春の風桜の花を連れていく…

Cold winter had long passed. The snow had begun to slowly melt away, also taking the sorrows of the villagers along with it, giving way to the fragrant spring odours, and new hopes that kindled in the women’s hearts.

The war had continued for nine years. For all those nine years, Mikoto had never seen her father, neither had she seen any other men who had gone with him. Yet she prayed in the shrine of the village deity, along with her mother and the other women, for all those nine years, in the hope that someday, sometime, the men would return, and the families would rejoice again.

She was only nine when her father had left, along with the other men. She would always ask her mother why the father had abandoned them, even though his face expressed extreme sorrow as well as theirs. The answers were nearly the same – “this is war”, “this is necessary”, “this is inevitable”. Yet, the child could never understand what necessity adults could find in a war, and why it was inevitable. Why would something that brought only tears, sorrow, and parting, be necessary and inevitable? She knew her heart ached inside. That heaviness was what the war had brought. Loneliness, hardships, longing for loved ones – all of this was the results of the ‘necessary war’ that adults had so easily coped with.

However, even in this time of bitterness, little hope still sparkled in her heart – each spring, she would visit that cherry blossom tree that stood lonesome in a green hill, and which she and her father had planted together back when he was still with the family and happiness still dwelt in their house. This cherry tree was her companion in hardships and her dearest friend. She even considered it her ‘little sister’, as the tree would bring her new hopes when it blossomed each spring – that this year would be the exact one when her father returned, and their house would rejoice again. 

As she sat below the blooming cherry blossom tree, she would often reflect upon the good old days when her father was home and worked in the rice fields like all the other men; she and the other children cheerfully played, knowing that only peace and happiness dwelt in the village; there was no sorrow known to them, as they had everything their little hearts could desire.

But there was one more reason why she would always return to that tree, each spring…

When she was nine, and the father had left, she would visit that cherry blossom tree every day and cry bitterly, longing for her father, unable to understand why he had gone… On one of such days, when she ran up to that tree, as usual, her eyes already filled with tears, she got frozen on the place, as she saw a very unusual entity before her, whom she could not recognise – it was not one of her villagers. He had very strange hair, bright like the sun itself, while his kimono was cloudy-white. And, unlike normal adult men she had seen in this ‘warring era’, he held no sword, and neither any other weapon…

She astonishedly stared at him, her tears drying to her eyes from such a sudden stupor she had received. The stranger cast a single glance at her, and then averted his gaze from her. She still fearfully watched him, not able to come to her senses from such a sudden surprise – this man was a total stranger… What if he was dangerous? Mother had warned her to not talk to strangers…

“Why are you crying?”

She started – he was the one to have spoken. She dared not answer. Instead, she cast her eyes down, sadness overwhelming her heart – father wasn’t coming back, today either… That was the reason for her tears. The man glanced up at the sky, contemplating clouds which floated along with the wind.

“Clouds follow the wind wherever it blows. Some of them clash and cause storms, others shed tears at that very time; but the wind shall continue to blow, regardless of the disaster the storm may bring… The new clouds will gather, however, to meet the bright day that is always to follow a heavy storm”.

She confusedly blinked at him – she could not grasp the meaning of his words. They were too vague for her child mind.

“Wait for that bright day to come. One day, the storm shall cease, and the sky shall be cleared up… When that time comes, we shall meet again, Mikoto”.

With these words, a heavy mist befell the hill. When it cleared away, the man too had gone. She still stupefyingly gazed at that very place where he was standing just some minutes ago. Her heart shuddered with a clear feeling of fear and stupor – how come this stranger knew her name? What was it he had talked about? Back then, she could not understand, but her childish mind figured that some clues might appear at the cherry blossom tree some time next. So she always visited this tree since then, to feel the connection to her father, and to reflect upon the meeting with that mysterious stranger…

The life flowed meanwhile. Years passed. The women still prayed day and night in the shrine of the village deity, and she too, prayed together with them, with the hopes that her father and the other men might as well return someday… But they were not returning. Thus, the elder of the village – an old priestess in charge of the shrine – called a council and invited the wives of the most powerful men of the village. These women together decided to take action.

“It is clear that the village deity is dissatisfied,” the priestess spoke, “for he has clearly refused to return our men to us”.

“What should we do?” one of the women – the wife of the village headman – asked.

“I believe we should offer him a gift,” the old priestess replied, “Only if the grand deity receives an honourable gift from us, shall he pay heed to our prayers”.

“What kind of a gift can we possibly grant such a high deity as the nine-tailed fox is?” the women wondered in worry and concern.

“Do fear not,” the priestess smiled, “I have spoken with the deity. He desires an additional servant to the shrine – one of our village maidens, the finest one of them. Maybe then, he shall look upon us with grace”.

At such a suggestion, however, the women got frightened:

“But who would be willing to sacrifice their daughter to the deity?! If one gets entrusted to the shrine at such an early age, they shall lose all the sweet years of their youth!”

“Yes, they shall never be able to wed!”

The priestess puckered in response.

“You shall dare defy the wishes of the great nine-tailed fox?!”

All the women hushed. No, they could not dare defy the orders, if such were the wishes of the great deity. They could not risk losing their husbands and sons forever… Thus, it was agreed upon. As the finest girl in the village was Mikoto, who had blossomed in quite a wondrous fifteen-year-old maiden, they decided to make her the shrine servant. Of course, she and mikoto’s mother were against this idea, but in the end, the villagers’ and the priestess’s wish prevailed: Mikoto was taken to the shrine against her will, to become a nun.

Indeed, after three years of Mikoto’s loyal and laborious service to the priestess and the shrine, the war ended, and the men returned. Mikoto’s father was wounded in multiple places. He was carried by a young, fair soldier, who was not of their village but had followed them since, as he said, his own village had been burnt down during the war, so he had nowhere else to go.

“Takahiro here has saved me many times. I owe him a lot, so I invited him over for a while,” the man smiled at his wife while retelling of his time in the war. However, once he heard from both his wife and Mikoto, who had returned home to greet her long-gone-and-now-returned father, that she had been given to the priestess as a servant of the shrine he grew quite sorrowful. But then, his lips formed in a bitter smile: “So I guess we should thank your prayers too, huh, Mikoto? It cannot be helped… If the deity himself desired so, then be it. It is your fate, as it seems”.

Mikoto did not reply. She just continued pouring some wine in their guest Takahiro’s cup, while this latter contemplated her, with a kind smile on his face.

After some time, Mikoto, before going back to the shrine, visited the cherry blossom tree blooming pink up the hill. She found her father there, gazing up at the far-grown tree, which he had left behind as a small seedling, back then.

“So much time has passed, eh, Mikoto?” he asked, still staring at the tree whose branches played with the soft breeze while some of the pink flowers left them and floated along with the wind.

“Yes,” Mikoto shortly replied, looking up at the tree, “Little sister has grown”.

“And you have, too”.

Mikoto just returned a faint smile.

“This cherry blossom we planted together helped me move forward,” she placed her hand to the tree trunk. “I do not know why, but I feel the deity’s presence the strongest when I spend time here, and not at the shrine”.

“Our priestess says the shrine is the dwelling of the deity. It cannot be helped, Mikoto. If the deity desired you there, you should stay”.

With these words, he got off her, leaving her alone at the tree. Mikoto looked up at the cherry blossom again, and let out a heavy sigh.

For some reason, I do not feel the presence of the deity when I am in that shrine. I only feel the presence of the village priestess and the work of men in the form of golden statues… Yet here, with you, little sister, I feel I am the closest with the deity…

Evening fell. Mikoto returned to the tree once more, having done her work in the shrine for that day. This cherry blossom tree had been her loyal companion for all these years, sharing her pain and joy, so it was dear to her heart. She often longed to see it again and rest under its shades. This time, however, once she arrived, she met Takahiro – the guest of their family. The man who had saved her father, according to this latter’s words. She started and stepped back. She had desired some alone time. Meeting this young man at this place was unexpected for her.

Takahiro had calmly reclined to the trunk of the tree, relaxing in its shades and contemplating the cherry blossoms floating with the wind, and the clouds in the sky. Once he felt the presence of the young woman, a faint smile formed on his lips:

“The sky has cleared up, huh? When we were on our way here, there was still a heavy storm…”

Mikoto started even more since all of this sounded somewhat familiar to her… She remembered that day, long ago, when she met the mysterious man at this very place, who also spoke of stormy clouds and the clear sky. Back then, she could not understand his speech very well. Even now, she couldn’t really grasp the meaning of those words. However, Takahiro speaking nearly the same words on this very place still managed to stir up her childhood remembrances. She felt drawn to this young man. She hesitated, holding herself – this feeling was unfamiliar to her, so she did not know how to react upon it. 

“Have you come from far away?” she only managed to ask, just to keep the conversation going. This young man had interested her with all the mystery he held about him.

“One could say so. I have seen a lot in my life”.

“You have been in many places?” the woman now truly got interested – herself, she had never left borders of her village and now had become enslaved to the shrine, so the tales of far-off adventures greatly fascinated her.

“Oh, yes,” the man replied. “I have been wandering in this world, and have beheld a lot of wonders”.

“Could you retell me?” the woman now returned him a smile and even took a seat beside him.

“Of course, if you so wish”.

So, the man began to retell her of his adventures in wondrous places, of his fights against both people and demons, and many other stories. After that evening, Mikoto would frequently visit the cherry blossom tree to meet up with Takahiro secretly. She grew more and more fascinated by him, and soon, they pledged each other their love under the same cherry tree. 

However, as it often happens in little villages, Mikoto’s and Takahiro’s secret got divulged, and everyone learned about it. It stirred up the crowd, and especially enraged the old priestess – the servant of the shrine was forbidden to make love and wed! They should be devoted only to the deity! The crowd demanded Mikoto be punished for insulting the great nine-tailed fox. Even Mikoto’s parents could do nothing in this affair since a crime against the deity was the worst possible crime a person could commit. 

Mikoto was sentenced to death by beheading. The old priestess demanded that she apologize in front of the statue of the deity in the shrine before her execution. However, Mikoto refused and caused even a higher uproar in people.

“She deserves death!” the men yelled.

“Shameless woman!” the women followed.

Mikoto’s parents wept for their daughter. The father regretted to have ever met Takahiro on his journey. This latter had disappeared right after Mikoto was sentenced to death.

Mikoto’s resolve was absolute. She did not apologize before the deity in the shrine. Thus, she was locked up before being taken for the execution the next day. At night, she could catch a faint glimpse of the cherry blossom tree from small windows. Only then did tears fall from her eyes. She looked back at her life. It appeared worthless to her, save for the meeting with that mysterious man in her nine years, and with Takahiro afterwards, in her eighteen years.

“That man was wrong…” she muttered to herself, tiny tears pouring down her cheeks. “He said the storm would clear up one day… Inside my heart, there was always a storm and rain, and it still remains. Only when I met Takahiro did it cease for a while. I cannot forget that man whom I dearly love. He saved my father and brought him back to me. He taught me how true life might have felt like when he retold me of his adventures. He was the only one to warm up my tearful heart in those lonely days. I shall not apologise to some statues in a men-built shrine for receiving the only happiness in my life…” she glanced at the cherry blossom tree again: “I shall apologise only to you, little sister. After all those years that you’ve been beside me, after my promise that I’d live near you forever, I still have to break my promise, and we are forced to part ways…”

Thus she was whispering and weeping all at the same time. Those were her farewell words to her precious little sister she had loved and cherished so dearly.

“So you think you shall never find sunshine in this life again? You’ve decided to give up, just when you have finally found what you were seeking for?”

The woman started in fright and looked up, just to gasp in stupefaction – that same mysterious light-haired man she had seen in her deep childhood now stood before her in all his magnificence! But what was more shocking – he had golden fox-ears and nine long golden fluffy foxtails! She shuddered in dread and awe – so all this time, it was not just some man, but the nine-tailed fox deity himself?! Beholding such a divine being before her, only now did she recall she had actually committed a sin and insulted him (at least, so the villagers said), only now did she get frightened of her actions. She instantly fell to her knees before the golden deity and exclaimed, shedding tears:

“I beg for your mercy, Lord Benitsuki! Please, forgive me!”

“I never said humans should commit themselves completely to the labour in the shrine they have built-in my honour. Why do you apologize, when you have not done any wrong?”

“But…” Mikoto grew perplexed, “The shrine is your home! So the priestess says…”

“The priestess has never once beheld me, because I had no intention to show myself to her,” the spirit furrowed his brow. “The shrine is not my home, but a gift to me from humans who worship me. It is built in my honour, and in that term, I do respect it. Thus I often visit it. But my home is in nature. I am a wanderer, as I have told you before. What I have not told you, however, is that I take on many forms in order to wander in peace and live among humans without them noticing. In human hearts and in nature do I dwell, so human and animal shape I take”. 

With these words, he morphed into Takahiro. The woman stared at him dumbfoundedly, terrified of the divine transformation she had just beheld, and shocked of the fact that the man whom she had pledged her love – Takahiro – had turned out to be none other but the fox deity himself. So he was testing her back then… Even more, tears fell from her eyes – who was she to dare love a divine spirit? She covered her face with hands and wept deeply.

“Do you know why back then I chose to show myself to you in my true shape?” 

She looked up at him, her eyes reddened from tears, expressing extreme fear and awe.

“It was because you had bonded with nature so deeply that you freely considered a cherry blossom tree, your little sister. You showed the pure heart of a child of elder days, when you humans still had not forsaken your true selves, and lived alongside nature, in harmony with the divine spirits. Once I noticed such a pure heartbeat inside your chest, I decided to show myself to you. I decided to aid you and ward you off the calamity that had befallen you”.

“So… you brought my father back to me?” gratitude sparkled in the sorrowful woman’s eyes.

“Yes. I promised you we’d meet again. I fulfilled my promise. Now it is your turn to make a decision. If you truly wish to grasp the happiness of this life and remain loyal to my service, you should not stay in the shrine, but run away, and wander around the world, together with me. I shall take you to places you’ve never been to. I shall grant you experiences you’ve never tasted. I shall give you the knowledge you’ve never grasped. I shall show you sights you’ve never dreamed of. Only after you’ve lived a life full of those experiences, shall you be justified to decide whether to give up on life or not, or whether to judge the life at all. You are only eighteen-year-old. You have never left borders of this place. It is too early for you to give up, only when you’ve just begun to taste the true beauties of this life”.

“You… shall take me away?”

“You appear to have doubts still. Well then, let me put it this way – the storm has cleared up just this instant for you. There is a single sunray that shines over you. Shall you grasp it before it vanishes, or do you wish to remain in the storm and rain, eventually to perish?” 

He held out his clawed hand. Mikoto hesitated. Then, she slowly raised her own hand and put it into the divine spirit’s clawed palm.

“I shall follow it… to the sun…”

The fox spirit gave her a smile. He grabbed her hand and pressed her to his chest, slowly dissipating together with her in a golden light.

“I shall take you to the sun…” Mikoto heard him whisper in her ear. 

The golden light vanished, together with the two of them. On that stormless night, the full moon shone upon the cherry blossom tree, which rustled in a faint breeze, as if waving her hands at her big sister…