Act 10: Feeling Fairly Foxy

A few days had passed after Mai's first encounter with a yoma for some time. Another usual day was going as normal as things can for Mai Suzuki. In fact, things were going much better than usual. Classes went smoother, and Mai seemed to be able to focus.

During one of the brief periods between her classes as teachers shifted around, Mai heard something from of her classmates chattering among one another.

"I heard there's now an art club that's going to start meeting today after school," One classmate whispered.

"Wow really?" their friend whispered back. "It took them awhile, but we now have another fine art at long last instead of another sport."

Mai quickly caught attention of this. An art club? Even though she was lacking in confidence with her art, it wouldn't hurt to try...Right? Either way, Mai still remained excited, doodling alongside her reminder to go to the club after school.

So things only had gotten better and better when classes had ended for the day. Finally the blonde was truly a free soul from being bogged down.

"I wonder what Mai's so excitable about…" Nyanmajo wondered, observing from a window. Of course she would be with her summoner, but being a cat in a bag really wasn't her style, that was for individuals with more...vigilant after school activities.

"I can do this, I've gained plenty of bravery…" Mai thought aloud with a smile on her face. For once she felt fairly confident, after all she did face the threat of the youma head on. "I'm ready for this art club, I'm going to show what I got and better myself…!"

Truly this was the happiest Mai had been in a long, long time. Best of all, the club was meeting today, so Mai could finally meet with other like minded individuals and focus her love on her love for drawing.

Mai opened the door to the room where the art club was meeting. She had a smile on her face, beaming with warmth and positivity.

However...when scanning the room...something didn't feel right...

But it wasn't the presence of a yoma, something far different. Something among the gathering of students made Mai a little nervous.

The blonde quickly scuttled to a nearby student, quietly piping up. "So...do you know who's the rather popular student in the art club here?"

The student, seeming to have the smile that Mai entered with answered Mai happily and politely. "Why, a fabulous new third year transfer student!"

"O-Oh really?" Mai asked, trying not to be too nervous but failing. "W-What's their name?"

"Her name is Junko Nakajima, and she's perfect for our art club!" The student answered for Mai. "It's no wonder, she's practically an arts prodigy, knowing at least three instruments, can sing, act, and even dance!"

Mai's heart stopped. Without a doubt, Mai found the girl with a small crowd around her. Mai could remember her by her pink bow…and sweet looks…

The blonde could feel goosebumps slowly forming, her heart having stopped and starting to sink like a rock. Her legs felt solid...but there was only one thing Mai could do.

"She's very talented, a fit leader, and super nice...then again I hear her dad's trying to run for mayor, so no wonder she has such wonderful carisma..." The student answered for Mai, oblivious to the blonde's nervous tension.

The thing Mai had to do right now was...

...Run.

Run far away...

And run she did, her legs never had run this fast before. She couldn't look back, not right now. All she cared about was not looking back, and making sure most importantly…

...She didn't see Mai…

"...Mai?" Nyanmajo questioned from afar. However, even though she was a feline, she couldn't quite keep up with Mai, or where she was going.

The intense running Mai had lead her to the western side of the main residential district of Sakura New Town, only one crosswalk away from Dandan Slope. This is where Mai finally decided to catch her breath after quite the run. Even though she wasn't on the track team like her brother, she did have to run to school a lot.

In the midsts of trying to catch her breath, someone approached Mai.

"Are...are you okay?" A familiar voice to Mai asked, the blonde turning around to see it was none other than her second year friend, Shinju Mori.

"No...I ran all the way out here…" Mai responded, still huffing. Shinju's response was to give her blonde friend some water, which she happily accepted.

"What happened, did a scary yoma show up suddenly?" Shinju asked Mai.

Mai paused after a few much needed sips of water, recomposing herself.

"No, but it was something just as frightening as one I'll say," Mai answered, still catching her breath. "It's someone I was really...really wanting to avoid for a long time…"

"Oh dear...Oh…" Shinju responded, patting Mai on the back. "A-At least tomorrow is Sunday yeah?"

With her friend's pat of reassurance, Mai felt ease, relieved even. It was a strange feeling, but Mai felt more calm.

"Y-Yeah, though strangely, talking to you made me feel better," Mai admitted, starting to stand up a bit. "Are you planning on doing anything today?"

"Just planning on saying hi to my folks and then maybe getting something to eat," Shinju responded with a shrug. That was odd, Mai seemed quite a bit tense. "You wanna tag along? Maybe to brighten your spirits a lil more?"

"Sure thing, I'm still a little uneasy but I'm mostly better," Mai responded, standing up and following Shinju in the general direction in where they were going.

Dandan Slope was a rather calm part of town, a bit of a stark contrast from the bustling city. But it wasn't as rustic as say, Keramoto, so it was a good balance. Following the second year student, the two found themselves in a garden of quiet and rather secluded vibes. The atmosphere was eerie, yet calming in a way.

After some walking, it became clear to Mai that the two were in a graveyard. Several graves were lined up, until Shinju stopped in front of one in particular.

A pause of silence passed as Shinju paid her respects, tending to the flowers and adding a few new ones.

"Itsuko and Hoshiko Mori...those are your parents, right?" Mai read off the stone, Shinju nodding.

"Yes, those are their names," Shinju responded, lowering her head a little. "I can't believe it's been nearly a year since, well...that car accident…"

"If you don't mind, do you mind telling me a little more?" Mai asked, rather curious.

"I don't mind, I'm not really the super broody type anyways," Shinju answered, keeping her tone kind of low but not entirely brooding. "Sadly I can't remember much, since I was in school that day when it happened...All I remember is hearing how a truck intercepted the two and it wasn't a pretty sight…"

"Ouch...I'm sorry…" Mai responded, keeping things low. "Did the driver ever get interrogated?"

"Yes, we found out their truck was set to be inspected the day after, but something was wrong with their brakes and they did turn themselves in despite being proven innocent…" Shinju explained. "But I'm mostly fine now, my parents are looking at me from the stars. Plus Natsuki's practically family so I'm not completely lost."

"That's good to hear, you're very strong and confident despite that tragic incident," Mai admired, before her eyes caught something by one of the graves.

"Odd...this grave doesn't have a name on it from the looks of it…" Mai observed. "At least, any kind of specific name…"

"Oh that grave, it's been a mystery for quite some time now, actually," Shinju answered, looking over the grave with Mai.

The gravestone wasn't blank, only carved with "unnamed pedestrian" in it. There seemed to be a few flowers, but not very many. Around the stone was a bit of a necklace charm, being a small silver disc.

"There was a fatal accident in Sakura New Town about six months before the accident my parents got in. It involved a construction company not properly tying up several steel poles and it violently crushed an unknown pedestrian on their lower torso and legs," Shinju explained to Mai. "Though spookiest of all? By the time the paramedics got there, his body was gone, only a vague outline of the less clean variety."

"That's actually pretty scary, just a corpse, disappearing suddenly," Mai added in with a shiver. Her goosebumps from back at school were getting back. Mai knew this story, it was why Kokoro didn't go down that road, she witnessed this tragic accident...

"All was left was that bit of presumably their necklace. Trust me, forensics went through it lots of times and haven't found anything if the news is to believed," Shinju concluded, seeming a bit too into the ghost story. "Sorry if I got carried away, I don't think you were here for that particular incident."

Mai shook her head. "No I wasn't, I only moved here six months ago because my father was assigned a pretty high management position at the new offices for Camco Banzai."

"You know, as weird as it is, I kind of want to solve that mystery once and for all," Shinju stated, nodding proudly. "I feel we're the only ones who can figure things out, maybe even Kokoro can figure out what crazy supernatural being might be behind it all!"

Mai happily nodded too. "Yeah, I think we can figure it out. Though I don't think we should get too loud…"

Shinju remembered quickly that they were in a graveyard, the long haired girl urging Mai out of the place of peace and somewhere decently far enough to not wake any spirits.

"Anyways, avoiding that embarrassing feat, I think we should talk to Kokoro," Shinju responded with it. "With her help, we could solve this mystery, maybe even rewrite history!"

"Let's do it!" Mai concluded, leading the way from the more rustic scenery to the residential district. With the Yukimuras being the wealthy sort, they were all the way in Soyokaze Hills, being east of the main residential district. It wouldn't be too much of a treacherous walk.

However, around the residential district was a dense, almost yellowish fog. The atmosphere was dark and grungy, as several sketchy illusions warped the scenery, like if someone was drawing on top of the pre existing buildings. Architecture of all kinds clashed, everything from regal european castles, to high end modern buildings, to things that simply didn't look real at all.

"W-What happened?" Mai wondered, looking around. "Nyanmajo! Sailornyan! Where are you!?"

Thankfully Mai found her witchy feline friend rather quickly, but she was rather...well…

"Oh Nyanshiki!" Nyanmajo began to say, being serenaded by a sketchy illusion. "The way you woo me with your sword against my magic, it's so entrancing!"

"Does she know that Nyanshiki is just an illusion?" Shinju wondered allowed.

"I could never imagine you being nothing more than just a dream!" Nyanmajo shouted, still under the illusion.

"...I don't think so…" Mai shook her head.

The duo kept walking through, only to see more and more townsfolk entranced by mere illusions of lovely things. To them, it looked stunning, almost real, but to Mai and Shinju, it looked like a quick sketchy illusion.

"I'm worried, my friendships with yokai prevent them from becoming yoma…" Mai began to think aloud, calling back to witnessing Nyanmajo earlier. "But Nyanmajo is my advisor, are my powers weakening?"

"Or the yoma just found a weird loophole," a familiar, slightly sassy voice said, revealing to belong to Mai's other advisor, Sailornyan. "Also, I'm your advisor too you know."

"I'm sorry about forgetting that, I'd never forget about you Sailornyan!" Mai apologized, patting the pink feline on the head before getting back onto subject. "Anyways, do you know what's going on with all...well...this?"

"As far as I know, some folks have gotten their minds entranced by these weird hallucinations thanks to all the fog here," Sailornyan explained. "I'm unaffected since I was hanging out near Soyokaze Hills to check up on Kokoro and when I came back, this...happened."

"Hmmm, either way, we're going to have to find out where all this fog is coming from," Mai concluded. "We can't let it spread!"

"Given this delusionary fog that mists one's perception of reality...perhaps the source might be in…" Shinju thought aloud, focusing her gaze to an electronics shop, the store window displaying many differing models of televisions.

"Or maybe it's right above us!" Sailornyan pointed out, as there was something on the roof of the electronics shop.

What was standing was an odd rock with a vague fox shape to it. Leaking from the few cracks in it was the strange yellow fog, causing the illusion of the area in the first place.

By fate, the rock seemed to have caught the attention of the trio of girls.

"Hmm, it appears you two have avoided falling into your own dreams…" The fox rock monologued aloud. "Truly a shame, as I'm the yoma who masters thought and illusion, Yoma Sessho Seki!"

"So you're the one behind all this!" Shinju concluded quite loudly.

"I'm surprised you didn't catch on sooner…" Yoma Sessho Seki remarked. "Hopefully the longer you stand in my sea of delusion and depict, the possibility you might finally succumb to it…"

"I won't let that happen…!" Mai boldly stated, getting out one of her Yokai Jewels and the Mirror of Light for what she did best.

"My friend true of heart, I summon you! Heart to heart…" Mai began, inserting the violet yokai jewel into the mirror. "Bukimi Noroino Hanako!"

With a flash of violet light and a few poses, the aforementioned yokai was summoned and Mai gained a few new threads. This time, she looked like a rather roughened, but stylish school girl, patched together from different types of uniforms. She had an eyepatch over one eye for extra grunge style points and was carrying a pencil.

"For humans and yokai, love and justice too! The ever changing Pure Heart Maiden is my name!" Mai proclaimed with her curse loving yokai friend. "I will protect both from the threat of yoma, starting with you!"

"Now, why don't you come on down so we can curse you properly, fuhuhu," Noroino Hanako asked, Yoma Sessho Seki simply standing still, not moving much.

"Hold it...you're trying to interfere with the yoma now aren't you?" Another voice said, seeming to hide behind Yoma Sessho Seki. The shadow quickly jumped down to make themselves far more acquainted with Mai and company.

Appearing in front of them was a young woman, quite tall, but was clearly an oni with sharp claws on her hands and feet, at least two pairs of horns, an intimidating expression, and quite visible lower fangs. Her robes were tattered looking, a strange black marking was on her left hand.

"W-Who are you?" Mai asked curiously. "I'm pretty sure you heard my introduction, right?"

"Of course I did, you fool," The oni woman scoffed with. "As for me, I'm the one and only Yoma Kijo, enforcer of the one truth…"

"What's this 'one truth' you speak of exactly?" Noroino Hanako inquired Kijo.

The strange black mark on Kijo's hand began to expand and manifest into a sword she proudly gripped into her hand.

"...That being the likes of a pretty hero like you is suffering…" Kijo explained, holding her sword more aggressively. "...and only suffering for darkness will keep spreading no matter what! Especially on my watch!"

Kijo lunged forward at Mai and Noroino Hanako. Seeing how this fight was going to get really nasty, Sailornyan and Shinju took cover a good distance away.

Mai was pretty fast, throwing her pencil at the rage filled yoma. Good news for Mai is that whenever she threw a pencil, a new one would manifest in her hand in it's place.

The oni woman tried to destroy each pencil, which was successful, but at the cost of slowly reducing her blade bit by bit until it eventually disintegrated. But Kijo wasn't out of party tricks, as with an angry clench of her fist, a spear was now in her hands.

"I can't exactly keep fighting you forever!" Mai yelped, trying to keep her A-game despite the fearsome foe.

"And I'll be the one to claim victory over the likes of you!" Kijo yelled, lunging at the blonde with her spear. "Now just be skewered already you...you-"

Right before Kijo could do the final lunge, she was engulfed by an odd purple smoke, causing her to fall to her knees. "Grrahh! I feel my spirits...they've gone down…"

Fearing that it was yet another yoma after her, Mai was relieved to figure out who slowed Kijo down.

"Now, don't try to mess with my friend, huhuhu," Noroino Hanako taunted. "I'm a cursing expert, and I'm glad to see it works on nasty yoma like you."

"Why you...ghh…" Kijo cursed, wanting to dismantle the highschooler yokai before her with her bare hands.

Nonoino Hanako turned away from the angry oni and to Mai. "Now we gotta stay focused, for two negatives can make a positive."

Mai thought for a moment before realizing what the eerie student yokai meant.

"Oh right! Yokai are cursed to be yoma!" Mai concluded, focusing her looks back onto Yoma Sessho Seki.

"W-Why are you looking at me like that?" Yoma Sessho Seki questioned, noticing he was being glared at by the likes of Mai and Noroino Hanako.

The two girls soon found a back ladder that lead to the roof of the building. Yoma Sessho Seki sighed in relief, thinking he's free. "I...I think they're gone now, right?"

Mai and Noroino Hanako held their hands, the violet jewel around Mai's school tie beginning to glow. With an eerie yet calming light, the two began to pose.

"Cursed Blessing! Dead Honest Love Letter!" Both of the duo shouted, Noroino Hanako talking to one side with her journal, Mai to the other with her pencil. With accurate aiming, Mai aimed her pencil at the yokai's journal, causing a flurry of words to quite literally explode from the journal.

"W-What!? Why is this happening! This defeat was too sound, too fast! Aaaarghh!" Yoma Sessho Seki yelled in pain from the attack.

Once Yoma Sessho Seki was defeated, the fog disappeared. But the grungy atmosphere remained as Kijo was still there.

And not only was she still there, but she regained her strength and had her eyes elsewhere.

"Even though the Yoma I had to keep eyes on was defeated...I'll get rid of you two!" Kijo growled. "Anything to get that overly perky brat to feel actual suffering!"

Still holding her spear, it looked like Kijo was about ready to skewer both Sailornyan and Shinju.

"Oh no! I'm not letting you get away with this!" Mai yelled, trying her best to run in after the yoma.

"Wait-" Noroino Hanako yelled, but Mai quickly jumped off the roof of the building to try and help her friends. She might've used most of her energy when facing against Yoma Sessho Seki, but she wasn't going to stop! She quickly jumped in front of her two friends.

"Even better! I'll get you and your fri-" Kijo yelled, but something cut her off.

Though before even Kijo could strike, she was interrupted once again. But this time, it was a burst of flames that stopped the oni dead in her tracks.

"W-What's going on?" Sailornyan whispered.

"I-I don't know," Shinju answered back quietly.

"You, you're the one who interrupts the peace in this town aren't you?" Another voice asked the likes of Kijo.

"W-Who are you?!" Kijo stammered, but trying not to lose her confidence.

Appearing in front of the trio of girls was a yellow nine tailed fox with purple accents, floating above the ground. He was quite tall, and didn't look too happy about the yoma either.

"I'm the guardian fox of this town, Fushigi Kyubi!" The fox, Kyubi, made his introduction loud and clear. "So long as my fires of justice burn, your evils will not succeed!"

"That...that introduction was so terrible...flowing with so...so much passion for justice…" Kijo grumbled, looking away from the group. "But don't think I'll forget this time! I will be back and you will feel my pain!"

And with that, Kijo disappeared and so did the grungy atmosphere of the main residential district. Kyubi looked over at Mai, who had returned to her civilian state.

"While a bit impulsive, you did care deeply about your friends here, I like that," Kyubi answered with a confirming nod. "What is your name?"

"I'm Mai Suzuki, I'm just a pretty normal first year high schooler...well aside from the whole magical girl thing you just saw…" Mai answered, Kyubi's ears perking up.

"Ohoho, not only do you wield the ever fabled Mirror of Light, but you lead the ever exciting double life!" Kyubi responded joyfully. "Truly I've waited over 40 years in this town for someone this worthy…"

"W-Wait!? So you've been living here for over 40 years?!" Sailornyan yelped. "I thought humans and yokai never interacted much face to face until Mai showed up…And especially after Great Queen Yami sealed off all the Great Yokai Gate..."

Kyubi brushed his tails a little. "Well, when I was a young fox of three tails, I accidentally fell through a strange gate that lead me to this town. Things have changed a bit, but I remember these masked heroes of all sorts of ages and types being quite popular on television and books…"

The fox yokai posed a little during his story. "I was so entranced by such acts of heroism, I had to be like them somehow. So I did, while nobody could see me, I was doing what I could to protect the city from harm. Like an invisible guard dog...err fox of justice!"

"So you ended up here by accident and instead of coming back, you just...stayed?" Shinju concluded, quite interested. Kyubi nodded.

"Pretty much, anyways, Mai, mind if I give you this?" Kyubi responded, handing Mai a yellow Yokai Jewel.

"I don't mind, and in exchange, could you maybe sign this?" Mai answered, accepting the Jewel and presenting Kyubi with a pen and get Great Yokai Dictionary. With a quick signature, Kyubi was now officially under Mai's protection.

"You should probably head home, you're probably quite the tired one, are you not?" Kyubi asked Mai, as Mai slowly nodded.

"Now that you mention it...I feel beat...utterly exhausted…" Mai responded, rubbing her eyes a little. "I think I might've twisted my ankle a little too…"

"Yeah you might want to go back and rest up Mai," Shinju responded, reassuring Mai somewhat. "Don't worry about the whole mystery we're trying to solve, there's always tomorrow."

Mai and Sailornyan headed back, hopefully Nyanmajo to follow suit on their walk home. Shinju and Kyubi went their ways as well, but today had been long and crazy, it would be best to relax…

Once home, Mai went straight for her room and rested on her bed. She felt her energy had been well spent for the day, though something caught her eye…

"Oh yeah...There's that journal Hanako gave me…" Mai remarked, finding the journal rather easily from the bookbag.

Her bukimi yokai friend might've said it was cryptic, but it was probably worth a crack into. Even if Mai couldn't understand it, she would at least try.

First thing she noticed was how unbelievably neat and elegant the handwriting was. Whoever owned this journal, they must've had outstanding penmanship.

A name of the author or who the journal was owned by couldn't be found anywhere, so best Mai could do was read the actual contents.

I was one to witness the first sunrise

Tired, yet peaceful, a feeling of exhaust, yet excitement

Truly it was a blessing to my eyes

And that's what I truly meant

Warm days were good days for all

Not too searing, not too cold

Seeing the rising sun was my call

I felt young even as I keep growing old

Clouds eventually did come

To weaken the rays of the sun's shining

Sadness I try not to succumb

As I knew the light was strong and trying

Alas, the clouds became a harsh rain

Emptiness was all I could feel

Watching hills and valleys become flat plains

As I knew my darkest fears had all become real

That was where the journal stopped for Mai, no more poems for Mai to read off of could be seen. While she was confused, she was probably just tired from faring against not one but two yoma in the same day. Maybe it would all make sense to her once she got a good rest.