"Hey, Akari, I think you should join me for a workout," Inu said from Akari's doorway. She was already dressed in tiny blue shorts and a matching sports bra. The outfit looked good on the dog spirit, as natural as a second skin.

Akari closed her laptop and smiled back at Inu. "Oh, sure. But why'd you say it like that, like it's a doctor's orders? You know you can just ask when you want a workout partner."

Inu tipped her head questioningly, as if her reasoning should have been obvious. "Because something's been off with you lately, like you've got too much on your mind. And exercising is a great way to work through that stuff."

Akari had never been great at keeping secrets. She could avoid revealing the secret itself, but she knew people could usually tell that she was hiding something. And now that she was dealing with something as significant as her best friends' futures and the fate of the world, she could believe that her distracted behavior had been especially obvious.

"Huh, I guess that's true," Akari admitted. "I'll join you. Just lemme get changed."

"Yep. Meet me in my room. Still a bit chilly outside for a run," Inu said. She turned and her fluffy blonde tail wagged behind her as she left.

Akari blushed as she made a realization: between Inu's skimpy workout clothes and that 'meet me in my room' statement, an outside observer could easily assume something lewd was about to happen.

But Inu and I aren't like that, even if we both love the same person. Inu's my dear friend, and that's all I want.

Akari arrived at Inu's door a few minutes later in workout clothes of her own: purple shorts and a loose pink t-shirt. She asked, "So what are we working on today?"

Inu waved her into the spartan room that contained barely more than a bed and exercise equipment and answered, "Legs: lunges, squats, the works."

Akari winced. Leg day was always pretty brutal, but she knew it was worth it.

Neither of them talked much after that, perhaps because Inu was trying to give Akari time to work through her thoughts. Or perhaps because the exercise was heavy enough to make chatting difficult.

But Inu must have been pondering things of her own, because she eventually broke the silence. "I'm worried about the shrine's safety. Now that the shrine is open to the public and displaying valuable works of art, there's a chance people will cause trouble."

Akari welcomed the pause in her reps. She sat down on the floor and replied, "No one's done anything bad yet, have they?" As soon as she asked the question, she pondered the answer herself. The closest was Watanabe during the festival, and the scene he caused was pretty minor, all things considered.

Inu shook her head as she continued with her exercises. Unlike Akari, she wasn't winded at all. She said, "Not yet, but that's not proof that they won't in the future."

Akari smiled. "You're a good person, Inu, always looking out for the shrine and protecting us."

Inu finished a set of squats, then sat next to Akari. She stared down at her hands and said, "I wish I could do more for the shrine. I don't have any spiritual power, so I can't really handle a troublemaker without escalating things. I wish I could just punt them right out of the grounds and make them forget they were here, like Inara can."

"What about superior spirits, like Seshi wants to be? Could they do that?"

Inu tipped her head in thought for a moment, then answered, "Yeah, I think so. I've never met one, but I heard that a few visited the shrine before my time. Usagi or Hebi would know more."

They resumed their workout after that, but Akari's thoughts stayed on that track for the rest of the day.

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After dinner, Akari stuck around with Usagi to clean the kitchen, and she took advantage of the opportunity to pick Usagi's brain.

"You've lived here with Inara for a long time. Have any superior spirits ever come to visit the shrine?" Akari asked as she gathered all the dirty silverware together. Six women could go through a lot of dishes in a single meal, especially when it had so many excellent sides.

Usagi nodded. "A few. And there were likely more who just chose to hide their true nature from me."

"Superior spirits can do that?" Akari asked in surprise. For all of her love of Shintoism, there was so much about it that was still a mystery to her. She'd been given a rare gift that let her see into this spiritual world, and it was all unexplored territory.

Wide hips in tight pants waggled distractingly as Usagi moved around the kitchen. "They sure can. And in turn, a higher being like a goddess could hide from them if she wanted to."

Akari forced her eyes off Usagi's admirable body and busied herself by gathering and sorting dishes for Usagi to wash. "What were they like? The superior spirits you've met?"

Usagi's cute button nose wiggled as she thought. "Hmm, there was a wolf spirit that was far too intense for me, so I mostly avoided him during his visit with Miss Inara. He had worked his way up from a major spirit, and I got the impression he had killed other spirits to do it."

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Akari shivered at that. I'd avoid a murderer too, if one came to visit.

Usagi continued, "But I spent a lot more time around a wind spirit named Kanashimi. They had come into existence as a superior spirit, so their attitude was much more carefree and they treated me very kindly. I even learned some of my cooking skills from them."

As curious as Akari was about this intriguing wind spirit, she was on a mission for a specific kind of information. "With their spiritual powers, could Kanashimi steer a human away from a place without harming them? Like if a troublemaker wandered into the shrine?"

Usagi gave a strong nod, sending her rabbit ears bouncing. "Oh yeah, definitely. I think even Seshi could do that with her current power if she really tried, since she's so skilled at illusions. But Inara's always been the one we call on if someone wanders up here. She can even alter memories if needed."

The gears were already turning in Akari's head. She had the start of a plan, but she needed to refine it. "Thanks for answering my questions, Usagi!"

Usagi smiled as she dried off her hands. "Thank you for helping out in the kitchen. Things are always better with someone at your side."

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That night, Akari dreamed the same prophetic dream yet again. She saw herself die of old age, and no one was there for Inara afterwards, not even the loyal Inu. Then, just like before, she watched as Inara's sorrow eventually brought about the end of the world.

Despite the emotional drain of watching yet another minor variation of the same apocalyptic vision, Akari awoke feeling energized because she finally had a plan. She got dressed in workout clothes, then followed the rhythmic sound of Inu's weight bench.

"Want a workout buddy today?" she asked from the open doorway.

A sweaty face smiled back from beneath ruffled blonde hair. "Always."

Akari joined in as Inu's spotter, but she waited a few minutes to put her plan into action. In between sets, she said, "So, how do you feel about your previous name?"

"Michi?" Inu responded. "I treasure it as a reminder of my past life. Thank you again for rediscovering it for me."

"But do you want it to be your real name, instead of Inu?" Akari asked, leaning close.

Inu went still for a long moment, then finally answered, "I don't know. I'm worried that being named would change me, and I like how things are now."

Akari put a hand on Inu's shoulder. "But don't you want to be stronger to protect this shrine and Inara? A name could help you do that." Inu didn't react, so Akari continued, "You could become a superior spirit. Seshi even offered to help you, right?"

Suddenly Inu pushed Akari's hand away and stood up. "I don't know! I'm not ready to think about that stuff right now. We're supposed to be working out, anyway."

"Of course, sorry."

It seems Inu doesn't respond well to being pressured. I need to take it slower.

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Later that afternoon, Akari checked in with Inara, inside the goddess's soundproof bedroom. Inara was still the only one that knew about her plan to change the future, and Akari valued her guidance.

Inara wrapped Akari in a warm hug, then asked, "How is your plan going? Any luck at stopping the apocalypse?" Before Akari could even respond, Inara continued, "Please tell me the visions haven't gotten worse. If this meddling is causing your death to come even a day sooner, I order you to stop right now."

Akari nearly giggled at how much Inara was fawning over her, but she knew Inara was truly concerned. "No, no, I'm fine, Inara-hime. Nothing has changed yet, but I have a plan. It just needs some time. If I rush things, it'll push Inu away."

Inara's eyes sparkled. "So you're starting with Inu?"

"Yes, and I wanted your opinion on something. Does she do well with sudden responsibility? Like if something is thrust on her that has no choice but to take on? Would she step up and do it, or get upset?"

Inara smiled mischievously, already seeing where Akari was going. "Oh? Thinking of naming her, so she can't keep refusing to make progress?"

Akari nodded. "Yes. She loves her old name and I'm pretty sure she wants to be a superior spirit, but she doesn't want to be named yet. Would forcing it on her make her angry?"

"Oh, she'd definitely be grumpy for a few days, but I'm sure she'd rise to the occasion and handle it quite well. Some people need a push from time to time, then grow to fill the demands placed upon them. Inu is definitely that type."

Akari took a deep breath. "Okay. When the time is right, I'm going to go for it. Can you back me up if things go sour?"

Inara hugged her again and pulled her down onto a large cushion next to the window. "Yes, I'll be there for you, my love."

Akari snuggled into Inara's arms and quickly fell asleep in the afternoon sunlight. After so many vision-filled nights, she both needed the extra rest and appreciated the dreamless sleep.

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Two days later, in the early afternoon, the time felt right.

After a jog around the clearing, Akari tossed Inu a bottle of water and said, "I really treasure my time with you, Inu. I love the way we can talk and hang out and it all feels so natural."

Inu caught the bottle, then glared at Akari. "Where'd this come from? I mean, I like you too, but you're making it sound like you're moving away or something."

Akari smiled, her purple eyes fixed on Inu. "You're my best friend. You're family to me, and I love you, Michi."

Inu's cheeks flushed and she looked away. "Yeah, I already said I like you, but my name's not—"

A low rumble, like distant thunder, echoed through the shrine clearing. It built and built until it was almost painful to bear, then faded away, leaving a peaceful calm in its wake.

The dog spirit went silent, then turned and stared right at Akari. Her orange eyes burned like twin suns. "Did you just…" She trailed off, unable to voice the words.

"Feel any different?" Akari asked with an awkward smile.

Michi's jaw tightened and her face turned red and she stomped up right in front of Akari. "I said I wasn't ready for this! What the hell, Akari?!"

Akari dropped to the ground and bowed deeply, pressing her forehead to the dormant brown grass. "I'm sorry for forcing this on you, but I felt like you just needed a push to reach your goals." After a second of tense silence, she added, "And Inara agreed with me."

Wordless, Michi clenched her fists and pivoted on the spot, then sprinted away in a hurry.

She didn't talk to Akari the whole rest of the day, and she avoided deeper conversations with anyone else. Neither Michi nor Akari told the others about her new name, but they suspected what had happened. After all, it would take something unusual and significant to drive a wedge between such close friends.

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That night, Michi slept in Inara's room, curled up at her side like a puppy.

And that night, Akari's dream was different. When she died, someone was there at Inara's side, with long, wild blonde hair and a muscular physique. Tears streamed down her face, but she practically glowed with spiritual power.

Akari wanted the vision to stop there, to have a happy ending. But time moved ever forward, and Michi wasn't able to fill the massive hole in Inara's heart on her own. It took an additional decade, but despair eventually ate away at Inara's will, and her sorrow still corrupted the world.

Akari had more work to do.