Note: I know nothing about Japanese legends/mythology so if I made any mistakes about that then I'm really sorry. I wanted Shinobu's character to be like hers before Kanae's passing. I feel like it's a complete opposite of Giyu's character before and after his sister and Sabito's passing and I thought it might be a very funny dynamic too.

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Every three years, a sacrifice was made to the yokai as a way to keep them from harming the village that was built by the end of the mountain that they rested on. The majority of the villagers considered this an honour for their children to be picked as an offering to save the village, while the other part of the village was frightened to death every time the year rolled by, praying to the gods that their child wouldn't be the victim of the evil head of the village.

Cries echoed through the neighbourhood caused by the victim's families every time they were picked. Those who tried to intervene were thrown in prison or, worse, kicked out of the village forever. The people who supported him snickered and laughed, degrading the families who tried to go against it.

Time went by fast, and before Shinobu could react, it'd already been time for her to be sacrificed. Shinobu sat down in her seat while the maids that the old man sent were fussing over her make-up.

She stared at herself in the mirror, listening to the cheers of the people who were waiting for this moment. Her eyes caught her mother, who was standing not too far away. Her mother looked away when she saw her daughter staring at her in the mirror.

Shinobu couldn't blame her, knowing that her parents have to go through this process again, now with their youngest daughter. Still, her heart aches when they won't look at her.

'I wish Kanae were here.' She thought, and for a second, she felt her body and mind go numb as she relived that memory again.

Three years ago, her big sister went through the same thing. Shinobu remembers her sister sitting down in this seat as she let herself be groomed by the same maids that the old man sent.

Shinobu's little cry ranged throughout the room as she begged her big sister not to leave her.

"Everything is going to be fine, Shinobu." She recalls her sister trying to console her after all the maids left the room. She opened her arms wide, which caused the little girl to run into her embrace.

"Nothing is going to be fine when I won't ever get to see you again." She sobbed, which made her sister frown.

"I know... but Shinobu, you have to stay strong for our mother and father. You have to take care of them now that I won't be here anymore." Shinobu sobbed harder, and her sister's kimono absorbed all her tears.

"No. I can't let you go." She cried, hugging her sister tighter.

In that moment, their mother came in. Her face was red, and the two sisters then realised that their mother was crying this whole time.

"It's time, Kanae." The mother stuttered as she tried her best to control her voice. Kanae then gently let go of her sister as she got up from her seat and straightened her kimono.

Shinobu watched in awe of her elegant big sister. Her big sister was once claimed to be the fairest in the village, which caught the eyes of many suitors, including those who crossed the seas just for a chance of her glancing at them.

Her parents thought that Kanae could escape the chance of being sacrificed by the head of the village since she brought him quite a penny from around the country, but their dreams were destroyed the moment it was announced that the ever-so-stunning Kanae were no more of use to the village any longer.

The family, along with the rest of the village, watched as her sister slowly ascended the mountain to meet her future husband, whatever type of yokai that could be.

Kanae turned around to look at her family one last time. She bowed her head to them, silently thanking her parents for taking care of her all this time. Shinobu shivered as her sister's eyes moved towards her. Kanae gave her sister one last smile before turning around and walking forward again.

She clutched onto her mother's kimono as she tried her hardest not to cry, knowing that the rest of the villagers would look down on her parents even more.

After a few minutes, the crowd began to move away, leaving the family and the head of the village.

"Hopefully, your daughter would be enough to keep those vile creatures satisfied." The old man said this, scoffing at them before leaving them alone with their sorrows.

"Shinobu." Her father started, and his voice sounded so monotone that it sent shivers down her spine.

"Forget about your sister now; we'll never get to see her again." His words caused her mother to tear up.

"She's our child, her big sister. How could we ever forget about her?" She asked before raising her hand to slap her husband. She stopped herself before she could, and her hand went down to hold on to her youngest daughter again.

Her husband shrugged before walking away from his family. His wife's gaze followed him before he went out of their sight completely.

She kneeled down to her young daughter before gently holding the child's face in her hands. "Shinobu, never forget your sister, okay? Remember her and her sacrifice to give us and the rest of the village a better life and happiness. Do not listen to your father; do you understand?"

Shinobu nodded.

"We only have each other. I will never let you out of my sight ever again." Her mother stood up and carried her daughter back to their house.

Eventually, her father realised his behaviour and spent months trying to earn his family's trust again.

A forceful tap on her shoulders forced her to come out of her trance. She looked up to see one of the maids glaring at her.

"If you keep swaying left to right, you'll ruin all our hard work." She scolded her. Shinobu muttered sorry before looking straight ahead again. She observed herself in the mirror's reflection.

Her face was pale white, and her lips were painted red, clashing against the purple highlights in her hair. Her face felt heavy from all the paint on her face, causing her head to dip down.

The maid from before violently pushed her face up to face the mirror as the other maids finished with her hair.

After another half an hour, Shinobu is finally ready to be sent up the mountain. "I look like a doll—a very ugly doll." She told her mother after the maids walked out of her bedroom.

"Nonsense," her mother scolded her. "My daughter is the most beautiful girl in all of Japan." Her mother hugged her from behind.

"I don't think so." She disagreed, causing her mother to shake her head disapprovingly. "This is so stupid."

Outside her house, there was a wooden carriage waiting. Shinobu sighed as she gathered her skirt and walked towards the transportation that would take her to her doom.

Her father stepped forward and took her hands in his.

"Shinobu, my darling daughter, I'm so sorry that this father couldn't help you." He cried, then pulled into his embrace. She patted his back, trying to console him.

"It's alright, father. I know you try your best to give me the life I deserve. I'm sorry I couldn't be the daughter you wanted."

"You are the daughter I wanted. You have made me proud just as much as your sister did." Their faces soften at the mention of Kanae.

"Do you think that I might get to see her again?" She asked, hopeful.

"I have no idea... but if you do, you'll say hi to her for us, right?" Shinobu nodded, which made her parents smile.

"Time to go." The old man interrupted. Her father helped her get on the carriage before being carried away. Her parents, along with the rest of the villagers, soon followed the carriage.

The old man who sat with her watched as she stared at the villagers.

"Do not mess this up for the rest of us." He warned her. Shinobu nodded as she clutched on to her kimono. "You are the only hope for the village, well... until three years later when someone else takes your place." He grinned. "Hm, I wonder who is next."

"Hopefully, you'll be dead before you can see it happen." She scoffed, causing the man's face to turn red in anger.

"Shut up, girl. How dare you be rude to your elders? Have your parents ever disciplined you?"

"Have yours?" Shinobu bit back, glaring at the man. Before the man could do anything, they had arrived at the foot of the mountain.

"I hope you die up there."

"I hope you die down here." Shinobu scoffed as she walked out of the carriage with the man glaring behind her.

"Shinobu! Big sister!" A familiar voice called out to her. Shinobu turned to see a young girl with two pigtails running towards her.

"Aoi!" She also called out, opening her arms to welcome the young girl into her arms.

"I'm going to miss you so much!" Aoi cries.

"Oi!" The old man yelled, "You'll ruin her appearance! If the yokai don't accept her and send her back down, I'm blaming it all on you."

Aoi coward before him, her tears falling down more than before.

"She just wanted to say goodbye." Shinobu yelled out while the man rolled his eyes.

"Aoi... please take care of yourself, okay?" Aoi nodded before replying, "I'm going to miss you, big sister. Who would hang out with me now if you're not here?" Aoi cried louder than before.

"You'll be fine, Aoi. I promise that you will. I have to go now, okay?" Shinobu glanced at the people around her before letting the girl go.

Aoi Kanzaki, a girl one year younger than Shinobu, is the daughter of her mother's best friend and also her father's coworker. Whenever their fathers were working, their mothers would hang out with each other, so their daughters had no choice but to play together. Eventually, the two became something like sisters.

Aoi watched with teary eyes as Shinobu walked closer to the base of the mountain.

"Don't mess this up." The man warned her again. She bid one last goodbye to her parents before ascending the mountain.

"Will I actually be married, or will I end up as their dinner?"