Morning. Another wonderful morning. For the residents in a village on the outskirts of Kyoto, this was no ordinary morning. It was a morning of hope, a morning of celebration, a morning that would change the lives for two people very much in love. It was Hiroshi and Ayumi's wedding day!

The sky was shining, the birds were chirping, and the smell of fresh grass lingered in the air. Nothing could possibly ruin the peace and tranquility of the day. Nothing, except for the eardrum-breaking voice of a younger sister.

"WAKE UP! WAKE UP! WAKE UP!" shouted Nanase, her high-pitched yell jack hammering the words right into the skull of her older sister. Hokuto, who had been sleeping comfortably in her warm futon, opened her eyes to find her way-too-energetic sister's head hovering upside-down above her.

"I'm up... I'm up..." replied Hokuto softly, as she pushed the covers off of her chest and got up into a sitting position. She stretched her arms out, raising them over her head, and let out a faint, muscle-relieving moan as Nanase went into the hallway and dashed for the bathroom.

After Hokuto's vision came into focus, she crawled over to a small table sitting to the side of her room where a wristwatch sat. It was already past six... so much to do today! She looked up at the red hakama and white top hanging up on the wall, clothes that marked her status as a miko, a shrine maiden that assists priests in various functions and ceremonies, clothes that she would be wearing for today's... wedding?

*EEP!* Hokuto sprang into life, as she quickly put on a robe over her light blue pajamas and rushed into the kitchen to prepare breakfast. Rice washed and cooking, check. Eggs frying on the stovetop, check. Raw eggs that godfather likes to put on his rice, check. Those cute little sausages that godfather also likes but Nanase won't touch because she is going thru a vegetarian kick, check. Seaweed soup with beef, check. Seaweed soup without beef for Nanase, check. Leftover tofu from the icebox, check. Nanase out of the bathroom, ummm... not so check. Oh no, not again... Ok, start making some American coffee, check.

In another part of the village, a village with roots, history and traditions deeply tied to the Bushinryu, four of the clan leaders had gathered, discussing matters that would have repercussions both within and outside of this peaceful, ancestral home.

"Three shrines in the last week," sighed Fujita Ennosuke, godfather and guardian of the Fujioka sisters, Hokuto and Nanase. In his early fifties, he was surprisingly fit, well trained in the ninja arts passed down within the village over the centuries. "Has there been any word from Ise no Jingu?"

Ishimaru Genjo, the guji, the high priest of the local shrine, looked over his shoulder towards the reflection of the rising sun in the calm pond water. "The Grand Shrine has requested additional security from the police, as have many of the other shrines throughout Tokyo." He paused, stroking his graying beard for a moment before continuing. His eyes became far more serious, as he gazed back at his village peers. "It appears that it was not just those of us at this shrine and little Hokuto who were affected. A number of other priests throughout Japan had taken ill when those shrines fell." Genjo coughed, clearing his throat. "Of course, this is not public knowledge. But if things continue the way they are, then..."

Silence. For a minute, nothing was said. Only the sounds of chirping birds and the distance laughter of children playing could be heard. Finally, Tamiya Yuki, father to Hokuto's best friend Junko, asked the question that hung on everyone's mind. "Do you think Kairi-kun is responsible?"

Another pause. Ennosuke took a deep sigh. "It is possible. You know the legend." Again, there was silence as the village leaders recalled the old story in their minds, a story which seemed too fantastic to be real, a story about the Fujioka bloodline that dated back centuries, a story that took place at this very village, a story that was long forgotten and kept secret to all but these four men.

Finally, Uchida Fumio, the oldest of the group at 72, spoke up, his voice deep and thoughtful. "When is little Hokuto's shinshoku examination?" he directed towards the guji.

"In a week," replied the high priest, a hint of pride in his voice.

Fumio turned toward the girl's godfather. "Is she ready to take the trials?"

A childhood friend of the late Fujioka Akihito, Ennosuke nodded. "I think so," he stated sadly, knowing all too well what the elder intended.

In the distance, Fujioka Nanase came running towards her godfather, announcing that breakfast was ready. Little did this cheerful girl know that the fate of her sister, the fate of her last remaining family had just been decided.

The wedding was beautiful, absolutely beautiful. And she was a part of it. For Hokuto, this was the first wedding that she got to help out at. Dressed in red hakama and white tops, she and the other miko, including her best friend Tamiya Junko, served rice wine and other refreshments to the various guests throughout the course of the ceremony.

High priest Ishimaru was dressed in a saifuku, the formal Shinto costume a regal shade of silky white. He stood before the would-be couple to the left. His daughter Masami, in clothes similar to Hokuto's, was to the right, serving as high miko.

Behind the two figureheads stood a couple of young men, their blue hakamas and white tops distinguishing them as junior priests or gonnegi. In a week, Hokuto would be following in her deceased mother's footsteps, taking the exam that, if she passed, would make her an actual priest... err... priestess, trading in her red miko hakama for a pair of light-blue, junior-grade shinshoku ones.

The groom looked handsome in his black kimono. The bride was absolutely stunning, though Hokuto never quite understood why brides changed outfits three or four times during the course of wedding ceremonies now at days. But all the outfits were amazing... the white uchikake robe with crane patterns and obi sash, the Western-style wedding dress, the multi-colored furisode kimono worn during the reception, and finally the Western-style ball gown.

This was one of the most wondrous events Hokuto had ever witnessed, and she wished Kairi were here to share it with her.

Hokuto sat quietly in the bathtub, its small length forcing her to press her knees up close against her chest. The hot water went up to her shoulders, submerging the rest of her aching, tired body into own heaven.

Training this past week had been brutal. Really brutal. Hand-to-hand fighting, archery, combat fan dancing, even chi focusing - she did it all, and she was exhausted. Add in her shinshoku studies and current miko duties, and you had one really exhausted seventeen-year-old.

Godfather had upped the training regimen tremendously, driven by such determination that made Hokuto's skin crawl. Nanase was also being pushed harder, but never seemed to tire of swinging that big red staff around left and right - especially when it meant swinging it at her older sister. It was almost funny, really. While Hokuto's recent training concentrated on keeping up-close fighters as far away as possible, taking advantage of her long range skills, godfather seems to be teaching Nanase how to... well... take out Hokuto.

The girl closed her eyes, feeling the soothing water slowly drifting her into a light slumber. She must be paranoid, Hokuto thought to herself. It was just the bruising from that pole that was getting her all worked up. Besides, in this day and age, no one ever needed to use skills like archery or fan dance fighting or chi attacks, especially chi attacks, in the modern world. Heck, it's even forbidden to use things like chi attacks in public, unless deemed absolutely, positively, 100% necessary.

Hokuto placed her hands on the sides of the tub, using them to help push herself up, out of the warm water. As she dried herself off with a soft cotton towel, she stared at her foggy reflection in the mirror, a questioning look on her face. So, why is godfather pushing the chi attacks all of a sudden?

Junko's smiled from ear to ear, standing just outside of the Fujita house where the Fujioka sisters lived. In her miko outfit, she waited, rather impatiently, next to Nanase, who was her usual bundle of limitless energy.

Soon, the front doorway opened and out emerged her best friend, sporting a light blue hakama and soft white top.

"Finally!" Junko scolded. "You don't want to be late for your first day, do you Hokuto-chan? Err.. I mean, Lady Hokuto." Junko and Nanase both giggled profusely, while the object of affection and embarrassment blushed happily. The three girls headed down the path towards the temple, chatting and laughing, as they had done time and time before.

"And don't let the fact that you can order me around go to your head!"

From inside his house, Fujita Ennosuke took a sip of sake as he silently watched, through a window, his best friend's second child and eldest daughter walk off with her companions towards the shrine. He watched as she grew from a delicate little girl to a blossoming young woman, a woman skilled in many traditions, well-versed in many customs, and armed with the deadly Bushin arts. But she was still delicate.

In a few days, Hokuto would be going thru the trials, tests that pronounced one a full-fledged Bushinryu ninja of this clan. She'll be facing those tests soon, and she will most likely win. Her training has more than prepared her for them.

The godfather took another drink of his rice wine. He sighed, putting the cup down as he looked at the picture of the two Fujioka parents that sat on the shelf above the dining table. He put his hands together, closed his eyes, and gave a silent prayer.

I hope she fails.