Bunbunmaru Fiction

Because I'm Home - Part Two

2011-09-12T20:56:00.001-07:00

Most of the chores that I do on a daily basis around the shrine are rituals in themselves. Lighting the incense, sweeping the steps of debris, washing the stone path and such are done adoringly. A few times, I've been able to silence my inner dialogue. It's a strange feeling. The silence makes you step outside of yourself. I see myself walking down the mountain, the sentimental, cloying light of late afternoon in early fall scattering the forest in tangled shadows.

I stop at the river, and dunk the urn in the cold water. Further down the river, the kappa is sitting in the reeds. I think to call out to her, but my eyes catch a glinting of light in her hands. It's a small, metallic cube, about the size of a large apple. She looks terrified, her eyes alarmed and wary. With shaking arms, she slowly turns the cube in her hands, and she is gone.

This jars me, and my balance on a rock trembles a little. The kappa is fairly competent at recreating basic technology; an object like this is simply beyond her capabilities. I lift the full urn and see Nitori standing, further down the slope. Seeing me at last, she runs towards me with exceptional speed.

Arriving at the opposite bank, she stands panting for breath, holding the cube up for me to see. She does not blink, and she is shaking all over. “Do you know what this is?”

On closer inspection, the cube is etched with an intricate, symmetrical pattern of overlapping circles. “I have no idea what that is. Why?”

Nitori catches her breath. “I'll tell you what this is. It can fold space.”

I'm not sure how to answer, so I look at the water in the urn. Nitori offers me the cube.

“Go ahead. Try it.”

“Is this something Yukari gave you?”

Nitori shakes her head dismissively. “You don't leave space with this. You don't actually go anywhere – space itself folds over, and when the two folds connect, that's where you are.”

I'm half curious to try it just to see what she's talking about. “Nitori, where did you get this?”

“What do you mean, 'get this'? I made this.”

This I find difficult to believe. “Alright. How does it work?”

“Look, it's really complicated to explain. If you want I can give you the long version after you try it yourself.”

It bugs me how she talks to me like this. “I am not simple, kappa. I do have a grasp of science.”

Nitori sighs. “I'm sorry. You're right. Well, in essence I discovered that matter is a lot like sound. It has frequencies, and there are many transmissions happening at the same time, all around us. And just as when you alter a sound's frequency, its shape changes, the same is true for matter. This is proven by finding and altering the frequencies of matter around you. And I found a way to do that.”

Nitori moves her right thumb, and with a clean click, she lifts the cube, leaving its floor in the palm of her hand. Resting there is a delicate framework of steel mesh supporting a cylindrical chunk of bright orange crystal.

“This crystal is sensitive to the frequencies of matter. When you hold this box, you can feel it vibrating. By turning the crystal in different directions, you can find a very strong current of frequency. If this current strikes the top or bottom of the crystal, matter along that current experiences a closed loop – a short circuit. Just as in a short circuit, this cannot sustain itself for long. It breaks, but rather than staying broken, it quickly snaps back into place. However, the spot under you has changed, because the frequency has changed ever so slightly after the circuit broke. In other words, you are suddenly not where you were.”

Nitori closes the cube. “The only problem is, I haven't figured out a way to control where you go.”

I consider the box a moment. I have a lot of questions, but a more immediate one springs to mind. “So I could have ended up anywhere? Back at the shrine? Or the bottom of a lake? Inside the mountain?”

The kappa nods. “Yeah, pretty much.”

“And you wanted me to try this?” I nearly want to smack the thing out of her hands.

“Look, I'm joking. I've done it dozens of times. You never go more than a mile or so away. And you can sort of feel which direction its going to go, how far away you'll be. You get the hang of it. It's hard to explain.” She gives the cube a small shake. “Go on. You won't get hurt.”

Incredulous, I take the cube from her. “Of course I won't get hurt. That wasn't the concern. I was thinking of what would happen if other people got a hold of this.”

“No one else is going to. And even if they found the crystal's source, by some fluke, they'd never guess it had these properties.”

I can feel the cube buzzing in my palms, as if filled with hundreds of small, soundless hornets. “So how did you know?”

The kappa waves her hand. “Trade secret.”

Cautiously, I turn slightly to the right, and turn the box in my hands. The buzzing oscillates between strong and weak. Stopping on a stronger position, I use smaller movements of my hands. Suddenly, it feels as though a wind is pressing in from my left. It feels like an early winter morning wind. Physically, though, nothing changes – nothing moves, and I hear no wind. And then, I am at the tree line. Turning to my left, I see the river far below me, the kappa a spot of blue.

After a considerable walk that gave me plenty of time to think, I meet Nitori halfway, and give her back the cube. She smiles with satisfaction.

I am incredibly thirsty, but I cannot drink from the urn. “Nitori, is the crystal's source far from here?”

“Yes. It's not something you could find by accident. And no one else knows where it is.”

“But you did. But you can't tell me.”

The kappa doesn't say anything for a moment. Opening the cube, she takes the crystal out of the steel meshwork, and puts it in her left chest pocket.

“I don't mean to be coy. The fewer the people that know where it is, the more secure it'll be. It's math.”

“Yes, thank you, I know what that is.” I try a different approach. “How much of this crystal is there?”

“I don't know how big the vein is. But from what I can see, there's an exposed part twice my size.”

I nod. “Well, thank you, Nitori. That's all I needed to know. Thanks for sharing this invention of yours with me. You can trust me to keep this our secret.”

“Yeah, well, I was dying to show at least one person, and since you spotted me anyway, it seemed convenient.” The kappa puts the cube in her right hip pocket. “I'll be seeing you.”

I wave her off, and head back up the mountain.

Now I know exactly what I need to do.

Because I'm Home - Part One

2011-09-12T20:53:00.001-07:00

I'm walking down a path that snakes its way along this ridge in the side of Youkai Mountain. I like to come here when I can't take it at the shrine anymore. When I need to breathe, and be by myself.

I never asked to come here. I was perfectly happy sweeping the front walk of a shrine hardly anyone ever visited. I didn't care that people believed more in weather forecasts assembled by satellite and using chemicals to make their crops stronger than they did in making offerings to the gods. People change. Their needs change with their technology. Let them have the modern world, I told Kanako. So what if fewer people believe? The numbers might be fewer but their faith is stronger than ever in the face of this modern world.

But it wasn't enough. She had to have more. She had to move. And I am loyal to my Lady, so I went with her. I said goodbye to everything I knew. And I told myself this is the life I chose. I will get used to it, I decided, as I stepped across the Hakurei Border. This new world will be my home.

I'm sitting down by the ridge now, looking down over the mists clinging to the tree tops, the breeze moving over me like a mournful ghost. This beautiful, magical land, where the gods and mythical beings flourish. It's my home now. And I loathe every second I spend here. My hands, resting in my lap, clench into fists. I want to scream so loudly that my body will shatter into a million pieces and be scattered to the ends of the world.

My emerging rage is knocked off balance, tumbling clumsily away, as I hear the distinct whistling rustling of the tengu reporter's wings. I look around, but of course I don't see her coming. She drops down in front of me, from where I have no idea.

I don't know why I dislike this person as much as I do. It's not because she's nosy, sarcastic, a bit arrogant or a bit of a liar. Those are all forgivable. Looking at her standing in front of me now, smiling cheerfully, the pointy ears, the red eyes, the black feathered wings - it's all very Gensokyan, which I thought was what made me dislike her. But looking at her now, I realize why, I realize what it is I'm feeling, when I see the camera in her hand. That camera, so out of place in this country, seems to bear the sad, lonely glow of a lost child. It doesn't belong here. It belongs in the outside world. And I hate her so much for holding that camera in her youkai hands.

"Sanae!," she chirps. "What are you doing out here all by your lonesome? Hm?"

I shrug ambivalently. "I just wanted to be alone."

Naturally, she ignores the hint. "Oh? What's the matter? Everything alright up at the shrine?"

Why should I tell her? What can I say? That Lady Kanako sits there all day brooding about all the youkai who don't visit, that she mumbles to herself, plots and schemes in circles of logic, that Lady Suwako laughs at her behind her back, and gossips to me about how Kanako is losing her touch? Do I unload this weight on my heart, that I'm tired of being between the two of them, being their mutual sounding board, that all I want to do is go back home? Even if I wanted to say all these things, who am I going to tell? And what difference would it make?

"Things at the shrine are the same as they've always been," I say. "Nothing new and exciting to report."

She doesn't believe me. I don't care. She's not going to pry me open. No force of nature would ever break me open here.

"Well," she clears her throat. "That's disappointing. But ... you know, Sanae, you can always talk to me. I know you're young, and you're not from around here, but that doesn't mean you don't belong. Or can't belong. I might understand more than you think."

The sentiment catches me off guard. She sounds sincere, but I don't know if I can trust her. I feel a tiny stone in the bottom of my heart stir, like a pebble in the silt of a riverbed, stirred by a sudden shift in the current. And then she fiddles with that camera again, and the feeling is gone.

"I'll make a note of it," I say, more sarcastically than I intended.

She smiles awkwardly. "Alright then. Well, I'm off!" And in a blast of cool air, the space where she stood is empty again.

And I'm alone again. I'm sitting on this ridge on Youkai Mountain, overlooking this land, this place that's my home now, feeling the reach of the shrine coming down the mountain, sliding its cool hands around my shoulders. And I ache.

Out Of Breath: Chapter 3

2010-10-28T05:02:00.000-07:00

Eirin and I are sitting on the bed watching a movie on her laptop. It's an action movie; Eirin picked it. I prefer comedies, personally, but she's been asking to see this one for a long time. My attention keeps drifting, even though the explosions and gunfire on the screen are relentless. Eirin is intently focused on the movie. The light of the screen casts shadows across her face, making her features look sharper than they are.

There's a knock at the door.

Eirin hits the mute button. We sit perfectly still. I can feel my chest squeezing. No one knocks on our door, ever. We say nothing. The knock repeats itself. It is gentle but insistent.

Eirin looks at me, putting a finger to her lips. She slides out of bed, and pads slowly towards the door. My hands begin to feel very warm. I am ready to unleash danmaku, even in this tiny apartment, if that's what I need to do.

Eirin leans towards the door, an open eye towards the peep hole. Her mouth drops open slightly, and a gasp escapes her throat. She turns to me, her hand on the knob, looking at me, her eyes opened wider.

"What?" I mouth to her.

She opens the door.

A person wearing a black hoodie, jeans and boots, standing a head shorter than Eirin, walks into the room. Eirin quickly closes and locks the door behind the person, then grabs her by the shoulders from behind, pushing her to the floor. I stand up on the bed. The person turns over, onto her back and elbows, her hood falling away. Her long white hair falls out, two crooked rabbit ears standing up.

I feel my heart hammering against my ribcage. A moon rabbit.

"Who are you?," Eirin says. Her hands are shaking.

"Don't hurt me!," the moon rabbit implores. "I came alone."

Just looking at the moon rabbit's terrified eyes brings it all back to me - the spacious palace I called home centuries ago, the pure sea as flat as a mirror, the smiling eyes of courtesans who would later be my accusers, my judge and jury, casting me away with disgust and shame. An old wound is being slowly torn open.

"Why are you here?" Eirin hisses, her fists clenched. "Hm? How did you find us?"

My palms break out in cold sweat. They know where we are. We stayed here too long. A solid, heavy ball begins rolling in my stomach.

"Look, I just-" the moon rabbit begins. Eirin kicks her in the side, hard. She cries out in pain.

"I have no qualms with ending your life right where you lie," says Eirin. "I have killed before, remember. I would lay down my own life for the Princess. And anyone else's. So I'm going to ask you again: why are you here? Choose your answer carefully."

She holds up a pleading hand. "I came here to warn you. And to help."

I can feel a wheel turning in my mind, accelerating, unsteady.

Eirin laughs humorlessly. "You lying little-"

"Stop!" I shout. "Beating this rabbit isn't going to help me. Shouldn't we at least listen to her?"

Eirin looks at me, breathing deeply through her nose. She turns back to the rabbit. "Who are you?"

"I am Reisen, Mistress," she says with a shaking voice. "I am a friend. You have to believe me. I have important information that may save you from the Lunarian's wrath."

Eirin crosses her arms. "Alright. What is this information?"

"The Lunarians are planning another attack of the Earth."

Eirin snorts derisively. "They tried that before, didn't they? They don't stand a chance."

"Maybe, maybe not." says Reisen, sitting up. "But they will be sending many emissaries to Earth. You can't afford to be careless anymore."

I get down from the bed. "How many are coming?"

Reisen turns to me. "Thousands. Maybe even tens of thousands."

"And just how do you know this?" Eirin asks.

"I still have a few friends on the Moon. Friends who would never betray me."

"How fortunate for you. But we're not too keen on having the company of friends of Lunarians. Why should we trust you?"

"Because I'm running from them, too, alright?" The moon rabbit's eyes flash with the fear of a cornered animal. "I've been running from them for over 40 years."

Eirin laughs. "Is that supposed to impress us? Do you have any idea just how long we've been walking this planet?"

"I do. I didn't want any part of the last Lunarian invasion and fled here. It hasn't been easy. But all this time I so hoped I would find you again. I can't tell you how hard it was. But you're here." She turns to me. Her red eyes are welling with tears. "Princess," she says, and lowers her forehead to the floor before my feet, her hands on either side of her head. "I cannot tell you how happen I am to see you again, and see that you are well. I see the Mistress has taken good care of you. I beg you, as a lowly, undeserving subject-"

"Quiet," I say. "Sit up." I don't want to hear this kind of talk. I don't want to see anyone grovel at my feet. The child I used to be would delight at this behavior. That child has evaporated into the darkness of space centuries ago.

Reisen sits up obediently.

"Look at me," I say. Her eyes meet mine. In their depths, I see the terror of the chased, the panting of the fugitive. I know it well - they're the same eyes that look back at me when I look in the mirror. I turn to Eirin. "This rabbit stays."

"Princess, you can't be serious," Eirin says incredulously.

"I am. She stays." I turn to Reisen. "But in exchange, you have to help us."

The moon rabbits readily nods. "Of course. Anything you want."

Eirin sighs. I know she disagrees with me entirely, but she isn't going to go against me. Reisen's contact with the moon might aid us in staying out of sight when this invasion begins. At the same time, I know Eirin will have one eye on this rabbit at all times, and will react with swift finality should she prove untrustworthy. This delicate balance can only work to our advantage.

"Good. Now then." I lean closer to the rabbit. "You will tell us everything you know."

Out Of Breath: Chapter 2

2010-10-22T17:33:00.001-07:00

I sleep fitfully. After waking up for the fifth time and seeing now the sun beginning to rise, I give up. I sit up, change out of my pyjamas and into my street clothes. You only need to walk down a street in any given city for a few minutes to get an idea of what "non-descript" would be. And that's what I wear.

I ask Eirin if she wants anything and she shakes her head.

"Are you working?" I ask her.

She nods. "This won't take long. Just six more fortunes." I know she'll be done by the time I get back. Eirin's fortunes are very popular, and people pay good money for them. We've left a string of closed bank accounts across the planet.

I step out into the stairwell and walk four flights down to the morning streets. We've been here about five years. We haven't seen the sisters since we came here. The last meeting ended with the older sister being taken up in the arms of a goddess, a column of searing white light that lifted her soundlessly into the night sky. "I will ensure you both come to understand mortality," she said to us.

I think of these words now as I walk to the store. This woman does not understand mortality herself. Her life may end one day, but you cannot understand mortality if you are a part of it. From the moment the elixir hits the pit of your stomach, all mortal life seems as ephemeral as snow falling onto a lake. When you cross this point, you see for the first time just how brief your life would have been, how very young you are. And of course, the only people you can truly know are others like you, whose lives will run to the ends of the universe. Everyone else meets your gaze momentarily with a smile, and then are gone.

I reach the coffeeshop on the corner. I walk in, and it's still a little early for the professional crowd, so the line is short. I plan on just picking up some pastries and two coffees. I know Eirin will want to eat when she's done. I look at the showcase beside the register to decide what to get, and that's when I see her.

Seated by herself, her arms resting on a table, a mug by her elbow, and looking right at me - the Fujiwara girl. She's smiling. Her eyes fall on me casually. She's not going to make a scene here. I approach her table.

"Are you expecting anyone?" I ask. She gestures to the seat across from her. I stay standing. "When did you get to town?"

"Four months ago," she says, and wipes her chin.

"Liking it so far?"

"Yes, it's not a bad place. I can see why you'd settle down here."

"Yes." I look around the dining room. There's an old man reading a newspaper, and two salarymen speaking quietly together, a laptop open between them. "Mokou. Do you enjoy finding me?"

I don't know what prompts me to ask her this. Maybe that dream shook me loose a little bit, like it always does. I know that for most of the day, I'll still be a bit rattled. The memory of that night is a dark pool deep in a cave. When I slide my hand into the water, the chill strikes me to the marrow.

The Fujiwara girl inhales very slowly through her nose. "You know, Kaguya, I'm a simple person. I don't need a lot out of life. I'm content to travel where I can, when I can. But a person needs a reason to get out of bed in the morning. It doesn't even have to be a reason you like." She takes a sip from her mug. "You just need to know it's going to be there. And you - you're not going anywhere."

She's right. Mokou's mission towards me had long been a source of mild annoyance at best, but that was when I thought she'd grow out of it. Lately, though, I've just been feeling sorry for her. Sometimes, I want to laugh in her face. She wanted to be sure that she could follow me forever, so she did what I did, and now she knows what it's like to be trapped. "That's very pragmatic. Well, I'm going to get breakfast now." Even here, I don't turn my back on her.

"You enjoy that breakfast." She nods, her eyes hardening almost imperceptibly. "I'll be seeing you."

I nod back, and resume my place in line. By the time I've paid, she's left.

Eirin eats two sticky buns, and I have a chocolate muffin. I decide not to tell her about meeting the Fujiwara girl.

"Do you want to go out someplace today, Princess?" she asks as she yawns into her coffee.

I've already finished my coffee. It looks like it will be a sunny day, and it's been a very rainy fall. I wouldn't mind going to the park, but I want her to rest. "No, I don't know. I didn't sleep too well. What about you?"

"Well, we can't eat take-out all the time. I'll do the shopping, like I said." She rises from her desk. "Is there anything special you want?"

I love the fall. I like how low the sun hangs in the sky as it moves over the horizon, how long the shadows become. The mountains are the best place for this season. Remembering the mountains in fall ... and I'm there again.

I've been living on Earth for about 20 years. I still miss the Moon, and looking at it makes my heart ache. One fall night, I can't sleep, so I decide to get some air. It's a cold, clear night, and a dark moon. I feel more at ease walking with the Moon's back turned. Waxing and waning crescents are sideways-turned glances of suspicion, and the full moon is a still face of scorn.

Walking down the path from my home towards the garden, I hear faint but distinct music. Bells, a flute, drums. A steady refrain as soft as a heartbeat. I walked towards the music and into the woods. Following the music takes me onto the trail up the mountain. I've walked up this trail with my family many times, but this is the first time I do so at night. Further up the trail I go, but the music doesn't seem to be getting any closer. It occurs to me that I might even be following the echo of a far more distant music coming from a different direction. And so I stop, and realize where I am.

I'm standing on a look-out point, with the valley stretching out below me to the ashen mountains fogged by the night. Above me the sky is nothing but stars. I try to imagine a moonless Earth. Seeing my past evaporate before my eyes, I feel as though the earth I stand on might disappear.

I decide that I have to remember what this feels like. And I still do.

"Actually, yes." I tell Eirin. "Aren't pomegranates in season?"

"I'll check. Anything else?"

I shake my head. Eirin picks up her purse from the chair by the door, and flashes me a brief smile as she leaves.

I stuff the muffin wrapper into the empty coffee cup, and toss it into the waste basket by the desk. I stand and walk to the window, pulling down the shade. Then I float a few feet off the floor, my arms outstretched, my eyes closed. In the sight of my mind, I can see the Fujiwara girl. She is reaching out to me in the darkness, a scream rising in her throat as she rushes to me soundlessly as an arrow. She is going to strike through the center of my soul, and cannot see the gaping abyss that awaits her on the other side.

Out Of Breath: Chapter 1

2010-10-22T04:25:00.000-07:00

Eirin is covered in blood. She is as still as stone. I'm shaking so hard I feel as though I might crumble to pieces. Laying on the grass are five dead men. High above us, the moon is still waxing - soon the barrier between this place I've come to call home and the True Moon will open. And then the Lunarian emissaries will come looking for these men. And when they find them, they'll be coming for me and Eirin.

"Now," says Eirin, only her mouth moving, looking down at the five dead men, the short blade still in her hand. "We need to find a place to hide."

I feel as though I might vomit.

"Are you listening to me, Princess?" she asks. "We cannot stay in this town. The moon is almost full and-"

I turn, drop to my hands and knees, and wretch onto the cool grass.

"Well," says Eirin. Her voice is so steady. "I suppose we'll just have to keep moving. Princess." She steps over to me, offering me her hand. I don't take it. She crouches down next to me, and lays a hand on the small of my back. "Princess, it is important that you understand what I am saying here."

My bones begin to shake. "Why did you do that?"

"For you, Princess."

"You did ... this ... for me?" I can see my life now, dropping out of my hands like a plate. I am watching it now in slow motion as it falls, and I know that it will soon strike the ground, and shatter.

"Yes. They were going to take you away from this place, and you didn't want to go. It's my fault you're here in the first-"

"Stop saying that!" I turn to her at last, and I know I'm crying because I can feel the wetness on my cheeks. But I don't feel anything right now.

"Granted, you told me to make the elixir. Refusal of a royal order does have serious consequences. But you have no idea, Princess, no idea whatsoever how guilty I felt when you were banished to this place. And there was nothing I could do. Until now."

For the first time in my life, I am afraid of her. I feel afraid that she has lost her mind. "By killing?" I can't stop the sobbing. I look at the dead men laying there in the moonlight, their faces twisted in terror still. I wish they would sink into the earth. I wish Eirin had never attacked them. A great, heavy door has slammed shut behind me now though.

"Princess," she says, very quietly. "This was the only way. Those men had to die."

I pull away from her, and stand. "You're insane." I can feel panic crawling up the front of my chest, reaching for my throat.

She rises, and shakes her head.

"You're insane!" I scream, trembling. I take a deep breath. I cannot fall apart. It takes all of my energy to keep from shattering completely. I am holding together the pieces of myself by sheer force of will.

"Princess," Eirin says, and a small smile grows across her lips. "Don't worry. I will protect you."

"You'll protect me? From what you- I can't believe this." I cross my arms over my stomach. I do not want to vomit again. I take another deep breath. If I think out loud, maybe I can control my thoughts. "Do you realize just how ruined I am now? I'd miss this place, yes, but I'd get over that, even if it took hundreds of years. I could probably even visit here. You didn't need to ... do this."

"I suppose you are right," Eirin nods. "But it's done now. I take full responsibility for what I did. I want to atone for getting you banished. Even if that means following you to the ends of the Earth, forever."

I want to rush to her and strangle the life out of her. I want to push her into the soil with my bare hands. I hate Eirin so much right now that I feel like my skin is on fire. She walks to me now, slowly. And as much as I want to, I cannot lift my hands to her.

"Princess. I understand you're confused right now. With this one act, I have thrown away everything that I ever achieved. All of the work I did with Lord Tsukuyomi, the home we built with our own hands, the Lunarian society that we created. But listen to me." She places her hands softly on my shaking shoulders. "Listen, Princess. You were the Jewel of the Moon. And they threw you away. Because of me. Do you have any idea how that made me feel?" Now her eyes are welling with tears. "I betrayed the crowning spirit, the very essence of the Moon itself. But more than this, I betrayed my best friend."

Eirin embraces me suddenly. I can feel the stickiness of her tears, or the blood, on the side of my face. "When I came here with the emissaries, I never intended to go back. I would put myself in your place and stay here forever. When you told them you wanted to stay here ..." Eirin pulls away from me now. Her ancient eyes are steady, unblinking, motionless. "When you said those words, I knew at once what I had to do. And I did not hesitate. For you, Princess, I would never hesitate."

Her words fall over me like summer rain. My anger washes away in rivulets over my skin, soaked up by the Earth. What that water will nourish, I cannot say.

She's right. The Moon did betray me. But Eirin did not. She is the only friend I ever had. This does not change the fear I feel now. I have to leave my friends and adopted family here. I have to go into the dark of the unknown. I will walk this planet forever. The future is a cold, howling wind. But at least I know I will not be alone.

"Where ... where do we go next, then?" I ask her.

She points, her long slender finger aimed at the road. "We go there, and we begin walking. For as long as it takes. Until even the Moon itself forgets we ever existed."

I wake up. The bed is stiff, and I am covered in sweat. My throat is dry. Turning my head, I can see the city lights outside the window, the giant video billboard with the dancing girl and her bottle of perfume. The traffic roars endlessly below. Across the tiny room, Eirin is sitting at a desk, looking at the screen of her laptop.

"Bad dream?" she asks without turning to me.

I don't respond. I sit up, placing my bare feet on the floor. "Is there any food left?"

"Only pretzels. I need to do shopping. Why, are you hungry?"

"Not that hungry. It can wait until morning." I stand up and stretch. "What are you doing?"

"Just reading the news."

I step over to her, looking over her shoulder. There's been another earthquake in Japan. "And what about the sisters?"

Eirin sighs. "Still no sign of them since last time. But they'll be back."

I turn to the window. Placing my hand on the pane, I look down at the traffic below. This is a city of millions. Very easy to hide in plain sight. And all of these people will grow up, die, and fade into the fog of memory in the blink of an eye; a span of time that means nothing to Eirin and I. And nothing to the sisters.

"I guess we should consider moving soon," I say.

"Mm," says Eirin non-committedly.

"Unless you think it's alright to stay here longer."

Eirin doesn't say anything.

I turn to look at her. I feel words beginning to form in my head. The words I want to ask her, the same words that have tried to coalesce since we started running. But just like every time, they fly from my grasp.

Eirin turns to me. "What is it, Princess?"

I smile and shake my head. "It's nothing. Just thinking about breakfast."

"I can get something if you like. Denny's is open 24 hours."

"No, it's alright." I walk back to bed, and sit down. "It can wait until morning." It can always wait until morning.

The Sound of the City: Chapter 11

2010-10-07T07:44:00.000-07:00

Koji, Hitomi and Aya sat on the corrugated roof of the warehouse, using towels to keep the metal from burning them. Even so, the late afternoon breeze was cool. They watched for a while in silence as boats drifted over the surface of the water. Aya's mind wandered in the form of semi-transparent images sliding by in her mind's eye, overlapping each other as they moved in opposite directions. She saw the Heavenly Dogs playing to the dancing crowd, the food court of the mall, Ryu's smile when she broke the smuggling story, the press conference, walking down the sidewalk on a busy day, washing her brown contact lenses in a small plastic tube, watching the traffic crawl by, far beneath her window.

Hitomi squeezed Aya's hand, bringing her out of her reverie. “It's really good to see you again,” Hitomi said, smiling. “I'd wondered where you ran off to.”

Aya was touched by Hitomi's sincerity. “Well, I have been pretty busy.”

“And Koji told me you were ill.”

“Yes, that, too. A few times, actually.”

“Oh?” Koji looked worried.

“Have you gone to a doctor?” Hitomi asked.

“It never occurred to me to see a doctor,” the tengu replied, thinking out loud.

“I don't blame you,” Koji said. “I don't trust doctors.”

“Sick how?” Hitomi pressed.

“I get these really bad headaches.” Aya explained. “They're very powerful. My eyes got blurry, my ears ring, sometimes I even vomit. It's terrible. I've never experienced anything like it.”

Hitomi nodded. “Migraines.”

“Oh.” So that's what they're called.

“Yeah, my grandfather used to get them pretty bad. He'd just lay down in a dark room and wait for it to pass. And we had to be super quiet then – he couldn't handle any noise. He told me he's had them since he was a teenager.”

Aya considered this. “I never had them before I moved to town.”

“Could be stress related. You never had these in Korea?”

“Never,” Aya said, watching the ships on the water.

Hitomi smiled. “Definitely sounds like stress to me. There's medicine you can take, though. Or you could learn how to live with them.”

Aya nodded. She knew it wasn't simple stress. She'd experienced stress before, many times. Living in Gensokyo was often times the height of stress – there was simply no comparison between trying to meet a deadline and dodging a lightning fast barrage of danmaku.

A tanker ship and a sailboat passed each other on the water, the latter giving the former a wide berth as it made its way past, easily avoiding its wake.

A thought solidified within the tengu. What she was experiencing was something different from stress. It was more like an allergic reaction. And there was no helping an allergy. You could take medicine to make you more comfortable, but the allergy would remain. In truth, there was only one way to get rid of an allergy.

“Hitomi, would it be very rude of me to ask if I could stay the night here tonight?”

Koji looked surprised, but Hitomi beamed warmly.

“Of course you can,” she said. “Our couch is always open to you.”

Aya smiled. “Thank you, Hitomi.”

Aya didn't sleep that night. She stayed up with the Heavenly Dogs, talking, drinking, laughing. She even made an attempt at drumming when a jam session began. Hitomi's voice was clear and strong, and Koji's guitar work was as intricate as a woven tapestry.

Aya needed this. She needed to celebrate life with these people, relish their freedom with them. As they dropped off to sleep one by one, she kept wanting to say something, but the words wouldn't come. Hitomi was the last to go to bed.

“Aya,” she'd said as she spread a blanket across the couch, “You really got to come by more often. I mean really. You're a lot of fun, kiddo, y'know that? I know you've been sick, and working a lot, but don't work too much, OK?”

“I promise I won't work too much.”

“Good, good. It's important in life to remember what makes it worth living. And you know what that is, don't you?”

“Doing what you love?” Aya suggested.

“Eeeeexactly. Right. You're a smart girl, Aya.” Hitomi yawned. “Woo … think I had a bit too much beer. Anyways, Aya. Listen. Don't get caught in the rat race. Be yourself.” Hitomi shuffled off to her futon. “You're so cool. Good night.”

“Good night,” Aya said, watching Hitomi walk away.

“What do you mean, you're quitting?” Ryu asked, raising his voice. “Is this about making you work when you were sick? Because I really had no idea that-”

“No, it's not like that,” Aya assured him. “I really like working here. It's for personal reasons. I need to go back home.”

Ryu studied her face for a moment, trying to decide something. “Look,” he lowered his tone. “I'll try to scrape together a salary for you somehow, alright? I can't promise anything stellar, but … damn it, Syameimaru. You break a huge story, and that's when you decide to quit?”

“I'm sorry. But it's what I need to do.” Aya bowed deeply. “Thank you for giving me a chance.”

“Yeah,” Ryu grunted, releasing a sigh.

Aya straightened and turned, walking away from his desk.

“Syameimaru,” Ryu called after her. “Keep us in mind if you're ever in town again, alright?”

“Will do!” Aya called back. Hideaki eyed her as she walked to his desk.

“Did I hear that right?” he asked. “'If you're ever in town again'?”

“I'm afraid so.” Aya smiled. “I just resigned.”

Hideaki shook his head, confused. “Why? What's wrong?”

“Personal reasons. I need to go back home.”

“For how long?”

“Well, I don't know. But I don't think I'll be coming back for a very long time.”

“That's a real shame,” Hideaki said. “I know you haven't been feeling well lately, physically and emotionally, but after you broke that story I thought you might brighten up a bit. Most journalists wait their whole lives for a story that big.”

“I know. And I'm very grateful for your help here.”

“Nonsense. You're naturally talented. All I did was cheerlead.”

“You're too modest.”

“No, I mean it. You could go all the way if you wanted. So, I do hope if you never come back here, you at least never give up journalism.”

Aya nodded. “I promise I'll never give up journalism.”

“Alright then.” Hideaki stood, and bowed. “It's been an honor working with you.”

“And with you as well.” Aya didn't know what else to say. “Just … take care of yourself, will you? Learn to relax sometimes.”

Hideaki appeared to start to say something, but then changed his mind. “I will. Good bye, Aya.”

Aya smiled, turned, and walked through the doors of the office, the ringing of phones, clattering of keyboards, and the undertones of office conversations following in her wake. She stepped onto the sidewalk, lifted her face to the sun, and walked home, just like any other person on the street.

Koji woke, cautiously opening his eyes. The moment the early afternoon sun hit them, he felt the searing pain of a white-hot coat hanger being pushed through his forehead, and he shut his eyes again. Way too much beer last night. It had been his own fault for trying to keep up with Aya. Who knew a girl that petite could drink so much without even seeming to get drunk?

Koji's thirst reached to the pit of his stomach. He felt he would crack in two like a stale cracker if he didn't get some water. With great effort, he eased himself to an upright position. Blinking a few times to clear his head, he brought himself to his feet and stepped towards the refrigerator, sending a sheet of paper skittering across the floor.

Koji regarded the paper sideways for a moment, and then noticed his name was handwritten on it. He stopped, picking it up:

Hello, everyone! I just wanted to thank you all for a wonderful night, for being such gracious hosts. I can honestly say I've never met anyone like you (and that's a compliment, Koji). But I need to go back home now. I'm not suited for living in the city, I decided, and it's affecting my health. But more, my home isn't here, and never will be.

I came here hoping to learn more about people, to figure out what makes them what they are. I'm sure I didn't learn everything there is to know, but I did learn that nobody is the closed-off machine they seem to be. Some people, while living in the same routine, day after day, for years on end, are still empathetic people with a passion in their hearts. And then there are people like you, who live by their hearts alone. You should be very proud of this.

I don't think my experience here would have been the same without you all. I know I wasn't available very often, but I want you to understand how much it meant to me to meet you.

How can I explain it? Imagine that you left home, and ended up some place so different from everything you know that you felt like you were on another planet; that the faces passing you on the street belonged to another species. But then, out of nowhere, you meet people who are almost exactly like the ones you grew up with. That would make things a little better, wouldn't it? I know it meant a great deal to me. Knowing you has been invaluable.

Sometimes you remind me so much of people I know back home, but unfortunately, I can't take you with me. I did, though, leave you something to remember me by, on the table in front of the couch. I'll never forget any of you. Know that I will think of you fondly, and often. Thank you. - Aya

Koji read the letter twice. He felt the powerless desire to say good bye to her, but there was nothing he could do. She was gone now. He closed his eyes and brought the page to his face, inhaling slowly, breathing in her words, her smile, his memories of her.

He put the letter down on his futon and walked to the couch. He looked at the small table that sat in front of it. It was perfectly spotless, except for a single, long black feather.

Aya closed her Bunkachou and lay it next to her, stretching on the grass before sliding her hands under her head, looking up at the clouds drifting across the Gensokyo sky. She crossed her ankles and took a long breath, letting her eyes slowly close. As the summer wind flowed soundlessly over her skin, Aya took a deep, slow breath, and drifted off to sleep.

The Sound of the City: Chapter 10

2010-10-06T04:26:00.000-07:00

The tengu knew that the chilly night would be even colder at the harbor, and she wanted to dress non-descriptly, so she donned a black hoodie, wool cap, black jeans and the running shoes that she hadn't worn up until now. A camera with a very long lens hung around her neck, tucked safely inside her hoodie.

It had been ages since Aya had seen the ocean. Even before the Hakurei Border raised, she seldom left the mountains, but she'd been to the shore once or twice. She wondered if the wind off the waves was still the same, or if even the ocean itself had changed.

Aya walked slowly through the shipping warehouse lot towards the peer. She checked the watch Hideaki had given her. Twenty minutes before midnight, when the shift change was set to begin. There would be no dense and lightning-fast barrage of danmaku to dodge here, but her pulse began to race all the same - this was real, breaking news that she would be bringing to the table. Provided everything went well, that was. She moved into the shadows between two warehouses, drew a deep breath, and took the sky.

The lights of the ships docked, the sodium lights around the stacks of shipping containers, the dim glow of a window of a trailer - it all gave an oddly compelling shimmer to the waves. Aya flew higher. The sea air this high up was exactly the same as it had been hundreds of years ago. If she closed her eyes, she could pretend she was there. It brought a smile to her face.

There were a number of ships farther out from the pier, floating in the harbor. Further out to sea, where she couldn't see the waves, the distant lonely lights of boats on the ocean stood still as stars. As she looked at the horizon, she wondered how far she could fly to the east. Would people be any different out there? Or were modern humans the same no matter where you went? The tengu imagined herself in other lands, hearing languages she didn't understand, in a faraway place where no one had even heard of tengu. It gave her a lonely, bittersweet feeling as she hovered there, wings silently stroking the air, her eyes on the horizon.

The stirring of an engine below her caught her attention. She watched as a fishing boat of some kind with writing on its hull that she didn't recognize slowly drifted up to Pier 4. Aya smiled to herself. Her instincts never failed her. It was good to see they were as sharp as ever. She unzipped her hoodie, lifted the camera, and zoomed in.

Aya had never seen Ryu smile so openly before. He and Hideaki stood at Aya's desk, looking at the gallery of photos she'd taken as she flipped through them, one by one, on her monitor – boxes offloaded from the fishing boat, carried into a shipping container, the crew quickly getting back on board and sailing off.

“These are really well done.” Ryu nodded, still beaming. “I knew that expensive camera would get put to good use some day.”

Hideaki appeared both impressed and confused. He clicked back to the shot of the boat at the pier, men carrying the boxes down the dock. “How did you even take this shot? This is incredible.” He turned to Aya. “Seriously, how? There's nothing out there. Did you rent a helicopter or something?”

Aya shrugged. “I took these from the top of a building near the harbor. The lens was really something else.”

Hideaki nodded, turning back to the photo. “Even so … that's an amazing shot, Aya.”

“Now do you see why I was saying it's a waste to use that camera for parades and culture festivals?” Ryu smirked at Hideaki. “Your crappy little digital will be just fine for that kinda thing. Alright.” Ryu clapped his hands together. “Now, let me handle the police end of this. I'm on pretty good terms with a detective there who's been itching to crack a big case. I'll forward him these photos, and he'll send in the posse.”

“I guess we should send Aya to the harbor to get some shots of the raid.” Hideaki added.

Ryu laughed. “I think Aya's earned herself the rest of the day off. You can go down there instead.”

“I think I can live with that,” said Hideaki, smiling, and turned to Aya. “Well, what do you think, Aya? Guess you better get started on writing the article for this piece now.”

The tengu smiled, and bowed to him. “Thanks again for letting me take on this story.”

Aya knew she should be thrilled with this accomplishment. She had taken an anonymous tip and broken a huge story, one that no one else in the news business had. It was an article that would earn the respect of other papers, with her name right in the by-line. She had proven herself in the world of modern humans; she could excel as one of their journalists. She thought she would be overjoyed.

But looking at the photos, and knowing what she'd accomplished, she felt strangely indifferent. Almost as if this were happening to someone else. The past few weeks had been exhausting – doing the same thing virtually every day, the repeated spells of sickness, Koji's bizarre behavior at the zoo, the thousands of miles of distance she felt between herself and everyone around her; it all just tired her and made her feel not even a part of the world around her. Breaking a major news story wasn't enough to shake her out of it.

“Thanks again, Syameimaru.” Ryu said. “You really proved yourself here. If I had the budget for it, I'd hire you fulltime on the spot. But maybe this break will change that. Or, I could just fire Hideaki here and pay you his salary.”

“You can't fire me,” Hideaki deadpanned. “Slaves have to be sold.”

The main number rang. Ryu picked it up from Aya's desk. “Mercury.” He looked at Aya. “One moment please.” Ryu covered the mouthpiece. “Guess who.”

Aya sighed. What was the point of ignoring Koji forever? She felt too tired to even avoid him anymore. She might as well hear what he had to say. “I'll take it.”

Ryu handed her the receiver, and he and Hideaki discreetly walked away.

“Hello?” Koji asked.

“It's me,” said Aya. “What do you want?”

“Aya.” Koji paused a moment. “I can't tell you how sorry I am about what I did. I was way out of line. I don't really have an excuse for it. I guess I just misread you. I thought … I don't know, I thought the feeling was mutual.”

Aya didn't know how to respond, so she stayed silent.

“The feeling isn't mutual, though, is it?” Koji asked. “I can live with that. Look. Aya, I don't want things to end like this. Can we put aside my clumsy misstep and forget it ever happened? Or do you really despise me that much?”

Aya was confused by this remark. “I don't despise you. I just-” The tengu looked around her. People at their desks were typing away, talking on the phone. Below the office windows, the rest of the world moved on, oblivious and uncaring. “I don't feel like I belong in this town.” Saying the words brought a pang to her chest. Aya knew from the start that this wasn't her world, and expected that she'd feel like an outsider. She just hadn't expected that these humans would be a whole other species from the ones she knew, that this world was an unfeeling facsimile; hollow, and painted in primary colors.

“I understand,” said Koji. “It's tough enough being a foreigner in this country without some guy complicating things with his clumsy romantic overtures.”

Aya didn't feel like correcting him. “Well, anyway, I'm sorry if I hurt you.”

“Nah. I've been shoved to the ground by bigger girls than you.”

Aya laughed. “I was going easy on you.”

“Alright, whatever you say.” Koji sighed. “Look, Aya, you know, Hitomi's been asking about you. And it'd be great to have you over again, you know, just to hang out and chat.”

“I did enjoy the first night we met. I don't think I've had that much fun since.”

“So why don't you come over? There's a great view of the harbor from the roof of our place.”

Aya looked up. Hideaki was watching, smiling.

“Alright. I'll come this afternoon.”

The Sound of the City: Chapter 9

2010-10-05T02:14:00.000-07:00

The night was a bit chilly, so Aya wore a denim jacket over a red blouse and jeans. As she rounded the last corner before the zoo, she felt happy for the change of pace, the chance to spend some time with a friend. It had been entirely too long since she last did this.

The gates to the zoo appeared, and there Koji stood waiting, dressed in his usual leather jacket, white T-shirt and black jeans combo. He smiled warmly when he saw her. A single yellow light illuminated the space just in front of the zoo's old iron gates and ticket booth, the shade of its window down.

“Well,” Koji said with mild surprise. “You showed up after all. No red contacts tonight?”

“Ha, no. Decided to be natural. Just regular brown eyes.”

“Natural is always best. Glad you made it either way.”

“I said I would, didn't I? Why would I not show up?”

“You have to work in the morning. Maybe you're tired. Maybe you changed your mind. Maybe your cousin needed to be rescued from gangsters. You never know what can happen.”

“I suppose. But I don't tell people I'm going to do something if I don't intend to do it.”

“I figured.”

For a while the two stood there in silence. Had Koji actually planned anything? she wondered.

“So-” Aya began.

“Right,” Koji said, and clapped his hands together, rubbing them. “The surprise.” Koji knocked on the ticket booth window. When nothing happened, he knocked again, louder. “Hey! Wake up in there!”

A light came on behind the shade. Aya could hear a door opening. A tired security guard appeared behind the gate. He yawned, and gave Koji an annoyed look.

“Why are you waking me up, Koji? I was having such a nice nap.” The guard then noticed Aya, and then turned back to Koji. “Ah, I get it.” He sighed, fishing for his keys. “You're lucky we're brothers. You know that, right?”

“I know.” Koji nodded with a smile. “I can always count on you.”

“Yeah, yeah,” the guard said, unlocking the gate. “Are you at least going to introduce us?”

“Of course. Yoshikichi, this is Aya Syameimaru. She gave our band a glowing review, so I'm showing her my appreciation. Aya, this is my brother.”

“Pleased to meet you,” Aya said.

“Likewise,” said Yoshikichi, opening the gate. “So did you actually like that noise they make, or did you just pity them?”

“Oh, I really liked it. I'd never heard anything like it.”

“Yeah, me neither.” Aya and Koji walked through the gate. “OK, you two enjoy yourselves. Almost all the animals are asleep, so I don't know what you expect to see, but to each their own, I guess. And Koji, don't tease the gorilla this time. He doesn't like it.”

“I wasn't teasing him. I just wanted to see him beat his chest.”

“Whatever. Just leave him alone.”

“You got it.”

Yoshikichi closed the gate behind them. “You have an hour. After that, The next shift takes over and they won't be happy to see visitors. So unless you want to hide in the bathrooms until the zoo opens again, be sure you're not late.” With that, he went back into the ticket booth.

“He seemed friendly,” said Aya.

“Really? Well, that's a first.” Koji took a deep breath of the night air. Aya wished she had brought her camera. Photos of animals from elsewhere in the world, even sleeping, would make for great copy.

“Shall we?” Koji said. Aya nodded, and let him lead the way.

The walking path led first through a wooded area, before coming to a part flanking an iron fence upon which hung a sign that read “Brown Bear”. Beyond the fence was a wide, open pit, at the bottom of which was a rocky mound, an artificial tree, and a pair of caves against the wall opposite the fence. The bear was presumably inside the caves, asleep.

There were similar pits on either side of the path, each with a different species of bear. None of them were out.

“All the animals are sleeping,” said Aya, disappointed.

“Not all of them,” Koji said. “Many animals are nocturnal. You can't see them active when the zoo is open. That's why coming at night is a real treat. I'll show you.”

Koji led Aya to a pit in which two leopards were pacing. While one walked the perimeter of the pit, the other paced in tight circles, panting. The sound of the cat's breathing reminded Aya of nocturnal youkai, moving unseen in the bamboo forest. But these leopards lacked the pride of wild youkai. They looked broken and confused. Aya felt as though she'd done something terrible just by coming here.

“Aren't they gorgeous?” asked Koji. He then turned towards Aya. “You know, you're a rare person.”

The tengu turned to him in surprise. “Pardon?”

“I've never met anyone like you, but I've always wanted to.” There was that look again.

As innocent as his words were, Aya felt she had to clarify her feelings. She looked at Koji, searching for the words. “Koji, I-”

Koji took Aya by the shoulders, suddenly and clumsily, and pulled her towards him, kissing her on the mouth. Aya's reflexes took over, and she slid two hands up to his chest, pushing him. Koji stumbled backwards, landing on his elbows and back.

He said nothing as he looked up at her. Aya restrained her instincts, but didn't know how else to respond. She stood very still, her eyes unblinking, and felt as though she might explode with rage. She remembered what Hideaki had said about the city's ways.

“Aya ...” Koji began, starting to rise.

His voice tripped a switch inside of her, and all she wanted to do was get away from him. Without another word, Aya turned and ran into the shadows. Seeing the ticket booth ahead, she ducked into the darkness of the trees and rose on silent wings into the night sky.

Aya sat at her desk, going over the cultural events listings on the city's home page. The office main line rang, making all the phones ring at once. While normally she'd be one of the first ones to pick up, she stopped answering it after what happened at the zoo about two weeks ago. Koji had tried calling her a few times since then, and Aya had refused to accept his calls. Hideaki had been polite enough not to ask Aya why, but she sometimes considered bringing it up to him herself. She was fairly certain by now that what Koji had done had been inappropriate, but she didn't quite know how to react from this point. For the time being, she believed it best just to keep her distance from him.

Hideaki took the phone on the third ring. He spoke in hushed, cautious tones – unusual for a man known to speak on the phone loud enough for Ryu to complain about it, anyway.

Aya watched Hideaki as he quickly scribbled onto a notepad. Then he looked up at her, and gestured urgently for her to come to his desk. She was already out of her chair.

“Yeah,” Hideaki said into the phone as he jotted down notes. “Yeah … OK … And you know this because? Hello?” Hideaki replaced the receiver, and shook his head. “ Well. This is interesting.” He looked from his notepad to her. “How'd you like to follow a scoop? A big one.”

Aya felt her pulse quicken. “Of course.”

“Alright. Here it is.” Hideaki leaned forward a bit. “That phone call was from an anonymous source claiming that a major shipping company is using our harbor to aid smugglers.”

“Wow. That really is something.”

“Yes, but we have to be careful. This could be some rival company making it up in order to smear the competition. We can't run this story without solid proof.”

The story possibility was huge, Aya saw at once. “Does this happen often?” she asked, incredulous.

“Not really,” said Hideaki. “I think we may never have followed a crime tip from an anonymous source, let alone one involving a huge company in this town.”

The tengu was relieved to be able to finally set her journalistic sights onto breaking a major story. She felt like a part of her brain had re-awakened.

“But wait.” Aya thought out loud. “If this was from a competitor, why wouldn't they just call the police?”

Hideaki shrugged. “Who knows? Maybe they want to see these guys humiliated in the press, and then arrested, as opposed to just arrested and getting written up after the fact. It's happened before. Just never at our paper.” He cleared his throat, and read from his pad: “Apparently security guard shifts were changed by the shipping company offices a few months back. The changes made a four-hour window without security guards at Pier 4. The smugglers dock and offload there during these times. It's mostly electronics and household items.”

“Alright . . . so, if we get photos of this happening, then-”

Hideaki laughed. “Photos? Are you kidding? No, we need to find a more substantial connection through a paper trail. Do some digging at city offices, see what we can find. Put that together with the security guard shift changes, run it, and then the police swoop in. We get the scoop on the raid and take photographs then, of the arrestees being led away.”

The tengu couldn't imagine the idea of tagging along with others leading the way, or worse, having to wait out of sight while the best part was happening. She wanted to be the one to bring the story to light. “Well, anyway, we're not calling the police right away, right?” Aya said, shaking her head. “It might be nothing. On the other hand, it might be a great story.”

He smiled and nodded. “And it would also be a scoop.”

“Yes, that too. There might be more ... effective ways of breaking this story, is all.”

“Hm.” Hideaki looked at his notepad, and then back at Aya. “What are you thinking of doing?”

The Sound of the City: Chapter 8

2010-10-01T04:19:00.001-07:00

Part of observing humans in their natural habitat, Aya decided, would have to include going to where large groups of them could be found. To this end, she decided she was going to spend Sunday afternoon at the mall.

The tengu did not anticipate doing any shopping herself, but she decided to bring money with her anyway, just in case. Dressed in a blue T-shirt, canvas shorts and sandals, Aya took up her camera and headed out the door.

The mall was only a few blocks away. From the outside, it looked like any of the other anonymous office buildings downtown. Once she stepped inside, though, she was immediately assailed with a whole other sensory experience.

The air was significantly colder in the mall than it was outside, and seemed to be stripped of any scent that could even remotely resemble air, replaced instead with perfumes and odors that blurred and overlapped, many of them unknown to Aya. A static din filled the spacious lobby – the hum of the escalators, the conversations of others, barely discernible music from somewhere, the splashing of the fountain in the lobby's center, and numerous other anonymous noises and tones of unknown origin crowded the air.

But what really struck Aya was the visual contrast: dozens of shops were available, and yet the people strolling by gave none of them so much as a glance. They milled about as if walking around inside the building was the point of going to the mall, and buying something was an afterthought. She'd apparently been mistaken to think of a mall as just a larger, indoor version of a market. Nodding, she took photos of the escalators, the crowds, the almost empty shops.

Aya decided some exploring was in order, so she took an escalator to the second level. Walking past the different shops was a bit overwhelming – the sheer level of variety made it difficult to decide which shop to enter, especially if you'd arrived without a clear idea of what you wanted, like she had. Aya began to understand why most people were walking past the shops, but entering none.

Before long she saw the food court. The tengu wasn't particularly hungry, but she felt this may be a good opportunity to at least taste something modern humans in the outside world drink or eat; something wholly modern. She approached the food stall closest to her. A teenaged boy in a yellow shirt and matching hat smiled, welcoming her. Aya smiled back, then looked at the menu. She found it confusing to work out just what the items on the menu were. They had names like “The Salaryman's Special” and “Mom On the Go”. She knew quite well what the listed ingredients under these titles were, but nothing struck her as all that interesting.

“I guess I'll just have something to drink,” she shrugged as she approached the counter. “What do you recommend?”

The boy was apparently unaccustomed to being asked for his opinion of the stall's drinks. He hesitated a moment. “Coke?” he offered.

“Sure. I'll try that.”

Aya took her small Coke to a nearby table and sat down. She sniffed discreetly at the straw. It smelled sweet. Then she took a sip.

The tengu recoiled in disgust. What horrible creation was this? It was sweet, but it burned; it was cold, but it was boiling. Who would make something so awful, and why would anyone drink this? Aya stood, tossed the drink into a nearby trashcan, and left the food court.

Aya found the mall to be a bit boring. Even buying herself a red cashmere scarf didn't perk up her mood all that much. It was as she walked along the lower level again, wondering if she should look around some more or go home, that the headache came back in a sudden, rushing wave – her vision blurred, her ears rang, and nausea began to build. Remembering what happened last time she started feeling this way, she knew she had to get out of sight before she became ill. Looking around, she saw an exit sign above a pair of doors. She pushed through them, hurrying down the corridor beyond them, breaking into a run. At the end, another door, which she burst through, her heart pounding, the pain in her head coming in ever-stronger waves.

Aya stood on a landing overlooking a narrow alleyway. Without a moment's hesitation, she unfurled her wings and shot straight up, into the sky. She didn't care at this point if anyone saw her, nor could she think about where she would land. The only thing on her mind was the automatic compulsion to get away, as fast as possible.

Within seconds, the tengu was up over the clouds. She hovered there for a bit, trying to collect her thoughts. Her nausea was gone, and her vision and hearing were almost entirely back to normal. Even her headache was already reduced to a faint throb behind her ears. Maybe flying cured her sickness, she considered, but this still didn't explain what got her ill in the first place. Aya looked down. In her haste to get away, her sandals had come off during her ascent.

“Well this is perfect,” she sighed. She really liked those sandals.

A couple weeks later, Aya was walking to work, thinking about her time in the outside world so far. She'd been sick twice more since her trip to the mall – once, while at the library, she felt it coming on, and immediately went home, collapsing onto her futon for the rest of the day; and another time while riding the train. Fortunately, she'd been able to get off at the next stop and clear her head at a nearby park before it got too bad. She was learning how to deal with the attacks. That they were becoming more frequent still bothered her.

She thought about what she'd learned so far. She knew that modern humans could be not just detached but willfully ignorant of their surroundings – incurious, self-centered, and uninterested in seeing anything they didn't expect or even want to see. On the other hand, there were people like Koji, Hitomi, and the rest of the band. Koji specifically said that he had rejected the rules of society. But “society” wasn't a set of rules dictated by one person, or a council; society was everyone, and its rules arose from collective behavior. In other words, if these warm, friendly, sincere people were society's rejects, what did that say about society?

At the same time, it wasn't as if the modern humans who did buy into society's rules were entirely bad people. Hideaki had always been kind to her, and even Ryu wasn't a completely cold authoritarian. These people she worked with, though, were still quite different from people like Koji and Hitomi. They were, despite their good natures, bound to a system that they chose to take part of, and that seemed to her to be very difficult to live without.

Aya pushed open the office doors and said her hellos as she walked to her desk. She sat down and turned on her computer, as she had many times before. That was another thing – life in the modern outside world was grindingly, weepingly dull. She supposed it was something you learned to get used to, especially if the alternative was to live in an abandoned warehouse.

Yet even knowing all this, she still felt as though she hadn't touched the surface of modern humanity. There just wasn't enough material yet for a real article. Well, unless it was a review of the Heavenly Dogs, or a public health warning about Coke.

“Syameimaru!” Ryu called from his desk. “Line two! And would you join the rest of us in the twenty-first century and buy a mobile already?”

Aya quickly took up the receiver, and smiled when she saw Hideaki giving her a joking scowl.

“Aya Syameimaru,” she answered.

“Hey, it's Koji.”

“Oh.” Aya lowered her voice. “How are you?”

“I have a surprise for you,” he said. “Meet me at the front gates of the zoo, at midnight, tonight. Got it?”

The zoo? “Yes, but-”

“Good. See you then.” The line went dead.

Aya looked at the phone for a moment, incredulous, and then hung up. Strange, but intriguing. She liked his playful nature. But right now, there was work to do. Aya clicked open the police blotter.

The Sound of the City: Chapter 7

2010-09-30T08:16:00.001-07:00

Aya lay on her futon, the shades down and a wet cloth over her eyes. Fragile rays of dusk peeked through the edges of the window. She felt more or less better, a dull ache behind her eyeballs being the only remnants of her feeling ill. Being sick was exhausting. Hopefully she would drift to sleep and wake up the next morning fully refreshed. The tengu sighed. What a day this had been.

The phone rang. Aya sat up with a groan, the wet cloth falling in her lap. She groggily knee-walked to the phone, already annoyed. Why is the office calling me? They know I'm sick. She lifted the receiver.

“Hello?”

“Aya? It's Koji.”

It took her a couple seconds to place the name. “Koji?”

“The guitarist? Remember? I'm sorry, am I interrupting anything?”

“No, I remember you. I'm not busy, no. I was just resting. I'm not feeling too well.”

“Oh, I'm sorry, do you want me to let you sleep?”

“I do need to sleep but … hang on, how did you get my number?”

Koji laughed nervously. “Um, well, you wrote it down for Hitomi last night.”

“Oh.” Aya vaguely recalled doing that, just before going to sleep on their couch.

“I do hope I'm not being too forward.”

“No, really, it's fine.” Aya cleared her throat. “Can I help you with something?”

“No, no. I just wanted to chat. But if you're feeling ill, maybe I should bring my special secret soup instead.”

“Your … what?”

“My special secret soup. It's a recipe generations old, fiercely guarded since ancient times, and made especially when someone is sick. But if you need to sleep, I'll understand. Maybe we can meet another time.”

Aya hadn't eaten all day, and had nothing in the fridge but half a withered apple. Despite her hunger, the idea of going out shopping at the moment exhausted her. And she'd never had a guest in this apartment.

“Actually, I am quite hungry.”

“Yeah? I don't want to impose. But it is really good soup. It can cure anything.”

“Is that right? Sounds powerful.”

“It is, but you wouldn't guess to taste it. That's where the power lies. It surprises you, like a wildcat in the night.”

“I don't think a wildcat could sneak up on me.”

“What would surprise you then?”

“A wildcat inside a grapefruit.”

“That would be pretty surprising.”

After she hung up, Aya rolled up the futon and put it away, changed out of her T-shirt and shorts into a black polo shirt and jeans, and straightened up the apartment a bit. Satisfied, her only concern was Yukari gapping in while Koji was over. That would be difficult to explain, and she shuddered to think how Yukari would handle such a situation.

Almost an hour went by before there was a knock at her door. Aya peered through the peephole and saw Koji, a cloth bag under his arm. Aya opened the door with a smile.

“Hello, Koji.”

“Hey, sorry it took me so long to-” Koji paused, frozen as he looked at Aya with obvious confusion. “Um, I had to make the soup first. It takes a little time.” He stepped inside, taking his shoes off. “And then I had trouble finding the address you gave me. I'm terrible with directions.”

“It's no problem,” Aya said. “Do you want some tea?”

“Yes, but let me make it, please,” Koji insisted. “You just relax. I'll take care of everything.”

“I won't argue with that,” Aya said, sitting at the table. Watching Koji heat the water and bring bowls and spoons to the table, taking the thermos of soup out of the bag and carefully pouring it into the bowls, it occurred to her that she'd never been served in this way before. She wondered what prompted this behavior.

“So then,” Koji said, sitting down at the table at last. “I hope you had fun last night. I know Hitomi did,” he chuckled. The soup looked and smelled to her like miso, with noodles and vegetables added. “I've never heard her talk so much. You really have a gift for making people open up.”

“It comes with the territory.” Aya smiled, taking a sip from her tea. She noticed Koji kept his eyes on her.

Koji broke his gaze with a light laugh. “Sorry for staring. I've just never seen eyes that color before. You probably get that a lot, though, eh?”

The contacts. She'd taken them out as soon as she came home, to try and relieve her headache a bit, but in the rush to straighten up the apartment, forgot to put them back in.

“Ah, really?” she said, her pulse quickening. “Are they that unusual?”

“Not in a bad way,” Koji emphasized. “I think they're quite beautiful. Usually girls get the oversized-iris contacts, or even – ugh – blue. I applaud your tastes. I'd never guess red contacts would work, but the color really suits you.”

“Haha. Thanks." Aya felt a small wave of relief. "Was just trying something new.” Aya looked down at her soup, and tried a spoonful. “Hm! This is really good, Koji. Just like you said.”

“Of course it is. I'm a very honest person.”

“That's good,” said Aya, trying not to eat her soup too quickly. “Say, Koji, can I ask you something?”

“Fire when ready.”

“You talked last night about rejecting society. How did you come to this conclusion?”

Koji took a sip of his tea before answering. “My father.”

“How so?”

“Well,” Koji began, lowering his tone a bit, “It's not that special a story. One you've probably heard before, even: father wants son to take over family business, son wants to be a musician, father disowns son. You know,” he shrugged, “Just a typical story in our society.”

“Really?” Aya frowned. “But that makes no sense.”

“It doesn't have to make sense. It's just how it is. And I decided I want no part of it.”

“I see.” Aya finished her soup. “Sorry for bringing it up. I didn't mean to bring down the mood of this lovely dinner.”

“Nah, it's alright. I'm glad you're interested in what makes me tick.”

“Of course I am. I'm always interested in what makes people tick.”

“And that's why you became a journalist.”

“One of the reasons, yes. I guess that's why I'm such a nosy person.”

Koji finished his tea. “A nosy friend is better than the alternative,” he smiled.

Koji offered to help clean up, but Aya was already quite tired, so she told him to leave it. As he chatted away about music, it seemed to Aya that Koji wanted to stay longer. But Aya had no patience for dropping polite hints; at last, she had to tell him that she was going to sleep. He apologized for his thoughtlessness, rising.

“I tend to forget people work for a living,” he said as he put on his shoes. “I guess if you go to sleep and wake up when you please long enough, you tend to take it for granted.”

Aya laughed a little. “It's quite alright. Most of my friends back home are the same.” Thinking about it, she added, “Actually, so am I, usually.”

“Well, try not to work too hard, eh? Leave room for fun.” He opened the door, and turned back to Aya.

“Good night, Koji. And thank you again for the soup. I feel better already.”

“Good night, Aya,” he said, pausing with a smile for a beat, before stepping into the hall, closing the door behind him.

Aya listened to his footsteps walking down the hall. The tengu sensed an undercurrent in Koji's look that she hoped she was wrong about. But it was a look she'd seen before, and she knew what it meant. Aya sighed as she gathered the bowls and cups from the table. Too exhausted to wash the dishes, Aya left them in the sink, rolled out the futon, and fell into a black, dreamless sleep.

The Sound of the City: Chapter 6

2010-09-29T06:21:00.000-07:00

“Let me ask you something, Syameimaru.” Ryu said, tapping a finger on his desk. “If you were an editor, and you sent an intern to do a light, 500-word review of a club, and she came back to work the next day some time after lunch, without an article, what would you do?”

Aya's head was throbbing, and her eyes still stung a bit, even after rinsing her contacts. “Ask her if everything was alright?”

Ryu nodded and waved his hand. “Yes, OK, then?”

Aya didn't know where Ryu was going with this, but she answered honestly. “Ask her if she enjoyed herself at the club?”

“Hilarious. Consider this your first warning, Aya. You get three. After that, you're gone. Understand?”

Aya bowed politely. “Forgive my irresponsibility. Should I get started on the article now?”

“If it's not too much trouble.” Ryu sighed.

“Will do!” Aya smiled, and walked back to her desk.

Aya sat down at her desk, trying to ignore her headache, and plugged her dictaphone into the USB port behind the computer tower under her desk. When she rose back up, she saw Hideaki approaching, a knowing smile on his face.

“So,” he said. “Arriving late, in the same clothes you wore last night, eh? Have a fun night?” Hideaki took a long sip of his tea.

“Oh, definitely.” Aya said. “This amazing band played at the club. The guitarist was just incredible. I went back to their place afterwards and stayed the night.”

Hideaki raised his eyebrows. “Well! That was unexpected. I was just making a joke. You're pretty candid, aren't you?”

Aya detected an undertone in Hideaki's words that she didn't quite understand. “How do you mean?”

“You know, meeting someone, going back to their place, having fun … ?”

Aya blinked. “Right?”

Hideaki took another sip of tea, then nodded. “We're talking about two completely different things, aren't we?”

“I think we are.”

“Yeah. Well, I better get back to-”

“No, wait. What are you talking about?”

Hideaki hesitated. “I was just making a stupid joke. It was pretty out of line of me, actually, and really none of my business. I often shove my foot in my mouth, though. Just forget I brought it up.”

“Hideaki, please. Just say it. Whatever the joke was, I promise not to get angry with you. Alright?”

Hideaki moved his tea from one hand to the other. “OK, look, I was just making a joke about one-night stands, that's all. Not that there's anything wrong with that, of course. I was actually going to congratulate you on getting lucky so soon after moving to town. But I'm guessing nothing like that happened, I'm an idiot, and the embarrassment is all mine.”

Aya furrowed her brow as she listened, nodding. After a few beats: “Oh! You're talking about sex, aren't you?”

Hideaki cocked his head, considering this response. “Aya, do you mind if I ask you a personal question? And please, feel free to tell me to go jump off a bridge if I'm overstepping here.”

“Of course.” Why was he being so serious all of a sudden?

He sat down at the edge of her desk, and leaned in a bit. “You've never had a … boyfriend, have you?” he asked quietly.

Aya shook her head. “No, I don't think I have.”

Hideaki nodded. “That's what I thought. Could I give you some advice, speaking from a man's point of view?”

“I suppose.”

“Men in the city are a bit different from the ones you might be used to in your small town. Everything in the city moves at a faster pace, and that includes dating. Don't let that pressure you, alright? If you're not ready, you're not ready. Any guy who respects you will understand this. OK?”

Aya smiled. “That's very good to know, actually, thank you.” She made a mental note to include something about courtship rituals in Bunbunmaru.

Hideaki seemed pleased. “Alright then.” He rose from her desk. “Guess I'll let you get to work now.”

“OK.” Aya nodded. She turned back to her monitor as he walked away.

By mid-afternoon, her article on the club was finished and she was nearly done with the police blotter, too. However, the headache she woke up with was only getting worse.

“Aya,” Ryu called. “Come over here a moment.”

Aya rose and walked to Ryu's desk, where he was reading his monitor. The tengu expected Ryu to have a problem with her article on the Indiscreet Cat – she more or less ignored the assignment, writing mostly about the band. Aya stood at Ryu's desk, prepared to defend her decision.

“You called?”

“Yeah … got a job for you,” Ryu said, distracted, still reading the monitor. “There's going to be a press conference at city hall in half an hour. The Transportation Committee chairman is going to unveil their new light rail plan. I need you to cover it.”

Aya brightened. “Of course! I'd be happy to-”

“500 words,” Ryu continued. “Take down the good bits of his statement. Get some photos, too. Also take down questions and answers between other reporters and the chairman.”

“Can I ask questions, too?”

Ryu looked up. “What would you ask, Aya?”

The tengu smiled. “I won't know until I hear what they have to say about the train, will I?”

Ryu nodded. “Alright. Sure, if questions come to mind, go on and ask.”

“You got it.” Aya waited for Ryu to say something about the article on the club.

“Anything else?” Ryu asked.

“Did you get my article?”

“The one on the club? Yeah, I got it.” Aya waited. Seeing she wanted feedback, Ryu continued. “You spent a lot of time on the band. A bit too much for a review of a club. But as a concert review? Yeah, it wasn't bad. Made me want to hear this band, anyway. You do interviews pretty well. Photos weren't bad, either.”

“Thank you.” Aya smiled. “I wanted to capture the almost ethereal tones of their-”

“Syameimaru. Press conference.”

“Right,” said the tengu, hurrying back to her desk.

“Try and make it back today, if you don't mind,” Ryu called after her. “As a little favor, for me, alright?”

Standing in a throng of other reporters in front of city hall, Aya could not help but smile. In this crowd, dictaphone and camera in hand, she was just another reporter. It made her content to know she could chameleonize like this, hiding in plain sight.

If only the headache would go away. It had only been getting stronger throughout the day. She knew it couldn't be from the sake she had at the café. As a tengu, only oni outclassed her in terms of tolerance to alcohol. She closed her eyes, taking a long, deep breath. Even her ears were ringing. What was this?

Suddenly, the group of reporters pushed forward, cameras flashing. The city officials had come out. Aya ducked under the shoulders of the men in front of her and quickly pushed her way to the front of the group. She ignored the murmurs of disapproval as she crouched at the front of the crowd, dictaphone switched on as she snapped photos.

“Ladies and gentlemen, members of the press,” began a man in a dull gray suit. Two smiling young women had wheeled out a table draped in a white cloth, and stood next to him. “It is my great pleasure to present you: our city's new light rail system.”

The women drew the cloth back. Aya, anticipating the crowd, quickly zoomed the shot and scooted forward a bit, snapping a string of shots of the model train.

Aya's headache began to throb, her ears ringing louder. The man droned on, but Aya couldn't pay attention. Fortunately the dictaphone was doing the listening for her. She could feel a cold sweat breaking out on her forehead, and extending down her back. Her breathing started to get shallow.

The reporters were asking questions now. Despite how awful she felt, Aya saw she had a chance to prove herself. Taking a deep breath, ignoring the growing pain in her head, she spoke up.

“Excuse me,” she cut in, interrupting another reporter. “But why does the city need this train?” Her vision was starting to blur a little now, and she was starting to feel dizzy.

“Light rail,” the man corrected. “I'm glad you asked that question. The fact is -”

Aya waited for the man to stop talking. It was all she could do to keep from collapsing. When at last he finished answering her question, he took two more questions from other reporters before thanking the press. With that, the reporters began to disperse.

It took great effort just for her to turn around and put one foot in front of the other. She managed to make it halfway down the block before the contents of her stomach rose up, spilling onto the sidewalk.

This had never happened to her before, and it surprised her to see. She felt embarrassed, but no one reacted to the event beyond furtively stepping around the puddle. Aya took a few deep breaths and pressed on, headed for the office.

What could have brought this on? she wondered. Her diet hadn't changed since she moved to the outside world: water, fresh fruits and vegetables, rice, and the occasional sake. She'd even taken care to never drink tap water, even if the price of all those bottles added up. Whatever it was, she'd never felt this awful before. All she wanted to do was curl into a ball and go to sleep. But she couldn't. She had an assignment to finish. Aya pressed on.

By the time she got to the office, the tengu's headache was rising and falling in waves. Each time it rose, her vision blurred and tunneled, the ringing in her ears became a roar, and her legs weakened.

“Back,” she stammered as she walked past Ryu's desk. He nodded without looking up from his keyboard, intent on his typing. Aya made her way to her desk, and sat down heavily. She felt nauseous again. Fighting it back, she plugged the dictaphone into the computer tower, opened a text file, put on the headphones and began to type. The going was slow, as the position of the keys kept swaying left and right. She took deep breaths, trying to concentrate.

“Aya?” Hideaki said, tapping her on the shoulder. “You're as white as a sheet. Are you feeling alright?”

Aya shook her head. “I've got … to finish this article.”

Hideaki frowned, putting the inside of his wrist to her forehead. “You're burning up. What are you doing here?”

“Ryu said.” Aya took another deep breath. “Ryu said to cover the press conference.”

Hideaki scowled. “Turn off your computer. Go home.” He then turned from her, striding to Ryu's desk. “Hey, old man! Is this how we treat our interns now?” he said, pointing at Aya.

Ryu looked at Aya, then Hideaki. “What's your problem?”

“Don't you see how sick she is? You sent her to cover a press conference like that? Eh? Are you punishing her for being late or something?”

“Wait, hang on.” Ryu stood, defensive. “She was fine when she left. And where do you get off talking to-”

“You haven't changed since university, you know that? Same old stubborn Ryu.”

Ryu was fuming. “Don't think that just because we're friends that you can just shout accusations at me like that.” Then he saw Aya approaching his desk – deathly pale, sweating, eyes glazed. Ryu was taken aback by the sight of her. “Aya ...”

“I'm sorry,” she said hoarsely. “I'm … not feeling very well. I think I need to go home.”

“Mm.” Ryu nodded in agreement.

“You just take care of yourself,” Hideaki told her. “Come back when you're feeling better. Some things are more important than work.” He looked sideways at Ryu.

“Thank you. I'm sorry,” Aya said, and headed for the door.

Hideaki looked at Ryu, shaking his head.

“She wasn't like that when she left,” Ryu insisted. “You think I'm some kind of monster or something?”

Hideaki smirked. “Only on your good days,” he said, and gave him a clap on the shoulder before returning to his desk.

The Sound of the City: Chapter 5

2010-09-27T07:57:00.001-07:00

The band's place was not like the small apartment Aya and her neighbors lived in. Rather, they all drove in their van to the harbor. They rolled through a gate in a long chainlink fence, which surrounded a lot upon which six large identical dark green warehouses stood. Parking in front of one of the buildings, they all unloaded the van, Aya again with the cables.

Hitomi opened a door in the side of the building. It was dark and the air smelled musty. Aya followed the band up a flight of stairs to their space – it was enormous. The group had the entire second floor of the warehouse to themselves. A vast wooden floor, interrupted by concrete support pillars, stretched to the windows that ringed the entire space. There was furniture clustered in groups – a futon and a trunk here, a sofa there, three chairs and a small table at another spot – with no central living area.

“Wow,” Aya gasped. “I guess you must be pretty successful to afford such a big place.”

This provoked laughter from the entire band. “You could say that,” chuckled Hitomi. “We make almost nothing, and for this place, we pay nothing. So in proportion to our incomes, we manage.”

They unloaded their equipment against the wall at the top of the stairs. Aya set the cables down with the rest of the equipment, and then followed them to the couch and chairs.

The two drummers weren't particularly social. The took out a shoji game and set to playing without a word to anyone else. The laptop artist opened his laptop as he sat in a chair opposite the couch. “Let's see if I can get that signal I found yesterday ...” he said, distracted.

Aya sat at one end of the couch. It was old – the fabric was torn in places, and she could feel the wooden frame bend and creak. When Hitomi sat at the other end, she half expected the couch to collapse altogether. Koji, who had wandered off, returned with an acoustic guitar, plucking out a meandering tune.

“So, Aya,” Koji began. “What do-”

“No noodling, Koji,” Hitomi scolded playfully. “If you're going to play, play something. Don't just pick at it aimlessly like a crow in the garbage.”

Aya frowned. “Crows don't eat garbage.”

“Correct,” Koji smiled. “They eat food that people think is garbage. They find the useful in the discarded. Hitomi, you could learn a couple of things from our Korean friend here.”

“That's not exactly what I meant ...” Aya said.

Hitomi rolled her eyes at Koji and turned back to Aya. The tengu felt a surge of warmth, being in the presence of such good friends. “So, you don't pay anything to live here?” Aya asked.

Hitomi shook her head. “We rent a tiny storage space a few buildings over. Then Yazutaka did a little exploring around the pier and found this place.”

The man with the laptop nodded. “All thanks to me.”

“Yes, all thanks to you,” Hitomi smiled.

“But, isn't that dangerous?” Aya asked. “What if you get caught?”

Hitomi shrugged. “Then we'll move.”

“We made a decision,” Koji said, “Long ago, as a band. We vowed from the day that we formed that we would never, ever work again.”

“Never.” Hitomi emphasized.

“We reject the false promise of happiness that society dangles in front of the nation's youth.” Koji said, strumming a dramatic tune. “The great lie – go to a good school, get a job, get married, buy a pile of worthless junk with your credit cards, spend, buy, consume, pay. No! we say. We would rather live as paupers with dignity than-”

“Koji,” Hitomi cut in. “Please, don't bore our guest with your long-winded manifestos.”

“No, really, it's fine.” Aya said. “It's fascinating, really. Tell me more. Are there many people like you?”

Yasutaka snort-laughed. “Yeah, they're called 'homeless'.”

“Ah, but see,” Koji said. “There, right there, you're buying into the great lie. The stigma that a lack of material possessions means you've failed in life.”

“Consider the crows.” Hitomi smirked.

“Exactly!” Koji said. “You're making a joke, but that is precisely my point. Do the crows care for material things? No. Do we consider them failures as birds? Hardly. Their happiness is not predicated upon owning stuff.”

“I think Koji makes a very good point.” said Aya.

“Thank you.” Koji grinned with satisfaction, and continued noodling, pacing slowly.

“Anyways, Aya, tell me more about you,” Hitomi prompted.

“What do you want to know?” Aya liked Hitomi's casual demeanor.

“Hm.” Hitomi tapped her chin with her index finger. “Why Japan? Why not Mongolia, Bhutan, Algeria or Guyana?”

“Why didn't I go far away, in other words? Well, I have a pretty big family of sorts. I can't go too far from them. But also, I was interested in modern Japanese culture. I know enough about the medieval history already.”

“Ah, really?” Hitomi brightened a bit. “I love history. Is that what you majored in at university?”

“I didn't go to university.”

“And you got a job as a journalist, in Japan, with no university education?”

Aya shrugged. “Well, when I want something, I let nothing get in my way. It's just how I am. No reporter worth their salt would back down.”

“Yes!” Yasutaka exclaimed, drawing everyone's attention. “Got the signal. Hehehe. Alright, let's see how long this lasts ...” The brothers went back to their game.

Hitomi turned back to Aya. “That's an admirable attitude.”

It was then that Aya noticed Koji staring at her as he played. Being stared at was nothing troubling in itself. It was more the look in his eyes – as if he were trying to memorize her face. Aya met his gaze nonchalantly anyway. Koji quickly turned away.

Aya cleared her throat. “Yes.” she said to Hitomi. “I quite agree.”

The brothers finished their shoji game, and one of them rose, speaking for the first time. “Who wants sake?”

When Aya woke up, she was curled up on the band's couch in a very uncomfortable position. Hitomi's hoodie was draped over her. Her head ached and her eyes burned. That's right – she hadn't taken her contacts out, as Yukari had advised. Slowly, she sat up.

Sun poured in through the windows. The cement pillars cast long shadows across the floor. It seemed no one was awake. A low snore was slowly rising and falling somewhere in the loft. Aya stretched her arms, legs and toes, yawning. It had been quite a night. The “sake” was some suspicious homebrew, which she declined, pleading a weak stomach. The band drank, though, and things descended into an improvised jam session late in the night. After a while, one by one, they went to their separate futons. Only Hitomi and Koji had been awake when Aya began to feel tired.

“Please,” Koji had said. “It's not safe to walk home this late at night. Just crash here.”

Hitomi nodded. “I have to agree. The couch is all yours.”

Aya wasn't worried about what she might encounter on the city streets, and even if she were, ground travel wasn't the only option for her. But she felt the normal thing to do would be to accept their hospitality. And she was, after all, very tired.

“If you say so,” she'd said with a yawn. “I have to get to work in the morning, so-”

Work!

Aya stood up. By the angle of the sunlight, it was probably late morning. Hurriedly, Aya slipped on her shoes. She considered leaving a note, thanking them, but there was no time. With a sigh, she hurried down the stairs and out the door.

She momentarily considered flying. She'd get to work faster that way, sure, but it was a clear, cloudless day. She'd have to get pretty high up to avoid being seen, and even if she could, she couldn't just drop down in front of her office. She'd have to land some place hidden, and even then only after wasting time getting up to a ridiculous altitude, and she might still get spotted during her ascent or descent, and-

Aya sighed again and started walking. Making a job out of journalism was taking all the fun out of it.

The Sound of the City: Chapter 4

2010-09-24T13:27:00.001-07:00

The Indiscreet Cat was originally a jazz bar, but when jazz bars had started to become too common, business fell off. So instead they had taken a “long tail” approach, booking bands of just about any genre, especially groups who couldn't seem to get gigs anywhere else, because their style was too hard to define. This earned the club a reputation as a launching pad for some of the town's more eclectic music acts. The lay-out was simple enough – a bar area near the entrance, and further back, a larger seating area, with some space cleared in front of a black curtain hanging on the wall, flanked by PA speakers. When Aya arrived, the after-work crowd was just beginning to trickle in. The manager, who was also the owner, was happy to talk her about the bar and its reputation for attracting unusual acts.

“In fact,” he added, “You're in for a treat tonight. The band scheduled to perform is a local favorite. Perhaps you've heard of them – The Heavenly Dogs?”

Aya took a sip of her sake. She and the manager were seated a table near the bar area. She shook her head. “I honestly haven't, I'm sorry. But I look forward to hearing them.”

Aya hadn't expected to spend a very long time at the club, but the band wasn't slated to begin performing before nine. Not bothered, Aya ordered a larger bottle of sake, opened her Bunkachou, and began to take notes on modern human behavior.

In the centuries that Aya'd been alive, she'd seen humans make incredible progress for themselves, while their mentality and mannerisms remained largely the same. Something had happened in the past century, however, that made modern humans change noticeably.

For one, despite their courtesies towards one another, they seemed on the whole to be detached from one another, as if everyone had a great cache of secrets that no one else could know about. When she watched people at the office, and at this club, talking to each other, it was as if they were speaking from a thousand miles apart – or rather, that they were each talking to a mirror. For another, it seemed as though no one really paid attention to what was happening around them. One day on her way to work, she'd watched as a woman a few paces in front of her accidentally tripped when the heel of her shoe broke. She fell to the sidewalk, but everyone around her just kept walking, and no one stopped or so much as looked at them even as Aya helped the woman to her feet. People just stepped around them, continuing in their directions, unwilling or unable to acknowledge what had happened.

It struck her as remarkably callous behavior, but as the days went on, she saw that it was also a part of a modern human's stunted perceptions. For example, a group of people standing at the bus stop might be unaware that a gorgeous rainbow had arched over the buildings right across the street from them, even though it was in plain view of everyone. Something had happened to humans, she decided, that made them willfully ignore the world around them, and each other. What that something was would be crucial to her story on the outside world.

The club gradually filled with people. Before long, the musicians had arrived. She watched as they set up. They were all young, in their early 20s, she guessed, comprised of four men and one woman. One of them – a tall, thin young man with sad eyes - had a laptop, which he'd opened on a bar stool and plugged into a speaker he brought. Two other guys - who looked similar enough to be brothers - set up a series of large drums. Another had an electric guitar. He was about Aya's height, his face unshaven for a few days, hair long enough to fall frequently into his eyes. While he, like the other three men, wore a T-shirt and jeans, the guitarist wore also a black leather jacket. Aya thought he must be quite warm, and indeed, there was already sweat on his forehead. The young woman, though, despite wearing a black hoodie, jeans, and beat-up sneakers, Aya found very beautiful. Not so much for her physical appearance – although being taller than the men in the band, she did stand out – but rather for the confidence she projected from her expression, her stance. Aya was already intrigued.

The young woman adjusted the height of the microphone stand. Aya followed with rapt attention. The singer smiled at the crowd, who cheered enthusiastically. “Thank you. We're the Heavenly Dogs,” said the singer.

The song began with the two brothers beating on the drums with their hands; a steady, driving rhythm. But then some odd sounds that Aya had never heard before seemed to emerge out of nowhere. There were low, booming tones that matched the rhythm of the drums, but also some stranger tones that Aya couldn't quite identify – some were high and staccato, others were subtler, like wind blowing in the background. It took her some time to gauge, by the faces in the crowd watching him and the movements he was making, that the guy with the laptop was producing all these sounds.

The singer began to sing – a voice that matched the power of her poise. She sang with joy on her face, her eyes closed, her body moving to the rhythm, swaying side to side. Others in the club began dancing more energetically. And then, the guitarist began to play.

Aya was dumbstruck. He wasn't using some nearly-magical device to produce sounds – just strings stretched over a shape, like a koto – but from it he produced a melody of heartbreaking beauty. Notes spun and rose like crows riding a column of warm air. Their harmonies pushed on the edges of a bittersweet tension, and as he slowly wound up the intensity, Aya could feel goosebumps rising on the nape of her neck. And yet despite all this, he played with a relaxed, almost serene pose, in total mastery of the melody in his hands.

As they played, the music and the dancing got more intense. At one point, Aya had to stand up on her chair just to see the band. She got some good photos this way. The more energy the music had, and the more the crowd grew more ecstatic, the more she found herself enjoying this strange music, too. It took a while to get used to how loud it was, but once that happened, Aya was able to discern melody from noise quite easily. The musicians themselves had an almost innocent charm in the joy with which they played their songs, like children, or fairies. The tengu decided she'd interview the guitarist first, and then the singer.

As the show concluded, the crowd seemed unwilling to let the band go, and managed to encourage two more songs out of them before relenting. As people began to move away from the band, and the band began to pack things up, Aya approached the guitarist. Seeing her approaching, camera and dictaphone in hand, he smiled.

“Hey there,” he said. “Saw you standing on a table taking photos. You a reporter then?”

Aya smiled, and bowed politely. “I am. Aya Syameimaru, reporter for the Mercury. I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions.”

“Koji Takitana. And sure, I'll answer your questions.”

“Alright. Well, first-”

“But I get to ask you questions, too. A question for a question. Sound fair?”

Aya paused, and regarding Koji's steady, unwavering smile. “That's an unusual request.”

“Well, what can I say? I like to know who I'm talking to. You seem nice enough.”

“I try. So, um, what was the name of that first song you played?”

“Ah ah. I'm first. Remember? A question for a question.”

“Oh. Of course.”

Koji thought it over a moment. “You're not from around here, are you?”

“No, I'm not. So then – the first song?”

Koji laughed. “Evasive, are we?”

“You just need to know how to ask questions.” Aya smiled. “Like, 'I'm guessing you're not from around here – where are you from?', for example.”

“I guess that's why you're the journalist, and I just play guitar. Alright, it's called Skybreaker.”

“Interesting title. I have to admit, I've never heard any music quite like it.”

Koji nodded. “So you hated it, in other words.”

Aya was surprised, but Koji's smile was relaxed. Was this a joke? “What? No, I liked it a lot, actually.”

“Alright.” Koji accepted. Putting his guitar in a kit bag while his bandmates similarly packed up, he asked, “So where are you from then?”

“Hanam, it's a small place just outside of Seoul. I've been living in Japan for a few years now.”

“Eh? Really?” Koji sounded impressed. “You have no accent whatsoever. That's pretty amazing.”

“Thank you.” Aya cleared her throat. “Why do you play music?”

Koji rolled up the cables for his guitar and amps. “As opposed to?”

“Well, anything else, I suppose. What makes you want to play music?”

Koji paused and considered it a moment. “You know, I have no idea. I just have to. It's just my nature, I guess. It's a big part of the things I need to stay alive.”

The singer walked over then. “Hello,” she said to Aya. “Are you reviewing us?”

“Ah, well, not entirely,” Aya admitted. “I was sent to review this club. But since you were playing here, you'll be part of the article, though.”

“Ah, I see.” The singer nodded. “I'm Hitomi.” She looked at Koji, then back at Aya. “Is he explaining to you why his guitar was out of tune for the second half of the set?”

Aya was embarrassed for Koji, but he laughed it off. “Well, maybe I'd be able to hear it better if your monitor wasn't so loud.”

The two laughed then. “Actually, Koji told me the first song you played tonight was called Skybreaker,” Aya said to Hitomi.

“Did you like it?”

“I did, very much. I've never heard music that sounded like that. It was quite an experience.”

“Well,” Hitomi smiled broadly. “I'm pleased to-” She looked at Aya a moment, and then shook her head. “I'm sorry, you reminded me of someone for a moment. Don't worry, she was one of my best friends.”

“Ah, well, thank you.”

“She's Korean.” said Koji. “Only moved here a few years ago.”

“Is that right?” Hitomi asked. “And how long have you been in town?”

“Oh, just a few weeks now.”

“Ah, I see. Done much exploring?”

“No, actually.” As she thought of it, she realized she hadn't really been out that much, apart from going to work. She frowned a little at the fact.

Hitomi smiled at Aya. “Are you busy? Do you have to be anywhere?”

Aya shook her head.

“Well, why don't you come over to our place then?” Hitomi asked. “I can give you an exclusive.” She laughed. “Seriously, you've been in town a few weeks and still haven't seen anything? That needs to be taken care of.”

Aya didn't hesitate. A direct invitation to visit people in the outside world, right where they live? There was no question. “I wouldn't want to be too much trouble … but yes, I would.”

“Great.” Hitomi smiled. “Can you get the cables?”

The Sound of the City: Chapter 3

2010-09-23T10:45:00.000-07:00

Aya sat at her desk, scanning the police blotter in one window, and the city homepage on the other. In the past week she'd concentrated solely on adapting to a human routine. This meant a series of tasks in just preparing for the day that were completely alien to her. The clothes did suit her, and Yukari had done well to be generous in supplying them, even if they did look a little plain to her – today she went with a green blouse, navy blue skirt, black tights and pumps. She'd learned to walk to work avoiding eye contact with anybody along the way.

The office dynamic was easy to figure out, since Ryu and Hideaki were the only full timers in the editorial department. Nearly everything else was freelance. The graphic designers were technically independent contractors, and the sales people were on commission. Aya thought it was impressive that such a loose band could run a newspaper, while Ryu found it a source of endless stress. He seemed to be continuously agitated, which worried Aya a bit at first, but Hideaki downplayed it. “He's fine. He actually does his best work under pressure, and he knows it.”

Using the computer had also been easy to pick up. Reading the city home page and writing up the shorter local pieces on cafés, clubs, bars, any exhibition openings, any live music, it came with doing, as Hideaki had said. In between pieces, she'd do her own personal research. But of course, there was only so much you could learn at a desk.

Aya closed her police blotter text, took a breath, and rose from her desk. She walked to Ryu, who was at his desk, typing. “Excuse me, Mr. Ogawa, but I was wondering if you wanted me to get a story.”

Ryu stopped typing and turned from the monitor. He shook his head. “I don't understand.”

“I mean, is there a chance I could get into the city and find some news, too?”

Ryu rested his elbows on the desk, and nodded. “You want to go into the field, as it were?”

“Yes? Yes. I'd like to do some reporting.”

The editor had to take into account a few things: on the one hand, this was an intern who literally walked in off the street last week with no real resume, claiming to be Korean when she clearly wasn't, and who'd never even attended university. On the other hand, she was a hard worker, turned in more than enough material, and she could write. Plus, something about the look on her face told him that he'd likely have to argue with her if he refused, which was a prospect that tired him.

“Alright,” he said. “But I'm giving you an assignment first. I have to see how you cover events as they transpire, so I know that you can be trusted with the task.” He turned back to his monitor, glancing over his e-mails. That's right – one of their freelancers dropped an assignment that day, saying she was swamped. A band in some club. 500 words max. He turned back to Aya.

“Your assignment is: you're to go to the Indiscreet Cat tonight at six. It's their live music night. I want you to review the café, throw in the band as well. Have you ever done music reviews?”

“I-”

“Doesn't matter. The focus is the place itself. The atmosphere, how the service was, what you had to drink, that sort of thing. Sound alright to you?”

It was perfect for Aya, being asked to closely scrutinize humans in their natural environment. She readily agreed. “Yes, thank you very much.”

“Alright then.” Ryu smiled a little, and turned back to his monitor. “Have a good time.”

Aya still felt as though Ryu was holding her back a bit, but she knew she had to be grateful and get along if she hoped to cover her real assignment. Returning to her desk, she leaned down, and turned off the computer. Looking up, she saw Hideaki gesturing her over to his desk. She approached.

“Leaving early?” he asked.

“No, actually, Mr. Ogawa asked me to cover a story.”

Hideaki smiled, proudly it seemed. “You see? That's what you can accomplish when you show some initiative and push the guy a little. Good for you.”

“Thank you.” Aya blushed.

“So, let me guess – is it an exhibition, a concert, or a dog show?”

Aya frowned. “A concert. Was it that easy to guess?”

“Those are just the assignments most freelancers wouldn't touch with a barge pole. No one wants to do them, so Ryu has to make someone do them. Don't take it bad. He'd likely never pick you yet if you hadn't stood up to him.”

Hideaki paused a moment, tapping his pen on the edge of his desk. “This is how you prove yourself, Aya. It's like … well, alright, in a restaurant, there's a chef, and the chef has his assistants. When assistants start, they might be just chopping vegetables for months. Eventually, they're allowed to make broths. But no one ever gets anywhere standing around waiting to be told what to do. Cooks become chefs because they step forward, volunteering for extra work, practicing dishes on their own time. They become masters of the craft because they were the ones who wouldn't take 'No, you're not ready yet' for an answer. So it is with journalists. I can see the fire in your eyes. You want to be the ace reporter, breaking huge stories, your by-line in the feature pieces?”

“Yes,” Aya affirmed.

Hideaki stood. “You want to be the next newshound to earn the coveted NSK Award?”

Aya had no idea what this meant, but it sounded important. “Yes!” she said. “I do!”

“That's the spirit! Then you go down to whatever forgettable hole-in-the-wall the old man's sent you to and you cover that equally forgettable concert!”

“Yes!” Aya said, and turned.

Hideaki smiled with admiration. She could really go places if she didn't get burned out first. Then something occurred to him. “Wait.” he said. “Do you have a dictaphone?”

Aya stopped, turning back around. She'd played with the office's dictaphone – the one with the name of the paper scratched into the back of it, the one everybody uses – but never had any reason to use it professionally. “Well, no, I was just going to take notes.”

“That's no good. If you quote someone on the record, and we print it, and they have a problem, it'll be your word against theirs. Hey, don't give me that look. I trust you. It's just a legal thing, OK? Here.” Hideaki opened his top desk drawer, and put his dictaphone on the desk. “Take mine. Some photos would probably be nice, too. Are you pretty good at taking photos?”

“I've had some experience with it, yes.”

“That's good. Take some shots of the club from the outside, the interior - if they'll let you - the manager, that kinda thing.”

“I'll do my best.”

Hideaki regarded Aya for a moment. When she smiled, her whole face lit up. Her eyes flashed with an intensity that was a little unsettling to him. There was a tremendous power in them, like she was more a force of nature than anything else. That would have to be the case, he imagined, when it came to any person capable of moving to a new country and settling in within just a few years, even if it was fairly obvious that she was a foreigner. He pitied the poor soul who got in this girl's way.

“Alright, Aya. Have fun."

The Sound of the City: Chapter 2

2010-09-22T02:38:00.000-07:00

Aya spent days online. Yukari had given good instructions on how to use a computer, but what she'd omitted to say was easy to learn anyway. It wasn't that complicated a machine to use after all.

Information on the outside world proved overwhelmingly abundant. It was, in fact, a mess. None of it was organized very well. Much of it was comparable to things in Gensokyo, and she found more information on things from the outside world that had been brought into Gensokyo, but there was still a great deal to learn. Figuring she'd never make any headway taking a broad approach, she narrowed her subject to the city itself. This proved a lot easier, even if it was still time consuming. Yukari was right about how people lived. It seemed there was an endless amount of things to do, but that people worked too many hours to possibly see them all. How these two facts reconciled was beyond the tengu.

One morning, she decided to skip breakfast and head right out to explore her surroundings. She got dressed in the clothes Yukari had laid out, ignoring the other choices for now. Putting her contacts in went better than she expected. Pocketing some of the money, she stepped to the door of her apartment, and into a hallway lined with identical looking doors - with the exception of one at the end of the hall, an exit sign above it. Walking through that door, she headed down the stairs. She could hear the cars more clearly. Reaching the door at the bottom of the stairs, she paused, taking a deep breath, and opened the door, stepping outside.

It was a gorgeous day. People walked by, very quickly, and the ever-present cars rolled slowly down the street in both directions. The sound and the energy itself was a tad jarring, but Aya believed she could get used to it. Following the directions Yukari gave her, Aya turned left.

Yukari had been right – these humans did live much differently than any other she'd met. They walked faster, their faces were closed, and their machines made all kinds of noise. But soon enough, the shop appeared.

The tengu noticed that no one on the street had given her a second glance, which was a good sign, but this would be her first interaction with a human from the outside world. Aya stepped through the sliding glass doors.

It was brighter on the inside than it was on the outside. Noticing the baskets by the door, she took one up and walked down the first aisle. She knew what sorts of things to expect on the shelves, but she found the choices confusing. She walked down one aisle, past food in foil bags, and up the next, canned food on the shelves. The tengu didn't see anything she wanted. Could she even eat these things? What if they gave her an allergic reaction, or even turned out to be toxic? She'd have to get something she knew was safe.

She reached the end of the canned goods aisle. A young man behind the counter – presumably the shopkeeper – was looking at her. Then the shopkeeper smiled, saying, “Good morning!” Aya smiled back, “Good morning,” she said quickly, and turned down the next aisle. To her relief, she saw fruit. She picked up some oranges and grapefruit. Further down the aisle, she found rice.

This should do it, she decided, and turned towards the counter. The shopkeeper waited behind his till. Aya gave him a small smile as she set her food on the counter. The tengu watched as he pushed buttons on his till, bagging her food, and occasionally stealing glances at her. What is it? she thought. Do I look so different after all?

At last, the shopkeeper finished bagging her food and gave her a price. It was a lot more than she expected it to cost, but she'd fortunately brought enough money. Giving Aya her change, the shopkeeper smiled politely, “Please come back soon.” Aya smiled in return, picked up the bag, and walked casually out of the shop, back onto the busy sidewalk.

Aya smiled to herself as she walked back to her apartment. Nobody knows who I am. I'm just another person walking home.

Ryu Ogawa looked with suspicion at the young girl seated across from him at his desk. Interns never literally walked in off the street. Actually, The Mercury had never had an intern. They'd been around for barely two years and were struggling on a staff of twenty. The larger papers were long established in the city, with a loyal subscriber base, and they all had the money to put boxes on practically every corner of town. Ryu had even been considering lately the idea that if things continued as they were for another year, they might have to fold.

But this girl seemed very enthused about working for them.

“So.” Ryu tapped the edge of his desk with his index finger. “Why our paper?”

Aya cleared her throat. Their offices were the closest to her apartment. Ryu looked older than he probably was. His hair was gray and receding a bit, and he had a paunch. He had a face that looked like he'd worked outside a lot at one point in his life.

“Well, I really like the name, for one,” Aya said. “And I feel it's a paper that really suits me. I'm willing to help out on any story, any time.”

Ryu nodded. “Alright. Have you done any journalism before?”

Aya recalled her coached responses. So far the interview was going as Yukari told her it would. “Yes, I ran a local newspaper in my hometown for a long time, but it became economically unfeasible.”

Ryu made a short laugh through his nose. “Yeah, tell me about it. So where are you from? What school did you go to?”

“I'm from Hanam, near Seoul.”

The editor raised his eyebrows. 'Syameimaru' didn't sound Korean to him. “Well. How long have you been in Japan?”

“A few years now. I've been traveling around.”

“You speak pretty good Japanese for just a few years.”

“I'm a fast learner.”

Ryu said nothing for a moment, and then nodded. “That's good. What university did you go to?”

“I skipped university.”

“Oh? Why's that?”

“I wanted to travel. I thought it was more important to see things I'd never seen before firsthand, rather than read about them in a classroom.”

Ryu considered Aya a moment. It was clear she was sharp, but a little off center. She seemed pretty enthusiastic about working for free though. And that was always a plus.

“Did you bring a sample of your writing?”

“No, in fact, but I can bring you some, if you like.”

Ryu looked at his monitor, and then back at Aya. “I have a better idea.” He stood up. “Come on.”

Aya rose, and followed the editor out of his office and into the main room, with its rows of desks mounted with their computers, telephones, papers, and odd little objects she didn't recognize the purpose of.

Ryu led her to a table at the back, and gestured to the computer there. “Here. Go over the police blotter, and type up three articles for me, no more than 300 words each. You have one hour. Fair enough?”

Aya froze. This she hadn't expect at all. And what was a police blotter? “Of course.”

“Alright then,” Ryu smiled, satisfied, and walked back to his desk. They could always use an extra hand for the grunt work, anyway. And you couldn't beat the salary.

Aya sat at the machine, and brought up the browser. She opened the bookmarks, but a column of page titles spilled over the screen, none of them saying “police blotter”.

She heard a man's throat clear behind her.

Turning around in her seat, she look up at a thin young man wearing a pair of thick black-framed glasses. He took a sip from a paper cup. “Having some trouble?”

Aya smiled. “Hello. I'm Aya Syameimaru. I'm hoping to be an intern here.”

“Ah?” the man replied. “Well, that's interesting. I'm Hideaki Yoshimoto. I'm a staff journalist here.” He glanced past her at the computer. “Doing the police blotter, eh?”

“How did you know?”

“It's Ryu's way. Trust me, we went to university together. And if you walk in here offering to work for free, he's just going to get you started. We could use all the help we could get.” Hideaki stepped to the desk, and took the mouse. “Here. This bookmark's for the police blotter. The username and password is on a text file on the desktop. Should get you right in.”

Aya smiled, grateful for the help. “Thanks very much.”

“Don't mention it.” Hideaki said, finishing the drink in his paper cup. “Good luck.” With a brief wave, he walked back to his desk, at the other side of the room.

Aya turned back to the screen. Three stories. Should be no problem.

“I have to be honest, I've never seen Ryu react to new material quite like that.” Hideaki smiled, taking a sip of beer. Aya was seated across from him, at a table in a local bar. His way of congratulating her on a good first day, as he put it.

Aya laughed a little at the remark. “I'm not sure if you mean that as a compliment or not.”

“Oh it's a compliment alright. He told me he'd quote, never read anything like it, end quote.”

The tengu tapped at the base of her untouched glass of wine. “That still doesn't sound necessarily positive.”

Hideaki gave a dismissive wave. “Really, he was pleased. Especially with the stolen bicycle story.”

“Really?” Aya brightened a bit. “I did put a lot of work into that one. But then, it practically wrote itself.”

“Definitely. There's plenty of bicycle theft, sure. But it's not every day police actually recover a stolen bike. Pretty noteworthy, I'd say. You made me care about the plight of the bicycle owner, and I felt happy for him when he got his bike back.”

“I don't think you're being entirely serious,” Aya chuckled. “But thank you.”

Hideaki nodded and turned towards the window. It was early evening. The streetlights were on, but she could still see the long shadows of dusk along the buildings. The flow of traffic and people was unchanged.

“So tell me, Aya. Why journalism?”

The tengu considered the question for a moment, or rather, how to filter Gensokyo out of what she wanted to say. “Well, where I'm from, the place has a very old history. For a long time no one recorded anything that happened. Fortunately, there were a few people who started taking down the oral history, but to me it always seemed … I don't know, perhaps a little sad? That there was so little written by the people who were around then. So I decided, well, I'm not going to let that happen again.”

“Ah, so you're recording history?”

“Makes me sound a little conceited, I think.”

“Oh, I didn't mean it like-”

“No, it's alright. It might be a little conceited of me to think that, but it's true.”

Hideaki nodded. “You know, I have to respect that. That's a good approach to journalism, I'd say. But let me ask you-”

“No, hang on. What about you? Why journalism?”

Hideaki took a sip of beer. “Easy. The perks. They're mostly from blackmail, of course, which I realize only lasts so long, but-”

Aya laughed. “You can't be serious.”

“I'm not. Eh, I don't know.” Hideaki shrugged. “Probably because I wasn't really good at much anything else. You know for a while I worked in a car garage? Applied for the job because I needed one, lied to them and said I was a mechanic.”

“No.”

“I did. I lasted a whole week just by going online, reading about engines and basic car trouble. For some reason didn't think to start by learning how to change oil. Anyway, the point is, I pretty much fell into this gig because of Ryu. He really pushed me, and I don't know – I don't have the heart to turn down a friend who offers me a job.”

Aya nodded, relaxed back in her chair, and turned towards the city streets again. Now it was night, but the streets were as bright as mid-day. But not like sunlight is bright, the tengu noticed. It was a sharper light, as if it were drawn onto the air with a stiff brush. And everywhere, there was a faint buzz in the air. Unlike the wind sound made by cars, this buzz had no fluctuation. It was a steady hiss, just below the background noise of the bar, which was itself pretty loud.

“Well, one thing's for sure,” Aya said. “This place is a lot different than my hometown.”

“It's like anything else.” Hideaki shrugged. “Adaptation. I grew up in the north. A little non-descript place with one traffic roundabout in the center of town. Moving here was a bit of a shock to me at first but I guess ...” He considered the words, as if trying to read them forming in the air between them. “I don't know. You just pretend you know what you're doing, until you just do.”

“Ah, but that got you in trouble at the car garage. You didn't last a week.”

“This is true.” Hideaki nodded, and finished his beer. Aya smiled and turned towards the window again, watching the traffic, the people walking by.

The Sound of the City: Chapter 1

2010-09-20T08:04:00.000-07:00

Laying on the grass on a summer afternoon, Aya Syameimaru was reading some recent story ideas in her Bunkachou, when she started to feel a little drowsy in the sun. A bee flew by, to nowhere in particular. As she sometimes would when her mind wandered, she started flipping through older pages.

It amazed her how vividly exactly where she was when she jotted down a line or some questions could be brought to life. Here, for example, “Does anyone buy anything from Korindou?” - Aya was standing under the short awning of a noodle stand when she wrote that, the cool mist of a heavy downpour on her arms. In the margin, here, just the word “flowers”, she'd written practically in her sleep, woken up by an unknown noise, finding herself suddenly open-eyed to the night sky.

But then Aya caught one sentence: “Talk to Yukari.” This was what started the story she couldn't finish, the article she never put to print. She felt her heart skip a beat.

“The outside world is fine in small doses,” Yukari Yakumo had told Aya back then, during an interview about her encounters outside the border. “But I could never live there. It's just too boring.”

They were seated together in the main room of her home, the doors open to the mountains, the border there, silent and absolute, invisible. It was early evening, and the mists within their valleys were beginning to rise with the cooling day. Aya tapped her pen against her wrist.

“That's easy for you to say. You've spent more time out there than anyone. I bet there's all sorts of things going on. I mean, you brought the shopkeeper all kinds of strange things. I'd love to get a better look at where these things come from.” Of course. This was feature material.

Yukari scoffed. “Well, it's not that simple. You don't just go bounding into the outside world. There are no youkai. You'd stick out like a sore thumb.”

Aya considered this. The wings were concealable, but her ears and eyes would certainly give her away.

Yukari smirked, considering. “You know, actually, it wouldn't be hard for you to pass as human.”

“What? What do you mean?”

“Well, if you had the right clothing,” Yukari nodded, thinking out loud. “You'd have to make sure you kept your hair over your ears, of course. Hm. And you could get some colored contacts.”

“Some what?”

“Small pieces of colored glass that you wear on your eyes, to change their color.”

“On … on my eyes?”

“Yes.”

Aya looked at the mountains, and turned back to Yukari.

There were always new guests to Gensokyo, so news of the outside world, even from sometimes fourth-party sources, often came in. But it had never previously occured to her to go into the outside world itself to do her own coverage. She had to admit, it was an intriguing idea. She imagined a multi-part feature series, loads of photos and interviews. It would be a historical record. “Do you really think I could pass as human?”

Yukari nodded. “Yes. Just so long as no one catches you flying.”

And so the preparations began. Yukari went across the border and returned a week later to fetch Aya. She found the tengu at the Human Village, approaching the school.

“Aya,” Yukari smiled. “Are you ready to leave?”

“I am,” she said without hesitation. The idea of going into the outside world to do an investigative piece became much more attractive when Yukari had told her that she could be a journalist in the outside world, too. Yukari had explained the concept of interns, and while it sounded appealing, Aya wondered how she would live. “I'll take care of that part. You concentrate on what I told you. And on your story.”

Aya stopped short of the school house, and put her notebook away. “So when do we go?” She asked.

“We can leave right now, if you like.” Yukari said. “But maybe not in the middle of the village.”

The apartment was small. There were a pair of small windows opposite the door, a table, a cushion, a futon alongside a wall shared with a closet to the left, and to the right, the kitchen. Aya regarded the metal fixtures of the sink, the steel box beside it, and made a note that the kitchen was the most advanced area of the household. The windows were covered, but Aya could hear a strange wind outside, a constant breeze that rose and fell in pitch.

The gap closed behind them. Yukari turned to Aya, then looked back at the room. “Well, this is it. This is where I stay.”

On the table sat a device Aya didn't recognize. She eyed it curiously as she tried to parse what function it could serve. Yukari noticed Aya's bewildered expression. “Ah, this ...” Yukari approached the table, sitting at the machine, “is going to teach you everything you need to know about the outside world. It works a lot like a typewriter, only it can do much more.”

Yukari pressed a button in the side of the machine, and it whirred softly to life. When the monitor lit up, Yukari took the mouse and opened a browser. Aya followed with rapt attention.

“You'd better learn how to use one of these things,” Yukari said. “Especially if you want to be a journalist out here. Not just for writing, but also for research.” She opened Wikipedia. “You can start just by typing in that box what you want to know about, or you can just click where it says 'random page'. There are other places on this machine you go to, too, and I've marked those for you here.” Opening bookmarks. “Make good use of these, and they'll help you learn about how things are out here. I can't be gone for days on end to answer all your questions, and I think you'll learn faster this way, anyway.”

Aya nodded. “You're right, research is key. I have to blend in. I don't want anyone thinking I'm a tengu.”

Yukari laughed a bit. “There's little danger of that. No one believes tengu are real, so it's the last possibility they'd consider if they discovered you didn't know what a car was, or how telephones work. Most likely, they'd conclude you were either newly arrived from some primitive village, or that you just weren't very bright.”

“I see.” Aya frowned.

“Anyway, spend a few days at least with this machine. Take your time. There's enough food to last you a week. After that, you're on your own, but there's a shop not far from here where you can buy food. I've left you more than enough money, in the closet.”

Aya nodded. She considered the room. It wasn't as much space as she was used to, but it would do. She kept expecting to somehow feel different, just by being in the outside world. It surprised her that she felt this comfortable. A wave of resolution swelled up inside her. “OK. So, what do we do first?”

“First,” Yukari turned with a smile to the closet, “You need to get changed.” She removed a small armful of clothing and placed it on the futon.

Yukari turned to the window as Aya stepped to the futon, and looked at the clothing. They looked so plain and unflattering. Reluctantly, she undressed, and put on the costume. “Alright.” she said at last, “Do I look human?”

Yukari turned around. Aya had taken off her tokin hat. Her hair covered her ears. She was wearing a white turtleneck with a tan suede vest, a black knee-length skirt, charcoal grey stockings and a pair of simple black flats. Yukari caught her breath.

“Better than I expected!” Yukari arched her brows, then gave an approving nod. She stepped closer, adjusting the tengu's hair a bit around her ears. “Now we just have to take care of those eyes.”

Contact lenses proved to be a real struggle. Yukari had insisted Aya learn to put them in and take them out herself, but the thought of putting something on her eyeball made Aya squeamish. But red eyes would be a problem, so in they went, eventually. Yukari regarded her face from different angles. She could sometimes see a thin crescent of red around her pupils, if she looked at her at just the right angle, but most likely no one would believe her eyes were actually red.

Yukari pulled her face back as Aya wiped tears from her cheeks. Yukari smiled. The tengu looked surprisingly human. If Yukari were drifting in the night sky over any street in this city and saw Aya walking past storefront windows, she'd suspect she was an ordinary recent university graduate from an ordinary school in this ordinary world.

“What is it?” asked Aya.

“It's nothing. I just want to remember this.” Yukari answered. “Say, lend me your camera. I want to get a picture of this.”

“Of course! We have to keep a visual record.” She took her camera out from her skirt pocket,

“No, not that one.” Yukari tapped the closet door with her umbrella. “Bottom shelf.”

Aya turned, and laughed nervously, opening the closet door. There, on the bottom shelf, was a flat, metal camera, smaller than her hand.

“That's your new camera. Much easier to carry around, much more discreet. Plus you'll need one, if you become an intern somewhere.”

Aya picked up the camera, turning it over in her hand. The internship. The perfect combination of fully covering the outside world with hiding in plain sight, and by working her trade as well. Aya felt her pulse quicken a bit at the idea. It might be tough working somewhere else, but the tengu was confident. There wasn't any going back now.

“Here, I'll show you how it works,” Yukari said, reaching for the camera.

Yukari coached Aya on a number of aspects of the outside world that evening.

“The biggest difference between the outside world and Gensokyo is not only the lack of faith in the gods and youkai. Symptomatic of that is the pace at which they live.” Yukari began. The two were sitting at the table, drinking cold barley tea in the warm little room. Aya could hear music playing through the walls, but did not recognize the melody, or the instruments.

“I'm used to humans. I've talked to plenty of them.” Aya took a sip of tea.

“These aren't like the mikos, or even the humans in the village. People in the outside world are very busy people. They are constantly working, going places, doing things, meeting people. They don't have a lot of free time.”

“I see. And there's really no belief in the gods at all?”

“Well, of course, there is some faith. But even that's a different sort. It's not the kind that serves the gods, but serves them.”

“I don't understand.”

“You will. Anyway, that's not important. Just always keep in mind the speed at which they live. It influences every other aspect of who they are.”

Aya nodded. “I'll have that in mind.”

“Now.” Yukari put down her glass of tea. “Let's talk about your job interview.”

Later that night, after Yukari had said her good-byes, Aya was sitting on the futon looking at the money Yukari left for her. Beautiful slips of paper with writing and drawings on them. The apartment was hers for as long as she needed.

Aya listened to the wind outside her window. It was unending, but unobtrusive, rising and falling, accented from time to time with soft rumbles. She realized she hadn't even looked outside yet. The tengu stood and walked to the window, pushing aside the blinds.

Across from her she saw a wall with windows in it - a three-story building. There were others lined up on either side of it, spaced very close together. She looked down and there, in the space between her house and the one across from her, she saw the cars Yukari had told her about. Strange to see them in action. They looked like dark, shiny beetles sliding across a surface of white ice. Aya watched them for a while, then walked back to the futon. She laid down, looked at the money a little longer, and drifted to sleep.

A Fistful of Donations

2010-08-13T11:48:00.000-07:00

(The following story is an entry in Maidens of the Kaleidoscope's Weekly Writing Challenge. This week's challenge - write a Wild West themed story involving Touhou characters. As someone who spent many a Sunday morning watching spaghetti westerns, I felt compelled to take part. Enjoy!)

The desert sun beat down mercilessly on the stranger's shoulders as she rode lazily towards the town. Not that it bothered her much. For one, she was used to the powerful rays of the sun, but also, her detached sleeves kept her cool.

The stranger approached the town easily. She'd seen the prairies and she'd been over the sierras. She'd ridden from the plains to Mexico, and seen every ramshackle frontier town west of the Pecos. This town, from a distance, appeared to be no different. It was just your standard one-saloon village with a single main street separating two rows of clapboard two-story buildings facing each other, the desert all around, hazy purple mountains ringing the horizon. But as she rode slowly onto the main street, she noticed right away that things were not what they seemed from a distance.

Eyes peeked out from behind drawn curtains. Shutters slammed closed. People on the street hurried inside, pulling down shades. The stranger let a long sigh slide out from clenched teeth, giving her cigar a puff. Trouble. Again.

If it was trouble she had to face, she wasn't going to do it without a belt or two of whiskey in her, so she tied her horse at the post of the town saloon. She pushed open the swinging doors, stepping inside casually.

No one was in the saloon, save for the bartender - a tall woman with long white hair and a funny little blue hat. The bartender regarded the stranger cautiously.

"If you're lookin' for trouble, yer in the right place, stranger," said the bartender. "Cuz it's in stock."

The stranger noticed the bartender reaching under the counter. Undeterred, the stranger continued stepping casually to the bar. She spat the end of her nearly spent cigar, deftly striking a nearby spittoon with a satisfying ring.

"If I were lookin' for trouble you'd know by now, barkeep." The stranger's eyes were unflinching, never blinking as she sidled up to the counter. "Whiskey."

The bartender paused a moment. She had a wise look to her, as if she'd judged a thousand faces in her life and never been wrong. "Alright, stranger," she said at last, putting a bottle and a glass on the counter, pouring a shot. The stranger downed it immediately, and tapped the bar for another. The bartender obliged.

"Awful quiet 'round here," said the stranger. "Too quiet."

"Tends to get that way when strangers come to town," said the bartender. "Things ain't been too peaceful 'round these parts lately. You got a name, stranger?"

The stranger downed the shot. "Reckon I do. But you can call me Red," she said. "Red White. And who's pourin'?"

"Name's Keine. Used to run the schoolhouse 'round here, but folks these days is a-scared to even let their little 'uns outside."

Red White drew a cigar from her sleeve and clenched it between her teeth. Drawing a match from the other sleeve, she struck it across the bar, and took her time as she puffed, bringing the tip to a soft, red glow. "Ain't ya got a sheriff?"

Keine snorted derisively. "Yeah. If you call a coward with a badge a sheriff."

"Sounds like you get yerselfs a situation."

"You got that right. You ever hear of Marisa and Alice?"

Red knew the names all too well. Couple of low-life varmints who preyed on podunk little towns like this one. "I heard tell of 'em."

"Well, them's the situation we got here. Ain't nothing we can do 'til the Federales get here."

"Federales couldn't find their own backsides if you tied a bell on it." Red turned from the bar. "Guess yer outta luck."

She walked towards the swinging doors, and then stopped.

"Problem, Red?"

"Not for me it ain't," she said. "But I reckon ye might wanna close up shop."

It was then that the barkeep heard the distant but approaching galloping of horses. "Consarn it," she grumbled, heading out from behind the bar and behind a door, the bolt sliding into place.

Red pushed the swinging doors open, stepping out into the sun, puffing her cigar casually as she watched the approaching outlaws.

Marisa and Alice rode on wildly, hooting and hollering to announce their presence. Red shook her head as they approached. Amateurs. The kind that'd probably turn tail at the sign of any real threat. She stepped out into the street, meaning to check into the inn across the way. But something made her stop when she got to the middle of the street. Maybe she was bored, or maybe she was itching for a fight. Either way, she turned to face the two outlaws, and stood her ground.

Marisa and Alice galloped towards her but, seeing that she wasn't getting out of the way, pulled back the reins of their horses. They regarded Red steadily. Marisa looked much like she'd been depicted on her wanted poster - wide-brimmed black hat, sun-bleached hair, cocky smirk. But it'd been the first time Red ever laid eyes on Alice, a mean-faced kid with piercing blue eyes. Red hated her immediately.

"Somethin' wrong with yer legs there, stranger?" Marisa said. "Cuz it ain't like folks with any sense to stand in front of a chargin' mare. Least of all one I'm ridin'."

Red spat her cigar onto dry earth. Nervous townspeople peered through curtains in their windows. Red looked at Marisa. "I ain't never been one to be known for havin' a lot of sense."

"Maybe you ought not neglect it," Alice said.

"Wasn't talkin' to you, Fancypants." Red said, keeping her eyes on Marisa. Alice, furious, reached for her piece, but Marisa raised a hand to her. Alice relented.

"Mighty bold talk," Marisa said to Red. "Surprised that mouth ain't bought you a trip to the bone yard yet."

"Kinda surprised 'bout that myself at times. But I reckon y'ain't come to town to wax philosophical with me, have ye?"

"What I do on my time's my business, stranger," Marisa said, the meanness in her eyes showing now.

"Reckon you're right," said Red. "But it just so happens your time is my time, too. Seein's how you're sittin' there, flappin' that jaw at me."

Marisa grabbed for her six-shooter, but Red had already drawn both of hers, pointing her guns at Marisa and Alice. The three of them were motionless as the desert breeze stirred eddies of dust in the street. Somewhere in the distance, a dog barked.

"Now then," Red continued. "Why'nt you two strays find another trash heap to dig in?"

Marisa and Alice looked at each other. Alice was fuming. Marisa turned back to Red, a sly smile on her face. "This ain't over, stranger. T'ain't over by a long shot. Heeyah!"

The two spurred their horses, turning round, and headed out of town.

Red lowered her guns as she watched them ride out of town. Now that was a damn fool thing to do, she thought to herself.

Townspeople began to slowly trickle out. When it finally set in what had happened, they cheered, rushing up to Red, shaking her hand. Red obliged them, still wondering what kind of revenge she'd invited on these people.

From out of the crowd stepped the sheriff. She tipped her hat to Red, and then extended her hand. "Name's Sheriff Sanae, stranger. I don't know what you said to those two, but I gotta thank ye for clearin' 'em off."

"T'weren't nothin'," Red said. The sheriff had the eyes of a coward, alright - shifty, nervous, clearly relieved that someone had done the dirty work for her.

"What're ye thankin' her for?," a small voice piped up. A small girl in a blue dress pushed her way through the crowd. "I coulda run 'em off one-handed. I'm the strongesta any of you yellow-bellied coyotes."

Red smiled at the kid. Now this one, she liked. "What's yer name, young'un?"

"Name's Cirno, and what's it to you?" The girl scowled.

"Yer a spry one, ain't ya?" Red smiled, ruffling her hair. Cirno pushed her hand away, blushing.

"What say I buy you a drink?," the sheriff said, throwing an arm around Red.

"I'd thank ye kindly," said Red. "But I best be movin' on."

The crowd stopped, their faces crestfallen. Sanae looked incredulous. "Movin' on? Waddaya mean, movin' on?" The sheriff started to look nervous. The crowd murmured with worry.

Red felt their eyes on her. "Prairie's a big place," Red explained. "and I ain't the sort what stays put for very long."

Cirno shook her head, disgusted, and walked away.

"Now, just hold on a second," Sanae said. "You just got here. Why don't ya-"

"Ah, don't waste yer breath, Sheriff," said another voice. The crowd turned and parted, revealing a girl with twin ponytails and a green hat. "Wouldn't make no sense for this'un to stick around for what those two buzzards is likely to bring back here, now, would it?"

Sanae laughed nervously. "Nitori, y'ain't exactly bein' hospitable now, is ya?"

Nitori locked her eyes on Red. Red met her gaze for a few seconds, then looked away. She couldn't deny what Nitori had said. Maybe Red was just as much a coward as the sheriff, or even more so - at least the sheriff wasn't going anywhere.

Nitori spat on the ground. "Manners is the leasta my concerns right now, Sheriff. You think Marisa and Alice are just gonna stay gone? After the little stunt this firecracker pulled, you better believe they'll be back with guns blazin'. And by then, she'll be long gone. She don't care what happens to the likes of us."

The crowd turned to Red. Some looked angry, some looked disappointed. Few looked hopeful. The sheriff hung her head. Red heaved a sigh. She knew it shouldn't matter what a bunch of prairie dogs thought of her. But she also knew that if she turned her back now, the eyes of these people would haunt her for the rest of her life. Damn my hair trigger, she cursed to herself.

"Now hang on a minute," said Red to Nitori. "You really think those two'll be comin' back?"

"You know just as well as I that those two'll be comin' back like flies to a cow patty," Nitori sneered.

Red smiled, sauntering up to Nitori as the crowd made way. Nitori held her ground, eyes unmoving. "Now what kinda way's that to talk 'bout yer town?," Red asked.

"Won't be worth more'n a cow patty after those two get through with us."

Red stopped, and scratched her head. She turned back to the sheriff, who'd been following Red with hopeful eyes. Red looked around the crowd. "But this is your home. And there's more of you than them. Ain't ye never thought to ambush 'em?"

"Yeah, right." Nitori said. "With what? Maybe y'ain't heard, but Marisa and Alice're the fastest draws and sharpest shooters this side of the Rio Grande, and we never had no more'n a handful of rusty six-irons between us to start with. We didn't stand a chance. We ain't got no guns no more. They took 'em all. T'ain't got no money in the bank left to buy more if we wanted, neither. Hell, we only got enough provisions what to last us another few weeks at the most. Guess ye could say we're in a tight spot. Now then," Nitori crossed her arms. "You got any bright ideas, stranger?"

Red drew a cigar from her sleeve, clenching it between her teeth. Drawing a match from the other sleeve, she struck it across the side of her boot before lighting it, carefully, savoring the smoke. "Correction: Marisa and Alice were the fastest draws and sharpest shooters this side of the Rio Grande." She looked around her, scanning the buildings of the town. The blacksmith's caught her eye. She turned to Nitori.

"You as good with your hands as you is with your bark?" Red asked her.

Nitori grinned. "I might be. Watcha have in mind, stranger?"

Red squinted in the late afternoon sun as she eyed up the windows of the town. "'Bout how much iron ye got left in yon smithy?"

"T'ain't got much, maybe enough for a few score horseshoes."

Red nodded. "That'll do. That'll do quite nicely. But we need to get started now."

Red set to work in the smithy, melting down and shaping the iron, hammering away. At the other end of the shop, Nitori worked on the stack of planks she pulled up from the floor of the general store - tracing the shape she'd designed over them, sawing the shapes out, sanding them down, shaping them. Then the iron and wood pieces were assembled together. It took them all night, and by dawn they were both worn out, but surveying their handiwork at last, they couldn't help but feel satisfied: thirty reasonable facsimiles of black-powder rifles. Really no more than slender iron cylinders nailed to wooden stocks. Making actual guns was out of the question - time was of the essence, and time (not to mention ammunition and powder) was something they didn't have. They had to pin their hopes on the design, and their ability to bluff.

"Reckon they'll fall for it?," Nitori asked, scratching her head.

"From far enough away they'll look real enough," Red said, wiping the sweat from her brow. "But I s'pose we'll find out just how good an imitation they is once they get here, won't we?"

Quickly, Nitori and Red roused the residents of the town, explaining the plan. Most people balked but, having no other real options, eventually relented.

Red spent the day with her feet up at the saloon, her eyes closed. Keine polished glasses while Cirno play-acted being in a shoot-out.

"Pyer-pyer!" Cirno said, pointing her fingers like guns at her invisible enemy as she ducked behind chairs. "Take that, rapscallion!"

Keine ignored the noise as long as she could, but eventually had enough. Reaching under the counter, she took out a short club. "Consarn it, Cirno," she hissed in a loud whisper. "Red's tryin' to catch some shut-eye! Why'n't you scamper off and play some place else?"

"The kid ain't botherin' me as much as that rotgut you call whiskey," Red mumbled, her eyes still closed. "Leave the lil rustler alone."

Cirno stuck her tongue out at Keine, and continued her invisible shoot out. Keine sighed, and furtively added more water to the whiskey.

After a while, Red decided sleep wasn't going to happen. There was too much on her mind. Rubbing her eyes, Red sat up slowly, yawned and stretched. "I do believe I'm gettin' the feelin' we may've been forgotten by our illustrious guests." She smirked. "Perhaps they're bigger cowards than I thought."

Nitori came rushing in. "Rise and shine, prairie blossom. Scout on the roof's spotted your two new friends a-comin'. And they brought company."

Red sighed as she rose to her feet. "Now ain't that a damn shame. I ain't even had my coffee yet."

Stepping out into the noon sunlight, Red eyed up the windows as she stepped into the street. She hoped there were people behind those curtains and shutters, waiting and ready for the signal. If they changed their minds, she'd know soon enough.

Stepping to the middle of the road, Red stood her ground as seven riders galloped into town. She recognized Marisa and Alice immediately, but didn't recognize the other riders.

They slowed to a trot and then stopped just in front of her. Getting a better look at the other riders, she saw they all looked a lot like Alice in some way, but were all a little smaller, or younger, than she. Red nodded. Vermin tend to have big litters.

Marisa spat onto the dusty ground. "See you haven't grown yerself any sense since yesterday. Yer still standin' in front of chargin' horses. And yer still in town."

Red shrugged. "What can I say? The place grew on me. I see Fancypants brought the family."

Alice glared at Red. "I'm gonna enjoy draggin' yer carcass behind my horse."

"Well now," said Red. "That's mighty presumptuous of ye, ain't it?"

Red drew a cigar from her sleeve. Then she drew a match from her other sleeve.

"Those things'll kill ya, you know," said Marisa.

"You only live once," Red said, and struck the match across the side of her boot. "But I was plannin' on livin' past the afternoon."

Red lit her cigar, taking a few puffs, and then threw her match to the ground. The signal.

At once, the shutters on the windows on the second floor of four buildings - two on each side - were thrown open. In them stood people with their rifles. Doors opened on the lower floors of other buildings - both behind Red and behind Marisa and Alice's posse - with more people holding rifles stepping out of them. They looked surprisingly brave, Red noted, impressed.

Marisa and Alice looked around them nervously. The rest of the posse looked equally uncertain. Marisa looked at Red sideways.

"And just where did a heap of rifles come from, all a sudden?" she asked.

"Funny thing 'bout that," Red said, sending a long plume of smoke from her cigar into the midday sky. "Federales came by not too long after you cleared out with yer tail between yer legs. Seems they're too busy mopping up after scum like you, but they were more'n happy to drop off a a few dozen single-bore .50 caliber Army-issue rifles with precision-tuned sights, a couple kegs of powder, and a big ol' crate of shot. Federales ain't exactly as useless as I reckoned, it seemed."

Alice looked from Marisa to Red nervously, but Marisa kept her gaze steady on Red.

"That is a funny thing." Marisa said.

"Tis, ain't it?"

The posse stood motionless. The townspeople began to shift on their feet, barely perceptibly.

Marisa stroked her chin. "Now, way I reckon, the chances of a wagon train comin' through here right after we left - a wagon train that just happened to have all the lead y'all might be needin' - that's a might slim chance indeed."

"Ye got that right. It's a one-in-a-million hand to get dealt. But then again, Lady Luck's always been awful sweet to me. So lemme ask you-" Red took another long draw on her cigar. "You callin' me, or are ya foldin'?"

Red could see the sweat beading on Alice's brow. Red's own hands, although in a relaxed pose, were wound tight as a rattlesnake, ready to strike at her guns, even if they'd end up being the last shots she ever fired.

Marisa sighed. Her eyes didn't blink. A dust devil blew lazily across the road.

"Stranger," Marisa said at last, gritting her teeth. "You best pray. You best pray to God, if he's listenin', or to the devil, if he'll have ye, that you and me never cross paths again. You might not even see me comin'. But I'll be watchin'. And waitin'. And the next thing you'll ever hear from me is the sounda my lead hittin' that thick skull of yers."

Red smiled. "Consider it noted."

Without another word, Marisa spurred her horse, giving Red one last long look, before turning around, the posse following, and galloping out of town. Red, and the townspeople, watched as the dust from the posse spilled slowly out across the desert to the distant, lonely mountains.

A hearty roar rose up from the townspeople. Hats were thrown in the air as they rushed in around Red, slapping her on the back and shaking her hand, all jabbering their thanks to her at once. Keine pushed her way through the crowd.

"Stranger, consider your tab settled." She smiled.

"I wasn't plannin' on payin' anyhow." Red smirked.

Sanae pushed past Keine, beaming. "What can I say? I am humbled. How'd you like to be deputy?"

"Deputy, hell!" someone shouted. "Make 'er sheriff!" This was followed by raucous laughter. Sanae smiled sheepishly.

Red turned to her right, seeing Nitori standing in the crowd, arms across her chest, shaking her head.

"Yer one loco critter, ya know that?" Nitori smiled. "Just what were you fixin' to do if Marisa called yer bluff?"

Red scratched her head. "Well, now, I hadn't really thought that far ahead." Then she felt someone tugging on her sleeve, behind her. She turned, seeing Cirno. Red smiled, and ruffled her hair. "Well, now, lil buckaroo, what's-"

"Yer stayin', right?" Cirno asked anxiously, her eyes pleading.

The crowd fell silent. Red sighed, and crouched down, eye level with Cirno. She put her hands on Cirno's shoulders.

"I can't." The crowd groaned with disbelief. Red stood, and held up a hand. The crowd quieted down. "I can't stay. I don't stay anywheres. That just ain't the way the Creator made me. 'Sides which, y'all don't need me no more. I ain't gave ye nothin' y'all never had anyways."

Red walked to her horse, untying it from the post in front of the saloon, and saddled up. Cirno rushed up to her.

"Take me with you!" Cirno pleaded. "I'm the roughest, toughest, six-shooterin' partner you'll ever have."

"Then you'd better stick around and take care of the town for me, ya hear?" Red tried to ignore the tears welling up in Cirno's eyes. "You be big and brave, for me, alright? Ya promise?"

Cirno bit her bottom lip, but soon nodded, wordlessly.

"Alright then. Adios, little buckaroo." Red spurred her horse, and galloped out of town as the town watched.

Sanae turned to Keine. "Who was that mysterious stranger, anyway?"

Keine smiled as she watched Red's silhouette riding off towards the unknown. "It don't matter no how."

Cue: Closing credits music!

(Image source: Pixiv)

TH 12.5 ダブルスポイラー　～東方文花帖 Touhou Bunkachou - Double Spoiler: English Patch Review

2010-05-23T18:59:00.000-07:00

As a fan of Shoot the Bullet, the release of Double Spoiler was a real joy for me, and it's a game I play pretty much every day. I was already happy with drywall's StB English Patch (reviewed here), so naturally he was the person to get started on making a patch for this game, with some fine help from some of the other denizens. These guys spent a string of posts discussing how to spell an in-game sound effect, which kind of lends to the spirit of thoroughness here.

I was lucky enough to get to test this thing, and I have to say, it's good stuff. Here's some screenshots:

Installation of the patch is dead easy, and took less than a minute. Gameplay was just fine, too. I'm a sucker for Aya's descriptions of the cards, and seeing them in-game instead of just on the Touhou wiki is pretty nice. The manual is succint and clear.

The only known issue with this game is, on my distro anyway (Linux Mint 8, running WINE 1.1.33), the Music Room looks like this:

But then, I never visit the Music Room, so this isn't exactly a dealbreaker for me, and will likely not be for many others. This is actually a known issue when running Touhou in WINE in general - transparent fonts will also appear in dialogue text for Mountain of Faith, for example.

Overall, a great release. You heard it here, first!

What Gets Read

2010-04-03T18:23:00.000-07:00

Every week, the fiction board at Shrinemaiden.org has a theme challenge. This week's was:

The characters of Touhou, who are in the real world for whatever reason (justify it however you want, if at all), must deal with the trials and tribulations of day-to-day life. They may keep their special powers and danmaku if you wish, or they can be mundane; it's completely up to you. Tone can be whatever you wish. All I ask for is an urban, modern-day setting.

So this is my entry.

It's the morning meeting. Graphic design, sales, subscriptions and four of us journalists are there. Ted, the editor, is there, as is our publisher extraordinaire, Laura. Aya is not. But we'll wait for her, and pretend it's no problem that she came in late, again. That's because her stories have doubled our readership in the past year. She's broken amazing news, her writing is simple, fast-paced and engaging. She's the star of the paper and she is a fraud who I am determined to expose.

Not that I have any proof she's a fraud, mind you. She covers her tracks well enough. There were times I thought I was maybe just a little jealous, and inventing reasons to find fault. But now I'm convinced. Her stories are just a little too good. The interviewees say all the right things. The narrative is a little too tidy. More than anything else, though, my gut tells me Aya cooks stories.

I've tried talking to Ted about this. He seems on the fence. That's because Laura adores Aya. Every time Aya walks into the room, you can practically see the dollar signs flashing in Laura's eyes. Sales naturally love her - ad space sells itself. If Ted were to kick the hornet's nest and lock down her office while he did some deep cleaning, it's likely the whole office would hate him. I can tell he agrees with me, but he always says, "Even if you were right, my hands are tied here." I suppose he's right.

At last, Aya arrives. She strides in with a smile, a crisp "Sorry I'm late everyone!" and drops her jacket and laptop bag into the first available seat. "I just had a really interesting conversation on my way in today." She grins conspiratorally, pausing for effect. I don't roll my eyes.

Laura raises an eyebrow, grinning. "Well, do tell."

Aya chuckles a little through her nose, which always makes me want to snap a pencil. I make a note to do that later. "I was coming out of the café, when this homeless man approaches me. I thought he was going to ask for change, but instead he introduces himself. Says he recognizes me from the paper."

Ted and I look at each other. He briefly clears his throat.

"So what did he want?" Ted asks Aya.

"Well, he said he's a traveling musician. He travels all around the country by stowing away on freight trains."

"Really?" says Laura. "I didn't know people still did that."

"Oh they do. And he told me some amazing stories about the society of people who 'ride the rail' as he put it." She makes air-quotes, too. "I'm going to see him right after the meeting to get an exclusive."

Ted nods. "Alright, that could be an interesting slice-of-life piece. Maybe some quirky news story."

"No, come on, Ted." Laura chides. "This is ... feature material. You know, the country's forgotten underworld. A people forgotten by time. The way it's kind of a metaphor for the economy and stuff. Yes." She turns to Aya. "I'm thinking feature."

Of course she's thinking feature. Aya could do a feature on the greenness of grass, Laura would rubber stamp it.

Aya beams. "Thanks, Laura. Well then! Guess I better get going. You sure know how to make me work!"

"Hey, don't mention it," Laura kids back. With a brief wave, Aya is out again.

We all look at each other momentarily. Ted doesn't seem pleased. This is the second time Laura has made an overriding editorial decision in the past few months. She used to let Ted call all the shots, but lately, she's been pushing to get Aya out in front of everything.

Sales briefly run down the numbers for the past week. Laura is pleased with this, so she adjourns the meeting. The other journalists, myself included, had no purpose here. I sigh, and go back to my desk.

Scrolling through the police blotter for something remotely interesting later that morning, Ted comes up to my desk. He sits on the edge, looking at his coffee for a moment, not saying anything.

"Do it," he says at last. "You think Aya's cooking stories? Bring me proof. Solid evidence. You don't have to have your name involved if you don't want, but-"

"No, that's alright." I tell him, without hesitation. "I don't mind if you tell them I was the one who found her out. It'd be my pleasure."

Ted nods, gives my shoulder a little clap, and leaves. I open my desk, get my dictaphone and digital camera, and I'm out of the office.

Aya's easy to find, of course. She's at the café, sitting at a table in the back, typing in her laptop, earphones in. That's another thing. I have never seen Aya Syameimaru on the scene of anything. Sure, when I interned she took me with her a couple times. Interviews with someone from city hall, basic Q&A. But even then it seemed like a put on. Like she was faking her way through it. At the time, I just took it to mean she works on the fly - no prepared questions or follow-ups, the barest research on the subject beforehand. And she could pull it off, too. Even I was impressed at first. Maybe even a little star-struck.

I think I started to wise up the time she reported on this jazz performance last spring. She was griping about the assignment from the moment she got it, but Ted told her they were really short on interns. Aya doesn't normally do music. Reluctantly, she covered it, and came back with a glowing review of the performance. The way she described the tiny bar, the atmosphere, the different turns the music took as it was performed, you could almost feel as though you were there yourself. It was great work.

Then about a week later, I went to the same bar. They'd advertised another jazz ensemble, a trio, and so I was curious to see if these guys could live up to the same standard as the band Aya reported on. I remarked to the bartender that I heard last week's performance had been pretty amazing. "Yeah, could say that." He smiled. "The band had to stop playing after the third song because the drummer got a call from his wife that she was going into labor."

Now, it's possible Aya saw some of the performance. But this kind of detail is exactly the kind of thing she would put in a story. No question. And yet, it was never mentioned. It got me thinking about her other stories. I realized that yeah, a lot of them have a very similar narrative to them. And that grain of suspicion has snowballed into me at this café right now, watching Aya typing away.

I approach her table and seat myself. I reach into my jacket pocket and turn on my dictaphone.

"Hey Aya," I say cheerfully enough. "What are you working on?"

She is clearly annoyed, and does a bad job hiding it, but probably thinks it doesn't show. "Oh, just putting together some questions for my rail-rider, heh."

"Yeah, OK. Hey, amazing luck that, by the way."

"Mhm." She responds, and begins typing again.

"Where did you say you ran into him again? A café, right?" I press.

"That's right."

"This one?"

"No, another one."

"Which one?"

"The one up around the corner there. I can never remember the name of the place."

I do. I know the name and location of every business within a ten block radius. "Soul Shack? Fast Eddie's? Art's Bagels?"

"Yeah, Fast Eddie's." Aya says, eyes still on the keyboard, typing.

"Fast Eddie's closed last October."

"Alright, well, obviously not that one then. Look, do you mind?" Aya looks up now. "I have a feature to work on. It's a lot of work to do a feature, maybe you'll get to find out for yourself some day."

That's just about enough to set me off. "Oh some day huh? Mighty generous of you, star journalist. Thanks for seeing the potential in me."

Aya looks up again. This time, she doesn't say anything for a moment. She then closes the lid of her laptop.

"Alright, Hatate." She says steadily. "What's your problem?"

I don't care about finesse anymore. I know I should back off and just follow her. But instead I say it. "I think you cook stories."

She laughs derisively through her nose and shakes her head. But she doesn't deny it. Then she leans forward a bit. "Hatate, let me ask you something. What's the most important thing the news can do?"

"Inform people." I answer at once.

"Wrong. It needs to be read first. If it is not read, then it cannot inform, correct?" It's rhetorical. I just let her continue. "And what makes someone want to read the news? You probably think it's to become informed, right? You'd be wrong again. I could become informed about the state tax code if I read it." She takes out a pen, fiddling with it between her fingers as she talks. "You could become informed the same way. But neither one of us are ever going to read the tax code, as informative as that would be to read. And you know why?"

"Because it would be dead boring." Of course. I had a feeling I knew where this was going. I adjusted the dictaphone in my pocket as furtively as I could.

"That's right. People read the news because they want to feel like they're getting informed. Look at how everything these people read bills itself." She gestures to a magazine rack against the opposite wall. "Look at those titles. 'Ten Ways to a Slimmer You'. 'How to Make Your Money Work for You'. 'Why the Middle East Peace Plan Will Fail'. Snazzy, snappy titles, and you can bet the articles lean far more heavily on story than facts. You read a neat little story that gets your blood pumping, and you can put down the paper with the self-satisfaction of being an informed person."

She laughs, putting her pen down. "It doesn't matter what's true or not in these stories. What matters is that people read them. I write articles people read. People reading means people subscribing. And of course you know what that means." She levels her eyes against mine. "So grow up. You can sit at your tiny desk with your quaint ideas about news and feel smug. I have a story to write. So if you'll excuse me."

I hesitate a moment. I imagine myself reaching into my pocket, and slowly, dramatically, showing her the running dictaphone. I decide, no, that's alright. It'll be worth it to see her face as she's carrying her stuff out of the office.

"Alright then, ace reporter," I smirk, rising. "You have a great day now." I leave her, hitting the street.

True, she didn't outright admit that she makes things up, but she might as well have with that little lecture. Guess she couldn't help schooling the junior reporter a bit, gloating over me. I've seen it before - someone too big for their britches tripping over their own feet spectacularly. And the bigger they come ...

Laura, Ted and myself are in Ted's office. I've been back all of thirty minutes. The moment I walked in, I went straight to Ted's office and played him the recording. He blanched as he listened. When at last the recording stopped. He took a deep breath, and wiped his face downwards, slowly, with both hands.

"How many stories do you think she's cooked?" He asked at last, to no one in particular. "How many are we going to have to recant? Oh god. This is ... really not good." He took another deep breath. I could see he was in agony, the poor guy.

"Look, Ted-" I began, but he picked up the phone, and held up a finger to me. "Just hold that thought. I have to call Laura."

Now the three of us are listening to Aya's soliloquy about how readability trumps facts. Ted is standing, looking out the window. Laura is at Ted's desk. She is listening attentively. I watch the two of them, and think about the paper. It's done. We're going to be a laughing stock. I'd thought of that, of course, but even losing my job is worth it if it means Aya never works for so much as a sewing club newsletter again.

When I started at this paper it was struggling, but it had integrity. Everyone worked crazy hours for less than the guy making our coffee makes, but that was because we had a name. We were known for investigative pieces. We blew the lid off a bribes-for-redistricting scandal before any other news source, which led to the dissolution of city hall and emergency elections. That story went national. That's what made us who we were. That's why I wanted to work here. And that's why Aya doesn't belong here.

At long last the recording ends. Laura nods. She turns to Ted. "So what's the problem?"

Ted is used to this. Laura can be a little slow on the uptake. "Aya basically admitted she's cooking stories." I said. "She makes things up."

Laura appears confused. "I didn't hear her say that."

"Not those exact words, no," Ted cuts in. "But everything she's saying, she's saying it's ... I mean come on. What are we to assume here?"

"Nothing." Laura says, calmly. "We don't make assumptions about our journalists around here. Especially ones this serious." She stands. "Ted, do you remember how things were here before Aya showed up? Do you remember the staff full of interns, and one underpaid full-timer? The burned-out sales team? Because I do." She walks towards the door. She doesn't even look at me. "I'm not prepared to go back to the way things were. Least of all not based on ... an assumption." With that, she's out the door. She doesn't even say good-bye.

Ted leans against the window of his office, hands in his pockets. He appears defeated, shoulders slumped, head bowed. I feel incredibly insulted.

"What the hell is that woman's problem?" I say to Ted. "We all heard what Aya said. Is she really going to let this slide?"

Ted shrugs. "What do you think?" He pauses a moment. "Can't say I'd much enjoy being known as the editor of the story-cooker, either. I'd likely never work again."

Ted's words make me more broken-hearted than angry. He's right. There's not a damn thing anyone can do. So I bite my tongue. "Guess I'll get back to work." I say, rising, and head for the door.

"Hatate," Ted says. I turn. He steps away from the wall, picking up my dictaphone from his desk, and hands it to me. He looks as though he's starting a few different sentences at once inside his head, but just says, “Don't forget this.”

I nod, and go back to my desk. Back to the police blotter. And Aya sits at the café a few blocks away, typing in her laptop, making a story that people will want to read.

(Image: Pixiv)

n

Guest of the Moon Princess: CYOA Story

2010-03-12T18:29:00.000-08:00

[A Note About Items: There is an item collection aspect to this story. You pick one up when you see "You receive the _____". Make a note of what items you have. When a character asks you what items you have, only respond with the items you do have; not those you haven't picked up yet. This being in text format, I can't have "locked" story arcs that can only be unlocked if you pass a different arc. You just have to be honest with the character. Hope you enjoy the story!]

It's a beautiful summer afternoon, and you've just left home to enjoy the weather a bit. It's the first really warm day since summer started. As you head down the sidewalk, you can't help but smile as you look at the cloudless blue sky.

It is then that the ground disappears from beneath you, and you are falling, fast. Panic hits you like a shock in the chest. Within seconds, you lose consciousness.

The next thing you know, you're standing on the outskirts of a small Japanese village, the houses done in the style of the early Meiji Era. There is a folded piece of paper in your hand. You open it and read:

"Welcome to Gensokyo! You have been selected to be the subject of an experiment, wherein I hope to answer the question: how far could a randomly-chosen human from the outside world get in Gensokyo?

Perhaps you've never heard of this place. Well, no matter how confused you might be feeling right now, rest assured you're a lucky individual. Gensokyo is a place few people get to visit. Here, magic is real, and creatures you've never seen outside of myths are alive and well. It can be breathtakingly beautiful. But be warned - it can also be deadly. There are areas of Gensokyo humans avoid, for good reason. Be sure to keep your wits about you.

Right now, you are in the Human Village. This is your starting point. The three structures closest to you should be the Inn, the Blacksmith, and the Noodle Stand. From here, you will move to parts unknown. You will meet people, youkai, and magical beings along the way. Some of them are a part of the experiment - they have been given instructions on what to do and say with you - while others you meet will have no idea who you are.

Your task is to be a welcome guest in the court of the moon princess Kaguya Houraisan. Once you have been welcomed to Kaguya's court, and spent some time enjoying yourself there, you will be returned to whence you came, and no time will have passed, so you needn't worry about your affairs in the outside world.

You are free to go where you want, when you want. Keep in mind that even small decisions you make can have profound effects on future outcomes. Be cautious and wary. But also, enjoy yourself! Feel free to engage with the people and creatures you meet. You might make some friends.

Good luck, explorer. Do not let me down.

Yukari Yakumo"

Where will you go first?

The Inn.

The Blacksmith.

The Noodle Stand.

The Inn

You enter the tavern area, which is one large room furnished with simple tables and chairs. The afternoon light casts long shadows of the tables across the room. Two men stand at the bar, talking in low voices as the bartender polishes glasses soundlessly. Apart from these people you see no one else. Then, in a dimmer corner, you see a figure seated at a table, writing in an open book, a small stack of books resting beside her. On closer examination, you see this is none other than Keine Kamishirasawa. She notices you as you approach. She regards you steadily for a moment, as if trying to make up her mind about something, and then nods. She puts her pen down.

"So it happened again," she says. "You must be the new person. Well, no turning back now until you've done as Yukari's asked. Here's hoping you fare better than the last guest." She closes the book she was writing in and stands.

"Well, I have a pretty busy day tomorrow. I was just doing the lesson plan. There's still more work for me to do at the school, actually." Keine thinks for a moment. "You're welcome to come along, I guess. If that doesn't interest you, I could always come back for you tonight and take you to the Bamboo Forest." She shrugs.

Go to the school with Keine.

Wait here, have her take me to the Bamboo Forest later.

Think I'll go to the Blacksmith instead.

Think I'll go to the Noodle Stand instead.

The Bamboo Forest

"Not a problem," Keine says with a smile, standing. She gathers her books together. "Well, I'll see you later on." With that, she leaves the inn.

You pass your time at the Inn watching people walk past the window, occassionally coming inside. As dusk approaches, the place begins to fill a bit. Before long, Keine enters, and comes to your table, sitting down.

"Well, I think I'm caught up enough to take you to see a friend of mine in the Bamboo Forest. She'll probably help you out. We'll see. But after I take you there, you're on your own. I still have a lot of preparations to do." She stands. "Let's go."

You follow her out of the village. A simple dirt road leads out of the village. You walk in silence, taking in the dazzling sunset burning slowly down behind the mountains in the distance. The air is warm and clean, the sounds of lazy bees and the occasion call from an unseen bird arising now and then.

Soon you are at the outskirts of the Bamboo Forest. Keine looks around for a moment, and then points with a smile. "There." You turn, looking into the forest, and see Fujiwara no Mokou seated by a large bamboo stalk. You follow Keine to Mokou.

Mokou turns to you as you approach. She smiles, and stands.

"Well. So this is the new guest? A pleasure." Mokou then turns to Keine. "I'm glad you brought him to me." She turns back to you again. "Where do you need to go, stranger?"

You hand her the letter Yukari gave you. She skims it, then shakes her head, handing it back to you."

"I'm sorry, but I can't take you to Eientei. Not since I crashed Kaguya's banquet. If I so much as get near that place she's going to come after me. And you know, it's not like I can't hold my own against her, but it's just not worth the headache." She thinks for a moment. "Tell you what I'll do."

Mokou turns away from you, cups her hands to either side of her mouth and lets out a sharp, loud whistle. Within seconds, a youkai rabbit comes running up from out of the shadows. Mokou smiles at her warmly, then turns back to you.

"This youkai rabbit can be your guide in the Bamboo Forest. You won't need to worry about a thing with this one. She can take you to Eientei. If you run into trouble along the way, though, she might not be able to help you. If you think you've got a good sense of direction, you can always go it alone."

That's alright, I'll find my own way.

Accept the help of the youkai rabbit.

The School

"Yeah, sure, that's not a problem." Keine starts walking to the door, leading the way. "You might even learn something. I'm planning on covering nocturnal youkai. It'll take you a few days to succeed - or fail - the task that Yukari's given you." You walk out into the village square. You pass three men who stare in surprise as you walk past them. "That means you might be caught outside at night. Knowing is half the battle. Some nocturnal youkai are very aggressive. Others will prey on you by trying to gain your trust. However, you'll occassionally run into one that'll feel sorry for you and try to help you out. You have to keep your eyes open."

You arrive at the school. It's a one-classroom furnished with desks and chairs arranged in rows, facing a larger desk at the front of the room, behind which hangs a large black slate chalkboard. "Nocturnal Youkai" is written in larger letters near the top.

Keine sets her books down on her desk. "So anyways, when it comes to nocturnal youkai, the most important thing of all is to never forget that-"

The door swings open suddenly, and in steps Cirno. "Heya, Keine! I was just passing by and-" she turns to you, and feigns surprise terribly. "Oh my! Who is this strange person? How on earth did he-"

"Come off it, Cirno." Keine snaps. "What do you want?"

Cirno pauses, then smirks. "I was just thinking, you know, that it's good for guests to be shown around properly. That's all." She turns to you. "I mean, you could sit her all day and listen to blah blah blah, or you could come out to the Misty Lake! It's really gorgeous."

Hey, why not? Let's go to the Misty Lake.

Eh, think I'll pass and go to the Bamboo Forest with Keine in a bit.

The Bamboo Forest

Cirno shrugs. "Suit yourself." She heads for the door. Opening it, she turns to you again. "Try not to die!," she chirps happily, and closes the door behind her.

Keine sighs. "Anyways. It'll be a while until evening. Best to get settled in."

Keine spends most of the time writing her lesson plan, talking to you about the different species of nocturnal youkai. At long last, she sets down her pen and looks at you.

"Well, I think I'm caught up enough to take you to see a friend of mine in the Bamboo Forest. She'll probably help you out. We'll see. But after I take you there, you're on your own. I still have a lot of preparations to do." She stands. "Let's go."

You follow her out of the village. It's dusk. A simple dirt road leads out of the village. You walk in silence, taking in the dazzling sunset burning slowly down behind the mountains in the distance. The air is warm and clean, the sounds of lazy bees and the occasion call from an unseen bird arising now and then.

Soon you are at the outskirts of the Bamboo Forest. Keine looks around for a moment, and then points with a smile. "There." You turn, looking into the forest, and see Fujiwara no Mokou seated by a large bamboo stalk. You follow Keine to Mokou.

Mokou turns to you as you approach. She smiles, and stands.

"Well. So this is the new guest? A pleasure." Mokou then turns to Keine. "I'm glad you brought him to me." She turns back to you again. "Where do you need to go, stranger?"

You hand her the letter Yukari gave you. She skims it, then shakes her head, handing it back to you."

"I'm sorry, but I can't take you to Eientei. Not since I crashed Kaguya's banquet. If I so much as get near that place she's going to come after me. And you know, it's not like I can't hold my own against her, but it's just not worth the headache." She thinks for a moment. "Tell you what I'll do."

Mokou turns away from you, cups her hands to either side of her mouth and lets out a sharp, loud whistle. Within seconds, a youkai rabbit comes running up from out of the shadows. Mokou smiles at her warmly, then turns back to you.

"This youkai rabbit can be your guide in the Bamboo Forest. You won't need to worry about a thing with this one. She can take you to Eientei. If you run into trouble along the way, though, she might not be able to help you. If you think you've got a good sense of direction, you can always go it alone."

That's alright, I'll find my own way.

Accept the help of the youkai rabbit.

In the Company of the Youkai Rabbit

"Great," Mokou smiles. "Good luck to you, stranger." Keine and Mokou wave you off, as the youkai rabbit leads you into the Bamboo Forest.

It gets darker as you move deeper into the forest, the tall bamboo stalks getting denser. The youkai rabbit is silent as she leads you on. Looking up, you can see patches of the deep purple evening sky, the last rays of sunlight about to fade. A gentle wind makes the stalks creak as they slowly sway at their tops.

Soon it is so dark you can only see the faintest shadow of the youkai rabbit, walking on a meter ahead of you. Then suddenly, she stops walking. You hear a faint hiss somewhere off to your right, and the next thing you know, the youkai rabbit has run away.

You are alone in the dark, somewhere in the Bamboo Forest. And the hissing is getting louder as it gets closer and closer.

The Bamboo Forest can be dangerous - know who to trust.

Alone in the Bamboo Forest

"A tough guy, are you?" Mokou smirks. "I have to admire you for that. Well, best of luck to you stranger." Keine and Mokou wave you off as you walk into the Bamboo Forest. Looking up, you can see patches of the deep purple evening sky, the last rays of sunlight about to fade. A gentle wind makes the stalks creak as they slowly sway at their tops.

It gets darker as you move deeper into the forest, the tall bamboo stalks getting denser. You look for signs of any sort of path, but see none, walking on, cautiously. Your footsteps and the creaking of the bamboo stalks are the only sounds you hear. But then something drops down in front of you. It startles you, but focusing again, you see Aya Syameimaru standing before you, smiling warmly.

"Good evening! You appear to be lost. And as I've never seen you before, I'm guessing you're new around here, aren't you? That's what I thought." She considers you momentarily, then asks, "Say, are you carrying anything of value on you right now? Something, maybe, that could be construed as a gift?"

Why, yes, I do have something of value on me.

Actually, no, I don't.

The Tengu Continues

"Oh, I see. Well, never mind that. You know, it's really amazing that you got this far. If you make it, I'd love to get an exclusive interview with you." She smiles, her eyes bright at the prospect. "So I guess it'd be in my best interests if I helped you out. Hm. I know! I'll take you to the Forest of Magic. I know just the person."

To the Forest of Magic with you!

Misty Lake

"Alright, I win!" Cirno cheers. "C'mon, new guy. Let's go to the Misty Lake!"

You follow her out of the school. The afternoon light is getting a bit dimmer. She leads you down a dirt road towards a wooded area. It's a gorgeous day - just a few cirrus clouds far up in the sky, the air warm and still.

However, Cirno is talking continuously. About all the fights she's been in, how fast she can fly, all the different kinds of food she's found around the lake - the topics change without any segue, and she never pauses.

The talking continues as you walk through the woods. Through the trees, you can see it - the Misty Lake. It is indeed quite beautiful. The sound of Cirno's talking fades as you approach the shore, the tiny waves of the blue water sending shards of sunlight dashing across the surface.

"Hey! Are you listening to me?" Cirno raises her voice a bit, pouting. "I said I want to you to tell me a story about where you're from. OK?" She sits down on the shore. "And make it a good one, I like to be entertained."

Sure, I'll tell the ice fairy a story.

I'm pretty tired and in not much of a storytelling mood.

Telling Cirno a Story

You regail Cirno with tales of the modern technological advances in your world, and she listens with rapt attention as you describe television, mobile phones, and the internet.

"Wow ... that sounds pretty amazing. Sounds a million times better than this place." She smiles. "You're alright. I like you. And because I like you, I'm going to show you a secret path to Scarlet Devil Mansion. No youkai, no dangers. Just a short trip straight there. Also, I found this stupid thing outside the human village the other day. Hang on." Cirno gets up, and walks to a bush just a few meters away. She returns holding a large black cylinder, about a meter long.

"It's this thing that you put a candle inside of, and the light coming out those holes shines lights on the ceiling that look like the stars. I can't use it, of course. I just found it laying around right outside the village. You're welcome to have it."

You receive the Planetarium.

"Well, let's go. Time's wasting."

Off to Scarlet Devil Mansion with you!

No Story for Cirno

"What?" Cirno looks hurt, and then angry. "What's your problem? Sheesh, I showed you Misty Lake. One little story's the least you could do." Cirno stands, pointing to the woods. "Out. Get away from my lake! I never want to see you again." She turns her back on you then, crossing her arms in front of her chest, resolute.

You walk back into the woods. Just as you reach the edge, a flash appears out of the sky, and suddenly, Aya Syameimaru is standing in front of you.

"Good evening! You appear to be lost. And as I've never seen you before, I'm guessing you're new around here, aren't you? That's what I thought." She considers you momentarily, then asks, "Say, are you carrying anything of value on you right now? Something, maybe, that could be construed as a gift?"

Why, yes, I do have something of value on me.

Actually, no, I don't.

The Blacksmith

You enter the blacksmith, and find a single room with paneled floors. Across two walls is a counter, behind which you see the fireplace, bellows, anvil, and an array of tools and other items hanging on the walls. The blacksmith himself is loading the fireplace with wood. You look around, examining your surroundings.

Soon, Sakuya Izayoi enters. She eyes you momentarily, cautiously, and then approaches the counter. The blacksmith comes to the counter, carrying a large wooden box, which he sets down in front of Sakuya. She thanks him, taking up the box, and heading towards the door. She stops partway across the room, and turns to you.

"Forgive my intrusion," she says, "But I couldn't help noticing that you seem to be new around here. And by that I mean Gensokyo." You briefly explain the situation to her. "Ah, of course. Yukari brought you here, didn't she. What a shame." She taps her foot, looking you over. "I can't stand to see another human being in trouble. If you want, you can come with me to the Scarlet Devil Mansion. You appear harmless enough. Maybe you might get some assistance there."

Agree to tag along to Scarlet Devil Mansion.

Offer to help Sakuya carry her things back to Scarlet Devil Mansion

Think I'll go to the Inn instead.

Think I'll go to the Noodle Stand instead.

On the way to Scarlet Devil Mansion

Cirno takes you across the water to the island's shore, leading you to the entrance to the path, wishes you luck, and heads back to Misty Lake. The path is, as Cirno promised, completely safe. It is a wide dirt road through the trees. The evening stars are beginning to blossom in the ink blue sky. The air is still surprisingly warm. You hear the chirping of crickets, and the faintest flickering of fireflies appear in the darkness between the trees.

Before long you come to a fork where another path leads into your own. There, you see a figure approaching you. It is Sakuya Izayoi, carrying a large wooden box in her arms. She stops as you get closer, and regards you for a moment.

"Forgive my staring," she says, "But I couldn't help noticing that you seem to be new around here. And by that I mean Gensokyo." You explain the situation to her briefly. "Ah, of course. Yukari brought you here, didn't she. What a shame." She taps her foot, looking you over. "I can't stand to see another human being in trouble. If you want, you can come with me to the Scarlet Devil Mansion. You appear harmless enough. Maybe you might get some assistance there."

Agree to tag along to Scarlet Devil Mansion.

Offer to help Sakuya carry her things back to Scarlet Devil Mansion

Tagging along with Sakuya

"Of course, it'd be a pleasure to have some company," Sakuya smiles warmly. "Let's get going."

The two of you walk in silence. Sakuya appears reticent, not initiating any conversation, and answering your questions as briefly as possible. Even while rowing her to the island's shore, Sakuya just looked at the lake's surface, quiet. You reach the shore of the island, and the two of you are off.

Before long you arrive at the gates of Scarlet Devil Mansion. A tall stone wall surrounds the impressive multi-spired structure, looking as if it's been dropped out of the sky from 19th century horror novel. The gate itself is wrought iron. Standing before the gate is Hong Meiling. She gives you a questioning look.

"And who might you be?" she asks curtly. "Oh? So you're new to Gensokyo? Well. I don't know about where you're from, but here in Gensokyo people have etiquette. How could you let our Sakuya carry a box full of iron door hinges?"

"Really, it's nothing," Sakuya cuts in, laughing nervously. "I've carried back heavier things from the village."

"That's not the point. You brought him here, and did he once offer to carry that for you?"

Sakuya looks down. "No, he didn't," she says at last.

"Disgraceful," says Hong Meiling, shaking her head. "Your kind isn't welcome here. Go back to the Human Village and learn some manners."

Common courtesy can pay off.

At the Gates of Scarlet Devil Mansion

"Sure thing, I can take you right to the gates," says Nitori, nodding. "But we better move fast. If we get there at tea time, there's no way we're getting in there."

Nitori spirits you off with her, over the Forest of Magic, the treetops swaying gently beneath you. Looking at the doming of the sky from these heights, you know the Hakurei Border is somewhere in the distance, that you're looking right at it even though you can't see it.

Before long, Nitori brings you down at the foot of a path going up a hill, upon which sits Scarlet Devil Mansion.

"Good luck to you, stranger." Nitori smiles. "It was nice to have met you. Perhaps we can meet again some day." With that, she turns and walks away, into the forest around the hill.

You head up the path. Before long you arrive at the gates of Scarlet Devil Mansion. A tall stone wall surrounds the impressive multi-spired structure, looking as if it's been dropped out of the sky from 19th century horror novel. The gate itself is wrought iron. Standing before the gate is Hong Meiling. She gives you a questioning look.

"And who might you be?" she asks suspiciously. "Oh, just thought you'd drop by to see Lady Remilia? Well, this isn't a public library. You don't just drop in on the lady of the house. Have you no manners?" She crosses her arms, unwavering. "Go back to the Human Village, and learn some manners."

Common courtesy can pay off.

Lending a Helping Hand

"Oh, thank you, that's very kind of you." She beams with gratitude, clearly not used to anyone offering her help. You take the box into your arms. "It's a bit heavy, I know. I went to the blacksmith to pick up an order of new door hinges. We seem to go through a lot of them."

Although the box is heavy, you don't seem to notice the weight so much, as Sakuya is pleasant, answering your many questions about life in the mansion. Reaching the shores of the Misty Lake, her rowboat is moored on the sane. As you row the two of you across the water to the island not far away, she is warm and engaging, making the time pass quickly. Arriving on the island's shore, the two of you are off.

Before long you are walking up a path that snakes its way up a hill, upon which sits the mansion. As you approach, you see a tall stone wall surrounds the impressive multi-spired structure, looking as if it's been dropped out of the sky from 19th century horror novel. The gate itself is wrought iron. Standing before the gate is Hong Meiling. She gives you a questioning look.

"And who might you be?" she asks suspiciously. "Oh, is that right? New to Gensokyo? And what's this you've got, a present?"

"No, Meiling," Sakuya cuts in. "It's the new door hinges. He offered to carry them for me. He really doesn't know his way around here, so I invited him."

Hong Meiling considers this for a moment. Then she relaxes her pose a bit. "Well, you were kind enough to carry those things all the way here. Hm. I suppose you can come in." She steps aside for you.

Passing through the gates, you cross the courtyard's well-manicured lawn and marvel at this structure. While not necessarily a large mansion, it casts an impressive figure. The arched windows, the charcoal black stone, and of course the clocktower, the face of the clock bone white.

A pair of tall iron doors open before you. You enter the foyer - it's dark, even as your eyes adjust. The ceilings are vaulted. The floor is covered in thick burgundy carpeting. There are three doors along the opposite wall.

Sakuya turns to you, taking the box from your arms. "Thanks, I can take it from here. Well, you have a few options. You can visit Flandre, you can visit Lady Remilia, or you can visit the library. I'm sure you'll manage to get some help from someone."

Visit the Library.

Visit Flandre.

Visit Remilia.

Visiting Flandre

"Flandre first? Alright, then." Sakuya sets the box down on the floor. "I'll have to come with you, then, so that she trusts you."

Sakuya leads you to the door on the left. You go all the way down the dimly lit hall, lined with a series of identical wooden doors. At the end of the hall, she opens the door to the right, leading you down some stairs, into what seems to be a storage room - there are barrels against one wall, shelves on the walls above them, stocked with boxes and jars. You walk across the room to a door on the opposite side, which leads down more stairs, to another door. It appears to be made out of cast iron, and very thick. At eye level, there is a small slot in the door.

Sakuya smiles at you, then turns to the door. "Miss Flandre?" Sakuya calls into the slot. "I'm here with a guest. We're going to come in, alright?"

There is no response. Nonetheless, Sakuya reaches into her apron, taking out a key. Putting the key in the lock, she turns it. The tumblers fall with a loud clang, and the door slowly swings open.

"Just ... come in behind me." Sakuya says, and enters the room.

It is a small, spartan room, with a small bed in one corner, and a table in chair in the opposite corner. There, sitting with her elbow on the table, chin resting in her hand, is Flandre Scarlet.

She eyes you up briefly, then turns to Sakuya. "Who's this?"

"This is a guest, Miss Flandre. He's new to Gensokyo, so I invited him here to see if he could maybe get some guidance. He requested to see you, specifically."

Flandre turns to you, and grins. "Is that so? Well, then you'd better make yourself useful." Flandre cracks her knuckles, slowly, and says, "Go down to the Library and get a book for me. If I like what you picked, I might help you out. If not, well, you'll be able to tell. So hurry on, now."

To the Library with you!

Visiting Remilia

"You want to meet the lady of those house?" Sakuya asks you, mildly surprised. "You get right to the point, don't you? Very well, then. Follow me." Sakuya leads you through the door in the middle. You walk down a hallway paneled with darkly-polished wood, lit only by the occasional candlestand here and there. On the walls hang paintings; portraits of people you don't recognize, most of them dressed in the style of older centuries. You arrive at last at a set of double doors. Sakuya turns both knobs at once, pushing the doors open.

"My Lady," she announces, "A guest from the outside world has arrived."

The room also has vaulted ceilings and plush burgundy carpeting, like the foyer, but large cast iron candelabras hang from heavy chains, and a long mahogany table lies before you. At the end of the table, you can see the petite outline of Remilia Scarlet. She sets down her teacup, and smiles warmly at you.

"Come," she says. "Let's have a look at the person from the outside world."

Sakuya walks with you as you approach. Remilia regards you steadily, her small, placid smile never flinching, her eyes unblinking. You stop before her. She looks you up and down, and cocks her head. "Hm," she says at last. "For some reason I was expecting something a bit more ... remarkable."

"My Lady, this stranger has traveled a long ways to be here, and has undoubtedly encountered hardships. I offered our help to him."

Remilia raises an eyebrow as she looks at Sakuya. "Did you now?" Remilia turns back to you. "Well, then, honored guest. You should consider yourself lucky. I'm in a hospitable mood today." She taps her finger on the table slowly, considering. "Be a good guest and run down to the library. Fetch me a book that I might find entertaining. If you choose well, I will most certainly help you. If you choose poorly, you will be shown the door. That is all."

She turns back to her tea, and takes a sip, before looking at you again. "Well? Run along now. And hurry back."

To the Library with you!

Off to Remilia

Sakuya leads you from Flandre's room. You walk through a series of hallways and stairs. You arrive at last at a set of double doors. Sakuya turns both knobs at once, pushing the doors open.

"My Lady," she announces, "A guest from the outside world has arrived."

The room also has vaulted ceilings and plush burgundy carpeting, like the foyer, but large cast iron candelabras hang from heavy chains, and a long mahogany table lies before you. At the end of the table, you can see the petite outline of Remilia Scarlet. She sets down her teacup, and smiles warmly at you.

"Come," she says. "Let's have a look at the person from the outside world."

Sakuya walks with you as you approach. Remilia regards you steadily, her small, placid smile never flinching, her eyes unblinking. You stop before her. She looks you up and down, and cocks her head. "Hm," she says at last. "For some reason I was expecting something a bit more ... remarkable."

"My Lady, this stranger has traveled a long ways to be here, and has undoubtedly encountered hardships. I offered our help to him."

Remilia raises an eyebrow as she looks at Sakuya. "Did you now?" Remilia turns back to you. "Well, then, honored guest. You should consider yourself lucky. I'm in a hospitable mood today." She taps her finger on the table, slowly. "fBe a good guest and run down to the library. Fetch me a book that I might find entertaining. If you choose well, I will most certainly help you. If you choose poorly, you will be shown the door. That is all."

She turns back to her tea, and takes a sip, before looking at you again. "Well? Run along now. And hurry back."

To the Library with you!

The Scarlet Devil Mansion Library

Sakuya bows once to Flandre. "Of course, Miss Flandre." You follow Sakuya out of the room. She closes and locks the door behind you. "I hope you're able to find something Flandre likes," Sakuya says as she leads you up the stairs. "She's been a bit difficult to entertain lately."

You are lead through a series of stairs and hallways leading further down, before you arrive at last at the library. Row upon row of shelves reach almost the entire way to the ceiling. The room is extraordinarily quiet, save for the slow ticking of an unseen clock.

"This way," Sakuya says, leading the way down an aisle between the shelves, before taking a right. There is scarcely space to walk, the shelves are so close together. At the end of the aisle, Sakuya turns to the right.

"Miss Patchoulli?" she says, and there you see Patchoulli Knowledge, seated a desk lit by lantern light, reading a book. She looks up, takes one look at you, and nods her head. "Another one." She says at last.

"Miss Patchoulli, this is a guest from the outside world."

"I know," says Patchoulli, and coughs softly into her hand. "Poor unfortunate. What can I do for you?"

You tell Patchoulli that Flandre has asked you for a book, but she wouldn't say which one she wanted.

"Well," she says, setting down her book, "I can only think of two titles that would appeal to her. One is a bit of a gruesome story, about a little girl with amazingly destructive power. And the other is ... well, it's a bit sentimental, but it might appeal to her. You never know." She stands. "I can let you borrow either one. Just please, make sure she doesn't damage it, will you? They take so long to replace."

I choose The Little Girl Who Ate Monsters.

I choose The Happy Little Fairies Bake a Pie.

The Scarlet Devil Mansion Library

Sakuya bows once to Remilia. "Of course, my lady." You follow Sakuya out of the room. She closes the doors behind you. "I hope for your sake you pick a book that pleases my lady," she says as she leads you back down the hall. "She can be a bit ... particular at times."

You are lead through a series of stairs and hallways leading further down, before you arrive at last at the library. Row upon row of shelves reach almost the entire way to the ceiling. The room is extraordinarily quiet, save for the slow ticking of an unseen clock.

"This way," Sakuya says, leading the way down an aisle between the shelves, before taking a right. There is scarcely space to walk, the shelves are so close together. At the end of the aisle, Sakuya turns to the right.

"Miss Patchoulli?" she says, and there you see Patchoulli Knowledge, seated a desk lit by lantern light, reading a book. She looks up, takes one look at you, and nods her head. "Another one." She says at last.

"Miss Patchoulli, this is a guest from the outside world."

"I know," says Patchoulli, and coughs softly into her hand. "Poor unfortunate. What can I do for you?"

You tell Patchoulli that Remilia has asked you for a book, but she wouldn't say which one she wanted.

"Well," she says, setting down her book, "I can only think of two titles that would appeal to her. One is a history of her family, spanning back centuries. It's a bit dry, but informative. The other is ... well, it's a love story. I think I saw her eyeing it up the other day, but might have been too embarrassed to pick it up in front of me. Or she might have been looking at another title. I don't know."

I choose Annotated History of the Tepes Family.

I choose Romance On the High Seas.

The Scarlet Devil Mansion Library

"Oh, the library first? Probably a good choice. Best to get acquainted with the place a bit before going ahead and meeting the head of the household, or her sister. Right this way."

Sakuya leads you through the door on the right. You are lead through a series of stairs and hallways leading further down. The halls are well-upholstered with finely polished wood, the occasional candlestand providing your only light as you go. Before long you arrive at last at the library. Row upon row of shelves reach almost the entire way to the ceiling. The room is extraordinarily quiet, save for the slow ticking of an unseen clock.

"This way," Sakuya says, leading the way down an aisle between the shelves, before taking a right. There is scarcely space to walk, the shelves are so close together. At the end of the aisle, Sakuya turns to the right.

"Miss Patchoulli?" she says, and there you see Patchoulli Knowledge, seated a desk lit by lantern light, reading a book. She looks up, takes one look at you, and nods her head. "Another one." She says at last.

"Miss Patchoulli, this is a guest from the outside world."

"I know," says Patchoulli, and coughs softly into her hand. "Poor unfortunate. What can I do for you?"

You explain that Yukari Yakumo has given you a quest to be invited to the court of Kaguya Houraisan. Patchoulli considers this for a moment.

"Well, I'm afraid I can't help you. I am far too busy, as you can see." She closes her book, setting it down on the table. "However, I believe either Lady Remilia or Miss Flandre might be of service. But I wouldn't go empty-handed, if I were you." She stands. "Both have lately taken to having stories read to them by Sakuya. I recommend choosing a title for one of them. There are, of course, numerous titles to choose from. I can help narrow down your choices."

Patchoulli coughs softly into her hand. "If you intend to visit Miss Flandre, I can recommend two titles. One is a bit of a gruesome story, about a little girl with amazingly destructive power. And the other is ... well, it's a bit sentimental, but it might appeal to her. You never know. I can let you borrow either one. Just please, make sure she doesn't damage it, will you? They take so long to replace."

She begins to walk down the aisle. "If, however, you intend to go straight to the lady of the house, the two titles I would recommend would be a history of her family, spanning back centuries. It's a bit dry, but informative. The other is ... well, it's a love story. I think I saw her eyeing it up the other day, but might have been too embarrassed to pick it up in front of me. Or she might have been looking at another title. I don't know."

I choose Annotated History of the Tepes Family.

I choose Romance On the High Seas.

I choose The Little Girl Who Ate Monsters.

I choose The Happy Little Fairies Bake a Pie.

Reading a Story for Flandre

Patchoulli nods. "Wait here." She walks down the aisle, making a turn at the end. You and Sakuya wait for a while. She occasionally smiles at you nervously as you wait for Patchoulli's return. Eventually, Patchoulli reappears at the end of the aisle, carrying a large book. She walks to you, handing it over, a bit out of breath. "There you are. Best of luck to you," she says, returning to her desk.

Sakuya leads you out of the library, through a series of stairs and hallways. You arrive at last at a large cast iron door. Sakuya reaches into her apron, taking out a set of keys, turning it in the door's lock with a large clanging sound. She smiles at you as she opens the door. "Just don't make any sudden movements," she advises. You walk into the room behind her.

Within the large room, Flandre Scarlet sits on her small bed in one corner of the room. She smiles when she sees you, and eyes up the book.

"So then," she says with a grin. "I see our house guest has brought a book for me at last. Well, give it to Sakuya so that she can read it for me."

You hand the book to Sakuya. She opens it to the first page, and begins to read from it out loud. Flandre rests her chin in her hands, elbows on knees, listening with rapt attention. She appears utterly fascinated by the story. After a few pages, she holds up to her hand Sakuya, and turns to you.

"You chose well. I'm really pleased! I guess I won't have you for dinner after all. Thanks again, stranger!"

It seems Flandre is not going to do anything to help you. Realizing this, Sakuya says, "Miss Flandre, if you don't mind, our guest is in a bit of a hurry. Would you mind if I take him somewhere else before I continue reading?"

Flandre sighs. "No, I guess not. Just hurry up about it. I want to hear more about this pie!"

Sakuya turns to you. "Come. I will take you to the lady of the house now."

Well that was neat. Guess I'll see what Remilia's up to.

Reading a Story for Flandre

Patchoulli nods. "Wait here." She walks down the aisle, making a turn at the end. You and Sakuya wait for a while. She occasionally smiles at you nervously as you wait for Patchoulli's return. Eventually, Patchoulli reappears at the end of the aisle, carrying a large book. She walks to you, handing it over, a bit out of breath. "There you are. Best of luck to you," she says, returning to her desk.

Sakuya leads you out of the library, through a series of stairs and hallways. You arrive at last at a large cast iron door. At eye level, there is a small slot in the door.

Sakuya smiles at you, then turns to the door. "Miss Flandre?" Sakuya calls into the slot. "I'm here with a guest. We're going to come in, alright?"

There is no response. Nonetheless, Sakuya reaches into her apron, taking out a key. Putting the key in the lock, she turns it. The tumblers fall with a loud clang, and the door slowly swings open.

"Just ... come in behind me." Sakuya says, and enters the room.

It is a small, spartan room, with a small bed in one corner, and a table in chair in the opposite corner. There, sitting with her elbow on the table, chin resting in her hand, is Flandre Scarlet.

She eyes you up briefly, then turns to Sakuya. "Who's this?"

"This is a guest, Miss Flandre. He's new to Gensokyo, so I invited him here to see if he could maybe get some guidance. He requested to see you, specifically."

Flandre turns to you, and grins. "Is that so?

"Yes Miss Flandre. And he brought a book for you."

"How nice," she says with a grin. "Well, give it to Sakuya so that she can read it for me."

You hand the book to Sakuya. She opens it to the first page, and begins to read from it out loud. Flandre rests her chin in her hands, elbows on knees, listening with rapt attention. She appears utterly fascinated by the story. After a few pages, she holds up to her hand Sakuya, and turns to you.

"You chose well. I'm really pleased! I guess I won't have you for dinner after all. Thanks again, stranger!"

It seems Flandre is not going to do anything to help you. Realizing this, Sakuya says, "Miss Flandre, if you don't mind, our guest is in a bit of a hurry. Would you mind if I take him somewhere else before I continue reading?"

Flandre sighs. "No, I guess not. Just hurry up about it. I want to hear more about this pie!"

Sakuya turns to you. "Come. I will take you to the lady of the house now."

Well that was neat. Guess I'll see what Remilia's up to.

Reading a Story for Flandre

Patchoulli nods. "Wait here." She walks down the aisle, making a turn at the end. You and Sakuya wait for a while. She occasionally smiles at you nervously as you wait for Patchoulli's return. Eventually, Patchoulli reappears at the end of the aisle, carrying a large book. She walks to you, handing it over, a bit out of breath. "There you are. Best of luck to you," she says, returning to her desk.

Sakuya leads you out of the library, through a series of stairs and hallways. You arrive at last at a large cast iron door. Sakuya reaches into her apron, taking out a set of keys, turning it in the door's lock with a large clanging sound. She smiles at you as she opens the door. "Just don't make any sudden movements," she advises. You walk into the room behind her.

Within the large room, Flandre Scarlet sits on her small bed in one corner of the room. She smiles when she sees you, and eyes up the book.

"So then," she says with a grin. "I see our house guest has brought a book for me at last. Well, give it to Sakuya so that she can read it for me."

You hand the book to Sakuya. She opens it to the first page, and begins to read from it out loud. Flandre appears bored and disinterested. She looks around the room as Sakuya reads, clearly not paying attention. Before long she says, "Alright, Sakuya, that's enough." Flandre looks at you and sighs. "Well, I've actually heard this story a few times already. Your intentions were good, though. I can see you were trying to appeal to my interests. Here." She stands, pushing the bed away from the wall. There is a small wooden door, about a meter square, in the floor.

"This door is a secret passageway to Mount Youkai." Flandre says.

Sakuya gasps with astonishment. "Miss Flandre! Are you ... sure you want our guest to take the passage to Mount Youkai? Maybe he's not ready to go there yet."

Flandre shrugs. "Well, he's our guest. It's up to him." Flandre turns to you. "So what's it going to be?"

Oh boy, a secret passage!

Eh, thanks, but I think I'll see what Remilia's up to.

Reading a Story for Flandre

Patchoulli nods. "Wait here." She walks down the aisle, making a turn at the end. You and Sakuya wait for a while. She occasionally smiles at you nervously as you wait for Patchoulli's return. Eventually, Patchoulli reappears at the end of the aisle, carrying a large book. She walks to you, handing it over, a bit out of breath. "There you are. Best of luck to you," she says, returning to her desk.

Sakuya leads you out of the library, through a series of stairs and hallways. You arrive at last at a large cast iron door. At eye level, there is a small slot in the door.

Sakuya smiles at you, then turns to the door. "Miss Flandre?" Sakuya calls into the slot. "I'm here with a guest. We're going to come in, alright?"

There is no response. Nonetheless, Sakuya reaches into her apron, taking out a key. Putting the key in the lock, she turns it. The tumblers fall with a loud clang, and the door slowly swings open.

"Just ... come in behind me." Sakuya says, and enters the room.

It is a small, spartan room, with a small bed in one corner, and a table in chair in the opposite corner. There, sitting with her elbow on the table, chin resting in her hand, is Flandre Scarlet.

She eyes you up briefly, then turns to Sakuya. "Who's this?"

"This is a guest, Miss Flandre. He's new to Gensokyo, so I invited him here to see if he could maybe get some guidance. He requested to see you, specifically."

Flandre turns to you, and grins. "Is that so?

"Yes Miss Flandre. And he brought a book for you."

"How nice," she says with a grin. "Well, give it to Sakuya so that she can read it for me."

You hand the book to Sakuya. She opens it to the first page, and begins to read from it out loud. Flandre appears bored and disinterested. She looks around the room as Sakuya reads, clearly not paying attention. Before long she says, "Alright, Sakuya, that's enough." Flandre looks at you and sighs. "Well, I've actually heard this story a few times already. Your intentions were good, though. I can see you were trying to appeal to my interests. Here." She stands, pushing the bed away from the wall. There is a small wooden door, about a meter square, in the floor.

"This door is a secret passageway to Mount Youkai." Flandre says.

Sakuya gasps with astonishment. "Miss Flandre! Are you ... sure you want our guest to take the passage to Mount Youkai? Maybe he's not ready to go there yet."

Flandre shrugs. "Well, he's our guest. It's up to him." Flandre turns to you. "So what's it going to be?"

Oh boy, a secret passage!

Eh, thanks, but I think I'll see what Remilia's up to.

Reading a Story for Remilia

Patchoulli nods. "Wait here." She walks down the aisle, making a turn at the end. You and Sakuya wait for a while. She occasionally smiles at you nervously as you wait for Patchoulli's return. Eventually, Patchoulli reappears at the end of the aisle, carrying a large book. She walks to you, handing it over, a bit out of breath. "There you are. Best of luck to you," she says, returning to her desk.

Sakuya leads you out of the library, through a series of stairs and hallways. You arrive at last at the double doors, which Sakuya opens for you.

"Our guest has returned with a book for you, my lady," Sakuya announces. Remilia smiles at you as the two of you approach.

"Well good," smiles Remilia, rubbing her hands together. "Give the book to Sakuya, then, so that she may read to me." You hand the book to Sakuya. She opens to the first page, and begins to read out loud.

Remilia's smile immediately drops. She seems utterly bored. Before the first paragraph is done she yawns loudly.

"Stop," she says, and turns to you. "Well. What an utterly predictable choice. I'm sure you meant well, but that bone-dry tome completely killed my hospitable mood. You are excused. Come back when you get some imagination."

Hmph! What an ingrate. I'm going back to the Village.

Reading a Story for Remilia

Patchoulli nods. "Wait here." She walks down the aisle, making a turn at the end. You and Sakuya wait for a while. She occasionally smiles at you nervously as you wait for Patchoulli's return. Eventually, Patchoulli reappears at the end of the aisle, carrying a large book. She walks to you, handing it over, a bit out of breath. "There you are. Best of luck to you," she says, returning to her desk.

Sakuya leads you out of the library, through a series of stairs and hallways. You arrive at last at a set of double doors. Sakuya turns both knobs at once, pushing the doors open.

"My Lady," she announces, "A guest from the outside world has arrived."

The room also has vaulted ceilings and plush burgundy carpeting, like the foyer, but large cast iron candelabras hang from heavy chains, and a long mahogany table lies before you. At the end of the table, you can see the petite outline of Remilia Scarlet. She sets down her teacup, and smiles warmly at you.

"Come," she says. "Let's have a look at the person from the outside world."

Sakuya walks with you as you approach. Remilia regards you steadily, her small, placid smile never flinching, her eyes unblinking. You stop before her. She looks you up and down, and cocks her head. "Hm," she says at last. "For some reason I was expecting something a bit more ... remarkable."

"My Lady, this stranger has traveled a long ways to be here, and has undoubtedly encountered hardships. I offered our help to him. And as you can see, he has a book for you."

Remilia raises an eyebrow as she looks at Sakuya. "Did you now?" Remilia turns back to you. "Well, then, honored guest. You should consider yourself lucky. I'm in a hospitable mood today. Give the book to Sakuya, then, so that she may read to me." You hand the book to Sakuya. She opens to the first page, and begins to read out loud.

Remilia's smile immediately drops. She seems utterly bored. Before the first paragraph is done she yawns loudly.

"Stop," she says, and turns to you. "Well. What an utterly predictable choice. I'm sure you meant well, but that bone-dry tome completely killed my hospitable mood. You are excused. Come back when you get some imagination."

Hmph! What an ingrate. I'm going back to the Village.

Reading a Story for Remilia

Patchoulli nods. "Wait here." She walks down the aisle, making a turn at the end. You and Sakuya wait for a while. She occasionally smiles at you nervously as you wait for Patchoulli's return. Eventually, Patchoulli reappears at the end of the aisle, carrying a large book. She walks to you, handing it over, a bit out of breath. "There you are. Best of luck to you," she says, returning to her desk.

Sakuya leads you out of the library, through a series of stairs and hallways. You arrive at last at the double doors, which Sakuya opens for you.

"Our guest has returned with a book for you, my lady," Sakuya announces. Remilia smiles at you as the two of you approach.

"Well good," smiles Remilia, rubbing her hands together. "Give the book to Sakuya, then, so that she may read to me." You hand the book to Sakuya. She opens to the first page, and begins to read out loud.

Remilia tries to compose herself, but the blush on her cheeks is apparent. She shifts a little in her seat as Sakuya recounts the tale of a pirate who takes a young woman hostage on her wedding day - a proud woman who shows no fear of the bloodthirsty brute, even as his steel-blue eyes seem to penetrate her very soul, eyes that shine with danger and intrigue.

"S-Stop!" Remilia says at last. "Thank you, Sakuya, that will do for now. We can ... continue that later." Remilia turns to you. "Well. That was certainly a bold choice. Clearly you're made of sterner stuff than I thought. Hm. I think I can help you."

Remilia reaches into a pocket of her dress, and produces an envelope, handing it to you. "Here. This is a thank-you letter I have been meaning to have delivered to the moon princess, to show my appreciation for the banquet. If you present this letter at Eientei, saying you are my personal courier, that should at least get you inside. From there, though, you're on your own." Remilia stands. "Sakuya, bring me the silk spinner."

Sakuya bows and leaves at once. Remilia doesn't say a word as she looks at you steadily, as if trying to read you. After a few moments, Sakuya returns with a small, well-crafted spinning wheel of finely polished mahogany.

"This silk spinner has been with me for centuries. It was given to me by a man whose name I don't remember but whose face I'll never forget. It can spin the toughest knot of raw silk into the finest thread. But I'm not much for silk. This is my contribution to spring cleaning."

You receive the Silk Spinner.

Remilia smiles mischieviously. "Never let it be said that Remilia Scarlet never did anything for a stranger. Go, now. It's storytime."

To the Bamboo Forest with you!

Reading a Story for Remilia

Patchoulli nods. "Wait here." She walks down the aisle, making a turn at the end. You and Sakuya wait for a while. She occasionally smiles at you nervously as you wait for Patchoulli's return. Eventually, Patchoulli reappears at the end of the aisle, carrying a large book. She walks to you, handing it over, a bit out of breath. "There you are. Best of luck to you," she says, returning to her desk.

Sakuya leads you out of the library, through a series of stairs and hallways. You arrive at last at a set of double doors. Sakuya turns both knobs at once, pushing the doors open.

"My Lady," she announces, "A guest from the outside world has arrived."

The room also has vaulted ceilings and plush burgundy carpeting, like the foyer, but large cast iron candelabras hang from heavy chains, and a long mahogany table lies before you. At the end of the table, you can see the petite outline of Remilia Scarlet. She sets down her teacup, and smiles warmly at you.

"Come," she says. "Let's have a look at the person from the outside world."

Sakuya walks with you as you approach. Remilia regards you steadily, her small, placid smile never flinching, her eyes unblinking. You stop before her. She looks you up and down, and cocks her head. "Hm," she says at last. "For some reason I was expecting something a bit more ... remarkable."

"My Lady, this stranger has traveled a long ways to be here, and has undoubtedly encountered hardships. I offered our help to him. And as you can see, he has a book for you."

Remilia raises an eyebrow as she looks at Sakuya. "Did you now?" Remilia turns back to you. "Well, then, honored guest. You should consider yourself lucky. I'm in a hospitable mood today. Give the book to Sakuya, then, so that she may read to me." You hand the book to Sakuya. She opens to the first page, and begins to read out loud.

Remilia tries to compose herself, but the blush on her cheeks is apparent. She shifts a little in her seat as Sakuya recounts the tale of a pirate who takes a young woman hostage on her wedding day - a proud woman who shows no fear of the bloodthirsty brute, even as his steel-blue eyes seem to penetrate her very soul, eyes that shine with danger and intrigue.

"S-Stop!" Remilia says at last. "Thank you, Sakuya, that will do for now. We can ... continue that later." Remilia turns to you. "Well. That was certainly a bold choice. Clearly you're made of sterner stuff than I thought. Hm. I think I can help you."

Remilia reaches into a pocket of her dress, and produces an envelope, handing it to you. "Here. This is a thank-you letter I have been meaning to have delivered to the moon princess, to show my appreciation for the bandquet. If you present this letter at Eientei, saying you are my personal courier, that should at least get you inside. From there, though, you're on your own." Remilia stands. "Sakuya, bring me the silk spinner."

Sakuya bows and leaves at once. Remilia doesn't say a word as she looks at you steadily, as if trying to read you. After a few moments, Sakuya returns with a small, well-crafted spinning wheel of finely polished mahogany.

"This silk spinner has been with me for centuries. It was given to me by a man whose name I don't remember but whose face I'll never forget. It can spin the toughest knot of raw silk into the finest thread. But I'm not much for silk. This is my contribution to spring cleaning."

You receive the Silk Spinner.

Remilia smiles mischieviously. "Never let it be said that Remilia Scarlet never did anything for a stranger. Go, now. It's storytime."

To the Bamboo Forest with you!

In the Bamboo Forest

Sakuya flies you to the edge of the Bamboo Forest. She smiles, and bows to you. "It was a pleasure meeting you, stranger. But I am unable to accompany you any farther. I have duties to attend to, after all. I wish you the best of luck." With that, she smiles again, and flies off.

You wander aimlessly through the bamboo forest, the tall stalks stretching upwards, their tops brushing gently together in the soundless breeze. At this point the night is very dark, but the light of the moon provides enough light to be able to see your way. You reckon that if you search for something resembling a path, you will eventually find your way to Eientei. Provided no hostile youkai find you first.

You hear the sound of childish, girlish giggling, coming from somewhere unseen. You freeze. The hairs on the back of your neck rise with a chill as your heart pounds against your ribs. You want to run, but where would you go? All you can do is wait.

Slowly, from behind a large bamboo stalk, Tewi Inaba appears, stepping gingerly towards you, a warm smile on her face.

"Hello there, stranger," she says, stopping a meter before you. "What might you be doing, wandering through the Bamboo Forest, alone at night?"

You explain that you are a courier of Remilia Scarlet, and you have a letter that you have been instructed to deliver to Kaguya personally.

"Oh?" she smiles. "How fortunate for you. I can take the letter to her myself, and save you the trip." She holds out her hand.

Sure I'll give Tewi the letter. If you can't trust a youkai rabbit, who can you trust?

Thanks but no thanks - I'll deliver the letter myself.

Onwards through the Bamboo Forest

Tewi takes the letter from your hand. "You made the right choice," she says with a giggle, and then quickly bounds away into the darkness.

With nowhere else to go, you sit down on the ground, leaning against a stalk of bamboo. Maybe if you stay perfectly still, and sleep here, you can try to find your way out in the morning, when you can see better and the traveling will be safer. As you stretch out your legs, your eyelids begin to get heavy, the chirping of crickets echoing in your head.

The next thing you know, someone is nudging your foot. You open your eyes and look up to see Reisen Inaba standing before you. She appears annoyed.

"I met a certain naughty rabbit back at Eientei who said she had a letter for Lady Kaguya that some clueless human was trying to deliver personally to Eientei. As you're the only human I've thus far encountered in the Bamboo Forest, I can only assume you are this person."

You confirm that this is so, saying that you wish to see Kaguya personally.

"Well, that's not going to happen," Reisen says, crossing her arms. "Not unless you find a gift you can present to her. And a proper one at that."

I don't have a gift for Kaguya.

I think I already have something Kaguya would like.

I've come a long way. Please, just a few minutes of her time.

Onwards through the Bamboo Forest

Tewi appears hurt. "What? Don't you trust me?" Then her face takes on an angry expression. "Fine then. Go ahead and be that way. You'll be sorry. I'll make sure of it!" And with that, she bounds off into the darkness.

You press on through the Bamboo Forest, aimlessly. You begin to regret not giving Tewi the letter. Your regrets start to be confirmed by the unmistakeable sound of tiny footsteps approaching in the darkness. Maybe it would've been a good idea to trust that rabbit after all.

Sometimes your instincts can deceive you.

Reasoning with Reisen

Reisen arches an eyebrow. "Oh? And what might that be?"

I have a silk spinner!

I have a music box!

I have a miniature planetarium!

Oops! I don't actually have anything.

Standing Up for Yourself

Reisen sighs, shaking her head. She taps her foot, thinking a moment.

"Look, I know you came a long way. Normally, I'd be happy to take you to Eientei, but after the banquet, Princess Kaguya's hospitality has been a bit lacking. It seems several guests took advantage of her good graces and made quite a mess of the place. We're only now finishing cleaning up. If you want to see Princess Kaguya, you're going to have to show you mean well."

Reisen turns her head and lets out a short, loud whistle. A youkai rabbit bounds up to you.

"This youkai rabbit will take you back to the Human Village. I'm sorry, but that's just how it is. Feel free to come back when you have something to offer the princess."

A good guest never arrives empty-handed.

The Noodle Stand

The noodle stand is not yet open for business. Behind the counter, the proprietor whistles tunelessly as he sets up his pots. You turn around, looking around the village. No one seems to be on the streets.

The door opens in a cottage three houses down from you, and out steps Nitori Kawashiro. She says her good-byes, waving, and walks towards you. She is carrying a large green canvas sack, slung over one shoulder.

As she walks past you, she eyes you up, then slows down. At last she stops, turning to you.

"You are definitely not from around here," she concludes. "I can't imagine how you got here." She sets the canvas bag down on the ground. "In any event, what brings you?" You tell her about Yukari's request. "Ah, I see. Well, I'm on my way to the Forest of Magic, and then home. You're welcome to come with me. It's not as though you seem exactly prepared to go it alone." She smiles. "But maybe you are. You can go directly to Mount Youkai, if you don't feel like stopping in the Forest of Magic along the way. I'll show you how to get there, if you want."

Actually, I think I'll go with you to the Forest of Magic.

I am a seasoned adventurer and am ready for whatever Mt. Youkai can throw at me.

Think I'll go to the Inn instead.

Think I'll go to the Blacksmith instead.

The Forest of Magic

After a brief and terrifyingly fast flight, the tengu sets you down at the edge of the Forest of Magic. She points at a path leading in.

"Follow that until you see a house. That's Marisa Kirisame's house. If anyone can help you, she can. Well, I'll be keeping an eye on you. Whatever happens, I want to be sure I get an exclusive. Hang on." She lifts her camera and says "Smile" as she takes a photo of you. "Now, be safe. Don't take any stupid chances, and you might be alright. Bye for now!"

And with that, she is gone in a flash, into the sky.

You start walking down the path. The woods are teeming with life. Within the shade of the lush green branches above you, you can hear the sounds of birds chirping. Cicadas sing their strange crescendos. The shade is cool but not cold. You can definitely see the appeal of living in such a place.

As you round a turn in the path, you see that you are approaching Nitori Kawashiro from behind. She is walking slowly, carrying a large green canvas bag, slung over one shoulder.

Hearing your approach, she stops, and turns around.

"Oh!" she appears startled. Then she looks you over a moment. "Going it alone in the Forest of Magic, are you? I have to say, that's pretty brave, but probably one of the safer places for a human." You tell her you are on your way to Marisa Kirisame's. "Ah, you, too? We can go together. I have to drop something off for her. After that, I'm going home. I don't mind the company."

The two of you walk together down the path. She talks to you mostly about Mount Youkai, of all the different species of youkai you could encounter there, about the tengu, and about her workshop. She's friendly, and in good spirits.

Before long you arrive at a small, somewhat worn-looking cottage. Sitting on a wooden chair in front of the cottage is Marisa Kirisame.

She stands, smiling, and waves to Nitori. "Hey there!" She looks you over, and shakes her head. "Ah, no. Yukari got another one, did she?" She sighs, putting her hands on her hips. "Well, you're here now. What does she have you doing?" You tell her you're trying to get invited to the court of Kaguya Houraisan. "Really?" she says with surprise. "Best of luck with that. The moon princess hasn't been in much of a having-guests mood ever since the banquet got out of hand."

"Here you are, Marisa." Nitori tells her, setting the canvas bag on the ground. She opens it up, taking out a bronze wind-up alarm clock, with twin bells on top and a face painted with a mandala-like maroon design. "Good as new. And I found someone in the village who could paint the design you wanted." She hands it to Marisa.

"Great!" she beams. "That's really nice work."

"I'd still like to know where you found a clock like that in any condition."

"I told you already. It was just lying on the ground in the forest."

Nitori shrugs non-committally, and picks up her canvas bag again, slinging it over her shoulder. She turns to you. "Well, I'm heading home. Are you coming? If you are, do you mind carrying this bag for a bit? It's a little heavy, and I hurt my shoulder recently."

Thanks all the same, I'm going to hang out with Marisa.

Sure, I'll help you carry that stuff.

The Forest of Magic

"Off we go then," she smiles, and leads the way down a path leading out of the village.

The sun shines warmly on your skin as you walk down a narrow path through a meadow of tall golden grass. The slight wind creates whorls that dance across the tops of the stalks. Occasionally, a moth will fly aimlessly from a point out of the grasses, and then back into it. Down a gentle slope, you soon arrive at the Forest of Magic.

The woods are teeming with life. Within the shade of the lush green branches above you, you can hear the sounds of birds chirping. Cicadas sing their strange crescendos. The shade is cool but not cold. You can definitely see the appeal of living in such a place.

The two of you walk together down the path. She talks to you mostly about Mount Youkai, of all the different species of youkai you could encounter there, about the tengu, and about her workshop. She's friendly, and in good spirits.

Before long you arrive at a small, somewhat worn-looking cottage. Sitting on a wooden chair in front of the cottage is Marisa Kirisame.

She stands, smiling, and waves to Nitori. "Hey there!" She looks you over, and shakes her head. "Ah, no. Yukari got another one, did she?" She sighs, putting her hands on her hips. "Well, you're here now. What does she have you doing?" You tell her that you have to get invited to the court of Kaguya Houraisan. "Really?" she says with surprise. "Best of luck with that. The moon princess hasn't been in much of a having-guests mood ever since the banquet got out of hand."

"Here you are, Marisa." Nitori tells her, setting the canvas bag on the ground. She opens it up, taking out a bronze wind-up alarm clock, with twin bells on top and a face painted with a mandala-like maroon design. "Good as new. And I found someone in the village who could paint the design you wanted." She hands it to Marisa.

"Great!" she beams. "That's really nice work."

"I'd still like to know where you found a clock like that in any condition."

"I told you already. It was just lying on the ground in the forest."

Nitori shrugs non-committally, and picks up her canvas bag again, slinging it over her shoulder. She turns to you. "Well, I'm heading home. Are you coming? If you are, do you mind carrying this bag for a bit? It's a little heavy, and I hurt my shoulder recently."

Thanks all the same, I'm going to hang out with Marisa.

Sure, I'll help you carry that stuff.

Hanging Out with Marisa

"Alright, can't say I blame you." Nitori smiles sheepishly. "You've got one of Gensokyo's finest right there. Well, best of luck to you!" And with that, she heads off into the woods, back onto the path.

Marisa looks at you and nods. "Alright, stranger. Come on in." She turns and opens the door to her house.

The interior looks considerably larger than the exterior gave away, but it is still crowded with boxes, many of them stacked five or six high, pushed against the walls. It is dimly lit, and you have to walk carefully over and around the boxes. You follow Marisa into the kitchen.

"The thing is, I can't take you to the Bamboo Forest," she explains. "I have a pretty busy schedule. However, I can give you a bit of advice that should help you out. Because of how reluctant the moon princess probably is to guests right now, you'd be more likely to see her if you brought a gift of some kind to her. Now, keep in mind, she's about 1,300 years old. She's seen a lot. Not to mention she has a pretty extensive collection of Lunarian artifacts. If you want to bring something that'll impress her, I recommend you bring something timeless. Something you'd never get tired of using, even if only now and then."

Marisa smiles at you. "You're alright, you know that? I think you're gonna do fine. Well then. I'm going to take you to the village, since it's on my way. Bet you never rode a broom before, have you? There's something you could tell your grandkids."

To the Human Village with you!

On with Nitori

"Thanks so much!" Nitori beams, handing you the canvas bag. "So long, Marisa!"

"So long!" Marisa chirps back with a wave. She turns to you. "And have a good time in Gensokyo, stranger. Try not to die."

You walk down the path through the Forest of Magic with Nitori. She is quiet now, noticing that the heavy sack takes some effort for you to carry. Before long you emerge from the woods, and Mount Youkai looms before you. It cuts an impressive form - steep slopes of grass snake through the woods, a waterfall carving through the trees further up, the peak obscured by clouds.

You follow Nitori up one of the grassy slopes, through a patch of woods, and then to the shores of a stream. Besides it, a well-kept wooden cabin rests. "We're here," Nitori smiles.

The two of you walk to the front door of the cabin. She opens it for you, then takes the canvas sack from you. "I'll take that."

You step inside. As your eyes adjust to the darkness, you see three tables, above which hang shelves of differently-labeled identical boxes. There are hooks in the walls, tools lined up according to size held there. On the floor under the tables are a variety of mechanical devices in varying states of construction and repair.

Nitori sets the canvas sack down on the floor next to a table. "I really appreciate you carrying this all the way. Really means a lot to me. Sorry about the clutter. I've been meaning to get this place in shape." She pauses, looking around. "Hm. You know what? Why don't you take something with you? Consider it a thank-you gift. You'd be doing me a favor, believe me. I don't know what I'm going to do with half this stuff." She walks to a table across from the front door. Under it there are three different items.

"I have a music box. I got it trading for some three-centimeter bolts. It's interesting, I guess, but it's not really useful. You might like it, though. Well, again, thanks. Just to show you I'm really thankful, I can give either take you back to the village now, or I can take you to the gates of Scarlet Devil Mansion."

Think I'll head back to the Human Village.

Think I'll go to the Scarlet Devil Mansion.

Secret Passage

"Ah, aren't you brave?" smiles Flandre, opening the door in the floor for you. "I can tell you're made of stern stuff. Go now and conquer!"

You climb down a ladder under the door as Flandre shuts it above you. It is completely dark. Once you reach the bottom, you feel around the cold, damp stone walls, and find a passage. It is narrow, and you need to stoop a little to walk down on it. You step slowly, your hands against either side of the passage, moving solely by sense of touch.

After walking for a few meters, you feel your right foot catch on something. You reach down and feel a tightly-stretched cord, crossing the passage at about ankle-level. Then you hear behind you the sound of metal grinding, and a crash of steel against stone. You turn, and find your hands are touching cold iron bars. They do not budge. Turning around again, your hands touch another stone wall, blocking your way.

Guess who's coming to dinner?

Beware of psychotic vampires bearing gifts.

The Presentation

"Oh!" says Aya, a little surprised. "Well, in that case, I'm taking you to the Bamboo Forest." She steps behind you, wrapping her arms around your torso. "Hang on tight!"

In a flash, you are off. Flying at a panic-inducing speed through the air for a few moments, the two of you suddenly drop down. She sets you down gently on the ground within the Bamboo Forest. A few meters away, you see Reisen Inaba, her back to the two of you.

"She was pretty easy to spot," says Aya. "Wonder what she's doing out here? Hello!" She calls to her. "Reisen! I've got someone here you should meet."

Reisen turns around, eyeing you suspiciously. She approaches.

"Fancy meeting you out here," smiles Aya, to Reisen. "This traveler here wants to see Princess Kaguya. And he says he's got something valuable on him."

Reisen turns her gaze from Aya to you.

"Is that so?" Reisen asks you. "And what is it you have?"

I have a silk spinner!

I have a music box!

I have a miniature planetarium!

Oops! I don't actually have anything.

Walking Back Home

Sakuya leads you down the hallway, her head bowed slightly, looking embarrassed. She doesn't say a word as she takes you to the foyer, opens the door to the courtyard, and then leads you to the gate.

"I'm ... really sorry that things turned out the way they did. I do hope you'll be safe out there. If I could, I'd like to give you a little advice. If you intend to visit the moon princess, don't come empty-handed. She lost some valuables during the banquet, and no one can seem to locate them. She's probably a little suspicious of strangers arriving out of nowhere. Bringing a gift would be a sign of good faith. Anyways, best of luck to you, stranger. Farewell."

She bows to you, opening the gate. Hong Meiling looks you over once before shaking her head slowly as you walk away.

You walk down the path to the shore of the island. There, the rowboat is moored, lazily bouncing on the waves of the lake. Suddenly, a flash of blueish-white light streaks through the sky, and there is a loud crash to your left. The tremors of the impact shake your legs a little. Swooping down from out of the blue, Cirno appears before you.

"A ha! There you are!" She shouts, a mischievious grin on her face as she floats in the sky above you. "Do you know the Spell Card Rules? Oh you do? Good. In that case, let's see what you got, outsider!"

「 Ice Sign - Icicle Fall 」

Youkai sometimes like to test you.

Presenting the Silk Spinner

"Oh?" says Reisen. "Let's see it." You show her the silk spinner. She looks it over, mildly impressed. "Well, that is something. Alright, I'll take you to Eientei, and tell Princess Kaguya you have a gift for her. Let's go."

At once, you're off over the tops of the bamboo, flying beneath the starry night sky domed above you. Before long, Reisen begins to fly the two of you downwards. You see, within a clearing of the bamboo, a large Japanese-style mansion. Torches on high poles surround the place. You can see youkai rabbits milling about in the courtyard.

Reisen sets you down in the courtyard. It is silent, and the mansion looks even more forboding up close.

"Give me the silk spinner." Reisen says. "Good. Now, wait here. I will present your gift to the princess. If she likes what she sees, I'll come back to fetch you. If not, I'll take you back to the Human Village. Just try not to bother the rabbits." Reisen turns, and heads into Eientei.

You wait in the courtyard, the youkai rabbits eyeing you cautiously, giving you a wide birth as they ready their bowls and mallets for the Moon Festival. You watch them as they work. Somewhere deep in the Bamboo Forest, you hear the distant cry of a creature you don't recognize.

Soon Reisen emerges from the mansion. She approaches you quickly, and takes you by the hand.

"Come on," she says. "Guess it's not your night."

A timeless gift always pleases.

Presenting the Music Box

"Oh?" says Reisen. "Let's see it." You show her the music box. She appears confused at first, and then just nods her head. "Well, that is something. Alright, I'll take you to Eientei, and tell Princess Kaguya you have a gift for her. Let's go."

At once, you're off over the tops of the bamboo, flying beneath the starry night sky domed above you. Before long, Reisen begins to fly the two of you downwards. You see, within a clearing of the bamboo, a large Japanese-style mansion. Torches on high poles surround the place. You can see youkai rabbits milling about in the courtyard.

Reisen sets you down in the courtyard. It is silent, and the mansion looks even more forboding up close.

"Give me the music box." Reisen says. "Good. Now, wait here. I will present your gift to the princess. If she likes what she sees, I'll come back to fetch you. If not, I'll take you back to the Human Village. Just try not to bother the rabbits." Reisen turns, and heads into Eientei.

You wait in the courtyard, the youkai rabbits eyeing you cautiously, giving you a wide birth as they ready their bowls and mallets for the Moon Festival. You watch them as they work. Somewhere deep in the Bamboo Forest, you hear the distant cry of a creature you don't recognize.

Soon Reisen emerges from the mansion. She approaches you quickly, and takes you by the hand.

"Come on," she says. "You don't want to keep the princess waiting."

Reisen leads you into Eientei.

The long, dark hallways are lined with slide doors. As you pass intersections, hallways to the left and right seem to stretch on forever. Youkai rabbits clear a path for you and Reisen as you pass, their heads bowed. Reisen's movements are crisp, formal. Before long you arrive at the end of the corridor, in front of a large sliding door.

"Princess Kaguya welcomes you to her court. Please show the princess your respect, kindness and deference." Reisen slides the door open for you. "You may enter."

Within the room, a soft, haunting and melancholic melody is playing, the resonating metalic tones of a music box. The room is spacious, and covered in tatami mats. To the right, a pair of sliding doors reaching from floor to ceiling are opened wide, revealing the silohuettes of tall bamboo stalks, swaying slowly against the night sky. Incense burns in a small stone bowl placed just to the side of the doors. In the center of the room, four large white paper lanterns, illuminated from within by candles, rest at four corners around a small pile of thick silk pillows dyed deep red. And on those pillows sits Kaguya Houraisan, holding the music box, staring out at the night sky, smiling.

"Come," she says quietly. You advance. "Sit," she says, when you are about three meters from her.

She turns to you at last. Her eyes are infinitely deep and dark, as if you are staring into the center of the earth.

"What is this melody?" she asks you. "Oh, you don't know? I see. Pity. I would like to meet the composer. I have never heard this before. It makes me think of the moon. The good times I had there. Not that I don't like my life in Gensokyo, of course. It's paradise. But for a long time now, whenever I thought of the moon, I'd only been able to remember the bad times." She sighs. "I love music, you know. But I've heard so many songs over and over that you want to hear something new. For bringing me this, I thank you."

Kaguya smiles warmly at you. "So tell me. Since you were gracious enough to bring me this gift, how can I entertain you? There's a lot I could tell you about life on the moon. I'll have the rabbits bring some food and drink. And I'll show you some rare Lunarian items. I might even open my private collection." She laughs to herself a bit. "You know, the things that happened at the banquet I threw recently made me doubt whether I should invite people here again. But this reminds me that there are still decent people out there. Thank you, stranger. Now then," she snaps her fingers once, and the sliding doors open. Reisen enters.

"Yes, Princess?"

"Have the rabbits put a dinner together for our guest. And ready the Lunarian exhibit. Our guest will be entertained."

Reisen bows crisply and leaves, sliding the door shut behind her.

You spend the evening enjoying great food, great drink, warm and fascinating conversation about life on the moon, and marveling at the Lunarian artifacts Kaguya presents to you. All the while, her ancient eyes smile at you. Well being and joy surrounds you. So much so that even after Yukari arrives some hours later, and gaps you back to your sunny summer sidewalk back home, the magic and beauty of Gensokyo resonates through every cell in your body.

Well done.

On to Mt. Youkai

"Wow, you're pretty confident," says Nitori, impressed. "Alright, I sketch out a map for you. Hang on." She sets down the canvas sack, and then takes off her backpack. She reaches into a side pocket and takes out a small pad of paper and a pencil. She opens the pad, sketching. "This is a little-known path through the Forest of Magic. It's a bit dangerous, but you should be able to handle anything that comes your way.

You take the map, thanking her, and head off.

Once out of the village, you follow a path that leads alongside a ravine cutting through a field of grass. Wildflowers grow along the edges of the ravine. By the map, following the ravine will take you to the entrance to the path in the Forest of Magic.

As you wade through the grasses, you catch the movement of a shadow out of the corner of your eye. You stop, turning your head. You see movement in the grass, a few meters to your left. You press on faster. Footsteps approach you quickly from behind. You turn, but never manage to turn all the way around.

It's better to stick to more well-worn paths.

Presenting the Planetarium

"Oh?" says Reisen. "Let's see it." You show her the planetarium. She looks it over, clearly impressed. "Well, that is something. Alright, I'll take you to Eientei, and tell Princess Kaguya you have a gift for her. Let's go."

At once, you're off over the tops of the bamboo, flying beneath the starry night sky domed above you. Before long, Reisen begins to fly the two of you downwards. You see, within a clearing of the bamboo, a large Japanese-style mansion. Torches on high poles surround the place. You can see youkai rabbits milling about in the courtyard.

Reisen sets you down in the courtyard. It is silent, and the mansion looks even more forboding up close.

"Give me the planetarium." Reisen says. "Good. Now, wait here. I will present your gift to the princess. If she likes what she sees, I'll come back to fetch you. If not, I'll take you back to the Human Village. Just don't stray too far." Reisen turns, and heads into Eientei.

You wait in the courtyard, the youkai rabbits eyeing you cautiously, giving you a wide birth as they ready their bowls and mallets for the Moon Festival. You watch them as they work. Somewhere deep in the Bamboo Forest, you hear the distant cry of a creature you don't recognize.

Soon Reisen emerges from the mansion. She approaches you quickly, and takes you by the hand.

"Come on," she says. "Better get you back to the village before the festival."

What do you get someone over a thousand years old?

(Images: Pixiv, Pixiv and Pixiv.)

Why Fan Fiction?

2010-03-05T18:01:00.000-08:00

I've written short fiction for a number of years now. None of it has been published. In the early days, I would get a copy of the Writer's Market, comb through it, circling any prospective publishers. Typing up my stories on my 1986 Mac SE, I'd print them out, and mail them en masse, wave after wave of stories to the prospects. It's a math game, I thought. At the time I was working as a telemarketer, and "the math game" theory was pretty burned into my mind. The more you keep picking up the phone and dialing numbers, the more likely you are to get a hit. So there more I kept writing, and printing, and mailing, the more likely I believed I was to get published. The proof of this theory is still in the works.

I never thought seriously about fanfiction until very recently. Up until then, I associated the word with things like My Immortal. But then, I started playing the Touhou games.

The thing about Touhou Project that most appeals to me, then as now, is the literary spirit of the games. It's still a vertical scrolling shooter game that is arguably one talented musician's way of releasing songs, but it also boasts a very long cast of characters. There are a few protagonists, some more prominent than others, enemies (however temporary - defeating an enemy leads to at worse an uneasy truce), minor players, cameos, and extras. That in itself is not necessarily unique to gaming.

However, the game's creator has written a number of works providing further histories and backstories of the characters, as well as the history of the world in which they live, Gensokyo. This breathes life into the characters - they have developed personalities, levels of social interaction, a shared history of events that span centuries. A mythology is created here. This is a rich well of material to draw from.

When I first got these games, I used to play them for hours on end. So the mythological aspect of it grew more vivid in my mind's eye. About two years went by, and then maybe out of boredom, I started writing a piece about Aya getting a hot lead on a story ... which I never completed. I'm not sure why, to be honest. Sometimes stories just decide they want to take a nap for a while.

My first complete fanfiction, written a few months later, started as a joke. Me and a few friends were on IRC, and somebody posted a link to this (moderately NSFW) image. We began to speculate how Cirno would make such a discovery, and what events would follow. At the time, I was sitting in a job-related class with my laptop open, so I went ahead and wrote Down On the Corner. From there, things started to pick up steam.

Writing fanfiction is in some ways a challenge and in other ways leisure. Your characters are all fully developed in advance; their personalities, their lives, their interactions with each other. Your audience knows a great deal about your characters' motivations beforehand, and if you know your audience well enough, you know which characters they like and dislike. That definitely takes some work off your shoulders.

But then there's "canon", i.e., all the aspects of your characters specified by the game creator himself. Different fanfiction writers have different approaches to canon. Some pretty much ignore it; bringing in different genres, original characters and the like, while drawing from the parts of canon they want to utilize for the story. Others try to aim to stay within the boundaries of canon. That can be a challenge. Although the mythology of Gensokyo is rich, you run into the problems of maintaining consistency and, more importantly, creating something fresh. Knowing your audience is already enthusiastic about the mythology you're basing a story on can also add pressure; fans can be very protective of that which they cherish, and if they feel you've done a disservice, you'll definitely hear it.

In most other ways, writing fanfiction works the same way writing literary fiction does. You still have to breathe to life a story that keeps the reader going until the very end, and enjoying every step of the way. It's the act itself of shaping a story from pencilled notes to a living thing that keeps me going. And there's worse source material you could draw from than Gensokyo.

(Image: Pixiv)

Mystia's Magic Sand

2010-03-05T17:41:00.000-08:00

[The fanfiction section of Maidens of the Kaleidoscope has really picked up in activity lately. Apart from people posting their stories to be read, appreciated, and critiqued, the Librarians there have set up a Weekly Writing Challenge - a theme is given, and you have a week to complete a story based on that theme. The following story was my submission to the theme, "In this week's writing challenge, you must involve one of the Touhou characters setting up a "medical" "practice". It can be hypnoregressive therapy at Koishi's hands, THC-certified products sold in the SDM, you name it! (And because this is a question that's bound to pop up: Yes, Eirin's canon medical practice is fair game, so long as you do it well." I thought Eirin would have to sit out for this one, and turned again to Team ⑨.]

Mystia sat by her grilled eel stand, leaning against it dejectedly one late summer night, looking up at the stars and trying to invent her own constellations. As usual around this time of night, Wriggle came by to visit her.

“Hey, Mystia,” Wriggle greeted her warmly, then paused, looking at her a moment. “What's the matter? You seem down.”

“I am down,” grumbled Mystia. “I blinded eight people tonight, so you'd think I'd be in a good mood. But you're the first person I've seen tonight.”

“Huh, that's weird. You think they might've gotten lost?”

“Nah, they didn't. Normally when they do, you hear them get attacked by youkai, crying out in terror, at some point in the night. It's pretty hilarious. No, Alice and Marisa probably got to them before I did.”

“Marisa and Alice are killing people?”

“What? No. They're curing their blindness. I've got no business. You think people would eat this stuff if it wasn't to cure blindness? Forget it. I'm going to have to close up shop.” Mystia sighed.

Wriggle thought about the situation a moment, hoping to offer a suggestion that could cheer her friend up. “Well,” she thought out loud. “You know how to do other things, right?”

“You're right.” Mystia considered, nodding. “There has to be another way to make money off of people by blinding them.”

“You could just rob them. They can't see you.” Wriggle shrugged.

Mystia looked appalled. “Touch one of those things? Are you kidding me? Never.”

“Hm. Do you know any magic?”

Mystia laughed wryly. “Apart from blinding people, I can dance, and that's really about it.”

“Well, you also got pretty good merchant sense,” Wriggle offered. “You could open up a shop somewhere. Of course you'd have to consider where, and what you'd sell, who would buy it. And you couldn't really blind people. Or, maybe you could, after they bought something. If you really wanted to.”

Mystia didn't appear to be listening. She was staring at a point a few yards behind Wriggle, an idea congealing.

“Wriggle … I think I know what to do. OK. You have to swear not to tell anyone this, but the sand of the shores of the Misty Lake has magical properties.”

Wriggle started back a little, surprised. “What? I never heard that.”

Mystia paused. “Well, actually it's not true. But it doesn't matter. We can sell it as magic sand, tell people it's a secret where it's from.”

An owl hooted. “What?” said Wriggle at last.

“We tell people it's magic sand, and that it can do all kinds of things like … like cure headaches and stomach aches, and heartburn, and fevers and … yeah. Anything.”

“Hang on a moment.” Wriggle cut in. “How- Why magic sand? Won't people find out it's not magic?”

Mystia chuckled. “Are you kidding? You think what Marisa and Alice do is something special? I'll tell you what – almost all magic is just making someone think you used magic on them.”

“Eh? Really?” Wriggled laughed. “Wow. Anyone could do it.”

“You know it. And if one or two people say it doesn't work, we'll just tell 'em they didn't use it right. Ha!”

Mystia stood up, her eyes gleaming with joy. “Alright, Wriggle. Guess we're going to the lake.

2.

Wriggle and Mystia spent the better part of the night on the shores of the Misty Lake, a half-moon lighting their work, as they scooped handfuls of sand, one by one, into little cloth swatches of brown cloth, which they'd bind up with string.

The following evening, Wriggle and Mystia covered the unused eel grill with a cloth and arranged the little pouches of sand on it. There were forty in all. While they waited for customers, Mystia practiced dancing, and Wriggle watched her.

About two hours later, Rinnosuke stopped by. Mystia was dancing, and Wriggle sat with her back to him. Mystia waved to him happily, and ended in a half-hearted split. Wriggle clapped gleefully.

“Well, what brings you by here?” Mystia asked. “Eyeing up the competition?”

Rinnosuke looked at the little cloth bags, then looked at her. “No. I don't sell eel. I heard you're not selling it anymore, either. Or rather, that 'we ran that little squab out of business', as Marisa put it to me today. So I was just curious to see what you'd be-” He looked down at the cloth sacks. “What are these things?”

“Magic sand,” Mystia chirped.

“Magic sand.” Rinnosuke repeated. “Is that right?”

“That's right. And it can do anything,” said Wriggle, punctuating it with a nod.

Rinnosuke suppressed a smile. “Anything?”

“Well, not anything of course,” Mystia shrugged. “But it can take care of, uh, headaches, and fever, and bad stomach. That kind of thing.”

Rinnosuke picked up a bag, weighing it in his hand. It was no bigger than his palm. He turned it over in his hand, and then put it down. “And how did you get this magic sand?”

Mystia cleared her throat. “It's a trade secret. Sorry.”

“Hm. Of course.” Rinnosuke rubbed his chin. He saw an opportunity take shape. “You know what? I'm going to help you out. I'll recommend people stop by here.”

Mystia's eyes widened. “What? Really?”

“Of course,” Rinnosuke smiled. “It's not easy starting a new business. I admire your entrepreneurial spirit.” He picked up the same bag he'd inspected before. “May I have one? How much?”

Mystia and Wriggle froze. They hadn't actually thought of a price. Rinnosuke reached into his pocket, dropping a one yen coin onto the cloth over the grill. He turned, walking away. “Good luck, you two,” he called back. This ought to be fun, he thought to himself.

3.

The next day, Rinnosuke paid a visit to the human village. He brought up Mystia's magic sand frequently in conversation. As outlandish as Mystia's claims of the sand's power were, Rinnosuke offered that at one yen a piece, it wouldn't hurt to try it. Worse thing that happens is, it doesn't work, he'd say. Which is what he imagined would happen, as one person after the next would invariably ask for their money back, teaching Mystia a little lesson in swindling people. At Rinnosuke's recommendation, dozens of people visited Mystia's stand.

Mystia couldn't believe how well business was doing. She and Wriggle spent the first few nights digging sand until dawn, busy making the little pouches of sand under the stars.

And then business began to really pick up.

Much to Rinnosuke's surprise, people began to claim that the sand worked. Headache gone, stomach calmed, dandruff cured – all because of the sand. He couldn't believe it. Did it actually have magical properties? Did that stupid sparrow stumble upon it due to sheer luck? Stranger things have happened in Gensokyo, he had to admit. Still, he had to be sure.

4.

Marisa stood outside her home one afternoon, airing out a blanket, flapping it in the air with both hands. She'd had a lot of free time lately, and got bored enough to give her place a cleaning. She smiled, a bit relieved, to see Rinnosuke approaching.

“Hey there, Rinnosuke!” Marisa said, letting the blanket drop. “What brings you by?”

Rinnosuke took the bag of sand from his pocket, holding it out for Marisa. “Mystia has been selling these. It's supposed to be magic sand.”

“Magic sand, eh?” Marisa smiled, snapping it up. “Hm.” She smelled it, then opened it, looking inside. She shrugged. “Looks like regular ol' sand.”

“Would you mind … checking it?”

“Check to see if it's magic? Sure, I've got nothing better to do. What's it supposed to do?”

Rinnosuke sighed. “It's supposed to be a type of medicine. Cures an array of symptoms.”

Marisa chuckled, looking into the bag. “So Mystia's still a con artist.”

“Well, probably. But you know, I'd like to be sure.”

Marisa considered Rinnosuke a moment. He rubbed his nose.

“Why do you care, hm?” Marisa asked, smirking. “People not buying your roots and berries?”

He folded his arms across his chest. “There has been a … not insignificant drop in sales in that area, yes.”

Marisa nodded. “Yeah, alright. I'll check it out. You head on back and do whatever it is you do all day.” With that, she turned, and went back in the house.

Rinnosuke watched the door close. Shaking his head, he turned and headed back to his shop.

5.

As Marisa had discovered, the sand had no magical properties whatsoever. It was just regular sand. She'd seen this happen before. When she was a girl, there was a man who claimed to have discovered a tree bark that could cure colds if you chewed it. One by one, more and more people began noticing that it worked, and soon they started looking for the trees themselves. When the miraculous healing trees were unfound, the man who sold the bark confessed that it had been a hoax.

Mystia was trying to do the same thing with her sand. It boggled Marisa's mind just how short-sighted the idea was, but she wasn't surprised by the source. Neither was Rinnosuke to hear it. Mystia's comeuppance is going to be sweet, he mused.

And yet as the week passed, the number of customers only built and built. At first, Mystia was delighted, but as demand grew, so did she and Wriggle lose more and more sleep, digging into the sand of the Misty Lake for hours on end. Her back ached from the work. Her nerves frayed from lack of rest. Their clandestine operations were starting to leave a dent in the sand about half a meter deep and a meter wide.

She knew it was only a matter of time before this had to end. And then what? When she was able to catch an hour or two of sleep, she dreamed of angry mobs of people, chasing her.

Mystia had to sneak out of this situation somehow. After giving the matter some thought, she decided she would again ask for Rinnosuke's help. Only this time, to tell people that the sand was all finished, and that was that. Mystia would lay low for a while, and try to come up with another idea. The matter decided, she made off for Rinnosuke's. Being human, Mystia reckoned he lived in the human village.

On the outskirts of the village, early in the evening, Mystia moved furtively behind the trees, eyeing up the houses and shops for any sign of Rinnosuke. She didn't see him, and couldn't read any of the signs. She made her way into the village center, looking around.

“There she is!” a voice called from behind her. She spun around, startled, and saw five men standing in front of a noodle stand.

“That's the youkai I was telling you about,” said one of the men to the others. “The one who sold me that sand that got rid of my bad back.” They looked at her, impressed, and began to approach.

“Where's it come from?” asked one of the men.

Mystia laughed nervously. “It's a trade secret, ha. Sorry.”

“Come on,” said another. “Tell us. It's not fair. Why should you be the only one to know?”

“Yeah,” the one with the bad back added, his tone hardening a little. “Who are you to stand in the way? People get sick, you know.”

Mystia could feel her heart pounding. If she ran, she knew the whole village would be after her within minutes. Her eyes darted around.

“OK, a- alright!” she stammered. “Listen, it's … it's just regular sand.”

The men stopped. A stray dog barked somewhere.

“What do you mean?” asked the man with the bad back, his eyes cold. They began to approach her again. Mystia could feel her wings beginning to tense up for flight. Fear pounded in her veins.

Marisa stepped up from behind Mystia. “She uses special youkai powers,” the magician said. Mystia turned, looking up at her with a pleading expression.

The men stopped. “Youkai powers?” asked one.

“Yep,” confirmed Marisa with a nod. “She takes ordinary sand, holds it, and shines her special magic youkai power light into it, and just like that – it's magic sand.”

The men appeared incredulous for a moment. Marisa leaned against her broom, smiling. Mystia could feel her stomach trying to curl up into a tiny ball.

“Oh,” said one of the men at last, cautiously. “I … don't really know anything about youkai. But you know your stuff, so …” Mystia could feel every nerve in her body relax. She looked at Marisa. The magician really did have a good heart after all. A smile grew across the sparrow's face. The man reached into his pocket, taking out an iron key, he held it out to Mystia. “Show us.”

Mystia looked at the key, then looked at him. “Excuse me?”

“Make the key magic,” he said matter-of-factly. “Make it do what the sand does.”

Marisa put a hand on Mystia's shoulder. “Well, night sparrow, this bird's gotta fly.” She mounted her broom. “You have a really, really good evening, hear? See ya!”

Mystia watched as Marisa zipped off into the sky. She turned back to the man with the key. Marisa Kirisame, Mystia thought, reaching for the key, I will get you for this.

(Image: Pixiv)

Permission

2010-02-25T10:54:00.001-08:00

Kaguya walked down to Eirin's lab one summer afternoon, more out of boredom than anything else. Summers always made Kaguya restless – she wanted to go out, see people, do things. The sun, the heat, the scent of fragrant life in the air; it was intoxicating.

“Good afternoon, Eirin,” said Kaguya as she walked into the lab. Eirin, standing with her back to the door, was at her lab table. An array of glass jars, flasks and decanters, tubes snaking between and among them, nearly completely covered the table. Despite the clutter, they were impeccably clean.

“Good afternoon, Princess,” Eirin responded, stirring something in a ceramic jar with a glass rod.

“Busy?” asked Kaguya as she sauntered up behind her.

Eirin nodded her head and sighed. “Afraid so. This is kind of an emergency situation.”

“Oh?” Kaguya's curiosity was piqued. “What is it?”

Eirin set down the jar and turned around to Kaguya, leaning against the table. “It's Cirno.”

“Cirno?” What possible emergency could involve her?

“Yes. I had three very bothersome little fairies come up here, begging that I help their friend Cirno. I was reluctant at first, but then the slightly more intelligent of the three – I think her name was Star – made a very heartfelt plea. You see … hm.” Eirin thought for a moment. “Well, Cirno has reached a certain age of significance among fairies. To put it simply, she's ready to breed.”

“Oh.” Kaguya nodded. “So what's the problem?”

Eirin rubbed her nose. “Well, fairies aren't like us. They have reproductive cycles – they're only able to breed one month out of the year, typically in early summer. Males become more aggressive, females become more compliant. To an outside observer, it can appear rather brutal.”

“Sounds fairly animalistic.”

“It is, in a way. And the problem, Star believes, is that Cirno's just not ready. I mean physically, she is, sure. But emotionally, she's just not there yet. For her body to be sending out signals, whether she likes it or not, when there are males on the prowl, well … I'm sure you see the problem.”

Kaguya felt a sharp pang in her chest. She shook her head.

“Plus, I can never resist the chance to create something new. So I'm making a drug that will suppress the process beneath perceptible levels until the month passes,” Eirin continued. “That ought to take care of her until next year.”

“And what then?” Kaguya asked.

Eirin shrugged. “Well, then, I guess we'll see if she's ready.”

Kaguya nodded. A liquid bubbled in a small copper urn over an open flame. Will Cirno ever be ready for that? Kaguya wondered. She tried to imagine Cirno being taken by a male fairy, him being aggressive with her, like a stray dog. She couldn't imagine Cirno enjoying such a thing, ever. Poor thing.

Eirin turned back around, pouring the solution from the ceramic jar into a bottle, corking it, and sealing it with candlewax.

“There,” she said with a satisfied sigh.

“So is Cirno coming here to pick this up?”

Eirin gave a short laugh through her nose. “I think the dear thing would get lost on her way here within minutes. No, I'm having Tewi bring it to her.”

Kaguya paused. She felt a rising fear growing inside her. Without fully knowing why, she said, “I was just on my way to see Tewi. I can give it to her.”

“Really? Well, alright. If you're on your way there anyway.”

Kaguya smiled politely as she pocketed the bottle. “It's not a problem. Well, I'll let you get back to work.” Kaguya turned, walking to the door. “Don't work too hard, hm? It's summer. Everyone should be having fun.”

Eirin nodded, watching Kaguya's back as she stepped out of the room, closing the door behind her.

2.

Kaguya slept restlessly that night. She lay on her bed, watching the smoke from the incense stick in the window as it danced slowly among the stars above the silhouettes of the bamboo forest.

She hoped she could trust Tewi to do as she was asked. She was only reliable to an extent. Kaguya's plan, conjured up on her way to see Tewi, was itself very risky. And she didn't fully understand why she was so concerned about the well-being of an ice fairy. But she knew, on a visceral level, that it was very important that she intervene. What was going on here? She breathed deeply, turning to look up at the ceiling.

Cirno was entering an entirely new world. That she wasn't ready didn't matter. Putting off the inevitable, as per Eirin's plan, was not going to solve anything. Kaguya felt a certainty about this that resonated in her bones. Sexual awakening is scary enough when it's the mind that controls the body. What if your body was in charge, inviting and then surrendering to the desires of others, whether you wanted it or not?

Kaguya felt that pang in her chest again. Lurking behind it, like scared mice in the shadows, were pieces of memories from thousands of years ago. She'd always been fawned over, told how beautiful she was, her cheeks pinched, her hair stroked. Images floated before her eyes like they were painted on fog, these memories.

She knew she was happy with the attention as a child. But she could not place when she began to realize that men desired her. As she tried to approach that valley of her past, darkness would surround her, and she couldn't see it. The only thing that remained clear to Kaguya was her response to the desire of men – immediate contempt, a loss of respect, disgust. Sending them to chase after impossible requests was a fitting response.

She could not say she never felt desire herself – she had, and even acted on it. But she had to be the one who did the chasing; she could never be pursued. A wanton smile, a lingering hand – these would send a cold wind blowing over her skin.

Kaguya sighed. A memory floated before her: standing in front of her mirror in her old room, back on the moon. She could see her reflection very clearly, and she had been crying. She was wishing that she was ugly.

When was this? Kaguya wondered. She could not recall what led to this moment, nor what came after it. Windchimes tinkled softly in her window.

Cirno should have a choice, Kaguya thought, turning over in her bed for the twentieth time. Her body might attract many suitors, but she should still have the final say. Your own body forcing you to surrender to the desire of others – just the thought of it made Kaguya curl up tighter.

She felt bad about throwing away Eirin's potion, and about sneaking back into her lab to take a different one. But that's the way it had to be. She didn't want to explain her motivations for what she planned for Cirno to anyone, even her best friend. Despite feeling guilty about this, the old Lunarian proverb rose to mind: “One side of the moon is always light, and the other side is dark.”

Kaguya watched the incense smoke floating up to the stars, and felt herself drift off to sleep.

3.

Cirno lay on the shores of Misty Lake, dangling her feet in the water in a vain attempt to cool down.

“Why is so summer sooo hot?” she groaned. “I feel like I'm gonna boil up and blow away.”

Cirno sat up, pulling up a lilypad, and began to fan herself with it. Only the lilypad was flimsy, and didn't generate much of a breeze; it only dribbled mud onto Cirno's dress.

“Oh darn,” Cirno pouted. She looked at the mud on her dress, then looked around. No one in sight. And the lake did look very inviting. She could wash her dress in the lake, and then lay it on a rock to dry in the sun while going for a swim.

Cirno unbuttoned her dress, and then furtively pull it off before tiptoeing into the water. She couldn't help but sigh with relief as the cool water slid up her legs and hips. Working the dress underwater, the mud easily washed away. She walked it back to shore, laying it on a rock in the sun, and then giggled, leaping backwards into the water. She paddled backwards as the water glided over her skin. Once she was a few meters from shore, Cirno spread her arms and legs, floating, her eyes closed, enraptured as the lake's small waves lapped at her body.

“Hey Cirno!” a voice called out. Cirno quickly rolled her body forward to a treading-water position. She squinted through the sunlight towards the form at the shore. Tewi.

“Oh, hey, Tewi!” Cirno called out. “Surprised to see you here. What brings you around? You wanna swim, too?”

Wordlessly, Tewi walked over to the rock where Cirno's dress lay. She picked it up, folded it, and turned back towards the forest.

“Hey!” Cirno yelled. “What do you think you're doing?”

Tewi stopped and turned around. “Why, I'm going home,” the rabbit said matter-of-factly.

“But my dress!”

Tewi looked at the dress, then looked back at Cirno. “This? I found this lying on a rock. Are you saying it belongs to you?”

“You know it does, Tewi” Cirno snapped. “Now put it back!”

“You want it?” Tewi smirked. “Come and get it.” This wasn't part of Kaguya's instructions, she knew. All she was supposed to do was lead Cirno into the woods. But then, Kaguya never specified how. “What are you waiting for? Do you want it or not?”

Cirno hesitated. Then she began paddling back to shore.

“There we go,” Tewi whispered under her breath. She watched, smiling, as Cirno got to shore. “Alright then,” she said to Cirno. “Come on out and get it.”

Reluctantly, her eyes darting around the area, Cirno slowly rose, covering herself as best she could with her arm across her chest, the opposite hand over her crotch. Water dripped from her hair and down her skin as the fairy shivered; most likely not from cold.

“Can I have my dress back now?” Cirno mumbled, looking down at her toes.

Tewi held the dress out with one hand, within arm's reach of Cirno, but not handing it to her.

Cirno glared at Tewi, and stepped closer. Tewi took a step back. “Reach for it,” Tewi smirked.

Cirno's ears burned with shame. Quickly, she took her arm from her breasts and tried to snatch the dress from Tewi. But Tewi pulled the dress from her grasp, chuckling.

“Tewi, c'mon,” Cirno pleaded. “I did what you said. Now give it back.”

“Oh you can have it back. When you find it.” Tewi turned around and headed into the woods without another word.

Cirno hesitated. If she stayed, she'd likely never get her dress back. And the longer she waited, the further Tewi would get from her. Steeling her nerves, she stepped into the forest, hurrying after Tewi while trying to keep herself covered at the same time.

“Wait!” Cirno called out, stepping gingerly over the forest floor. Normally, she'd just fly over the trees. She'd never actually walked through the forest before. But of course, flying was out of the question, given the circumstances.

“Ouch,” she cursed as she stumbled, losing her balance a little and stepping on a sharp twig. Covering herself and walking at the same time was impractical, she realized. She sighed and, her heart pounding, removed her hands from her body, holding them away from her hips, palms down, fingers splayed. Cicadas screeched unseen in the branches.

Cirno could feel her pulse racing as she stepping carefully through the forest, painfully aware that she was naked, completely exposed, with no choice but to move forward and try to find Tewi, wherever she was.

“Tewi,” she called in a loud whisper. There was no response. “Tewi?” she called a little louder. She didn't want to raise her voice too much, lest she draw attention to herself from someone besides Tewi.

Underneath her fear of being seen like this, walking naked through the woods felt strange to Cirno, but not in an entirely bad way. She was acutely aware of the air moving over the surface of her skin, the shafts of sunlight through the tree branches that slid over her body. The exposure made her feel lighter, freer. Like one of the wilder, more primal youkai of the forest, who wore no clothing at all, who couldn't even talk but shone brightly with a shameless, feral power, their pheromones like clouds drifting in the summer breeze. These were their woods, too, which surrounded her naked body on all sides. Sparks ran up Cirno's spine, her eyes widening, a kind of electricity gathering in her chest.

She could feel eyes on her, following her. She stopped. Her eyes flitted about, searching, but she could see no one. Just the trees and plants smattered with pieces of the sun, pulsing with summer life. Still, she was convinced she was being watched.

Cirno felt her fear rise, but she also felt an inexplicable tightening between her legs, moisture gathering like heavy dew. The reaction confused her. Still, she didn't dare move.

It was then that she noticed the shadow, in a spot between two trees where a shadow wasn't supposed to be. Within the shadow, she could detect movement, as if the darkness itself had rippled.

Cirno could feel the blood rushing in her ears. Panic began to stir to life in the pit of her stomach. But still she remained motionless, one knee raised slightly, her hands held out from her sides, trembling fingers splayed. A breeze moved through the branches like a silently drawn breath.

Kaguya stepped from the shadow. Her eyes shone brilliantly, reminding Cirno of onyx stones at the bottom of a clear pond. Cirno nearly gasped at Kaguya's otherworldly beauty. She had never seen her close up before. Cirno wanted to run. She wanted to move, to cover herself. But she couldn't. All she could do was look back at Kaguya, who looked at her, appearing mildly surprised by her nakedness, but neither embarrassed nor offended. Then the moon princess began to approach Cirno, very slowly, moving as if she were floating – her upper body remained still, only her dress fluttering soundlessly.

A darkness washed over them now, like a heavy cloud sliding under the sun. Cirno was keenly aware of everything – the pounding of her blood through her veins, the tightness in her chest and between her legs, the goosebumps rising on her skin, her hardening nipples, Kaguya's eerie beauty as she approached her, silently and intently. Thousands of years reached back in the depths of those eyes. Cirno simply could not look away.

Kaguya stood right in front of her now. She inhaled deeply through her nose, then raised a lithe, pale hand, laying her fingertips on Cirno's right cheek. They felt like smooth tongues of aching fire. Far away, she could her windchimes tinkling. Kaguya smiled.

“Cirno,” she said, as if trying out how the name felt in her mouth. She let her fingertips slide slowly downward, tracing her jawline. “Beautiful child.”

Normally Cirno would take offense to being called a child, but something about the way Kaguya said it made her feel quite the opposite – that she was being honored, cherished even. She did not move, and could not take her eyes off Kaguya. Kaguya's fingers took hold of the ice fairy's chin. She could feel her mouth go completely dry.

“Kaguya,” she managed to whisper. “I-”

Kaguya leaned in and lay her lips on Cirno's. They were very warm and smooth, taking hold of Cirno's bottom lip slightly before releasing it.

“Quiet,” Kaguya whispered tenderly, inhaling again through her nose. “You don't have to explain anything.” Kaguya kissed her again, with more pressure, cradling Cirno's face with both hands. And this time, Cirno began to kiss her back.

Kaguya slid her hands down from Cirno's face, stroking the sides of her neck and across the tops of her shoulders. Kaguya's grip tightened slightly, and she pulled Cirno close to her, Cirno's small breasts pressing against her silk shirt. Cirno could feel her head tilt back from the angle, her knees buckling under her.

Kaguya lay Cirno on her back. She felt the cool soil of the forest floor against her back, arms and bottom. Kaguya knelt as she lowered Cirno, using her knees to spread Cirno's thighs. She wanted to bring her legs together; she had never been exposed like this to anyone before, and the ease with which the Lunarian took control of her scared her a little – both because of Kaguya's beauty, and because Cirno realized she had surrendered so quickly to it.

Kaguya smiled down on her. “Cirno,” she said, languidly stroking her bare thighs.

Cirno swallowed hard. Hearing her name from Kaguya's mouth sent tingles across her scalp.

“Do you permit me?” Kaguya asked softly. This made Cirno's heart ache. A princess from the moon asking a humble ice fairy for permission to do anything … She looked up into those ancient eyes. Slowly she nodded her head.

“I will ask you again. Do you permit me?”

“Yes.” Cirno whispered.

“Cirno. I want you to look inside yourself and answer honestly. You do not have to permit me anything. I will turn and leave right now, if you so desire. It is your right to grant me or deny. I have no dominion over you. So really consider it. Do you permit me?”

Cirno slid her hands up, tentatively laying them on Kaguya's. A bird fluttered from a nearby branch, taking off into the unknown. Kaguya's words washed away all fear, and her nerves unwound, calmly stretching through the length of her body. Yes, she saw clearly. She did want this.

“I permit you,” said Cirno, her eyes brimming with tears.

Kaguya leaned slowly down on her hands, kissing Cirno tenderly around her face. Cirno raised her hands, letting them curl around Kaguya's shoulders. A low moan rose from Cirno's lungs.

“Cirno” Kaguya whispered, her hot breath tickling the fairy's ear. “Beautiful child. You will learn there are many things in life that you don't get to decide.” Kaguya slid her hands under Cirno, stroking her back. “Things that will shape you forever. I can't tell you how to avoid them. But I can tell you ...” She kissed her neck, holding her tighter. “I can tell you that some milestones in life … are sacred. They should be yours and yours alone to decide.” Kaguya lifted her face to look in Cirno's eyes. “Do you understand?”

Cirno looked up at Kaguya. “Why are you crying?”

Kaguya smile warmly and shook her head. “It doesn't matter.”

Cicadas screeched loudly as Kaguya lowered herself again, kissing Cirno. This time, Cirno surrendered utterly. She opened her mouth to her, taking in her tongue. She arched her body into Kaguya's hands as they stroked her all over, as her lips and tongue opened her up and moved into her. The tree branches above them stirred lazily in the wind before the summer's blue sky.

Kaguya was patient. Her fingers and tongue moved over and then into Cirno as if she were opening a rose without bruising a petal. Kaguya inhaled deeply, listening to Cirno's body with her own. Cirno gripped tightly to Kaguya's hair as she watched the sunlight starting to make the tree branches blur. She was awash in a swirl of currents, ebbing and flowing through her body. And then, Kaguya touched a place inside her that made her gasp loudly. She was at once terrified and ecstatic. It felt as though a sun was growing inside her, its rays stretching down her thighs, up her chest, spreading up inside the top of her head.

Kaguya felt Cirno's body tighten when she reached the core of her pleasure. Kaguya stroked it faster, in stronger circles, with the flat of her finger as she lovingly kissed her thighs, her free hand sliding over Cirno's body. Cirno could feel her legs shaking as the sun inside her grew larger, brighter, humming loudly in her ears. What was happening? Its power was frightening.

“Let it go,” Kaguya whispered over Cirno's stomach. “Just breathe. Relax. Let it go.”

Cirno closed her eyes as she let Kaguya's fingers and tongue stir the sun even larger. She could see it turning white as it grew. The humming turned into a dull rumbling, building. And then suddenly, the sun exploded in a soundless burst of light that evaporated every cell in her body, a cry of anguished ecstasy roaring up from her chest. There was nothing in the world but this: the cry of the cicadas and the summer sun, lifting her body into the sky.

4.

When Cirno awoke, she felt her hair being stroked. Her head was in Kaguya's lap. Next to her was Cirno's dress, clean and neatly folded. She smiled to see it, but felt no particular urgency to reach for it.

Cirno rolled over and looked up at Kaguya. She looked at Cirno lovingly. Cirno could not help but smile.

“How are you feeling?” Kaguya asked gently.

Cirno thought about it out loud. “I feel … different. Like I'm older.” A bee flew lazily passed them. “Like, I'm not who I was, and who I was, I … I feel like I've said goodbye to a dear friend. I'm a little sad. But I'm also happy because ...” Cirno closed her eyes, drawing in a long, content breath. “Because the world looks … clear to me now. Less scary. Does that make sense?”

Kaguya nodded. “Oh yes. It makes a lot of sense. Sit up for me, child, would you?”

Cirno raised herself off of Kaguya's lap. Kaguya rose to her feet, and smoothed her dress out. She cleared her throat.

“I have enjoyed this time with you.” Kaguya said. “I hope you have, too. I thank you sincerely for allowing it to happen.” Kaguya bowed deeply. Cirno was so surprised she hesitated at first, before bowing her head in response. “You will notice your dress is undamaged. I found it hanging from a tree branch, not too far from here. I have no idea why you would-”

“It was Tewi,” Cirno mumbled. “Tewi took it from me.”

Kaguya paused. “Did she? Well, that was not a nice thing to do. I hope you weren't too frightened.”

“Ah, it's OK,” Cirno dismissed.

“No, it isn't.” Kaguya said. “I will deal with her when I get home. But anyways: under your dress, you will find a bottle. As you know, for one month at this time of year, you are now old enough to attract suitors. You are aware of this, yes?”

Cirno hesitated, and then nodded. “I am.”

“Well, what you might not have been told is, although your body may respond to their desires, your mind might not. It's apparently part of being a fairy. This is why I asked you to be certain of your permission. It is my opinion that the mind and the body should agree with each other. Cirno, listen to me.” Cirno's eyes locked on Kaguya's. “Listen carefully. Should a suitor approach you, do as I asked you and look honestly inside yourself. If you do not desire that suitor, take a sip of that drink. It will give you the power to erase the desire of that suitor. Consider it a gift. But if Eirin ever asks, tell her you found it, would you?”

Cirno appeared confused. “But what if my mind agrees with my body about a suitor?”

Kaguya laughed a little through her nose. “Then you're one lucky girl.”

Cirno smiled, blushing at her own silliness for missing the obvious. Then something occurred to her. “Kaguya?” she asked tenatively. “Why me?”

Looking down into those big, blue eyes, Kaguya paused. It briefly occurred to her to tell her. But then, she remembered the moon.

Kaguya gave Cirno's hair a loving stroke. “Why not you?” she smiled.

Kaguya turned, walking away. “Farewell, Cirno. Enjoy your summer.”

Cirno said nothing, watching her go. There was nothing she could say. It was summer, and she was growing up.

(Image: Pixiv)

How to Surprise Friends and Enrage Youkai

2010-02-09T11:42:00.000-08:00

Reimu and Marisa were walking their way to the Human Village one sunny afternoon.

“So apparently, that's why Wriggle wears short pants instead of a skirt,” Marisa concluded.

“Wow,” said Reimu, and made a low whistle. “I'd never guess she was the type.”

“Well, yeah, but we all do impulsive things when we're younger.”

“Some of us don't stop doing them.”

“Heh, got me there. But then again, you-” Marisa stopped, and held up her hand. Reimu gave her a questioning look.

“Look,” Marisa whispered, and pointed to a bush by the side of the road, a few meters away. It resembled a normal bush in every way, apart from the giant purple umbrella sticking out of the top of it.

Marisa snickered. Reimu shook her head. “Why does she even try?”

“C'mon,” said Marisa, “Just act natural.”

The two walked on.

“So anyway, Reimu,” Marisa said, raising her voice a bit, “I think it's a really good thing this road is so seldom used. Don't you agree?”

“Oh yes,” Reimu replied. “It sure is. You can just walk and walk without having to worry about anyone suddenly jumping out at you.”

“Totally. Someone suddenly jumping out at me is the last thing I would ever expect.”

“Me too. I think it would-”

At that moment, as they were passing the bush, Kogasa leaped up towards them. Simultaneously, Reimu spun, throwing an open-palmed punch straight to the center of Kogasa's chest.

Kogasa was sent flying onto her back, gasping loudly, the wind knocked out of her. Marisa burst into braying laughter, pointing at Kogasa.

“Look at that!,” Marisa laughed. “She even slid a little. Nice punch, Reimu.”

“Simple physics, really,” Reimu said matter-of-factly. “You see, as she exerts force upwards, her center of gravity is-”

“Reimuuu!” Kogasa whined, struggling to her feet. “That was really mean. That hurt, you know.”

“You only have yourself to blame,” Reimu scolded. “If you think that hurt, just imagine what Marisa's Master Spark would feel like.”

“Eh, I really wouldn't waste Ol' Sparky on her,” Marisa said.

“I just wanted to surprise you,” Kogasa pouted.

“Ah jeez,” Marisa groaned. “You couldn't surprise a deaf old man with a blindfold on.”

Kogasa's eyes widened. “W-What are you saying?”

“She's saying you couldn't surprise anyone,” Reimu snapped frustratedly. “Alright? You can't. Just give it up.”

Kogasa's eyes welled up with tears. Her bottom lip quivered.

“Oh no ...” said Marisa. “This is awkward.”

“Kogasa, look,” Reimu began, reaching out a comforting hand to Kogasa.

“No!” Kogasa shouted. “You get away from me! I hate you, Reimu! I hate you!”

Kogasa burst into sobs, and flew off in a hurry.

Reimu sighed.

“Well, Reimu, I hope you're proud of yourself.” Marisa smirked. “You made an umbrella cry.”

2.

Kogaga flew off over the trees, wiping away tears. Stupid Reimu. What was her problem anyway? How come she doesn't want anyone to have any fun, ever?

It was then that Kogasa saw a strange purple band of light, about a meter long and no wider than her finger, appear seemingly out of nowhere, floating in the air before her. Kogasa stopped. Suddenly, the band expanded, like the opening of a mouth. Kogasa was struck with fear. Inside, there shone a dark, violet haze, and several red-irised eyes peered at her from within.

“Uh oh,” Kogasa said out loud. “This can't be good.” What was this thing? Some strange and terrible sky monster?

Yukari Yakumo rose up from within the opening, smiling at Kogasa, and stepped out. The strange purple mouth closed behind her, and disappeared. Yukari floated in the air before Kogasa, regarding her steadily.

“Nice umbrella,” Yukari said at last.

“Wow.” Kogasa was amazed. “Who are you?”

“A friend,” Yukari smiled. “You can call me a friend. I saw what Reimu did to you. Tsk tsk. Deplorable.”

Kogasa paused. “I know,” she mumbled. “She's so mean.”

“Oh, she has good intentions, really. She's just … overly serious at times, that's all. But enough about her. Let's talk about you.”

“Me? Huh?” Kogasa stammered. “W-What about me?”

“You like to surprise people, hm?”

“Yeah ...”

“I can relate.”

“Really? You like to surprise people, too?”

Yukari nodded.

“Well, you're pretty good at it,” Kogasa chuckled. “You sure surprised me.”

Yukari put a hand on Kogasa's shoulder.

“I'd like to help you,” Yukari said. “I could make it so you could surprise anyone, anytime. Would you like that?”

Kogasa's eyes widened with wonder. “Well, sure! But wait – why do you want to help me?” she asked suspiciously. “What do you want?”

“Me?” Yukari asked coquettishly. “Why, nothing. I just think it would be amusing, that's all. Can't let people get too comfortable with life in Gensokyo, you know.” Yukari poked Kogasa's nose playfully.

Kogasa smiled. “Well, then, alright. Sure. I'll take your help.”

“Wonderful,” Yukari beamed, putting her arm around Kogasa's shoulders. “When it comes to surprising people, the first thing you have to know is: you can't go wrong with the gap.”

“The gap? Oh, was that that thing you did where you came out of the sky?”

Yukari nodded. “But really, you can make the gap appear anywhere. You can surprise people no matter where they are. And they never see you coming.”

“Ooh! So when can we try it?” Kogasa asked excitedly.

“Why, right now, if you want.” Yukari smiled. “In fact, I know just the person you could try first.”

3.

“Ah, there we go,” said Nitori, surveying her handiwork. The automated watercress harvester was near completion. “This ought to save a lot of work.” Nitori whistled happily as she looked it over. The rotary blades were in good shape, the frame was stable, and the engine was ready. “Now I just need to calibrate the water intake/outake system.”

Nitori turned and casually walked to her tool cabinet. Some days I really love being an engineer, she thought to herself. She opened the tool cabinet and bent down, retrieving her socket wrench set from the bottom shelf. She then stood, turned around and-

“Hey there!” Kogasa yelped happily, inches from Nitori's face.

Nitori shrieked, stumbling backwards against her tool cabinet, landing in a sitting position. Sockets rolled across the floor.

“Ow ...” Nitori moaned.

“Oh? Did I surprise you?” Kogasa asked with barely concealed glee.

“Surprise me? You scared the crap outta me,” Nitori mumbled, standing on her feet.

Kogasa laughed giddily.

“What is wrong with you?” Nitori glared, rubbing her sore bottom. “Seriously, who are you anyway?”

Kogasa looked at Nitori, thinking.

“You're surprised pretty easily, aren't you?” Kogasa asked, a grin playing across her lips.

Nitori blushed crimson. “I really don't see how that's any of your business.”

Kogasa chuckled. “I'll take that as a yes. Well, I'll see myself out. Bye for now!” Kogasa left the workshop, closing the door behind her.

Nitori glared at the door, shaking her head in confusion. “Buggy little heterochromatic freak,” she murmured.

4.

Kogasa got a lot of enjoyment out of Yukari's help, who gapped Kogasa into any place she wanted – right behind Keine during a class, in Cirno's path as she flew over the lake, even once (and only once) behind Sakuya as she carried a full tea service.

But no one reacted with the sort of intensity of surpise that Nitori did. Each and every time that Kogasa sprang in on her in her workshop, Nitori would belt out a shriek, flailing her limbs comically, invariably falling over something. She never failed to be just as surprised, each and every time. It was very satisfying.

Nitori, for her part, could not understand why this creepy umbrella girl kept plaguing her. It was getting so she didn't want to go into her workshop anymore. But she had to finish the watercress harvester. The stress was getting to her. She couldn't eat, and hadn't slept in days. Weeks of torment left her nerves shaky and frayed.

One day, Nitori went up Youkai Mountain to try and clear her head.

I can't avoid the workshop forever, she thought. My whole livelihood depends on it. But every time I go there … argh!

In her rage and frustration, Nitori clenched her fists, shut her eyes tight, and screamed at the top of her lungs. What else could she do? The creepy umbrella girl was-

Just then, as often happened to Nitori, she received a sudden flash of inspiration. The answer to her problem: the enemy of umbrellas everywhere, of course. Nitori couldn't help but giggle as she hurried back to her workshop.

“So the little freak likes surprises, eh?” Nitori grinned. “Let's see how she likes getting them.”

5.

Nitori nonchalantly puttered around her workshop, pretending to be busy. The watercress harvester rested on its side on the workbench. Nitori crouched down on the floor in front of the workbench, sorting her tools. She knew it would only be a matter of time.

It was when Nitori was arranging her Alan wrenches by gauge that Kogasa silently gapped in behind her. Slowly, she tip-toed up, making her way right to Nitori's crouched back. She grinned mischievously.

“Workin' hard?” Kogasa yelled, which as expected made Nitori gasp loudly, startled, little Alan wrenches flying everywhere. Nitori turned around slowly, still in a crouch, glaring.

“Ah ha ha ha!” Kogasa laughed heartily, “You're really entertaining, you know that?”

Nitori's glare turned into a smirk as she lifted a little steel switchbox connected to a wire.

Kogasa looked at the little box curiously. “What's that do?” she asked, following the length of the wire with her eyes. It lay across the floor, and went up a leg of the workbench, connecting to a big machine with steel blades arranged around a hub.

Kogasa's blood ran cold. “Oh no.”

Nitori smiled broadly and nodded. “Oh yes.” She flipped the switch. The watercress harvester whirred to life, the blades beginning to turn. Nitori crouched down lower.

Kogasa turned and tried to run, but the harvester's blades were already at full power. A powerful wind lifted Kogasa, slamming her against the wall, pinning her there. She couldn't move, and her umbrella was turned inside-out, pinned to the wall next to her.

“My pretty pretty purple parasol!” she cried with despair.

Nitori rose to her feet, switchbox in hand, bracing her back against the powerful wind of the harvester's blades as she made her way slowly to Kogasa. This freak is mine now, she thought. She couldn't help but laugh.

Nitori put her hand against the wall as she leaned in close to Kogasa's terrified face. The sight of Kogasa's expression made all these weeks of anxiety and frustration came rushing up out of Nitori. She cackled with delight.

“What's the matter?” Nitori yelled over the roaring of the blades. “Did I … surprise you?”

“Please!” Kogasa begged. “Turn it off!”

Nitori feigned confusion, holding her hand to her ear. “What? I'm sorry, I didn't catch that. Did you just apologize?”

“I'm sorry!”

“And you promise to stay the hell away from me? What?”

“I promise! Just let me go!”

“And you're a stupid little heterochromatic pinhead with the ugliest umbrella ever conceived by god or man?”

Kogasa hesitated, her eyes darting. “W-What?”

“Never mind. You really swear to leave me alone?”

“Yes! Yes I swear! Just make it stop, please! Make it stop!”

Nitori flipped the switch. Kogasa slid down the wall and landed in a heap on the floor as the machine died down. She clutched her broken umbrella, still shaking.

Nitori pitied her then. She's obviously not too bright, and pretty much mostly harmless. I guess it can't be helped. Nitori sighed.

“Here,” she said, crouching down. “I'll fix your umbrella. I didn't mean to break it.”

Kogasa hesitated at first, and then gently handed the umbrella to Nitori.

Nitori rose, and carried the umbrella to her workbench. Fixing an umbrella would be a snap. And a small price to pay for the look on umbrella girl's face. Nitori savored it, chuckling softly to herself as she got to work.

6.

Kogasa was heading into the Forest of Magic with her newly-repaired umbrella when Yukari gapped in before her, smiling warmly.

“So,” she said. “Have fun scaring the kappa again?”

“It wasn't fun at all this time.” Kogasa pouted. “She had this big wind-making thing, and she held me against the wall, and laughed at me, and my umbrella broke but she fixed it, and I fell down, and she made me promise not to surprise her again and- and she's crazy!”

“I see.”

“Crazy! Why did you tell me to surprise her first?”

Yukari shrugged. “Well, she's easy to surprise.”

“But why did you let me keep surprising her? You must've known she was crazy.”

Yukari smiled comfortingly. “Kogasa, Nitori isn't crazy. But she is very intelligent and resourceful. And just as I suspected, she was very capable in teaching you the lesson that you needed to learn.”

Kogasa was puzzled. “Huh? Teach me what?”

Yukari sighed. “That every person's patience has limits. Even the funniest joke wears thin if you keep telling it to the same person, over and over. But it seems you learned that first hand, didn't you?” Yukari stepped back into the gap. “A wind machine, though, that's a new one. I'd have thought she'd catapult you over Youkai Mountain, or stretch you out until you were one long noodle. Ah well, I suppose a wind machine did the job well enough. Bye for now!” With that, the gap sealed up, and disappeared.

Kogasa stood alone in the forest, and clutched her umbrella tighter, apprehensive. “Everyone here is crazy.”

(Image: Pixiv)

Kaguya Throws a Party

2010-02-04T11:30:00.000-08:00

Kaguya turned over on her futon and watched as two flies buzzed listlessly around each other near the ceiling. She blew a lock of hair from her face, raised her arms as if to sit up, and then let them flop back down again.

She heard a faint, polite knock at her bedroom door. Three crisp, distinct knocks, as always. Eirin. Kaguya sighed.

“Whaaat,” she groaned.

Eirin slid the door open. “Sorry to bother you, Princess, but I thought maybe you were hungry, and would like to have breakfast on the veranda. It's a gorgeous day.”

“But I'm sooo tiiired,” Kaguya groaned again.

“It's the middle of the afternoon.”

Kaguya sat up, leaning on her elbows, and looked at Eirin pleadingly. “Eirin, I'm bored. No one ever comes by. Why doesn't anything ever happen around here?”

“Well, we could go for a walk in the forest,” Eirin suggested.

“Lame.”

“We could go to the human's village and see if there's anything interesting at Rinnosuke's shop.”

“Uh … no. Last time we went there the most 'interesting' thing he had was this ridiculous black box that was supposed to be a game but didn't even do anything.”

“Well, actually, that's because-”

“I mean what is that? Oh, hey, here you go,” Kaguya stammered, imitating a man's voice, “It's a totally worthless stupid black box that doesn't do anything. It's a game! Look at me, I'm an idiot! Thuh thuh thuh thuh thuh thuh thuh. Ugh. No. No shopping.”

“OK,” Eirin paused, thinking, “Well, I've been working in the lab and made this potion you might-”

“What's it do?”

“It makes everything taste like strawberries!”

Kaguya looked at her a moment, then cocked her head. “Eirin, I've been alive for thousands of years. Do you really think that's the kind of thing that would make me jump for joy? Strawberry-flavored everything? Really? What are you going to offer me next, a shiny new mirror?” Kaguya pretended to hold a hand mirror up to her face. “Oh my, what's this? Look at the pretty girl! She do what I do!” Kaguya pretended to turn the mirror over, and gasped in surprise. “Oh no! Where the pretty girl go?” She then pretended to turn the mirror back around, and chuckled giddily. “There she is! There the pretty girl! Huh huh huh huh!” Kaguya flopped back down on the bed. Eirin bowed her head, blushing with shame.

“I'm sorry, Eirin,” Kaguya mumbled. “I guess I'm just lonely.”

Eirin cleared her throat. “Well, you were saying no one ever comes here. Why not … throw a party?”

Kaguya paused, then sat up quickly. “Eirin. That's … that's brilliant! Yes!” Kaguya sprang to her feet. “We'll throw a party – no. We'll throw a festival. The biggest, grandest festival ever! Yee – I'm so excited.”

Eirin beamed. It was so nice to see Kaguya inspired. Already she was taking that commanding, imperious pose Eirin remembered from the old days.

“Let's go, Eirin. No time for breakfast. We have to get organized.”

“Yes, Princess.” Eirin bowed formally. “What are your orders?”

“First,” Kaguya said, thinking out loud, “We will need to clear out a large swath of the forest for our guests.”

“Yes, Princess.”

“Then, we'll need chefs and musicians. Send envoys through Gensokyo to find the best of the best.”

“Yes, Princess.”

“And we'll also need ...” Kaguya paused in thought, tapping her finger on her lips, “We will need to gather the rabbits to build a replica of Mount Youkai.”

“Yes, Pr-”

“Made entirely of bamboo. Standing five times the height of Eientei. And hollow inside. But with … with a system of scaffolds and platforms all around it. For launching the fireworks!” Kaguya's eyes shone. “And- and when the fireworks explode, little candies float down from them. And the candies will be shaped like me.”

Eirin began to get a sinking feeling in her stomach.

“And then,” Kaguya continued, “I will make my entrance on the back of a giant golden owl. And it will sing. And flakes of pure silver will shoot out of its eyes as I wave to people. Oh, Eirin,” Kaguya smiled at Eirin warmly, “This was such a good idea.”

“Y-Yes, Princess.”

“And I'm just getting started! You know me – once my mind gets working, there's no limit to what I can dream up.”

“Indeed, Princess.” Some days, moving back to the moon didn't seem like such a bad idea.

2.

A few weeks later, Eirin was slumped against a tall stalk of bamboo, far enough away from the worksite to remain unseen. Maybe she got could a few moments' rest before being summoned again.

This will soon be over, she reminded herself. The Youkai Mountain replica was almost complete. Acres of forest had been cleared, the chefs were planning a banquet menu, the musicians were composing and practicing. It was amazing what an army of moon rabbits could do.

But it seemed Kaguya was still not satisfied. As one project neared completion, she'd come up with something else to create. It didn't matter if it was a giant bas relief mural depicting Kaguya's escape from the Lunarians, or a candy-filled paper effigy of Mokou that the guests could beat with sticks, or that damned golden owl – nothing was good enough. Maybe everything was actually quite far from completion. No matter how excited she'd been about the festival initially, Kaguya now seemed more stressed with each day, and not happy at all.

Eirin understood why, of course. Kaguya liked to give orders, sure, and she hadn't had a party in a long time, so she wanted everything to be perfect. But neither of these were the real reason. The reality was: Kaguya was still bored. And only one thing could hope to relieve that boredom. Eirin sighed.

Just then, Aya swooped down from the bamboo tops, dropping down in front of Eirin with an excited smile.

“Why hello there, Miss Yagokoro!” Aya chirped happily. “And how are-”

Eirin held up her hand. “Not now, tengu. Seriously. I've had maybe two hours of sleep a night for the past three weeks now. I'm exhausted. Just leave me alone.”

Aya chuckled. “Working overtime, are you? Hm.” She took out her notebook, pulling a pen out from under her hat. “So what's Kaguya up to? I was just passing by and couldn't help noticing a lot of busy little bunnies hard at work. Heh. So what is it, hm?” Aya smiled, leaning in closer, pointing her pen at Eirin. “You know I'm not leaving here without a quote.”

Eirin's first impulse was to snatch the pen from Aya's hand and snap it in two. But then she realized Aya could be useful in getting Kaguya what she really wanted.

“Alright,” said Eirin. “I'll tell you. But you have to promise not to tell anyone. Got it?”

Aya looked shocked. “What? Of course, Eirin. Contrary to popular opinion, I can keep a secret.”

“That article on Cirno's new hobby would indicate otherwise,” Eirin said dryly.

Aya waved her hand dismissively. “Cirno OK'd that piece. She just had Interview Regret. Come on, Eirin. Don't insult me. Let's hear it.”

“Alright,” Eirin smirked. “I'll tell you.”

3.

“So then I said to Winston Churchill,” Remilia continued to Sakuya as she sat on the veranda, “Well, sir, that may very well be, but at least I'm not a fat, sloppy drunk.”

“Ouch,” grinned Sakuya. “You sure put him in his place.”

“That I did, that I did. Say, what's for tea, anyway?”

“Well, my lady, I was thinking we-”

Aya flew up from behind the rail of the veranda, landing gingerly beside the table.

“Well, hello there, Miss Scarlet!” Aya chirped happily. “And how are-”

In the next moment, Sakuya was right in front of Aya, one hand gripping the front of her blouse, the other holding a knife to her throat.

“Whoah, hey now,” chuckled Aya, smirking, “Careful there. I just washed this shirt.”

“Sakuya, relax,” sighed Remilia. “The tengu isn't a threat. And I'm sure she has a very good reason for dropping by unannounced. Don't you, Aya?”

“I do, as a matter of fact,” Aya replied as Sakuya reluctantly unhanded her, “and it concerns all of us.”

Remilia looked at her, nonplussed. “Yes?”

“You might have noticed some strange goings-ons around the Bamboo Forest,” Aya began, conspiratorially, “and you may have been wondering what mysterious turn of events are afoot.”

“Not really,” Remilia shrugged.

“Ah, that's right.” Sakuya spoke up, “I'm sorry, my lady, but I forgot to tell you: we received a message this morning that Lady Kaguya is planning a festival, the date of which will be announced soon. We are all invited.”

“Splendid,” grinned Remilia.

“A festival?” said Aya. “Is that what they told you?”

“What do you mean?” snapped Sakuya. “Stop being coy and just spit it out.”

“Very well.” Aya turned to Remilia. “Miss Scarlet, I think you ought to know that a source very close to Lady Kaguya told me personally that she's planning to attack Gensokyo.”

Sakuya looked surprised, but Remilia regarded Aya steadily. No one said a word for a few beats.

“That is a very serious accusation, Aya,” said Remilia at last. “I assume you have more proof than just the word of one person.”

“I do,” winked Aya. She reached into her pocket, and took out several photographs, carefully laying them side by side on the table in front of Remilia. Sakuya and Remilia studied them.

“What am I looking at here?” Remilia said at last. “I can tell it's the Bamboo Forest, and that house down there is Eientei, but what's that?”

“That,” said Aya, pointing to the aerial shot of the bamboo replica of Youkai Mountain, “is a mobile battle fortress. That's why they're cutting down all the bamboo – they're clearing a path for that thing to come rolling in and start wreaking havoc.”

Remilia nodded, unfazed. “I see. And you're telling me this because?”

Aya let out a short, incredulous laugh. “Because? Because you live in Gensokyo, of course. And because you and your mansion will very likely be targets.”

“Oh, I see,” Remilia folded her arms across her chest, leaning back, smiling, “And it wouldn't have anything to do with you being desperate for a hot story, replete with exclusive photos?”

Aya clucked her tongue impatiently. “You know what? Don't believe me. I'm tired of you people doubting my credibility.”

“I'm sorry, you people?” Sakuya said angrily. “What's that supposed to mean?”

“I just meant-”

“What, are we some kind of primitive howler monkeys to you? Is that it? Just because we can't zip around in the sky like a freak and don't have creepy powerful long distance vision? Hm?”

“Sakuya, look, I-”

“I can stop time, you know! I can stop time. I'd like to see a howler monkey stop time.”

“I'm sure a howler monkey couldn't stop time.”

“Damn right he couldn't.”

Aya sighed. “Alright, I'm gone. You two don't have to believe me. You'll see soon enough. Later.” And with that, Aya flew off into the sky.

Sakuya shook her head. “You believe that? Who does she think she's-”

“I believe her,” said Remilia, looking up at Sakuya, almost comfortingly. “I appreciate your concern, but I could tell she was telling the truth. Or that she believed she was.”

“Are you serious?” Sakuya considered this. “Do you really think Lady Kaguya is planning to attack us?”

“Maybe,” shrugged Remilia. “Maybe not.” She eyed the photographs on the table, thinking it over. “Tell you what: assemble the maids. The entire staff. Refresh their combat training and tell them we're going to the Bamboo Forest.”

Sakuya appeared startled, but bowed. “Yes, my lady.”

“We'll see if there's any truth to this, one way or the other. Either Kaguya's bunnies will be ready for a battle, or they won't. Regardless,” Remilia smiled wryly, “you weren't planning on doing anything special tonight anyway, were you?”

4.

Kaguya slammed her fist down on the table in frustration.

“You people are idiots!” she screamed at the musicians. “You call that festive? It sounds like a funeral dirge. I've heard dying cows who sounded more cheerful than that.”

“Princess,” Eirin interjected. “perhaps this would be a good time to take a break. Don't you think?”

Kaguya closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “Yes,” she said at last. “Let's take a breath. You musicians … I don't know, go out and ask the night sparrow to teach you how to sing or something.” The musicians filed out dejectedly.

Kaguya held her face in her hands. Her hair was straggled, she had bags under her eyes, and her skin had gone from fair to pale. Eirin couldn't remember having seen her eat or sleep since the festival planning started.

“Princess,” Eirin began gently, “you know, you don't have to go through with this. It doesn't have to be a festival per se. It could be just a banquet.”

Kaguya lifted her face from her hands and looked up at Eirin. “What?” she asked, a hurt look on her face, “You don't think I can do this, do you?”

“No, no, of course I think you can organize a festival. It's just- it's just that you don't seem very … happy.”

“Happy? I'm happy! See?” Kaguya flapped her hands around her head frantically. “Leedle-leedle-leedle-leedle-leedle-leedle! Happy happy princess!”

“Ahem.”

Eirin and Kaguya turned towards the door. Reisen stood there, waiting to be acknowledged.

“I'm sorry to interrupt … whatever that was,” Reisen said, “but we've received some troubling reports from some of the moon rabbits.”

“Oh, really?” Kaguya sighed. “What is it this time? And don't tell me it's can't train the kittens to dance on their hind legs, because I don't even want to hear that again.”

“No, Princess, it's … well, it would appear an army of maids from Scarlet Devil Mansion are headed this way.”

Eirin's heart skipped a beat. Good girl, Aya, she thought.

Kaguya, blinked, unmoving. “I beg your pardon?” she asked quietly.

“A single column, but they appear battle-ready. They should reach us in less than an hour.” Reisen paused. “Your orders, Princess?”

Kaguya clenched her fists and drew a long, deep breath. “That conniving ...” she hissed “scheming, smug, jealous little posh brat. She's going to try and ruin my festival?” Kaguya chuckled dryly, standing up. “Oh ho, no. My orders? Tell each and every moon rabbit to stop whatever they're doing, arm up, and await orders.”

“Yes, Princess.”

“I will watch the battle. You will be my envoy to the squad commanders. I will control squad movements from my position, through you. Is that understood?”

“Yes, Princess.”

“Then go.”

Reisen left at once. Eirin studied Kaguya. She looked angry, of course, but there was a certain calm in her eyes. All the same, Eirin wondered for a moment if her hunch about what Kaguya really needed had been off base.

But those doubts were quickly assuaged once she saw Kaguya in action. From her vantage point atop the bamboo Youkai Mountain, Kaguya had the distinct advantage of being able to view both Remilia's advancing maids and her own columns of moon rabbits, judging their positions by the movements of the bamboo tops. Eirin stood beside Kaguya, watching with unconcealed pride as Kaguya gave her orders to Reisen, who moved with lightning speed between Kaguya and the troops. Kaguya spoke evenly and comfortably as she directed the positions of the columns, arranging them more like an artist with her paints than a military commander. For the first time in weeks, Kaguya was starting to look happy.

At last all the moon rabbits were in position. Kaguya gave her final orders:

“Send in six columns to charge them from behind. Once the maids have all turned their attention towards the rear, send in the rest of the columns to attack them from the other side. Then make all the columns encircle them. Be fast, be brutal. Leave no apron unsoiled.”

With that, Reisen bowed, and was off. Kaguya leaned back against the bamboo frame, smiled, and sighed. “And now,” she said, “let's enjoy watching the little brat get a spanking.”

And a spanking it was. After an initial flurry of shouting and thrashing of bamboo, the maids were very quickly routed. Within minutes, it was clear the battled belonged to Kaguya. It wasn't long before she could hear the cheering of the moon rabbits from where she stood.

“Well then,” she said to Eirin, “time for me to get down there and gloat. And find out what the hell that brat was thinking.”

5.

In the Bamboo Forest, the maids were split up into groups, forced to sit on the ground, each group heavily guarded by moon rabbits. Remilia and Sakuya, positioned safely far behind their troops, watched, dismayed.

“Well this is embarrassing,” sighed Remilia. “Perhaps our maids should've been better prepared.”

“Perhaps, my lady,” Sakuya concurred. “I do recall suggesting that mops and rolling pins were probably not ideal weapons.”

“Hmph,” Remilia pouted. “Anything can be a weapon if you have enough willpower. Lazy maids. Darn it.” She stomped her foot. “I wanted to win!”

“But my lady,” Sakuya reassured her, “Your objective wasn't to win; it was to see if Lady Kaguya was indeed preparing for battle. And look, you achieved that objective.”

“Unfortunately,” Remilia mumbled. “It would seem Lady Kaguya is planning an attack after all.”

“And how on earth did you get that idea?” Remilia and Sakuya turned around to see Kaguya standing there.

“Well,” Remilia smiled. “I suppose you've come to gloat.”

“In part,” smiled Kaguya, “So let me get that part out of the way now.” Her smile broadened, she took a deep breath, and pointed her finger at Remilia. “Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! You lost! I win! Win win win! Loser! Loooooooser! Ha ha ha! Ah ...” she sighed happily, “That felt good.”

Remilia and Sakuya glared at her.

“Don't think this is over,” Sakuya hissed. “If you think it's going to be this easy to take on all of Gensokyo, you're in for-”

“Shut it, maid.” Kaguya snapped, and turned to Remilia. “Come now. You might be a petulant child, but you're not insane. What possessed you to embark on such a foolish campaign?”

Remilia smirked. “This might surprise you, but I have eyes and ears everywhere. We heard all about your little plan of conquest.”

“Conquest? What are you talking about?”

Remilia studied Kaguya steadily for a few beats. “Your plan to wage war on Gensokyo, of course.”

Kaguya stifled a laugh. “My- what? Oh no, you're serious, aren't you?” Kaguya then let the laughter escape. Deep, hearty laughter. She crossed her arms across her stomach and bent forward as she laughed. Tears appeared in her eyes. “This just keeps getting better!” she panted, catching her breath. “Oh my, I may have wet my underclothes a little.” Kaguya wiped her eyes. “Alright, alright. Let me see if I have this right: you somehow got the idea that I was planning to attack Gensokyo – for whatever reason – so you decided to try and thwart me with … maids? Armed with floor brushes?” Kaguya chuckled. “Oh, Remilia. I think the maid's been putting a little something extra in your tea.”

Remilia smiled. “I guess it can't be helped. My mistake. But since we clearly pose no threat to you, I assume we can just go home?”

Kaguya considered this. “This little stunt of yours was pretty funny. Hm. You know what? Sure. Why not? You're even still welcome to the festival. Just leave the street cleaning crew at home, will you?” Kaguya laughed softly as she walked past Remilia, patting her on the head. “Don't ever change, you. You're adorable.”

Remilia and Sakuya both fumed at the condescension, but said nothing. They turned, watching Kaguya walk away, shouting the order to the moon rabbits to release their prisoners.

“So what do you think?” asked Sakuya.

“I think our plan to see what Kaguya was up to was indeed a success.” Remilia sighed. “She's not planning to attack Gensokyo. I could see it in her eyes. And her laughter.”

“So the tengu did lie to us,” Sakuya fumed.

“No,” corrected Remilia. “She was misinformed. Someone intentionally convinced Aya of a mistruth.”

Sakuya twisted her brow. “Why?”

“I don't know,” smiled Remilia, “but I'd hate to be the tengu once Kaguya gets her hands on her.”

6.

Kaguya returned to Eientei among throngs of cheering moon rabbits. Eirin stood in the courtyard and watched as she approached. Kaguya practically glowed with delight. Her eyes shone, her smile was broad, and her steps were light. She's back, Eirin thought. She's happy.

Eirin walked to Kaguya, smiling. “I take it you were victorious.”

Kaguya nodded, “I paddled her little bottom and sent her to her room without dessert.” She sighed contentedly. “Ah, I needed that.”

Aya flew down from the sky then, her notebook and pen already out, and rushed up to Eirin and Kaguya. “I saw the whole thing – that was amazing! I had to hide pretty well to get some decent photographs, but I managed to get some good shots.” She turned to Kaguya. “So, tell me, Princess – how does it feel to have defeated the Scarlet Devil Army?”

Kaguya raised an eyebrow. “Funny thing about that: it seems Remilia was under the impression that I planned to attack Gensokyo. I wonder where she would've gotten an idea like that?”

“Ah-” Aya froze, then turned to Eirin.

“Hm,” said Eirin, turning to Aya. “That is very strange. How indeed would Remilia ever hear that awful rumor?”

Aya realized she was trapped. Eirin had set her up, but then again, Aya had broken her promise not to tell anyone. Now what?

Aya laughed nervously. “No idea!”

“You know what I think?” Kaguya began. “I think you-”

“We're going to have a festival,” Eirin cut in. “How'd you like to cover it? It's going to be big.” Eirin kept her gaze steady on Aya's. “It's the least I could do.”

Aya nodded, not quite understanding but happy to dodge a bullet. “Ah- Of course!”

Kaguya looked at Eirin sideways. “Yes, very good,” said Kaguya impatiently. “Now get along, tengu, before you get uninvited.”

“Yes, Princess. Don't you worry – a festival at Eientei is definitely front page material. It's been ages, hasn't it? Well, heh, anyway, goodbye!” Aya flew off.

Kaguya shook her head and turned back to Eientei, walking to the entrance. Eirin walked with her.

“You let the tengu off easy,” Kaguya remarked. “You really are too soft-hearted.”

Eirin shrugged. “Aya's a good girl. She's just a little misguided.”

“I suppose.”

“So then,” said Eirin, opening the door for Kaguya, “I guess it's back to festival planning.”

Kaguya said nothing for a few moments as she walked through the door, but then she stopped. “Forget it.”

“Excuse me, Princess?”

“Let's just have a regular banquet. Lots of people, lots of food and drink, good music, and warm company. Nothing fancy. Inform the rabbits. Have that bamboo monstrosity disassembled.”

Eirin smiled. “Of course, Princess.”

“But keep the owl,” said Kaguya, walking on. “I like him.”

(Image: Pixiv)