[SDU] [Chapter 65 – Yumiko – Ballad of the Moon Maiden]

[SDU] [Chapter 65 – Yumiko – Ballad of the Moon Maiden]

“I don’t think we should rest here, White. This is a shrine and that just meant disrespecting it.”

“You’re right. We should head back down and probably go back to the arena or our hotel.”

And with that, both of them head back down to the stairs leaving the shrine as it supposed to be. It seems bizarre at first when you realize that you’re being forced to come back here by a girl who shines bright like the sun. It’s almost like we’re somehow supposed to be related or something. But enough about Sam, what is most important right now was that White and Ethereal didn’t found any clue that could point out to my own past. My troubled past…

-

Back then I was only 10 years old and my family and I went for a trip to Nihon for a week. We had a lot of fun back then. We’ve visited many places including The Shrine of The Mikazuki. At the time, the phase of the moon was coincidentally happens to be the crescent moon so, we get to see the shrine maiden do their bi-weekly ritual. I was still a child back then so I was always curious about what they were doing.

“Hey, hey, miss, what are you doing?” Little old Yumiko asked one of the shrine maiden.

She replied, “I’m preparing for the Crescent Moon ritual.”

“What is that?”

“The Crescent Moon Ritual? Well, it’s a ritual for us shrine maiden to pray and be grateful to the moon for blessing us with the wonderful sea that surrounds Nihon.”

“Wow. And what are you doing right now? What are you doing with that flower?”

The shrine maiden told me that she was cutting off the stem of a flower called, Moonflower. It is one of the many rare flowers that only bloom at night. Sometimes, it can also be simply called, the tropical white morning-glory or the moon vine but they prefer to call it Moonflower because of its significance to this shrine. The Moonflowers were planted across the shrine, ready to be picked once every crescent moon so that it can be used for their bi-weekly ritual.

The flower was separated from its stem so that the shrine maiden can put it to their head, acting as a hair ornament for the shrine maiden during the ritual. The other leftovers will be used as a ‘gift’ to be given to the sea. Unlike other ritual where they will burn these flower, they actually put these flowers in a wooden plate and gently push it to the seas. Letting the sea take the ‘gift’ on behalf of the moon.

“Do you want to help with the ritual as well?” The shrine maiden asks.

Little Yumiko nodded her head and said, “Of course I want to!”

“What’s your name little girl?” she asked.

“My name is Yumiko Iliana Pavlova! What about you?”

“That’s a long name.” she laughed and then said, “You can call me, Violet…”

My parents allowed me to help them and so everything was going well. I helped out the shrine maiden by arranging the flowers for the other maidens to wear on their head.

“We’re running out of Moonflower…Can you pick some of them, Yumiko?”

“Okay!” Little Yumiko happily obliged.

Everything was going well as I was picking up the flowers from their bushes until I suddenly heard that someone was bickering nearby. One of the young maiden was arguing with the shrine maiden leader. I can’t help but be curious about it, so eventually I crept nearby and eavesdrop on their conversation.

“Why can’t we at least touch that thing? It’s not like anything is going to happen right?” said the young maiden.

Her leader replied, “The Mikazuki Blade is a blade that has been blessed to us by the moon. We must not defile the blade with our unworthy hands.”

“Then who can touch that thing?”

“There has never been a sign or prophecy that told us about that. Therefore, it is better if we don’t thread dangerously and disobey what the will of the moon had blessed us with.”

“Well that’s just sound stupid. You only say that because you want to keep the blade for yourself, right?”

“The Blade does not belong to me. It belongs to the shrine! Now go back and continue with the preparation of the ritual, young one.”

The young maiden was in spite of the outcome and spoke to herself, “Foolish old people…I’ll show you when I steal that thing tonight…”

And that was what Little Yumiko heard that made her wondering about what she should do. Should she tell the other shrine maiden about the argument or should she keep it to herself? Eventually, Little Yumiko did told the story to the maiden that she was helping but the maiden simply laughed it off as some childish antics. Nobody would believe a weird story from a little kid.

After the ritual was over, Little Yumiko headed back home still thinking about what the young maiden would do later tonight. Her family were all already asleep in the hotel but for some reason, she was still awake. Eventually, she decided to go out and head back to the shrine to see what’s about to happen. As she expected, the young maiden was seen to be standing all alone at the main shrine that has the blade placed on the altar.

As she was about to steal the blade, Little Yumiko quickly ran in and pushed the young maiden away.

“What are you doing?” The young maiden exclaimed to her.

She then replied, “Stealing is not a good thing, miss!”

“What do you know about stealing?” she slapped the girl.

Little Yumiko’s cheek was as red as a rose but she hold on to her tears and quickly kicked the young maiden’s ankle. Then, out of all the things that she could have done, the little girl did what everyone had always mistaken for. It was the little girl that actually touched The Mikazuki Blade and grabbed it. She tried to get away from the young maiden as she called for everyone to wake up. But then at the time, it was already midnight. Meaning that the moon was at the top of their head. It was then that the blade’s sheath started to glow.

As curious as a cat, Little Yumiko unsheathes the blade which resulted in one of the most terrifying events that she has ever remembered. As she unsheathes the blade, an abundant amount of energy started to enter the little girl’s body. So much that her small body wasn’t enough to contain what is within the over powered blade. This resulted in a massive atmospheric explosion which caused fire all over the shrine. The little girl couldn’t do anything but watch as her beloved shrine started to burn down along with the innocent maidens that were soundly asleep. None were left behind but charred into what seems to be traumatic for a little girl. Scarring her for eternity.

As the fire started to slow down, the sound of crying can be heard across the charred shrine. Young Yumiko was crying in confusion. All she wanted to do was to prevent the young maiden from stealing a sacred object but in the end it was her own fault that leads to the demise of the shrine and its worshippers.

She cried and cried until it started to become a pool of tears. Eventually, a nice soothing voice calmed her down. The soothing voice calmed Little Yumiko down with its beautiful singing. From across her vision, a lady was approaching toward her. She gave her hand to the girl hoping that she will eventually stop crying.

“It’s okay, little one. I am here…”

“V…Violet?”

“Who are you talking about?”

Little Yumiko tries to hold on to her tears and said, “You…you’re Violet, right?”

Little Yumiko thought that the lady was the shrine maiden, Violet because she looks exactly the same as her.

The lady then smiled to her and gladly said, “Yes…I am Violet.”

“Violet!” she hugged the lady and happily cried.

As she was still crying, the lady said to herself as she looked at the blade that was on the floor next to them, “She couldn’t contain the energy from the blade…she is still young…and with the overabundant energy overflows her…I was quickly summoned by the will of the moon to help her.”

“Violet…hey, Violet.” The girl was trying her best not to cry anymore.

“What is it…Yumiko?”

“Promise me that you will never leave me all on my own, okay?”

The lady was surprised but then she smiled and said, “Of course I will…I will always be by your side. Both literally and figuratively…”

“What are you talking about?”

“Don’t mind it, Yumiko.”

“Okay…”

The little girl finally stops crying as she headed back to her hotel and was fast asleep until the following day where they had another fun adventure in Nihon but this time…together with Violet.

-

As I finished reminiscing about the past, I saw Violet was staring blank into the bright moon. Out of my old habit, I sneak toward her and heard that she was talking.

“Oh, goodness…why do you always make things difficult for me. I was once a dreadful goddess but look what you have done to me? I’ve became soft. But still…I am grateful…Grateful to you for sending me to her…”

At that time, something wet can be felt down my cheeks. My mouth wasn’t able to control itself as it gave a wonderful smile as a single tear was travelling down my cheeks…

TO BE CONTINUED