Chapter 13: So Its a Date?

Things had settled down splendidly at the Myouren Temple after that harrowing battle of wills. The hosts of the duel now sat back in peace and quiet as their guest detailed her quest as best she could. Every attempt of hers to squeeze in a question was foiled by Miko's quick-witted curiosity.

"Fascinating, tell us more!" Grew to be a gratingly repetitious phrase after a while, yet Shina kept her energy up the whole time she spoke. But as the glow of sunlight disappeared into the abyss of pitch black night she began to worry.

She faced the forest past the gates and unconsciously began to stand. Byakuren wanted to throw her some assurance of good will on her friend's behalf, but Miko's gentle hand upon her shoulder silenced those efforts.

Some surprising folk had shown up while she waited. Nue, Tenshi and Kokoro, to name names, but the information they gave was too...vague. All she could pick up was that the tanuki Mamizou was involved with Alex. However, was all this time really necessary for a test of character? She could only doubt that.

But as she was about to voice said doubts, a faint ruffling came from the bushes on the border. A second later the tanuki trudged forth into view while sweeping the stray leaves off her body. Shina clutched her hands against the chest and kept looking for Alex to come next.

Mamizou's keen eye caught this gesture of concern from afar and her head swiveled back so she could say in a teasing manner, "Yer girl's been waitin' for ya!"

Seeing Shina out there waving him 'Hello!' with all her energy relieved Alex of his stress as he left the forest behind. Though it had been less than a half-hour since they parted, that time seemed much more valuable than that nowadays.

He didn't even make it to the gate before she ran right at him and squeezed his whole body between her arms. His face turned bright red as this innocent greeting was made a spectacle for the plotters and schemers to chuckle innocently towards. The worst of all was Mamizou wiggling her brows as though enticing the boy to reciprocate in full.

"S-Shina, n-not in front of them!" He struggled to say, breaking free with little resistance from his partner right after. She fluttered her eyelids and laid two fingers in an 'L' beside her face.

"Well golly Alex, ya know I was just concerned for yer safety..."

"D-Doesn't mean we have to humor these hooligans...!" He whispered just loud enough for her alone to hear, failing to notice the tanuki's ears perking like a sonar. With her elderly giggle she turned aside and headed up the steps to greet her friends.

Their eyes were all on Alex, expressing differing degrees of wonder towards his deceptively banal appearance. Byakuren spoke first with a hand resting against the side of her face, "Is it really ok for him to be here?"

"Kids' little rough around the edges, but I doubt he'd even have it in him to set a tree on fire let alone all Gensokyo," Mamizou lifted her head up and added nonchalantly, "Sides, I told him everything we know."

Miko shut her eyes and murmured, "And that's what I was worried about..."

"Hey hey, you let me go alone for a reason Ms. Prince. Don't be havin' regrets now."

"Hardly my intention. Had I been in your shoes I'd have done the same! It's just that..." Pausing for a forced cough, Miko's voice decreased to a mere whimper, "You've left us feeling mighty inconsiderate for not telling the girl anything."

"Ya didn't?" Mamizou's eyes popped open at the two, which was enough to make them slump down as though already mentally worn down by a lecture.

"Oh my oh my..." She clicked her tongue for a little as Byakuren mustered the courage to speak in her defense.

"We figured she had little to do with this."

"So it'd been better to keep her in the dark? Ain't gonna chide ya for that, but..." Mamizou's glare got a little more harsh as she asked, "Would ya have thought the same had the boy been yers to handle, I wonder..."

As Byakuren's head began to hang the tanuki took her tail to her chin top prop it up while saying in a chipper voice, "Forget about it. 'S out of our hands now. Sides, haven't ya been keepin' dem worried long enough?"

Byakuren perked back up and admitted 'No you're right' before turning around and yelling at the front doors, "Its safe to come out now!"

Those heavy metal doors swung right open as various Youkai spilled out atop one another in a messy pile, leaving their leaders in an unsurprisied state of mind. While those Youkai untangled themselves from that chaotic bundle, Alex and Shina had finished discussing Mamizou's offer.

"So what do you think? Can we trust her to help?" He asked with a hand leaned out from his armfold.

Shina clapped her hands together and proclaimed after a short hop, "Sure we can Alex!"

"Not going to even think about it?" He said with brows starting to raise.

She tilted her head aside and murmured, "Should I...?"

"She IS a tanuki." He stressed with a grating sigh.

Shina looked back up at Mamizou, who took a moment of her time away from talking to a tiger and mouse Youkai to smile at her. She then swung back at Alex and said, "Yep yep! I see nothing wrong with trusting her!"

In a droll voice Alex felt compelled to say, "You're being too lax this late game in the game, but...If that's your decision then I'll trust her too..."

"So so, have the happy couple made dere decision?" Mamizou approached with the fleet feet of a mouse and her tail swung to-and-fro, all while a delicate smirk decorated her face. As Alex was left flustered by her choice of words, Mamizou faced Shina and awaited her response.

Perhaps it was her elderly vibes that drew her in, but Shina up bowing her head all the way forward as she expressed her gratitude, "Thank you sooo much for helpin' Mamizou!"

"Perk that chin up lassie, I ain't no royalty..." Red flushed through the tanuki's cheeks as she patted Shina's face with her tail. Her nose was tickled pick, and she giggled as she rose.

Mamizou smoked her pipe once then let her eyelids sag a bit before saying, "Well luckily for you both I was able to recruit some more help to find yer Cosmos Drive."

"One of Byakuren's Youkai?" Alex bluntly deduced.

"TWO to be precise. Shou 'n Nazrin got the skills needed to go on this merry treasure hunt. Though I'll still be requirin' that stone on yer back to know what to look for..."

Shina reached right back and pulled the stone from her pocket to put on display. Mamizou leaned out and adjusted her glasses on the bridge, injecting a little of her playful wit into the conversation, "Crusty ol' thing ain't it? But it'll do for now..."

She plucked it out of her hands with no resistance and gripped it through the hole, "We'll out at nightfall when it'll be easier to move about undetected."

"So what, we just sit here and wait?" Alex groaned.

Mamizou laid her arms out to shrug before mentioning, "Yer welcome to waste time on whatever, but wouldn't it be a waste not to experience a Gensokyo festival at least once?"

Shina swiftly expunged air like a deflating ballon full of helium as she squealed, "A festival?! Really?!"

"You're referring to the Lunar Festival being held in the Human Village, no?" Miko inquired as she also snuck up like a feather alongside Byakuren. The Prince's vested interest shone forth in her smile, leading Alex to ask, "Lunar Festival? Oh yeah, that rabbit mentioned that. Are you two going?"

Miko shut her eyes as her cape embraced her body and she proudly proclaimed, "Heavens, no! I'll be far too busy tending to my duties tonight to intermingle with my kind."

"The same goes for me," Byakuren murmured in an unshakeably certain tone, "But alas, I've been unable to curb my followers from doing the same."

"I can almost sympathize, Hijiri, for Futo's young heart leads her astray, and very nearly infected me to the point of caving in to go..." Miko's exhaustion manifested in her slumping shoulders, which looked like they had an anchor settled upon each end.

With a snide turn of the head Alex remarked, "Isn't it a bad idea for Youkai to be going to a human event anyways?"

Mamizou answered for them, "Normally? Shure. But there's always been dis unspoken rule that the two groups're allowed to enjoy festivites together s'long as no one kicks up a fuss..."

Slyly opening her eyes she spoke in an enticingly delectable voice, "Sides, it'd be a mighty shame if a Youkai weren't allowed near the succulent glazed meats..."

"Ooooh..." Shina's eyes slowlyu widened as much as they could as Mamizou continued.

"The tickling sugary sweet candies..."

"Ooooooooooooooh..." Her eyes glazed over.

"The fierce, fiery fireworks lightin' the stars ablaze..."

"Aaaah..." Her mouth creaked open as drool flooded forth like a waterfall.

"And who could forget the...games?"

"Mmrrrr..." Shina's face reddened as her shaking knees clattered together. Mamizou snuck right up to Alex to take advantage of that moment and whisper into his ear, "Sounds like a mighty fine first date, eh? Eeeeeh?"

She wiggled her eyebrows during retreat, leaving a flustered Alex to rub his head and grumbled, "W-Well...It does SOUND fun..."

"Then its settled!" Mamizou nodded, even as Alex swung his hand out and tried to deny her continued interference, "But ya ain't equipped with any festive robes, that right?"

The tanuki rubbed her chin with a twisted up grin and slowly swiveled back to face the leaders, specifically Miko, "Whaddya think? Can we get the kid lookin' somewhat presentable?"

"That may just be my toughest challenge yet..." Miko murmured, thinking to herself for not even a second before letting out a roar of pure confidence, "So of course I shall accept!"

Alex slumped down with a defeated face that he swiftly grabbed and pulled down on the skin, "Will you hags clean your ears and listen?!"

Mamizou and Miko glued themselves to his arms and got him leaning back like moving cargo. The tanuki then murmured with a wicked gleam in her glasses, "Dis is for yer own good kid."

"Indeed!" Declared Miko with sparkles around her body, "Like the summer butterfly you shall undergo an unbelieveable metamorphosis!"

She then took her shaku to a crack on the ground and made it split open, with light spilling forth in droves, "Come! We shall return to my world!"

"Hey! This is kidnapping! Let go of me this-" Alex was dragged into the glowing crevice as his 'kidnappers' giggled all the way. A second after they vanished a short girl with hair and clothes of grey vaulted after them while declaring in a panic, "C-Crown Prince! Wait-eth for us!"

After her and ghostly green girl hopped in the crevice it sealed up tightly like a fresh zipper would. Shina's mouth was left agape yet would soon crease into a heartly, chuckling grin after as she moaned, "Oh Alex..."

"So Shina..." Byakuren spoke up all soft and polite, "Shall we get you dress as well?"

Shina turned around with hands a'swingin' while her cheeks turned a flustered red, "N-No no no! I couldn't do that...W-We just met and all..."

The priest laid a hand upon her chest and drew the other one out as though offering an invitation to heaven. Her voice, though sprinkled with regret, remained ever angelic, "Please, I insist. Let me make it up to you after I so horribly judged against you. Besides, it IS just clothes..."

Captivated by her grace and humbleness, Shina rubbed the back of her head with a childish smile and said, "Well schucks when ya put it that way how could I possibly say no?"

"Then come with me, I know a perfect place for you to get dressed." They turned and made for the temple, only to find that the hefty crowd had dwindled down to two.

There was a girl barely over four feet tall with teal colored hair and eyes along with a pair of fluffy dog-like ears. She carried a bamboo broom around and wore a long pale pink shirt with a teal flower-shaped buttons. The other girl was more of average height with shoulder-length cyan hair, a button-up blouse and wavy skirt, and a nun's headdress tied together by a red orb in front of her neck.

These two well-meaning goofballs were some of Byakuren's more devout followers, and they stood to attention as she approached with that mysterious stranger at her side.

Kyouko Kasodani ~ The Cute Little Echo

Ichirin Kumoi ~ The Passionate Nyuudou Tamer

"Kyouko? Weren't you going with the others?" Byakuren inquired with a deeply puzzled gaze.

"I-I wanted to make sure there was nothing left to do today!" She closed her eyes and with wagging ears barked out full of enthusiasm, "I'm always ready to help, Ms. Hijiri!"

Her voice was like a light breeze upon Shina's face, yet she was too taken in by the yamabiko's puppy-like body to care. She bent right down at eye level with Kyouko and squealed in delight, "Oh you're just so ADORABLE! I could snuggle up with you and fall asleep aaaaaaall night long!"

Kyouko's expression got shaky as she staggered a couple steps back and said, "H-Hello! I-I-I'm Kyouko Kasodani! P-Please don't hug me too hard..."

"Lady Hijiri, if I may be so bold..." Ichirin spoke up with the poise of a lady, "What are you planning to do with this girl?"

"I'm getting her a dress for her date tonight." Byakuren's blunt remark got Shina springing back up as her heart tensely skipped a beat.

"A-A date?!" Her face got so red it may as well have been a tomato ripe for the picking. With her body wobbling around and her head dizzying, she found it difficult to imagine such a thing as being possible, "A date with Alex...O-Oh my...What...What am I gonna do? I've only ever been on a play date before..."

Byakuren cupped her hands around Shina's shoulders and gave them a rough massage while soothing her over with assurance, "Its going to be ok. I'll be here to help."

"You can trust Ms. Hijiri!" Kyouko proclaimed with her ears perked right up, "Even though she's never been on a date, or even fallen in love, doesn't mean she doesn't know what she's talking about!"

Byakuren froze up and then slowly twisted her head to the left with her eyes shut. Her hands stiffened upon Shina's shoulders as a cloud of dread formed on her back. Kyouko's ears flattened out all lifeless and her agape mouth stammered as the priestess gently spoke, "Kyouko dear...If you're looking for something to do, then perhaps you'd be willing to help me with our guest, no?"

"Y-Yes...Ms. Hijiri." Kyouko nodded until her head felt dizzy, all while Byakuren took her hands off Shina and rested them before her waist.

"Excellent, then let us be off. You can come too if you want, Ichirin." She made her way between the others and headed for the path leading out back. Kyouko let out one long gasp of relief but was trembling with a terrible chill. But with a pat on the head from Shina as she passed by, the yamabiko felt her spirits lifted once more and followed her along in haste alongside Ichirin.

The two rounded the side of the temple and went to a room in the back that had been cleared out of everything but a few cushions and a long table. Shina deduced that this must be the place Byakuren and her followers ate, though now it'd serve its purpose better as a guest room.

In the middle of the room Byakuren turned around and wiggled her hands towards one of the cushions to say, "Wait right here. I'll be back in a second."

She gave a short nod and then left for the shutters in the back of the room. Shina sat down on the cushion and spread her legs out to get comfy, and then glanced over at the hovering Kyouko and Ichirin. The yamabiko steadily descended towards the cushion closest to Shina, using the bottom of her broom to nudge it aside until she would be a couple feet away. Then she sat down on her knees and glued her eyes to this strange girl with both her ears trembling.

Ichirin sat right down and laid her hands atop her legs, then leaned in closer to Kyouko to quietly suggest, "I think Lady Hijiri expects us to keep her company. Why not try asking her a question, Kyouko?"

Kyouko whimpered a little and then spoke up quietly, "U-Ummm...s-so..."

Shina turned her head and the yamabiko's speech sped up significantly, "Sowhereareyoufrom?!"

Playfully chuckling at the girl's sheepish nature, Shina kept an easy-going attitude as she started to answer, "Well actually..."

Time passed by quickly just from answering the many questions Kyouko had to ask, each one getting easier to say as it became clear that Shina was no threat at all. By the time Byakuren came back, she was delighted to see a translucent flush of red in the yamabiko's cheeks.

"I see you're getting along just fine." She smiled wide and trotted on over to the others with many kimonoss draped atop her left arm.

Kyouko closed her eyes and barked out in glee, "Yes! Thanks for asking Ms. Hijiri!"

Ichirin sighed and shook her hand out beside her exhausted face, "I wish I got to say more, but Kyouko dominated the whole conversation..."

"B-But its ok! She just had a lotta stuff to ask!" Shina hastily rushed to the yamabiko's defense upon sensing a lecture on the tip of Byakuren's tongue. The priestess sighed and kept smiling as she laid the kimonos down upon the table and looked to Shina.

"Ok Shina, stand up." The girl sprung up like sunflower in sunlight, where Byakuren then got her to turn around with a twirl of the finger. She then reached for the top kimono and hung it up at shoulder-length against Shina's back, examining closely just how well it meshed with her slender but busty frame.

"Hmmm...We might have some issues around the chest region, but your thin waist should compensate for it...As long as you don't mind showing your socks."

"Sorry I'm so tall..." Shina playfully commented.

"I'm the last person to tell someone off for having a healthy body." Byakuren seemed not the least bit offended and even chuckled herself as she spread the sleeves of the kimono out.

"Your complexion is incredible though. Good thing too, since we don't have any makeup here," She lowered the arm and mumbled to herself before placing the kimono back down beside the foot thick pile. Shina tried to catch a glimpse of her work, but the priestess placed a finger upon the side of her cheek and sternly remarked, "No peeking. This must be a surprise for you."

"O-Ok..." Shina sheepishly turned her head back and closed her eyes. Her muscles were tensing up and the bottom of her lip quivered as each cold delicate piece of fabric touched her skin. Byakuren picked up another kimono and laid it against the girl's back, but this time bent her head to squint at the waist region.

"Kyouko, could you please hold one of my obis up to her waist?" She requested with a certain lack of focus in her voice.

The yamabiko cheerfully ran up to the table and picked one of those thickened belts out to suspend in the area Byakuren suggested. The priestess then nodded her head and sounded off with certainty, "Perfect! Put that one aside for now."

"Gosh, what are they planning to do?" Curiosity got the better of Shina and she sneakily tried to open one eye to peek back at the table. Yet her vision became swiftly obscured by a fabric curtain in the form of a sleeve, causing her to blurt out in grief, "D'oh!"

She turned back and waited as Byakuren played out her role as a dressmaid with finesse, on occasion getting either Ichirin or Kyouko to assist. But the priestess had no plans to leave the girl stricken with boredom. After a couple minutes of fiddling around, Byakuren took a break to nestle her fingers against Shina's tense shoulders while asking, "So...how have you taken to Gensokyo?"

"Its..." Shina thought repeating what she said to Sanae was unnecessary, so she instead brought attention to another of the land's finer points, "A surprisingly peaceful place! Every other world we'd gone to was always in the midst of a threat, but this time we were the ones pegged as the 'villains'."

"Ahem...well," Byakuren lost focus from embarrassment for a moment, "Its not as though there aren't any Incidents around here. But that stuff tends to be handled by the Hakurei maiden, and nothing's ever been life-threatening."

Her eyes sagged a little, giving Shina a hint that there was something more worth prying from the priestess' lips, "But it ain't all sunshine and lollipops, is it?"

"It is a lot better than it used to be. I suppose Gensokyo's seclusion from the rest of the world is to thank, but...Youkai are still discriminated against, and I sometimes feel I haven't been doing enough to help them."

"You've been doing everything you can Lady Hijiri, there's no need to fret!" Ichirin spoke rather loudly regarding the faith she shared, but her voice compared not to Kyouko's own compliments, "Exactly! Aren't we proof enough that you're doing just fine?!"

"You two..." Byakuren's heart melted from the comforting warmth of their words. But she sadly had to ruin the mood by resting a hand against the side of her face and remarking, "If only you and the others showed this much dedication to Buddhism in your behavior."

The two closed their lips with a nervous grin and chuckle. Shina then glanced back just the tiniest bit and remarked, "Youkai don't die though cause of the Spell Card rules yeah?"

"Hmmm, I suppose not." Byakuren admitted.

"I really like Spell Card duels myself! Yeah, that's gotta be Gensokyo's biggest draw for me!" Shina turned forward and had the brightest smile, "Ya can find a lot of Gensokyo's Youkai on other worlds, but Danmaku's pretty one-of-a-kind. Ya got lotsa variety with none of the risk of harm to either competitor. I really wanna go back home and teach people how to play it someday!"

In a moment that left Ichirin and Kyouko frightened, Byakuren giggled like a girl half her age, but then returned to her more soothing voice to say, "Well, I hope you do get the opportunity to Shina."

"Yep! I know we will, but right now that's all in Mamizou's hands..." Thinking of that subject got Shina's mind drifting towards the matter of her eventual date again, and the sharp rise of tension in her body got Byakuren to flinch back momentarily.

She resumed putting the kimonos onto Shina's back while switching the conversation to a more fitting topic, "There's nothing wrong with feeling nervous. Speak your concerns now, and I shall listen."

"W-Well...I just dunno how to feel about this. It...its not that I don't love Alex but..." Shina look down at the innocently gazing Kyouko and saw it necessary to lean over her shoulder and cover her mouth before whispering, "We...we haven't even kissed..."

Kyouko's ears perked up, but she didn't seem to understand what that meant. Byakuren's slow gasp of surprise only made the yamabiko's curiosity grow.

Byakuren gently pulled Shina in closer and helped turn her around, concealing the kimonos behind her own head as she locked eyes with her and mentioned, "I...may not know much about romance, but there's one bit of advice I think I can impart..."

With a firm pat on the girl's left shoulder she said, "Don't think, just feel. Your heart will never lead you astray."

"Don't think...just feel..." Shina repeated it a couple times as a mantra and the stress seemed to dissolve just a bit. She then cracked a smile and put her hands on Byakuren's shoulders to say, "Thank you! I'll try my best!"

"Hehe, and if it makes you feel any better, that boy is probably just as nervous as you are...If not moreso."

Shina turned back around and Byakuren picked up another kimono, leaving the girl to giggle at the easily imaginable image of Alex's bright red face, especially as he also had to deal with the tricky Mamizou and the boisterous Miko.

"I gotta imagine he's got his own share of troubles dealin' with those two..."

Byakuren laughed a little louder than normal then held a kimono up for an exceptionally longer period of time than before.

"Yes! This is perfect!" She was so excited that she put the kimono right down and hurried right along to the next step just so she could see the kimono on Shina that much faster, "Kyouko, Ichirin, can you help me with Shina's hair?"

The two got behind Shina as she closed her eyes and let them work their magic. Their spindly fingers wove in-between her strands of hair and got to work curling them up. Her heart fluttered as she imagined what hairstyle she'd be given and what Alex would think of it.

"Don't think...just feel...Don't think...just feel..." And her mind drifted off to somewhere else entirely, as shall we...

Meanwhile...

"SHRIPPP!"

The sound of tearing fabric echoed through a realm filled with snow-white fog, as the shambles of a beautiful kimono fell to the ground to become one with an ever-growing ring of cloths. Miko and Mamizou stood and stared at Alex, the destroyer of robes, with eyes as empty as the surrounding skies. The boy stood there as though he had just been unfrozen, then after a couple seconds drooped his arms and groaned, "That's the fifth one in a row..."

"Hmmm, I didn't foresee the simple act of dressing someone to be so...complex." Miko tapped the shaku against the front of her chin while Alex swung his arms out and screamed, "How could you NOT?!"

"...I fail to see what you're arguing." She responded with genuine obliviousness. In exasperation Alex flattened a hand against the top of his head and then lowered it to his chest, where the top of Miko's head lined up with. He did this a couple more times with his limb speeding like a blur, but the Crown Prince offered little more than a shrug.

"Oh well, perhaps attempt number six will be our magic number."

Alex slapped his face and wanted to die. Luckily for him, someone else wanted him dead too, and was standing firmly behind him with eyes squeezed shut and an ugly looking frown. A girl no bigger than Kyouko, this grey uniform wearing bundle of energy swung her wrinkly into the air and proclaimed with more volume than her body should've feasibly been able to produce, "I object-eth to entertaining this ludicrous farce any-eth longer, Crown Prince!"

The girl ran up in front of Alex, who quickly decided the dull sky was more worth his time to look at, and thrust a finger straight up towards his face with cheeks flushed red with rage, "You stand-eth around so uncouthly before royalty! I am disgusted by the mere-eth sight of your presence! Who assigned-eth you the right to leave so unsightly upon the ground the tatters of the Crown Prince's dainty robes?!"

With a dull look in his eyes Alex looked straight at Miko and asked while barely raising a finger towards the girl, "Hey Miko, who's this sassy hot-headed midget supposed to be?"

The girl's eyes lit ablaze with an inferno that could consume worlds whole, which she then set upon the boy through her flailing arms and thunderous voice, "How dare-eth you call me a midget! I am the Crown Prince's most trusted-eth aide, the great Mononobe on Futo!"

Mononobe no Futo ~ The Tiny Pyromaniac

"Settle down Futo, there is no need to blow-up on our guest. Its not his fault." Miko's gentle voice could only sway the girl's attitude so much in the right direction, for even as she turned to bow in respect to her Prince she voiced her complaints with the same fiery fervor as before.

"All due-eth respect, Crown Prince...But this charlitan of a human know-eth naught his place in the world."

"Says the extremely loud-mouthed midget..." Alex threw in a quick pot-shot with a grin for Futo to see right afterwards.

"Silence-eth you knave!" She yelled, staring hot knives into his body. She then spun right back to bow while tucking her hands into her spacious sleeves and spoke with deep respect, "Your clothes hold-eth more value in this world than even gold, yet this child treats them like hobo rags!"

"Hey, its not my fault that I didn't stop growing at the age of eight." Alex smiled wider as Futo got even more mad, with blood veins popping out from her steaming dark red forehead.

"I do admit to underestimating the durability of my old robes, but this is no excuse to be acting like children. Both of you." Miko laid down the law as only she could, with a voice soft but powerful.

Futo went silent but grumpily hunched down, while Alex just crossed his arms and looked away. Having been surprisingly quiet up until this point, Mamizou stopped smoking her pipe and interjected a little observation of her own, "Perhaps we oughta shift focus from clothes to manners, wouldn't ya say Crown Prince?"

Miko snapped her fingers aside and felt enlightened by her words, "Ah yes! Right you are! Pardon my choice of words, but its as they say...A well-dressed body can't disguise a badly dressed heart."

Alex freaked out and started to gesture a flat hand out from his neck a couple times to try and cease their brewing plans, "No no no! I-I'd rather keep focusing on clothes! Yeah, h-haven't we been having-"

Don't try 'n weasel outta this kid... Mamizou stamped her foot down and with a gaze that could scare a rhinocerous she steadily approached the boy and laid down her law, Would ya rather sacrifice your pride as a man? Or yer chances as a lover? Think carefully 'bout this, ya never get second chances here."

Alex just didn't want to admit that he was feeling incredibly nervous deep down. To him, such weakness reflected badly upon him. But at the same time...Shina did deserve better than his usual rough guy attitude. So perhaps just for one day he could let his vulnerable side show, even if it meant having to endure the tiresome lectures of these elderly folk for a while longer.

"...Fine, what do I need to do?"

Miko turned around and with a short nod said, "I shall leave this in your care...While I go acquire a more fitting set of clothes."

The Crown Prince slowly retreated to her magnificent temple with Futo running close behind, trying desperately to make her reconsider. Mamizou walked up to Alex with her pipe twirling like a baton between her fingers and not a single ash dropping from it. She squinted and gave him the quick look over while he followed her around with all his suspicions aroused.

The slightest twitch of her tail was the only warning given before she suddenly stiffened it up and pushed the bottom of his chin to prop his head upright. Mamizou stood behind him with back turned and nudged her glasses up, playfully wiggling her lips as she said, "Keep yer chin up at all times. A lady requires yer attention more than the floor."

Alex breathed a sigh as Mamizou's tail pulled back like a snake in retreat, only for it to suddenly slap the back of his shoulders and force them right up, "Same goes for yer shoulders kid! Walk with confidence, ladies love confidence!"

"...Are you speaking from experience or what?" For his talking back, his mouth was literally stuffed by the fluffy tip of her tail as she lambasted him in a firmer tone of voice.

"Yer gonna have to tame that mouth of yers if ya wanna earn that first kiss. No cussin', and no givin' lip." She pulled her tail out and gave Alex room to breath. He adjusted to his new posture just fine, save for having to fight a great mental battle to resist his natural urges to slump.

"...Shina doesn't really have a problem with the way I speak..."

"She's just bein' polite, trust me. Yer welcome to test yer luck, but you'll just be sleeping with lips drier than a desert by the time night ends."

"How the heck do you even know we haven't kissed?"

"I know," Mamizou firmly spoke and then tapped a couple steps forward, remarking in her more casual voice, "I want ya to succeed kid, but don't get yer head all tangled tryin' to make magic happen. Just let it flow naturally and things'll go as intended...If yer love's meant to last that is."

Alex started choking on empty air, and Mamizou settled her chin upon her chest to giggle, "I kid, I kid! But dang, yer really wound up in a knot over this ain't ya?"

He spread his fingertips across the forehead which had become drenched in a cold sweat, "I think I'd rather die than go on a date at this point..."

"Hrmmm...yes yes, I get it. Yer knees're weak, yer stomach's on the verge of collapse, yer brain's drained of a will to live. That ain't nuthin' to fear though, its all normal."

Staring at her with eyes as pale white as a ghost's, Alex shook his head and muttered, "You make it sound so damn easy..."

"Cause this right here? This is the easy part. Love's a rocky road with bumps aplenty, but survivin' the hardships leads to somethin' wonderful and special..." Mamizou closed her eyes and after a whiff of her pipe whispered, "Kinda envious of young love..."

"Did you say something?"

"Musta been the wind kid..." She perked right up and flicked the worthless ashes aside with a tired look in her eyes, "But that'll be all for our little session. Just try not to have a heart attack, alright?"

"That's it?" Alex's surprise overwhelmed the crawling dread.

"That's it," She stated plainly, "Sides, Ms. Prince 'S already on her way back with a rather...interesting choice of robe."

Alex dreaded looking at the temple as Miko came wandering out with a folded up parcel colored the same as fresh lilacs. When the Crown Prince stopped she held no concern for its colors as she brought to his attention, "It took a little salvaging, but this robe should fit."

Alex looked down and just lost all will to care when he saw its coloring up close. It wasn't a parcel, it was the robe itself. Its colors were bright and blinding even in this luminose realm, and it was decorated with glittery lime-green taoist symbols and straps down the center of the neckline.

"...Did you used to wear this?" Alex dared to ask with his eyes barely having the energy to quiver.

"Not at all. This was worn by one of my most trusted advisors, who loved nature with all his heart. Sadly, he perished of illness at a terribly young age..." Miko gave a rare glimpse into her melancholic side for a moment before propping the robe up in both hands and saying, "So all I request is that you handle it with care."

Her humbleness in asking along with that short but touching memoir was all Alex needed to shut up and reach for the robe. After snatching it up he unfolded it and pushed his arms through the sleeves. The material was smooth but cold at first, yet snugly comformed to his body like a second layer of skin and grew warm in seconds, especially as he took the ribbon and tied it up around the waist. With a firm tug on both ends of the ribbon the robe was secured, and he examined how it looked on him.

It was no surprise that lilac wasn't a flattering color, especially with his red shirt sticking out from the neckline and his modern day sneakers undoubtedly visible from the bottom...But if one were to ignore the colors and focus more on the general appearance of the robe itself, then it didn't look that garish. In fact, Alex found himself feeling more confident the moment he put it on.

"Huh..." He tucked an arm into the center of the robe and laid a hand on his chin to pretend he was a nobleman, then looked at Miko and asked, "How do I look?"

The Crown Prince's cheeks were partially puffed and a brief snort pushed out from her nostrils, but this little moment of weakness didn't change the honesty in her response, "You look just fine...But its not my appraisal that you should be seeking, no?"

Alex's heart started pumping blood at a faster rate and his whole face turned red. With eyes wide and full of both hope and dread he bowed his head at Miko and said with a clear and respectful voice, "Thank you for this robe, Crown Prince."

"May it serve you well on this unforgettable of nights, Elemental Overlord. Now, shall I see you two off?" She drew her shaku up high and swiped the air in front of her, creating a perfect sized rift for the two to return to the Myouren Temple.

Mamizou let the boy take the lead with a silent wave of both arms, and after collecting himself with a breath deep enough to fill a hot air balloon he held his head up high and walked through. His heart was racing and every step felt like a chore. His skin was riddled with goosebumps and felt as cold as ice, even before coming in contact with the quiet nightly breeze.

When he stepped forth onto familiar temple grounds, he just couldn't say a word, nor could he breath.

The girl...no, the woman at the bottom of the steps was unrecognizable to him now. She wore a black furisode kimoro with a white flower print embroided with gold glitter, and a brown obi sash around her waist that was secured by a fluffy blue ribbon. Her flowing locks of blonde hair had been bundled up in a bun in the back of her head with the help of some delicate golden string, while the pale moonlight accentuated the beauty of her blushing face.

She was fiddling with her fingers before her chest and avoided looking straight at Alex for good minute. When their eyes connected though, there was nothing to disrupt them beyond the peaceful chirping of crickets from the forest.

Alex's mouth was dry, as were his pitiful, gasping attempts to say something. Shina didn't even try to say anything herself, and slowly paced herself towards the boy. His mind was flushed of all thoughts besides how beautiful he found her to be. He wanted to compare her to the brightest stars in the sky, but felt even that wasn't a worthy comparison.

Lost in thought all alone, it didn't even occur to him that she was standing a foot away until the slightest trace of her breath could be felt upon his face. His heart lunged out of his chest and he felt ready to faint, especially as she showed no signs of commenting on his peculiar choice of clothes. Now he just felt really silly and adequate.

"Y-Y-You're very beautiful Shina..." Alex's face filled with blood and he covered it up in both hands, muffling a scream of pure frustration at himself.

Perhaps it was for the best. Shina too couldn't bear herself to look him in the face, and her pupils shrank while her face became just as red. Only her words would suffice to break this mile long wall of ice between them, but though she's not the postergirl for thinking straight most of the time she had just the right thing to say at this particularly tense moment.

"Did...Miko pick that robe out for you?"

"Y...yes..." He said with quietly pained dread.

She forced her best smile through a drench of sweat and said, "It...looks good on ya Alex!"

Her simple choice of words was the reassurance the boy needed, and he began to part his fingers to give her a proper look in the eyes. Though she was beautiful, moreso now than ever before, that didn't change who she was on the inside. That innocent soul with a heart of gold...That was the person Alex fell in love with.

"It...does?" He whispered more confidently.

"Whodathunk pink'd be your best color?!" She giggled in delight.

"A-Actually its...lilac..." He rubbed the back of his head and barely sounded that last word out before being overcome by a short but terrible cough.

"S-So...Are...are you ready to go to the festival, Shina?"

He was speechless at her holding her hand out and turning her head to strengthen that unforgettable smile without saying a word. He'd just be insulting her gesture by speaking any further. Nervousness could just disappear into the void for all he cared now. By accepting the gentle grip of her hand into his own, the two were ready to go to the Human Village and enjoy themselves to the fullest. And on that night he swore a thousand lifetimes over...that he would ensure it'd go right...

Next Time: The Moment The Universe Changed