All tales have a beginning. Ours begins with a trickster.

Deep within an ancient forest lived a strange little spirit. Travelers spoke of laughter between the trees, wandering lanterns, and paths that never seemed to lead where they should. Some called her a yokai. Others, a guardian.

The forest knew her by another name.

Tahnookagi.

For generations, she watched over those woods, guiding some travellers to safety while ensuring others never found what they came looking for. Whether she was protecting the forest or simply amusing herself depended on who told the story.

One night, Tahnookagi awoke somewhere unfamiliar. Before her stood an old, broken Torii gate. Beyond it, a lonely Izakaya glowed beneath the trees. There was food. There were drinks. Naturally, she helped herself. Then came the bill. Tahnookagi thought it prudent to disappear. The bar keep turned to see an empty space where the stranger had been sat. The only evidence she had been there was the empty bowls and Saki bottles.

Later that night, the empty bottles were gathered and carried outside. Among them was one that felt strangely different. But the barkeep was too busy and angered to notice.

A passing young Miko noticed though. She lifted the bottle toward the moonlight. Something inside the glass moved and danced in the moonlight.

The Miko smiled.

By morning, both the bottle and the girl were gone. All that remained beside the broken Torii was a single leaf and faint laughter somewhere beyond the trees.

Some say the Miko caught the trickster that night.

Others tell the story differently.