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Enjoy.

Satori pulled her cloak tighter around herself, keeping her hooded head low to hide her face. Her third eye was held closer to her chest than normal, its cords kept tightly wrapped around her waist to keep from dangling below the hem of the cloak. She nearly tripped over an unseen rock on the cobblestone street, but she didn't cry out in alarm, otherwise she'd draw unwanted attention.

All around her the streets were alive and bustling with activity. In some ways it could be considered indistinguishable from a human village as merchants went about selling their wares and the younger denizens chased each other through the streets. However, these weren't humans, but the outcasts among youkai, chief among them being the oni. Coming in all shapes and sizes, the oni filled the town en mass, either partying in a state of drunken glee or otherwise going about their own personal business.

I can't believe they ran out of my favorite sake. That next shipment better get here soon.

Where did that little brat go? I only had my back turned for a moment and poof, gone.

Don't lose your temper. Just stay calm. Stay calm. So what if that stain on the earth rigged the bet and took all your money. Again. Just… Stay… Calm…

Hehe, sucker. Falls for it every time.

Something doesn't feel right. I can't place it, but ever since that chill I felt earlier something's been different. And I don't like it.

However, for her personal business was her business, whether she liked it or not. Of course, simply hearing them was one thing, but she was a satori, a mind reader, not mind listener, and with every thought came images along with it. Seeing through the eyes of others, not of what they were doing but of what they thought of doing, or remembered. And with the volatile temperaments of oni, those thoughts weren't always very pleasant…

"Just bear with it, Satori. Just get to the other end of town, find whatever kasha has the cart, and get a ride to the surface. Simple."

Satori knew that talking to herself wasn't the healthiest habit to have, and that it didn't do her any favors in avoiding the stereotypes associated with shut-ins, but she found over time that voicing her own thoughts helped push aside those of others. More importantly, it helped her stay focused on her goal, and right now her goal was to reach the outskirts of the town, where she knew was the quickest route for kasha to reach the surface, and where she would find one to carry her up there in Orin's wheelbarrow.

Oh, is that the latest issue of the Bunbunmaru?

Ugh… I think I had too much to drink…

Three whole bottles of sake. What a lightweight.

Of course, that was much easier said than done. One of the downsides to living in a palace with only the simple thoughts of animals to be heard, as Satori was now learning, was that her tolerance for dozens of trains of thoughts and the images that came with them had atrophied. Already she caught herself twice covering her ears and squeezing her eyes shut, futile as the gestures might be, in an effort to block the signals.

Perhaps it wouldn't be so bad if she had someone to talk to, provide her with a proper distraction, but would be asking for trouble. Satori already wasn't in the best state of mind to begin with and being out here where her mind was most vulnerable only put her even more on edge. However, she had a mission to do, one that she couldn't afford to fail, and if it meant she had to endure an unending attacks to her own mind then so be it.

She'd travel to the ends of the Earth to get back her friends.

That said, it certainly wasn't helping matters that most of the oni were living up to their reputation and partying like no tomorrow, hoots and hollers echoing out from across the town, punctuated by the occasional thunderous laugh. It was already taking a great deal of concentration for her to remain calm, not draw attention to herself, and keep moving, and the racket that sounded all around her made it all the more difficult.

A sudden uptake in mental chatter caught her by surprise, as if an entire crowd suddenly shouted directly into her head. Unable to bear it she stepped off to the side and into the shadow of a stack of crates, seeking a bit of privacy to calm herself.

"Focus," she told herself, clutching her third eye in both hands. "You can do this. It shouldn't be this crowed on the surface. It will be nothing compared to this. You just have to get there first."

Truth be told she would rather stay there in the safety of the darkness, but she didn't have time to spare. The more time spent in the Underground the more distance was put between her and her friends. So, she took another few seconds to regather her strength and took off once more… only for a particularly loud roar of laughter from a nearby building to immediately halt her in her tracks. With it came the anticipated wave of jumbled thoughts and blurred images of a party, but what really gave her pause was a feeling of some sort. It was hard to place, but it felt… nostalgic?

Against her better judgement Satori took a step towards the nearby window and peeked through, something within her needing to know what this sensation was. Inside were dozens of oni, all of them drinking, laughing, falling over each other in their inebriated states. One of them stood up and, for who knows what reason, tried to balance on a sideways bottle. Predictably, it almost instantly rolled out from under them, sending them falling to the ground in a heap. Laugher rang out at the display, even from the fallen oni themself.

Her cloak shifted, and out from underneath peered her third eye. She focused it on the gathering inside, an act she couldn't recall the last time she performed, but rather than the expected cacophony of voices what she heard instead wasn't as distinct, instead it more of a vague amalgamation of every joyous thought and feeling to be had. Not only that, but their minds were blank was well, focused solely on what was before them, not on what once was or what could be. They seemed to be having the time of their life, not a care in the world other than if the next drink would come from a cup or a bottle. All of them, laughing and carousing, just living and being, as one.

Satori lowered her eye, now knowing what it was that she felt.

Belonging.

Friendship.

Community.

Warmth.

Serenity.

All these things and so much more, rolled into one. The type of thing you can only find within the company of others, a sense of peace and fulfillment, and detachment from all other matters. A form of enlightenment, in a way, where one can truly stop and think to themselves 'I'm glad to be here, to see this. To be part of this. To be alive.'

It all sent a surge of sorrow through her heart.

How long had it been since the Palace had felt this way? So alive, so filled with merriment and cheer that it was impossible to hold in a smile? Without meaning to she found herself reminiscing, of times long past. Lounging in the den, music playing from that phonograph Orin bought on the surface. Orin herself, singing and dancing in the kitchen as she baked desserts. Okuu trying to snag some of the finished product only to get chased away laughing. Lying curled up together on the couch, under a blanket, reading their favorite book…

It felt like a lifetime ago, and probably was. So clear, yet distant. Satori couldn't recall the most recent time they'd all been so happy, and she found herself wondering: was that it? Were those days behind her now? Would she really be able to make amends for her mistakes and bring back those golden moments? Satori didn't have the answers, and she knew that trying to find them would only lead her back down a dark path, one she could already feel pulling at her, trying to reel her back in.

But she couldn't, wouldn't, give in. No, if she entertained these thoughts much longer then the flames that urged her forward would be extinguished and she would fall apart, and her journey would be over before it could even begin. There'd be no hope left of ever finding her friends again.

No hope.

None whatsoever…

…

…

The sound of a bottle breaking jolted Satori back to her senses. She gave her head a firm shake to clear it of those dismal, dangerous thoughts. Even with her mission providing a way forward, a goal for her to stay focused on, it was all too easy to fall prey to that kind of thinking, and staying here and seeing this reminder of what she longed for was not helping. Readjusting her cloak Satori spun on her heel and set off down the street.

Or she would have, had she not immediately run face first into someone.

"Easy there!"

Satori quickly reeled back, cursing herself under her breath for getting so distracted. Having retreated too quickly she would have fallen right onto her behind had a hand not landed on her shoulder. A large hand, she noticed.

What's with this kid?

Slowly Satori looked up.

And up.

And up.

It, or rather she, was an oni, the large horn protruding from her forehead made that obvious. Just looking at her Satori could tell that she was not someone to be messed with, her feminine face, figure, and loose-fitting kimono doing nothing to mask the aura of unparalleled strength that enveloped her. She didn't have the 'fight or flight' impulse very often, but right now a voice that sounded like her own was shouting 'Run!' from the back of her mind

She was also by far the single largest oni Satori had ever seen.

Now, Satori knew she was short. Orin could easily come up behind her and rest her chin on her master's head, and Okuu could do the same to Orin. And that's not hyperbole, they have the picture in the den to prove it. But this oni would have to stoop quite a bit to do the same to Okuu, who Satori knew to be the height of an average adult human man. Satori had never been self-conscious about her height before, but having to look so far up just to see this oni's face, so far up that she was getting a crick in her neck, made her feel especially miniscule.

Huh, now that I see her face, I guess she isn't a kid after all. Just short.

"Hey, somethin' the matter with you?"

There was no trace of malice in her face, words, or thoughts, but still Satori felt like she was cornered and found herself struggling to not run away as fast as she could. After some effort she stuttered out a response.

"I-I, um, I'm fine-"

No, you're not, that much is obvious. Why else would you be staring at the party like a lost pup?

Satori cut herself off, the oni's thoughts coming through just as her gaze hardened a smidge. 'Don't lie to oni, they detest liars!' that voice from before shouted at her again. She scrambled to correct her mistake, keenly aware of how heavy the hand her shoulder felt.

"W-Wait, actually no, I, I'm not fine. I'm not… fine…"

It was still difficult to admit it aloud, not helped at all by the presence of an imposing stranger. Even if she was aware of just how broken she felt, saying it out loud still felt like she was being hit in the gut with a hammer, pounding into her the truth of the situation, and how it was all her fault. She lowered her head, if only in an effort to hold herself together.

Poor thing, she's a nervous wreck. I wonder what happened to make her like this? Hmm, maybe a drink will help her relax. She certainly looks like she could use one.

Before Satori could even think of a way to refute the unspoken offer the oni clapped her on the shoulder, nearly knocking her over in doing so.

"Tell you what stranger, I stepped away from that party you were spying on just now to get some more drinks."

She held up a large sack, the clinking of many bottles confirming its contents.

"So how about you come inside and join us for a while, take the edge off of whatever's eating at ya?"

Although it was phrased as a question, Satori knew from the iron grip on her shoulder that she didn't have much say in the matter. And sure enough the oni didn't wait for an answer, turning her around and marching her straight towards the front door, towards the last place any mind reader, let alone a satori, would want to be. She briefly considered using her hypnotism to try and sneak away, make this oni forget all about her, but oni were more difficult to trick than normal youkai.

And if she tried and failed…

Satori tried not to think about that.

"Oh, the name's Yuugi, by the way."

She merely nodded as they approached the door, the noises within both heard and unheard becoming louder with each step. She braced herself, muttering words of encouragement under her breath.

"I can do this. For Orin and Okku, I can do this. It will all be fine…"

She really hoped those last words would hold true.

Hope you enjoyed. This chapter was going to be longer before I decided to split it up, so if it feels a bit rushed my apologies. Anyways, feel free to leave a review, otherwise thank you for reading and stay turned for more!