~Hakurei Shrine~ > Kosuzu's Grand Bookstore
Rising Star (Complete At Last)
FinnKaenbyou:
A sizable update for once! And I might even wrap this arc up tonight! Please don't hold me to that. ;_;
-----
I don't know what was worse. The fact that this was happening, or the fact that there was nothing I could do about it.
"Hijiri...what are you doing...?"
I must have looked pathetic, trying with all my might to get to my feet and falling uselessly back onto the floor. My grip kept slipping thanks to a pool of my own blood - a reminder that life's strongest cruelties were in its ironies.
"The hell is wrong with you?"
"Hijiri, it's dangerous out here! We'll...we'll buy you time!"
Unlike me, Ichirin and Murasa were still ready to fight at a moment's notice, even if they were well aware that they were outmatched. Misato ignored them entirely, focusing only on the target she was called upon to take care of.
"Is this a trap? The demonic witch I've been ordered to exterminate would never give herself up so easily."
"Then I'm afraid you've been misled, child. I am not so selfish as to let these innocents die in my name."
No.
No, no, no, no, no.
Don't move.
Don't you dare move.
I just took the beating of a lifetime to protect you. You are not giving yourself up when everyone here is willing to fight to the death to keep you safe.
Don't. Don't-
"H-Hijiri! Stop it!"
Ichirin suddenly found herself turning a 180 - rather than blocking Misato from reaching Byakuren, she was stopping Byakuren from reaching Misato. She stood firm in front of the monk, set to hold her back by force if necessary.
Byakuren simply took her by the shoulder and nudged her out of the way, as if Ichirin was offering no resistance at all.
"Ichirin. What sort of example would I be to save you, then ask you to die in my name? I am no zealot, and I will not flee with your blood on my hands."
"Cut the shit!"
Murasa was next to interpose herself, wielding her usual makeshift weapon. If it was going to take an anchor over the head to get her to see sense, then that was what Murasa was going to give her.
"Are you braindead or something?! Think of all the youkai you could save if you get out of here right now. Their blood is gonna be on your hands instead if you just let things end now!"
She pulled the anchor back, ready to take a full swing. It would hit with enough force to knock a human's head clean off, but Byakuren was no ordinary human. No point in holding back.
But.
"...You're not listening to me. Listen to me, dammit!"
In the crucial moment, the one moment where she had an opening to make her strike, Murasa hesitated. There was a tiny voice in her head reminding her of what Byakuren had done for her - that one night, years ago, on the stormy seas. The night where she finally got a second chance and received what she'd been looking for her entire life.
She couldn't hurt someone like that. Captains have standards, after all.
"Murasa...you act stubborn, but sometimes I wish you would just accept that there's still a little girl in there who needs some attention as well."
Byakuren continued to walk straight towards Murasa, literally phasing through her. By the time Murasa's brain had clicked back on again, it was already over.
"...Shit. SHIIIIIIIT!"
There was no point in trying again. Hell, there had been no point in trying in the first place. Byakuren could have outpowered the three of us with a finger if she felt like it. If she wanted to hand herself over, she would do it whether we liked it or not.
But that wouldn't stop us from trying. Not even if we were battered and bruised. Not even if it was a challenge just to stay conscious. Not even if all we could offer in resistance was a hand clasped around her ankle and a choked plea.
"...Run..."
Byakuren did not jerk to a halt - she had been standing still when I grabbed at her leg. She knew full well I was going to try and stop her, and she looked down at me with a calming smile.
"I hope you aren't too inconvenienced by your new promotion. You should be able to run the temple in my stead, right?"
I wanted to scream, but my body was too battered to managed it. All that came out of my mouth was a choked sob as she effortlessly released herself from my grip, finally meeting Misato face-to-face. The shrine maiden's expression remained firm in face of these events, which was more than could be said of anyone else.
"If this is all some sort of trick, I have to say that you've tought these youkai to act pretty well."
"Don't give them credit where it isn't due. Shou in particular wears her heart on her sleeve."
Why are you kidding around now? Do you realise what she's going to do to you? Even if you can't die, she'll just banish you to some unseen corner of the cosmos forever. At its best, you'll be alone; at its worst, you'll be in agony for the rest of time.
So why? Why are you still smiling?
There was so much I wanted to say, but I didn't have the strength left for any of it. By now she had disregarded us entirely, simply giving the shrine maiden a long hard look. For a minute, everyone gathered watched on in total silence.
Misato clicked her fingers.
"Bring it up from down there."
As the order was given, the crowd behind Misato murmured amongst themselves. They shuffled around, and eventually I could make out a bag being carried from the end of the crowd. It was large, and from the way grown men were struggling with it it was heavy as well, but when the delivery finally reached Misato she took it in one hand without a second thought.
"This sort of ritual is complicated, I'll have you know. I needed to make some special arrangements to set this up, so feel complimented you took up so much of my time."
"Certainly, Lady Hakurei."
I could see a hint of irritation flicker on Misato's face at that comment. I'd have taken a mental note to compliment her like that more often if my body wasn't busy putting itself back together.
Misato dropped the bag, allowing some of its contents to slip out. A single wooden block landed at Byakuren's feet. Her eyes widened.
"I assume I don't need to tell you what these are?"
She looked down at the fallen blocks with an expression of amazement. She reached down and picked one up, pressing it lightly. It was as immaculate as the day it was cut.
"Incredible...I didn't even realise so much of the Tobikura survived."
"Myouren Hijiri was a great monk. Simple preservation magic wouldn't have been a problem for him."
The Tobikura...? That was her brother's ship, wasn't it? The one she was riding when...
"Even in death, it still stays spotless. Gotta admit, that's pretty impressive."
This time, Byakuren had no response. Her smile wavered slightly. Misato had picked a sensitive topic, and I was already primed to see her rub the guilt into Byakuren's face. I was convinced now, more than anything, that Misato wanted to see her foe hurt in every way she could manage.
Except...she didn't. Rather than take her time to give Byakuren the guilttrip from her, to send her away from us a gibbering, self-hating wreck, she simply moved on and gave the topic no further thought.
I was confused. Was that...mercy?
"Anyway. I'm not going to explain this to you in painstaking detail, but these blocks are gonna serve as the catalyst. I don't suppose you have any last words?"
"You have no intention of honouring them, so I see no point in talking."
"Heh. Guess you understand the situation better than I thought."
Misato raised her gohei upwards into the air, murmuring an incantation beneath her breath. A circle of light emerged around Byakuren, and an army of chains sprung out from its edges, wrapping themselves around her. These were chains that no amount of physical strength could break, so the captive made no attempt to even try.
The shrine maiden reached down to the bag of wooden blocks, touching one of them with her gohei. The block began to glow, taking on the same radiance as the circle, and it lifted itself off into the air, hanging in front of Byakuren's face. The rest of the Tobikura blocks followed, until Byakuren was surrounded by dozens of them.
"Byakuren Hijiri. You have been found guilty of black magic and youkai sympathising. There is only one punishment fitting for a criminal like you."
The blocks began to spin around in the air, rotating around Byakuren slowly to start. As Misato continued the ritual, they began to turn faster, growing brighter all the while.
"You will be imprisoned in the deepest, darkest region of Makai for the rest of eternity, never again to show your face amongst humanity. You will live out your immortality in solitude, and spend every waking moment of your existence praying for a death that will never come."
The light was almost blinding now, and I had to squint to make out what was happening. Misato's face remained frighteningly calm in the midst of it all. I couldn't see Byakuren's expression anymore, but she was still making no attempt to escape her prison.
It was now I thanked Vaisravana for being born a youkai. Maybe I wasn't in full fighting shape, but I was strong enough to stand again. Slowly, I trudged to my feet, still feeling like my innards were set to fall out any minute.
"Hi...Hi-"
""HIJIRI!""
Two bodies dashed past mine, still able to give their all. Ichirin and Murasa had finally grown tired of standing around, waiting in silence for their saviour to disappear. Maybe they couldn't do anything, but they could damn well try.
"Yaaah!"
Murasa wielded her anchor like a maniac, aiming straight for Misato. She was distracted, and this was the only opening she was going to get. Ichirin dived towards Byakuren, trying to push her out of the circle. If that meant she was going to be sealed instead, then so be it.
Both plans failed miserably.
"What the-?!"
Murasa didn't have time to react when it appeared in front of her. By the time she had a clue what was going on, she already had one foot in the dark violet gap.
"Aah!"
Behind her, Ichirin faced a similar fate, with a gap emerging between her and the circle. Unzan, bound to his master by principle, followed her into the abyss with a look of fear on his face.
But there was more.
Perhaps the most frightening part was how silent it was - how I had no idea it was happening until Misato's lynch mob began to let out various gasps of amazement. Turning around, I could see the Palanquin being pulled along the ground by the largest of all the gaps. It must have weighed tonnes, but still the purple tear in the sky drew it in in a matter of seconds. I had to blink a few times to believe it, but the ship had...vanished.
And a few seconds later, so had all the gaps.
"...Ku-Kumoi-san? Captain?!"
It had all happened so quickly that my brain was still playing catchup. One minute they had been there, and the next they were gone. And all the while, Misato hadn't so much as looked away from the ritual.
"Now, let the world be purged of this menace. This earth has no place for youkai and its ilk, and as a Hakurei maiden I sentence you to the bowels of Makai for the rest of your neverending, miserable life."
The blocks were spinning around at an insane velocity now, almost creating a whirlwind around their captive. By now they didn't even look like wodden blocks any more - they were rays of light, tracing some ornate patten in the air above the magic circle.
I couldn't stop it. I couldn't even try. It was taking everything I had just to stand. I wanted to curl up into a ball and cry, I felt so powerless. Everything I'd come to care about was being taken from me, and I could only sit and watch.
"Shou."
Amidst the whirring of the spinning blocks, I made out a voice. One that stayed completely calm and relaxed in the face of an unimaginable sentence. Byakuren pulled her head around to give me a final look, smiling.
"Don't hate them, Shou. They're just afraid."
The light began to emanate from her as well, and her features vanished into the sea of white. Misato's eyes widened slightly. The gohei turned, the light roared, the maiden screamed.
"BEGONE."
The flash must have blinded people halfway across the country, as the crowd gave off little yelps of shock. Even when my eyes had come back into focus, I held them shut. I didn't want to look. As long as I didn't look, it was possible I was wrong, and that this was all a trick, and that she wasn't really-
...Oh, who am I kidding? She's gone.
I forced my eyes open. Misato stood in the same place as always, putting her gohei away with a sigh. Byakuren was nowhere to be seen.
Gone.
All of them. Gone. To parts unknown, to never return.
I fell to my knees, clinging to the spear for what little balance I could muster. It took all my will to keep myself from screaming, but the tears poured down my face regardless.
Why? What had we done to deserve this?
"...Alright. Let's go home, everyone. We're done here."
Misato turned to the crowd, ordering them back down the stairway to whatever village they had come from.
No response.
"...What are you doing? I said to get moving."
One of the burlier humans at the front of the crowd raised his hand.
"Woman, you didn't finish the job. There might be more of 'em in that temple."
I couldn't see her face from here, but Misato took a step backwards at that one. Had she not been planning for this?
Wait...that would have meant she was planning for this the whole time. An outcome without anyone having to die. She had been expecting Byakuren to give herself up the whole time.
Don't hate them, Shou. They're just afraid.
"I didn't get hired to deal with servants of Vaisravana. You guys paid me to take out Hijiri, and I did it. I'm going home, and I expect you guys to follow me."
Was that irritation seeping into her voice? This, at least, she must not have planned. The crowd murmured amongst itself, growing louder and louder.
"Bullshit! We can't leave it now, they might come back and attack us again!"
"Yeah! What if they hide some another witch?"
There was aggression building up in the crowd. Misato's gaze shifted between them, trying to pull them away or scare them off, but they were driven by a force that few others could match.
Fear.
"Outta the way, girl! If you're not gonna take care of this, we're gonna do it ourselves!"
The gang grew tired of waiting. They wanted blood, and they were going to quench their thirst whether she liked it or not. They charged forward, madness in their eyes as they turned their fear inside out. They turned it into rage.
Misato was fast enough to avoid the oncoming riot. I, on the other hand, was barely standing after my fight with the shrine maiden. There were dozens of them coming for me, and no-one cared to stop or make their way around me.
So I fell to the floor, and felt a dozen feet slam into me.
No part of my body received mercy. They trod on my face, my chest, my arms, my legs. I was trampled beneath the stampede, feeling muscles tear and bones snap. By the time they had finally made their way past me, I was barely conscious.
Maybe I would die here. When they finished their attack on the temple, they'd come back for me. They were pulling out torches, lighting them at the corners and the walls.
"Smoke 'em out! If they don't come out, let 'em die like rats in there!"
One voice, the newly elected leader of the troupe, issued commands to the crowd. They were burning down the temple. I knew enough of its structure to know it would burn easily - there was enough wood in the roof alone to bring around a collapse. Nothing inside would have a chance of surviving-
Wait.
No.
"N..."
It was a second wind that pulled me to my feet. I had forgotten something.
Someone.
"Na...Nazrin..."
She was still in the temple. She'd been by herself since Byakuren's confession. She had no idea what was going on.
Oh god. Ohgodohgodohgodohgodohgod-
"Hey, what?!"
They'd already taken everything else from me. But not her. Not her.
"Watch out! The tiger's coming through!"
They called out in confusion and fear. They must have expected me to tear them apart. But they weren't worth my time.
I ran into the temple, already being quickly engulfed by the flames. The humans looked on in confusion, murmuring amongst themselves again.
"The hell is wrong with her?"
"Eh, if she wants to go out that painfully, I sure as hell don't mind."
"Yeah, look at this place. It'd be like hell on earth inside there."
They waited around for a short while longer, until they were satisfied that the blaze was too violent for anything to escape. Only then did they turn tail and leave, crying anthems of triumph as the morning sun came into full view.
In their minds, they'd managed a great victory - they'd banished a witch and slaughtered her subjects. It wasn't their job to care about the damage they'd done of who had to pick up the pieces.
After all, history was written by the winners.
-----
"Nazrin!"
It was even faster than I had thought. The roof was starting to give in, dropping burning planks onto the floor and spreading the flames further still. I could barely make out the structure anymore - I had to rely on my memory alone to guide me.
"Nazrin, where are you?! Nazr-"
My throat burned, and I hacked out a cough. The smoke was spreading. There wasn't much time left.
"Nazrin...come on! Get out of here!"
No response. Was I...? No. No, I couldn't be. Not after everything. They couldn't take everything from me. That was just too cruel, too wrong. It couldn't happen. I had to keep going. I had to save her.
"Naz-kh..."
But adrenaline could only push me so far. The pain was flaring up again, and my burst of speed had worn off. The smoke was coming lower. I couldn't see. I couldn't breathe.
I fell to my knees, grabbing at my chest. I was getting faint, and every inch of my body was aching from something. After everything that had happened, I had finally reached my limit.
Everything's...getting dark...
My vision started to waver. I looked upwards, feeling hazy, ready for the pain to end. The statue of Vaisravana looked back down on me, with the same severe expression that had earned my adoration so long ago.
Vaisravana-sama...I...screwed up...
The last ounces of strength I had left me, and I crumpled to the floor face down. Around me, the temple continued to burn as my mind drifted off into oblivion.
Nazrin...I'm...sorry...
Kasu:
Well. This is definitely a "Dammit Yukari" moment.
FinnKaenbyou:
It's been hours. I need to stop.
I shudder. I hold the tears back. Not cold. But angry.
I trusted Hijiri. Thought she cared. Thought she was looking out for me. And now it turns out she was just interested in herself.
The bitch.
Maybe she can't die. But I'm pretty sure I can still make her hurt. Let the mice nibble at her for a few hours. See if she's still feeling so high-and-mighty after that.
...Wait, no. That's not what I mean. Dammit, I need to calm down.
I was happy. When it was just me, and Shou, and Hijiri. Not much happened. We spent our time doing stupid things. Pointless things. Talking about useless subjects.
But it was wonderful. I loved it.
Now they've pulled the carpet out from under my feet. Pulled the wool off of my eyes and told me I was living in a lie. From a well-meaning servant to another pawn in Hijiri's game of immortality.
Of course I'm going to be mad.
At the same time...Hijiri's the reason I have a life at all. The scars from the fire still ache now and then. I've learned to deal with it. If she hadn't taken me in then, I'd have died with everyone else.
Everyone else.
No, I don't want to think about this. I don't want to see them again. Not like that. Not seeing some of them scream as their bodies burn. Others gasping for air as smoke filled their lungs. Others still unable to see, falling from the shelves to a sudden stop ten feet down.
But I'm there again. It feels so real. I can hear the crackling of the fire. The smell of distant smoke. Even the heat on my face. It's never felt this real before.
I stare lazily at the roof, lost in memory. The fire plays itself out in my mind. More shuddering. Not angry. But afraid.
It isn't the pain that scares me. Not the threat of death.
I don't want to be alone.
"Nazrin!"
I snap out of the trance. I'm confused. I'm sure I'm in the present, but I can still hear the fire blazing on. It's almost like the temple is-
Aah.
Aaaaah...
"Nazrin, where are you?! Nazr-"
Shou's voice again. Calling for me. I hear her choke on the smoke. She's looking for me. She could run, but she's looking for me.
I can't move.
Not again. I can't deal with it again. I don't want to remember, keep it away, crumple it up into a ball and throw it into some forgotten corner and let it die. Maybe it's coming closer, but it hasn't reached this room yet. I can ignore it for a little while longer if I stay in here.
"Nazrin...come on! Get out of here!"
Any other way. Any other way. Please. Stab me, slit my throat, drown me, freeze me, shoot me, strike me down with a plague. Anything.
Not fire. Not the fire.
Not just for my sake. Shou is looking for me. From here I can tell the fire is running rampant. If she doesn't leave now, she'll die. She can't expect me to come out.
Please, Shou. Don't be an idiot. Get out now. You can't make it. I don't want you to die because I'm a coward.
"Naz-kh..."
The choking sounds get louder. The shouting stops. The footsteps stop.
This isn't happening. It's a nightmare. I fell asleep and I'm going to wake up in a few minutes and Shou will be there to tell me things are fine.
A plank from the roof collapses. Lands on my arm. Helpfully reminds me that I'm awake.
The plank lands on the floor, flickering. The ground catches alight.
It's here.
In the distance, Shou hits the floor.
I'm frozen in place. Staring at the flame as it runs along the floor. I had hoped my memories just made it look fast than it was. But no, it's as potent as I remember.
What do I do? I can't go out there. It's worse out there, I'll burn and choke and die like Shou did.
...Like Shou did?
Wait.
Shou. She's dying. She isn't dead. I can save her.
But I have to face the fire. I stare at it again, my entire body shivering. Can I do this?
No. Wrong wording. I have to do this. I'm scared. But the fear of losing Shou is worse than the fear of the fire.
Deep breaths. Deep breaths. Keep low, that's where the air is. Get ready to charge and run straight out. Find Shou, carry her out, get away.
Ready? No. But go anyway.
I break down the door, and step out into hell.
Everything is burning. There are only two colours - the blood red flame and the ash-grey smoke. The fire licks at my body, singes my clothes. I've never run this fast before. I need to get out.
I enter the main hall. Vaisravana stands tall as his kingdom crumbles around him.
There she is. Oh, god, she isn't moving. Quick, Nazrin, up on one shoulder. She's heavy, but there's no time to complain.
All that air I stored up before is running thin. I want to breathe, but there's only smoke around me now. Just a little longer, that's all I need. A few more paces and-
"Ahk-!"
Dammit, that's not what I need right now. Follow orders, you lousy pair of lungs. If I tell you not to breathe, you don't breathe. Smoke is hardly going to do you any good.
Shit, that hurts. But it's not far. Deal with it. Keep going, keep going, and-
"Haah, haah, haah...!"
Two for two. I don't have time for celebrations. Too busy gasping for air for that.
Shou.
I lay her down on the ground. She's clear of the temple. I don't care if anyone's nearby, she needs help now.
Please have a pulse. Let me feel something when I press against your neck.
Nothing.
...Aah.
"Press down on her chest where her heart is. Pump it for her."
A voice. Offering help. Don't care who it is. Need to follow their instructions.
One, two, three. Can't be subtle here. Need to be forceful. Might crack a rib, but better alive and hurting than dead.
Eight, nine, ten. Anything? No. Shit.
"That's enough. Give her mouth-to-mouth, her brain needs air badly."
Her lips are cold. Flaccid. Blue. They weren't like this last time.
God, what I would give for last time. That night when I'd sworn to risk everything on her. I gave her my heart that night.
And now she's about to die with it.
"Nothing? Keep trying."
Dammit, this isn't happening. One, two, three...
What happened, Shou? You promised. You promised we'd stay together. You can't leave me now.
More air. Check for pulse. Still nothing.
Come on, Shou. Don't do this to me. You can't go on without me.
Everyone else is gone, aren't they? You were the only one left. The only one who tried to save me. If you leave, I'll be alone again.
You can't make me go through that again. I need you, Shou. I love you.
So please. I'm begging you. Don't die.
...Eight, nine, ten...nothing.
Goddammit, Shou. You can't let this happen. Don't you dare die on me. I'll crawl through the netherworld and curse your name if you leave me here.
Say something. Come on, Shou. Act like an idiot, do something stupid. Forget how to use a spoon, trip up, say something that makes no sense. I don't care what you do. Stand up and slap me in the face if you want to. I don't care. Just do something.
Wake up, Shou.
Wake up.
Please...please...please...
-----
"...up..."
Everything hurt. I felt wretched. There was a part of me that wanted to curl up and die. I could hear it whispering in my ear.
Give up. You've done enough.
Its words were so soothing, so calming. I wanted to give in to it. I had suffered long enough. Surely I had earned this peace by now.
"...ke up..."
That voice. It sounded familiar, but I couldn't put a face to it. No matter, I would be gone soon. I would just ignore it.
"...wake up..."
Be quiet. I'm trying to die here. Do you know what I went through? I was beaten to a pulp, trampled on, and threw myself into an inferno to try and save-
Nazrin.
"Shou, wake up already. This isn't funny anymore."
What was I doing? How could I be so selfish to try and leave her behind to face that nightmare? To live on without anyone else she knew? I promised her, didn't I? I said I'd stay with her, I'd never let her down.
How shameful.
...What are you doing? Why are you fighting me?
The voice was getting quieter. I was rejecting it. The pain grew stronger again, but I didn't care. I could deal with it, and it would hurt worse if I left her behind.
It was getting brighter again. The world was coming back. Or rather, I was going back to the world.
You can't do this! You can't put yourself through that again!
...Shut up. I'm not weak enough to put my desires above hers like that!
I directed my anger at that voice, at that weaker side of me. The emotion was pulling me out of the void, back into the world I knew.
THAT'S NOT JUSTICE!
-----
"Shou, wa-"
I came back not with a bang, but with a choked whimper. My first instinct was to cough my lungs out, and the next few to follow were more or less the same. Nazrin was taken aback for a moment by my violent reaction, but soon afterward she was wrapping her arms around me.
"Shou...Shou...! You're...aaaah..."
She'd been through so much, and at last she'd reached her limit. The emotions were welling out of her, and she held me upright with tears flowing from her eyes. I'd never seen her so overjoyed before.
"Y-You idiot...You're so selfish..."
She spat out a complaint, desperately trying to maintain face, but the facade had come down. My arms almost creaked as I raised them, but I managed to wrap them around her eventually.
"Hah...sorry...for making you worry like that..."
That just make her tear up harder, squeezing at me. It hurt, but it wasn't like a little more pain was going to make me collapse any more. I looked straight into Nazrin's eyes, and none of the physical pain mattered. It didn't even matter that we'd lost everything.
I still had her. She still had me. We'd get by.
...Huh? Is that...?
My eyes glanced over to Nazrin's side. A figure stood in the distance, at the stairway back down, looking on as the temple crumpled.
Misato?
She was looking at me, I realised - and this time, her eyes were filled with guilt. Her lips silently mouthed a word out in my direction.
"Sorry."
With that, she turned around and made her way down the stairs, leaving us to pick up the pieces. Had she...helped?
"Nnn..."
Now wasn't the time. My body was begging for a rest now, and I felt my eyes start to close again. I'd need a few hours to recover from this, even as a youkai.
The last thing I saw before I closed my eyes and fell asleep was the sun rising in the sky. The morning had come.
And the stars were nowhere to be seen.
-----
It was a screwed up job.
Misato Hakurei could only mutter to herself on the stairway back down. She hadn't expected them to lash out like that - the plan had been to cause as few casualties as possible while taking care of Hijiri. She'd followed the orders she'd been given, used the right ritual, but she hadn't been ready for the crowd to go haywire.
Thank god the mouse had been willing to follow orders. If the tiger had died, it would have been hung on her conscience for who knows how long.
"Still beating yourself up?"
There she was. Took her long enough to show up. She needed to have a good talk with her about all of this.
"Don't give me the boundary act, Yukari. Just talk to me face-to-face for a change."
"You really are feeling bad about this, aren't you? A frown doesn't suit that face of yours, you know."
Another of the purple gaps appeared in front of Misato. This time, rather than taking someone in, someone stepped out of it - a young woman with long blonde hair in a long violet dress. She twirled a parasol around in one hand, appearing rather spry against the solemn expression of Misato.
"What did you do to them? Where are they?"
"Oh, around."
"This isn't the time for games, you old hag. Just answer the question for a change."
Yukari pouted.
"Your mother would be ashamed if she heard you call me that. She treated me with the utmost respect. Kids these days-"
"You're stalling again."
A moment of silence. Yukari finally accepted that now was not the time for playing around, and her face grew deadly serious.
"They've been sealed away beneath the ground. They'll sleep for a good few centuries, most likely."
"And then what?"
"I have plans for them."
Misato sighed. That was how Yukari answered every question like that, and she knew full well that she would get no more out of her than that.
"...Misato-chan. You did all you could."
Misato sat down on the stairway, placing her head on her knees.
"I know, I know. But still...it just seems so unfair on all of them."
No-one was looking now. Misato allowed herself a single tear down her face. What she'd done was unfair and horrible, but it was the lesser of two evils. Humanity was afraid of youkai, and if no-one made a show of stopping them the fear would drive them to madness.
"There...there has to be a better way than this. Come on, Yukari, you have to have an idea."
Yukari was silent, looking away for a moment in thought. Her face remained severe.
"...There is one possibility, but it's rather absurd."
"Absurd, but not impossible, right?"
Yukari pouted.
"No, but it would be slow. To prepare it would take centuries of effort on your part, and on the part of your descendents. It would be a duty I asked not just of you, but of the entire Hakurei line."
Misato inhaled deeply. Yukari was toying with her again, and she knew it. The youkai knew she had no intention of refusing - not after a travesty like that. She had been biding her time, waiting for just the right moment to ask this of her.
But it was hardly new. Getting used by Yukari was as common an occurance for her as blinking. Maybe as well get hooked on the big one now and get it over with.
"...Well, if it won't be finished by the time I pass on, then I don't get to take the blame when it's finished. What's the plan?"
Yukari's face lit up immediately. Misato wasn't sure if she was a serious youkai putting on a masquerade of cheerfulness, or a cheerful youkai pretending to be severe. She'd long since given up on figuring it out.
"Oh, excellent! I've always wanted to make my own country!"
Misato raised an eyebrow.
"Country?"
"Well, if the youkai can live amongst themselves, then there's no need for the humans to persecute them, right?"
"...It can't be that simple. If humans found out about a nation of youkai, wouldn't they just invade?"
"See, that's where you come in, Misato-chan! It'll take a long time to get the magical power together, but if we put enough time into it we can put up a boundary between it and the outside world!"
Misato took a moment to think it over. She began to nod in approval.
"Heh. I gotta admit, that's pretty damn clever."
"I know, right! And we can call it Yakumoland!"
Silence.
"...Yakumoland?"
"Well, Hakureiland isn't quite as catchy."
"Both those names are terrible! If you're gonna make me devote my life to this, at least let me give it a name that isn't as bad as that!"
Yukari flinched, pouting childishly.
"Fine...Misato-chan, you're mean."
"You're welcome."
Misato smirked slightly at the sight of Yukari cowering. It was fake, yes, but it was as close as she was going to get.
"...Alright, I've decided."
Misato stood up again, feeling a new wave of hope rising up in her. This was a chance to end this sort of tragedy. Maybe it'd take a lot of effort on her part, and on the part of her children, but it would be worth it to save youkai from a fate like that.
"This country you're proposing...it'll be a land that the world thinks doesn't exist. They'll think it's an illusion, right? So there's only one fitting name for it."
Yukari looked on, paying close attention to Misato's words and clapping childishly when she saw where the shrine maiden was coming from.
"Ooh, I like it! You have good taste, Misato-chan!"
"Drop the chan, already."
"Aw..."
Misato started making her way down the stairs again, a newfound spring in her step. This was the start of a new era in her life. Maybe a new era for the whole world, if she succeeded.
"No complaints, then?"
"None at all."
"Good. I wouldn't have listened to you, anyway."
Back to the shrine for now, Misato thought. This was going to take a lot of work, but the nation had already been born in her heart. That image would drive her on for the rest of her life, and she would tell stories of it to her daughter to continue the dream.
Gensokyo had been born.
-----
Hopefully that makes up for the pace of my updates until now. =_=
Silent Harmony:
You know, for a while I forgot why I love your stories so much. Thanks for reminding me.
Kasu:
Hoho~ Can't wait to see what happens next.