Part III
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Chapter 26:
The ending of my recuperation had finally arrived… well it was more like a morning. I was awakened early though, some short time after daybreak. I felt jerking movements, but I soon discovered that it was Eirin removing the sling from my arm. It had been completely healed. “You may leave when ready,” she began to speak, but she added, “You are always welcome here…” I got up out of the bed. I had gotten out of the bed before many times here, but today was a new day. I sat back down on the lip of the bed and the dolls came to me. Shanghai want to comb my hair this time… Nothing changes…
It came to my surprise when I saw a familiar pair of red baggy pants come into the room. Eirin had noticeably left already. Mokou had a beaming smile on her face, which I could think was a superb feat of her to do that. She came over, bowed, and circumflexed right in front of me, but kept her knee on the ground. Grabbing my hand with hers, she rubbed her thumb along the backhand of my hand.
“Hey buddy,” Mokou whispered, staring into my eyes, “How’s it going? You must’ve hit that pretty hard.” I was hesitant to respond, but she remained there. “Kaguya didn’t even bother telling me, but Eirin had sent Reisen to tell me that you needed to be taken out of Eientei soon. So I came over as fast as I could.” A smile cracked along my face, and Mokou continued along on her story, “You see. I’ve noticed changes around here, like everyone else. People have been changing. Keine acts much differently than before. Kaguya has remained the same though…”
“Well obviously,” I cut in. Mokou took her hand off of mine and moved her rear onto the bed. “I’ll stay here for a while,” she said, “but no guarantees about Kaguya.” I chuckled a little bit; she let out a small laugh. I asked her if it was comfortable for her to sit on her own hair. Mokou realized her odd appearance from the way she was sitting and corrected herself–placing the long silver hair on the bed, not bundled but straight along. It was almost funnier this time because the hair almost went over the other edge of the bed. I chose to lay my head on Mokou’s lap; she didn’t seem to mind and kept her upward slant of a smile clean. Our friendship is getting closer for some reason. Must be the weather…
“So have you changed at all?” I asked.
“A little bit, yes. I stopped smoking that stuff in the forest and tried moving that stand out of the forest.” Mokou was putting her fingers in between bundles of my hair.
“Good.” Moving my left hand over my body, I patted her discolored shirt, “Changed enough to go further?”
Mokou was beginning to blush as I put a light smirk on my face. “No… n-not that far…” But she soon snapped out of her fervor, “Maybe I will, one day!”
I couldn’t help myself but giggle, while Mokou made a disconcerting laugh.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, feeling some of her hair with my right hand.
“Nothing… It’s just…” Her eyes were distracted in looking in another direction.
“People can be nice, you know…”
“Oh–I know that.” I was able to slowly get her attention back.
“Do you feel lonesome, Mokou?” It was bright as day, as the sun shone through the screen of the rice paper doors; but the atmosphere of the room had thickened. Mokou was surrounding herself and I into a haze of depression as if no one could see inside. Her eyes were staring right down into mine, almost looking like glass spheres with the taint of red looped around the black center. I felt a shivering motion around me, vibrations in the form of small jerks. Those glass eyes became shiny and the smile laden on her face moved. The shine of the eyes was beginning to move also. I felt the back of my head being rubbed by the same hand that held it–fingers massaging it. We were completely sealed in her own world at that moment. Her facial muscles had solidified the mouth in a new position, but mine remained the same. That shine I had mentioned was moving more, until I felt a slight patter on my cheek. I could see her other hand almost move to try and wipe the saline tear off, but it was hesitant. Several more drops followed suit, but they did not affect me. The hand that was going to wipe my face instead went for my rear. As I was being curled up into an upright sitting position, moist lines ran down her cheeks.
Mokou placed my forehead right into the one of the lines on the cheek. Her left hand that held my head was rubbing along my scalp, slightly changing the shape of my hairstyle. I heard some hicks come from the mouth and some drops dripping from the chin. I brought my left hand up to slip it in between her arm and abdomen–she let it be. Mokou was whimpering for several minutes, but she eventually came out with understandable words.
“She told you… t-t-to much. D-didn’t she…”
“Not much. Only a little.”
“Keine a-always tells people… too much!”
“Would you rather someone know or not know?”
The next lines out of her mouth were more moaning and whimpering, until I cut in.
“You’re going to be alright okay…”
“No… I-I won’t!”
“You need to get over this eternity thing.”
“I-if you were like m-me… then-then how in the hell would you handle it!”
“I wouldn’t handle it well, but that’s beside the point. The thing is…”
She was crying fully and I had to interject some shushing and some patting on her side until she had calmed down.
“The thing is… That I’ve met with many people so far. I’ve made my speeches. To tell you the truth, I already know that most people here will live beyond my life. But I’m not upset over it. I have already accepted the fact… that is why I’m doing as much as I can right now. We can spend as much time as you want, but I also have to spend time with others as well. I have to be traveling elsewhere so if you want anything, do it no–”
I was cut off by Mokou’s motion. I had not been paying attention to where her head was–or where her lips were for that matter. Tears still streamed down her face, but I had realized that I had changed a person’s feelings about life to a degree (Not in the sense of Grant and Jefferson, but you get the idea) She was leaning on me until I plopped on the bed. I could see Shanghai and Hourai exchanging looks at me, but since Mokou’s eyes were closed, I exchanged a look back at them–in the sense of remaining quiet about the matter. I believe that the morning was still rising but another idea flowed into my mind.
If my internal clock was correct, Letty and I have not met in a long time. This love scene with Mokou reminded me of Letty… I know I really should not be doing that, but it came to mind anyway. Besides, Mokou was the one that put her tongue in my mouth, not me. Eventually, our session with one another was being taken a little too far and I told Mokou that we could “do it” later if she wanted to. She was somewhat upset about this, but I did not want to have a mess on my hands just because I had a visitor. Another scary thought came to mind, so I asked Mokou…
“Has Spring arrived yet?” I asked, stuttering.
“Um… not yet.” She answered; I sighed. “But it should becoming soon, maybe today…”
“Today?!” Springing forth from the bed, I began to panic about a situation that could get worse.
“What’s wrong?” Mokou asked, grabbing my newly healed arm.
“I need to get to Youkai Mountain. Fast!”
“Why?”
“Because I promised to meet someone before she left!”
“Oh? You mean… another person…”
“I already told you that I was meeting other people!”
“Is it that snow person? Because you asked if it was spring…”
“Yes, it is that snow woman!” Mokou was finally off the bed now, but she grabbed me.
I was hoisted onto her back, the dolls followed, and without hesitation or farewells we were taking off into the Bamboo forest on our northward course. Mokou decided to head around the valley that contained the human village. I assumed she would have some sense of where she was going, but after passing the village, I had to guide her the rest of the way. We soon got to the foot of Youkai Moutain, but Letty was nowhere to be found. I asked Mokou to spot the biggest change in the ground on Youkai Mountain as we went up. Soon enough she spotted snow on lower portions of the mountain to the east a little…
We landed right there, but Hina was not with Letty. Letty was standing there but not upset or crying. Just wandering around. I got off of Mokou as soon as I could and dashed at her. She noticed soon enough from the sound of my footsteps and whirled around soon enough. We both head towards each other, but it was fast once we grasped each other. Letty was kissing my forehead and gripping me tightly…
“You took too long…” She said.
“I know, I know…” I responded.
“It is nothing to worry about now. I have to go soon.”
“I know that… it’s just…” I was looking away
“I don’t think you should be worrying about me…” Letty had my eyes directed at hers.
“Why?” I pouted.
“Because… I come back every year… Even you know that.”
“But…”
“Shhh. You will be fine… we can have fun and do more new things next year…” Letty was already pushing away from me.
“What do you mean new things?”
“Well… we had no time to do much of anything after the shrine maiden tried to separate us…”
“You’re right…”
“But again I will say,” Letty put her hand to my face, “we can try again next year.” A smile came upon her face, but I couldn’t help myself to let a few tears from my eyes. Never before had I changed a person, and now I was getting the same in return. “Why are you crying?” Letty asked, “You have plenty of friends… Isn’t that what you told me?” She was right… I had many friends… And I could meet up with her again… It will only be eight months or so… “Now I must be going…” Letty spoke solemnly.
She gave me a kiss on the cheek, and for some odd reason, stuffed something in my pocket before backing away a distance from me. Mokou was there to watch it as well. Letty rose in the sky, almost like how He rose on that day. The way she vanished… It started with her feet and legs, dissipating away into snow. That snow vanished soon as well. The horizontal line traveled up, soon taking her body and arms… and then lastly her beautiful face. The tip of her cap finally turned to snow and blew away into the unknown, disappearing as it had appeared since the beginning of the season. It had been graced by beauty, but it had to return to its cycle. I collapsed onto my knees… then my palms graced the ground with a touch. For the first time, I had felt compassion, but a loss… A pain in my eyes…
Mokou was already at my side, saying that we should go now. I told her that I needed to be heading out on my own again. She agreed, but said that I should come back to see her soon. I said I would. I was going to head eastward on my journey. I had to be going to that nameless hill where I met Medicine. But as I began to head eastward with the dolls, there was a change in temperature, and I also noticed flowers on the ground. I heard chanting noise almost, too much to bare… And then a swirl of colors in the sky burst out into an explosion of light and heat.
“SPRING IS HERE~” Said the fairy born out of the explosion. I felt so damn ready to beat this thing to a bloody pulp, but a description shall suffice instead. She wore mostly white and then her long blonde hair. The white garbs were lined with patterns in red, while long conic sleeves concealed her arms. The head was topped with a conic cap slanted towards the back and her back had white wings–three pairs. Lastly, the feet had white boots. I was still crying a little, but the supposed spring fairy had taken notice already.
There was a courteous smile on her face. I had heard rumors before that the voice of spring attacks those who are near her. At least… That’s what Reimu said when I was in rest for two weeks–also Lunachild said the name was Lily White… Lily inched closer to me but remained in the air. I started to back away, but she was moving faster until she grabbed my arm. Scared, I started so shake, but Lily began to dig in my pockets almost searching for something. Pulling out of my pocket, she took what looked like several seeds.
Ecstatic to have found some, Lily went to nearby patch of ground from where she had appeared. She inserted the seeds in to the ground while giggling. When Lily was done she placed her hands above the fertile soil. I watched as some stalks formed out of the ground. Flowers bloomed from those stalks and Lily was elated to see it happen. When she was done, she came back to me smiling. So that’s what Letty gave me… She motioned me to follow her. Lily began flying further eastward and I tried keeping up.
Once Lily stopped, we were in a field of what looked like sunflowers. Lily swirled around in the air above the field, spouting the word of Spring’s arrival several times. Even though sunflowers were more of a summer ordeal, she was making them bloom early. The gorgeous sunflowers in their light began to bloom, even though the sun was beginning to drift downward from the sky. It was the warmest part of the day, the perfect time for the plants to bloom. Lily came down to me afterwards and finally spoke to me for once.
“They bloom every year. It makes me so excited!” she said. “I’ll see you another time maybe!” And with that she rapidly took off already, in and eastward direction again. Lily was going to cycle around Gensokyou once and then back to the Mountain, probably. I stayed where I was though and let the dolls search around for anything in particular. While we were looking around, I thought I had heard some beautiful music…
…I thought I had heard this piece before… so calm… majestic… it reminds me of something… This place was a like a garden… sunflowers… a Garden of the sun… The music… I couldn’t help myself but to dance around in circles… This music was so calming… I hadn’t heard music in a while actually… and to hear it again feels so comforting… I felt the world was almost spinning without me… My eyes were being driven to tears by the music… the melodic sound… the low notes… the slow rhythm… As if I was floating upon the flowerbeds here… lost in my own thoughts of anguish and despair… This sound… this sound… THIS SOUND!
The trance… became broken soon enough, as it ended. A din and cacophony erupted out of the sound, but stopped in a matter of seconds… I was damaged for the rest of the day… Staring at the sunflowers, I felt angered by the sight of them. The dolls and nearby fairies were indifferent about this though and continued on about their normal business… Did I actually hear the music? Or was I just lost in my thoughts? I felt hungry, like I hadn’t eaten in days. One of the sunflowers was brimming with green tough seeds. I helped myself to a few, and took a bunch for later.
I told the dolls that we were leaving and had to go to the hill next. Medicine should be minding her own business when I get there; but I want to surprise her. Before leaving, something in the air changed, like there was a presence…
When I was leaving, I had the feeling that something terrible had been watching me…
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End of Chapter 26