After waiting a couple more hours at Mokou's house, it finally stopped raining.
Hina had fallen asleep on the couch in the living room. It had been a somewhat tiring day anyway.
"Hey Hina, it stopped raining already." I said as I shook her a little.
"... Aw... it's morning already...?" She said tiredly trying to open her eyes.
"You only slept for two hours."
"Well, it looks like we can go out now." Mokou said looking out the window.
"Tchu... I wanted to have a walk in the rain." Michitsuju said pouting.
"You don't even have legs..." I said while looking at her.
"W-W-What about it?!" She replied while crossing her arms and averting her gaze.
Hina got up from the couch.
"Wow...looks like I slept quite a bit." She said as she looked at the clock in the small room.
Small raindrops were still falling outside, but at least we weren't going to get soaked anymore if we went outside.
"We'd better get going heading towards the Eientei before it starts raining again." Mokou said as she opened the door.
We got ready and left Mokou's house heading for the Eientei. Apparently, Mokou knew the way well, so we just followed her.
*****
During the walk no one talked much. Michu looked a bit bored and Hina seemed to be delighted by the bamboo forest.
As for Mokou, she seemed to be a bit tense and worried about something.
I tried to lighten up the mood a bit, but it didn't come out as I expected.....
"Hey Mokou, what's your relationship with the princess?" I asked trying break this moody atmosphere.
"..." Mokou didn't look so happy about the question.
"It's kind of hard to explain... But we've been eternal rivals for thousands of years. And I don't think things will ever change."
"And what was it that happened back then?"
"That stupid woman humiliated my father and the whole clan a long time ago." "And me being a deluded little girl, I gave in to hatred and anger, losing what made me human. And that's how I began a life filled with bitterness within a cycle of revenge that will never end."
Mokou sighed heavily.
"But well, that will be a story for another day."
"Ah... of course. Sorry for making you uncomfortable with the question." I said somewhat apologetically.
"Nah, it's okay."
"I think it was better not to have talked about the topic..."
*****
After walking a few more minutes, a large wooden mansion could be seen in the distance.
"Well, welcome to this despicable place. Also known as Eientei heh." Mokou said in a mocking tone.
It was a huge traditional Japanese house in the middle of the forest. It was also surrounded by a small wall of bamboo poles.
We walked a little further into the property. There were a lot of... rabbit-eared people? They were placing lights by bamboo trees, preparing some kind of dough that they were pounding with some wooden hammers and organizing the place. It looked like they were preparing for a festival or something similar.
"Ah, it seems that the Earth rabbits are preparing for the monthly moon festival." Mokou said as she continued walking towards the entrance.
"That thing they're preparing looks delicious..." Michitsuju said somewhat mesmerized by the food. "CAN WE STAY AND HAVE SOME OF THE FOOD?!" she exclaimed excitedly.
"From what I see, they haven't finished working yet, we'd better not disturb." Mokou replied.
We arrived at the front door of the mansion and started walking through the different rooms.
The place was quite a bit bigger than it appeared from the outside, but not as big as the scarlet mansion.
The house inside had old traditional Japanese furniture that was quite well preserved, it looked as if it was brand new. I wondered how this was possible.
We went through a few more rooms and came to a hallway.
"Okay, Kaguya's room is at the end of the hallway. Just open the door, I'll stay here waiting tsk." Mokou said grumbling.
"Okay, thank you very much." Hina said.
For some reason everything felt very quiet, as if a certain goddess was missing....
"Wait a minute, where's Michu?" I asked looking around.
We all looked back, but she had disappeared.
Hina sighed.
"You go talk to the princess; I'll go look for Miss Michitsuju around the mansion." Hina said as she walked back the way we had come.
"Ah... I hope Michu won't start causing trouble around the place..."
I headed towards the door and as I opened it, I was somewhat surprised.
It was such a big room for only one person. But I see this princess lives in this room too....
There was a lot of clutter everywhere. Dishes, clothes, and other objects were scattered all over the floor.
In the middle of the room, there was a sofa and a television with an old video game console.
As I approached I could see that the princess was lying on the couch playing a game, although she looked a little bored.
She paused the game and turned to look at me.
"My my, I didn't expect to have new visitors in my abode." She said somewhat surprised.
Her appearance was of a fairly young woman with silky straight black hair. Her hair was also about the same length as Mokou's.
She was also dressed in a pink shirt with overly long sleeves and a red dress.
I do have to admit that physically she was really beautiful. And unlike Mokou, she speaks in a very refined and feminine way. I would bet that her beauty is out of this world. So much so that I got a little nervous.
"A...h.. yes, good afternoon princess. I came to ask you a few questions-." I said while being uncomfortable with the situation.
She grabbed my tie tightly and pulled me to the couch where she was lying.
"I see... In that case, I'll give you the floor to speak." She said with a soft tone and a smile.
SHE'S TOO CLOSE-!
"A-Alright-" I replied even more embarrassed.
I took the map out of the backpack to show her.
"We found this map in the Scarlet Devil Mansion library. Apparently it's a map of ancient Gensokyo, and we need someone to tell us how to interpret this map to find a friend." I said trying to explain without stuttering.
The princess took the map.
"Okay dear, let's see what I can decipher..."
While she was looking carefully at the map, I noticed that the princess had a more serious expression on her face.
"..." The princess stopped looking at the map and handed it back to me. "Listen boy, you'd better give up on this quest." Said the princess somewhat worried.
"Wait... you recognize the place indicated on the map?" I asked in surprise.
"I'm afraid it is true. I have knowledge of the place, and even how to get to it. But do not try to get there, it's too dangerous for humans like you."
I was a little frustrated to hear this. But I still wasn't going to renege on my promise to Michu.
"Is there any way we can convince you that we can survive there...?" I asked thoughtfully.
The princess got up from the couch to stretch a little.
"In four years there will be a tournament organized by me where all the inhabitants of Gensokyo are cordially invited to a team fight to prove who are the most powerful in this land." She explained as she looked at me. "If you manage to win and prove to me that you are strong enough, I will grant you the information you need to reach your destination."
"Four years... I wasn't planning to spend so much time here in Gensokyo. But I suppose I have no choice but to heed you. And it seems that we are entering dangerous territory."
"I'll keep my promise and get out of here no matter what…"
The princess turned to look at me with a gentle smile.
"But if you want to see your loved one so badly, let this be nothing more than a test of determination and showing what you are willing to give for her."
"..." "I will..." I said with some trepidation, but trying to convince myself that I could do it.
The princess turned towards the door with a proud smile.
"You can participate too, Mokou... fu fu fu~"
A knock on the wall was heard.
"Tsk. O-OF COURSE I WON'T PARTICIPATE IN YOUR FOOLISH TOURNAMENT!" shouted Mokou from the doorway without showing herself.
"That smell of burning wood is unmistakable hehe~"
Mokou peeked out the door with her hands and hair on fire with a terrifying look on her face.
"Looking for a fight huh!" she shouted as she approached.
"It will be quite a pleasure to add another victory to my counter" The princess said with another terrifying look as she covered her face with the long sleeves of her shirt.
"Things are about to get dirty... I think I'd better go find Hina and Michu..."
I discreetly left the room and closed the door.
Blows and bullets could be heard crashing all over the room as I walked briskly down the hallway.
As I walked looking for Hina, I ran into a somewhat tall woman with light gray hair tied all up in a braid that went down to her waist. She appeared to be in nurse's attire because of her cap and dress, although it was blue with red.
In addition, she was carrying a box with what appeared to be medicines.
I approached and tried to ask her.
"Hey, excuse me." I said behind her.
"Hm? How can I help you, young boy? Replied the nurse.
"Have you by any chance seen a ghost with a red dress and a girl with green hair pass by here?"
"I don't know what ghost you're talking about, but I'm pretty sure I just saw a green haired girl pass through the rooms over there." She said as she pointed to another hallway in the mansion.
"Okay, thank you very much." I said as I ran off.
"Hey don't run through the hallways...! Ah... these kids..." She said as she continued to carry her boxes.
As I was deciding which room to go into, I could hear a familiar voice.
"Miss Michu! You can't take the clothes you find here, they're not yours!"
"Agh, get off me already! I'll give it back sometime!"
I pushed the door of the room where the voices were coming from with some force.
Hina and Michu stood in complete silence and with a petrified expression when I opened the door.
"I'M REALLY SORRY, I DIDN'T MEAN TO!!!" I shouted in grief as I slammed the door shut in agitation.
Apparently, Michu was trying on some of the princess dresses she found in a closet. But I walked in at the worst time.
There was silence for a couple of seconds, then suddenly, Michu broke the door with a punch.
"WHY ARE YOU COMING IN TO LOOK AT ME, YOU PERVERT!" She exclaimed as she whined and chased me around the mansion with her clothes half on.
"I TOLD YOU I DIDN'T MEAN TO!!!" I screamed as I continued to run away from her.
I don't blame her, as much as she is like a ghost, you can still clearly see her human parts.
And now I had to not only run away from Michu, but also dodge the attacks of Mokou and the princess who had taken their fight all over the Eientei.
There was too much commotion everywhere.
Until it was heard as someone raised their voice in the same room.
"Princess Kaguya, please behave or you'll end up destroying the mansion!" The nurse exclaimed with a serious tone.
Suddenly, the four of us stopped fighting and turned to look at each other.
The nurse approached the princess and took her back to her room as she moaned.
"Aw... Eirinnnnnn, I was in the middle of an important duel." Said the princess complaining.
"You may continue your duel later, Princess Kaguya, but not inside the Eientei."
There was silence for a few seconds.
Mokou stood up and shook off her clothes.
"Ehm... I think we can head back now." She said as she cleared her throat.
The four of us walked out of the mansion back to Mokou's shack.
It wasn't the most pleasant visit, but at least we managed to gather important information to continue the mission.
"So... What did you manage to get from Kaguya?" asked Mokou as we walked.
"Well... She only told me that she knew about the place we want to get to. But we're not ready to survive there yet. She said to train more until we prove to her that we're going to be able to hold out in that place." I said thoughtfully.
"Ah... I see." "And how are you planning to pull up with that training?" asked Mokou sighing.
"I'm not really sure. I still have a small knowledge about my abilities."
Hina reached over and tapped my shoulder.
"Don't be discouraged, I know we're going to be able to rescue Miss Michitsuju." Hina said with a smile.
Michu didn't want to say anything. But I could tell from her face that she looked a little relieved. Although I know there are still things that are troubling her.
We continued walking a little further through the forest, until we heard a mysterious voice coming from the tall bamboo trees.
"Hold it right there, travelers."
We all stopped for a moment and stood at guard stand while looking around.
"Show yourself! Or face the fury of the eternal flame!" Mokou exclaimed lighting her fists on fire.
"I am not here to fight you."
From the top of the trees, a girl jumped down and fell hitting the ground with her fist. So hard that it shook the earth around us.
After the dust cleared, I could see her figure.
It was a girl with straight black hair like the princess. Although her's was not as long and at the ends her hair faded to an orange color. In addition, she had a small braid with a purple ribbon. She also had a small silver ornament on the top of her head.
She was wearing a magenta-colored dress with long sleeves and a steel shoulder pad on her right shoulder.
She carried a sharp katana with her.
"Fear not... I have been watching you since you began your mission and I know what you seek." Said the mysterious girl as she approached.
"EHH??! So you're a stalker!" Michu exclaimed pointing at her.
"Uh...?" "NO NO NO NO! Not in that way! Replied the girl as she waved her hands.
The four of us stared at her with a suspicious expression.
"Ah... I know you're going around looking for a way to train to continue your mission, so I was going to offer to help you." She replied with a sigh.
"Stalker...hmph."
"I heard that!" she exclaimed whining. "But well...I'll introduce myself. My name is Ei, Ei Uzume, I am a samurai who came to Gensokyo by some strange chance some time ago. I travel the universe in search of a place to spend the rest of my life. But I was drawn to this planet by the seed of the everlasting cherry tree I carried with me. This everlasting cherry tree is the one that provides me with energy, without it, I could easily die. But I see that it wanted to bloom in this peculiar land.
I noticed your presence and since then, I have been following you to help you with your mission.
"So, from what I understand, you're an alien samurai who by a strange circumstance came to Gensokyo and went about spying on us in a creepy way just to help us with our mission?" I asked confused.
"..." "A-h... Yeah, sort of..." She replied apologetically.
"And how do we know we can trust you, huh?" interrupted Michu somewhat annoyed.
"I won't force you to trust me if you don't want to, but I offer to put you through arduous training so that you can become much stronger..." Ei said somewhat crestfallen.
The four of us turned around and started discussing the situation.
"Being honest, I don't detect any kind of evil intent in her words." Hina said quietly.
"Anyway in this world you can't trust anyone, hmph." Michu grumbled.
"Eh, Y'all can do whatever you want." Mokou said in an indifferent tone.
"It's true that you can't give their trust for free, but I don't feel like she means us any harm either..." Here everyone I've met is either nice at first or attacks me, and she had no intention of attacking us. I hope I am making the right decision. I said to myself.
I turned and approached the girl.
"Okay, we accept your proposal. Howeveeeer, at the slightest we notice any suspicious behavior, we won't hesitate to get defensive." I replied.
"I understand, thank you for your confidence. I'll make sure not to use it against you." Ei said as she tilted her head towards us.
"Tch, I guess I have no choice left." Michu said pouting.
"Alright. I'll lead you to my temple where you can leave your belongings." Ei said somewhat excitedly. "It's a bit far, so we'd better go flying."
I think Ei noticed my disappointed face when she mentioned flying.
"Haha, don't worry, part of my abilities consists of having superhuman strength, so I can carry that heavy backpack for you guys." Ei said smiling.
I still didn't feel very confident about flying long distances on my own, but I guess I had no choice.
So I nodded to her and handed her the backpack.
"Okay, just follow me and I'll lead the way." Ei said taking the backpack. "Ack, yeah it's kind of heavy, I wonder what they're carrying in here..."
Ei and Hina started levitating and flew away from the bamboo forest.
Michu approached me.
"Remember what I told you the first time. Concentrate your energy on your legs and don't think too much." Michu said before she flew off too.
I relaxed a little and did as Michu instructed. As I did, an aura of violet energy began to surround me. Also my ridges begin to emanate a bright light and my eyes turn purple and shiny like a jewel.
I managed to take off with a first impulse and stay in the air. I still can't get used to this....
Without thinking too much I started to move forward and I had made it. It's been a long time since I felt so proud of something hehe.
I kept moving forward until I caught up with the rest.
The view of Gensokyo from above is so beautiful. It really seemed as if it was all a dream...
Michu turned to look at me and showed a small sincere smile.
Everything looked so small from the sky. The huge youkai mountain, the scarlet mansion, the bamboo forest, the sun garden, the human village. I didn't think that such a vivid and colorful place like this could exist on our planet.
I think that for the first time I don't feel... alone....
After flying for a while, a small temple could be seen in the distance. When I first arrived in Gensokyo, I thought I saw a very similar temple before I got here.
We landed on a small esplanade in front of it. There were many training dummies, wooden katanas and more training equipment near the temple.
Many of the katanas that were on the ground were broken in half. I can see that this girl takes her training very seriously....
"Well, we've arrived." Ei said landing. "Welcome to the Uzume temple. You can go ahead and leave your things inside."
It was almost two o'clock in the afternoon, so we went inside and Ei offered us lunch at her temple.
The five of us sat down in a small dining room there.
Hina glared at Michu and me.
"I hope you two will behave yourselves while eating this time..." She said with a scary smile.
The food was quite good, it seems that apart from combat, she also knows how to cook well.
While we were eating, we were also talking about various topics. That, within these, was the mystery behind powers and about Michu's identity.
Michu still seems to prefer to avoid the topic of why she is trapped in that seal and I think she is uncomfortable talking about her past.
And as for my powers, Ei doesn't seem to know anything about it either.
"If Miss Yakumo was the one who granted you part of her powers, maybe your powers are somehow connected to her ancestors." Ei replied.
After we finished eating, Ei told us that we were going to train early in the morning. But as for now, we could walk around the area for the rest of the day.
She also told us that, for the night, she had set up futons for each of us in one of the rooms.
*****
At dusk, I wanted to go out for a walk. Hina and Michu wanted to take a nap after lunch, so they stayed at the temple.
I invited Mokou to go for a walk, since I saw her a bit bored sitting on a sofa.
The afternoon was very beautiful. The sun was still setting and the birds were getting ready to go to roost.
"How does it feel to know living that at any moment your life could end?" Mokou asked looking up at the sky.
"I'm not very good at such philosophical questions." "But I feel that knowing that we live limited in every way, it's best to make the most of it and enjoy what we have while we can..." I replied.
"I see..."
"You don't see the value of things until you lose them." I said sighing.
"Heh, I don't have anything left to lose." Mokou said.
"That's what you think..." I replied quietly.
"Hm? What do you mean by that? Mokou asked confused.
"Oh, nothing. It's just nonsense stuff."
"By the way, why was it that you decided to invite me to join ya in your small adventure?"
"You look like someone we can trust. Besides, I thought some company might make you feel better. But oh well, maybe that doesn't make much sense hehe."
"For someone who has lived thousands of years in solitude, having someone to talk to is a treasure... Just like you mortals enjoy life experiences before you die, I guess I can enjoy your presence while you're still here..." Mokou said to herself as she flashed a small smile.
"It seems the four of us have quite a bit of experience with what loneliness is like." I said with a laugh.
"Damn, why do you say so?" Mokou asked confused.
"To be honest, I was always someone very isolated from other people before I came here. My parents are always busy and I see them from time to time. And... I never had any friends. But oh well, I guess it's something usual for people my age." I replied.
"It must be hard to do everything on your own, huh?" "Anyway, I guess to get to know each other a little better, I can tell ya a little about my story and how I got here..." Mokou said somewhat thoughtfully.
"Oh..." "Well... if you don't mind, I'll listen to you."