>>21537815 The sun begins to peak over the slope of Mt. Mori. A young shrine maiden sweeps the grand temple courtyard all alone. Her absent mind wanders idly to memories of the night before. The star scholars and head priests were correct: last night's meteor shower was exhilarating to behold. The young girl's face grows hot, her steps uneven, remembering with embarrassment the unrestrained jubilation as she and her friends twirled and cheered together beneath the fleeting starlight like they were still schoolgirls. She must have looked so foolish! She dreaded imagining the faces of her senior priestesses as they must have been watching her act so childish last night.
But it was fun...
She stops where she is, and turns to admire her handiwork. She's been up for hours, but she wanted to make sure her cleaning duties were done before she left the temple to visit her family. It's a few hours' walk to the nearest town, so she should hurry if she wants to snag the best morning confections from the bakery before heading home. Her little brother liked the apple pastries, if she recalled. She wondered how much he's grown since last year.
The temple grounds are swept spotless. The lanterns are strewn overhead. The troudabours have the goddess' songs committed to memory now. The cherry trees are in bloom. The Festival is soon upon us.
