Work Text:
Eternal Winter Incident (Perfect Cherry Blossom)
A subdued silence filled Gensokyo that morning. An emptiness that extended to the very edge of its borders. The sky, once teeming with the magical creatures that flew on ethereal wings, were empty. There were no animals to skip about in the open fields. No fairies to chatter about the trivial point of nature. No youkai to guard their arbitrary territories. Nothing but the wind whistling through the plains.
Outside the Human Village was a pure white landscape, the horizon broken by smooth rolling hills and the bare trees of surrounding forests. Even the Youkai Mountain was buried beneath the constant frost, its once blue-green peaks now a monument of pure white.
It had been snowing in Gensokyo for several months without end. Trapped in an eternal winter. The fields and mountains once teeming with color had become a dim landscape of white and grey. Lifeless. Barren. Cold.
The farms and fields beyond the village walls have long been abandoned, for nothing grew without sunlight. Instead, all the humans huddled together in their single village. Their foods rationed, their bodies shivering in their own homes.
Yet on that day, two villagers had traveled outside, wandering the winter wasteland.
One of them was a man dressed in black. He stood atop a hill North of the Human Village, between the Bamboo Forest of The Lost and The Forest of Magic. Vapors from his breath drifted past the red scarf around his neck, disappearing above the wide brim of his black hat. He did not shake in the cold, for his boots, pants, gloves, and heavy black coat kept him warm.
He had blonde hair and green eyes. An anomaly. A foreigner in the Japanese land of Gensokyo. The father of Marisa Kirisame herself.
Before him was the stone statue of a woman. Her long hair went down to her knees, with bangs parted symmetrically on either side. She wore a robe that extended down to the statue's foundation. She faced forward, looking back at the world with a warm and cheerful smile.
The man squinted against the wind, gazing at the tombstone at his feet. He sighed, turned to pick up his rifle and travel bag, and headed back towards the Human Village.
Since human men could not harness the magic of Gensokyo, he walked instead of flew.
And he looked up at the dark clouds above him, watching the snowflakes fall to the earth. And he wondered if he'd ever be able to speak to his daughter Marisa again. He imagined her smile, her blonde hair whipping past her face while she shot through the sky on her magic-powered flight. Blue-white stars would trail behind her flight path, lighting up the darkened sky overhead.
In Gensokyo, everyone's magic looked different depending on the person. And Marisa's magic looked like stars... just like her mother's… Both lost to him now.
"Where did you go, my little girl?... I'm tired... of visiting her grave without you."
And yet even as the man said these words, he wondered…
If Marisa knew he wanted to meet her again, would she come and see him?
Would she even care?
He pushed on, through the snow, through the cold. His thoughts drifted into the recesses of his memory. Marisa had loved the magic in Gensokyo. And yet after her mother died, he had tried to tear her away from it.
The man breathed a shaky sigh and pushed forward.
XX The Bold Apprentice
A voice called out from behind. The man stopped and listened, looking for where the sound came from.
"Mr. Kirisame!" The voice called again
The man turned around to see a strange figure making its way toward him. It came from the direction of The Forest of Magic, a place long dead in the winter months. Because of the darkened clouds and heavy winds, he could only see its silhouette as it moved closer. The shape looked inhuman… it had no legs, but instead slid about like some giant slug or a snail. Two massive horns jutted out from its sides. It lurched straight toward him, pushing through the snow in its singular locomotion.
"Boss!" The voice shouted.
He drew his rifle and aimed down the sights. His eyes squinted, staring hard as the lone figure got closer and closer. The man's finger was on the trigger, but he didn't put any pressure on it. Not yet…
"Boss! Relax! It's me!"
This time he recognized the voice. It was that of a certain native Gensokyo boy of about 17 years old. Mr. Kirisame relaxed his grip and pointed the weapon to the side.
Slowly the blackened horror shifted into color, and its face and features could be seen clearly...
What Mr. Kirisame thought the swollen flesh of a beast was actually a sled holding the carcass of a male deer. The "spikes" jutting from his shoulder were simply the stag's antlers. The boy pulling the sled waved his left hand, right hand gripping the rope over his shoulder. He wore blue pants, black boots, and a brown jacket with white fur across its hood and collar. A white balaclava hid the boy's face, but Mr. Kirisame could still see the navy blue eyes beneath.
Mr. Kirisame holstered his weapon as the boy drew closer.
The boy spoke again.
"Boss! Isn't it dangerous for you to be out here? You should be inside!"
"The same can be said to you."
He shrugged.
"Meh. I was hungry… And look here! I actually got one!"
Asa took a step back and patted the beast's hide.
"Took me six days... but I finally got him. Though, I didn't think anything this big was still roaming around. He must have been trying to find food like I was… I guess even the wildlife couldn't have prepared for this weather."
Mr. Kirisame eyed the boy's prey. A 200 pound stag lay flat on the sled. Two holes where metal slugs penetrated fur and skin. A red hole in its belly, and another in its broken skull. Then he noted the red stain across Asa's undamaged jacket.
"Good haul... You actually did this by yourself?"
"I… used the weapon you gave me." Asa turned to show the double-barreled shotgun slung across his back.
"Didn't kill him immediately. He ran away wounded… so I had to track him down and shoot him a second time."
The older man waited. What Asa didn't mention was how the stag obviously had been killed in close-quarters. Either it had charged the boy...or the final shot was out of mercy.
Asa gave a light bow.
"Thank you, Boss. Your gift was what brought me this success. I can give you some of the meat if you'd like. It would be fit-"
"No. Your kill, your meat. I don't accept charity. You know that."
"It's not charity!... How about … If you help me bring you back to the village, I can give some meat as compensation."
That made sense. Asa's family household was all the way on the other side of the village. Skinning and cutting this deer would make it much easier for Asa to carry, and he could rest at the house. Plus, it wouldn't hurt to add more to both their food storage.
"Hmm. Alright, Boy. Let's bring this deer into my shop. Process him there."
He got behind the sled.
"I'll push. You pull."
XX
A magical barrier kept most of the snow from entering the village. The ice slid off of it as though it were glass, yet the snow still piled around its borders. The ice walls grew taller over time, slowly trapping the Human village in a literal snow globe. A giant igloo in the middle of summer.
They made their way toward the Human Village, their eyes glued to the massive ice wall and dull shimmer of the magical barrier. The wind picked up, howling in their ears and layering their sides with more ice. Asa spoke up above the noise.
"I'm going to give my share of the meat to my family. They probably have to ration everything they have like the rest of the village, so they'll be happy to see the extra supplies."
"Don't you mean they'd be happy to see you come back safe?"
"...I suppose."
Kirisame shook his head. Of course Asa's family would be worried about him. Even with a gun, Asa shouldn't have gone out on his own. Human males can't use magic. If absolutely anything had gone wrong during Asa's hunt, it would have been the end of him.
He thought about Marisa again. At least he didn't have to worry about anything happening to her. She was strong. Almost unbelievably so. From everything he's heard, Marisa may well be one of the most incredible human magic users in Gensokyo.
And yet… Years ago... Why did he have to try and force her away from magic? To burn the books she cherished so dearly? Why couldn't he tell her the truth... that he was scared… scared of losing the one thing he still loved.
Where was Marisa now? Was she safe? How was she faring in this strange, unending winter?...
….Why did his wife have to die? What was the point?...
The old man looked around, once again noting the cold, heartless land of Gensokyo. Those transported here from the Outside World would always start off thinking it's a wondrous place full of fantasy and adventure. That is… until they were captured by a youkai and killed... No. Gensokyo isn't a promise. It's a prison. A frozen world that never changes, yet still strips them of everything but the memories they're forced to bury within themselves.
"Hey, Boss… Are you okay?"
"I'm alright, Boy. Keep moving."
They soon reached a tunnel burrowed into the ice. It was a tunnel Asa and Kirisame had dug during the start of winter, giving them a way to leave and enter the village without climbing the sheer snow walls that layered the barrier. Since the tunnel was sloped downward, they both rode the sled into town.
XX Views Of An Outsider
Both men had a much easier time walking when in the village. Here, the snow did not reach past their ankles, and there was no chill wind.
The foreign man wearing Western clothes shook his head at the traditional Japanese surroundings.
Each house in the village was constructed to prepare for the summer's heat and humidity, with gaps in the walls for extra ventilation. This made them ill-equipped for the winter winds and the freezing temperatures. Right now, each of Gensokyo's native families were huddled together in their inori or warming themselves within their kotatsu, all while straining their magical energies to keep away the ice. To preserve food and energy, each of them would have entered a kind of frozen state. A semi-hibernation, not unlike the animals outside.
Gensokyo natives really were like animals. Uncivilized. Repeating lifestyles over and over without innovation or change. Always holding the same traditions for a thousand years. Gensokyo natives were so different from the people he grew up with in the Outside World…
The foreign man trudged through the shallow snow towards his shop.
Soon Kirisame and Asa were in front of a rectangular building made of grey concrete. Glass windows lined the sides, and in the middle was a Western-style locked door. Above the door hung a wooden sign reading "Kirisame Non-Magic Item Shop" in bold green letters.
Asa watched as Kirisame inserted a metal key into a metal lock. With a series of clicks, the door opened, and warm air drifted across their faces. The older man went in first, taking off his backpack and placing it along the wall. Asa crossed the threshold and pulled the sled behind him. Then he breathed a sigh of relief.
"Aaah…Nice and cozy… Alright! I'll start cutting him up now. Your share will be in a bag off to the side..."
Asa unsheathed a knife from his waist and stabbed it through the deer's skin.
The old man lumbered to close the door, but froze when he took one last look outside. He didn't move. He simply stood, eyes wide, staring upwards back out into the streets. Kirisame trembled, his mouth agape. Three young girls drifted down from the clouds above. Their bodies stood straight up as though unaffected by the wind and ice, before landing a few blocks away.
All three shared the same short height and skinny build. Their outfits were uniform, each with a different color. Knee length skirt, vest over white undershirt. Each girl was color-coded in either red, black, or white. They had their backs turned to him, facing each other and talking among themselves.
He squinted. An uncanny sensation shook Kirisame's bones as he realized one of them resembled his lost daughter. Blonde hair, black clothes.
"…Marisa?"
"Boss?" Spoke the boy.
But the old man ignored him and walked forward. The wind howled across the village, but Mr. Kirisame did not flinch against the frost. Meanwhile, Asa followed behind, hurrying to put his winter coat back on.
There came the sound of someone trying to strum broken strings. An awful noise, one that made both men tense their shoulders and scrunch up their face. Afterwards came the sound like a dying fat horse, wheezy, and choking. The old man tread further down the block, the young boy following behind.
There was something strange about the noises they heard. It wasn't only in their ears, but within their minds as well. It was something more illusory. Phantasmal. And through the noise, there was the melody of an old song that had been lost in time. Fast and grand, it was a tune that fit both a chaotic battle and a synchronized dance. It was a song Kirisame used to listen to on the outskirts of town. A piece of music from long ago.
And yet that familiarity didn't lessen the danger. The man opened his coat and kept his hands to the side, ready to draw the revolver at his waist.
XX Three Ghostly Musicians
Further down the block, the trio groaned.
"Geez! What a bust! We should be playing in front of a banquet right now!" Whined Merlin. Her white clothes, wavy silver hair, and pale skin almost camouflaged her against the snowy backdrop.
Opposite her was Lunasa, who wore black clothes and spoke in a passive voice. She had a calm and morose demeanor, and her straight, chin-length blonde hair gave her a plain, straightforward appearance.
"Merlin, it was your fault we had to come back here in the first place. Remind me again why you started shooting at them?"
"I was defending myself!"
"You threatened to EAT them! Why would we do that?"
"Hey, I only asked if she tasted like human meat or dog meat! Don't blame me, I was hungry! Besides Lunasa, how was I supposed to know she'd pull out all those knives on me?"
"Anybody who goes through winter in a maid outfit is obviously at least a little crazy! Why would you challenge a random, knife-wielding psycho to a fight!?" Lunasa slapped her forehead before turning to the brown-haired girl in red clothes.
"At least Lyrica here made a friend. Though how that happened with everyone attacking each other is beyond me."
Lyrica was the shortest of the three. She spoke with a wide grin, eyes nearly closed to create a devilish appearance.
"Did you guys see how that witch zipped around so fast!? She was so cool! And not only that, but did you listen to the music we were busting out on the spot? So awesome! Who knew we could literally fight people with the power of song!?"
Lunasa crossed her arms.
"They beat us up like we were nothing. Not as awesome as you think."
"Well, I bet someday those girls will think about the music we played and become fans!"
That made Merlin's eyes brighten.
"Wait… You have a point! Lyrica, you're a genius! If we shoot all those energies out when we play our song, then we could have a light show along with our own concert! And even more people would request our music!"
Lunasa shook her head, arms still crossed.
"Again, judging by the beat down, I'd say no. And even if that were true..."
Lunasa waggled her fingers. Her violin moved on its own, propelled by a spiritual force. The bow pressed into the strings, only for them to snap off and strike her in the face.
"Ugh... Girls… I don't think we'll be able to play anymore like this."
Lyrica tested her own instrument, a burnt keyboard that floated next to her chest. Her fingers tapped the remaining piano keys, but nothing came out but dull thuds.
It was apparent these girls had a fight against three different kinds of magic. The violin had chunks blown off by either an explosive force or pierced through with massive needles. Lyrica had her clothes blackened and charred, the keyboard twisted and misshapen by a form of intense heat. Merlin's trumpet was cut into four pieces, clean swings by a precise blade. And still, the three attempted to play their instruments despite the damage. Each item floated in the air, pieces barely held together by their ghostly power.
Every single one of them cringed at the noise.
"Well, what're we going to do now?"
"We need to play music to make money. Can't play music unless we get money to repair our stuff. I don't see how we can get ou-"
There was a man wearing black clothes. Someone they hadn't even noticed walked up to them.
They all turned and stared. It was a tall man with broad shoulders and bright green eyes that stared out from the brim of a black hat. Slung behind his back was some kind of weapon with a wooden handle.
He squinted at the ghostly trio.
"You're… the Prismrivers...?" He murmured.
Lunasa hesitated, before saying
"...Yes, that would be us."
A shadow formed over the man's eyes, and he growled through grit teeth.
"Wrong. They died years ago. You're just youkai trying to kidnap people from the Human Village, aren't you!? You don't belong here!"
Their eyes widened. Merlin screamed.
"HOLY SHIT, WE'RE GETTING ATTACKED AGAIN!"
"QUICK! HIT HIM WITH OUR MUSIC!" yelled Lyrica.
"But we can't make music with broken instruments!" Shouted Lunasa
"HIT HIM WITH OUR INSTRUMENTS!" yYelled Merlin
All three floated into the air, broken pieces raised up, each instrument ready to crash down on the stranger before them. The man in black simply scowled. One hand reached for the weapon at his waist...
"Whoa! Everybody, hang on now!"
A young boy sprinted between them, holding both his arms up in surrender.
The girls stared again. This new person had a white mask over his face, and his entire body was smeared red with blood. In his hand was a serrated blade with blood dripping down its edge.
"ANOTHER CRAZY KNIFE PERSON!" shrieked Merlin.
Asa dropped his knife. All of the girls waved their hands, making the floating instruments careen towards the two men. Mr. Kirisame had already drawn his pistol, aiming down the sights before their items even began to move. And right as he squeezed the trigger, Asa tackled him, knocking them both to the side. Where they once stood erupted in bits of wood and snow.
Asa tried to restrain the older man, but Kirisame kept squirming through his grip. The blonde man got a hand free and pointed his gun at the Prismrivers once more. Asa pushed it downwards and yelled.
"What the hell, Boss!? Do you even know who these girls are!?"
"Evil spirits waltzing right into the Human Village. And one of them even has the gall to dress like my own daughter!"
"You're crazy! Don't you recognize them!? They're the Prismriver Sisters!"
"That's the problem! They're not the real ones! Just youkai who shapeshifted into the Prismrivers!"
The older man stopped struggling. There was a live firearm involved, and if he wasn't careful he might accidentally shoot the boy. They both lay in the snow, catching their breath. Asa held a stern expression.
"They're ghosts. Everybody knows youkai aren't allowed in the Human Village."
"Nobody is around to enforce that rule. And if they're ghosts, they'd be haunting the ruins of the Prismriver Mansion, not flying around wherever they please."
Both men stood up. Asa retrieved his knife and sheathed it. But when he bent down to pick up Mr. Kirisame's hat, he looked up to see him pointing the gun again. Asa stepped in front of the weapon, staring at the man until he lowered it.
"If we're so unsure, why don't we ask them?"
Asa turned around and was about to address the Prismrivers, but hesitated when he saw their shocked expressions.
The Prismrivers were frozen, confused, unable to shake the sensation that something had missed Lyrica's head by mere centimeters. Something faster than any danmaku they've ever seen. Even more startling was the sound of thunder and flame. A metallic bang echoed through the Human Village. It shook the air around them, causing several snow layers to fall off the buildings.
What remained of their musical instruments lay shattered on the ground, stuck in holes within the snow. They peered at the broken pieces before Lunasa and Merlin turned to Lyrica and asked.
"Are you alright?"
"I think so… But that noise! It was amazing! Like… like something out of a canon!"
Lunasa sighed. "As usual, you're more interested in the sounds you hear than the fact that something nearly killed you."
"Well… maybe that thing he shot at me wouldn't even hurt."
"You say that right after we got attacked by a knife-wielding maid!"
"Lyrica can always ask them to shoot at her a second time." Merlin chided sarcastically.
Asa approached them. When they turned and stared, he bowed in apology.
"Sorry about the misunderstanding. We didn't mean to startle you. My boss here thought it was suspicious for three spirits to wander into the village. But he was a little... too quick to judge."
Lunasa raised an eyebrow.
"Says the most suspicious-looking one here..."
It took a second before Asa realized he was still wearing the mask and bloody clothes.
"What? ...OH! Let me take this off…"
Beneath the mask was a young teenage boy. He had straight, short black hair parted to the side, striking navy blue eyes, and lightly tanned skin. The three girls once again couldn't help but stare.
"Kazehira Asa. It's a pleasure to meet you. And… you are the Prismrivers right? I've read about you in books! About how you can create music that people hear with both their bodies and their minds."
The three raised their eyebrows in surprise.
"People in the village read about us?"
The boy's eyes lit up.
"Of course! People even still tell stories from when you were alive!"
Asa's face took on a more sordid expression. One of sadness and sympathy.
"I don't know if anyone has said this to you yet, but what happened to you girls and the Prismriver Mansion was terrible. A tragic loss for everyone in the village. You should know that many people in the village still miss your family."
A pause. The Prismrivers looked at each other but said nothing.
Mr. Kirisame watched from behind, scowling from under the brim of his hat. His voice was deep and gruff.
"You girls don't know what he's talking about, do you? Ghosts are tied to the living world by their memories and feelings. If you really are ghosts, then you would know. You would remember."
Asa glared at the older man before addressing the girls again. Kirisame took a step back, ready to shoot these spirits down if they attacked.
XX A Conversation with Ghosts
"I've never met ghosts before, so this is rather exciting for me. What brings you girls to the Human Village? Nobody wants to go outside, so I can't imagine you coming to give a performance..."
The sisters exchanged glances again. Without saying a word, each sister knew what the others were thinking. The smart thing to do would be to leave, to wander Gensokyo again until they found a way to get their instruments back.
However... there was something about these men that invited them in. Something pleasant in the way they sounded, like an aura that soothed and calmed them. They decided to stay.
Lunasa spoke next.
"We're supposed to be performing in a banquet in Hakugyokurou. But we had to come back after getting attacked on our way there."
Asa blinked.
"Banquet in Hakugyokurou? You mean the Netherworld? I thought they only had banquets in heaven."
"Oh! We would like to visit heaven at some point, but haven't bothered to make the trip yet."
"...Visit? Make the trip?"
He leaned back as if struck by a sudden gust of wind.
"You mean… you can just go to different states of the afterlife? Being a ghost sure must be convenient..."
Merlin giggled.
"No no no. It's not different states, it's different places. Hakugyokurou is a place you can travel to.
Lyrica joined in.
"That's right! Though, there's a barrier at the entrance to Hakugyokurou, but all anyone does is fly over it."
Kirisame scoffed.
"What's the point of even having the barrier if it can't keep people out?"
But they ignored the older man. Asa blinked, processing this new information.
"You can just… Visit the Netherworld?"
Lunasa put a hand on her hip.
"Mhm. Though why you would ever want to go there is a different story. It's rather drab. Nothing there but spirits, cherry blossoms, and weirdos. I'd imagine Hell is just as depressing, but we've never been there either."
"But… you can just GO… to the Netherworld!?… and Hell!?"
Merlin smiled wide, her body drifting closer to the boy.
"You're really curious about it aren't you? You know... if you want... I could bring you there."
Asa laughed.
"I'm a human though. Would that be allowed?"
"Why not? We met three humans going into the Netherworld and they didn't have a problem."
Asa turned around and peered at Mr. Kirisame, eyes glinting. The old man's scowl deepened.
"No." Said Mr. Kirisame.
"But Boss!"
"No!"
"They're giving us a free ticket to Hell! Or the Netherworld!"
The old man's scowl transformed into a confused squint.
"Tha- Wha-..." Kirisame stuttered before taking a deep breath.
"...Boy! That's almost a one-liner somebody says in an action movie right before he kills somebody. They're going to kill us and eat us, Boy!"
"What's a movie?" Lyrica whispered.
Asa faced forward again.
"You girls don't want to kill us, do you?"
Merlin's eyes lingered on him.
"Hah. Well, if by 'kill and eat' you mean me licking yo-"
A snowball hit Merlin square in the face. She turned and glared at Lunasa, who ignored her sister.
"She means no. We don't mean to hurt anyone. We only want people to listen to our songs."
Asa put his hands on his chin.
"Say I agree for you to take me to Hakugyokurou. How would that work? Could you make me float using magic?"
"… Probably…" Said Lyrica.
"... We never actually tried to make a living person move. Only inanimate objects."
"You three never tried to move a person after you became ghosts? That would probably be the first thing I'd do!"
Lunasa shook her head.
"Living things have a kind of aura around them, a sound and energy that comes from their soul. We're able to move an object by weaving our music into it. But if it's something living, its energy will clash against ours."
"I could always carry you physically." Merlin drifted closer again, smiling down at the boy. "It'll be pretty windy up in the air, so you'll have to hold on to me… real tight..."
"Hmm…" Asa smiled and raised an eyebrow, while taking a step back.
XX A Father's Memories
The old man watched his apprentice make casual conversation with three youkai. It was a strange sight for him. Unnatural. So different from the violent chaos when he first arrived in Gensokyo. In the past, humans and youkai would have tried to kill each other on sight.
They laughed in front of him. The Prismrivers were floating right in front of Asa now, their palms up towards him.
"See? We can't make you float after all." Explained Lunasa.
"Living things are more complicated than inanimate objects, and we have to be intimately familiar with something before we can make it float."
Asa put a hand on his chin.
"...So the instruments you carried were probably the same ones you've had while you were alive, right? That's why you can play it without needing to use your hands?"
"That's right." Said Lyrica.
Merlin kept quiet, though when Lunasa said the words "intimately familiar," it was apparent she thought of something devious.
Mr. Kirisame considered walking back home. He was the outsider in this conversation. Someone that didn't belong, and who held no interest in what they were saying.
How was it that nobody in the Human Village ever talked about the past? How was it that nobody seemed to remember the previous Hakurei shrine maidens? It's as if all the horror and chaos of Gensokyo has been washed away. Every memory and scar lost beneath the waves of time. And through it all, here he was, still clinging to the memories forgotten by everyone else.
The old man bent down and picked up one of the instruments that had been lodged in the snow. This was a piano once owned by the original Lyrica Prismriver. Long ago, the notes and melodies coming from this instrument could be heard in almost every festival throughout the year. Now, it was broken and burned. Charred through by an attack of incredible heat…
Only… There was something else to the damage. This instrument wasn't ruined by some wild blast of flame. No. What destroyed this piano was something more concentrated. Focused. Clean like a laser.
"Sir?" Said Lyrica. "You mentioned that one of us dressed like your daughter? Black and white clothes? Blonde hair with a red ribbon at the end of her braid?"
The man stopped and looked back. Again there was that steely gaze, and the girl recoiled back.
"W-would her name happen to be Marisa?"
"...Yeah?" Replied Mr. Kirisame. His voice was gruff and deep.
"Haha... She shot a giant laser at us... It was beautiful. Like a rainbow."
Kirisame smiled. Yes. That was her.
Asa spoke next.
"Was she riding on a broom, and wore a witch's hat?" He pretended to grab a broom between his legs. The movement ended up looking rather suggestive, which made Merlin giggle and had Lunasa put her palm to her face.
"Yeah, that's right!" replied Lyrica.
For the first time that day, Mr. Kirisame laughed. Just a small chuckle, but still his face softened, and the harsh scowl disappeared.
"Hah. So. Marisa was the one who did this…"
Merlin was the one who spoke next.
"She was one of the people that attacked us near the entrance to Hakugyokurou. She flew into it, while we stayed outside."
He let out another breath, his face frozen except for that angry squint.
"Hakugyokurou, the land of the dead. Was she… Trying to find her mother?"
The old man looked to the ground. Prominent wrinkles on his face gave him a rickety, broken appearance. What was once a hard, steely wall of contempt now shuddered with an overwhelming mix of anger and despair. He blinked once and looked away again. He squinted into the horizon, voice cracking.
"That damn girl... "
He sniffed once, wincing and breathing hard as though trying to fight back tears.
Lyrica drifted closer.
"You don't have to worry about her, sir. In fact she's probably enjoying herself at the Death Queen's banquet right about now!"
"...Death Queen...?" Squinted the old man.
Lyrica brought herself forward in a leap that ended up being a slow floating motion.
"Yeap! Yuyuko Saigyouji. If her magic even touches you, she can kill you in an instant!
Both men gave a deadpan stare.
Merlin glanced upwards while rubbing her chin.
"When you think about it, why even bother having a barrier when anybody can fly over it. And for that matter, were we even going to get paid after our performance? And what kind of cash were they even going to pay us with anyway?"
Lyrica turned back to her sister,
"Queen of the dead so...souls, I guess?"
Lunasa scowled at the thought.
"...and why would we want those?"
"I thought we were just doing that gig for publicity."
"Publicity… from GHOSTS? Whose idea was that!?"
Lyrica's transparent form spazzed up and down in jerking motions.
"Think about it! It's perfect! Ghosts haunt people right? So if we were to perform for them, then all the ghosts would be like 'ooooohhhh... youuuuu...should listen to the prismriiiveeerrrsss oooooohhhh..."
Asa chuckled.
"I'd listen to a message like that, sure."
Lunasa crossed her arms and furrowed her brow.
"You guys are idiots."
Merlin snickered.
"Well, maybe Yuyuko really is loaded with cash. She has a bodyguard, right? She must pay the bodyguard something."
"Why the hell would a woman who could kill anybody need a bodyguard!?"
They continued to talk amongst themselves. Mr. Krisame turned away. His head lifted to the sky once more, and he watched the snow continue to fall from the clouds.
After her mother passed, Marisa had dived into a world of magic, where logic and law had no place. He tried so hard to keep her away. And his fear and hatred toward magic was exactly what made her resent him.
He remembered when Mima was still alive. How they all lived together in that cottage. Sometimes they'd have a picnic on the tallest hill in the Gensokyo Plains, and stare up at the ever-changing sky. Every so often, Mima would shoot a star that lit up the clouds.
XX
The boy turned back and forth between the two parties.
"Wait a minute, Boss. If we want to make sure Marisa is okay, we can just go and find her right now! Think about it! It couldn't have been too long since the Prismrivers fought against her. Maybe we can catch up to her if we go now!"
An excited grin spread across his face. The spark in his eyes returned. The boy was nearly bouncing up and down now, eager to go on an adventure.
But Mr. Kirisame looked down at what remained of the Prismriver's instruments. It was magic that did this, destroying something that people hold. Just like it always does… And yet… wasn't magic the reason Mima had loved Gensokyo? And wasn't it her that made him love this land? She, who came from the Outside World just like he did?... And this instrument... This Western instrument had come from the Outside World. Just like he and his wife. Just like the Prismrivers themselves...
Foreigners in a strange land. Outside entities that did not belong. And if he were to chase after Marisa now, he'd be diving into a world that was never meant for him. A destiny in which he would always play a passive role, watching people do things that he could never do himself.
No. There had to be something else. Something he could contribute to the world, not the other way around.
"If these girls took us to Hakugyokurou, what would they get out of it? They were supposed to perform for a Netherworld banquet. If they can't do that, then there's no reason for them to go."
Lyrica raised her eyebrows in surprise.
"We're not asking for anything in return. We're doing this because maybe we can help you."
The older man shook his head.
"I don't accept charity. Besides, I have a better idea. What if instead of you girls helping us, we help you?"
They blinked in confusion. Now it was the old man who was smiling.
"You said Marisa was part of the group that attacked you, right? So it's essentially her fault that you're in such a mess. Well, how about I make it up to you? Give you new instruments to replace your broken ones."
All of them stared at him in confusion. He squinted at them.
"What? Think about it. You girls came from a Western family, living in a modern Western household, playing Western music. It would be easy to assume that your family didn't come from Gensokyo, but instead from the Outside world. If that's the case, then your instruments themselves were also created from the Outside World. Items that I've been collecting personally."
For a moment, Lyrica was overjoyed, a wide-eyed open-mouthed grin on her face. Then it disappeared.
"But sir… We have no money. Nothing to pay you."
The old man held up a hand and shook his head.
"Consider it repayment on behalf of my daughter. Compensation for her hurting you and your business."
The old man started walking back to his house. After a moment, he turned around and motioned for everyone to follow. They floated over to him, Lunasa going in front.
"Who are you, sir? You want to do something so generous for us, yet we haven't even gotten your name yet."
He closed his eyes and smirked.
"Call me, King."
They cringed. Asa spoke up after seeing their faces.
"Before you say anything. No, he's not an actual king. That's just his name."
"Weird!" snickered Merlin.
"Yeah... We'll probably just keep calling him 'sir.'" Said Lyrica.
Asa laughed as King's face turned red.
"Well, I just call him 'Boss' since I work for him. He once told me that his friends in the Outside World would call him 'dude!'"
"Dude!" The girls cheered.
"Don't call me 'dude.'"
Asa pumped a fist in front of him, pronouncing each word as though he were a herald announcing royalty.
"He came from out of nowhere! The stranger. The metal tower city-slicker! A dandy demon destroyer! The gold amidst the black! He is KING! OF THE DUDES!"
Mr. Kirisame sighed and adjusted his hat over his eyes.
"That's my name. Don't wear it out." He chuckled as they floated behind him.
End of Part 1
Author's Note:
Hey everyone. The original version of this story was something last year as part of a self-imposed "write something as fast as you can" challenge. Later I'd read it and find that there were a lot of details about it that I didn't like or didn't make sense (not to mention all the grammar and spelling mistakes). So I deleted it in hopes of writing this new version.
What got me to rewrite this story in the first place was the realization that there's no way two normal humans could just MAKE a piano, trumpet, and violin in A SINGLE DAY. It doesn't make any sense unless they could use magic. So I knew I had to change it to fit Asa and King's abilities as just normal people.
This essentially means that I also need to rewrite all of their conversations, change the pace and lesson of the story, AND still keep true to the basic plot of the original.
It became immediately apparent that this was a task that was much bigger than I imagined at the start. If there's any mistakes or problems in this story, please let me know!
Changes from the original:
In the original version Mr. Kirisame was way too friendly, which didn't fit in with my idea of him being a loner who was a little racist towards youkai. Here I tried to write him as a little bit more suspicious of others.
Before, Asa was just a random encounter that didn't really add anything to the story. He just shows up in the middle and sticks around until the end. In this new version, he shows up right at the beginning, giving me more opportunities to show how each of the character's personalities play off each other.
I gave Marisa's father a name at the end. I used to think I could just keep calling him "Old Man" or "Mr. Kirisame" but I think I want to write him as not actually being that old. And It's not like keeping his name a secret has anything to do with the plot, so there's no point in making it such a big deal.
As for why I chose "King" to be his name, well in my head, he dresses like a Western cowboy, so the name is meant to reference the song "His Name is King" by Luis Bacalov. It's also amusing that this man with absolutely no powers (because he's a human male) and therefore the weakest species in all of Gensokyo, has the name of "King." It's an ironic name, but one that kind of fits since he's someone who probably experienced a lot in his life. A "crownless" kind of king.
Unlike the previous version, this will be split up into two parts. Part 1 here pretty much covers everything that happens in the original story. Part 2 however, will involve something new I haven't written yet. Maybe something a little more action oriented.
Thank you for reading! Any and all feedback is welcome!