"Creek crock put in the pot, piss pearl, pork, and swill!"
Mimi peeks her head out the window to see a strange figure singing atop the carriage that is most definitely not supposed to be sitting there.
The carriage pulls to a halt. Using her tails, Mimi pulls her sisters from their seats and tugs them behind her protectively.
The strange figure leaps from the top of the carriage and cowers before her. It is a kasa-obake. Lighting a ball of foxfire, Mimi studies the beast with horrified fascination. The creature could only be described as looking like an animated parasol with one hairy leg that stands less than five feet. It looked like the creature is wearing a broken flip flop on a disturbingly human-looking foot on closer inspection. Mimi could see the creature is crying with its one large eye in the light of her foxfire.
"Wait! That's Mameki!" Dumplin cries, her voice heartbroken.
She could feel both Dumplin and Chen struggling in her tails, trying to get loose. Mimi hesitantly releases them, and both sisters immediately stand in front of the sobbing parasol. The foxfire disappears from her hands. As soon as Chen and Dumplin stand defensively in front of the creature.
"You know this . . . Mameki?" Mimi peers around her sisters to continue staring at the odd being.
"Yes! Please don't hurt him! He took really good care of us at Shen Manor," Chen begs as Dumplin is hugging the umbrella.
"Okay," Mimi puts her hand down, still trying to process this turn of events.
Mameki gently sets Dumplin down and hops to Chen, gently patting her shoulder, "Mameki is sorry. Mameki should have introduced Mameki to Eldest Fox. Mameki is coward and did not want to leave cubs. Would never hurt cubs! Loves little cubs!"
"I wouldn't say that's cowardly," Mimi smiles, deciding, for now, this Mameki was okay.
Bowing to the umbrella, Mimi friendly introduces herself, "My name is Minori. You can call me Mimi, though."
As she had intended, the atmosphere immediately settles down, and her sisters seem to gradually relax.
The parasol awkwardly bows at the waist, "I, Mameki."
"It's nice to meet you. What are you doing?"
The parasol licks its eyeball as if in deep thought, and Mimi feels a twinge of discomfort.
"Mameki keeps watch. Mameki doesn't drive."
Seeing the expression on Mimi's face, the parasol puts its hands in front of its face, "Because horses drive. Horses know!"
"I am aware of this," Mimi says cautiously, "When did you decide to join us?"
The parasol puts his hand over its chest and sways back and forth in anguish, "Mameki saw manor abandon cubs at Shen property line! Mameki took over! Mameki would never hurt or leave cubs!"
Feeling a little put off about being referred to as a cub by an umbrella that looked like a character from a Studio Ghibli film, Mimi hums thoughtfully.
"Just let me know if there is anything amiss," Mimi nods to the parasol and enters the carriage.
Feeling a little jealous, Mimi watches her sisters swarm the umbrella hugging it close.
"Mameki, are you really coming with us?" Chen asks, clutching the creature's talons in her own worriedly.
"Mameki will always help cubs. Mameki told you other night! Mameki will always be here for cubs!"
"But are you going to stay with us?" Dumplin tugs on the wrinkled purple arms.
"Mameki does not know cubs. Mameki does not know what barriers is like. Now go sleep; Mameki is here."
Chen and Dumplin don't look comforted but do as the parasol says quietly. They enter the carriage with Mimi and lay into her at once.
"Please, eldest sister. We need Mameki," Chen wrings her hands at Mimi beseechingly.
"We need Mameki," Dumplin repeats, her eyes huge and watery.
"How do you know he is a friend?" Mimi asks skeptically.
"He took care of us when we thought no one else would," Chen growls, and Mimi could see sparks of foxfire glow on Chen's shoulders and the tips of her tails.
This is the first time Mimi has seen foxfire on Chen. She needs to tread carefully, but she did not fully trust this Mameki.
"He brings us food, scares the ghosts away," Dumplin adds, pulling on her hand, "he tells us stories and loves us!"
This is all she needed to hear; skepticism and slight jealousy aside, Mimi smiles, "I'll figure out how to get him into our accommodations."
"You promise?" Chen demands with a growl, baring her teeth at Mimi.
Sighing, Mimi crosses her heart, "I swear I will do everything in my power to make sure you and Dumplin are not separated from Mameki."
This seems to satisfy the girls enough for them to curl up together and fall asleep. When she is sure that they won't wake up soon, Mimi leaps out the window to sit on the carriage near the kasa-obake.
Mameki doesn't seem surprised by the guest and continues to look over the terrain.
"Do you mind if I sit with you?" Mimi asks politely.
"Mameki does not mind," but he does not look at her.
"You can stay with the girls for as long as you want," Mimi eyes the parasol, awaiting a reaction.
"Thank you," the almost papery tone of the voice made it difficult to hear.
"How long have you known the girls?"
Mameki rolls its large eye in thought and counts its fingers, "Mameki has been since cub Chen is four. Heard cub crying in bed long time."
"So long?" Mimi asks, putting her head in her hands.
"Yes," Mameki sat awkwardly, dangling its broken flip flop off the carriage seat.
"Can you tell me why they just left the kids to themselves?"
"Mameki thinks is power. Lord Shen big fox no power now. Mameki sees he sits amongst power. Little cubs no power. Mameki hide little cub Chen's power. Big fox hurt little cub for power. Mameki think big fox goin drain little cub."
"Lord Shen would drain Chen's power?" Mimi represses her growl, trying not to spook the parasol.
Looking closer at the parasol, she could see small child drawings on the parchment; she smiles and relaxes a little more.
"Mameki think brooch drains Big Fox power. Mameki see he drain big cubs with big power."
"Do you think the older children can get away?" Mimi asks, tails swishing in the cold air.
"Not unless Big Fox dies. Mameki think Big Fox drunk on big cub power. You go back for big cubs?"
Mameki did not seem very hopeful about the prospect of returning to Shen Castle.
"I don't know. I changed Yongrui into a koi. Yuanjun is dead. I promised I would go back for Shun. But I want to get the girls settled in."
Mameki is quiet for an extended period before whispering, "Yuanjun dead?"
"He asked me to," Mimi contemplates the parasol, "he begged me to."
The parasol folds and unfolds uncomfortably.
"Did you see him try to protect Chen and Dumplin? That is what he told me before he died. That he loved them."
"Mameki, see. Mameki could always see. But big cub scare little cubs. Scare Mameki. Done wrong."
"What do you mean 'done wrong'?" Mimi shivers at the possibilities.
"Big cub lost twin. Went mad," Mameki claims, his voice somewhat shaky.
"Are you telling me that Ying brought Yuanjun back from the dead?"
"No. Big fox make trade for necromancer—bad deal. Yuanjun made wrong. Big fox cheap. Cheat necromancer. Big fox want Ying happy. More happy more power. But Ying sad."
Mimi breathes, "How do you know this?"
"Mameki spirit. See spirit. See spirit broken heart."
"How . . . How did her twin die?"
Contemplating the question, Mameki scratches its torn parchment.
"Mameki think twin tried run. Big Fox's wife accidentally kill. Big cub went mad."
"Wait," Mimi felt a coldness begin to form in the pit of her stomach, "You said Lord Shen's wife accidentally killed Yuanjun?"
"Yes," but Mameki would not say anymore.
Mimi lays on her back to stare at the clouds. It was something Sara often liked doing. Hunting for the most imaginative shapes in the skies.
"Big cub turn bad cub to koi?"
Bemused at the term of address, Mimi continues, "You can call me Mimi. He tried to . . . put Dumplin in the stove. Chen was ready to hit him with a makeshift sword. I figured I was in the right."
"Mameki is proud of big cub. Does big cub know Big fox eat koi?"
Mimi looks at her claws, turning over to lay on her stomach, "It occurred to me after. Seemed fair."
Mameki made a rustling paper clicking noise, and Mimi realized he was laughing.
"Mameki, think it fair."