Right, so in order to take a break from the fourth arc of DRK I decided to return to
an older story of mine. It was a fun write, and it was basically the story that gave birth to Sango, but looking back at it from two years on I can't help but feel the thing could use a bit more polish.
I'm going to be uploading the story in its three 'arcs', so to speak. Nothing DRK length, I promise. :V
(Anyone around this morning will have seen an earlier version of this which I ended up taking down after being unsatisfied with it and giving it an overhaul. Apologies to anyone whose time was wasted reading the first draft as a result of this. :colonveeplusalpha:)
-----
The hardest part was already over.
Escape sounded impossible when she?d first thought about it. It meant getting past not just Orin and Utsuho, but the rest of Chireiden to make it to the surface. She?d never make it, no matter how well she timed her exit.
It turned out to be much easier than expected - the pets were sleeping, and no-one else wanted to look her in the eye. As she emerged to see the midnight sky of Gensokyo, she wondered for a moment if this had been TOO easy.
She?d never seen the sky before. It was strange, witnessing a world without a ceiling. She worried for a moment that gravity might suddenly reverse and pull her into space, but after a few seconds of not-flying she discarded that fear.
It was quiet, in terms of thought as well as sound. She couldn?t remember the last time she?d felt truly alone. In Chireiden she?d been constantly assaulted with the thoughts of others, her third eye glaring in without relent. This silence was a rare break for her, and she savoured it. She took slow, deliberate steps toward her destination, appreciating the lack of noise.
This must be how Koishi feels all the time.She?d brought up
that name again. She typically did a good job of keeping her sister out of her thoughts. Not out of hatred, but simply because the thought of Koishi wandering around Gensokyo with no-one to look after her was frightening. Satori had considered searching for her and hauling her home, but based on Koishi?s few visits home Satori couldn?t find the heart. Her sister spoke so cheerfully about the new friends she?d made, the new places she?d visited, that insisting she stay at home felt almost cruel.
If she couldn?t stop Koishi, then, she would have to understand her. She?d make an effort to understand how Koishi travelled and thought. And the first step to that was to use what Koishi relied on to guide her - whatever idea came into her head.
The conept was foreign to Satori. She?d lived a life of rational thought from the moment she was born, helped along by her constant exposure to the thoughts of others. Most of what she allowed to run through her mind was bare-bones calculation.
Sometimes, though, an idea she?d discarded ages before jumped back into her head. Many came from the stories Koishi told during her rare visits home, ideas that only caught her interest weeks after hearing them.
What exactly does swimming feel like?She?d normally have thrown the idea away. It was pointless, fruitless. She?d never need to know how to swim - Chireiden?s only sizable body of water was its reservoir, and you?d likely melt in it before you drowned. Yet the idea had gnawed at her gradually until she caved into her curiosity.
At last her destination drew close. The Mountain of Youkai, spanning up to heights that made Satori?s head spin, and the crystal-clear lakes that circled it. The moon?s light struck the water?s surface, turning it a glistening blue.
Nervously, Satori looked around the nearby bushes. She still wasn?t used to being alone, and she?d die of shame if anyone was watching her right now. After ensuring the coast was clear, she carefully started to undress.
The navy blue swimsuit beneath her clothing wasn?t technically hers. It was one of Koishi?s many ?souvenirs?, the sort that Satori pretended to be grateful for before hurling into some forgotten corner of the palace. They were random bric-a-brac whose purpose even Koishi wasn?t certain about, and thus they typically didn?t get any attention from Satori. This was the first time she?d actually found a use for any of her sister?s gifts.
Leaving her clothes to one side, Satori sat on the edge of the lake. She dipped a toe beneath the surface, flinching as the chill hit her. Of course it was going to be cold, it was the middle of the night. At least nothing had fallen off, so it was safe to swim in.
As for how she?d do it? That couldn?t be too difficult. Maybe she?d never even met anyone who?d been within fifty metres of a water source during her time underground, but wasn?t it just a matter of kicking and keeping your breath inside where it belonged? She?d pick it up as she went along.
?...Nothing ventured, nothing gained, as they say.?
Satori took a deep breath through her nose and held it, steeling herself. Pushing herself forward, she slipped beneath the surface of the water, unseen.
It was a shame she wouldn?t be getting back to the surface on her own any time soon.
-----
Satori went through several reactions in quick succession. First was every hair on her body rising up as the cold water washed over her. Next came a spout of water up her nose, and on sheer instinct she blew out a few bubbles to relieve the feeling. Third was the need to close her eyes - it was like someone had splashed her in the face with water, and never stopped. She needed a moment before she could reopen her eyes without panicking again, and though her vision was fine it was uncomfortable to go more than a second without blinking.
Her third eye, thanks to its magical properties, didn?t suffer from this irritation. It was already picking up the idle thoughts of the surrounding fish, some of whom had been woken up by Satori?s sudden arrival. She looked down, seeing the residents of the lake encircle her like a lynch mob. Were they impressed? Angry? Most importantly, were they hungry? Satori couldn?t tell from their expressions, but her third eye translated.
Man, another one? These satori jump in here all the time nowadays.The rest of the fish started to chime in, their thoughts all coming through in roughly the same fashion. She wasn?t the first satori to visit the lake? Ridiculous. There were only two of her folk remaining, and the other was-
Koishi!?Satori?s mouth hung open, a little gurgle seeping out before she remembered she was underwater. Thinking it over now, it made sense - this WAS the first lake in sight after leaving the underground. Koishi was curious, but also too impatient to settle for anything other than the first body of water she came across. One mystery solved.
On to a more important question - how to get out of the water.
So kick your legs, and...no, that isn?t working.This had seemed so easy in her head. How could water actually be this hard to traverse? Fish had no trouble, and they weren?t exactly ingenious. Then again, fins were better designed for the task than feet.
And why wasn?t she floating? Whatever happened to natural buoyancy? The answer became clear after she stopped struggling - the water itself was holding her down, a small current circling around the lake like a whirlpool. It wasn?t strong, but it was enough to keep an inexperienced swimmer from reaching the surface.
Uh-oh. Looks like she?s about as screwed as the last one as well.That was the last Satori heard from the crowd before they dispersed, swimming off towards the centre of the lake. She?d have been more interested in where they were going if she wasn?t preoccupied.
Realising that swimming was out of the question, Satori went for plan B: climb up the wall of the lake. She made to grab at it, looking for something that resembled a handhold, but the surface was almost perfectly smooth, with nothing large enough for her to grab on to. A sudden pain in her chest reminded her she wasn?t exactly good at holding her breath, either.
This would have been where most people started panicking, flailing around like maniacs trying to reach the surface. Satori, being nothing resembling ordinary, allowed herself a small smile as she started to gurgle away her air.
At least the crowd?s gone. I?d die again of embarrassment if anyone saw this.She wasn?t really calm, but she was in control of herself. Her kicks were more forceful, more aggressive, but ultimately as futile as they had been before. She made a note that when she came back as a fairy in her next life, her first order of business would be to track down Koishi and blame her for this ridiculous death.
Hang on! Help?s on the way!Satori tensed, her third eye picking up a new voice. It carried a different tone, which to Satori meant the speaker (thinker? Sometimes she herself wasn?t sure how to word it) wasn?t one of the small fish from earlier. That was a good sign, but it?d also help if they were faster than the fish as well. She was
really starting to run low on air.
A few seconds later, the thinker (speaker?) appeared. At first Satori thought it was an illusion, a grey blur charging faster than any of the creatures she?d seen in this lake before now. The first sign that it was genuine was that another thought reached her before the blur did.
Grab on, quick!Satori didn?t have time to think or worry. She wrapped her arms around the grey bullet as it dashed past her, before it pulled up on the spot. It charged to the surface, breaking out of the water with an exit ten times louder than Satori?s entry.
Satori?s natural reaction was to gasp for air. She?d never tried drowning before, and she was more than happy to keep it that way. Her panting and choking wasn?t dignified, but dignity was less important than breathing.
After she?d managed to get the immediate threat of deat out of the way, she took a moment to examine the creature who?d saved her. Again, grey was the dominant colour, other than a set of black eyes looking playfully up at her. The creature?s dorsal fin was between Satori?s legs, serving as a makeshift seat. She?d never seen a fish like this, and definitely not one that?d leap out of the water so willingly.
From the back of her head, another of Koishi?s speeches came to life.
?So anyway, I met this girl today! She?s a dolphin, which is like a fish but not really, and she?s reeeally fast and she taught me to swim and...?Satori only partially listened to her sister?s stories - half out of not understanding them, and half out of jealousy that Koishi had seen so much while she was confined to the underground.
So this is a dolphin, then.The creature rose five feet above the water, flying out onto the lakeside before gravity started to pull it down. Satori bit her lip, seeing the creature fall face-first towards solid ground without anything to stop its fall. She wondered for a moment how many bones the creature was about to break.
The answer was zero. When the pair were only a foot from the ground, the dolphin?s form morphed faster than Satori?s eyes could have hoped to follow. Where once Satori had been sitting on the back of a dolphin, she now rested on the shoulders of a human-looking girl. Now that she had actual feet to land with the dolphin fell harmlessly, her arms stretched outwards in some dramatic pose. She looked up to see the curious expression on Satori?s face, and smirked.
?Just what is it with you chest-eye people trying to drown yourselves, anyway??
-----
Satori inspected the dolphin?s new form as she climbed down. The girl?s baggy shirt gave her plenty to grab onto; it was a light blue with darker bubble trails across the sleeves, and smelled faintly of salt. Her foot nudged against something strange - the girl still had a dorsal fin, poking out from a slit on the back of the dolphin?s shirt. Satori had to work her way around it during her descent, trying not to tug too hard on the fabric.
After she?d made it to solid ground - which took longer than she?d thought, with the dolphin being a head taller than she was - Satori stepped away from her rescuer, for the sake of personal space. This seemed to disappoint the girl, who frowned as she saw Satori moving away. Her arms remained outstretched, waiting for someone to stand between them.
?What, you?re not going to give your hero a hug??
The pout the dolphin pulled was well-rehearsed, primed over months of training to target the heart and squeeze it. Satori struggled to resist it for a moment, not keen on the idea of embracing a girl she?d never met before.
I don?t get it. Koishi-chan hugged me all the time. What?s going on...?Acting against her will as always, Satori?s third eye pulled the thoughts right out of the dolphin?s head. They were blurry, repeated, constantly growing in volume and concern. She saw the dolphin?s stance deflate, her shoulders slumping, her arms beginning to fall to her sides.
?...I suppose Koishi has spoiled you in the hug department, hasn?t she??
Her words were sarcastic, but her actions were genuine as she wrapped her arms around the dolphin. If this girl was a friend of Koishi?s, she was a friend of Satori?s as well.
The girl?s giggle told Satori she?d made the right move. She hugged Satori in return, though her grip was much more affectionate.
?That?s right, little girl! You can rest easy knowing that Sango Tororetsu is always ready to stop innocent girls from throwing themselves into large bodies of water!?
Initially Satori assumed it was a joke, but her third eye informed her the dolphin was being deadly serious with her claim. There was raw ambition, genuine pride in her eyes, like she was planning to conquer the world.
Satori?s attention, though, was elsewhere. She found herself being held uncomfortably close to the girl, her face pressed against her chest thanks to their height difference. Sango herself didn?t seem aware of this - not until she looked down to see a pair of nervous violet eyes looking up between her breasts.
That was their cue to break apart, blush wildly, and stutter their way to a less awkward topic.
?So, um. You?ve met my sister, I see.?
Sango shuffled her head in response, her long silver hair now covering most of her face. Satori?s third eye informed her that this was deliberate, but the slight hints of red cheek she could make out on the dolphin?s face would have told her regardless.
?Y-Yeah. Totally. She mentioned she had a sister...Satori, right??
Satori nodded. It was a menial topic, but enough to move them off of the awkward moment from earlier. Her face started to cool down, and Sango pulled her head forward to look her in the eye again. Perhaps now the pair could have something resembling conversation.
?That?d be me, yes. Though now you mention it, what did Koishi say about me??
Sango?s shoulders tensed when the question hit her. Her eyes shifted away to examine the lake?s surface as she scratched her head.
?She, uh, well. It was, uh...not important.?
Evidently, Koishi had forgotten to mention one important fact about Satori. Her third eye picked up Sango?s true thoughts with ease.
What am I supposed to say? That her sister thinks she?s nice but boring? That?d just be mean!Satori furrowed her brow, sighing. It would probably have been better if she hadn?t heard that, but she?d had years of experience when it came to hearing thoughts she?d rather have avoided.
?Nice but boring, you say? I?ll have to give Koishi a talking-to for that.?
?W-Wha!??
Sango?s head jerked back around to Satori, eyes wide open. She looked down at herself, to Satori, then back to herself again.
?I was using my inside voice for that, not the outside voice! How-?
Satori, of course, knew the question before Sango could utter it. One hand fell to the third eye hanging over her chest, raising it up slightly.
?Apologies. I don?t meet new people often, so mentioning the mindreading must have slipped my mind.?
Sango stared Satori in the eye. The third eye, that is. It looked back at her, half-open, never really taking interest. It never focused on anything, Satori had learned - always vaguely looking out, taking in every thought around it. She?d have preferred more selective mindreading, but that wasn?t in her power.
The dolphin glared at Satori?s third eye, suspicious. A realisation washed over her, and she raised one eyebrow.
?So, you?re a satori...named Satori??
?Well...yes.?
Satori cringed. She found her own name embarrassing when people worded it like that. She wished her parents could have been more inventive with their naming - after all, they did a decent job with Koishi.
Sango?s curiosity was satisfied by that, and she nodded to herself. She circled Satori, examining her like an art exhibit. Satori saw the dolphin?s skirt flick around as she turned - long, grey, and still soaking wet. The rest of her outfit had dried off already - magic, undoubtedly.
?Anyway, you never answered my first question. Just why
did you throw yourself into the lake? Koishi-chan?s sort of a maniac, but she always said you were the smart sister.?
Satori blinked, looking upwards with some concern. Why HAD she acted so recklessly? She could have brought all sorts of equipment to pull herself out if things went wrong. A rope, maybe even a ladder if she was desperate.
Then again, would Koishi have brought any of that? Of course not. And she was trying to emulate Koishi in this little endeavour. She started to become vaguely aware that risking her life on a daily basis was not her concept of a good time.
?I just...Koishi talked so much about her adventures, I wanted to see exactly what all was the fuss was about swimming. I suppose there were less dangerous ways to start, weren?t there??
?Pretty much. But next time, could you leave it until the morning? I was nappiiiing...?
Sango rubbed at her eyes, yawning. She?d evidently been asleep when the fish of the lake had gone to call for her.
Great, Satori thought to herself,
something else to be guilty about.?So, uh. You wanna start the lesson now??
Satori blinked.
?Excuse me??
?Well, if anyone?s gonna teach you how to swim, it?s gonna be me.?
Sango puffed her chest out, offering a military salute to Satori as her voice turned harsh and official.
?Ma?am! Sango Tororetsu, professional swimming instructor and all-round adorable character, reporting for duty!?
Koishi had mentioned this before, hadn?t she? The dolphin had taught her, and now she was planning to teach Satori. She?d take the offer if it was open; besides, this Sango girl was starting to grow on her. She was friendly, energetic, and generally the sort of girl that Koishi would get on wonderfully with.
?In that case, Miss Professional, we?d better get started. I assume this is free, right??
?More or less. Just...please, next time you see her, could you ask Koishi-chan to let up on the whole Dolphin Rider thing for once??
?...What??
?Long story. Don?t ask.?
Satori didn't have to. Her third eye had already taken it in. But as she overheard Sango thinking about her duty as 'Koishi-chan's Noble Steed', she began to wish the damn thing had an off switch.
-----
There was no secret technique. Satori was not going to turn from floundering beginner into a master in a few hours. Sango started with the bare basics, teaching her to tread water and ensuring she avoided the currents beneath. The dolphin stayed nearby, ready to grab and pull Satori up again if she went under.
?Watch your rhythm, Satori-san. Keep your arms circling, take deep breaths...?
Satori nodded in vague comprehension. She was more focused on performing the instructions than actually listening to them, kicking with more grace than earlier. She watched her own arms, swinging to her sides, impressed at her own skill. She was so lost in her own training that even the barrage of thoughts running through her third eye seemed distant. That alone was enough for her to enjoy the exercise.
?Wow, you?re a natural! Koishi-chan was a nightmare - she kept splashing water in my face and sinking.?
Satori had to smile. That sounded like exactly what Koishi would do. She could imagine her sister flailing around, giggling at all the noise she was making until she dipped under the water again. As she took a quick break she saw Sango rubbing at her temples, and Satori?s third eye told her that her theory hadn?t been far from the truth. She made a mental note to congratulate Sango for her patience later.
After a few minutes of successful not-drowning, Sango declared Satori ready to move onto actual swimming. Taking her hands, she had Satori lie face-down in the water to work on her kicks.
?Too much splashing, Satori-san! Make smaller motions.?
The command was muffled by water as it reached Satori?s ears. They were all Satori was listening to. Her attention was solely on her legs, kicking up and down alternately, trying not to copy her sister and send a wave of water into Sango?s face.
A strange feeling of calmness ran over her. Her third eye was still picking up the thoughts of everyone around her, but she ignored them. She heard, but didn?t listen. Despite being surrounded by living creatures, she felt alone, as if she wasn?t pushing herself into someone else?s head.
For lack of a better term, she felt
normal.This was literally how Koishi lived every moment of her life. So focused on whatever had caught her attention that she didn?t care what people thought of her. Satori felt a sudden jealousy. Wouldn?t that be amazing? Had Koishi been on the right track all this time? Was she the one who?d been ignorant?
She thought it over for a moment, her mind feeling clearer now it wasn?t cluttered with the thoughts of others. No, she decided, that wasn?t the case. Koishi?s life was different, not better. Perhaps she was more able to deal with humans and other strong youkai, but what about animals? Would she have been able to take care of a young Orin, a young Utsuho, without knowing what they wanted? Could she have raised them into the wonderful pets they were today?
No, Satori told herself. She couldn?t have. Perhaps the life of a satori reclusive, but it came with benefits. Maybe she had no friends among the oni, or the other youkai races of Chireiden. But the time she?d spent with her pets was just as valuable, and she wouldn?t give it away for the world.
When Satori pulled her head up to take a breath, she felt as if she?d gained some new level of understanding. It had been half a minute of quiet contemplation, but it had shown her more of Koishi?s mindset than years of concern. More importantly, it had cemented another point in her heart - as much as swimming had been a wonderful experience thus far, randomly running around Gensokyo on a thrill-seeking adventure wasn?t for her.
?Good work, Satori-san! I figured you land-dwellers were just lousy swimmers, but maybe Koishi-chan was a bad example.?
Was that a compliment, or an snide comment about Koishi? Now that she?d stopped focusing on her swimming her third eye slipped back into focus, telling her it was genuinely the former. The mind-reader allowed herself a small smile.
?I have an excellent teacher to thank, as well.?
Sango blushed bright red at that, her eyes darting around in all directions other than forward. Her thoughts became tangled up in themselves, leaving Satori unable to make them out. Looking to spare the girl further embarrassment, Satori changed the subject.
?So...what do those vials of yours do, exactly??
Satori had seen them while she?d been underwater - Sango wore a red belt around her waist, and dangling from it were a pair of glass vials. They seemed to contain simple salt and water, but they almost definitely had a magical purpose.
It was an almost meaningless question. The instant Sango?s thoughts turned to her vials, Satori already knew their purpose. Still, the point of asking was to save Sango from more awkwardness, and it filled that purpose with ease. The dolphin stopped blushing, pulling her belt up to bring the vials above the surface.
?Oh, these? They?re part of my power. The first one lets me get rid of any dirty stuff that gets into the lakes, and the second one lets me turn freshwater into saltwater. Means other fish can live here, basically.?
Satori nodded, pretending this was news to her. The worst part of being a mindreader was the need to fake surprise so often - the number of times Orin and Utsuho had given away a secret birthday party with their thoughts was heartbreaking.
?My. That is...very impressive.?
She?d rehearsed this sort of shock enough that Sango fell for it. The dolphin gave herself a little pat on the back.
?Yeah, I?m cool like that. Not just that, but when bad guys try to hurt the waters round here, it?s me who kicks their sorry asses! I give ?em a smack, and a whack, and a WHOMP! Like this!?
Sango started swinging her fists, punching some invisible villain in front of her and getting into her superhero act. That was exactly what is was, though - an act, and Satori?s third eye was well aware of this. Again, she chose to play it carefully, pretending to buy Sango?s story and nodding some more. Sango continued beating the living daylight out of thin air, engrossed in the act.
Satori?s eyes widened as Sango?s next thought hit her.
...Good, she fell for it. Wouldn?t want her to think I?m just some lousy janitor...Sango wore a beaming smile, but when Satori peered into her head she saw something unsightly. Suddenly that cheerful grin looked false, painted-on. There was a sadness behind it that Sango refused to show.
Satori bit her lip. It wasn?t fair to leave her hurting, but how could she help without revealing she?d seen something she wasn?t meant to? After a second?s thought, she interrupted Sango?s punching spree.
?Well, that?s all well and good, but isn?t keeping the water even more impressive? After all, there?s so much of it.?
Sango stopped punching, looking Satori head-on. Her brow was furrowed in disbelief and confusion.
?Uhhhh...okay. Sure.?
She put her hands to her sides again, her zest fading away for a moment. Only a faint smile was present on her face. Satori wasn?t paying attention to that, though - she was listening to Sango?s thoughts, looking for some sign that she?d made it through to her.
She...she means that, doesn?t she? She really does appreciate what I do...!That was a good enough sign for Satori. Sango?s smile grew until it was as it had been before, only this time there was no acting involved. She cleared her throat, trying not to make it too obvious she was over-the-moon about that compliment.
?A-Anyway! You?ve got some training to get back to, little girl!?
Satori nodded, offering her own smirk in return. She took Sango?s hands, ready to practice her kicks again as she dipped her head into the water. She caught one last thought from Sango before her own exertion distracted her from her third eye.
...Thanks, Satori-san. Really.-----
Satori hadn?t expected Sango to work her so hard, but for the next two hours she found herself pushed to a new limit. Every time she learned a new skill, Sango moved right on to the next. She would?ve thought Sango to be heartless if it wasn?t for the fact she was right beside her the whole time, offering encouragement.
?Keep it up, Satori-san! You?re almost there!?
That cheerleading, along with the sweet feeling of solitude swimming gave her, was enough to keep her going. The time flew past sooner than she?d expected, and she wondered if she?d need to hurry home before the pets woke up. She chose to continue - unless anything came up between now and the end of her training, she?d be home before Orin?s morning rounds.
After she?d managed to swim across the surface unaided, Sango pulled Satori into the centre of the lake. Her mood had been high since Satori had praised her, and she?d bragged about this really stubborn stain she?d had to clean up once.
Though she never mentioned it, Satori felt a little proud of herself for stepping in where she had. Perhaps this third eye had some use, after all.
?Alright, Satori-san. There?s a bunch of rocks on the lakebed. I want you to dive down and bring one up here. I?ll come down after you in about thirty seconds in case something goes wrong, okay??
Sango?s voice was optimistic, but her thoughts were on a different tangent entirely. Now that Satori thought about it, this girl was impressively talented when it came to fake smiles.
If she?s anything like Koishi-chan, this might take a while.Satori almost took that as an insult. Instead, she decided to consider it a challenge, and gave Sango an innocent smile as she prepared herself.
?Understood, Sango-san. I?ll be back before you get bored, I promise.?
After a few deep breaths, Satori pushed herself under the water. Immediately she felt the current pulling her along, working clockwise, weakest in the centre of the lake.
The ground beneath her was rocky, with more than enough pebbles for her to bring to the surface. Satori started on the strokes Sango had pushed into her head - opposites, Sango had reminded her. One arm forward, one arm back. One leg up, one leg down. Switch.
Getting down was harder than she?d expected. She floated too much thanks to all the air in her lungs. She had to let out a little, blowing bubbles out her nose so she could sink lower down. She was careful - not blowing too hard, making sure she still had enough air left when she made it to the bottom.
She was doing this, all by herself. Satori felt pride welling up in her heart, keeping her warm in spite of the cold water around her. As she reached the bottom of the lake and cupped her hand around a pebble, she punched the air with her other hand.
...Eat. Eat. Eat.?Hmm...??
A shadow was looming over her, murmuring strange thoughts to itself. Was it Sango? Had it been thirty seconds already? It didn?t feel that long. And how hungry was she if food was the only thing on her mind? Looking towards the shadow, she held up the rock as a sign of victory.
The look of triumph morphed into one of fear within a second.
The creature above her was not a dolphin. It was similar, but with all of its features run through a grindstone. Rather than the softer, rounded tip of the dolphin?s nose, this creature?s ended on a sharp point. Its fins followed suit, jagged and straight compared to the gradual curves Sango?s had. It had a dolphin?s black eyes, but without the glint of light - they were cold and dead, glaring without emotion.
Worst of all were the teeth - long, jagged, and easily powerful enough to rip her in two given half a chance.
Satori had to fight the urge to scream for help. Not only was she still underwater, but if she made too much noise she?d give the creature a reason to attack. For now it floated above her, circling round, looking at her but keeping its distance.
?Mmh-!?
Her free hand grabbed at her chest, and she felt the frantic pumping of her heart. She was panicking, using up her tiny air supply even faster. She needed to surface, and fast.
Moving away to the side, Satori tried to find a straight path between herself and the surface. She?d get up, take a breath, and
then worry about whatever this thing was. As long as it stayed in place, she was fine-
!!!The shark altered its circle in time with her, staying just above Satori all the while. It was deliberately keeping her down. Did it know she needed to breathe? Satori couldn?t tell - its mind was nothing but one word, repeated over and over.
Eat. Eat. Eat.This was bad. Bad bad bad bad bad. Air. Fast. Right now. Chest hurt. Needed out. Air. Rising. Stop. Stop. Needed that air. Stay. Couldn?t stop it. Dammit, running out!
Satori-san, you okay? Did you try to pick a large ro-oh, crap!A thought. Sango?s? She?d come down. Thirty seconds. Above the shark, looking down. As scared as Satori. Not good.
?Mm...gggbl!?
No time. Had to get up. Forget the big fish. Either it ate her or she drowned. Had to try. She saw the fish charge. Open its mouth. Ready to swallow her. She didn?t have time to panic, or even react. So fast.
But Sango was faster.
Satori-san, get to the surface! I?ll take care of this!Sango had grabbed the fish by the tail. It stopped a few inches away from Satori, giving the youkai a chance to breathe. She kept pressing on, pushing for the surface with all her strength, making it at the last possible moment.
?Haaaaaah!?
Satori spluttered, choking, gasping, but most importantly
breathing. For a moment she?d been convinced she was genuinely going to die down there, but Sango had saved her for a second time.
?Wait...Sango?!?
She was just a dolphin. A janitor at best. The creature she was fighting was a violent killing machine. How could she win? She?d need help.
And maybe Satori wasn?t that impressive physically, but she knew plenty about danmaku.
The moment she?d caught her breath, Satori dived down again to back up the dolphin. Sango was trying to fight the creature off by hand, punching its nose, but she didn?t have the strength to do any damage.
I thought you sharks were on the other side of the mountain! Stick to your own territory, or I?ll-gh!It charged, forcing her to dodge to the side. She avoided the brunt of the blow, but didn?t escape unscathed - the creature?s side-fin slammed into her stomach, winding her and knocking huge streams of air out.
F-Fine. I?ll have to go all out, then!Satori saw Sango reaching into her skirt, pulling out a slip of paper. A spellcard, designed to unleash a particularly strong bullet pattern. She couldn?t declare it properly underwater, but Satori heard the incantation running through her thoughts.
As the dirty waters are made pure, strike down my enemies with what remains!
Cleansing Sign [Purified Greywater!]The card flashed, and as it vanished a series of dark blue bullets surrounded Sango, running along her waist. The shark made to charge again, and in time with its assault Sango clicked her fingers. The bullets exploded into two colours - light blue spheres which circled around her, and dark grey orbs that charged at the shark. Satori nodded at first, but as the attack unfolded she saw that the card was flawed - the grey bullets scattered, most of them missing her target entirely. It worked as a proper bullet pattern, but against a charging shark all those discarded bullets were useless. A couple of the bullets grazed it, but nothing hit the shark head-on. It nudged itself above the spiralling blue bullets, this time coming straight toward Sango?s head. It opened its mouth, ready to swallow Sango whole.
Dammit!Sango managed to grab the creature?s jaw at the last moment, holding its mouth open. Satori could see her heaving, wincing as the shark made to sink its teeth into her arms. The teeth dug into her skin, sending blood streaming into the water. That made the creature even more eager, and it doubled its force. She couldn?t keep this up for more than a few seconds.
That was Satori?s cue to take action.
As the dirty waters are made pure, strike down my enemies with what remains.For the first time, Satori?s third eye widened. It looked into Sango?s heart, her mind, pulling out the memory of her spellcard. Satori pictured the tweaks she?d make if it was her attack instead - turning the grey bullets into a concentrated barrage. As the thought came to fruition, a card started to form in her hand, faintly glowing. She saw Sango?s attention turn to her, and the dolphin?s heart rose in hope.
Cleansing Sign [Purified Greywater].The card erupted, and as before a series of grey bullets surrounded her. With a click of her fingers, they broke apart into the spiralling blues and the charging greys. There was no scattering this time around, and the entire barrage slammed into the side of the shark. It was smacked to the side, leaving Sango holding onto nothing as it flew off to the other side of the lake. It wasn?t going to be attacking again any time soon, assuming it had survived.
There were a few seconds where the pair hesitated, not sure what had just unfolded. Sango looked into the distance at the ex-shark, then to Satori as the light blue bullets dissipated, her face torn between awe and adoration.
She decided on the latter when she charged Satori head on and smothered her with another hug while she pulled her to the surface.
?Satori-san, thanks so much! I mean, I dunno how you did it, cause that was my card, but different, and-oh, just gimme a hug right n-ow, my hands!?
Sango sounded happy to be alive, but her squealing was cut off by a cry of pain. Satori felt warm, sticky hands pressing against her back, still bloody from Sango?s run-in with the shark. Sango would wash it out later - after all, that was her job.
...Hm?Satori felt something heavy hanging in her hand, and squeezing it she realised she?d been holding onto the rock from the lakebed the entire time. Apparently, not even a rampaging shark could interrupt her when she was busy. Allowing herself a small smile, she pulled the hand back from behind and held it in front of the dolphin.
?So, did I pass??
Sango?s eyes almost popped out when she saw the stone in Satori?s palm. Her thoughts served as the icing on the cake.
Satori-san, you?re...holy crap, that?s just...wow.Fighting off ravenous beasts? Stunning friends into silence? All in a day?s work.
-----
?Outta the way, pal! Rescue squad coming through!?
Orin and Utsuho had noticed Satori?s disappearance the moment they?d woken up. It wasn?t like Satori to leave the palace this early in the morning - in fact, it wasn?t like her to leave at all. Paranoid, they questioned the populace of Chireiden, looking for anyone who?d seen Satori leave the night before.
Their interrogations lead them to the one place they?d expected the least - the surface world. Wasn?t that too open for their master? What reason would she have to travel to the surface? The worst-case-scenarios played out in their heads again - she?d been kidnapped in the night, by that black and white witch from the geyser incident! They had to catch her, before she used their master?s third eye for some sort of science experiment!
?Satori-samaaaaa! Where?d you go!??
Orin caught Satori?s trail when she reached the surface. Faint, but undoubtedly her master?s scent. She ran on ahead of Utsuho - ever since absorbing the Yatagarasu, Utsuho had been slow to get just about anywhere. The hunk of concrete attached to her foot was responsible for most of that.
The trail sent Orin ahead to a mountain, and then to a lake beneath it. Two figures were chatting at the lake?s edge, and Orin would havei gnored them if she didn?t recognise the first voice.
?I was thinking of bringing the pets along as well. They?ll enjoy a chance to see the surface, I think.?
Orin?s tails stood on end.
Satori-sama?!She leapt behind a nearby bush, eavesdropping on the conversation. The second voice belonged to another girl who Orin didn?t recognise.
?Sure. Just do it another day, alright? I wanna catch up on my beauty sleep.?
Satori didn?t respond with words, but the yawn was more than enough to show her agreement. They muttered vague farewells, and soon Orin heard footsteps moving in her direction.
Bringing the pets along for what? Is she using us to pay off a ransom? Did they take Koishi-sama hostage, or maybe-?You have an overactive imagination, Orin.?
?Nyaah!??
Satori?s remark knocked Orin out of her theory-building, and sent her sprawling to the ground. She looked up at her master, seeing mostly the same girl she?d been the night before. One strange detail caught her attention - part of her shirt had flapped up, revealing something beneath it that wasn?t skin. Something dark-blue...
?S-Satori-sama, where were you last night?! Okuu and I were worried sick!?
Satori bit her lip, looking away for a moment. Sighing, she looked back and offered a hand to help the kasha up.
?I wasn?t expecting to be out all night. I?m sorry for worrying you.?
Orin only barely listened to the apology before embracing her master. She?d been terrified for Satori?s safety, and seeing her alive and well was all she needed. Satori took her in, patting her on the back.
?Anyway, we should be returning home. We can leave your swimming lessons for another day.?
?Sure! That?s great! Okuu?s back here, and-?
Orin?s brain took a few seconds to catch up with her ears. She turned back with a tilted head.
?Nyaah? Swimming? Isn?t that the weird thing Koishi-sama was talking about a few weeks ago??
Satori smiled.
?That it is. It sort of popped into my head last night, and curiosity got the better of me.?
Orin nodded, but Satori could tell that she wasn?t really following. After a few seconds of pretending to understand, she finally made a confession.
?Satori-sama...what
is swimming, exactly??
Satori pondered the thought for a moment, like she herself wasn?t sure how to define it. She looked eagerly into Orin?s eyes as she offered her answer.
?Alright, Orin. Imagine the largest bathtub you?ve ever seen.?
Orin?s interest was lost now. Baths? She hated those. A necessary evil at best. She?d pass.
At least, that was her thought process before Satori finished her description.
?Also, the bathtub is full of fresh fish.?
Orin?s ears perked up, her face brightening in an instant.
?Where do I sign up?!?
