Chapter 8: Masked Hero…Hata no Kokoro?

From the bamboo forest to the Youkai Mountains, Kokoro took Tenshi with her to make amends to one other person they had wronged. Tenshi clenched her teeth as the mountains approached, leaving her to preach her concerns with "Uh, hold up a second Kokoro." The menreiki stopped and turned on a dime.

"I'm not wrong…You're taking me UP the mountain right?" Kokoro nodded, and Tenshi sighed before crinkling her forehead with gritted teeth. Kokoro could even feel the irritation radiating around her tense body.

"With that mountain shrine with that wack-job shrine maiden and the two goddesses?" Another nod did not make Tenshi feel any better, leading her to then say with grueling hesitation "Great…Just great. I don't want to wait to find out later Kokoro, what is your plan to help these people out? I'm not going to throw three more spell card duels."

"That's not necessary. We can just ask if they need help and go from there. I'm sure goddesses have a lot that need to be done."

"Well fine, so long as we aren't dragged into their religious propaganda. Though I guess that wouldn't worry you, huh?"

"…Uhhhh…" Kokoro started scratching the side of her face and looked away from Tenshi, who didn't quite understand her response until she took a little bit to think it over, and she was gave a shocked expression before exclaiming in an exasperated tone "You somehow haven't chosen a religion?!"

"M-Mommy and daddy want me to decide for myself…I don't know which one fits me." Kokoro said with some slight embarrassment in her voice. Tenshi paused, then glided over on her keystone and patted Kokoro's back, and her attention was grabbed.

"I don't know anything about that stuff, but I'm sure you'll figure it out. You don't need to worry about that now. Lets just get to the top of the mountain and see what those cranky goddesses will have to say." After a couple more pats Tenshi backed off, but look concerned as Kokoro started coughing again.

"Just…promise me when we're done you'll go home and rest?" She asked, and Kokoro faintly nodded before looking towards the rough mountainside and feeling the chill blowing against her hair.

"Thank you…Tenshi." She murmured with noticeable joy, and Tenshi proudly grinned from ear to ear while laying her arms behind her head to say "Aw shucks, you know I got your back Kokoro." The menreiki gave her a slightly piercing glance with just a bare turn of the head, and Tenshi giggled a little.

"Well ok, but I won't betray your trust. You get that part, right?" Kokoro raised her brows and nodded confidently enough, and with a thumbs up from Tenshi the two were ready to ascend at long last. It was a fast flight up the mountain, their attention distracted only by the working Kappa halfway up, but eventually the duo made it to a lone shrine at the very peak of the tallest mountain. It existed amongst what little clouds there were, a vast pond off to the left of it and the stairs to it directed with many red toriis.

The shrine at the top was bigger than the Hakurei Shrine but still small enough that it could be reasonably seen as a house like what was in the Human Village. A rope was atop the shrine, and Tenshi smirked as she lifted her head to look at it. "You know I didn't notice that the last time. It's a hymenia. Heh!"

"Oh, mommy told me about those before. They ward off evil spirits."

"Or angry gods. If there's one this big here, the Moriyas must be holding back something REALLY powerful." There was a bit of mischievous smirk on Tenshi's face as she rubbed her chin vigorously, but Kokoro swiftly held her hand up and said "And for good reason. Lets not even ask about it."

As Kokoro made her way for the door, she heard Tenshi's sigh of disappointment followed by her playful chuckle. The wood on the steps of the shrine creaked as Kokoro raised her hand to knock on the wooden part of the shutters, but then she's taken aback when the shutter suddenly slides open and a person stands before them with a brimming smile and an emotional proclamation of "Welcome to the Moriya Shrine! Can we take your faith today?!"

It was a girl with a blue and white shrine maiden outfit complete with detached sleeves and ruffled skirt. Her green hair was ruffled as well and cut short, some of it tied into a pigtail by a metallic grey-blue snake, and a frog clip was buried in the top of her hair. At the moment her eyes were closed, but it didn't take long for her to peer them open and glance down into Kokoro's widened eyes. Immediately whatever excitement she had was flushed from her face as she went a little pale, and that was before she looked up and saw Tenshi casually having at her.

Grimacing with her side of her mouth twitching, the girl named Sanae Kochiya leapt back and held her arms out in front of her as if she was doing a pose seen in karate films before proclaiming "So you have returned at last villains! I shall not fall for your sorcery again!" Kokoro looked the girl in the eyes and felt burning determination locked behind those pupils, and for a second even the crackle of flames echoed in Kokoro's ears.

The menreiki let out a gulp and raised a shaking hand, but another voice spoke out before she could. "Sanae, what's got you fired up today?" It was a more youthful but at ease voice, and the person speaking that way hopped into view before Sanae a moment later. This person wore a straw brown hat with a couple frog eyes atop it, along with having a simple purple-blue dress with a frog print design, white sleeves stitched to the torso, and a white collar. Her hair was short and blonde, and her eyes were as grey as fog. Saying she hopped was chosen in particular because she was hunched over like a frog, as if her motif needed to be made anymore obvious.

The girl, who going by her name of Suwako Moriya would suggest ran the shrine, swerved to look at her guests and then Sanae's fired up expression, also seeing the flames burn in her pupils before glancing back at the casual smile Tenshi had and the cautionary but polite stance Kokoro was putting before her. It didn't take long for Suwako to stand up and wave a sleeve out to the guests, saying to them "Oh hey, you're those guys who livened things up back then!"

Smirking behind her other sleeve, Suwako's eyes narrowed before she asked Sanae "Kanako is within earshot, isn't she?" Sanae nodded her head hard enough twice that she could've pounded a nail into a board, and after some muffled chuckling Suwako looked to her guests and said "This was going to be a pretty dull day without you guys, so thanks ahead of time!"

"But we aren't trying to…" Kokoro only got so far until her voice was drowned by Suwako exclaimed "Hey Kanako! The people that made you more submissive than usual are here again!"

"What are you talking about?! That never happened!" A more rough but authoritative voice echoed through the shrine, but with a quiet guffaw Suwako said jovially as Sanae glanced at her "I don't know Kanako…You suuuuuure you don't remember the pink-haired Youkai with masks and the blue-haired Celestial?"

Suwako dropped her sleeve to reveal her smile as everything went silent for a little while, followed by some thunderous footsteps approaching closer and closer until Sanae's presence was completely obscured by the powerful goddess that stood in front of her, armed with four floating large iron rods behind herself. She wears a puffy red shirt with long white sleeves and a round mirror on her large chest. Her skirt was black with a red flower print. Her hair was blue and radiated intensity, and her eyes as perfectly red as blood. She burned her emotions into Kokoro and Tenshi's eyes, a scowl on her face. Suwako just chuckled as Kanako clenched her fists and was getting perhaps a bit too worked up.

"You got some nerve coming back here again after what you did…! Have you come to give your prayers in hopes of mercy, or to be delivered a final punishment for your blasphemy?!" Contrasting the excitement Sanae had, Kanako's voice was nothing but pure, unbridled rage. She was a goddess, she had every right to be pissed for being forced to submit to someone else, but that didn't make things any easier for Kokoro's plans.

"Nothing can ever be easy in Gensokyo…But what was it Mami said?" While she had time to do so, Kokoro calmed herself in the face of Kanako's overwhelming presence and laid a finger on her chin, remembering advice the tanuki gave regarding the goddess of the Moriya Shrine. Looking back at Tenshi, she saw the Celestial's legs quivering just the tiniest bit, something that was very rare to see from her, but with her mind racing to fix this situation Kokoro looked up at Tenshi hat and pointed to it.

"Tenshi, give her the peach on your hat." Kokoro whispered, but Suwako seemed to hear that as she raised a brow before turning to Kanako and asking "You sure spilling blood on our shrine is wise?"

"There's other means of divine punishment, Suwako. I think death would be too simple for the Celestial, but the punishment of the menreiki should be simpler if not lasting." Kanako's scathing words led to Kokoro gulping as Tenshi reached for the peach and took it off her hat, feeling how off it was right away.

"What, you want me to give this up as an offering?" Kokoro nodded her head to Tenshi's sarcastic quip, the Celestial surprised enough that she reactively almost crushed the peach, but then she looked to Kanako as she was discussing punishment options with Suwako while Sanae tried to get involved to no avail.

"Ahem!" Tenshi broke their conversation with a forced, echoing cough and then stepped forward. Kanako was on edge, but was stunned when the Celestial suddenly got on one knee and hoisted the peach up in front of her. It rested on her palms, balanced so perfectly that the strongest quake could not disturb it. Kokoro stayed back, eyes widened in shock as Tenshi said in a respectful tone "Mighty goddess, accept this offering from the heavens that I bequeath onto you."

"U-Unbelievable…" Kokoro's mouth was agape. There was no sarcasm, no scathing remarks. Nothing about that sentence could have possibly come from Tenshi's mouth, and yet Kanako was smiling a little bit with her rage rapidly subsiding from her body. She took on a more dignified arm fold and Suwako let out a dejected ribbit. Kanako stepped forward and took the peach, looking it over a little before chomping down on it.

Everyone in the room waited for her to swallow, and she then looked down at Tenshi and said "Alright, you got my mention for a little bit. What are you here for?" Now that the Celestial had broken the ice, Kokoro stood beside her friend and laid a hand on her back to keep her down before she said anything, and even with how intimidating the goddess' presence was despite the slight difference in height the menreiki stared at her with an unnatural stoicness on her face.

"I-I want to…" Kokoro paused midway and gulped, a cold sweat dripping down the sides of her face before she mustered the courage to finish "Please, can we make up for the trouble we caused?" Kanako grinned and stepped back, turning slightly to the side before eating more of the peach.

"So…You came to apologize, huh? …Menreiki, I heard you were taken in by the Buddhist AND Taoist leaders. I see they rubbed some manners into you, and perhaps got some discipline into the Celestial's thick skull." Tenshi's face twitched with that second remark, but Kokoro pushed down on her back to make her stop.

"Alright, sure. If you are willing to do a little manual labor for me, then I can overlook the blasphemy committed against my shrine." Kanako said before finishing the peach off, and spitting the pit casually out the window. Tenshi tensed up a bit before stuttering "B-But I've never wo-" she didn't even have to look up to tell Kokoro was glaring at her.

"All you have to do is carry out some onabashiras out to the pond and set them up as I assign you to do. Oh, I suppose there's a few other things you have to put down too, but we'll get to that when we get there." After Kanako has discussed her plans for the Celestial with a slight smirk on her face, she turns aside and watches as Kokoro lets Tenshi stand back up again, where she rubs her back and grumbles some explicit words.

"Alright alright, so what's this even for?" Tenshi bluntly asked.

Kanako gestured out with her hand reversed and said "It's a Moriya Shrine secret. You don't get to know that. Just know the Kappas will finish the rest when you've finished setting up." Tenshi sighed, and after putting her arms behind her head she muttered "Lets get this done then."

It didn't take long after for Kanako to get Tenshi to work, and Kokoro offered her assistance as well. The steel rods Kanako wanted out on the pond were much bigger than the ones that floated behind her, but much to Tenshi's surprise they were lighter than she expected. Though unfortunately not to the point that she still didn't have trouble carrying them out, and a couple times even stumbled around unable to keep her balance.

Needless to say, Kanako might regret having the Celestial handle such heavy labor due to what she needed to get done, but she was left smiling as she watched from beside the pond as the first onabashira was forced into it with a heavy splash that left a rainbow in the sky for a few seconds. Kanako, with a sake dish in her right hand, took a sip of it and said "This isn't so bad, is it Suwako?"

Suwako was sitting and paddling her feet in the air, eating an apple before remarking "Hahaha, ok fine, you win this round Kanako. This is FAAAAAR more entertaining than watching you tear into the Celestial. But now I'm wondering where Sanae went off to." Kanako looked around and found herself pondering that same thing, but was distracted when Tenshi pushed a few keystones out of the water to prop the iron rod upright while letting out a frustrated roar. A laugh preceded the goddess taking another drink of sake.

On the path to the pond, Kokoro was seen slowly dragging an iron rod along behind her. She made a few heavy heaves and grunts, but wanted to show her support for Tenshi's actions even if it hurt her body in the process. After a while, Kokoro accidentally tugged too hard and made some dirt rise up into her mouth, and her cough returned stronger than the last time. The pain in her chest was rougher, but instead of resting she laid a hand down on the rod and was ready to move it again.

"Psstt…" A whisper called to her, and Kokoro looked around until eventually noticing Sanae poking up from behind some rocks. That fire in her eyes was gone, but she still seemed eager about something else. Kokoro focused her gaze on her and she said "Kokoro is it? Can I show you something?" Her voice was kept to an audible enough whisper, but from past experiences with shrine maidens blaring a warning signal in her mind Kokoro quickly looked away and started tugging again.

"Ack! That's rude!" Sanae said, insulted enough to leap out from behind the rocks and stamp her foot down beside Kokoro, making her heart jump against her chest as she turned to look at the maiden, who leaned forward and focused on Kokoro's mask, so much so that she kept followed it around even as the menreiki mentally guided it around her face, like a mouse after cheese.

"What are you doing?" Kokoro said with some mild irritation as she suddenly swiped the mask down in front of her chest, with Sanae reeling back and saying "I heard the stories, but didn't think you actually had masks floating around your body. How many masks do you have?"

"S-Sixty…?" Kokoro wasn't sure she should answer, though she wasn't getting the same oppressive vibe from Sanae that she had from the other maiden. The girl's eyes lit up and she asked "Any Sentai stuff?!" the enthusiasm sweeping across Kokoro's face and leaving her very befuddled.

"W-What?" Was the only response she could muster, and a dejected Sanae said "Oh…Is that a no? …Give me one second!" Her energy came back as gave an abundant leap towards the shrine, flying back with a trail of sparkles behind her. Kokoro didn't know what to make of that, but stuck around as she suspected it wouldn't take very long for her to return.

In fact, nearly a minute later Sanae flew out of the shrine while holding onto something. She dropped in front of Kokoro and held it out. It was a mask, one that had buggy eyes and a rather metallic sheen to it. Beyond that, the menreiki did not know how to describe it, and looked to Sanae for some answers.

"Huh? What is this?"

"Try it on! Please please please!" Sanae was very enthusiastic and repeatedly nudged the mask towards Kokoro, a couple times poking her cheek. Kokoro groaned a bit and was…a little wary about putting it on. But there was no way this shrine maiden was trying to pull something over on her, her demeanor didn't portray that intention.

Cautiously raising a hand, Kokoro took the mask and put it on her face, putting the straps behind her head to secure it. It was a perfect fit and clean save for a bit of dust on the lens that she brushed off. The world looked odd in yellow, and Kokoro blinked a couple times before Sanae shocked her by leaping in front of her view. From Sanae's perspective, the menreiki had a particularly mysterious air to her now.

"Can I know what this is now?" Kokoro asked while patting the sides of the mask and speaking in a filtered voice. Proudly, Sanae plants her fists against her hips and lifted her head up.

"It's a mask from one of my old Halloween costumes! It's based on one of the old fictional heroes in the outside world! I still have the old ensemble in my room, buuuut it doesn't really fit me anymore." As Sanae said that Kokoro directed her attention to the maiden's 'gifts' and dryly said "Wonder why…"

"S-So hey, you have a weapon, right? Think you can try some poses out while you have that on, pleeeeeeeeeease?" Sanae clenched her fists before her chest and leaned forward with waiting eyes, and Kokoro mumbled "…I-I would like to get back to work." Sanae then squealed at a very high pitch out of anticipation, and the menreiki let out a defeated sigh.

"She's too much for me…" Kokoro admitted before raising her right hand up and summoning her glowing blue pike, grasping it tightly and swinging it in front of her, putting it along the length of her arm.

"Now say T'oh!" Sanae exclaimed while swinging her right arm out on the opposite side of her body, a gale of wind blowing her clothes up a little. Kokoro sunk her eyelids a bit and murmured "…Is this payback for messing with you before?"

"W-What? No! I just think the mask fits you!" Sanae was flustered and a bit insulted by Kokoro's judgment and yet because of her own remark, the menreiki hung her head a little and then responded with some embarrassment "Y-You think I'm a hero?"

"Errr, wasn't going that far, but the mask does look more natural on you than it ever did on me!" Sanae exclaimed, and with a tilt of her head Kokoro swiftly asked "…What do you think a hero is?"

"A hero…? Ha, that's so simple to answer I can't believe you didn't know sooner!" Sanae folds her arms together and with a brave look as more wind blew around her hair she then exclaimed "A hero is the advocate of justice, the avenger of the fallen, the punisher of the wicked! A hero hears the cries of those in need and leaps to their aid with bravery and no hesitation whatsoever! And they have cool attack names and catchphrases and…" Before Sanae was lost to her fantasies, Kokoro called out to her.

"O-Ok! I think I get it…So a hero has a kind heart, but is also tough and brave…" Kokoro rests a hand on her chest, feeling it's nervous clench, and then shook her head a little. Sanae was a bit confused by that, but would not get any answers as Kokoro said to her "Thank you for saying that, it gave me a lot to think about. I-I'll try and do a few poses for you now."

Kokoro was a bit shaky even with just one person looking at her, but found that making poses was not very different from dancing in her Noh plays. For a while after, Kokoro fooled around with Sanae as Tenshi continued to do all the hard work, much to her dismay. A part of Kokoro enjoyed the fun she had with Sanae, but saddened to have to return the mask when they were done. By the time Tenshi had finished setting up all the onabashiras in the lake, the sun was setting upon the land.

Tenshi's fingers were throbbing red, her arms as stiff as wood and her face drenched in sweat. She forced her biggest grin as Kanako stood in front of her at the top of the shrine's staircase and told her "Well well, I am definitely surprised you pulled it off. Only took the whole day too." Kanako laughed merrily, while Tenshi restrained every negative thought on her mind behind iron gates.

"So you may now go free. You will not receive my divine retribution unless you try this crap again." Kanako said, and brushed her hand out towards the stairs with a smug look on her face as Kokoro and Tenshi began to depart.

Kokoro looked back to Sanae, who waved her off and said "Hey, come back anytime! And spread the good faith of the Moriyas when you can!"

"Sanae, she's associated with the Buddhists and Taoists, I don't think that'll happen." Suwako said dryly as she crouched down beside her, and Sanae freaked out a bit as she realized what she had done. Kokoro nervously chuckled and then followed Tenshi down the mountain after she had gotten onto a keystone.

Tenshi hid her hands in her armfold and closed her eyes, an irritated grin on her face. Kokoro looked at that and before asking about it heard her say "Is that everything you wanted to get done today Kokoro?" She didn't want to be too angered in front of Kokoro, but her face was bright red.

"I'm sorry this ended up like this…B-But at least you got their forgiveness!"

"Kokoro, can you just…give me a break for tomorrow?" Tenshi spoke tiredly, and Kokoro nodded her head with only a little consideration. Then she started coughing up, this time around feeling a cold sensation in her head along with some slight throbbing.

"Hey, want me to take you back home?" Tenshi mentioned swiftly in concern, but Kokoro shook her head despite how much it hurt to do so.

"I'm…fine. You can go home Tenshi, I'll go back alone. T-Thank you for helping me today…" Her voice was raspy and tired, and it was only with a great deal of thought that Tenshi grit her teeth and replied "Alright, just get some rest. I'll check up on you tomorrow."

Tenshi then flew off, and Kokoro looked ahead to the forest all too ready to just go through with her suggestion. However, someone had other plans in mind, and Kokoro was quickly tackled in the back and dragged right to the ground with a rough landing on her stomach that made her let out an even rougher cough. When the weight on her back is gone, Kokoro slanted her eyebrows and rose to her feet, turning around only to find herself looking both surprised and slightly annoyed.

Standing in front of her with a sleeve covering her quiet laughter was a strange green-haired girl with an eye and some veins hovering around her body. Her pupils were almost shaped like hearts, and her green eyes were still and lifeless. Her clothes consist of a yellow shirt with a dark green collar, and her skirt was also green with a faint flowery pattern on it. Her clothes looked a bit messy, and she didn't have any socks or shoes on.

"Finally, I have you all to myself Kokoro~!" The girl exclaimed, and even in her tired state Kokoro managed a slightly annoyed scowl…

Next Time: Nothing