Disclaimer : Touhou Project belongs to ZUN
Note : And if you prefer a no original character fanfic, then please turn away from this one, as it is one of them.
Under the blue sky where butterfly sinks under the infinite sky
Under a dream of the long lost autumn.
The ring of wind chime together with the song of cicadas
The gentle wind breeze
The soft voice of people talking
Even the floating colored leaves of autumn.
Within the dream, it is being seen.
Within the dream, it is being drawn.
Within the dream, it is being felt.
In the dream, their image is just as real
And that, is more than enough to assure.
In the dream, their vague smell is just as real
And that, is more than enough to prove.
In the dream, their warmth is just as real
And that, is more than enough to sooth.
Even when it always feel distant.
Within the same time, it always feel close.
In the dream of this autumn.
And the memories of the transparent.
Is the recall of the long forgotten autumn
/1
The fallen autumn leaves scatter around the pathway and shrine ground. Dust has been gathering around ever since it got cleaned last time. Messy is the right word to describe the situation in this shrine–no, maybe messy is an understatement.
"How is it today? Empty again?" I mutter while knocking the offertory box. As if replying the mutter, the offertory box gives quite a loud echoing voice. It seems it does is empty, even today.
Then again, it's not that there is any meaning in hoping that the offertory box will at least be filled by a single coin today. Letting out a soft sigh, I take the broom I have put beside the pillar and start to sweep the front yard.
Moriya Shrine, a shrine located somewhere around Shimosuwa, Nagano.
This shrine used to be a great shrine that could be called as a famous shrine. Far in the past, at the time of the central gods invasion, it was said to be one of the strongest land of native faith. The strength of the faith itself was strong enough that the location that was blessed by this shrine was called Kingdom of Moreya.
But just like time can kill a living being, it can also devour a former glory into nothing but a history; a literature works which is written by the winner. Even the glory from the Kingdom of Moreya is nothing but a history of a far past right now. Perhaps even a myth.
Human believes in what they can see and perceive through their logic. Other than that, it'll be nothing but a transient faith that can be replaced anytime.
In the age where science has been developed greatly to prove a meaning and truth of something through an observation, identification, experimental investigation, and theoretical explanation of one phenomena, the past story that include supernatural entity will be slowly but surely forgotten. Interest in this subject only last for a short time because it can't be proved, and visits are based on culture instead of worships.
It is said that those supernatural entity comes from the natural entity's wishes and emotion. Fear will give birth to youkai, and wishes will give birth to gods. Or at least that's what the story tells.
And thus, if the system truly works that way, then they'll be slowly but surely disappears once nobody believe in them anymore. Maybe that's why this shrine has a decline in its number of visitors too.
But even though so, there are still those who've no problem perceiving them. For examples, there are babies, elders, and animals. As long as there are those who can naturally perceive them, it should be close to impossible for them to be truly forgotten.
I'm also one of those who can naturally perceive them. But for me, as long as they don't bother, I'm fine with it.
"Whew, it's finally done."
The leaves and dust around the pathway and the shrine front yard have been gathered into a single pile behind the komainu. It's been almost a week since the last time I clean this place, but this pile is pretty small for a week time. I suppose "a single arrow is easily broken but not ten in a bunch" might be true.
Oh well, whatever it is, does that mean I only have to work minimally to keep this place clean? A blessing in disguise like this won't come again, so I should just be grateful with it.
I put the broom at Kagura-den pillar, then leans my back on the same pillar. The autumn gentle breeze that passes through feels more refreshing than usual. Under the clear autumn sky, the autumn leaves that fall from its trees are floating gently–being blown away by wind–representing a calming scenery.
"I hope it'll be quiet tonight. ….?"
As if immediately breaking one's wish, however, from the front of torii, a little girl slowly walks through the pathway. Her gaze are looking down, so I can't clearly see her face, but her body is shaking, and sobs can be heard from her as she passes by me without noticing my presence, perhaps because of the same reason of why she's crying.
She gives no offering, yet she claps her hands twice. Following it is a mutter of prayer. Her voice is so small; I can't hear it at all. Yet from how her body is shaking, it's probably something pretty hard to bear from someone in her age–which from her body size, should be around nine years old.
"…Are you okay?"
"E-eh?" The girl gets surprised by my sudden call and immediately turns around. Finally being able to see her face, her somehow red and wet eyes are visible, indirectly telling that she has been crying for quiet some time.
"... Are you... a shrine maiden here?" The girl asks as she tries to hold her shaky voice.
"I don't think I'm… but with how I work, I guess I do am a shrine maiden. Do you need some help to look for your parents?"
"E-eh... how can you..." The girl widens her eyes as an expression of surprise that I can see the reason behind her cry. After a moment, she turns back to her sad looks, and nods as she looks down again.
"I see… but in this case, isn't it better to report to the police instead of coming to a shrine and asks for a divine guidance?"
"B-but… I've came there before… and… there were no response coming from them no matter how hard I called them…"
"Huh? That's ridiculous… oh, wait. Was it the same when you asked the passerby?"
"Um…" The girl only nods in affirmation as an answer to the question. With the answer as a proof of the theory that just comes to my mind, I heave out a sigh as I take my hair tie off.
This is a peculiar task with heavy responsibility, much to my dislike.
After all, this girl won't be able to meet her mother anymore as long as her mother doesn't share the same circumstance or have a special tie with those in the other place. That's just how it is for the girl now. To put it simply, even if she does finds her mother later, they won't be able to come in contact. As they're now, not only separated by distance, but they're also separated by place.
Evening is the time when the boundary that separates those of the days and those of the night will be slightly, naturally bound. And those who lives there can be together with those who live here. In the same way, it allows some form of communication between the residence of the two different places as long as its condition can be fulfilled.
But in most cases, even the evening can't help heighten spiritual capabilities. With an exception of the people who train it or people who're blessed with heightened spirituality, humans spirituality naturally gets dulled as they grow old, and will only heightened again when they're close to dying.
The one who're blessed with it would be quite rare. And with the rise of scientific era, it would be safe to say that the spiritual training has long extinct, except for certain groups of people.
"M-Miko-san?... Is there something wrong?" The girl asks worriedly with a bit fear and confusion in her tone.
"No, there's nothing wrong."
I give a hand wave in dismissal. It somehow calms the girl a bit, but it doesn't solve the problem we're having.
"…Um, if there's nothing wrong… then what should I do now? I... I don't know where my mother is. And I don't think I can find her alone like this..."
And finally, the question comes.
Now then, what should I do with the girl here?
This shrine is already abandoned as it is, so it should be fine to shelter the girl for now. But sheltering her will only slowly turns her fear into a linger. God knows what happens to a spirit with strong linger. And there's no way I can treat her just like that of a vengeful spirits; exorcising her and then kick her away when she's still holding on her sanity.
If that's how it is, then maybe there are no other choice. As much as I hate this method, this is the safest way.
With a soft sigh, I put the hair band inside the hakama pocket, then looks straightly to the girl.
"Fine… I'll help. But in exchange, you should just rest here."
"E-eh? Rest here… do you mean... I shouldn't help at all?"
"Yes, you shouldn't help at all. You can just sleep here. Sleep into a deep sleep and don't wake up until your mother wakes you up like how you're usually woken up in the morning so you won't be late for school. When the time comes, you'll be with her again."
"...B-but that sounds scary… and what if mom's voice never come?"
"Well… I can't promise anything, but sooner or later you'll hear her voice and meet her again anyway."
"...Really? Will she really come?"
"She will. I'll try to look for her for now. It's an annoying work, so you use your waiting time on resting. I'll give you a room at the shrine office later." I avert my gaze, pointing at the shrine office direction with my gaze, then looks at the girl again. "For now, just rest here. I'll pick you later after I've done with my cleaning work. Or do you want to go there first and choose your room yourself?"
"…Eh, no… I'm fine with waiting here first. Thank you, miko-san…"
The girl's fortunately obedient. Nodding shyly with a gentle happy smile from the words of meeting, the girl takes a seat, close her eyes, then looks down once again. I take the broom on the pillar and then walk away a bit to fool the girl. My glance focus at the girl direction as I slowly walk–
–and within a moment or so, the girl slowly disappears into thin air as she's filled with peace that she'll meet her mother again when she wakes up from her slumber, which is actually nothing but an empty promise.
Children sure are innocent that they can have their peace by a simple empty promise. If the other that are bounded to this world are just like that of a child, it'll be no doubt a simple task to give them a peaceful rest.
"...But in the end, it really is a blessing in disguise. Well, shit. This'll be even more tiring than usual..." With a protest, I walk to the storage building.
/2
With no edible food around the time of dinner, I decide to do a quick tour to the shopping district. It's only the beginning of October, yet with how close this small town to the lake is, its humidity makes it pretty much like winter in the other place. And perhaps for the same reason, there are only small amount of pedestrians around this time of day. With the sun setting, the face of those small amount of pedestrians looks even more lazy to do this shopping tour. It's just like saying that they're being forced to do it. But of course, I'm no exception to them.
With the deep red color of the sun light bathing the area–from the pathway, the shop buildings in the district, and even the lamp pole that has shone its dim-light color–instead of the cheerful, brave meaning of red, it colors it with gloom; like that in a drama or opera that tells death.
At the place where the sun light doesn't reach, are the black part of the sky; colored in deep dark-blue. In between them are the meshing gradation between light and darkness. Even without any spiritual prowess, one with knowledge can know that it's the time of boundary, and they'll soon come invade.
When I left the shrine, I have taken a black colored leather jacket, and now are wearing it on the top of my shrine maiden kimono. Although it's uncomfortable for the kimono sleeves to bulk up inside the jacket, I still wear it to keep myself warm in case a sudden cold presence passes by. Under the sky of where the boundary line can be seen clearly, a thing like that are common to happen.
Even when I've no particular like nor dislike toward the cold presence which I've already sick of it.
When one starts to leave the lively place, an encounter with shady peoples can't be avoided. In fact, some of those shadiness can even pique an interest.
For example: a man in suit with a briefcase who kept looking around before going inside the dark alley. Then next, is a group of people at front of a van near a convenience store. And finally the most obvious one, a girl who's walking hastily with her eyes focused on her cell phone and a group of men waiting at the corner of the intersection, talking while sometime taking a glance to their surroundings, and sometime the girl. God knows what they'll do. But with no business with any of them, I just walk pass them. Who knows what kind of retribution will come for them later.
White steam comes out when I let out a soft sigh, before it slowly ascends and dissipates into the air. My eyes follow the steam, and the moment it dissipates, what comes into my vision is the autumn evening sky.
The harvest moon that starts to ascend toward the night sky shines dimly before the bright sunset. It doesn't even take a minute for me to be charmed by its willingness to follow its fate. Even with the entire thing in the world someday turn artificial, this scenery; the ephemeral evening, is one that will remain as it is.
And just like the fate of the moon, is this life of a shrine maiden that was started with a particular reason that time.
Three years ago.
I woke up from a deep sleep that felt like a long period hibernation. Yet despite how it felt, there were nothing wrong with my muscle and skeletal system, and everything went just like how it was supposed to be. Daily chores, meal time, and rest time went without any problem existed. It was just like the usual daily life.
Other memories that's not based on habitual activity itself or hadn't been adapted into habits because of a long break, such as school, turned out just as how it was supposed to be. For example, study materials are just here inside my head; going nowhere. The path to school and the residence area which I occasionally visit for shop are just as clear, despite not being as clear as the habitual one. I can even still remember my own identity. It's just like how it's supposed to be, except for some unwanted surprise.
Some of my memories have turned hazy… and it's not in a way of being forgotten. It's hazy in a way of remembering what shouldn't be parts of reality. To put it simply, it's just like seeing a long series of dreams without having even a single wake up.
A sense of déjà vu, yet the recognition system of the brain that takes care of memories recognizes it as a dream. And to make it worse, most of the memories in my head–with an exception of after what happened three years ago–are like that.
So I come to a certain conclusion.
The real memories are lost, and just like that. It's not like it's being forgotten, but instead, it's like the real memories itself aren't there to begin with. An effort to remember will lead to something that feels just like remembering a dream. It's just like it's trying to tell that the memories aren't even real, and it doesn't need to be; that it should be taken away for granted and I should just be grateful with it.
However, ironically there are nothing to be grateful to it.
Even when it's still there, it's just like my identity has been taken away. There's nothing granted at all. It feels like there are gaps somewhere in my chest. There are nothing but unsettling thoughts–only loneliness remain afterward. It's meaningless, just like leaving the hollow places empty because it's transparent to begin with. And it makes me want to throw the glass pieces away because there are nothing but emptiness from its transparent shape. It's like I'm not being awake up until now, but it doesn't feels like I've gone into a long comatose state too either because my body are just fine. It's just weird, for it to be hollow yet filled at the same time.
Well, positively thinking, even with this weird amnesia-like case, these hazy memories aren't even a bother. In fact, some of them are pretty useful for this kind of daily duty that sometime needs an adaptation to be done perfectly. And with the personality still intact, at least I still have what every humans should apparently have. It's like having a revelation through dreams, and I just have to follow it until the end to have a safe life.
And so if one needs a reason, then my reason is quite simple.
Because if I keep living normally, maybe one day the puzzle will once again turn into a complete one once again.
Because if I follow what the mixed puzzle told me, I might know whether it's really a dream or reality.
To live in by those dreams for such reason... I wonder how much do I'd love to see that some withered flowers are actually ghost.
On the track back to the shrine, the live of the living slowly vanishes, and it turns into a graveyard-like situation. I had averted my sight from the sky the moment the cloud gets over the moon, and all I see is the red-light bathed pathway to the shrine. The temperature also corresponds with the atmosphere; slowly decreases and gets cooler. It's truly quiet and dead-like, that it feels just like passing through a graveyard at night.
In the silence, however, there are sounds of serene and the voices of human that slowly gets clearer the closer one gets to the shrine.
Taking a glance at the source, there are ambulance beside the lamp pole and people taking a body–whose limbs are just like a string doll that has been separated from its string–into the ambulance. Under the lamp pole; a place which usually doesn't gather attention, are a torn doll, a bottle filled with water and flowers, and puddle of familiar scarlet color.
I stop at the front of the lamp pole and stare at those placed under it. As bizzare as it is, the reason of these items gathered here is pretty clear.
"Excuse me, miss."
"Hm?" Hearing a not-so-nice-voice of a call, I turn toward the voice and see a person in paramedic uniform. "What is it?"
"I'm sorry, but if I may know, do you have any relation to the person who just tried to commit suicide here?"
"No… I don't have any relation with them. I'm just passing by and apparently living around here. Why do you ask?"
"I see… that's too bad. It's just that yesterday, there were also a little girl who had a car accident around here. There might be some relation between the accident yesterday and the suicide attempt today, so we might just ask anyone who passes while we stop here."
"…Oh, I see. But sorry, I really don't know anything."
"Hm… if it's like that, then it can't be helped. Please excuse me then." And with that, the man walks back to the ambulance.
There are some talks between the paramedics in the ambulance, but as I have no interest in it, there's nothing that comes into ears. After around a minute or so, the ambulance machine starts to sound, followed by the sound of its serene, before it goes away. As soon as the ambulance gets away, I take a glance under the lamp pole once again.
So this is how it goes? How tragic of her, to pay her self-justified guilt that comes from her own view of a mother in this way.
I let out a soft sigh as I take a glance at the path I've been passing earlier–the same path where the ambulance passes. Come to think of it, this place isn't that remote. But at the same time, it isn't that close to the busy area either. Looking at how her body was, she's still alive. But in that condition, she might or mightn't survive with a single second late. Well, if she doesn't survive, then that's that. It's none of my business. Still…
"Not seeing is a flower… huh? Good for you, little girl."
After taking a final glance at the torn doll under the lamp pole, I avert my gaze, then continue to walk back to the shrine.
/3
It's only takes around ten minutes for me to get back at the shrine. The sun has completely set, and so some place in the shrine has been embraced by shades. For example, the Kagura-den. And for another, the Hai-den behind it. There are reasons behind it, so it only takes me a split second to continue further inside the shrine. Or that's what I'll immediately do if there are nothing like sudden vibration coming from my cellphone inside the jacket pocket. And the next moment I take my cellphone to check the mail inbox, I immediately regret it.
"Good evening, Nagisa. It's been a while since we meet. Apparently, I'm already inside the shrine for a visit and a talk about my great adventure that you'll never have since you always hide yourself inside this shrine. I know you're on your way for shopping, so be sure to bring some snacks and be a good host when you get back, alright?"
What the hell with the rude message? At least tell me in advance before you arrive so I can prepare something in advance. Although if it's her who's coming, it would be something hidden in the storage for animals hunting.
After I lock the cellphone screen and put it back inside the pocket, I walk to the shrine living quarter and get inside. There are already a pair of shoes which give a warm welcome when I get inside. Oh, how I regret to never lock the living quarter. But well, how could I do that when the key has already broken since the time I came here? Honestly, the fact that only a single burglar ever come to this shrine never cease to amaze me.
After taking my shoes off, I walk inside the building. Unlike the other building, the living quarter is the only one being left lit and gives a sigh of life. It's being done this way since it'll be the best way for saving allowance. However in terms of condition, just like the other building, its condition is pretty much questionable. The only difference is that it has less speck of dust compared to other building in this shrine. Of course, it's only as far as an abandoned building goes.
It doesn't take long until I arrive at the main hall and spot a girl; Usami Sumireko, who has made herself at home. Her eyes focused on her weird tablet PC and her finger slides around the screen up and down.
"Usami…" I call her as I lean on the door while sighing softly.
Usami is quite unique to the point that she's weird. If she's really a delusional person, then she'd be what people call as chuunibyou, complete with superiority complex. But in her case, it's not a chuunibyou because she really is blessed with what people call as ESP. As far as rarity goes, her talent is genuinely strong. And with the aid of her personality, the results is a person who lives in a school life that most people calls as tragic. And right now, that tragic person who's somehow an unfortunate acquaintance of mine has averted her gaze from the tablet PC as the first form of response.
"Oh, you're finally back." She says with a nonchalant tone as if what she has done nothing wrong. "I bet you've read my mail. So, do you bring any snacks?"
"I've got nothing to give you since the mail just came earlier." I tell her as I get inside. "And why are we having our role reversed here? You're the one who should give an offering."
"I don't think I need to do it. This shrine has no more blessing left anymore anyway, isn't it?"
"Don't be an idiot. I'm not accepting visitor for free. Or perhaps you don't even have a single coin left inside that pitiful wallet of yours which contents has been used to pay the monthly payment of that tablet PC?"
"Guh… hm… alright, you can put this offering things on my tab."
"And increase the number of zeroes in your tab? No way, girl. Give me the offering right now or I'll sue you for trespassing."
"What!? Just how much do you charge me every time I come!?"
Usami shows quite an interesting, priceless surprised face. It's not something common to see; it's a total shock instead of the usual disbelieve expression. But well, it's better to stop now since she's already aiming for my face.
I wave my hand in dismissal as a sign to tell that it's a joke and for her to stop it. Usami who realizes the meaning glares at me for a while, until she gets tired and heaves out a long sigh while relaxing her body once again. "Stop joking with that kind of face, Nagisa…"
"Mhmm… it's how my face is. And the teasing is entertaining anyway."
"I see. So you want to test my patience, don't you? Alright, feel free test it but don't blame me if something fly to your face."
"Fine, fine, whatever. I'm sorry for what I did."
After I say my half-intended apologize, I take a boxed food from the convenience store bag. Putting the bag on the floor and takes a seat, I put the boxed food to the table, then without even bothering myself to warm it up, I open the box immediately. Finally with a mutter of a prayer to whoever can hear my mutter and gratitude directed to the farmer and the one who cook the food in, I begin to eat.
Usami on the other side, however, stares at me with a deadpanned expression. Either because I eat without heating it up or my way of saying apologize, nobody except her really know. But I guess it's the latter. Then again, it's not that it's something to think about, so I leave her be.
"Ugh, the trip is pretty expensive…"
At the moment I just take a seat after I went to the kitchen for a cup of tea after dinner, in the middle of silence, Usami says as her free hand takes an ice cream cup from the convenience store bag without taking her eyes away from the tablet PC screen.
"An expensive trip? Are you going somewhere far away?"
"Oh, you're already back. And yes, it's somewhere quite far, but I don't think it'll take that long because I already know where I should go."
"I see. That sounds good to hear. I'll be sure to give you a blessing so you won't ever come back again."
She frowns with her eyes that tell something about throwing the ice cream cup at my face, which fortunately stops right away when she looks at the ice cream cap. Opening the cap, she takes a spoon and eats it with her eyes focused at the tablet PC, where she frowns for a while before nodding and looks at me.
"Anyway, Nagisa. Have you ever gone to Yomotsu Hirasaka or Jigokudani before?"
"Hn… I've gone there before… but I forget when it was. Why?"
Usami doesn't give an answer and only nods as a response, before she continues to stare at the monitor after taking another spoon of ice cream. I guess she won't give an answer right away. Whatever then.
I stare at the white steam floating away from the cup for a moment, then lift the tea cup and take a sip. After I put the cup back with a soft, relieved sigh, I avert my gaze to the opened shouji door to take a look at the night scenery of the shrine in the dark.
Yomotsu Hirasaka and Jigokudani. The two places famously known as mystery spots. A place where spiritual energy concentrates and causes some paranormal activities to occur, which usually are seen through spirits gathering. It's usually an abandoned buildings and cemeteries. But in some case, even this godless shrine can count as one.
"Mystery spots, eh…"
"What's wrong with mystery spots?" Usami gives a responds, much to my surprise as it's only intended as a mutter.
"Oh, there's nothing wrong. I just remember something about it. Jigokudani, for example, or Yomotsu Hirasaka. It's a tourist spot where you can blame spiritual beings if something happened. It's a great place for looting trip, isn't it?"
"W-what… that's… oh, all right. You caught me. Although it's not looting, but that sharpness of yours seriously creep me out."
The response come together with a surrendering sigh and a soft sound of a tablet PC being put on the table. What comes next is a sound of a zipper being opened–from a glance, it comes from a sport bag–and a rustling sounds.
"Oh, find it." With a whisper-like exclamation, Usami takes out a ball out from her sports bag carefully–apparently understandable since there are a glance of lingerie inside–then puts in on the table. As the ball shines dimly with its dim purple color, she smugly smiles.
"What do you think? It's quite a finding, isn't it? Just for your information, this ball is one of the embodiment of an occult activities itself. An occult ball."
"Occult ball? What are those?"
"It's a ball that needs to be collected. You've heard the dragon balls at least, right? It's something like that, but it's not for wish granting."
"Oh, so you collect seven and something will happen?"
"Yeah, it's exactly that. I was almost fooled by that too. But in reality, this ball does something else." Usami raises a finger with a smirk. This time, a triumphant smirk is on her face instead of the usual looking down smirk. "And that, is if all the seven get collected, a door where we can freely go inside and outside to the fantasy world I've been talking about will open."
"…Yes?"
Confused, I unintentionally frown at her exclamation. Even with the little bit information of her objective to go to this fantasy world, hearing it directly in a way that as if telling she already finds a way sound confusing and delusional at the same time.
"Hm, I see your mind can't really follow what I say. That's to be expected since it'll be hard to understand for someone like you."
"Probably. It's not that I care for something complicated and silly like that anyway. But what do you mean by a door will appear?"
"It literally means it. It creates a door that'll connect this world and that fantasy world. But there's no way this ball can just create a door that can open and close all the time conveniently. So it should be something along the lines of a hole where we can peek then gets inside and outside as much as we want."
"A hole? So that would mean…"
"Yes, it's exactly that. If there aren't any, then it'll just bust it out from something. In this case, it should be in some empty space. Though it can be anywhere too."
"Something sounds fishy somehow, especially if it can be done that easily and everyone can see it."
"It does is, but there's nothing like a further step without taking a risk. So it should be, at worst case, a win-lose condition."
"I see…."
The room goes into silence once again since Usami has also done with her explanation and begins to search something in her tablet PC once again. My eyes linger somewhere outside; beyond the door where the darkness of the night lurks freely, together with its being that lies there.
A ball, which if collected and being gathered together, can forcefully open a gap hole that will act as a door to the other world. Even if Usami call it fantasy world where spiritual and natural being can live together, there's something that sounds really fishy behind it. There must be something, but what is it– Oh….
"There's no way such ball can lie at a place where everyone can just see it, even if it's mystery spot… so, where did you get the first ball you have?"
"Oh, that. It's somewhere you won't even reach as long as you live. But if you want to know, after some kind of a dream-like revelation, one of the ball just suddenly appeared on the top of my desk."
"…What? That just stupid. How can that happen?"
"Don't ask me that. Even I don't know how it can be suddenly there when my room is always locked from the inside at night."
"Now I feel dumb for asking… whatever. I'll just have this ball tonight. There's no way you just bring it to sleep, right?"
"What? No way I'll just do what you said. This ball is mine, so it's my right to keep it."
"Being difficult now, eh… that's to be expected though."
I heave out a sigh, letting out the slight distress that comes from fatigue and Usami's usual hard head attitude. The ball itself is already a problem. And now comes the problem from the owner; the arrogant girl with superiority complex.
Just like usual, the story telling coming from this delusional esper girl ends abruptly like this. Whenever she comes, she'll just tell what she wants, stops whenever she wants, and then do her shady investigation around the shrine without even permission. And it's nothing but problem.
Yet despite all of that, I never really end up kicking her out from the shrine or anything. As annoying as she is, she still cleans the mess that she has done unless it's something out of her ability to do. I mean, as long as she still knows the meaning of responsibility and limitation even with that arrogance, then I've no responsibilities if she gets in an accident or anything in her research. So why not?
In the middle of silence, the sounds of a triumphant song breaks the silence. The song comes from the tablet PC that Usami are currently using, and ends as soon as she slides her finger on the screen.
"All right, my research time done. Now time for rest… oh, whoops. I did it again. Nagisa, can I borrow one of the room here again? I doubt there'll be any train around this time. Renting a room is a bit bad of a choice too because I need to save money for the trip too."
"Hm? I don't mind as long as you don't borrow clothes since my laundry hasn't completely dried yet."
"No need to worry about that. I already bring my own clothes." After zipping the sports bag that she brings with her here, Usami then shoulder the bag and stands up, with the tablet PC on her hand. I never thought she's that prepared for this– hm?
"Usami, you don't bring this shady paranormal ball with you?"
"I told you it's called occult ball." Usami frowns in irritation, before she shakes her head. "And I don't need to bring it if I'm staying here. You want to borrow it for a while, right? I'll let you borrow it for tonight. I'll take it again next morning. You look… interested in it after all, so it can be a profit for me too."
"Taking a profit from someone interest, huh? You're pretty shrewd."
"What is that? I'm just taking an advantage from the situation. The one who can read and take advantage of the situation will always be in benefit."
Usami smirks proudly as she says that, with a pose which indirectly tell that she's bragging about it. It only last for a moment, before she walks toward the door and stops before she turns around.
"I leave it to you then. Make sure not to lose them and give me a great report about it."
"Hm… maybe it's possible if there are indeed something wrong with the ball. Anyway, just go to rest and don't bother the shrine now."
"You're rude as usual even for this. Well, I'll see you later then, Nagisa."
After she accepts a reply in a simple hand wave, Usami then walks away. Her foot steps can be heard for a while, followed by a sound of a sliding door, before it finally disappears.
The room finally comes back into its usual silence. Finally being left alone in silence, I let out a soft sigh, then stares at the shady paranormal ball; the so-called occult ball being left on the table. The ball just acts like how it was before Usami walks away; stay in place while shining in its dim purple light, while at the same time, slowly increases the size of the cracking gap at the place where it stays.
Creating a door where we can go freely between worlds, huh.
I haven't told Usami about this yet, but now that I think of it, this ball and the one in the picture indeed has a potential to crack open the barrier between that is placed naturally around this world. The one in the picture is a bit vague because of its resolution size, yet this one clearly shows its capabilities. If one ball can make it like this, then a crack around human size will be more than possible with seven balls….
In which case, it should be better to just eradicate or seal them. But with no insurance that the balls can be sealed with just a simple seal and will it just be gone or create a giant crack if it's being eradicated, then no way it can be done just like that.
"Mnnh… oh well, whatever. Nothing can be done for now."
Laying down on the tatami mats and roll to the side after pulling the string to turn off the lamp, I close my eyes, letting it have its rest. With no clues at all on what to do and nothing appeared in mind on what should be done, it's kind of risky to do just something like that.
In that case, for now, I'll just rest and when the morning comes, tell Usami to be careful with the ball around. Yes… that simply should do enough for now…
Dream View – Night Parade
She gets waken up by the dream.
The sounds of ticking clock can be heard. As soft, yet as disturbing, it slowly bring her to consciousness, after perhaps, an unintended sleep has happened.
Her eyes slowly open as soon as her consciousness comes back. Following its lead, is the subtle sense of how sluggish her body is; that it's just like ordering her to let it go back to its resting state. Finally as its closing, is a surfacing drowsiness and slight throbbing headache.
"Oh… damn… I fell asleep here again…." Muttering as a protest, the shrine maiden forces her body to a seat, where there she closes her eyes, covering it by a hand, then gently shaking her head.
It's not like it rarely happen. But most of the time it happens, the rest almost never comfortable, which is why she hates it.
For example, is the sluggish body she gets.
For example, is the drowsiness and the slight headache she gets.
And finally, what comes next is the most important yet the most hardest to be understood.
"...What a weird dream..."
She mutters with sleepy and lazy eyes as she scans the dark surroundings around her place. She can hardy see anything at first, but after her eyes adapted to her surrounding, she can slowly see her surroundings in more clearness.
There are no change; not even a slight difference can be seen in the room. In the dark room where the shadow lurks almost at every part of the room, there are two places that isn't enveloped by it. The first is around the gap of the opened door, where the reflected, subtle moon light is getting through. And the second is at the center of the table, where the Occult Ball lies and shines dimly with its dim-purple colored light.
The shrine maiden gaze stops right where the Occult Ball lies. And with half-opened eyes, she stares at it with a lack of interest.
"….. It does gets wider…. Usami does bring weird things sometime. Oh, well…."
It doesn't matter. That's what the shrine maiden face tells. She lets out a soft sigh, then this time stares at the gap of the opened door. Her consciousness is still a bit in haze, yet she hears it.
In the middle of cricket songs, there are sounds of vague conversations.
It's not from one same voice nor two. There are a lot of it.
At a place where there are supposedly only the song of the night can be heard, there are other sounds. A lively sound similar to that in a feast; a sound filled with cheers. The sound reach the shrine maiden ears. The shrine maiden who's still in haze stays quiet for a moment–
"…Damn it… why do they've to come in a middle of night like this…"
The shrine maiden heaves out a sigh as she grumbles in irritation. It doesn't take long before she forces herself to stand up, then walks outside the room to go to the place where the merry and cheers come.
The cheers come from the front of the Kagura-den, which spreads from there to the shrine front yard near the stairways. There, lies a lot of people–no, calling them people in terms of human isn't right. The "crowds", are having a kind of feast for their kind; singing, dancing, and everything they think are fun and can be done in a festival-like feast.
At the front of the Kagura-den entrance; right at the front of the offertory box, a person is standing at the front of the stairways. If one can see it, that person figure is the one who resembles human the most. There are nothing like flying spirit around her body. She has a feet and looks like standing with it. Even her figure is just like that of a human, without horns or one eye. At the front of the Kagura-den entrance, she's standing while sometime moves his body in an exaggerated gesture.
"…Under the sakura tree that night… that person stood alone… and from behind him… something touched his shoulder. The person turned around… only to saw nothing behind him. But…. From behind him when he turned around… he heard a whisper…."
"….Wel~come~ to Moriya Shrine grand feast… do you care for some donations, thy dear visitor?"
"WHOA!"
The person who tells the story at the front of kagura-den gets surprised by the sudden whisper. She shouts, surprising the crowds who follow the shout, before she immediately jumps down and ended falling and kissing the ground.
The once full of spirits crowd suddenly turns into a total silence. One by one, the sight of the crowds go into the person who is currently standing at the front of the offertory box. The last one who follows the line of sight of the crowds is the girl who was standing at the front of the Kagura-den. And at that moment, all the crowds see the shrine maiden, who's staring at them with grumpy looks.
"…Uh oh, this is bad…", "We didn't wake her... right?", and some other whispers can be heard, although subtly and vaguely. The shrine maiden, of course, hears it. She lets out a sigh, then knock the offertory box with her feet.
The crowds go into another silence state when they hear the knock. There are various kind of gaze from the crowds; panic, fear, worry, and some other kind of gaze. Yet in contrast to their gaze, the shrine maiden only stare at them with folded hand.
"So, who's the idiot who starts this feast?"
There are not even a single answer comes from the crowds. Seeing their silence, the shrine maiden roughly scratch her back head–
"–whatever, I'm too tired to get mad. Just do as you wish as long as you don't scare those who'll come for a shelter in the middle of a night. I'll join after making tea."
The shrine maiden says, then turns around and leaves the crowds. The crowds who see the shrine maiden action stares in disbelieve. After all, ever since the first time they started having feast here, there isn't even a single person who used this place as night shelter.
And with that realization, together with a loud cheers from the crowds, the festival-like feast start once again.
The feast keeps its lively atmosphere even at the time the shrine maiden has arrived–actually no, it's even more lively than how it was before the shrine maiden woke up and in the process of making tea.
"Now, why are you choosing this kind of time?" The shrine maiden who's sitting at the front of Kagura-den asks with a tea cup on her laps.
"Oh, there are no such complicated reason. It's just that when we'd arrived here, there were already some people who were staying here. And since they looked a bit bored, we started this feast." The one who answers is the one who was falling face first before; their leader.
"There are someone else? Weird…"
"What is weird, Nagisa-dono?"
"…I told you already a lot of times, even when you were a knight at the time of your death… when was it again, feudal era? Well, whenever it is, just drop the honorific, will you? That sounds stiff. And I'm not even your lord or anything."
"A-ah, my apologize. It's just that I've not used to take away the honorifics…"
The leader says with a wry smile while rubbing the back of her head in embarrassment. Seeing her reaction, the shrine maiden huffs, then takes a sip of her tea. After she puts the half-filled cup on the floor, the shrine maiden stares at the lively feast at front of them.
"A-anyway, what do you mean by weird, Nagisa… sama?"
"…You're hopeless. Whatever. What I mean by weird are their presence."
"Their presence? I see. Is it weird because you can't sense their presence unlike when we came to this shrine for the first time?"
"Putting it simply, it's something like that."
The shrine maiden closes her eyes with a frown while tilting her head, as if in deep thought. The leader only stares at her in confusion. It doesn't take a long time until she opens her eyes once again and takes a glance at the leader.
"Hey, Harune."
"Yes? Is there anything I can be a service of, Nagisa… sama?"
"…." The shrine maiden lets out a sigh. Either it is because she has given up on telling her to drop the honorifics or because of the leader that keeps bowing down as she says apologize as soon as she hears the sigh, nobody really know. "Say, are these people still there? The one you said is already here since the beginning."
"Oh, them? To be honest, they're quite a unique one. I even rarely seen their kin, despite being the leader of the large bands in Nagano. Are you sure you want to meet them?"
"I'm quite curious… so yeah, let me see them."
"As you wish then. I'll go and tell them to come here immediately. Please stay still and wait here, Nagisa-dono."
The leader stands up, bows once at the shrine maiden, then walks away. Seeing the leader girl walks away, the shrine maiden stares at her figure until her figure disappears inside the crowds. The moment her figure can't be seen anymore, the shrine maiden picks up her tea cup, and takes a sip.
Something is weird. The shrine maiden realizes that ever since the beginning when she heard the noise of the usual weekly night parade. Especially because she knows that today isn't the day of the weekly night parade. But that's not what she's curious at.
The shrine maiden is curious at the figure which the leader said is already here to begin with.
After all, the shrine maiden has set up a barrier.
And with that barrier, no matter who gets inside, she'll realize it immediately.
But the shrine maiden didn't pick anything from this new appearance. In other words, there are only one option available behind this appearance.
–They're already inside since the beginning.
But who's already inside since the beginning, when the shrine maiden who has already lived here for almost three years, doesn't even know? The shrine maiden is curious at this. Hence why she wants to see this figure that she hasn't seen before herself.
"Will it be calm, or will it be storm?"
The shrine maiden mutters as her eyes stare at her own reflection on the tea inside the cup. After she takes another sip, she lets out a relieved sigh, then puts the tea cup back on the floor corridor.
"Nagisa-dono, I'm back."
Right at the moment she puts the tea cup back on the floor corridor, a familiar voice of the leader can be heard at front of her. The shrine maiden who hears that, turns into the voice source.
"Oh, Harune. So, where is this people you saw?"
"They're here, Nagisa-dono. Please come here, you people!"
Some figures are stepping forward after they heard the leader's order. The first one is a person covering himself with a mask, and in his hands are two cloak; red cloak and blue cloak. The one beside the masked person is a woman with a surgical mask. Then beside the woman, is a girl in school uniform, but a bit torn and dirty, with her pale finally beside the girl, are a tall woman, perhaps 2-3 meters high, with all white clothes and a hat.
"So… Nagisa-dono, what do you think?"
The leader asks the shrine maiden, yet the shrine maiden doesn't immediately gives her answer. She tilts her head a bit in confusion. As her eyebrows frown, she stares at the four figure at front of her.
Except from the sound of the feast, time passes quickly as she stares at the four figures in silence,. It takes more or less five minutes until the shrine maiden heaves out a long sigh and messes around with her hair.
"What the hell… so the ball is a real deal?"
"Is there something wrong, Nagisa-dono?"
"Nothing." The shrine maiden stands up as she gives her answer. After she gets down from the Kagura-den stairs, she stares at the leader. "Harune, take care of the party and make sure to watch this four so they don't do anything weird until the end. And you four, if you four do something weird, I'll punish ALL of you who're having a feast here."
"E-eh!? U-Understood! Leave the task to me, Nagisa-dono!"
"I'll see you in an hour or so."
The shrine maiden walks away from the night parade after she says those word. There are the voice of the ghost leader that can be vaguely heard as a warning in a panic tone. The shrine maiden who hears that snorts lightly without stopping her steps.
It doesn't take long for her to arrive at her destination. The sudden change of atmosphere, despite of the sounds coming from the night parade that still can be heard can be said as terrifying. The cold from the night breeze of autumn that's close to the winter chill through as if it's stabbing right at the bones. The shrine maiden walks pass all of that in indifference. And as soon as she arrives, she gets inside the room–
–and there she sees it. The giant crack of the boundaries that's caused by the Occult Ball.
"This ball is truly the culprit, eh?"
She now feels a bit regretful about letting the ball as it is. But now that it already happens, she can't do anything about it. The shrine maiden takes a deep breath. As she takes out some talismans from her sleeve, she walks inside the room and slides close the door.
Shadow lurks all the way inside the room. The line of boundaries that once vague to her eyes can be seen more clearly in the room enveloped by shadows. And in the middle of the room itself lies the Occult Ball, together with a giant crack in the boundary.
"Well, then it's finally time for some real tiring work."
That night, in the middle of the pressuring silence, the shrine maiden voices reverberates inside the room.
The boundary has mostly closed up. The room is now filled with lamp light which dissipates the enveloping darkness. It's not only the darkness that slowly gone, but also some of the thin boundary; or perhaps for their case, it's more like it can be hardly seen.
"Oh, god…. That was the most tiring things I've done in past these three months…" The shrine maiden heaves out a heavy sigh as she slumps down into a seat.
The Occult Ball that was shining dimly, right now only acts like those of a paranormal ball. It's lying quietly in the middle of the round table, without making any crack in the boundary again. It just looks like a harmless ball.
Another sound of a sigh fills the room, together with a soft thud from the shrine maiden who harshly lays on the floor with her arms open. She stares at the ceiling filled spider combs and dust.
That moment, she comes into a realization.
She can't completely seal the ball capabilities.
No matter how hard she tries, it's impossible. The only thing she can do is temporarily sealing the ball capabilities so it doesn't cause any accident for a while.
But there's also a flaw in it.
What if it activates and cracks the barrier somewhere when Usami isn't around her watch? Will the ball creates an accident somewhere outside? The thought invades the shrine maiden mind.
"I suppose it's inevitable…"
With a mutter, the shrine maiden raises into a seat, then crawls on all four closer to the table; specifically to the Occult Ball, with a talisman ready in her hand.
"My bad, shady ball." With that mutter, her hand moves the talisman to the Occult Ball–
–only to be harshly thrown away.
The shrine maiden eyes widen. It's not because of the rejection, nor because of her attempts to destroy the ball causes the seal to be undone.
She widens her eyes in surprise because she feels a crack. Yes, she doesn't see it. She feels it. A crack appears inside her mind, right around her heart location.
It only happens for a short time. There are no blood spilled at all in the process. Still in surprise, she moves her hand to her chest, where there are heart beats coming. There are also nothing abnormal with the heart beats, as it only beats in the usual rhythm.
"That scares me…" The shrine maiden lets out a relieved sigh. "…But if it can't be done that way… well, then there's nothing else that can be done. Maybe I should just rest here again… this time until the morning comes."
After she puts the talisman inside her hakama pocket, the shrine maiden lays on the tatami mat. The coldness seeps from her back, as she closes her eyes. Her body slowly slackens, and so does her consciousness slowly departs from her body. And like a person who fell into a deep slumber, she sleeps.
Sinking… sinking… deeper into the depth of her consciousness, until the morning comes.
Author Note :
Hello, nice to meet you and good to see you again to those who knows me, if there is any. It's the second time of rewriting, and I'm really sorry for the inconvenience. But because some concept can't be done with the old one... so here it is, the second rewrite version, which is once again, I'm sorry for the inconvenience...
By the way, just as the first note I write in the beginning, this one will use original character. But don't worry, for those who reads this until the end of this chapter, I'll try (not promise), to not make the original character to always be the center of the story and as much as I can, try to avoid mary sue thingy, so please don't worry too much.
Finally, thank you for reading this chapter. A review is appreciated in all way, so if you can, please give one. Also, this time I'll try to update in schedule (around a month per chapter or less if I'm not so busy).
That's all for the author note in this chapter. Once again, thank you for reading and see you in next chapter ' v')/