~Hakurei Shrine~ > Patchouli's Scarlet Library

Songs of the Illusionary Veil

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Achariyth: I'll be posting most of my one-shots here, just to keep my topic spam under control... Prodigal Disclaimer: I am playing fast and loose with histories, cultures, and backgrounds not my own for the sake of storytelling. Please forgive my intentional errors and mistakes. *** Lady Mokou Fujiwara crept low, hiding in the shadow of the scarlet cloth wall. Much about the ornate tents nearby struck her as odd. Few outside Gensokyo would make buildings out of silk, fewer inside Gensokyo could afford to. And anyone profligate enough to build a small village out of finery would easily disturb the fragile peace. The last thing Keine Kamishirasawa wanted as the protector of the humans in the Village was to see her friends and her charges hunted throughout the land. She had asked Mokou to find out who owned the tabernacle as well as their intentions. At least that way, she could prepare. The immortal duchess padded softly along the wall of red. Of everything her father had done, Mokou appreciated only the time spent teaching her woodcraft. Chasing after Kaguya had proven to be as disastrous as betrothing her to a long gone saint. What considerable ability she had learned from her wastrel of a dad, her longstanding feud with Kaguya had honed into near supernatural skill. Not only could she slip through the forest without a sound, she instinctively knew where any animal, youkai, or human was in relation to her. Silk parted behind her. Mokou spun around as an arm snaked across her waist. She threw elbows, but caught only air. A hand covered her mouth, muffling her screams. "You're good. Look over there, though," a feminine voice hissed. Mokou's captor wrenched her neck until the immortal could see a shadow shrouded figure hop towards her. Squirming, she screamed again as she saw the death pallor clinging to the figure. "None of that now, or my darling jiang shi over there starts eating. I can sense your essence. She'll feed off of you for ages." Mokou froze, letting her unseen captor lead her through the hole in the silk wall. *** "I apologize," Lady Seiga Kaku said, sitting behind a scholar's desk. The blue-clad missionary brushed characters onto a sheet of paper. "This is not the Way of hospitality, but then, you did not come to us as a guest." Mokou sat upright and still on a wooden chair in the center of the blue tent. Behind her, the jiang shi cooed sweet nothings into her ear. The duchess longed to burn away the vampiric zombie's fetid breath from off her skin, if only to silence the monster's constant mutterings about how delicious Mokou would be. But anyone who could command a jiang shi would likely have worse waiting. "You may go now, Yoshida," Seiga said, setting down her brush. She pulled out a bundle of cloth, untying it. The zombie ceased her whispers. "Who will protect you, Lady Seiga?" "I'm only thinking of you, my dear," the Daoist said with a smile. She made shooing motions with her hands. "You know what the Classic of Change can do to your kind. Besides, Futo will step in if she needs to." "Vile book," Yoshida muttered, shrinking away from the desk. The jiang shi hopped outside the tent. "I prefer the Way to Virtue, but there are things that only the Classic of Change can tell us," the ageless missionary said. She unwrapped the cloth, revealing a battered leather tome. "What do you think you're going to do me?" Mokou asked, smiling through clenched teeth. "I just want you to answer a few questions. The Classic of Change here will tell me if you're telling the truth." The Chinese noble held up six coins, three between the fingers of each hand. The coin toss would be used to generate a hexagram, and the diviner would consult the Classic of Change for the hexagram's meaning. Mokou laughed deeply and freely, clutching her sides. "Go ahead, try." Seiga frowned at the phoenix girl. Tossing the coins into one hand, she asked," What are you doing here?" Her free hand swept towards the tents and the tabernacle walls. "I'm coming home from Grandma's," Mokou said, leaning back in the chair and smirking. "There was this wolf and a lumberjack-" Seiga shook her head. "I don't need divination to tell me you're lying. Please, don't make me get Futo to help... refine your answers." As she spoke the noblewoman's name, lamps throughout the tent flared higher, hotter, and brighter. "Fine," Mokou said with a sigh. "I thought I'd check out the new neighbors." Seiga threw the coins on the desk. They rolled across the wood, coming to a stop. She gasped; all six coins stood upright on the narrow edge, neither heads nor tails. "You weren't expecting that," Mokou said. Mirth filled the phoenix girl's voice. The missionary snarled, throwing the coins again. Once again, the coins stood on edge. She thumbed through the leather-bound book, consulting the commentaries towards the end. "You're immortal," she hissed. Mokou nodded, her smile widening. "It does tend to wreck divination." "Futo!" Seiga bellowed, closing the book. She wrapped it in its cloth. "Get Lady Miko." "I was listening," a calm regal voice rang out. A young woman in Imperial purple and white stepped through the divided silk door. A short straight sword centuries out of fashion hung from her belt. Mokou gasped, she had see that sword and scabbard long ago, when she was still a girl. "That's the Seven Star Sword." "A family heirloom, I assure you," the woman winced as she drew near. "I am Lady Miko Toyosatomimi." "Pardon me if I don't get up," Mokou said, covering her eyes. Looking at Miko was like looking through a cloud. Something made the details all fuzzy. "Are you unwell?" Miko said, kneeling next to the immortal. "I'll be fine." The phoenix girl's vision swam as though she looked through tears. The Lady of the tabernacle made a moue of concern. "Please, we can prepare a bed for you." "Don't worry about me," Mokou said, inching away from Miko. She'd prove herself stronger than the delicate pampered ladies her father had pawed whenever her mother turned her gaze. "Nonsense. A young woman of your stature deserves proper treatment. Would I be correct in assuming you are of the Fujiwara? You have something of their look about you." Mokou nodded, the color running from her face. "Most people think I am of the Konoe." Miko shook her head. "You remind me of the early Fujisawa from before the clan split into septs." She coughed into her hand. "I mean, of paintings I've seen of the clan founder." "She's acting frail because she got caught," Seiga said, planting her fists on her hips. "I did catch her sneaking outside our walls." "She's still a guest," Miko said, turning towards her retainer. "The Way of the Enlightened One insists on hospitality. Mokou froze. "You follow the Eightfold Path?" she asked without thinking. Something deep within her memory welled up. "I take shelter in the Enlightened One, his teachings, and his community." Half-remembered lessons learned during her childhood at the feet of a saint flooded back. She looked again at the Lady of the tabernacle, at the veil obscuring her from clear sight. "Maya," Mokou breathed. The Veil of Illusion, or the part of nature that masked reality. That saint had said that once you were aware of it, you could pierce it to see what it covered. She reached out, her fingers brushing against Miko's vest... ...the Veil of Illusion parted... In the place of the young woman, a mature, broad-shouldered man knelt next to her. Broad-shouldered, clear-eyed, and handsome, he froze at her touch. Ignored by both the immortal lady and the lord, Seiga gasped. "I know you," Mokou whispered, staring at the familiar face. "I saw you all the time as a child. You used to teach me." Her eyes snapped wide open, and red flooded her cheeks. "You're Prince Shotoku, the hidden Emperor!" She fell to the ground, prostrating herself before him. "Please, rise, there's no need for this," the prince said, standing up. Mokou sat back on her heels and turned her head away. Tears welled in her eyes. "Why?" Ancient promises filled her mind, including the one duty her father had groomed her for, forgotten by all when the lout first chased Kaguya. Shotoku sighed, folding his arms across his chest. "I had to hide my form, lest the world see me as an abomination. I could only advise the Emperor from the sidelines as my health faded, and then my influence. Your forefather, Duke Fuhito Fujiwara, sheltered me as best he could, but he couldn't prevent the last of the Soga from sealing me and the last of my court away." Mokou blinked away her tears. "My father failed in many things. I will not." She stood up and reared her hand back. Shotoku's head snapped back as she slapped him. "I am Lady Mokou Fujiwara, the last living child of Duke Fuhito Fujiwara." The immortal held the prince's head in her hands. Standing on her toes, she whispered, "I was promised to you by my father long ago, and unlike him, I will fulfill my duty." The phoenix girl gave him a short, chaste kiss. Seiga grabbed the phoenix girl by her shoulders and threw her to the ground. A knife appeared, pressed against Mokou's throat. "Say the word, my lord. She may be immortal, but she will learn to regret-" Prince Shotoku help up a hand. "No harm is to come to her." "Why?" the missionary said, quivering. She dropped the knife. "She's my bride." *** Author's notes: "What if" is such a dangerous thing, especially if you have four hours to indulge it. I tried to bring some of what I am learning from a Great Minds of Eastern Thought course into this. Of course, being an outsider, I made a complete mess of it.

Achariyth: Favor Idly swirling a too sweet German white wine, Ran Yakumo sat in the corner of Miko Toyosatomimi's bar, slumped over the table. Around her, a line of empty glasses lay like fallen soldiers. Blotting at her eyes, she drained the last of the glass in her hand. A shadow fell across the fox. She looked up, her cheeks slick, into the stern eyes of a tall fairy waitress. The vixen flashed three fingers. "If I had my way, I'd cut you off now," the fairy said. A distant cousin of Lily, she placed the empty glasses onto her serving tray. Ran flashed a set of needle-like teeth. "And for that, I should just run you straight out of here. Be glad that Miko said you could stay." The vixen flashed three fingers once more as the waitress shook her head and walked off. Cradling her head in the crook of her arm, Ran took off her cap and covered her face. The damp cloth muffled her faint sobs. "Ms. Yakumo," the waitress said, returning with three glasses of a chilled Yamanashi red wine. Setting two glasses on the heavy oak, she said, "Your kit called. She wants to know when you're coming home." Ran's free arm swept across the table, showering the fairy in spilled wine. The waitress shrieked with the cold and again as she looked down at her newly red dress. Sliding the last glass onto the tabletop, she ran, disappearing into the women's restroom. Three clawed fingers tapped against the table. The red wine sat undisturbed. "What's your poison?" "I'm surprised Miko let you through the door," Ran said, opening a bloodshot eye. She stared up at Mamizou Futatsuiwa for a moment before covering her face with her cap. The trickster tanuki picked up the wineglass and sniffed it. "At least you don't scrimp on the good stuff." The vixen's ears twitched. "Don't you have a shrinemaiden to bother?" Mamizou snatched the white cloth from Ran's face. The vixen flinched from the sudden light. "Nue said that you needed help. And as much as I'd love to see a fox drink herself to death, I still owe her a favor or two." "Lucky me," Ran deadpanned before a sigh. Mamizou's smiled grew as she slid into the chair opposite to Ran. "Quite. She was going to ask Kasen." Ran groaned and the color drained from her cheeks. She threw back the wineglass, emptying it with one gulp. "Where's that waitress?" she said, wiping her wine-stained lips with a cloth napkin. "Let's keep it to tea," the tanuki said, placing the empty glass out of reach. "That is the traditional drink between enemies, is it not?" The vixen pointed towards the door. "Go ask the shrinemaiden." "She's not a fan of my impression of her," Mamizou said with a shrug. The tanuki had dressed as Reimu during a spellcard duel. "There's no accounting for taste out here. For instance, you know better than to drink pop-skull by the tub, even if it's higher quality than a mere art student will see in her lifetime. What're you trying to forget?" Ran sat up, leveling a cold stare at her rival. "You're serious." "Nue says that sorrow shared is sorrow divided," Mamizou said. She rested her chin on her hands. "I think she's spent too much time at that temple, personally." Ran sighed and picked up the empty glass, watching the light play through the crystal. "To desire is to suffer." Mamizou waved at another of Lily's cousins. "So you go to the same temple as well." The vixen sighed, setting the glass upside down on the table. "I'm acting like some newly besotted kit." "So, pretty little fox-maiden, who holds your heart?" The tanuki ordered two cups of tea as a fairy passed. Ran sighed, closing her eyes. "A human male," she said. Rose flooded her cheeks. " I should have known better. My sisters warned me long ago." "What's the big deal?" "There's countless tales of fox-maidens falling in love with human men. None of them end well for the fox." She slumped over the table. "I was so certain this time would be different." "I meant about human males. Where's the tail?" Mamizou said, taking a tea cup from the waitress. "No tail, no date, at least in tanuki circles." "The flame that burns briefest..." Ran said, wistfully. She shook her head. "Forget it, it's a fox thing. You tanuki wouldn't understand." She sipped at her tea and made a face. Setting the cup down, she stirred a pair of sugar cubes into the drink. "So, what went wrong this time?" "That damned cuddle-bunny floozy," Ran snarled. Her fist slammed against the table. "He had his arms around her. That useless, no-good bunny-" the vixen trailed off, muttering coarsely under her breath. Mamizou's eyes widened. "You lost to prey?" "You know, I don't need your help to feel miserable," Ran said, baring her teeth. "You do have quite the pity party going on," Mamizou said, sipping at her cup. "Forget about him. You should find a nice fox, settle down, and as much as it pains me, have kits." "Forget it. Not as long as Yukari is my mistress," Ran said with a cold laugh. "Watching over her and Chen is bad enough. Do you really want me to bring kits into that?" The tanuki added raw honey to her cup. "Not really. One of you is bad enough. I don't want to be around when mini-Ran goes into her first 'I found my true love' funk." Like clockwork, the bar descended into a periodic awkward silence. For a minute, both the tanuki and the fox found their drinks more interesting than conversation. "What does she have that I don't?" Ran said with a sigh. She leaned back and slid the teacup and saucer away. "Well, I can say that Little Bunny Fufu doesn't have your glorious tails," Mamizou said, settling her chin on her hands and smiling. "Honey, you'd make a wonderful fur coat." "And you'd make a wonderful cap on a hunter's head," Ran said. The vixen laughed freely and loudly. "Thanks." Mamizou waved the compliment away. "Don't mention it. Seriously. Don't. I have my reputation among the tanuki to consider. I don't want your wanton ways rubbing off on me." "You couldn't catch a man even if he fell into your arms," Ran said, smirking. "Nice to see you're in a better mood," the tanuki said. "But I think I might strike a blow for predators everywhere and steal your boyfriend from Reisen." "Have the two-timer." "Does Prince Charming have a name?" "Hikaru." Mamizou's eyes widened as she whistled. "As in the same one Lord Hieda caught sniffing around his daughter? The guy who managed to court Alice, Patchouli, and Marisa all at the same time? No thanks. Let the bunny floozy keep him if she can. He's probably making a pass at Kaguya as we speak." "Then he's in for a surprise," Ran said, shaking her head. "How could I have been so foolish?" "Well, you do work for Yukari. Face it, if you fell for his tricks, your taste in men sucks." "It's not like you have suitors lining up outside your door." "Nue scares them away. It amuses her," the tanuki said. "Besides, you did say that most human-fox relationships ended in tragedy." "I guess even a tanuki can get something right. Will wonders ever cease?" Ran said, feigning surprise. "Just giving you an outsider's perspective," Mamizou said with a shrug. "I'll have you know I can stop loving humans whenever I want," Ran said. She froze, a sly smile lighting up her face. Behind her, nine tails beat against her chair. "Just not tonight." Mamizou looked over her shoulder. Sure, the new guy chatting with the fairy hostess was handsome, in a tall, dark sort of way, but the lack of a tail killed any interest the tanuki might have. Ran, however, glided away from the table, her form already shifting away from the tear and wine-stained wretch to the glamorous fox maiden she normally was. "Don't come crying to me when this falls apart," the tanuki said, shaking her head. She drained the last of her tea. "Nue had only one favor." *** Author's Notes: Folklore is full of fox-maidens falling in love with humans. I couldn't help but play with the idea, especially since it gave Ran something else to do besides be obsessed with Chen.

Nihilanth: Hehe, I remember reading these on FF before. They're pretty cool ideas. How'd you get inspired to write them?  :)

Achariyth: "What if" and "wouldn't it be cool" are usually reliable sources of inspiration. Prodigal: I've always played with the idea of Mokou and the Ten Desires crew being contemporary.  Miko's identity came from research into the Fujiwara clan origins. Favor:  There was a WWC challenge on combining music and story.  I missed the deadline.  I intended to place these songs by the Asylum Street Spankers into it, "DRINK"  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hy6NMbfFP30, "It's a Sin to Tell a Lie" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A19hdUO2vuY, and finishing with "Monkey Rag" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6lOJgsJBcg&list=UUMEixvInUOkzc_5c55sD4Jg&index=1&feature=plcp.  Combining the melancholy, the alcohol, and fox folklore together gave birth to the idea. For What We Receive: (to be added soon) I'm a kappa fan, so to find out in WaHH #13 that there was a second clan of kappa stoked the creative processes.   Unfortunately, Reimu's a bit too quick to talk of extermination in the series, so I wanted to confront that.  The hard part was coming up with something where Tomasu didn't steamroll over Reimu (or the other way around) and it couldn't be too preachy.  (I only hope I succeeded.)

Achariyth: Fairy Tales - To See the Ocean's Shore *** Cirno hated the salt spray that stung her eyes. It made her job more difficult. The ice fairy wiped her eyes with her sleeve. "There's too much. I can't do it." Her lower lip quivered as she stared at the white breakers crashing against the shore. Daiyousei hated the salt as well. And she wasn't much fonder of Mamizou Futatsuiwa, either. She wrapped an arm around her friend's waist, taking care not to ruffle the girl's ice crystal wings. "I don't see what the big deal about this place is," Cirno said, her bravado rising like the waves on the beach. Then, as quickly as her confidence gathered, it ebbed away. "I can't make an ice cube here." Daiyousei cringed at her friend's whisper. "But now you've done something that Reimu never has." Cirno's smile failed to reach her eyes. "You know that I'm better than any silly shrinemaiden." She snapped her fingers and a thin sliver of frost hung in the air, melting away into steam. "Stupid raccoon girl." "Silly girls, you haven't even seen the ocean's shore." Mamizou's taunt haunted Daiyousei's memory. Didn't that ring-tailed trickster know that her words had issued a challenge to the strongest fairy? The journey itself had been simple. The Hakurei Barrier might not have existed for the two mischievous fairies. Children always knew the myriad ways out past their backyard fence. After that, a short flight took them to where the iron horses passed by. Mamizou had called them trains when she awed little and not so little girls with tales of the outside world. Yet, neither fairy could help but feel lonely. Millions of Reimu's kind bustled about on the outside, but Daiyousei and Cirno had yet to see any of their sisters flying around. If being lonely in a crowd of people was what it was like to be human, the humans could keep it. "I think it's beautiful," the fairy queen said with a shy smile. She led her friend across the sandy beach down towards the water. "There's nothing like this in Gensokyo. Mamizou's stories never said it would be anywhere this big." Deep blue water roiled against honeyed sands as far as the eye could see. Blues, whites, greens, all the colors danced vibrantly, livelier than even the most magical hideaways inside the magical land of Gensokyo. "It is," Cirno whispered. She drew in a breath as she stepped into the last ebb of a chill wave retreating from the beach. "But I can't do anything to it. My power isn't enough." Daiyousei sighed. "Then you'll have to get stronger. Show the world just what a fairy can do." Cirno's smile lit up her eyes. She slipped out of her friend's hug and splashed through the water before spinning around. "Of course I will. I am the strongest, after all." A wall of water crashed into her, leaving the ice fairy shivering and sputtering. "Let's play," Daiyousei said, mirth lighting up her eyes. She held her hands out before her and pushed forward. Another wave surged into Cirno, knocking her off her feet. "Don't think you'll get away with that," Cirno said, spitting salt water. She spread her arms wide on the water's surface and clapped her hands, drenching Daiyousei in the ocean's tide. The air grew thick with the laughter of fairies. For those fortunate enough to visit the beach that day, the ocean surged with a life seldom seen. And if the vibrant and joyful winds and waves danced mischievously about, showering the unwary, it only added to the magic of that perfect day. "Let's go back," Cirno said, after a few hours of play left the two fairies lounging in the warm sun. "I want to show Reimu and that bossy raccoon girl what we can do." A week later, during the hottest months of summer, the surface of the Misty Lake froze over for the first time in living memory.

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