I read the reference to the shrine's "fierce, armored" guardian spirit, and my eye also caught mention of the Rabbit, and sudden free-association brought an inappropriate (no, not the dirty way) thought to my mind: Usagi Yojimbo. I mention it only because someone other than I might be twisted enough to find the fact amusing.
Minor grammar quibble: "It took her hand in its open one, and placing whatever it'd found in its pocket into it." I think you need to either scrap the "and" or make "placing" into "placed" in this sentence.
*****
“We’ve had our differences, but he’s seen the light … and I made sure he moved toward it, instead of coming back.”
Minor grammar quibble: "It took her hand in its open one, and placing whatever it'd found in its pocket into it." I think you need to either scrap the "and" or make "placing" into "placed" in this sentence.
*****
“We’ve had our differences, but he’s seen the light … and I made sure he moved toward it, instead of coming back.”