The weather showed no signs of improving. The clouds above were only getting darker, and the first crackles of thunder resounded in the distance. The rain battered Gensokyo without relent, and most youkai took shelter under trees or caves.
As a dolphin, Sango didn?t have that luxury. Instead she floated just beneath the surface of the lake, looking up at the miserable weather. These storms were uncommon, but when they did hit they were devastating. They never happened more than once a year, and Gensokyo was grateful for that.
The waves picked up, knocking Sango around a little. The winds were even strong enough to push the lakes about. Sango sighed, diving further down beneath the surface. She was thankful for the snorkel she?d received as a present from the local gods a few weeks earlier. The flower at its tip shifted up and down as she breathed, letting bubbles out but giving her more air than she was putting in. It was a convenient artifact that let her hide from the storm.
It?s pretty boring down here, though.She?d been planning to take a trip to the Crystal Waters and go on a real expedition, but that would have called for an hour-long trek in this weather. She?d even talked Nitori into lending her
a proper outfit for the dive - a real swimsuit, and those plastic foot things humans used to kick. They didn?t make Sango any faster than she would have been as a dolphin, but she had to be in human form to use the snorkel.
The swimsuit and the fins were sitting in a pile at the bottom of the lake, still unworn, and Nitori was expecting them back first thing tomorrow morning. If Sango didn?t have a piece of plastic stuck in her mouth, she would have told the weather just what she thought about it. Another lash of thunder echoed through the water to return the gesture.
From down here, all she could see of the surface was a murky blur. Part of her wanted to just leap out of the lake and experience the storm for herself, embracing the fury of nature. Then she thought about the rain and the cold and the thunder and the wind, and sensibility won out.
The fish of the lake were circling around her, hiding from the storm as well. She reached out and stroked a passing salmon, its scaly side nuzzling against her hand. She smiled. Maybe she was bored, but at least she wasn?t bored and lonely.
Until the thunder roared again, and the fish darted off to the corners of the lake. Sango flinched slightly, but was mostly desensitised to the sound. It was going to be hard sleeping if the weather stayed like this.
On that note, what time was it? The clouds had made it impossible to see the moon, and Sango didn?t know any other way to keep the time. She approached the surface again, looking for a hole in the cloud cover to judge the sky by.
Instead, she saw something red jump out of the clouds. Something red that was getting larger very very quickly.
Wha-She didn?t even have time to finish the thought before the object crashed into the water, sending the already churning waters splashing out of the lake. Sango had to pull backwards to avoid being crushed, turning around to look the moment she was in the clear.
A human figure was floating beside her, brushing off the sides of her blouse as if she?d simply fallen over. The shawl hanging over her shoulders waved about in the water, in perfect time with the ribbons protracting from her long-rimmed hat. She brushed a strand of violet-blue hair from in front of her eyes, straightening her hat before she turned towards Sango.
?Excuse me. You?re the dolphin youkai who lives in these waters, yes? I?d like a moment of your time.?
Sango immediately let loose with the questions. Who was this woman?
What was she? How did she know who Sango was, and what exactly did she want?
Given that she was breathing through a snorkel, though, these questions all came out along the lines of ?blubblglubl?? The woman?s eyes widened, then closed as she nodded to herself.
?I suppose you?re entitled to your questions. I don?t have much time to spare, though.?
She broke for the surface, and Sango made a hasty pursuit. She noticed that the rocking waves of the lake had faded away the moment this woman had fallen in. Regardless, the rain was going at it as hard as ever, and Sango had to shield her face as she spat out the snorkel. She dismissed it, and it transformed into a flower as she placed it back in her hair.
?OK, so,? she started, barely able to hear herself above the storm overhead. ?First of all, who are you, and why didn?t you break anything with that landing??
The woman pulled down the tip of her hat. Rainwater drained off its edge, replacing the water she?d sent flying out with her entrance. ?I am Iku Nagae, an envoy of the Dragon Palace. I?d have to fall at twice that speed to be in danger of hurting myself, and that?s if I was landing on solid rock.?
Sango wouldn?t have believed that claim if she hadn?t just seen it play out in front of her. A messenger of the Dragon God was looking for her personally. This was beginning to get a little absurd.
?How did-?
?You were recommended,? Iku said before Sango could even finish the question. ?At the Dragon Palace we overhear much of what goes on in Gensokyo, especially among the deities. The Moriya gods spoke of a youkai with the power to purify water who lived in these lakes.?
Sango felt out of her depth. She was just an ordinary dolphin at the end of the day, but now the Dragon God -
the Dragon God, the deity that all other gods in Gensokyo bowed down to - had reached out to her. She wondered if she?d fallen asleep at some point and this was all a dream.
Probably not. Dreams weren?t this loud. Or wet. Or uncomfortable.
?And what does the Dragon God want with me? I?m not gonna be served up for dinner, right??
Iku?s expression didn?t budge an inch. ?Miss Tororetsu, I?m not exaggerating when I say Gensokyo?s future may depend on you.?
Silence.
?...Seriously??
Iku nodded. She looked at Sango so sternly that the dolphin couldn?t believe she was lying. The sheer scale of her claim left Sango dazed for a moment. She gulped.
?What do you need??
?First of all,? Iku said, pulling close and lowering her voice to a whisper, ?I need you to promise that you?ll keep this incident to yourself. I?m going to have to break a few rules here, and if you start giving away divine secrets to every fish in the lake my superior won?t be very happy.?
Sango nodded. She figured she could keep a secret - as long as Satori didn?t return for another visit, anyway. That would be awkward.
?Alright. Now, I need to take you to the Dragon Palace so you can-?
?Wait a second,? Sango said, holding up a hand and interrupting Iku for a change. ?I?m not very good with geography, but isn?t the Dragon Palace at the bottom of an ocean??
Iku raised an eyebrow. ?Well, yes, but we?ll be using the-?
?One moment.?
Sango had vanished under the water before Iku could finish. She made no attempt to follow, which gave Sango plenty of time to recover her little stash. She shooed away any fish brave enough to take a look, and quickly changed into the gear she?d borrowed from Nitori. At least it wasn?t going to be totally wasted. She kept the belt - if they needed her for something, it probably involved her powers.
She surfaced again a few moments later, her shirt and skirt replaced by a much more aerodynamic swimsuit and fins.
Iku raised an eyebrow. ?I suspect it?s best not to ask.?
?It?d bore you.? Sango stuck her tongue out. ?So, how are we getting to the Dragon Palace??
The messenger?s face broke into a sly grin. Lightning lit up the sky for an instant as she drifted towards Sango, pulling her arms out.
?How else? We?re leaving the same way I got here.?
Her arms wrapped around Sango?s waist, gripping her with a strength her slender body shouldn?t have possessed. Sango had just enough time to figure out what was going on before she felt herself being jerked out of the water.
?P-Phweee!?
Sango squealed, kicking about as Iku lifted her further into the air. Heights had always been an issue for her, and as a dolphin it have never been one she?d seen a point in dealing with. She couldn?t fly, she never planned to climb the mountain she lived beneath, and she generally had no ambitions that took place far above sea level. As she was pulled up towards the pitch-black thunderclouds, she was understandably frightened.
?Don?t let go,? Iku said with a mischievous grin. ?It?ll be quite the drop if you do.?
You think?!Sango tried to grab Iku in the same way Iku was grabbing her, but the envoy?s arms were locked around her elbows. Sango couldn?t do more than grab at her shirt for support. She looked straight up, well aware that looking down would just make her feel even worse. She started kicking with her legs, pretending that she was swimming through the air to calm herself down. It took her a while to notice that Iku?s legs were moving in time with hers, but from the glistening trail they left she knew that Iku wasn?t pretending.
?How do you do that?? Sango asked, poking at Iku?s leg with her knee. She?d point to it, but Iku?s grasp on her didn?t give her arms much room for movement.
?It?s the uniform,? Iku answered. ?It has the blessings of the Dragon God, and allows me to swim through air like it was water.?
Sango?s face flashed red for a second.
?C-Can I borrow-?
?No.?
?Dammit.?
The clouds were still a long way off, but Iku continued to ascend with her dolphin passenger. Sango couldn?t deny the feeling was exhilarating - the winds blowing through her hair, rain pummeling at her face as sheer adrenaline charged through her veins. She could hear her heart pounding like it was set to explode. She couldn?t even see the ground beneath her anymore, and the whole experience took her breath away.
Or maybe that was just a side effect of the height she was at.
?Ah-?
Sango was starting to feel a little light headed. She was aware that her breaths were getting shorter and shorter, drawing in less oxygen from the rapidly-thinning air. She tried to grab at the flower in her hair, but her hands were still locked at her sides. Iku continued upwards, unaffected by it. Maybe she didn?t need to breathe at all.
?Iku...? Sango wheezed. She could hardly find the air to speak. ?Need...flower...?
Iku tilted her head. ?I?m afraid you?re unlikely to find flowers at this altitude. Isn?t the one you?re wearing enough??
Sango began to kick about wildly, gasping and panting as the air continued to thin. She looked up towards the flower to try and get the point across. ?Can?t...breathe...?
The realisation hit Iku just in time. She loosened her grip so that Sango could squirm her arms out before clutching at her waist again. The dolphin quickly pulled the flower from her hair, blowing at it just hard enough to make it transform. She lodged one end of the snorkel into her mouth and savoured the sweet taste of genuine air.
?Huuu...haaa...huuu...?
The flower fluttered up and down as strength returned to Sango?s body. She wondered if Iku had been aware of it, or if the envoy of the Dragon Palace had forgotten about the troubles of mere youkai.
?I didn?t think snorkels did that,? Iku said, raising an eyebrow.
Sango pulled the snorkel away after she?d caught her breath. ?They don?t,? she said, before putting it back on. This time she bit down as hard as she could, unwilling to let anything pull her air away from her again.
Still, why are we headed this way? The bottom of the ocean should be...well, down.The black stormclouds now hung right above Sango?s head. She could still see lightning jumping around inside the cloud, and the rumbling was ten times as loud here as it had been on the ground. She put her hands over her ears, relying on Iku to keep a strong grip on her.
?Get ready,? she heard Iku say. ?This is going to be rough.?
Sango felt Iku?s grip grow tighter, and she saw a brilliant glint shine in the envoy?s eyes. The pair charged into the thundercloud, and Sango clung to her guide for dear life. They had escaped the rain, but the lightning bounced around in all directions with deafening crackles. Iku picked up speed, grinning recklessly as if she was channeling the storm itself. She lowered herself to bring the pair within a few feet of a spark of lightning, and Sango reacted as any dolphin would in that situation.
?Mmmmh!?
Are you nuts?! I don?t wanna be fried dolphin today!Iku winked at her. ?I said it was going to be rough. I never said I planned to make it any easier.?
Sango considered letting go for a moment, only to remember that she was currently several thousand feet above the earth. She held onto Iku, deciding that Probably-Going-To-Die was still preferable to Definitely-Going-To-Die.
The lightning hung beneath them - or rather, they hung above the lightning as it danced across the cloud. Sango was relatively sure it should have struck them by now, but perhaps Iku had some sort of protective ward. She definitely hoped as much. She looked around the cloud, trying to find whatever it was Iku was searching for, when at last a shimmering light emerged in the distance. Hanging in the air in the centre of the stormcloud was a flickering doorway, made of the same lightning that was surrounding them right now. On the other side of the doorway Sango could see the briny depths of an ocean, and beyond that-
?That?s the Dragon Palace,? Iku said as she pulled in towards the door. ?You should be grateful - few youkai have ever seen it with their own eyes.?
The building was tall enough to outdo any building in Gensokyo, two jade dragons curling around its length. It was a pagoda with a dozen stories, black at the bottom but brightening to a sheer-white roof. Each of the roofs was covered in scale-like tiles, four jagged spikes sticking out of their corners. Lanterns hung from these, bringing light to what would have otherwise been a completely dark environment.
As Iku pulled her through the doorway, Sango came to a sudden realisation. She?d never ventured to any great depth before. The water pressure at the bottom of the ocean would be strong enough to turn her into a pancake. Given that Iku had forgotten about her need to breathe, Sango was worried for a moment that she?d be crushed the moment they passed into the doorway.
Instead, Iku clicked her fingers, and a sphere of flickering light surrounded the dolphin. Sango felt the water hit her, but it was with no more weight than the waters of her own lakes. She looked up at the envoy in bewilderment, and Iku simply smiled back.
?I?m not that bad, I?ll have you know. Now, right this way...?
Iku let go of Sango and took her by the hand as they approached the front door of the palace. Curiously, it was hanging open, but from the size of it the door would have been difficult to open and close on demand. The interior was as carefully designed as the exterior, with paintings of dragons on surrounding scrolls and impossibly well-kept wooden walls that glimmered with a magical sheen.
Dozens of other youkai were swimming about, in the same flamboyant uniform as Iku. They were all murmuring in hushed voices, but Sango didn?t need to hear them to know that they were uneasy. Something serious really was happening here.
But why do they need me?She saw several of the passing youkai look towards her, with expressions ranging between confusion and relief. She felt her body temperature drop by a few degrees.
No pressure or anything...?Right, here?s the plan,? Iku said as she brought Sango further into the building. ?We?ve got some major impurities that need to be cleaned up on the bottom floor. It?s too strong for any of us to remove, which is why we sent for you. We don?t know how long you have, but if you?re too slow the consequences will be disastrous. Any questions??
Sango glared, pointing at the snorkel in her mouth again. ?Mmmmphhlbl.?
?Ah, right, I forgot. I?m sure there?s someone here who?ll take care of that.? Iku let go and pulled away, swimming towards a crowd of envoys and speaking in murmurs. Eventually one of their number nodded and looked towards Sango. She chanted for a brief moment, holding her hands out towards Sango, until with a pop a bubble came into existence around her head. Sango spat out the snorkel, checking that she could breathe in this newfound air supply. She was pleasantly surprised.
?Thanks,? she said, giving the magician a wave. The woman shook her head.
?No, Miss Tororetsu. Thank
you.?
Before Sango could ask for any more explanation, Iku was pulling her along into the pagoda?s crooked corridors. The bubble bounced around in time with Sango, and like the snorkel it never seemed to run out of air. Sango had to wonder just how difficult this enchantment really was given that she?d seen it twice in a matter of weeks.
?So what am I cleaning up?? Sango asked, gripping one of the vials on her belt. ?Dirt? Curses? Demons??
Iku came to a stop in front of a large wooden door at the end of the corridor. She smiled again. ?You?ll figure it out.? She opened the door, and Sango got her first glimpse of her duty.
Hundreds of dishes and plates were floating about, each showing stains from use. Some were marked with flour, others with sugar, others still with butter. Some had burn marks that would need some heavy duty cleaning, and others were covered in a substance Sango couldn?t hope to recognise.
She felt a nudge on her back as she was pushed into the room. The door closed behind her with a final click.
?We still have some last-minute business to finish, so I?ll be on my way,? Iku said from the other side of the door. Sango could hear her drifting down the corridor already, her voice fading away. ?Remember - if you want Gensokyo to survive the storm, you?d best be quick...? From there she was too far away to be heard.
Sango charged the door, which unsurprisingly refused to open. The door was firmly locked, and her yelling didn?t earn her anyone?s attention. She heard one or two of the fellow messengers swimming by in a hurry once, and one of them sounded concerned, but his partner simply said Sango would ?calm down eventually?.
For about ten minutes, Sango sat in the corner of the room, glaring at the cutlery bouncing about. She?d been expecting a duty that could alter the fate of history, and in truth she?d just been hired as the world?s best dishwasher.
She thought of Iku, who?d hauled her into all of this. She remembered the stern look the envoy had given her when she had said Gensokyo?s fate depended on her. Could she have been lying? Sango tried to imagine it, but a look that stern could have only been honest.
?But still, how is dish-washing going to save the nation??
She didn?t know, and no-one planned on telling her any time soon. They?d locked her up in here and left her to do her job. A fork fluttered in front of her face, its tips grimy and coated in red.
She sighed.
?Either way, I can?t go home if I?m on bad terms with them...?
She rose to her feet, cricking her neck and flexing her shoulders. She pulled out one of her vials, filled with a liquid that could cleanse water of any impurity. It wasn?t large, and there was a lot of work to do with it, but they?d left her a washcloth as well. She poured a droplet onto it, and the cloth shone with a glorious light.
?Alright,? Sango said to herself, pulling over the first bowl. ?Time to show these youkai just why the gods were talking about me.?
-----
It didn?t take long for Sango to understand why she?d been sent for. This cutlery was in horrendous condition. She almost threw away two of the first dozen plates as lost causes, but with some thorough scrubbing she?d been able to wipe them clean. After about twenty plates the pure-water ran dry, and she was forced to reapply her magic to the cloth to keep up the pace.
The loneliness frustrated her more than anything. Being on her own for hours with nothing to do but clean dishes wasn?t her idea of a good time. She would rather have been braving the storm with her fishy friends than working cleanup for people she?d never met. When that thought came to her, she reminded herself that this was for the good of Gensokyo.
Yeah, I?m sure wiping the muck off of this plate will save thousands of lives.It was a difficult idea to get into her head.
It took her an hour - or maybe two, she had no way of keeping time in here - but ultimately she had managed to clean up everything that she?d been left with. She?d even taken the time to arrange them in well-ordered piles, just so they?d be easy to put away later. It wasn?t like she had anything better to do.
When that was finished, she knocked at the door again.
?Uh, hey? I?m done in here. Can I come out now??
There was no answer. Sango frowned. They were still caught up in whatever it was they were preparing, most likely. She?d have to wait for someone to pass by.
It was only a few minutes before she heard footsteps stomping down the hallway.
?...Where?s breakfast? Hell, where?s the chef...??
A young girl?s voice traveled through the walls. She sounded too young to work here, but either way she probably knew how to open a door. Sango knocked to try and get her attention.
?Eh? Who?s there??
There was a click as the door creaked open again. Looking down, Sango found herself face-to-face with a youkai unlike any of the others she?d seen. Most obviously, she was dressed in a long green kimono, except rather than fabric it was made of scales. Her jade hair was tied by two jeweled ribbons, but it formed frill-like shapes behind her ears seemingly of its own will. A small fang hung above her lower lip, which was drooping like a weight had been tied to it. She looked about as ready to punch Sango as she was to say hello. Somebody had got up on the wrong side of the oyster this morning, Sango thought to herself.
?Uh, hey,? she said, waving half-heartedly. ?I know I?m not supposed to be here, but I?m kinda on a super-secret mission.? She was whispering for reasons she wasn?t really sure of.
The girl?s expression stayed as dark as before. ?A secret mission to clean the cutlery??
?They didn?t tell me that when I signed up.?
The girl sighed, crossing her arms. ?Whatever. I?ll find someone to take you home.? She looked around the corridor, muttering beneath her breath. ?...As soon as I can find anyone, that is.?
Sango?s eyes widened. ?You mean the envoys are gone??
?Yup. I just woke up a few minutes ago, and everyone?s missing.?
Sango pulled herself out into the corridor. Besides her and the girl who?d freed her, there wasn?t a soul to be seen. That was enough to worry her - they?d been flailing about in a panic only a few hours ago, and now they?d all vanished?
She remembered the stakes involved, and that just made her feel worse.
?Let?s look around,? she said with unexpected force, turning to her left and swimming down the corridor. ?They might just be having a meeting or something.?
The girl caught up with Sango easily. She didn?t even need to kick, Sango noticed - she just drifted along with the water perfectly naturally. She was looking off into the distance, just aware enough to turn when the corridor bent.
?I doubt it,? she said. ?They?re probably off to serve someone better than the lousy god running this place.?
?Eh? But I thought this was the palace of the most important god in Gensokyo.?
The girl put on a pained smile. ?You think Gensokyo?s the only country the gods care about? There are hundreds of Dragon Gods, all looking after different nations and different oceans. There?s a reason they only trusted this god with a couple of lakes.?
Sango bit her lip. ?And what would that reason be??
The girl looked down on herself, hanging her head in shame.
?It?s cause she?s...she?s...? She grit her teeth as the words forced her way out of her mouth. ?It?s cause she?s so damn short.?
Uh-oh.Sango didn?t need to be a genius to make the connection. The girl was talking about herself.
Which meant that Sango was three feet away from the almighty Dragon God of Gensokyo.
To say she was nervous was something of an understatement.
?W-Well, come on,? Sango said, giving the deity a pat on the shoulder. ?It?s not like you?re that short. I mean, how old are you? Twelve? Ele-?
?Five thousand and twenty-seven, as of three hours ago.?
Sango couldn?t hide her groan. ?Oh.?
?I know, right?? Now that she?d started talking, the Dragon God didn?t look like she planned to stop. ?I mean all the other gods say I?ve got to wait until I?m at
least ten thousand before I start worrying about adulthood. But ten thousand is aaaaages away. Why don?t I get to be a grown-up now??
Sango honestly couldn?t think of anything to say. She could practically see the clouds forming over the girl?s head, and knowing she was talking to the most powerful force in Gensokyo made her much less adventurous.
?Wait,? she said at last. ?If you got older three hours ago, doesn?t that mean today is your birthday??
The girl shrugged. ?Yeah, something like that. But I hate birthdays. Nothing like a reminder about how NOT-old I am.?
The pair searched throughout the first floor of the palace, but there was no sign of any of the Dragon God?s attendants. At several points they found letters from employees thanking her for the work but announcing their decision to take wing under a new deity. The young goddess responded by crushing each of these letters, the currents twirling around the scraps of paper to break them down to the atomic level.
?This is all Iku?s fault,? the goddess said to herself. She looked like she was fighting back tears. ?She was supposed to keep me informed if employee morale was getting low, but now everyone?s just walked out...?
Sango almost hugged her, but getting too close to an angry god could have led to all sorts of divine retribution. She settled for another pat on the back as they made their way back into the entrance hall.
?They didn?t even leave the lights on in here,? the dragon muttered. The lanterns that had been lighting the corridors and rooms came to an abrupt stop as they made it to the entrance. They drifted onwards for a few paces before the goddess?s eyes shone, and the lights in the room jumped back to life.
Dozens of voices called out at once.
?Happy Birthday, master Miryu!?
The Dragon God?s attendants stood around her in a semicircle, each of them holding out a plate. Each plate had a cake on it - some made with a master?s touch, others that barely qualified as edible, but every one stuffed with as many candles as they could fit. In the middle of the arc, Iku raised a finger into the air, and with hundreds of tiny crackles the candles burst into flame. Given that they were underwater, it was undoubtedly magical.
Miryu could only look on at what her followers were offering her. Sango, deciding her presence was unwanted, swam backwards into the corridors while the celebration played out.
?You guys...? Miryu hiccuped, fighting off the urge to cry in front of her subordinates. ?Why?d you do all this? Why would you wanna hang around with a little girl like me??
Iku smiled, stepping forward and taking the step Sango never did as she wrapped her arms around the Dragon God.
?Miryu...you may be young, but that doesn?t stop you from being our master. We?ll look after you until the day you become the greatest Dragon God of all.? She winked. ?And you?re doing a wonderful job looking after Gensokyo. Don?t you agree, miss Tororetsu??
Sango flinched as Iku called out for her, poking her head out from behind the wall.
?Yeah, I do,? she said, nervously at first but growing more relaxed with every word. ?Gensokyo?s a wonderful place to live. All sorts of colourful youkai and interesting locations...it?s great. So...thanks, I guess.?
Miryu shivered as the wave of emotions overcame her. She returned the gesture, hiding her face in Iku?s shoulder. Sango could hear her sniffling from here. Iku gave her a little squeeze.
?Now, be a good birthday girl and blow out the candles.?
It was a few seconds before Miryu had recovered herself enough to show her face again. She stepped backwards, turning towards Sango with a cocky wink. Sango saw the young god mouth ?Watch this!?
Then the tides started.
In all fairness, she did what she had set out to do. The currents definitely put out the candles, but they also sent Miryu?s attendants flying across the room. The cakes flew straight off their plates, slamming into either walls or any servant unlucky enough to be in their way. There were yelps and cries as Iku and her companions were knocked into each other, and no-one was lucky enough to escape unscathed. As the dust cleared, Sango decided that hanging back had definitely been the best idea.
Miryu frowned. ?OK, I think I overdid that a little. Can we try that again??
-----
?Sorry about that,? Iku murmured as Sango wiped away the last few stains of chocolate on her face. ?I wasn?t expecting the master to go overboard like that.?
?No worries,? Sango said. Iku was the last of her ?patients? - she?d taken it upon herself to repair the damage Miryu had done to her own palace. It was faster than the dishwashing, mainly because the cakes didn?t leave as stubborn a mark on the walls. She had magic to thank for that.
?So is your boss like that every year? She was pretty grumpy when she ran into me.?
?It?s been a problem for a few centuries now,? Iku answered, picking her hat off of the floor and putting it back on. She took care to straighten it. ?Master Miryu is rather...sensitive about her youth, and birthdays only make the problem worse. They make her angry, and when that happens Gensokyo feels the brunt of her wrath.?
?So that?s why you planned a surprise party for her??
?It?s something a little different from the norm. We thought it would cheer her up, but to get it all to work we had to make it look like we weren?t here. We were running behind, and if master Miryu found all of the leftover dishes it would give the game away, so...?
Sango nodded. As she?d hoped, it had all made sense in context, and she?d actually had done her part in saving Gensokyo. Not that she was allowed to tell anyone. She?d tried to negotiate that point with Iku, but the messenger was adamant that Sango hold to her promise of secrecy.
?I?d best be getting you back home,? Iku said, taking Sango by the hand. The dolphin would have wanted to hang around, but the anti-pressure ward Iku had cast earlier was beginning to flicker. Maybe it was best to leave while she still existed in three dimensions.
The trip back to Gensokyo held none of the mystery that her entry had offered, but the feeling of hurtling through the air wasn?t something she would get used to any time soon. She put on the snorkel before they departed this time, and given that her air-bubble burst the moment they were out of the water she was eternally grateful for her foresight. As the pair fell out of the stormcloud and dropped out of the sky, Sango saw the stormcloud fading away overhead. The sun was beginning to rear its head, the first rays of light striking the soaked earth.
Iku came to a stop just above Sango?s lake, dropping the dolphin in with a small plop. She removed her hat and put it to her chest, bowing her head.
?Allow me to thank you on the behalf of my fellow servants. You?ve done Gensokyo a great favour today.?
Sango shrugged. ?It?s not much, really. All I did was wash some dishes.?
Iku smirked. ?True. Then I can relax in the knowledge you have no reason to brag about it??
?Sure thing.? Sango gave Iku a salute. ?Now go make sure your boss enjoys her birthday.?
?With pleasure.?
Iku rose up into the sky, quickly fading into the red dot Sango had seen hours ago. She vanished into the remnants of the thundercloud, which dissipated entirely a few minutes later.
The storm had passed.
-----
?Bluggh.?
Nitori Kawashiro was just about conscious as she opened the shop for business. Last night?s storm had kept her awake, and it was only a strong shot of cucumber tea that kept her from collapsing into bed. She muttered to herself as she stretched her arms, reminding herself that a day wasted was a penny lost.
Only a few minutes after she?d opened the store, there was a ring of the bell as her first customer entered.
?Morning, Nitori!?
Nitori quickly found she?d been off the mark. Sango was not technically a customer. Customers bought things and gave her money for them. Sango just called in favours and borrowed things for a day or two. It was bad for business, but Nitori owed her for getting the shop started in the first place. The kappa were an honourable race first and foremost, though sometimes Nitori wished honour and profit didn?t have to oppose each other.
?Morning, Sango. I guess you?re here to return the stuff you borrowed yesterday??
She couldn?t imagine Sango had used the gear. Last night?s weather was far too violent for a dolphin to consider a trip to the Crystal Waters. Still, there was a definite spring in Sango?s step as she walked towards the counter, leaving the swimsuit and fins in a neat little pile in front of Nitori.
?Thanks again, Nitori. These were great.? Sango was grinning like an idiot, like she was laughing at the punchline of a joke no-one else was aware of. The kappa raised an eyebrow.
?Sango, just what were you up to last night??
The dolphin only gave her a wink.
?I?m afraid that?s classified information~?