Fool Bloom (A Magical Woman Quest)

"So back in the Frost Decade, what did you do-" was the first thing Miyako couldn't stop herself from asking. The immediate response she got however was a hand to her face.

"You know that immediately asking questions like that does nothing to quell any suspicions that you're here to spy on me," Koyomi told her.


The two of them were now trudging uphill, with the out-of-town Miyako already starting to feel her lungs ache. Not like that stopped her from talking, "Oh right, forgot you were kinda touchy about that. Guess it's me, y'know, because if I was a Hanazakari back then I'd be telling tales of my adventures non-stop!"

"We Hanazakari didn't have 'adventures'," Koyomi muttered, not looking back to see Miyako's face sink at that line. "Didn't you ever watch those giant robot anime? War is no adventure, don't trust anyone who tells you it is."

"I know, I know, it's just…" Miyako began, but then shook her head and changed the subject entirely. "Okay, we'll discuss something normal. Yeah, I can do small talk! So, er, what you were doing out on the town? Groceries? Oh wait, we're headed back and you've got no bags, so no."

"I had mail to pick up," Koyomi said, "And before you ask, yes I am technologically sophisticated enough to have internet. Even if my place doesn't get the best reception."

"Ooh, using snail mail these days, that's sure something. Sounds like it was super important, like real confidential stuff since email could be hacked," Miyako said, then frowned. "Suppose that means you're not gonna tell me who sent it then."

"Someone I'd rather not get mail from, that's who," Koyomi said, before her eyes spotted a nearby shop. "Ah good, they're still stocking firewood. Worth interacting with the shopkeep to get something to burn this letter with. Wait here."

That raised several questions for Miyako, the first one to leave her lips being, "Wait, people still buy firewood?"
She then found herself alone on the hilltop street corner, fidgeting by twirling her brownish-blonde shoulder-length hair, then immediately unwinding it before she ended up with a serious knot.

While the Witch was out of sight, Miyako was then approached by a boy who looked about her age. He wasted no time in asking, "Hey, not meaning to intrude here, but… you do know that's Arisugawa you're hanging out with, don't you?"

Miyako twitched at that question, then asked, "W-what, is there some problem I don't know? I know she can be kinda mean, but she's still a Hanazakari!"

"Yeah, I'll bet she is," the boy sighed, then told her, "Look, she caused a big issue for us townsfolk a week ago. A new restaurant opened in town, great right? Except Arisugawa barged in and started snooping all around the place till she had to be kicked out, all these years later she still thought it was some monster plot to harvest emotions. And trust me, that was not a one-off case. Just ask around, people will back me up."

That was something Miyako didn't know how to respond to, but her thoughts were:

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[ ] Okay, sounds like an overreaction from her. But Arisugawa-sama still had the best intentions there, and even a Hanazakari makes mistakes sometimes.
[ ] Wait, how do I know this guy isn't making that up to slander her? I'm gonna be a journalist, so it's my duty to investigate claims like this first.
[ ] Maybe I really ought to be more cautious of Arisugawa-sama. Just a little, be on the safe side.
[ ] Hey, who's to say it isn't a Frost Fair plot, what if they're not all gone?
-[ ] Or the plot of an all-new kind of monster faction?
[ ] On one hand, a member of Hanazakari should increase restaurant customer flow, in spite of any accusations, so I'm not sure how her doing that is a bad thing. On the other hand, the fact that she still cares enough to investigate a random restaurant because she wants to protect the japanese people, is really heartwarming, so thank you for telling me!! (Randino Treviani write-in)
[ ] Write-in

"Well, gotta go," the boy suddenly said, whistling with his hands in his pockets, "But nice meeting you. Oh yeah, there's also Kai Kazuya, one more person around town you should take note of. He seems harmless, so not like Arisugawa, just… weird, y'know?"

The boy quickly made his exit, not coincidentally just as Koyomi came out of the shop with a bundle of firewood beneath her arm. Miyako was left to think, Well, it's not like that guy wasn't a little weird himself, since he brought it up. Not that weird's bad or anything, of course, before she got to speculating just what this 'Kai Kazuya' was like.
She then shook her head to reorient herself and asked Koyomi, "Oh Arisugawa-sama, need any help carrying that firewood?"

"Sure, if you want. Just don't give yourself a splinter," Koyomi said before she lugged half the logs Miyako's way.

While Miyako successfully caught them, she immediately found herself straining to keep the wood aloft and not plummet to the ground. "It's okay, I got it, I totally got it," she wheezed.

"By the way, the town theatre's due to reopen in a few days-" the boy from before then reappeared and tried to add, only to find Koyomi's gaze right upon him. "Er, you get the gist. See ya!" He then disappeared just as quick.

"Hold on, why wouldn't that guy want to talk to you about the town theatre? You're a famous author, isn't that your thing?" Miyako asked, trying not to fall over with the firewood all the while.

"Firstly, the stage is a different medium. Secondly, I'd hardly say 'famous'. Hope not anyway, couldn't stand the attention," Koyomi said, her firewood in contrast not weighing her down at all. "And thirdly, why would he want to talk to me about the theatre?"

That statement got Miyako wondering if Koyomi had overheard her and that boy all along. Hanazakari do have enhanced senses, no wait, Arisugawa-sama isn't transformed right now. Ooh, maybe all her experience means she doesn't need to transform to have powers? She would've asked, but already had to expect that Koyomi would just give a non-answer if she did.

Miyako had heard the Witch of Hinodeharu lived on the outskirts of town, and it turned out they meant outskirts. The two had to walk through the forest eaves along a dirt path, then a series of stones, before they finally reached the clearing in which Koyomi's house stood. The sight of their destination made Miyako so relieved that she finally dropped all her wood to the ground before she could get in the door.

Not that it was a house you'd think would give anyone much relief. It was a rickety wooden shack that could've easily dated back a hundred or so years, in fact if Miyako didn't already know its occupant, she'd have guessed the place was abandoned. When she stepped onto its veranda, she braced herself for an almighty creak, and was grateful her foot didn't create a massive hole in it.

"What, did you expect some candycane cottage, portable pink palace, or mansion magicked up from a tree stump?" Koyomi muttered. She looked like she would've crossed her arms if not for that firewood.

Miyako was about to protest, but had to admit, "Suppose it sure is distinctive, which sounds to me like a Hanazakari's home. No wait, most Hanazakari lived in suburban Tokyo houses back in the day, houses any young girl could've lived in. Well, back when Tokyo was all in one piece, of course."

Walking indoors, Miyako could see the shadow-strewn, cobweb-cluttered house pulling double-duty as a summer test of courage, even if winter now felt like the way scarier month post-Frost Fair. She slowly looked around, still worried that any sudden bound could make the whole place collapse on top of her. She peeked into the kitchen first, but the pungent, grassy odour coming from it make her quick to consider eating out instead. Koyomi surely couldn't have been kicked out of every restaurant in town.

Miyako soon spotted Koyomi's writing desk, which made her concerned for the woman's eyesight as it stood in the same darkness as the rest of house. Perched on it was the very computer Koyomi insisted she had, with Miyako making out that she kept a typewriter and quill around anyway. No TV was to be found anywhere though, not that one was really needed with a computer these days.

Of course, Miyako had only just learned that the Hanazakari the forums had told her about and that author Kuramazov she'd vaguely heard of were one and the same. This made her want to check out her bookshelves, always good to see what authors themselves are reading, she thought on cue. That just let her down again, as while the shelves were well-stocked, the only books Miyako recognised were ones she'd read solely because she'd been assigned them in school, your Genji, Kokoro, Brothers Karamazov (natch), and she had to wince seeing No Longer Human again.
She'd given up hope of finding any manga by now, but she did spot one… about a doctor who saved a child's life only for him to grow up to be a serial killer. Weird, nothing Hanazakari-related either, she had to notice, though Koyomi had hardly been comfortable with her past so far. Plus, magical girl stories had certainly shifted in style after everyone had gotten proof such characters really existed.

"Are you done gawking?" Koyomi raised her voice. "Like I said, one night only. You've seen enough to know I'm not running any guesthouse."

"Eep, so sorry. I'm done, I'm done!" Miyako panicked at the silence being broken like that. Well, she wasn't quite done gawking as she spotted two more books, religious texts at that. First was a copy of the Zhuangzi, then next to it the Torah labelled as exactly that, and not 'the Old Testament'.

As Miyako couldn't help but stare at it, not having taken Koyomi for the religious type, Koyomi then outright told her, "I'm Jewish, well I suppose I am. Had a Jewish grandmother who came to Japan to flee World War II, weird as that sounds that sort of thing genuinely happened. She was my maternal grandma, so that makes me 100% Jewish as our customs have it... depending who you ask."

Miyako nodded along with all that, embarrassed to admit that most of her knowledge of Judaism came from anime and gaming. That at least meant she knew what golems and a sephiroth were… roughly. Had you asked Miyako her own religion she would've just said 'oh, nothing really' or 'I pray at shrines every now and then', though she had heard about those new Hanazakari religious movements that'd sprung up after the Frost Decade.

Talk of religion though made her think of the question when it came to Hanazakari and faith, that of the Resurrection (and not the Biblical one) and whether Koyomi believed in it, and if she did how so specifically.

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[ ] I just have to ask her about the Resurrection, it's one of the biggest questions you can ask a Hanazakari.
[ ] No, I can't. Arisugawa-sama's been really uncomfortable talking about Hanazakari stuff and I should respect that, and asking about the Resurrection would be uncomfortable squared.
[ ] Maybe I'll ask later, when she's in a better mood. If she's in a better mood.
[ ] I shouldn't ask her directly, but maybe I say something to hint at it.
[ ] Write-in.

She also got to thinking what she should be doing, now that she was at Koyomi's place even if only for a night or two.

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[ ] "I should get my laptop set up, I've got job- and accommodation-hunting to do online."
[ ] "I'll look around town for jobs and a place to stay, since you said your Internet connection's got issues."
[ ] "Do you want me to help you clean the place up? Er, unless you like it this way?"
[ ] "I'll just rest up a bit." And see if I can find any memento of your Hanazakari years, she didn't say out loud.
[ ] Write-in

The Resurrection was a promise given by the Dandelionhearts, way back when they'd first appeared to those who'd become the Hanazakari. That any Hanazakari slain in battle would, upon the final defeat of the Frost Fair, be resurrected, the second of the Dandelionhearts' 'two gifts' after their powers of course. All this Miyako knew, as any self-respecting Hanazakari fangirl would… which meant she also knew that this Resurrection hadn't happened. Maybe it would've had the Dandelionhearts lived, maybe it was a lie of theirs all along, maybe it would still happen one day, but either way, it was a conversation best avoided around the dinner table.

Hell, I'm already lucky Arisugawa-sama even let me into her house, this is not the time to be pushing that luck, Miyako thought. Now if I was Starknight Four Leaf Clover in Full Bloom, maybe…
"So ah, do you want me to help you clean the place up?" she asked instead, before it occurred to her, "Er, unless you like it this way?"


"Well, it'd be nice not having to deal with all the dust sending me into coughing fits," Koyomi said. She took a brush and pan from the alcove and said after she tossed them to Miyako, "You carried all that firewood here and now you're volunteering at cleaning duty. I suppose that's good, our country does like a busy little worker bee, doesn't it?"

Miyako twitched at those words. Being Japanese herself she felt she hardly needed to be told that, so to her it kinda came off as Koyomi just looking for a chance to be negative. Though said grumpy gloominess reminded her, "Hey, Arisugawa-sama, I noticed a lot of heavy-going books on your shelves, do you ever, y'know, read stuff for fun?" she asked.

"Do I ever come into your house and rummage through your taste in literature?" Koyomi asked back. Probably rhetorically, since the two had only met today, though Koyomi's bitter tone made Miyako feel she actually would, given the chance.
Koyomi then sighed, went over to a bookcase of hers, and pulled out Goethe's Faust Parts I & II of all things. "See, I know how to have fun."

Faust being used as an example of fun didn't compute for Miyako. "Really? I mean yeah, I haven't read it, but er… how is something as dark as Faust fun?" she asked, scratching her chin.

"Read the book then, it's hilarious," Koyomi told her, not that she said that at all mirthfully. "Most of it's what we'd now call a buddy comedy, a lot of the humour courtesy of Mephistopheles. Young Werther's the dark one, and it became old shame for Goethe, I can relate," she muttered. "Of course, you signed up for cleaning first. Faust later."

That did little to clarify for Miyako whether Koyomi was just pulling some prank on her or not. Still, it got the girl thinking, Goethe's version has Faust being saved at the end, right? She'd admit that was the only Goethe-specific thing she knew about Faust. So maybe that's a secret clue Arisugawa-sama really does believe in the Resurrection! She just didn't straight up tell me because, er, because… her train of thought screeched to a halt, she was worried I'd be sensitive about it too, I guess?

After Miyako was done sweeping the bookshelves, she then got to work on the floor before she more gently swept the writing desk, not knowing how Koyomi would react if she made the slightest mess of it. That did almost happen when she knocked an ink bottle over the edge, with Miyako barely catching it before it spilt all over the floor. She felt she'd earned a long sigh of relief.

Then it was up to the attic, the emptiest room in the house. Had Miyako gone through with snooping around for any Hanazakari mementos behind Koyomi's back, her disappointment on reaching this room would've crushed her. As it was, she took it this'd be her room for the night, with the light living Koyomi (books aside) clearly not having anything else going on here. And surely a magical girl wouldn't force me to sleep on the couch… would she? Miyako gulped.

Her nostrils then picked up the hint of smoke from below. Miyako had to hold back her instinct to scream Fire, given she'd only been in a firewood-heated house before on museum trips. And sure enough, on walking downstairs she saw it was just Koyomi setting the firewood alight, which made Miyako wince as she remembered all the wood she'd dropped just outside the house.

"Feels nice," Miyako smiled at Koyomi, as she got to bask in the warmth of the firewood. "Ooh, did your Hanazakari powers have something to do with fire?"

Koyomi side-eyed her at first, then smirked, "I wish. Would've made fighting the Frost Fair a whole lot easier for me." But her tone softened as she said, "Though when your enemy was the Frost Fair, you learn to hold onto any warmth you can. Even all these years later…"

The Frost Fair being brought up made Miyako say, "Oh yeah, you're still trying to protect people from the Frost Fair, even to this day! Just like I knew a Hanazakari would."

That comment made Koyomi go all stiff. "…Explain," she stated at Miyako.

"Well, I was told back in town that a new restaurant opened, so you investigated to make sure it wasn't a Frost Fair plot to steal emotions," Miyako said, "So you're still there to defend Japan!"

"Are you mocking me?" Koyomi stood straight up and hissed at the girl.

Miyako could've frozen, no matter the firewood. "No, not at all! I was saying it's great you did that, it helped me see you really are a Hanazakari."

"Nozawa," Koyomi stated, staring right into the girl's soul, "I am not here to play out your, or anyone else's, fantasy of some paragon. I've got my own life now."

All Miyako could now say in return was, "I-I'm sorry," as her eyes started to well up.

There was no sound but the crackling of the fire, till Koyomi's intensity faded and she said, "I knew there was no Frost Fair at that restaurant, logically anyway. But irrationally there was, how do I describe it, just this one part of my mind that kept going 'This is a Frost Fair plot! This is a Frost Fair plot!' Nothing would shut that thought up. I couldn't keep myself from accosting the Head Chef, I only saw him as a secret Frostfarer. But no, he was human after all," she sighed out.
"Nozawa, there was nothing heroic about what I did."

"You-" Miyako tried to say, "you still meant well."

"Yeah, and what's that road to Hell paved with again?" Koyomi said.

Till now, Miyako had thought Koyomi's 'one night only' condition was just because she was a stranger. But maybe Arisugawa-sama's worried… worried she'll lash out and hurt someone?

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Miyako had no idea how to make this better, but felt as Koyomi's guest, she still had to try:
[ ] "We'll go clear things up with the restaurant, show them it was a misunderstanding, and good luck to be visited by a Hanazakari on opening day. And if that doesn't work, we'll go to another restaurant, prove to them there's nothing to fear from you."
[ ] I'll track down that restaurant and clear Arisugawa-sama's name myself. I can't put her in the spotlight like that, but I have to make people know that she is a good person.
[ ] Hope she won't think I'm belittling her by asking this. "Do you know anyone who can help you? Friends, associates… family? No Hanazakari can truly be all on their own."
[ ] Maybe best to change the topic. "So, novelist huh? Is there anything you're writing right now, or got any good reviews lately?"
[ ] Write-in.