The Race
The world was silent as the sun set.
In the town, bathed orange in the dying daylight, the market closed early, the sellers hastily packing their belongings away and advising their patrons to get indoors. Those walking the streets did not need to be told this, but found some small comfort in knowing other felt the same. They quietly, almost nervously returned to their homes, lit their paper lamps, put protective signs outside their dwellings and shut their screens tight. They huddled in the candlelight like scared rabbits. A few hummed old songs, while others quietly said prayers. Regardless, not a soul could be found outside as the shadow of the mountain crept across the village.
In the forest, the noises of coming night ceased. Unlike the humans, the animals were not afraid, just respectful, reverent. In their dens and nests, caves and burrows, they waited for the sun to go down.
In the graveyard, tucked within the forest, the last fiery glow of the sun illuminated the tall tombstones, showing the carved names in sharp relief. Fresh offerings had, earlier that day, been laid by the graves - the smell of baked bread and newly-cut flowers hung over the markers. A low fog seeped out of the woods and slowly spread itself across the graveyard. The shadows deepened with each passing moment.
Through the mist and graves crept a small fox, ears low, eyes alert. It would intermittently break into a quick trot, snaking between tombstones, then go back to slinking along. Though it smelled the delicious offerings, it made no move to nip a morsel from a grave (though it pained it to do so); on this night, it would be a very bad idea.
The fox's ears perked: an almost imperceptible sound, close by. The fox hastened in that direction, and at last came to the foot of a tall Jizo statue. It stood stoic and proud, stone eyes cast boldly in the direction of the setting sun, the red light sliding away from its face and down its body. The statue clasped a ringed staff in the left hand, as if standing guard over the graves.
The fox looked up at the statue, almost quizzically. It scratched an ear with its back leg.
"You know," said the fox matter-of-factly, "your staff should be held in the other hand."
The statue, for its part, remained as silent and still as ever.
The fox cackled. "Oh come off it, Kin. I know it's you."
"You take the fun out of everything," said the Jizo, glaring down at the fox. "Anyway, your current disguise isn't much better."
"Says you, 'Jizo-sama.' What's wrong with me?"
"You have three tails."
The fox blinked, looked back at its hindquarters to confirm. "Huh. Well, you have a point there."
In an instant, both fox and statue changed: a loud pop and and a burst of white smoke engulfed Jizo, and in its place now stood a plump and smiling tanuki, dressed in blue robes, red trousers, and wearing a straw hat; the fox rose to its hind legs, did a back flip, and in a conflagration of blue fire became a tall figure sporting in a white swallowtail jacket and matching tophat. Though he looked like a man, he still bore a fox's face and had three bushy tail swishing regally behind him.
Kin regarded his old friend. "What's with the getup, Doan?"
The kitsune grinned, giving a noble bow. "I've been busy this last year, visiting other places. You like it?"
"It's outlandish," said Kin. "How far did you go?"
"Quite far," laughed Doan. "One can do a lot in a year's time. We have the whole night to catch up, of course. And to have some fun!" He looked around, noticing that small motes of blue fire had begun to appear among the graves. "So! I'm here, and you're here, so where's our third member?"
Kin shrugged. "She's around here somewhere. We did agree to all meet here this year. Let's go find her." As he hopped from the pedestal where the statue had originally stood, he swatted his ample belly with a paw, making a deep, hollow sound that bounced around the graveyard.
"Or she'll find us, with you making that sound," sighed Doan. The two bakemono had known each other for ages, yet one thing the kitsune never could get used to was Kin's belly-drumming. It was weird and - to a master of such refined tastes as himself - rather uncivilized. Tanuki were all silly like that.
If Kin cared what he thought, he didn't acknowledge it. They set off through the graveyard, which was now being lit an eerie blue thanks to the ghost-fires flitting about. All the while Kin beat his happy little tune on his belly: pon-poko-pon, pon-poko-pon. Doan was sure that this same beat was being played all over the land this particular dusk. He wondered if mortal minds quailed at the sound - not that they had much reason to, since tanuki were rather benign spirits and almost laughable in how they used their powers.
Speaking of..."Say Kin," asked Doan suddenly, his teeth glittering in the night, "are you still working on getting over your pretenses?"
Kin stopped drumming. "Huh?"
"I mean, last Bakemono Night, you seemed a bit more willing to admit your power comes from your-"
"Hey!" Kin practically squeaked, a sound that filled Doan with selfish mirth. "Look, it's not my fault that we tanuki have...particulars for our powers. The others don't care but..."
"But?"
Kin was fumbling for the words. "Well, I have my standards..."
Doan let out a barking laugh, lightly punching the tanuki on the arm (he had to bend down to do it, as Kin was a good deal shorter than him in his current form). "You're a real prize, you know that? I've always said so. In my travels, I tell other spirit folk I encounter, 'Hey, I know this one tanuki who's shy about-'"
"What? Don't go blabbing it around!" shouted Kin. He was clearly flustered. "It's embarrassing!"
"What, that you're a step above most tanuki? Anyway, I'm joking. I just like watching you react."
Kin fixed him with a glare that would have killed a mortal (perhaps literally), but both were alerted to a loud, out-of-place belch that echoed among the graves.
They looked at each other. "That's her," they said, and jogged in the direction of the sound.
Tsukiko was sitting near one of the bigger, fancier graves dedicated to some noble or other. It hadn't been there the last Bakemono Night, so to Kin and Doan's perspective it was a new landmark. Pale and miserable as ever (and most ghosts are), the woman delicately helped herself to the graveside offerings. She had noble poise in her manner of eating, not a crumb spilling on her white kimono as she raised the food to her lips - only to have it snatched away from her by a tendril of her own hair and noisily gobbled up by the mouth on the back of her head.
"Mmm-mm!" said the mouth. "Some choice offerings this year!" It belched again, drool dribbling from between its lips and falling into the animated mass of hair. Tsukiko just sighed sadly, chin in her hand, and waved to Kin and Doan as they approached.
With aplomb, Doan swept his hat from his head and gave a low bow. "Good evening to you, Madame Yokai. I trust you are doing well this evening?"
"Not really, no," replied Tsukiko languidly, while the other mouth grinned and said "Well well! Good to hear your voice again, kitsune-san! You really should try some of this food!"
A tendril of hair snapped forward, holding half a saliva-soaked loaf of bread to Doan - who shook his head, no - and then to Kin - who made a face and waved it away.
"Huh. Suit yourselves," said the mouth, and it wolfed it down.
"Can at least have a little?" snapped Tsukiko, as another tendril of hair slowly moved toward the rice ball she was holding. The hair hesitated, the pulled aside. Sniffing indignantly, Tsukiko ate her portion slowly, giving the tanuki and kitsune a pleading look. "You see what I have to deal with? I swear it gets worse every year."
"Oh stop whining," said the mouth. "Being stuck to such a sad sack of soul isn't exactly my idea of fun either. At least I'm making the best of it." To add to its point, it dumped an entire plate of boiled eggs into its gaping maw.
Trying to be helpful, Kin interjected. "So, now that we're all here, and the Night's festivities are about to start, what do we do?"
Doan had been waiting for this. He had a clever scheme for fun all worked out in his head, one that would surely make the night an interesting one. "I'm glad you asked, old friend," he grinned.
"I'd rather not go anywhere," interjected Tsukiko's other mouth. "This whole graveyard is covered with edible offerings for the dead. And seeing as we're in that category, I intend to take advantage of that."
"I'm not sure the other yokai would take kindly to that," grumbled Doan, for indeed the blue ghost-fires were circling widely now, and shimmering shapes were moving through the mist, settling near tombstones or drifting aimlessly. "Besides, sitting around here among the dead is not my idea of a night well-spent. They're such boring conversationalists...No offense, Tsukiko."
"None taken," replied the ghost girl. She brightened a little "I'd like to go for a walk in the mountains. It's been so long since I've gone on a stroll with friends, and there is a full moon tonight. It should be lovely."
"I was thinking the same thing," said Kin, smiling. "And maybe afterward we can go into the town and mingle with the other bakemono. I could stand to have some good sake."
"That's all well and good," said Doan, finding his place to insert his idea, "but I have a genius plan for some nighttime adventure." He grinned to get his point across. The fox had the sort of grin that made one think he was a sinister character. Kin and Tsukiko, for their part, knew when there was actually sinister intent in his smile, and this was one of those.
Kin was the first to catch on. One of the things he and the kitsune had in common was a passion for mischief. They first met countless years ago due to a hilarious mishap involving a rickshaw, a barrel of preserved salmon, some old sandals and several wide-eyed bystanders. After the resulting chaos and mess, the fact that they were both on the floor laughing their respective tails off cemented their friendship, and every Bakemono Night since, Kin looked forward to doing something madcap with Doan. It was practically tradition.
"What do you have in mind?" the tanuki asked, drumming his paws on his belly in anticipation.
"You'll see," laughed Doan. He made a sweeping gesture over his shoulder, pointing out into the dark woods. "Meanwhile, I think we could oblige our dear lady present and go for the moonlight stroll. I'll explain everything once we reach the mountaintop, which does factor nicely into my plan. Sound good?"
Kin nodded happily at this idea, but Tsukiko merely shrugged. She knew what was coming. "Must there always be some form of troublemaking? Can't we have a nice, quiet night for a change?" she moaned.
The unanimous "No" from the three other spectral forces present effectively shut down this argument, and Tsukiko folded her arms and sulked.
"As long as there's some good eats in the village," said the other mouth, "I'm game!"
"Then," said Doan, "let's be on our way."
There was one tall, thin mountain that stood over the whole area, a looming thing that the mortal folk of the village below revered. It was an ancient mountain, even by mountain-standards, and exuded a subtle power, enough that humans perceived its importance and kept it unspoiled.
For the spirit folk on Bakemono Night, it was the center of activity. As the trio of kitsune, tanuki, and futa-kuchi-onna made their way up the mountain path, they could hardly pass a tree without greeting the tiny kodama that hunkered within its leafy boughs. The night sky - Tsukiko commented on how beautiful the stars and rising full moon were tonight - was alive with flitting shadows, flying yokai enjoying the lunar festival. Doan and Kin commented to each other, with some hint of longing, on how limiting their shapeshifting powers were in that they could not truly fly.
"If I felt like it," explained Doan, "I could transform into a kite, but then I am too thin and get blown around by the wind. Where's the freedom in that?"
Kin had his own method of gliding, but he did not want to talk about it, for modesty's sake.
They kept on, stopping only to give passage to the phantom footsteps on the path behind them ("Betobeto-san, please go on ahead"). The reached the mountain's peak just as the moon was climbing above the distant hills.
"It's a beautiful night," said Tsukiko wistfully, the ghost of a smile showing for just a moment on her lips. Her pale eyes reflected the rising moon. "I'd say we made good time."
"Would have been better if you'd let me walk," said the mouth on the back of her head, and illustrated its point by setting two long tresses of hair onto the ground and lifting Tsukiko up off her feet. Tsukiko rolled her eyes, but did not reply.
Doan was rubbing his hands together. "Right then! We're here, and it's time we kicked things off!"
"What did you have in mind, Doan-san?" asked Kin, a little quiver of anticipation going through him.
"Patience, my dear tanuki. You see, earlier today I went into the town down there." He pointed to the few glittering lights in the valley below, eying it as if it were a trapped rabbit. "I disguised myself as a beggar, and went around asking for money."
"Did you get much?" asked Tsukiko. When she was alive, she had once had a lot of money, and often missed the idea of possessing it.
"Not much," replied Doan with a laugh, "but those who were kind to me will find bags of money on their doorsteps tomorrow, though generosity is its own reward." He winked. "Now, while I was doing this, I crossed paths with this miserly rich man who wouldn't give a single coin to a poor beggar. He also went out of his way to yell obscenities at me." The kitsune's tails bristled behind him. "And you both know how much I love sticking it to misers."
"Who doesn't?" Kin beat a little rhythm on his belly, a sure sign he was itching to hear the rest.
Cackling, Doan conjured a red bowtie into being on his neck and adjusted it smartly. "So I did some sleuthing, and I have learned he keeps a rare treasure in his home - a black egg, supposedly left over from when a phoenix reincarnates. As you know, when a phoenix goes to die, it lays two eggs. The white egg always hatches into the reborn phoenix. But the black egg never hatches, and none know what lies within."
This got everyone's attention, even Tsukiko, who was never terribly fond of the things the wily kistsune came up with.
"How did he manage to get it?" asked Kin. "Is it real?"
"That's where the fun of the mystery comes in," said Doan. "It could just be an egg carved from jet, or it could be the true egg. Either way, I propose we find out. What's more, why don't we make a contest out of it?"
The others did not even have a moment to consider this before the fox spirit made a sweeping gesture toward the distant town. "A race, my friends! Whoever gets to the black egg first keeps it. Simple really. Just aim for the biggest house in the village."
Doan exchanged a look with Kin. Clearly, they both wanted the egg, if only for the sake of the competition. Tsukiko bit her lower lip thoughtfully, while the other mouth gave a hideous smile and licked its lips.
"Sound fun!" said Kin at last. "When do we start?"
"Oh, I'd say right now!"
His laugh ringing in the air, the kitsune did a fanciful pirouette as he jumped, and came down on the mountainside in the form of a sled with a grinning fox face painted on, three small tails stuck out the back. Though there was no snow, the sled clattered down the slope with surprising speed.
"Oh great," moaned Kin to himself. He was going to have to be creative with his...powers to keep up. Throwing aside his inhibitions, he clambered to the mountain's edge. Kin gulped, shut his eyes, and slowly fell over the side, his discarded red trousers fluttering into the air an instant later....
Tsukiko watched as Kin tumbled away, his pants settling in a sad heap nearby. She sighed and sat down.
"What are you doing!?" roared her other mouth. "You're letting them get ahead!"
"I don't feel like racing," she replied testily. "Let the boys have their fun. I'm going to sit here and enjoy the night air."
"Are you kidding? And miss out on a rare morsel?" The mouth growled hungrily. "Not if I have anything to say about it...And I do!"
"I thought you might say that," moaned Tsukiko, as she was lifted into the air, her hair like a pair of stilts...
Doan picked up speed as he went, sparks flying as he flew over rocks, dodging trees and boulders along the way. Some of the little kodama cheered as he shot past, and the kitsune lavished the attention. He had to admit, the racing idea was a good one so far; leagues above the botched fruit-balancing challenge he had though up last year. or Kin's ridiculous scheme of snatching all the local instruments the year before and starting a bakemono band. Ludicrous!
This train of thought shattered as a large round sphere nearly collided with him. The furry ball was rolling faster and faster, getting a lead on the kitsune. Blinking, Doan noted he could occasionally see a familiar dog-like face on the surface of the ball, and despite himself, laughed aloud. "Nice try, Kin!" he jeered.
Doan's smirk died an instant later, as the tanuki-ball hit a natural ramp of stone and went hurtling skyward. There was a moment where Kin was a spherical shadow against the moon before the ground lurched sickeningly away from the skidding sled. Doan tumbled into a thicket of trees and hit each branch on the way down, cursing loudly.
Kin took in the dizzying view of the landscape on high and squeaked with fear - the tanuki had never been fond of heights. He could feel himself reaching the apex of his launch, and knew hitting the ground now would be a rather unpleasant experience
Thinking quickly, he shifted out of his sphere-form and concentrated, feeling the breeze on the recently-pantsless portion of his body. It was, admittedly, quite refreshing. He shut his eyes tight, ignoring the incoming ground.
Poof. He was gliding, holding an extended portion of fur over his own head, like a parachute. The wind caught him and carried him through the sky, and as he slowly opened his eyes, some of his fear faded. He looked down - a big mistake, as it just made him worried again - but saw no sign of his fox rival. What luck! As long as he could keep this up, he would be able to hover all the way to the town.
Unfortunately, he had to contend with a great deal of fellow spirits sharing the sky with him, and had to swerve to avoid a group of ittan-momen that fluttered past, only to barely avoid an oncoming ball of ghostly fire.
With a groan, Doan picked himself up, once again in fox form. He could hear the hissing laughter of the kodama above him, their tiny eyes showing up in the dark forest. The kitsune cursed again, and tried to think of a more suitable form for travel.
He heard an awful wail, growing closer, and suddenly something launched through the air above him: Tsukiko, screaming in terror as her animated hair flew about her. The hair lashed out, grabbing at tree branches and swinging the futa-kuchi-onna with incredible swiftness. From tree-to-tree she went, and Doan caught a pleading look in her eyes before she vanished into the distance.
That tore it; if a yokai could outrace a kitsune, then clearly Doan wasn't trying hard enough. With a moment's thought he changed, becoming a small wagon with a carved fox-head on the front. He gritted his teeth, concentrating, and his three tails became rockets. A blast of colorful sparks and high-pitched whistles erupted from the ends, and he barreled away into the night with reckless velocity.
Now this was more like it! Doan swerved to avoid trees and rocks, plowed through brush as if it were nothing, and bounced down the mountain, wooden wheels rattling insanely. He passed Tsukiko, still monkeying her way through the canopy; then he was blasting through an open field, where he caught a glimpse of Doan and his...kite in the air above him. Doan had to control his amusement, for his fit of laughter nearly swerved him into a thick boulder that jutted in front of him. This was merely further proof that his plans were the best - this was the most he had seen Kin do with his powers in the last couple centuries they'd known one another.
Then ground leveled off. Through another thicket of trees, and then Doan was blasting out onto the cobbled road. The road ended at a steep bridge that crossed a stream, and that was the border of the town.
He would have made it too, had he not turned sharply to avoid a basan scratching about in the middle of the road and hit the edge of the bridge at just the right angle to send him rocketing upward.
Kin had to admit, he was slowly getting the hang of gliding. So far, he had avoided collision with any of the nighttime traffic, and his fear of not being on the ground had all but disappeared. He could even admit he wasn't feeling particularly embarrassed by the fact he wasn't wearing pants. Not to mention he had a solid lead on his companions.
Something emitting blue and green sparks flew up from below with a sharp whistle. It exploded in the sky, a colorful firework that just happened to be right in Kin's path. He cried out, banked hard to right, and smelled singed fur. Unable to concentrate, he lost control of his makeshift glider and started to fall.
That fear of not being on the ground came back very swiftly. Kin yelled in sheer terror as he started the plummet, thrashing, reaching for something to grab on to, any sort of way to stop his rapid descent.
He hadn't really expected to grab anything, but when he did, it was almost worse. His stubby front arms were jarred and it took all his strength not to let go. A friendly voice above him said, "Easy there, friend! You need to be more careful!"
"Who's that?" stammered Kin.
"Your rescuer, apparently," said the voice with a chuckle. "Why don't you open your eyes and greet me properly?"
Kin did so, only just realizing he had kept them squeezed tight shut the whole fall. He was clinging to the knotted handle of a oiled paper umbrella, and was floating serenely down toward the town. A single eyeball dominated the umbrella's top, and it looked at him with amusement.
"You'll be fine," said the umbrella. "I don't see many flying tanuki. That must've taken some serious--"
"My thanks, Obake-san," Kin interrupted hastily. "Um...It was an accident, really."
The tsukumo-gami just chuckled. "Where can I set you down?"
In the streets the spirits played. They capered, scuttled, stalked and spun through the marketplace, embracing the rare freedom this night provided. The townsfolk, safely locked away in their houses and guarded by protective wards, saw their shadows move across their doors and heard their shrieks, squeals and growls. A few brave souls had ventured out to be among the bakemono; these were people who knew how to deal with spirits, and were protected by benevolent forces. These few were welcomed into the nighttime merrymaking with open arms (or claws, wings, tentacles, ghostly tendrils, etc.).
Doan had a view of all this, spread out before him, before his smoking form hit the street, startling a pair of waniguchi that had been standing their just a moment prior. The impact was not spectacular like the earlier fireworks display, but it did release a fair cone of soot.
The kitsune coughed and got to his feet, again in his gentleman's guise, albeit slightly blackened and smoldering. With a pained expression he dusted himself off, aware of the dozens of eyes watching him. He was unhurt - only his ego had been bruised.
Doan scanned his surroundings, trying to remember where the miser's house was. The fall had ruined his keen sense of direction, and hadn't the slightest clue what part of the village he was in. As he tried to get his bearings, Kin landed a few feet away, holding the handle of a karakasa-obake. Kin was saying something to the umbrella spirit when he noticed Doan; their eyes locked, each determined to beat the other.
A crash on their left, some startled yelps, and Tsukiko tumbled into the road a small ways off, hair like a mass of running spider's legs and her other mouth panting hungrily. Dragging poor Tsukiko behind, the hair charged across the street, knocking smaller spirits aside, ran up the side of an inn and scuttled off across the rooftop.
Both Kin and Doan, without a second thought, took off after her. Kin, still holding the startled umbrella by it's handle, ran, jumped, and bounced off his belly to launch them to the roof; Doan was a simple fox again, running on all fours, and leaping-leaping-leaping, until he was scampering over the roof tiles himself.
Thus the race recommenced in earnest.
"Pardon me for asking, tanuki-san, but-"
Boing.
"-would you mind putting me down?"
Boing.
Kin knew how to let his rotund form do the work for him, and was deep in concentration as he timed each bounce from rooftop to rooftop. Running would do little good - it would be more akin to an awkward waddle than a sprint. As always, the tanuki's plump stomach served as a faster means of travel.
"What's going on, anyway?" grumbled his unwilling passenger. The umbrella's single eye gazed about in astonishment.
"Nothing much." Boing. "Just a race."
"I see," replied the tsukumo-gami sagely. "This must be some race."
Boing. "A bit, yes."
"I mean, it seems odd to me that you're doing this while not wearing pants."
Kin missed his next bounce, fell short and smacked into a wall. One ricochet later and he was lying in a koi pond, surrounded by flailing fish. The umbrella was floating now, free of Kin's grasp, just in front of him. Overhead, a barking laugh as a nimble fox with three tails leaped across the divide and was gone.
"Why did you have to mention that?" grumbled Kin, feeling a flush in his cheeks.
The umbrella was swishing from side-to-side in amusement. "Forgive me. I just assumed it was normal for tanuki."
Kin splashed angrily, pulling himself out of the pond. He was sopping wet - no doubt his fur would be a mess in the morning. "See, look what you've made me do! There's no way I'll catch up now!"
"Not necessarily. You're a shapeshifter, correct?"
Kin nodded, and the umbrella spirit drifted closer. "How light can you make yourself?"
"Pretty light...Wait, what for?"
Though the tsukumo-gami lacked a mouth, Kin could see the smile glimmer in its painted eye. "Because, my pantsless friend, I have a certain fondness for sporting events."
Now this was a more preferable form. Agile, swift, and with no chance of exploding, Doan's fox form leaped across streets with ease, bounding across the roof tiles like they were paving stones. Kin had fallen behind, as a quick glance confirmed. That just left Tsukiko to deal with, and he could not see her anywhere. With any luck, her other mouth would have become distracted by some sweet-smelling meal being served in the market square.
Ahead, the lamplight began to fade, and standing stoically at the far edge of the village was the dark outline of the miser's house. It seemed unusually quiet compared to the rest of the township, the lack of nearby spirits a touch unnerving. But Doan pressed on, certain the prize would be his.
The street between his rooftop and the fenced yard was a wide one, and the kitsune willed all of his magical power into his legs. He gave a spectacular leap, triple tails spread regally behind him, turning an impossible jump into a reality.
He promptly collided with a solid wall of force surrounding the property, squeaked in pain, and tumbled into the road. Doan growled curse after curse as he picked himself up, gingerly licking a paw as he stared at the offending air above the garden fence.
Then he looked at the fence itself. Each fence rail had a small slip of paper stuck to it, magic words of protection written on them. Spell tags. Doan cursed again - he should have guessed the rich man would not be stupid enough to leave his home unguarded.
He did not have the time to case the property, quickly assuming that the entire place was warded at the perimeter. This was a huge setback. He should have considered the possibility in advance, and now felt like an idiot. Touching the tags to remove them was not an option, as that would be just as painful as colliding with the mystical barrier. This could spoil the entire thing if he could not find a way through.
Doan sat, ears flattened on his head, and considered his options for a moment. The barrier kept anything from coming in the front way, for certain. Spell tags were profoundly effective for keeping Doan's kind at bay, and the symbols drawn on these words did not even allow for the entering of good spirits. This was clearly a man who wanted to keep the supernatural out of his home on Bakemono Night. Doan guessed getting all those tags had cost a fair handful of coins.
And idea struck Doan right then, and he grinned in a way a normal fox could not. The barrier was mostly in the front, but what about above the house? With that in mind he concentrated, and one puff of smoke later was a small and delicate moth, ready to take to the air. He fluttered his wings experimentally and rose.
The trouble with being a moth, however, is that a moth is small, hard to spot, and easily gets crushed under the belly of, say, a tanuki that happens to bounce into the road at the wrong time.
Which is, of course, exactly what happened.
Hitting the cobbles, Kin shot up toward the fence, hit a invisible barrier and flew back onto the rooftop. He paused there, blinking in wonder and staring at the dozens of thin paper strips stuck to the fence. Over his shoulder, the umbrella spirit floated on the subtle night breezes.
"Great," Kin muttered. "Spell tags. I should have expected this."
"If I may, tanuki-san," said the umbrella, pointing its handle at the dark house, "we might have some success if we go over the top of the barrier."
"Really? Oh that's gr... Wait, does that mean we have to fly again?"
"That's right."
"Oh." Kin grimaced. His last experience in the air was enough for one night, and he did not look forward to doing it again.
He looked at the karakasa-obake nervously. "Isn't there another way?"
"Do you want to get in there or not?" huffed the umbrella.
Kin sighed deeply and took hold of the umbrella's handle. That black egg had best be worth everything he was putting himself through.
"Right," chimed the umbrella pleasantly. "Get a good bounce, go straight up, and I'll take care of the rest. Try and shave of some of your weight when we get airborne."
Kin gulped, but set his gaze determinedly forward. He intended to win this race, and fear was an obstacle that he could handle. Just to rub the victory in Doan's cheeky fox face would be a prize in itself.
The tanuki ran, and then jumped, aimed his stomach at the ground (he thought he heard a small shriek as he did so) and...Boing! He bounced to an incredible height, immediately shutting his eyes as the ground spun away from him. A moment later there was a jerk on his arm, his grip tightened around the umbrella's handle, and he sensed them floating.
"I think it worked, tanuki-san," grunted the umbrella. "Now could you kindly transform into something smaller?"
"Huh? Oh. Yeah." Kin mentally went through his transformations, deciding which would be the most effective. He found he was having a hard time concentrating, because something was itching his stomach. Idly he scratched at it, but the itching only moved elsewhere. Annoyed, Kin opened his eyes, tried not to focus on the landscape below, and looked down at his belly. There was a tiny moth crushed into his fur, fluttering around madly.
Feeling bad, he reached down to pluck it out. The moth dizzily zipped about in his paw, and a moment later the moth was replaced with the paw of a fox.
Kin looked surprised. "Doan?"
The rumpled fox spirit glowered at the tanuki. "Of course! And watch where you're going next time! That really smarted when-"
"Augh! Too heavy!" This cry came from the karakasa-obake that held them aloft, just before its umbrella top folded up on itself and the trio of spirits plummeted toward the peaked roof of the large house below.
Now this would have gone badly, had it not been for the miser himself. Years of scrimping and saving and ignoring various structural repairs on his house, outside of keeping it up aesthetically, had left weak portions in its structure. Thus, when the three spirits hit the roof, part of it gave way beneath them. In a shower of planks, tiles and dust, the trio tumbled into an upper room of the house with a tremendous crash.
After a few moments of stunned silence, the umbrella spirit was the first to rise, balancing on the tip of its handle. Its painted eye rolled dazedly. "Is everyone alright?" it asked politely.
"Wonderful. Just wonderful," coughed Doan. He was once again in his semi-human guise, and he sat up rubbing the back of his head. His tails swished the debris away from him. "Not only am I crushed under a tanuki's giant gut, but then I'm dropped through a rotted roof. Sure. I'm doing swell." He prodded Kin, lying on his back just behind him. "What were you thinking?"
Kin groaned and got up. "What was I thinking? We're in the house, aren't we? Now we just need to find the black egg."
"We?" Doan was on his feet, fur bristling. "This is still a race! I still intend to get to it first!"
"Gentlemen," interjected the umbrella, "I'd like to point out that we are not alone here."
This gave them pause. They looked up, noticing for the first time the huge bed in the room, and the wide-eyed balding man staring back at them from it. His face was frozen in disbelief, and the covers were pulled up to his quivering chin. Doan recognized him as the miser right away.
"Oh," said Doan and Kin together. "Right."
A moment later, after the pair each assumed a form so horrifically terrifying it caused the man in bed to faint dead away, Kin said to Doan "So where do you propose we look?"
"What's with all this 'we' nonsense?" The kitsune sniffed indignantly. "Anyway, I don't know where they keep it. I think this race has now become a treasure hunt."
Again the umbrella chimed in. "A black egg, you say? There's one on display right over there."
It sat in a glass display case on a dressing table against the far wall, a tiny object glittering darkly amidst its bed of red silk. Tanuki and kitsune stared, their mouths hanging open. Finally Kin turned to the tsukumo-gami.
"You're really good at observing things, Obake-san."
"It's what I do," it chuckled.
Competition seemingly forgotten, the two spirits approached the case slowly, almost reverently. The egg was smooth and black, devoid of any scratches or imperfections. It looked like it had been cut from the dark space between stars, though weak light did reflect upon its surface, trying to escape the depths.
"I think it's obsidian," whispered Kin, who had no idea why he was whispering.
"Only one way to find out, right?" Doan grinned.
Together they reached for the covering glass and gently moved it aside. Outside of its casing, the egg looked like an ovoid hole of voidness in the red silk, and both tanuki and kitsune hesitated to touch it.
Doan chuckled nervously. "Well, go on Kin. I think you've won this one."
Kin nodded, but made no move to take the egg.
"Oh I couldn't, Doan, when you clearly got here first." He hiccuped nervously.
"I insist, old friend. Surely you want to, I don't know, crack it open and see what's inside."
"Well I did earlier, but now I don't think it's such a good idea." Kin shivered. "Could be anything in there."
Doan frowned. "I...think you might have a point, although the egg could be fake."
They stared at it for awhile in silence, the umbrella spirit drifting languidly in the background.
"Maybe," said Kin at last, "we should both take it?"
"Oh!" The kitsune smirked. "Well! Why didn't I think of that. We declare this race a tie, then?"
Kin smiled. "A tie."
They shook hands on this, and turned back to the egg.
A rending crash behind them was all the warning they got before they were knocked aside. Ruffled but unhurt, the pair shook their heads and focused in on the newcomer: Tsukiko, the pale woman herself panting and shuddering, while her other mouth grinned triumphantly, plucking the black egg from its place with a tendril of hair. No one had a chance to react before the egg was popped into the mouth and swallowed.
Stunned silence followed.
Then the other mouth belched. "Oi...I'm full."
It sighed, and the mass of hair suddenly fell limp. Tsukiko, startled, caught herself as the hair holding her up went slack. She looked surprised as she balanced on her own two feet.
"Goodness!" she gasped. "I wasn't expecting that!"
The umbrella spirit floated across to the kitsune and tanuki. "Friend of yours?"
"That's right," Doan answered, looking at the futa-kuchi-onna with disbelief. "How did you get in here, Tsukiko? There's wards all around the house."
"The back gate was left open," she said, her face slowly breaking into a smile amidst the wild tangle of her unkempt hair. She spread her arms and spun in a circle, seemingly reveling in the ability to do it on her own accord.
Kin and Doan looked at each other. They shrugged.
"I think she won," said Kin.
"I think she won," agreed Doan.
"Seems that way," added the umbrella.
The mouth on the back of Tsukiko's head snored quietly.
Tsukiko turned to her friends, hands on her hips, smiling hugely. "So, who wants to go get some tea?"
The world was silent as the sun set.
In the town, bathed orange in the dying daylight, the market closed early, the sellers hastily packing their belongings away and advising their patrons to get indoors. Those walking the streets did not need to be told this, but found some small comfort in knowing other felt the same. They quietly, almost nervously returned to their homes, lit their paper lamps, put protective signs outside their dwellings and shut their screens tight. They huddled in the candlelight like scared rabbits. A few hummed old songs, while others quietly said prayers. Regardless, not a soul could be found outside as the shadow of the mountain crept across the village.
In the forest, the noises of coming night ceased. Unlike the humans, the animals were not afraid, just respectful, reverent. In their dens and nests, caves and burrows, they waited for the sun to go down.
In the graveyard, tucked within the forest, the last fiery glow of the sun illuminated the tall tombstones, showing the carved names in sharp relief. Fresh offerings had, earlier that day, been laid by the graves - the smell of baked bread and newly-cut flowers hung over the markers. A low fog seeped out of the woods and slowly spread itself across the graveyard. The shadows deepened with each passing moment.
Through the mist and graves crept a small fox, ears low, eyes alert. It would intermittently break into a quick trot, snaking between tombstones, then go back to slinking along. Though it smelled the delicious offerings, it made no move to nip a morsel from a grave (though it pained it to do so); on this night, it would be a very bad idea.
The fox's ears perked: an almost imperceptible sound, close by. The fox hastened in that direction, and at last came to the foot of a tall Jizo statue. It stood stoic and proud, stone eyes cast boldly in the direction of the setting sun, the red light sliding away from its face and down its body. The statue clasped a ringed staff in the left hand, as if standing guard over the graves.
The fox looked up at the statue, almost quizzically. It scratched an ear with its back leg.
"You know," said the fox matter-of-factly, "your staff should be held in the other hand."
The statue, for its part, remained as silent and still as ever.
The fox cackled. "Oh come off it, Kin. I know it's you."
"You take the fun out of everything," said the Jizo, glaring down at the fox. "Anyway, your current disguise isn't much better."
"Says you, 'Jizo-sama.' What's wrong with me?"
"You have three tails."
The fox blinked, looked back at its hindquarters to confirm. "Huh. Well, you have a point there."
In an instant, both fox and statue changed: a loud pop and and a burst of white smoke engulfed Jizo, and in its place now stood a plump and smiling tanuki, dressed in blue robes, red trousers, and wearing a straw hat; the fox rose to its hind legs, did a back flip, and in a conflagration of blue fire became a tall figure sporting in a white swallowtail jacket and matching tophat. Though he looked like a man, he still bore a fox's face and had three bushy tail swishing regally behind him.
Kin regarded his old friend. "What's with the getup, Doan?"
The kitsune grinned, giving a noble bow. "I've been busy this last year, visiting other places. You like it?"
"It's outlandish," said Kin. "How far did you go?"
"Quite far," laughed Doan. "One can do a lot in a year's time. We have the whole night to catch up, of course. And to have some fun!" He looked around, noticing that small motes of blue fire had begun to appear among the graves. "So! I'm here, and you're here, so where's our third member?"
Kin shrugged. "She's around here somewhere. We did agree to all meet here this year. Let's go find her." As he hopped from the pedestal where the statue had originally stood, he swatted his ample belly with a paw, making a deep, hollow sound that bounced around the graveyard.
"Or she'll find us, with you making that sound," sighed Doan. The two bakemono had known each other for ages, yet one thing the kitsune never could get used to was Kin's belly-drumming. It was weird and - to a master of such refined tastes as himself - rather uncivilized. Tanuki were all silly like that.
If Kin cared what he thought, he didn't acknowledge it. They set off through the graveyard, which was now being lit an eerie blue thanks to the ghost-fires flitting about. All the while Kin beat his happy little tune on his belly: pon-poko-pon, pon-poko-pon. Doan was sure that this same beat was being played all over the land this particular dusk. He wondered if mortal minds quailed at the sound - not that they had much reason to, since tanuki were rather benign spirits and almost laughable in how they used their powers.
Speaking of..."Say Kin," asked Doan suddenly, his teeth glittering in the night, "are you still working on getting over your pretenses?"
Kin stopped drumming. "Huh?"
"I mean, last Bakemono Night, you seemed a bit more willing to admit your power comes from your-"
"Hey!" Kin practically squeaked, a sound that filled Doan with selfish mirth. "Look, it's not my fault that we tanuki have...particulars for our powers. The others don't care but..."
"But?"
Kin was fumbling for the words. "Well, I have my standards..."
Doan let out a barking laugh, lightly punching the tanuki on the arm (he had to bend down to do it, as Kin was a good deal shorter than him in his current form). "You're a real prize, you know that? I've always said so. In my travels, I tell other spirit folk I encounter, 'Hey, I know this one tanuki who's shy about-'"
"What? Don't go blabbing it around!" shouted Kin. He was clearly flustered. "It's embarrassing!"
"What, that you're a step above most tanuki? Anyway, I'm joking. I just like watching you react."
Kin fixed him with a glare that would have killed a mortal (perhaps literally), but both were alerted to a loud, out-of-place belch that echoed among the graves.
They looked at each other. "That's her," they said, and jogged in the direction of the sound.
Tsukiko was sitting near one of the bigger, fancier graves dedicated to some noble or other. It hadn't been there the last Bakemono Night, so to Kin and Doan's perspective it was a new landmark. Pale and miserable as ever (and most ghosts are), the woman delicately helped herself to the graveside offerings. She had noble poise in her manner of eating, not a crumb spilling on her white kimono as she raised the food to her lips - only to have it snatched away from her by a tendril of her own hair and noisily gobbled up by the mouth on the back of her head.
"Mmm-mm!" said the mouth. "Some choice offerings this year!" It belched again, drool dribbling from between its lips and falling into the animated mass of hair. Tsukiko just sighed sadly, chin in her hand, and waved to Kin and Doan as they approached.
With aplomb, Doan swept his hat from his head and gave a low bow. "Good evening to you, Madame Yokai. I trust you are doing well this evening?"
"Not really, no," replied Tsukiko languidly, while the other mouth grinned and said "Well well! Good to hear your voice again, kitsune-san! You really should try some of this food!"
A tendril of hair snapped forward, holding half a saliva-soaked loaf of bread to Doan - who shook his head, no - and then to Kin - who made a face and waved it away.
"Huh. Suit yourselves," said the mouth, and it wolfed it down.
"Can at least have a little?" snapped Tsukiko, as another tendril of hair slowly moved toward the rice ball she was holding. The hair hesitated, the pulled aside. Sniffing indignantly, Tsukiko ate her portion slowly, giving the tanuki and kitsune a pleading look. "You see what I have to deal with? I swear it gets worse every year."
"Oh stop whining," said the mouth. "Being stuck to such a sad sack of soul isn't exactly my idea of fun either. At least I'm making the best of it." To add to its point, it dumped an entire plate of boiled eggs into its gaping maw.
Trying to be helpful, Kin interjected. "So, now that we're all here, and the Night's festivities are about to start, what do we do?"
Doan had been waiting for this. He had a clever scheme for fun all worked out in his head, one that would surely make the night an interesting one. "I'm glad you asked, old friend," he grinned.
"I'd rather not go anywhere," interjected Tsukiko's other mouth. "This whole graveyard is covered with edible offerings for the dead. And seeing as we're in that category, I intend to take advantage of that."
"I'm not sure the other yokai would take kindly to that," grumbled Doan, for indeed the blue ghost-fires were circling widely now, and shimmering shapes were moving through the mist, settling near tombstones or drifting aimlessly. "Besides, sitting around here among the dead is not my idea of a night well-spent. They're such boring conversationalists...No offense, Tsukiko."
"None taken," replied the ghost girl. She brightened a little "I'd like to go for a walk in the mountains. It's been so long since I've gone on a stroll with friends, and there is a full moon tonight. It should be lovely."
"I was thinking the same thing," said Kin, smiling. "And maybe afterward we can go into the town and mingle with the other bakemono. I could stand to have some good sake."
"That's all well and good," said Doan, finding his place to insert his idea, "but I have a genius plan for some nighttime adventure." He grinned to get his point across. The fox had the sort of grin that made one think he was a sinister character. Kin and Tsukiko, for their part, knew when there was actually sinister intent in his smile, and this was one of those.
Kin was the first to catch on. One of the things he and the kitsune had in common was a passion for mischief. They first met countless years ago due to a hilarious mishap involving a rickshaw, a barrel of preserved salmon, some old sandals and several wide-eyed bystanders. After the resulting chaos and mess, the fact that they were both on the floor laughing their respective tails off cemented their friendship, and every Bakemono Night since, Kin looked forward to doing something madcap with Doan. It was practically tradition.
"What do you have in mind?" the tanuki asked, drumming his paws on his belly in anticipation.
"You'll see," laughed Doan. He made a sweeping gesture over his shoulder, pointing out into the dark woods. "Meanwhile, I think we could oblige our dear lady present and go for the moonlight stroll. I'll explain everything once we reach the mountaintop, which does factor nicely into my plan. Sound good?"
Kin nodded happily at this idea, but Tsukiko merely shrugged. She knew what was coming. "Must there always be some form of troublemaking? Can't we have a nice, quiet night for a change?" she moaned.
The unanimous "No" from the three other spectral forces present effectively shut down this argument, and Tsukiko folded her arms and sulked.
"As long as there's some good eats in the village," said the other mouth, "I'm game!"
"Then," said Doan, "let's be on our way."
There was one tall, thin mountain that stood over the whole area, a looming thing that the mortal folk of the village below revered. It was an ancient mountain, even by mountain-standards, and exuded a subtle power, enough that humans perceived its importance and kept it unspoiled.
For the spirit folk on Bakemono Night, it was the center of activity. As the trio of kitsune, tanuki, and futa-kuchi-onna made their way up the mountain path, they could hardly pass a tree without greeting the tiny kodama that hunkered within its leafy boughs. The night sky - Tsukiko commented on how beautiful the stars and rising full moon were tonight - was alive with flitting shadows, flying yokai enjoying the lunar festival. Doan and Kin commented to each other, with some hint of longing, on how limiting their shapeshifting powers were in that they could not truly fly.
"If I felt like it," explained Doan, "I could transform into a kite, but then I am too thin and get blown around by the wind. Where's the freedom in that?"
Kin had his own method of gliding, but he did not want to talk about it, for modesty's sake.
They kept on, stopping only to give passage to the phantom footsteps on the path behind them ("Betobeto-san, please go on ahead"). The reached the mountain's peak just as the moon was climbing above the distant hills.
"It's a beautiful night," said Tsukiko wistfully, the ghost of a smile showing for just a moment on her lips. Her pale eyes reflected the rising moon. "I'd say we made good time."
"Would have been better if you'd let me walk," said the mouth on the back of her head, and illustrated its point by setting two long tresses of hair onto the ground and lifting Tsukiko up off her feet. Tsukiko rolled her eyes, but did not reply.
Doan was rubbing his hands together. "Right then! We're here, and it's time we kicked things off!"
"What did you have in mind, Doan-san?" asked Kin, a little quiver of anticipation going through him.
"Patience, my dear tanuki. You see, earlier today I went into the town down there." He pointed to the few glittering lights in the valley below, eying it as if it were a trapped rabbit. "I disguised myself as a beggar, and went around asking for money."
"Did you get much?" asked Tsukiko. When she was alive, she had once had a lot of money, and often missed the idea of possessing it.
"Not much," replied Doan with a laugh, "but those who were kind to me will find bags of money on their doorsteps tomorrow, though generosity is its own reward." He winked. "Now, while I was doing this, I crossed paths with this miserly rich man who wouldn't give a single coin to a poor beggar. He also went out of his way to yell obscenities at me." The kitsune's tails bristled behind him. "And you both know how much I love sticking it to misers."
"Who doesn't?" Kin beat a little rhythm on his belly, a sure sign he was itching to hear the rest.
Cackling, Doan conjured a red bowtie into being on his neck and adjusted it smartly. "So I did some sleuthing, and I have learned he keeps a rare treasure in his home - a black egg, supposedly left over from when a phoenix reincarnates. As you know, when a phoenix goes to die, it lays two eggs. The white egg always hatches into the reborn phoenix. But the black egg never hatches, and none know what lies within."
This got everyone's attention, even Tsukiko, who was never terribly fond of the things the wily kistsune came up with.
"How did he manage to get it?" asked Kin. "Is it real?"
"That's where the fun of the mystery comes in," said Doan. "It could just be an egg carved from jet, or it could be the true egg. Either way, I propose we find out. What's more, why don't we make a contest out of it?"
The others did not even have a moment to consider this before the fox spirit made a sweeping gesture toward the distant town. "A race, my friends! Whoever gets to the black egg first keeps it. Simple really. Just aim for the biggest house in the village."
Doan exchanged a look with Kin. Clearly, they both wanted the egg, if only for the sake of the competition. Tsukiko bit her lower lip thoughtfully, while the other mouth gave a hideous smile and licked its lips.
"Sound fun!" said Kin at last. "When do we start?"
"Oh, I'd say right now!"
His laugh ringing in the air, the kitsune did a fanciful pirouette as he jumped, and came down on the mountainside in the form of a sled with a grinning fox face painted on, three small tails stuck out the back. Though there was no snow, the sled clattered down the slope with surprising speed.
"Oh great," moaned Kin to himself. He was going to have to be creative with his...powers to keep up. Throwing aside his inhibitions, he clambered to the mountain's edge. Kin gulped, shut his eyes, and slowly fell over the side, his discarded red trousers fluttering into the air an instant later....
Tsukiko watched as Kin tumbled away, his pants settling in a sad heap nearby. She sighed and sat down.
"What are you doing!?" roared her other mouth. "You're letting them get ahead!"
"I don't feel like racing," she replied testily. "Let the boys have their fun. I'm going to sit here and enjoy the night air."
"Are you kidding? And miss out on a rare morsel?" The mouth growled hungrily. "Not if I have anything to say about it...And I do!"
"I thought you might say that," moaned Tsukiko, as she was lifted into the air, her hair like a pair of stilts...
Doan picked up speed as he went, sparks flying as he flew over rocks, dodging trees and boulders along the way. Some of the little kodama cheered as he shot past, and the kitsune lavished the attention. He had to admit, the racing idea was a good one so far; leagues above the botched fruit-balancing challenge he had though up last year. or Kin's ridiculous scheme of snatching all the local instruments the year before and starting a bakemono band. Ludicrous!
This train of thought shattered as a large round sphere nearly collided with him. The furry ball was rolling faster and faster, getting a lead on the kitsune. Blinking, Doan noted he could occasionally see a familiar dog-like face on the surface of the ball, and despite himself, laughed aloud. "Nice try, Kin!" he jeered.
Doan's smirk died an instant later, as the tanuki-ball hit a natural ramp of stone and went hurtling skyward. There was a moment where Kin was a spherical shadow against the moon before the ground lurched sickeningly away from the skidding sled. Doan tumbled into a thicket of trees and hit each branch on the way down, cursing loudly.
Kin took in the dizzying view of the landscape on high and squeaked with fear - the tanuki had never been fond of heights. He could feel himself reaching the apex of his launch, and knew hitting the ground now would be a rather unpleasant experience
Thinking quickly, he shifted out of his sphere-form and concentrated, feeling the breeze on the recently-pantsless portion of his body. It was, admittedly, quite refreshing. He shut his eyes tight, ignoring the incoming ground.
Poof. He was gliding, holding an extended portion of fur over his own head, like a parachute. The wind caught him and carried him through the sky, and as he slowly opened his eyes, some of his fear faded. He looked down - a big mistake, as it just made him worried again - but saw no sign of his fox rival. What luck! As long as he could keep this up, he would be able to hover all the way to the town.
Unfortunately, he had to contend with a great deal of fellow spirits sharing the sky with him, and had to swerve to avoid a group of ittan-momen that fluttered past, only to barely avoid an oncoming ball of ghostly fire.
With a groan, Doan picked himself up, once again in fox form. He could hear the hissing laughter of the kodama above him, their tiny eyes showing up in the dark forest. The kitsune cursed again, and tried to think of a more suitable form for travel.
He heard an awful wail, growing closer, and suddenly something launched through the air above him: Tsukiko, screaming in terror as her animated hair flew about her. The hair lashed out, grabbing at tree branches and swinging the futa-kuchi-onna with incredible swiftness. From tree-to-tree she went, and Doan caught a pleading look in her eyes before she vanished into the distance.
That tore it; if a yokai could outrace a kitsune, then clearly Doan wasn't trying hard enough. With a moment's thought he changed, becoming a small wagon with a carved fox-head on the front. He gritted his teeth, concentrating, and his three tails became rockets. A blast of colorful sparks and high-pitched whistles erupted from the ends, and he barreled away into the night with reckless velocity.
Now this was more like it! Doan swerved to avoid trees and rocks, plowed through brush as if it were nothing, and bounced down the mountain, wooden wheels rattling insanely. He passed Tsukiko, still monkeying her way through the canopy; then he was blasting through an open field, where he caught a glimpse of Doan and his...kite in the air above him. Doan had to control his amusement, for his fit of laughter nearly swerved him into a thick boulder that jutted in front of him. This was merely further proof that his plans were the best - this was the most he had seen Kin do with his powers in the last couple centuries they'd known one another.
Then ground leveled off. Through another thicket of trees, and then Doan was blasting out onto the cobbled road. The road ended at a steep bridge that crossed a stream, and that was the border of the town.
He would have made it too, had he not turned sharply to avoid a basan scratching about in the middle of the road and hit the edge of the bridge at just the right angle to send him rocketing upward.
Kin had to admit, he was slowly getting the hang of gliding. So far, he had avoided collision with any of the nighttime traffic, and his fear of not being on the ground had all but disappeared. He could even admit he wasn't feeling particularly embarrassed by the fact he wasn't wearing pants. Not to mention he had a solid lead on his companions.
Something emitting blue and green sparks flew up from below with a sharp whistle. It exploded in the sky, a colorful firework that just happened to be right in Kin's path. He cried out, banked hard to right, and smelled singed fur. Unable to concentrate, he lost control of his makeshift glider and started to fall.
That fear of not being on the ground came back very swiftly. Kin yelled in sheer terror as he started the plummet, thrashing, reaching for something to grab on to, any sort of way to stop his rapid descent.
He hadn't really expected to grab anything, but when he did, it was almost worse. His stubby front arms were jarred and it took all his strength not to let go. A friendly voice above him said, "Easy there, friend! You need to be more careful!"
"Who's that?" stammered Kin.
"Your rescuer, apparently," said the voice with a chuckle. "Why don't you open your eyes and greet me properly?"
Kin did so, only just realizing he had kept them squeezed tight shut the whole fall. He was clinging to the knotted handle of a oiled paper umbrella, and was floating serenely down toward the town. A single eyeball dominated the umbrella's top, and it looked at him with amusement.
"You'll be fine," said the umbrella. "I don't see many flying tanuki. That must've taken some serious--"
"My thanks, Obake-san," Kin interrupted hastily. "Um...It was an accident, really."
The tsukumo-gami just chuckled. "Where can I set you down?"
In the streets the spirits played. They capered, scuttled, stalked and spun through the marketplace, embracing the rare freedom this night provided. The townsfolk, safely locked away in their houses and guarded by protective wards, saw their shadows move across their doors and heard their shrieks, squeals and growls. A few brave souls had ventured out to be among the bakemono; these were people who knew how to deal with spirits, and were protected by benevolent forces. These few were welcomed into the nighttime merrymaking with open arms (or claws, wings, tentacles, ghostly tendrils, etc.).
Doan had a view of all this, spread out before him, before his smoking form hit the street, startling a pair of waniguchi that had been standing their just a moment prior. The impact was not spectacular like the earlier fireworks display, but it did release a fair cone of soot.
The kitsune coughed and got to his feet, again in his gentleman's guise, albeit slightly blackened and smoldering. With a pained expression he dusted himself off, aware of the dozens of eyes watching him. He was unhurt - only his ego had been bruised.
Doan scanned his surroundings, trying to remember where the miser's house was. The fall had ruined his keen sense of direction, and hadn't the slightest clue what part of the village he was in. As he tried to get his bearings, Kin landed a few feet away, holding the handle of a karakasa-obake. Kin was saying something to the umbrella spirit when he noticed Doan; their eyes locked, each determined to beat the other.
A crash on their left, some startled yelps, and Tsukiko tumbled into the road a small ways off, hair like a mass of running spider's legs and her other mouth panting hungrily. Dragging poor Tsukiko behind, the hair charged across the street, knocking smaller spirits aside, ran up the side of an inn and scuttled off across the rooftop.
Both Kin and Doan, without a second thought, took off after her. Kin, still holding the startled umbrella by it's handle, ran, jumped, and bounced off his belly to launch them to the roof; Doan was a simple fox again, running on all fours, and leaping-leaping-leaping, until he was scampering over the roof tiles himself.
Thus the race recommenced in earnest.
"Pardon me for asking, tanuki-san, but-"
Boing.
"-would you mind putting me down?"
Boing.
Kin knew how to let his rotund form do the work for him, and was deep in concentration as he timed each bounce from rooftop to rooftop. Running would do little good - it would be more akin to an awkward waddle than a sprint. As always, the tanuki's plump stomach served as a faster means of travel.
"What's going on, anyway?" grumbled his unwilling passenger. The umbrella's single eye gazed about in astonishment.
"Nothing much." Boing. "Just a race."
"I see," replied the tsukumo-gami sagely. "This must be some race."
Boing. "A bit, yes."
"I mean, it seems odd to me that you're doing this while not wearing pants."
Kin missed his next bounce, fell short and smacked into a wall. One ricochet later and he was lying in a koi pond, surrounded by flailing fish. The umbrella was floating now, free of Kin's grasp, just in front of him. Overhead, a barking laugh as a nimble fox with three tails leaped across the divide and was gone.
"Why did you have to mention that?" grumbled Kin, feeling a flush in his cheeks.
The umbrella was swishing from side-to-side in amusement. "Forgive me. I just assumed it was normal for tanuki."
Kin splashed angrily, pulling himself out of the pond. He was sopping wet - no doubt his fur would be a mess in the morning. "See, look what you've made me do! There's no way I'll catch up now!"
"Not necessarily. You're a shapeshifter, correct?"
Kin nodded, and the umbrella spirit drifted closer. "How light can you make yourself?"
"Pretty light...Wait, what for?"
Though the tsukumo-gami lacked a mouth, Kin could see the smile glimmer in its painted eye. "Because, my pantsless friend, I have a certain fondness for sporting events."
Now this was a more preferable form. Agile, swift, and with no chance of exploding, Doan's fox form leaped across streets with ease, bounding across the roof tiles like they were paving stones. Kin had fallen behind, as a quick glance confirmed. That just left Tsukiko to deal with, and he could not see her anywhere. With any luck, her other mouth would have become distracted by some sweet-smelling meal being served in the market square.
Ahead, the lamplight began to fade, and standing stoically at the far edge of the village was the dark outline of the miser's house. It seemed unusually quiet compared to the rest of the township, the lack of nearby spirits a touch unnerving. But Doan pressed on, certain the prize would be his.
The street between his rooftop and the fenced yard was a wide one, and the kitsune willed all of his magical power into his legs. He gave a spectacular leap, triple tails spread regally behind him, turning an impossible jump into a reality.
He promptly collided with a solid wall of force surrounding the property, squeaked in pain, and tumbled into the road. Doan growled curse after curse as he picked himself up, gingerly licking a paw as he stared at the offending air above the garden fence.
Then he looked at the fence itself. Each fence rail had a small slip of paper stuck to it, magic words of protection written on them. Spell tags. Doan cursed again - he should have guessed the rich man would not be stupid enough to leave his home unguarded.
He did not have the time to case the property, quickly assuming that the entire place was warded at the perimeter. This was a huge setback. He should have considered the possibility in advance, and now felt like an idiot. Touching the tags to remove them was not an option, as that would be just as painful as colliding with the mystical barrier. This could spoil the entire thing if he could not find a way through.
Doan sat, ears flattened on his head, and considered his options for a moment. The barrier kept anything from coming in the front way, for certain. Spell tags were profoundly effective for keeping Doan's kind at bay, and the symbols drawn on these words did not even allow for the entering of good spirits. This was clearly a man who wanted to keep the supernatural out of his home on Bakemono Night. Doan guessed getting all those tags had cost a fair handful of coins.
And idea struck Doan right then, and he grinned in a way a normal fox could not. The barrier was mostly in the front, but what about above the house? With that in mind he concentrated, and one puff of smoke later was a small and delicate moth, ready to take to the air. He fluttered his wings experimentally and rose.
The trouble with being a moth, however, is that a moth is small, hard to spot, and easily gets crushed under the belly of, say, a tanuki that happens to bounce into the road at the wrong time.
Which is, of course, exactly what happened.
Hitting the cobbles, Kin shot up toward the fence, hit a invisible barrier and flew back onto the rooftop. He paused there, blinking in wonder and staring at the dozens of thin paper strips stuck to the fence. Over his shoulder, the umbrella spirit floated on the subtle night breezes.
"Great," Kin muttered. "Spell tags. I should have expected this."
"If I may, tanuki-san," said the umbrella, pointing its handle at the dark house, "we might have some success if we go over the top of the barrier."
"Really? Oh that's gr... Wait, does that mean we have to fly again?"
"That's right."
"Oh." Kin grimaced. His last experience in the air was enough for one night, and he did not look forward to doing it again.
He looked at the karakasa-obake nervously. "Isn't there another way?"
"Do you want to get in there or not?" huffed the umbrella.
Kin sighed deeply and took hold of the umbrella's handle. That black egg had best be worth everything he was putting himself through.
"Right," chimed the umbrella pleasantly. "Get a good bounce, go straight up, and I'll take care of the rest. Try and shave of some of your weight when we get airborne."
Kin gulped, but set his gaze determinedly forward. He intended to win this race, and fear was an obstacle that he could handle. Just to rub the victory in Doan's cheeky fox face would be a prize in itself.
The tanuki ran, and then jumped, aimed his stomach at the ground (he thought he heard a small shriek as he did so) and...Boing! He bounced to an incredible height, immediately shutting his eyes as the ground spun away from him. A moment later there was a jerk on his arm, his grip tightened around the umbrella's handle, and he sensed them floating.
"I think it worked, tanuki-san," grunted the umbrella. "Now could you kindly transform into something smaller?"
"Huh? Oh. Yeah." Kin mentally went through his transformations, deciding which would be the most effective. He found he was having a hard time concentrating, because something was itching his stomach. Idly he scratched at it, but the itching only moved elsewhere. Annoyed, Kin opened his eyes, tried not to focus on the landscape below, and looked down at his belly. There was a tiny moth crushed into his fur, fluttering around madly.
Feeling bad, he reached down to pluck it out. The moth dizzily zipped about in his paw, and a moment later the moth was replaced with the paw of a fox.
Kin looked surprised. "Doan?"
The rumpled fox spirit glowered at the tanuki. "Of course! And watch where you're going next time! That really smarted when-"
"Augh! Too heavy!" This cry came from the karakasa-obake that held them aloft, just before its umbrella top folded up on itself and the trio of spirits plummeted toward the peaked roof of the large house below.
Now this would have gone badly, had it not been for the miser himself. Years of scrimping and saving and ignoring various structural repairs on his house, outside of keeping it up aesthetically, had left weak portions in its structure. Thus, when the three spirits hit the roof, part of it gave way beneath them. In a shower of planks, tiles and dust, the trio tumbled into an upper room of the house with a tremendous crash.
After a few moments of stunned silence, the umbrella spirit was the first to rise, balancing on the tip of its handle. Its painted eye rolled dazedly. "Is everyone alright?" it asked politely.
"Wonderful. Just wonderful," coughed Doan. He was once again in his semi-human guise, and he sat up rubbing the back of his head. His tails swished the debris away from him. "Not only am I crushed under a tanuki's giant gut, but then I'm dropped through a rotted roof. Sure. I'm doing swell." He prodded Kin, lying on his back just behind him. "What were you thinking?"
Kin groaned and got up. "What was I thinking? We're in the house, aren't we? Now we just need to find the black egg."
"We?" Doan was on his feet, fur bristling. "This is still a race! I still intend to get to it first!"
"Gentlemen," interjected the umbrella, "I'd like to point out that we are not alone here."
This gave them pause. They looked up, noticing for the first time the huge bed in the room, and the wide-eyed balding man staring back at them from it. His face was frozen in disbelief, and the covers were pulled up to his quivering chin. Doan recognized him as the miser right away.
"Oh," said Doan and Kin together. "Right."
A moment later, after the pair each assumed a form so horrifically terrifying it caused the man in bed to faint dead away, Kin said to Doan "So where do you propose we look?"
"What's with all this 'we' nonsense?" The kitsune sniffed indignantly. "Anyway, I don't know where they keep it. I think this race has now become a treasure hunt."
Again the umbrella chimed in. "A black egg, you say? There's one on display right over there."
It sat in a glass display case on a dressing table against the far wall, a tiny object glittering darkly amidst its bed of red silk. Tanuki and kitsune stared, their mouths hanging open. Finally Kin turned to the tsukumo-gami.
"You're really good at observing things, Obake-san."
"It's what I do," it chuckled.
Competition seemingly forgotten, the two spirits approached the case slowly, almost reverently. The egg was smooth and black, devoid of any scratches or imperfections. It looked like it had been cut from the dark space between stars, though weak light did reflect upon its surface, trying to escape the depths.
"I think it's obsidian," whispered Kin, who had no idea why he was whispering.
"Only one way to find out, right?" Doan grinned.
Together they reached for the covering glass and gently moved it aside. Outside of its casing, the egg looked like an ovoid hole of voidness in the red silk, and both tanuki and kitsune hesitated to touch it.
Doan chuckled nervously. "Well, go on Kin. I think you've won this one."
Kin nodded, but made no move to take the egg.
"Oh I couldn't, Doan, when you clearly got here first." He hiccuped nervously.
"I insist, old friend. Surely you want to, I don't know, crack it open and see what's inside."
"Well I did earlier, but now I don't think it's such a good idea." Kin shivered. "Could be anything in there."
Doan frowned. "I...think you might have a point, although the egg could be fake."
They stared at it for awhile in silence, the umbrella spirit drifting languidly in the background.
"Maybe," said Kin at last, "we should both take it?"
"Oh!" The kitsune smirked. "Well! Why didn't I think of that. We declare this race a tie, then?"
Kin smiled. "A tie."
They shook hands on this, and turned back to the egg.
A rending crash behind them was all the warning they got before they were knocked aside. Ruffled but unhurt, the pair shook their heads and focused in on the newcomer: Tsukiko, the pale woman herself panting and shuddering, while her other mouth grinned triumphantly, plucking the black egg from its place with a tendril of hair. No one had a chance to react before the egg was popped into the mouth and swallowed.
Stunned silence followed.
Then the other mouth belched. "Oi...I'm full."
It sighed, and the mass of hair suddenly fell limp. Tsukiko, startled, caught herself as the hair holding her up went slack. She looked surprised as she balanced on her own two feet.
"Goodness!" she gasped. "I wasn't expecting that!"
The umbrella spirit floated across to the kitsune and tanuki. "Friend of yours?"
"That's right," Doan answered, looking at the futa-kuchi-onna with disbelief. "How did you get in here, Tsukiko? There's wards all around the house."
"The back gate was left open," she said, her face slowly breaking into a smile amidst the wild tangle of her unkempt hair. She spread her arms and spun in a circle, seemingly reveling in the ability to do it on her own accord.
Kin and Doan looked at each other. They shrugged.
"I think she won," said Kin.
"I think she won," agreed Doan.
"Seems that way," added the umbrella.
The mouth on the back of Tsukiko's head snored quietly.
Tsukiko turned to her friends, hands on her hips, smiling hugely. "So, who wants to go get some tea?"