Foxfire: Veil of the Nine Phantoms

23: Crawl I - A Past Foe

January 2 - Melanie

Hoshiko observed as I concentrated on the indistinct illusion on the table in front of me, willing it with my mind to take the form of a pencil. I focused, wishing for the murky mass to take shape, the contours narrowing, until I finally turned it into the correct likeness.

"Wow, look at that," I said as I held the illusionary pencil in my hand, showing it to Grandma.

"Nicely done," she said. "Try something more challenging this time."

The form of the pencil dissipated like smoke fading into the air. Focusing on the mist's shape, I pushed and stretched it, creating a colourless pot, and then adding a monochrome plant on top. I manipulated the shadows and lighting of the illusion before adding colour, green for the plant, red for the pot, and brown for the soil.

"Good, you're making progress. Soon we'll be able to move on to more challenging images, like animals."

Hoshiko made her own illusion with practiced grace, smoke coalescing instantly into the form of a little mouse. The tiny animal walked around the table, then stopped to rub its whiskers with its small paws. It squeaked as it explored the surface, sniffing the tabletop and air as it wandered.

"Aw, it's so cute," I said.

"Cute? It looks delicious," Hoshiko said.

Fuyuko had silently watched us practice illusions the whole time. She had not moved from her position, except when a ray of sunlight had poured through the windows to touch her cheek, her skin sparkling like ice on a bright cloudless day. Bothered by the warmth, she rose up from her seat to draw up the curtains, returned to her chair, and looked at our illusions with a deadpan stare.

The illusionary mouse disappeared once we heard the front door open. Satsuki entered the mansion, her wooden clogs clacking on the floor, and walked up to our table where she set down a newspaper in front of us.

"Read the front page," Satsuki said.

Hoshiko browsed the front page headline. "It's for you," Hoshiko said as she handed the newspaper to Fuyuko.

Fuyuko read the newspaper with great interest, briskly scanning through the article like her eyes were glued to the page. "They apparently executed me by melting my body."

"I am surprised that they went through with the execution so quickly. You must have angered them immensely," Hoshiko said.

"This is good news for you. Now that the authorities believe you have been executed, you are now free," Satsuki said.

"Not quite," Fuyuko said. She held an icy hand up to her face. "I'm still trapped in this form."

"Are you willing to fight Takeo? Are you willing to fight the yokai who were imprisoned along with you? You are free to leave now that no enforcers are searching for you, but we shall only help you reclaim your humanity if you choose to fight with us," Satsuki asked. We all turned our attention toward the yuki-onna, the seconds passing by as we awaited her response.

"You're asking me to fight the fox who freed me," Fuyuko said.

"Yes," Satsuki said.

Fuyuko hesitated, "I feel like I owe him. He's the reason why I am free now. Be frank with me, I don't believe you would have done the same."

"I would have freed you from the Kogitsunemaru," Hoshiko said. "Only you though. You're the exception because you're the only yokai who was born human."

"I haven't been human in many years. But still, having said that I feel a connection with humans that I can't share with most other yokai. I've met others of my kind before. Other yuki-onna."