Magical Lotus, Mahou Shoujou Byakuren - Episode 2

[GuyYouMetOnline]

>"Certainly. I apologize for inconveniencing you."
>Follow her back to the shrine.

[Oldmansour]

>"Certainly. I apologize for inconveniencing you."
>Follow her back to the shrine.

>Satori nods, seeming satisfied. At least you think so, her face betrays no more than her voice does. "As long as you understand."
>The remainder of the trip back to the edge of the woods is uneventful, and as you draw closer, you see the little playground on the shrine's grounds. Satori's brought you back to the point you entered. You see Lily sitting on one of the swings, a rather strange expression on her face. Best as you can tell, it's a mix of fear and wonder.

[Hello Purvis]

>Bow to Satori, "Thank you for your assistance."

[Oldmansour]

>Bow to Satori, "Thank you for your assistance."

>The head miko returns your bow. "If you've furthur business with the temple, then indoors is the place to attend to it. Good day to you, Hijiri-san." And with no furthur adieu, she turns and begins walking back towards her temple, leaving you alone with Lily.

[Hello Purvis]

>"Thank you."
>Do we recall to be wary around her? Related to this, does her personality seem to match with the stories we've heard?
>Approach Lily, and have a seat on the swing next to her.

[Oldmansour]

>"Thank you."
>Do we recall to be wary around her? Related to this, does her personality seem to match with the stories we've heard?

>You thank Satori as she moves away from you, and an odd thought crosses your mind. Why would have to be wary around her? Who told you that? As far as you can recall, the only people who have had cause to be 'wary' around her are those with secrets they don't necessarily want to be revealed.
>Nearly all the stories you've heard about her relate to her amazing insight. She seems to be able to see through any deception, any uncertainty, and get right to the truth of any matter. That's why people so often come to her for advice on love. That and her uncanny ability to speak with animals, which most people suspect is her talent as a Youkai. Assuming she IS a youkai, and not everyone agrees on that point. None of the stories you've heard, however, really spoke about her personality. She struck you as polite enough, but only when she had to be. Perhaps she was distracted, being a head miko does come with its fair share of responsibilities.

>Approach Lily, and have a seat on the swing next to her.

>You sit yourself down on the swing adjacent to Lily. She turns her head to look at you, her face pale. "You're okay."

[Hello Purvis]

>"As are you, which is a weight off my mind. Did you find anything?"

[Oldmansour]

>"As are you, which is a weight off my mind. Did you find anything?"

>A strange chuckle comes from Lily's lips, and her mouth wavers between a smile and an expression of dread. "That's one way to put it. I found a bear."

[Hello Purvis]

>Frown.
>"...You seem to have come out of it alright, at least. It didn't do much, I hope?"

[Oldmansour]

>Frown.
>"...You seem to have come out of it alright, at least. It do much, I hope?"

>Lily shakes her head, somewhat shakily. "Just... kinda stood there. But he was BIG." She points at Satori, now almost back at the main door of the temple. "She talked to him, made him go away."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Well, if he was just standing there, then I suppose it wasn't too bad. I just managed to get lost..."

[Oldmansour]

>"Well, if he was just standing there, then I suppose it wasn't too bad. I just managed to get lost..."

>Lily chuckles again, a little more evenly this time. She seems to be collecting herself. "Brave. Think I'dve taken that."
>As she speaks, Satori dissapears into her temple. And as the door slides shut, memories come tumbling back into your mind. Your adventure in the forest returns to you as it truly unfolded; the story of the tree, the skunk guiding you, the procession of animals, your meeting with the Tiger, everything. This realization elicits a gasp from you, and you straighten in the swing. Lily simultaneously has the same reaction, and the two of you look each other in the eye, and you know that you both know something profound happened to the other.

[Hello Purvis]

>"Did you...?"

[Oldmansour]

>"Did you...?"

>She nods, almost imperceptably. "He protected me. Like.... he protected you. I didn't even know it was... But it had to be. This is his shrine."
>"Did he speak to you?"

[Hello Purvis]

>Nod. "Personal issues."

[Oldmansour]

>Nod. "Personal issues."

>"Did you see him?"

[Hello Purvis]

>Nod.

[Oldmansour]

>Nod.

>"Wonder why you and not me..." Lily shakes her head. "But that's not important. What did he show you?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"Why me? Because I wouldn't have believed it without seeing it. You haven't questioned me at all. I don't think he believes you need to see him. And...also because it would have been bad for you to hear what I heard. It would have drawn you in, in ways that you probably shouldn't be."

[Oldmansour]

>"Why me? Because I wouldn't have believed it without seeing it. You haven't questioned me at all. I don't think he believes you need to see him. And...also because it would have been bad for you to hear what I heard. It would have drawn you in, in ways that you probably shouldn't be."

>Lily nods thoughtfully, then looks away from you, down at the sand beneath her sandled feet. "I may not have needed to hear the same thing you did, Morning Star. Whatever you're caught up in, I think I'm there, too."

[Hello Purvis]

>"What do you mean?"

[Oldmansour]

>"What do you mean?"

>Lily takes a breath, seemingly trying to put her thoughts in order. When she looks back at you, her beautiful blue eyes seem deeper, somehow, the eyes that have seen something profound.
>"I saw... spring."
>"The bear. He led me to that pond I told you about, and went to stand beside it. I followed and looked into the water. And I saw spring in the water. I saw flowers opening their petals for the first time, in the first rays of the spring sun. Trees sprouting their first leaves, their branches getting stronger now that winter was done. I saw the squirrels coming out of their dens, the bears coming out of hibernation and looking for food. I saw flocks of birds flying home with winter passing. Bees flitting from flower to flower, spiders spinning webs, deer and skunks and squirrels and bears and moose and everything that has a name coming alive and moving into a new world."
>Lily comes to her feet as she continues her tale, pacing back and forth excitedly and gesturing her arms and wings at points. "I saw children, Star. Children being born, and fathers celebrating and buying drinks and having drinks bought for them, and mothers smiling and singing songs to their newborns. I saw lovers in love, dancing and singing and holding hands and being in love. I saw families under the spring stars, with new flowers lying under new trees among new grass and the wind was gentle and sweet and smelled like new and it was SPRING!" she exclaims, her wings spread wide in enthusiasm. A couple of feathers fall from them as they fold, then, her tone becoming much more somber. "And then everything changed."
>"This... black thing, energy, wave, whatever it was, this darkness started spreading across everything I saw. Flowers and trees and grass died and withered, or twisted and blackened into hostile, hungry things. The animals died, choking and starved, or twisted into walking nightmares. And the people... They weren't people anymore. Anyone that was left. The waters, the forests, the people... Everything died. Everything twisted. And then there was silence. Complete, empty silence..."

>Her story told, she looks you in the eye again. "Something's wrong in the world. I don't know what it is, but something's wrong in the world."

[Hello Purvis]

So, do we clue her in?

[GuyYouMetOnline]

Yes. I was actually thinking of her when I asked about others who could fight; I expected that she'd end up joining us in this.

>"I know... well, very little, but I can at least tell you something. But before I do, I want to warn you that there may well be no turning back. there is a battle, and if you enter into it alongside me, I don't think you can leave. And this battle is very dangerous. As comforting as it would be to have you beside me, I don't want to put you in danger, but it is your choice to make. So allow me to fomally pose the question: are you sure this is what you want?"

[Hello Purvis]

>Let's do that a little better, with a bit less tipping out hand about battles and stuff.
>"I could tell you more, but you understand there's a price in knowing. You will probably be drawn in, if you do know. Regardless of whether you are ready or not, It may put you in danger, whether are you are ready or not. You may never be able to leave, whether you are ready or not. It may be best that you put such out of your mind."

It's noteworthy that if we tell her anything, Satori is going to find out. Or she's going to get real suspicious if her assistant never comes back.

[Oldmansour]

>"I know... well, very little, but I can at least tell you something. But before I do, I want to warn you that there may well be no turning back. there is a battle, and if you enter into it alongside me, I don't think you can leave. And this battle is very dangerous. As comforting as it would be to have you beside me, I don't want to put you in danger, but it is your choice to make. So allow me to fomally pose the question: are you sure this is what you want?"

>"I could tell you more, but you understand there's a price in knowing. You will probably be drawn in, if you do know. Regardless of whether you are ready or not, It may put you in danger, whether are you are ready or not. You may never be able to leave, whether you are ready or not. It may be best that you put such out of your mind."

>Lily doesn't even hesitate. Her voice is strong and firm. "I can't have had this experience and just walk away. Whatever that black wave is, it's evil. And if, somehow, I can be a part of stopping it, then I will."
>Her words are not only encouraging, they seem to have provoked an unexpected response: You feel the violet ring upon your right hand pulse with energy.

[Hello Purvis]

>"Very well. Let's go...someplace a bit less open to the public, first."

[Oldmansour]

>"Very well. Let's go...someplace a bit less open to the public, first."

>Lily nods, and points to the woods you just exited as a suggestion.

[Hello Purvis]

>"I suppose that may do."
>Head toward them.

[Oldmansour]

>"I suppose that may do."
>Head toward them.

>The woods may not be too removed from Satori, but they're at least something between you and any Tom, Dick and Reimu that comes to or from the shrine. A bit of privacy from prying eyes. Plus, the fact that both your memories came back to you when Satori entered the shrine may mean you're safe from whatever threat the Tiger warned you she might pose to you. At least for now. You wonder, briefly, what might happen if she came back out in the next few moments.
>But she does not, and you and Lily step back into the woods, at least far enough to place yourself out of eye and earshot of anyone on temple grounds. Along the way, you glance down at the violet ring on your hand. It still pulses with energy, and the white gem set in it has a purple light at its center.
>Once you've gone far enough for both your satsifactions, Lily faces you, ready to hear whatever you have to tell her.