The owl hooted in the night, and Mystia looked over her lamprey stand. It was not normal for her to have it open this late at night, but one of her regular customers had asked her. She was an old woman from the Human Village, who stated that someone 'very important' wanted to come to the stand, with someone else who would only come out at night.
The old woman was one of several humans who, despite them living through the time when Humans and Youkai were predator and prey, were changing their attitudes towards youkai. Mystia was shocked when the first human came to her stand, following their nose. So shocked she tried to trick the human. She used her song to lure the human in closer, then give them night-blindness, claiming her grilled Lamprey was a cure.
Of course, when Reimu caught on, she got beaten up. However, Mystia learnt something far more important. People returned to her stand anyway, because they liked her cooking. From that night on, she started working legitimately, as a hobby, trading her cooking for anything shiny. Valuable or not, it just had to look shiny.
The old woman was one of the people she tricked, but she came back regardless, and had encouraged several other humans to leave the village and come. While youkai were not allowed in the village, intruders usually receiving severe head trauma from Keine's headbutts, times were changing, and humans were willing to leave the village walls.
Mystia just prepared her stand, and waited, when a figure started walking down the path.
The night sparrow would recognize that hat anywhere. It was like a pagoda, but she couldn't believe it.
The visitor the woman had spoken about was Keine herself. The teacher of the human village, and also it's primary guard.
"Hello, night sparrow." Keine said, sitting down.
"Uh... you're not here to tell me off for something, are you?" Mystia said, sheepishly.
Keine shook her head.
"I'm here to meet someone and eat. You see, my friend lives outside the village, and frequently forgets to eat if I don't remind her. She also has little sense of time, so she will probobly be somewhat late." Keine explained. "She will be arriving from the Bamboo Forest."
"Ah. Well, is there anything I can do while you wait?" Mystia asked.
"I guess there are some things I could tell you. After all, you're friends with that darkness youkai, right?" Keine said.
"Uh huh. Aside from Wriggle, she's my best friend." Mystia said. She had known Wriggle since she was a Night Chick youkai, and Wriggle was a Firefly Larva youkai. The two were inseparable, food chain be damned.
"Well, I'm sure you've noticed more humans visiting your cart, have you not?" Keine said.
"Uh huh." Mystia remarked.
"Well, that's because times are changing. First, the spellcard rules and Reimu put an end to most youkai attacks. About the only youkai who attacks humans these days is Remilia Scarlet, and her 'attacks' are more an inconvenience for the victim, than a danger. She's a very light eater, and she has to have human blood to survive at all, so she is... understandable." Keine explained.
"Yeah, we kinda stopped attacking humans, thanks to Reimu and the Spellcard system giving us other things to do." Mystia agreed.
"Well, the humans have taken notice of the recent incidents. They've noticed. It's not just humans stopping the threats to Gensokyo anymore, there is a youkai too. The youkai usually sit back, or cause the incidents of their own accord. Rumia's actions are changing attitudes of the humans even more." Keine says. "There are also the efforts of Byakuren Hijiri, many humans visit her temple now. These factors combined are making many humans call for change."
"Change?"
"They want us to change our policy about youkai. Humans and youkai together, instead of building walls, and living in fear." Keine says. "That idea is moving into the past."
"Good. Hopefully we won't get someone like Rika again too." Keine said.
"For all she did, Rika disgusted most of the humans as well, Mystia. If anything, she's pushed the humans to bond with the youkai more. Soon, there will be the 5-yearly election for the mayor of the Human Village. The Mayor is the leader, the one who makes the rules."
"So... you're the Mayor?" Mystia asked.
Keine laughed.
"I'm not the Mayor. The Mayor is some eighty year old man, who still lives in the past, and is stubborn as a mule. He's been the Mayor for fourty years now, and no-one has ever stood against him. Everyone was happy with his way. But this year, things are different. The village no longer agrees with his policy on youkai. They... want me to stand." Keine said, sounding upset.
"But, why's that a problem? You're strong and smart, arn't you? You'd be a great leader." Mystia said.
"I have a secret. Can I trust you with it? I came here to talk to my friend for advice on this matter, you'd overhear anyway, but you mustn't tell anyone."
Mystia blinked, before she grinned in a really cheesy fashion.
"Customer Confidentiality is Guaranteed at Mystia's Lamprey Stand!"
Keine chuckled at the face Mystia pulled, before she took a breath.
"I'm a half-youkai. Being the leader of the Human Village when I'm not really human feels like... a betrayal. Every day it eats away at me that I teach their children, and guard their village, and they don't even know I'm not a true human." Keine remarked.
Mystia blinked again.
"That's not a secret. Any youkai can tel a half-youkai from a human! I already knew! Us youkai just understood and stayed quiet."
"Well humans can't tell." Keine said. "Imagine if a human was in charge of the Tengu Village. Would that look right?" Keine asked.
"No." Mystia said.
"That's basically what the humans want me to do, except they don't know! It doesn't feel right to me!" Keine said. "And relaxing the rules on letting youkai in, when I myself am part youkai, just feels like the biggest betrayal ever."
Mystia thought for a few moments, before she had an idea.
"But... if that's what the people want you to do, it doesn't matter who you are. They could vote a Satori in charge and ask her to do it, and it wouldn't make a difference!" Mystia said. "If you did it because you wanted to, then that would be bad, but if you do it because that's what everyone wants, then that's good, right?"
Keine thought for a few moments.
"I guess you have a point. It's what the people want. Just because it's me doing it wouldn't change things. I wouldn't do anything the villagers didn't want if I was in power... within reason, of course." Keine replies, sounding deep in thought.
"Yeah, I could have told you that Keine, without you draggin' me all the way out here." a gruff, female voice said. The voice alone screamed 'tomboy'.
A woman Mystia did not recognize walked up to the stand, her red eyes in the dark reminding Mystia of a youkai, despite her feeling like a human. Her hair started light blue, but faded to silver as it extended down, almost to her feet, red and white ribbons, which almost seemed like talismans. Instead of a skirt, that most females of Gensokyo wore, she wore red overalls, with the same white and red talismans. She shirt looked old, and as if it has been discolored, like paper too close to a fire, but not close enough to burn.
From looking at this human, it would be hard to guess she would be Keine's friend. In addittion, while the Night Sparrow couldn't quite put her finger on it, something felt... off... about her.
The human sat down next to Keine.
"Well, we're 'ere to eat, aren't we? Gimma some grub, bird." the stranger said.
"Mokou, manners." Keine said. "Introduce yourself at least."
"Mokou." the stranger said, not even looking at the Night Sparrow. She seemed pretty rude, but also thinking about something, looking in a direction, as if on guard.
"Properly..." Keine said sternly.
"Fine. I am Fujiwara no Mokou. Human who drunk the Hourai Elixir, an Elixir of Eternity. Simply put, I'm an immortal. I'm also be being of vengeance and fire, and the silent watcher of the village. I'm not good with people. I lost my mind for a good 200 years, and I've seen so many people close to me die due to the ravages of time, I'm a bit... hard shelled. Excuse me for that." the stranger said.
"Mokou's had a hard life. Immortality isn't all it's cracked up to be." Keine said. "I can relate to her, as I myself am pusedo-ageless, with my ability to manipulate history, I can effectively make myself this age for eternity, thus Mokou need not worry about me falling to time, like so many before."
"Sounds hard. Youkai don't understand this kinda thing that well. We don't die by age unless we reach really ancient years, and even then, it's rare for us to die by age at all." Mystia said.
"Half-Youkai naturally have longer lives, but my ability lets me manipulate history, so I can keep myself alive far, far longer. I'm in reality, over eighty years old myself." Keine said. "The humans know of my power, at least."
Mystia put two lamprey on the grill. Mokou noticed.
"Lamprey, eh? Not sure I've eaten that before. Not grilled anyway. Maybe burnt." Mokou said.
"Mokou, you either eat everything burnt, or forget to eat at all, starve to death, and then re-incarnate... if she doesn't kill you fi..."
"Don't talk about her." Mokou snapped.
"Sorry... it's hard not mentioning her when talking about you." Keine said.
"I know." Mokou grunted. "That's what I hate. We're seen as a pair by many, inseparable by fate and time."
The two went quiet, as Mystia continued to cook the Lamprey. She put several seasonings and spices in font of the two. Mokou chose something very spicy, while Keine chose a more soft, cream-tasteing herb. She sprinkled the right amount on, before adding more spice to Mokou's lamprey based on her urging.
She flipped the eel, and seasoned the other side, before flipping once more. Then, she stuck each eel on a stick, and handed it over to the pair.
Mokou ate like Rumia when she hadn't had meat for a week, but that was understandable, based on what Keine had said before. Keine, on the other hand, was far more civilized about it, eating slowly.
"Good 'ood." Mokou said, with a mouth full.
"Manners Mokou." Keine said, headbutting her friend lightly.
"Ow..." Mokou grunted, after swallowing.
"Better." Keine said, before the pair laughed. Keine then placed a silver coin on the counter, which glinted in the moonlight when Mystia held it up. Mokou put down what seemed to be a shard of ruby.
Mystia loved shiny objects. One would think she was a magpie, with how she was allured by them. She literally took shiny objects as payment to add to her horde, which was at a location only she knew, not even Wriggle or Rumia. She would take out objects, and place them in the moonlight, watching them glitter and reflect the stars.
Then, there was a mad cackle, one that pierced the night.
Mokou stood up.
"I knew something was coming." she said. "Whatever this is, it's strong." Mokou warned, urgeing Keine to sit down.
"Whatever it is, it would kill you easily. It's power is huge and chaotic, and it's coming this way." Mokou said.
"It's not Rumia, is it? Something didn't happen to her, right?"
"I don't know this Rumia, but it feels like a fire. An all-consuming fire that will destroy anything in it's way." Mokou said, embers danceing around her.
"That sounds almost like you, Mokou."
Mokou glanced at Mystia.
"Oh yes, I forgot to tell you. I have power over fire. Combined with my immortality, that gives me a nickname. The Phoenix."
With that, Mokou reached out arm arms, like Rumia's 'Crucified' pose, and flame ran down them, like wings. A cloak of fire engulfed her back, making her look almost like a bird, her feet being covered by talon-like flames.
A figure landed. The figure was clearly a youkai of great power, wearing a red dress. She held a strange weapon, like twisted wood, and her wings were strange, crystals dangling from them.
"Do you want to play with me?" she asked, tilting her head to the side. "No-one wanted to play with me inside, and I got so booored~"
Author Note:
So begins the Mystia sub-arc. What's coming up is the only fight scene of the whole arc. This arc focuses on character and setting development, such as the changes in the human's attitudes, while also introducing characters, such as Mokou, Keine, and Flandre, among others who will show up later. Not sure if this will wind up as 3 or 4 chapters.
I see Keine almost as a motherly figure to Mokou, who can be rather uncaring towards most, due to her hard life and immortality. Not to mention the whole 'Make sure Mokou eats so she doesn't starve because she can'.