Author Topic: Rising Star (Complete At Last)  (Read 75351 times)

Coyote

  • Subterranean Animalism
Re: Rising Star
« Reply #60 on: March 10, 2010, 12:20:25 AM »
I haven't played UFO, but I'm enjoying these characters so much that now I want to. Shou as a tiger in the beginning segments was especially interesting. Anyway, just letting you know you have another reader!

FinnKaenbyou

  • Formerly Roukanken
  • *
  • blub blub nya
Re: Rising Star
« Reply #61 on: March 13, 2010, 04:18:02 AM »
Gah, why do I only ever feel like writing when it's REEEEEEALLY late? D:

---

This was the first time we had ever had guests at the temple, but fortunately Byakuren took on the role of host to the newcomers. At the same time, she sewed up the tears in my robes from the skirmish (while I was wearing them, and while she was distracted by a conversation with the girl in the hood - and she did a perfect job regardless!) and pulled out a new set of clothes for the drenched Nazrin. It was a simple pair of plain grey robes, which she accepted gracefully enough, but I managed to catch her murmuring that they weren't as 'cute' as what she normally wore.

There were an extra two seats hastily crammed in under the dining table for our new guests. Byakuren's only response in terms of cooking was to make a slightly larger pile of her non-descript grey sludge than usual, though she only bothered making enough to feed four. Murasa had expected a helping, but her hopes were dashed when in trying to grab the spoon in front of her she proceeded to shift her hand through the table.

"Gah, it's been ages since I had to worry about this..."

She watched, still feeling left out, as her companion received a share. I still didn't know much about her - she had introduced herself earlier as Ichirin Kumoi, but it was only a passing greeting as she went off to chat with Byakuren. That, or she would turn her head to the side and mutter something in the direction of the pink cloud still hanging over her shoulder. It was only at the dinner table that I struck up the nerve to ask.

"Uh...Kumoi-san?"

She turned away from another of her inner monologues, looking to me with a sincere smile.

"Toramaru-san, wasn't it? I'm to believe you managed to kill my friend here - at least, as far as she can be killed now."

Murasa didn't take to that one well, flailing around as she let off her complaints. At least she didn't have to worry about hitting anyone.

"Aw, come on, quit rubbing it in! It was a one-off, seriously! I just dodged that laser and then WHOOSH, it's coming right at me again! That's not how lasers are supposed to work, dammit!"

I could make out Byakuren's giggling from the other side of the table, but Ichirin seemed to take her completely seriously, nodding in approval.

"...Hm, yes, that does seem troublesome. ...Well, true, I use lasers occasionally, but they're straight more often than not..."

Here she was descending into another conversation with herself. It was enough to remind me what I'd been meaning to ask from the beginning.

"Yeah, why do you keep talking to yourself like that? It's kinda...awkward sometimes."

Ichirin looked puzzled for a moment, as if she didn't understand what I was talking about. I saw the realisation dawn on her visibly.

"Ah, I see. You haven't been introduced, have you?"

She placed one hand on top of the cloud, moving it forward slightly. As it closed in, I started to make out the first hints of eyes, a nose, a mouth-

"Gah?!"

I nearly knocked my chair backwards as I flinched on reflex. It was faint, very faint, but I could just barely see the face of an man within the cloud. Another giggle from Byakuren, with Murasa laughing much louder, and Nazrin simply looking towards me with a cocky grin. Ichirin, though, stayed as straight and calm as ever.

"Toramaru-san, this is Unzan. He's a nyuudou. I apologise, he's not very good at talking to other people..."

The cloud retracted back to Ichirin's shoulder, floating around her ear. I could just about make out a whisper coming from that direction.

"No, Unzan, it's alright, she isn't scared of you, not at all...really, you just took her by surprise..."

She took another bite of her gruel as she tried to comfort her companion. As she chewed on it I saw her eyes light up for a moment.

"H-Hey, Unzan! This stuff seems a little lumpy! Think you can help?"

The cloud rose into the air slightly, floating above the bowl of supposedly lumpy food. I had no idea what she was talking about - all the times I'd eaten this I'd never found it particularly lumpy. Was she trying to console Unzan or somethi-

SLAM.

In a flash, the cloud took on the form of a large pink fist, slamming itself into the contents of the bowl. Nazrin and I both stared blankly into the bowl as the fist pulled itself out and shook away any food that had caught onto it. We then looked upon the cracks emerging in the wood beneath the bowl.

"...Well, that's, um...impressive."

I couldn't think of anything clever to say. Between Murasa's anchor-wielding, bullet-barraging assaults and Ichirin's floating fist, Byakuren had apparently managed to choose a pair of very aggressive acquaintances.

"So, uh, you two and Hijiri go way back, right? Maybe ten, twenty years?"

Murasa's face lightened in response to this as she failed to hold in a laugh.

"Ten? Twenty?! Don't be stupid, it's more like-"

She stopped short, for some reason. In the corner of my eye, I could just notice Byakuren glaring at the captain, killing her conversation dead.

"...Uh, I'd say it's more like five years. Not that long, really."

There was an air of uneasiness at the table. It was blatantly clear that this wasn't a topic any of them wanted to discuss, and the atmosphere was enough to convince me it wasn't worth it. My attention turned to Nazrin, who was equally offput by the sudden change in mood. We nodded quietly before returning to our food.

And all the while, Byakuren was wearing the same, cheerful smile she had since our return. No stress, no irritation, nothing.

It had never seemed so artificial before, but now the cracks seemed to be showing.

---

After dinner, the pair of us were told to head straight to our chambers while Byakuren talked with her old friends. We opted for a bypass of sorts, with the pair of us sitting in my room as the sun set. They were in the meditation hall, too far away for us to hear them. By now, Nazrin was happy to have her old clothes back on, good and dry.

"...Something's going on."

Nazrin spoke plainly, as usual.

"Yeah. There was a thing a while back when I asked Hijiri about when she met you...what could she be hiding?"

There were a few more seconds of silence. Nazrin got up off the bed, suddenly moving toward the door.

"Hey, where are you-"

I didn't have time to finish before she closed the door on me and walked out to the corridor. I followed suit, though not out of willingness as much as confusion.

"Nazrin, where are you going? Hijiri said to-"

"She won't be able to hear us. Just follow me."

She continued on regardless. I felt my stomach tie into a knot. Wherever she was going, she wasn't meant to be there, but could I let her risk that on her own? For an instant, my mind fought with my heart again.

As usual when it came to Nazrin, my heart won.

"...Dammit, Nazrin...why do I always get dragged along...?"

I found myself tip-toeing alongside her down the dark corridors of the temple. I could make out distant murmuring, but Byakuren's conversation was still a secret.

"W...Wait. Nazrin, if we go this way, we'll reach Hijiri's personal quarters."

"Exactly. If there's anything to find, it'll be there, right?"

I gulped. Resolving this whole dilemma was all well and good, but weren't we overdoing it a little? Still, as I caught a glimpse of the shining pendant aroudn Nazrin's neck, I decided that she was on the right trail.

The door was unlocked, which was unsurprising - she had never felt the need to lock it as we'd never had the urge to sneak in.

"...Sorry, Hijiri..."

I whispered an apology as I let myself in. Byakuren's room was, as expected, rather simple. A bed, a table, a book of scriptures, and that was it.

As Nazrin searched under the bed and the table for anything useful, I picked up the tome. It was presumably Byakuren's own private copy - it was in slightly better quality than the ones I'd used, but the content within seemed the same.

"...Huh? There's a bookmark..."

I turned to the page that had been marked, hoping to see a picture or a scripture which would suggest something.

"...This is no good. It's just one of the tales of Myouren."

It was one of the stories I had read as extra content. The Buddhist priest Myouren had appeared in several of these tales, but this in particular was the story of his older sister. Apparently, she'd been looking to reunite with him and, after sleeping in the temple where he'd once trained, received a vision fortelling that she would meet him on the other side of a nearby mountain. There was an illustration of him too - simplistic, but with a pair of strong, determined hazel eyes.

"...But this was written centuries ago. Why would she have something like this...?"

Behind me, Nazrin's tail could just be made out from beneath Byakuren's bed. It stood up for an instant as she backed up, holding a scrap of paper. She examined it, her face scrunching up a little.

"...Huh. She didn't have a boyfriend, did she?"

She pondered to herself as she looked over the picture. From here I could make out two figures standing next to each other, roughly the same height - one in Buddhist robes, the other in a mostly-black getup. The only other detail I caught was a pair of brown dots-

"W-Wait, give me that!"

I grabbed the picture from Nazrin's hands.

"Hey, watch it!"

I pulled the picture towards me, examining it more intently. The girl on the left was clearly Byakuren, but younger, and smiling more powerfully than I'd ever seen her smile before. Her companion was unfamiliar to me, but the sharpness of his eyes were all the confirmation I needed.

My mouth went dry. My eyes turned to the open book, then to the picture, then back again.

"Hey, Shou, what're you...?"

I couldn't answer. My brain had just about stopped functioning. There was no way my suspicion could be true, it was ridiculous, it was-

"Barging in, I see."

A voice from the doorway. Byakuren's stern glare came down on me, but she knew she was too late. The picture and the scripture were all the proof I needed. Nazrin simply stood aside, having no idea what was going on.

"Hijiri. The scriptures never refer to the monk Myouren by his last name, do they?"

"...No, they do not."

A new emotion was seeping into her voice. It was only now I really appreciated how little emotion she had been capable off - she could be helpful, or she could be severe. This was the first time I had ever seen her showing guilt.

"...You knew him, didn't you?"

There was a long pause before she answered.

"...There's no use hiding it any more, is there? I discovered your secret, so I suppose it is only fair that you learn mine."

I turned around to face her head on, and I saw something that I had never thought to be possible.

"The man in the scriptures is Myouren Hijiri. He was my brother."

Byakuren was crying.
« Last Edit: March 21, 2010, 10:23:24 AM by Roukanken »

Esifex

  • Though the sun may set
  • *
  • It shall rise again
Re: Rising Star
« Reply #62 on: March 13, 2010, 04:26:14 AM »
After having read so many little stories about Byakuren whupping ass on the UFO cast for whatever reason, I'm pleasantly surprised to see her actually submit to something other than badassery.

Alfred F. Jones

  • Estamos orgullosos del Batall?n Lincoln
  • *
  • y de la lucha que hizo por Madrid
Re: Rising Star
« Reply #63 on: March 13, 2010, 06:10:06 AM »
As fond as I am of badass Byakuren, seeing her vulnerable like this is just as awesome, albeit heartbreaking.

;_;

IcedFairy

Re: Rising Star
« Reply #64 on: March 13, 2010, 06:51:04 AM »
Huh, Myouren.  I wasn't expecting him to make an appearence.  I am pleasantly surprised.  I like where this is going.

Also Murasa apparently needs to work at her TK skills.  Well and dodging curving lasers, but that's something everyone needs to work on.

I wonder where I can look up stuff about the actual monk Myouren.  Something to try at work....

Re: Rising Star
« Reply #65 on: March 13, 2010, 07:27:21 PM »
Byakuren is going to need turbo snuggles :x

FinnKaenbyou

  • Formerly Roukanken
  • *
  • blub blub nya
Re: Rising Star
« Reply #66 on: March 22, 2010, 04:41:19 PM »
To say the trip we took to the meditation hall was awkward would be giving it too much credit. Nazrin and I stayed silent, walking as if we were treading on needles the whole time. Byakuren lead, stopping either of us from seeing her face, but the slump in her shoulders spoke volumes. I had never seen her look so downtrod before in all the time I'd known her, and from the look of her face neither did Nazrin.

Ichirin and Murasa (now back in her physical body) were sitting patiently as we entered the hall. Both of them turned to Byakuren with comforting faces, which on the captain seemed almost alien.

"You okay, Hijiri? You look like you're-"

Murasa's words came to a halt as Byakuren entered the room completely. To be more precise, it was at the sight of the two girls following her.

"...Hey. I thought you said we were gonna keep them out of this?"

Byakuren was silent for a moment. I could see her hands trembling slightly at her sides.

"I underestimated their curiosity, Murasa. Now we may as well tell them everything."

Murasa's eyes widened in surprise, and she turned to us. I was hardly willing to return her glare - I was embarrassed at how I'd made Byakuren cry, for what had seemingly been the first time.

It would turn out that the Byakuren I knew was a lot stronger and resolute than the real one.

"...Shou, Nazrin. I ask that you at least listen to my story in its entirety before you begin to judge. It may seem absurd at times, but I ask that you please give me a chance to explain myself."

I had never heard such a desperate tone in her voice before, and she still couldn't bring herself to face me. It hurt me to see her like this.

So I came up from behind and wrapped my arms around her.

"Ah-"

"Don't be an idiot, Hijiri. I know you wouldn't hurt a fly."

The tension in Byakuren's body faded as she let out a heaving sigh. For a moment, I thought that my sentiment had managed to calm her.

Then the nerves returned, worse than ever.

"Except that's the problem, Shou. You don't know me. Not at all."

---

"As I said before, my brother was a monk by the name of Myouren Hijiri. He was younger than me, and as he was a man he was ordinated while I was not. There were particularly strict rules about gender at the time, you see - it was believed enlightenment could only be reached by men, and that being born as a woman was a sign of bad karma. But I digress.

I accepted for many years that I would never see my brother again, but as my mother and father passed away I found myself painfully lonely. We lived too far from any village or town for me to have met any children my own age, and I was uneducated once again as a result of my gender. What I did know of Buddhism I learned from what my brother had left behind before his ordination. So I instead visited the monastery where Myouren resided, only to be told that he had left to build his own monastery somewhere in the mountains.

I was devastated - my dear brother, the only family I had left, gone to be a wandering hermit? For some time I was inconsolable, and the monks were generous enough to offer me a bed for the night. It was then that I had the vision that was recorded in the scriptures - a purple cloud hanging over a nearby mountain, and beneath it the face of Myouren smiling at me. I woke up in a cold sweat, fear and elation coming on me in unison. That morning I made my way to the mountain in my dreams, and as the dream had foretold I found my brother there, surrounded by planks of wood and construction tools.

It was a wonderful feeling when he saw me, turned away from his business and wrapped his arms around me. My brother's soul was strong, much stronger than mine, and he took the death of our parents with almost no regret. 'It is a fact of life,' he told me, 'that one day all things must die.' I remember nodding along with him back them, but deep down I was unconvinced by his words. Death seemed frightening, ominous - the idea of a great unknown that none of us could escape. I never voiced these fear to Myouren - it would seem weak and offensive to disagree with him when he was far more accomplished than I in his teachings."

She told the story with a surprising amount of fluency. Clearly this wasn't the first time it had been passed on. She had yet to touch on the real question, though - wasn't that story written hundreds of years ago?

"He had been in the middle of building what he called the Tobikura, or the Soaring Vault. It was intended as a place where he could both store offerings and reside in himself. At my arrival, though, he changed his design significantly in order to make room for me. My brother was very considerate.

His magical power was immense as well. When he called it the Soaring Vault, it was not a metaphor - he literally had the power to send it flying into the air at his will. Just by being near power of that magnitude, I gained some strength myself. He trained me in the ways of the monk, regardless of my supposed inability to attain enlightenment. I never matched his sheer power, though, and had to be content with being able to moving around pots and pans.

And so, that was our life. Myouren would move the Tobikura from place to place, visiting towns and accepting offerings. He only ever took as much as he needed, though, and gave to me everything else that we received. Because I didn't qualify as a monk I wasn't held to the same restrictions he was, he wouls say to justify it. He was generous like that. Perhaps...a little too generous, even."

She paused for the briefest of moments. Her hands clunched to fists as they hung on her lap.

"I had seen it. He grew thinner and thinner with each passing day, and I begged him to accept some of my own helpings for his own sake. Each and every time he would refuse me, holding to his vows to never take in more than he thought necessary. I could see his face growing pale, his skin losing its colour, his eyes losing their light, but he refused to accept any help. He wouldn't even request anything of a doctor. He would simply look at me, smile with all his heart, and say 'My time will come when it comes.'

I...I trusted him. He was Myouren, my brother. He was more powerful than I was, by some margin. I had hoped that I was simply being paranoid, that I loved my brother so much that his loss could bring about such an unjustified fear.

So every night, I would murmur it in my sleep, as if to make my hopes a reality. 'Myouren will be alright. Myouren will be alright.' Over and over until fatigue claimed me. For a few months, it seemed to work."

Another silence, longer this time. Byakuren's head slunk down, and little drops of water landed on her hands.

"...One night, Myouren was moving the Tobikura across the province in the middle of night. He had done it several times before, but something caught in my throat as I tried to sleep. I can't describe it in words. Perhaps it was a premonition, or an omen, or simply unease. Whatever it was, it kept me awake long into the night.

Beneath me, the Tobikura rocked violently, sending me tumbling out of bed. I was uninjured, save a few scrapes and bruises, but it was a clear sign that something was very wrong. Myouren could pilot the Tobikura with his eyes closed - he'd never made a mistake like that before. As I ran towards his quarters - a tiny, featureless room even more basic than my own - I could feel a lightness in my stomach that I wrote off as the giddiness of adrenaline..."

Byakuren's head rose up slightly, but she never stopped to look at me or Nazrin. Her eyes turned away, looking up into the distance blankly. Words would slip out of her mouth, but they no longer seemed intentional - she was lost in her own world at the moment, lost in reminiscence. She wasn't just remembering what had happened.

She was living it all over again.

---

"M-Myouren!"

Things are falling. All around me. Tomes, bracelets, what little cutlery we have, everything. The Tobikura itself is shaking as if within a quake. This has never happened before, not with Myouren - he is too skilled, too talented to move it so haphazardly. My stomach gets lighter and lighter as I make it to his quarters and open the door.

Immediately I assume the worst. My fears of so long are coming true after all - my brother is dead, leaving me all alone just like I feared he would. My eyes instinctively close themselves, refusing to look in case I'm right. I freeze, too frightened to make a step into the room or look within.

"..Bya...Byakuren...?"

A voice. Myouren. Weak. But I don't care. A voice means he's alive. I step in entirely, looking at him, still managing to maintain his meditation stance. He is a sorry state - months of malnourishment have ravaged him, and his robes now seem almost too large to fit him. He turns to me with a weary twist of his neck. His eyes are dull, almost lifeless.

Immediately I wrap my arms around him, digging my head into his shoulder.

"You're alright...I was so worried, with all the crashing and..."

A sharp exhale pushed its way out of his nose. Myouren shared none of my relief, his eyes looking downward.

"Byakuren. I must apologise to you. It seems your concerns were right after all."

"...Eh?"

He couldn't have said that. He didn't say that. Please, please, tell me he didn't say that.

"I am weaker than I had thought myself to be. My magic has weakened as well, and now it seems even the tasks I thought meagre are beyond me."

The lightness in my stomach heightens. Moreso because it now dawns on me that it is not simply fear alone that is causing it.

"Then...you mean..."

He manages a nod.

"Yes. The Tobikura is falling out of the sky."

My mind goes blank for an instant. I can't understand this. This isn't happening.

"C...Can you stop it?"

He shakes his head. The guilt is plain to see on his face.

"I have no power to stop it. All we can do is brace ourselves for the crash."

Brace ourselves? How? We're in a flying building that's falling to the ground at near terminal velocity. No-one can survive a crash like this, surely?!

Myouren sees my face, wrought with horror. He manages to make his usual stern face.

"There is...one teaching. One...spell. You should be advanced enough to perform it now, and it will save you."

I do not question his words. Even if he was a witch doctor, I would not question them. Because to accept them as wrong would be to consign myself to death.

Death. The scriptures say it is inevitable. Part of samsara. Part of the great cycle. But how can it be so natural if it is so painful? So tragic? If death is acceptable, why did I weep over my fallen mother and father? Why, then, does even the thought of losing Myouren chill my blood?

Am I simply too weak to-

"Byakuren, focus. You don't have long."

Myouren knocks me out of my delirium.

"Y-Yes!"

I fall to my knees in front of him, matching his posture. He is slumped, too tired to sit upright, but I copy him anyway. I see something resembling a smile on his face for a moment.

"Good. Now, repeat after me."

He closes his eyes, a dull purple aura rising from him.

"The mind is everything. What I think, I become."

"T-The mind is everything. What I think, I become."

I stutter on my words in fear, feeling a like-coloured aura build around myself. If I fail to keep my mind clear, I will die for certain. How am I supposed to stay calm when my own life is at stake?

"I am a mountain, still and unfazed by the coming wind. Whatever challenge arises, I shall not be broken down."

"I am a mountain, still and unfazed by the coming wind. Whatever challenge arises, I shall not be broken down..."

I can feel a new energy surging through me. The magic I had built up over time thanks to overexposure to the Tobikura is manifesting itself as physical strength. Already I have no doubt I am more powerful than the strongest warrior on the ground below.

And as I think that, instantly the spell fades.

"Ah?!"

The aura shorts out around me, and my body weakens again. These powers are not granted to one of an impure mind, and my ego was enough to deem me unworthy. Another violent shake of the Tobikura knocks me out of my stance, and my focus is lost.

No. No no no no no. I don't want to die, not yet, I'm so young and I haven't reached enlightenment and I can't leave Myouren alone and it'll hurt it'll hurt it'll hurt-

A hand rests itself on my shoulder.

"Relax, Byakuren."

I don't realise I'm crying until I turn to Myouren and see him as a blurred mess. I wipe my eyes, seeing the aura around him fading as well.

I feel stronger.

He isn't. He isn't.

"I don't want you to die here if you are still afraid, Byakuren. This is all I can offer you."

He is.

"I am ill, Byakuren. Even if I survive this, I have perhaps a few months left in me. Better that you survive than I do."

His body almost seems to be withering as the aura leaves him and enters my body. He smiles to me.

No. Why is he smiling? He's going to die now. When the Tobikura crashes it's going to kill him. How can he be happy?!

"No...Myouren, don't do this..."

I try to call to him, but my voice is weak. I barely manage to croak out the words, but he keeps smiling anyway.

"Do not cry for me, Byakuren. My time has come. I wish for your happiness in the future."

Why is he doing this? I can't stand it. I can't stand that smile of his, so sincere and honest even when death's staring him in the face. Why isn't he scared like I would be in this situation? This isn't happening. It's all just a nightmare and I'm going to wake up and Myouren will be right next to me and he'll tell me it's all perfectly fine.

"Myouren, please! Please, don't! Don't leave me alone like this! I lo-"

A deafening sound. An entire vault of wood collides with the ground with tremendous force. I lose him as the world falls into a million pieces around me.

It hurts. Even if I am strong enough to survive it, it is still painful. I feel my body slam into the ground, bouncing once before sliding along. Battered planks of the Tobikura fly along with me, some of them colliding with me as they fall. I can hear the bones in my arms and legs snapping, and the heat from the friction burns at my clothes until they fall away.

After what feels like an eternity, I come to a stop. I am still in agony, but I am alive. I cannot move, but already my bones are knitting themselves back together. I will survive, though it will take a while to recover.

My hand is lying on something. I pull my head up, and make out that it is roughly the shape of a person. He is stripped bare, with only tatters of the orange robes he had worn remaining. I am touching his chest, pressing down on it.

I feel no heartbeat.

"A-Ah...aah..."

The pain is immaterial now. My throat aches as I moan, but I cannot stop it. Tears stream down my face freely as I try in vain to move my hands to embrace the fallen monk. My arms are still limp, and my body has reached its limit - all the effort does is drive me closer into unconsciousness.

Two final thoughts run through my mind before I pass out. Firstly, that my brother is dead.

Secondly, that I am now completely and utterly alone in the world.

Yamachanadu

  • Apparently pre-Yamatrend
Re: Rising Star
« Reply #67 on: March 22, 2010, 08:53:26 PM »
 :ohdear:  Stop messing with my emotions Rou!  :ohdear:
<%convider> with the nose on top it looks like a lovecraftian sam fisher

Esifex

  • Though the sun may set
  • *
  • It shall rise again
Re: Rising Star
« Reply #68 on: March 23, 2010, 12:45:46 AM »
Ow, my heartstrings

FinnKaenbyou

  • Formerly Roukanken
  • *
  • blub blub nya
Re: Rising Star
« Reply #69 on: March 29, 2010, 06:02:45 PM »
There was a painful silence as Byakuren's last words tailed off. Her eyes seemed blank, almost empty as a few stray tears made their way down her cheek. At her side, Murasa was looking away instincitvely, while Ichirin was patting Unzan on the head and murmuring words of comfort.

My heart felt like it had been stepped on. Sitting next to me, Nazrin had bent her neck downwards so as to stop the others from seeing her face. I was the only one close enough to make out the little drops of water that were falling on her dress.

I placed my hand on her lap as a sign of solidarity. I could hear her murmur something under her breath.

"...Don't make me go through something like that. Please."

I nodded. What else could I do? I couldn't have wished that sort of incident on her - on anyone, in fact. Byakuren had just about managed to regain herself, starting on the story again.

"My memory of the next few weeks is hazy. We-no. I was fortunate enough to have landed close to a small human settlement. They took me in and nursed me back to health, to whatever extent my body wasn't able to on its own. They were just faces to me. I paid them no mind.

The image just played over in my head, repeating endlessly. The last smile on Myouren's face before he died. Not because I wanted to remember him, but because it was so horrifying. When I slept, I dreamt that I was lying beside his body again, as cold and lifeless as it had been when they found me. They told me it was a miracle that I had survived a fall like that. Not that it mattered to me. I would have given everything I owned if it meant I could have back my brother. But those deals don't exist, do they...?"

She was getting emotional again. I bit my lip.

"U-Uh, Hijiri. It's okay if you want to stop here-"

"No. It's not okay. You need to know, because in a few days your lives as you know them will be over and it's all my fault."

She snapped at me, with a feral desperation in her eyes. It vanished soon after, replaced by guilt.

"...I'll be fine. I've told this story before. Don't worry about me."

"But-"

"Just let her finish, dammit. You're not making things easier."

Murasa joined in, silencing me completely. I immediately regretted speaking out in the middle of her soliloquy, feeling myself shrink visibly.

Nazrin clasped her hand tighter around mine. It helped a little. Byakuren started to speak again.

"...Anyway. After a few weeks I was physically fit and able to walk. It comforted me to know that Myouren had received a burial - the norm for monks was to have their bodies left in the open for the vultures to peck at and feed on. It would be a lesson on anicca, the concept of impermanence.

...I don't think I would have been able to deal with seeing him like that.

The Tobikura was almost completely destroyed after the crash. There was likely another lesson in that - even something as magnificent and miraculous as the Soaring Vault would come to a painful, abrupt end. Not that I would have noticed at the time - I was too caught up in my own despair to truly pay attention to the world around me. I collected what remnants of the Tobikura I could and took them around wherever I went. They were my last mementos of my brother, all I had to remember him by. Just planks of wood. Looking back, I guess I was rather pathetic..."

If anything, the worst part was when she stopped talking, when we had to contend with that awful silence. If it weren't for Nazrin's warm hand in mine, I would have likely burst into tears myself at the thought of it. I felt a newfound pity for Byakuren - I had never realised her life had been so arduous.

"I travelled, moving from village to village and surviving on donations as I had with Myouren. It was a hard life, but it was all I could manage. I was uneducated, and I had no family to tend to. I performed minor ceremonies, but I was never really taken seriously - after all, I was a woman. What right did I have to be a monk?

And amongst all this, there was another problem I couldn't bring myself to face. It was an undeniable fact that with every step I took, every breath, every instant of time, I was slowly dying. Maybe it would be tomorrow, maybe I would die of old age decades from now. Perhaps even more frightening was the fact I wouldn't know until it was too late. Death hung over me, haunting my dreams and fuelling my nightmares."

Things seemed to be coming to a head now. Her head rose again, and looked to me.

"Shou. You are aware of the paradox in my story, correct?"

Hearing her suddenly return to her stern, severe voice stunned me for a moment, and even then it was hard for me to force out a nod. I didn't want to hear any more of this. I wanted to go back to our everyday lives and act like this had never happened. But the time for that had ended long ago.

"...Yes. The tale of Myouren was written centuries ago. Which would make you the oldest human alive."

Byakuren shrugged.

"I wonder if I'm even human anymore. The truth is, one day the fear of dying simply became too much for me to bear. I decided to disregard the scriptures, my teachings, and even the advice of Myouren. Ahead of every other desire I had - for enlightenment, for love, for anything - I absolutely did not want to die.

Buddhism does not disagree with the idea that gods exist. It simply claims that they are trapped in the same cycle of death and rebirth as we are. And so...I delved into the dark arts. The forbidden rituals. The power of demons. All for a way to maintain my youth for all eternity."

My stomach caved in on itself. That was exactly what I'd been fearing - to extend a life beyond its natural span was a violation of samsara, of the natural order of the world. Only demons would be so willing to take this order apart.

"It took years to find a tome describing the ritual, and longer still to collect what I needed. By the time I had finally finished the preparations I was already rather aged myself, but at last everything was ready.

I would live forever. But to do so, I had to literally sell my soul to the devil."

---

"...There. That's the circle done, to the letter."

I am panting, which is mildly distressing. Twenty years ago, I would have been able to put this ritual together with no strain whatsoever. Now, it seems I've been cursed with the rattling bones of an old woman.

All the more reason to carry on, then.

I have found a large clearing in an old, withering forest. A complicated magical circle is drawn out on the floor, lines dug lightly into the barren earth. There are runes and symbols in a language I cannot say I truly understand. Words from a language long forgotten, long sent spiralling into another world entirely.

I do not have the tome with me. I no longer need it - I have memorised every aspect of this ritual to a tee. I only need to perform one more step now, and it is a step I have practised many times.

I take from a bag at my side a small bottle, filled with blood. It is mine, and it is a collection I have been building up for some time. A drop a day, as the spell said, for ten years of the caster's life. A sign of dedication, they call it. I place it at my feet, holding a small knife in my hand.

I prick my finger. I winced the first time, but by now I am used to it. I hold the finger above the open bottle, waiting for a drop of fresh blood to slip into it. There is a tiny plop as it lands. The blood within looks roughly the same as it did before, but it now holds a meaning it did not before.

Carefully, I lift the bottle into my hands again. For a moment, I wonder what would happen if I were to drop it now. Ten years of effort wasted, and I may not even survive the next ten. My hands grip it with inhuman strength as that fear crosses my mind.

I make it to the edge of the clearing, dropping to my knees. The imprints on the ground are an intricate symbol, but they mean nothing without power. This spell is ironically powered by life itself - the blood I have collected acts as fuel. The book advised using the lives of others to hasten the process, but that was a level I had no intention of stooping to.

"Alright. Please, please, work."

Carefully, I tip the bottle. Its contents seep out, landing on the markings on the ground and sliding along the paths I have made for them. After so long they seem to move on their own accord, and the blood travels as if alive. The entire symbol starts to glow, faintly, as the magic of blood starts to seep into the ground. The earth itself starts to moan, as if in fear of what I am about to unleash.

Now is the time. I begin the incantation.

"Answer now, the witch's call
Greatest demon of them all
Underneath these crimson skies
Goddess, Shinki, now arise!"


The light coming from the ground intensifies. It is a dark, almost black colour, and its reach extends upwards into the air. The blue sky fades, and for a moment the sky above me is the colour of blood. The engraving flashes, letting off an inhuman scream. It is painful, agonising.

But it will be worth it, I tell myself.

As my sight returns, I realise I am no longer alone in this clearing.

"...Hmm. So, this is the human world? It has been some time since I was last summoned here."

There is a woman standing in the midst of my magical circle. She is examining the trees around her, and she smiles at the grim atmosphere they give off. Her light-blue eyes seem too youthful, her white hair more akin to an angel than the demon she is supposed to be. Her dark red robes appear more fitting in that regard, though even then they are surprisingly unrevealing. The books said that demons revealed their sizable busts as clearly as possible, but this woman seems rather humble.

Immediately I run towards her with all the pace my body can muster. I pant a little, but do my best to hide it as I fall to my knees beneath her. I stumble on my words in my haste as she looks down on me in curiosity.

"G...Great goddess of Makai, I have called upon you as charted in the forbidden tomes to offer my servitude to-"

"My, you are awfully energetic for your age. You don't seem the type to hold so strongly to that formal tone of yours."

She is smiling. Why is she smiling? Demons are not supposed to smile so cheerfully. For a moment I fear that I have summoned the wrong spirit after all, a trickster at best.

She sees my concern, and if anything that seems to entertain her further. She places a hand on my cheek. I nearly flinch from its ice-cold touch. That sort of coldness could not possibly come from anything that lived. Her eyes, though, are gentle, looking down on me like a mother.

"I can see it, you know. Why you summoned me."

She smiles, too sweetly to be genuine. They say that the devil often emerges in the form of an ange, and I can believe it now.

"Death, is it not? Of course, it is a common fear among mortals, but within you it is especially strong. Strong enough that you were willing to resort to calling upon me, correct?"

I feel a lump rising in my throat. Not because I am terrified (though I cannot deny that) but because I am enawed. I manage to force out a nod.

"Y...Yes."

"So you would willingly throw yourself away? Offer everything you have to avoid your own inevitable end?"

The way she words it, it's almost as if she wants me to think it over. She should be savouring the soul I'm about to offer her, shouldn't she?

Or maybe she's just rubbing it in, because she knows I have no intention of taking it back. I nod again.

"...Yes, I would. I am weak, and I don't need to be told as much again."

Shinki moves her hand away, sighing. Her touch hangs on my cheek for a few moments as she closes her eyes in thought, pondering.

"Hm, how to go about this..."

This is not how Shinki is supposed to act. Not according to those who praise their gods, not according to the tomes, not according to anyone I had ever discussed it with. Even Myouren would not have expected such behaviour from the supposed goddess of Makai. Was she not an evil god, through and through?

She clicks her fingers, smiling in satisfaction.

"That should work nicely."

Her hand clenches into a fist, and I can see a light slipping out from beneath her fingers. She continues to smile, the spell requiring no effort on her part whatsoever. The light fades after a few seconds, and she opens her hand to reveal a beautiful violet butterfly.

"Swallow this. Don't worry, it's merely a manifestation of magic. It's not alive."

I ponder for an instant if this is a trap. Was it not more to the devil's liking to take the soul and then not offer her end of the deal? This seems almost too honourable from her.

The fear is gone soon after, though, when I realise what is at stake. This is what I have been yearning for, is it not? My eternal life, my chance to cheat death and save myself. If I doubt now, this chance may never come again.

Silencing my fears, I take the butterfly from Shinki's outstretched hand. It feels warm in comparison to the touch of its creator, fluttering its wings slightly as it moved into my grasp. It makes no attempt to flee as I move it towards my open mouth, ready to swallow it whole.

Go on, Shinki. Start laughing. You've tricked me somehow, haven't you? That's what you do. You're a demon. I'm going to eat this and my eternal soul will be yours somehow. Bask in your victory already, you're making me nervous.


Shinki does not respond to my silent pleas for a boast, still looking at me with the mildly interested eyes she had before. Perhaps she will leave it until after it is too late to turn back. No matter.

I swallow the butterfly in a single gulp, feeling it make its way down my throat.

?!

Pain. Pain pain pain pain pain. Everywhere, pain. Like fire. Can't stand. On my knees. Trying to throw up, but I can't. That colour. The violet. It's expanding. Getting better, going everywhere. It feels like I'm being torn inside out. Can't breathe. It hurts.

"I'm sorry, but if I had told you how painful it would be you would have been too afraid. Forgive me."

I hear her, but I'm not listening. I don't even have the power to choke out a groan. I'm crying, feeling my tears drip onto my burning hands. I can make out every vein, every wrinkle, every sign of age.

Can't I?

Wait. No. No, I can't.

It's...going backwards. My hands, they're...growing younger. More slender, more healthy. There's a power welling up in me, a power that the last twenty years had slowly taken from me. I can't see my face, but I can almost feel my skin brightening, my vision returning to its perfect 20/20.

Against everything, I smile. Not even because the pain is starting to fade. But because, in the end, it has all been worth it. I can feel the magic within me, holding time's advance at bay.

I am young again. And now I always will be.

"Hah...hah..."

I pant from exhaustion. Even with my newfound youth, my body still has its limits. My hands dig deep into the earth beneath me, damp from my own tears.

A hand reaches down to me.

"Here, let me help you up."

Shinki grins again. What am I supposed to say? Do I thank her? Or is she about to claim her end of the bargain? I decide not to ponder it and simply accept her help. I rise back to my feet, beaming.

"You are aware that no power comes for free. Fortunately, I have no need to ask for a cost from you - the magic is its own cost."

She speaks in riddles now? I tilt my head in confusion, leaving the goddess to sigh again.

"My magic may be strong, but there is only one thing that can dispel it. Put simply, if humans were to stop believing powers like this existed, their faith would be enough to make it fact."

Wait. No. I must not be understanding this right. That would be insane. Impossible, maybe.

"Wait...so if people stop believing in magic, I'll..."

She nods, her grin growing more solemn.

"Yes. You will become mortal again, and more than likely collapse into a pile of dust from age."

I feel a scream catch in my throat. At last, the catch kicks in. My stomach goes light.

"So...am I to spread your word? Offer sacrifices? Kill in your name?"

She winces, as if offended.

"Oh, don't be ridiculous! Nothing brutish like that. Besides, you seem more akin to work on another basis."

Shinki's eyes close, examining me closely. So this is how a caged animal feels.

"What do you know about youkai?"

The name rings a bell. It was the term for magical creatures in general, wasn't it? Shinki sees the understanding in my eyes, and continues accordingly.

"If youkai continue to exist, magic cannot truly fade away. So I would suggest you do what you can to protect the youkai of this world, dear."

Silence.

"...Is that it? Where's the catch?"

Shinki smiles again.

"What catch? Is it that much to ask you to do a good thing?"

This is not what I expected. I was prepared to perform any indecency, and yet Shinki was asking nothing of me. Not to say I'm not overjoyed, but

"Now, then, miss?"

"H-Hijiri. Byakuren Hijiri."

Her asking for my name? That seems like a-

"A-Ah!?"

Shinki had slipped to her knees and kissed my hand. I'm blushing visibly, and well aware of it. Apparently demons didn't really care about status that much.

Or maybe Shinki is more than a demon. Maybe she really is divine.

"I wish you the best of luck."

There is a shimmering light behind her, and to my surprise six magnificent wings emerge from her back. She jumps upwards into the air, her wings collapsing in around her.

"W-Wait! Why are you doing this!?"

One last question. That's all I want. She looks down, grinning, as the light from her back envelops her.

"Demons are youkai too, aren't they?"

The wings fold up around Shinki, surrounding her in a ball of pure light. The light starts to fade, until eventually all that remains of Shinki are the markings I had left on the ground to invoke her.  Dried up blood hangs on the earth, its power drained.

I am alone again. But I am not the same person I was before. As long as the youkai survive, so will I.

I will lie, cheat and steal if necessary. My time as a monk has gained me trust, and now is the time to make the most of it. Claim to be a youkai hunter, but simply give the youkai a place to hide and survive. They keep me alive, I keep them out of harm's way. It's a win-win situation.

So, for my own sake, the youkai must not die.


---

Spoiler:
As a warning, it looks like we're about to go into something resembling a Flashback Arc. DWI.

Alfred F. Jones

  • Estamos orgullosos del Batall?n Lincoln
  • *
  • y de la lucha que hizo por Madrid
Re: Rising Star
« Reply #70 on: March 29, 2010, 06:25:12 PM »
Edge of my seat here. Aaah, Byakuren, how I both hate and admire you for what you've done...

I like your Shinki more than I like mine :( And like hell would I complain about a flashback arc. This is going to be so good, I just know it. :3

Silent Harmony

  • Everybody needs the Pharmarcy
  • Justice never dies!
Re: Rising Star
« Reply #71 on: March 29, 2010, 07:54:24 PM »
ahahahahahahaHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

YES! So worth the wait!

Just like Ruro says, your Shinki's awesome. But not only that, your Byakuren... oh my lord your Byakuren is simply amazing! The desperation in her being to defeat death is absolutely tangible; this is the Byakuren I've been waiting so long for!

If the rest of the flashback remains this good, I will almost wish you never go back to present.

1CC List (all shmups)
League of Legends / Battle.net: Harmony11(#1694)

Re: Rising Star
« Reply #72 on: March 29, 2010, 08:51:46 PM »
I giggled at Shinki. (She's actually a lot like my own version, actually, except, um, less goofy and hyper ...)

Esifex

  • Though the sun may set
  • *
  • It shall rise again
Re: Rising Star
« Reply #73 on: March 29, 2010, 10:55:20 PM »
Fuck YES this is epic.

♛ Apher-Forte

  • Am I to go home...or shall I stay alone?
  • *
  • Forever lost at sea, a distant bell rings for me
    • Himitsu's NSFW Blog ~ contains NSFW material
Re: Rising Star
« Reply #74 on: March 30, 2010, 02:56:54 PM »
A wondrous description of the coming of power to become superhuman.

So if her followers are strong, so must she.

  <-- my artwork thread, click me!
[ Find my cosplay photos here. ] OMG I HAVE TUMBLR FOLLOW PLZX Will You Remember Me... ?

FinnKaenbyou

  • Formerly Roukanken
  • *
  • blub blub nya
Re: Rising Star
« Reply #75 on: April 03, 2010, 11:18:53 PM »
The air felt frigid as Byakuren's tale came to an end. I couldn't think of anything meaningful to say, and from the looks of it neither could anyone else.

Actually, that wasn't quite true. There were plenty of thoughts running through my mind right now, but all of them were either declarations of disgust or betrayal. She was the example I had looked towards once - an idol, an icon of worship and selflessness. Now it turned out that everything she had done was out of greed alone, out of fear of something that for the rest of us was inevitable.

Worst of all, she had violated samsara. The endless cycle of life and death. Without accepting the impermanence of life, enlightenment was impossible. In every possible meaning of the term, Byakuren was a false prophet.

I felt something gripping tightly at my hand. Nazrin's hand had clasped around mine, squeezing until I could barely feel my fingers.

"...I knew it."

Three small words, but each was packed to the brim with hatred.

"You tried to sell yourself as some self-sacrificing saint when you took me in. I wasn't meant to ask questions, I was just meant to keep my head down and prosper. I was grateful. Hell, I nearly trusted you at one point."

She let go of my hand and rose to her feet. I had never seen an emotion rise across her face so powerfully, but her anger was enough to even strike fear into my heart.

"And what happens? It turns out you're just some scared little bitch who can't deal with the fact that she isn't going to be young forever. I'd be fine with that, but giving me the whole holier-than-thou deal?"

Byakuren made no attempt to flee as Nazrin stomped towards her. Murasa and Ichirin kept their distance as well, though their pained faces suggested something along the lines of sympathy. Why, I wondered? Hadn't they been tricked in the same way Nazrin had?

For a moment, the two of them just stared at each other. Nazrin's eyes filled with disgust, while Byakuren looked back with a completely blank expression. Devoid of guilt or remorse.

The sound of a hand slapping fiercely into Byakuren's face echoed throughout the temple.

"Go to hell. Oh, wait, I forgot. You can't."

Nazrin turned on her heels and made for her own chamber. I considered stopping her, but right now having her anywhere near Byakuren was probably not the best idea.

"...Understandable."

The fallen monk muttered to herself as she rubbed at her cheek. Her pristine, perfect face was marred by an ugly red mark. Her face remained perfectly neutral, as if telling her tale had drained all the emotion out of her.

"And what about you, Shou? What do you think of me?"

She didn't seem to think she needed to ask. Maybe my face was giving away my feelings - anger at being lied to, being manipulated just so she could gain the faith of my fellow tigers. For all intents and purposes I should have pounced on her now and picked up where Nazrin had left off.

And yet I didn't.

"...You taught me better than that, Hijiri. If anything, I pity you and your sorry state."

Compassion. Karuna. Hatred was one of the three root poisons, the path away from enlightenment. It was easy to hate, and hard to forgive.

As I was now, I was strong enough to avoid one but not embrace the other.

"...Hm. You are a fine disciple, Shou. I can hardly call you my own pupil anymore, though, can I?"

Byakuren managed a weak smile as I rose to my own feet. I needed time to myself, maybe spend with Nazrin. This had been a long day, and right now I didn't think I could deal with anything else.

"There's...one more thing you need to know."

I jinxed it, didn't I?

"You see, Murasa and Ichirin didn't come to see me on a friendly visit. They came to warn me. I have something of a reputation with the human populace by now, and it isn't the friendly respectable one I had when I started. I've...been called a demon, and sometimes not even figuratively.

I thought this temple was small enough to offer me refuge, but they've found me. The local villagers are planning an attack on me, and they aren't alone. They've called on a specialist, a shrine maiden to seal me away because they know they can't kill me.

Her name is Misato Hakurei, and she's leading the charge. They'll be here at dawn, and they intend to burn this temple down to the ground."

---

Unsurprisingly, my plan of sleeping off today's events ended up going out of the window after that. I sat alone in my quarters on my bed, watching the stars and waiting as the night wore on. There were still several hours before dawn. Before the inevitable attack.

I intended to defend the temple, that was for sure. I would stop them from harming Vaisravana. But Byakuren? Her actions were meaningless thanks to her lack of genuine intent. It would be wrong for her not to face the consequences for her lies. She would get what she deserved, for her own sake.

Nazrin had locked herself away, and wouldn't answer to my calls or knocks. The only sound I could hear coming out of her room was the occasional choked sob. It made sense she didn't want anyone seeing her when she was like that, so I left her as she was. So, it seemed, I was alone until the sun made its appearance.

There was a light tap on the door.

"Toramaru-san? Sorry for intruding, but I'd like to talk to you."

Ichirin's voice was barely loud enough to make it through the door. I figured that some company would at least help me pass the time.

"Come in."

She nudged the door open, just far enough for her to slip inside. Unzan flowed through the hole with much more ease, and she closed the door behind him. There was a nervous frown on her face as she looked down at me. I imagine my face must have looked rather stern then, too caught up in the night's events to find the time for friendliness.

"I apologise for stepping in, but I want to talk to you about tomorrow. About Hijiri."

"I'd rather not. It's not a topic I want to think of any more than I have to right now."

It had taken all the resolve I had not to submit to my base desires and pummel Byakuren's face to a pulp. Bringing the subject up again could easily have convinced me to go back and finish the job, and right now I wanted to avoid that.

"Toramaru-san...I don't think you know the whole story. Hijiri doesn't give herself the credit she deserves, really."

"She said it herself, didn't she? There was no generosity behind what she did. She just wanted to stay alive."

I was being painfully blunt, but honestly I wanted to shut this discussion down as soon as possible. The more I sat and dwelled on what she did, the worse I would feel. I hoped that was enough to convince Ichirin that I had given up on listening to her.

Ichirin's hand gripping around my arm suggested otherwise.

"Please. I know this will be hard to believe, but...Hijiri doesn't give herself enough credit. Maybe she was looking out for herself in the beginning, but she really does have our best interests in mind. I think she's so convinced that she's a sinner that she won't even believe it herself. Just let me say my part, at the very least."

This sounded desperate. Maybe even slightly deluded. But Ichirin's face was perfectly calm, and she seemed totally convinced about what she was saying. From what I'd seen of her she seemed the more rational of the visiting pair. Her eyes, a dark shade of purple, spoke of a genuine concern.

Perhaps I could handle listening to another story tonight.

"...Alright. I'm assuming Hijiri led you towards her religion as well?"

Ichirin let go of my arm, sitting next to me on my bed. She took a deep breath before starting.

"No, Toramaru-san. I owe Hijiri more than simply giving me some moral epiphany. In short, I owe her my life."

---

Where am I? I don't know. All I can see right now are trees flying past.

I've been running for hours now. I can barely feel my legs, but I know that if I stop they'll come for me. Come, like they did for Mama and Papa. How long ago was that? Weeks, maybe months. After so long being alone time loses its hold over you.

Why do they do it, though? We haven't done anything wrong, have we? It's not like we were hurting the humans. We were just trying to get by. Why do they hate us so much?

I only hear one pair of footsteps following me. That means I have a better chance of losing him, but no matter which steps I take it feels like he's coming nearer all the time. I can't run any faster than I am now, and I'm tired...so tired...

No. I need to stay strong. Papa would be sad if he saw me give up like this. He'd scold me, saying something like 'Ichirin, aren't you a big girl now?'. Mama always got mad at him when he said things like that, saying he was putting too much pressure on me. She kissed me on the forehead and told me she loved me just the way I was.

I miss that feeling.

...I'm crying, aren't I? Not now, I tell myself. I'll run into a tree like this. I wipe my eyes, swerving around the trees to try and avoid my assailant.

I'm moving so fast now, and I have no idea how I haven't hit anything yet. It's hard to describe - it feels like there's a voice in my head telling me when to move left and right. I don't know where it's coming from, but it's been right so far so I'm willing to trust it. Maybe the bad man has a voice in his head too, because he's still keeping up.

I stop thinking. No time to think. Just run.

The trees give way, and my dash leads me into a grassy clearing in the middle of the forest. I definitely can't stay here, there isn't even anywhere for me to hide, I need to keep moving-

No. No, I can't. I don't have anything left. My legs are ready to snap, my chest is on fire, and I'm exhausted. I stumble for four, maybe five steps, until finally my knees buckle and I collapse onto the still warm grass. I'm panting, harder than I ever have before, trying to muster the strength to stand, but it's useless. I can hear the bad man's footsteps as he walks into the clearing.

"My, aren't you energetic for your age?"

Wait, it isn't a bad man. It's a bad woman. I turn my head around to look at her, but at this angle all I can see is her face. Her hair is strange - it starts brown but turns purple on the way up. A pair of light brown eyes are looking down at me, but she doesn't even seem winded. I didn't even know humans could run for so long.

But I don't care about any of that now. I need to get away.

"A...aah..."

I croak out a groan as I try to pull myself away from her. Her face is gentle, but if anything that makes her more frightening. Because I know what she's going to do to me.

"Don't worry, everything's going to be fine...just take my hand, little girl."

She's trying to play the loving mother card. Treating me like a kid, acting as if she wants to help me. She knows I'm scared and she wants to take advantage of me.

"H...haah..."

And in a lot of ways, she's right. I want someone to hold my hand right now. I want to dig my head in someone's chest and cry. I want Papa to pop out from behind this woman and tell me it's all a joke. I want Mama to wrap around me like a blanket and whisper a lullaby in my ear as I fall asleep.

But I'll never have any of those.

"Aah...aah...!"

My heart is racing, but my body still won't move. She comes closer as she realises I won't work with her. I can't get away.

I don't want to die. Not like this. Not lying in a grassy field at the mercy of some cruel, twisted human. But I can't do anything to stop her.

No, no, no, no, no no no no nonononodon'tcomeanycloserdon'thurtmeIdon'twanttodieIdon'twanttodieIdon'twanttodiiiiiie-

"AAAAAAAH!"

I scream.

And something answers.

I just make out the woman's face looking up, above me, before it hits her. It's huge, as large as I am, and it's shaped like a gigantic fist. It collides with the human's face at incredible speed, and it sends out a shockwave making patterns in the grass beneath me. Her body literally crumples from the impact, and I lose sight of her body as it slams into a tree somewhere behind me.

She's gone. She has to be gone. I'm safe.

The fist fades away as it finishes its duty. I can just about make out a voice at my side.

"...Fear not, child. I will not let them harm you. That was all the strength I had, though...allow me to rest alongside you, if you will."


The voice is kind and warm. Like Papa's, almost. I lie where I am for a few minutes and take deep breaths, letting the strength come back into my body. The first drops of rain fall onto my face, cooling me down. I feel something soft beneath my left hand, and I stroke it. It feels wonderful.

"Who...are you?"

I realise this must have been how Mama and Papa always felt. They always had someone to talk to, someone to confide in. They had their nyuudou.

This was mine.

"In my time among the living, I was known as Unzan. Call me that."


"Unzan...right. Pleased to meet you."

I don't know how I'm calm enough to greet him so casually. Maybe after everything all my emotions have boiled over. After the running, the hiding, the fighting, maybe I'm just out of feelings.

"That one hurt."

Or not. Fear is still there, definitely still there.

No. She can't be back. Not after what happened, not after what happened to her. But she's there, still standing over me, still wearing that smile of hers.

"It is good to see your nyuudou is so loyal. You're a strong girl."

How can she still smile? That must have hurt. It should have killed her, even. And still she smiles as if it's the most natural thing in the world to her. My mind can't process what's going on any more.

So it stops trying, and I pass out.

I can hear a voice in my ear as I lose consciousness. Gentle, friendly.

"Don't worry, dear. Everything is going to be okay."

The last thing I manage to think is that the voice doesn't belong to Unzan. Then, darkness.

Kasu

  • Small medium at large.
  • This soup has an explosive flavour!
Re: Rising Star
« Reply #76 on: April 03, 2010, 11:49:18 PM »
Dammit Rou.  Why are you so good at character's back-stories?

Apparently, Thomas the Tank Engine isn't one to take crap from anyone.

Esifex

  • Though the sun may set
  • *
  • It shall rise again
Re: Rising Star
« Reply #77 on: April 04, 2010, 02:16:42 AM »
This issss eeeeeepic

Re: Rising Star
« Reply #78 on: April 05, 2010, 11:43:08 PM »
This.

Amazing.

And to think that I stumbled upon it only after I gave up on finding good UFO fanfic in favor of just finding a place where I could gush to people about my love for UFO in general and Byakuren in particular.  I was already fascinated by the fic when the initial chapters led me to believe that the story would focus squarely on Shou, and now that the latest chapters appear to be delving deeper and deeper into what is undoubtedly my favorite aspect of UFO, namely Byakuren's backstory, the fic has become nothing short of irresistible to me.  I especially love the meeting with Shinki and its implications for Byakuren's time in Makai (if you ever plan to go that far with the fic), as well as the portrayal of Byakuren's relationship with Shou immediately prior to the former's capture and imprisonment, because I can already guess how that might offer an alternative explanation for Shou's lack of action during that event.  Granted, I have no idea whether or not you intend to have Ichirin (or Murasa, or anyone else for that matter) sway Shou (and/or Nazrin) into forgiving Byakuren, but either way, your setup of the situation seems to imply that Shou's inaction during Byakuren's capture (assuming you plan for that part to follow canon) won't simply be due to the given canon explanation, i.e. work-induced absence.

Random pointless completely ignorable nitpick: The fic seems to imply that Byakuren has already been alive for at least a few centuries, but assuming the canonical Gensokyo timeline, which largely coincides with and sometimes even depends on the "real world" timeline, Byakuren could not have lived for much more than one century between the time of Myouren's death and her sealing, since Myouren lived around the early 900s AD (during the reign of Emperor Daigo, who was a living character in the Shigisan Engi) and Byakuren said in UFO that she hadn't been able to help the youkai for over 1000 years, which we can assume is how long she was sealed.  Since the coincidence of Gensokyo and real world time means UFO took place in early 2000 AD, over 1000 years before that would be ~1000 AD, no more than a century after the events of the Shigisan Engi.


FinnKaenbyou

  • Formerly Roukanken
  • *
  • blub blub nya
Re: Rising Star
« Reply #79 on: April 06, 2010, 12:03:46 AM »
Kakkesu: Glad to hear I've managed to sate your hunger. Apologies for the slipup in the timeline - I'd been using the articles from the Touhou Wiki as a guide for the most part, along with some of my education on Buddhism itself, and I guess I wasn't being thorough enough and didn't realise I had a smaller interval to work with than I'd thought. Hopefully you won't mind if I make a mistake with the canon here or there - after all, Dan Brown was a massive author for a while, and he basically made facts up as he went along. :V

Esifex

  • Though the sun may set
  • *
  • It shall rise again
Re: Rising Star
« Reply #80 on: April 06, 2010, 12:06:21 AM »

Random pointless completely ignorable nitpick: The fic seems to imply that Byakuren has already been alive for at least a few centuries, but assuming the canonical Gensokyo timeline, which largely coincides with and sometimes even depends on the "real world" timeline, Byakuren could not have lived for much more than one century between the time of Myouren's death and her sealing, since Myouren lived around the early 900s AD (during the reign of Emperor Daigo, who was a living character in the Shigisan Engi) and Byakuren said in UFO that she hadn't been able to help the youkai for over 1000 years, which we can assume is how long she was sealed.  Since the coincidence of Gensokyo and real world time means UFO took place in early 2000 AD, over 1000 years before that would be ~1000 AD, no more than a century after the events of the Shigisan Engi.


Wow, someone does their research! Very nice. I applaud you for your knowledge, but must remind you of the MST3K Mantra; It's just a story, don't worry about it.
Consider that your little one-up on Rou - you're more informed than he is! Now you can sit back and grin to yourself as you read this~
But the point is to read it and be entertained. Never forget that.
/thumbsup

Re: Rising Star
« Reply #81 on: April 06, 2010, 12:42:19 AM »
@ Roukanken: No worries!  There's a reason I put the nitpick in tinyfont and called it "completely ignorable" - one little bit of missed math does absolutely nothing to compromise the amazing quality of the fic.  In all honesty I probably could've kept that note to myself; I was just so excited to see someone giving so much attention to Byakuren's backstory that I couldn't suppress the urge to share.

@ Internet Carebear: I absolulety agree with your sentiments, which is, again, why I think maybe I should've just left out that "nitpick."  And tbh if it weren't for the fact that I'm toying with the idea of writing my own Byakuren fic with as much basis in UFO and Shigisan Engi as possible, I would not have bothered to do any research.  In fact, I half-regret doing the research because I discovered, among other things, that Myouren's sister was already an old lady by the time she set out to find him, which completely overturns my original conceptualization of them spending most of their adult lives together (a conceptualization shared by all but one of the fanworks I've seen so far depicting Byakuren's life with Myouren).  As for why the overturning of this conceptualization caused me regret, well... I rather enjoy the idea of Byakuren having a brother complex and possibly also acting on it while neither of them are old/wrinkly enough for it to become Lemonparty-level nightmare fuel why yes I do find the concept of sibling physical intimacy appealing yet the concept of old people physical intimacy gross i swear there can be no accounting for taste.
« Last Edit: April 06, 2010, 12:57:10 AM by kakkesu »

Esifex

  • Though the sun may set
  • *
  • It shall rise again
Re: Rising Star
« Reply #82 on: April 06, 2010, 01:23:05 AM »
that I couldn't suppress the urge to share.

There is nothing wrong with that.

FinnKaenbyou

  • Formerly Roukanken
  • *
  • blub blub nya
Re: Rising Star
« Reply #83 on: April 14, 2010, 02:32:03 AM »
Oh damn, it's been longer than I thought. Sorry for the wait - had trouble coming up with inspiration for this segment. -_-

-----

I wake up feeling strangely comfortable.

For a moment, I simply stare up at the rocky ceiling of what I assume must be a cave in the mountains. There's a blanket hanging over me, as I can make out the crackling sounds of a nearby fire. And finally, I can feel something holding my head off the ground, giving it somewhere to lie.

A voice rises up from below.

"You have awakened, child."

Unzan's voice is concerned, as I expected. My family, the Kumoi, were renowned among the youkai of the land for our ability to communicate and work alongside nyuudou spirits. It was passed in the blood, from parent to child, and no magician has ever managed to copy the ability and use it themselves. Mama and Papa would tell me stories about how our family had once been among the highest in the realm, said to rule over the clouds themselves.

But the one foe we had not been prepared for, they had told me, was man. Men were intelligent, and more importantly they were numerous. It didn't matter how strong a Kumoi or his nyuudou was - he would still be slain if he was overwhelmed by the enemy. So we simply lost a battle of attrition, and were reduced to our current size, where we could barely keep the bloodline running.

Maybe everything I went through was just a dream. A rite of passage or something like that, concocted by my brain in order to explain where Unzan had come from. I like the idea. It makes sense, in a strange twisted sort of way.

Unfortunately, the woman who stands over me shortly afterwards is enough proof that such a fortunate turn of events was completely impossible.

"Good evening, dear. I was worried for a while that you might never wake up."

It's the hunter, the woman who had been chasing me this whole time. Immediately I startle, trying to get to my feet and make my way out. My body responds - or rather it doesn't, and I suddenly become aware of how much my attempted escape has tired me out. There's a cold moment of horror when I realise I'm entirely at the mercy of this human.

Wait...is she even human? I saw Unzan send her flying into a tree earlier. No human could survive that, and yet here she is without so much as a broken bone. I'm honestly losing track of what's real and what's a dream now.

My stomach rumbles beneath the covers. I suddenly remember that I haven't eaten all day, and probably not the day before that either.

Okay, I'm sure of one thing now, and that's that I'm starving.

The hunter smirks.

"Oh, how could I forget? Growing girls like you need to eat. Give me a little while to cook something up for you!"

She runs into some corner of the cave with who knows what ingredients. I'm still too tired to follow, and for a few minutes I only have Unzan for company.

"...Can we trust her?"

I murmur to Unzan so that I can't be overheard. Unzan responds in the same quiet voice he always uses, convincing me that no-one else will ever be able to make him out.

"I would say we are in no state to refuse her. Be cautious, though - provoking her will do you no favours."

I nod, grimacing at the thought of what this woman was going to do. Maybe the point is that I was the one who's going to be eaten, and she's brought me here to be cooked or something. That makes sense, that'd make her a witch, and maybe she wants to take in my power or something weird like that and-

"Here you go~!"

She reemerges with a bowl just before I descend into outright paranoia. She lays it by my head, and with some effort I manage to sit up and pick up the bowl. Its contents are about as unappetising as food gets - grey and rough, with a few lumps here and there for good measure. The woman looks down on me eagerly, waiting for me to take the first bite.

"Go on, help yourself. You've had a rough time - I think you deserve a free dinner."

This is a trap. It has to be. I'll take one bite and fall asleep again, and then she'll throw me into a cauldron and start stirring me in some sort of broth all while speaking in rhymes. But my stomach still calls out to be tended to, its growls louder than Unzan (which admittedly isn't saying that much) and she's staring eagerly at my face before I start at dinner. She might do something painful to me if I refuse it, so I may as well just take my chances-!

"...Hm?"

Weird. I've never tasted something so...tasteless before. No poisonous aftertaste, no sudden weariness, no urge to be violently ill. Apparently it's just plain food - very, very plain food.

I quickly start munching down on it more out of necessity than anything else. The woman is smiling cheerfully as I eat a proper meal for the first time in days. There's something strange about that smile - it's not what I expected, it doesn't have that slight hint of being overblown that it should have, given that I'm her prisoner. It scares me.

"Ah, where are my manners? All this and I haven't even introduced myself. Byakuren Hijiri, pleased to make your acquaintance."

I stop eating for a moment as I hear the name.

She moves in front of me and leans down, offering a hand to shake. Initially she just assumes I'm too busy with my, uh, whatever this stuff is to notice, but as I put the bowl down I make a deliberate point of not responding.

"...Stay away."

She steps back, her eyes full of shock. Whether it's her surprised that her ploy hasn't fooled me or upset that I still don't trust her after she fed me, I can't tell.

"Ah. So it seems you still don't trust me."

Of course I don't. A rumour had been going round about a Byakuren Hijiri who had moved into the area. Actually, it was a warning more than a rumour - from what we had heard she was a travelling monk turned youkai exterminator, and anyone she was paid to take care of was never heard from again, without fail. Youkai of all kinds had fallen fighting her - there were even rumours that one of the mighty oni had vanished after she had been ordered to take him out.

And now she had come for me.

"W-What do you want?! I'm not hurting anyone! Mama and Papa didn't do anything wrong!"

I'm scared. Of course I'm scared. But what can I do, really? I've seen how strong she is myself. I don't have any way of defending myself, so the last thing I want is an answer. An explanation.

I have no time to be scared. So I need to be angry.

"The local villagers are afraid of you, Miss...Kumoi, correct? That's the name I was told, anyway. Your clan's powers over the nyuudou was a threat to the safety of the village, hence their earlier attack on your people. When they found out about a potential survivor, they called me in to finish the job."

Every word comes out with a tone that basically screams 'this is common knowledge, you should know this already'. All that does is make me angrier, because she hasn't really answered the question. By now I've gone past fear, if only because fear can't do anything for me right now.

"Y-You're not listening! Why are we a threat? For being what we've always been? My Mama and Papa never hurt anyone, and we never got to choose being born as what we are!"

"You are youkai. Humanity will always consider you dangerous for your power."

She comes closer to me, leaning down again. She looks into my eyes, and I see nothing in hers - no emotion of anger, hatred or remorse.  It's terrifying hearing her say these words and look so much like she means them.

"Y-You can't seriously think that! It isn't fair!"

I'm ready for her to kill me right now. I can't stand this woman, so eager to kill something which doesn't want to hurt her, like all the humans. How can one race be so unspeakably cruel, genociding anything it sees as remotely dangerous?

"...Child, you should not provoke her-"

"Quiet!"

Unzan is almost literally blown away as I snap at him. HIs voice trails off into the distance. I know full well pissing off the woman who could probably punch my head clean off my neck is a bad idea, thank you very much. But if the only alternative is sitting here and listening to her spout more of this egotistical crap, I don't think I really care.

"Hm...it is unfair, isn't it?"

She almost dramatically ponders the point for a second as I lift myself, trembling, to my feet. I'll punch her, beat her down until my arms snap clean off, anything. I'm not going down without a fight-

!!!

She moves in, her arms opening wide. My body fails when I need it the most, and I'm too slow to stop her from making her move.

A warm, delicate hug.

"...Huh?"

She supports me as my knees give way from overexertion, her arms holding me fondly. Deliberately making sure I don't get hurt.

She whispers as she pulls her head next to my ear. I recognise it as the one that I heard before I passed out earlier, still as gentle and accepting as it was before.

"And that's why I won't let it happen."

I'm stunned, for the lack of another word. I give up resisting and just let her hold me for a few moments, and she gives me that same honest smile as she pulls her head back.

"I said that I was ordered to kill you. Where did I say I had decided to obey that order?"

Re: Rising Star
« Reply #84 on: April 14, 2010, 12:42:50 PM »
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawwwwww~


I cant find any other words to describe this segment



Alfred F. Jones

  • Estamos orgullosos del Batall?n Lincoln
  • *
  • y de la lucha que hizo por Madrid
Re: Rising Star
« Reply #85 on: April 14, 2010, 04:22:55 PM »
I want Byakuren to give me a hug too ;_;

Re: Rising Star
« Reply #86 on: April 14, 2010, 08:38:45 PM »
I want to give Byakuren a hug. :3

Silent Harmony

  • Everybody needs the Pharmarcy
  • Justice never dies!
Re: Rising Star
« Reply #87 on: April 15, 2010, 07:45:05 PM »
I want to give Ichirin a hug.

1CC List (all shmups)
League of Legends / Battle.net: Harmony11(#1694)

Re: Rising Star
« Reply #88 on: April 15, 2010, 07:51:27 PM »
That too!

Re: Rising Star
« Reply #89 on: April 15, 2010, 11:12:31 PM »
Hugs for everyone!


No Love for Unzan D=


*hugs Unzan