The mansion standing alone in the sunflower field was decaying. It was Victorian, all ornate wood working and traceries, but the paint was sun-faded and peeling, and vines had twined up most of the exterior and burrowed inward. The entrance, once a looming set of double doors, was now open, one off its hinges entirely, the other propped open with a crate.
The blonde woman sitting on the crate was flipping her way through a catalog of plant samples, circling some with a pen, marking others out, humming idly all the while.
Further in, down a hallway crowded with potted plants, voices carried from the mansion's kitchen, weaving between the canopy of vines hanging from the ceiling.
"Ah, where was I?"
A tow-headed little girl fidgeted in her seat, thinking for a moment. "You were telling me about Makai."
"More tea?" the other asked.
"No thanks, Miss Yuuka. Mother's making dinner in a little while."
Yuuka shrugged, rolling the plaid shoulders of her blouse. "More for me." She topped up her teacup and returned to the table. It was small, more suited for a farmhouse than a mansion, but it alone seemed in place among the jungle of plants filling the house.
"We really ought to get you a day trip back there," she mused, taking a sip of her tea.
The girl set down her empty cup, glanced longingly at the plate of cookies, and then looked back at Yuuka. "Why?"
Yuuka's red eyes lit up. "Your mother never told you? Why, Amanita, how're you ever supposed to meet your grandmother?" She grinned at her guest. "Really now. Didn't even tell you that Granny Shinki is the queen of Makai?"
Amanita stiffened in her seat. "Queen?"
"And Goddess! She- do have a cookie, dear. Otherwise Elly eats them all. She rules the entire realm."
Yuuka nudged the cookies a little closer to Amanita. After a moment's hesitation, the girl reached out and took one.
"I can understand not having met her," Yuuka continued. "But not even knowing about her? They didn't have that much bad blood between them."
Amanita lowered her cookie half-eaten. She was frowning now, her blue eyes narrowed. "My mother doesn't get along with her mom either? And… Mama never sees her family."
"That's a bit different," Yuuka said. "Marisa's family are human. Her parents are quite old at this point, and they never did see eye-to-eye on her becoming a youkai."
"It just..." Amanita's frown deepened. "It just feels like my whole family… doesn't have a family?" She phrased it as a question, sounding out the thought as she said it. "My parents don't see their parents, and…" She trailed off, fidgeting with the cookie.
"Yes?" Yuuka said, motioning with a hand.
"Why doesn't my mother live with Mama?"
Yuuka's reply was cut off in a deep bass chime. A grandfather clock in the mansion's foyer was gonging, marking the hour with a sound loud enough to send splinters of rotten wood showering from its frame.
The two waited until it fell silent, and then Yuuka sighed. "It's time for you to be going."
"But-" Amanita got up, but stayed where she was. "Do you know why?"
"Walk with me."
Yuuka started off without waiting for a reply. Amanita had to scurry after her, brushing crumbs off her sundress as she ran.
They exited the manor. The blonde woman at the door came to attention as Yuuka passed, and waved goodbye to Amanita.
"Bye, Elly!" Amanita called over her shoulder.
They crossed into the sunflower field. The stalks were thick and tall, high enough to feel more like a forest than a field, and the air heavy with their scent. Amanita had to run to catch up to Yuuka.
"I've asked my mother before, but she never answered," she gasped. Ahead, Yuuka heard her and turned. The run had been a bit too much- Amanita was already breathless.
"Come here." Yuuka scooped her up like a kitten and began carrying her.
Amanita slowly caught her breath as Yuuka wove through the flowers. It was a few minutes before she could ask the question again. Yuuka ignored her.
The stalks parted ahead, and they came to the boundary of the field. The flowers gave way to forest, looking strange and out of place beside the orange and reds of the autumn leaves. Yuuka's field was eternally summer. Amanita didn't know how she managed it, and couldn't imagine the level of power to do such a thing, but she appreciated it. The flowers were lovely and vibrant, and visiting was always a treat.
Except for today. Now her insides were churning, and the ache in her chest was only partially from the running.
Yuuka set her down, but Amanita turned and caught at her host's dress. "Miss Yuuka, please."
But Yuuka shook her head. Her ever-present smile had faded. "That's a question for your parents. I have an idea, but the specifics aren't known to me." She sighed. "Here I was all set to plan a girl's weekend to Makai, and we ended up talking about this."
Amanita hung her head. "Sorry."
A calloused hand tousled her hair. "Not your fault, brat. You needed to find out sooner or later. Now- you have your little friend to lead you home, correct?"
Amanita nodded. She stuck two fingers in her mouth and whistled loudly. Almost at once, the ground shook and a squat little form burst out of the dirt.
The creature was about four feet tall, stocky, its body the color of pale mold, but the cap atop its head was a brilliant, speckled red. It was a walking mushroom.
It scooped Amanita up without fanfare and sat her atop its cap. She sunk into the soft flesh slightly, but balanced easily on her mount.
"And your hat?" Yuuka added.
Amanita tugged the sunhat from its spot on her back to her head, forcing her curls under it. She smiled weakly from beneath the wide brim. "Thank you for the tea and cookies, Miss Yuuka."
Yuuka shrugged. "You know where I live. Come see me again."
With a nudge, Amanita directed the mushroom man to start walking. "Bye."
"There are seeds in your pocket," Yuuka called after her. "Plant them in your garden. The mushrooms should like them."
Amanita twisted round to give her thanks, but Yuuka was already gone, vanished into her fields like a wraith.
She sighed and patted her familiar's cap. "Cmon, let's go home."
XXX
Yuuka's current location wasn't terribly far from the Forest of Magic. The sunflower fields tended to slide around Gensokyo when Amanita wasn't paying attention, and it had become one of her favorite activities every spring to seek out the little oasis of color to meet Yuuka.
It was the first time Yuuka had actively refused to talk about a subject with her though. There had been previous occasions where she'd changed the subject or demurred, but she'd never stopped a conversation dead.
Amanita crossed her legs and cradled her chin in her hands. It would be faster and easier to get home if she could fly, but it was beyond her. Too much exertion.
Ostoyae made up for it though. The mushroom man started running as soon as they entered the forest, and did not slow. She jiggled up and down on his head, but it was like riding on a very spongy horse. His crown absorbed most of the motion. He was tireless, just smart enough that she only had to prod him a bit to get him going, and he'd handle the rest.
And that left her with nothing to do but sit and think while he ran.
Her parents not living together wasn't a new thing. They'd lived apart as long as she could remember, each in a little cottage in the Forest of Magic. Every week, Amanita would go to live at a different parent's house. Mama and Mother spent time together once in a while, and they'd gone on trips as a family, but they didn't live together.
And… she hadn't really thought it was odd until she started school. Most of the human children in class had moms and dads who lived together- if they were both alive, and that was normal. But her parents were both youkai, so she'd just accepted it as something that came with the territory.
Reiko's moms didn't live together, and that made sense. Reiko's one mom was the shrine maiden, and her other mom was Yukari, and of course a youkai wasn't going to live at the Hakurei shrine.
But… the miko was a human, and Yukari was a youkai. So that wasn't quite the same.
And didn't the Moriya temple have a pair of goddesses that lived together?
She frowned deeper and deeper.
Any way you sliced it, her family wasn't normal.
Ostoyae crossed the unseen border that marked Amanita's range. She relaxed a little as the network of fungal growth beneath the ground touched her mind. The roots covered a nearly two mile circle around her mother's cottage, and they grew a little each day. In a few years, it would be large enough to connect with the identical root system beneath Mama's house, and it would be like being with both of them at once.
It was her version of Yuuka's field. Within its range, she was stronger, not so weak, and most of the spells she'd made were actually possible. But more than that… she was home.
A home.
Her frown returned.
Another exception occurred to her. Two homes. Didn't one of the girls in her class have two homes? And… yes. She did.
That girl's parents were divorced.
Amanita sat up straight, suddenly nauseous in a way that had nothing to do with how Ostoyae was jouncing through a rocky section of forest.
She swallowed, then reached down and prodded his cap. "Faster. Go faster."
Ostoyae clapped the knotty growths that were his hands together; his version of 'yes,' and then sped up. The trees raced by around them, and Amanita ducked down, lowering herself so he could go even faster.
In a matter of moments, the treeline broke around them, and Ostoyae came skidding into the neat clearing that surrounded her mother's house. A few dolls were trundling about doing yard work, but most had gone back inside for the day.
Amanita banished Ostoyae mid-step. He dropped seamlessly into the ground, rejoining with the main body of fungus, and she touched down running, moving fast enough that she nearly flipped over the neat stones of the front walk.
She went pattering up the walk, her heart thudding painfully from the sudden exertion, and then flung open the front door.
"Mum!"
Silence.
The house was quiet. Not fully quiet- it never was; there were always dolls moving about doing little tasks for Mum, but there was no comforting voice, no sound of footsteps.
Amanita hovered on the doorstep for a moment, listening as hard as she could. Perhaps her mother had simply been napping or busy or- or something, and-
A rustle. A Shanghai doll sitting on the sewing table was waving to her. It held up a piece of paper.
Amanita snatched it away, and the doll immediately stopped moving. The magic animating it had been for that purpose only. Mum liked those kinds of things when she wasn't around. Because she definitely wasn't around.
She read quickly. Frowned. Read it again, more slowly.
Amanita,
I've been called away on urgent business. I hate leaving you like this, but it was a matter of gravest importance and could not wait. The shrine maiden, your mother, myself, and several others will be occupied with this for several days at the minimum.
Please understand that I do this only because all of Gensokyo is at stake, and Yakumo-san wasn't able to spare the time to fetch you.
There is food in the icebox if you want supper, but I want you to go to Uncle Rinnosuke's until I am back. It's not safe for you to be home alone for that long. I was able to send word to him with one of the dolls, so he should be coming to fetch you. Do not go looking for him on your own.
There are an Orleans and a Hourai on your bed. Touch their foreheads to activate them. They have standing orders to protect you.
Stay safe until I return,
Mum
The page dropped from numb fingers to slide under the table.
Amanita slowly pushed her hat off and let it fall as well.
The only thing that made its way past the mind-numbing panic was the foulest word she knew.
"Fudge!"
XXX
Couldn't think of a title, so I ended up looking up mushroom names for ideas. Enter Calvatia Gigantea, or literally- The Gigantic Puffball.
And instantly, I had not only a title, but also a descriptor for Amanita.
Inspiration for this story was... not really sure on what the specific moment of generation was, but the general tone of light-hearted antics and dealing with the daughter of a Malice relationship came largely from 'The Dollmaker's Daughter.' Go read it, because it's hella adorbs.