Blossom of Bodhisattva (Touhou)

View: https://youtu.be/xajmQ4B_jwA

[Byakuren, I missed you.]

Thanks to @Armoury for the beta!

—

Byakuren stares down at you, her mouth hanging open. You smile up at her, saying nothing. Her language had come as a surprise, but then, Byakuren had never been much one for crass language to begin with. At least, not within your earshot. She had been a firebrand when she was younger. Her expression changes, slowly, but it changes, morphing from confusion and surprise, to plain anger.

"Nue. This is too far." Byakuren says, her voice barely, barely above a growl.

Your smile doesn't change, but your tone does, to something far gentler. "I fear that isn't the case sister."

The table has grown very, very still. Mamizou in particular looked rather more like a statue than the Tanuki you knew her to be. The only movement from the woman behind her eyes rapidly flicking between yourself and your sister. Taking in a breath, more for a show of effort than any form of necessity. You sat up, then turned to face your sister fully. She was your height now, if not slightly taller, though, of course, the last time you had seen her she had a droop to her back caused by age. She had changed in other ways as well, gone were the robes she wore, instead she was wearing some form of black dress with a white tunic or dress underneath that. Her hair was longer, now down to her waist, and oddly colored, starting purple at the top, and ending in the blonde that she had been born with. She was also filthy and dripping water, but that wasn't a conscious decision on her part more than likely.

As you finish rising, Byakuren steps back. Her gaze turns to Mamizou quickly, an accusation in her eyes.

You finish, before she can begin. "When you were eight years old you attempted to ring the temple bell by yourself despite my advice and instruction. The rope snapped under your ministrations, trapping you beneath it for several hours until I had to enlist the aid of several villagers to move it. Ever since, you were terrified of it and would ward the area around it with salt as you believed it to be evil." Smiling once more, you lean against your staff. "Would that be enough? Or do you require more memories?"

She takes another step back, then another. Her hand moves to the center of her chest, clutching the fabric as her eyes go wide. "You… you can't be in Gensokyo. You are… you are dead."

"I died, yes. If you are wondering if I am but a figment of this realm, I am not, I assure you. I recall my death, and our lives. And for some time I have missed you and awaited your arrival. Much time was spent seeing if you would join me in that place." Your smile dims somewhat. "But it seems you did not wish to walk the path as I did."

Byakuren takes another step back, the sliding door behind her blocked her passage for but a fraction of a moment before it snapped in half. The nun continuing to backpedal without seemingly any notice. Her hand was still clutching at her chest, and her face was starting to perspire. Then, without another word, she turns on the spot and begins to run. It is not a graceful thing, it's half stumbling, half falling. Her arm flails at her side as she kicks the snow, her breath coming out in shrill pants.

You watch her for a moment, then sigh. "I shall return shortly."

Then you cease to be.

—

You are Ichirin Kumoi, Byakuren Hijiri's assistant in many matters, and you are tired. Your leader's conflict with the Moriya shrine was well justified, you were certain, but by the same token, you could hardly inspire others to walk the eightfold path if you could not show compassion yourselves.

And so, you have spent the last half hour meeting with the village leadership in one of the nicer bars, as you have so many times before. Over drinks, promises that the Myouren Temple will fully fund a reconstruction of the damaged sections of the village are made - the Moriya have not yet gone forth and made their own offer, you can see, and so this is an opportunity to gain further goodwill, after an incident which may have cost some of that precious currency.

Seeing an opportunity, you're about to ask if the damaged fountain could be replaced with a different design - perhaps a religious one? - when your friend subtly makes himself known.
You've known Unzan for a very, very long time - long enough for the two of you to become synonymous in legend, long enough for the association of a strange girl and an oddly peaceful nyuudou to transform you into something other than human. To anyone observing you, a small bit of fog has simply sprung up around you, but to someone as familiar with Unzan as you, this is a blaring alarm.

The enormous youkai is painfully shy at times, and combined with his desire to help you, he would never manifest in a meeting unless there was a true emergency. As quickly as you can, you excuse yourself - and you barely keep yourself from running back to the temple. Something must have gone very wrong.

—

You stare down at her, your smile was gone, as was any joy you felt from your reunification. Your sister was panicked, and you were curious as to why. You knew of myriad reasons, but which specifically would cause such a reaction you were unable to parse. The guilt? The sadness? Perhaps she had forgotten you had existed for her own sake. You could not exactly fault her for any of those, though you could be perhaps disappointed. She was knee deep in the snow now, panting, overwhelmed. Her head jerks up to look at you, eyes frantic. "I… I saw you die."

"Yes." You reply simply. "And I see the temple has changed greatly since I last lived."

"How…" Byakuren starts. "You didn't become immortal, so that means-"

"Yes, that is the case." You answer the unfinished question.

Her eyes widen somehow further, fear now present on her visage. "Are you here for me?"

"No." You reply gently. "I am here for another purpose, but I wished to see you regardless."

You then look past her towards the broken door of the temple, where Mamizou was rushing out. A look of great alarm was on her face, but she comes to a sudden stop at your stare. You smile. "Would you like to explain your actions?" you ask, turning your attention back to your sister. "I have missed you, truly. I am without desires, but I am not without feeling sister. Did my passing affect you so? You would know, or, should have known it was but a temporary thing."

She was shaking now, and you watched impassively as she reached a hand forward to grab onto your robes. Tears flowed down her face as she appeared… frightened. You didn't much like that expression on her face. Lowering yourself down into the snow, you smiled at your sister, then, slowly, and gently you placed your hand atop her head. "I am not here to smite you sister, I would merely wish for you to explain why you have moved away from my teachi-"

Your words were interrupted as her body went slack, her eyes rolled back, and her hands spasmed before she fell to the side and into the snow. She landed with a wet plop, and you sat there for a moment, staring at her.

"Were you truly that overwhelmed sister?"

—

You and Unzan both stare out at the scene from where you've burst into the temple. The damage, the shock - your first thoughts were that there were intruders of some kind, as ludicrous as the idea might be. But no, that isn't what has happened.

Today, you've seen Byakuren, your guide and mentor, more scared than in all the years you've known her. And all at the hands of a man that you recognize, whom you've been told so much about - about the man that the very temple is named after, in fact.

Myouren's return should have been a joyous occasion, you feel. But it seems that it will be anything but.

—

None got in your way as you bent down to pick up your sister, and, indeed, you paid them little attention as you hoisted her into your arms. Walking back inside the temple you ignored Mamizou's look of concern, Kyouko's look of confusion, and Cirno's look of… what appeared to be at first glance to be great awe. Making your way past all of them, you open the door to her roo-

You open the door to a storage room. You stare down at it a moment, then, with no better option you set her gently down onto the floor. You stare at her for a moment, wondering what had caused her to react in such a manner. There were several options, but Mamizou's question came to mind. Was she truly afraid you were there to kill her?

A foolish notion, but then, her life had been one of foolish notions. You stare at her for a moment longer, then you turn around at the sound of commotion, finding yourself face to face with-

—

[] [A Shrine Maiden in Red]

[] [A Shrine Maiden in Green]

[] [A Nun]

[] [A Tiger]

[] [A Mouse]

—

Erien - On the one hand, passing out is kinda stereotypical. On the other hand, she's seeing ghosts.

Redshirt - A smaller contribution from me this time, but I hope you enjoy the look into some of Byakuren's followers anyhow!