Kyouko sighed in relief as a she looked at her handiwork. Myouren Temple's path would no longer be marred with leaves thanks to her diligence. The yamabiko grinned in satisfaction with her job being complete. Now she could finally turn in for the day and join the rest of her fellow monks within the temple for a nice meal.
Kyouko trotted her way into the temple, humming a happy melody to herself as she spun her broom around aimlessly. She decided to check the temple's donation box before heading in, after all it wasn't as if the box were out of the way, in fact it was right by the entrance, she was sure whoever's duty it was to take the donations out at the end of the day would appreciate it. When she cracked the box's lid, she was disappointed with what she saw. The box was nearly empty, it was usually filled to the brim with money by the end of the day from generous temple-goers, yet tonight there weren't even enough coins to conceal the bottom of the box. Not to mention someone seemed to have stuffed a few leaves and acorns in the donations box for some reason.
With a huff, the yamabiko quickly cleaned out the box, ridding it of the acorns and leaves that had previously covered its interior. She couldn't believe the nerve of people, it was fine that they hadn't donated anything, but must they really fill their donation box with garbage? Kyouko was beginning to think someone had swapped the Hakurei Shrine's donation box with theirs for some laughs, such misfortune hadn't befallen their temple's donation box until now…
With the box now being in pristine condition, Kyouko internally congratulated herself for yet another good deed. Sister Byakuren would surely be proud of her if she were here...With that task completed; she began to head back into the temple.
"Staying busy as ever I see, Miss Kasodani." The yamabiko turned to face the originator of the voice, and was pleasantly surprised to see who it was.
"Oh! Good evening Miss Mamizou!" Kyouko chirped, "I was actually just about to head in for the night…What brings you out here so late?"
Mamizou adjusted her glasses before replying, "Nothing particular really, I simply wanted to go out for a bit to see what sort of things the humans have been up to as of late. Besides, one can only roost in one spot for so long before it becomes a bore."
"I see, well don't stay out too late, Gensokyo can be a scary place at night…" Kyouko warned, taking a few tentative looks at her surroundings as she did so as if to emphasize her point.
"Aye, I'll be sure to turn in before long, but I'm sure I can handle whatever Gensokyo has to offer. I may not look it, but I've had my own share of scrapes back in the day!" Mamizou said with a grin stretched across her face. "Oh, but before I depart, you wouldn't have happened to see Nue about lately have you? I haven't caught sight of her in quite a while now…Can't help but worry what sort of trouble she's stirring up unsupervised."
Kyouko rested a finger on her chin in thought as she pondered the question. She then shook her head, "Sorry, I can't say I've seen her recently…She might be in the cemetery, that's where she usually is…"
"Ah, well thank you all the same Kyouko, I appreciate your time…oh, and speaking of cemeteries, its former resident has been asking for you. It sounds like she misses you, perhaps you should consider dropping by for a visit?"
"R-Really? I better go and see her right away then! Thank you Miss Mamizou! Safe travels!" the yamabiko said in an almost flustered tone as she ran inside to presumably pay the temple's karakasa a visit.
Mamizou couldn't help but laugh at the sight, "Youth these days…I'm beginning to suspect their actions outpace their thoughts…" with her business with the yamabiko concluded, she departed into the night. Setting out to see what sort of sights she could find.
As night descended upon Gensokyo, many youkai who had remained inactive had begun to come out in search of humans foolish enough to still be wandering about at this hour. Of course being youkai themselves, Meiling, Flandre and Koishi had no need to fear. Yet after their encounter with Nue, they knew well that letting their guard down could be a fatal mistake. While they were hidden by the shroud of night, the same could be said for their pursuer, and who knew how fast of work she did with the mysterious Firefly.
It was beginning to feel like their journey had been paved with nothing but challenges recently…First the Lunarians, then the Wicked Hermit and her Jiang Shi, and now a Nue looking for some quick cash. Meiling couldn't help but begin to wonder as to which deity they may have angered to deserve this strike of misfortune…Though despite all that has happened in such a short amount of time, Flandre and Koishi's morale had yet to be dampened. They were still as enthusiastic as they had ever been, as they made chatted with one another about small mundane things.
It wasn't surprising to see Koishi being her usual cheerful self, as nearly nothing seemed to bother the girl whatsoever. The only time she had ever been in a foul mood being after their latest encounter with Princess Kaguya and her lackeys. She still wasn't certain what had happened to have put her in such a dreadful mood, but she decided that it was best not to question her of it and risk bringing up any painful memories. Though seeing Flandre in such a cheery mood was puzzling, one would have thought she would have been devastated from seeing her sister's face, only for it to be revealed as an imposter. An imposter who wanted to capture them and turn them in for an easy coin no less.
Yet there she was, giggling as if nothing had ever happened. In truth, Meiling wasn't sure whether she should have been relieved or worried. With all that has happened recently, she was surprised Flandre had been holding up as well as she had been. She had always remembered the vampire being a sensitive girl, who knew what sort of emotional turmoil was raging in her heart?
Meiling sighed, preparing herself to be ready to console the vampire and for the emotional torrent that was bound to come exploding out of her. "…Flandre." the vampire in question turned up in attention to Meiling, waiting for her to continue. "Are you…Are you alright?" the gatekeeper asked, "I mean things haven't been easy lately…With everything that's been going on…If you have anything you'd like to talk to me about, just know that I'm prepared to lend you an ear."
Flandre cocked her head to the side a bit in curiosity, "What do you mean, China? I feel fine."
"I mean…Aren't you even a little upset? With Nue masquerading as Remilia and all? Didn't that make you feel upset in the slightest?" Meiling asked, pursuing the subject further.
Flandre bit her lower lip, "Well yeah…I was sad when I found out it wasn't really big sis…" Flandre responded sadly, "But…I'm not gonna let that get me down, I'm a big girl now. Plus its all the more reason to be excited when I finally meet big sis again, once she sees how mature I've gotten, I'll bet she'll let me stay outside of the basement with you and everyone else! Then you, me and Koi-Koi can play together all the time!" the vampire cheered enthusiastically.
Meiling was stunned to say the least; it would appear that Flandre had matured while she wasn't looking. The gatekeeper couldn't help but grin despite the long day they've had, "…You're right Flandre, I'm sure the mistress will be pleasantly surprised to see how much you've grown in the last few days." Meiling ruffled the young-vampire's hair in a playful manner, earning her a childish pout from the vampire in question.
The rather heart-warming moment was interrupted by Koishi, who let out a loud yawn. "Boy, I'm tired…China, why do we have to walk…?" The satori moaned, "Flying would be so much easier…and funner! Well, I mean aside from those times you accidentally swallow a bug…Then it isn't much fun at all…Kind of like walking…"
"We're trying to attract the least amount of attention as we can, Koishi. If we flew up the mountain, either Nue or the Tengu guards would spot us in an instant. It's better to walk under the cover of the trees than risk getting into another fight…" Meiling said sternly.
"Boy China, after a few run-ins with a little bad luck, you sure do turn into a kill-joy…" Koishi grumbled.
"If killing your joy is all it'll take to keep us safe, then I regret to say that's what I'll have to do." Meiling replied nonchalantly. "Anyways, we'll call it a night once we've found a suitable campsite, just hold on until then Koishi."
"Camping on the Youkai Mountain? I can't say that I would recommend doing so, that's just an invitation for misfortune to come knocking on your door…" a soft voice replied.
Meiling quickly sprang into action, stopping in her tacks and dropping their supplies in an instance. While the voice certainly didn't sound antagonistic or sinister at the least, Meiling refused to let her guard down, she wouldn't allow a repeat of their encounter with Nue to happen. "Who are you? Show yourself at once before I drag you out in the open." Meiling said threateningly.
Complying with the order, a fair looking maiden stepped out from the shadows of the forest. Holding her hands up to her shoulders she said, "Worry not travelers, I mean you no harm…I'm simply concerned for your safety, the mountain's denizens aren't very hospitable to outsiders."
The woman, who stood before them, was quite serene looking. Her face was unblemished, and her figure was quite shapely. There was little doubt that many young men would risk the dangers of the mountain for an opportunity to try and court her. Her dark colored dress made her blend in with the environment, though it was difficult to tell in the dark of night, the hem of her skirt was a complementary red to the black that dominated her dress. The young woman also had matching ribbons tied into her light green hair. The woman was most certainly not human…perhaps a youkai? Meiling wasn't certain, as she felt an odd sensation emanating from her very being…The only thing she could ascertain was that this woman was definitely not Nue making another attempt at capturing them.
Meiling relaxed her guard, "Forgive me for my earlier rudeness, we have been running into a bad stroke of luck recently, you see, and well…one can never be too careful." The gatekeeper apologized as she scratched the back of her head awkwardly.
The woman simply nodded as she put a kind smile on her face, "It's quite all right if I were in your position, I'd be wary of strangers as well. The mountain is fraught with dangers after all, for both human and youkai alike…"
"No kidding…" Meiling sighed, "Anyways, thank you for the concern Miss…?"
"Oh, how rude of me! I am Hina Kagiyama, a pleasure to make your acquaintance, travelers." Hina said with a curtsy.
"Well met, Miss Hina. And I am Hong Meiling." The gatekeeper said with a polite bow, "And these are my companions, Flandre and Koishi. Perhaps you've already come to know this, as it would seem our reputations have become to precede us, unfortunately…"
Hina simply rested her index finger on her upper lip before shaking her head, "I don't believe I have…your names sound familiar, but...I'm afraid I don't stay up to date with the latest goings in Gensokyo…But I am pleased to meet you all the same."
"Really? I'd have thought one so close to the Tengu village would have at the very least heard a piece of gossip of us or even a mentioning…We've apparently been the talk of the town lately."
"No, I'm afraid not many seek me out, nor do I seek them." The young woman said with a sense of melancholy laced in her voice, "Anyways…You spoke of camping out on the mountain, yes? As I said earlier, that would be a disaster in the making for you and your companions. However, I know of someone who may be willing to open her doors to you for the night."
"Really? That would be wonderful!" Meiling exclaimed happily, "Where would this person be though?"
"Come, I shall guide you. Her place of dwelling isn't far from here." Hina said, motioning to the three to follow.
"Oh boy! We don't have to sleep in a stinky old tent again!" Koishi cheered as she blissfully followed after their guide along with Flandre. Though Meiling wouldn't have worded it quite like that, she silently agreed with the satori, with the addition of Koishi into their group, fitting all three of them in the tent would have been a challenge. They had been fortunate so far to have other housing options other than the tent so far. Meiling dared to be optimistic and allowed herself to think that perhaps their luck was finally taking a turn for the better…Though this didn't stop her from keeping a close eye on their guide.
Reimu Hakurei was far from a patient person; every time an incident arose she immediately set out to put whoever dared to disrupt her peace back in their place, occasionally with Marisa or anyone else who had decided on said solving incident. Her impatient nature often times got her into fights that could have easily been avoided. Fights that usually ended up destroying much of the landscape at times. Yet, no one could argue with her results, she had yet to fail in her duties as the Hakurei Shrine Maiden or protecting Gensokyo from any troublemakers. Whether it be from stopping bored celestials from causing earthquakes to even investigating an overabundance of flowers, she did it all with reluctant efficiency.
It was this impatient nature that made it very difficult not to throw out her current guest. After a hard day of work, the Shrine-maiden wanted nothing else but to call it a day and sleep until noon if possible, yet Remilia was making that quite hard to do at the moment. She understood the vampire was under a lot of stress at the moment, but she was still wrapping her head around why she insisted on coming to her of all people to talk about it. She wasn't exactly known for being sympathetic; it was one of the traits she was often criticized of. You would think she would have just spoke to her head-maid about it, or the bookworm, or even one of her numerous air-headed fairy-maids. Yet here she was, having the Scarlet Devil spill her heart out to her in her shrine as she tried desperately not to scream at her to leave or fall asleep as she was speaking.
"…Well…?" Remilia asked impatiently with her arms crossed.
"Well…?" Reimu repeated as she stifled a yawn.
"Do you know what I should do?"
"…Do what?" Reimu asked in puzzlement. The shrine-maiden had been trying so hard to stay awake that she couldn't have been bothered to pay attention to what the vampire was yammering about, she figured she would just complain to her for a while and leave eventually.
"Haven't you been paying attention?" Remilia asked in a growl. Just as Reimu was about to give her an honest answer, the vampire continued, "I asked what you think I should do about this whole mess with my sister. I mean…Was it right of me to have made such a big fuss over this? To put a bounty on her head?" she asked, "I knew I should have gone about it more subtly…I should have just handled the situation myself, and then none of this would be happening…" Remilia muttered to herself as she rested her face on the palm of her hand.
Reimu wasn't entirely sure what to say for once, she was never good with sensitive subjects such as these. She was much more skilled at throwing curt insults than consoling people; something like this was much more in Byakuren's territory. The situation was made much more difficult by the physical and emotional state that Remilia was in; this wasn't the confident and annoyingly childish vampire that Reimu had gotten to know over the years. She no longer saw the Scarlet Devil; the powerful vampire she had barely managed to defeat during the Scarlet Mist incident, all she saw now was a small and brittle child, who was at a loss for what to do and was terrified because of it. The shrine-maiden was worried that if she even gave her the lightest of touches that the vampire would shatter into a dozen pieces.
Reimu let out a weary sigh, "Look, I can't tell you what to do Remilia. I can't say I know what you're feeling right now; I never had a sister much less a brother. Could you have handled the situation better? Probably. But worrying about it isn't going to do you any good…" The shrine-maiden paused for a moment to collect her thoughts; she wasn't used to having a conversation like this, and the tiredness she felt wasn't helping matters. "All you can do now is wait. She'll come back eventually, whether it's from her own free will, or in a bounty-hunter's arms."
"Y-You don't understand! She needs to come back to the mansion as soon as possible! The longer she's out there…" Remilia said in a panic, "…Isn't there…can't you capture her or do something? Anything?"
Reimu let out a loud yawn, "No…Like I said before, that vampire is way too strong, and I'm not in the mood to be visiting Eirin's pharmacy any time soon, especially if Aya's newspaper is actually accurate for once…Besides, I hear that…that…Oh, what's her name…that one satori joined her…the one with the hat." The shrine-maiden tried her hardest to think of the satori's name, yet she just couldn't recall it. It was strange, she never forgot the names of her stronger opponents, and she distinctly remembered her giving quite a bit of trouble, even with Marisa's help. "Anyways, I'm definitely not going to risk my neck fighting Flandre and what's-her-face at the same time, it would be suicide. Not to mention your gatekeeper would be there…So unless she begins wrecking Gensokyo, I'm just going to stay out of it."
Remilia let out a soft groan, clutching her head with both of her hands. For the first time in her life, Remilia felt as if she wasn't in complete control of the situation, she felt all too weak and vulnerable… "This is all wrong…Everything is falling apart around me…How can this be happening to me…The Scarlet Devil…?" Remilia mumbled with hopelessness in her eyes.
Reimu simply sat in silence, having nothing to say. She never thought she would see Remilia in such a state before; she had always been so prideful and confident, no matter what the world threw her way. Yet now the vampire feared as the Scarlet Devil knelt before her, completely and utterly broken.
Meiling was beginning to reconsider her stance on scaling the mountain by foot, as she and her party of two trudged along following their guide closely. The gatekeeper was far from out of shape, in fact, she considered herself to be in great shape due to her constant training, not to mention her run-ins with Marisa, yet she still found climbing the mountain to be taxing. She wasn't sure if it was because she was still drained from her clash with Nue earlier, or the fact that the footing on the paths they were walking along wasn't the best, but she found herself panting in exhaustion.
It frustrated her; she had trained atop Mountains just as high, if not higher than the one she stood upon now before coming to Gensokyo long ago. A climb like this should have been an easy task. Yet she was finding it to be quite the opposite…Wounding her pride further was that she saw Flandre and Koishi were climbing the mountain as if it were nothing. Even their guide was having little trouble; in fact, she seemed to walk with a spring in her step. Meiling began to feel just a little inferior as she watched Hina waltz her way through the dense forest despite the undergrowth and the steep incline of the path.
Her endurance certainly wasn't human, yet the gatekeeper still couldn't identify just what she was exactly…Her spirit felt similar to that of a youkai or goddess, yet there was something distinct about her soul…something dark. While she certainly didn't mistrust Hina, she also wasn't about to let her guard down either. She could just as likely be yet another bounty-hunter out for the reward…
"Is something the matter, Miss Meiling?" Hina asked in concern, "Shall we stop and rest for a moment?"
Meiling shook her head wearily, "No, no, I'm fine, truly. I'm simply catching my breath…Don't stop on my behalf, besides, the faster we reach our destination, the sooner we may rest."
"I see, if you insist." Hina replied, "We've nearly reached our destination, the rest of the way shouldn't be too taxing on the body."
As she said that, Meiling and her two companions found that Hina certainly wasn't lying. They were no longer traveling uphill, and they were no longer in a wooded area. In fact, they had arrived in a completely urbanized area; it was as if they had stepped into a completely different world from the one they knew. Standing before them was easily a small city, a small city that stood within the water. Meiling was taken aback by the sight before them, and it would seem Flandre and Koishi shared in her amazement.
The gatekeeper had never in her life seen architecture like this, rather than being made of wood or stone, all of the buildings looked as if they were made completely of metal, and the lights weren't from fire, but something very unnatural looking…Meiling was tempted to say that it was magic, yet it seemed much more…artificial, than even that. The city would have been completely inaccessible if it weren't for the several bridges that spanned over the raging currents below; it looked amazingly sturdy considering how despite the strength of the rapids the bridge didn't falter at all. It was a surprise to see the Kappa settlement in such a great condition, taking into consideration the havoc Seiga had caused in the area just a few months earlier. She had heard the damage had been so bad that the city was no longer inhabitable, yet here it stood, with no trace that there had ever been such an occurrence.
"Quite a sight, is it not?" Hina said with a chuckle in response to their breathless expressions, "The Kappa are quite gifted in the art of science and technology. It's quite awe-inspiring. It never ceases to amaze me each time I gaze at it…"
"The Kappa? You mean they built all of this?" Meiling asked in shock. She had heard how technologically advanced the Kappa were before, but after seeing their work first hand, she could honestly say that words did them little justice.
"Yes, hard to believe, I know. The Kappa just keep on building and making advancements in their technology…It won't be long before they make devices up to par with those of humans in the outer world…or at least, that's what my friend keeps telling me…" Hina said with a light giggle, "Now, there's no time to be lollygagging now. Come, we had better get moving, if I know my friend, she'll still be working on one of those contraptions…Such a night-owl she is…"
Flandre and Koishi complied and began to follow their guide happily while gazing at the technological marvel that the Kappa city was. Meiling took one last long gaze at the city before lightly-jogging after the three before she found herself separated from the group.
As they traveled down the long path that stood above the river, only the metallic echo of their footsteps against the steel plated bridge and the current of the water below could be heard. Meiling had expected that a Kappa settlement would be much louder, from what she heard in the past, the Kappa often times stayed up late into the night tinkering with their contraptions. It was also strange to see that they haven't even caught sight of a single Kappa since entering the city.
Flandre seemed to take notice as she asked, "Where is everyone? It's like a ghost-town around here! Or ghost-city…or river?"
Hina paused for a moment before answering, "Oh…The Kappa are a shy people, they become nervous around strangers is all. I'm sure some will show themselves once they see we aren't any threat to them…" though as she said this, there seemed to be a kind of sadness behind her serene smile. Flandre was satisfied by the explanation and simply nodded as she peered her eyes for any Kappa prowling about.
Koishi did the same as she looked all around herself; she left no stone unturned as she looked into the shadows, to the sky, and even at her shoes for any signs of a Kappa. After finding that the labors of her search were fruitless, the satori let out a great moan. "How shy are these silly little-Kappa? The least they could do is come out and say hello!" Koishi exclaimed, "…And maybe bring me something tasty to drink…like lemonade or maybe even some cranberry juice…" everyone present simply gave the satori an incredulous look at her last comment, "…What? Walking makes me thirsty…" the satori said as her eyes drifted down to her shoes.
"If you're that thirsty then why didn't you say something earlier?" Meiling asked.
"I didn't think we'd walk this long…" Koishi mumbled, "Now my throat is dry…and my feet feel someone's been rubbing sandpaper against them…Ooh, do you think the Kappa are any good at giving foot massages?"
"It's unlikely, but I suppose there's nothing stopping you from asking." Hina replied with an amused smile, "In fact, you can start asking right now. We've finally arrived at our destination." The green-haired woman announced.
The residence wasn't too different from any of the others in the settlement; it held the same basic design as all of the other buildings in the area. In fact it would be difficult to pick the house out from the rest of the other homes in the small community. The only thing that differentiated it was the water-wheel that poked out from the side of the house, and its size. It was much larger than its neighbors, yet it was still far from being the largest building in the Kappa settlement. These slight differences aside, it otherwise blended in along with the other buildings in the city.
As she stood before the metal-plated door Hina turned to face the three she had been guiding, "Please allow me to talk to my friend first, she can be a little timid around strangers…Just be silent and stay out of sight until I say so please."
"Sounds fine by me, I just hope she won't mind us staying for the night…" Meiling replied.
"I'm sure she'll have no qualms with it once I have a small talk with her." Hina said with a bright smile, "Now wish me luck…" the green-haired woman began to gently tap on the door, cueing the three to hide themselves. Thinking quickly, Flandre hid behind the wall of the house, Koishi followed suit and hid alongside her. Meiling jumped behind a nearby barrel that many flowers were planted in just in the nick of time as the door swung open.
Standing in the doorway was a short girl with aqua blue hair that was tied into a pair of pigtails. She wore a plain white T-shirt that was stained with what was presumably oil given the Kappa's favorite past time. Around her waist was a belt that was filled with everything from a screwdriver to a wrench, it was a miracle the belt could hold as many tools as it did. The pig-tailed girl's eyes were half-shut from exhaustion but lit up as soon as she saw who was at the door.
"Oh, Hina! I never see you out and about this late in the evening…What brings you here? Would you like to come in? I could go and brew some tea quick if you'd like." The girl asked excitedly.
"Yes, I suppose I don't drop by quite this late very often, do I?" Hina chuckled, "Don't trouble yourself with the tea; I'm quite fine thank you. I just hope I wasn't interrupting you with whatever you're occupying yourself with at the moment…"
"Nah, it's all right…I'm just tinkering with some contraptions from the outside world that I came across. I gotta say that this is some pretty nice tech; I'd never have imagined humans in the outer world could have created something so advanced! Sure, it could use a few adjustments here and there, but overall this is a pretty great gizmo!" the girl responded with eyes sparkling with passion. The Kappa was obviously enthralled with the subject; it was likely she would talk about it until morning came if she could.
"That's great to hear, Nitori. I just hope you remember to take time to rest, remember what happened last time you were just a little too passionate about those contraptions of yours?"
"Y-Yeah…I know, I know…I'll turn in soon…" Nitori replied sheepishly as her cheeks became flushed a little from recalling the incident. It was so embarrassing she ended up shutting herself in her house for a whole week. "A-Anyways, enough about me! What brings you out so late, Hina? You surely didn't come here at this hour to just listen to me prattle on about my hobbies…"
"Oh, I could listen to you prattle on all day, my dear! But you're correct; I didn't come just to socialize…" Hina trailed off as she began to think of how to word her next few sentences. "…Nitori, do you recall how I've said you need to be more outgoing and meet some new people?"
"Yeah…"
"Well, I've brought a little company for you to help overcome this problem." Hina said brightly as she gestured to the three that were in hiding to show themselves to the kappa.
Stepping out from their hiding spots, Flandre and Koishi gave the Kappa their nicest smiles while Meiling simply gave her an awkward wave along with a nervous grin. Staring at the three wide-eyed, Nitori's complexion began to pale as she took in what was happening. "Gyah! H-H-H-H-Hina!" the kappa girl shrieked as she quickly pulled out a hat to use as a veil to hide behind. "Wh-what are these people d-doing here…? Y-You know I'm no good with talking to strangers…my hands get all clammy and I can't for the life of me formulate a proper sentence…I was lucky I even managed to make Marisa my friend…Wh-What makes you think these people will help my problem anymore than anyone else has!?" Nitori said to Hina in a hushed tone.
"Oh come now…Everything will be fine dear, just do what that book I gave you says and you'll be fine…" Hina whispered encouragingly.
"What, that Overcoming Shyness book? That didn't help me at all! If anything, it made my social skills even worse!" Nitori cried as she pulled at her pigtails stressfully while avoiding eye-contact with the company Hina brought along.
"Just talk the way you do when it's just me and you then, I'm sure you'll become quick friends. These three just need a place to stay for the night, that's all Nitori, surely you can last one night with a little company?"
"C-C-Can't they stay with you…? I-I'm sure I'd just bore them to tears a-and you'd be a much better hostess!" Nitori asked frantically as bullets of sweat began to pour down the kappa's face.
"You know very well my place of dwelling is far too small to accommodate them, Nitori…" Hina sighed, "If that weren't the case, I'd never ask you to step out of your comfort zone so suddenly like this. Look, if I stayed for the night along with these three, would you be all right with them resting here?"
The kappa gave a quick look to the three before immediately shifting her eyes back away from them, her cheeks quickly becoming flushed. "F-Fine…I…I guess I'd be all right if you were with me…" Nitori mumbled as she stared at the ground nervously.
"Wonderful! Thank you Nitori, I'll be sure to bring you a little treat next time I visit for your act of selflessness." Hina said with a beaming smile.
"Y-Yeah well…I guess it's the least I could do on the behalf of a friend…J-Just don't expect me to turn from a mouse to a lion in one night, o-okay…?"
"I would never my dear." Hina replied teasingly, "All right you three, why not come in and introduce yourselves?" the green-haired woman said as she gestured for the three to enter.
The red-haired guardian was the first to speak, "I am Hong Meiling," she stated with a polite bow, "I thank you from the very bottom of my heart for opening your doors to us. I will assist you in any way possible to repay your kindness during our stay." The gesture of gratitude didn't seem to put Nitori at ease as she began to fidget relentlessly and began to pull at one of her pigtails stress-fully as she forced a weak nod in response.
Flandre stepped forward and curtsied to the disheveled Kappa, "Hi! I'm Flandre! I hope we can be friends! You seem like a really nice person!" the vampire chirped happily. Her words only made the Kappa's nervousness worse as her face began to redden.
Finally, the satori of the group stood up straight and pointed at herself with her thumb, "And I'm Koishi! Nice to meet you! Has anyone ever told you that you smell like cucumbers?" Koishi asked quizzically as she tilted her head to the side curiously. Her last question earned her a tired glare from Meiling, which went unnoticed by the oblivious satori. Nitori would have laughed at the sight if she wasn't so nervous at the moment.
Taking a deep breath, the kappa gave her best effort to make and maintain eye-contact with the three. "I-I…I'm N-N-Nitori…K-Kawashiro …P-Pleased t-t-to…m-make your acquaintance…" the kappa struggled to stutter out.
Hina gave the pig-tailed girl an encouraging pat on the back, "There dear, that wasn't too hard, now was it?" Nitori could only manage a nervous nod, it took all of her willpower not to leap out the nearest window and leave this meeting behind her. She felt as if she would die of embarrassment if this carried on any longer.
"Oh! Oh! I almost forgot!" Koishi cried out suddenly, garnering the attention of all who were present. The kappa quickly turned her attention to the satori in the room and gave her a stern look, terrifying Nitori in the most unimaginable ways. "…Do you know how to give foot-massages? My feet are killing me…" the satori whined as she rubbed her foot as if it to emphasize the pain she was feeling.
Nitori simply stood there befuddled, not quite sure what to say or think. Only one thought managed to form in her brilliant mind, and that was, 'This is going to be a long night…'
The mountain had calmed down since the clash between the two youkai earlier. In fact, it was almost eerily so. It was the stark opposite to how Nue was feeling at the moment. She was furious, there was no other word to describe the emotion she felt. She nearly had her prey in her clutches, she had almost subdued the crimson-haired gatekeeper and captured her target…by all rights she should have been collecting her reward money at this very moment and put this dirty business behind her. Yet here she sat, steaming in anger as she glared at the ground in frustration.
Clenching her fist, the Nue smashed her hand into the hard ground, leaving a small crevice in her fist's wake. "Damn it…This is all wrong…It should have been an easy job, quick and easy…Curse my luck!" she growled as she smashed her claw like wings down into the ground. While it certainly didn't help her predicament in the least, it did help alleviate the anger that had begun to boil since the moment her face had met the boot of the runt who had dared to bar her from her prize.
She wasn't sure of what to do now, her quarry had eluded her, they were long gone by now. She did know, however, that she wasn't going to give up just yet…too much hinged on her success…if she didn't succeed…no, she must succeed. She didn't dare think of what would happen to her and the surrogate family she came to know over the years if she failed. She knew Byakuren and the rest of her friends would likely be upset with her with in the aftermath, yet she wouldn't allow herself to sit by idly as everything she knew began to crumble away around her. The Nue renewed her resolve; she would capture the vampire and her friends, no matter what…
"H-Hey…! L-Let me down from here this instant you dastard! Fight me like a real ma-er…woman!" a squeaky voice shouted from above.
Nue looked up to see the little maggot that had cost her everything hanging on the tallest tree on the mountain by her ragged cape. Nue had nearly forgotten about the self-proclaimed 'Firefly', she was too deep in thought to pay her much mind. The Nue hadn't roughed her up too badly, just a few bruises as a reminder to the youkai-girl to never interfere with her again, hanging her from the highest tree she could find however, was simply for her own amusement. She was amazed the green-haired brat hadn't simply flown off of the branch herself, it appeared the infamous Ice Fairy had some competition as the biggest imbecile in Gensokyo…
"C-Come on! Th-This is so unfair…How am I supposed to fight for truth and justice when no one ever fights fairly!?" the Firefly cried as she struggled to free herself from the tree.
Nue allowed herself a snicker as she watched the green-haired girl unsuccessfully attempted to free herself from the tree branch. For a brief moment, she had forgotten both her anger and the troubles that would lie ahead if she didn't collect the reward money soon…
A/N: Well, another chapter done, this time done faster than usual. Hopefully I can keep this streak going now! (Don't count on it.) I just realized a while ago, that this nerdy little story is over a year-old now! Time sure does fly, am I right? I'd like to thank everyone who's even so much as read a single paragraph out of this! When I first posted this I honestly had my doubts that anyone would enjoy this, much less read it! Thankfully that's not the case, as I (Very surprisingly, I might add.) Have over 60 reviews on this, last I checked. So really, thank you all for the support! I just hope the rest of this story will meet all of your expectations, and more.
And a special thanks to Rambo3rd for once again proof-reading this. (So again, any errors, totalllllllllllllly not my fault!) The next chapter will hopefully be posted before too long, as I've already written one-thousand words on it. :P Until next time!