Gensokyo's Finest Teahouse (Anunsew's Shorts)

[Anunsew]

Hello there. It's been awhile since we had our last guest. Have a seat.

Welcome to Gensokyo?s finest teahouse~
Sorry for the bad name, but it?s the best I could come up with. And it?s not like we get usually have guests in a regular basis.

Would you like some tea? Don't worry, it's on the house. It's been such a long time since we had company.
We have some Schwarzw?lder Kirschtorte as well, would you like to have a slice? No? A pity.

Ah, I see that you are a little uncomfortable. Is the chair too soft for your liking? Or is it too hard? Would you rather sit on another chair? Ah, I can see your modest refusal. I understand. I apologize if I am a bit unbecoming. I am just rather excited.

After all, it's been awhile since we had our last guest.

Hmm, is it curiosity that I espy on your face? Very well, I shall tell you about our last guest. Reminiscing the past while drinking tea is such a nice pastime after all.

Ahem. Let's see~how should I start? As you may have readily observed, I own this establishment~a modest teahouse by the side of some forlorn road. You have seen it on the way here, yes? Ah, very good. Unfortunately, this time of the year, the road beside our teahouse is most desolate and most...unbecoming. However, in certain times of the year, the road is filled with bright red flowers~a breathtaking sight to behold. In fact, I could say that its beauty is worth dying for.

Ahem. I'm getting offtrack, aren't I? Ah, yes, about our last guest. She was a young girl, I'd daresay that she is as old as you are, pardon my rudeness. It was around the time that the flowers were blooming with their beauty that she first stepped inside my modest teahouse. She was tired, and the day was waning fast when she came, and she sought sanctuary in my teahouse for the coming night. At first, I was rather surprised~I do not have many guests after all. I started to turn her away, but she looked at me with such pleading eyes that I felt my heart soften with pity. The road is filled with dangers, especially at night.

Ahem. Hmm, now that I think about it, you also begged to stay for the night a while ago, did you not? I can hear the sixth hour bell chiming at my study. As I remember it, it was also in the same hour that she came to my modest teahouse. I welcomed her, with a little bit of reluctance, but I decided that I would be inhuman to leave a young girl outside at night. As I was already closing that evening, I could only serve her with Assam. It was unbecoming, and never before, in my life, did I serve Assam in the evening. However, I am sure that you are familiar with the brisk and malty flavour upon your lips, and its distinctive ruby hue. It is rather invigorating, don't you think? Assam is a great brew, and is especially good with people whose hearts are heavy with despair. Come, let me pour you another cup.

Ahem. I apologize if I prattle too much. It is an unbecoming habit of mine. Anyway, I was rather curious to who this girl was, and why she is on the road at such a late hour. However, I did not like to pry, so I prattled on little talk, such as you may have already observed. It is purely, with her consent that she begun to talk about herself. She introduced herself as some daughter from some renowned family that I haven't heard about. Of course, she did not think of it as strange, as she observed that my teahouse is in the rurality. Her parents were splitting up, and her parents were fighting over their rights over her, like she was some prize animal in a country fair. I was disgusted at that, because even farmers know how to deal with disputes like that in an organized manner. When I told her that, she laughed heartily. I was surprised~you see, ever since she entered my modest teahouse, she wore a mask of despair, like someone who had already given up on happiness in life. It was such a sad face, and I am sure that no human will not be moved by such a face. However, when she laughed, I felt like such a wretch, thinking of turning her back on the road earlier, and serving her tea that is unsuited for evening.

Ahem. Hmm, is that concern that I see on your face? I just have a slight cough. It is not a matter to worry about. Kindly let me continue with my story then. After settling down from her laughter, she told me that she decided that she will not go back home "no matter what". "It's no longer a home, it's just a house," she told me. She told me that everyday was like a living hell back there. You must understand, that while I did not want to demean her, I had to say the words that I'm about to say:

"There are many more places that is more akin to hell itself, and most of them are disguised as Aidenn."

She gave me such a nasty look, like she wanted to hit me or something to that effect. However, she just took a deep breath and said; "I haven't found a nastier place than my home yet." Yet. In that single word did she reveal her little knowledge of the world, and I could only sigh in reply.

However, before both of us could speak a word, there came a loud cry. It seemed to come at the back, she said. I agreed to take a look. However, when I took a look, everything was as it should be inside my kitchen and house.  As you may not have known, I live in this teahouse; I sleep in a room beside the cellar door. The preparation room separates my room and serving area; you could also call it a kitchen, though I only make sweets and tea most of the time.

Going back to my ward, I saw that she was feeling uncomfortable, as you are now. I told her that I did not find anything unusual; it may have been the wind or some other thing that was playing with our minds and ears. I offered to pour her another cup of Assam, but she refused politely.  I was about to offer her a slice of Schwarzw?lder Kirschtorte when another cry assaulted us. It was louder and more blood curdling, that before I noticed it, my ward was already clutching my arm in fear. However, I assured her that it is just the wind, and nothing more.

She did not believe me. Why? I would never know. She asked to let her have a look at the back~with me, of course~so that we would be sure that it is indeed just a phantasm in our minds. By this time, the cried had died down, and both of us were already walking past my kitchen.

Of course, had she been more attentive, she would have noticed the vials with rich red colors that would only remind you of one thing. But she was too  disturbed by the cry earlier to notice a hacksaw lying just beside the stone oven lying at my left, or the eerily-stained hishaku that I use for special tea preparations, or the vials of liquids which I had procured from the finest ingredients which gives my tea that unique taste.

She did not notice my hand wrapping around a small bloodstained knife which was secretly hidden inside my robes, and she certainly did not notice my footsteps becoming lighter, almost quietly inhuman. When she spotted the cellar door, she noticed the weird brown stains painted across its wooden planks. She suddenly tensed, her body became rigid; whether with excitement or fear, I will never know. She then pushed the door open, ever so lightly, like someone pushing curtains aside.

While she was nearly retching at my cellars contents, I hit her at the back of her head with the butt of my knife, and she fell down the cellar stairs, with the rest of my other ingredients where they would stay fresh when I need them.

After all, tea is good with people whose hearts are heavy with despair. They produce such fine brews, truly worthy of Gensokyo?s finest teahouse.

Where are you going? It?s a bit late, and it?s certainly dangerous at the road at night. Hmm? What did you say? You changed your mind about staying? I?d rather that you change your mind again. You would not? A pity. I guess it can?t be helped then.

I won?t be pushy, I know when a guest wants to leave. Here, I?m holding the door open for you. You don?t have to give me that look. And now you are outside my teahouse, briskly walking away, now running, without giving another look at my modest teahouse.

I do wish you luck out there on the road, because night is the youkai?s playground. Hmm, is that a cry for help I hear? Never mind, it is probably just the wind.

Well, I should get myself some tea then. Brewed with the best tea leaves, and steeped with the best ingredients in Gensokyo.

Definitely, I am happy to be the owner of Gensokyo?s finest Teahouse.





While it's not really my first try at making fanfics, writing isn't really what I do best.
Anyway, even if it's just short, and probably tasteless, I do hope I was able to entertain you, even for a little while.

[Alfred F. Jones]

Chills up my spine. Like damn. The seemingly random italics in the middle of paragraphs didn't set off my mental alarms until it was too late.

I am reminded of Lovecraft's short story, The Picture in the House. I am also reminded of why subtle horror is my favourite genre. :3

You know, this fic really puts quite the twist on Gensokyo's tea-drinking habit...

[Kinzo the Astro Curious]

What ruro said. Chilling, and takes some interesting turns. Liked this one!

[nintendonut888]

Interesting story. I enjoy hearing about Gensokyo's less glamorous side, and this captured it well. I read it having already spoiled the ending, so sadly the surprise didn't hit me. However, if I could give some constructive criticism, I think that the framing device is a bit unnatural. Why would the narrator be telling this story to their newest guest, and even let them go in the end? If the framing device was different, I'd like it more, but even with that it's not bad at all, considering writing "isn't your thing."

[Kyo Tanaka]

Tbh, I wasn't expecting much since it was named Finest Teahouse, but after reading all that, I became interested with it. At first I expected something like a tea party, but nothing like that. Well, I guess I should have known better, since it was Gensokyo.

Is this like a oneshot?

[Anunsew]

Thanks for the comments. :3

Why would the narrator be telling this story to their newest guest, and even let them go in the end?

The narrator is a typical whimsical youkai. She probably enjoys preparing tea for her guests instead of having the goods for herself.

And also, the newest guest would not be considered 'pure' anymore. The newest guest drank some of the tea, after all.

Is this like a oneshot?

Yes. It's something random that I thought of while composing. XD

[Ayaya]

writing isn't really what I do best.

i am trying to imagine what something you do 'best' would be like...

[Matsuri]

Oooh, I like it. Like Ruro said, subtle horror is fantastic-- especially when it starts out as calm, though maybe a little unsettling, and drags the reader slowly down.

[Infy♫]

whoa, that was creepy as hell D:

[Aba Matindesu!]

When I scanned it, I was like, "Meh."

And then I actually read it. I'm not going into another teahouse for another month or two.

Props!

[Anunsew]

I haven't have much time for writing lately...but I guess it sucks to make a new thread for every story I write. 

Anyway, here goes...


Each petal that drops from a cherry tree has its own story to tell. To be honest, each story has its own beginning, plot, and end. Each story intertwines, creating a massive web of intricate biographies, adventures, and endings. However, not every story is full of happiness, nor completely tragic. It's the subtle mixture of hot and cold water, of sweet and bitter, that creates the perfect tea.

Take this for example.

//////////////////////////////////

Once, there was a shinigami. She was an industrious and hardworking shinigami. As such, she was always exposed to the horrors of death and grief of humans that she reaps. However, she did not pay too much heed about it, it comes with the job, after all. Through her two red eyes, she saw death of the guilty and the innocent, and saw little difference between the two. It wasn't her place to judge the merits of the people she reaps--she is just a mere shinigami. To reap people is her domain, and whether the souls of the dead reach Tengoku or Jigoku is not her concern.

Then came a time that there was a great banquet for all the shinigami. It was a rare celebration indeed, as shinigami are a very busy lot. With lots of people dying everyday, every shinigami in the four corners of the world are always hard-pressed to keep up with their schedules. However, the judges of Jigoku thought fit that their hard work should be rewarded, and told the servants of Jigoku to prepare a special banquet and distribute the invitations to all the shinigami around the world.

Now, the shinigami of my story saw little need for the banquet. The shinigami aren't given to joyous celebrations, nor are they keen about going away from their work, The other shinigami are thankful for the banquet, but like our heroine, they also saw that the banquet were just a whimsical decisions from the judges of Jigoku. However, since they didn't want to offend their superiors, they had no choice but to attend.

Our shinigami told the others, "I still have work to do. Tell the judges that I still have an important quota to meet. I'll attend later."

With that, our shinigami went off to do her work, not really looking forward to the banquet later. She did not like celebrations. She looked at celebrations as futile attempts to forget the reality of the world. Humans loved celebrations; for with their short mortal lives and futile dreams, what better excuse do they have to celebrate? Humans are frail creatures, given to hatred, love, and other insensible things that lead to their own destruction. Celebrations are mere outlets to escape the reality of their own mortality and futility; for our shinigami, celebrations is like stooping to the human's level.

She smirked at the thought that her comrades had to bear with the formalities and celebration of Jigoku's judges. Well, the shinigami thought, with so many shinigami attending, nobody would miss me.

As she thought of those words, she espied a lovely cherry tree near the abode of humans. It was blooming heartily, springtime is at its height. It was a lovely cherry tree indeed, its purple blossoms reflected the emptiness and fullness of the world, and its branches reached out proudly to the heavens that it can never touch. It was a tree of contradictions, a tree that showed loveliness and misery. It moved the shinigami, and she felt feelings that she never felt before.

She approached the tree and touched it, and felt its rough bark scratching her palm. For the first time, the shinigami became aware of the emptiness of her existence. She scorned humans for their futility, and yet now she realizes that her existence is no different. She reaped souls day and night, without any rest, without any delay. Death waits for no one.

And yet now, she saw beauty beyond anything that she has ever seen. The staggering beauty of the cherry tree filled the emptiness that she always felt, and yet was never aware of. It confused her. It intrigued her. For the first time, she realized that there is more to her existence than a harbinger of death.

The shinigami laughed. It was a joyous laugh that was never heard before, and will never be heard again. Shinigami are not given to laughter; they may laugh out of mirth or sarcasm, but never out of joy. As harbingers of death, they never laughed and were always grim in their appearance, but this shinigami was laughing joyfully at the beauty of the cherry tree.

"So, have you come to see this beautiful cherry tree as well?"

The shinigami was surprised. Turning around, she saw an old man walking towards her. The shinigami thought that it was strange--no normal human could see a shinigami! However, as the old man walked closer, the shinigami saw that the old man's candle was dying; the old man was breathing his last few hours in the world. His attachment to the world was weakening, and he is ready to move on to the afterlife...

"It's such a beautiful tree isn't it?" the old man told her. "It's such a pity that it's forgotten by most of the people around here."

The old man walked past her and sat beside the tree's trunk. He sighed and looked at the shinigami.

"Old man, you are dying, are you not?" asked the shinigami.

The old man laughed softly. "Yes. I am old, but I guess you can already see that. I will not see another sunset."

The shinigami shrugged. "Why do you come here to die alone, old man?" she asked. "I've always thought that humans hated to die alone."

The old man laughed again. "I am not alone. You are here too, aren't you? And this cherry tree will keep me company when I move on," answered the old man. "However, what is a young woman like you doing out here, alone?"

The shinigami wanted to laugh. Truth be told, she looked like a young woman, but her years of existence far surpassed any living human. To her, the old man is like a toddler who was just learning to stand on his own two feet.

"I came, because of the cherry tree," answered the shinigami. "It's a beautiful tree."

The old man nodded and looked upwards to the tree's gentle blossoms. "Indeed, and yet it pales in comparison to the greatness of the world. You see, I am a poet, and I have seen majestic mountains, great rivers, glorious cities--compared to them, this tree is just a pinch of salt to a trove of sparkling diamonds."

"Then why do you chose to die here?"

"Why indeed?" said the old man. After a long pause, he continued, "Maybe because there is a beauty in this cherry tree that I haven't seen in any mountain, river, or city. It pales in its beauty, and yet it has more life than any city that you could ever find. It's blossoms seems so sad and yet so full of mirth, and I find myself comparing the cherry tree to the life of a human."

The shinigami was silent.

"A cherry tree starts its life like a human--it's born out of the darkness and cast into the harsh world without any protection. There, they try to live in the best way they can, trying hard to survive the hottest summers and the harshest winters. However, after many harsh years of living does it first spread its beautiful blossoms and produce its own children who would inherit the same life."

"And for what purpose does a cherry tree live?" asked the shinigami. "If it only dies in the end, then for what purpose was it born?"

"Ah, death is a heavy thing indeed. But you ask me, what was its purpose for living? Then let me ask you this question, if this cherry tree wasn't here, would an old man like me be talking to gorgeous girl like you?" the old man said mirthfully. The shinigami laughed at the old man's joke.

"Nobody knows the purpose of one's existence. They only know the explicit way of survival--to eat, to learn, to bear offspring, and then to die. However, a human can touch so many lives without thinking about it. Imagine a farmer and the number of seedlings he plants every year. In each year, he would've brought so many plants into life, and bring food to countless other people who would buy from his crops. And yet he does this for the sole purpose of his own survival--but does that make his purpose futile?"

The old man looked at the shinigami. "Each grain that the farmer plants brought another life into this world, and each person that he feeds would eventually have children of their own. If not for this farmer, the grains would not have been born, and many other people would've died of starvation. Each choice that a man makes affects so many things in this world."

"This cherry tree is a testament to that. If this cherry tree hadn't blossomed, then I wouldn't be here talking to you. That alone is a testament to this cherry tree's purpose. It has other purposes as well, but they are unknown to you or me, and only known to the cherry tree when the time comes."

The shinigami was silent. She always thought of the world as grim, dark place of repeating life and death. However, after the old man's speech, she felt that the world is opening up to her. She looked up to see the tree's branches swaying with the sudden springtime breeze.

"Hey, old man," the shinigami started to say, but she saw that the old man had passed on. The old man had a painless smile on his face, and his features were filled with serenity that the shinigami had never witnessed from any dead human before.

With her shinigami's senses, she saw the soul of the old man floating away, waiting to be carried over the Sanzu river into the afterlife. However, she saw that the old man had no coins with him, and no shinigami would ferry him across the afterlife. She felt pity for the old man, and decided to take his soul into the afterlife, with or without payment.

As she started away for Sanzu with the old man's soul, she overheard some people talking in the nearby village.

"That old man, he died while sleeping under that cherry tree, the poor thing."

"He must have felt lonely. I would never choose that place as my dying bed."

"He didn't have any relatives around when he died? What a sad way to die."

The shinigami looked away, and laughed mirthfully. Only she and the old man knew that he didn't pass away in emptiness and loneliness. The old man died peacefully, under the boughs of the most beautiful cherry tree, talking to a young woman who was just starting to see the world for what it was.

The shinigami blinked as she saw the sun setting in the horizon. For the first time, she saw it as more than a great ball of flame that was used to tell the time. She reached Higan without any incident, and she was silent. She walked towards her boat and rowed purposefully towards the other side.

//////////////////////////////////

"Hey, don't snooze on me!"

Komachi snapped awake. "I'm not sleeping!"

Shaking her head, Shiki sighed, "You're not going to get anywhere at this rate. You're still a thousand souls behind schedule..."

Shiki continued talking, but Komachi paid little heed. Higan was at full bloom, and Komachi looked at their enigmatic beauty. For some reason, she dreamed of the old man again. It happened so many years before, and yet that event has changed her outlook forever. Shiki turned her back as she ranted on and on about her laziness. Komachi sighed and started to walk sneakily away.

Old man, wherever you are, I bet my Judge wants to send you to Jigoku real bad right now.

[Alfred F. Jones]

That was a good short. Don't see too many fics to characterize Komachi, and most of those are about always-cheerful slacker Komachi. I like how you gave her a reason to be cheerful.

[Iced Fairy]

Man I didn't comment for either story.   I'm slacking.

Anyway I liked both your stories, especially the Komachi one.  The explanation for the lazy ferryman is nice, and it fits with her other facets.  We need more of this style of writing, and we definitely need more people who write shorts.

You should hunt down a proofer too.  I think your writing will be even better with someone to help iron out flow.

[Aba Matindesu!]

Dies ein philosophical story is best philosophical story. That was a pretty fresh take on Komachi.

Good job. Keep the shorts coming

[Anunsew]

A pretty pointless short. The fact that I was listening to Nyan cat and 99 Luftballoons while writing these didn't help either.

I was trying to do a take on Patchouli's daily perspective, but I ended up with too much verbology, internal monologues, and generally undecipherable train of thinking. Maybe...Patchouli is too complex for me.

Or maybe I'm just trying to be serious in the face of the pointlessness of it all.

What is Fear?

Is it the mere emotion of horror?  Is it the mere rush of impulses within your brain, functioning subconsciously in order to trigger a vital response in your conscious mind? Is it a response derived from the thousands of memories overlaid within your head? Is it an instinct that tries to defy logic by pushing personal survival above else?

Fear is one of the mysterious and most dangerous aspects of any mind, regardless of whether the mind belongs to a human or not. Its dictations override any logic, any type of rule within your mind. Is fear logical? Yes?most of the time. It?s logical to fear anything that puts your existence or well-being in danger; fear of getting hurt, fear of losing someone or something you love, or even fear of getting late for a meeting. However, fear is not always logical. Sometimes, it destroys every fragment of logic you live on?such irrational fears have caused the rise and fall of many ancient powers, and even nation. Such fear is still evident in some people today. Paranoia and phobias are still rampant in humans, and sometimes even to youkai.

As a pursuer of knowledge, I want to know more about this elusive thing; fear.  It cannot be just a bunch of emotions thrown together in order to act on the instinct of self-preservation, or a reflex gained from past memories. It has to be on a much grander scale than that?isn?t fear the main driving force of the human evolution? The fear of death led to the discovery of the Hourai elixir and concepts of immortality; the fear of weakness and domination led to the discovery of weapons and armaments; the fear of the unknown led to the discovery of science, philosophy and religion; and the fear of the normal led to the creation of fantasies. Even Gensokyo was created out of fear. In fact, every person in this world was born out of fear?procreation is simply an act against the fear of extinction, while marriage is an act against the fear of isolation.

I once read a passage from a book that accurately describes the effect of fear on an individual. The passage was located in a forgotten book, partly titled as ?Neue Deutsche Welle?, though I have forgotten most of the name. It?s an apt description of how fear drives us, forcing us into action regardless of how likely or absurd a fear can be.

99 Luftballons
Auf ihrem Weg zum Horizont
Hielt man fuer UFOs aus dem All
Darum schickte ein General
Eine Fliegerstaffel hinterher
Alarm zu geben, wenn es so war
Dabei war da am Horizont
Nur 99 Luftballons

99 Duesenjaeger
Jeder war ein grosser Krieger
Hielten sich fuer Captain Kirk
Das gab ein grosses Feuerwerk
Die Nachbarn haben nichts gerafft
Und fuehlten sich gleich angemacht
Dabei schoss man am Horizont
Auf 99 Luftballons

99 Kriegsminister
Streichholz und Benzinkanister
Hielten sich fuer schlaue Leute
Witterten schon fette Beute
Riefen: Krieg und wollten Macht
Mann, wer haette das gedacht
Dass es einmal soweit kommt
Wegen 99 Luftballons
 
It tells of a story how 99 balloons provoked the start of a war. The balloons were mistaken for enemies, and a nation sent their warriors after them, provoking other nations to think that they were being attacked. It eventually led to a full scale war.

However, it should be noted that while fear drove the nations into thinking that they were in danger, it eventually turned into a mindless aggression. The war ministers of each nation thought that if they can win the war, they will dominate the world, and thus become safe from any other major aggression. Curiously, even in the mindless state of aggression, you can still trace the ?fear of being dominated?. With that, I can easily give you a proof of how fear can be such a strong, driving force.

If fear is such a strong, driving force, it?s impossible to think of it as something less than ideal. It has to be much more than a chemical impulse, more than the mere thought formed inside one?s mind. I have to learn more of it?not to harness it, but to understand it. To understand fear?no pursuer of knowledge has yet boasted of such a noble aim, or such a fearless act.

In order to find fear, simple human fear would not suffice. I need to find something more complex, more refined?True Fear that is beyond human understanding. Needless to say, a youkai would be the best subject for this, since the youkai is a subject of many of the human?s fears. A youkai exists to hunt humans, and thus their mere existence is already a source of fear for the humans. Certainly, out of the multitudes of youkai in Gensokyo, one can provide me with the answers that I seek.

As such, I have decided to go out and search for this Fear by myself. In order to understand fear, one must find it. Certainly, I will not be able to find Fear within the deep confines of my library, large and dark it might seem to normal people. Preparing myself for my potentially arduous journey, I bade leave to my household companions, telling them that I will be away for a while.

?That?s pretty inconvenient. You?re just going out to have some fun?, said Remilia. She looked bored and sleepy that night. ?Oh well, since I don?t need you for Flandre today, I guess you could go out and enjoy yourself.?

?Inconvenient?? I asked, not really understanding Remilia?s line of thoughts. It?s ironic, since I?m probably one of the persons closest to her. ?Why do you say inconvenient? Just so you know, what I?m doing is for a higher calling of??

??knowledge, I know that already,? interrupted Remilia, waving me off with her left hand as she sipped a cup of sweet, hot tea. ?I was hoping that you could entertain me with your strange stories tonight, but I guess that?s being too selfish of me. You should go enjoy yourself from time to time.?

I was about to reprimand her for calling my stories strange, but I thought better of it. After all, she is the only one who could really understand my infatuation with knowledge. I wouldn?t dare calling her a friend, but I guess I could honor her as a dependable companion?and I know that she feels the same.

The night was deep when I left the mansion. However, the moon was perfectly round, and it illuminated Gensokyo in an eerie, silvery glow. I could sense the influx of Yin, a calming?almost lethargic?sensation as it emanated in resonance with the moon?s presence. No normal person could read these energies as I have, and I take pride in my abilities. Certainly, this influx of yin energy can be harnessed for today?s quest; and certainly, some youkai are more powerful during the influx of the moon?s energy. Certainly, one of the many youkai in Gensokyo can show me True Fear for the purpose of my studies.

///////////////////////////////////////////

Sure enough, there was an incoming influx of weird individuals from afar. I saw them as speckled dots against the night sky, flying around like hummingbirds amongst the flowers. As I approached, I quickly recognized them to be night fairies, as their irrational flight and rampant use of novice magic were immediate clues to their identity. They were also very chatty, and I could hear their voices even from this distance.

Night fairies are a type of nocturnal fairies. As their name implies, they only go around at night. With the moon at its brightest, I suppose that their kind would be more active than usual.

The presence of fairies quickly excited and posed dangers to my quest. Fairies are mostly an annoyance, and they can be annoying in large numbers. Disposing them is easily achieved, but for the purpose of finding Fear, I quickly concluded that I should approach them as peacefully as possible. As most of the servants within Remilia?s mansion are fairies, I have developed a natural affinity for conversing with their slightly childish intellect.

?Oh look, a weird girl! She looks so weird wearing those long curtains!? said a high-pitched voice. One of the fairies was approaching, immediately followed by another.

?They?re not curtains, stupid,? said the other fairy. ?They?re pajamas. It?s what those kids like to wear when it?s cold.?

?Eh~? So is she a kid?? asked the first fairy.

?Probably. But she looks too big. Maybe she is a ?super-kid??? answered the second fairy.

?A ?super-kid?? Is that like?a ?megas? version of a kid??

?No, stupid. A ?megas? version is bigger than super. A super is not ?megas? big, but a ?megas? big is super-super big.?

?So super big is not megas big? But super-super big is megas big? That doesn?t make sense you know,? said the first with a frown.

?Super-super big is like super-bigger. So super-super big is bigger than super big.?

As the two fairies got closer, the conversation became more and more absurd that I felt the unspeakable urge to blast them into oblivion. However, for the sake of my quest, I stayed my hand and kept my cool.

?Hey two fairies, can I ask you a question?? I asked as they approached.

?AH!? said the first fairy in surprise. ?The megas-kid is talking to us!?

?She?s not megas-kid! She?s just a super-kid!? retorted the second. ?Like I said, she should be super-super big if she?s megas-kid.?

The two continued bickering for a while before acknowledging my presence. By then, the other fairies have arrived and surrounded us, curiously looking at me like a prize toy in a kid?s fair. They numbered around twenty or thirty, fluttering around me with a dizzying pace.

?Hey!? said the other fairies. ?What?s going on out here??

?We?re discussing?,? said the first fairy in a serious, deep tone. ??whether this girl here is megas-kid or super-kid.?

?I told you, she?s not big enough to be megas-kid, so she should only be super-kid,? said the second fairy.

?Why are you saying that she?s a super-kid? She doesn?t even look like a kid,? said one of the other fairies. ?She looks pretty old to me.?

Knowing that I?ll be dragged into an endless cycle of stupid conversations, I decided to break their discussion.

?Enough!? I announced with a loud voice. The fairies became silent. ?I need you fairies to answer a question.?

?A question?? asked the fairies in unison. They all turned their attention to me. Their curious faces reflected the moonlight, giving them a creepy, eerie look.

?Yes. You are all fairies, and as such, you are regarded as weak by most other youkai and some humans,? I told them. The fairies looked at each other and nodded in unison.

?Most of the humans push us around,? said the first fairy. ?We often stick together so we don?t get kicked around too much.?

?I see.? An idea struck me like lightning. ?Then, I do suppose that you fairies don?t like being alone??

The fairies looked amongst themselves, and I could feel the tension from their unrest. I suppose I hit a nerve by asking such a question.

?A fairy who goes around without any companions is usually very stupid,? said the second fairy.  ?I?ve heard of someone who goes around telling people that she?s the strongest.?

?I heard that she got beat up pretty bad too,? said the first. ?But I haven?t met her personally. She?s a day fairy, right??

The other fairies began talking amongst themselves, but I could already guess which fairy they were talking about. Well, I suppose I could visit that fairy for some questions, but I?d rather find a better subject?a more suitable subject?for my quest.

?Regardless, I do suppose that night fairies are scared of going out alone,? I told them. ?Are you??

The fairies began talking altogether, and I had a hard time getting any straight answer from them.

??if you go out alone, I heard that you?ll get eaten by a big bird??

??going alone isn?t fun at all, there?s nobody to talk to??

??I think somebody stole my favorite slipper??

??hey it?s Tuesday, did you bring your hakama??

??I think going out alone would be fun if you bring a pillow??

??I want to go to the village and eat some rice cakes??

??it?s megas kid, not super kid, I?m telling you??

By this time, I was already disgusted by their lack of proper reasoning and conversational skills. Since they were all busy talking with each other, I left the night fairies among themselves. The night fairies did not notice me leave, for when I looked back, they were still busy with their absurd, small talk. Fairies are just simple-minded beings after all, and I would be better served by a greater type of youkai.

///////////////////////////////////////////

I flew for a short while before I encountered something a little more interesting. Up ahead of me was black orb of darkness which flew along blindly, at a tangent to my flight course. It was flying low, almost at tree level. My curiosity was piqued, and I decided to go after it for further investigation and observation.

After a few moments, I was already flying behind the orb. I?ve heard of this type of nocturnal youkai; a youkai that can manipulate darkness and create a black globe around her which no light can penetrate. However, the name of this individual continues to escape me.

I stalked the orb as stealthily as I could, and the youkai made no indication that it knew that I was just behind. Before I knew it, the black orb went full stop with a vicious thudding sound. It would seem that the youkai smashed into a tall tree just ahead of us.

?Oof?? said a voice from within the orb. The black orb dissipated and I saw a small, child-like figure fall down towards the ground. She landed with a soft, crunching sound on the grassy carpet below. I followed her, landing beside the grassy patch where the youkai landed.

?Ah, my head hurts,? said the youkai. She sat up and noticed me as I approached her. ?Ah, you?re one of the weird people from the Scarlet Mansion.?

It would seem that tonight?s favorite adjective is ?weird?.

?You are a youkai of darkness,? I declared. ?What is your name??

?Rumia,? said the youkai. ?Why are you following me??

Oh, so she noticed that I was following her. How did she know? Did she have a supernatural sense of hearing or spiritual detection? Or did she deduce that from the fact that I landed immediately after she crashed? Such questions were running in my mind, but my quest for knowledge is still my top priority.

?Rumia, I want to ask you some questions,? I told her. ?It would please me greatly if you can answer them promptly and honestly.?

?Is that so?? said Rumia, scratching a sore bump on her head ??you?re still weird.?

?For you, as an above average youkai that has maintained a definite, physical form, what is it do you fear the most??

Rumia stared at me blankly. She did not seem to understand the question. I sighed as I tried to rephrase my own question.

?What do you fear the most?? I said slowly. Rumia nodded, and began to think deeply.

?I really don?t like the sun. I guess I would be scared if it got closer all of a sudden.?

What? That didn?t make any sense. I asked her to elaborate herself.

?Well, you see, there are times when the sun is ~really~ close, and sometimes it?s farther than usual,? Rumia explained. ?Sometimes, when the winter comes, the sun becomes ~really~ close, and I hate it.?

I nodded, understanding that she was talking about the analemma. The sun is closest to the Earth during the winter solstice and farthest during the summer solstice. I was surprised that a youkai of darkness knew of such things.

?If the sun comes even closer, I?ll be afraid of it. So I?m trying my best to find a good spot to hide when it happens.?

Sighing at the simple nature of her answer, I bade her farewell and left promptly.

?Her answer didn?t fit into any of the sophisticated nature that I define as ?Fear?,? I said to myself. ?If I want to find fear, then I should go and find someone of more complex nature.?

///////////////////////////////////////////

I flew for hours, and I could sense that the night was half-over. Around this time, I spotted a curious looking figure below me. Upon approaching, I discovered that it was a worn-down, food cart. It was populated by some youkai, who were being served by a yosuzume, or more commonly known as a night sparrow.

?Hey Mystia, I want another grilled lamprey,? said one of the youkai. ?And make it quick.?

?Gotcha,? said the night sparrow. Mystia deftly prepared the lamprey, seasoning it with experienced hands.

I approached the shop and saw three youkai eating. The night sparrow spotted me and greeted me warmly.

?Welcome! Would you like to eat at my shop??  said Mystia.

?No, not really,? I told her promptly. Truth be told, I don?t particularly like grilled foods. I usually get indigestion with foods that haven?t been cooked properly, and I didn?t like to test my constitution while I had an ongoing quest.

Mystia pouted and sighed. ?I don?t like beggars in my shop, so please go away.?

?I?m not a beggar,? I told the night sparrow. ?I?m just here to ask you and your customers some questions.?

Shrugging, she gestured me to continue. ?And make it quick, I?m very busy tonight,? Mystia added.

?I want to ask about what you fear the most, as a youkai. I?m doing a research and your answers would aid me greatly.?

Mystia closed her eyes and placed a finger on her chin as she settled into deep thought. ?Yakitori stands.?

Huh?

?Well, you see, I?m a night sparrow. I?m naturally afraid of yakitori stands. People eat butchered and mutilated chicken in yakitori stands. While they are just my distant relatives, birds are still birds, and I feel queasy when I think about it,? Mystia explained.

?I did not expect that answer. Surely, fear must be greater than the mere fear of yakitori stands!

One of the youkai customers volunteered to answer. ?I?m afraid of shrine maidens! They?re very scary and very unreasonable. There is this one time, I was reading a book, a shrine maiden suddenly swooped in and tried to exterminate me! She then stole all my books, and tried to sell them for an undervalued price!?

The youkai suddenly burst into tears as she finished her story. She was comforted by the other youkai as she wept.

Truth be told, I could partly relate to her story. I know how it felt like to be beaten up, and then mugged for your books. My library has been a target of a certain ?black rat?, and it has a really good ?bite?.

However, fear of shrine maidens is neither ideal, nor interesting for me. The other youkai offered their own answers, each giving me a generic type of fear and phobias, such as acrophobia, hydrophobia, phronemophobia, and even paronomasiaphobia. Needless to say, they were all useless for my quest.

///////////////////////////////////////////

The night was almost over when I arrived back at the mansion. Remilia was still in her room, drinking her umpteenth cup of tea, looking at my disgusted face.

?So?you?ve had a rough night,? said Remilia.

?It was one of the most pointless night outings I?ve ever had,? I told her. ?If anything, I would?ve been better served by a few hours of research.?

?Well, I?m glad you enjoyed yourself,? said Remilia sarcastically. ?What were you researching about anyway??

 ?I was trying to find True Fear among the youkai within Gensokyo.?

Remilia laughed, and I should say, I was not a little annoyed. ?Pray tell, milady, the source of your amusement?? I asked her as saucily as I could.

?Why, Patchy, the answer is easy. True Fear for the youkai is within the humans!? She continued to laugh heartily at my expense.

I stared blankly at her laughing figure for a full minute before I left the room without another word.

///////////////////////////////////////////

?Like I said, it?s not megas big if it?s not super-super big!? said the second fairy. ?Why do you keep saying that it?s megas big if it?s only super big? Stop being stupid!?

?Because megas big sounds a lot better than super big. And how do you tell if something is super big and if they?re super-super big, anyway?? asked the first fairy. ?If it?s big we?re talking about, then megas-big is certainly easier to understand than super big. And only stupid people call other people stupid!?

?But that would be wrong! It goes against the nature of megas big to be called megas big if you?re just super big! And you?re stupid too because you called me stupid!?

?And how would it be wrong? As long as it?s big enough, it can be called megas big! You?re the one who called me stupid first, stupid!?

The two fairies have been yelling at each other all night, and the day was already starting to break.

?Hey, how long are those two going to fight?? asked one of the other night fairies. ?They sound even more stupid as they go along.?

?Just let them be,? said another night fairy. ?You?ll get dragged into their endless loop of stupidity if you get involved.?

The other night fairies nodded in agreement as they watched the two fairies pull at each other?s hair as they fought.