The Shrine of Gensokyo
Chapter 21: Of Death and Love
Author's Note: My apologizes, but here you go. Reviews is appreciated as usual. F.Y.I, writing about Little Busters as well currently, Review it if you like it~ Been a while since i've done straight romance.
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[…Ah… A…]
Flailing about in the water for a few minutes and generally helped by my two companions, I struggled to remain calm as I prayed inside me to the great Hakurei Spirit.
[Let me tide through this crisis, great Hakurei spirit… I beseech you… listen to your servants call…]
I am getting careless and complacent and this is my punishment for being that way, being side-tracked from my duties had brought this upon myself and I have no one else but me to blame.
[… H-help!]
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Swimming is not my forte and so I was really struggling to keep myself float, not to mention that my clothes were now too heavy after being soaked in water and my strength was waning after being washed downstream by a freak drag-current.
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[Heave ho! HEY!]
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Hearing a person call out, I gathered the last of my strength and screamed out for her.
[KOMACHI! HELP!]
[OH! THERE YOU ARE! HANG ON, HEAR ME!]
The sounds of water being pushed back and of a large object being pushed through water greeted me and in a second, a strong hand grabbed hold of me and pulled me out of the water.
[Hey, that's a big catch for the day… EHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! REIMU?]
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Screaming suddenly as she deposited me on the boat, the red-haired girl dropped to her bums in surprise as she pointed a finger at me as if she had seen a ghost.
[W-Wait a minute, Reimu! YOU'RE DEAD?]
Warming myself in front of a small fire that Komachi had started up for me, I gratefully smiled to her as she took her leave, grabbed her scythe and ran towards the bank towards her wooden boat.
[I'll talk to you later, Reimu! Lunch break is in an hour's time! Wait up for me, kay?]
Waving towards me, Komachi grabbed her scythe and used it to propel her 'Titanic' forward like a gondolier would and in a few 'heave hos', she disappeared into the mist.
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Sitting by myself near the fire, I slowly took off my clothes after ensuring that no one else was anywhere near the vicinity. Even though I am at the side of the Sanzu River, at the place where the dead exists before being judged by the Yama, I was still concerned about my modesty and I stopped from stripping myself bare, leaving my sarashii on even when it is wet and uncomfortable.
I would rather die than be in my birthday suit while my clothes dried.
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[Thank you… you saved me again…]
Squeezing the two fairies in a hug, I tickled them and watched them fly around me happily
Friends, Friends!
[yes I know… we are friends…. Family even…]
Family, Family!
[Mmm… family!]
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Nodding, I concentrated instead on helping them dry their wet wings and after a period of 20 minutes of staring at the scenery around me, my clothes were finally dry.
The gateway to the Netherworld was not bare as I imagined it to be, to the contrary it is filled with flowers and a bustling road that stretched as far as the eye can see. In the distance I could even see some stalls and hear the owners shouting out their wares. The road as well was filled with spirits, some of little children and some of adults walking casually by. They paid no attention to me as a living human and just got about doing their usual business.
The Sanzu River is a river that the dead need to cross in order to reach the netherworld. From Akyu's records, it seems that one need to be ferried across by the Keeper of the Sanzu River, in this case it is Onozuka Komachi, the Death God of Gensokyo.
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For a shinigami like Komachi, the width of the river depends on the particular individual's life. The more evil the individual commits the longer the width of the river.
Furthermore, Komachi only ferries people across the Sanzu River for a fee and the fee is paid in the form of coins. Coins are not a representative of the amount of wealth one has but rather the total amount of those who yearned and missed the person from the bottom of their hearts.
If the amount is insufficient, the spirits is thrown off the Boat and quickly swallowed by the Sanzu River, never returning again.
In light of that knowledge, it is surprising and fortunate that I had not been swallowed by the River and that explains why I could never reach the other side of the bank. The Sanzu River's width is determined by Komachi and without her power, no one could escape as the width is infinite.
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[… Forgive me, Great Hakurei Spirit for being distracted and waylaid from my path… Forgive me…]
Clapping my hands together, I prayed momentarily and just for that small instant, the spirits around me all looked into my direction when my body flashed white during the prayer.
[… Ah… excuse me…]
Bowing to them, I apologized and soon all of them lost their attention in me and went about their individual ways again.
[… Oops… I've been ignoring the both of you, haven't I? I'm sorry, sorry…]
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Noticing their discomfort, I patted my two companion's head and I directed their attention to the Sanzu River before us.
[Take a look at that, the river is as big as the sea! One day, I'll show you the sea if I can… I'll show you what is like to be there… the sea is fun, not like the Sanzu river…]
Laughing as the both of them nodded at me, I heard my stomach growl in the process and I blushed and pinched their cheeks.
[Well, I'm hungry… let's eat something!]
Hidden in my pockets was a few bento boxes packed together by Mokou and sealed by Miss Keine's and Suika's magic, making it very compact and intact for as long as I want it to be.
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[Thank you for the meal, Miss Keine, everyone!]
Tucking in, I fed my companions their lunch and I smiled as they chewed happily at the tofu roll that I offered them.
[Mm~ It's nice, isn't it?]
Taking out a small bamboo container, I pulled out the stopper and took a sip of water from it. It is another item that Suika gave me, a treasure by itself to be able to contain a whole lake's worth of water in the tiny bamboo container.
[How about a drink for you too?]
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Halfway through lunch, I was greeted with the now-familiar sound of water splashing and a great big 'HEAVE-HO' from the Sanzu river and I got up in a hurry.
[Miss Komachi!]
[REIMU! HEY!]
Smiling happily as she brought the 'Titanic' to rest beside the banks, Komachi leapt from the boat and in one swift moment, grabbed her scythe and walked casually towards us, putting the weight of the scythe on her strong shoulders.
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[Lunch? Do I get a share?]
Grinning, she slammed the Scythe on the ground and embedded it firmly into the soil.
[If you don't mind the poor portion, Miss Komachi.]
[Hey hey, anything is good enough for me, and stop with the Miss Komachi thing, will ya? Honestly!]
Behaving quite like Mokou, Komachi took the bento gratefully and said her thanks before digging in to lunch. Her forehead was shiny with sweat and it was obvious that she was tired from the work and I offered her a drink from my container.
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[Aye, if you wouldn't mind my lips touching yours or Marisa minding that it's an IN~DI~REC~T~ KI~S~S~~]
Giggling, Miss Komachi waited for a response from me but I feared I disappointed her.
[…]
[Aw man, you're no fun!]
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Sighing, Miss Komachi ignored me and continued digging into lunch but at regular intervals, Komachi would tell me about her work.
[Aye ya know, it is quite sad to see that Old man having not enough dough… his family is dead… ya, so… I just ferried him over… Hopefully Shiki-sama will be nice to that old fellow… he suffered loads!]
[And ya, that young man is really really popular… he was SOOO RICH THAT MY TITANIC ALMOST CAPSIZED… WOO that was heavy..]
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Grinning, she related her story to me and in no-time at all, her lunch break was over.
It was a pity too as I found it quite enjoyable hearing her stories regarding her job. Being a Death-god, I had expected Miss Komachi to be really harsh and detached from the real world but in retrospect, she was the opposite of what I imagined her to be.
When I told her that, Miss Komachi laughed and said that her boss, Miss Shiki, the Yama of Gensokyo was like that.
[But that's not her, not her at all… she only seems that way cause ya know, she sees the world in Black-white, Justice is her life… that is her power ya know?]
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Sighing, Komachi stopped chewing on her eggs and with her chopsticks, pointed at me.
[Lady Shiki is a good person, she likes everyone and wants everyone to go to heaven ya know? But, ya… you'll understand when you die, ya!]
[… Please do not say such things, Miss Komachi… I wish to live at least a little while longer…]
Pouting, I imagined she was joking but Miss Komachi appeared totally serious.
[For a Death-God, Reimu… death is irrelevant. It is just a matter of time. You're a friend, that's why I saved you, Reimu. If not, you'll disappear after falling in and I'll be ferrying you across around now.]
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Narrowing her eyes, Miss Komachi crossed her legs and grabbed her Scythe with her free hand.
[You should have disappeared, Reimu when you dropped and entered the Sanzu River… but you didn't ya? I saved you quick… after you dropped there]
[No.]
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It was my turn to turn the tables on her and I shook my head.
[I was in the water long before that, Miss Komachi and I made my way to the Sanzu River, not that I accidentally dropped there…]
[EH?]
Surprised, Miss Komachi gave a yelp of shock and she accidentally spilled some of her bento as she leaned forward to look at me.
[SERIOUS! YOU MADE YOUR WAY THERE? EH EHHHHHHHHHHH!]
Shaking her head in disbelief, Miss Komachi clutched her head and then shook me roughly while crying out her complaints.
[THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE! ANYONE WHO DROPS IN THE SANZU RIVER WILL BE CONSUMED BY THE WATER WHO DRAINS LIFE AWAY! THERE IS NO WAY YOU CAN SURVIVE THAT! AND.. AND THERE IS A BARRIER TO STOP HUMANS FROM GOING TO THE RIVER AND SEEING THE RIVER… IMPOSSIBLE!]
Done with her small rant, Miss Komachi paused before she released me and took up her bento again.
[.. but you're special, so I won't put it past you, Reimu. Ho hum~]
Reverting to her normal self again, Miss Komachi shrugged when I pressed on and asked her.
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[Is it odd that I can see the Sanzu River?]
[Yea it is! Only the dead can see the Sanzu River! And, those that drop into the river will die almost immediately, their souls taken in by the river! You're amazing Reimu, to survive that.]
Pushing the issue aside like it did not concern her, Miss Komachi finished her bento and hurriedly grabbed her Scythe.
[Reimu, I'll lift ya back to the Human side kay? This is near the Netherworld so it'll be a long walk. Any place you reckon will be a good place?]
Running to her 'Titanic' Miss Komachi gestured me over and I hurried over to her after packing the bento boxes. My two companions were already sitting on Miss Komachi's shoulder and they jumped up to signal their urgency in leaving this place.
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[Interesting friends you have, Reimu, they seem eager to leave, ya? So let's go!]
Pulling me up to her boat, Miss Komachi grinned and planted her Scythe into the Sanzu river and with a single cry of: 'HEAVE HO!' The titanic rushed forward against the current of the Sanzu River like it was nothing, a little trickle of water against a full-sized container ship.
[HEAVE, HO!]
Along the way however, I only felt more and more confused over Miss Komachi's word of being unable to survive the Sanzu River.
[Reimu, listen, the only way you can survive and see the Sanzu River is that you are Immortal, the Hourai People are proof of that, those people won't die and they are off Miss Shiki's list!]
Pushing against the current, Miss Komachi grimaced as she saw a couple of fish jumped up from the River and she sliced them in half with her scythe, spilling their guts over the river.
[Ya, if you're not eaten you're lucky! You're not immortal, are you? I thought you had died and were unlucky enough to drop down to the Sanzu River when I heard you!]
[… Immortal huh… I can't be… it must be my amulets…]
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Looking at my amulets, which were glowing throughout the whole time, I passed it to Komachi and she studied it for a moment.
[Might be, Reimu, you're good to form such a good border in that little dinky piece of paper… Reimu, you're powerful ya? So no sweat! If it's you, you could have seen the border between the Sanzu River and Gensokyo…ya, that must be it!]
Laughing, Miss Komachi grinned and turned the 'Titanic' to the right, slamming it's frame to the side of the river with a final 'Heave Ho!'
[There you are, an express trip by KOMACHI SERVICES! YEA!]
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Being extremely high, Miss Komachi tipped the three of us out of her Boat and struck a pose with her Scythe placed on her shoulders.
[Hope you enjoyed your trip on the Sanzu River, this will be on your tab, Reimu when you come back as a customer. I've got to catch a nap, I'm bushed!]
Yawning, Miss Komachi sped away in her boat while waving at me and just as swiftly disappeared into the distance, leaving me where I requested I be dropped off at, the foot of Youkai Mountain.
[… well then, that's a fast detour… right?]
Smiling at my companions, I braced myself for the hardships that I might face and I took off, flying towards the forests that surrounded the mountain.
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[…. So… why are we gathered here?]
Reaching Eientei once again, I tightened my grip on Mokou's hands as the both of us held each other's hands for comfort as we stepped into the lavished mansion again.
At the very least, I was holding her hands for comfort and of holding her back in destroying the place in the first place. Mokou was still mad at Kaguya and Eirin and rightly so, Miss Yagokoro had made life dreadful for Reimu and had misled her into thinking that she was not the Shrine Maiden, which was totally not true.
However, I must say that that incident had opened up a new perspective of Reimu to me…
Her way of thinking in my opinion, is very different from ours as she felt remorse for killing even Youkai fairies, which to Mokou would be like killing pests that got in the way. To her, all youkai were human and by killing them, she is a murderer.
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Whether it is her Shrine Maiden Faith, teaching or either her teacher's saying or her own belief, it is something that I am having a tough time coming to gripes with.
Being the guardian for the village for so long, I had fought against wild beast, but more often than not, I had repelled wild youkai from the village. Killing them, I had never felt remorse at all as they were just threats to the village.
However, when I saw her crying so much that she seemed to have her heart broken, I began to feel a little guilty as I had forgotten to think about it that way, that youkai, no matter how weak and insignificant they are, are like us… which was silly of me… as I am part youkai… half youkai to be exact.
I was in retrospect… killing my own kind…
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[…]
Somehow, I've forgotten about you… really… forgive me… about the things that you told me…
Youkai will always cause disasters, humans will never trust youkai.
Reimu throws that theory out the window… more than 70 years after I've met him… I've came full round… forgetting I am half-youkai… and forgetting that…
[Give yourself a chance]
That everyone deserves a chance, everyone, no matter how deadly his sin is.
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[Oh. Here they are, Sakuya… just as I said they would.]
An unfamiliar voice echoed in the room that we were brought to and I tensed up immediately. The Room was magically enlarged and the person that had just spoken sounded amused that we had arrived.
[…]
Still, I remained calm and restrained Mokou from bursting into flames and attacking them.
[Mokou, don't.]
[Forgive my friend… but, I would like to ask, why and for what reason do you have for calling us here…]
[… Miss Keine…]
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Appearing from the shadows, the Perfect Maid, Izayoi Sakuya walked forward and bowed to us, a smile on her face as she gestured for us to follow her.
[… … Mistress says it is fate… and affinity for us to meet like this… Miss Keine, Miss Mokou…]
Politely, she led us to a grand table that was situated in the middle of nowhere and she suddenly disappeared and reappeared at the only seat that was taken in that long table.
[… so, you've arrived, Miss Keine, Fujiwara…]
Turning the chair, the both of us saw Miss Scarlet, Remilia Scarlet as she grinned at us from her chair.
[It has been a while since I've invited you to teach Flan, I'm thinking… the same time next week again?]
[A-AH Yes…]
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Remembering that I am Flandre Scarlet's private tutor, I bowed to her and nodded my head but I was quickly brought back to reality by Mokou, who scoffed and asked.
[Hey, Vamp… why did you bring us here… Are you siding with Kaguya?]
Narrowing her eyes, Mokou showed she had no fear by challenging one of the most powerful being I had ever met.
[SIDING WITH HER? WHAT A JOKE!]
Laughing and baring her teeth, Miss Scarlet paused between breaths before explain to us.
[Besides, it is not us that called everyone here… She did… and, the Lunarians are invited too.]
Pointing to the darkness, the both of us waited for a moment, with me holding my breath nervously and with Mokou just crossing her arms and looking nonplussed at the drama that was unfolding in front of us.
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[…]
[….]
Just like magic, a small form appeared from the darkness and she jumped and cleared the distance between the floor and the table in a single leap as she landed right in the middle of the chair.
[Hellos, Mokou, Keine! C'mon, have a seat, yesh? We're starting soon jush as long as Kaguya get Eirin sorted out~ So seat, sit!]
It was Suika, Ibuki Suika, the Oni in the Shrine Maiden outfit that had called us here.
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[As I said… it is a sort of affinity for us… the ones whose lives had been touched by Reimu, for us to gather here…]
Raising her arms, she caused a red mist to gather around where we were seated as she showed her teeth excitedly.
[Come, Miss Keine, Fujiwara… for us, who had our fate modified by the Hakurei Shrine Maiden, likewise for the Lunarians, we should follow and learn what our fate has in store for us.]
As she took a deep breath, the lights seemed to dim and her glowing red eyes glowed menacingly at the two of us while whispering the end of her speech.
[No matter how grim it might be…]
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Approaching the foot of the mountain on foot, I stopped for a moment and knelt down to offer a small prayer to the Gods of the Mountain and the Woods that surrounded us.
[Spirits of the Mountain, Spirits of the Forest… Spirits of the streams… I am about to intrude upon your land… please allow me passage for the brief time here and… may I draw upon your strength in my times of need…]
Ending the prayer by clapping my hands together, I nodded to myself and ushered the two fairies with me as I took to the air and flew straight towards the path leading up towards the mountain.
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The air was fresh, tingling with the smell of the dirt and the general smell of nature and I felt very at ease in the Mountain. The cool breeze that struck me every now and then as the winds howled through the trees like wild wolves was indescribable. If I had to, it would be only one word: 'primal'.
Being in the Youkai Mountain made me feel very insignificant as it seemed as I had just been magically transported to another dimension where human accomplishments were nothing.
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The technological shock that I had experienced when I first arrived in Gensokyo, having to cook only by lighting a fire, drawing water from a well, hunting for food was not as much of a shock to me as I had been living in isolation in the Hakurei Shrine for as long as I remembered. I was not particularly fond of technology and the only few additions that I had in the home was an electric stove, refrigerator, lights and heating for winter. Besides that, there was a telephone but barely anything else.
So I was better prepared than I had imagined when I came back to my first home, Gensokyo and adapted to life here quite quickly.
But for the Youkai Mountain, there was no hint of any human civilization what so ever. It was untouched, unscarred by human hands and all was in Mother Nature's Control. The air was scrubbed clean with no scent of oil, smoke or genuinely anything human in the vicinity and it dwarfed me, humbled me even more in the face of such shocking power.
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It is like how the people in the Human village think; that they are omnipotent and that if we are stronger than youkai, youkai shall respect us and not the other way around. But it is just a fallacy, at the end of the day, at the end of your lifespan, it is mother nature who reigns above all, having withstood tens and thousands of years in existence… in it's long lifespan, our lives and our civilization is not even a minute in it's passing.
[… just like… the yama-sama…]
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Reminded of Miss Komachi and the Sanzu River, my thoughts slowly moved towards the Yama of Gensokyo, Sikieiki Yamaxanadu.
Reading up on the Perfect Memento articles, I had discovered that I had met her several times in the past, the most recent of which was before my disappearance, which was 14 years ago and now, I shuddered at the prospect of even knowing such a person.
A person is naturally afraid of death but for me, that was doubly terrifying as I had just escaped from the Sanzu River intact, alive and well. How this might have fared with the Yama I would not know but I am certain, from the way Miss Komachi reacted to how I had survived the ordeal, it was a big deal and the Yama might not come off me lightly with that.
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Being the Yama of Gensokyo, she judges one's life after death and it is natural for us to fear him if we have an end unlike Mokou and Lady Kaguya, all of us in the end of our lives has to meet her. It is assumed to that at the end of time, the last person standing would be the Yama-sama too as she has to judge every single being to cross the Sanzu river…
[… yes… I am afraid…]
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Nodding to my two companions as I slowly climbed the Youkai mountain, I paused for a second to dart behind a nearby tree when I heard a noise that sounded like machines whirring about.
[There are people here?]
Confused at my discovery, I decided to investigate and as this time, my two companions seemed just as curious as I am and I quickened my pace as I tried to locate the source of the sounds.
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[Oh!]
Accidentally coming across a small stream, I blinked momentarily as beside the stream was a little girl dressed in a blue dress with a green cap. Upon closer inspection, I saw that she was not squatting on the water's edge as I imagined but rather half of her body was immersed in the water as she whistled happily.
What caught my attention the most of all was that she was working on something that looked like a small motorboat. Whacking happily at it with a small spanner, she paused for a moment to seemingly think about her next step by rubbing her chin.
[I think it needs more banging…]
Tilting her head to her side, she nodded to herself as she started to bang on it harder than ever, singing as she goes along.
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[Bang~ With a great big bang~
I shall create, create more than I ever dreamt of!
What will come from my banging I wonder?
Will it be a monster cucumber that I love?
Will it be a monster robot that I can fly around with?
Seeing all of that started with a bang!
Let's end it with a resounding BANG, CRUSH…
Bang!]
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Hugging the motor boat and with a mighty squeeze, bent it out of shape as I looked on with horror at the strength of the girl. From a distance and with her seemingly deceptive clothes, she is like a school girl on her way to school. But, careless me, in Gensokyo most of the things are not what they seemed and I had fallen for it again.
[Ahh~ I did it again… I got carried away…]
Knocking her own head with her spanner, she smiled sheepishly before pushing it towards the river just by using her bare hands. Unlike Suika thou, she visible strained as it slowly inched towards the river.
[Huff, huff… ugh…]
Sweating, she paused for a moment and then jumped into the stream and swam a few circles in it before surfacing for air. Taking off her cap, I swore I saw a crystal-like plate in the middle of her head and she sighed contently as she poured water over the plate.
[Ahhh~~]
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Punching a fist into the air, she covered her head with her cap again and jumped back to pushing the boat and this time, she managed it with a single kick from her petite legs.
[mm Mm~~]
Dusting her hands off, she sat down on the ground and looked around her surroundings when she finally spotted me, still floating in mid-air and staring at her.
[A-AH!]
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Giving a small squeal, her jaws dropped wide open and for a second, the two of us looked at one another in surprise and in awe before she shook her head furiously and declared with the top of her voice.
[OPTICAL CAMOUFLAGE, ACTIVATE!]
Right before my eyes, she started disappearing from plain sight and it took a moment for what she said to sink in as her body disappeared and I could see her no more. What I could see however was the water droplets dripping of her as she ran straight into the stream and jumped in with a small splash that registered her silhouette for a moment.
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[W-Wait! Don't run!]
Diving down to the small stream, I glided above the surface of the water and waited for the time where she had to surface for air and in a heartbeat, she did and I waved in my best friendly manner to dispel her fear.
[Hi, there!]
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I hoped I did not look very suspicious as to me, I felt very suspicious indeed by spying on what she was doing. The splash that signaled her retreat back below the surface of the water or the ripples that signaled her retreat by swimming away from me never registered on the slowly stilling water and I held my breath, willing to believe that I had stopped her from retreating away.
[… May the spirits of the stream, the spirits of the mountain feel my heart… feel my intent in coming to the Mountain, the Youkai Mountain… for the spirits to judge my purpose… I open my heart to you…]
Closing my eyes, I spread my hands open and waited for a reply, something that signaled the spirit's reply to my prayer directed at her, the hidden youkai still in the water.
[Let nothing but my heart judge me…]
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[…]
From the water, a small bubble appeared on the surface and they slowly multiplied till a small bubble float appeared on the water's surface.
[…]
With the popping of the small bubbles that covered the small float, her hat first appeared into sight and she shyly peeked at me from the relative safety of the bubble float. Pushing the bubbles away with her hands after a moment, she looked at me and slowly nodded her head and showed her whole body to me.
[Kawashiro… Nitori…]
[…?]
[Kawashiro Nitori… that's my name. I am the kappa of this stream… Kawashiro Nitori….]
Clutching her skirt nervously, she bowed to me and I bowed back to her in greeting.
[I… am Hakurei Reimu… Shrine Maiden…]
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Introducing myself, I lowered myself from the air and gently landed on the motorboat that Nitori was fixing and will continue fixing in my humble opinion.
[I know… I saw you once… when you were running up the mountain… but that was a long time ago.]
Still clutching her skirt, she stretched it a little as she pulled it even lower, seemingly determined to hide her legs with her short skirt.
Nitori is extremely adorable with her blue eyes and matching hair, dress and boots, she looks picture perfect to be displayed in a c- oh my goodness… what am I thinking…
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Shaking my head, I blushed red as she tilted her head and then shyly smiled while sliding to sit beside me.
[Thank you.]
[?]
[For coming to see me.]
[… eh?]
[I like Humans… but, I can't speak with humans because I… because I…]
Clutching her own head, she blushed so red that her face was in contrast to the rest of her dress and her cap, all red and nothing else.
[mm…]
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Understanding her predicament, I said nothing and just patted her head to comfort the little Kappa, Kawashiro Nitori.
She is just shy, not knowing what to say to a Human, who is unlike her in nature, having a longer lifespan and stronger powers than a human.
[…]
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For a brief and enjoyable time the both of us just sat in the boat, looking at the stream and generally enjoying each other's company. Her hands felt cold but comfortable and as she slowly snuggled beside me, I was reminded of the period of time I had spend my time looking after the children of the village when their parents were out working. It was an enjoyable if not messy operation as they loved to run around and play all day. But all that cleaning was worth it when it came to nap time under the great tree in the middle of the yard.
All of us would lie below the tree, comfortable under it's shade even in the hottest summer and we would just spread our hands and feet wide open and sleep. Some of the children would curl beside me like little kittens and I would play with their hair and tickle their tiny feet to hear them giggle and push me away before running back and snuggling with me again.
They were simply adorable and their high-pitched giggling made me feel very warm and fuzzy inside.
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[…]
It was the same with Nitori, her little body snuggled beside me was like a child that I was looking after and I just sat there with her, wishing that this time would not be short.
[… why won't you talk?]
Breaking the silence, Nitori whispered softly to me as she released my hand with one finger shot water at my two companions who were sleeping on my lap peacefully. Waking up, they took to the air and circled around Nitori, very angry at being woken up.
[Humans are noisy… they like to talk… and make things that make noises… so why won't you talk?]
Looking at her feet, Nitori explained again as she jumped back into the water.
[… I can't talk with humans as I can't talk… can't talk long…]
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Shaking her head, her face looked as if she was about to cry but she stubbornly hung on to her dignity as she dived below the water and surfaced on the other side of the boat, looking away as she did so. Her hands grabbed the bow of the small motor boat and with a small splash of water, jumped into the motorboat again.
[why… won't you talk?]
[…]
I was not about to answer her, at least not yet as I held a hand out to my companions who flew to me and seated themselves on my shoulders, one on each shoulder before I smiled at her.
..
..
[see… there are things that can't be expressed by words but through the heart…]
[! Ah!]
As if she was enlightened, she snapped her fingers before rubbing her chin thoughtfully again. The image of a little schoolgirl rubbing her chin in deep thought was firmly burned in my memories forever as she looked simply adorable.
[Right! I have learnt!]
Nodding happily, she leapt forward to hug me and I accept the invitation with welcoming arms and a smile on my face.
[Thank you, Reimu!]
[… it is quite alright, Nitori…]
Author's Note: The song by Nitori is totally random. The bolded part with Keine is spoilers for: Finding History with your Flame.