Echo of the Heart

by taiyakisoba

While lost in the woods you're led to the safety of Myouren temple by a beautiful voice. There you encounter its owner, the shy but cheerful yamabiko, Kasodani Kyouko. Love soon blossoms between you and the little youkai, but will her dedication to the temple as an acolyte of the strict monk Byakuren Hijiri crush your romance before it even has a chance to begin?

1. Chapter 1

Echo of the Heart by taiyakisoba

Part 1

Dry pine-needles crackle beneath your feet as you walk up to the cedar-tree and run your fingers across the X scratched in its trunk.

Yup, no mistaking it. It's the tree you marked an hour ago. You're going around in circles.

You sigh, rest your hand against the tree and stare up into the patch of exquisite blue sky peeping between the great green branches arching over your head. Gensoukyou's beauty is just as breathtaking as the first time you laid eyes on it, but like they warned you in the Human Village, it's as deadly as it is beautiful.

How you got so lost you really have no idea. You heard there was a Buddhist temple around here somewhere and decided to use you day off to visit it, but one wrong turn on a path through this forest has left you hopelessly lost. You've no idea how long you've been wondering around, but based on the deepening of the sky's blue, it must have been most of the day.

You turn and slump your back against the trunk of the tree. You really should conserve your energy. Even though you must be somewhere close to the Human Village or the temple, it's no guarantee that the place is not crawling with hungry youkai. A week doesn't go by without someone from the village disappearing, and it's usually a new arrival, either through arrogance or naivety deciding that the youkai threat is an exaggeration. True, there are a lot of tame youkai who visit the village, that pretty fox-woman for example, but like Reimu, the miko of Hakurei shrine, warned you, even those tame youkai can be dangerous at times.

You close your eyes and let your other senses take over. The pine-freshness of the cedar's trunk and the needles around your feet infuses you and you feel a little calmer. The scratchiness of the rough bark at your back is pleasant as well, and you feel sleep starting to steal over you. Maybe just a few moments of shutting your eyes. Once you get your energy back, you'll get up and make another attempt to find your way out of the forest.

The sounds of the forest lull you further, the gentle song of birds and the shimmering of the leaves in a warm and zephyrous breeze.

You jerk awake in alarm. You had no idea you'd fallen asleep. You stand up and look around in a sudden panic.

Stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid! A youkai could easily have stolen up to you and devoured you.

Nothing. There's no sign of any change in the forest around you. The branches of the cedar scrape together, but that's the only sound you can hear beyond the pumping of your own blood and the slight whispering of your clothes as you shift about nervously.

Then you realise what's wrong. The birds have stopped their chirping. Silence reigns across the forest.

It's then that you hear the singing. At first you think you're imagining it, it's so soft and faint, like a person singing under their breath far in the distance. You can't make out the words, but from the high, crystal tones of it you decide it must be a girl who's singing.

As the breeze shifts around, the singing gets a little louder. You start to think you can actually make out words, but it's not in any language you know.

Gyatei gyatei haragyatei harasougyatei boji sowaka...

You stand there, rooted to the spot as you listen. It's so strange and beautiful, those elfin tones. Who's singing, you wonder. A human or maybe a youkai? There are many youkai who sing, after all. But the sound is so sad and exquisite and fragile that you can't believe a youkai is making it.

It must be someone from the Village, you decide. You brush off the pine-needles that have settled on your clothes while you were listening and wait until the breeze carries it to you again. When it finally does, you start to follow it.

Hope surges up in your chest. If whoever's singing keeps it up, you'll be able to find your way out of the forest in no time. You pray that they don't stop and quickly break into a jog.

You follow the gorgeous melody in one direction and then another. It's easier said than done to follow a sound, you discover. The breeze makes it more difficult, since it makes the notes now fainter, now louder, disorienting you.

But now the song is getting louder - you're definitely heading in the right direction. You can hear the sounds clearly, now, and you realise the sounds are Japanese, although the words they make seem to have no meaning. It doesn't matter, though. The sound of that voice is just so beautiful that it could be reading out a shopping-list for all you care.

The forest is growing lighter now, the spaces between the trees wider. You pass the stump of a tree and decide that you must be somewhere close to human habitation now. And just in time, as the voice seems to be coming to the end of its song.

And then it finally stops. But just ahead of you, you can see the beginnings of a high-eaved building. It's not somewhere you recognise, and as you get closer you realise it's a temple.

Not just any temple. Myouren temple. You were far more lost than you thought, then.

Myouren-ji. The temple of Hijiri Byakuren, the beautiful and mysterious youkai monk who settled here in order to spread her message of youkai-human peace.

You sigh in relief. The place is crawling with youkai, but youkai who have made an oath to protect humans. You're in a safe place, probably the safest place in Gensoukyou for humans after the Village and the Hakurei shrine.

But then, that beautiful voice...?

As you approach the edge of the trees you can hear the soft slap of shoes on pavement and the rhythmic swish-swish of someone brushing. Then the singing starts up again.

Ah, so the singer is someone from the temple. Probably a monk, then. That would explain why you don't understand the words of her song. It's most likely the ancient Sanskrit of a sutra, seemingly meaningless but supposedly holding within itself the meaning and keys to enlightenment.

You've heard sutras before, but never sung like this. The usual hypnotic drone of a monk's chant, repeated over and over again to bring about emptiness of the mind has been replaced by the gentle melodic sadness of a classically-trained singer.

You stop and listen. Whoever it is, their voice is so exquisite you feel tears start at the corners of your eyes. It must belong to some beauty, one of the youkai-monks or perhaps even the gorgeous Byakuren Hijiri herself.

The singing and sweeping grows louder. Whoever it is, they're coming your way.

You step off the path and stand there, waiting, feeling like an intruder in this calm and beautiful place. Then the owner of the voice comes around the side of one of the buildings. It's not Byakuren or one of the other monks.

It's a girl. She's very small, with blue-green hair and wearing a pale pink dress with a white underskirt. Her large teal eyes are glued to the pavement as she sweeps the broom in her hands with methodical precision, singing with that beautiful voice all the while. But it's the little floppy ears on top of her head and the energetic tufted tail swinging back and forth in opposite time like a metronome to each sweep of the broom that surprise you the most: she's a yamabiko, one of the mountain youkai the villagers warned you about. They mimic echoes to lead you deeper into the mountains where they capture and devour you.

Looking at her now, though, as she concentrates on her sweeping, that gorgeous, melodious voice clear and pure in your ears, you can't imagine how she could be dangerous.

She's almost on top of you when you finally step forward and greet her. She stops sweeping and singing all at once and takes a step back, her eyes widening in surprise, but then a timid smile appears on her face.

"Oh, a human? Welcome to the Myouren temple!" She bows, dropping her broom in the process and it falls to the cobblestones with a loud clatter. She hastily bends over to pick it up again, a shy apologetic look on her face as she does so.

"Sorry," she says. "I'm still learning how to sweep properly. I'm not very good at it yet."

You apologise for distracting her from her singing and she flushes deep red.

"You heard me singing?" Her green eyes glisten with shame. "Oh, I'm so sorry. Did it bother you? I'm not supposed to sing while I'm engaged in my acolyte duties."

You laugh and shake your head, telling her that you think her singing is very beautiful. In fact, it might have saved your life, since it helped you to find the temple when you were lost in the forest.

The yamabiko stares at you and you wonder if you've said something wrong. Then she lowers her eyes, and somehow her already flushed face turns an even deeper red. "Beautiful? Oh, I don't know about that..."

When she makes no move to look back up, you decide that maybe introducing yourself might dissolve the awkwardness of the scene. It does the trick and the yamabiko lifts her face, her mouth an O of surprise.

"Oh, of course. I forgot to introduce myself as well. My name is Kyouko and I'm an acolyte here at the temple. But I already mentioned that, didn't I?"

You ask her about the sweeping. "It's one of the duties of an acolyte. Actually, it seems like it's the only duty I have." She smiles. "Lady Byakuren says that it helps build discipline and allows the mind to find a state of calmness and peace. I think I'm pretty bad at it, though."

You ask her why she thinks that.

She blinks at you. Perhaps she's surprised that someone is interested enough to ask her more about it. "Well, while I'm doing it I can't stop thinking about how much I enjoy it. And then I start singing even before I notice it." She smiles shame-facedly. "Like I said, I'm not supposed to sing. Lady Byakuren says that music causes turmoil in the heart and distracts from the dharma. And so I keep trying to recite the mantras instead, but no matter how hard I try they always turn into a song!"

"So that was a mantra I hear you singing before?" you ask.

She nods. "The heart mantra. It's my favourite. It goes Gyatei gyatei haragyatei harasougyatei boji sowaka. I think it's very pretty."

You agree and ask her what it means.

"No one knows," she says. "I think maybe it doesn't mean anything. It's just to help clear your mind of thoughts, but I don't seem to be able to do it right." She begins to repeat it under her voice, over and over, but almost as soon as she does, the words lose their droning cant and begin to reform into the melody she was singing before. Kyouko stops mid-mantra, exasperated.

"See?"

"Kyouko?"

It's a voice from nearby, a feminine voice, softly-spoken and warm but somehow imperious for all that.

The yamabiko's big green eyes grow wide. "It's Lady Byakuren! You have to get out of here."

"Why?"

"She'll probably scold you as well if she sees you with me." The look on her face is chagrined. "She's always scolding me."

The little youkai grabs your hand and pulls you away from the path and pushes you behind a series of ojizousan statues while you protest weakly.

"Please," says Kyouko. "After she goes I'll tell you how to get back to the village. But trust me, you really don't want Lady Byakuren to scold you. She can be really scary at times."

The little creature is so flustered that you decide to go along with things to avoid causing a scene. She runs back onto the path to retrieve her broom and it's then that Lady Byakuren appears from behind the same annexe that Kyouko came around just a few minutes earlier.

Byakuren Hijiri, the youkai monk. You've heard the name and the stories, but seeing her in the flesh is altogether different. She's tall, over six foot, and easily towers over little Kyouko who can't be more than five foot tall herself. Her gradient hair is striking, and combined with the beatific exquisite perfection of her features, she appears almost divinely beautiful. Her clothes, however, are not those you would expect a monk to wear: her dress draws attention to her statuesque form, the criss-cross of ribbons along her legs and across her more than ample bust making the first impression one of vibrant sexiness.

But then, you remember, the lady Byakuren is no ordinary monk: her desire for eternal youth, powered by a dark and nameless magic, and her thousand-year imprisonment in the depths of Makai have made her more youkai than human now.

"Kyouko," she says as she stops before the little yamabiko, looking down at her with a gentle smile on her face. "You're no longer sweeping? Are you tired, perhaps?"

Her voice rings with warmth, and yet, there's something in the way that Kyouko looks up to her, an almost fearful reverence and love on her face, that makes you wonder at what seems to be an unspoken threat in her words.

"I'm sorry, Lady Byakuren," says Kyouko, dropping her gaze. "I... I am a little tired."

"My child," says the monk, still smiling as she shakes her head. "I know the ways of an acolyte can be difficult - they always are to those who especially enslaved to the desires of this world. But it is only through ignoring the body and mind's constant carping and demands that we may take our first faltering steps on the dharma."

"I... I will try my best, Lady Byakuren."

"That is all that I have ever asked, Kyouko," says Byakuren. "But it is very hard to do your best if you continue to distract yourself with frivolous pursuits."

Kyouko blinks. "Lady Byakuren?"

"I heard you singing again," says the monk. "Have you forgotten my teaching on the subject?"

Kyouko shakes her head. She glances up at Byakuren then stares down at the pavement at her feet, her gaze drilling into it with deep shame as she says, as if reciting a lesson often repeated, "'Singing incites the heart and inflames the soul. Recite the sutras and only then feel peace.'"

Byakuren nods and lifts Kyouko's chin so that their gazes meet. The little creature's eyes are already glowing with adoration but when Byakuren starts to stroke Kyouko's hair between her two floppy ears, the look on the yamabiko's face turns to one of ecstasy.

"Come, Kyouko," says the monk, putting her hand on her shoulder. "Return to your sweeping. And let us hear no more of that frivolous music. Recite the sutras..."

"...and be at peace," repeats Kyouko. She nods, a determined look on her face. "I will, Lady Byakuren."

The monk turns and walks back the way she came. You wait until her footsteps recede before you come out from your hiding place behind the ojizousan.

Kyouko starts, as if seeing you for the first time, but then she smiles, guilty. "Oh, I'm so sorry. I promised I'd show you the way, didn't I?" She seems confounded for a moment, as conflicting demands vie inside her. "I should fulfil my promise to you first," she finally decides. "But we have to go quickly. I don't want to disappoint Lady Byakuren again." She glances at you, shame on her face. "You... you see what I mean about her, right?"

You nod. But as Kyouko leads you through along a path through the temple complex, you tell her that you feel Byakuren was being a bit unfair to her.

Kyouko stops and looks at you, confusion on her face. "Why do you say that?" she asks.

You explain that it's all very well for Byakuren to preach about the importance of the avoidance of desire, but she's guilty of it herself from all you've heard about her obsession with eternal youth.

Kyouko shakes her head. "Oh, but it's different from what you say. The Lady Byakuren could have attained nirvana, but she chose to stay here to teach others the dharma. That's the reason for her seeking eternal life."

You know better than to argue with her. You spend the rest of the walk asking about the temple and Kyouko is more than pleased to explain everything you see. Finally, the path you're following takes you to the edge of the temple precinct and Kyouko stops.

"If you follow the path, it will take you straight back to the human village. It's usually very safe, since it's guarded, but sometimes a hostile youkai can appear, so please be careful. I... I don't want you to get eaten, after all. Especially after you were so kind to me."

Kyouko blushes and for a moment you feel a terrible sense of regret that Byakuren appeared when she did. You'd very much have liked to have talked to this gentle and pretty little youkai a lot longer, but the silence has already started to become awkward. You thank her again for her help and turn and start down the path.

You've some way down it when Kyouko suddenly shouts "Wait!" It's surprisingly loud from such a little creature, but then, she is a yamabiko after all. You turn to see her running down the path towards you.

She's puffing when she reaches you. "Ah, you said you enjoy the sutras, right?"

You tell her that you do, although you decide not to tell her that it was her own particular version that you liked.

"Oh, you do! Well, tomorrow night Lady Byakuren is holding her Concert for the Recitation of the Sutra. It goes all night and Lady Byakuren recites the sutras while keeping time on a wooden fish."

Keeping time on a wooden fish? Sounds terrible, but of course you don't say anything like that.

"I don't know," says Kyouko. "But maybe you'd like to come and listen? It's very popular amongst humans and youkai and I'll be there and..." Her voice drops away and she looks so suddenly shy and vulnerable that you say you'll be there without even thinking.

Kyouko looks up at you through dark lashes. A delighted smile has appeared on her face. "Oh, you will?" She claps her hands in delight. "Oh, how wonderful! I'm sure you'll really enjoy it..."

There's the call of a crow from over the temple and the harsh sound seems to remind Kyouko of the duties she's shirking. She grabs up her broom and with a series of bows she apologises for having to rush away and then turns and hurries back down the path towards the temple.

You watch her go, and you can't help but melt a little inside when you see that her little tufted tail is wagging happily back and forth as she runs.

---

The next day passes agonisingly slowly. All you can think about is tonight's concert. You find yourself spending an inordinate amount of time getting yourself ready, something you never really do, especially since you've come to this strange and unpredictable land of Gensoukyou.

Your heart is racing as you walk along the path to the temple. For once, there are a lot of people following it, and not just people, either. There's rustling among the trees just off the path, and you can see the fleeting shadows and glowing eyes of who-knows-what youkai shadowing you. But for once, there's no reason to panic: they're all going to the same place you are, and for the same reason. Byakuren's concert is one of the few opportunities humans in Gensoukyou have of interacting with youkai without having to be afraid of being eaten. Under the protection of the Saint of Purity humans and youkai can be at peace, if only for one night.

Byakuren's aim at bringing the two species together is laudable, there's no denying it. She's one of the few youkai loved by the humans of the village rather than just respected. And yet, the way she treated Kyouko still rankles you. She spoke softly and her words were kind, and yet... Maybe it was just the way she loomed over the little youkai, the inexorable demand in her hazel eyes. Why is it that tall, busty women are always so quick to use their beauty to bully others? Every part of you had wanted you to come of hiding and defend the little creature, but your promise to her had stopped you... and no doubt you would've just made things worse.

The way Kyouko's ears had drooped and her tail had fallen slack... it should never stop wagging, like it did when you parted ways yesterday.

Wagging. You smile at the memory. You know that yamabiko aren't canines, but you can't help but wonder if their body language is the same. Was Kyouko happy at that moment?

Your heart skips as you arrive at the front of the temple, but it's not from fear of the tengu and kappa and tanuki and kitsune who are milling there in discrete little groups, slightly apart from the humans who have also just arrived. Your eyes scan the crowd, but you can't see her.

"Ya-ho!"

It's a surprisingly loud call, and many of the humans and youkai there stop and look at the direction it came from. You do the same, and see Kyouko running up out of the forest. She's dressed in her acolyte robes like before, but she has a ribbon in her hair as well this time. It's a charming look for her.

When she sees everyone looking at her, her face turns red and she stops dead, but then her eyes fall on you and a beaming smile lights her face.

For a moment you think she must have spotted a friend of hers, the happiness in that smile is so bright, but as she runs up to you it's clear you're the one she's looking for.

"You came!" she says, breathless. "I... I was worried that you were just being polite yesterday. A lot of people find the reciting of the sutras boring..."

You shake your head and tell her that you've been looking forward to it all day. The truth is, you realise at that moment, is that you've been looking forward to seeing her again. But you don't say that, of course.

Your face seems suddenly hot and you hope you're not blushing. Kyouko blinks at you, wondering why you've gone so quiet all of a sudden.

A hush falls across the crowd then, saving you from any further awkwardness. The Lady Byakuren has arrived. She moves through the crowd, greeting people, both human and youkai. You notice again and again that beatific smile of adoration on the faces of not just humans, but tengu and kappa and kitsune alike.

She is beautiful, you admit. You can't help but stare, and you're suddenly worried that Kyouko will be offended by it. But when you turn to look at the yamabiko, you see the same look of love on her face as the others.

Then her eyes go wide.

You turn to find Byakuren right in front of you. She inclines her head to you and smiles.

"Ah, a new face! Welcome to Myouren Temple."

You give a quick bow and stutter an introduction, but Byakuren's smile remains so warm and inviting that the usual wave of awkwardness that anxiety that you usually feel when meeting someone new doesn't eventuate.

Her eyes fall on Kyouko. "So the two of you are friends?"

Kyouko glances at you, and when you nod, she seems suddenly relieved and nods as well, a shy smile appearing on her face.

"It's unusual to see you so dressed up, Kyouko," says Byakuren. "There really is no need, you know. Although many call them concerts, these evenings are really an opportunity for us all to seek centeredness through the sound of the sutras."

Kyouko nods, her hand rising to touch her ribbon self-consciously. But then Byakuren bids you both farewell and is soon mobbed by other members of the crowd.

You notice Kyouko has undone her ribbon and is putting it in her pocket, shamefaced.

You tell her you thought it was really cute.

Kyouko smiles weakly and shakes her head.

"Come on," she says, brightening up suddenly and taking your hand. "The concert's about to start. I know a really good spot!"

Being an acolyte at the temple, Kyouko has inside information and you find a nice little stepped area where a path leads up to a small enclosure of ojizousan. "It's my job to wash them and give them new bibs," Kyouko explains as you sit yourselves down beside them, just as though the little statues were members of the audience.

A hush falls over all those assembled in the temple grounds as Byakuren climbs up onto the porch of the main temple and seats herself in the lotus position. In her hands is that little wooden fish you've heard so much about, and as you watch, she begins to tap at it with a wooden stick, keeping time. Then she begins to chant, her voice surprisingly low as the repetitive monotone of the sutras pours out from her.

It really is the most mysterious thing. You can feel the sutras more than hear them. The words rise from somewhere inside your body, resonating in every part of you, as if your heart is the musical instrument.

Soon you find yourself entering a weird half-dreamy state. You really do feel at peace. Is this the strange power of the sutra? Who knows how long you've been sitting there, listening, feeling every tone echo inside you.

You remember, then, that Kyouko is beside you. You turn to see that she's swaying. Her head falls on your shoulder and you guess, from the soft snoring, that she's just fallen asleep.

The peace that has settled upon you shatters like crystal. With her head resting on her shoulder, you can no longer feel the deep intonations of the sutra; the only thing in your mind is how soft the tufted ear pressed against your neck feels. You grow warmer as the rest of her body leans up against yours, and it's only partly due to the little creature's body heat.

You try to gently slip your shoulder out from underneath her, but when she murmurs and nuzzles back against you in an effort to get more comfortable you decide to give up on the idea. The look on her face is so peaceful, and besides, it's nowhere near unpleasant to have such a pretty girl cuddling up to you, even if she doesn't realise she's doing it.

You relax, and start to feel yourself nodding off as well as Byakuren's monotone voice continues to resonate across the temple grounds. Kyouko's warmth and the clean, wholesome scent of her hair and her clothes also doesn't help.

You think you may have even fallen asleep when Kyouko suddenly jerks upright, waking you. Someone has sat down beside her while the two of you had your eyes closed, a girl around her age in a brown dress , unruly pink hair tufted like feathers under a little round hat. There's a teasing smile on her face.

"Mystia?" murmurs Kyouko, rubbing her eyes.

"I was wondering when you two lovebirds would wake up," says the bird-youkai.

"Lovebirds?" Kyouko blinks and turns to look at you. She gives a little gasp and blushes. "I'm so sorry! Did I fall asleep on you?"

You start to explain that you fell asleep too and that she doesn't need to worry about it, but Mystia interrupts you.

"You both looked so angelic it seemed like a crime to wake you up." She looks out across the temple grounds at all the humans and youkai and snorts. "You know, I think that's why these concerts of Byakuren's are so popular - it gives everyone a chance to catch up on the sleep they've missed."

A group of kitsune sitting on the lawn below turn back to shush the three of you, but Mystia just glares back at them. "Hypocrites," she mutters. "Tomorrow they'll be back to their old games of stealing sake and seducing humans." She stands up and takes hold of Kyouko's hand. "Hey, let's blow this place. I caught a few whoppers a few hours ago and they're sitting there in a bucket waiting to get grilled."

The little yamabiko protests weakly as her friend pulls her to her feet, turning to you, but Mystia just laughs. "Don't worry, your boyfriend can come too." She eyes you up and down. "You look like you could do with a grilled lamprey or two."

"Oh, he's not my boyfriend..." But Mystia is already dragging her away and you decide there's nothing else to do but follow them.

It's a short walk to Mystia's grilled lamprey stand and you find yourself playing third-wheel while Mystia and Kyouko chat on the way.

Mystia suddenly turns to you. "So what's your story?"

Caught off-foot, you're try and explain how you and Kyouko met. Mystia seems amused by your discomfort and she laughs.

"Cute story," she says. "Another human caught by the siren-call of the yamabiko." She digs Kyouko in the ribs. "At least you knew enough to catch a cute one."

Kyouko begins to protest, but then she glances at you and a deep blush settles across her face.

You soon arrive at the stand. It's a tiny little stall on the edge of the road with just enough space for a handful of customers. Mystia has you and Kyouko sit down at the counter while she slips under the tarpaulin at the back of the stand and busies herself with reigniting the smouldering charcoals under the grill with a fan.

Soon there's a happy little fire.

"You guys want a drink?"

You look at Kyouko and the yamabiko nods. "But just a small one," she says.

Mystia pours you a couple of tumblers of what smells like shochu from a big jug behind the counter. You take a sip and it's like drinking rubbing alcohol. Kyouko samples her own and her ears stand up on end.

"It's sour!" she gasps.

Mystia laughs and gets to work preparing the lampreys. They're still alive, and she catches one and then another, nails them to a cutting board and swiftly beheads them with a knife and fillets them. You stare in shock, but when the slices of lamprey are skewered and placed on the grill, the scent of delicious cooking fish soon has you forgetting the gruesome way in which they were prepared.

"Sorry to barge in on your date like that," says Mystia as she applies the sauce to the spitting eels with a brush. "I was looking for you everywhere, and then I realised you were probably at the concert. Have you had a chance to think over my proposal?"

Kyouko blinks at her. "Oh, you mean about starting a band? Well, I don't know..."

"Oh come on," says Mystia. "You've got an amazing voice." She turns to you for support. "She does, doesn't she?"

A few mouthfuls of the shochu has already made you tipsy, and you're effusive in your praise of Kyouko's singing ability. The little yamabiko shakes her head and protests that she's not really any good at all, but the shy smile on her face tells you that she's pleased.

"Her voice is beautiful," Mystia agrees. "But it's more how powerful it is that I was getting at." She flips the skewers of lamprey over and dabs more sauce on them. "Basically, my idea is to start a punk band and to give our own concerts. There's a little clearing just a ways down the road, and humans and youkai pass by all the time - it's the perfect spot to attract an audience."

A punk band?

Mystia nods. "Yeah, well... the way I see it, there's a lot of frustrated energy inside that little chest..." She jabs her fan at Kyouko, making the yamabiko yelp in surprise. "...just waiting to come out, and punk is the perfect way to do that. It's the music of protest and rebellion, after all."

You ask her what Kyouko has to protest about.

Mystia blinks at you. "You're kidding, right? Have you seen how Byakuren treats her?"

Kyouko protests weakly that the Lady Byakuren has her best interest at heart, but you see Mystia's point and nod. But punk? You can't help but wonder if it really is the appropriate style for Kyouko's gorgeous voice.

"You want to hear the song we've been working on?

You nod. Kyouko tries to stop her, but Mystia is already singing.

Mystia's voice is beautiful, but loud, and unlike Kyuoko she doesn't seem at all shy about showing it off. The lyrics are hard to follow, but essentially the song seems to be an attack on fickle-hearted girls and is full of strange references that slander both school-teachers and shut-ins alike. Kyouko looks embarrassed, but after Mystia starts poking her wildly with her fan she starts to sing as well.

It's weird, but the two of them really do seem to have a simpatico going. Kyouko's counterpoint helps to take the edge of Mystia's volume and you sit back and actually enjoy the song. Like you expected, it's Japanese punk, which is to say pop masquerading as punk.

There's a sudden smell of burning and Mystia stops singing and in a panic slips the skewered lampreys off the grill and onto two little plates. Kyouko is caught off-guard and continues to sing a few seconds longer, but on her own she seems too shy to continue and her voice fades back into silence as a flush spreads over her face.

Mystia puts the plates in front of you and busies herself with refreshing your drinks. "So, what do you think?"

You say you really enjoyed it, which is the truth, even if you had little or no idea about what the song was rebelling against, and that they're both really talented.

Mystia nods, pleased, and turns to Kyouko. "See? Now your boyfriend's given you his vote of confidence, maybe you'll have the courage to get up and sing in front of others."

Kyouko opens her mouth, seemingly about to protest Mystia's referring to you as her boyfriend, but then she thinks better of it and just nods. Her look of determination is adorable, especially given that her face is still bright pink.

Mystia chuckles and pours herself a shochu as well. "Well, then, here's to Choujuu Gigaku!" She winks at you. "The name of the band. Dance of Bird and Beast. Like it?"

You tell her it's very clever.

All three of you click your glasses together and take a drink. You're still not used to the potency of the shochu and you grimace as you swallow, but poor little Kyouko starts to splutter and cough and you pat her on the back until she stops.

She glances up across at you and smiles as she catches her breath. You realise you were a bit forward in touching her, but it doesn't seem like any harm was done. The drinks seem to have removed any of the awkwardness that remained between you.

Mystia recharges everyone's drinks as you dive into the grilled lamprey. It's as delicious as it smells.

And so the three of you, fuelled by Mystia's potent shochu, spend the next few hours drinking and eating and laughing. You learn more about Gensoukyou in those hours than you have in your entire stay here. Who knew the lives of youkai were so similar to a soap-opera!

"...acting all high-and-mighty, jus' cause she's from the moon and purer than all of us Earth-slobs..." Mystia's had a few too many drinks - in fact you all have - and is well into her list of people who've rubbed her the wrong way. You and Kyouko are more than happy just to listen, since Mystia's stories are hilarious. The little yamabiko's face is bright-pink, and not from embarrassment... in fact, she seems to have lost a lot of her shyness. She's been drinking about one drink to your two, and Mystia's three.

Then Mystia's complaints take on a rhythm of their own and before you realise it, she's singing impromptu. Kyouko laughs and claps her hands and she starts to sing as well. She's a little unsteady on the bench, though, and you have to keep grabbing her to stop her from falling off. She doesn't seem to mind; in fact, she scooshes herself closer to you. Her voice fades away to leave Mystia to sing on her own about the lack of appreciation the world has for night-sparrows generally, and she leans her head on your shoulder.

You slip your hand around her waist and she sighs, snuggling into you.

You're so happy in that moment that you don't notice how loud Mystia's drunken singing is getting, or how strange and distorted it's become, like there's a second voice singing alongside it.

Then, suddenly, the lights go out. For a moment you think that there's been a black-out, but it can't be: the lanterns that light Mystia's stall are powered by oil. You open and shut your eyes, but there's no difference at all: an empty blackness is all you can see.

You fidget on the bench and Kyouko immediately notices something is wrong and calls your name. You try to stand up, but being unable to see anything you're disoriented and the next thing you know you've fallen heavily onto your back on the ground.

You hear Kyouko's cry of alarm, and Mystia's singing ceases abruptly.

Kyouko's calling your name, asking what the matter is.

"Too many drinks?" It's Mystia's voice, tinged with drunken humour.

You say you can't see a thing. Damn, maybe it was that shochu! Can't you go blind from drinking dodgy alcohol, like moonshine? But Mystia starts to swear and you feel her trying with Kyouko's help to lift you to her feet.

"I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry!" she's babbling. "I... I didn't realise I was using my ability while I was singing."

Her ability? What does she-?

"A night-sparrow's song can cause blindness," she explains quickly as she sits you down on the bench and dusts the dirt and grass from your back. "I didn't mean to do it, but I guess I was so drunk I didn't realise I- Oh, I've really screwed things up this time!"

Blind? You mean you'll never be able to see anything ag-?

"Oh no, it's just temporary," says Mystia. "I'm so stupid! So stupid!"

A soft hand falls on top of yours and you immediately start to calm down. So it's just temporary. Thank god!

The hand on yours is rubbing it, and you recognise that warm, wholesome scent that belongs to Kyouko. "Don't worry, don't worry," she keeps saying. "Everything's going to be fine."

As you sit there, rubbing at your eyes, Mystia and Kyouko quickly discuss what's to be done. Kyouko volunteers to take you back home and look after you.

"The blindness will only last for a few hours," she says. "But I can't just leave you there on your own. Something might happen, and then I'd never be able to forgive myself!"

And so that's what happens. Mystia, still apologising profusely, walks with you part of the way and then it's just you and Kyouko. The little yamabiko holds onto your arm and leads you carefully along the path, warning you about stray roots and low branches.

Even though you're blind, you can't help but enjoy Kyouko's company. As you walk along, she tries to take your mind off things by chatting to you about anything and everything. The shochu seems to have loosened her usually shy tongue, much like turning on a tap. You learn a lot more about her, about the other youkai at Myouren Temple and about her friendship with Mystia.

"So..." she says, her voice growing suddenly shy. "Did you really like our song, or were you just being kind? Don't you think it's a bit loud?"

You laugh, agreeing that it was loud. But punk should be loud, and that doesn't stop her voice from being beautiful... or Mystia's, you quickly add.

Kyouko falls quiet. You wonder if you've offended her somehow. But then you feel her squeeze your arm, and there's a flash of warm wetness as her lips touch your cheek in a kiss.

"Are all humans from your world as sweet and kind as you?" she whispers.

Your face feels hot and you wonder if you're blushing. You don't really know how to answer her question.

"I guess punk does seem like a pretty strange choice," says Kyouko, changing the subject. "But Mystia is angry about a lot of things and I think it helps her to get it all out."

What is she angry about? you wonder. You tell Kyouko that you didn't really understand the lyrics of their song.

Kyouko sighs. "Mystia's in love with someone, but she's too shy to tell them. And she's worried that they love someone else as well. She's pretty messed up about it."

You say that those kinds of relationships can be pretty heartbreaking.

"The person Mystia loves is a human," Kyouko says, then falls silent again. She's expecting you to say something, so you ask whether there are a lot of humans-youkai relationships in Gensoukyou.

Kyouko shakes her head, forgetting that you can't see anything, but you can feel her doing it since she's so close to you that one of her ears brushes against your shoulder. "I... I think maybe humans are too scared of youkai. But I guess youkai are just as scared of humans. Lady Byakuren often preaches about it. She thinks humans and youkai can be friends. But there's this miko, the miko of Hakurei shrine..."

You know who she's talking about. Reimu. Everyone knows Reimu. She often visits the human village. You've never really spoken more than a few words to her, but it was enough for you to decide that despite her cuteness she isn't someone to be crossed.

"...she says that Lady Byakuren is wrong and that humans and youkai can never be friends." Silence again. "What do you think?"

You say what you think without thinking, that love is one of those things that can cross all differences and barriers, and that you can't imagine why humans and youkai can't be friends.

Kyouko squeezes herself closer to you. "I think so too," she says, eagerly. "I mean, we... we're like friends, aren't we?"

The shyness of her words, the warmth and softness of the little body pressing against yours is really starting to get to you. Friends. You want to be much more than that, you realise now. Every part of you aches to grab the little yamabiko and hug her to you, to properly hold her in your arms. But you don't. Maybe you're just too much of a coward to do it.

You swallow and nod. You say that you'd like to be friends with her.

Kyouko says nothing, but as you continue to walk you feel the soft whapping of something against your butt. For a moment you think Kyouko's patting you there, but then you realise it's her tail, hitting you as it wags back and forth.

You walk the rest of the way in silence. When you reach the village you have to give her directions to find your house. You're staying in the spare room of the village tailor, who lives with his little daughter, and luckily it's not a hard place to find. Since your room is accessible from the back, you don't have to disturb him and Kyouko, after taking your keys and unlocking the door for you, leads you inside.

You're glad that you actually gave the place a bit of a tidy-up before going on your little adventure. You had no idea you'd be bringing a girl back to it. Well, she brought you back, really, but...

Kyouko leads you into the bedroom and you lie back on the bed. In the utter darkness, you have no idea what the little yamabiko is doing, and the silence starts to alarm you.

"Kyouko?"

"Oh! I'm sorry," she says. "I... I was just thinking that this is the first time I've been in a boy's bedroom."

You decide that maybe she's feeling nervous being alone with you, and so you tell her that everything's fine now and thanks her for taking you back home. You feel a bit lame saying it, but it's the right thing to do.

"Oh no," says Kyouko. "I can't leave you alone. What if you need something, or need to go to the bathroom or something like that? I have to be here to help you."

You tell her it's not necessary, but she puts her foot down.

"No arguing," she says. "This is all my fault, so I have to stay and look after you."

You make some weak protest, but inwardly you've happy that she wants to stay. Having to lie here alone, completely blind, is an alarming prospect.

With Kyouko's help, you get into your pyjamas and slip under the covers. She sets up a chair next to the bed. You tell her she can sleep on the bed if she wants to and you can take the spare futon, but she just laughs.

"Don't be silly," she says. "You're the one who's the patient." Then she sighs. 'You know, before I met you I was scared of humans. I... well, when I still lived in the mountains, humans would come and shout out to me. I loved shouting back to them. I know that in the old days yamabiko used to trick them into following us so we could eat them, but that hasn't happened in a long time. They're not really that afraid of us, now. They'd shout out just for fun. But then people started shouting out, well..." Her voice grows soft. "...lewd things, and they'd trick me into repeating what they said. So I decided to give up on it and came to Myouren temple. I thought maybe becoming a monk was the right thing to do. Then I wouldn't be so sad anymore..."

You lie there, listening to her heartfelt words. They've all just started flowing out of her. The sadness tinging her voice is heartbreaking and you reach out with your hand for hers. She takes it and squeezes it.

"Oh, it's okay now. I'm not so sad now. Lady Byakuren is so kind and being an acolyte has really helped me to stop worrying so much about everything. And now, well..." She hesitates. "...now I've made such a lovely friend, I can't be unhappy anymore, can I?"

And yet... and yet there's still sadness in her voice. You wonder what you should say, but Kyouko just pats your hand and says she's going to go get you some water.

You're asleep before she returns.