The cherry blossoms were dancing. An errant wind whisked and whirled them around and ‘round in crazy, kaleidoscopic patterns, their pale colors standing out in stark contrast to the brilliant, deep blue stage of horizon upon which they twirled.   A sweet, clean fragrance followed the soft petals as they blanketed the ground floor in shades of pink and light lavender. Tiny wisps of vivid green grass peeked out of their folds.  There was a still perfection about the scene--

--that was abruptly shattered by a veritable explosion of fallen flowers as two shapes hurtled out of a grove of nearby trees.  Shrieks and whoops filled the air as their merry chase continued, undaunted.

"Nyah, nyah!  You're so sloooooow, Robin!  You couldn't catch fire if your life depended on it."

"You take that back, Rowenie!  I'll go nest with wasps before I let some girl beat me!"

"Is that a promise?"

From the temple steps, Ken'reimonin watched their antics.  She felt a faint smile though no such emotion curved her lips.  It was more of an inside expression of amusement than something to share with the world. 

To look at them, an outsider would see children, no more than ten years of age.  He or she might guess that they were siblings, twins perhaps.  Despite the difference in their sex, there was a striking resemblance between the two.  They had the same blue-black hair, the same pale gold skin and snub nose. Even in their eyes, difference in color aside, there was the same expression--eternal joy.  Unselfish happiness.  Childish mischief.

But they were not children.  And they knew quite a bit more than their sweet little faces gave away.

Below the temple steps, there was an outraged shout as the boy leapt forward with a burst of hidden energy and tackled his sister to the ground.  They wrestled, throwing leaves and debris everywhere. 

"Robin, you jerk!" the girl shrieked as he pinned her arms or rather tried to.  She was proving most difficult to keep a steady grip on.

"Whatsa matter, Rowenie?  I thought you could beat me?" Robin snickered.

"Oh, I'm gonna beat you all right!"

Ken'reimonin cleared her throat.  The tussling below came to an abrupt halt as two startled faces turned up towards her.  They promptly forgot their games, instead racing up the steps to bow low before her.

"Ken'reimonin! You're awake.  How --"

"--are you feeling? We decided to let you sleep--"

"--because you seemed so tired. I hope we--"

"--weren't being too loud?"

The priestess had to work hard to restrain the smile that wanted to slip across her face.  They were so cute, so eager to please.  Like a pair of puppies, she thought.  It was a facade that served them well enough.  Most people would have been eating out of their hands by now.  She was not, however, most people.  She had watched this pair long enough to know that whatever their sweet little faces might say, their minds were spinning out another tale.

"Rowena, Robin," she nodded.  "Has our visitor reached the island yet?"

Robin bobbed his unruly hair vigorously.  "Rowenie and I spotted him a few hours back.  He wasn't doing anything except kneeling in the mud and talkin' to himself, so we decided to play until something interestin’ happened."

"Robin, he was praying." Ken'reimonin chided.  At least, she hoped that was what he was doing.

"Why?"

"To thank the Buddha and the spirits for safe passage, I suppose."

"Well, why not just say 'thanks'.  My family gets so bored with ceremony," the boy yawned.

"You get bored with ceremony, Master Robin," Ken'reimonin corrected.

"And that's only 'cause a squirt like you doesn't get any interesting requests.  The only people who want to talk to you are jerks who put frogs in their sister's beds," Rowena jeered.  She stuck her tongue out at her brother who was practically dancing with childish rage.

"Well, at least I don't get the bed-wetters!"

"Children," And I use that term was used loosely, Ken'reimonin thought. "Please.  Would you dishonor me in front of our guest?"

They looked around.  "But," Robin hesitated, clearly confused, "He's not even here yet."

"That is not the point.  The point is that the incense has yet to be replaced nor have new garlands been brought to wreath the shrine.  The floors are dusty despite my best efforts and you two look as though you have rolled around like dogs in the mud.  I feel... shamed." Ken'reimonin lowered her head.  She, too, knew how to play their game.  Occasionally even better than they did.

They rushed at her, burying their faces in her skirts as they hugged her. Thousands of apologies spilled into the air.  Some of them they even meant.

"That was masterfully done."

Ken'reimonin raised her gaze at the intrusion.  "So was that, Lleu-sama.  I didn't even realize you had come so far."

"We did!"

"You did not, Robin.  I was the one--"

"Shut up, Rowenie--"

"Ken'reimonin, Robin told me to--"

"Children!" she barked.  All arguments ceased and she fixed stern eyes upon them.  They managed to flash her an abashed expression before skidding inside the temple.  No doubt to try and make it ready.  Something would go wrong, of course and they would argue some more before telling her what they had broken or lost.  Her head began to throb.

"Again, my compliments," said the newcomer.  He was a large man, enshrouded, or so it seemed, in the folds of rain slicks.  With his weather-stained gray overcoat, he loomed quite imposingly.  From underneath a battered fedora, a flash of blue twinkled at her above the wrappings of a red scarf. 

"Accepted, but are your compliments the only things you bring?"

The scarf around his neck and lower face moved in such away that could only constitute a smile.  "Is that a hint?" he teased.

"I thought it was rather direct myself," she folded her hands in front of her and waited. 

She didn't have to wait long.  The tall man turned his gaze to the city beyond the shores of the island.  His voice was so quiet, he almost seemed to be talking to himself.  "The scrolls are in this place."

"You are sure?"

"I go to retrieve them tonight."

Ken'reimonin considered this.  "Their meeting is in this place as well.  And the time is rapidly approaching."

"I know."

She descended the steps slowly before coming to stand beside him.  Across the water, the trappings of humanity rose to greet them.  It had been some time since she had been this close to this world again.  Much had changed.  Much had not.  But it would all be beside the point if they could not avert what was coming.

"Is he here?" her companion asked.

"Yes."  She dreaded the question she knew was coming.

"And will he be able to attend?"

"Under the circumstances..." she paused, then stiffened in resignation, "No, Lleu.  Or rather he may attend, but he will not be there long.  He needs rest."

"Then it is over already."

"I don't think so," Ken'reimonin considered each word carefully, felt for the truth of it.  "I think we must trust to the Buddha and the Old Ones."

"And if they fail us?"

"Then we must make our own way."

***end of Chapter One