“Those were… the kegare?” Shiraishi said, while gasping for breath. Akiko just nodded.

“Are you all right?” Akiko turned to see Kazumi approaching from the shrine house, her face concerned. Something was strange, but she nodded again, and then it hit her.

“Kazumi, can you see the fire?”

“Fire?”

Akiko turned to look at the priest, who nodded.

“I see it. Kazumi, you can’t see a wall of fire around the shrine?”

“Er, no?” The girl looked really puzzled. “I’d hardly miss something like that.” The flames began to fade as she spoke, sinking back towards the ground, but the spirits on the other side were long gone. Her breathing finally returning to normal, Akiko stood up, and pointed at the iwakura.

“Revd Shiraishi, can you see the flame in there?” The priest looked, and drew her breath in sharply.

“Yes. Just over the spring. Kazumi?”

“Flame? No… Is this revenge for me teasing you?” She sounded suddenly suspicious. Akiko couldn’t help laughing, although it sounded a bit hollow in her ears.

“No. I wish it was.” Quickly, she explained what had happened, and Kazumi shuddered a little.

“That was my school? Maybe I’ll take tomorrow off.”

“I think that’s a very good idea,” Shiraishi said. “I wouldn’t go back there until we can purify it.”

“But why couldn’t we?” Akiko asked.

“Ah,” Shiraishi said, looking at the ground. “That is, unfortunately, a good question.” There was a pause, then the priest continued. “Tamao said that we had to use the increased strength of the kami against the kegare, right?” She looked at Akiko for confirmation, and Akiko nodded. That was certainly what she remembered. “So maybe we didn’t do that.”

“But what didn’t we do? I mean, we went, and we performed the harae.”

“And the spirits couldn’t even approach the shrine closely,” Shiraishi added, “so it seems that the increased power is effective.” She paused again. “Do you think the car really exploded?”

“What?” Kazumi almost shouted the word, and then clamped a hand over her mouth. “Sorry,” she said, as she lowered her hand again. “Exploded?”

Shiraishi nodded, but Akiko was puzzled.

“We saw it, I felt the heat. Didn’t you?”

“Yes, but I also saw and felt the heat of the flames around the shrine, and Kazumi didn’t.” The priest looked towards Kazumi for confirmation, and she nodded.

“No flames. Just you.”

“Right. And, Akiko, you saw an attacking spirit at the river when I only saw a flood, right?” Akiko nodded, understanding now what the priest meant.

“So, what we see when we’re seeing spirits isn’t necessarily what is really happening?”

“I think so…” Shiraishi sounded uncertain. “I don’t believe kegare actually looks like a hedgehog. I think what we see is a concrete visualisation of an abstract existence. And I don’t think a visualisation could make my car blow up.”

Akiko had to think for a moment to follow that, and even then she wasn’t sure exactly what Shiraishi’s theory meant. But still…

“But then the explosion would be a visualisation of something, right?”

“I didn’t say I’d drive the car. Anyway, maybe it’s just a burned-out shell at the moment. I’ll go to look in the morning.” She stretched, and yawned. “First, though, I’m going to get some sleep. Maybe Tamao will send me a useful dream.”

07: Spreading the Light, Episode 47 | 3 Comments »

“It looks fine. I’m still not driving it.”

“What will you do, then?” Akiko asked.

“I’ve called a garage, said it was making funny noises and smells. We’ll see what they say about it. Anyway, I have to stay here until they come. Everything all right there?”

“Yes, no problems. Noriko’s waiting for a harae, though. Should I tell her to come back later?”

“Ah, probably best, no idea… Oh, here they come. Maybe it’s OK for her to wait. I’ll let you know what they say.” Shiraishi hung up, and Akiko quickly summarised the situation for Kazumi.

“Weeeeird,” the girl said.

Noriko decided to go home and come back later, and a bit of shouting as she left the shrine confirmed that the remaining protesters were already at their post. Akiko shook her head, and then went to get a broom and start cleaning the shrine.

“Akiko, about the tree.”

“What about it?”

“Shouldn’t we investigate it?”

Akiko stopped sweeping, and looked at Kazumi.

“Yes, of course. But how?”

“Well, take our…” Akiko cut her off.

“Yes, I know that bit. I was thinking more about getting back to the shrine afterwards.”

“Oh, right. Well, er, send one of us to the park with a yukata and some shoes?”

“That… That would actually work, wouldn’t it?” Akiko suddenly felt really stupid. It wasn’t like the park was some remote corner of the world. “OK. We should do it during the day, then. That park is rather quieter, and safer, in daylight.” Kazumi nodded.

“So, are you going to wait for me in the park?”

“I think you’d better wait for me.”

Kazumi pouted.

“I found it first,” she protested, but Akiko wasn’t going to let such petty things cloud the issue.

“You know the park better than I do, and I can see things you can’t. That might be essential.”

“But…”

“Can you see the flame in the iwakura?”

“No,” Kazumi admitted, reluctantly.

“Right. I’ll go through the tree.”

Standing in front of the tree a couple of hours later, Akiko was no longer so happy with the decision. Yes, it was still the right one, but now she actually had to go through the tree. She was wearing a yukata, acutely conscious of being naked underneath. That had been Kazumi’s suggestion; it minimised the length of time she would be standing by the tree partially dressed. It was a even a sensible suggestion.

Her cell phone rang.

“Hi Akiko. Well, I’m looking at the tree. Ready when you are.”

“OK.”

Akiko took a deep breath, and undid her belt, shrugging the yukata to the ground. She took a step forward, pressing herself against the bark.

The rush of feeling left her gasping again, as she found herself standing at the base of a tree in the forest, sunlight filtering through the leaves. She looked around for a moment, shifting her vision to look at the spirits. The power, the energy there was overwhelming, but Akiko forced herself to look, clinging on to the tree for support as she tried to adapt to it. She looked at the bark next to her, focusing on it, watching the rivers of light running up and down within the trunk, feeling the life pulse deep inside it, the waves reaching her fingertips, making them tingle.

And, deep inside the tree, she saw the shrine, all of it, all its details, Tamao sleeping under the scorched earth that was his sanctuary, Mr Takenaka sitting by his shrine, the ujiko on duty wandering around, Shiraishi coming up the steps…

Akiko wrapped her arms around the tree, and it was like jumping down a waterfall, spray and air all around her as she fell for an eternity in a moment.

She was standing by the tree in the shrine grounds, her yukata at her feet. Reaching down, she snatched it up and pulled it on, only breathing more calmly when she tied the belt.

She picked up her cell phone and called Kazumi. The experiment had already yielded useful results.

07: Spreading the Light, Episode 47 | 3 Comments »

“Kazumi?”

“Where are you?”

“I got out back in the shrine. I think maybe we just chose the wrong tree last time.” There was a pause at the other end. Akiko was walking through the woods as she talked, wondering how accurate the vision she had seen through the tree had been.

“Oh. Mmm.” Kazumi actually sounded a little embarrassed. “Well, should I come back, then?”

“Well…” Akiko emerged from the edge of the trees, and caught sight of Shiraishi walking up to the house. She waved, but the priest didn’t see her. “No, wait there. I’ll see whether I can get out to the park.”

“OK. There’s no-one here at all, you know. You don’t even need the yukata.”

“Right. See you soon, I hope.” Akiko hung up, and went back to the kami tree. She paused, looking around and listening for any sounds, but there didn’t seem to be anyone in the woods. Quickly, she slipped out of the yukata and embraced the tree.

It felt like a river, a river of hot and cold water, sweeping her along, and then up, through the surface of a pool, the air rushing into her lungs, filling her with energy.

Akiko stood among the trees, balancing easily on the roots. She just wanted to run and jump, play among the trees, but she easily resisted the urge.

“I can’t keep Kazumi waiting,” she said, pretty sure that the kami of the tree would be listening. As she said it, a particular tree drew her attention. Gnarled, like the others, it was different without being distinctive; Akiko could easily tell it apart from the other trees, but couldn’t see any particular reason why she should. However, she was getting used to hints from the kami now, and walked over to it, shifting her vision to look at the spirits.

The energy of the place struck her as forcefully as ever, making her gasp as her heart raced. She could see the tree growing, stretching up for the sun as it breathed the air, making itself from light and water.

And, deep within it, she could see… another tree. Surrounded by darkness. The tree looked like it could be the one in the park, but Akiko wasn’t sure. The darkness, though, that had to be kegare. As Akiko watched, Kazumi appeared, the darkness drawing back to reveal her as she approached the tree. The kegare seemed to be avoiding a small area around the girl, as she hugged the yukata to her chest and looked at the tree.

Akiko wrapped her arms around the tree.

It was as though a waterfall were pounding on her back, icy cold, furious, driving her to her knees…

She staggered and almost fell as she appeared from the tree, and Kazumi caught her. Akiko drew a deep breath, reaching for the yukata. Then she stopped herself and, without looking Kazumi in the eye, turned round to embrace the tree.

Nothing happened. Turning back, she did grab the yukata, pulling it on and only looking at Kazumi once she had started tying the belt.

The girl was grinning at her. Akiko gave her a hard stare.

“What’s so amusing? Come on, let’s get back to the shrine.”

07: Spreading the Light, Episode 47 | 1 Comment »

Akiko could feel that she was bright red by the time they got back to the shrine. She had tried to forget that she was wearing nothing under the yukata, but every time they passed a group of men, Kazumi had said something in an unnecessarily loud voice about how traditional Akiko was, provoking whispering and stares. Kazumi, on the other hand, was having trouble controlling her giggles, and Akiko’s instructions to stop it had not had the desired effect.

The protesters at the foot of the steps ignored them, and when they reached the top Akiko could see Shiraishi just finishing Noriko’s harae. Akiko felt herself blushing again; her yukata really couldn’t compare to Noriko’s kimono. She motioned for Kazumi to follow her over to the shrine house, where they waited for the ceremony to finish.

When it did, Noriko came over with Shiraishi, and Akiko had to fight down a bit of frustration. She needed to talk to Shiraishi about… well, things she didn’t think she could say in front of Noriko. Noriko was frowning as she approached, and glancing round the shrine.

“Ms Tanahata, can we step into the entrance a moment?” she asked. Puzzled, Akiko nodded, and stepped inside, followed by Noriko. As the other two came in, Noriko reached forward and deftly undid Akiko’s belt.

“That’s not how you… Oh.” Noriko fell silent abruptly. The yukata had fallen open, and Akiko was sure she was blushing all over. Noriko quickly folded it closed again. “Hold it here, and here. You know, the only reason you traditionally didn’t wear anything under a yukata is that the yukata was the underwear.” She started wrapping the belt around.

“Really?” It was Kazumi asking, and she sounded disappointed. “So do you always wear underwear with one?”

“Always for fireworks. Too many people, too much risk. Too many drunk people!” She paused, as she turned Akiko so that she could tie the belt. “Never at an onsen. I mean, you’re only going to take it off to get in the pool. For other occasions…” There was a pause, and Akiko had to resist the temptation to look round and see what she was doing. “It depends on my mood, and the occasion.”

“So, what about now?”

“Kazumi!” Akiko and Shiraishi said it together, but Noriko just laughed.

“I’m not wearing a yukata. There, you’re done up properly now.” Akiko looked round at the mirror. It was true, the yukata did look a lot better now.

“Thank you.” She hadn’t the heart to say she had been about to change out of it, and actually, now she looked, maybe she could leave it for a little longer.

“OK, so what about…”

“Kazumi!” Shiraishi’s voice was quite sharp, and Kazumi quickly fell silent. Noriko was smiling, however.

“If you like, I’ll give you kimono lessons. That does include full instruction on the appropriate underwear.”

“Appropriate underwear?” Kazumi sounded comically disappointed, and Akiko suddenly had the impression that they were being teased again.

“Ms Miura, I am not naturally cylindrical!” Noriko’s voice sounded stern, but she was smiling. She also, apparently, thought she was being teased. “Actually, seriously, if you want lessons, I’ll teach you. Free. You could wear kimonos when off duty, then.”

“I’m not sure we have time right now,” Shiraishi said, “but that’s a very kind offer.”

“Oh, no problem.” Noriko bowed slightly as she moved towards the exit. “I don’t agree with Mr Fujimura about everything, but I do think that traditional Japanese clothes are more appropriate to a shrine. Well, thank you very much for the ceremony.” She bowed again, and Akiko bowed back, as she took her leave.

07: Spreading the Light, Episode 47 | 9 Comments »

“So? There has to be a story.” Shiraishi was looking quizzically at Akiko, which made her blush again.

“Yes. Unlike some people, I don’t go without underwear for fun.” Akiko managed not to glance at Kazumi as she said it, but she heard a quiet “hey!” of protest. She went on to explain what they’d been doing, and the possibility of travel through the kami forest. Shiraishi, again, listened in silence.

“So, your other yukata and cell phone are still by the tree here?” she asked, and Akiko nodded. “Let’s go and see.”

As they walked over, Akiko suddenly remembered about the other issue.

“Revd Shiraishi, how was the car?”

“Oh, yes.” The priest’s face went serious. “The mechanics looked at it, and told me how lucky I was. Apparently various bits of the engine were so old and worn that there was a serious risk of the car bursting into flames at any moment if I drove it. It needs a completely new engine.” She frowned. “So we don’t have a car at the moment. I don’t think the insurance will cover “attacks by kegare”.”

They reached the tree, and Akiko’s yukata and phone were still there.

“So, can I try it now?” Kazumi asked, but Akiko shook her head.

“You might pick the wrong tree. I can only see which tree it is when I look for the spirits, and you can’t do that.”

“Can we go in together, then?” Akiko could easily understand Kazumi’s point of view. It felt so good in the forest, really alive, and now that they knew how to get out at the shrine, there didn’t seem to be any reason not to visit.

“Not just yet,” Akiko said. She took a deep breath. “There’s something else I think we should try first.”

“What?”

“I think the reason we couldn’t get back from the park was the pollution on the tree. I want to try purifying it, to see whether I can get through to the forest then.”

“Do you think this, what, magic forest?” Shiraishi really didn’t sound sure about what to call it, “is connected to the pollution around here?”

Akiko shrugged.

“I don’t really know. Maybe. Maybe not. But it’s definitely connected to the shrine, and I want to know how it works.”

“All right, then. I’ll come with you to purify it.”

An hour or so later, Akiko was standing in front of the tree in the park, her belt already undone, holding the yukata shut as Shiraishi finished the purification ceremony. She had no idea how long it would take for the tree to get polluted again, and wanted to be ready as soon as it was clean.

As Shiraishi swung the ohnusa, the light swept the kegare from the tree, blowing it away like cobwebs, and for a moment the tree looked completely clean.

Akiko dropped her yukata, and stepped forward to embrace the trunk.

It was a river again, sweeping her out, over a waterfall, so that she seemed to fall for ever before plunging into a pool of icy water.

The forest was all around her, the sun shining through the leaves as a gentle breeze, laden with the clean scent of wood, caressed her skin.

07: Spreading the Light, Episode 47 | 5 Comments »

Akiko switched her vision to the spirits and looked back at the tree, the rush of energy making her light-headed, but it was something she was getting used to. Looking within its trunk, she could see the tree in the park, and an area around it, with Shiraishi and Kazumi standing there, waiting for her.

The darkness was the kegare, she thought, and ran quickly over the roots to another tree. Looking into this one, she could see an old tree, a pine, but it was surrounded by darkness again. Frowning, she tried another tree. Again, she could see a tree through it, but nothing around it. A couple more were discouragingly similar. Akiko went back to the tree leading to the park, but the darkness had already drawn more closely around it, keeping its distance from Shiraishi and Kazumi, but reaching out for the tree. Shaking her head, she went to check the one leading to shrine.

As before, she could see the whole of the shrine precincts. Tamao was awake, his eyes shining as his scales sparkled in the sunlight, and Mr Takenaka was standing next to him, apparently talking about something. The fire burned brightly within the iwakura, while the ujiko keeping an eye on things — Akira, as it happened — was walking around the grounds, speaking to a few worshippers, completely oblivious to the presence of the kami. Her vision stopped at the wall of light around the shrine.

There was no-one near the tree, and her yukata and phone were still there, so it looked safe to go back to the shrine. She embraced the tree, and fell through rising jets of water, breaking out into the air, beside the tree.

Quickly, she got dressed and called Shiraishi.

“I’m back at the shrine,” she started.

“Why didn’t you come back here?”

“The kegare was already getting close to the tree; this way looked safer.” She quickly explained what she had seen. “Come back to the shrine; there are people waiting for ceremonies, and I think we’d better discuss it here.”

It was getting towards evening before they had time to sit down and talk about the forest.

“I suppose we could walk around looking for the trees I saw, but that would take a very long time,” Akiko said, and Shiraishi nodded.

“We don’t even know that they are local.”

“True, but I think they are.”

“Wouldn’t it be cool if one was in Okinawa! Or Hawaii!” Kazumi said. “We could go there free!”

“And naked,” Akiko reminded her. “I think we can be confident that it’s not a practical means of transport.”

“Oh. Oh yes. Um.” Kazumi subsided again.

“Why do you have to be naked?” Shiraishi asked, and it sounded like a serious question.

“The kami’s a dirty old man?” Kazumi suggested, prompting Shiraishi to roll her eyes.

“I really don’t know,” Akiko said. “Purity?”

Shiraishi shook her head.

“There’s nothing impure about clothes. Although I suppose we could try doing a harae on you first.” She shook her head again, and sighed. “Just when I thought I was starting to understand things, we get something completely weird again.” Akiko couldn’t quite suppress a chuckle, but she had to agree.

“And does it help? I can see the kegare through the trees, but that’s all.”

“Talking of the kegare,” Shiraishi said, “we have to go back to Kazumi’s school.”

07: Spreading the Light, Episode 47 | 2 Comments »

“What?” Akiko was genuinely surprised. “But…”

“I know, but we can’t leave it. Most of the students are still going there, after all.”

“Serves them right,” Kazumi said, and then quailed when Shiraishi glared at her.

“Nobody deserves to be stuck in that level of pollution.”

“I was only joking…” Kazumi said, in a very small voice.

“This isn’t a joking matter,” Shiraishi replied, her face still grim. “This is serious.”

“Yes, sorry.” Akiko thought that Kazumi looked on the verge of tears, and tactfully looked away, concentrating on the priest.

“But we only just got away last night. What can we do?”

“I had an idea,” Shiraishi said. “Tamao told us to take the power we had raised, right? So maybe if we summon the aramitama into a gohei and take it with  us, we’ll be able to purify the school.”

“Maybe…” Akiko acknowledged, “but what if…?”

Shiraishi cut her off.

“We can’t worry about that. We have to try something.” She smiled, wryly. “If all else fails, we can just run away again.”

Kazumi helped make the gohei, attaching the two large shide to the top of the wooden rod, like an inverted V. She was unusually quiet, and Akiko thought that she was still upset over being scolded by Shiraishi. Akiko wanted to say something, but before she could think of anything suitable they had finished, and Kazumi had excused herself.

Akiko took the gohei to Shiraishi, who had prepared a table and stand in front of the iwakura. They set it up, and then Shiraishi began the ceremony.

The initial purification seemed to have little effect; the shrine grounds were so clean that even searching for the slightest hint of kegare Akiko could not be sure that she had seen any. Maybe the light from the ohnusa swept a few bits of pollution from them, or maybe she had just been imagining them.

Then Shiraishi knelt in front of the table and began the norito calling on the aramitama to descend into the gohei.

“Kakemakumo Kashikoki Tamao no Ohkami no Aramitama…”

As soon as she mentioned the aramitama, the flame in the iwakura blazed up, the fire enveloping the stones and reaching up into the sky. Akiko had to half-close her eyes against the light, and she could feel the heat on her skin, feel the sweat starting to soak into her clothes. Shiraishi, however, seemed unaffected.

The fire grew brighter and brighter, until Akiko was squinting to see anything, and then the gohei burst into flames.

Akiko had half risen from her knees before she realised that the gohei was not being consumed, that the flames were following the lines of the shide, leaving the rod clear.

“… Kashikomi Kashikomi mo mohsu.”

Shiraishi finished the norito, and bowed twice, clapped twice, and bowed once, before stepping back and taking her seat beside Akiko. She glanced sideways.

The flames in the iwakura had sunk down now, to something like their normal level, but the gohei was still burning brightly. Akiko nodded, and then bowed, together with Shiraishi, to finish the ceremony.

Akiko was to carry the gohei, and she approached it cautiously. She could feel the heat, and while she thought she might not if she stopped looking for spirits, she really needed to be able to watch the kegare while they were carrying out the purification. Slowly, she reached out, keeping her hand low, below the flames.

As soon as she touched the rod, the heat ceased, although she could still see the flames leaping up from the shide. Taking a firm grip on the shaft, she picked it up, and turned to Shiraishi.

“I think we’re ready.”

Akiko had long since got over any sense of self-consciousness about walking through the streets in her vestments, and at this time of night there were few people to see them pass. Even the foul fog of the kegare was keeping its distance, apparently driven back by the light from the gohei.

Maybe Shiraishi was right, Akiko thought, and she started to feel a bit more confident.

When they arrived at the school, Shiraishi quickly started the purification. As she swung the ohnusa, the light drove the fog away, revealing the spirits hunched over the school. With a scream of rage, they sprang down, running towards Akiko and Shiraishi.

Akiko took a step forward, holding up the gohei. The fire burned as brightly as ever within it, and the kegare spirits wrenched themselves to a sudden stop, hissing and growling, but refusing to come any closer.

“What is it?” the priest asked.

“The spirits,” Akiko replied. “Can’t you see them?”

“Not tonight. Are they…?”

“They are still there. They don’t seem to be able to come any closer, but they are still there.”

“But what…?”

“Use the gohei!” Akiko said, suddenly. “Use the gohei instead of the ohnusa!” She turned to the priest, offering her the rod and, after a moment’s hesitation, she took it, passing the ohnusa to Akiko.

As the priest’s hand closed around the wooden shaft, her eyes widened, then squinted almost shut.

“Can you see the fire?” Akiko asked, and Shiraishi just nodded, taking a deep breath and turning to face the school.

The priest took a step back, and then squared her shoulders and stepped forward again. Akiko guessed that she could see the spirits as well, watching them with transparent hostility. Shiraishi’s voice trembled a bit as she began the norito, but grew stronger and more confident as she continued.

When she swung the gohei, the fire danced in the air, and the spirits took another step back, but they didn’t run, and didn’t disappear. Shiraishi swung the gohei again, but there was still no response.

“What do we do now?” she asked, stepping closer to Akiko.

“I don’t know. I thought…”

The spirits started to back away, occasionally snapping at the air in their direction, returning to the school without taking their eyes off the two of them.

“I think we do the same,” Shiraishi said. “Tonight’s battle is drawn.”

07: Spreading the Light, Episode 47 | 3 Comments »