NOVEL WEB Chapter 38: Gaia
After that peculiar encounter, Kusa decided to have a relaxing time with the Scarlet sisters. The three of them played various games, from hide-and-seek in the grand library to enjoying some of Remilia's "bloody" tea, which was surprisingly delightful. They laughed and shared stories, and for a while, the weight of the recent events seemed to fade away.
As the sun began to set, Kusa bid her farewell to the Scarlet sisters and made her way back to the shrine. She flew through the colorful skies of Gensokyo, feeling grateful for the moments of fun and camaraderie she had experienced. The day had been filled with unexpected twists, but it was the little moments of joy that made it all worthwhile.
With a contented smile, Kusa returned to the shrine.
--
"I'm back!" Kusa announced her return, her voice filled with cheer.
"Welcome back!" Reimu greeted her with a warm smile.
"Why are you late, Kusa?" Marisa asked, looking somewhat aggrieved as she lay on the floor engrossed in a book.
Kusa explained, "I just visited the Scarlet sisters," making Reimu nod in understanding, knowing that Kusa had formed a close bond with them.
"I see..." Marisa replied softly, her grumbling about not being informed about the visit fading.
Kusa then dropped a bombshell, saying, "Well, I'm going to evolve, so I'll be gone for a little bit..." This unexpected announcement left Marisa and Reimu looking at her incredulously.
"What?" Kusa asked, puzzled by their reactions.
"Why can't you evolve here?" Marisa inquired, concerned about Kusa's well-being and wanting to monitor the process closely.
Kusa explained, "I need to go to the deepest part of the world to complete this process," emphasizing the necessity of this journey as she prepared to assume the title of Gaia, ruler of the entire planet.
"Are you going to be gone for long...?" Reimu asked Kusa, her concern evident in her tone. She worried about how long Kusa's absence would last, as an extended period without her assistance might prove challenging.
Kusa reassured her, "No, it's just going to be very short, maybe a day or two." She wanted to alleviate Reimu's worries since she understood the importance of her presence.
Marisa, on the other hand, remained visibly sour, and her reluctance was plain to see.
"Please don't pout; I won't be gone for too long," Kusa said, trying to comfort Marisa. She gently rubbed Marisa's cheeks in an attempt to soothe her, but Marisa remained unyielding.
The door swung open to reveal Mokou, who had returned.
"I'm back," Mokou announced, her attention drawn to Marisa's petulant expression and Kusa's attempts to placate her.
"What happened?" Mokou inquired, turning to Reimu for an explanation. Reimu proceeded to fill her in on the situation.
--
As Marisa and Mokou initially refused to budge from their silent protest, Kusa couldn't help but find the situation somewhat amusing. She sighed and approached them, knowing she needed to win them over. With gentle kisses and sweet words, she eventually managed to convince them to allow her to go on her brief journey.
Reimu, though slightly jealous, couldn't stay mad for long. Kusa kissed her too and reassured her with affectionate words.
"If you aren't back in two days, I'll make sure to pour all my love towards you!" Marisa declared, her frustrations showing as she hugged Kusa tightly, reciprocating the embrace.
Mokou, with her form of fiery determination, chimed in, "While I will make sure to burn you till you die!" Her intentions were clear: she wanted Kusa to return swiftly. She hugged Kusa tightly as well, their warmth and closeness providing reassurance.
Reimu, ever the responsible one, offered a parting assurance, "I'll make sure they won't cause too much chaos." Her slight smile conveyed confidence in her abilities to keep things in order.
Kusa patted Reimu's head, a symbol of their bond, and smiled back. "I'm sure you will," she said, her voice filled with warmth and affection.
With their farewells said, Kusa transformed into a green light and descended to the ground, leaving behind a small sapling as a sign of her presence and eventual return.
--
In the heart of the Earth, amidst the molten seas of fire and the pulsating veins of nature's essence, Kusa stood as a beacon of divinity. The world around her bowed to her presence, acknowledging the ancient pact forged between her and the very essence of existence.
As she stood there, her form transformed, a metamorphosis that was both awe-inspiring and humbling. Her very being resonated with the throbbing life force of the world, her body a canvas upon which the cosmos itself painted its divine masterpiece.
Her once-human form expanded and radiated with a profound luminescence, casting ethereal light in all directions. Her eyes, once mortal, now held the wisdom of the ages, shimmering with the secrets of the universe. Her skin became a tapestry of living energy, coursing with the boundless power of creation and destruction.
She absorbed the searing heat of the Earth's core, channeling it into an unstoppable force of nature. Her presence was no longer that of a mere shrine maiden but of a celestial being, intimately connected to the cosmos, bearing the weight of existence itself.
As the essence of the world coursed through her, her aura expanded, encompassing not just the Earth but the very universe. The ground trembled in reverence, and the heavens themselves seemed to bow to her majesty.
In this sacred space, Kusa evolved, transcending the limitations of humanity, and embracing her destiny as the guardian of the world's balance. Her transformation was not just a change in form; it was a testament to the enduring bond between a deity and the realm they vowed to protect.
--
On the surface, beneath the vast open sky where the Hakurei Shrine stood, despair seemed to have cast its shadow over the two girls, Marisa and Mokou. They were both restless, their faces painted with worry, as if time itself had slowed to a crawl in Kusa's absence.
Reimu, the shrine maiden who had seen countless situations like this before, couldn't help but shake her head at their despair. She understood their concern but also knew that Kusa would return, just as she had promised.
"A day hasn't even passed, and look at yourselves," Reimu admonished, her tone firm yet caring. "Kusa will be back before you know it."
Her words seemed to penetrate the gloom that had settled over Marisa and Mokou. They blinked, their despondent expressions slowly giving way to a glimmer of hope.
"That's right," Marisa said, her voice gaining a touch of determination. "We shouldn't lose hope so easily."
Mokou nodded in agreement, realizing that moping around wouldn't bring Kusa back any faster. "You're right, Reimu."
With renewed spirits, the trio decided to cook a meal together. As they prepared the ingredients, laughter, and camaraderie filled the shrine once more. They would wait for Kusa's return with smiles on their faces, knowing that their partner would come back to them.
--
Two days had passed, and the atmosphere around the Hakurei Shrine remained heavy with worry and anticipation. Marisa, Mokou, and Reimu were all feeling the absence of their partner deeply.
"She still isn't here..." Marisa sighed, her voice filled with sadness and yearning for Kusa's return.
Mokou's anxiety was clear in her voice as she muttered, "Did something happen to her?"
Reimu, ever the beacon of hope, reassured them with conviction, "I'm sure she will come back! She promised after all."
And then, as if in response to their longing, a sudden exclamation shattered the tension. "Surprise!!!"
All three girls turned their heads to see Kusa standing there, but she looked entirely different. Her light green hair, brown at the bottom, was adorned with an ahoge that resembled a blade of grass. A white flower wreath encircled the ahoge, and her yellow eyes sparkled with mischief. Kusa's new outfit consisted of a yellow dress and skirt, accented by a brown leather corset belt.
Their shock quickly turned to joy as the trio simultaneously exclaimed, "Kusa!!!"
With uncontainable excitement, they rushed towards Kusa. However, in their eagerness, they bumped into her, causing all four of them to tumble to the ground in a heap.
"Oi...!!!" Kusa tried to protest, but her words were drowned in laughter as they lay there, tangled up in a mix of emotions—joy, relief, and love stronger than ever before.
--
Kusa, with her new appearance, was peacefully gathering flowers and humming a tune when a sudden gust of wind tousled her hair, causing her to shield her eyes with her hands.
"Ohhh... A new face!" Aya exclaimed enthusiastically, not recognizing Kusa.
"Pardon for the intrusion, but can I take a picture with your bullets?" Aya asked, assuming the person before her was strong, given that they were gathering flowers beneath the Youkai Mountains.
Kusa, always ready for mischief, decided to play along. She removed her hands from her face, revealing her changed appearance, and widened her eyes in feigned surprise, as if she were a helpless girl cornered by a villain. As she did so, the flowers she had gathered tumbled to the ground.
"Please don't eat me..." Kusa spoke softly, trying to sound as innocent as possible. Aya was taken aback by this sudden turn of events.
"Ehh?!" Aya exclaimed, clearly not expecting to find an ordinary human in such a location.
"Wait!! I'm not here to hurt you at all! Why is a human like you here at the foot of the mountain? It's dangerous!!" Aya hurriedly scolded Kusa, her initial curiosity giving way to concern for the safety of a seemingly defenseless human.
Kusa couldn't hold back her laughter any longer, and she erupted into fake tears and sobs.
"Don't cry!!!" Aya panicked, worried that human tears would surely attract Youkai.
Aya was unsure about how to handle the situation and decided to forcibly escort the human back to safety before any dangerous Youkai appeared. She cautiously approached the trembling human, who had now covered her face with a basket, making it seem as if she were shaking with fear.
"Hahahahahaha!" Laughter erupted, a sound so familiar to Aya after numerous successful pranks.
"Kusa???!!!" Aya exclaimed, her uncertainty starting to fade as she recognized that distinctive laugh.
The human set down her basket, revealing herself to be none other than Kusa. Aya's flustered expression turned into a mix of relief and amusement.
"Ehh...? Are you Kusa?" Aya inquired, still somewhat uncertain since voice alone could sometimes be misleading.
"Of course!" Kusa replied with a grin, enjoying Aya's flustered reaction. With a flick of her wrist, Roots gently collected the scattered flowers and neatly arranged them back into the basket.
"Thanks, plants!" Kusa expressed her gratitude, Aya's surprise was evident as she watched the grasses instantly regain their vibrancy, becoming healthier.
"Ehh?!!! How?!!!" Aya exclaimed in amazement, her mind struggling to comprehend the miraculous transformation. It was a far cry from Kusa's previous method of using bullets to revitalize the plants.
"I'm the goddess of nature and earth now," Kusa stated matter-of-factly. To Aya, this revelation felt like a heavy realization, almost as if the world had shifted under her feet.
Aya's brain seemed to experience a momentary short-circuit as she processed this information.
"It seems I broke her..." Kusa remarked with a bemused expression, not quite understanding the extent of Aya's disbelief.
"If I remember correctly, there are said to be 8 million gods in this world... so gods are quite common if you know where to find them," Kusa casually shared with Aya.
Kusa snapped her fingers, and it appeared that Aya regained some clarity.
"Please tell me it's a joke..." Aya pleaded, clearly finding it difficult to accept the idea of so many gods coexisting.
"Nope! There are millions of small spaces connected throughout the world, and gods often use these spaces to traverse from one world to another," Kusa explained, revealing the knowledge she had gained after becoming Gaia.
"I don't even know how to feel about all this..." Aya muttered, her mind still grappling with the enormity of Kusa's revelation.
"Eirin, Minoriko, Shizuha, Hina, Sanae, Kanako, and Suwako are all gods, you know?" Kusa pointed out, listing some well-known figures in Gensokyo's pantheon, earning a nod of acknowledgment from Aya.
"But... You're something more than that, aren't you? The mother of gods, if my information is correct," Aya observed, hinting that Kusa's divine status was on another level entirely.
"Just relax. You've never been one to be afraid of thousand-year-old gods and fighting them, so why treat me any differently?" Kusa reassured Aya, emphasizing that, despite her newfound status, she was still the same Kusa.
"Fine..." Aya relented, realizing that she was indeed still dealing with Kusa, regardless of her divine status.
"You still want to photograph my bullets, right?" Kusa inquired mischievously, her eyes gleaming with playfulness.
Aya averted her gaze slightly, unable to meet Kusa's eyes, and began to sweat nervously.
"Ready or not, here I go!" Kusa declared as she activated her spell card, "Sun Sign: Radiant Prism Spiral!"
Aya was taken aback as a dazzling array of colorful bullets filled her vision. With swift movements, she dodged the bullets, but her surprise grew as Kusa's spell card introduced a new element – flower-patterned red bullets – into the mix.
With her camera in hand, Aya continued to capture the mesmerizing display of bullets created by Kusa's spell card. She deftly maneuvered through the colorful projectiles, ensuring that none of them made contact.
As Aya focused on recording the spectacle, Kusa decided to add a bit of complexity to the patterns. She raised her left hand, and a mesmerizing spiral of crimson bullets blossomed outward, resembling the unfurling petals of a flower. Aya adjusted her camera to capture this captivating formation.
However, Kusa had another trick up her sleeve. With a sly grin, she began to apply additional pressure, making sure Aya didn't have the chance to leisurely snap pictures. Green orbs materialized around her, creating an intricate dance of projectiles, while violet orbs merged with the green ones, creating a frosty explosion of colors.
Aya found herself not only navigating the elaborate bullet patterns but also trying to evade the frosty bursts of orbs. Her camera clicked away, capturing the intricate dance of projectiles and the vibrant explosions, all while her heart raced with exhilaration.
The two continued their playful bullet danmaku, a unique dance between grass and tengu, each contributing to the creation of a visual spectacle that would undoubtedly become a legendary addition to Aya's collection of photographs.
