In which Mina finds her bestie.

“Good morning!” Sana said to the air as she arranged some of the leftovers from breakfast neatly in a corner.

“Are you leaving offerings for the spirits again Sana?” Her father chuckled. “You know that as long as you behave, they won’t come for you.”

“But they’re are scary, otou-san!” Sana pouted, recalling her father’s stories of the youkai who would appear out of nowhere to devour people. “You said so yourself!”

He shook his head. “We humans are capable being scarier than any spirit, but I hope that you will never have to experience firsthand why.” He her hair. “All your mother and I want is for you to grow up safe and healthy, and live a quiet and peaceful life.”

Japan, 11XX CE

“Heeeeeeeeyyyy Sanaaaaaaa! Are you free today?”

“Okaa-san, is it okay if I go with Momo?” Sana dropped the stick that she had been using to draw characters in the dirt. “I’ve finished practicing the words of the day!”

“It’s fine!” Her mother called out from where she was hanging out the laundry. “I set aside some buns earlier, give them to Momo-chan; that child’s always too skinny whenever I see her.”

“Got it!” Doing as her mother requested, Sana happily skipped out of the small yard and met up with Momo, passing her the buns straightaway.

“Your mother’s the best; I was hungry!” Momo immediately stuffed her face with the buns. “What took you so long anyway?”

“Otou-san said I had to practice my letters first.” Sana pouted, watching Momo set another record for fast eating. “I don’t see any point in learning it.”

“You’re lucky; not everyone can learn to read and write.” Momo finished the last bun reluctantly and wiped her hands on her kimono. “Isn’t your father the only one in the village who can?”

“Yet he works out in the fields just like everyone, it doesn’t mean anything if you’re literate.” Unwilling to discuss it any further, Sana changed the subject. “So, what are we doing today?”

“I was thinking we can go to the forests near the mountain and check the traps that I set out the other day.” Momo slung her makeshift bow and quiver over her shoulder and walked ahead. “With luck, there might be a rabbit and we can have rabbit stew tonight. Otherwise we’ll go to the river to fish.”

Momo had been abandoned as a newborn baby, left at the entrance of the village on a cold winter day.  A childless elderly widow had kindly taken her in but after the old woman passed away when Momo was nine, the child was left to her own devices.

Sana’s parents helped whenever they could, always inviting Momo to stay over and feeding her but Momo did not want to impose on them too much as she knew that life was hard in the small village.

“You really like the whole hunting and being outdoors thing huh?” Sighing, Sana resigned herself to another afternoon of tripping over rocks and branches in her hair. The things I do for friends…

“I’ve got to earn my keep somehow,” Momo shrugged. “I can’t rely on your parents’ charity all the time. Besides, I heard from the village elders that the harvest this year isn’t very promising.”

After a particularly bad harvest one year, the children of the village had been enlisted to tag alongside the hunters to forage for berries in the forest. That was where Momo found out she had a knack for hunting and living out in the forest. She learnt as much as she could from the experienced hunters and would spend most of her time within the woods, feeling more at home there than in the village where she had been ostracized since young.

“Quick stay back, it’s the jinx!”

“Hey!” Sana raised her fist threateningly. “Who are you calling a jinx!”

“Don’t waste your breath Sana.” Momo quickly held her back. “It’s just words; let them waste their breath instead. They’ll stop once they get bored of being ignored.”

“You shouldn’t spend too much time with her Sana-chan, it’s for your own good!” The group of teenagers tried to convince her, blocking the path physically. “Don’t forget what happened while we were foraging for berries five years ago, Yamaguchi-kun was paired up with her and he ended up dead! Hirai obaa-san took her in and ended up dead too! It must be why her parents didn’t want her! She’s bad luck!”

“Sana-chan, did she threaten you so that you’ll be her friend?”

“Yeah! You can tell us if she did, we’ll help you!”

Sana stood there, fuming as she watched Momo’s shoulders droop with each insult.

It may be just words, but it’s still hurtful! Sana knew how the other girl would pretend she was not bothered by the insults, only to cry when she was alone. “I’ve told all of you many times, Momo’s my friend! She didn’t threaten me; I chose to be friends with her on my own!”

“Quit it, guys. We have to get back to work.”

Sana brightened at the appearance of her crush. “Hiroshi-kun! You’re helping in the fields today?”

“Yep,” He ruffled her hair. “Be careful out there in the forest okay?” He then turned to Momo, speaking louder so that the rest could hear. “Please take care of her, Momo-chan. She’ll probably sprain her ankle with how clumsy she is.”

“I’m not that clumsy,” Sana smacked his shoulder lightly in embarrassment. “And Momo always makes sure that I’m fine.”

“Sana.” Momo’s voice was strained. “Let’s go now.”

Nodding to Hiroshi, Momo grabbed Sana’s hand and dragged her off.

After they left the village behind them, Sana said suddenly. “He was just trying to be nice.”

“Mhm.” Momo replied noncommittedly.

“There are still some nice people in the village Momo.”

“And you’re trying to imply that you’re one of them?”

“Naturally, I’m one of the—”

“You there!”

Momo hid behind Sana’s back as the soldier approached.

“Where is the way to the nearest village?”

“Just follow this road sir.” Sana pointed and kept her head bowed as the contingent of soldiers passed.

“Is it a new tax collector?” She wondered aloud. There was a finely dressed man riding on a horse in the middle of the soldiers. “What happened to the old one?”

“They give me a bad feeling…” Momo grumbled, causing Sana to shush her immediately.

“Shh! If they hear you say that we might get into trouble!”

“But it’s the truth though. It’s probably the only thing everyone in the village can agree on.”

“Come on,” Sana started walking again. “At this rate it’ll be sundown before we get there; I don’t want to be stuck outside when it’s dark.”

“Are you scared that a youkai will catch you? That after you get caught it’ll drain you of blood, gobble your entrails, devour your flesh? Leaving just the bones and nothing else?” Momo teased, knowing Sana’s daily tradition. “You know those aren’t real right? Your father just didn’t want us wandering around after dark, especially when we were younger.”

Sana looked at her suspiciously. “How can you be so sure? Someone must have seen something, otherwise why would there be stories?”

Momo shrugged. “Even though I’ve spent so much time alone in the forest, I’ve never seen one. Don’t worry, the woods are safe.”

Present Day

“Good morning Mina,” As usual, Sana’s face was the first thing that she saw once she woke up. Over time Mina would learn that sleep was not a necessity for Sana, who would often spend the entire night split between staring at her sleep and thinking about life in general.

She slowly sat up and blinked blearily. “Good morning Satang...”

Sana picked her up, kissing her cheek. “I have to go out and settle some things this afternoon so that you’ll be able to go to school soon. I can’t take you with me but my friend will be here instead so that you won’t be lonely, is that okay?”

“Un…” Mina nodded uncertainly, not quite liking the idea of spending an afternoon with a stranger and being away from Sana, but also not wanting to be