oh my beeeaaans
Kisume was dreaming.
She fit snuggly in her bucket, curled up at the bottom as she sighed in her sleep. Her knees were drawn to her chest, and her arms were folded, as if to keep all of her body head in a compact ball. No doubt would she be stiff when she woke up, and when that happened, she wouldn?t even leave her bucket to stretch, even though she had outgrown it. It was high time for her to get a bigger bucket.
As Yamame walked, she felt bad that Kisume was being jostled around in the bucket, bumping her head and back against the sides. The only thing keeping Yamame from taking Kisume out of the bucket and carrying the tsurube-otoshi herself was the fact that the bucket provided excellent protection against the wind. Yamame was somewhat thankful for this, and continued walking against the wind. She didn?t know where she was going, but there had to be somewhere where the two of them could take shelter. She didn?t know much about the surface, but she heard that night could get frigid, especially in the winter months.
And so she continued towards the hill. The torii at the top was a good enough landmark to stop at.
~
Youmu looked back up at the crumbling stairway that lead to Hakugyokurou, and couldn?t help but get a sinking feeling in her stomach. It wasn?t like she didn?t know the stairs were so delicate they?d crumble under the slightest footsteps. To make matters worse, she wouldn?t have any semblance of guidance when she went to fly back up.
She was stuck alone in a potentially dangerous wasteland, close to night, with no safe way of returning home and no clear destination. She had been through worse though, right?
?Maybe not. Youmu sniffed as she stood up and started gliding along.
~
The Hakurei Shrine.
Even though it was in ruins, life flourished around it. The cobblestone pathway had succumbed to moss and grass growing from inbetween the stones. The leaves on the trees surrounding the shrine seemed to rattle in the wind. In the pond behind the shrine, the water was as clear as glass, and small lily pads and lotuses bobbled on the surface. Even from inside the shrine, plants and flowers thrived.
The first one to notice all of this was the one who habitually came to the shrine nearly every day herself, the black-white.
Marisa had spotted the shrine from orbit and landed on her broom as she always did, walked up the pathway as she always did?not minding how mossy it was now?and frowned a little at the destroyed shrine.
?Reimu, where are you, ze?? she muttered under her breath.
?Oh, my, it looks like someone beat me here??
Marisa wheeled around, mini hakkero in hand, only to see none other than Hijiri Byakuren ascending the steps and stepping onto the pathway. She wore her usual serene smile, but it seemed somehow?strained. Stressed. Tired, maybe?
Marisa pocketed the mini hakkero and sighed. ?No fair sneaking up on me like that, ze,? she said. Byakuren?s smile wavered, and there was an awkward silence. After a few minutes, Marisa decided to break the ice.
?Any oth?? She almost asked if there were any other survivors, but instantly took it back. Who knows who Byakuren might?ve lost? ?Did you see anyone else on the way here??
Byakuren shook her head. ?Not a soul.?
?Well that?s just great, ze.? Marisa took a seat on the shrine?s porch and let herself flop on her back. ?Maybe we should?? Her eyes widened as she stared at the shrine?s innards, and she instantly sat up and turned around. ?Ze??
?What?s the matter??
Marisa ignored Byakuren and scuttled on all fours through a hole in the shrine wall and into the wreckage. Struggling through the debris, she finally reached the center of the shrine, from which a small tree was growing. It was a tiny little thing, probably not even higher than Marisa?s waist if she stood up.
Marisa blew a leave out of her hair and started to crawl forward, only to her hand touch something small and soft. Upon looking down, she saw a tiny little thing with horns and bound in shackles. She moved her fingers away, and they brushed against soft ginger-colored hair.
Marisa?s eyes widened. ?Suika!?
The debris around her stirred, and hundreds of tiny little oni peeked out at her, skirts rustling and chains clanking as they chattered excitedly and scurried around. A plank of wood rose to reveal even more of them, and they all swarmed towards the little tree. Marisa scrambled back and watched as they dug under the debris around the tree and unearthed a girl who was larger than the little oni but still smaller than Marisa, curled up with one of her branch-like horns piercing a plank of wood.
Marisa carefully picked her way through the crowd and crouched down next to the oni. She heard Byakuren hesitantly stepping over the porch, and heard her call out again, but Marisa only had eyes for the fast-asleep Suika.
?Hey, wake up, ze.? Marisa poked Suika?s soft cheek, and she stirred and grumbled. Her eyes flickered open, and she squinted up at Marisa blearily.
??Sake??
?Phew.? Marisa heaved a sigh of relief. ?That?s the Suika I know ze.?
~The Hakurei Shrine~
