Chapter 4: A Little Girl's Premonition
"Kuriya…Kumoya…?" Mimicked Kokoro, confusion present in her tone. She had never heard of such a girl, yet the girl seemed familiar with her even before the prior class. "I would assume you've never heard of me…That's quite alright, I am rarely a presence in this village." Kuriya drew her hand back since Kokoro was not open to shaking it and brushed her ponytail, elaborating calmly "Do you have any questions on that inquisitive young mind of yours?"
Kokoro flinched, shocked that the girl could read her emotionless face so easily, and with a cautious glare she said "Why do you want me to ask you questions?" A mature but docile smile crossed Kuriya's lips as she looked ahead "Answers can only exist if a question is presented…Mysteries cannot be solved without hints provided…The unknown cannot be understood if you fear to approach it…" was what she said while slowly leaning towards Kokoro.
Laying a finger on the direct center of the menreiki's chest, Kuriya looked into her eyes and held the parasol over her back. "So do you wish to understand me, Hata no Kokoro?" Kuriya's words and her delicate touch sent an odd chill through Kokoro's body, her skin raising goosebumps in response, but even so nothing was telling her to ignore this strange girl. Eyebrows raised, Kokoro made her motives clear "I-I'd like to know why you're interested in me…"
Kuriya backed off immediately and after a dainty spin that lightly coiled her dress the parasol was over her shoulder again and she said "How can I not be a little intrigued? It's not every day you get to hear of a Youkai that is willingly allowed within the Human Village. Though then again, I suppose tsukumogamis by nature never feast on humans to survive…" She continued her casual manner of speech, reminding Kokoro a lot of Remilia in her politer moments…But with a lot more maturity behind her posture and words.
Still, Kokoro felt she would get nowhere unless she was more direct, so she asked while Kuriya perked her head with intrigue "Kuriya, if you don't mind me asking…What are you doing in this village? Your clothes' don't look like they fit in with the rest of the villagers…" "And that's true…" Kuriya said while observing the glances of the curious adults around her, followed by her mentioning "As I said, I rarely come to this village. The reason being that I don't live here."
Before any further inquires were made, someone called out "Miss Kuriya, there you are." Kuriya glanced back and saw as a tall and beautiful woman wearing a silk dark blue robe and having a short blonde hair cut covered a bit by her rounded cap. Her eyes were a little beastly in appearance, but her gaze was motherly towards Kuriya. Kokoro made the immediate assumption "Is this your mommy…?" and Kuriya looked at her and said after a giggle "Calling her my mother figure would be more…apposite. She takes care of me inside of her personal domain."
"Is…Is she a Youkai?" Kokoro whispered to not attract attention, and the girl nodded her head. Needless to say Kokoro was surprised by that, but Kuriya gestured out and said "I am going to return home now…You can come with me if you want, Kokoro." With so many questions still plaguing her mind, Kokoro agreed without hesitation, which brought a smile to the girl's face before she faced her mother figure and said "We can return now, if you're ready."
"Of course, Miss Kuriya." The woman said with a short nod, her sleeves in front of her head.. The woman then turned around and all three of them walked to the edge of the village, where the woman waited for not a single human to be in sight before pulling out an odd curved needle and poking the fabric of reality in front of her to slowly rip open a vibrant gap, and as the woman goes through Kuriya looks to Kokoro and says politely "After you, Hata no Kokoro." She bows and steps aside, and while staying cautious Kokoro walks into the portal.
Time and space warp around her a bit, making her feel a little woozy as she steps out the other side without any time passing. As Kuriya comes through behind, Kokoro gets a grip and looks at where she ended up, finding a rather light veil of fog across the landscape in front of her. There were many houses like the ones in the human village, but not a single inhabitant could be found. It was very quiet, unnaturally so, and until the strange woman lit a blue-flame lamp to cast aside most of the fog around her it was hard to see clearly. Kuriya stood before Kokoro as she was consumed with confusion and said "Welcome to the Mayohiga, the village between worlds."
Kokoro looks at the girl and blinked as she twirled around and advanced forward with an air of nonchalance around her. "This is…your home?" Kokoro asked, Kuriya replying quickly "It has been for most of my life, ever since I wandered into Gensokyo." Kuriya saw Kokoro's puzzled expression and once more was quick to respond "But if you would be so kind, I would like to wait until we got to my home before we do anymore questions. Go on ahead, Kokoro and I shall catch up soon." The second sentence was clearly directed to the woman, who nods and quietly and swiftly vanishes from sight.
"Come along now!" Kuriya said with some energy before trodding along, Kokoro following close behind. Throughout their short journey, Kokoro kept focusing on the houses and how empty they were, and Kuriya was able to identify her curiosity with a glance back. "Who knows why this place has houses…Not even the one who takes care of me knows the truth. But save for one, all of them look the same, so it's easy to find my home."
A gesture out is all it takes for Kuriya to draw Kokoro's attention to a large abode, a building shaped like a large "L" that's decorated with fancy red eaves and had a dragon-like pattern on it's walls. It also had a visibly vibrant garden that definitely stood out within the fog, especially with the blue flame lamps surrounding it. In the center of the garden was a fancy glass table adorned with a pearly cloth, and the mysterious woman had tea already poured in a couple of ceramic cups as the two girls approached.
The woman backed off and pulled a chair out for Kuriya, offering to take her parasol only for the girl to decide instead to keep it laid against the back of her chair. The woman then swiftly ended up behind Kokoro and pulled her chair out, remarking quietly "You may ask for whatever dessert you desire, as the honored guest of Miss Kuriya I insist you do so." The woman then vanished without a trace as Kokoro looked back, followed by Kuriya guiding her attention with "I would recommend the Lemon Tarts, but you can do what you wish."
Kuriya lifted the tea cup up and took a sip with a serene look on her face, and Kokoro said dryly "How can I even ask for dessert if she left?" The woman then suddenly returned and placed cupcake in front of Kokoro, with sprinkles put on to make it look like Kokoro's face, with the strawberry frosting acting as her hair. Kokoro was flabbergasted as the woman bowed and fled once more. "Well I believe that's one mystery solved…" Kuriya said with quiet jolliness before placing the cup onto her plate.
Kokoro glanced at Kuriya, who laid her hands atop her legs and said "You should really have a little tea first, Kokoro." As the menreiki looked at the cup Kuriya explained "It's an oolong blend…The leaves were hand-picked from the Tengu gardens, and the spices were divinely mined from the Underground itself. The territories may be opposites, but their foods blend together to create a single, absolutely PERFECT whole." There was certainly some hints of enthusiasm, but she kept calmly mostly.
Kokoro took the cup to her lips and sipped the tea, quickly becoming enamored by it's rich and divine flavor, exactly as Kuriya described it to be. Kokoro's young taste buds adapted to any tiny flaws the tea might have, and she was able to swallow it with a joyous hum. Due to how hot it was though, Kokoro had to hold off on having more for now. Thankfully, she had a nice cold cupcake to compliment her tea, and she took a bite of that without hesitation. Kuriya said "My my, you are certainly enjoying yourself" as she observed Kokoro stuffing her face with the cupcake that looked like her face.
The cupcake was gone in a matter of seconds, impressing Kuriya a little as Kokoro let out a cute burp and immediately put her hand on her mouth in embarrassment. Kuriya chuckled and said "No need to feel embarrassed, you are around understanding company." Kokoro looked at the girl and slowly moved her hand away, remembering what she had been wanting to say as the quiet chill in this realm finally gripped her again. "Kuriya…What's with this place? Why do you live here instead of the Human Village?" Kokoro bluntly inquired.
"Ah, so now we return to our conversation. A pity, I thought you wouldn't be direct so soon…" Kuriya said, laying her cup down before brushing one of her ponytails and commenting "Mayohiga is, as I said, the village between worlds…Specifically, it borders between Gensokyo and the outside world." "The…outside world?" The concept was familiar to Kokoro, having met a strange girl from there not long ago. Kuriya affirmatively nodded her head and glanced aside to the fog drenched landscape.
"If Gensokyo is a fantasy made real, and the outside world is reality made fantasy…Then I suppose you could call this place the net that filters the two concepts and decides what gets to stay and leave. When something is forgotten in the outside world, it passes through here on it's way to Gensokyo before materializing as a Youkai or perhaps something else entirely…Likewise, something that is forgotten in Gensokyo reincarnates into a new idea within the outside world. And thus the process repeats time and time again…"
Kuriya realized she was getting a little winded with her explanation and smiled at Kokoro, meeting her puzzled expression with a response of "Or so my caretaker told me…" "So…then I passed through here once before without knowing it…?" Kokoro was puzzled even as she tried to put together what was said, but Kuriya gave a nod and brandished a hand before stating "I'd imagine it was before you became a tsukumogami, but what would I know? That would be before my time…"
Kuriya's chuckle was intertwined with Kokoro asking "How long have you been here for though?" There was a swift response as though the girl had the question predicted ahead of time "Since I was very young…Can't remember the exact age. Kokoro, how old would you figure yourself to look to be?" It was an odd inquiry, but Kokoro replied "Ummm…" She didn't exactly have a good idea to go on, since most of the people she hung around were hundreds of years old.
"Maybe…14?" Kokoro muttered unconfidently, and Kuriya said "Then perhaps I would be the same age. What I'm trying to get at though is another nature of the Mayohiga. You see, for it to be a 'net' between realms, it would make sense for there to be an entrance and an exit point. In the outside world, there is a worn down copy of Hakurei Shrine around where Gensokyo used to be before the barrier was erected. On occasion, things that end up around there get dragged to Mayohiga itself. Lost items, toys…humans especially. And I am one of those humans who got dragged here by accident."
"Hmmm…?" Kokoro paid close attention with interest on her mind as Kuriya further explained "Let me make one thing clear…Humans who end up in Mayohiga can be quite unlucky. More often than not, they are eaten alive the moment they wander into Gensokyo, even if given proper warnings. Others wander into the Human Village and take sanctuary there…I am the lone exception, as the caretaker of Mayohiga, the Blue-Flame Reaper Kitsune, seemed to take pity on me…And allowed me to stay here."
"How nice of her…" Kokoro said honestly, but then inquired "But isn't it hard to stay here with just a single Youkai? Don't you get…lonely?" Kuriya chuckled at her guest's empathetic plight and said "I don't think I could ever really relate to many others, given my circumstances. But I do occasionally like to leave Mayohiga and see what's going on in Gensokyo…Otherwise, my information comes from my caretaker."
"Now comes the part where I address 'Kuriya, why are you interested in me'? Do you remember that question, Kokoro?" The menreiki nodded her head, and Kuriya was clearly pleased in the way she smiled and leaned forward while putting her elbows atop the table. "During my time of listening about Gensokyo, I heard of a particular tsukumogami who had caused two incidents, but yet was as kind as could be. I thought that was quite peculiar, so I had my caretaker look more into it. A kind Youkai is odd enough, but surely they couldn't be responsible for any incidents?"
Kokoro looked aside in embarrassment towards herself, but Kuriya went on merrily with "And yet the oddest thing was not that the stories were true, but that both times you fixed up the messes made. You defeated the three religious leaders who had fool heartedly used the chaos to their advantage, and you stopped the Celestial who had manipulated you." This cheered Kokoro up as she was shocked by the girl's praise, followed by Kuriya commenting "There's just something I find…fascinating about that. I've heard of many incidents, but none of them resolved by the person that caused them in the first place."
Kokoro was puzzled by that, leading to Kuriya elaborating "The immature vampire, the specter of the Netherworld, the Lunarians to name a few…But I could go on that for a while based on what I heard from my caretaker, and I know you want me to move on." Kokoro nodded her head and the girl moved on to say while laying her hands down "Tell me Kokoro, how did you feel about solving those incidents? How do you feel in general about helping others?"
"H-Huh?" Kokoro had to compose herself from the surprise she felt, and she looked around while fidgeting in confusion. Kuriya was patient though, even as it took a minute before Kokoro could say "Umm…I-I just like helping others. Even when everyone else tried their best to help me cope without the Mask of Hope, mommy was the only one who I sensed feeling genuine about it…M-Maybe she's my inspiration for wanting to help others, and so I suppose…" her heart then starts to beat warmly against her chest, while Kuriya commented "You feel good solving incidents because it leads to less conflict, perhaps?"
Kokoro, hands clenched against her chest, stared blankly at Kuriya and said with some uncertainty "Y-Yes? I-I mean…" "There's no need to feel embarrassed about that. Can I share a truth with you, Kokoro?" Kuriya said before suddenly getting off her chair, taking her parasol over her shoulder as she walked around the table and continued to say "The reason, perhaps, that I have difficulty relating with others is all a matter of preference…"
Kuriya looks to the sky and says "Let us both be real, many people in Gensokyo can be quite selfish…Specifically it's major players like the Hakurei shrine maiden and the vampire. So because of that someone like you, a selfless Youkai, is quite refreshing to see." Kuriya offered Kokoro her hand to get off the chair, and the menreiki complied while staring at the girl's complex expression. "Between your selfless behavior, desire to remove conflict, and friendly if not timid demeanor…Perhaps it would be apt to call you a hero…?"
Kuriya's comment left Kokoro reeling back in surprise, followed by Kuriya laying a finger against her lips and whispering "Or rather, you have the makings of one. I suppose I shouldn't be so quick to label you that, my apologies." After a sincere nod, Kuriya turned around while Kokoro stuttered "A-A hero? M-Me?" She looked at herself nervously with her fists clenched and murmured "…I-I don't think that's right…I've made some very bad decisions…Some mistakes I'm still trying to fix…"
"Just like any other hero, I would be so bold to say." Glancing over her shoulder, Kuriya smiled as Kokoro looked her in the eyes, only for the girl to once more face the sky and comment "Sometimes stories pass through the dimensions to Mayohiga as well…They tell of heroes out there who can bend the elements to their wills, of machines with the free will to face the war of mavericks with duty to the humans in their hearts, and even of simple plumbers who stand against the tyranny of those who would harm the peace of the planet they love. Heroes come in many shapes and sizes, they have different hopes and dreams, and they all make mistakes just like the common folk around them. Mistakes are what bind heroes to their humanity, even if they are gods…"
Kuriya turned to face Kokoro and said "Or a Youkai like you." This made Kokoro perk up for a moment, though she once again looked aside and doubted her ability to be a hero. Kuriya picked up on that even without the menreiki emoting and said "Follow me Kokoro, I want to show you something." Kuriya then walked towards her house without Kokoro responding, confident in the menreiki following her out of the curiosity she had shown before. Kokoro walked slowly after Kuriya as she made it to the porch and pushed aside the shutter, dust falling down to the ground in a cloud that they wait to pass before entering.
Kuriya strolls through the room, stepping over some broken crates until she walks past a cloth covering what looked to be a fancy mirror. She then twirled around and held a hand up to stop Kokoro, mentioning "Give me a second" before pulling that cloth right to the ground without disrupting the mirror behind it. Kuriya then used the front of one of her shoes to mark an "X" in the dust in front of the mirror, asking "Please step here Kokoro and look at the mirror."
"What is this mirror?" Kokoro inquired, gazing towards the gilded gold frame that wrapped around the mirror itself, which could reflect the image of even the tallest person in Gensokyo. Kuriya, eyelids closed, responded "This is-" but stops herself with a shake of her head and saying in a ditzy tone "This is one mystery you can solve by looking into the mirror. I'll tell you more afterwards."
Kuriya stepped aside so Kokoro could stand in front of the mirror, but the menreiki approaches it slowly because something still didn't sit right with her. However, as she finally glanced at the mirror, she could not have imagined seeing what she saw at that moment. She was looking at herself, of course, but the reflection was not a perfect match. The her in the mirror was a few inches taller, with longer and prettier hair, her figure being a little fuller but her clothes remaining the same just adjusted to fit her more mature size, with the skirt being long enough to be a full on dress gown.
However, what struck Kokoro's attention the most was the fact that the expression of the her in the mirror showed surprise all on her own, no masks were needed to get that across. Kokoro stood there looking at her maturer self for a few seconds, frozen and unable to comprehend what was going on until she decided to test something. Lifting her fingers to her cheeks, Kokoro tried to think about smiling as hard as she could, and her in the mirror cracked a genuine smile right in tune with Kokoro's thoughts.
Poking at her cheeks near the edges of her mirror self's smile, Kokoro could actually feel a smile there even though she shouldn't normally. Kokoro tried a frown while keeping the fingers in place, and she could feel the mouth move. She quickly went back to a smile and stared at it for a few seconds, and she indulged in a bit of innocent narcissism as she thought about how cute her smile looked. However, her examination came to an end when a woman with a purple ribbon covered dress, long blonde hair, and a large parasol similar to Kuriya's appears in the mirror behind the "reflection" of Kokoro. "My my, what a charming smile you have, Kokoro." The person said gently, and in shock Kokoro turned around only to find Kuriya standing behind her looking just as she always does. The feeling of the smile Kokoro had was now gone as well, and she rubbed her face while missing that sensation already.
"W-What was that?" Kokoro inquired while staring blankly at Kuriya, who drew her hand out and said "What you just gazed into was the Mirror of Future Desires. It shows the future of a person who gazes into it based on what they desire, even if it's deep within their subconscious. You saw your future self within that reflection, Kokoro." Kokoro glanced back at the mirror to see her older self there again, with Kuriya stating "And you know what I get from that reflection? That someday, you shall be a hero…A hero that has undone all conflict in Gensokyo and been given a reason to smile all the time on your own, no masks to restrain you."
Kokoro looked to her future self in the mirror and began to walk towards it, drawn by the desire to feel a smile on her own again. But Kuriya stepped forth and grabbed her raised arm, commenting gently "I would advise against that" and after getting the menreiki back away from the mirror she smiled and commented "The flaw in the mirror is that it's very alluring to look at. The closer you are when you look at it, the stronger the pull, get too close and you will be consumed by the reflection entirely" brushing aside her ponytail she added "…or so the legend says."
"It…It felt so good though…Like I was really my future self for a moment…I could feel the smile on my face…" Kokoro said in melancholy as she once more feels her face, but Kuriya lays a hand down atop of one of hers and points out "It shows just how easy it is for the mirror to trick someone." Kuriya casually flipped her parasol around to throw the cloth back onto the mirror just so Kokoro wouldn't be lured anymore. "So…What do you think? Are you a little more accepting of the idea of becoming a hero?"
Kuriya's inquiry was met with a distant stare from Kokoro, who then looked away and said with a stutter "I-I don't know still…" "I suppose it's something to keep in mind then, Kokoro. I am putting my faith in whatever decision you make." Kuriya said, and after a pause where Kokoro gazed at her puzzled the girl said "I have nothing else to really say at the moment though. I imagine you have some things you wish to take of back in Gensokyo before the morning light drops from the sky, so perhaps we can pick up this conversation another time."
"W-What?" Was all Kokoro had a chance to say before the strange woman appeared behind her and a gust from an opening rift blew Kokoro's hair forward. The woman stepped aside as the menreiki turned and said "I hope you have enjoyed your time here, Hata no Kokoro." Kokoro looked back at Kuriya for a moment, still left with a few questions on her mind, but decided she's pursue them later. "I-I'll think about what you said, Kuriya…" She remarked before making her way through the portal, which is shut with a wave of the woman's hand.
When Kokoro was gone, the woman takes her hat off to reveal a pair of fox ears and comments "Well Lady Yukari, it seems things have gone smoothly so far." It turns out the 'Blue-Flame Reaper Kitsune' was actually Ran, and this means Kuriya could only be Yukari Yakumo. Yukari looked at Ran and said "To some extent it did. This is only the first part of my plan, after all. You would be wise to remember that Ran. Now the next step is up to you. Plant the thing I created within the Tengu newspaper, and make sure it is sent out without a hitch."
"I shall do that without fail, Lady Yukari." Ran bowed and then turned, opening another rift with the needle given to her, and Yukari turns to face the mirror. She pulls the cloth down and stands very close to it, but this time when she looks into it she sees something different. Her real self stood there with the shadow of another girl standing behind her, her back turned but her clothes clearly being a pale-blue blouse and blue-purple skirts, while she wears a white mob cap atop her blonde hair. Yukari looked down and saw a couple chains stuck through her body and the girl's as well.
In a matter of seconds the chains were consumed with fire along with the girl behind her, and a boy with fiery red eyes and a frightening grin crept up behind Yukari, who docilely closed her eyes and looked away from the mirror without being lured by it's vision. "So it seems we're still moving forward with these events yet again…Shall the fantasizing girl ever truly break free from these chains of fate? Or will she forever be a Phantasm drifting through history's infinitely repeating cycle of death and destruction? Show her a way free of these chains if you can, Kokoro…" Yukari said before moving her young body through a gap…
Next Time: The Headless Wonder