In A Different World ? Journeys in the Land of Illusions

[MayKissingDoveWyks]

ATTENTION ALL READERS, NEW AND OLD:

I am sorry, but there will be no more updates to this on this forum. Search for it through Google or somethin', maybe find out through word of mouth.
This is a Touhou-related piece, my first actually. I'm okay with critiquing and feedback.

Prologue

Very busy?
A very busy person? I am?
At the moment? Not much time?
Yes? a break?

Time to take a break? Sit back and relax?

Moving back from the shining light, I put down my pen.

Three hours. Whew. Never constructed a work such as this.

Lifting my masterpiece from the hard wood of the desk, I think back on what I accomplished. The lines, the divots, and the colors; I had created a wonderful thing. A mountain, covered with snow?something I don?t normally draw either. I lay back in my chair looking at the rotating fan, hanging down from my ceiling. The Moon hovers outside my window. Resting in the dark, smooth sky, it reflects over the lake nearby as a bright glowing sphere?only marveled by the Sun.
   
It is approaching late autumn, yet no snow has lain on the ground. I hope that this winter will suffice. Winter has always brought warmth into my heart, despite the freezing weather and traditional dates of the season. The sky still glitters with stars outside, even in this twilight. I live in a more rural area, but not too far from the aforementioned lake and a couple mountains and valleys in the vicinity. Some roads are nearby, but I like the quiet out here. It allows me some silence and some nice scenery to view.

I check my clock: 1:00 A.M. Not bad. Detail like this does take its time with the pencils and the calories my arm burned. I ought to get to bed, but I am still waiting. Today is that day of the week. Oh? Did I forget to mention? There is this person who has been meeting me out here recently. It appeared out of nowhere and bothers me once a week. The person always seems interested in spiriting me away, but I choose to remain. They always seem to come back and only at night. The figure speaks calmly all the time, almost warming and gentle. Sometimes we have a short discussion, sometimes long, but it constantly throws in that idea of following them. Claiming that where they live is a great place, full of ?wonder? and ?illusion?.

I wait for another thirty minutes. Sitting in my chair waiting for the return. Sweat beads down my face. Shall I go for it this time? I don?t know. I have been rather lonely recently and living in nothing but drawing and feasting. The clock strikes 1:30 and in the room a curvy, poorly drawn thread appears out of nothing. A bow at each end forms and the middle begins to swell open. Eyes appear behind this hole as it opens. A dark figure creeps out of the hole and closes the hellish hole behind them.

?What do you want?? I say morbidly.

?Have you been faring well, recently?? the figure speaks.

?Pretty well. It?s been the usual loneliness, but I?m doing swell.? responding as I slink back into my chair, back still turned. A mirror set on my desk gives me a reflection of the figure standing there.

The figure decides to move into the light. Walking towards me, the light begins to glare on the person. First the feet appear, colored white with red across them. A nice tint of purple shows thereafter as the persons dress moves into the light?I am assuming it?s a nightgown. White Victorian gloves and straight arms, waist, then past the chest and finally the chin move into the light. From here, I can see the person?s hair, and dimly their face. The hair is of blondish color and wavy with some red bows in it. Having a small smile crack from her face, she speaks?

?What is your decision?? while slightly breathing down my neck. Warm air.

?Yukari, what is your reasoning for speaking to me, even wanting to take me away? I do not even deserve this. I?m busy and I?m fine the way I am?? I retort.

?Silly boy. I do this out of speculation. Even though, yes, the place where I come from is secluded from the rest of your world, I think it was time that I bring some fresh air into the land. I picked a random area and decided that the random person would be the one to come with me. Besides, the human population in Gensokyo is dwindling. I am asking for your consent on this, also.? Her smile widens a bit. She lets out a small giggle as well.

?Well? I am grateful for your offering, but I still can?t decide on my decision.?

?Aw? Think about it. After watching you for quite some time, I still think you might enjoy it there.? She sits down in my comfortable chair, and pulls it near to my chair. I still don?t look at her?

?I still need time though. To think and to give my last memories in this world, if you would at least give me that.? I speak, letting the words slide out of my mouth.

?Fine. I will give you two weeks.? She gets up from the chair. ?At least promise me that you will decide by then. It is bad enough as is that I am waiting.?

?You won?t be disappointed, okay.?

She begins to leave slowly, opening the hole back up again, but stops short. She turns around and moves back toward me. She pulls something out.

?I remembered. A gift. From one of the residents who will be waiting for your arrival, like several of the others.? She lays the object astray on my desk.

I pick it up. It is a doll. A fairly crafted one, I?ll admit that. It?s about 25 cm tall and has somewhat long blond hair. A big red bow is tied on top and it seems it has a similar one tied to its neck. The doll was wearing a long purplish dress with a small white apron. Two lines for eyes came along with two little shoes for its feet. A hourai doll. I wonder?  Looking closer underneath the left shoe, there is engraved a very curly M. That M confirms my speculation. Margatroid. So the seven-coloured puppeteer already knows of my existence, eh? I thought Yukari was reclusive about her whereabouts, but I guess not in this case. After examining the doll, I turn to face her. I stand up stating?

?Send my best regards to the maker of this doll. Tell her that I will arrive shortly in due time and return with the gift in my possession?

?I will make sure of it, when I have the time,? Yukari yawned. ?As you can see, I must be going.? She giggles, again.

Yukari recedes back into the hole slowly with her feet disappearing last, and closes it behind her. The bows disappear and the line fades away. Oh what a night? I glance back at my clock: 2:00 A.M. I have never been up this late on especially a night of the full moon. But again, I have two weeks to say goodbye to this world and enter another filled with illusion and dreams?

?And colorful bullets. Mustn?t forget that?

I rest the doll up on my side bureau near my bed. I change my clothes and pull up the covers. Turning off the lamp, I slide into my bed, pulling the covers up. Slowly drifting off to sleep, I stare at the moon?

Land of illusion, huh?

The world I leave behind, compared to a land of ?illusions??


?
Yeah? It?s worth it?


___________________________

End of Prologue.

[MayKissingDoveWyks]

Chapter One:
The Last Moments

The light settles behind the horizon
Under a cloud of dirt and gravel
Only to find new light on the other side...

…How do I know these people already? Well, Isn’t the answer quite simple?

You’re right… It doesn’t have to be, but like most Internet-goers, I found out by searching or being told about it. When I discovered it, I felt like I had found something so interesting. It became a part of my life, even into my vocabulary in various cases.

I have to say goodbye though, pack my things, and take the portal to the Land of Illusions, Gensokyo. I don’t have much that I want to bring, save for maybe some pencils, my xylophone, and the acoustic/electric guitar. Some of my writings I may stash in my pocket for good keeping.

That doll though… Why? Why such a gift coming from a loner in a forest. Wait… Who am I to judge the way people act?

I wake up the next morning, ready for everything that I have left to cherish of this world, before wandering off into the next. I will miss it a lot.

I leave my small house, lock the door, and head out into the valley for a little bit. Going for a walk, enjoying the fresh air outside, I come across the lake. It was the lake that the moon shined upon last night. Walking up to the edge of the lake, I stick my hand into the cold water, feeling the flow of it for a few minutes. Water… I don’t know how much there will be over there…

I head back to the house, listening to the quarrels of birds in the high trees and the squirrels moving about. Leaves are still scattered on the ground, with their colors ranging from brown to a very light red. There probably will be leaves there two… maybe…

Being away from civilization, you kind of wonder… I will end up going to a place that’s not much different than where I live currently, but much more dangerous… Yes, much more dangerous… But I don’t want to be near human settlement. I love nature. If there were anywhere I would stay, I would rather wander through the forests, meeting new people along the way…

The two weeks seemed to pass on slowly, a fortnight and fifteen sunrises. But I have said most of my goodbyes, though I never really had any to begin with… I just hope at least the ride is a safe one.

The last sunset, I wait patiently. The last time I will see the sun in this world. Sitting outside my small house, I watch as the sunsets slowly. That orange glow receding behind the ground will always be something well in my heart. But I bet they’ll have sunsets over on the other side. Goodbye, my friend… After watching the show, I close the door behind me and return to my bedroom. I pull one of my luggage cases out of my closet.

First things first: Clothes (I’ll probably be able to get more suitable ones in Gensokyo), the doll, a couple classic books, the xylophone, my wallet (after emptying it out first), several pots, my writings, and lastly a light prism. The prism reminds me of wondrous colours, and the knowledge of science I will remember. It will be worth it… I can carry my guitar too… The clock moves closer to midnight. I hope that she might arrive early, but I shouldn’t get my hopes up either. I wait patiently in my comfy chair.

The clock then strikes 1:30 and the hole begins to form again. Always 1:30, why not earlier? Yukari comes out of the hole first, but followed by three other figures; fairly young I might add. One has black long hair and primarily blue clothes on, topped with a blue bow. The middle one has short golden hair, with braids on the side, and wearing red and white cloth. The last one on the right seemed most uninterested by this scene, wearing what looks to be a white one-piece dress with black bows and a cap; the hair also being curled like drills. All three of them have wings of different shapes. Unusual. Why bring the Mischievous Fairies for something like this? Oh wait… my paraphernalia…

“Are you ready to go this time?” Yukari sneers a bit while moving closer.

“Yeah, but why bring th–?” As soon I as speak, the one with the drill hair grabs me and lifts me over her shoulder. “Hey! Put me down!” I exclaim, but she doesn’t budge.

“You need not worry. Everything will be okay. I just do not want you to get lost over the course of the trip.” She chuckles a little.

“Lost over the course of the trip? Is that why you brought them?” I add, as I turn my head at such an angle–my back still to Yukari.

“Oh yes. We would not want you and your junk to get lost in my realm, now would we?” Again with the giggling.

“Alright then. Take me to the other side.” The other two fairies grab my suitcase and my instrument. The blue one seems to be struggling with it, but the braided one decides to help. The one holding me moves towards the hole.

“This may hurt a bit…” Yukari says while slowly entering the hole. “HURT?” I cry. “You never said anything about that?” I remember that I need to do one last thing…

I ignite a match that I had in my pocket and toss it behind me. No one will know what happened here and no will remember…

“Did I really need to?” She says as she disappears in to the portal. And soon I enter it too. Goodbye Earth… The house beginning to burn behind us as the fairy holds me tight. I feel a stinging in my face, freezing cold. Nothing but eyes and I see Yukari nearby, but I can’t hold my pain in. I have never felt something like this before, ever… A dementia…

Eyes wide, I open up my mouth and I scream. Then… I blackout…

_________________

End of Chapter 1

That's enough for today.

[MayKissingDoveWyks]

Chapter Two:


The air so calm
Gives life to the blossom reborn
Fragrant in the breeze

Darkness… Still…
Fading…

AWAKEN…

My eyes open quickly. There is little to no light out. I lift my head into the air. Looking around, I notice the moon is still that glowing sphere in the sky. Grass... My belongings! I search around quickly. Where are they? Luckily enough, they are placed right at my side, just a couple feet away. I stand up and hastily grab my stuff, checking inside the suitcase to make sure nothing was taken.

Where am I anyway? What a stupid question to ask. I should be in Gensokyo, if Yukari was telling the truth. Where is she anyway? It’s cold out here too. Why did she leave me out here? Ah yes, she’s too busy doing her business… She could have at least left me at the border… Well, I guess I was asking for it, since I like living outside…

Still pondering, a completely dark sphere heads towards my position. The light from the moon reflecting off the trees makes it detectable. I try to remain as low as possible so the sphere may not see me. I step on a small branch by accident. To my dismay, the sphere stops about several meters in front of me. Most of the dark sphere disappears, revealing another childish-looking person. Arms spread out like a cross, wearing nothing but black with white sleeves; she has blondish hair with a small red ribbon attached to one clump of it. Her red eyes were glowing slightly, and she gave off a very sinister grin…

“You must be a new one…” She sneers.

“New one? Look, I’m trying to find a place to stay, okay.” I back away from her a bit, but she moves closer, gazing at me.

“Is that so?” Her smile widening a bit, show her somewhat sharp white teeth and her tongue…

“What do you want? I’m just here to find the border shrine.” Still back away… I should just make a run for it…
“But it’s rare for me to get a meal this good. It’s been such a long time. Let me feast!” She grabs my arm and pulls me down to the ground. Her weight is fairly light, but she’s able to pin me to the dirt. Strong one, isn’t she?

“Rumia, I am not food okay. I know you are hungry, but can’t you just eat lesser youkai?” I start to struggle a little bit. She moves her face closer.

“Attacking humans is a youkai’s job. It wouldn’t be as fun if I did something else.” She whispers into my face, letting me inhale her warm, slightly smelly breath. Ready to eat, Rumia licks my cheek. Moving back a bit she lifts my arm to her head, opening her mouth wide. I close my eyes tightly as immediately I feel a sting in my arm. I wail a bit as she begins to sink her teeth into the flesh of my arm.

“RUMIA~! RUUUUUMIA!” a voice comes from the bushes. “Where are you?” The voice moves closer. Soon enough the wretched youkai takes her piercing teeth out of the meat of my arm.

Out of the bushes comes a blue ribbon, followed by: blue hair, ice-laced wings, a one-piece skirt, and bare feet. Of all the people to come to my aide, I get the nine-ball. Actually, I should be lucky that even something like her is wandering about. Immediately she spots us and flies over.

“Rumia! Where were you? Did you get lost? We had been looking for you. And then the butt-lantern told me that Hide-and-seek was a bad idea. But my plans always work out, FOR I AM THE STRONGEST…” Again, not aware of my existence, she continues to ramble on with her childish banter.  I pay no more attention to what she’s saying as the words constantly spew out of her small mouth.

I get up and dust myself off. It seems that they both moved a several meters–my arm bleeding a bit from the marks that the hungry one left. I tap the blue-tinted one, who still has her back towards me, on the shoulder. Quickly she turns around and shouts…

“How dare you interrupt me! I am talking right now! I should cryo-freeze you for all I care!” She continues on with the threats, until I cover her mouth with my hand, huffing…

“Look, I am cold. I just got here. My arm is bleeding thanks to your friend here! I’m tired, and I don’t need a little brat like you threatening me in this way… Take me to a shelter, or some place safer than out here okay… Or at least the border…”

The little one’s eyes open wider. She begins to pout a little bit, but then quickly takes out some icicles and points them at me. I put my hands up and back away…

“No,” Cirno moves one of the icicles up to my neck. “You’ll be listening to me.” I back up to the tree behind me,

“Alright then…” I put my hands down and the fairy yells to bushes, “Assemble!”

[MayKissingDoveWyks]

Just then, three more figures come out of the bushes and trees. Another fairy with green hair–a bunch of it braided to one side–comes out. Near her, descending from the trees, comes a creature with sharp small talons. She has pink hair and pointed ears along with pink wings, dressing in white and brown. Lastly, a green haired fellow with antennae pops out of the bushes. Wearing white sleeves and puffy blue pants, she seems a little timid with her long cape drooping on the ground. The bug-child speaks first…

“Cirno, you better not be hurting people again…” The three newcomers encircle closer to the scene, but the green fairy seems to move closer to Cirno than the others.

“Shut up billboard, he touched me!” Cirno retorts–her face still red with anger.

“Touched you? We’ve been running around this whole time and a stranger randomly touches you?” This time the bird-like creature speaks, perching herself on the tree above me. “He doesn’t seem to be one of those types of people.” She cocks her head to the left and the right.

“He’s wounded too.” Wriggle says calmly. She lifts my arm up and examines it a bit. She turns to Rumia, “Rumia, why do you always have to try and eat people?”

“Sorry, G. I was starving and I couldn’t hold it in any longer…” Rumia puts her hands behind her back, looking innocent.

“That doesn’t make it rig–” The bird began to speak, but was cut off by Cirno.

“Enough of this! All that matters is that he’s a stranger and needs to be dealt with! Cockroach, carry him along! Dai-chan, take his stuff!”

Wriggle hesitantly turns me onto my back–belly up–and lifts upward. Struggling, she tries to hold my back up with one arm while lifting the fulcrum of my legs in the other. “Ugh… He’s a heavy one.” The bird, Mystia, helps and pushes my back into the air. Somewhat gracefully, the group begins to head out into the forest again, carrying me along, but Mysita and Wriggle carrying me near the back of the formation. Daiyousei grabbed my stuff that had been spewed onto the ground; she has some difficulty.

“I know a place where you can stay, and it’s right nearby,” Wriggle whispers into my ear. “It may not be the best place, but might work.” It appears that Mystia is in on it too, as she winks at me, smiling. Daiyousei still has my belongings, but then again, maybe she’s going to help as well. Her position is not that far near the leader.

Some minutes pass, Wriggle nods to Mystia and they quickly swerve away from the group and into the trees. They begin to move vary fast. Lo’ and behind, the green fairy follows closely behind. I knew I could at least trust some people…

We continue to zoom through the forest, soon reaching an open area.

“Here we are,” says Mystia. In the middle of the area appears to be a run down shrine, a very small one. Landing near it, they drop me on ground. I land with a small thud, but I’m mostly in tact. They dust me off.

We move up to the sliding door, but it’s closed and there seems to be a lock attached to it. I guess I can’t get in yet… I got to lie down on the walkway on the outside of the shrine. My belongings sit nearby.

The three of them turned to me, before leaving. “We are always in the forest right nearby, if you ever need us,” Wriggle whispers. With that, the three of them leave, to return to the other two that should be looking for them. My wounds begin to close up a little bit…

The moon has disappeared from the night sky. The sun’s light is seen in the sky, but it hasn’t pierced the sky itself yet, still resting below the horizon…

What an evening… never have I experienced such a night as this…

I begin to drift off to sleep on the hard flooring, waiting for my first morning in the land to greet me...



She was right…

__________________________

End of Chapter Two.

(Updates may be less frequent from now on since my vacation ended)

[MayKissingDoveWyks]

Getting this in quickly...
_____________________________

Chapter 3:

Autumn, the world is dying
Winter wishes to make its arrival
And recreate the world anew

I didn?t get that much sleep...

Soon enough, probably after the sun arose, something whacks me on the side of the head. It felt somewhat soft as well. All at once, I lift my upper body into the air and my eyes scan what had caused this mysterious bump on the head. Down the walkway, stood a maiden sweeping the floor with a straw broom. She?s colored mostly red and a bow to match, with white detached sleeves. Only her back is facing me. It also seems she didn?t notice bumping into me on her sweep through. I guess she has enough visitors as is that pass on through?

As I lie back down, she gracefully makes a complete turn and heads towards me again. So she probably noticed about ramming that broom into my skull. Her feet approaches near my legs and stops. Bending down, almost crouching, she says kindly in a soft tone?

?Sit up, please.? She smiles a bit and I quickly hoist myself up into a sitting position. I prop my legs over the edge of the siding and let them hang. ?Good,? continuing in her light tone. ?Now tell me why you are here. I don?t get humans out here that often.? She stares at me with her eyes glaring right into mine. At the most, she seems to be curious, but I guess I?ll answer?

?Your friend brought me here,? speaking with a small amount of pout. The shrine maiden?s expression was not as expected as I thought. She did say that she doesn?t get humans often, but to give of face of confusion? ?Friend? I have many, many friends. You need to be more specific.?

I thought she already knew, but I guess I WILL have to be specific. ?You know, the one that can open cracks in the spaces,? I reply stretching out words with fatigue. I let out a big yawn as well. I still need my sleep. ?Oh? her?? She was discouraged about this situation. ?I thought I already told her about bringing more humans into Gensokyo!? She seems to be a little angered by this, but quickly turned to me again, ?Did she use the ?The population is dwindling? excuse again??

Solemnly, I reply, ?Yes?? Again, she is angered by this, but refraining from having an outburst, ?Figures. Anyway? You can rest here some more okay?? She smiles warmly and stands up again, returning to her sweeping, keeping a constant back-and-forth motion. I lie back down, and look out at the forest. We are always in the forest right nearby, if you ever need us?

Reimu stopped sweeping after a while, and finished her ?daily maintenance?; beginning to move towards the big box in front of the stairs leading up to the shrine. She opens it up slowly, probably anticipating some kind of reward. With the lid off, the box puffs out cloud of dust. Reimu coughs for a while, as she inhaled the dust. Putting the top back on, she sulks; still nothing in that ?box? of hers.

Soon after, she walks up to me again, with a look on her face. ?Donations, please?? She puts on an innocent face, almost sad. No one could resist a face like that. Sadly, my wallet was emptied of all currency before igniting that house of mine to the ground, but that?s the past now.

I let out some words to show my declination. ?I am very sorry, but I came here with no money at all. I would love to donate, but my cause isn?t as worthy. Maybe later, when I have become self-sufficient and have warmed up to the place more?? She isn?t too happy about it, but Reimu smiles anyway?accepting my offer for the future in a hopeful way. Reimu moves back into the shrine but closes the door behind her, taking my stuff too. Before doing so she says, ?Don?t worry, your belongings are safe with me. Enjoy the rest of your nap,? still smiling ever so brightly.


Finally, I get some quiet and I doze off again. A few more hours pass, but a smell enters my breathing nostrils. Very strong, it is. It smells very bad and? bland. The smell of alcohol? I wake up again? Man, will I get any rest today? I find a horned long hair girl lying on my abdomen, sleeping. Her mouth is wide open and she drooled on my shirt too? Ew? She must?ve been drinking and decided to land her head on me as a pillow. The only problem is that she?s hefty! I can?t move. It makes it worse that this creature has chains too?

I squirm a bit. Maybe that will wake her up? Sure enough, the oni starts to stir. She gets up and lets out a big yawn, then scratches her back. Opening her drooping eyelids slowly, she turns around and sees me lying where she had just been ?relaxing?. ?Do you mind?? I spit the words at her. The response was expected of someone in her state. ?Ehhhh? Aiii usssuarry shleeep ouwt heer.? With that she belches too, wobbling a bit. Disgusting.

?Well, can you at least not do it all over me?? I reply, disgusted somewhat, ?I haven?t slept in a while, so?? She tumbles backwards and onto the ground. Passed out again. Eh, I?m not tired anymore? At least that beast is off my body. Good riddance.

_________

This chapter's not finished yet.

[MayKissingDoveWyks]

Just then, a hole opens up and Yukari pops out. This time she?s in a different dress, one that has a big piece of cloth hanging down the middle with weird lines and symbols; she?s carrying a frilly umbrella, too. Her hair seems to be fashioned differently, with fewer bows. Still wearing that same smile from yesterday though. Yukari is amused this time, though?already well aware of my scenario. She hacks a small laugh or two?

?So. Have you been enjoying yourself so far?? Almost making fun of my situation. I bet she saw the whole earlier incident and was enjoying every second of it. Obviously she?s mocking me? I trusted her. I respond in a ticked off mood, ?Well? I got randomly dropped in the middle of nowhere, bitten by a crazed cannibal youkai, almost stabbed in the neck by an ice fairy, AND a damn oni drools all over my shirt. YOU THINK I?M ENJOYING THIS!? I huff a bit and start coughing as well. ?Oiii. eye onrryy spppaat e ritttttllee,? Suika chose to speak out for once in her defense only to land her head back onto the walkway. Yukari bends over a bit, sneering, ?Oh you poor thing. I?m sorry I could not be there for you. I was busy??

Busy? Oh, right. Yukari brought me here but she HAS to be elsewhere at 3 in morning. So, I bother to ask her what ?business? she had while dropping me off. The answer was, ?I was busy dealing with that nasty boundary that Lady Saigyouji so haplessly destroyed several years ago. After some trail, It was not working, so we gave up.?  Lady Saigyouji? That?s her excuse? This day couldn?t get any better?

Of course it didn?t, now that my arm swelled a bit from all the stress. That whole incident with that youkai is going to be a burden on me, now is it? Guess so. Yukari notices me fiddling with my arm. ?My. Haven?t you taken a serious spill recently,? she just had to say it. I really am not in the mood for her to be pointing things out. I already told her about the freak accident and now she wants to rub it in my face.

I turn away from Yukari and open the sliding door. Reimu is still inside, sipping some hot tea in a small cup. She soon enough sees that I opened the door so rapidly with Yukari hovering over me. Reimu stoic look turns into a small scowl and she sets the tea down. Standing up, she walks up to me, but does not face me. Instead, her attention is directed at the floating body with a hanging sack above me. Reimu takes a quick breath and lets out?

?Yukari! How many times have I told you about bringing humans here! It?s bad enough as is that the youkai have been getting rambunctious recently!? A tint of red was on Yukari?s face now. Solemnly, ?I know, I know. But it has also been quiet recently, and I have not brought one over in a while?? Reimu retorts with, ?Don't give me those excuses! Another person I have to take care of for a while! This one probably won?t leave either.?

Reimu was exhausted now, as normally she doesn?t berate Yukari like this. I look at her, mouth cocked open at the words I just heard. Is that it? I?m just a burden here? I?ve only been here for less than a day and this is what I get? Reimu looks at me, having completely forgotten that I opened the door. She sighs and crouches in front of me. Flushing herself of her temper, Reimu puts her hand on my cheek?

?You?ll be fine. Don?t worry? Everything?s going to be okay?? speaking softly, while letting out a small smile. Just then the pain settles in again in my arm, and it secretes some blood. Yep, that arm is going to be an issue. Some of it drips onto the walkway, and anyone could tell I was having a problem. Reimu is distraught be the mess, ?Look! You?ve already gotten yourself bitten! Damn those youkai!? She sits there thinking a bit?

?Hmmm? there?s no medical places around, but maybe that crazed medicine woman in the bamboo forest can help you on this?? Bamboo forest? I forgot? Maybe I should have gone there first if I hadn?t run into those children. But then I wouldn?t have this bite in my arm. ?I can?t get you over there right now?? She had openly replied, ?But Yukari should be able?? And without finishing her sentence, Yukari already disappeared. Reimu?s face got red again and she belted out, ?GOD DAMN IT, YUKARIIIIIIII.?

Whelp, I know that I?m a goner now since the shrine maiden won?t even help me. But I think there?s enough safety for me to go it alone. I am somewhat mature to do things on my own now. I mean, I lived alone for a good portion of my life with no issues. I tell Reimu that I should be just fine on my own and I had made several friends in the forest already. She told me to be safe while going to ?Eientei?, but also to come back afterwards since I should stay at the shrine for a couple more days.

Reimu is kind enough to direct me where the place is located, somewhat west of here but west of the Human Village. My arm is still bleeding, but she uses a portion of one of her sarashi as gauze for my wound. With that, I?m off on another journey in the mid-daylight. Let?s hope that I run into at least some good people along the way?
_________________

End of Chapter 3

[MayKissingDoveWyks]

Chapter 4:

Nature confound me so?
In your grace of time, show me?
What autumn left behind?

The sun no longer wished to rest high in the sky. While descending slowly, the temperature also begins to drop. My arm still numb and bleeding, the insides of my body begin to weaken. I am now famished. I forgot to eat before leaving. Damn it! I try to find something, while losing blood and energy moving around. Walking around frantically, I finally find a bush. It looks like the bush is decaying, but it has some berries left on it? Berries? Odd finding that around in the forest? I crouch down and pick some of the berries from the bush. Collecting a few in my hand, I sit down on the grass and begin to eat?

?I wouldn?t eat those. It may worsen your condition,? a voice comes out from behind the trees. Dressed in reds and yellows, an average height, blond-haired deity steps towards me. Carrying a large cornucopia in her arms, her two left feet walk perfectly in a straight path. She has hat with clusters of grapes bundled around a loop; and oddly, her bosom seems to be a little unnatural compared to her appearance? But yeah? I?m not that type of person?

She sits down in front of me, first slapping the berries out of my hands, ?Eating those things are poisonous to human?? Poisonous? Am I talking to a botany whiz or something? Placing the cornucopia on the ground, she looks at me in the eyes. ?You?re lost, aren?t you? I just came back from the village and you don?t look that familiar?? Minoriko seems to be interested, but she knows a lot of people I guess. She holds my hand and rubs it? Warm? ?Your hand is so cold! What?s wrong?? I look away from her, reddening?

My stomach growls? She giggles, ?You must be hungry?? Well, anyone could tell with the ravenous look on my face. She pulls out an apple and a sweet potato from the filled cornucopia. Minoriko places both in my hand, ?Eat. You?ll feel better,? She adds a smile too. Obviously the goddess of harvest would be so kind enough to help a straggler with a damaged arm? ?The harvest was great this year, so I don?t mind sharing some of my offerings.? She stands up as I start munching on the food, ?You?re a cute one? compared to most of the people I see.?

I reply, still eating, ?Wait. Didn?t the harvest end a while ago?? This takes Minoriko aback, ?The season hasn?t ended yet, and thus the harvest is still running great.? Really? After swallowing, I question, ?Well then? When does it end?? She did not seem too happy about my question, ?End? END? A wretched snow woman shows up and tears up the beautiful land with her evil frozen water! That?s how it ends! And then they expect ME to hibernate until next year. I provide food! What does SHE provide? Nothing! That?s what!? After that small rant, she settles back down one the ground, upset and pouting.

Oh boy, rivaling seasons? I comfort her for a while and she still gives me some more food to eat. Once done, another one, similarly dressed, shows up. This one is clothed in red and has leaves in her short hair, ?Little sis, are you babbling about seasons again. You know it won?t do you any good?? Shizuha is a little calmer than Minoriko is. ?Oh don?t be so concealed. I know how much you hate her too.? They begin argue, but I stop them from going further. ?So I see you?ve found a new friend,? Shizuha says while examining me, ?A quite handicapped one??

?Hey! When you get attacked by a bloodthirsty youkai, what are you to do?? I retort. Shizuha laughs, ?I?m a goddess? Why need to worry?? I begin to frown, but she stops laughing soon enough. Minoriko sighs, ?We don?t have much time. Where are you heading?? Getting up off the ground I reply, ?I?m going to get my arm fixed. I?ll be fine.? The sun is reaching sunset. Shizuha brushes herself off and begins to leave; saying, ?It?s beginning to get dark. You better hurry.?

They both leave quickly and I head off in the other direction. If winter comes soon, then I?ll have to wait to meet them again. Unfortunately, the sun set faster than I thought. This day is just going by to quickly? I continue to run in the forest, my vision impaired, but I hear some buzzing noises. Oh crap? Soon I?m knocked to the ground from above. ?KICK!? belted out from the source. I land face forward, but soon I am brought back up onto my feet by the perpetrator.

?Oh no! I?m so sorry! I thought you were someone else!? Soon, the light appeared and the face of Wriggle was right in front of me. Her face detailed confusion mixed with regret. ?It?s you again! Sorry about kicking you?? She brushes the dirt off of me, but her face reddens. ?I thought I told you already about running alone in the forest!? Wriggle speaks, but I reply with, ?You never told me that. Anyway, I?m going to get my arm fixed.? I show her the makeshift sling for my arm. She is not too happy about it, ?Hmm, it?s gotten worse, hasn?t it? Rumia really did harm you this time? Don?t worry. Once I?m done with he?? I cut her off, putting my finger in front of her lip. ?I?ll be fine,? I smile, ?Once I get this fixed, you won?t have to worry your head any longer.?

Wriggle blushes. Of course she?s worried about me, but doesn?t want to admit. Well, she did SORT of admit it just now. ?Just be safe okay? Bad things happen at night, if you already noticed last night and now,? she adds, turning away. I pat her on the head, but she replies with, ?Why are going alone? Let me come with you! I have no where to go really?? So she IS worrying about me? Leaving towards Eientei, I tell her that she may come along, and be my guide. She was at least ecstatic about that?

We walk around together for a while. Wriggle continues to talk about her abilities and her past. ?Being a bug youkai is tough,? She says, ?We?re not as terrifying as we used to be?? Wriggle showed me some of the bugs she controls as well, except for some which she said could kill me. Why bother telling me that?  She informs me that Mystia is out this late as well and that we should meet her along the way?

Traveling further into the forest, it gets even darker out? ?Wriggle, does the night get darker here in Gensokyo this fast?? She gets worried again. ?Oh no! Are you passing out?? I quickly knock down her thought with, ?No. I?m fine?? While we were still walking, I had given her enough information to figure it out. ?Mystia must be nearby then?? She concludes. Soon enough, a food stand appears up on the right as we are walking. Going behind the covers in front of the shop, a person in a weird outfit is working behind the counter.

?Oh, you must be lost, aren?t you?? The person quickly turns around and the person is Mystia. She?s wearing a bandana of some sort and that outfit? I still don?t know what it?s called. After showing herself, she immediately recognizes us, saying, ?Oh! Sorry. I thought you were stray wanders. I?ll fix that night-blindness in a snap!? My eyesight comes back quickly, but Mystia is still interested in feeding us. She starts cooking some? what is that? I have never seen this kind of meat before. She slabs it onto a big plate and gives us both smaller plates?

[MayKissingDoveWyks]

Big addition tonight.
______________________________

?Enjoy!? She lets out with a big smile. ?Thank you!? says Wriggle, digging into the food. I continue to stare at it, wondering if I should bother? ?Is something wrong?? Mystia looks at me with a straight face. ?Oh? It?s nothing. I ate a lot before heading off?? I shyly reply. Mystia huffs and optimistically says, ?I bet you could fit some more in that stomach of yours~!? More? I just had a feast with the harvest goddess and she expects me to eat more?

I sit there quietly, Wriggle still chewing away at her food. I plop my head onto the tabletop. ?Hey! Eat your food! You?ll go hungry,? Mystia grumbles, still in my face about the food. I push the plate aside and she becomes angry. But she pulls her composure together, ?Fine. Starve for all I care.? Really? I just told her that I wasn?t hungry. My nose becomes itchy and I sneeze into my arm. Surprised, Mystia puts her hand on my forehead. ?Are you okay, dear? Your forehead?s warm,? She worries?

?No, I?m fine, really?? I reply, not telling her the fact of my lower body temperature.  ?Well, wherever you?re going, you better hurry?? Wriggle just finishes her meal and lets out a belch. ?Excuse me,? she softly says, wiping off any smatterings of food on her face. ?Lets go!? she grabs my unbroken arm and whizzes me off out into the forest again. ?Good luck you two?? Mystia shouts from the stand.

?Quit pulling on me!? I yell at Wriggle. Immediately, she lets go and stops in her tracks. We had moved much deeper into the forest, the full moon still high in the sky, but Wriggle freezes right in her spot. Her antennae start twitching. ?This isn?t good?? Wriggle mumbles. She pulls me close to a nearby tree and runs behind it. ?Into the bushes!? She commands me to hide. The air soon becomes thick and still. Something isn?t right? Trying not to make a sound, I hear grunting noises. Grunting noises? What can this be? Breathing?

Wriggle still sits there, completely solid, unmoving. I?m still swerving my head left and right, but there is a hole in the bush for me to see out of. Deciding to figure out what it is, I peer through the hole. The grunting noises come closer to the area, but stomping trails along with the source. Through the peephole, appears completely green creature. Big horns with a red bow tied to one horn, green dress, a grey tail, frayed hair that?s a tint of light green and silver; it was slightly hunched over and looks pissed off as all hell. And to top it all off? white socks and shoes?

My hand touches the bushes and a ruffling noise is made. The beast lumbers around in a circle and stops towards our direction, shouting, ?WHO IS THERE?? My heartbeat beats more rapidly, and I sweat. ?ANSWER ME!? it roars. Wriggle still sits there, scared. I lift my head upward slowly. Once the beast sees my head, it snatches me up and flings me to the ground. Plop. It jumps on me and pins me to the ground. Not again?

?What is your business here?? It yells into my face. The facial features were weird? It looked human, but had a glint of animalism in the eyes. This whole escapade doesn?t last long as it realizes what she had just pounced on. If her job is to protect humans, then I don?t know how far off she was. Shocked, she quickly jumps off and stands me back up. ?What is someone like you doing out this late? Haven?t I told you humans enough about being out this late! I protect you all and you don?t lis-? She stops short of speaking and memories flow through her mind. To her, something isn?t quite right with my appearance. A spark of thought, still dusting me off, and she looks at me straight in the eyes.

?You are not from the village?? she stated. Of course I wasn?t from the village, I?m off to get my arm reconfigured. ??But that does not make you exempt from my policies. I do not need another human dead, not after the last time.? Keine stares into the sky, reminiscing of some unfortunate noodle incident that is not in my interest. Several minutes go by and I decide to tap her on the shoulder. Keine snaps out of her nostalgia moment?I wouldn?t call it that?and retorts, ?Do not touch me!? Her face turns red with fury, but her nose wrinkles. Keine stops short and beings moving around, smelling the air. ?That smell?? She murmurs, continuing to smell the air, ?The smell? a youkai?? Keine searches around but sniffs me first?and in the wrong places too?trying to pick up more of the scent.

?Were you with someone or are you being followed?? Keine speaks, distraught by the thought of such a thing at this hour. Surely enough, Wriggle darts out of the bushes, but not towards us. She bolts away, her shadow disappearing deep into the trees. I guess Wriggle trusts this woman, or? is running off, scared shitless. Keine didn?t chase after the bug, nor did she care, even acting maternal about the situation. Smiling. The only thing that matters to her was that I was in good hands now?

But my chance to rest was too soon; she scoops me up with her brute strength and carries me off towards the village. ?Hey! I need to go somewhere you know!? I said to her, frustrated. ?Not this late you aren?t.? She replies back, still acting like she was my mother?cradling me in her arms too. ?I am old enough to be on my own!? I fought back, squirming in her arms. But holding with a tight grip, ?You have a damaged arm. No more playing in the forest for you!? She persists with the nagging, rubbing her cheek affectionately against my head. I am claustrophobic and the fact of her clutching me this tight is uncomfortable, even with her bosom?

?I am not a child! Quit treating me as such! I have to go get my arm fixed.? I snap back at her. ?You can go get your arm fixed in the morning.? She adds. ?I?m going to Eientei! I can get it healed there!? Keine stops in midair, stoic look on her face. She takes a big breath and lands on the ground. I think I made her angry again. ?That place?? she sneers, ?That PLACE! Of all the places in Gensokyo, you want to go there! UNTHINKABLE! Those people will not fix you! If at most they?ll harm you further or even kill you!? Yep? I pissed her off, but I inquire her with, ?Why??

She snaps at me again?remind you that I am still in her arms?responding with, ?I?ve seen their kind out here. Those Lunarians wish to sell their junk medicine to the rest of the villagers. The medicine woman there is the devil, she makes all these drugs and stuff. She constantly claims they work. They haven?t worked once on the people I?ve met, except for one?? Again, she looks to the moon? God, does Keine do nothing BUT remember things. I remain there; listening to her stories she has to tell?acting innocent as ever.

?I have a friend. She seems to be upset most of the time. She told me about this one accident that happened to her. She drank something called the Hourai Elixir. The elixir placed a horrid curse on her and now she is forced to never return to the dust from whence she came?? Keine pauses for a moment and sits down, beginning to shed some tears from her eyes. ?That person? She only wants us to be friends? but her condition. I can?t let something like that go? for her to suffer as such?? Completely letting loose, she begins to cry?

?Mokou! Oh, Mokou! Why did something so ungodly have to happen to you?? She wails. Awestruck I was? maybe? But Keine sure is a strange one. For changing from one emotion to the other in so little time, she must have been around for a long time. Keine lets go of me, rubbing her eyes. Rolling onto the ground, I pat her on the shoulder. After I sit up, she then leans into me, sobbing with her head buried in my chest. I have to pull my head back, or at least in between her horns so she doesn?t impale my forehead. I pat her on the back, and she settles down after a while. Keine stands up thereafter, and stopped crying. She now had lines streaming down her face and a displeased look. ?That is why I protect?? Keine murmured.

?If you want to go to that place, fine by me. At least meet with my friend there. You?ll be safe with her. Have her protect you.? Oddly enough, we were actually not that far from the bamboo forest. Lucky me... Keine notifies me that the bamboo forest is terribly thick (Bamboo Forest of the Lost seems promising); but if I see any fire or flames spewing into the air, that?s where she is. ?Don?t worry, I?ll find Mokou.? I tell her and then dash off into the forest. ?Be careful!? Keine shouts as her voice trails off, rushing back to the human village.

My arm still pains me as I dig through the bamboo stocks; the moon high in the air. Tonight better be the night, and I better find that ?Mokou?. The forest becomes a needle in the haystack as I try to find my way around. Still no flames go riding into the air. Keine better not have lied to me. If someone hangs out often in the forest, it should be easy. Many minutes pass by as I begin to lose my patience. Finally, a flare rockets into the sky, piercing the night above my head. There she is. I trace the source of the fireball, following very closely and soon another one launches.

I run faster towards the cause of the fireballs and soon stumble into an open area. In the vicinity I see a woman with long flowing violet hair. She wears a big red and white thing on her head? is that a paper charm? Along with big, baggy red overalls, she wears a discolored shirt underneath. Smoking a lightly lit cigarette in her mouth, she turns around staring at me with a disgusted look on her face.

No words?
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END OF CHAPTER 4

[MayKissingDoveWyks]

Chapter 5:


The fire burns bright?
Given light onto the new world dawn?
Don?t fade away, ever?

Standing face to face with her, no words are being exchanged. I guess I have to make the first gesture. I walk towards Mokou slowly, yet she remains staring with an amused look. Continuing to puff away, she hops down from the rock she was standing on and approaches me too. Stopping several meters away from her I ask, ?I am lost. Please help me find a way to Eientei.? With that, she turns around and walks in a certain direction.

I follow her, soon catching up to her side. Mokou is not amused and does not want to really socialize. Just doing her job. I ask her, ?So? Is it interesting out here.? Mokou responds with a low grunt, looking the other way. Yep, She?s not interested. We continue to walk for a while. I begin to remember living out in the forest? I wonder how Mokou feels about it. Under the moonlight, our journey through the forest is slow. Mokou stops short, but I keep walking. She pulls me back quickly, narrowing avoiding a trap that was just about to go off.

Staring me in the face again, Mokou has that disgusted look. Mumbling, she slings me onto her back, continuing into the forest. She obviously doesn?t trust me this far in, and carrying people is probably something she doesn?t do either. I am hesitant to move my body as she trots through the bamboo stalks. Mokou casually avoids all of the traps and pitfalls while holding me on her back.

I choose to talk to her, to pass the time. ?So? how long have you been like this?? I question. Mokou doesn?t reply. ?Anything interesting so far?? Still nothing. Is she really this stubborn? ?Hey! Answer me at least!? She stops walking with this. Turning her head towards me she spits, ?I don?t have answer you, you know. I don?t have to trudge you through this accursed forest?? I am hesitant to answer? But, I whisper to her, ?I am only curious. Lighten up a little?? Mokou keeps on walking.

Soon enough, I coax her into giving me some information because I mentioned the ?Hourai Elixir?. ?I?ve been around for about millennium now. It gets tiring?? Mokou frowns. ?Well wouldn?t it get lonely out in a forest?? asking a redundant question I could answer myself. ?I help people sometimes. I have a yakitori stand out here, yet I rarely have visitors?? I listen attentively to her story, while she finally ends with, ?And we still fight to this day??

Along the way, she stops. Why is she stopping? Aren?t we almost there? Out of the sky, an array of colorful bullets comes whooshing at us. Mokou dodges them quickly with ease, but I lose my grip and fall off. The bullets stop as a silhouette appears in front of the moon. It descends towards the ground, revealing woman in long burgundy-pink drapery with black hair hanging behind her. They both exchange looks of anger, but Mokou kept her composure, spitting out the lit joint in her mouth. On the ground, some distance away, I watch?

The black haired one sneered, ?So, Mokou. Eloping with a man into the forest, I see,? directing her focus at me. WHAT?? Mokou?s face gets redder. ?This is none of your business!? She lashes out at her. But instead of attacking Kaguya, she averts her path and grabs me. Darting off into the forest, Kaguya chases behind us, throwing bullets along the way. The look on Mokou?s face shows that she has the urge to fire back, but not with a human in hands. The chase through the forest lasts for a while?

Mokou then tosses me into an open area through the stalks. I crash-land into a door. Surprisingly, I didn?t go right through it. My head begins to hurt. I look back at the scene and hear shouts in the forest. ?DIVINE TREASURE!? ?PHOENIX?S TAIL!? And showers of colors are exchanged in the sky. The door behind me slides open, and I?m pulled inside the door. It?s dark in there, but then lights come on?

I am lying down on the floor in some sort of lobby? ?It?s dangerous out there, you know. Especially when those two are at it.? The voice came from above me. Staring down at me was a weird looking person. She had long, crumpled rabbit ears protruding from her head, along with extended light purple hair. She?s wearing a sort-of business outfit, but with a skirt. Odd.

?Hey! Are you listening to me?? She waves her hand in front of my eyes. I attempt to pass out, closing my eyes, but to no avail she saw through. ?Get up off the floor! If you came here for a reason, then don?t pass out on me!? Reisen grabs me and pulls me up off the floor, ?You have a broken arm? Maybe ?shishou? can fix this?? Well, I can tell I have a broken arm. I?ve been dealing with it for a day now. Un-comfort arrives again, as Reisen scoops me up with fervor and dashes down the hallway. ?Uhhh? You?re a heavy one?? Good to know. Second person to tell me this?

She heads down the hallway with great speed. Holy crap, this place is big? Reisen informs me, ?Shishou does many things in here, but she?ll find a way to help your cause.?  At this rate, maybe she?s right. But I never really got acquainted with her yet like everyone else. She?s too brash? Speeding down the hallway, Reisen runs into a strategically placed rope. I saw it before she did, but it was too late to tell her. She completely tumbles over, spiraling to the ground; I shoot like a bullet through the air, gravity letting me hit the ground slowly. The floor must be heavily waxed, because I went sliding far from Reisen. Little to no rug burns on me, I come to a gliding halt in front of another rabbit?

She had black, wavy, short hair and a pink nightgown; don?t forget the necklace. Barefooted and plump rabbit ears drooping from her head. Oh great? Another one. She stares at my dumbfounded look and me. ?Wait? You?re not the one?? She says. From down the hall, I hear, ?YOU ARE SO DEAD THIS TIME!? Reisen comes charging up from behind, her eyes blazing red. Tewi just stands there doing nothing, except smirking. Letting Reisen pounce in the air, Tewi quickly slides underneath, pulling me along. What am I, a bag of rice? Reisen tumbles again, but not as far this time.

?You?re going to have to do better than that. But that was so hilarious! Let?s do it again some time.? Tewi runs past Reisen, pulling my leg. I drag along the floor. ?Wait! Stop! Quit pulling me!? I yell. Tewi looks at me and says, ?I bring luck to humans. Be glad I?m at least dragging you.? Luck? LUCK? Reisen catches up behind us. ?Tewi, Stop dragging him that way! He?ll be in an even worse condition!? Does Tewi listen? No. Reisen takes the initiative and catches up to us. Grabbing the center of my body, she yanks me in the opposite direction with enough force.

Tewi sprawls out onto the floor as I slide to the side. She?s mad now. Angered, Tewi jumps on Reisen. Interesting? I thought it would be the opposite. I slip by as they brawl, their yells becoming softer. The sarashi came off, so now I have to hold my arm up a bit, running down the hall. Finally I reach a doorway at the other end. Phew? There is a bright light coming out of the room. Casually walking in, I am greeted by a whole mess of objects. Vials, beakers, pestles and mortars, a square examination table, and charts on the wall in writings I can?t read are scattered around the place. And lastly, there were tons of jars and containers on shelves on the wall. Scary?

I walk around inside, but there is a desk located near the back of the room. The seat occupied with someone toiling away at the desk. The person has an incredibly long, thick braid of silver hair, with her dress alternating between red and blue. She is garnished with a big blue cap, working with some papers on the desk. She examines two of them into the air, looking at both papers, comparing. ?What is it you want, Udonge?? She says, ?Can?t you see I?m busy. Back to work with you!?

Udonge? What? I tap Eirin on the shoulder, and this time she spins around in the chair glaring at me. ?I am bus-!? Stopping herself from continuing, she rises up. ?Oh I am terribly sorry, kind sir! What is it that you need? Egad, your arm!? Words pour of her mouth. Eirin seats me in a chair and examines the arm, kneeling. She?s not a doctor, but maybe there is a different approach to fixing this. I couldn?t help but notice her chest being larger than Reisen?s? Oh God no, What am I thinking?! Already a day out in this world, and I?m comparing body shapes?

?Hmmm? Damaged arteries, pierced muscle tissue? I think I have something, but just to be sure?? She quickly grabs and pulls me to the examination table. Eirin bolts the door shut and ties my arm and legs to the table? Digging through her supplies in several cabinets, she finds the tools she needs. Lunarian technology amuses me a little. She pulls out a strange tool that looks like a syringe. ?This will not harm you.? First, she takes several blood samples from the arm; runs some pH and separation tests on it. Then she proceeds to look through her vials and grabs different chemicals. This better work?

[MayKissingDoveWyks]

I lay there still, as she works away at making the ?cure?. ?How?s life been going for you?? She asks. What a random question to be asking a patient? ?Depends. I only just got here and I have to deal with this.? I reply. ?Oh, so you?re not a consigned one.? Eirin says while tinkering. Consignment? Never heard of that crap. ?But wait?? She stops working, ?If you?re not consigned, and you claim you are novel, then? How did you learn about Eientei or, even furthermore, arrive here?? What? Are humans incapable of such feats?

?Don?t think that humans aren?t capable of finding their way around.? I retort. ?Well examining you with such a ruined arm, I can say you?re learning at a fast pace,? She goes back to making the medicine, ?Well? your vital signs are okay. The arm though, will have to relax once I?m done.? Relax? How long will this ?relax? be? I ask her, ?You sure I?ll be fine afterwards?? She scoffs, ? Sure I?m sure! All my medications work. I?ve even developed immortality. My work is the greatest thing anyone has ever seen.? Yeah? I better be quiet now. Now it?s just a game of trust. Who?s lying? Keine or Eirin?

But being the curious human I am, I ask, ?Considering recent events, how well developed are any of your technologies?? She is finishing up the applied medicine and answers with, ?I am not up for the discretion of any facilities I utilize on a daily basis or have progressed. If you have any other inquiries, please regard my information pamphlets.? Eirin hands me one of her crudely made ?pamphlets?. Using my other hand, I look through it. While I?m reading the flier, she injects some of the newly made medicine into my wounded arm. ?This will clean out all the infections in the wound and should also cleanse the arm of dead cells.?

I am too busy looking at the handout to notice what she?s saying, but I catch some words. She also rubs it into the skin too. After that, she injects some form of anesthesia into my other arm. ?I have to close up the wounds in your arm now?? I get really dizzy and my vision blurs. The last thing I notice is Eirin pulling out some thread and a needle. Oh? so she?s going to sow the wounds shut? heh?   ?   ??

?   ?   ?

I wake up after the ?anesthesia? wears off. Never really had that kind of stuff before but this is a special case. ?All done.? Eirin says with a smile. The pain is gone, and I look at my arm. And my arm was replaced with a large amount of gauze and tape. How much time has passed? Thankfully, a window behind her reveals that the moon outside has disappeared. In its stead, the sun beams out low above the horizon. So? She worked the rest of the night over this? ?It was a difficult job this time, I must say.? That confirms it.

Already untied from the chair, I stand up. ?Now, you?ll have to stay here for a while to let that thing rest. Otherwise, It won?t heal properly,? Eirin grabs a folded paper and puts it into my pocket. ?For later.? She unbolts the door and Reisen comes shuffling in. ?Udonge, take him to where the guests stay.? Reisen nods, ?Yes, master!? and guides me down the hallway. Eientei so far has had the best hospitality since I arrived? Eh. It?s the medicine thing?

Reisen brings me to a room, located right next to the main hallway. It?s a fairly large room, but it looks like a room where people rest and hang out. Several beds rest to one side of the room, with the front ends facing the door. Several low tables are in the center and side tables reside next to the bed. But I forgot to mention one thing? Rabbits. A plethora of Earth rabbits are scattered about the room, some sleeping and some bouncing around.

Why, oh why does it have to be rabbits? Is this their safe haven? Why weren?t there any of them in the forest? I am hesitant to enter the room, but Reisen drags me inside. ?Don?t be such a child. They won?t harm you.? Moving between the rabbits and brushing some of them aside she takes me to one of the beds. Reisen plops me onto a bed, and positions my legs straight. ?Now you rest here, I?ll be back later.? She darts out of the room, leaving I light tailwind. I can see out the doorway from this bed?

Soon enough, several of the rabbits notice me. They hop onto bed and one rests on my stomach. Most of them go to sleep, keeping me company. I guess I should just rest as well. I close my eyes and I sleep for several hours. By late morning, my eyes open up. Strangely, one the rabbits feel heavier? Much heavier? I lift my head up to see what it is. Lying on the bed, I discover Tewi resting, fast asleep. Oh no?

Where did she come from? Wait. All the rabbits are in this area? Figures. I shouldn?t worry about it though. At least she?s asleep and not awake. My luck faltered as one of the earth rabbits jumped up on to the bed and landed on Tewi?s head. She begins to stir and rolls off me. Her eyes open and she stretches. Tewi sits up and looks at me, yawning, ?What a good sleep. Don?t you think?? Good sleep? This is the second person that?s rested on me, and I?m getting pretty sick of it?

?You?re making me feel uncomfortable?? I reply. I try to sit up, but Tewi pushes me back down on the bed. ?You need more rest than me. And I?ll be right here, giving you luck so your arm can heal.? She smiles. So Tewi is selective about this? She picks up one of the rabbits nearby and starts petting it. Tewi sits at the end of the bed as I rest my head on the pillow. Yelling is then heard from in the hallway?

?HELP ME, EIRIN!? A figure limps slowly past the doorway. It?s Kaguya, except this time she has blood on her face and her left arm severely cut up. Her hair is frayed as well with some parts of it clumped together and other parts burnt. Kaguya glares at both of us as she passes by. So both her and Mokou went at it earlier today? ?Don?t say a word.? Kaguya yells at both of us, but she makes her leave quickly, in pain. Tewi lies back down on the bed again, except her head is at the end of the bed and her feet resting near my arm. ?Eh. Don?t worry about her. She?s always in a bad mood.? One of the rabbits jumps up and rests on my head as well.

Several hours pass, the sun reaching afternoon. Reisen comes in through the doorway and taps me on the shoulder. I open my eyes and she?s sitting there at the end of the bed, the opposite side of Tewi. Reisen is holding a plate of pounded mochi and sets it on the table. ?Eat,? She says. Reisen gets up off the bed and leaves. I sit up, not waking Tewi, and pick up the plate. I rest it on my lap and begin eating with the other arm. The food is somewhat pasty and mushy. Not bad?

As I am eating, Tewi snores away on the bed. Someone comes in through the doorway, looking very estranged. She makes her way to the bed right next to me. It?s Kaguya, some bandages and gauze on her. Damn, my luck is awful today. Wait, Tewi?s asleep? Anyway, Kaguya stops before getting on the bed. She gives a cold scowl to me, and I stop eating. But that scowl turns into a faint smile and she pats me on the head. Kaguya is all the more curious, I guess? Sitting down on her bed, she speaks?

?So? You only wanted to come here?? Kaguya lays her head down on her pillow. Odd. I?d expect her to go to her own room. Regardless, I continue to eat. ?I came to apologize for my misbehavior?? She says softly. ?Hey! Are you even listening?? she yells. Kaguya gets up off the bed and slaps me in the face. ?Answer me when I am talking to you!? Swallowing the food in my mouth, I let out a rant, ?Hmm. Let?s see. I go in the forest. Mokou is nice enough to help me through. You attack us, and claim that I am trying to marry her. Then you proceed to continue fighting. And now you end up worse then me after your brawl with Mokou. Do you really think I am that interested??

Kaguya?s face turns red with anger. She lies back down on the bed, upset. I bet that not many people have back sassed her in such away. Not many people have spoken to her in a long time, I guess. I would know, living a sheltered life? Tewi rolls over onto the floor, still snoozing away. Kaguya and I sit there for several minutes, while I finish my meal. Done, I put the plate on the side table. Looking directly at her, I apologize with, ?Hey. I?m sorry, but I have gone through some real bullcrap in the past day or two. And the last thing I need is someone treating me like crap. I just got here. And you, how long have you been around??

Making a usual answer, she replies with, ?More than 1000 years. Give or take another 1000.? ? ?That?s not the point,? I tell her, ?My point is that: shouldn?t you be treating others with as much respect as they treat you? Why pick on me when I only came here for resources and help in a time where I needed it most?? Kaguya wonders and she responds with, ?I?m bored all the time. It?s very lonely out here, but Eirin keeps telling me that it?s for my protection. (I am assuming that she has forgotten the real reason for a long time, and the fact that it was her who asked for the protection in the first place) I don?t get many visitors here; and even when I do, they leave soon after. I live here in exile. I don?t have any friends??

As she begins to shed tears, her speech jitters and cuts off. I can?t understand her mumbles and crying anymore? But once Kaguya was finished mumbling, she came over to me and cried, resting most of her head on my shoulder, burying her face in her arm. And Mokou?s in the same predicament like this? I don?t know if Keine was truly right about Mokou being the only one suffering? I pat her on the back and she sits on my bed.


If only she knows of my story?

________________________________

END OF CHAPTER 5

[MayKissingDoveWyks]

Chapter 6:

Eternity, poor friend?
Forsaken by your power?
Let me rest in peace?

Kaguya?


She chose to fall asleep where I was resting, right next to me. Kaguya told me some of her story before she passed out. I had to prop up my pillow so that at least I could rest my back. I only slept what seemed like another hour or so before waking up. My arm was feeling much better. I get up and looked over the side of the bed. Tewi had already left. Some rabbits were resting on the bed again.

I hear yelling outside. ?I hope tonight you all work your best on the offering!? It sounded like Reisen, but from looking out the window I couldn?t tell. Actually, there was some sort of blinds covering the window. Wait? I look around with my head. Outside the doorway, I can see light in the hallway. The light was candlelight, not sunlight. So it wasn?t another hour. I overslept then, and now it?s been almost 2 days since my arrival in Gensokyo. But Kaguya is still sleeping like she hasn?t slept in a while.

I nudge her shoulder. Pulling back some of her hair, ?Hey. Wake up, Kaguya,? I whisper into her ear. Kaguya stirs a bit, ?Nnnn. Eirin, let me sleep some more.? She rolls over towards me, not off the bed. Her eyes slowly open. They lock with mine once they fully open. Kaguya pulls away from me, sitting up. She ruffles her hair and yawns, ?Morning?? She nuzzles her head into my arm, but I respond with, ?Good evening.? Kaguya frantically looks around and notices that it IS nighttime.

?Aw. You two look so cute together.? Eirin was in the doorway. Kaguya blushes heavily and clutches to me. ?Eirin, what do you want?? I ask her. ?Oh so you know my name too?? She sneers, ?I only came here to check up on the two of you. I see you both are fairing well,? She grins, ?More than I expected.? So Eirin wants to screw with me now. ?You can stay here as long as you like, just don?t make a mess,? She smiles. ?Kaguya, make sure you don?t get too comfortable in here either.? Kaguya doesn?t respond, looking away from Eirin.

?Make sure you pay as well. Take as much time as you need. Explore if you want.? Eirin lastly says. Well, no duh, it wasn?t free, she put a bill in my pocket. Eirin comes over to the bedside and grabs my arm. ?It should be done by now,? she begins unraveling the gauze. After the removal, my arm is revealed to have healed. Kaguya takes off her own bandages. She seems to have healed in half the amount of time that I needed. ?Now you two behave. I?m going to go check on my work??

Before Eirin leaves, a gust of wind rushes past the doorway. ?NOT THIS TIME!? Eirin chases after whatever just passed through. Kaguya sits there on her bed, and opens one of the drawers. She pulls out a brush. Forgot that her hair was still frayed. Kaguya tosses it onto my lap. ?Please,? She kindly says. ?Alright, I?ll do it,? I agree and pick up the brush. Kaguya smiles and gets onto my bed, head turned opposite of me. I start to comb it. Kaguya picks up a rabbit and cuddles with it in her lap while I straighten her hair.

?So tell me about yourself a little bit. It?s always a pleasure to know,? She asks. Should I really tell? Should I even bother? ?Well, you see?? I begin, ?In the outside world, there are people who live in big areas and those who live in small areas, but closer together. Either way, I lived more secluded.? ?Interesting?? Kaguya says, ?It?s hard being out here, in exile. Avoiding people? I don?t really do much out here either. Which is why I feel a little more obligated. Ow! Don?t pull so hard!? I hit a knot in her hair, a really bad one.

?Sorry, I hit a bad knot.? I put the brush down and stick my fingers in her hair, trying to untie certain parts of the knot. ?Be careful with it!? She adds. ?Well. With hair like this, how can you not expect it to bunch up?? I reply, continuing to work on the knot. ?I don't get to wash my hair often. And fighting with Mokou makes it worse?? Kaguya places the rabbit down and just sits there. I finish untying the knot and resume combing, ?Well, you should at least wash it sometimes.?

?We go to the hot spring located outside, sometimes. I just don?t like leaving here.? Kaguya doesn?t speak after a while. Once I finish brushing, she springs up from the bed. ?I want to show you some things?? I don?t see why not? ?Carry me,? she says grabbing my shoulder. I reply, ?No. Just got healed, and I don?t have much energy left.? Kaguya pouts, ?You?re no fun?? She pulls me along into the hallway, and I walk with her.

The moon is in the sky, no longer in its full sphere shape. We walk down the hallway into a main room. Many of the rabbits have collected into the room and Tewi is there. So this is where she went? ?Kaguya! The mochi pounding is going great tonight!? Mochi pounding? ?Good. But I?m taking this one with me,? Kaguya pulls me out the sliding door on the far side of the room. Stumbling onto the ground, I see before me buckets and youkai rabbits pounding away at rice with mallets. Trays scattered about.

?Reisen!? Kaguya commands, ?Are they working well as promised?? Reisen turns around and runs right up to Kaguya, ?Yes Lady Kaguya. They are working at great speeds. Ensuring the offering tonight.? Offering? The moon isn?t full, damn it. Kaguya walks around examining the work effort. And I follow along, with Reisen right behind me. ?I see you?re feeling better,? Reisen notices the gauze and junk removed from my arm. I stop Reisen from walking as Kaguya continues moving along. I inquire, ?What is the meaning of this? What are you forcing these rabbits to do?? Reisen looks angered by this and is about to answer, but the sliding door bursts open, a flash and a figure shouts?

?AH! So the conspiracy was true!? She?s carrying a notebook and a pen. Black hair down to her shoulders and a camera tied around her neck, she bolts out into the open area, landing in the center of the all the work. Many of the rabbits stop working as this pointed ear creature wearing a white blouse with a black skirt arrived on the scene. Reisen is not pleased about this. ?Get back to work!? She shouts at the youkai rabbits as she goes to have a talk with this newly arrived creature. Kaguya notices and pulls me away, trying to hide me. But, with not really anywhere to go, she hides me behind her. ?Crouch down!? she says and I hide behind her dress. Eirin comes out the sliding door and grabs the creature by the neck.

?Ooh. Assaulting a reporter. Scary, scary.? Eirin is pissed off at this intrusion. ?I?ve told you many times that you are not welcome here.? I notice that Eirin is much taller than this person (Eirin was taller than me as well), but because the person in on some sort of stilt shoes, it doesn?t change much. ?I?m just reporting news as always. When anything?s news, Bunbun will always be there,? The reporter replied. ?Write a single thing, and you?ll regret the day you ever set foot here,? Eirin snarls back.

?Put me down at least. Your hostility could wind up right in my paper.? With that, Eirin drops the tengu to the ground. Aya scurries away with the knowledge, but notices my head peering out behind Kaguya?s dress. ?My, my. What have we here.? Aya moves closer to the both of us. ?Don?t you dare touch Kaguya,? Eirin threatens. Kaguya backs away, forgetting that I?m behind her, and trips over me onto the grass. Kaguya is not pleased, as I am revealed to the tengu reporter who crouches in front of me.

?Tell me, what is your name, human,? Aya asks. My name? Name? My name isn?t important. Living alone for several years gives me the right to not have or give a name. I dare not respond to her. Kaguya gets up and starts pulling me away, but Aya grabs my arm and yanks me away from Kaguya. I spill onto the ground. ?Quit messing around with my patients!? Eirin comes up, grabs me, picking me up and away from Aya. Aya isn?t happy about this, but shrugs it off and flies away, scribbling on her notepad as she goes. She got away with what she needed.

[MayKissingDoveWyks]

The rabbits still have stopped working, staring at the scene. Reisen yells at them again and Eirin carries me back inside, Kaguya following along. Eirin brings me to Kaguya?s room and rest me down on the floor. ?Whatever you do. Do not go outside in a situation like this.? Eirin berated me, but Kaguya spoke, ?No. It?s my fault. I wanted to show him outside. I didn?t know? Eirin is shocked. ?I told you many times that the humans must not know of our plans.? Kaguya acts innocent about this, but Eirin chooses to whap her.

I speak, ?I didn?t really expect something like this. Forgive me if I have intruded on anything important here.? Eirin is still frustrated and leaves the room. ?Did I say something wrong,? I ask Kaguya. She doesn't answer and lays down on her mat, looking out the window. I pat her head, but she turns over, not looking at me. ?If you want to sleep, then sleep,? she says. I look around the room, not much in here. Five treasures, her mat, two cardboard boxes, and a low table; nothing more, nothing less.

Kaguya tugs on my arm, and pulls me to her side. She turns over again, and pats the part of the mat in front of her. I lay down next to Kaguya, she pulls up her quilted blanket and puts her hand on my shoulder. She stares at me, glaring at me, smiling. ?You?ll be fine. Rest. We can spend some more time tomorrow,? That, she closes her eyes. I guess I should go to sleep again. A day wasted at Eientei?

?   ?   ?

The morning comes fast like a storm. Literally, today it is raining outside. I awaken, and Kaguya?s already missing. The mat is empty, but covers moved. I touch the spot where she once was. It?s still warm. I rise up from the floor and look around. Kaguya is busy playing with the two cardboard boxes, staring at them idly. Actually, it looks like she?s using a computer. Poorly drawn features, I must say.

Something feels different though? Oh crap. I check under the covers, and discover that I?m only wearing my underwear and undershirt. ?Kaguya? Did you see where my clothes went?? I ask. Kaguya mumbles, ?I don?t know? Reisen said something about cleaning them, and I told her I was not going to touch you.? Those damn rabbits. ?Why don?t you get up and move around, it?s early morning,? Kaguya asks. Move around? I?m missing part of my clothes!

?I?m sorry. Really wish I could right now.? I qualm. ?Oh, don?t be so modest,? Kaguya still with her back turned to me. A couple of rabbits are hopping around. Kaguya then gets up and leaves, ?I?m going to feed myself okay? I?ll be back?? She plods across the room and out the doorway. After she leaves, there is a knock on the door. Instead of leaving, the door opens and quickly shuts. The rain stopped outside. Who else could it be, but that snarky reporter in those ugly shoes, back for more action? While I?m lying in the mat, she looks around and investigates the area, initially unaware of me.

After some searching, she shuts the doorway and bolts it. Now I forget? aren?t these all sliding doors? Aya plops herself in front of me, immediately asking questions, ?What do you know of the slave system here?? Man, she?s determined. ?I don?t know anything. I came here almost two days ago.? Aya frowns a bit at this. ?At least tell me your relationship with Kaguya here. It seems like you two have something going on here.? WHAT? First Kaguya accuses me of being with Mokou and now I?m accused of being with Kaguya herself? This is madness!

?Nothing much really. More like acquaintances.? I reply. ?Really? You?re sleeping in her mat and you?re half-naked. Doesn't seem like acquaintances to me.? She continues writing with her pen. ?Some people need their clothes cleaned, you know!? I snap back at her. ?Oh, no need to be hasty. I?m only curious. I can tell from these things?? She?s not getting it, is she? ?Leave please.? I tell her off. ?Sure thing. I got everything I needed.? Oh crap? What did I just tell her? She bolts off, out the door without hesitation, and is gone in a flash.

Kaguya comes back with a tray of food. I really don?t know what the stuff is. ?Here. We can share our morning meal together~? She sets it down near me. ?What?s with the look on your face?? She asks. Yeah. My face look really disturbed right now. I worry about how what I said is going to affect me. Kaguya pats me on the head and begins eating. I pick up some of the food and begin eating. Reisen comes in with my clothes newly washed; she seems tired after last night and the work this morning. ?Don?t you have more clothes than this?? Reisen asks. ?I do. But I left them at my stead elsewhere. I didn?t know it would take this long,? I eat away at the food.

?How long are you staying here again?? Reisen questions. Kaguya gives a nasty glare and Reisen thusly leaves the room. We finish eating and then Kaguya brings me out into the hallway. Reisen is there. ?Oh? There is a person here looking for you?? Looking for me? We head to main lobby and someone was there. This one was wearing a big black, bent hat. Long blond hair with a braid on one side, she is mostly wearing black-white clothing and an apron on the lower half. To top it off, she has a broom.

Kaguya does not like the look of this, ?No! It?s that one that keeps taking Eirin?s books!? The person looks at us, ?Well, they ARE kind of hard to read-ze.? Another person? ugh? how many to meet? ?I came here looking for him.? She points to me. Kaguya lashes out, ?Well you can?t have him! You?ve taken enough from us at this point.? This doesn?t faze Marisa. ?The shrine maiden was looking for him, not me. She just sent me here-ze.?

Reimu wanted me to come back? ?He looks pretty healed up too. No point in keeping him here,? Marisa adds. Kaguya sighs, ?At least let him come back sometime.? I walk towards Marisa and she says, ?Sure thing, once he?s on his own, he can go wherever.? Kaguya promises, ?Make sure you come back.? Of course I?ll come back; Eirin gave me a damn bill I have to pay.

Marisa pulls me outside, ?Now first we have to stop at several places before returning you to Reimu.? Places? ?Where to?? I ask. ?Get on first,? She already positioned her broom getting ready to leave. ?You sure that I can ride on that thing,? I question. Marisa frowns, ?Sure I?m sure. I?ve flown tons of things on this stick.? I shrug it off and get on. ?Just hold on,? She informs me and we immediately take off into the air. Wind rushes fast past my face as we already are over the bamboo forest.

Whizzing past the Forest of Magic, we head towards a settlement past it. There are many houses and people bustling about in the streets. Marisa lands at a shop near the edge of the village, just inside the Forest of Magic. There?s tons of junk sitting outside and parts of the place look battered. I marvel at the stuff outside, but Marisa pulls me in through the door. A bell rings; the guy behind the counter looks up. He has short silver hair, wearing black and blue, and is looking at a magazine. This has to be the first time seeing another male in a long time?

?Kourin, I brought a new human here. He?s from the outside world,? Marisa pulls me towards the guy. I?m too busy looking around at all the stuff in there, and surprised that he has an oil heater. ?Marisa, I already know what half this stuff is. But he may be of use?? The guy gets up from behind the desk. ?Come with me,? He says, and directs me towards a whole other desk, which sits a desktop computer. ?I know that it computes things, and that you humans from the outside use it. The problem is, it won?t work, nor do I know what it?s used for. I thought it has something to do with circles and pi, but nothing else.? Rinnosuke also pulls an electric cord from outside the computer.

?Well. First thing you need is electricity, which so far is something you don?t have.? I answer. ?Electricity? You mean lightening? He asks. ?Yes. Lightening except in a form condensed so the computer may use it.? Rinnosuke still didn?t seem to understand, scratching his head. The idea was a little advanced for him? He pulls me away from the computer and shows me the kerosene furnace. ?It warms my house, but Yukari has to constantly get fuel for it.? He doesn?t say much after a while, staring into the flames in the furnace. Marisa signals me to the door, like she needs to be somewhere.

We both head out the door and he says, ?Come again?? Marisa forces me back onto the broom and we?re off again. She heads into the Forest of Magic this time, avoiding hitting the trees in the way. We stop at another house, this one located in the Forest. Marisa knocks the door open; must be her house. There is literally junk all over the place. Books piled everywhere, Marisa starts digging, ?Sit down,? she says. Sit down? Is there really any place to sit down in this mess?

After some digging she pulls out some clothes, and tosses them to me. ?You may need these later,? She says. These were more appropriate clothes, two-piece, mostly black, almost like a robe. ?My father used to wear them, but you can have them,? Marisa smiles. ?Thank you, but I?ll put them on later?? I say. Marisa nods, but heads back out the door. ?Come on. We need to get you back. I?ve wasted enough time as is-ze.?

We take off one last time and head to the shrine.
As we go through the forest, the sun rises.

_______________________________________

End of Chapter 6

[MayKissingDoveWyks]

Chapter 7:

If I cannot bare such a stingy winter?
Let the white fill my eyes?
And let my heart descend?
Beneath the sun?

Whisking through the air, I notice it starts to get colder. I still don?t remember what time of the season it was, but hopefully it?s near that time. A period of death and rebirth in the cycle, the season of descent begins. The time where people pretend and celebrate this solstice, without true meaning?I see the time has come. Renewal has never seen such a period in a while; I, personally, haven?t seen it in a while. A grand welcome to my early stead. The wind? the blandish color? production of false warmth? everything?

?Hey, something wrong?? My eyes shift. Marisa is staring at me, annoyed. We are on the ground. Location: Hakurei Shrine. Marisa taps me on the head, nudging the broom as well?which we are still sitting on. ?Come on, get off. It?s uncomfortable. It looked like you passed out, ze.? And with that, she yanks it right from under me, and my rear lands on the ground. I rub my back and stand up off the ground. ?Next time, warn me when you?re going to take a nap, ze,? Marisa walks up to the door and knocks. The door opens. Reimu is still there; she doesn?t go far I guess. ?Ah, I see you got him. Good.? She checks me a bit, ?New clothes too, eh? Good job Marisa??

I notice there is a paper on the ground. Reimu was talking to Marisa, so they didn?t see what I was doing. It was a Bunbunmaru paper. Oh no? I picked it up and looked at it. The title read ?CONSPIRACY THEORY PROVEN TRUE. KAGUYA WORKS SLAVES IN CAMPS.? This isn?t good? Kaguya will be pissed??well so would them at Eientei. I keep reading, ?It has been also been reported that the leader of this ?labor system?, Kaguya, is having scandalous affairs with a new human from the ou??

My heart stops. I. Am. So dead, when I return to Eientei. Or maybe I won?t be since they know it?s not true, or they probably don?t care. Plus, I still have to pay, so Eirin won?t be a problem thus far? I fold the paper and put it in my pocket; better hide it until later. I?ll say that these papers are very small, since there?s not much in it.

Reimu brings us both inside. ?You?re stuff is still safe here,? she notifies me. Pulling my stuff out from a hatch in the floorboards, she struggles. After yanking most of the stuff out, she makes some tea. Marisa already is sitting down at the low table, waiting. Reimu tells me, ?Alice said that she was going to be over here today, sometime. She said it was important and that she wanted to meet you.? Marisa chuckles, ?Alice, in a happy mood? It takes some guts to actually do that. Ha!? Reimu glares at Marisa, ?I think she said 2 weeks ago that she gave you a gift...?

Oh that?s right? The Hourai doll that she gave to me. I grab my luggage case, and dig in there. The doll is still there, thank God. I pull it out and Reimu says, ?Oh she gave you one of those? Must be important?? Once the tea was finished, I sit at the table, the doll in my lap. Each of us drinks our tea. Jasmine tea, a great choice. Still sipping the tea, I notice the Hourai doll begins moving. Then it moves its head and stares at me. I almost jump back and bump the table. Reimu and Marisa notice.

?So you did keep on to the doll like Yukari said,? A voice came from near the door. It was Alice, there in her blue dress and short blonde hair. Carrying her book, she trots in, boots making noise each step she makes, lastly Shanghai following closely to her side. ?I?ve been waiting to meet another human specimen?? Specimen? What is she, Eirin? ??unlike Marisa.? Marisa snaps at her, ?What am I? Not good enough for you?? Alice sits down, ignoring Marisa, ?So tell me about yourself,? directing her attention to me. Marisa is ticked off.

?Well? I usually draw? have an interest in music? living alone? Not doing much?? I tell her, shyly. ?I see? I live alone too?? Alice replies. ?No you don?t! I live right near you? Marisa belts out. Reimu just sits there sipping her tea, indifferent to what either is saying. ?What was your reasoning for meeting with me? And the gift?? I ask Alice. ?I?m interested in humans, and it?s lonely in the Forest of Magic?? she returns back to the loneliness thing again. ?I?ve had enough!? Marisa yells. She swigs the last of her tea, and leaves the cup on the table. Marisa goes out the door and is gone.

Reimu is still un-amused by the scene; she probably stays out of conversations that aren?t hers. ?Alice, you could be more kinder maybe? Marisa jus-? I begin to speak, but Reimu shakes her head, warding me to not talk about it anymore. ?It?s okay. She?s always like that sometimes?? Alice adds, fiddling with Shanghai, ?You have enjoyed the Hourai doll so far, right?? Eh? not much?. ?Well, I never really got to use it in anyway. When I first arrived I was attacked, so my arm was damaged,? I reply. ?Oh you poor thing?? Alice sympathizes, while Reimu rolls her eyes.

?Yeah? I had to go to Eientei to get it fixed,? I finish my tea. ?Oh, I go there sometimes too. The woman there is nice?? Alice is trying to pinpoint as many things that we have in common. This can?t be good. She starts looking through her Grimoire, and I still sit there pondering. There is a long pause. Alice breaks the silence, she just sparked a thought, asking?

?Reimu, can I take him off your hands for a while?? Alice asks. Reimu, being indifferent again, ?Knock yourself out?? Alice becomes very happy, almost giddy? Wait, what? ?Reimu, you can?t be serious?? I ask her. ?You can?t hang out here all the time, especially since you?re a human, not enough resources,? Reimu answers, already shoving my stuff back down the hatch. Well, Alice is ?somewhat? alluring, but I?ve already had a bad experience with youkai so far, so I?m hesitant. Alice tugs me along towards the door, my feet skidding on the floor, her boots knocking on the floor.

[MayKissingDoveWyks]

Alice pulls me out the door and shuts it behind her. ?Don?t worry. We?ll be there soon enough,? She grins. Snapping her fingers, the trees in the nearby forest begin to shake. Out from it comes a lumbering figure. It looks like one of her regular dolls, except this one was MUCH larger. It walks over to us and puts its hand out. Alice grabs me and hops on. The giant doll lifts its hand up to its shoulder; Alice jumps onto it and puts me on the shoulder. The doll moves into the forest, surprisingly making little to no noise.

?Magnificent, isn?t it?? Alice talks while looking at the view from up here. I don?t answer. It doesn?t take long to reach her house either. As soon as we arrive, the doll puts me on the ground and Alice jumps off of it. Slowly descending to the ground, Alice snaps her fingers agian; the doll shrinks back to a normal sized doll and Alice picks it up. Interesting? She grabs my arm again and hauls me inside. The day seems to wane, the sun already receding down the sky.

Inside was the largest amount of dolls I have ever seen. Tons of them, all over the place: on the shelves, on her bed, unfinished ones on the tables. But first thing she does is plop me on her bed. Some of the dolls move around, some stare at me, one fiddles with my hair. That one was the most unusual out of all of them, it looked different too, but looks rather like my Hourai doll. That reminds me. I take out the Hourai doll I brought with me. The doll begins moving as well. And it flies away with several of the others; they play.

Alice begins toying away at one of her dolls, ?Shanghai does need some fixing though? She?s been feeling rough recently.? I really don?t pay attention to what Alice is saying; the dolls are too interested in me. One of them sits on my lap and stares at me. It really stinks that they don?t have any mouths; expressions lighten the mood. They don?t seem to have a leader, as they buzz about. The Hourai doll messes around a bit: watching Alice tinker, spinning in circles, and lastly, landing in my lap with the other doll. Time passes and the moon rises in the sky. Alice isn?t yawning, nor is she moving much.

Soon, when the crescent moon in half way in the sky, Alice gets up out of her chair. She motions towards me, shaking her hands. All the dolls move away from me, many of them returning to their original places. Alice digs through one of her small drawers. She pulls out some type of pill. Instead of putting it in her mouth, she moves towards me. ?This is for you. It will make you feel better,? Alice says with a low, creepy tone. ?I don?t want to be taking anything that could harm me!? I retort.

Alice grabs my chin, ?Don?t worry. This is guaranteed a good night?s sleep.? She tries to pry my mouth open as I resist. Was this the whole point of bringing me here? To drug me? Alice yanks on my head harder, but I stop resisting. She shoves it into my mouth; pushing down on my neck to make it move down. Why didn?t she put one in? Soon enough, I see colors, lots of them. My vision gets blurry at little, my balance a little woozy. Wait? if she?s a youkai magician? and she gave me something that only youkai can take? What?? I lose consciousness?

?Or? At least I thought I did? I have some amnesia of the occurrence afterwards? I don?t hear much, but I can?t tell if?? Ah, screw it?

My eyes open up. I was asleep? I rise up, and I?m? holding a blanket? I turn my head. There is light outside. So I went to sleep like she said? But, this couldn?t be a complete waste. I?m only on one side of the bed. Looking to the other side, I notice Alice is there, back turned. But that back? was bare. She turns over onto her front side. Alice stirs, turning towards me. She slowly wakes up, stretching her arms out. ?Mmmm? That was good last night wasn?t it??

WHAT? WHAT?! Do my ears deceive me? ?Um? last night?? I ask. ?Yes? You were so good?? Alice replies. All right. That?s it. I have officially arrived at the sanitarium. My ears didn?t deceive me. I don?t respond, but Alice continues to blather, ?I haven?t felt so good in a long time. Thank you.? Oh God, Make it stop! Am I still dreaming? That must be it. No way this is real. Alice gets up though and walks right to her drawer, naked. Some of her dolls get up and dress her. Alice then leaves the room.

I feel around with my hands. One of the dolls lands in front of me, holding my underwear. This can?t be happening. But several of them come soon after, one with a brush. The doll with my underwear starts digging in the bed, and puts it on me?I can?t explain how. The one with brush begins straightening my hair; it struggles a bit. Minutes pass and Alice comes back in with tray full of food on it. What, do I have to be catered to all the time? She sets it down on the table. ?Get up.? Alice spits.

I slowly get out of the bed, ?Don?t be so shy,? Alice says, she tugs me closer to the food. I begin to eat, but not much. Alice leaves again, with a smile on her face. I have to get out of here. No way I?m living like this for the next couple days. Looking around, I notice the dolls are standing in front of the windows, for protection I guess. Maybe the front door could work. I stop eating, getting up from the chair. I rush over and get my clothes back on. Since I brought nothing with me, I don?t have to worry; she can keep the doll for all I care. The dolls begin to notice my strange activity, but they do nothing.

I bolt for the door, but just then, Alice comes storming in. ?Trying to leave on me, eh?? I stop dead in my tracks, jiggling the doorknob. It?s locked, on the inside? I run in the opposite direction and grab Alice. ?I don?t know what you did to me, or what you plan to do now, but I want to leave, please,? I glare at her. ?What? I was only giving you good company? I?m always alone you know?? She starts crying a bit. ?Oh. So taking me to your house, drugging me, plausibly raping me, and then making me breakfast is what you call company?? Now, I?m yelling at her almost.

With a swift movement, I feel a thud on my head. It hit pretty hard, very quickly. I pass out?.

?   ?   ?

I hear nothing, but loud voices? In my head? Somewhat loud voices?

I begin to open my eyes. There?s a ton of light. It?s hard to see, but the initial glare settles down. I look to my left. Something? abnormal? it?s? It?s Shanghai? Except Shanghai? looks a lot bigger than normal; almost the same height as me? This is weird? Am I dreaming again? Did Alice shove another pill down my throat? But I notice something very wrong this time. I look up, and Alice?s face is right there, three times larger than it was before.

Oh crap? I?m on her desk aren?t I? Never mess with a youkai magician, I guess. ?Ah. You?re awake now?? She says, ?You are going to stay here for a while like I said. But this time, I don?t think handling you is going to be a problem.? Alice is still too busy working on Shanghai, but I guess making me smaller was her only choice for keeping me at bay. I stand up. Yep, I?m about the size of Shanghai; 20 cm, no more, no less. ?Don?t you think about going anywhere,? Alice grabs me off the table.

She does have a tight grip; I squirm a bit, but Alice drops me right onto her shoulders. ?I?m leaving you like this for a while, actually, your whole stay here. Maybe if you shape up, I?ll return you to normal,? Alice still works away, while I look around. Not much really changed, since the dolls see things like this. I wouldn?t expect if she did anything else but leave me like this for a while; doing nothing. Alice drops her tools and gets up quickly. I start to fall off her shoulder, but I grab her hair. She stops, ?Ah! Don?t pull on that!? Alice pulls me back up onto her shoulder.

Searching around, Alice finds nothing that she?s looking for. ?Damn, I have to go out and get more,? Alice grabs me and puts me back on the table. ?Don?t you go anywhere,? she scolds me. ?Actually? I still don?t trust you.? Alice gets some twine out. She gets out a metal tube also, and ties me to it. ?That should keep you still for a while. I?m going out to go get more fabric, okay?? Alice gives me a smile. I?m still not happy. ?Aw, come on, cheer up. Don?t be so sad. At least I let you live,? She leaves with that, sets up defenses around the house, and disappears out the door. That?s a creepy last sentence? There is some silence?

After minutes of waiting, some of the dolls begin to move around a bit. I look towards Shanghai, who is still sitting on the table. She begins to move as well, and stands up. Grabbing her razor, Shanghai moves towards me. I notice that she has a mouth now, as she begins to raise her razor. What? Is she going to kill me here, now? I close me eyes as I hear a cutting noise. The tension in my arms and legs are gone. I land on the ground and look at Shanghai; she?s untying the knots on my limbs. The detail that Alice put on the dolls? hands is incredible.

Once Shanghai was done, she immediately hugged me. Awkward? ?It?s so nice to see someone like you surviving her.? She says. ?Yeah. Lucky m?? I cut of my response. What? Did she just speak to me? ?You can talk?? I ask. Shanghai doesn?t seemed too disturbed by the question, ??I can talk?? What an absurd question. Of course I can.? I step back a bit, but she moves closer. Shanghai timidly replies, ?Most of us can actually? but only those that have been affected by Her magic can hear us?.?

[Minch]

Do you know how many times I love reading this story? I just love it. Alice turning humans into dolls. Sorta awesome but scary at the same time. Keep it up!

[MayKissingDoveWyks]

Small update for now. Finishing Chapter.
_____________________________________

Shanghai grabs my waist and flies me over to the bed. Several of the dolls are sitting there, including the Hourai doll I was given. She’s smiling at me. They head over to where Shanghai and I land; the Hourai doll hugs me as well. “I finally get to speak with you,” Hourai says, (I’m just going to call her that for now. Typing Hourai doll so often gets tiring. Yeah… I’m that lethargic.) still clutching me. Alice’s details on these dolls are amazing. Feeling them… feels like feeling a human as well. Everything, from face, to chest, to legs, feels smooth and real.

Hourai stops hugging me; noticing something. I have no clothes on… Some of the dolls giggle, and I see what the problem was. My face turns red. Shanghai laughs a little, but gets out some fabric. The dolls seem to have their own stash of fabric, and they fashion me something to wear. Actually, It was more like the clothes they were wearing, but oh well… Just a purple dress. It still feels awkward though. “We don’t do much around here actually, since Alice controls us so harshly,” Shanghai says, while playing with my hair. “Can you not do that?” I ask. She stops, “Sorry. Force of habit.”

“I actually have been here for a while,” Hourai sits down in front of me. “You receiving me was a rare gesture. But you seemed so nice, except you had me left in that box of doom for 2 days.” Hourai pouts; her expression changes to scared, “The horror… the horror…” She spaces out, but I start waving my hand in front of her. “Oh yeah…” Hourai continues, “Alice’s treatment of us isn’t that splendid…” Shanghai frowns and adds, “Yeah. She uses us in battle sometimes…” she pauses, “And laces us with gunpowder…” Some of the other dolls barely speak, shuddering. “Well. It can’t be all that bad,” I say, trying to be optimistic, “She created you after all.”

Shanghai and Hourai pull me over away from the group; Shanghai says, “Remind you, that you are still mostly human Alice’s magic isn’t that effective on humans alone, thus you still remain so. Just consider yourself lucky.” Lucky? “Why am I lucky?” I ask her. Hourai sighs, “You aren’t the first one… that’s she done this to…” That can’t be good. “She doesn’t… take to kindly to antics… Just accept the punishment due and wait it out,” Shanghai warns me.

“Look,” Shanghai stops me from walking back to the group, “You see this fissure I have on my head?” She pulls away some hair from the upper part of her forehead. It reveals a small crack on her forehead, but it’s noticeable when you see it. “Where did that come from?” I ask. She looks depressed as she tells me, “The last person I help… I couldn’t… and Alice…” Shanghai starts to cry; no actual tear but her expression makes it pretty clear. Hourai almost does the same. “…and she–she–killed him!” Shanghai bawls into my shoulder. For a doll, these things have some pretty deep emotions about things.




And Alice says she’s alone…

_______________________________

End of Chapter 7.

Part of chapter 8 will be up soon.

Do you know how many times I love reading this story? I just love it. Alice turning humans into dolls. Sorta awesome but scary at the same time. Keep it up!

Thank you.

[MayKissingDoveWyks]

Part of Chapter 8, as promised.
____________________________

Chapter 8:

The heart stricken, strained
Never would the moon bring me hope
Nor would the sun ever carry me to hope
In such a way?

Could it not be me?
Could I have done wrong?
Could I have taken the wrong path?
No. I?m not wrong. I only strayed.

Eternity, grab me by the hand
Guide me into the superior light
Take me to that place of suffering
And see the world, with new eyes?

Greater and more worthy than the ones I have used before?

? SMS

Shanghai was still crying. Hourai patted her on the back, ?Shanghai, please, not again? A nervous breakdown is the last thing you need right now?? I feel a little left out, so I ask, ?Was it really that bad?? Hourai glares at me, ?Please stop mentioning it. The story is sad enough as is?? Shanghai still won?t stop crying, ?And?and?the spill?and the horror?and the?the? Her words become unmentionable; I couldn?t really understand. Shanghai is still clinging to my arm, so I tell her, ?It?s going to be alright. I promise that will not happen to me. What?s past is past.? She begins to calm down somewhat?

It seems that they also have short attention spans, because Shanghai shows me one of their possessions soon after. They have big box kept up on one of the shelves; well, big for them. Hourai says that they keep it hidden from Alice because it hides ?important stuff?. And what I find in there is some miscellaneous tings, actually. ?We find them on our way to certain places, with Alice,? Shanghai says. There were cherry blossoms, flower petals, leaves, and some waste (I don?t want to know what it is.).

These dolls don?t do much either. ?Yeah? It?s pretty boring here? Waiting around,? Hourai mumbles. This ?fun? doesn?t last much longer. The sun is in the air, noon to afternoon. Some of the dolls come forward to us and warn that Alice is coming back. With that Shanghai and Hourai fly me back over to the metal tube. Shanghai ties me back up, just as Alice had it, and lays down in her spot. Many of the dolls scrabble back to their original spots. The door slams open. Alice comes stomping in, mad?

She sits back down on the desk and works on Shanghai again, but something feels off to her. Alice looks at me, bewildered. ?Where did you get those clothes?? She asks, a little angry. ?Oh gee. I hadn?t noticed. Where did these come from?? I play stupid. ?Don?t play stupid with me! Something?s not right!? She looks at Shanghai, whose face looked a little different. ?Shanghai!? Alice yells at her. ?I?m sick of you treating people like this!? Shanghai yells back. ?I don?t need you anymore!? Alice launches Shanghai across the room. She hits the window, and lands on the windowsill underneath, unconscious.

?Now as for you!? Alice grabs the metal tube, ?Give me one good reason why I shouldn?t destroy you!? She is giving off a mean, nasty stare; almost like ready to kill at any moment. I breathe, and sigh. ?Alice? there are some things people can tolerate and other things people can?t.? This takes Alice aback. ?That?s not a good reason!? She yells, grabbing a knife on the table. ?Wait! Wait!? I stop her from moving it closer. ?I know that you live alone, but sometimes? Treating people like you treated me? isn?t acceptable.? Alice stares at me, and puts the knife down, listening.

?Alice, I know that you can have a great time. You just need to go out there and be less exclusive about your activities. Sure, you may not have all the fun in the world. But at least you have friends?? (Yeah, that?s the best I got.) Luckily, Alice ponders for a while and sets me back down on the desk. ?Fine? you?re actually right. All I do is spend my damn time here doing nothing, even the dolls themselves have said it?? She unties me from the metal tube and grabs me into the air.

?I?ll return you back to normal? but promise me that you?ll visit from time to time,? Alice asks. ?I promise?? I reply. ?Are you sure?? Alice asks again. ?I never go back on my promises.? I assure her. She puts me back down on the table and snaps her fingers. Light shines before me, without pause. The light then disappears and I?m back to normal, but standing on the desk. I get off it, and go to Shanghai, who is regaining consciousness on the windowsill. Hourai follows me, and I pick Shanghai up. Her head didn?t fracture, it seems she had a concussion though?

?You can keep her if you want for all I care,? Alice is standing up behind me. ?All she ever did was die on me all the time.? Shanghai is fully awake now. She floats in the air, ?That?s perfectly fine with me, Alice. You never treated me well to begin with?? I go get my clothes on as they argue for a while, throwing nasty comments at each other. Hourai follows me around too. The two stop arguing soon enough and Alice says, ?I can?t be seen with such an atrocity. Leave with her, actually, leave with both of them!? Shanghai couldn?t have felt any better. ?Well if you want it that way?? I agree, while Shanghai floats over to my side.

Heading out the door, I say my goodbyes to the dolls and Alice. Shanghai and Hourai were so ?ecstatic? to leave that ?hell hole?. Shanghai sits on my shoulder as I walk, nuzzling my cheek. Back out into the forest again, the sun is setting. I better head to Marisa?s to see what she?s up to? It?s been almost a whole day since. I walk in a certain direction. ?Where are we heading?? Hourai asks. ?Marisa?s. She?s not been feeling well recently,? I reply. Both Shanghai and Hourai frown.

[MayKissingDoveWyks]

“Come on, it won’t be that bad.” I look around, trying to find a sense of direction. Since I can’t fly, I have to use my intuition; or I could ask the dolls… “Hey… Do either of you know where Marisa’s house?” I stop walking and question them. “That depends,” Shanghai responds, “Hourai, do we know where Marisa’s house is?” Hourai looks confused, “I think we do… lest I remember.” They must be fooling me. “Alright you two. Stop messing around.” The two of them giggle. “I’m serious.” I add. Leading me through the forest, the two dolls move in a direction–somewhat in the opposite direction of the sun, which is starting to set. The night doesn’t arrive soon. Shanghai still rests on my shoulder as we’re walking. She still is recovering from the incident. But Shanghai asks me…

“Why are we going over to see Marisa anyway?” Taking a breath I answer in a smooth tone, “We are heading to her house because nice people comfort those that are having a rough time recently…” Shanghai is perplexed by my notion, but she persists to ask, “She’s been having a rough time?” Again, taking another breath, “Well… Let’s just say that before I came to the house, Alice and Marisa had some small conflict. And Marisa didn’t take it too well.” Hourai adds, “Eh… it would seem like Alice to do something like that. The two have been going at it for a while.” Figures.

Approaching Marisa’s house, I notice a figure in the shadows. It seems to have wings. I stop moving and say to the figure, “Who’s there?” The figure giggles. Hourai moves back to my side, hiding behind my hair. “I mean it! Show yourself!” I shout to the figure. Two more figures accompany it, both with their wings more visible. They all move into the light. The swift movement reveals the Three Mischievous Fairies. I remember them from before. “Who are they?” Shanghai asks me. “Friends… from before…” I answer.

Sunny Milk speaks, “Friends? That’s an interesting way to put it.” She grins. “The only thing we ever did for you was carrying your junk. Yukari just wanted the muscle power.” Luna Child adds moving closer to me. Eh… “What do you want then?” I ask. The three of them say nothing, as they digest the question I gave them. There is a long pause as they look at each other, dumbfounded. Star Sapphire is the first to speak, “What were you two thinking? This is a failure, as always! We should have been hiding.” Sunny Milk takes offense to this, “And as always you assume it’s my fault as you make your getaway!” Luna Child sits there and watches the two argue and it seems there is no point in me staying. I leave with the two dolls, but Luna Child notices my exit.

As I walk away, Hourai continues to lead me towards Marisa’s house. Noise comes from behind nearby bushes and I am forced to stop again. I look at the bush where the source comes from. Luna Child’s cap pops out and soon does the rest of her. So she was following me, eh? “Can I come along? Those two never get anything done…” She asks. I don’t see why not… “Fine, you can come along.” The dolls don’t seem to care about this as much… “We’re heading somewhere though okay, and I want you to stay hidden while we go there.” Informing her about the situation, she nods.

We reach the house and I approach the wooden door; Luna Child hides in the bushes. The air is still again, night approaching. I bother to knock gently on the door. No response. I knock harder. The door yawns open on its own. I walk in, Shanghai and Hourai following. Marisa is in the main area, lying among her piles of junk, still moping. She’s fiddling with something in her hand, her Mini-Hakkero. I gently close the door behind me, trying not to make a noise. “What do you want? Come here to rub it in?” Marisa mutters, still bewildered with her fidgeting. I walk up beside her and she morbidly looks at me. “Oh… it’s you… Shouldn’t you be off with Alice or something?” Yeah… She’s still upset like I expected. “Marisa. I’m not with Alice, okay. I’m not with anyone. If she wants to complain that you aren’t that good of a neighbor then that’s her problem.” Marisa notices the two dolls hovering over me. “Why are they here? Just to report back to Alice about this nonsense.”

Marisa turns away, discouraged. “You came at the wrong time. Just go away.” I sigh, “Look. I came here to make amends. These dolls belong to me now. I probably won’t bother returning to Alice after a long time. Any thing that she said about me or taking stabs at you should not change your opinion.” Marisa still sits there, unresponsive. “Fine, go ahead, be that way. If you feel that you’re fine, then I don’t have be the nice person I am and try to help you.” I face away from Marisa and head for the door. She grabs my arm though and tugs me towards her. “If that is what you propose, then I accept,” Marisa stares with a stern look.

The amount of time spent was enough for the sun to dip under the horizon and the moon to burst out of it. “Ah… it’s getting late.” Marisa points out. A knock is heard on the door. “Who is it,” shouts Marisa to the door. “Luna Child~! It’s cold out here…” the response claims. Obviously Luna Child couldn’t wait that long. Marisa gets up and limps to the door, slowly opening it. It was she, but Marisa said, “Who are you?” Luna Child replies, slyly, “If you remember that ice fairy, you should’ve at least remembered me…” Marisa sighs, “Fine… come in.” Lunachild happily walks in through the door, Marisa says to me, “This is Lunachild.” Oh really? Hadn’t noticed. “Yeah… We already met before.”

“But you left me out there in the cold,” She acts innocent over it. Marisa glares at me, but I retort with, “I told her to stay outside. I didn’t think it was going to get dark just yet.” Marisa still is not amused. Luna Child goes to sit down, Marisa tells me, “It’s dangerous out this late, okay. You have to stay here for the night.” Great. Another wasted day on my time…
___________

End of Chapter 8

[MayKissingDoveWyks]

Chapter 9:

What is the time?
What time is it?
Can I find my way?
Or do I give all today?

Winter, why prolong?
Your little dances are not enough…

– SMS

Marisa actually doesn’t have any sleeping quarters because the place is such a damn mess. I make a space for myself amongst her junk, while Luna Child chose to hide in the rafters of the house near the roof. “Hey! Be careful up there, ze! You’ll ruin the supports,” Marisa yells at Luna Child. “I sleep in trees. I know how to be careful,” She giggles back. I rest on a pile of clothes, a good pillow. Hourai rests on another pile next, sitting there, guarding. Shanghai went to actually sleep on my head, while Marisa plopped right near me.

The night seemed to prolong, and I couldn’t sleep, which made the night even worse. I decided to remove Shanghai from my head, and placed her on the pile. Opening the crack under the window, I climb outside the house. I go on top of the house and lay back on the side of the roof, looking up at the stars. The partial moon is bright, no clouds in the sky. But then, I notice two figures moving across the sky, their silhouettes visible from the moon. A spherical object falls from the sky, heading right towards my head. I catch it as it falls into my hand. A peach… Odd…

Descending from the sky, the two figures head towards me. They pause only for a moment, as I get up, staring at the two of them. The figures soon become clearer as they approach. Both of them seemed dressed like opposites. One long hair, one tied into a tail; one blond, the other blue. The only similarity was the blouses. The sword bearing one landed first, the other second. She approached me asking, “They said there would be someone on the roof here, awaiting out arrival.” I still stare; confused. “This is Eientei, right…” She asked again, pointing her sword at my neck. Eientei… who are these? Mooninites? Lunarians?

The blond-haired one with the hat discourages the one with the sword. She bows, “Sorry for the intrusion.” And stands back up, “Forgive my sister. She can be brash and sometimes forceful…” Again, I don’t speak, but she continues, “My name is Toyohime of the Watatsuki clan and this is my younger sister, Yorihime.” Yorihime bows. “We came here in search of our old master in this unsacred area,” Toyohime looks to the sky. Unsacred? “Well, first off,” I answer, “You’re in the wrong place, there should be another person on a rooftop located west of here. I’m just outside at the moment because I can’t sleep.”

“Oh…” Toyohime replies, “Then forget that we were here, okay?” Hmm… I lay back down on the roof, “That depends…” Yorihime glares at me, sword pointed at me again, “I am warning you… This is none of your business. If you weren’t out here then we wouldn’t have lost track.” Oh, this is my fault? Toyohime consoles me, “Don’t mind her. If you could just guide us, please…” She stares at me. “Fine… It’s that way.” I point in the plausible direction. Yorihime knocks me off the roof, “That’s not good enough. Lead us.” Toyohime lands on the ground, dusting me off, “Again… Excuse my sister for being so straight forward.” She yanks me up on her back.

“I am assuming that since you’re a human, you can’t fly,” Toyohime heads off into the air with Yorihime following. Of course I can’t fly… Geez… Yorihime still stares at me as we head towards Eientei. “So where is it?” Toyohime asks. “If you notice a large gathering of Bamboo, it should be in there. But in all seriousness, if you’ve visited here before, shouldn’t you already know your way around?” I answer. “So you have been there before?” She is curious, ignoring what I asked, “Eirin, never told me that she allows others to meet her, besides her servants…”

“I had an accident. It seems she’s one of the only people here that actually heals others,” I explain. Toyohime strikes up a conversation… “Master Yagokoro is a master of skills and is highly intellectual. It seems almost unlike her to be such a help to others. She always stuck to her studies.” I ask with my own questions, “Since you both say you’re from the ‘Watatsuki’ clan, both of you must be married, right?” Yorihime retorts a pulls out her sword again, as we are still moving, “That is none of your business! Sister, why are we even bothering with this guy. We could have found it ourselves.”

“Patience, sister,” Toyohime answers, “Yes. We’re married. At least I still am… Sister decided that she did not like the man she was with anymore.” I look at Yorihime and she blushes, “I-it’s n-not like I loved him or anything…” she turns away, “Sister, you’re giving away too much information–are we there yet?” Toyohime giggles a bit. “We’re almost there. I see the bamboo from here,” I let Yorihime know. “Good,” she replies back. We soon descend into the forest. “Well, you know the rest of the way I bet,” I answer.  But we keep on flying through the Bamboo forest.

“Wait… Why are you taking me in,” I ask frantically, “I have to get back to where I was.” Still flying forward and not looking at me, Toyohime replies, “You could join us for the night, won’t you? I’m sure Master Yagokoro won’t mind.” She smiles too. This isn’t good. I’m probably already up the creek for even bothering to answer to the tengu reporter, and now it’s worse that I have to go back… “Do I really have to?” I whine, but Yorihime draws her sword again, grunting. I lay on Toyohime’s back, silenced. She reaches her hand back and pats me on the head.

•   •   •

Reaching Eientei was not a struggle for these two. But I noticed several youkai rabbits wandering about through the forest. A sign that we are closer to the destination. We finally reach the wide-open area. Both land on their feet, I get off Toyohime’s back. “Well, I guess I will be going now…” I begin to walk away. Yorihime immediately yanks me in the other direction and drags me up to the door. “You’re staying with us, you hear me?” She whispers to me as Toyohime slides open the door.

In the open room, Reisen was busy working away as Tewi was messing around with the youkai rabbits. Reisen stops what she’s doing once she notices the visitors in the main room. “It’s you two again!” she exclaims, but then notices me. “Oh… It’s you again…” Reisen goes back to work, “You three are welcome to stay, but Lady Kaguya hasn’t been in high spirits recently.” Toyohime takes her hat off, and sits down on the floor at the low table. “Look, Reisen, I didn’t come here for…” I begin to speak, but Yorihime glares at me again. With that, I sit down with Toyohime…

[MayKissingDoveWyks]

Toyohime itches her head a bit, but she yawns and passes right out. Her head lands right in my lap, snoozing. Yorihime glares at me; I can?t take this anymore! ?Seriously, what the hell do you want? Stop staring at me!? I belt at her. She replies with, ?You lack the qualities of a man?? I do, now do I? ?That seems kind of rude for you to be sassing me like that,? replying with an angry tone; I pet Toyohime?s head. She smiles while still sleeping.

Eirin soon comes marching in through the door and Toyohime wakes up, rushing to her. I decide to sit there, but Eirin chose to ask me, ?Here to pay the bill?? I sigh and reply with, ?No. I was dragged here against my will?? She doesn?t seem that interested at this point, but adds, ?If you want to see her, she?s in the back.? Getting up slowly, I head down the hall, leaving the Watatsuki sisters to Eirin. I head down the hallway, but Toyohime stops me. ?Why don?t you sit with us for a while, instead of just running off.? I guess? It shouldn?t hurt me, the moon hasn?t moved that much in the sky since we left Marisa?s house.

?Eirin, you never told us that you have guests here often,? Toyohime is sitting near the low table, eating a peach. ?Well? It does do good to help others in need. I do my best,? Eirin prides herself, a little too much. ?Not much has changed here since you last were here?? She adds, ?Probably the same up there too?? asking the Watatsuki sisters. Both of them nod. Reisen makes some tea for them while I sort of doze off. I need my sleep still.

?Now as for you,? Eirin directed her attention to me, ?I think there is something you need to do as of now.? With that, I get up and leave, heading down the hallway. I limp across the room, slowly. ?Eh? Reisen, could you help him?? Eirin asks Reisen, who quickly snatches me up. We both head down the hallway to Kaguya?s stead. The room is dark, but Reisen shoves me inside. She?s gone quickly, and I?m alone in the dark. Only the moonlight is in the room. Kaguya turns over and looks at me. I plant myself near her side.

?Why did you have to tell her anything? You could have said nothing?? Kaguya whispers. ?Look, she automatically assumed we had something going on. So I tried to dispel her thoughts, but it didn?t work?? I whisper back. Kaguya sits up and touches my face. ?You haven?t been gone for long, but you came back? Why do you do this to me?? She rolls over, looking away from me. ?I never intended to do this, okay. You are a kind person, but people do tend to get the wrong ideas about things. I only made it worse instead of better. And I?m sorry?? ? She doesn?t respond for a while. The air is quiet. ?In the outside world? do people lie and cheat?? What kind of question is that? ?Sometimes? people will stretch things to pave their way. Don?t take things that people write so worriedly.?

Kaguya stares for a bit. She lays back down, whispering, ?You can go away now?? Turning outside the room, I gently close the door. Reisen appears right before me, and I get spooked. ?Ehh! Don?t do that!? I scold her. ?Sorry, but being in these hallways can get tedious, and you said you wanted to get back soon?? She answers, taking me back to the main room. Not much changed. The moon is still crescent. I probably have wasted an hour so far, but I am getting tired. Seriously, how do people stay up this late? Lunarians, ya never know?

?Welcome back,? Toyohime smiles. ?Can I go now?? I ask Eirin. ?It would be rude just to leave and not join us?? Toyohime adds. I can?t get a break today, can I? I sit down next to Toyohime. She stuffs a peach in my mouth?I almost choked on the fruit. I yank the peach right out of my mouth; she giggles. What?s so funny about this? Toyohime pats me on the head as she returns to her tea. Reisen shuffles a cylindrical cup in front of me. Setting the half eaten peach on the table, I sip the hot tea. I notice Toyohime snatch up the unfinished peach I had left on the table. She shoves the whole thing in her mouth and chews it. I stare at her for several seconds, mouth ajar?

Yorihime closes my mouth, lifting my jaw up, saying, ?You?ll catch flies if you leave that thing open.? Why is she so motherly about that? Eh? I keep drinking the tea. ?So, Eirin? About that *****? Yorihime asks. What? WHAT! What?s *****? Eirin replies, ?The work on the ***** has been going well, but not much as planned. I hope the ***** will be finished soon.? Seriously, what the hell? What are they talking about? I stand up and ask, ?May I leave, please. I am tired and wish to return to my current stead.? With that, Eirin signals Reisen. She grabs me and drags me into the hallway. ?Hey! Wait! I need to get back before sunrise!? I wail.

?Sure, you can leave right after you?ve had some rest,? Reisen drags me across the floor for a while. She then finds it easier to have me ride on her back. And guess where she takes me? Kaguya?s room? I?m assuming it?s still close to midnight, so I may get about 7 hours of rest. Reisen opens the door, throws me inside, and I slide right up to Kaguya. Reisen had to slam the door shut on top of it; I heard a lock noise too? Kaguya stirs a bit, and she looks at me, eyes still weary. Grabbing me closer to her, she falls back to sleep. Tight grip she has? but Kaguya loosened up soon enough and fell asleep next to her.

The night moved rapidly. I must have been exhausted after the long day. Morning came like a flash of light. And again, Kaguya was missing when I woke up. Sheesh? does she have to move around so often. I was also moved to under the blanket again? Kaguya slides open the door, coming in with a tray. What is this, d?j? vu? She places it in front of me. ?It?s early, but you can still probably make it back in time,? Kaguya adds, taking some stuff from the tray. I eat my fill and rise up from the blanket. ?I?ll have Reisen take you back,? She says that as Reisen enters the room. Oddly, Reisen was wearing only a white business shirt. But, same as always, I am brought out of Eientei, Reisen acting like she?s on a mission. It doesn?t take long to return to Marisa?s house.

The window was still open, so Reisen dropped me off right by it. She speeds off, leaving me with only a quick hug. Quietly, I climb in through the window. Everything seems the same as I left it; Hourai fell asleep. I plop on one of the untouched piles. But soon enough, both Hourai and Shanghai wake up. Shanghai starts petting my hair, ?Wake up. It?s morning.? Yeah? don?t remind me. Marisa gets up as well, ?Ah? Had a good night?s rest-ze?? She stretches. Luna Child is woozy as she descends from the rafters.

Instead of staying for food, which I was no longer hungry, we set out for the shrine without hesitation. I led the way, since I had a good sense of where it was, now that I had been in the air twice. Luna Child followed behind me, while Shanghai and Hourai sat on my shoulders. ?You seem like you?re full of energy today?? Hourai points out. ?Well, I had enough sleep last night? So I feel refreshed this morning?? I respond, not bothering to tell them about my eventful night?.
__________________________

End of Chapter 9

[MayKissingDoveWyks]

Chapter 10:

We continue through the forest. Quiet it was in the morning, only fog and mist as we wandered through. I was the only one with a sense of direction here, but we kept to our time wasting. Luna Child seemed to be interested in the background and the trudging I created on the grass, which was speckled with morning dew. The air was fresh this morning, odd for winter. Shanghai passes out on my shoulder; for a doll, these they sure are tired. Hourai questions several times if we ?are there yet?? but to her dismay, we are not close. Luna Child then proceeds to ask me?

?Why not I carry you? Really, I?m floating above the ground. This is boring!? A hyped fairy with us asking to grab me, like the countless times before? Not relevant to my interests. ?Look, would you prefer baring a larger weight then your own, floating above the ground; or let us continue to walk?? This shut her up for a while. The sun rises, clouds fill the sky; painting it partially grey. Hourai fears, ?Is it going to rain?? Rain? Winter? What? ?Hourai, I doubt that it will rain, it?s cold enough out. Winter should be in high spirits right now, thus snow.? I was right. I did begin to snow, only lightly. A blizzard though would be a better case, in terms of spirits.

The open area arrives, and we walk underneath the Torii of the Hakurei Shrine. Reimu is out sweeping again. The two dolls having been here often, I assume that they were not as thrilled about being here. Luna Child likes this open field and starts whirling around in it, but I continue on towards Reimu. She waves as I head towards her, ?Ah? Back so soon? It?s only been two days.? That?s not the proper response? I come up to her and pull the newspaper out from two days ago, dropping it into the donations box. ?What was that for? That ain?t worth anything,? Not to happy about my actions, she was. I grab Reimu by both shoulders, and whisper into her face?

?You have no idea what I have been through in the past two days. A pleasant greeting would have sufficed.? Letting go from her, Reimu pats my cheek, ?There there. We all have times where we?re not doing so well. You can stay here from now on. I never said you had to leave, but I thought you could have a good time. Come on, I?ll bring you inside and you can tell me everything.? Her coaxing succeeded in winning me over. Stopping her morning chores, Reimu takes me in through the sliding door; we leave Luna Child to her fun outside, and I take my shoes off before stepping inside. (Notice how I never mentioned I had shoes on) ?Sit down,? She says, placing the broom off to the side.

I take a seat, kneeling near the low table. Reimu takes out the leaves basket and some cups. She puts a pot on the table, resting it on a lattice with hot rocks underneath which she just ignited. There seems to be a drilling pump outside because she had a bucket of water with a ladle. Reimu pours some water into the pot and lets the water boil a bit; dumping tea leaves in the net soaked in the water. Waiting for the tea she asked, ?So tell me? How eventful were the past several days?? I don?t know where to begin, but like all things, I start at the beginning. ?Well, it started when Alice took me to her place.? Reimu listens attentively. ?She sat there messing around with Shanghai for several hours.? Reimu cuts in, ?Heh. That?s so like her?? I continue with, ?She drugged me with some sort of pill and I can?t remember the night??

With that the pot started steaming a little. Reimu picked it up and pour tea into both cups. Ironic? ?Then she persisted on testing her magic on me.? Reimu adds, ?Oh she did that again?? Again?! ?What again?? I asked. She continues with her anecdote, ?One time when I went there, she almost turned me into a doll too. But Marisa was there to save me. I don?t see how you could be so lucky.? That makes me feel MUCH better? ?Well, they say words and speech are the most powerful tools.? Reimu looks at me, ?You promised her something didn?t you?? Sipping the tea, I burn my tongue, ?HOT!!?

I put the tea down on the table; Reimu pats me on the head. She sips her tea as I continue with my tale; ?So afterwards she let me keep Shanghai and Hourai,? Reimu nods. ?And then we went to Marisa?s house because I wanted to ease the tension going on,? I add, but Reimu cuts in again, ?A nice gesture. A good idea.? Give me a break; let me finish. ?So after that it was getting late so we stayed over. I couldn?t sleep so I went on the rooftop? That?s when I met the Watatsuki sisters?? Reimu has a spark of thought, ?Oh? Not those two again?? So she doesn?t like them? I thought they were okay people. ?And they dragged me across over to Eientei, where I slept for the rest of the wasted night.?

?That doesn?t seem so bad,? Reimu adds, trying to make better of the situation. ?Wait? You were gone last night!? Shanghai cries, ?You could have gotten hurt.? Again? Why is a doll worrying about me? ?Shanghai, he said he was fine. Don?t worry about him if he is able to last on his own. I mean? He literally survived Alice?? Reimu dispels the worry from Shanghai?s thoughts; the doll remains quiet for the rest of the conversation. ?So then we lastly came here,? I finish my story, sipping the lukewarm tea, letting Reimu give her thoughts, ?Well, the best thing is at least you?re here for a while, and Winter seems to be blowing through??

With that there is a slam on the door, and Luna Child comes rushing in, shivering. ?Oh dear? What happened to you?? Reimu rushes to help Luna Child, locking the door shut. ?I knew I would need this soon?? Reimu pulls up one of the floor compartments and pulls out a table (convenient ain?t it?), she ignites the fire rocks in the container underneath it. Reimu moves the table near the other one and puts a blanket over both. She moves the cups and tea silverware, and puts another board on top of it. Luna Child sticks herself underneath the makeshift kotatsu and begins warming up. Reimu asks her?

?Is? she back again?? Worrisome, Luna Child replies, ?I think so?? Now I just have to question this whole debacle in front of me, ?Reimu, what are you talking about?? Reimu gasps, ?You mean you haven?t met her yet? You lucky?? Okay, now they?re acting like it?s the Black Plague or something. Luna Child falls asleep under the kotatsu, while I still question Reimu, ?Who is this person you talk about?? She sighs, answering, ?She comes every year, brings white to the earth, but leaves it blistering cold.? This was not the answer I was expecting? ?Reimu, do you have any heavy clothes,? I ask her. ?Yes, I do. Don?t think about going out there!?

?Can I just go check at least??? I reply. She caves, ?Fine?? Another compartment; not much storage room in the Shrine, I can tell you that much? She pulls out some heavy clothes and I put them on top of mine. I head outside the door and close it behind me, trying to let as little air into the shrine. Outside, the snow begins to calm a little. The snow settles down to a light snowfall; I set out onto the snow with my shoes on. The decrease in snow intensity reveals a big woman; I mean? she was tall. She wore a mix of blue and white with a white cap that had a pointed flap. Dancing around in the snowfall, her transparent cape flutters in the wind along with her curly lavender hair; only the blue of her bushy skirt and bosom move with the most momentum. Some seconds pass, but she stops moving? Stare??

[MayKissingDoveWyks]

Letty continues to stare a while, but I choose to take the initiative. Approaching her from the foot of the shrine, I continue to stare at her. She remains unwavering in her pause. Letty held her ground, as I move towards her, “Stay back, human! I’m in a happy mood right now! Don’t ruin my fun with your bitter words!” She starts to turn hostile, but I still motion towards her adding, “I’m not here to ruin, I’m here to enjoy…” My nerve startles Letty, as she responds with, “Don’t try your luck, human! How can you enjoy this? Most of them try to harm me!” I stop walking in front of her, some distance between us. I extend my hand…

“I am willing to join you in this whole wonderland that you love so much. To tell you the truth, I love winter; more than any of the other seasons…” These words soak in her ears, words that she hasn’t heard in a while. Letty’s initial reactions seem to be an aftershock of her poor treatment… But I could be a dissenter from these fallacies committed on such a harmless spirit. My hand remains extended out towards her, she remains hesitant. (Man, these clothes are thick…) “But… No one likes me… They just say I had nothing to give them… b-b-but I like the snow…” Letty’s knees hit down on the snow, her hands touch the white blanket that she brought forth. “Every year… It’s the same damn thing… Just here, and then gone… It never changes… the same cold…”

Bawling like this isn’t going to help her… I crouch next to her, patting her on the shoulder. Letty looks to me, “Why? What am I to you? I just ruin everything… The best thing to do is leave me alone…” Sigh… “Letty, the best way to help people is by making them feel better, emotionally. All you need to do is extend your willingness to comply…” She gets up off the ground and looks into my eyes. (Letty’s about the same height as me, yet surprisingly taller by a little bit) Letty grabs my hand, “Please, then prove to me that what you mean is true…” I can’t stay out here in the cold forever though. “Look, I’ll visit you frequently, actually you’ll be all over the place right?” Letty responds by nodding. “Then you’ll be fine. Wherever you go this season, you have a friend somewhere…”

I’m warm in the clothes that Reimu gave me, so we decided to have some fun for a while. Reimu wouldn’t mind… Mostly what Letty did was twirl around and lay in the snow. Not that eventful for me, but at least she can enjoy herself. I did try to pretend like I was having fun… Wait, what am I thinking?  We did tons of stuff together. I rolled in the snow; we threw balls at each other, angels (yep, I’m a kid again…), shaking snow from the trees, building crap out of snow. I tried crafting some things out of the snow, but it wasn’t packing well… Letty was taking pleasure in the most out of this venture. If you ventured into a day like today, the ground would be all covered, almost 15cm of snow. I was getting tired, and retired myself onto the snow. Exhausted, sweaty–heavy clothes does some bad–I plop right onto the blanketed snow of the day.

Skies still grey, I look to it. Noticing the clouds move, I breathe in the air. Next thing, Letty’s face comes into my view, smiling. She probably has never been this excited in a long time, seeing her so happy. As I lay there exhausted, Letty’s smile begins to fade, becoming more… lined… Her face was turning red, odd for a cold person… She gives me a peck on the nose. I stare at her, but her eyes direct away, “I-it’s not like I love you or anything like that.” On the spot her mind changes? Really? (Sounds like a… never mind) She tries to get up and leave, but I stop her. “Hey, if you’re going to do it… at least do it right.” Letty blushes again, and decides not to move from her spot.

A scene on the snow… A passionate one…

Some time passes, lying there in the snow, enjoying ourselves to the comfort of each other… Emotional for a spirit, isn’t she… Hostility can be squelched, even for the most rigid of people, I guess… Eventually, Reimu came outside to break it up, “Alright you two, love-making’s over.” Letty practically hissed at Reimu, “Leave me be!” Reimu didn’t take kindly to this… “Letty, he’ll freeze out here if you leave him long enough…” She had a point, while I ironically sneezed. “See! He’s been out here for too long… I suggest you come back later…” But this made matters worse for Letty. “You don’t understand! Nobody ever understands!” She dashes away, crying, the snowfall getting thicker as she leaves.

Reimu drags me back inside and rips off the heavier clothes I had on. Shoving me under the kotatsu–?Luna Child was there–Reimu dumps the clothes down into the compartment and begins making some tea again… “You shouldn’t be trying to make a relationship with that woman… Things wouldn’t work out…” She says, “Actually, don’t have a relationship with a youkai. It’s wrong and dangerous.” Oh? She has had an intimate relationship with a youkai before? Wonder how that turned out… “Reimu, if you don’t lighten up to them, then how are THEY going to feel. Letty is depressed as is, and constricting her–like probably what you do to a lot of others–is not going to help her cause.” Reimu chuckled a bit…

“Eh… you really do not have a concept of what a youkai is, don’t you? Like I said, don’t be a pushover about it.” Choosing to ignore her, I slide down onto the floor, taking in the heat from the kotatsu. Pulling up the bedspread, I look at Luna Child, who looks like she’s in bliss. Shanghai was resting on the table, as Hourai was sitting in front of me, asking me, “What’s got you so down? What happened outside…?” I sigh, still warming up, sniffling with mucus, “I was having fun… but amusement doesn’t last long…” Hourai was confused, but she gave up on this endeavor and patted my head. Hourai went to rest on the table with Shanghai thereafter, but Shanghai moved to rest on my head.

“Times are tough, you know,” Reimu still was babbling about her nonsense and her beliefs on such crap. Letty was a fine woman, I think. There is something in the way she acts that I find interesting. She has that inner confinement that I can tap into and make it blossom. The next trouble will be finding her again, just have to catch her when I’m alone… And I’ll be waiting….

Reimu finishes making the tea, and puts it on the table, “Hey! Were you even listening to me?” Nope, sorry, too busy in my own little world right now. I sit up and drink the tea; Shanghai still lies on my head. Luna Child sleeps under the kotatsu, she may be coming down with something… “You’re not going outside for a while either…” Reimu added, sitting down. No worries, I’m cold as is… Once the weather warms up, while remaining above freezing, I’ll go outside. But for now… a reflection…

I must say, if it’s been a week, what an eventful one. I could say it’s been more, but I’ll let that slide. Places to go and people to see. I’ve only seen a portion of this place and met only a sliver of the masses. I could whittle away time, but time comes forth…

Time passes while I say at the shrine. Actually, the snowfall thickened over time. I’ve been in here for about a week. Reimu kept going in and out with supplies, to make sure I stay alive. Gave me enough time to write this though… Yeah… No explanation how, but I am… Let’s just call this the first part and leave it at that…

I’m sick actually… Reimu was right on that, I caught pneumonia on that time I was outside… Eirin’s box medicine seems to make it better, but not much…

When I am healed… and when the snow lessens (that depends because Letty was in a real bad mood…), I’ll come back outside and continue my explorations…

But for now, let me rest for a while… that might depend though… the week has been long. Not enough for me to go outside…

And for now I’ll…

Just sleep…

…
Until tomorrow…
…
…


========================================================

END OF PART ONE.

[GoldenArcher96]

What I don't get is how only one other person has commented on how great this story is.
Seriously. I don't think I've read a single fanfic that was as good as this. You manage to take so many elements of Gensokyo, tie them all together, and make it into one story that's miraculously comprehensible. All the characters seem lifelike, and your descriptions of everything are so real that it really makes you feel like you're in the story. And the best part is that no two characters are alike. Each has their own personality that's easily distinguishable from everyone else, and that's important for a story with as many characters as this one.
If there was something I had to criticize about this story, it'd be the fact that most of the time you don't start a new paragraph for a new speaker. Sometimes it's hard to distinguish who says what at what times. Sometimes it gets really distracting, but most of the time I'm able to follow. Still, your brilliant writing (as well as the consistency for quality and quantity of updates) makes up for something that can be so easily fixed.
Can't wait to read the rest. =)

[MayKissingDoveWyks]

What I don't get is how only one other person has commented on how great this story is.
Seriously. I don't think I've read a single fanfic that was as good as this. You manage to take so many elements of Gensokyo, tie them all together, and make it into one story that's miraculously comprehensible. All the characters seem lifelike, and your descriptions of everything are so real that it really makes you feel like you're in the story. And the best part is that no two characters are alike. Each has their own personality that's easily distinguishable from everyone else, and that's important for a story with as many characters as this one.
If there was something I had to criticize about this story, it'd be the fact that most of the time you don't start a new paragraph for a new speaker. Sometimes it's hard to distinguish who says what at what times. Sometimes it gets really distracting, but most of the time I'm able to follow. Still, your brilliant writing (as well as the consistency for quality and quantity of updates) makes up for something that can be so easily fixed.
Can't wait to read the rest. =)

Thank you for the feedback. I appreciate it


I'm going to try and clean up some of those types of flow errors when I work on the second part.

[MayKissingDoveWyks]

PART II

=========================================================================================
Chapter 11:

Can you see me now
I am myself
Like you somehow
I’ll wait up in the dark
For you to speak to me
I’ll open up
Release me…
– Eddie Vedder

Time did pass… but the morning came again… Fervently, I awakened to the cacophony of birds residing in the trees outside the Shrine. Both the dolls contained themselves in their sleep as I chose to rise off the ground. It’s been two weeks now since I have been trapped in here… It does become quiet here after a period of time. Luna Child decided to remain allocated here as well, disregarding her past frivolity with her other two acquaintances. Let’s pause for a moment… Breaking the fourth wall, this time the style will probably be written with added complexity, but it shall vary from time to time. Well… we’ll see how it plays out.

Back to the story, I arose from the warm, soft blanket to greet the day. I notice Reimu was missing, probably off doing daily errands. Putting my hand outward, I poke Shanghai, who is passed out on the kotatsu. Her eyes stir as she wakes up. Shanghai begins to float in the air, drooping her arms, eyes still weary. Moving towards me, she pats my head, putting her hand in my hair. Several seconds pass, Shanghai realizes her sense of time and place and is now completely conscious. She smiles, going to nudge Hourai awake as well. Hourai mumbles and starts to stir, I get out of the kotatsu and stretch. I feel fully revitalized today, enough to venture outside. Luna Child was the last to wake up, she seemed to be more wasted from the past two weeks than I did, odd for a fairy.

Sitting back down, I wait for the return of Reimu. Waiting, Shanghai combs my hair, but I comb Hourai’s ‘false’ hair with a tiny brush she has with her. Interesting on how they chose to trade positions after a while. To be honest, Shanghai’s was harder to comb through, but she was not minding it… After the combing, we decided to rest again, until Reimu arrives. The warmth of kotatsu didn’t last that long…

“I told you many times, NO!” shouting comes from outside the shrine; it sounds similar to Reimu. “But if you could, things would be better!” another voice; I can’t recognize this one, but it was feminine. Prying the door open, freezing wind entering between the gaps, Reimu enters, but followed by another figure. Reimu slams the door shut, “Again, Get out! This is not your shrine!” she criticizes the figure. This one was a strange looking; green hair (Eww…) She had an appearance similar to Reimu; bare armpits, a skirt, some form of hair braid, two-piece clothes, except she had a paper stick or what ever those are called… Different colours as well, blue, white, and green. That’s a repulsive combination. They had some body shape difference too, but that’s not any of my business…
“Reimu, the mountain has gotten severely colder! The people on the mountain are angry with Lady Yasaka, blaming her for this crisis! THIS IS MADNESS! It’s bad I tell you! BAD!” The green one almost passed out onto floor, but Reimu grabbed her before falling. “And how is this MY fault?” Reimu replies, glaring at Sanae, for all the trouble she has gone through before. “Reimu, most people said they didn’t see the snow spirit, but they said the thickness of snow arrived from this direction…” Sanae accuses Reimu of the scenario. Listening to these two riffraff, I pretend to sleep, listlessly. Appalled by this, Reimu pulls me out from underneath the kotatsu and shoves me in front of Sanae.

“Here. This is the solution to your problem,” Reimu reluctantly answered. Why me? Why me! Sanae scans over me with her eyes. Who the hell has green/yellow eyes? “Never seen this one before…” she mutters, “Do you know the spirit that’s causing this blizzard?” questioning me for any leads. Better come up with a good answer. “Sort of… not much…” I mumble to Sanae, Reimu rolls her eyes. “Well, do you know anything else?” Sanae asks, now kneeling on the floor. “I’ve had enough of this! Both of you: OUT!” Reimu opens up the door again, but pauses. The wind and snow outside was decreased in intensity. Sanae was relieved by this, but had anew dilemma on her hands. It could come back… She had a spark of thought. Sanae tries to haul me outside; Shanghai and Hourai follow closely behind, not to lose me. Reimu stops her at the door…

“What do you think you’re doing?” She asks. Sanae stands up and breathes, “I am taking him to the source of this fiasco to settle it okay…” Reimu believes her, “And you’ll be getting back when?” She asks. Sanae replies with, “Several days maybe. I’ll be sure to bring him back.” Reimu sighs, “Fine…You can have him for a while.” Sanae feels all giddy inside and promptly takes me outside. The sun is out, midway into the sky, some clouds dashed along the surface. Reimu slams the door behind her, and Sanae wonders, “You can’t fly, right?” What, is this a trick question? I nod my head, so she proceeds to grab me by the waist. Sanae hoisted me over on top of her back, the dolls holding onto my shoulders.

“Well be there soon, then we can convert you…” Sanae consoles me with a smile. Convert? What? I thought this was a mission… Sanae takes off into the air, with the cold increasing a little. She has no difficulty with carrying me over the trees and into the forest. That word ‘convert’ confuses me. We head north of the human village; never been up here yet. There’s much less forest out here, but I notice the huge mountain up ahead. Sanae was heading right for the forest at the foot of the mountain. Two figures rest there. The Aki sisters again, the two of them shivering sitting on one of the large rocks; Sanae stops in front of them. They stare at us, both faces red with anger…

“What do you evil humans want?” Shizuha snaps at us, Minoriko adds, “We’ve had enough already!” Sanae tries to move around them while telling, “We only came here to go up the mountain. Rest, you’ll be safe…” The two seem to calm down, but they stop us from going forward. “Something’s not right here,” Minoriko says, “Shouldn’t you be helping us?” Sanae whirls around and responds with, “We are going to deal with the problem, okay… Give us some time.” Shizuha was not too pleased with that answer. “Give you some time? We’ve been freezing out here for two weeks! Don’t tell us to give you some time!” Shizuha yelled at Sanae. This pissed Sanae off… She grabbed Shizuha by the clothes and tugged her close, whispering, “We’re working on it… OKAY. Settle down and go back into your hibernation. And stop complaining…” Sanae drops Shizuha to the ground. I feel sorry for them, I really do.

I decided to help Shizuha off the ground and dust her off. The Aki sisters thanked me for the trivial help, and told me to be careful. Sanae started walking away, yanking my arm, “Come on. We need to settle this now…” The two of us continued our way up the mountain. Almost treacherous… The next problem arose as I was hit on the head with a thick tree branch. It almost welted my skull. Sanae abstained from walking any farther up the mountain and tended to me. “Tree branches don’t just fall like this… She must be close,” Sanae spoke, examining the surrounding locality. Just as expected…

“My… How misfortunate…” Someone pops out from one of the bushes nearby, an army of small dolls surrounding her. The goddess had greenish hair, boots, and red ribbons with white frills, a black-red dress decorated by a green swirl; lastly, her hands were crossed. Sanae faces towards the goddess, “This is not yours,” she says. “My, my… I only wish to help…” Hina directs her attention towards me, “Goddess Kagiyama at your service…” Okay… this is awkward… Sanae feels encroached upon, even though this isn’t even near her territory. Hina steps forward extending her hand, telling me nonchalantly, “Go ahead. Grab it…”

Intrigued, I go for the hand. Reluctantly, Sanae jerks my arm, attempting to deter my movements. She launches forward and jabs at Hina. Hina swiftly grazes and throws herself at me. Arms reaching out, she clasps her hands with mine. I feel a strange shift in mood and spirituality, somewhat relieved actually… “There… All better now,” Hina smiles and bows, but Sanae remains angered. This time she went for the throat (Seriously, why is a shrine maiden acting so shrill over something?). Hina passed by this with ease. Sanae misjudges her flight and lands smack into one of the trees. Completely passed out, she lays unconscious on the ground. Hina drags Sanae into one of the bushes and looks at me.

“You were heading anywhere in particular?” Hina asks, with the desire to return the favor some more. “So you just leave her there?” I ask. She giggles, “It’s not the first time we’ve conflicted…” There is a moment, and then I reply, “I was in search of the ‘snow woman’. Did she happen to pass through here?” Hina ponders this for a moment and nods, “Yes. I think I did see her somewhere around here. She wasn’t in a pleasant mood, which I can tell. The people here on the mountain started blaming us goddesses for the problem. They sandwiched me and that snow woman as the cause of this, convinced that something as terrible as that blizzard could not have been started by one person…” I stop her from rambling on further with, “Well, do you have a clue where she went?” Hina replies with, “Yes. I actually have her hiding somewhere safe. Follow me.” She takes my hand and leads me deeper into the Youkai forest.

[MayKissingDoveWyks]

The forest is surprisingly thick, with much of the sun?s rays being dampened by the leaves of the trees. Actually, this is winter, what am I saying? In the direction we were heading, the trees became more barren and absent of leaves. The clouds were smeared grey across the sky and the sun did not want to break on through. Hina led me to an open area, filled with snow all scattered over the ground. In the middle, kneeling into the snow was Letty, hands clasped over her face. Crying, snow fell around her, like a storm cloud hovering over a head. Hina refrained from moving any closer, letting me handle this? I trench through the snow, approaching Letty from the side. I stop next to her, remaining away from the cloud above her. I pat her on the shoulder, but she quickly looks to me?

?What do you want?? Letty asks me, tears streaming down her face. ?I came here to check up on you. Ignore Reimu if she?s going to act like that, okay?? I inform her. Letty gets up off the ground and embraces me, tightly. She cries, ?People don?t understand me at all. Why?? I pat her on the back while she sniffles. ?Letty, some things you have to let go. Not everyone is going to enjoy your presence. At least you have two friends?? I comfort her, while Hina hugs Letty from the back. Letty?s wailing stops, but she weeps with, ?You two are the best I?ve known so far? True friends?? Well, I wouldn?t take it that far? Hina adds, ?Letty, you will find people that are kind? It?s hard even for me to? But things will work out in the end? You?ll find others who love you??

The scene ends with the arrival of Sanae? She looks incredibly demented right now, full of fury from the recent clash. I let go of Letty once she notices and I shout to Sanae, ?Everything?s fine now, I?ve solved the problem!? Sanae wasn?t listening as she approached the three of us, nostrils flaring. Yep? she?s gone into extermination mode. Pushing Letty off of me, I tell Hina, ?Take her out of here and get her somewhere safe.? With that, Hina and Letty dash off, while I charged at Sanae. Jumping in midair, Sanae is too busy noticing Letty and Hina escaping, I lunge at Sanae. Tackling her into the snow, I yell, ?Let them go! They will not cause anymore harm to the people on the mountain.? Sanae squirms a bit, but gives up, not wanting to hurt a human?

After I spoke, the sun cracked through the sky, flooding it with light. Getting off of Sanae, she smiles, looking to the sky with amazement. ?Oh. Lady Yasaka will be pleased with this!? Sanae giggles. Yeah, at my expense? I start walking away in the direction that Hina had taken off with Letty, but Sanae prevents me from leaving her. ?You?re coming with me now. It?s too dangerous to stay out here alone, or even go by yourself,? She hauls me away from the scene. This again? The sun was just lowering from its peak in the scattered sky, and I guess Sanae didn?t want me straying off. Also, the fact that Reimu traded me to Sanae for the next several days is another reason. I stop opposing her and we head up the mountain?

The forest regions remain still as we climb up the mountain. The air is quiet and calm, but a ruffling up ahead is heard. We both pause for a moment and Sanae asks to the air, ?Who?s there?? No response returned. She asks again, ?Show yourself!? More ruffling from the trees, something comes out of the bushes, scared. Short she was, blue hair, almost childish, green hat, and a backpack? boots? She was shaking a little bit. Sanae boomed, ?State your business, Kappa!? Nitori shuddered as Sanae approached her. I follow along and approach her as well. Nitori begins to back away, but lets out?

?I?m sorry! I was only interested! Don?t hurt me!? Sanae pats her lightly on the head. Nitori is somewhat relieved by Sanae?s gentleness, expecting the shrine maiden to harm her. Nitori was tearing too, so I pat her on the back. Sanae begins to leave, and I follow her, but Nitori has grabbed onto my clothes. She glared at me with watery eyes, putting on a face that no one could refuse. I smile at her and let Nitori walk with me. She kept looking distraught as we walked, but she then tugged my arm and pointed to my back. I nodded and Nitori climbed up onto my back, caressing it like a koala. Interesting?  Nitori was moderately heavy, but her happiness allowed her to loosen up her stress. Hourai, though, is forced to float in the air as Shanghai rests on my head. Nitori asks?

?Mister, do you have any cucumbers?? I shake my head, almost face palming. I gently tell her, ?I don?t carry any food on me.? Nitori frowns, but forgets about asking anything else for a while. The five of us head up farther on the mountain, the sky clearing up from the grey, and the sun lowering. Nitori says, ?There?s a village up ahead. Maybe you should check it out.? Sanae is spooked, turning to us. She looks at the four of us, not having known that I took Nitori with us. ?Put that ?thing? back where you found it,? Sanae points at Nitori, angry and disgusted. I respond hastily back, ?She?s with me! She can come along with me if she wants!? Sanae humphs and continues walking, ?Also, I already know of that village, but it?s not worth visiting.?

?Why?? Nitori asks na?vely. Sanae snorts, ?The people there are not kind people, nor do they wish to help others. They just move about their business.? I question her with, ?But I?m here to explore. I?m interested?? Sanae is not pleased, but she gives in, spitting, ?Fine? but don?t blame me when we have issues there.? Nitori is happy and giggles. We continue up the mountain, while Nitori keeps asking me if I have anything electronic on me. ?Did you have anything in the outside world that?s metal?? She asked. I tell her, ?I mostly lived in the forests, so I was away from civilization a lot?? Nitori gave up on her endeavor and lastly adds, ?Well, I?ll ask for help next time I?m building something?? The village approaches up ahead, a white figure guarding it. She had weird triangle ears on her head, a red-white shield, and a white-sleeved shirt with detached sleeves, colored skirt added. Tokin on her head with white hair, her sword is huge, acting as a guard to the village. She stops us?

?Halt! Who goes there?? She booms. Sanae replies with, ?Momiji, the problem lower on the mountain has been solved. No need to worry.? Momiji lets her guard down with this, ?Oh? Well don?t let it happen again. It?s bad enough Lord Tenma has been in poorer spirits due to the departure of autumn.? She notices me, ?And why is this here?? Momiji points her sword at me, but Sanae pushes it away, ?He?s a friend. We?re just wandering around?? Momiji?s ears flicker as she?s not interested in that, ?Let?s see how he fights, maybe even worthy of telling Lord Tenma?? I begin to back away, but she continues, ?I?ve been defeated by humans. Show me what you got! Those dolls look promising?? Both Shanghai and Hourai don?t move, pretending to be inanimate. I sheepishly reply with, ?I don?t fight, I?m not the kind??

With that, Momiji drops her sword and shield to the ground, ?At least arm wrestle? please! I?m bored out here as is! Give me something to do!? She extends her arm out to me. I am still hesitant, but Nitori pops out from behind me, ?Hey Momiji!? Momiji is surprised by this and smiles, ?Nitori!? Nitori jumps off my back and runs to her. ?He?s with me, okay,? She smiles back at Momiji, adding, ?We just want to explore here?? Momiji lets us through, Nitori leading the way. I ask her, ?What?s with this?? Momiji replies with, ?We play chess sometimes and hang out? Plus, she?s cute?? I shrug it off and follow the others, Momiji saying ?Enjoy your stay?. Tengu buzz every which way, some staring at us, others gossip, and still others flying about. I have no clue what Nitori has on her mind being here, but Sanae seems uninterested.

Hourai rests on my shoulders, again. Seriously, these two don?t like floating that much? The houses in this village are scattered about, many of them having locks and bolts on them. Nitori notices me looking at the doors. She says, ?I designed those bolts. They say they work wonders and I would hope so.? Sanae groans, ?Where are you taking us?? Nitori stops in front of a house, one rather damaged. There is a sign in front of the house that reads ?射命丸?. Nitori approaches the front door and knocks?

I don?t have a good feeling about this house?

?

End of Chapter 11

[MayKissingDoveWyks]

Chapter 12:

Can't understand what is happening to me,
This isn't real, this is only a dream,
But I never have felt, no I never have felt this way before?

? Iron Maiden, ?Heaven Can Wait?

Nitori knocks on the door again, as there was no reply from the owner of the house. ?Who is it?? A voice from within the house spoke. Nitori replies with, ?Nitori, your local kappa engineer. And I brought friends!? I hear the clanging of chains and unbolting of locks. Black hair comes out through the crack of the door, eyes shifty, scanning the surrounding area. ?You may come in,? She replies. It was Aya Shameimaru, ace tengu reporter? who was having a case of pneumonia. She looks at me, sniffling, ?Hey. I remember you?? The five of enter the house and Aya quickly slams the door, bolting it shut. I had to ask?

?Why the overkill on the locks?? I notice her windows have it too? Aya sneezes and then answers, ?In a world where news is anyone?s game, it?s your own job to keep your own news safe from predators. It?s bad enough I?m sick as is.? She sits down in her chair, while Sanae stands. Nitori is searching about through the cabin. Aya snatches out a pen and her notebook, willing to ask me some questions, ?First things first, about the snow incident. I had some leads that you were the cause of this?? What? ?I didn?t have really much to do with it?? I respond, Aya doesn?t believe me. ?Surely there must be something. Because a human out here is rare, without a cause,? She smirks at me, still trying to coax information out.

?I was partially involved, but not by that much!? I snap under the tension. Aya says, ?That?s still not enough.? She?s busy writing away, and I continue talking, ?Well, I was spending some time having fun with Letty, but Reimu broke it up saying that I couldn?t stay outside much longer and that she should ?Come back later?. Letty didn?t take this the right way and ran off, upset.? Aya finishes writing the information on her notepad, some fast writing I must say. ?See. Now that wasn?t so hard, now was it?? She pats me on the head and keeps scribbling on her pad. ?Now? tell me about that lunar princess,? Aya asks. I knew it? she would get me all relaxed only to cause tension again?

?Why is it your business?? I ask her, but she replies with, ?Tsk, tsk, tsk. Alright then, I?ll just right down something of my own?? Okay? now that?s worse. I stop her from writing, ?Wait! There was not much of a relationship between Kaguya and me! We were just friends? And I didn?t want to sleep on the floor?? Aya keeps writing, adding in,  ?Good boy. Now this is done, just wait.? She gets up from the chair and walks away, sneezing. I sit there, dazed and confused. Nitori pops up from behind me, saying, ?Look what I found!? It was some metal wiring. ?This is just what I need,? She adds. I hear machinery noises and more sneezing?

I go to the source of the cacophony with Nitori. Aya was in the room, trying to operate an out-of-date printing press. She was struggling with it, and Nitori rushes over to help her. Aya was printing papers with it, some of them floating about in the air. I pick several of them up, cover story reading, ?Mystery of the Mountain solved?. Oh boy? here we go? I tell Aya, ?Do you have to work THIS fast?? She nods, sniffling while sweating away at the work. The sun has reached the horizon of the mountain, glaring a bright orange. Nitori begins yawning, as Sanae comes into the room. ?I have to leave,? She says, ?My goddesses won?t be pleased if I?m not home soon.? Sanae begins tugging on me. Aya pulls back, adding?

?You can come pick him up tomorrow,? Her expression becoming smug, ? He?ll be fine here overnight.? Okay? this is the last thing I want? THE LAST THING? Sanae shrugs, replying, ?Sure, why not? I don?t really need him that badly?? Both Nitori and Aya sing in unison, ?Hooray!? This isn?t good? Both of them continue their work as Sanae leaves. The dolls weren?t that happy either, but since they?re dolls they were exploring around the house. Aya and Nitori stopped working soon after, both of them tired and huffing on the ground. Nitori practically passed out on the floor, Aya stood up trying to pile the papers. I was still standing there, awestruck. Aya looked at me saying, ?Well. Can you at least help?? Really? No one even bothers to read the paper, what?s the point?

But, I start to stack some papers, while the two dolls come back to me again. ?It?s such a mess in here,? Shanghai adds, fingering through my hair. Aya, nor Nitori could hear what she was saying to me about the atrociousness of the place; because remember, only people affected by Alice?s magic can hear her. But I had to whisper back as quietly as I could, so they could not pick up any of my halfalogue with Shanghai. ?There?s something strange about that woman?? Shanghai talks to me. ?The way she wanted you to stay, and the fact that she?s trying to get information out of you? And her clothes are loose?? What? I check to see if she?s right? Shanghai was right, sort of. I think by loose she meant skimpy clothing, for instance, Aya?s skirt was short, she was wearing a ruffled blouse that?s only held by several buttons? But I wouldn?t expect her to act like Alice did, especially with Nitori around?

After the two of them finish cleaning, Nitori passed out on the floor and Aya dragged her out into the main area. Aya yawned as she pulled out some blankets and spread them onto the floor. Pulling me to one of them, she took her shoes off. Aya placed me down gently onto one of the blankets on the floor, smiling. As she walks away, Hourai whispers, ?There?s only a blankets? Some bedding?? Hourai looks around, even the nearby table. Hourai comes back to me with a box, almost frantically. ?What?s this?? She asks, holding what looks like a tissue box? A tissue box?! By the time I realize what it is, Aya is already in the room, wearing something else? It almost appears to be nightclothes?

?Oh? I?ve seen you found it already. How thoughtful?? She sneers, moving closer to me. Yep? No different than Alice? I direct the dolls to move to the table, and they do so. Beginning to get up off the ground to leave, Aya swiftly moves across the room and knocks me back down on the blanket. She pins me to the floor asking me, ?Where do you think you?re going?? I reply, looking away, ?No where. What do you have planned?? She smirks, ?You know? They say there are little to no men in Gensokyo? And most of them hide and cower in the village. For one like you to be so brave to come up the mountain? It?s hard nowadays? And I?m taking advantage of this opportunity.? I reply to her, ?But you?re sick, and I just finished getting healthy?? Aya licks my cheek?

?Don?t worry. You?re in good hands,? She says?

The night passes on with a scene. One I can?t describe, nor want to describe?

?   ?   ?

For a cold winter, Aya?s cabin/house was warmer than it should. I?m resting on the blanket, Aya lying on top of me still asleep. The dolls are resting on the table counter. I had to be the first one to awaken I guess, but because of Aya?s weight I guess I shouldn?t. Blanket warming both of us; I scan around with my eyes. Crumpled up tissues all over the floor? Tengu sure are rough when it comes to these things? I ruffle Aya?s hair and nudge her, to try and wake her up. She rouses a little, her eyelids tensing and loosening. They open slowly as she looks to me; lifting herself off the ground. Kissing me on the cheek, Aya stretches afterwards, her long arms extending outward even enough for her black feathery wings to come out and stretch. She has most of her weight still on my body, she whispers?

?Thank you?? Aya gets off me, smiling. She dashes off to get changed back into her normal clothes. I notice Nitori beginning to wake up nearby. She rubs her eyes with both hands and looks at me. ?Did you sleep well?? Nitori inquires. Of course I slept well? She looks around, picking up on of the crumpled tissues, sniffing it. Ew? Nitori tosses it away, and knocks several of them away from her. She gets up off the ground and continues searching for some objects. Hourai comes to me and starts combing my hair. Aya comes careening out from the doorway carrying tons of papers in a pouch. In a hurry, she tells us, ?I?ll be out delivering papers. Don?t leave!? Giving me a peck on the cheek, Aya zooms out the front door, slamming it shut. Nitori bolts the doors.

The morning passes slowly, and Nitori is digging through the house searching for objects. Shanghai tries pulling a knot out of my hair that came from the venture last night. ?You two might have been a little too rough.? She adds. ?What? You were watching us?? I ask, and Shanghai hmphs, ?It wasn?t very pleasant? That?s twice now I?ve had to watch.? Twice? Oh? She was watching the one between Alice and I? I haven?t eaten in a while, so I look around, stomach growling. Nitori takes a thing out of her backpack, pond seaweed. She takes out a boiler and crisps several of them for me. I eat them; it was like eating crispy celery. I hear knocking noises outside. Not bothering to answer, the noise goes away. Several minutes pass, but a rock goes flying through the window, shattering it, and nailing Nitori right in the skull. She passes out?

I see a hand digging through the shattered window. Like a cat, I don?t move, staring at it? The hand finally grabs hold of the bolt and unlocks it. Sliding the window open, a figure hops in through the window, head over heels. She lands on the floor with a thud. Getting up, she dusts herself off as I examine her from a distance. She looks similar to Aya, except she was colored white with purple wearing long, black stockings. Her hair was tied into twin tails and she carried a cell phone. Finishing the dusting, she looks at an unconscious Nitori and me. Approaching, I try to distance myself from her, but she grabs me. Frowning, she snorts into my face?

?Where is she?? Her breath is surprisingly clean? for a tengu? ?She said she went off to deliver papers.? I answer. She drops me to the floor, saying, ?Wow? I?m like, too late? Papers already? Even after I, like, totally got her sick?? Yep. She?s one of those types, isn?t she?? She ponders for a bit, while I stare. Noticing, she asks me, ?What? Are you, like, her new boyfriend or something?? Boyfriend? The zinger on this would be if she were chewing gum! ?No. I?m not her boyfriend,? I retort. But she laughs, ?I bet you already did it with her. It?s like, so typical of her.? Typical? Continuing on with her speech, ?Well, anyway? My name is Hatate, like number #1 competitor against Bunbunmarou.? She slurred some of those words?

?Look, I don?t know what you want, but leave,? I grab Hatate and shove her back. ?Ooo, Getting all touchy over your new territory, are you?? She responds, grabbing my hands. ?I said leave! It?s bad enough you?re here as is?? I struggle against her, but Hatate?s grip is strong. She pulls me closer to her; both our noses touch. ?Alright, I?ll leave then?? Hatate forces her mouth onto mine. I hear a click and see a bright flash. A picture was taken? ?With this!? She adds, already trying to get away. ?Call on me anytime you need, baby!? Hatate bolts out the window and slams it behind. I look down on my hands, and crouch on the floor. Rocking back and forth on the floor, I hold myself in the fetal position. What to do? What to do?

[MayKissingDoveWyks]

The dolls come over to me, trying to comfort. ?It?s not so bad,? Hourai says, ?You can probably fix this too?? No way, no how. Continuing to rock back and forth, Nitori starts to come to consciousness. She notices me, ?Hey? Are you okay? Something hit me pretty hard? I need some bandages?? Nitori plops back onto the floor, I lift her head off the ground. There?s a spot of blood on the side of her head. I signal Shanghai to get a cloth for me, but she only came back with several of Aya?s? let?s call them underwear. I use one ?clean? one on the side of Nitori?s head, wiping up most of the blood. ?T-thank you?? She says. I shove the rest of them in my pocket? okay; I went too far there? Nitori sits up, digging through her backpack searching for some things.

Loud banging comes from the door. Aya knocks the door open, breaking the bolts. She comes rushing in saying, ?I was told someone broke in here! Are any of you hu- Oh no!? Aya comes to the aid of Nitori, ?We need to get you over to Eientei, quick!? But Nitori shakes her hand in the air, ?No thanks? I?m good?? Agreeing, Aya plops Nitori back on the ground, checking the broken window. ?Ayayaya? It?s worse than I thought,? She plucks some of the glass on the shattered window, dropping it on the ground. Aya heads to me, putting her hand in my hair, ?Was anything taken, dear?? I reply with, ?Nothing, except my sanity.? Aya scoffs with, ?Well, worry about your sanity later, I just want to know who it was?? This I refuse to answer to. She stares at me for a while?

?Well? Did they at least tell you their name?? Aya asks, searching around for clues. I stand there? ?Hatate?? I mumble. That was enough for Aya to hear it. She frowns greatly, enough to make her tear. Aya walks up to me and touches my face. ?What did she do?? She asks to my face. ?Nothing in particular. I already told you?? I reply, but Aya will not believe me. ?No. She always takes something, anything? Even? pictures.? Aya frantically searches around, asking me, ?Did she strip you and take pictures?? WHAT? I answer, ?No?? She continues to fumble through everything, Nitori rubbing her head with the underwear. I hear a shrill noise come from Aya, ?Not those! AHH!? She rushes back into the room, almost crying, ?She took? she took?? And in a dramatic pause, ??She took my pantaloons (I don?t know, or something like that she said)? Yep. That?s a keeper. I had already dug them deep into my pocket.

?She?s not getting away with this!? Aya bolts for the door, and flings it open. Sanae is there shocked by Aya?s anger. ?Out of my way, monk. Oh yeah. You can have both of them.? Aya heads out the door, and Sanae looks at us. ?Alright? What did you two do?? Sanae enters the doorway, grabbing both of us. Nitori drops the underwear, her wounds starting to heal. We?re both hauled outside and Sanae begins to berate us. ?Can?t you two be proper house guests? Honestly, in all my days, I would expect both of you kind people to behave?? Nitori starts crying, but I yell at Sanae, ?There was an intrusion in the house! Stop accusing others of incidents they did not commit!? Sanae stands there, not moving. I continue, ?Quit treating people like children! I?m perfectly capable of handling myself. I don?t need you acting like you?re my mother.? Some people were staring now?

Sanae remains standing there listless, mumbling, ?So the outside world has changed a lot? Hasn?t it?? Outside world? Changed? Sanae starts walking away from us, head drooping towards the ground, shadowed. Shanghai comes to rest on my head, and Hourai points to move forward. Nitori climbs on my back, and we decide to go comfort Sanae; who began leaving the village. We catch up to her and pass Momiji who said ?Have a great day?. I finally reach Sanae and grab her on the shoulders. She doesn?t move. Turning her around, I see dry tear streams on her face. Sanae embraces me, digging her head into my chest; arms wrapped around Nitori and I. ?I?m sorry!? She bawls, ?I-it?s been so long s-since? it?s hard for me to accept this lifestyle? Forgive me!? Now, my clothes are speckled with droplets. Patting her on the back, I tell her?

?Sanae, you should get used to it, I mean, look at me.? Literally, she does with watery eyes, but I continue my speech, ?Some people adjust to it faster than others. You are no exception, Sanae. Times will change for you, and those times will let you keep your memories. Sure, the outside world was a great place? But here is more open, more carefree? more?? I breathe, ?More enjoyable? more lasting?? Sanae looks to me when I leave her with a moment of silence. She wipes the tears clean off her eyes and smiles, ?You may be right? Maybe I can change? maybe I can enjoy myself here?? Nitori pats Sanae on the head. I add, ?Let?s continue up the mountain, like you wished. Is it any better than down there?? She concurs, and I carry Nitori on my back still. We all head up the mountain?

Sanae asks, though; sun reaching another cyclic peak in the sky?

?Say? You never told me your name. Actually, the tengu reporter never mentioned it either in her newspapers? What is it?? They read her newspapers?

Well, I had to come up with a reply, regardless if it satisfied her, and so I did?


?My name? for the time being?

is not important??

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End of Chapter 12

[MayKissingDoveWyks]

Chapter 13:

A country that's divided
Surely will not stand
My past erased, no more disgrace
No foolish naive stand?

? Dave Mustaine, ?Holy Wars?The Punishment Due?

The trip up the mountain started getting rough? Terribly rough. I couldn?t walk up the steepness of it anymore. Thus, Sanae had to carry me while Nitori flew on her own. Nitori did eventually inform us that she needed to return to her place, since she?s been gone for too long. We accept and she heads off down the mountain, disappearing below the mist. Everything left on the way up was a breeze, save for a few meandering fairies. A patch of land soon appears as we reach it. It?s accompanied by a grandiose set of stairs, embedded into the mountain. Sanae says?

?The stairs are the last thing.? As we walk up, underneath the Torii, I notice a lake below where the water was still. Surrounding the lake were large black hexagonal prisms, paper charms and thick rope attached near the upper ends. We walk alongside the lake; our reflections on the pool are motionless, only moving with our images. Finally, the Moriya shine, in all its glory, was looming in front of us. I?d have to approximate the shrine being about twice?maybe thrice but distances do cause illusions?the size of the Hakurei Shrine. A long, incredibly thick, twisted rope hanged above the entrance, three ends hanging from the center. Eh? I couldn?t compare the two shrines, since I?ve never really seen one in real life? yeah? The last thing needed is Gods, or at least a Goshintai.

My mental request answered, a loud whirring is heard, some air currents move. ?She?ll be here.? Sanae says. The air moving faster, I hear another noise. But then, from behind, loud crashing noises are heard. Completely scared out of my pants, I hit my head on the ground from the shock. Dust spirals around and I still can?t see what?s going on. It clears, but my head remain nailed into the dirt. ?Lady Yasaka, Please. Scaring guests like that makes us lose worshippers?? Sanae tells the figure. It shrugs Sanae off with, ?A grand entrance signifies power, Sanae. Fear, implemented in the right ways, can win people over. More or less, the more humans, the better, in my standards??

I finally decide to get up off the ground, dirt smudge on my forehead. Shanghai tries to wipe it off, but I discourage her from doing so. Turning myself towards the pair, I wheeze, examining the floating one. The arrived goddess had colors? uh? actually; they were better than Sanae?s? Primary colors. She had blue hair?that puffed out from the lower sides, the ends sticking forward almost. The upper body contained a red shirt, long-sleeved white, with complex architecture on it and a mirror, chained to a rope necklace; which, from an angle, protruded much from her body due to her bosom. Passing down the rope belt, there was a long black skirt with a red perm, and sandals on her feet, little rope bands above the feet too. Her head was topped with a rope laurel wreath, and a grand twisted rope circle (or shimenawa, what ever you call it), charms hanging from it to top it off. A goddess worth worshipping, I must say?

?Hey! Are you alive in there?? She spoke to me, looking directly into my eyes with her dark red ones. Sliding back, I cease from speaking a word. She moved closer to me, and I decided to fake passing out. Dropping towards the ground, I feel a halt in the air. Sanae was lifting me back up, the goddess asks, ?Are you sure he?s okay, Sanae?? As Sanae nods, she replies, ?Interesting? It may have worked too well. But enough of this foolery; introductions make the better of these situations.? She chose to remain floating in the air, mustering up some powerful wind. Trickles of rainfall behind her, she booms, ?I am Kanako Yasaka! The great goddess of wind and rain!? I thought I heard a shot of thunder in that, as I couldn?t help but notice Sanae smiling and clapping?

?And who might you be?? Kanako throws it in for a response. I respond with, ?I am a human from the outside world. Very new.? Kanako raises a brow to this and asks Sanae, ?Is he a new worshipper?? Sanae answers, ?He may be? I just brought him here for that after we solved the issue lower on the mountain.? Kanako is somewhat interested by this, and continues with, ?Yes? That was a problem. So this one is related to it?? She glares at me in the eye, it creeps me out a little. ?He was just a piece to the bigger puzzle, Lady Yasaka,? Sanae leaves Kanako with that. ?Well, at least we have another one,? Kanako leads me down to the lake, while Sanae heads inside the shrine. Sun reflecting off the lake, we descend towards the edge of it.

At the foot of the lake, Kanako looks to the sky. She floats above the water, heading towards the center of the lake. Kanako, stops for a moment and comes back to me, staring. ?Get on,? She says, pointing to her lap. Hesitantly, I start to climb on, but Kanako hauls me onto her lap. She sets me face forward, in the same direction of hers, and we head to the center of the lake. Her chest could have acted as a head cushion, if it weren?t for the damn mirror. After we reach the center, she asks me, ?So? How have you been enjoying your time here so far?? Kanako ruffles my hair and I respond with, ?It?s been fine? But I?ve had to make several speeches to help others?? She sighs, dabbing her hand in water to wipe the dirt off my face?

?Are you sure? The way you reacted up there did not seem all so thrilling. And the papers have been saying nonsense about you?? I turn my head to look at Kanako in the face and say, ?Sure I?m sure. I?ve lasted for about a month now. I?ll be fine. I can manage myself.? Kanako smiles as I begin to turn away. She asks, ?The incident was solved? Sanae said yesterday that you ended it? You said you were involved, but you never said why it happened, yet?? Oh boy. I stumble with my words, ?Well? You see? The snow spirit was happy, but then a shrine maiden came along? and well? displeased the snow spirit?? Kanako whispered into my ear, ?It?s okay? you don?t have to lie to me about the whole scenario.?

She had seen right through me; the babbling must have given it away. ?You like that snow woman, don?t you?? Kanako adds. My face turns a scarlet red, and I reply with, ?It?s not like that at all? it?s not.? She pats me on the head, smiling; ?I know a relationship when I see one. And considering the people and their behaviors, something like that is rare? but when it happens, it happens.? I didn?t know what to say. For the length that Kanako?s probably been here, maybe she has a point. I forgot to notice that Shanghai and Hourai were hiding underneath my clothes; sure is roomy in there, but they?ll be okay? If Shanghai will stop rubbing my chest, then maybe I?d feel more comfortable! Distracted by this, I feel Kanako wrap her arms around my waist into my lap. Why is a goddess, who just looked demonic earlier, and was blamed for something she didn?t cause, be so? calm? The quiet moment is soothed further when Kanako starts rocking side to side.

She was humming too. The cold breeze moved along the surface of the lake, as the sun?s reflection had shifted. Kanako began nuzzling the back of my head as well; I wonder how long this is going to take. Maybe she?s just warming up to me? Maybe Kanako never really gets to ?snuggle? with people (save for, Sanae)? She kept on smiling throughout the whole time. The dolls came out eventually though; Shanghai said it was stuffy in there? Says the one who? eh, never mind. They both introduced themselves to Kanako, who still was intrigued by everything I had to offer. She does ask me why I came here; with the response being ?random?, or maybe Yukari was just itching to find new people. Kanako sighs, ?Let?s hope you do wonders here, and everywhere?? With that Sanae was at the edge of the lake, waving for us to head inside?

[MayKissingDoveWyks]

We cross over to the shrine, the dolls resting on my shoulders. Kanako dumps me onto the ground, and we head up the stairs again. The sun was lowering at a faster pace than before. Once we arrive inside, Sanae had prepared a meal. I am assuming that Gods eat as well? We all sat down, but another person was there. She was wearing a creepy ass hat, blond hair, long sleeves, and purple? Is this a godchild? What is it doing here? It?s already eating actually? ?This is Suwako,? Sanae adds, ?The previous owner of the shrine.? Suwako retorts with, ?The original.? We all begin eating, save for Suwako. I tell you that the food was delicious, that much?

I really wish I could go back, or at least explore on my own. People are comfortable, but hospitality is key. That depended as I traveled around so far. Perching oneself on a mountain doesn?t seem all that bad, but I have to admit that the way up was god-awful. If anything, here might be a better place to stay. As the man I am, I feel though that I should travel outward, stray from the path. If that path leads me to a good path, then I should be glad there? That?s what I?ll do. I?ll take the dolls with me? Wait, aren?t they always with me? God, my brain?s going deader by the day? Maybe tomorrow I?ll go? if they let me?

?Hey, are you okay?? Kanako asks; I end my space-out and start eating. ?You know. We?re having a festival tomorrow, for the top of the month. You should join us, I mean, you?re sleeping here for the night, right?? Sleeping here? The shade that the sun created was widening along the length. Yep? another fun-filled night for me? Geez, I can?t get a break, EVER. I slam my head on the table. ?Is that a yes?? Sanae asks, ?And keep your head off the table. It?s rude.? Lifting my head off the ground? I? ? I am so damn tired today. You know what? I just? eh? Let?s skip an evening, shall we? Nothing important to see here: I pass out; they think I?m sick; I?m just tired; I sleep; attempted midnight-love coming from Sanae (Nothing really happened, I kicked her out); and then morning?

Yeah? I?ve lost some interest in my surroundings. This shrine business stuff doesn?t do wonders for me?

?   ?   ?

The next morning, much of the layout outside had changed. Tables were scattered everywhere, other crap you see at a ?festival?. They told me it was going to be later in the day, but I needed to go now. I head away from the shrine to make my descent down the mountain. Shanghai asks me, ?Where are we going?? And I tell her,  ?I?m going on my own. I?m tired of being pulled around. I want to do my own things?? Shanghai shrugs and goes back to combing my hair, ?You know. That show last night was a little? over the top.? Over the top? ?Well next time, I?ll be sure that it?s something more worth watching.? Shanghai was appalled by what I said, ?Have you no decency anymore?? I pat her on the head, ?Settle? We?ll be on our way.?

I had actually found a safer way down the mountain. Surprisingly, we had taken the short way up, but the most treacherous. There was more grass this way, and it headed towards the Tengu village. I never thought about this before but? If most of them are birds, shouldn?t they live in trees? I don?t expect anyone to come after me, just to assume that I have gone missing. The sun was still low in the sky, indicating that I had gotten up pretty early, and no food? Eh, I?ve eaten a lot last night? Hopefully, I?ll get there fast enough. Actually? I shouldn?t bother with the tengu at this point. I?ve caused enough trouble as is? I should just go searching for Letty and Hina again. Time slowly passes? I do find a patch of snow, some point past where the kappa usually live.

Heading closer to the patch, I find more of a trail. A trail of untouched snow, and it looked fresh. I dash towards the source of it, and it leads me to a cave. Some light was coming out of it. I head to the light, hoping it was the two I was searching for? It wasn?t? When I enter the cave, there was someone else there instead. The person was weeping, back turned, facing towards a fire. This person had long blue hair, a matching dress, a white apron with colored diamonds attached. She wore a plain black hat, which had two peaches on it. I think I went too far inside the cave, for when I started to step back the noise was enough to alert the person.

She whirls around, enraged, pulling out a golden sword. ?Stay away, whoever you are!!? She boomed. I started to stumble back, but I landed on my rear. It hit the ground; enough that it made me tear. Deciding to play innocent, I cry, the dolls trying to comfort me. The mysterious woman lets her guard down, coming over to me. ?Are you seriously that weak?? She says, ?I seriously expected someone that would be badass enough to fight back. But oh well?? Okay, now she?s pushing it. I look to her eyes, tears streaming on both of our faces. Dark red again? Sheesh, why does everyone have dark red eyes? She picks me up off the ground though. Strong, she is?

Placing me closer to the fire, she says, ?Don?t tell those people up in Heaven that I am here. Nor that damn boat reaper either.? Boat reaper? Heaven? I look at her confused? ?You?re a human, right?? While I nod, she grunts, ??I would have been better off with a youkai, sheesh.? Why does she act like such a child? ?Hey,? She adds, ?Be sure you be careful with yourself. Your kind is frail.? Good to know? She gets up and fires from her sword something at the wall. She begins to inscribe something. Obviously, this is like muscle flexing. When she was done it read, ?比那名居　天子? She points the sword to the inscription, saying, ?That is my name. Fear it.? Well I don?t know if I can fear something reading ?Sky child?, but maybe I can fear that other half?

I don?t respond to Tenko, but this annoys her. ?Why aren?t you fearing? GAH! I am greater than you, human!? She grabs me and tosses me onto her keystone. Tenshi tries to drive her boot into my stomach, but I stop her. Resisting, I launch her towards the wall. Her head hits dead center as she plops to the ground. Tenshi sits up and starts crying, blood dripping down her face. ?No one? everyone? away from me?? I move closer to her, but she backs away. ?Stay away from me! If a human can mistreat me, then I don?t want anyone anymore! All you came here was to hurt me!? Actions don?t seem to be getting through to her, so maybe words can work. ?Settle down!? I yell at her. Tenshi does as I commanded, wiping the tears from her forehead. I stare at her for a while, sitting on the ground. No response? Just a sad face and tears.

Awkward silences do help sometimes? or so I have heard?
___________________________________________

End of Chapter 13.