Stage 5
The Library was a unique structure, even in the architectural kitchen sink that was Gensoukyo village. It was three stories tall, while all but a few buildings in town were only one. It was fully enclosed, with small glass windows, unlike most buildings which had large open doors and windows to catch the light. There were several pipes going into the building, though no one knew what they carried or where they came from. And strangest of all, it had what could only be called a shack attached to it, like a remora attached to a shark.
At the moment Kaguya wasn't interested in architecture. She mainly noticed the lights, which had to be electric, coming from the windows. They signaled a place where young Tei might be able to start her recovery.
That place also happened to also be the home of the person she had hated for countless years.
On arriving at the double doors at the front Mokou quickly unlocked the door and stepped inside, Kaguya followed, squinting at the sudden increase in light. She was surprised. She expected to see just rows and rows of books, keeping with Mokou's spartan lifestyle. Instead, while the rows of books were still present of course, there were several other areas. One section was obviously a sitting room. Another contained workstations of an archaic design. Kaguya recognized them as simple ones that were easy to maintain, which explained how they had survived this long. And the back had several totally enclosed rooms. One of which Mokou had unlocked and opened.
The room inside was a 6 tatami room, though it also had a closet and small washroom attached. It had a few hangings and a small table pushed to the side. It actually looked more like a tea room or inn then the inside of a library. Especially when Mokou opened the closet and produced two futon. ?This was supposed to be a cultural exhibit or something, but now it's mainly for travelers that can't stay at the inn.? She laid down one futon carefully and Kaguya happily placed the sleeping rabbit on the mat before checking the young girl for any reopened wounds or other injuries. She had hoped her rival would just leave at that point but Mokou continued speaking. ?By the way that door locks automatically behind you, so if you need to leave you'll have to go through my place.? She gestured to a door opposite the one they came in. ?The inn tends to be 'full' for people who don't seem trustworthy, so I find it best to limit their movements.?
Kaguya simply gave a nod while finishing her checkup. It seemed that both the bandages and the sedative had held. Which meant there was little else that could be done but wait until morning. However, Kaguya was still possessed with a burning need to do something. The adrenaline from the fights was going to burn off eventually, but until then she was wide awake.
So the princess moved to the trunk she had asked Mokou to bring and opened it carefully, hoping the spell of eternity she had placed on it had held. She had stopped using her power on all of Entei many centuries ago, but she still used it to guard certain sentimental objects. It was less effective if the area wasn't suffused with eternity, but it protected from minor accidents just fine. Fortunately while the events of the night had shaken up the contents, nothing had been destroyed. She set a few items in order, then pulled out one large book and a ink brush.
Mokou who had been standing around spoke up again. ?Oi! I thought you said that box had medical supplies! Don't tell me you had me carrying around your luggage just for the hell of it, because I'm not your porter, princess.?
Kaguya shot her a vicious glare. ?There's medicine in here too, fool. Besides I wasn't about to leave everything I own to random scavengers like Kazami. Now leave me be.?
?Some grati...? Mokou's angry retort stopped mid sentence, and her eyes shifted to something in the chest. She then turned away and walked to the far door. ?Fine. Whatever.? She opened it and stepped through into the dark room beyond. She paused while halfway through the door and said, ?You should know better then to worry about the flower youkai though. She's not her mother, or even her grandmother, but she still has the same pride.? With that she closed the door behind her.
Kaguya felt better the moment the door closed. Turning back to her possessions, she noticed the item that Mokou had glanced at. Sitting at the top, a picture of Eirin Yagokoro smiled out at the world from within it's simple frame. Kaguya carefully picked up the photo and gazed at the face of the person who had sacrificed her position just to look after a spoiled Princess who had let curiosity override good judgment.
After gazing at the picture for a while, she moved to put it back in the box. After all she wasn't going to stay here long. But then she remembered the weight of the book she had removed. Instead she placed the photo on the small table. Kaguya knew she was going to need all the support she could get tonight.
Opening the book she began slowly and carefully writing the epitaphs of the rabbits who had fallen this day, pausing occasionally to wipe away her tears. Millenia of existence hadn't made the deaths of those close to her any easier, and she knew that she was also writing the epitaph for Eientei itself. The end of the one place she had been able to call home since the moon had banished her.
It was a long time before she closed the book, turned off the lights, and gave Tei a reassuring pat on the head before falling asleep.
--
Mokou awoke from her rest to the sound of a slamming door. She opened her eyes, then immediately closed them. *I must still be asleep. I hate those dreams where you're tired.* After a pause she heard the door to the library open and shut again. Then she remembered last night. Which meant the sight of Kaguya standing over her with a disdainful expression wasn't a dream. Mokou groaned and opened her eyes again, just in time to see Kaguya burst back into her small home.
The princess was wearing her usual attire, but carrying a bag from which a few vegetables protruded. The scene seemed somewhat surreal in Mokou's mind. ?Oh. You're up. Where's your kitchen?? Kaguya asked.
Mokou stood and stretched. Today was going to be terrible she guessed. ?There,? she said, pointing to the wood planks in the floor that would reveal a small fire pit when removed. ?I can get some pots out of storage too.?
Kaguya looked at the designated space uncomfortably and then back at Mokou. ?You have the most advanced building in the village, complete with electricity from who knows where, and you don't have a kitchen??
?It's a library, not an inn.? growled Mokou.
?Well where do you eat?? shot back Kaguya.
?We don't need to eat. Remember Princess?? retorted Mokou.
Kaguya stared at Mokou in silence, then actually took a good look around the room she was standing in. It was actually better then any place Mokou had lived since her childhood, in that it possessed a real floor, a futon and even a dresser. Mokou hadn't intend to bother with those things, since she really didn't need them, but it seemed stupid to just throw out these items. Even if they weren't good enough for the library they still had some use. From the look on Kaguya's face though the Lunarian obviously considered living like this pure insanity.
Finally Kaguya sighed. ?It's worse then the bamboo cutters house, but I'll have to make due. If you could get those pots...?
Mokou happily left before her rival could think up more insults for her living style. The guest room looked much like she had left it, though the picture of Eirin was now sitting on the table instead of lying in the trunk. The young rabbit girl had shifted a bit in her sleep, but seemed unconscious still. Thus Mokou did her best to be quiet while opening the closet and removing the boxes that contained the little used cooking utensils.
When she passed through the door again with the pots in tow she found Kaguya frowning at the firepit. The princess had managed to get a fire going, but it was fairly obvious she had only a faint idea as to what to do past that. Kaguya was apparently used to much better materials, assuming she knew what she was doing at all. As much as Mokou found the thought of her rival blundering through cooking over a normal fire, she was unwilling to condemn the girl in the other room to the attempts of an amateur. Especially since Kaguya had included eggs in the groceries she had acquired.
?I'll cook.? Mokou said. She held a hand up as Kaguya turned to speak, ?I know what I'm doing here. You'd be better off checking on the girl. You're a better doctor, and she knows you.?
Kaguya looked mildly annoyed and offended, but she nodded after Mokou was finished. ?Yes I should be there when she wakes.? Kaguya stood and walked through the door to the library. Before she closed it behind her she took a deep breath and looked directly at Mokou. ?Thank you,? she said.
Mokou shrugged as the door closed. Then she put a few more small logs on the fire before increasing the heat with her magic to get the fire to the proper level for cooking. She then started sorting out what she'd need to cook first. As she placed the first set on the cabinet she noticed the one decoration in the room was out of place. Mokou carefully shifted the picture back to it's original position before kneeling down. ?So Keine, what do you think I should do?? She stared at the picture of the smiling woman, but all it offered was the comfort of it's presence and a few memories.
--
?It's done.? Mokou said opening the door. This time two heads turned towards her. It seemed the young girl had awoken while Mokou had been cooking. ?Good. I just finished Tei's checkup,? Kaguya replied.
The words were a lie, as the rabbit girl had been crying recently. With such light wounds the actual rebandaging couldn't have taken as much time as it did for Mokou to finish cooking. Obviously Kaguya had broken the news about Tei's family as well, something Mokou was privately glad she had missed. Intruding on others grief was always awkward, and there was enough awkwardness already.
As she moved the table to the center of the room and began to place the meal on it she took a better look at the young rabbit. The girl did bear a startling resemblance to the Tewi that had annoyed Mokou when she first arrived in Gensoukyo. The main differences being straighter and longer hair, red eyes, and a less cheery disposition, though the last was probably due to recent events. She noticed the girl was watching her in return, ears twitching in thought.
She finished ?Well I'll leave you alone then.?
?Wait.? Mokou turned to the princess, who had balled her hands into fists. ?You cooked it, so it's only right you should eat as well,? she said. Tei stopped studying Mokou to give her boss a questioning glance.
Mokou paused. She didn't need to eat, but she could get really hungry. And cooking didn't help. ?Sure.? She sat at the table and motioned to Tei. ?Serve yourself first kid. You need it more then us.?
Kaguya gave the other immortal a sour look then nodded to the rabbit youkai. Tei grabbed a large portion for her small size, then began eating. She obviously sensed the tension in the room, but it probably was pretty low on her list of things that were bothering her. Kaguya took most of the rest, probably since she cared about eating for some reason. Mokou ate her own portion slowly, because it always hurt more if you rushed eating after fasting for two months or so.
?Um....? Mokou looked up to find Tei looking at her. ?Thank you for allowing me to stay over Ms...??
?Fujiwara no Mokou,? the immortal said.
The rabbit girl dropped her chopsticks and slid backwards a bit. ?Not the Mokou who kills the princess every month??
?Yeah.? Mokou smirked. It was good to be recognized.
Kaguya frowned. ?Hey! I kill her too!?
Tei's eyes widened at the confirmation. ?The Mokou who eats rabbits who are caught lying??
This time Mokou frowned ?What? I'm no Youkai.?
?She's too lazy to eat most of the time.? Kaguya sneered.
Tei blinked, but continued on. ?The Mokou who stole the fires of hell to power her library and sends the souls of those who don't return books on time to eternal torment??
?I didn't steal... Hey how did you know I got my power from the hell crow?? Mokou's eyes opened in shock, while Kaguya seemed thoughtful at the revelation. ?So that's where your electricity comes from.?
?The Mokou who raised an army of werecreatures to conquer the moon but who was stopped by a cowardly moon rabbit and two knife wielding maid twins??
The two immortals looked at each other. ?How did that story get so muddled over time?? Mokou asked. Kaguya shrugged.
?The Mokou who slew one of the four devas of the mountain by shouting bad words at her through a megaphone crafted from solid...?
?Now you're just making things up,? Kaguya and Mokou said in unison. Tei looked annoyed that she had been found out.
?I guess the soul thing is a lie too then?? Tei asked in a disappointed tone.
Mokou shook her head. ?You sound as disappointed as that crazy underground miko when I shot the idea down in the first place.?
The girls ears twitched again. ?So it was in the planning stages? I see....?
Mokou looked straight at her rival. ?I blame you for this.?
Kaguya snorted. ?You blame me for everything.?
Further commentary was cut short by a knock on the door. Mokou frowned, then stood and opened it. Standing there was a very young girl, who looked slightly embarrassed. She bowed and said, ?Um, I'm sorry to disturb you Mokou, but it's a little after opening hours, and I really wanted to get started on the next book in the series....? The girl paused on seeing the other two people there. ?Eh? Ms. Houraisan? Here?? She looked back and forth between the two immortals in confusion.
Mokou sighed. ?It's a long story. I'll tell it later.?
Kaguya blinked as she studied the girl in turn. She didn't think they had met before. Especially since a young human would have stood out these days. Then she realized who it must be. ?You're the Child of Miare aren't you? I remember speaking to you a few times over the centuries.?
The human girl bowed. ?Yes. I'm Hieda Sen. Pleased to meet you again.?
Mokou bowed in apology to her guests. ?Sorry, I've got to open the library. I'll be back soon.?
Kaguya just sipped her miso soup. ?Don't worry yourself. Feel free to take your time.?
Mokou unlocked the door leading into the main library then moved to unlock the front door. ?Sorry about that. Kaguya's probably going to be here for a couple of days until she finds somewhere else to live, so it's going to be a mess around here.?
The child of Miare looked up at Mokou. ?She still seems to dislike you.?
?I don't think much of her either really.? Mokou stated. ?But she's got more of a grudge then me right now.?
Sen blinked and turned away. ?Right now? Are you planning on switching again??
Mokou didn't really have an answer for that. So she simply unlocked the front door. Turning back to the room a thought crossed her mind. ?Actually, would it be alright if I asked you for a favor??
?Eh??
?Two favors actually, but one won't be all that hard. Kaguya and I both want her gone as fast as possible, and that means I'm going to need to help her clean out Entei and find a new place. If you could I'd like you to watch over the library...?
The eleven year old leaped to attention. ?You can count on me.?
?...and keep an eye on Tei.?
?Um, you mean that rabbit girl?? Sen looked a lot less enthusiastic. ?I'm not that good at keeping people entertained.?
?Just tell her the various rumors you've heard over the centuries. Play a game or something. She's had a rough time but she seems to perk right up when people are around and talking. However, Kaguya's going to be running around trying to fix everything else, which means no one else is going to be around. I don't know if rabbits can actually die from loneliness, but I don't want to find out.?
?I guess I can try.? Sen seemed unconvinced.
?I'm sure you'll do fine.? Mokou said. She didn't add 'because you're great at rumors and half truths,' since the girl was helping her out a great deal.
?Anyway I probably should see to my other guests. I leave the library in your care.?
--
Sen hesitated slightly before opening the door. It wasn't like she was an antisocial shut in like many of Gensoukyo's scholars. In fact with her memories she had become quite used to dealing with people. However, remembering how to do things from a past life wasn't quite the same as doing it yourself, and it had been awhile since she had been free enough during her brief lifespans to sit down with other children for any length of time.
Still she reflected it would be nice to talk to someone who didn't treat her as a curiosity. Or at least treated her as a different curiosity.
Sen opened the door quietly. Tei was sitting quietly in the room, her eyes dull. She seemed to not notice Sen's entrance. ?Um. Hello.? Sen said. The rabbit girls ear's twitched but she remained silent. ?I'm Heida Sen, chronicler of Gensoukyo. Nice to meet you.?
Tei looked up and nodded. ?Hello. I'm Inaba Tei.? Her eyes seemed to brighten now that someone else was with her. ?I didn't know princess Kaguya had a magician friend.?
Sen blinked. ?Um, I'm not a magician. I'm a human. And we're more acquaintances really.?
Tei seemed confused. ?But if you're a human how would you know the princess? Aren't humans short lived?? She lit up a bit ?Or perhaps you....?
?Actually my power is to remember all my past lives.? Sen interrupted before the rabbit could devise too strange a theory. ?So I've run into Kaguya and Mokou a lot, over time.?
?How boring,? Tei sighed. ?You sure you aren't actually the history of the planet given living form??
?Certain.? Sen wondered where exactly Tei got her odd theories. Maybe Entei had a library she didn't know about. ?Isn't perfect memory over 1,000 lifetimes interesting enough??
?Well the Princess has pretty good memory and it's all been the same lifetime so...? Tei shrugged to attempt to take the sting out of the words. ?But she never told us much about this Mokou, or why they hate each other.?
Sen couldn't resist the unspoken invitation to speak on the matter. ?It's the longest running feud in existence, except for perhaps Izanagi and Izanami.? Sen replied. ?It started when Kaguya snubbed Mokou's father, though I don't think anyone knows what it's actually about anymore.?
?Huh? Tei's ears twitched again. ?That's kinda sad. I wonder what everyone else would have thought about that.? Sen noticed the rabbit girls expression seem to darken again.
The young chronicler decided to try to change the focus of the conversation around. Sen drew out two packs of cards. ?Do you know how to play hanafuda??
Tei's eyes seemed to glow for a moment. ?Oh my. You'll have to teach me how.?
--
Mokou wandered the halls of Eientei once again. The place was already feeling empty and abandoned, despite the fact that it's occupants had left less then a day ago. She imagined it was worse for the Princess.
Fortunately the operation hadn't been further complicated by others. The Youkai of Flowers had left a beautifully handwritten note challenging Kaguya to a duel over the mansion. In the blood of some other creature that had tried to take up residence. That had apparently worked as a deterrent, though both Mokou and Kaguya were wondering exactly who had taught her how to write a letter of challenge in perfect Kamakura era style. While Mokou couldn't help but consider it a young style, it was still older then all but about 5 people in Gensoukyo.
In any case Mokou found herself with a problem. She had no idea as to what was valuable in the place. Kaguya was busy shutting down everything that was still dangerous, which meant she wasn't any help. So Mokou was mostly wandering at random. She found a few servants rooms, and tidied those up. She also found a medicine storehouse, but she left that alone because Lunarian medicine was one field she hadn't been able to just pick up over the years.
Finally she wandered through a covered walkway to an outside building. Sliding open the door she found several plants, mostly bonsai. But her eyes were drawn to the one plant in the center. A plant she knew all too well.
The Hourai tree, it's jeweled branches shining in the light let in from the roof, sat in the center of the room.
Mokou had seen the jeweled branch repeatedly over the course of her existence. First the fake that her father had created, then the actual branch in the hands of her rival. She had never really liked the plant. The jewels were pretty, but the branch itself made the whole thing seem dead to her. The ?tree? wasn't much more impressive, being little more then two branches stuck together. When it came down to it, Mokou would place the humble snowdrops that grew just outside the village above that bonsai.
?How stupid.? she muttered to herself. It had taken her some time to admit to herself the branch her father had brought before the princess was a fake, even after she had seen the real thing. It took even longer to admit to herself that most of her initial hatred had been fed by her jealousy. She had envied the attention her father had lavished upon the princess. She hated how he had abandoned her and her mother, even before Kaguya appeared.
Of course Kaguya herself hadn't helped matters, refusing to explain or defend anything and treating the whole thing like a game thought up by an annoying younger relative. By the time Mokou had worked through her own issues she had gotten a new laundry list of reasons to slam Kaguya's face into the ground. Like her (however many times) great aunt had said, Mokou was really bad at letting grudges go.
In a way that tree seemed to represent her grudges. No, their grudges. Dead at it's core, but neither of them were willing to look past the shiny jewels to admit it. Just like the fools the Lunarians had handed the plant to before, they fought over a meaningless scrap. A symbol of impurity.
Mokou stepped forward and picked the plant up carefully. She and Kaguya would probably never see eye to eye, but maybe they could go to merely disliking each other. Both Keine and Iwanaga-hime, had told her to strive for that. Maybe now was her chance. Mokou had never been good with breaking patterns, or with forgiveness. But she wasn't going to give up without trying.
Besides Mokou figured Kaguya probably liked the stupid plant. It was probably going to have to be moved anyway.
Mokou took the plant and retraced her steps through the mansion. It wasn't long before she arrived at the lab where Kaguya had been working on shutting down the last of the Lunarian artifacts. She found the princess still there, pouring over a scroll next to an orb in the far corner. Mokou smiled, then worked at making the smile seem less biting and more friendly. ?Hey,? she called out. Kaguya turned in surprise.
?I heard you were looking for this a while back. Is that still true?? Mokou said presenting the tree then placing it on the shelf beside her.
Kaguya's frown twitched downward a little but she simply said, ?Yes I'll want to take that as well.? She then turned away.
Mokou sighed. *That didn't go as well as I hoped.* she thought to herself. However Mokou wasn't one to give up easily. ?I know you don't like me, but can we pretend to get along for a little? If nothing else to keep from upsetting Tei any more. Just let the matter rest??
Mokou looked up to see Kaguya already halfway across the room. Mokou started to sidestep but Kaguya quickly slammed her foot down on Mokou's and started choking the other immortal. Mokou ignored the pain and struck the pressure points on Kaguya's left arm that forced her grip to loosen. Before she could break away however Kaguya took them both to the ground. Luck wasn't with Mokou and she hit her head hard both against Kaguya's head and the floor, dazing her.
Kaguya's hands tightened around Mokou's neck. Mokou's vision began to waver, but she swore that the princess was crying as she screamed, ?How dare you! How DARE you! You force your way into my life, drag me into your stupid vendetta, have the GALL to punish me for not paying enough attention to your problems, and then you say it's over? Now that you've dealt with your problems by hurting me as much as you could, it's all fine and we can go about our business? You told me I never gave a damn about you except how your affected my life. When have you ever cared about ME except how I affected you? WHEN??
Mokou raised a shaking arm to blast the Lunarian off her, but the familiar words struck home. Or maybe it was the lack of oxygen. But for a second, just one, Mokou was confused. Then her sense of pride kicked in and she prepared her counter attack.
Around that point Mokou's neck snapped.
--
Kaguya had finished wiping the tears from her eyes by the time Mokou had recovered. The whole experience seemed surreal. Mokou had never fallen that easily in any of their fights. Even when surprised she quickly turned the shock into rage. There seemed only one explanation for how easy this had been. ?Did you just let me win??
Mokou frowned then closed her eyes and massaged her aching neck. ?Maybe.?
?You never let me win.?
Mokou simply shrugged and stood up.
It was at this point Kaguya decided, based firmly on her years of sporadic medical training of course, that she needed a drink. Admittedly this had been medical advice she had heard from the Oni, but it seemed like sound advice right now. She walked to one of the supplies cabinets, grabbed a bottle of ethanol (marked as acid to keep the rabbits out of it) and took a swig. It was terrible of course, but far quicker then working through a bottle of shochu.
?What the hell!? Have you lost your mind?? The bottle was rapidly ripped from Kaguya's hands. She looked up to find Mokou looking at her incredulously. The victim rushing to ?rescue? the murderer. It was too ridiculous. She couldn't help but start laughing. The resulting look on Mokou's face only made her laugh harder. When Mokou smelled the alcohol fumes and started blushing over her mistake Kaguya had to hold on to the shelves to keep standing.
After she had regained her breath Kaguya waved at the bottle. ?You can have some if you want.?
Mokou's frowned and placed the liquid back on the shelving. ?I'm fine. Thanks.?
Kaguya snickered again. ?I suppose with your refusal to stoop to eating, drinking after a battle would be something you would have stopped over the years. Though I suppose that there wasn't pretty enough to be a real danmaku fight.?
Mokou managed to smile a bit at that. ?Also I prefer to drink actual drinks, not medical supplies.?
Kaguya chucked. ?Ah well for that we'd need to go to the kitchen. This way, this way.? Kaguya stepped out the door and began to walk down the long corridors of Eientei. Thee kitchen was another outlying building, more due to tradition then because of any fire worries of course. Kaguya entered it with slightly less grace then usual and grabbed a bottle of shochu and two glasses. ?Here,? she said, placing one glass at the other end of the table and filling it.
Mokou was still looking at Kaguya oddly. ?Is this an apology for killing me??
Kaguya snorted. ?That wasn't much of a death. Clean break, no lost organs. I bet you can't even feel it anymore. We've done worse to each other at parties.?
Mokou frowned then sighed, shrugged and poured Kaguya a cup. ?Yeah. I suppose we have.? She took a drink. ?Though to be honest I mainly went along with those ideas because I thought I'd win.?
?I've noticed you don't like losing much,? Kaguya said. She didn't feel as bitter about that as before. The alcohol was probably kicking in. ?So when did you become so over protective? When we first met you really only seemed to care about killing me. Later I remember you bringing humans in from the forest who had gotten hurt or lost, and now...?
Mokou drained her cup to try to hide her embarrassment. ?What? I need a reason to act like a decent person? And why do you suddenly care??
?Didn't you complain about how I never cared about your thoughts or feelings? Well that means we have to talk to each other. And more then polite insults and jibes before a bit of murder.? Kaguya waved her arm about for emphasis.
?Tch, fine.? Mokou slammed her cup down next to the bottle and angrily indicated it should be refilled. After a second cup was tossed down she spoke. ?I'm sure you can guess it was Keine who got me out of isolation.?
?Ah let me guess. Took you in after a fight and nursed you back to health??
?Well, that happened a few times, but it really wasn't the start.? Mokou seemed pensive. ?I met her before we ran into each other again actually. She came hunting me after I scared off some human by accident. I was just living day to day then so we didn't get in a fight. She said a whole lot of stuff about understanding how I felt being human but not human.? Mokou gave a self deprecating smile. ?I wasn't exactly receptive to the speech at the time. But it brought me back to reality. So I started wandering around more, which is when I found Gensoukyo.?
Kaguya sighed. ?And immediately decided to set yourself up in the Bamboo Forest for some reason.?
?Yeah. Bad luck for you there.? Mokou shrugged. ?I was still hiding from the world I guess. But as time passed, well you know Gensoukyo.?
?Yep. Violent, rude and strangely egalitarian.? Kaguya chuckled remembering the events that led to her opening Entei up to the world. ?That I understand.?
?So I started helping people I found, and I enjoyed it.? Kaguya noticed Mokou was rapidly emptying the bottle so she grabbed another one, despite her lack of balance. ?After a bit longer I found I didn't really care about the whole youkai-human thing so I started helping youkai too.?
?And it became so ingrained by now you'll do it even if you hate the people involved.?
?Sure if you want to put it in the most unflattering terms possible.? Mokou smirked at her. ?Besides you were forcing yourself to keep acting like the perfect house guest, and you were more pissed off then me at the time.?
This time Kaguya had to drink to cover a blush.
Mokou focused her gaze on Kaguya. ?Now it's your turn. When'd you decide to start doing things other then just running the manor? I know you didn't have any skills as a doctor before, and I'm still surprised you have the faintest idea on how to cook.?
?Hey I'll have you know cooking is an important skill for a lady to possess, even if it can be left to the servants most of the time.?
Mokou seemed to accept the point. ?Okay. And the rest? You can't have just got bored.?
Kaguya snorted. ?I was that bored! I mean sure Eirin's plan to hide us from the moon worked almost perfectly, but it was incredibly dull. That was Eirin's flaw. Everything was more fun when her plans messed up. Otherwise we'd talk to a few people and move the furniture and nothing would happen.?
?Huh. I thought you would have taken up the doctor stuff because you wanted to understand her better.? Mokou mused.
?Well yeah. But that was futile. Even the other master craftsmen of the moon didn't understand Eirin when she got into her theories.? Kaguya sighed. ?Took me a while to get over that.?
?I can understand that. Lady was scary when she put her mind to something. Only people that held a candle to her were the Ghost Princess and Sukima, and Sukima only because her mind didn't work right.?
Kaguya noticed Mokou's gestures were becoming quite exaggerated. Which was good because she was having trouble focusing.
?Tewi occasionally managed to pull off some really impressive tricks. Those were real fun days. I think even Eirin liked fixing broken plans more then just winning all the time.?
Mokou nodded. ?So that's why you named the girl after her eh? Trying to get back some of the fun times.?
Kaguya drank a bit more and thought on the matter. ?Maybe. Though the best times always seemed to come and go.?
?Yeah?
The two sat in silence for a while. Kaguya was certain they were forgetting several things, but that didn't really matter. They could always do it later. Besides a more important though was working through her mind.
?It's because we don't have a shrine maiden around.? Kaguya declared. ?Whenever we had the shrine maiden things were exciting. You'd kick over the donation box and people'd start falling all over themselves to get in on the fun.?
?Yeah. Yer right. That's what all the great times had in common.? Mokou seemed struck by Kaguya's reasoning ?We've gotta shine maiden but she's just too serious. Bet she doesn't even drink half as much as the other tengu.?
Another thought straggled into Kaguya's mind. ?Ya know, we could break out the old spellcard rules and when we beat her FORCE her to do some drinking.?
Mokou waved down the suggestion. ?No way. She'd refuse. 'Can't let my vigilance down.' Way too serious.?
Kaguya sighed. ?Guess not. We'd have to get her to challenge us. And the only way we could do that is to set fire to the shrine or something....?
Mokou paused then set down her cup. ?I can set fires.?
Kaguya stood using the table for balance and raised a fist in the air. ?Then lets hurry up and get this stuff to your place so we can get started!?
?There's no way we'd get all yer stuff back in one trip.? Mokou protested.
?We don't need all. Just most. Yemme show you the power of the moon's technology!?
--
?Riichi!? Tei said as she grabbed the sake cup and blue ribbon chrysanthemum cards. The rabbit girl smiled even wider when the next card flipped into play was the Moon, with the Sakura banner card still on the field she had 2 possible instant wins on her turn.
?Ah! I can't believe I missed that! What's wrong with me?? Heida Sen cursed. She had been making small mistakes throughout the games. Even after they took a break she still kept making mistakes. She wondered if this Tei could steal luck instead of grant it.
Well she wasn't going to slip up on this play. She had to take the moon. She slapped down a matching card and placed the moon into her pile, then flipped the new card and smiled at the Crane. She slapped it down on a matching Pine card and placed it next to the Moon and Phoenix. ?Game. Three Days Bright. 5 Points.?
?Feh.? Tei dropped her cards, revealing another sakura card. ?So close.?
There was the sound of a door being slammed open from the cottage. The two young girls looked up to see Kaguya and Mokou burst through the second door. ?We're back!? They shouted, before tossing a strange looking box onto the floor. Sen immediately noticed they were drunk even by Gensoukyo standards. Tei did too by her look of total shock.
Mokou gave Sen a wave while Kaguya went and hugged Tei. ?I'm sorry I left you so long. But don't worry! We thought a somethin' fun to do.?
Mokou smiled. ?We're gonna burn down the shrine. You can be a mid boss.? She turned to Sen with a stumble. ?You don't got cards so you can't play. Sorry.?
Kaguya seemed offended. ?Mid boss? Tei's gonna be a Stage 5 boss. Least Stage 4.?
?Sure. Sure.? Mokou accepted the rebuke with calm.
?Um I don't think Ms Kochiya will be happy about that.? Sen tried to point out.
?Yep!? Mokou's voice tried to drop to a whisper. ?It's an incident.?
?But Princess Kaguya, I haven't made spellcards. Ever. Danmaku's purely for training now.? Tei protested.
?No worries!? Kaguya help up a set of cards. ?You can use these, cause your powers are alike.?
Sen looked over at the cards Kaguya was waving around. ?Hey those aren't Tewi's old cards. Those are Reisen's.?
Kaguya smiled and patted the rabbit girl on the head. ?Yep. Tei's got moon rabbit in her so she has the hypnosis eyes.?
Sen blinked. ?Hypnosis eyes. So that means those bad plays were....?
Tei quickly waved at Sen. ?Thanks for playing with me. It was real fun. I have to go for midboss training. See you later. Promise.? Then grabbed Kaguya by the hand and ran out the door. Mokou merely laughed.
?Mind if I close early?? She asked stumbling in the direction of the door.
Sen just sighed. ?Not really. I'll grab the book I need and lock up behind me. You go have fun.?
Mokou smiled even more. ?Thanks. I'll see 'bout calling you out for dinner after training.? She then flew out the door.
Sen sighed again, then smiled. It seemed like just maybe things might be getting better for two of Gensoukyo's oldest residents. She began to clean up the room, putting the table to the side, and picking up the cards. She stopped however when she reached her 20-point cards. The Phoenix, the Moon and the Crane of Longevity.
As she left the room she looked back on the table. Next to the picture of Eirin Yagokoro sat three cards, her personal prayer for the future.