Chapter 10: Undefined Fantastic Journey!
At the Yakumo house, Orin and Ran have just left the building, leaving Satori and Yukari still in the area as Yukari has information to give Satori.
"Thank you for that," says Satori, who appreciates the fact that Yukari wanted Ran out of the area, "what we are going to say is not meant for her ears. Especially since I know that she is not the imposter."
However it seems like the reason why Yukari wanted Ran out of the way is because she herself, does not want Ran to listen to their conversation. But it works in Satori's favour.
"Oh?" Questions Yukari as she begins to smirk. She continues, "despite my knowing, what gave it away for you?"
"The imposter did not do a good job at impersonating her. One of Ran's tails was cut off during her battle and that imposter failed to realise that she was missing a tail," says Satori, saying that she identified the imposter and explaining to Yukari how exactly she knew.
This is when Yukari begins to assume something as what Satori just said got her thinking. "I see. So you were there," she says, "no wonder you knew where we lived." She then opens her fan and puts it in front of her face. "You followed us here," she remarks.
Satori puts both of her hands over her eyes, acting like she just got embarrassed when in fact she did not. It was more along the lines of "I cannot believe what you just said". She tries to convince Yukari that, that was not her intention at all and says, "oh, please. Stop that, now." She takes her hands away and carries on, "I would never do that."
"Oh, I've heard all about you. You are someone that likes to have pets," she hints, which is obvious to know why she would know at least a little bit about Satori. "And what was your business here?" She asks her as she carries on, thinking she might know her reason for being here, "it is quite, quite simple, really. You were after either Ran or Chen."
Satori's mouth begins to twitch. "What are you implying?" She asks her as she then coughs, "I already have enough pets as it is. Why would I need anymore? I am not an animal rescue service."
Yukari seems to have picked up on something as she feels like she might have pushed a button. "Oh, dear," she says as she closes her fan and then smirks before continuing, hinting something, "it seems the embarrassment has caused you to tell lies."
Satori begins to blush as she begins to stutter for a bit, "B-b-b-but! Could you please shut up with that!?"
Yukari begins to laugh at this. It seems like she did indeed hit something. And so she says to Satori, "oh, dear! Anymore of this truth and that darling kasha of yours will have another corpse. Namely yours," implying to her that the truth kills.
"That will not the be the only corpse that she will be taking with her," thinks Satori, not liking the fact that Yukari is making light of her.
"You asked me something before. About this shapeshifter," says Yukari in a more serious manner.
"Yes, I did," replies Satori, "Ran's imposter was just a shapeshifter. You said that Mamizou was one. But was it really her?"
"No, it was not," says Yukari, confirming that is was never Mamizou. Yukari mentioned Mamizou but never referred to the imposter as her.
Satori is seen getting confused at this. Who could it be? Wanting to know the answer, she asks her, "then who was it? I do not know of any shapeshifters."
"It was a youkai called Nue Houjuu," answers Yukari.
Satori then questions Yukari yet again, "Nue Houjuu?"
Yukari then begins to explain that there are two shapeshifters: Nue and Mamizou, "yes. Both her and Mamizou are shapeshifters and I have a hunch that Nue was the reason why Mamizou was able to get through my barrier," she assumes since apparently she was notified of a certain passing of her barrier, which was when Mamizou entered Gensokyo. She continues, "this shapeshifter that you speak of was in fact Nue Houjuu."
Satori begins to think about this as she also remembers what happened in the past and so she says, "Nue Houjuu… But Orin said she killed her. But when we went to the area in which she killed her, we could not find a trace of her. The worst case scenario was that she found her way to this place again."
"Hmm… You must have been relieved to realise that she wasn't," says Yukari respectively.
Meanwhile, outside of the Yakumo house.
Chen begins looking at the wheelbarrow that Orin brought with her. " I didn't know you had a wheelbarrow, Orin," she says as she then begins to ask her, "Can I ride it?" She begins to jump in excitement, "can I, can I?"
Orin begins to smirk as she gives off a sinister look and says, "sure. Knock yourself dead."
Ran gives Orin a weird look, unsure as to what her intentions are. "You better not be playing some sick game, there, kasha," she says, hoping that she is not playing some twisted game since she did not like where this was going.
"Call me "Orin"," says Orin, wanting her to call her by her name and nothing else.
Chen gets into the wheelbarrow after Orin's say so. "It's a nice fit," she says, beginning to smile as she begins to wonder, "but why do you take this around with you?"
Ran begins to sweat due to this question. "Please don't answer that," thinks a hopeful Ran.
"I think you're too young to know that," assumes Chen, trying to act considerate so she has an excuse not to explain herself.
"Thank Suwako for that…," thinks a relieved Ran.
Chen then asks her followed by an assumption, "but why? I bet it's to do with what you do in your spare time."
"I'm a kasha. I collect corpses," answers Orin.
Ran begins to get annoyed as Orin says the one thing that she was dreading and thinks, "you will be a dead cat in a minute, you fool!"
Chen begins to get nervous, the fur on her tails straightening. "you co-collect corpses? So this isn't just a tool for... What was it? Gardening?" She asks her, in a rather nervous manner.
Not caring about the consequences of her own actions, not thinking about becoming hesitant she goes to answer another of Chen's questions, "no. Not really, Chen. I use it to take corpses and send them down to the Hell of Blazing Fires. It really is a lovely hobby of mine."
Ran becomes alerted by this.""Lovely hobby"? You say some of the most disgusting things," the displeased Ran thinks.
"But I'm not dead yet!" Protests Chen, thinking that Orin came to take her away. She decides to look cute to try and stop Orin and says, "please don't take me away."
"Hmm…," says Orin, thinking as she then puts on a mischievous look towards Chen. "Then why don't you take a look at this lovely Wanyūdō of mine?" She asks Chen, "it's a type of wheel."
Chen, after becoming nervous from Orin's earlier statement, becomes curious and begins to feel a little bit calmer, forgetting that earlier comment and asks Orin, "Wanyūdō? A type of wheel? What type of wheel?"
"It's a wheel that sucks the soul of anyone who sees it," explains Orin. She continues, "so, Chen…," she says as she then begins to look scary as she then continues, "... do you want to see it?"
Chen, upon hearing this, quickly gets out of the cart, scared. "AHH! No, No, No! I don't want to die!" She yells.
Ran becomes both angry and annoyed by this little stunt of Orin's. "Are you trying to scare my Shikigami half to death, you damn cat!?" She says.
Back in the Yakumo house.
Satori finishes off the tea that Yukari had given her. "Thank you for the tea," thanks Satori as she then began hearing something from outside the building, saying, "and I heard a fuss outside. Is everything alright?"
"Oh, it must be one of those typical days that occurs here," replies Yukari, hinting that this type of episode often happens at the house and she continues with, "it must have gotten a bit more lively with that kasha of yours." A kasha making it more lively? Would that be a good thing or a bad thing?
Satori begins to get back on topic, the topic of "Nue," the person who was to beRan from earlier, "hmm… Anyway, Yukari, this "Nue"... Do you have any idea as to where she would be now?"
Yukari makes a fist and putting it against her chin as support as she begins, putting her elbow on the table as so to rest her face as she then begins to answer Satori's question, "hmm… If memory serves, she used to live at Myouren Temple."
Satori looks a little bit surprised at this surprised for some reason as she then says, "you have got to be joking. What would she be doing there?" Her reason for asking is a bit strange, especially considering she did not know who Nue was.
"Well, it's not like I am her keeper as such," remarks Yukari.
Yukari's response causes Satori to become quiet for a moment, wanting a better comment from Yukari as the not only did the comment not answer her comment with the a response that she wanted, but it seemed a bit rude in general.
Yukari then says more to Satori, "she must have had her reasons for living there. Anyhow, Myouren Temple is probably your best bet if you want to find her," she says. So it seems like even Yukari is not 100% sure as to where she is, despite her supposed remembrance.
Satori slowly begins to understand where Yukari is coming from as she is finally getting somewhere with her, "I see now. So you say that if we go to Myouren Temple, we will find our answers?" She asks.
Yukari begins to wink at Satori as she then puts a smile on her face before replying back, "but I never said it was definite. It is only your best bet."
"Why not send Ran over there?" Questions Ran, which is odd coming from her since she was the one who opted Orin to follow Nue to begin with.
"Oh, "why" indeed," says Yukari, taking note of Yukari's comment as she explains why she does not want Ran to do it, "I just do not want to bother with her. She has enough on her plate." She then hears something come from outside. "Oh, dear," she says, "what are they doing this time?"
Outside the house.
Orin is in pain of a sudden. "Ow! Get off of me, you canine!" She says.
Ran is seen grabbing hold of Orin by an ear as something had happened. She talks to Orin in such exasperation, "this is what you get for tormenting Chen! What, you think that just because you're here you can do whatever you please? Think again!"
Orin comes up with such a cute response, "I'm a pretty girl just for nothing, you know. I have my own characteristics."
Satori, overhearing the commotion from within the building, then begins to poke her head out of the window. "Could you all please…," she says as she then begins to shout, "... SHUT UP!?"
This causes both Ran and Orin to become lost for words. Ran then begins to Sweat as she then thinks to herself, "what is with that bossy thing?"
Satori smiles. "Good," she says as she sees that they are beginning to understand her intentions. She then gives Ran permission over something as she says to her, "now, if the worst comes to the worst yet again, do me a favour and kill Orin for me, Ran."
Ran begins to smirk as she kindly agrees, "with pleasure!"
Orin becomes ambivalent in both anger and panic as this swift decision. "S-Satori. SATORI! I will make sure you pay for this!" She yells, making sure Satori can hear her/
Back inside the house, Satori announces that it is about time she makes her leave. "I think it is time both Rin and I were on our way," she says.
"Rin?" Says a slightly confused Yukari as she then makes a quick realisation, "oh, that's the name of the kasha."
"Well… She prefers it if people called her "Orin"," explains Satori.
Yukari responds with, "I see," and then begins to drink her sake.
"I think it is about time Orin and I leave," Satori says, repeating herself as she then begins to bow to Yukari, "it was a pleasure spending time with you."
Yukari waves her hand as a way of bidding farewell. "No worries. You only came for a little bit of information. Talk about abuse…," she comments.
Satori laughs for a bit because of this and then turns towards the doorway and goes outside. She begins to try and get Orin's attention and says, "Orin, we are leaving."
"What? Already?" Questions Orin.
"Yes! And now rather than later," she imposes, "and bring your cart with you."
Orin just shrugs, since she takes her cart wherever she goes anyway. "I would have done that anyway. But I really wanted to stay a little longer," she says, wanting to go against Satori's idea of leaving.
"Orin, do not try my patience," warns Satori.
"Aww," says a fairly unamused Orin, who then sighs, "Oh well. I suppose this is bye, then, Chen. And bye, fox lady. "
Ran gets a bit irritated at Orin's lack for addressing her properly. ""Bye, fox lady." You know that my name is Ran!" She says.
Orin closes and eye and sticking her tongue out. "Oh? Must have been the slip of the tongue," she says as she must have just been playing with her… or just a genuine accident.
A Kitsunebi appears from Ran's hand as she gives her a fair warning, "you will catch fire by the slip of my hand if you are not careful, my lady!"
Satori is starting to lose her patience. "Will you please come with me now, Orin?" She asks her.
Satol=ri hears this and decides to do as she is told. "Coming! Bye!" She says.
Chen then says her farewells to Orin, "bye, scary cat lady!"
Orin's mouth begins to twitch due to this remark as she thinks to herself, "what goes around, comes around, I suppose."
Orin and Satori both leave.
The Kitsunebi that Ran had lit up then get extinguished. She then says out loud, "Right, I think I will enter the house. Come on, Chen," getting Chen's attention.
Chen closes her eyes and smiling and just says, "OK!"
Meanwhile, at the Palace of the Earth Spirits.
Utsuho is seen walking around the Palace, wanting to find out if anyone is in the Palace. " Hello? Is anyone here?" She asks, going from room to room. She walks into a room and and repeats herself, "Hello? Satori? Hmm, no one's here," she assumes.
She then leaves the room and then enters Orin's room. "Here, kitty, kitty, kitty!" She says, trying to provoke a response. Utsuho then begins to become saddened since she has not had any answers whatsoever, thus saying, "no one's here. They left me behind. Well, everyone except… Koishi. Why did Satori leave me with her? Or maybe it was because it's just my job to stay here and regulate the heat of that God forsaken place."
She begins to walk back into the underground and then stops and looks at a door, which was supposedly where Koishi is. "This is where Koishi is. Satori told me never to walk into here. In fact, we all aren't allowed in here," says Utsuho, who wonders about Koishi, "oh, Koishi… What happened to you?"
She begins to open the door and then gets a shock. "Eek!" She says as she reacts to it as her hand then begins to quiver. "What was that? I just got an electric shock from the door handle!" Says the surprised Utsuho. "Satori must have done something to the door," she says, believing Satori to be the reason for it, "figures she might have. She must really not want anyone to go into this room." She then begins to go underground and thinks to herself, "where did Koishi's sanity go? It all happened so suddenly."
Utsuho's memory
"Koishi, what are you doing?" Questions Satori, who is wanting to know what her own sister is trying to do.
Koishi responds to her, "ridding myself of this life!" She then fires a bullet at Satori and continues, "and you!"
"Koishi, stop! You're not yourself," says Utsuho, not wanting Koishi to carry one her misdemeanour.
Koishi then brings her attention to Utsuho and says to her, "who're you to tell who I am, you stupid bird!? Put yourself in my shoes… WILL YOU KNOW ME THEN!?"
"Koishi, I live with you. Of course…," she says, basically explaining that her living with Koishi means that she at least has some understanding about her.
But Koishi interrupts Utsuho before she could finish, noticing something that, to her, was said wrong. "No, you don't! You live underground, in the Hell of Blazing Fires. My life has been problematic to me and all because of my powers! And you know what? Now's the time I correct that," she explains.
Satori then shouts at Koishi, trying to prompt her to stop, "sister, stop it right now!"
Koishi puts her hands over her third eye and begins to procedure as she ignores Satori's wishes. "Bye, bye, painful memories" she says as she begins to close her eye.
"Sister, stop it now! Utsuho, go and stop her," says Satori
"But it's too late, sis. Far too…," says Koishi as her eye closes and she carries on, shouting, "... LLLAATTTEEEE!" She begins to put her hands and her head and screams due to the side effect that closing her eye had caused, "AAAHHHHHHH!"
Satori opens her eyes wide as she is too late to stop Koishi. "Oh, no. Koishi, just what have you done? Utsuho, do something!" She commands, wanting her to do something about Koishi.
Utsuho begins to go to Koishi and grab her but then tries to think about what to do.
Koishi stops screaming and begins to pant, her agony coming to a halt.
"Koishi? Are you still with us? Speak to me," responds a concerned Satori.
Koishi begins to laugh. "Get away from me, dumb bird!" She says to Utsuho.
"Huh?" Utsuho questions as she suddenly gets blasted in the face by Koishi's bullet and then falls to the floor.
Satori then shouts, "Utsuho, no!"
Koishi looksat Utsuho as she makes a comment about her, "that takes care of one nuisance." She then begins to look at Satori. "Now, time to feast, sister!" She says as she begins to charge at Satori.
Satori dodges Koishi and grabs her. "Koishi, stop it right now! You really are not yourself, are you?" She says, thinking that Koishi has changed somehow.
It was then that Koishi made a terrifying response, "why should you care? I won't rest until every living despicable pest dies right in front of my eyes! And you are one of them!"
Satori forces Koishi to the floor with her hand. "Now, look here, you! I will not tolerate anymore of this. You want to kill me? What for, exactly?" She asks, wanting to know why her sister would possibly want to kill her.
Koishi begins to laugh impishly as her words become delayed, "eve… ry… thing." She quickly gets up off the floor and begins to kick Satori repeatedly and Satori manages to dodge all of them. "You are one that did not acknowledge me. You are one that did not help me when everyone was afraid of me. You are one who is my sister and COULD NOT EVEN DEFEND ME!" She says, explaining to Satori did nothing for her sister, not even defend her. What was Koishi to her? She then fires a bullet in Satori's face, which hits her and forces her flying to the door. "You are one that shares my blood. Why couldn't you even try to do anything? " She questions.
Satori begins to get up as she begins to explain the reasons for not acting, "I did not know at first, Koishi. But when I found out what you were going through, I tried my damnedest to…"
Koishi interrupts and shouts, attempting to see through Satori, "LIAR! All you care about is your damn pets like Orin and Utsuho. Why are they much more important than me? Why!? They are bare necessities to you and what am I to you? NOTHING! I am at the bottom of the barrel!" She the breathes out suddenly and continues, "but now, I think it's time to end it. Get ready, "sister". She then begins to charge towards Satori.
End of memory
"And due to all of that, Satori had her detained. That was all I could remember until I lost consciousness. I wish I knew what had gotten into her. She used to be so cheerful and full of life. But it all changed on that day," says Utsuho after remembering the dreadful past involving Koishi, the one person that felt hated and thought that Satori never saw her as a sister.
Utsuho then thinks to herself, "but she is safe now and Satori wants to keep it that way. She thinks she is too dangerous to be about. Maybe her mentality will be restored again… someday." She then begins to go deeper underground, towards the Hell of Blazing Fires.
Meanwhile, Orin and Satori enter the palace.
"Well, isn't it nice to be here again?" Says Orin, seemingly relieved to be back at the Palace.
Satori looks at Orin in a weird way. "No thanks to your piggybacking. What was it this time? Stiff legs?" She asks her, wanting to know what the excuse was this time.
Orin rolls her eyes. "No. More like "a hurting leg"," she says, hinting that her leg still has not recovered properly since her battle. Well, she was moving about a lot, so no surprise there.
Satori facepalms. "Are you serious…?" She asks, taking her hand away, "look, if you want I can give you something for your leg. You can use it for when you make your way to Myouren Temple."
Orin sigh, Sighing at the fact that she still has to go there in order to fulfil that errand of Satori's. "Do I still have to go there?" She asks her.
Satori then begins to question Orin since her not wanting to go to Myouren came as a bit of a shock, "what was that? You do not want to bring another corpse with you? Did all of your excitement die at some point?"
Orin begins to touch her digit fingers repeatedly as something seems to bother her, "don't get me wrong, I want to, but…"
"Oh, that is right. I forgot that you were stopped from going to that place. You were rejected by someone," says Satori ever so lightly after realising Orin's reason for not wanting to go there and realising her own concerns.
"Oh, rub it in, why don't you?" She says after being reminded about the past by Satori.
Utsuho goes into the room with both Orin and Satori in it after she was going back underground. "Huh? Orin is off somewhere?" She asks.
"Why, yes, Utsuho," answers Satori, "Orin is going to Myouren Temple all on her lonesome. Now, be a dear and bring us both a nice, juicy corpse. "
Orin sighs again. "Well, if I must…," she says as she begins to leave with her cart as she asks Satori, "but why can't Okuu come with me?"
Satori covers an eye with her hand as she responds to her,"never you mind the details. I just want you to be on your way," wanting Orin to just leave as quickly as possible.
"Fine. But when I get back, I will make sure you pay for what you did before," she says, remembering that foul comment that Satori made earlier. Or maybe it was the time when Satori was treating her like a playful object and was slamming her face to the ground. She gives off a mischievous smile as she then says, "yes, a nice and painful experience."
Orin leaves.
"Somehow I think that she will forget all about that by that time," Satori says, believing that she has nothing to worry about.
"But can't I just go with her? It would be a lot quicker," says Utsuho, who apparently wanted to go with Orin. And with her being a hell raven, that is a good enough reason for her comment.
"Not when she is dragging that cart of hers, you cannot," Satori explains, "and besides, I have someone else in mind."
Utsuho becomes curious at Satori's question. "Who?" She asks. Who could Satori possibly mean?
End of chapter
Next chapter: Crystallised Silver of Good Cheer