Nekohana awoke in the comfort of a plush couch. Before passing out, she last recalled escaping the desert storm's rough atmosphere and collapsing upon fresh grass in the palace gardens. Great was her confusion when she found herself inside the bedchambers of what seemed to be one of the upmost levels in the capital palace. Books, scrolls, magical artifacts and a handful of musical instruments filled the room, and on the four poster bed sat a black panther daiyoukai with one leg crossed, scratching her chin with metal claws and looking down with curiosity coming from her glowing red pupils, almost like a predator.
"It can't be... Hyouma?!" Nekohana immediately recognized her host. "What happened? How did I get here? What do you want from me?"
"Lower your voice, else we will be caught and I will have no choice but to hand you over to the authorities," Hyouma calmly replied and motioned to a small table by the couch's side where she had left a glass of water. "Have a drink, that little desert trip must have left you dehydrated." Her guest nodded and picked up the glass, sniffing the liquid first. "Rest assured, I did not put anything in that drink. You will answer my questions without the need for any tricks."
"How are you so certain?"
"You are a co-conspirator in the failed revolution that took place almost two months ago. The queen has put a price on your head and General Rufu is having his forces hunt you down across the kingdom. To say that your current position is dire would be an understatement. Now, depending on your answers, I could either become your most useful ally or worst enemy. So I would choose my words wisely if I were you."
"Hmph, very reassuring indeed," Nekohana snidely remarked and drank the water, her dried up throat relieved at last. "A thousand years may have passed, but I still remember seeing you in the palace gardens every time the daiyoukai held a public feast there. You either hung out with a small group of nobles our age or spent time in Koushishi's presence, of all people."
"Don't think I forgot that you were allowed to attend those gatherings as well. As Shishima's personal servant, always keeping your head down to avoid eye contact and walking three steps behind him," Hyouma recalled, her growing interest easily read in her voice.
"Should I suppose my presence there was a terrible offense as well?"
"Of course not, all daiyoukai were allowed to bring their slaves along if they so chose. But what truly intrigued me was that someone with a vast harem as Shishima only ever brought you along and ensured you were always close to him. Was he protecting you by any chance?"
"And what if he was?"
"There were rumors flowing around among us that the two of you were actually together. It was not at all a good image for the prince. Evidently, nobody ever dared ask him such a personal question lest they had a death wish."
"If that is the game you wish to play... I also know that you are Shishima's cousin and the closest thing to a relative to the royal family. And I heard some rumors myself that you were desperate to take his hand in marriage."
Hyouma's eyes widened, the mask of aloofness she wore beginning to break. "How did you...?"
"You daiyoukai can't help yourselves and always send out servants to spy on each other. Well, little do any of you know that sometimes plants are the most efficient spy. And you don't have to belittle them to get what you want," Nekohana explained and poured the rest of her glass into a nearby flower pot.
"Very curious, I never once expected you to be the spying or scheming type," Hyouma replied, having quickly regained her composure.
"I didn't use to be like this. Alas, after that fateful night when our kingdom conquered Purgatory, I've also changed," Nekohana confessed and changed her position on the sofa to a vertical kneel.
"You mean the night when you and Shishima allegedly died not long after the former king. And yet here you are, flesh and bone, alive and well. Conquering death must have been quite the feat, I imagine."
"We don't have time to waste telling each other stories! Hyouma, I'm sure you are well aware of what Shishima is currently going through. We've got to do something to rescue him before he meets a terrible fate!"
"Why would I risk getting on the wrong side of the law by helping him escape? Better yet, why would you risk getting captured by trying to rescue him? Let's be realistic: the only way Shishima is coming out of the dungeons is when the queen orders it. Simple as that."
"So we're supposed to sit around here and wait while he suffers needlessly?!"
Hyouma was amused by her guest's display of emotion and knowingly replied, "You really do love him! I wonder, are these feelings of yours reciprocated?" Nekohana decidedly nodded. "No way, so it's all true then... the prince really did fall for you! I don't know which rouses my curiosity more - how you managed to survive death or how you managed to win his heart?"
"If you're so dying to know what happened on the night of Purgatory's fall, I'll tell you. But then, please, we have to figure something out."
"I promise nothing. But, depending on what you tell me, that may change." Hyouma rested her head on her palms. "I'm all ears."
"The answer to our survival is an unexpected one for sure: the human world. You see, back in the day, I had discovered a portal which led to this different place inhabited by mortals, better known as planet Earth. There I secretly studied these so-called humans and came to the realization that there were not many differences between them and youkai. The most striking one was their certain mortality and limited lifespan of somewhere between half a century to a full century. But it was this short lifespan that made them appreciate their existences more. Sure, they still waged wars and backstabbed each other, but they could also allow themselves to fully trust one another and even freely and openly love one another without fearing that such feelings would be exploited against them. I, who loved Shishima, knew that our relationship could only exist behind closed doors due to these superficial genetic and cultural differences that were imposed on us. I began craving a new life, where the both of us could become humans and fully renounce our current existence. And, while studying humanity's different cultures, I came upon this concept called 'reincarnation'."
"Reincarnation...?" Hyouma repeated, unsure of what the term meant.
"Yes, some humans believe that after death their souls go on to be reborn in new mortal bodies and have a new life without remembering the past one whatsoever. While the truth is much different, as we both know their souls mostly come here in the afterlife to either Heaven or Hell, or sometimes they still linger on Earth if they have a grudge or unfinished business, the idea of reincarnation intrigued me. Upon returning to the capital palace, I scoured both the public library from the first floor and Shishima's bookshelves for anything regarding this foreign concept of reincarnation. Eventually I found something in an ancient scroll written by none other than Fukurokuju himself. It stated that while all spiritual beings lack a soul and thus become one with the Abyss upon dying, there is a way to cheat death, and that is to bind oneself to mortal bodies in an endless cycle of reincarnation. Shishima must have probably glossed over this with indifference, but to me it was the obvious solution to all of our problems. The spell was meant to be chanted, but in special cases it could also be reproduced on a musical instrument... such as a flute, as long as the correct notes were played."
"So you cast it after Shishima mortally wounded you and then the rest was history?"
"Correct. And after that night I've spent countless mortal lives as the alter ego of plenty of human women, always searching for my prince. And, as you can see, I've finally found him. That is my story, Hyouma," Nekohana concluded and got up from the couch to stretch her tired body.
"There is one thing I still don't understand: why would you resort to living in human bodies? Sure, you may view their world as safer than ours, but have were you not concerned by how frail they are?"
"I would choose Earth over the Twilight Kingdom any day! Unlike us, humans have changed in attitude. Modern mortals are way more open-minded and welcoming, although they have lost touch with spirituality and thus are incapable of any magic."
"But then why would you bring Shishima back here after reuniting with him? Did you not want to run away from this place?"
"Unfortunately since Shishima was unopposed on Earth, he spent each of his past lives abusing his power over the mortals and slaughtering them by the millions. I know that the only way to calm him down is by having him face his past, which is the reason I brought him here."
"You've endangered yourself and the male you claim to love just so a bunch of tiny flesh bags could get to prolong their already short lifespan?" Hyouma shook her head and got up. "If you keep this up, your compassion will be your downfall. That said, I've heard what I needed to hear. There is just one last thing I want from you before I make a decision - a duel!" She opened a drawer and took out her deck, then she motioned to two dueling tables in a corner of her room.
Nekohana also took her deck out of her flower mane and the two felines walked to the dueling tables and set down their cards, five rectangular blue shields materializing above each of them, marking the beginning of their match.
"I cast Faerie Life," Hyouma said and put the top card of her deck into her mana zone.
"I cast Dark Life." Nekohana checked the top two cards of her deck. "Belladonna, Demon Faerie goes to my mana zone and Gigandydanos, Big Tree King to my graveyard."
"You have the King Master Card of the Fushigi Kingdom? That's supposed to be Jubokko's trump card!"
"Jubokko is the one who gave me all of the Fushigi Kingdom cards I now use. The patron of all plant life in the Twilight Kingdom has chosen me as its representative."
"Why am I not surprised? Very well, it's time to show you my own Kingdom, and that is the Water Nature Team Wave!" Hyouma tapped four cards in her mana zone. "I summon Umakin Project!" A dark blue horse with a green belly, scales all over its back and legs, and a mane and tail of blue and pink fire appeared in the battle zone and neighed. "With Umakin Project's effect, I check the top two cards of my deck, add one to my hand and the other to my mana zone." She pondered for a moment before selecting which to keep in her hand and adding Geotajio, Dragon Armored to her mana zone. "Also, Umakin Project has 0 power, but gets +1000 for each card in my mana zone, so now it has 5000 power."
"I summon Rymer Druid." A green-skinned humanoid appeared in the battle zone, wearing an orange loincloth, a necklace with painted eyes, golden bracelets, earrings and a witch hat, and wielding a wooden staff with a skull on its top. "I check the top four cards of my deck, add Assault, Onifuda Kingdom to my mana zone and send Dakliedrange, Tsuruhashi Doji and Crossfire, Millionaire to my graveyard. Then, since I played him from my hand, Rymer Druid is destroyed." The humanoid vanished in an explosion.
"You've added a touch of Fire to your Darkness Nature deck as well, I see. Interesting," Hyouma remarked while once again tapping all cards in her mana zone. "Let me show you the true power of Team Wave - I summon another Umakin Project and use Buzzrender 2! By paying the extra Buzzrender cost when summoning my creature, I can use its come into play effect a second time as well. So, I check the top two cards of my deck, keep this in my hand and add Wald Brachio, Absolute World King to my mana zone. Again, I check two cards, add this to my hand and send Komori, Glasses Faerie to my mana zone. Now both my Umakin Projects have 8000 power."
"Your deck's ramping capabilities are impressive, yes. However, those are not fast enough for the power of the Fushigi Kingdom!" Nekohana countered and started her turn. "I cast Beginning of the End." Belladonna, Demon Faerie, Spiner, Shock Doctor and Domanmodrange landed in her graveyard from the top of her deck. "I recover Crossfire, Millionaire. Now, since I have 6 creatures in my graveyard, Gravity Zero, I summon Crossfire for free!" A humanoid with dragon features wearing an elegant mechanical suit with two red blades attached to his wrists appeared in the battle zone, his long white hair flowing behind. "Fushigiverse, I send Crossfire to my mana zone and revive Domanmodrange for 3 mana." The humanoid was enveloped in a green aura and vanished, then a bipedal elephant made of purple stone and with two large cherry trees growing on its shoulders arose in the battle zone.
"So, you bring high-costing creatures for free as Fushigiverse bait for your actual finishers. A clever strategy, but I'm afraid you're the slower one in this instance, Nekohana. I cast [Kamikai] Mana has become haywire with Buzzrender?! [Startled] and use Buzzrender 3 twice! That means I will now ramp three times. Now I have 12 mana, meaning both my Umakin Projects have 12000 power. And since they have powered breaker, that means they can break three shields now. Go, triple break her shields!" At the panther's behest, the first horse galloped ahead and ran through three opposing shields. "Then, my second Umakin Project, break her final shields!" The other horse did the same and her opponent was rendered defenseless.
"Shield trigger, I summon Jukushite Inai Zombiebanana and destroy an Umakin Project!" An anthropomorphic dark green banana wearing an ancient golden necklace appeared by Nekohana's side and fired a toxic blue liquid from its body upon one of the horses, making it evaporate. "Since I put another creature in the battle zone, Domanmodrange makes you discard a card." Hyouma casually tossed Tweeting Bluebird into her graveyard. "And now it's my turn, I cast Beginning of the End." Trap Giant, Rymer Druid and 5000GT, Riot went into Nekohana's graveyard, the latter of which was recovered. "Then Fushigiverse, I send Zombiebanana to my mana zone and revive Gigandydanos, Big Tree King for 5 mana!" The rotten banana was also enveloped by a green aura and faded, its place taken by a four-legged giant tree creature, its head shaped like that of a moose, a small purple halo floating between its horns, a multitude of small birds flying around its branches, its wooden face shaped like a skull out of which it exhaled an eerie purple smoke. "When Gigandydanos enters the battle zone, all cards in your hand are sent to your mana zone." The opponent visibly scowled as she lost Saizoumist, Dolge and Hayabusamaru, Lightfang Ninja. "And while Gigandydanos is in the battle zone, all your creatures weaker than his 50000 power can't attack me!"
"The leader of the Fushigi Kingdom is quite a sight to behold indeed. However, don't think that a mere flashy finisher is enough to defeat me!" Hyouma countered and drew her top card, then a visible smile grew on her face. "Let me show you my own trump card - I summon Rolemodeltiger with one Buzzrender 3!" A blue tiger whose fur twirled like blue wings and with a pair of digital honeycomb-patterned wings on its back appeared in the room and roared at the opposing plant youkai and her tree creature. "When Rolemodeltiger is put in the battle zone, I draw a card and put a creature from my mana zone into the battle zone which costs equal or less to the number of cards in my mana zone. And since I used a Buzzrender, I get to this twice, so I'll now bring out Wald Brachio, Absolute World King and Geotajio, Dragon Armored!" The blue feline was joined by a tall horned dinosaur with green scales and sharp blue stones decorating its body, as well as a winged silver dragon with two pairs of cannons decorating its shoulders and arms. "Wald Brachio will not allow you to use come into play effects anymore, while Geotajio will not let my creatures with 12000 power or more leave the battle zone, except by losing a battle. Now, Rolemodeltiger has mach fighter, so I use it to get rid of that pesky Domanmodrange." The tiger flew towards the opponent and hacked her stone elephant into pieces with its claws. "I end my turn, and while Rolemodeltiger is tapped, your creatures are forced to attack him."
"I must say, you have quite the impressive lockdown as well. Still, it won't matter as long as you won't be able to finish the game! Since I have 9 creatures in my graveyard, I summon 5000GT, Riot by paying only 3 mana." A winged red-skinned humanoid with dragon features, donning a formal black suit with a blue tie and its left arm replaced with a giant buzz saw and a sharp blade arose by Nekohana's side. "Fushigiverse, I send 5000GT to my mana zone and revive Dakliedrange for 1 mana!" The dragon-like humanoid was enveloped in a green aura and disappeared, being replaced by a bipedal purple crocodile whose scales were covered with a purple poisonous goo, with a pair of leaf wings emerging from its back, its limbs made of aloe vera, three pairs of bananas hanging from both sides of its neck and a white halo floating above its head. "Now let's get rid of your lockdowns, shall we? Gigandydanos, destroy Rolemodeltiger!"
The moose opened its jaw wide and spat its purple toxic fumes upon the tiger.
"You should've kept that 5000GT!" Hyouma intervened and revealed a card from her hand. "Ninja Strike 8, I summon Bainaradonden which sends Gigandydanos to the bottom of your deck and allows me to draw a card!" A small window appeared and raised its curtain to reveal a green spiraled portal which sucked in the mighty tree creature, leaving its owner defenseless.
"It can't be..." Nekohana muttered with shock. "I... end here."
"Rolemodeltiger, todomeda!" Hyouma wasted no time in giving the direct attack order and her tiger creature flew on its wings towards her opponent, headbutting her and throwing her into a wall, thus cementing her its owner's victory.
Hyouma packed her cards and walked towards the defeated Nekohana, analyzing her from top to bottom. Her mixed blood meant she could never reach her full potential as either a lion or plant youkai. While she was aware of her surroundings and knew how to cook up plans herself, she let her emotions cloud her judgment and thus she ended up making mistakes, as shown in the very last part of their duel. Still, her connection with plants was not to be underestimated, as she could spy on whomever she wanted if she put her mind to it. Their decks were also very similar since they ramped into big finishers, their main difference being that Nekohana's focused on the graveyard while Hyouma's focused on drawing and spamming from the mana zone. In a way they could complement each other, should the need rise for them to team up. But perhaps the most important aspect to the former gardener was her emotional connection to Shishima. If she revealed anything that could help Hyouma get closer to her cousin's heart despite his emotion reading capabilities, perhaps betraying Koushishi and siding with the rebels was indeed the logical option. From where she stood, she would never become queen and thus her life's only purpose was null and void. But if she were to risk and take a fall, she needed a backup plan, and thankfully there was one...
Turmoil grew on the day when the previous oni senator had been voted out of the senate. Hyouma was resting against a wall behind a large decorative plant, trying to hear as much as she could. If any guard were to find her, she had the perfect excuse of her father being a senator and thus she was waiting for him to come out of the meeting. But in actuality she was curious about the vote's resolution, as that would have had an impact on the large number of oni riots that were happening outside the capital palace. All of a sudden, the senate's doors flung open and a tall red oni wearing nothing but a loincloth made of tiger's skin and holding a single suitcase stomped out, a grim look on his ogre face.
"Excuse me, sir!" Hyouma immediately tackled him. "My father's a senator, he told me that an important vote took place today."
"Ah, you're Yoruma's kid," the oni immediately recognized her. "Yes, I'm afraid it was a vote of no confidence and now I am out of the senate. They will select another one of my kin to take my place and keep sucking up to the queen while lying to her that everything is okay and the people are satisfied with her rule." He paused for a moment and regarded the female panther. "Unless... you're related to the royal family, are you not?" She nodded. "If you were on the throne, what would you do to help the impoverished oni, child?"
"I guess erase some of the harsh taxes and tributes that are being imposed upon you. That's the main reason the oni are now rioting, no? Other than that, I'm unsure as of yet, I would have to look more into the issue."
"A good answer." The former senator now turned to fully face her in all his muscular glory. "Hyouma, I have a proposal: if you choose to side with us, our clan will offer you protection and will help you take over the throne once Koushishi's reign is defeated. But in exchange, you must fight for our cause and use your daiyoukai position to offer us support! What do you say?"
Hyouma blinked and reflected on the offer for a moment. "I will not reject it. But at the same time, if I downright accept it now and provide you my full support, I will suffer great consequences if we are discovered, especially as the queen's protégé."
"Understandable. However, should you ever feel ready to pursue your destiny and side with us, know that we oni will fully back you up, no matter what!"
"I will not forget that. Thank you." She bowed politely and took her leave before anyone would catch them conversing.
Indeed the time had not been right back then. But with the current revelations still fresh in her mind, Hyouma had to take her chances. Should they have failed at the end of the day, she could seek refuge among the oni, who were known to hoard stolen riches as well - the main reason their taxes were so high. She regarded Nekohana as the latter got back on her feet and packed up her own cards.
"My decision has been made," Hyouma broke the silence between them. "We will work together to rescue Shishima and overthrow Koushishi."
"Thank you!" Nekohana immediately bowed to her waist to showcase her gratefulness. "I promise you that your efforts will not be in vain!"
"Of course they won't. After all, when all is said and done, I will marry Shishima and become queen."
"You what?!"
"Worry not, it will be purely a political marriage. Then you and Shishima can have your 'genuine relationship' behind the scenes and do whatever, it's not my business. But we both need to take our rightful thrones, no matter what!"
"I don't know what to say. I've seen Shishima once he's gotten ultimate power and it always leads to madness with him. I'm afraid that if he takes the throne, he will revert to his old sadistic ways."
"Now is not the time to worry about details, Nekohana! You want to rescue him, don't you? Then you need my help. And don't worry, if we go ahead with my plan, at the end of the day the three of us win: I get the throne, he gets revenge, you get love."
"I guess you're right." Nekohana sighed in defeat. "We have a deal."
The two shook their clawed hands and looked each other in the eye. While deep inside they may have not fully agreed with the other's stances, for the time being they had a common goal and a common enemy. That reason was enough to cement their reluctant alliance.