<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">Akiko woke while it was still dark, feeling refreshed and full of energy. She lay still for a while, to see whether she would get back to sleep, but it soon became clear that she was thoroughly awake. She grabbed her yukata, but then ran to the bathroom without bothering to put it on. <em>Kazumi’s a bad influence,</em> she thought to herself.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">She was washed and dressed in her vestments by the time the eastern horizon was starting to brighten, and she went out into the shrine grounds to see the dawn. She purified herself at the water basin by the entrance from the house’s garden, and then switched her vision to look for kegare.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">There was none. Everywhere she could see was clean, pulsing with life. There were small spirits everywhere, more than she had seen for a long time, but they all looked healthy. Within the iwakura, the flame still danced, casting flashes of brightness into the twilight, while the hot spring continued to pour from within the stones, laughing as it cascaded into the pool.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“You too, huh?â€ Akiko looked round sharply; she hadn’t heard Kazumi come up behind her. The girl was in her vestments as well, and completely clear of kegare. “I don’t normally wake up this early, you know.â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Neither do we.â€ It was Shiraishi, coming through the gate from the garden, robed and carrying the ritual equipment. “Akiko, could you get the offerings? They’re just inside the front door.â€ Akiko hurried to get them, joining the other two in front of the pool as they finished setting up the tables. Shiraishi was looking east, and suddenly she nodded.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“We should start the ceremony now.â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">They all performed the morning ceremonies, closing them, as usual, with a single bow. As they sat up, the surface of the pool suddenly became very calm, even though the water was still pouring into it, and stones and trees, illuminated by the first rays of the rising sun, were reflected in it.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">Tamao’s head rose from the water without so much as a ripple, and they all bowed again.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Spirit Child, Bright Child, Beautiful Harmony. You have all done well. I am strong again, strong enough to keep the corruption from the shrine. But the pollution is strong as well. You must take this strength to the corruption, you must take it out of the shrine to cleanse the area.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“We are no longer losing, but we have not yet won.â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">Tamao sank back beneath the surface, which immediately began to churn again from the water flowing into it, red, green, purple, gold and silver flashing on the surface for a few moments, before being replaced by the sparkle of the rising sun.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">There was silence for a moment, then Shiraishi turned to Kazumi.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Do you still want to bathe in that pool?â€ She sounded a little amused.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Oh, <em>yesâ€</em> Kazumi’s answer was barely breathed, but there was so much sincerity, so much longing in it that Shiraishi suddenly looked embarrassed. The girl didn’t move, though, and after a moment she spoke again. “But I daren’t.â€ Another brief pause. “And my school uniform is at home! Ah! I’m going to be late!â€ She sprang up and ran into the house. Shiraishi and Akiko looked at each other for a moment, and then started laughing.</p>