Magical Lotus - Mahou Shoujou Byakuren - Episode 4, Part 4

[Oldmansour]

>You are Byakuren Hijiri, 18 years old, resident of the city of Mayoiga, caretaker (owner) of Rin Kaenbyou, resident of the Moonside apartments, and third year student of Mayoiga High. A few days ago, you were the most popular girl in school, one of the most well-known and liked girls around town. And then you touched a strange doll, and saw a world not your own. That was the day that everything changed, and you became Magical Lotus, the Hero of the Heart.

>You find yourself in the Metal Tiger shrine once again this night. Having seemingly convinced Satori not to harm herself and helping her work through some of the guilt she felt as a result of her actions while under the influence of the evil splinter in her mind's eye, you have just sent a group of mikos towards Satori's room and are presently conversing with the horse youkai you safeguarded during the fight last night.

>"She's fine, don't worry; was in bubbly spirits last I saw her this afternoon."

>Koko giggles. "Sounds like another blonde named Lily I know."

[DracoOmega]

>Chuckle lightly
>Funny, that

[Oldmansour]

>Chuckle lightly
>Funny, that

>"I still can't believe that happened. I mean, you hear about these kinds of things happening, but actually seeing one... It's not like you see in books at all."

[DracoOmega]

>"I'm not sure anything can quite prepare one to stare down an embodiment of death. I'm just glad we managed to put an end to it before it could do too much harm."

[Oldmansour]

>"I'm not sure anything can quite prepare one to stare down an embodiment of death. I'm just glad we managed to put an end to it before it could do too much harm."

>"And what was the deal with that flaming fox? And the owl?"

[DracoOmega]

>"That is a bit more... complicated. But suffice it to say that while they remain dangerous, I have hope that we can be allies again in future, without the need for a common foe."

[Oldmansour]

>"That is a bit more... complicated. But suffice it to say that while they remain dangerous, I have hope that we can be allies again in future, without the need for a common foe."

>To her credit, Koko does not seem as confused as your explanation may have made her. "That sounds more like a problem for Kiku to handle. She was handling that kind of thing even while Satori was in charge."

[DracoOmega]

>"I intended to speak with her about this, yes."
>We are traveling with the whole group back to Satori, yes?

[Oldmansour]

>"I intended to speak with her about this, yes."
>We are traveling with the whole group back to Satori, yes?

>Koko nods. "She really is the best at dealing with dark forces." She grins. "We wonder if she'd beat the monsters she came across, or just scare 'em off."
>Negative. You stopped to speak with Koko while the other three headed back down the hallway. They haven't got there yet, though. It's a lengthy hall.

[DracoOmega]

>Chuckle
>"Well, I think we'd best catch up."
>Let's go catch up with the others and go see what Satori has to say

[Oldmansour]

>Chuckle
>"Well, I think we'd best catch up."
>Let's go catch up with the others and go see what Satori has to say

>"Oh, right, sorry." Koko says quickly as you turn and chase after the other mikos.
>"Can I ask you something?" White Rose says to Koko. "If the wolf was close to hear, that means I should have heard all of you. Especially voices."
>"Yuzu-chan's real quiet. And her voice is low-pitched when she's in wolf form."
>Your comrade nods. "That makes sense."

>When you return to Satori's room, you can feel the tension in the air. None of the three newly arrived mikos there look really grim or excessively serious, but you can tell they're staying as far away from Satori as they can, while Doremy has gone back to being the stone-faced protector you saw when you first entered. Kiku, rather prudently, seems to have placed herself between her fellow mikos and Satori, who is standing again, her meal finished. She didn't leave much.
>Satori smiles and nods to you when you enter. "Thank you, Lotus, White Rose."

[DracoOmega]

>Nod politely and let her continue

[Oldmansour]

>Nod politely and let her continue

>"And thank you all for coming, too." she says to her fellow mikos, in a more subdued voice.
>"Is this important, Satori?" the senoir miko asks.
>"Yes, Karura. I wouldn't have asked you to come here if it wasn't." She pauses to swallow visibly. "It's about something that should have happened a long time ago. Something else I stole from Kiku. Something I need to give back."
>"If you're suggesting what I think you are, Satori, this should be done before the entire Sisterhood of the temple."
>Satori blanches. "Yes. You're right. But, I.... I'm not-"
>"Was this your idea?" she asks you.

[DracoOmega]

>Shake our head
>"No. She just asked me to gather a couple of you."

[Oldmansour]

>Shake our head
>"No. She just asked me to gather a couple of you."

>"And I agreed." Kiku says to her comrade. "Which you all should know, if you were listening. Your ears are that good, Yuzuriha." The canine youkai returns her gaze evenly, but does not reply. "And that's precisely why I agreed. I don't think Satori could face all of you any more than all of you could face her. Not without letting your emotions get the better of you."
>"That's mighty considerate of you, Kiku." Karura tells her with a faint smile.
>"Practicality."
>"Sure, we can go with that."
>Kiku scowls at the silver-garbed miko, but it is Satori who speaks next. "I think you're both right. You've always excelled at keeping your emotions in check, Kiku. But I knew you were a better person than you thought you were. You were just afraid to admit it. And that's just one of the reasons you deserve to be the elder of this temple.
>"Satori?" Kiku blurts as Doremy helps Satori to her feet again.
>"A decade ago, you were chosen to be the head of this temple. I stole that position from you. And I may never be able to make up for that act. But the very least I can do is give you what is rightfully yours." The woman pulls herself to her full height, though not easily, you note. "I, Satori Komeiji, do hereby surrender the title of Elder of the New Mayoiga Shrine of the Metal Tiger to you, Kiku, and all the powers and responsibilities that come with the title." The struggle with the formality of that declaration getting to her, Satori visibly slumps. "I know you'll do a better job than I did."

[DracoOmega]

>Smile encouragingly at the both of them

[Oldmansour]

>Smile encouragingly at the both of them

>"Congratulations, Kiku-sama!" Koko says brightly, wasting no time in applying the new elder's honorific.
>The other three mikos, though, are less enthusiastic. "Karura is right, Satori." the winged youkai says. Kiku deserves the full ceremony for the transference of power."
>"And maybe we will have one, Mayumi. Later." says Kiku. "When the time is more appropriate. But perhaps now is not the time for ceremony. Save this part, perhaps." Turning to Satori, Kiku takes a breath and says, "I, Kiku, acknowledge my new title and the role that comes with it. In the name of the Metal Tiger, Byakko, I will strive to serve this temple, this city and this country to the best of my abilities."

>Setting aside her formality, she again turns back to her sisters. "We should all now be trying to put past wrongs behind us. You may have heard, but I will say it again: I have forgiven Satori. I do not expect all of you to do so quickly, and I will not order you to. But I will ask that you at least consider that Satori was, at the very least, not wholly responsible for her actions since we have known her. For half a century, a piece of pure evil did dwell within her. But that evil is gone now, and we are all of us free from its influence. It's time we began moving past that."
>"And we owe Magical Lotus and White Rose our thanks for that chance, as well as their comrade Lily. Without their aid, we'd still be under the influence of that creature. Or dead. They didn't just save Satori, they saved us, as well." And the tiger youkai lowers her head to you in thanks. Satori is quick to follow suit, as do Koko and the short winged miko Mayumi and the canine Yuzuriha.

[DracoOmega]

>Bow our own head politely
>"Thank you. I'm just glad things have worked out as well as they did. The wounds of all those years may not be so easily erased, but now at least there is the chance to heal."
>To the other mikos: "And I wish to reiterate what Kiku said: the influence of the entity we destroyed last night was so malign that not even the gentlest of hearts could remain uncorrupted by it. You are not the only ones in this room whose minds were violated by another."

[Oldmansour]

>Bow our own head politely
>"Thank you. I'm just glad things have worked out as well as they did. The wounds of all those years may not be so easily erased, but now at least there is the chance to heal."
>To the other mikos: "And I wish to reiterate what Kiku said: the influence of the entity we destroyed last night was so malign that not even the gentlest of hearts could remain uncorrupted by it. You are not the only ones in this room whose minds were violated by another."

>While the three junoirs, at least outwardly, seem to consider your words, Karura is not as receptive. "I find that difficult to accept, since the fact is that, by her own admission, this thing spent all this time doing what Satori herself wanted to do."

[DracoOmega]

>"Do you think that even a person's desires can truly remain uncorrupted by such a being? After so many years of dwelling inside her mind, I expect it's difficult for even Satori herself to be sure of where she ended and it began. The revulsion she feels at her own actions now is proof enough for me that they were nothing she ever would have done, had her mind been truly her own."

[Oldmansour]

>"Do you think that even a person's desires can truly remain uncorrupted by such a being? After so many years of dwelling inside her mind, I expect it's difficult for even Satori herself to be sure of where she ended and it began. The revulsion she feels at her own actions now is proof enough for me that they were nothing she ever would have done, had her mind been truly her own."

>"And what makes you an expert on the subject?"

[DracoOmega]

>"Because I have seen Satori speak openly about her actions, while the deathbringer was still inside her - and she did so without remorse or hesitation or doubt. I saw, perhaps, the very worst of what she was capable of, the most unguarded of her plans and desires. After that, there is no way that I can consider the woman who stands here now to be of the same mind."
>"And do not forget, I also saw the deathbringer itself as it dwelled within her, coiled around her mind and throughout every part of her being. Just a fraction of this kind of intrusion was enough to make you believe things that hadn't happened. What do you think a hundred times that might be able to do?"

[Oldmansour]

>"Because I have seen Satori speak openly about her actions, while the deathbringer was still inside her - and she did so without remorse or hesitation or doubt. I saw, perhaps, the very worst of what she was capable of, the most unguarded of her plans and desires. After that, there is no way that I can consider the woman who stands here now to be of the same mind."
>"And do not forget, I also saw the deathbringer itself as it dwelled within her, coiled around her mind and throughout every part of her being. Just a fraction of this kind of intrusion was enough to make you believe things that hadn't happened. What do you think a hundred times that might be able to do?"

>Your passion seems to take the silver garbed miko a little aback. She doesn't reply to you, but the look on her face tells you that you probably got through to her.
>Instead it is Satori that speaks to you next. "Lotus... Thank you. I do deserve their suspicion. At least, for now, I do. Your words are... more than I deserve."

[DracoOmega]

>"I disagree. You, too, deserve a chance to move forward from the legacy of that psychic parasite."
>To the mikos, more gently: "Obviously, a breach of trust as you experienced is not something that heals overnight. But I would ask that you try to judge Satori for the person she is from this day forward, and not just the one she was; to do otherwise is to deny the corruptive influence of that entity, and you saw for yourself last night just how powerful that influence could be."

[Oldmansour]

>"I disagree. You, too, deserve a chance to move forward from the legacy of that psychic parasite."
>To the mikos, more gently: "Obviously, a breach of trust as you experienced is not something that heals overnight. But I would ask that you try to judge Satori for the person she is from this day forward, and not just the one she was; to do otherwise is to deny the corruptive influence of that entity, and you saw for yourself last night just how powerful that influence could be."

>With Karura still stewing, Yuzuriha answers for her senior sister. "As a rule, we aren't a vindictive temple. And most of us here aren't the kind to nurse grudges. This situation is a bit unique, but there aren't many of us that, in general, can stay angry forever."
>"What we all need is time, I think." Kiku adds. "We've taken some steps tonight. That is a start."

>"May I ask you something about that entity, Magical Lotus?" Mayumi asks you.

[DracoOmega]

>"Feel free."

[Oldmansour]

>"Feel free."

>"Are you sure it was destroyed? What I mean is, can you be sure it didn't infect someone else the way it did Satori Komeji?"

[DracoOmega]

>"In this case, yes I am sure. We were very thorough at the end."

[Oldmansour]

>"In this case, yes I am sure. We were very thorough at the end."

>"Magical Lotus is uniquely skilled in the detection of forces of darkness." Kiku informs her subordinate. "If there was any sign of that entity to be found here, or any other lingering evils, I believe she would have found them by now."

[DracoOmega]

>Nod
>"You can rest easy. This is one chapter that I believe is truly closed."