---

For Nana!

That entire week within smoldering wastes had been an attack to his senses.

He was surrounded by a bunch of foreigners — and the lack of space within the festivities made the Oni’s skin itch irritably. It took every ounce of restraint not to snap teeth at anyone who’d gotten too close, and the only real reason he’d agreed to come is to keep an eye on lady Yume . He could still remember the anxious tick within the back of his neck when she’d parted her lips to take interest in this wedding, and rest assured his eyes never left her the entire time.

Though the samurai supposed he should be grateful for the chance to release some of that tension during the tournament.

The island he’d returned to wasn’t the dynasty he’d known before — but it was still home. He could feel that through the cloud of familiar scents and wisteria. Empress Izumi….Ruito would need to ask her what had happened. Awakening here had been relatively a mystery, and his job thus far had distracted him from his initial bewilderment. Soon, though — he would find out what really happened to him.

A scent came to him just then.

Nostrils flared sharply as they inhaled it. Familiarity. Her.

Nana.

He breathed the name quietly to himself as his footsteps hurried towards the trail.

He wasn't here.

Nana is almost certain of it at this point.

It does not, of course, make her feel better. Which, in itself, is blasphemous. This coiling fear like a snake writhing in the cage of her ribs, ready to strike at any moment - she should never feel this way about a holy man. And yet she does, and it is crippling. Never before had it taken so much energy to behave normally.

Nana is fortunate enough to be left alone for the most part, and she finds routine in maintaining areas of the territory deemed holy.

Normal. Everything is normal.

Her belly has begun to swell.

Her scent has begun to change.

And Nana feels shame.

There is no part of her that can rid herself of the life growing within her stomach, and she fears when others will take notice and judge her for the actions it took to set this new life into motion.

The shrine maiden wonders if she'll be punished. Wonders if she'll be shunned.

She smothers on wisteria blossoms to hide the scent of pregnancy and goes about her day in spite of it all.

The sound of footsteps approaching has the hair on the back of her neck raising, and Nana spins with a touch of frantic fear in her eyes. This dissolves the moment she recognizes the man, replaced instantly with wide-eyed surprise, which then softened at the edges with affection.

Ruito, she says, taking a step forward. Her voice laced with hope and disbelief.