Work Text:
A Feudal Fairy Tale
Chapter One- The Start of a Journey
Sunset. Soft light colors melted into the growing night sky. Birds flew across the sky making their way to their nest for the night. Buses roared down the road as a young teenaged girl wearing the cream-colored uniforms of one of the local middle schools ran through the crowds on the street, as she was rushing to get back to her home; Kururugi Shrine.
The girl, Izumi Kururugi let out a sigh as the red light of the crosswalk once again stopped her. It would seem that there was little she could do to get home in time for the Shrine's Annual Doll Festivals of Wishes. She just hoped her father would be understanding in why she would be so late and go easy on whatever her punishment would be.
The day had started okay once school had let out. But when she had run into her grandmother who was heading back to the Shrine after a doctor's appointment. She had asked her to retrieve a few things from a friend's of her place. It had turned out her friend had lived on the other side of the city. It was surprising to find that the place in question was a catholic church and her friend was the guy in charge of the place Father Fujimoto was quite the character it was kinda hard to believe that her Grandmother never talked about him before. Though the things she had been asked to get were a bit odd, a staff with the same symbol of a star inside a circle like what was on the dolls back at the shrine, and a small bundle of sutra with similar images.
It was honestly strange as her grandmother had always said the best sutra to use were ones that were made yourself. She didn't know how true that was but maybe she just needed some extra help for making them. Izumi's thoughts trailed off as the Tori gate of the family shrine came into view. The raven-haired girl began to run harder to get up faster to get any lecture her father had in store for her, at least the stories weren't as tall as her cousin's family shrine.
Due to the festival, the courtyard was more crowded than it would usually be with the sea of visitors and the many vendors who had set up in their courtyard. It took a moment but she eventually saw her father in a stand already wearing traditional clothing handing out various charms, and sutras. As she ran over holding the staff tightly as she did so, paling as she saw her father's stern look.
"Sorry, I'm late Dad. Gran needed me to pick something on the other side of town." Izumi explained. "I'll go get changed and be back right away."
As she turned to head to the family home her father motioned for her to stop.
"Wait. I can handle things here. I need you to go into the storehouse to get me more amulets." her father said. " After that, you can get changed and join your brother by the fire pit."
There the punishment, working with her lazy brother during the festival.
"Sure thing dad," Izumi said before she made her way to the side buildings where the storehouse was. she hoped that she would run into her grandmother so she could give her the items from the Preist.
heaving the heavy doors open Izumi resisted the urge to cough as the musky smell of something damp and old greeting her.
"Great, the storehouse must be leaking somewhere. I'll have to tell dad about it after the festival is over." Izumi said as she began to glance around the room for the box of amulets as she walked further in the building. " if I remember right I think we put them in the back last year. should have grabbed a flashlight.
the further Izumi went into the storehouse the darker it was. just as she closing in on the back of the storehouse Izumi heard a creak then a snap and before she knew it she was sitting on her rear rather painfully, glancing down at her feet she saw the cause of it.
the floorboards were apparently older than she thought, her left foot had fallen through the rotten wood.
"Damn. I knew this was one of the older builders but I didn't realize it was that old" Izumi grumbled to herself. "Good thing I came in here alone. The last thing I need is for Michur to make fun of me for falling like this. Well, at least this gives dad another handy man project."
Izumi made a move to get up, but as she did so she felt the floor give out again. She braced herself for the impact but what she saw next made her heart skip a beat. Under her where the floor should have met solid ground was a vortex of blue light that seemed to fold in on itself. Her scream was cut off as she fell and a wave of blackness washed over her.