As dusk descended, the man, a trusted friend of the sisters, watched their approach with hope and concern.
"Are you the Ronin?" he inquired urgently, his voice laced with worry. "I need your help to find my wife. A water shortage has tormented our village since the lake became a swamp. She ventures in this direction daily, claiming to work on restoring the lake. Usually, she returns home for lunch, but today, she hasn't returned. I'm willing to offer a generous reward for your assistance."
The sisters exchanged a glance before one of them nodded. "We will do everything in our power to locate her, though we cannot guarantee she will return alive," she replied.
The husband smiled as he bowed deeply. "Thank you from the bottom of my heart," he expressed, his voice heavy with emotion
The three siblings exchanged nods with the man before continuing past him towards the swamp bridge. On the other side awaited the stark reality of dangerous Yokai, feasting upon the remains of human and animal prey.
Rei placed a hand on her hip, letting out a heavy sigh. "What have we gotten ourselves into?" she muttered, her gaze scanning the treacherous surroundings.
"How do we call her without alerting the Kappa?" Takeko pondered aloud.
Hoshiyo furrowed her brow, her gaze narrowing as she observed the scene before them. "Something isn't right. Why aren't the Kappa attacking her?" she mused, a sense of unease settling over her.
"I wish we had Yokai allies to assist us. It would certainly simplify matters," Rei remarked.
Perking up with a hypothesis in mind, Takeko proposed, "I have an idea."
"What's your plan?" Rei inquired cautiously.
"Listen, I know I messed up last time, but hear me out," Takeko began, taking a deep breath before calling out, "Hey, are you okay, miss?"
The siblings watched in disbelief, their eyes widening and jaws dropping as Takeko's words echoed through the swamp.
As the maiden in the pond gradually rotated to address the caller on the bridge, her features came into view, resembling a frog's, with large, round eyes and a broad, frog-like smile. Her body remained distinctly human, a peculiar sight that bewildered both parties.
"I wasn't expecting that," remarked Hoshiyo, her voice tinged with surprise.
Stepping back to confer with her sisters, Takeko whispered, "Could that be the man's wife? Does he know she's a Yokai?"
Rei shook her head in speculation. "Perhaps she alters her appearance on her way home," she suggested.
Drawing closer to the water's edge, Hoshiyo waved to the Yokai adorned in a colorful Yukata. "Excuse me, are you by any chance married to a man from the nearby village?" she inquired politely.
At the sound of Hoshiyo's voice, the Kappa in the swamp let out ear-splitting shrieks and hastily retreated from their prospective meals, driven by fear of potential harm. Undeterred, the female Yokai approached Hoshiyo with a warm smile, replying, "Yes, I am. Is he searching for me?"
Cupping her hands over her mouth to project her voice, Takeko interjected, "He's been searching for hours. Does he know you're a Yokai?"
Rei nudged Takeko gently; her expression tinged with disapproval. "That's impolite."
"Sorry," Takeko muttered.
"No worries. I'm Kaeru Nyōbō. I fell in love with a human who saw me walking through town as a human. I'm quite fragile and unable to bear children, so he must have been worried," she explained.
"Why did you move here?" Hoshiyo inquired.
"When I was human, I perished in the swamp when it turned into tar pits a decade ago. I merged with other Yokai, and we migrated to this lake, making it our sanctuary—a beautiful swamp we collectively crafted," Kaeru Nyōbō recounted.
Hoshiyo frowned, gesturing back towards the pathway. "So, you're not assisting in the village's efforts to restore the lake?"
The Yokai glanced sorrowfully at the swamp below. "I had no idea of the havoc I inadvertently caused."
Hoshiyo offered a gentle smile. "If we help restore the swamp, would you consider returning to aid in restoring the lake?"
"If it brings peace to both Yokai and humans, then yes," Kaeru Nyōbō affirmed, pushing herself out of the swamp, her Yukata caked in mud.
Takeko reached out to assist her onto solid ground while other Yokai observed from a distance. The sisters understood the daunting task ahead. They began their journey with the first step: bringing Kaeru Nyōbō back to her husband. She transformed her appearance as they walked, shedding her frog-like features for a more human appearance.
Hoshiyo led the way, ensuring they reached their husbands before nightfall.
The husband bowed deeply and embraced his wife. "Fumi, I'm so grateful you're safe. Where on earth have you been?"
Pulling away gently, Fumi lowered her gaze. "I'm sorry for keeping this secret from you for so long. I can't continue living a lie."
Her voice trembling, she confessed, "Years ago, I drowned in the swamp and returned as a Yokai. I don't recall if it was connected to the sudden appearance of the tar pits. I fear I may have caused the village's drought, but I swear, I'll do everything possible to make it right."
The husband reached out, touching her shoulder gently. "What are you talking about?"
Fumi slowly raised her head with tears streaming down her face, revealing her proper form as a frog Yokai. "I was terrified of how you would react if you knew," she whispered.
Her husband quivered in horror at the sight of Fumi's proper form and pushed her away in panic. He exclaimed, "I've been sleeping with a frog?"
Rei quickly stepped in, holding Fumi protectively in her arms. "That was uncalled for. Keeping such a heavy secret was tearing her apart."
Pointing an accusing finger at the woman, the husband lashed out, "None of you could understand how I feel!"
With tears streaming down her face, Fumi buried her head in Rei's shoulder as her husband sprinted back to the village to spread the shocking news.
Left alone by the water's edge, the women turned their backs to the town.
Hoshiyo let out a weary sigh. "Maybe he's right," she murmured.
Rei's eyes flashed with anger. "How can you say that?"
"I'm not implying that the swamp turning to tar was Fumi's fault, but honesty, she should have been truthful with him from the start. It would have made life easier," Hoshiyo remarked as she strolled towards the lake.
Fumi brushed away her tears and replied softly, "I wasn't thinking then. I craved to be loved for my identity, not as some hideous swamp-dwelling frog lady."
Gently rubbing Fumi's back, Hoshiyo offered, "I'm sorry, that was insensitive. You're not an ugly swamp frog lady. Honestly, I think you're adorable. If he couldn't see beyond appearances, he didn't deserve you."
Fumi raised her head and nodded gratefully. "Thank you, all of you."
"It's the least we can do," Rei said, her smile warm and comforting.
Glancing back at the village, Fumi sighed, "I wish I could change his mind."
"We can't alter the past, but we can shape our future together. Our mother's village needs us now," Hoshiyo proclaimed.
Takeko nodded in agreement. "Well said, Hoshiyo. You're a natural leader."
"Now, let's find that swamp," Hoshiyo declared. "Lead the way, Fumi."
With bare, muddy feet, Fumi led them a short distance to the tar pits southwest of their location. Walking through the forest, they spotted a large opening through the trees. Hoshiyo's eyes widened in horror. "Oh, no," she muttered.
The tar pits appeared as multiple enormous cavities shaped like five large lakes. Each crater contained a pool of black ooze bubbling from its underground chambers. The four of them stood speechless, watching as the remains of large animals sank into the depths.
Fumi cautiously stepped into the inner circle of the small lake at the center. The others followed her silently, assuming she was leading them to where she had died. The area was eerily quiet, shrouded in a musky smell.
Pointing to the center of the tar pits, Fumi spoke softly, "I'm nothing but bones after becoming food for the wild animals who lived in the forest. I hope that when we find my body, I can finally rest peacefully and move on to my next lifetime."
"We will do everything we can to help," Hoshiyo assured her.
Takeko clenched her teeth and whispered, "How exactly are you planning on extracting the tar pits?"
"I don't know. How many shovels do you think we could find?" Hoshiyo replied.
"You can't be serious," Rei said.
"Unfortunately, I am. We have to find the others."
"Impossible," Rei argued. "To pull this off, we would need hundreds of people."
"Who said they had to be people?" Fumi said.
The girls exchanged confused glances, utterly puzzled by Fumi's statement. Before they could grasp her meaning, Fumi opened her mouth, emitting an unusual, screeching, beckoning call. Suddenly, a crowd of mysterious Yokai emerged from the forest. These creatures, similar in size and appearance, regarded Fumi with reverence as if she were one of their own. Many had frog-like faces and tough, dark-colored skin.
A monster as tall as Fumi stood among them, resembling a jumbled young girl with matted, wet hair. She was soaked from head to toe, covered with dead leaves and muck clinging to her dripping body.
"Who is that?" Takeko asked.
Hoshiyo shuffled through her notebook, full of detailed descriptions and notes. She read, "That is the Yokai named Nure Onago. It says here Nure Onago are born from the powerful feelings of loss and sadness from widows of sailors lost at sea.
"How awful," Rei replied. "I could only imagine how they must have felt."
Only centimeters away from Fumi, the menacing Nure Onago smirked and stared with her big fish-pale eyes. With a deep, grumbling, bellowing voice, she said, "Why are we here? Why have you summoned us?"
Fumi calmly replied, "I stepped into your swamp over a decade ago and destroyed your home. Now, I need your help to return it to how it was so we may restore the lake for the humans."
The Nure Onago circled Fumi, her voice dripping with skepticism. "Why should we help them?"
Fumi remained calm. "Both of us died here, and we deserve some peace," she replied.
The Nure Onago replied, "Do not compare my pain with the likes of yourself. We're not the same," she yelled. "The humans and the ocean took everything from me, so I killed myself here."
From behind the assembly of humans and Yokai, a familiar, kind-hearted voice spoke up from the crowd. "The ocean did not take everything from you, Nure Onago."
Everyone turned to see Ceres and Motoko together, carrying a wooden hand-crafted crate large enough to fit remains inside for cremation. They gently passed through the crowd, approaching the Nure Onago. The beast stepped back to protect herself.
Fumi smiled and asked, "Are you friends with those three female Ronin?"
Ceres frowned, her expression filled with worry, and questioned, "Ronin?"
With her hands on her hips, Motoko turned to the three girls and asked, "What did the three of you do?"
"It wasn't their fault," Takeko shouted, waving her arms expressively. "I suggested we obtain a map, but we took two swords from a deceased Samurai that a Kappa had killed in addition to getting the map. Then, I felt hungry, and the guy offered us a job to find his sister-in-law for food, and I am still hungry."
Ceres sighed and said, "You must be the sister-in-law."
"Not for much longer, unfortunately," Fumi quietly replied. "Is that who I think it is?"
Motoko lifted the lid to reveal a disturbing scent far worse than the tar pits. She said, "Yes, a fishing boat caught him in their net—Nure Onago of Nishinoshima Swamp; we have found your husband."
The Nure Onago glanced over with her mouth slightly ajar. She slowly approached the wooden coffin and laid her slimy hands upon it. Peeking inside, she saw a skeleton still attached to its ligaments and muscles. Around his neck, he wore a wooden carved necklace, a souvenir from his wife—a depiction of a Manta Ray. The Nure Onago delicately pulled off the necklace and held it close to her chest. A tear rolled down her cheek as she whispered, "Welcome home, my love."