The Festival of Stars

To the north of the village, Hoshiyo and her father returned the day before the star festival. Keeping quiet to avoid further angering him, she dismounted the horse and opened the door to the house for some fresh air. A gust of wind swirled dust into Hoshiyo's face, and she coughed, muttering, "I have so much to clean now."

Behind her, a voice greeted her, "Welcome home; we were worried you'd never come back."

Turning, Hoshiyo saw Hanako's parents standing with a dark blue fabric wrapped in a bow. Having gone through so much, their eyes and noses were puffy, and she couldn't fathom the depth of their grief. Knowing someone you love is going to die soon, but when it happens, the pain does not diminish.

Hoshiyo approached them and asked, "Hello, what are you doing here?"

"We wanted to give you Hanako's festival Yukata. She would have wanted you to have it. So please wear it to the festival tomorrow," Hanako's mother said, passing her the starlight Yukata folded nicely.

Hoshiyo whimpered, "Thank you."

Hiroshiro noticed them after he removed the crates from the horse and said, "Hey, long time no see. Do you need anything?"

Hanako's father said, "We wanted to give Hoshiyo our daughter's Yukata she would have worn for the festival. We thought it would be the perfect way to honor her memory."

"That's so kind of you. Is there something we can do for you in return?" Hiroshiro asked.

"No, we only wish for Hoshiyo to have a long, happy life."

"I second that," Hiroshiro replied, smiling at his gorgeous daughter, who ran inside to try the Yukata. The hand-me-down Yukata brought her immense joy, its beauty almost appearing alive.

As her father continued conversing with Hanako's parents, she tied the Yukata around her waist. Their muffled voices reached her ears through the paper screen and wooden doors. Her keen senses picked up on their discussion about her red eyes, and they refrained from bringing it up in front of Hiroshiro's daughter.

Hoshiyo focused on the soft cotton under her fingertips, remembering Hanako's beautiful smile and the sun illuminating her stunning brown hair. She shed tears and remained silent until the following day.

Hoshiyo emerged from her house adorned in the starlight Yukata, shielding her eyes from the bright sun. The constant chirping of cicadas filled the air, creating a festive atmosphere, and the absence of wind promised a perfect day for the upcoming event. Spinning around to wait for her father, she cheerfully exclaimed, "Hey, I'm ready to go."

Hiroshiro stepped out wearing a plain dark blue Yukata to complete his daughter's festive attire. With a warm smile, he reached for her hand, and together, they set off towards the festival to the north of their house. As they walked, they joined the lively stream of parents with their children giggling and cheering, anticipating the exciting festivities that awaited them.

Guided by the crowd, Hiroshiro and Hoshiyo traveled a bumpy stone trail leading up a hill. A row of over a dozen four-foot-tall red lanterns stood on both sides of the stairs. The trees overhead provided a welcome shade from the sun's heat.

Curious, Hoshiyo inquired, "Hey, daddy, where are we going?"

Hiroshiro pointed to the Torii gates ahead and explained, "Up there is the Kifune Shrine. The farmers often pray to the Kami for rain to feed their crops. Without the food, our village would face starvation."

"I don't like being hungry," Hoshiyo whined.

Chuckling, Hiroshiro replied, "Nobody wants to be hungry. Perhaps, with your new abilities, you could speak to them on our behalf."

Hoshiyo whispered, "I'm sorry I wasted our time traveling to the other mountain..."

Hiroshiro grew quiet and gently reassured her, "We don't need to talk about that anymore. Let's just have fun today, okay?"

Hoshiyo beamed excitedly, nodding enthusiastically before exclaiming, "Yeah, let's have some fun!"

As they ascended the hill, Hoshiyo huffed and puffed, trying to catch her breath. They were next in line to pass the majestic red Torii gate, towering over Hoshiyo like a mighty giant. Upon passing through, her eyes underwent a noticeable transformation, gradually turning a radiant red until they began to glow, mirroring the glow of the lanterns illuminating the shrine. The bamboo frames around the shrine showcased only a select few chosen to bear the wishes of those who visited.

Hiroshiro guided his daughter toward a large wooden sign in front of the temple, where a story had been intricately carved by someone years ago. Bringing her close, he suggested, "You've only heard part of the story from Hanako. Would you like me to read you what it says?"

With a nod, Hoshiyo leaned her head in her father's arms, closing her eyes to immerse herself in the tale. In a gentle voice, he recited the story of a beautiful princess named Orihime, with long, elegant black hair, crafting exquisite silk jackets in the Milky Way.

Hoshiyo interrupted her father, asking, "What's the Milky Way?"

"The Milky Way is a place in space that looks like a river. If you look at your Yukata, you have rivers of stars with purple and blue hues. That's the Milky Way."

Giggling with delight, Hoshiyo exclaimed, "Wow, that's so cool."

Leaning in to read the rest of the story, Hiroshiro continued, "The Kami in the paradise above the clouds all loved and adored Orihime."

He continued reading aloud, describing how the Kami loved Orihime so much that they searched the Milky Way to find her a husband so she could escape her loneliness. One day, they discovered a respected young man named Hikoboshi, a diligent cow herder who worked as hard as Orihime did daily. When the Kami brought them together, they decided to get married, honeymooning among the stars and spending their days joyfully together. However, their intense love for each other led the couple to neglect their work, angering the Kami. As a result, they were separated, with Hikoboshi sent to the east bank of the Milky Way and Orihime to the west bank. Despite the couple's mourning and refusal to work without seeing each other, the Kami allowed them to meet one day a year if they worked diligently. And that day was today.

Hoshiyo whispered, "That's so sad. I wish there was something I could do for them."

"That's a nice thought, but I'm sure they're okay," Hiroshiro reassured her.

Together, they strolled along the dirt path, passing smaller shrines before reaching the main one—a sizable structure where a single person could reside. Two stone lion dog guardians faced each other, protecting the shrine. A large rope at the center was attached to a bell, and wooden donation boxes were placed nearby to help maintain the shrines.

As Hoshiyo walked, a sudden jolt traveled down her spine, and she said, "I don't see any Yokai or Kami, but I have this strange feeling that I'm being watched from somewhere."

Scratching his neck, Hiroshiro said, "Huh, I wonder if the Yokai don't like large crowds of people in one space. The rope is big; would you like me to ring the bell for you?"

"Yeah, okay," Hoshiyo replied, scanning the forest for any signs of Yokai but keeping her focus on her father.

Hiroshiro gripped a sizable rope at the center and shook the large bell overhead into a resonant ring. His watchful eyes ensured that his daughter mirrored every move he made. With two deliberate claps, followed by a slow bow and then another, they performed the ritual precisely, Hoshiyo making sure to replicate her father's actions to avoid upsetting anyone nearby.

Their journey led them down another narrow path, arriving at a serene bamboo grove adorned with thousands of colorful slips of paper hanging from the bamboo trees, each bearing a written wish, on a wooden table before the grove lay charcoal, a donation box and pre-made paper strips in various colors—red, blue, pink, yellow, green, and more.

Hiroshiro gently deposited two hundred Ryo into the donation box, selected a bright blue paper from the vibrant assortment, and asked, "What color would you like?"

Hoshiyo gazed at the various hues before her and replied, "I've grown to like the color of my eyes, so I'll pick that one." She chose the red paper and, like her father, wrote her wish. She quickly completed her task and embraced the red slip joyfully, twirling around with delight.

Observing the darkening sky, Hiroshiro realized it was getting late. He had promised to take Hoshiyo to the mountain to witness the ocean from the cliff, so he deemed the shrine the night's final stop. Turning to his daughter, he asked, "Ready to place your wish on the bamboo?"

Hoshiyo cheered, "Yeah, let's do it."

"Do you want to tie it on the tree yourself?" Hiroshiro inquired.

Hoshiyo enthusiastically nodded, replying, "Yeah, I can tie it all by myself."

Hiroshiro chuckled, "Okay, let's find a bamboo tree that isn't too crowded."

Hoshiyo trailed her father more profoundly into the man-made bamboo grove, where most bamboo trees had already been decorated with wishes. Squinting her eyes, she scanned the area and noticed a distinctive pale bamboo tree a short distance from the path. Excitedly, she said, "Dad, look over there. That bamboo looks different from all the others. Can we go there?"

Hiroshiro examined the tree and remarked, "Well, would you look at that; you're right. I don't think I've ever seen a white bamboo tree before. I don't think we should leave the path, but since the other trees are full, I guess it wouldn't hurt to go there."

Hoshiyo cheered, "Hurray, white bamboo tree."

Deviating off the path, they walked directly toward the distinctive white tree, which seemed to grow more imposing the closer they came. A solitary branch extended overhead with nearly translucent leaves. Hiroshiro reached up, securing his wish to the tree with a bright smile.

Hoshiyo asked, "What did you wish for?"

As Hiroshiro lifted her onto his shoulders, he replied, "I wished that your mother and I would be reunited one day after my time has come."

"Do you think I'd be able to see you guys again?" Hoshiyo asked.

"If you wish hard enough, all your dreams will come true," Hiroshiro reassured.

Hoshiyo tied her red paper to the tree and expressed, "I really hope so. I don't want to be lonely forever."

"What did you wish for?" Hiroshiro asked.

"I wished that I could save the world with superpowers one day," Hoshiyo cheered.

Hiroshiro sighed, not wanting to be reminded of when the Kami tried to take her away from him. He lowered her back and said, "I promised we could go to the cliff and see Fukaura Bay. Do you still want to go tonight?"

Hoshiyo's eyes sparkled with excitement at the thought of reencountering the black Dire Wolf. She exclaimed, "Yes, please."

Hiroshiro nodded and took his daughter's hand, leading her out of the shrine. They retraced their steps down the stone path with red lanterns. Traveling north in the darkness for miles, Hoshiyo's adrenaline carried her through the forest, even when her destination seemed just a meter away. Sweat trickled down Hiroshiro's forehead and neck as he struggled to climb and catch up with Hoshiyo in the woods. Large stone boulders and wild bushes stood in their path in the endless sea of trees until Hoshiyo spotted an opening ahead, resembling the light at the end of a dark tunnel.

"Hoshiyo, it's getting late. We should go back," Hiroshiro panted.

"No, we're almost there. Come on," Hoshiyo urged. 

Breaking through the trees, she saw the grassy fields leading to the cliff. The moon shone as big and bright as the stars that twinkled around it.

With his formidable strength, the black Dire Wolf stood majestically at the cliff's edge. Beside him, the Tanuki carefully observed Hoshiyo's every step. "Hey, I heard about what happened with Tsukuyomi and Byakko on the mountain," the Tanuki remarked.

Hoshiyo beamed, smiling, ran to the Tanuki, giggling, and embraced him. "I've missed seeing you around my house, Tanuki," she said.

"Yeah, but you won't have to worry about that anymore. I'm sorry I didn't tell you why we chose you to help us; I didn't want to frighten you," Tanuki explained.

"Why me?" Hoshiyo whimpered.

Amatsu-Mikaboshi raised his head proudly, and with a deep voice, he replied, "Child, I chose you because you have the purest heart of anyone I've ever known. My time here has ended, so you must take my place as the Kami of the stars and save our worlds."

"What are you talking about? How am I supposed to do that?" Hoshiyo exclaimed.

Amatsu-Mikaboshi ascended the stairs slowly to the clouds, bringing shooting stars to remember the earth before passing on. Tearfully, Hoshiyo reached up to the shooting stars and the Kami of stars, shaking in fear of the unknown future that suddenly awaited her.

Meanwhile, Hiroshiro finally made it through the trees to the opening, where he bent over, holding his knees to catch his breath. "Hoshiyo, you can't leave me behind like that," he panted.

As he looked up, his eyes widened in terror as his daughter seemed floating in the sky, reaching for the stars. Hiroshiro rushed to the cliff's edge to reach for Hoshiyo to bring her back, but all his efforts were in vain. All he could do was watch his daughter fade into the sky as if she were meant to be there. He lay on the dirt, screaming and begging the Kami of the sky to bring back his beloved daughter, as she was all that he had left.

Hoshiyo vanished from her father's sight within the celestial clouds above. As she ascended, she observed Amatsu-Mikaboshi's spiritual, translucent form crossing the threshold to heaven, leaving behind his physical form to descend. 

Suddenly, Hoshiyo halted her climb, a tightness gripping her chest. Struggling to breathe, her heart and lungs strained under the increasing pressure. The weight became unbearable, pushing her body beyond its limits.

"Daddy," Hoshiyo uttered weakly.

At that moment, the lifeless body of the Dire Wolf collided with hers, propelling them both back toward the earth. The two intertwined in a spiraling descent until Hoshiyo's spirit seamlessly merged with the Dire Wolf, returning to the world from where she had originated.