It has been a long, long walk through the quiet and serene Forest of the Lost, up the narrow, flower-thronged footpaths of the Singing Hills, across the heather and honeysuckle-scented Fields of Gold, until you finally reach the Flower Meadow, a beautiful, blooming boundless field of flowers set ablaze by the warm glow of the late, spring sunset. The grove of cherry blossom trees embracing the meadow fills the air with a multitude of cherry petals that dance to and thro around you as you walk across the blooming acres. Here, the world was exploding with colour, celebrating the eve of Spring.
You walk over to the only landmark on the meadow, a lone cherry blossom tree standing amidst the meadow. Here...around here....but where....?
"Oh, a sound! A smell! Is this breakfast? Or lunch? Or dessert for lasts~? The sun is gone and the moon is come, so supper time has come along~" A cheerful singsong voice echoes about in the wind. "Humans, youkai, fairy, anything really~ Hope lives even in the least, and on Hope, Oh Hope, I feast~"
"Oh, what's this? What's this? Here, here, come here, come by, please, please, don't be shy~" The playful voice sings. You look around, looking for the source of the voice. "My, my, don't be shy, do come closer and say 'hi'~" The voice invites playfully as the last of the fiery sunlight sets the cherry petals around you ablaze.
] "Hmm? Oooh, it's a guest! You're really, really, really early, you know! The festival's still a long, long, long time away though!" The voice trills, right behind your head. You turn around and find a pair of emerald green eyes peer back into yours, accompanied by a cheerful upside down grin. Here she is, the girl in red, who dances in the flower meadow. "People call me lots of things, they can never decide, as long as I can sing it I don't mind~ You can call me Gappy, it's easy to rhyme, Happy, Yippy, All the time~" She swings around off the low branch she was hanging on and lands at your feet.
"Ah, I see, I see, I see why you're so enthusiastic! There is something, something, something you seek!" She exclaims excitedly as she skips around you. "Here, drink, sit down! Questions, you have? Answers, you want? Don't worry, I have plenty to go around!" She pours out some sake for two, hands you a cup, before twirling onto the ground and taking her seat on the festival picnic mat. "Ask then, and I will answer. Truth or lie, you decide, however."
