It was the first time Rumia had seen Keine at work, in the Mayor's office. The building was pretty dull, except some red fabrics which were some sign of status or something. Keine was sitting at the desk, writing, wearing a pair of reading glasses when Rumia came in.
"Yes?" she asked.
"Yukari said you saw Kogasa. She's missing." Rumia said.
"That's that Karakasa who keeps attempting to surprise everyone and failing horribly, right? The only thing she accomplishes is looking cute and being popular with the kids." Keine says, as she looks like she was thinking.
"I saw her a few nights ago, I caught her sneaking after me when I went to visit Mokou, while I was in the Bamboo Forest, she noticed I caught her and she flew off... she probobly got lost." Keine said. "I feel a little guilty, but I can only navigate the place with help of some embers Mokou uses to guide me. Only those who live in the Bamboo Forest can navigate it, it's a natural maze, that changes every single day."
"... Knowing Kogasa she's found her way out and is hiding to surprise us." Rumia said flatly.
"That would actually work. She wouldn't do that." Keine said.
"Good point."
"Well, if you're going to the Bamboo Forest, I wish you luck. Be careful of the rabbits, they're tricksters, and while they will usually direct you out of the forest, if you ask them, be on guard." Keine warned.
Rumia flew to the South-West, towards the location of the Bamboo Forest, and quickly arrived at the huge mass of bamboo, which towers high. It would be impossible to see anything flying above it, and impossible to fly out or into the bamboo from above.
"I hope Mokou notices and decides to help." Rumia said. She hadn't really spoken much with Mokou, not like Mokou spoke much anyway, but she was a loose acquaintance viva Mystia.
With that, the darkness youkai entered the Bamboo Forest,m and very, very quickly lost her way. She saw shadows of rabbits darting around, both animal forms, and humanoid forms. Chuckles, and giggles. Rumia felt as if she was being watched.
"You know, if you're lost, we can help you get out." a rabbit said, hopping out between the bamboo, her small frame making navigation much easier.
"I don't want to get out. I'm looking for a friend that's lost." Rumia replied.
"Are you sure we've not guided her out already?" the rabbit asked.
"Yes, she's been missing for days." Rumia replied.
"Description?"
"Umbrella."
"Umbrella? What would you be doin' looking for one of those?" the rabbit asked, tilting her head a little. The rabbit wore a pink dress, and had brown ears, and a fluffy brown tail. Her hair was short and messy, also brown.
"She's a karakasa. She's an umbrella that's alive. She's my friend." Rumia said.
"Well, I ain't heard any other inaba mention an umbrella. Can't helpya." the rabbit said, before she smirked. "Maybe the boss knows. I'll go take you to her. Follow me!"
The rabbit began to hop off, stopping before she was lost between the trees, waiting for Rumia, who had to push bamboo out of the way to catch up. After about five minuites, there was a howl that echoed between the bamboo, and the rabbit looked scared.
"Uh oh! Don't follow me! I'll bring the boss to you! You'll just slow things down anyway!" the rabbit said, before she scampered away, looking spooked.
Rumia was on guard too, as there was another howl, closer. The smell of a wolf.
Then, something grabbed Rumia, pulling her through the bamboo, into a clearing.
"I scared the rabbit away. She was leading you into a trap. The Palace is on full alert right now, when you refused to leave, she decided to trap you instead, in case you were a threat." a voice said. The voice sounded ladylike, but had a very slight rough undertone.
Rumia looked, and saw the stranger that dragged her was a dark-haired woman with wolf-like ears. She wore a black scarf, with a red brooch connecting the two sides in a knot. She wore a lilac dress that changed to red in an arc, and there was an ornate, pattern in black at the hem of her dress. She had long, red nails, although not as long as Mystia's 'talons'.
"Don't try and fly out of the clearing. There's a magical barrier that stops you flying out of here. Or in. The bamboo isn't actually solid from the sky, it's just made to look like it by those who are hiding in the forest." the stranger said.
"Who are you?" Rumia asked.
"Oh my. How rude of me. Kagerou Izaizumi. I'm a werewolf, I've lived here for years, although the rabbits are still scared of the wolf's howls. Before you tell me, I know of the Human Village's changes. I am not as... comfortable with living with the humans as Keine is." the stanger said, reaching under her collar and scratching, reminding Rumia of a dog. "Besides, I am more... entwined with my feral side than Keine is, I have some canine features even outside the Full Moon."
"You know Keine?" Rumia asked, before she shook her head. "Oh, I'm Rumia, Darkness Youkai."
Kagerou smirked, and leaded against some bamboo.
"I know Keine. We are both were-beasts. We spend the full moon together, sometimes Mokou comes when she's not fighting to the death. I'm the one who introduced Mokou and Keine, in fact. Keine just doesn't talk about me, I prefer to remain rather... unknown." Kagerou said.
"You introduced those two?" Rumia asked.
"Yes. When I heard what Keine's powers were, I knew she would be a fitting friend for an Immortal who has watched countless others close to her fade and die of time's ravages. I kind of hoped she would mellow Mokou out a little, so I didn't keep having to worry about fires from the fights, but alas, it didn't work."
"Fights?" Rumia asked.
"Mokou has an archenemy. An archenemy that is the reason she is an immortal. This enemy is an immortal herself, and controls the rabbits, living in the Palace of Eientei. I've never met her personally. They had a fight a few days ago. I remember watching it from between the bamboo. Some umbrella wandered too close and got burnt..."
"Umbrella?!" Rumia asked, causing the werewolf to jump.
"Yes. There was a Karakasa who wandered into the fight, and yelled 'Surprise!'. I'm not sure what she hoped to achieve, although she certainly shocked me. She couldn't have been very smart to wander into a fight to the death between two immortals."
"Did you see what happened to her? I'm looking for the Karakasa, she's my friend." Rumia asked.
The werewolf scratched her ear, Rumia unsure if it was thinking or itching. Then, she replied.
"I think, if I recall right, that the Princess of the Rabbit Mansion picked it up after the fight. She won this time. I can only guess she still has the Karakasa, it's probobly in a state of slumber from it's damage. However, the rabbits are on full alert for some reason, I wish you luck if you aim to go to the Palace. I can tell you which direction to head, if you want to go still, knowing you will not be welcome."
"Tell me. I need to save my friend." Rumia said.
Kagerou pointed, and Rumia thanked the wolf, starting to head off, before something popped into her mind.
"Kagerou, have you seen any strange rabbits? In uniforms, with stick-up ears? Acting superior to everything?"
"One lives at the palace, although she's not got a superiority complex. Not at all. Not seen any others." Kagerou replied.
"Strange." Rumia said, turning to move off again, and leaving the clearing.
'Yukari, I think I'm either about to do exactly what you wanted me to do and get involved more in this mess, and you were goofing around, or I'm about to do exactly what you told me not to.' Rumia said to herself, knowing that if a rabbit that matched the others lived at this place, that this had to be the place that the rabbits were looking for, especially with both Kagerou and the rabbits mentioning a 'Princess'.
Author Notes:
Apologies for the slight delay. Moving into Uni accommodation. I also made some changes to this part of the story, specifically, originally Mokou directed Rumia to Eientei, but I decided to replace Mokou in this case with Kagerou, who didn't exist when the RP as done, since it's the only real point where I would be able to squeeze her into the story, and she was almost certainly been in Gensokyo longer than just before DDC.