They called Eirin Yagokoro the Sage of the Moon, or the Brain of the Moon, or something to that effect. And as much as I hated to admit it, she generally lived up to that name when it came to matters involving medicine or studying. With as much rebuffing as she had given Keine on the way in, once the Lunarian had given in she had set straight to work trying to decipher what was wrong with Tomoe. The little girl had been laid out on her back and Eirin had undone her kimono for the sake of applying various medical devices to her. One seemed to be some sort of little straw made of glass which she had plucked between her lips, and another a strange disc on a cord with bits on the end to stick into your ears.
"Her heartbeat is of a normal ratio for a human. She does indeed have a bit of a fever. What is perhaps more concerning to me is-"
"The wounds on her back, yes." Keine said. As politely as she had taken the witch's earlier behavior, now that she was in the office itself I had begun to pick up a different sort of attitude from the woman: a drive. Where had it come from? That part was easy enough to figure out, and I had also seen it when she had removed some bandages that looped around the little girl's midsection and examined her from behind when a fire had been lit in the doctor's eyes. Blazing and insidious curiosity, the very same curiosity that had lead her to allow us into this place from the very beginning. However, it wasn't until Eirin had Tomoe sit up (which she did so obediently) that I actually shared a sample of what they were both talking about.
"Holy..."
Tomoe had wounds in her back; two markings, not particularly deep but only a bit smaller than a fist, pushed into her flesh. They were bloodless, and actually sort of looked like they were several days old at this point, but they seemed fantastically painful-looking. Yet… They couldn't have been, could they? Ever since I'd met Tomoe, she'd been nothing if not cheerful and sprightly.
"Last night, after classes ended, I walked the children home as I always do. But Tomoe was separated from the group." She looked up at Tomoe, who actually tried to avert her eyes out of shame. Looked like she'd probably already gotten a real scolding with this though I couldn't imagine the blue-haired schoolteacher actually angry. She seemed impervious to everything in… In a way that I honestly sort of admired, and hated simultaneously, "By the time I found her she'd wandered to the village outskirts and had those wounds. She was unconscious."
"… It looks like a giant spider bite." I said. I hadn't moved from my spot by the door, leaning with by back against the wall. Why would I? As soon as I finished this meeting up I'd be gone.
"That it does." Eirin agreed. She carefully placed her fingers around the wounds. The edges of the punctures were swollen and red; it made it look like two huge blisters had popped agonizingly. Yet upon being touched Tomoe made no sound, nor shifted, "Does this not hurt at all, little one?"
"Nuh-uh. It never has. I figure it's just gonna fix itself, right? I'm gonna be all better, and I won't walk near the edge of the village anymore!" Tomoe said. Keine looked especially graven at this, averting her eyes. Tomoe looked like she had supreme confidence in what she had just said. That must have been the reason she had such a brave attitude about all of this. If it didn't hurt, it couldn't be serious, right?
"It looks like you know a little more about this from the outset than I do, Miss Kamishirasawa. I would appreciate any information you have." Eirin had taken notice of Keine's change of attitude as well.
Keine began slowly, her voice low and wavering in a few places as she explained: "Over the past few weeks, men and women have been turning up like this. Grown adults, have been ending up getting these same marks in the night. The beginning is usually the same with mild fever and no pain. But... The fever always worsens. It becomes far too much for our usual medicines to bear and then..." She faltered at the end of the explanation. Tomoe was looking more and more concerned about this, and to my horror, so was I.
"So she's going to die, then?" Eirin said flat out. Keine gasped, and tears immediately began to well inside of the little girl's eyes. My gut turned and twisted into a knot of pure anger at her coming out and saying that without a bit of hesitance in front of someone so little that was apparently in so much danger.
"Hey!" I bellowed, "What in the hell are you thinking?! She's just a kid!" I could feel my fingertips begin to burn; I was starting to conjure fire without even thinking about doing so.
"It's not a doctor's job to lie to their patient, let alone beat around the bush about something so serious. Besides, I thought you didn't care about this little situation?" Eirin responded without even the slightest flinch. She set back down Tomoe's kimono, those wounds hidden once more. The little girl was hunched over, eyes wide, tears spilling down them.
"Am I going to die, Miss Doctor?" Tomoe asked. Her words were tinged with tears. At that point I was completely expecting something soul-crushing to come from the silver-haired doctor's lips. "Of course you are, you little brat." I heard in my brain with a tinge of robotic cruelty, "Of course you're going to die. Dying is what humans do, after all."
But none of that came. Instead what came was a smile; a genuine, friendly smile. Eirin put both hands on her shoulders and squeezed, "Absolutely not. You are not going to die." Tomoe looked as surprised as the both of us, looking up into Erin's gray irises.
"Y..You mean it?"
"Indeed, little human. You are now in the hands of the finest doctor in all of Gensokyo. No, in all of space!" Damn. So the Witch of Eientei had a soft spot after all, huh? My anger subsided. I'm sure it had no real play in Eirin's decision, but nevertheless, it was a relief. As much as I detested getting involved with anyone, it would have made me feel like garbage to walk out without getting a happy ending on this one.
"T-Then… That means..." Keine asked, almost taken aback. Her confidence had been shaken in Eirin once she'd been subject to the other woman's unapproachable attitude, but now hope filled her voice.
"Yes, Miss Kamishirasawa. I will examine the child. She appears to be afflicted with a poison I have not encountered before, and it sounds like you earthlings do not have an inkling of what it is either. I appreciate a challenge."
I took back everything I had just thought of her. We were ants scurrying along a dirt path, and she was kneeling above us, watching us scamper and bite and thrash and die. At least that was working out in a positive way for a change. I turned towards the door I came in through, preparing to push my way through. It was done; I just had to wait outside for Keine to finish up, I'd lead her back to the village, and…
"However, I have a condition for you, Miss. And for you as well, Mokou."
"...What?" I had opened the door halfway. The rabbit who had lead us in that Eirin had called Udongein was standing outside and I could only imagine the look I must have been wearing on my face upon hearing the witch's words, as she immediately turned and speedily walked off down the hallway.
"Conditions?" Keine asked, not bearing any sort of venom as I did, "Please, go on. I'm willing to do anything you wish."
"Humans are fragile creatures. They remind me much of the rabbits we have here in our manor… Particularly in the fashion that they have a tendency to become lonely and unhappy without familiar surroundings to remain in. What I need is for you to visit Tomoe once every day until she is recovered. And what I need from Mokou-"
"Why? What the hell are you gaining from involving me with the stake of someone's life?! Where do yo-"
Eirin steamrolled over me calmly to the point that I'm not actually sure if she heard me or not in the first place, "- is you to guide Miss Kamishirasawa through the forest. As you know, it's quite dangerous and filled with youkai so a mere human such as herself would be easy prey."
"I'll be fine." Keine said. It was clear she was responding more based on my anger than anything, and the feeling made my cheeks pinken and I averted my eyes, "It's really not necessary for a guide. I remember how to get here after being lead once."
"Out of the question. Many humans have died venturing through this place. And besides… It isn't like Mokou has a lot else to do beyond get herself in trouble. This will do her good.. And do my mistress good as well." Eirin spoke. So that was it. That was what this was about. The damned witch had seen an opportunity to get me out of she and Kaguya's hair.. And she had taken it. It was a masterful play, and one she had probably dreamed up to just add a bonus to the satiation of her curiosity she'd be getting from examining Tomoe. And, worst of all, how could I turn it down? How could I deny a little girl the only chance at help it was looking like she was going to be able to get in terms of surviving? Damn, how I hated her. Hated!
But in the end…. I knew that she had won.
It was midday when we left Eientei without Tomoe. At first during the trip, neither of us spoke. I walked with trained footsteps, hands jammed into my pockets as I moved. Keine followed a short distance behind me. She knew I was mad; in fact, she knew I was furious. But inevitably, that silence grew too much to bear for her and perhaps me as well.
"I'm sorry. I had no idea that she would force you into being a part of this. I understand why you wouldn't want to. You hardly know either me or Tomoe, after all." It was heartbreaking. Absolutely heartbreaking. How could she be apologizing at a time like this?! Shouldn't she be calling me stupid or whiny or selfish? The fact that Eirin had twisted her into feeling this way and the fact that I was just playing into it was unforgivably frustrating.
"It's not your fault. I chose to get involved in the first place. I could have just sent you on your way but instead I lead you." My words were meant to put her at ease, but I could hear that asshole-tone in my voice and knew it probably just came off as pithy and grumpy. I hastily tried to make up for it, "E-Either way. Glad you got the kid help. As awful a person as that doctor is, she knows her way around healing things."
"I am relieved, too. Though.. I have to wonder why a doctor would be living in the middle of a forest like this. I don't know who she's going to help with all that skill if nobody can reach her." Keine mused. The small talk was appreciated. It took my mind off of how annoyed I was going to be for the next indeterminate amount of time.
"The Lunarians don't give a damn about anyone but themselves, and their rabbits I suppose. Trust me, once this business is all settled just forget about them and this forest. Nothing good can come of coming out here. Like she said, it's dangerous for humans."
"For that matter, I suppose I haven't asked you why you're out here? You do live in this forest, yes?"
Ugh. There it was. The question that always, without exception, preceded an enormous amount of troubles. I had to cut this one off at the pass before it managed to make this situation even further out of control: "That's a long and complicated story, and you're honestly better off not hearing it."
To my heightened relief, Keine did not press. We spent the rest of the trip back talking only on small ordinary things. Things that would be forgotten within an hour or two. Hopefully, I could keep it that way.
Hopefully, I could get her to forget me before the end of this all.
