned to observe him with one eye.

The youth scowled, then moved to the window, shooing the bird away and closing it before it could attempt to enter again. Wings beat against the glass, and an upset caw threatened to wake up his grandfather before the crow flew away.

Sighing, Tenchi looked down at his package and then back at the tomcat. "Guard the house while I'm away." He muttered, "Don't let grandpa wake up.

And as he opened the guest room door, for a moment he thought he heard a voice, old and rusty with age, "Of course not."

He turned around.

The cat curled up and laid down, blinking at him with slow, lazy gold eyes.

"Did you…" He paused, then shook his head. "I don't want to know right now." Tenchi slowly shut the door, leaving it slightly agap for the cat's passing, and slipped off towards the front door.

"You owe me breakfast." The Tomcat, old Ko'neko, as the Priest dubbed him, burrowed deeper into the blankets. Two long, spectral tails curled around his body, and the creature yawned.

It was the first day of The Boy's arrival.

The Carnival of Youkai would soon begin.

Comments of a Madwoman: Sweet summer crushes amidst crazy cult cantors. Sometimes you find yourself speaking to that which has no voice. And sometimes those things speak back, whispering gentle words of damnable wisdom.