The Two Thieves of Nippon
Chapter Three
As the sun rose higher into the Nippon sky, Sei-An City bustled with activity and excitement. The story of the thief who had almost beaten a god had spread like wildfire, and not even something as communication-halting as an impassable bridge could contain it.
The guards had told the Tao Troopers, who did not need the bridge to access the Aristocratic Quarter, and the Troopers had told a mugger they had arrested (who was then found to be innocent and released), who told his family when he got home, who told their friends and neighbors, who told their friends and neighbors, and soon the whole city had heard the story a hundred times over.
Of course, as with what happens to many stories gossiped about and retold numerously, bits and parts of the story get changed just the tiniest bit to make it seem more dramatic and exciting to the listener, which then happens over and over until it sounds almost completely different from what really happened.
"Did you hear, Mei Mei? Suki said it was a great sword the thief used to knock the god unconscious, not a hammer!"
"Oh yes, I did hear! And did you know that the thief had to pry the mirror out of the god's claws, not dig it up after the god buried it, like Fushiki said?"
"Yes, isn't it incredible? It's a good thing that little boy came along and managed to distract the thief long enough for the god to escape, or who knows what would've happened!"
The story-changing went something like that, until nobody in Sei-An knew exactly what really happened that night.
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Mishi strolled through the busy streets of Sei-An City, thinking about what had happened before. It was strange, she thought, I swear I had gotten that mirror. But... it seemed to have been sucked back somehow. It just swooped right away, probably back to its owner. That god really presents a problem... how am I ever going to get it to give the mirror to me? Obviously brute force doesn't work; the god decided to let that fool Tanako have it. She really wasn't forced at all...
As Mishi wandered through the city on a day much like the day she first met Tanako, she got lost in her thoughts. Various people said hello, but she ignored them without realizing it. Street vendors selling their wares even called out their products to her, but she just walked right on by.
She finally raised her head when she heard a girl cry out in joy. Across the canal she noticed a girl in a white kimono hugging her father, who looked like he had just recovered from a great illness.
Mishi couldn't help but smile a little at that before she delved back into her thoughts again. She was just wondering how Hayazo could've trained both her and Tanako all those years without either of them knowing about the other, when a loud and boisterous voice broke into her thoughts.
"Oh, darling, you're simply perfect!" exclaimed a chubby man in colorful and flamboyant layers of clothing. He hurried over to her and introduced himself.
"I am Mr. Chic, and you, honey, are beautiful. How would you like to be my new model? I'm a fashion designer, you know. The best in all of Nippon!"
Mishi was taken aback. She didn't expect this man to come out of nowhere and ask her such a thing. Becoming a model wasn't exactly what she wanted to be doing at that moment.
"Umm... I'm not sure I can-"
"Perfect! Let's start right now. Come, come, we have a lot of work to do. I've been dying to try out this new idea I have!"
Mr. Chic grabbed her arm and led her to his shop nearby. Mishi didn't want to attract any attention from people if she resisted, so she just let the man pull her through the door into a large store filled with every color thread imaginable. There were rows and rows of spools on shelves, and various articles of clothing with different colors and patterns displayed everywhere. At the back of the shop, behind the counter, Mrs. Chic shook her head and muttered, "Not another one..." under her breath as she watched her husband drag Mishi to another room off to the side.
In this room there was a giant canvas on one wall for painting designs, mannequins displaying the latest fashions in varying positions lined up against another wall, and endless amounts of thread in strings and spools strewn about the room and piled high in heaping baskets.
"This is my studio, where I think up and create the most fantastic clothing you've ever seen," explained Mr. Chic. "Here's where the real fun begins! You see, a while ago this amazing scientist who lives in a big clocktower near the late queen's palace gave me this magical little box which can record anything you say and repeat it back, over and over. He called it an "amazing breakthrough in science" but I think it's just a marvelous little invention!"
Mishi listened intently. She had always been a bit interested in scientific things like that.
"Anyway, my idea was, why not use this amazing box in a marketing scheme? I could get someone to wear some of my fashions, hide the box on their person, and then send them out on the streets to record the comments of people who observed their clothing. That way, I can hear what people really think, and make improvements to my designs accordingly."
Mishi thought for a second. "Why not just ask people what they think in person?"
"Well, people don't always tell you the absolute truth when they're talking to someone directly. They don't want to run the risk of offending the person they're talking to, so they try to be nice. And besides," he said, winking at Mishi, "This way is more fun!"
And before Mishi could say another word, Mr. Chic was a blur around her, moving around the room and taking measurements of her body, grabbing pieces of clothing and mixing and matching them on mannequins, and thoroughly picking the best patterns and designs for the outfit she was doomed to wear.
"At last!" Mr. Chic exclaimed after a few minutes, holding up a colorful combination of clothing in the style of a kimono. "This is perfect. Put these on right away!"
He handed Mishi the outfit and ushered her behind a screen in the corner. She reluctantly dressed herself in the showy and colorful clothes and stepped out from behind the screen. Oh well, she thought, At least I can probably sell these for a good amount later.
"Oh dear, you look fabulous! Simply wonderful!" Mr. Chic cried. He took a small, metallic box out of a little satchel and slipped it into the folds of the cloth behind Mishi's neck.
"There. That will record all the wonderful compliments that you will no doubt receive! You look great, really!"
Mishi walked over to a mirror on the wall and glimpsed herself standing there in an extravagant kimono with beautiful flowery patterns all over it, and a big colorful bow around her waist. I have to admit, I do look pretty fancy. This is how I could dress every day, once I get that divine mirror. Ha! I wish Tanako could see me now.
Mr. Chic smiled at her once more and then scooted her out of the studio and into the shop. There were a few customers in the store now, and they gaped at Mishi as Mr. Chic pushed her outside.
"Go, my butterfly! Go and spread the beauty of Mr. Chic's fashions! Impress the world!" he called out to her as she walked away from the store. Mishi rolled her eyes.
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Later in the afternoon Mishi found herself in front of a fruit stall, wondering whether she should choose several oranges or a grapefruit. The old man who ran the stall stood in front of her behind the counter, smiling and waiting for her to choose a fruit. He couldn't take his eyes off Mishi's outfit.
Mishi looked up, turning on her charm. "Could I maybe, possibly, get a discount on these?" she said sweetly, batting her eyelashes. "You wouldn't be so cruel as to deny an innocent lady some of your surely delicious and sumptuous fruit, would you?"
"Oh, uh... surely not, miss. I'll drop a hundred yen off the price, just for you, how about that?"
Hmm... That's not exactly what I was hoping for... "Oh, but please, sir!" she said, pretending to check her purse for yen. "I'm just a few short. Couldn't you lower the price more? I would dearly love to enjoy some of that fruit, if only..."
The man looked hesitant for a second, and then he sighed. "Well... alright. Another hundred yen off. I wouldn't keep such a lovely maiden from enjoying my fruit, after all. Have a good day, then." He handed her the oranges, and took the money she handed him.
"Why thank you so much, sir. I don't what would've happened if you hadn't been so generous!" Mishi said, winking at him. She giggled as sweetly as she could.
"I'm glad to help, ma'am. I hope you enjoy your..." The man counted the yen she had given him. "Hey... hey wait! This isn't enough at all!" he shouted.
But Mishi was already gone.
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Yuchi had had a bad day. He was tired, too. All day people had yammered their life stories at him, boring him to death. People had yelled, too. Anything to make my life worse, he thought, wishing he could get off work already. But he couldn't. His boss had definitely made it clear that he was not to leave until he had sold at least three things.
At least three things. Ha! I'd be surprised if this junk stand has ever sold three things, he thought. Suddenly, he noticed a girl in an overly-colorful outfit approach the stall.
"Hello, miss, could I interest you in buying something today?" Yuchi asked, a hint of desperation in his voice.
"Well... do you have any deals for a penniless young lady like me?" Mishi inquired, putting on her puppy face.
Yuchi looked doubtful. "You, ma'am, don't look very penniless. How would a poor street urchin such as you be able to afford something like that?" he remarked, gesturing to her eloquent clothing. Is she trying to take advantage of me? Yuchi thought. Oh great. A con artist.
Mishi grimaced. Darn it, these stupid clothes. They make me look like I came straight out of the queen's dressing room. Mishi read Yuchi's bored features for a second.
"Listen, buddy. You'd like to just leave, wouldn't you? Get off work already. Well, how about we make this quicker, and you just sell me something, cheap. It works for the both of us and-"
"Now, hold on a minute. I know about your kind." Yuchi interrupted, staring at Mishi. "A deal. Ha! As soon as you hand me the yen for whatever junk you wanna buy here, you'll disappear and it'll be fake, or I'll get ripped off somehow."
He was right, of course. Mishi thought for a moment while he glared at her, and noticed several things in the stall behind him. There was a variety of junk back there, but she also noticed a piece of parchment tacked on to a wall behind him, which read in small brush strokes:
ALL EMPLOYEES MUST HAVE VENDED AT LEAST
THREE ITEMS BEFORE LEAVING WORK, NO EXCEPTIONS
"So... You need to sell three things before you leave, correct?" Mishi said to Yuchi.
He scowled. "Yes. Yes, I do."
"Well... that could take an awful long time. How many customers have you had today, anyway? One? Two?"
Yuchi sighed. "I've had a lot, lady, but nobody's bought anything. People seem to like pouring their hearts out here, rather than actually making a purchase. UGH."
Yuchi recalled the day, and remembered all the people telling him their woes and problems like he could solve them all. Funny thing is, he thought, I probably could. They're all so stupid, their problems so easily handled. Why, that lady who complained about bugs getting in her kitchen earlier, all she needed to do was sprinkle some of that-
Suddenly, he got a brilliant idea. Yuchi actually began to smile, just a little, for the first time in ages. "That's it!" he exclaimed, hurriedly gathering a brush and a piece of wood.
His sudden transition from bored clerk to excited worker startled Mishi a bit. It reminded her of Hayazo's old personality switches. He would often go from kind to brutal in a snap. Mishi descended once again into deep thought, thinking hard, trying to remember ever seeing a boy about her age around Hayazo.
Really. How could Hayazo have been training Tanako the whole time? All those years... those years of him treating me like I was special, like I was his sole apprentice. I have to admit, I feel a bit betrayed.
She absentmindedly watched Yuchi carefully scrawl something onto the board with the brush. He finished his brushstrokes and admired his work, grinning to himself slightly. He scrambled out of the stall and yanked off the current sign posted above the front, a slab of wood that announced the junk shop in simple kanji. Tossing the old sign aside, Yuchi ducked back into the stall to search for a hammer.
Mishi, meanwhile, thought some more. In her head, she played over all the times she could remember training with Hayazo. There was that time when he wanted to teach me how to pickpocket. Oh, how long ago that was... Then there was the time when he wanted me to pretend he was a victim that wouldn't listen. He wanted me to attack him with knives... I remember I hated that lesson. I guess I've always hated physical violence.
Somewhere in the background, she heard a hammering sound.
And then... there was that time I showed up to one of his lessons early. And... and... there was that boy there! Yes! I remember now! I showed up early and saw him saying something to a young boy, about my age. As soon as he noticed me, he shooed the boy away, as if trying to keep him away from me... I wonder why. But that was definitely Tanako, I'm sure of it.
"There! All done! Oh, this is gonna be great!"
Mishi's thoughts broke once again as she heard Yuchi. She looked at him standing in front of the stall staring up at the new sign... and she laughed.
"'Yuchi the problem solver! Come on up and get solutions for every trouble and bother!'" she read aloud from the sign that now hung on front of the junk stall. Under that sign, a smaller one read:
SOLUTIONS - ONLY 250 YEN EACH
Yuchi smiled at her, his cares forgotten. He made no mention of the fact that he had only minutes earlier glared at her, thinking her a con artist (which she was, of course, but he didn't know that). Now, he chattered happily about his new business.
"Ha! Let's see what the boss thinks of that. I'm done with selling junk; this is guaranteed to make a ton of money! Obviously people need their problems solved, what with the bridge stuck and the fear of thieves going around. People need help, and I think I've realized I'm the person who can do that. Especially if I can make some yen off of it, too."
Mishi noticed he seemed a lot happier now. She snorted.
He is like Hayazo, she thought. One little idea and he instantly becomes Mr. Bright and Shiny. Good idea though...
Before Mishi could say anything, he spoke again. "Y'know, I can't help but feel you helped me with this. If you hadn't come here I bet I wouldn't have thought of it. Or not for a while, anyway. Here," he said, pushing all the assorted junk off the counter into a sack, which he then tied with a thick rope. "I definitely don't need this stuff anymore. You can keep it all, if you want." He handed the sack out to her.
Mishi was pleasantly surprised. "Well, thanks, I guess. What about your boss?" she asked, taking the bag out of Yuchi's hands.
Yuchi chuckled. "Oh, him? He's actually a lazy slacker, believe me. He made me do all the work, and I bet I would've never gotten a break if I had continued here, anyway. This stupid little rule," he said, ripping off the "three items, no exceptions" paper from the wall, "is something he made up so he wouldn't have to do anything. This new business is mine, and I'm sure there's nothing he can do about it!"
Already a few people had noticed the new sign, and were tentatively stepping closer to the stall, curious.
"Oh... okay. Have fun with your business, then. I guess I should go now." Mishi mumbled, her thoughts slipping to Hayazo again.
"What was that? You're leaving? Oh. Well, alright then. Thanks, and... nice outfit, but it's a little too colorful." Yuchi said, grinning at her and then walking off to help a chubby woman who obviously looked like there were bugs in her kitchen.
Mishi felt the little recorder poke the back of her neck, and she spoke quietly to it. "Hear that, fancy thread man? Too colorful." And with that, she turned around with her bag of trinkets and decided she might want to look for the wolf god.
She took three steps forward, only to find a rather cross-looking fruit vendor standing in front of her.
"You. You're the one who tricked me! You better pay up, missy, or I'll call the guards!" he snapped, glaring at her as menacingly as he could.
"That would work," Mishi replied, staring straight into his eyes. "Except for the fact that all the guards are nursing their wounds on the other side of the city."
"I... I... Oh, you're going to pay, lady! I know who can knock some sense into you! Fear the great and mighty... AMATERASU!!!" the vendor shouted, posing dramatically and waiting for the wolf goddess to appear at any moment.
Nothing happened.
"..."
"I said... the great and mighty AMATERASU!!!" he shouted again, louder.
Still nothing.
The man scowled and gave her a dagger-filled look. "Aw, just forget it. I don't care about you anyhow. It's just some stupid fruit." He hobbled away angrily, muttering to himself about fruit and unreliable gods.
"Alright then..." Mishi sighed. "I guess I should try and see how much this junk might get me."
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She headed toward another merchant stall, walking onto one of the main roads in the city. People stared at her bright clothing in awe, finally beginning to take notice. Girls whispered in the ears of friends who were with them, while a few women pointed at her, some of them jealous, some of them mocking. Various men in the area had their eyes glued to her in amazement, while wives and girlfriends worked to pull their lovers' attention away. Children giggled and shouted while they played, stopping shortly from their games to look at her outfit in wonder.
Mishi couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed from all the attention, after all, she was used to blending in with the crowds and sneaking around unnoticed so she could more conveniently pick pockets or corner somebody to swindle.
She remembered that she had the sack, too. I must look really weird, with all these colors, but heaving this dirty old bag with me. I bet Tanako never had to drag some dumb sack all over the place. Urgh.
She finally made it through all the stares to the tool merchant's stand. She hefted the bag onto the counter and struggled to untie the thick rope.
"Do you need some help there, miss?" The salesman offered cheerily. He had had a fairly good day, and thus, was in a fairly good mood.
"No... wait... just a second... urgh..." she tangled with the rope for a few more seconds, and then gave up. "All right. Here."
She handed the bag over and the merchant easily untied it with a few knot maneuvers. The contents of the sack came spilling out onto the counter.
Well. He opened that easily. Humph.
"My, my, what a collection you've got here!" the merchant exclaimed, his eyes sparkling as he examined the various items. He picked up a small, slightly tarnished lacquerware vase, with a blue flower design etched into it. "Ooh..." he murmured.
This stuff may be worth more than it looks like it would be. Either that, or one man's trash is...
"...another man's treasure." the merchant was saying aloud, as if he had read her thoughts. "This stuff definitely interests me. How about you come back tomorrow? I'd like a better look at these. Then I will tell you how much I will offer, if you're selling it all, that is."
"Yes. I'm selling it all. These came from the cellar in the queen's palace, you know," she said mysteriously, holding up a small tea set that shined slightly in the sun through the dirt caked onto it. "It was down there for centuries. The queen gave it to me personally as a gift when I visited her once, before she died. It's quite valuable, but I have to make adjustments in these hard times. I have to sell a lot of my most prized possessions..." She tried to sound as sad and convincing as possible.
The merchant looked impressed. "The queen, you say? As in queen-"
"Himiko, yes," Mishi finished. "It was a great blow to me when she died. Oh, and these..." she exclaimed, as if she had just remembered something, "These wood carvings were handcrafted for the grandmother of the Wep'keer chief. All the way out in the snowy land of Kamui, crafted from the finest wood of the tallest trees. When I traveled there to find a cure for my dying father," she said dramatically, to sweeten the deal, "I found myself at the sad funeral of said grandmother, receiving these carvings as payment for cradling her in my arms at her dying moment..." She pretended to crack at this point, bursting into fake sobs and acting as if she was trying to keep from crying.
"I... I'm sorry. I just can't help it, when I remember that sad time. It was horrible..." she sobbed, wiping away her faux tears.
"I understand completely. I'm so sorry, miss..." the merchant stammered, looking as if he were about to cry as well.
Sucker, Mishi thought. "It's alright, though. They went on and kept their lively village thriving, and I managed to find my father's cure, just in time. When I got back, I quickly gave him the rare root he needed, just as he was on his deathbed. So..." Mishi said, pretending to cheer up a bit, "You can understand why these carvings are so important to me. It breaks my heart to sell them off, it really does, but you know... with Sei-An's economy in such a bad position right now, I've been forced to. It's horrible..." She was on the verge of tears again.
"Don't cry, miss, please don't cry!" the merchant pleaded. "It's all right. It's okay. I'm willing to buy these for a very high price, I promise. I'll do anything I can to help you."
Mishi straightened up. "Oh, would you really be so kind? I don't deserve such graciousness... Thank you so much sir, really... I... I don't know what to say..."
"You need say nothing, my dear. I'm happy to help you in any way I can. But, may I ask, why are you wearing such beautifully tailored clothing, if you are so poor?"
Oh. Yeah. Stupid clothes. "Well, sir... you see, this is my nicest kimono. My best. A long time ago, before I was born, my mother traveled to Europe. She saw many amazing beautiful things there, and even met the queen. Yes, my mother met their queen, and befriended her. The queen, during one teatime before my mother left, asked her if she had enjoyed her trip. My mother said she hadn't had a better time in her entire life, and the queen, who knew she would miss her company after she left, offered her a parting gift. My mother refused many times, you see, but after a while she gave in, to be polite.
And so the queen summoned all the finest tailors in the kingdom and told them to make a traditional Japanese kimono, which they had no idea how to make. The queen was furious with them, but my mother, ironically, decided to teach the tailors how to make a kimono. After a while they got it, and made her a fine kimono using every color thread they could find. My mother received it and graciously thanked the queen. When she came back to Japan, my mother wore it to every party and every formal occasion she went to, until I was born. She kept it in excellent condition, of course. As I grew up, she gave the kimono to me, and now I wear it here on this beautiful Spring day, to honor my mother's birthday after she died. It looks like it was just made, doesn't it?"
The merchant looked awestruck. He stared at her clothing in absolute wonder. "Y-y-yes. Definitely j-just made looking, I can t-tell." He seemed to be shivering in some kind of amazement.
All a big fat lie, of course. I've never been to Kamui. I've never met any queen, and neither has my mother. She died giving birth to me. But it seems to be working, anyway.
"I-I'll buy it. All of this." the merchant said, gesturing to the random junk splayed across the counter. "And... and... Oh, I don't mean to be rude, but I really love that kimono of yours. Would you....?"
"Would I what? Sell you this!?" she gasped, emphasizing her surprise and shock. "I could never, ever, sell this. And on my mother's birthday, too! That would most certainly be an insult to her, I'm sure!"
The merchant turned pale, shifting around uncomfortably where he stood. "I didn't mean... I don't want to... Oh, I'm so sorry! I should be ashamed of myself, greedily trying to get you to sell to me what must be your most heavily prized possession! How disgusting I am!"
Mishi stared at him uncertainly. Okay, maybe I went too far with that. I'll have to back up a bit...
"Oh no, sir, it's fine. Don't be ashamed. I was just blabbering about the "being insulted" thing. I'm sure my mother would be perfectly okay with me parting with this simple kimono, so I can keep living well enough in these hard times. Clothing is just clothing, after all. In fact, I'd be delighted to sell this to you. Tomorrow, of course, I wouldn't dare strip down in public right here!"
"But... are you sure? You seemed pretty against selling it to me at first..." the merchant noted nervously.
"Well, it's fine now. I have plenty of other objects that are tied with important memories in my life and sometimes it's good to get rid of a few, you know? I suppose it's not always healthy to hold on to the past too much. I'd be honored if you would take these clothes, and maybe it will even ensure my mother's soul rest in peace. So she's not tied down by material items..." Mishi said, over-sentimentally.
The merchant's face turned serious. "You're right. I think it would actually be helping your mother's soul, to get rid of earthly bounds. That way she can truly rest. I'll give you my price for everything tomorrow. You can be sure, sweetie, that it won't be some measly amount!"
I'm certain of that. This guy's emotions are as easy to control as a puppet. Mirror or not, I'll most likely be leaving this town with a decent sum of money! "Well, thank you again, sir. I'll be by again tomorrow!" she said to the merchant.
"Anytime, dear, anytime. I'm glad you told me all those stories of your past, miss, or I would've never realized how much this stuff is worth!"
Mishi flashed him a smile much like the one on the day she met Tanako.
He smiled back for a second and then noticed something behind her.
"Oh, it looks like we've got a visitor!" he exclaimed cheerily.
From behind her Mishi heard someone, a man, call out. "Hey, there she is! That's the one!"
Mishi recognized it as the annoying fruit vendor from earlier. Ugh, not him again. What does he want now?
She turned around swiftly; ready to yell at the man.
Only to find a glaring white wolf goddess bearing its teeth right in her face.
