"And this one time I asked for some warmer clothes for the winter, but Sakuya tells me to suck it up!" Meiling exclaims to her lazy new friend, the two getting along swimmingly.
"Oy! That's what my boss said when I asked her for a new lunch after I dropped it in the river!" Komachi replies.
"Land ho!" Flandre interrupts all too eagerly, wanting to end this conversation as soon as possible.
As Flandre had said, the group was approaching a mass of land; they had reached the end of the Sanzu River and their destination, they had reached Higan.
"Oh we made it, welcome to Higan mates! Can't stay long though, my boss'll flip if she sees that I've brought living folk here, so this'll be our little secret, okay?"
Higan was as beautiful as Komachi had described, it was a seemingly endless garden of flowers, flowers as far as the eye could see. The sky, that was previously dark and gloomy around the Sanzu River, was a sheet of pure white. Meiling gasped in awe in admiration of the many flowers, feeling slightly envious that her gardening skills didn't compare to the sight she now laid her eyes upon. Flandre however began to have feelings of anxiety; her mind flooding with recollections of her nightmarish dream came back fresh in her mind.
"My goodness…this place is drop dead gorgeous!" Meiling exclaims in amazement.
"Ha, told ya Meiling! Aren't ya glad I convinced ya to go now?" Komachi asked, looking as if she was trying to suppress her own amusement as they reached Higan's shores.
"Heck yeah!" Meiling exclaimed. "What do you think Flandre? Pretty amazing isn't it?"
"U-Um yeah…amazing." Flandre replies nervously as she scanned the surrounding area warily for any sign of her sister standing amongst the flowers, ready to end her life.
The three of them hopped out of Komachi's tiny vessel; with Meiling sighing in relief as she massaged her bottom happily, overjoyed that she no longer had to sit on the stone hard seats of Komachi's boat, with Flandre and Komachi giving her awkward looks as she did.
"Komachi!" a girlish voice echoed causing Komachi to jump in surprise and turn her attention towards the sky, where a small figure could be seen soaring towards the group at high speeds.
"Oh nuts! I didn't think I'd get caught this fast! Save yourselves!" Komachi cried as her mouthed dropped open in fear as the one who was bellowing her name landed right in front of her, standing several heads shorter than her.
"Oh Komachi! I knew I'd be able to turn you around! Come here you!" The short girl said affectionately, giving Komachi a tight embrace, causing her to grimace.
"Er…Say what?" Komachi asked in confusion as she lightly pats the girl on the back, halfheartedly returning her affection.
"Oh you! Pretending not to know! You've finally ferried someone to Higan without me having to yell at you once!" The girl happily explained as she released Komachi from her hug. The young looking girl looked to be about as old as Flandre did, she had short green hair, which was longer on the right side oddly enough. She wore a dark blue tunic with a long sleeved blouse under it and a black skirt. On her head sat a crown-like hat that was black and blue with white trimming and a golden emblem on her hat with what looked like a scale etched into it. "I'm so proud of you Komachi! All of these centuries of lecturing and disciplining you have finally paid off!" The girl chirped, obviously overjoyed.
"Uh…" Komachi utters nervously as she shifted her eyes back and forth, as if looking for an escape route.
"Hello there fine spirits! I am Shikieiki Yamanaxadu!" The girl greeted cheerfully. "And I shall be judging you this evening! Come along now!" Shikieiki motioned for the two to come forward, the two did so awkwardly. The young girl looked to Meiling and took out a small hand mirror. "Hmmmm…You Hong Meiling, are a hard worker…a bit of a slacker at times, like my dear shinigami Komachi here used to be, friendly, minds her manners…good, good." Shikieiki said, as she kept her eyes focused on the small mirror she held. Meiling felt unnerved at the girl knowing her name without her ever introducing herself to her. "Ah, you are also quite the devoted friend as well, with no crimes committed and minimal cursing! You are a model person, Hong Meiling, despite your few short comings!" Shikieiki said in a congratulatory way. "Now to judge our young friend, Flandre Scarlet!" She said as she stepped before the small vampire. "Let us see here…Cheerful…obedient to your older sister..."
"Uh boss…" Komachi interrupted, her voice reeking of guilt.
"Oh Komachi, I know it's unprofessional to judge them out here rather than in a courtroom, but I'm just so excited!"
"Um…It's not that boss…" Komachi said as her eyes avoided Shikieiki's, she scratched at her head nervously.
"Then what Komachi!? You know I hate being interrupted while I'm judging souls!" Shikieiki said impatiently. Komachi crouched down to Shikieiki's height and whispered something in her ears. Shikieiki's cheerful smile that was full of bliss disappeared and was replaced with shock, and then with anger making its way to her face. "Y-You mean…These two aren't dead…Komachi?" Shikieiki asked, snarling in anger.
"Ehehehehehe…Yeah…" Komachi laughed nervously, before getting smacked upside the head by Shikieiki with a small golden rod like thing, causing her to wail in pain as she cradled her jaw with her hand.
"Komachi! What is wrong with you!? I give you one simple task, ferry the souls of the DEAD! Not living, dead! So simple a monkey could do it! In fact maybe I should hire a monkey to replace you! At least it would do the job correctly!" Shikieiki screeched at Komachi, causing her to jump in surprise from her booming voice. "Really Komachi what is wrong with you!? Just when I thought you were turning yourself around and taking your job seriously…I am severely disappointed in you!"
"Sorry boss…" Komachi said nonchalantly.
"You had better be Komachi! Now…we must deal with these two, your lecture can come later." Shikieiki said, as she approached the pair of Flandre and Meiling, who had been until now, watching the argument awkwardly, sending Komachi their prayers. "I apologize for my subordinate's foolish behavior, to make up for her idiocy I shall have her send you two to heaven, from there you should be able to make it back to the world of the living. I know this won't compensate for her actions but I hope you can still find it in your hearts to forgive her."
"It's alright…um, Miss Yama." Meiling bowed in respect, with Flandre looking at her friend curiously before mimicking her action.
Shikieiki nodded in response, "Komachi! Escort these two to heaven, the Bhavaagra area, they'll find their way back to the mortal world on their own from there, and once your finished report back here at once! You are in for the lecturing of your miserable life once you return!"
"Yes boss…" Komachi mumbled in a monotone. "Alright mates, let's get you two to heaven, come along now." She casually as she walked through the vast flower field, motioning for the two to follow with her index finger. The two just shrugged and followed the shinigami.
"She'll never learn will she…?" Shikieiki sighed to herself as she shook her head disapprovingly at her subordinate.
Komachi guided the two away from Shikieiki and into a more secluded area in Higan, if that were possible. "Alright now…it's been a while since I've taken anyone to heaven…My first time doing this with living folk too, heh heh." Komachi chuckled.
"Sorry for getting you in trouble with your boss Komachi…We're truly sorry." Meiling apologized, giving her a bow for emphasis, with Flandre mimicking her once again.
"Psh, no sweat! Not the first time I've gotten in trouble, and it definitely won't be the last, that's all there is to it." Komachi said with a shrug in her usual relaxed demeanor. "In any rate as the boss said, I'll be takin you two to Bhavaagra, that there's the closest area in heaven to Gensokyo. Once your there feel free to take a look around, heavens a pretty nice place to see too...But not as amazing as Higan."
"Alright then, so then how do we get there? Do we ride a magic carpet or what?" Meiling asked skeptically.
"Nope, just put a hand on my shoulder and we'll be there in no time mate!" Komachi exclaimed as she tapped herself on her shoulder. Flandre and Meiling looked at one another skeptically before just shrugging and placing one hand each on her shoulders. "Hang on!" Komachi shouted as the world around them flew by in a huge blur, with Higan's white sky becoming a light blue sky littered with clouds, and the grassy field of flowers they stood upon becoming hard rocky stone under their feet.
Flandre gasped at the sudden scenery change and excitedly exclaimed, "K-Komachi! Your shoulders…they're magic!" with her mouth forming a perfect circle in her amazement.
"Uh no swabby, that would've happened no matter where ya touched me." Komachi explained.
"H-How did you do that!?" Meiling asked, being just as amazed as Flandre. This incited a laugh from Komachi.
"Let's just say distance manipulation is a handy ability to have." Komachi said with a wink. "Well I'd better get back to the boss…before she gets really mad. See ya later you two, hope I see ya soon, but hopefully not too soon if you catch my drift. Later." Komachi gave the two a wave a before taking a single step, disappearing in a blur.
"Bye Koko!" Flandre yelled, waving her hands vigorously in the air.
"So this is heaven, huh?" I've heard rumors you could reach it from Youkai Mountain, but I never thought they were true…until the yama and Komachi just confirmed those rumors." Meiling said, looking around the cloudy mountaintops of heaven.
"Gyaah! W-Watch it!" Someone cried in the distance, causing the two to jump in surprise.
"Just hold still, it would hurt less if you stopped moving so much." Another voice chastised.
Flandre and Meiling's attention went to a large temple like structure, with two people sitting in front of it under an area shaded under a small roof on the temple's porch steps. The two appeared to be bickering with one another.
"Wow! That house is as big as ours!" Flandre exclaimed, holding her hands out to make a size comparison between the temple and the Scarlet Devil Mansion.
"It sure is…Let's take a closer look while we're here." Meiling said, approaching the large temple, with Flandre following.
At a closer inspection, the temple had golden trimmings, and its large doors which were wide open at the moment, being made completely of gold. Sitting by each side of its entrance were two large stones, each with a rope tied around it with small white streamers attached to them.
The two who sat before this massive building was a long blue haired girl who wore a black hat that was strangely decorated with peaches. She wore a white button up blouse with short sleeves that had golden buttons, a red ribbon around her collar, and a long blue skirt that almost went down to her feet with a white apron over it that was decorated with a rainbow colored shard link. On her feet she wore brown laced boots. She appeared to have several minor wounds all over her body and had an irritated look on her face as she glared at her companion, not seeming to notice the two approaching her friend and herself.
Her friend had short purple hair with a black hat that had a red bow tied around it, with two long ribbons coming out from where the bow was tied. She wore a white shirt that was colored red at its edges, along with a shawl that was also white and red at the ends of it. She also wore a long plain black skirt that matched the color of her hat perfectly. She was wrapping bandages around her friend's arm, which had small scrapes on it.
"Really Tenshi, when will you learn? Fighting with the flower youkai is dangerous; you could've gotten yourself seriously injured, or maybe even worse." The purple haired woman said with concern as she finished mending the girl's arm.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever Iku!" Tenshi growled as she tested out her now bandaged arm by stretching it back and forth. "Besides I did a number on her too you know!"
"Look Tenshi, I know you enjoy a good fight, but please be more careful, alright?" Iku said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Hmmmmm? Why hello there!" Iku greeted, noticing the pair that were approaching them for the first time with Tenshi just glaring daggers at the two silently.
"Oh hello! Sorry, we didn't mean to interrupt." Meiling gave the two a friendly wave, Tenshi grumbled something under her breath in response, causing Iku to elbow her in the side for whatever she had muttered.
"Oh you're not interrupting anything, we were just having a little chat, and it was nothing too important." Iku says as she gave the two a friendly smile. "So you two must be new here, I didn't realize that heaven was accepting any new tenants currently though..."
"We're not here to stay actually, we were kinda forced to Higan while we were still alive, and so the yama had us dropped off here to find our way home you see." Meiling explained as Flandre took out her small umbrella, feeling weaker now that she was closer to the sun than usual.
"My I don't recall that ever happening before…At any rate, welcome to heaven! I'm Iku Nagae, it's a pleasure." Iku shook Meiling's hand happily, then crouched down to Flandre's size and did the same with her, as she did so Flandre eyed her shawl.
"Hong Meiling, likewise." Meiling replied with her usual cheer. "Flandre, stop gawking at her and introduce yourself." Meiling chastised in a motherly tone as she gently pushed her towards Iku.
"I-I'm Flandre." Flandre said simply, still staring at Iku's shawl with a look of puzzlement and interest. Iku noticed this and looked at her shawl as well.
"Oh I see now…You want this, don't you little one?" Iku asked as she took her shawl off from her shoulders and wrapped it around Flandre's. Causing Flandre to gasp in surprise of Iku's action and look at the shawl with a childlike wonderment. She began to giggle happily as she ran around wearing the shawl. Tenshi rolled her eyes at the vampire's childish antics and started grumbling to herself again. "Be careful little one, I need that to fly!" Iku said with a warm hearted laugh. "Ah to be young…"
"Thank you for that." Meiling said gratefully as she watched Flandre run around gleefully with Iku's shawl with a smile on her face.
"Oh it was nothing; I do love to see children happy. I envy their carefree lives at times…" Iku replied, also watching Flandre as she continued running around in circles, seeming to be in her own little world.
"Hmph, stupid kid…" Tenshi mumbled under her breath as she scowled at Flandre, earning her a smack in the head from Iku.
"Stop that Tenshi! Mind your manners!" Iku said irritably, giving her a nasty look.
"Feh, why should I? Those two're only here because of that slacker mess-up of a shinigami. They aren't celestials; they didn't achieve nirvana or anything special like that." Tenshi argued.
"None of that matters Tenshi, they are our guests! We treat our guests with hospitality! The way you're acting right now is the reason some people here call you a bad celestial!" Iku yelled, causing Flandre to stop her joyful prancing and return to Meiling's side and watched the argument unfold.
"Whatever! Hospitality shouldn't be wasted on these two! They don't live here or anything! They don't deserve my hospitality, much less my respect!" Tenshi hollered back, her words earning her an angry look from Meiling.
"Tenshi I'm warning you…"
"Hey everybody! Was happenin!?" A slurred voice called, interrupting the heated argument between Tenshi and Iku.
A short ginger haired girl drunkenly stumbled towards the group. Her head had horns protruding from it, one of which was tied with a purple ribbon, and her hair tied with a large red one. She wore a white blouse that looked like it had its sleeves torn off of it, with another red ribbon tied around her collar and cuffs with chains hanging from them around her wrists. She also wore a purple skirt and a metal belt that had chains hanging from it like her cuffs, and in her hands she gripped a small purple gourd.
"Oh, greetings Miss Suika." Iku said with a friendly smile, her expression being a stark contrast to the expression she used on Tenshi mere seconds ago.
"H-Hey, hey, hey Iku! Ya wan' some sake? It's really hic-good!" Suika greeted drunkenly as she shook her gourd in Iku's face, its contents sloshing around within it.
"No thank you Miss Suika, but thank you for the offer."
"Suit yerself, more for me that way! Bottoms up!" Suika shouted as she chugged down some of the gourd's contents with obvious joy, with drips of the liquid running down her mouth and dripping to the ground. "So who're you two…?" Suika asked as she squinted at Meiling and Flandre.
"Uh, I'm Hong Meiling, and this is Flandre…it's uh…a pleasure to meet you." Meiling shook Suika's hand hesitantly, as the small girl giggled as she shook her hand in her intoxicated state. "Suuuuuuuuuika Ibuuuuuuuuuuiki, greeeeeeaaaaaat to meet ya Mei-ling!"
"Hrmph, whatever I'm leaving." Tenshi announced grumpily as she stormed off.
"Oh Tenshi, wait!" Iku called, but to no avail as the celestial kept on marching, not taking even a glance back. "Oh Tenshi…" she sighed, putting a hand to her face in frustration.
"What's her deal?" Meiling asked as she scowled at the disappearing figure of Tenshi.
"Pssssst…I…I think she's hic-on her period!" Suika whispered loudly.
"Miss Suika, please refrain from making such inappropriate comments please…" Iku sighed in exasperation.
"Oh, oh, riiiiiiight…we don't want to corrupt the little one's hic-inn-o-cent mind…gotcha!" Suika said in a hushed voice, which was still rather loud and hearable as she pointed towards Flandre with a shaky finger.
"I suppose that's one way of putting it, yes…" Iku said as she put her face in her palm.
"Alrighty no inappropriate stuff gotcha!" Suika said as she gave Iku a thumb up along with a toothy grin on her face. "So greeny, wanna be ah drinkin buddy? My regular drinkin pal is in hell and everyone else here's a bunch of lightweight stiffs!" Suika asked, her words slurred in her intoxicated state.
"Um…No thank you, I appreciate the offer though."
"Ah darn! How 'bout you short-stack? You up for a drink? Hic!" Suika offered, shaking her gourd at Flandre, causing drops of her drink to splash on the ground.
Before Flandre could respond, Meiling shouted "No!"
Suika looked at her in bewilderment "Oh well, your loss!" Suika began to dump more alcohol into her mouth, but Iku snatched her gourd from her clutches. "H-Hey! Gimme that back hic-ku!" Suika yelled as she jumped up and down, trying to recover her most prized possession from the oarfish's clutches.
"I'm sorry Miss Suika, but I believe you've had enough for now. I'll return your gourd when you've sobered up and learn to drink responsibly." Iku said, holding the gourd high above her and out of the reach of the drunken oni. "Miss Meiling, Miss Flandre, I insist that you two stay over for the night, if it doesn't disrupt any of your plans that is."
"That would be very much so appreciated!" Meiling replied happily.
"Ah, splendid! Right this way then, I'll prepare rooms for the two of you at once!" Iku said as she gestured the two to the large entrance of temple that stood before the group.
"Wh-What!? B-But I wanna come and party too! Y-You're so mean Iku! You're the worst neighbor ever!" Suika shouted as she started a tantrum, stomping her feet in to the ground with great force.
"You may join us as well Miss Suika." Iku said calmly.
"Yes! You're the best neighbor ever Iku! I love ya man!" Suika cried as she gave Iku a bear hug, ending her childish tantrum. She then proceeded to run inside the temple, with her arms out stretched childishly.
"Flandre, you coming?" Meiling asked the pint sized vampire, who had remained silent for most of the conversation and had been staring at the direction Tenshi had stormed off in.
"Huh? Oh, coming China!" Flandre responded, now no longer in her trance and ran towards Meiling to join the rest of the group in the temple.
The temple was just as grand inside as it was outside, with expensive looking decorations and huge rooms that could fit fifty people inside them and still have plenty room to spare. The sun had set on the day and the night had come. Iku was preparing dinner for her guests, with Meiling assisting her in the kitchen. With Flandre and a now sober Suika lounging in a guest room conversing with one another, with Suika telling her of her acts of grandeur.
"So you're an oni?" Flandre asked, gawking at Suika's horns. "China says oni are really tough."
"Eyup! Oni's are the roughest, toughest folk around! Never tell a lie and can handle any kind of drink, no matter how strong! Oni's have livers of steel! In fact, I was one of the famous four divas of the mountain back in the day!" Suika said with obvious pride in her species.
"Wow that sounds amazing! I wish I could play with you sometime…" Flandre said in awe. "Do all divas get to live in heaven?"
"Nah…I don't live in heaven actually, this is more of a vacation home if anything. I won it off of Tenshi after I beat the snot out of her…I think. The details are a little foggy; I was kinda drunk when I won it…"
"Yes Miss Suika, Tenshi did reward you with land here in heaven after you defeated her in combat." Iku confirmed, as she entered the room. "Dinner is ready you two, it's in the dining hall. Hurry before it gets cold now."
"Sweet, can I have my gourd back now?" Suika asked all too readily as she held out her hand.
"Here you are Miss Suika, your gourd." Iku handed her the gourd, Suika grew a beaming grin on her face at the return of her precious treasure. "Just please try to restrain yourself and drink responsibly Miss Suika."
"We'll see." Suika replied simply as she began downing sake in mouthfuls once again. "Now time to grab some grub now!" Suika shouted gleefully as she made a dash for the dining hall.
"Wait for me Suika!" Flandre called as she chased after the oni.
"My, she's quite the…character." Iku said to herself as she followed after the two at a turtle's pace.
The dining hall was just as amazing as the rest of the temple was; in the center of the room was a long table with lavish looking plates, silverware and all sorts of delicious looking foods littering the table's surface. The room's lighting was provided by a large golden chandelier and several small candles sitting at the center of the table. Already sitting at the table was Meiling, with Suika jumping into the seat to the left of her, immediately gulping down more sake. Tenshi who had returned from wherever she had gone, sat at the end of the table by two empty plates, she still kept her scowl directed at Iku's guests. Everyone in the room surmised that Iku gave Tenshi a good talking to, to convince her to let her guests to stay in her home for the night.
Flandre began to take a seat between Suika and Tenshi, but as she pulled the seat out from the table, Tenshi put a hand on the seat. "This seat is taken."
Flandre's smile faltered and turned into a small frown. "Oh, okay…Sorry." She apologized; heading towards the seat that sat next to Meiling's right. Iku frowned in disapproval of Tenshi's actions, but Tenshi simply ignored the dirty looks she received from her mentor and caretaker as she took a large bite of chicken from her plate.
The other fourat the table made small talk with one another during dinner, with Tenshi remaining silent for most of the time unless it was to make a snarky comment about the group's conversation subject. Their attempts at conversation never lasted as the conversation kept dying down until someone started a new subject, with that being the case there was more than just a few awkward silences during the night. At one point no one had said anything for over five minutes, until Tenshi broke the silence finally. Surprisingly not being an insult to one of the others at the table.
"Iku."
"Yes Tenshi?" Iku asked, raising her attention from her plate and to Tenshi.
"Where are my mother and father?" Tenshi asks, "They should be here by now…"
"Iku gave her a saddened look, "I'm sorry Tenshi. They said they couldn't make it this evening…"
"I see…" Tenshi muttered. "I'm full, thanks for dinner Iku." Tenshi said abruptly, getting up from her seat and running out of the room.
"Oh Tenshi, wait!" Iku called after her pupil, standing up from her seat, but to no avail as the celestial wasn't in the building any longer. "Oh Tenshi…" she whispered sadly.
Flandre suddenly jumped up from her seat silently and also ran out of the room, without saying a word.
"Flandre! Where are you going?" Meiling yelled to Flandre, who had dashed out of the room quickly, leaving her question unanswered.
"Maaaaaaaannnnnnnn! They must have really needed to use the bathroom!" Suika yelled, once again drunk from the consumption of too much sake during dinner.
"Miss Suika, please. This isn't an appropriate time for those kinds of comments…" Iku scolded, with her hand resting on her forehead.
"If you don't mind me asking Miss Iku, what was all that about?" Meiling asked, genuinely curious.
Iku gave a sad sigh, "Tenshi…Has a few family issues…"
Author's Note: This took much longer than I thought it would...I mean I had finished chapter 5 faster than this, and that was over 8000 words long, this one was only half it's size...I guess it's safe to say we can blame laziness on that one. Well that and Pikmin 2. I recently bought it and have been playing the crap out of it. In fact I loved the game so much that I was listening to the soundtrack while writing this, if your a fan of real time strategy games, I highly recommend trying Pikmin.
Anyways on to the actual notes here...For Shikieiki I portrayed her a bit differently than most would, I made her a bit less harsh than usual...Well except on Komachi. I'm a little sad I couldn't provide her with as much screen time as I did with Mokou and Komachi, but that's how it turned out sadly. That's all I have to say really...I'll try and work on this more and get chapters posted quicker, especially since the next chapters will be fun for me to write. Next chapter we finally get into the double digits! Booyah! Hope you all look forward to it.
