Entry 4: An Awful Lot to Think About
Reimu found herself sitting alone outside, looking out at the garden of the shrine.
A million and one thoughts ran through her mind, and she really wasn't sure where to start. She may not have considered Watatsuki no Toyohime a friend, but she had trusted the Lunarian enough to consider her an ally if the need arose. Now, knowing the things she did now, what the hell was she to believe?
It didn't quite feel like a betrayal of trust, but damn if it wasn't close.
"Those two still not back yet?" came the voice of Yagokoro Eirin, who sat down beside her.
"Nah. They've just been firing off blast after blast at the sky, hoping to hit the moon," Reimu replied. "Can't judge them badly for it, either, considering. How are the two Reisens?"
"Resting on doctors orders," Eirin replied. "I hope you don't mind, but I've enlisted the Komainu and Inchling to watch over them."
"By all means, go ahead," Reimu said. "Just be sure to at least treat Aunn to a meal at some point. She's by far the only person here that isn't remotely close to being a free-loader."
"I'll keep that in mind," Eirin laughed drily.
There was a moment of silence, before Reimu spoke again. "That was the most I've ever seen you emote before," she said. "In all the time I've known you, I always thought you were more indifferent to Reisen."
"An unfortunate consequence of my life up until recently, I'm afraid," Eirin said. "Lunarians have only ever viewed Rabbits as tools, save for the few rare exceptions. It wasn't until I first met Tewi that I began to reconsider that, and only after I met Udonge that I truly started trying to turn my world view around."
"Don't think I've ever heard the story of how you met Reisen," Reimu said. "I always imagined it was straight forward and simple."
"You're not wrong in that regard," she answered. "It was, in a way, 'straight forward and simple', but more than that, it was... almost tragic." She looked at Reimu with a sad look in her eyes. "Would you care to hear it, Hakurei Reimu?"
Reimu didn't hesitate to think of an answer. "At this point, I feel like I have a responsibility to know the whole story."
Eirin allowed a small smile to grace her lips. "How mature of you, Reimu-san," she said. "Very well, then. Our story begins, I believe, several decades ago..."
On Gensokyo's calendar, it was around year 84. For the Outside World's calendar, it would have been roughly 1969 or 1970. It was the dead of winter, and set to be one of the coldest in Gensokyo's history.
During this time, Yagokoro Eirin worked as a doctor for the village's small hospital, as Eientei was still hidden from the world at large.
As she was walking down the streets on this cold winter night, where the snow fell fast and heavy, and the full moon hung overhead, Eirin cast her gaze upwards, and pondered her life choices for a brief moment.
She did what she had wanted to do back then, pure and simple. Her loyalty was to her princess, Kaguya, before it was to the Lunarian people. She cared little for their stagnant, monotonous lifestyle; she was a doctor, and being a doctor meant pushing the boundaries.
As she gazed star-wards, a familiar flash of light caught her eye. A sort of 'covert shooting star', landing in an alleyway just off the path she walked. Only one thing caused that sort of light; a Lunar Veil.
Had she gotten careless? Had the Lunarians finally located her, and sent their emissaries to collect? Defensively, Eirin manifested her bow, and loosely notched an arrow.
What staggered out of that alley, however, was far from what she expected.
A young Lunar Rabbit, maybe only a few decades old (which, in human terms, would have been around the mid to late teens), her body covered in bandages that were a stiff breeze away from leaving her completely naked to the elements. She was also covered in torn scabs and broken stitches, coating her pale skin the same blood red as her eyes, and marring her pale purple hair.
If this was a soldier sent to collect her, than the Lunarians had gotten foolish over the last couple of centuries. But, Eirin did not believe this to be the case.
The Rabbit took notice of her, but evidently, didn't seem to recognise the Brain of the Lunar Capital, before she keeled over.
Eirin rushed forward, her drive as a doctor overwriting her concern as a fugitive, and knelt down beside the Rabbit. "Hey, can you hear me?" she called out, turning the girl over. "Let's see... eyes cloudy... breathing is steady, but shallow... lips are dry, so signs of dehydration... wounds align with that of combat, but there old, and have been continuously reopened by repetitive activity..."
Then, she noticed the other wounds. More recent, located around the neck, breasts, thighs, and crotch. Wounds that consisted with a person biting.
The conclusions Eirin's mind drew were simple, obvious, and all together too unpleasant.
Before it could continue any further, three more lights shot down from the sky, landing in the streets ahead of them. From it stepped three Lunar Rabbits, each dressed in proper uniform, and carrying standard issue rifles.
"Private Reisen!" one of the three called out. "You are being charged with desertion! Return with us now, and Toyohime-sama may yet forgive your transgressions!"
Toyohime. Now that was a name Eirin hadn't heard in a long time. And, evidently, one the Rabbit known as Reisen didn't want to hear, if her sudden trembling was anything to go by.
"No... no... Don't want to... go back..." she muttered. "Not to her... Not to those nights..."
It wasn't hard to connect the dots. Watatsuki no Toyohime had done this to this... this child. It made a modicum of sense, seeing as Toyohime was an overly affectionate person, but to go this far?
It was times like this, Eirin thought, that a doctor had to exercise her right to intervene.
"This child will not be going anywhere," she spoke. "I shall give you five seconds to return from whence you came."
"Stay out of this, Earthling," one of the Rabbits stated. "You're lucky we don't just shoot you dead right now."
So, it was to be like that, then? Well, five seconds had passed, and they didn't run.
It all happened in the blink of an eye. No, that was giving the speed it took to blink too much credit. The leader of the three Rabbits felt something fly past her, and when she looked back, she saw her two allied pinned to the wall by arrows. Now, it should be noted that, while Eirin was a good enough shot to pull of the classic 'pin them through their clothes' trope, that wasn't what she had aimed for; those shots had pierced limbs, joints, and even organs. They were shots to cause as much lethal pain as possible, without them dying immediately.
The leader of the trio looked in horror at her friends and they screamed in pain. She pivoted back, aiming her rifle, only for an arrow to tear through her right arm, ripping it clean off.
"Let me make two things clear to you," Yagokoro Eirin spoke darkly. "First, there is no Lunar Rabbit by the name of Reisen here." Another arrow fired, this time going through the head of one of the pinned two. "Secondly..." One more, this one going through the second pinned Rabbits neck. "There were no Lunar Emissaries here tonight."
As Eirin drew one last arrow back, realisation dawned on the leader like the rising sun. "It can't be... you're..."
The shot was fired, and the Rabbit keeled over with a new hole in her head.
Eirin turned, noticing that she had garnered a rather large crowd through all this commotion. Unfortunately, most of the attention was directed towards the injured Reisen, with looks of fear and, contemptibly, lust.
Experience with these people told her that they probably couldn't be reasoned with in a moment like this. Humans, at this point in time, were far more closed minded than the future would bring. With a wave of her hand, Eirin kicked up a localised snow storm. "There will be no ogling this one in my presence!" she stated loudly. "Return to your homes!"
The humans backed off slightly, but not enough for her liking. She had a responsibility to help this girl, but there were several steps she had to take. Namely, both keeping her warm, and sparing her dignity.
Well, if there's one thing that comes with eternal life, is a loss of personal shame and a strong immunity to the cold. So, with a bold flourish, Yagokoro Eirin stripped herself down to a minimal amount of clothing, and used what she had taken of to wrap around the injured Lunar Rabbit.
Everybody was stunned silent, which Eirin paid little mind to as she picked up the fallen Reisen, and began the long trek back to Eientei.
"... and there you have it," Eirin finished. "That's the story of how Udonge first came to Gensokyo."
"Wow," Reimu muttered, gobsmacked. "I always imagined you as a somewhat apathetic person, but that... you were basically a hero, weren't you?"
"Now, I wouldn't go that far," Eirin laughed. "It's a doctors job to help any patient that's put in front of her. Plus, I couldn't risk them finding their way to Eientei, either."
"Say's the woman who quite literally stripped down to her underwear so she could put clothes on someone in the middle of winter."
"Fine, guilty as charged," Eirin shrugged. "But, you're not much worse than I am, you know. I mean, you've got an Oni and an Inchling mooching off you."
"And a Hell Fairy," Reimu corrected. "Though, she minds her own business these days. And keeps the floorboards warm during the coldest days."
"Ah, insulation?" Eirin noted. "Perhaps I should enlist Clownpiece's services then. Eientei gets dreadfully drafty in the winter."
"Denied," Reimu stated. "She only does it here because I'm doing a sort of 'favour' for that weirdly dressed Hell Goddess, and Eientei is freaking huge."
"Touche, Hakurei."
Inside, the two Reisens sat side by side in silence. It was hard for either of them to find the right words to say at the moment. Just outside, Aunn and Shinmyoumaru stood guard, just in case.
"It's... strange," Rei'sen muttered. "A part of me's glad that I'm not the only one like... like this, but at the same time..."
"You feel like the only reason you're 'like this' is because you were chosen as my replacement?" Reisen finished, to which Rei'sen nodded. "You're not wrong to feel that way. I can assure you, I've had sleepless nights fearing for the Rabbit that would inevitably take my place up there." There was a moment more of silence, before Reisen spoke again. "If you don't mind me asking, where did Toyohime...
"The insides of my legs," Rei'sen responded, shivering. "Eight nights worth, and the last one is... rougher than the others, considering I fought back."
"Better than me, at any rate," Reisen laughed.
"You were injured. You couldn't have reasonably fought back," Rei'sen defended.
Another moment of silence followed. "Do you think... she bit as hard as she did to assert dominance?"
"Oh, let's not go there," Reisen sighed. "I do not want to think about that."
It was around noon that Marisa had returned, carrying Suika on her back.
"Yo," Reimu greeted. "Finally cooled your jets?"
"Much as we could," Marisa replied. "At least, without going to the Lunar Capital ourselves."
"Moon's a bitch, anyway," Suika muttered. "Pussy doesn't fight back."
"Well, you're chipper, aren't you?" Reimu commented, tossing the Oni her gourd.
Marisa put Suika back down, as the Oni began drinking heavily from the gourd. "So, where are those two?"
"Resting for the moment," Eirin answered. "I'm sure the emotional stress of it all was..." she looked back inside the shrine, and saw the two Rabbits in questioned waiting on them. "Okay, I'll hold that thought."
"You two alright?" Reimu asked.
"As alright as we can be, Reimu-san," Rei'sen responded. "Sorry we bothe... I mean," she stammered briefly, "thank you, for putting up with us."
Reimu smiled lightly, and patted Rei'sen gently on the head. "There. See? Wasn't so hard, was it?"
"Yeah! Gals like us make a living on helpin' folks!" Marisa stated. "For us, it's way more rewarding to hear just one thanks over a thousand apologies!"
Off to the side, Eirin and Reisen smiled. "And how about you, Udonge?" the doctor asked. "That was a rather bold move you made."
"I'm alright now," Reisen said. "It was... shaky at first, but I'm still glad I went as far as I did."
Eirin pat Reisen on the top of the head. "You've gone and matured quite a bit when I wasn't looking, haven't you?" she said. Then, she turned to face Rei'sen. "I'm asking this just to cover all bases, but I take it you wish to stay here?"
Rei'sen thought for a moment, and no longer. "Yes, ma'am," she responded curtly. "I... I want to stay in Gensokyo, and... I want to stay with Reimu-san!"
Reimu blushed fiercely. "I...idiot!" she shouted. "Couldn't you have phrased that better?"
"Eh?" Rei'sen muttered, before the implications of what she had just said dawned on her. "Ah! I... I'm sorry!" she stuttered, blushing intensely. "I didn't... I mean..."
Marisa, smirking, threw her arms around the Shrine Maiden and Lunar Rabbit. "Aw, you two get along so well!" she cooed. "Well, ya know what this calls for?"
"You're gonna say 'party', aren't you?" Reimu muttered.
"Damn straight I am!"
"Hell yeah!" Suika called out. "Booze for everyone!"
Reimu let out a small sigh, though she did seem to be smiling about it. "Guess it's happening, then."
"Um... are parties common here?" Rei'sen asked.
"Absurdly so," Reisen answered. "Usually, you can't go a week without there being at least two of them. And that's not even counting the ones thrown after an Incident, or big events like flower-viewing or moon-viewing."
"Well, in that case, you're going to need a lot of food," Eirin said. "Udonge and I will be back by, let's say, evening, with some supplies. How does that sound?"
"Like a good idea!" Marisa stated. "And as for you two," she pointed at Reimu and Rei'sen, "you're both gonna help gather up guests!"
Reimu and Rei'sen shared a look, smiled, and shrugged. Well, if it was going ahead, whether they wanted it to or not, they may as well put some effort into making it good.
Might as well make it a night worth remembering.
Down the halls of the Imperial Palace of the Lunar Capital, Yorihime walked with an expected sense of foreboding dread.
She had, after all, just been summoned to an audience with his majesty, Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto.
Tsukuyomi was, to put it bluntly, one of the most powerful beings alive. Powerful enough, even, to rival the sages of Gensokyo. Were he to put his mind to it, the Lunar Emperor could wipe out life on the impure Earth with a wave of his hand.
Suffice it to say, but he was someone you had to be very careful around.
Standing before the grand doors to the emperor's chambers, Yorihime took a deep breath, and forced them open.
The room was large and nearly empty, save for a paper screen at one end, where on the other side, the silhouette of a man sitting could be seen.
Walking up to it, Yorihime knelt down before the screen. "My lord, your humble servant, Watatsuki no Yorihime, has arrived," she said evenly. No response came, and after a good minute of silence, Yorihime looked up, puzzled. "Um... my lord?"
Just then, on the far side of the room, a door slid open, and out rushed a... remarkably young looking man. He dressed regally in white clothes trimmed with royal blue, yet it was blatantly obvious that he had dressed himself in a hurry. His hair, long and jet black, would have usually been neat and perfectly straight, had several strands pointing up in a dishevelled manner.
He hastily approached the screen, muttering something in embarrassment, and pulled it aside, revealing the the figure sitting behind it to be... a stone statue made in his image.
"Now, this is just embarrassing," the man muttered, as he picked up the statue with ease, and set it aside, before taking his seat and placing the tall hat he held on his head. "Why did I think yesterday was a good day to drink that much? Stupid, stupid Tsukuyomi!"
Yorihime blinked in bewilderment. It was at this moment that she had to remember one key piece of information:
More than being monstrously powerful, Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto was a very weird person. Casual might be a good way to describe him, actually. If he could, he probably would have walked into the room wearing slacks and a loose t-shirt.
Tsukuyomi cleared his throat. "I apologise for the delay, Yorihime-san," he said, putting on as regal a voice as he could have. "Thank you for being so punctual."
"It is no problem, my lord," Yorihime stated. "Might I ask why you were so indisposed?"
Tsukuyomi looked away sheepishly. "You may, but... I doubt you'd want to know," he said. "It's... rather inappropriate, given current circumstances." Another cough, before he regained his composure. "Now, I am sure you are wondering why I have called on you."
"I am, lord," Yorihime responded. "What can your humble servant do for you?"
Tsukuyomi let out a small sigh. "Yorihime-san, you are not 'my' anything," he said. "The way people speak when on the job is one thing, but I still dislike it when people act like I own them. Besides, the request I have for you... I would not fault you for hating me for it."
Yorihime could see where this was going. "It revolves around the recent actions of my sister, doesn't it?"
The emperor nodded sadly. "My aid has recently brought to my attention her... actions, over the past several decades since the end of the first Lunar War. The incident that resulted in your pet at the time, Reisen, abandoning the Capital for Earth, to recent, where... Rei'sen, did the same." He looked mildly off-put by something he said. "You know, I really have to wonder about your naming conventions, Yorihime-san. It's like... you're rubbing the fact that she's a replacement in her face!"
"You may thank my sister for that one," Yorihime admitted shamefully. "Though, I'll admit, I'm no better at naming. Now, what would you have me do?"
Tsukuyomi's expression turned solemn. "There is no easy way to put this," he said, "but Toyohime-san must be held accountable for her crimes. As such, I wish for you to acquire testimonies."
"Testimonies?" Yorihime asked. "Does that mean..."
"It does," he nodded. "While it is usually used as punishment, I wish for you to go down to Earth, to Gensokyo, and hear the stories of those two Rabbits."
When the meeting finally adjourned, and Yorihime set out on her mission, Tsukuyomi returned to his adjacent room with a slight sigh.
"What has our world come to?" he muttered, placing his hat down on the small table, next to a pair of sake cups and several empty bottles, then sitting down on the edge of the large bed. "It feels as if the attack from that Vengeful Spirit and Hell God have left such lasting wounds on us."
After the Incident that Gensokyo referred to as the 'Lunar Invasion', things in the Lunar Capital changed. The Rabbits had very quickly begun deserting en-mass, with only the most loyal staying behind with their 'Masters'. This had, in turn, caused a radical shift in how the Lunar Rabbits were to be treated. They were treated with more respect and autonomy, for one thing, since they now had the option of leaving.
Many had seen it as an insult to their pride as Lunarians. Tsukuyomi, however, decided to take it in stride. Even he had to admit that too much pride got boring after several centuries.
Calmly, he looked over at the other side of the bed, where the Lunar Capital's oldest Lunar Rabbit slept soundly, and smiled softly. She was one of his oldest comrades, quite possibly the only one that didn't leave Earth with him, and possibly the only person save for Yagokoro Eirin that he could say he loved from the bottom of his heart.
And he'll be damned if he lets any more of her people suffer from someone elses broken heart.
A/N:
Well, well, well. We meet again, Tsukuyomi. And this time, you get to be a good guy. Really, that's part of what I love so much about this series; you can turn anyone into a hero or villain, just by focusing more on different aspects of their character, and Tsukuyomi's such a blank slate, I can basically do whatever with him.
And on that topic, heroic Eirin. Bet no one saw that coming. I personally feel this interpretation of her is reinforced by some of her lines in Imperishable Night, where during Stage 5 with the Scarlet Team, she says that putting the sealed chamber around Earth was 'for the sake of the princess and this girl'. If that's not grounds to say that Eirin wouldn't go to hell and back for Reisen, I don't know what is.
Well, enough justifying myself. Let's press on.