The festival was a great success in a remarkably short time. The nine sisters danced gracefully with the Yokai even though no instruments played in the background. The delicate sound of a flute drifted through the air, coming from Hayato, who was perched on sake barrels just outside the gates. Dressed in a fine dark blue Yukata, he played traditional festival music, seemingly content to keep his distance from the festivities within the walls.
Hoshiyo stood nearby, watching him play. She appreciated the serenity of the music and the warm, calm atmosphere. It struck her that he might deliberately avoid entering their new home, but she chose not to dwell on it. She smiled, letting herself enjoy the peacefulness of the moment.
Lost in her thoughts, she was suddenly pulled back to reality by a voice calling out to her.
"Hey, Hoshiyo!" Takeko shouted. "Come with me to see Moriko for a second."
"What for?" Hoshiyo asked, curiosity piqued.
Takeko gripped Hoshiyo's Yukata sleeve tightly and tugged with surprising force. "I want you to try something," she insisted.
Hoshiyo shrugged, letting her sister guide her through the mingling crowd of humans and Yokai. They quickly reached Moriko's food stand, where she was busily preparing dishes with the help of some villagers. While Moriko cooked, the humans served the food and collected money to help fund upgrades for the fortress.
Takeko approached Moriko, catching her amid her work. "Where did all these humans come from?" she asked.
Moriko smiled and replied, "These are the survivors from the village that burned down."
"How could that be?" Takeko asked, surprised.
Hoshiyo glanced at the villagers, a spark of recognition in her eyes. "They do look familiar... But didn't they hate us for bringing destruction to their village?"
Moriko continued cutting tofu cubes on a wooden board, her movements calm and steady. "Yes, but you also saved them. They're forever in your debt because you drove the Shogunate off the island. So, for now, we can rest easy, knowing we're safe."
Hoshiyo waved to the dancing crowd, a smile forming on her lips. "I'm glad we've earned their trust."
Re glowing with excitement, Takeko rested her elbows on the counter and laid her head in her hands, watching Moriko work. "I heard you're working on a new festival snack. Is it something on a stick again?" she asked with a playful grin.
Moriko chuckled at Takeko's excitement as she carefully scraped the tofu from the wooden board onto a heated pan. The tofu sizzled loudly, filling the air with a savory aroma. "No stick is needed for this one," Moriko said with a smile. But it would be an honor if Hoshiyo was the first to try my new recipe."
"I'd love to, thank you," Hoshiyo replied, her smile glowing brighter than the moon that night. The evening had been filled with appreciation, and it warmed her heart.
Moriko worked swiftly, adding soy sauce, sweet and sour sauce, and chopped green onions before wrapping the deep-fried tofu in cooked kelp. She carefully arranged the dish on a wooden platter and proudly presented it to Hoshiyo.
The dish was beautifully presented, with the green onions adding a fresh color. Hoshiyo eagerly picked up a pair of wooden chopsticks and took a bite without hesitation.
"Do you like it?" Takeko asked, her eyes wide with anticipation.
Hoshiyo handed back the platter, her expression full of delight. "I've never tasted anything like it. It's delicious. You should add it to the festival menu."
"Great idea," Moriko said, her heart swelling with pride. The leader of the Generation Warriors had just endorsed her creation, and it felt like a true victory.
Motoko appeared behind the sisters with a proud smile as she held up several wooden plaques. "Hey, I found a shrine out back," she called out, waving the plaques at Takeko and Hoshiyo. "I thought decorating it with prayers or wishes might be fun. The others are already there, writing theirs as we speak."
"A shrine?" Hoshiyo murmured, deep in thought. "Who could it be for?"
Brimming with curiosity, Takeko said, "We should go check it out, Hoshiyo. Maybe we can uncover the mystery of this abandoned shrine together."
"I haven't the faintest idea who it might have belonged to," Motoko added. "Ceres and I spent hours trying to see if the spirit would reveal itself, but we got nothing."
Hoshiyo nodded determination in her voice. "Let's go see this hidden shrine behind the house."
Motoko grinned and led them through the property. They soon reached a small, neglected gate hidden beneath a blanket of moss and vines. The gate opened onto a pebble path that wound its way inside a forest where the abandoned shrine sat lost in time far ahead of them. Motoko gestured up the overgrown path. "Follow me, it's this way," she said.
Hoshiyo hesitated, her eyes fixed on the barely visible trail ahead, choked with weeds and tangled underbrush. Fallen leaves and branches littered the ground, crunching beneath her feet. "Are you sure this is safe?" she asked, her voice tinged with doubt.
Motoko glanced back with a reassuring wink. "Yes, we'll be fine. Don't worry."
Takeko clung to Hoshiyo's robes as they ascended the hidden path behind the house. The excitement they had felt earlier at the prospect of discovering a new place had vanished. Hoshiyo couldn't shake the uneasy feeling that gripped her. Every instinct urged her to turn back, warning of impending danger, yet she pressed on, determined to keep Takeko safe by her side. After all, her delicate sisters had taken this path before without incident.
"Are we there yet?" Takeko asked, her voice small.
"Yes," Motoko replied. "The Torii gate is just ahead."
The sisters looked up and saw the remnants of the gate looming at the path's end. Once standing tall and proud, the seven-foot structure now lay in decay. Its wood, once vibrant, was splintered and rotting, with paint peeling away in long, curling strips. Vines and moss wound around the pillars as if nature was trying to reclaim the sacred space. "This place feels ancient," Takeko whispered in awe.
"Do you think this shrine could have been built when the Kami created the island?" Hoshiyo asked, her voice filled with wonder.
Motoko shrugged slightly. "I'm not sure yet. But when our masters return, we'll focus on restoring this shrine to its former glory. We believe the spirit here is too weak to manifest independently."
The sisters passed through the gate and entered the sacred grounds, where the others were busy working on a bamboo structure meant to hold the wooden plaques for the spirit. Ceres tied the bamboo together while Rokuko and Utaku cut down nearby bamboo to build a small shrine. The group worked together, and it looked like they were nearly finished.
"Great job, everyone! I didn't expect you to be almost done by the time I got back," Motoko exclaimed.
Ceres shot her a glare. "You were gone for over an hour."
"This property is so big—I had a hard time finding where Hoshiyo and Takeko had run off to," Motoko replied nervously.
Hoshiyo glanced back at the distant house and asked, "How did you two even find a place like this?"
Ceres pointed toward the once-proud and sacred structure, now worn and weathered, its beams cracked and splintered from years of neglect. "Something inside called to us," she said quietly.
Hoshiyo scowled at the desecrated shrine and asked, "And neither of you thought to go inside and see who—or what—might be sleeping there?"
Motoko quickly waved her hands in defense. "No, that would have been incredibly disrespectful. We thought it better to lure the spirit out instead."
Hoshiyo sighed, doubting that a few wishing tokens could awaken a Kami from its slumber. She knew they needed something far more potent. Her mind raced with ideas of forcing their way through the shrine's broken walls, but she knew her sisters were right. They needed to earn the Kami's trust, not lose it through impatience.
Ceres pushed the new bamboo structure into the ground, ensuring it was sturdy. "That should do it, everyone," she said.
The remaining sisters emerged from the forest, each carrying wooden plaques with unique animal designs. Only Hoshiyo and Takeko, standing nearby, had yet to receive theirs.
Rei waved at them. "Hey, what took you two so long?"
Hoshiyo sighed, pointing toward the distant festival. "We were enjoying the festivities and the food. We had no idea the rest of you ran off in the opposite direction."
"The twins heard something up here, so we all got curious," Rei explained.
Yoko kept her head down, saying, "Normally, I wouldn't have followed them, but Seiko insisted she'd protect me."
Seiko gave a proud nod and flashed a thumbs-up. The two were inseparable and had learned to trust each other in any situation.
The last two, Utaku and Rokuko, remained silent but nodded in agreement. Their usual quiet demeanor surprised no one, as they rarely spoke much, even when they were together.
Ceres handed out pieces of charcoal to everyone, crafted from the remains of the bonfire Moriko had used for cooking. Miraculously, she had cut them into small, usable pieces for writing.
While Ceres focused on organizing her side of the event, Motoko gave wooden plaques to Takeko and Hoshiyo, who had patiently waited. She gently ran her fingers over the smooth wood and said, "Use these to write down a prayer or a wish. The Kami might grant it."
"Do you think this will work?" Hoshiyo asked, doubt creeping into her voice.
"Yes," Motoko replied with quiet confidence. "Our training in Shintoism has advanced so much in such a short time. We believe these wishes will awaken the Kami within the shrine."
Hoshiyo gazed at her wooden plaque, hesitant. The idea that a few simple wishes could summon a powerful Kami to their secluded forest home seemed unlikely. Yet, the thought of her hopes possibly coming true comforted her.
With charcoal in her left hand and the plaque in her right, Hoshiyo began to write, listening to the soft sound of her sisters scribbling on their plaques. Though curious about what they were writing, she focused on her wish.
After a few minutes, Motoko clapped her hands to signal the time was up. "Everyone, it's time to tie our wishes to the bamboo structure we built. I know it looks like a laundry rack, but at least this way, we can see the effort we've put into helping the Kami. Let's get started."
Ceres stepped forward first, tying her plaque to the bamboo. "I prayed for the nine of us to live long, healthy lives while we bring peace to our homeland," she said.
Motoko smiled warmly. "That's so sweet. I prayed that we may someday build a strong connection with the Yokai and Kami on this island. I hope we can all be friends and help each other." She tied her plaque to the structure, her heart full of hope.
"My turn!" Takeko cheered as she tied her plaque to the bamboo and kissed it for good luck. "I prayed that our family would never go hungry again. We've had the biggest bounty I've ever seen today, and I hope it keeps coming."
The other sisters glanced at Hoshiyo, encouraging her to step up next. Rei gave her a gentle nudge, urging her forward. Blushing, Hoshiyo tied her plaque to the bamboo and said, "I wish for Kuzunoha to reunite with her family happily. Honestly, I love it when we're all together. I can't imagine us being separated like that."
Rei rushed over to Hoshiyo and hugged her tightly, a warm smile spreading in gratitude. She whispered, "You truly are a good person, Hoshiyo. Thank you."
Rei had always wished everyone happiness and health, especially after the battle. She had cared for everyone, which was a challenging task, even with a partner. She prayed that they would never have to face such hardship again.
On the other hand, Yoko prayed that Seiko would remain her best friend for generations. They had kept each other sane since birth, growing together year after year in those cylinders. Seiko had always looked out for her like a little sister, and Yoko wished to be able to defend herself whenever Seiko couldn't.
The last two sisters, Rokuko and Utaku, remained silent as usual. They kept many secrets from the others, preferring to live quietly on the sidelines. Rokuko's wish was simple: to live in peace, though she knew it might not come true deep down.
Utaku, meanwhile, prayed for a bountiful snowfall this year, her favorite season. The snow brought a serene quiet to the world, and she longed for that peaceful stillness to envelop them once more.