Yokai

by Dave Ferraro

  Reina was silent beside her as she peered at mirrors of strangers’ bedrooms, the insides of student lockers, full-length views of bathrooms, and the dark outline of makeup in closed cases. “This is…weird.”

  Yumiko nodded in agreement. It felt like she was peering into people’s lives, spying on them. She felt like she should be averting her eyes.

  Reina paused before a square mirror and pointed to the image within. The front desk of the love hotel. “He can see everything.”

  “Yes, he can.”

  Reina swallowed hard. “I feel violated. I am never walking in front of a mirror again.”

  “Now you know how I feel,” Yumiko chuckled, looking ahead to find Brian watching her. She looked away quickly, realizing that he’d overheard. Well, he should feel bad. And ashamed. She’d been in constant fear of Kagami’s eyes on her for over a decade, avoiding mirrors as much as possible. He should know how much it hurt her, how it had affected her life. Even if it hurt him to know, he needed to understand what her life had been like, what he had shaped it into following their encounter. It had been unnerving never knowing if she was being watched.

  “Look at all of these bathrooms, you pervert,” Reina said loudly, to lighten the mood.

  A few kappa turned to stare at her, but then continued about their business, shuffling along the hallway, peering into mirrors as they looked for Shou.

  “It’s like a dream come true,” Tanuki mumbled, eyes wide.

  “You would think so,” Reina scoffed.

  “This could take us forever,” Yumiko said, crossing her arms, not feeling particularly good about herself for peering into these people’s lives unbidden. She saw a little girl brushing her teeth at the instruction of her mother, and a strange longing came over her. Had Brian watched Yumiko in mirrors and longed for her? Had he averted his eyes at the appropriate moments? Yumiko found herself looking at Brian again, wondering, when he lifted his eyes to hers again.

  “I’ve always respected your privacy,” he said softly.

  Yumiko nodded, but looked away, embarrassed at the implications.

  “The female is right,” Enenra sighed, loudly. “I can cover more ground much faster.”

  “Then do it,” Brian invited him, gesturing up the hallway.

  Enenra smiled, like he’d just been promised chocolate, then winked at Yumiko. He turned to run up the hall, and jumping, twirled mid-air as his body seemed to disintegrate, losing cohesion and turning into smoke. Before long, a roiling cloud of gray smoke floated purposefully down the hallway, tendrils roiling from it, brushing the surface of mirrors as it passed them. And then Yumiko could no longer see the cloud at all.

  “How do you manage this many mirrors?” Reina wondered. “It’s overwhelming.”

  “It is,” Brian agreed, offering her a smile. “And I don’t watch them all, or care for them. This hall does it all. New mirrors appear overnight, others vanish without warning, and some merely become fragments of what they once were. They are always free of dust and streaks.” He shrugged. “But I only stroll through the hall every once in a while. I don’t sit and stare for hours on end or anything too creepy. I promise.”

  “Wasted opportunity,” Tanuki shook his head, stopping as a woman stepped out of a shower.

  Reina nudged him along with more force than was necessary. “But you checked in on Yumiko.”

  Yumiko didn’t lift her head as she felt several eyes settle on her at once.

  “I did check on Yumiko,” Brian agreed, voice low. “But only long enough to make sure that she was safe.”

  “How noble,” Yumiko couldn’t help but mutter.

  Brian sighed and Reina pursed her lips.

  After another minute, Reina gasped. “How pretty!”

  Yumiko peered over her shoulder to see a vast darkness filled with twinkling lights and pink gaseous nebulas. “What is this?”

  “Some probe in space,” Brian said, a smile stretching across his face slowly. “I’ve seen some very beautiful sights from that mirror over the years.”

  “I believe it,” Reina whispered.

  Brian noted the interest in her eyes and gestured to another mirror across the hall. “And what do you think of this one?”

  Reina followed his direction and stopped before another mirror, her mouth hanging open.

  Yumiko, curious, stepped up behind Reina to stare into what appeared to be a blue forest, teaming with strange, twisting mushrooms made of glass, and flowers that swayed back and forth. “Where is that?”

  “Another dimension,” Brian shrugged, like it was no big deal.

  Reina blinked and then shoved him. “You’re putting us on.”

  “No, I’m really not,” Brian assured her, chuckling. “Many yokai have gone to different dimensions over the years. As long as a mirror from Earth makes its way there, I can see it as well.”

  “But a different dimension?” Yumiko couldn’t help getting caught up in the idea. “Is that even possible?” She stared into the mirror as something like a seahorse floated across the surface and was suddenly swallowed by one of the moving flowers. She gasped and grabbed Brian’s arm instinctively. When she realized what she’d done, she slowly let go of him, but not before she saw the tenderness in his eyes. The longing.

  Swallowing hard, she turned away. “I can’t believe that it’s another dimension,” she said, softly.

  “It’s just a place,” Brian told her. “As long as it’s a place, and as long as a mirror can get there, it will appear on this wall.”

  “And you could walk into that dimension,” Reina said, suddenly excited. “Like, you could bring us there?”

  Brian bit his lip. “Yes, I could. However, that particular world has an atmosphere that wouldn’t support your delicate human body.”

  Reina frowned. “Delicate human body? Really?” She turned to Yumiko. “I think he just insulted us.”

  “It was more of a compliment, really,” Brian tried, but Reina stalked away. Yumiko, amused by the exchange, just sat back and watched as he followed Reina, trying to reword how he described their bodies.

  And then the room filled with smoke as Enenra returned.

  “That was quick,” Reina commented.

  The smoke seemed to converge on a single point, like being sucked into a vacuum, and after a moment, the smoke pulsed and formed into the previous shape of a handsome young man. He smiled triumphantly at them.

  “Well?” Brian asked, crossing his arms.

  “It’s not much further ahead,” Enenra announced, voice full of pride. “The human appears unharmed.”

  “His name’s Shou,” Reina said, stepping past him rudely and stomping up the hall.

  Enenra watched her retreating form. “Don’t I get a reward?”

  Brian smiled tightly. “Thank you, Enenra. But people don’t do good deeds for rewards. They do them because they should be done.”

  Enenra seemed to mull this over as Yumiko followed in Reina’s footsteps.

  “Shouldn’t I be praised, at least?” Enenra asked, confused. Brian didn’t even bother to answer and they fell into silence as they walked up the hallway.

  Yumiko gestured for Enenra to lead the way, and he obliged, finding pleasure in leading them, at least.

  “I’m sorry,” Brian said quietly as he fell into step beside Yumiko. “He can be a little-“

  “He’s fine,” Yumiko interrupted, not looking at Brian. “He’s a strong warrior. That’s what we need right now, no matter what form they come in.”

  Brian blinked, then nodded, matching her steps until they saw Enenra stop ahead, and Reina pause to lean over as she peered into a mirror.

  Silently, Yumiko stepped up to the mirror and saw Shou tied to a chair and gagged in a desert, a sand dune rising behind him. The sun beat down on him, pasting his hair to his forehead as sweat covered every inch of his skin. His head kept drooping, but he didn’t seem to be harmed. He seemed to be struggling to stay awake and alert, shaking his head to ward off unco
nsciousness.

  “That is definitely a trap,” Reina muttered, fixing her eyes on the lone figure in the mirror. “He’s at least a hundred feet away from the mirror, which gives anyone lying in wait plenty of time to attack.”

  “And we can’t see behind the mirror,” Brian said slowly. “There could be an army waiting, ready to step between us and our chance to escape.”

  “It doesn’t matter.” Yumiko lifted her chin. “I’m going to rescue him, no matter the odds.”

  “No,” Brian said, frowning at her. “I’ll go.”

  Yumiko glared at him. “No offense, but that’s my friend out there. I’m going in to save him, whether you say that I can or not.”

  “And what if we’re both captured?” Brian demanded, stepping up so that they were looking each other in the face. “What then? Who’s going to rescue both of us if whatever’s waiting out there is too much for us to handle? We need you here.”

  Yumiko pressed her lips together in a hard line to stop herself from offering some sort of retort. She knew that he was right. If they were both captured, this would all be over. They couldn’t really rely on Enenra or Reina to launch another rescue attempt.

  Yumiko’s eyes darted to the kappa, who stood to the side, half-hidden in shadow. “They aren’t going to be able to help you in the desert. They would die too quickly.”

  “I know,” Brian touched her shoulder affectionately, and before Yumiko knew what she was doing, she covered his hand with her own and offered it a squeeze. His eyes met hers and held it. “I’ll take Enenra with me. We’ll save your friend. I promise.”

  Exhaling deeply, Yumiko nodded, and was disappointed when he dropped his hand from her shoulder. It still felt warm for a moment as her skin and clothes retained his body heat, but it faded quickly. Her heart began to beat faster as she realized that she wanted to feel his warmth now, more than anything. She wanted to be comforted in his arms. She wanted this whole thing behind them. She was tired of battle. So tired.

  Brian nodded to Enenra and they both stood before the mirror, facing the harsh desert with resolve, unseen enemies waiting in the wings.

  “Alright,” Brian said softly, gripping a sword tightly in hand. “Let’s do this.”

  Enenra nodded and they charged through the mirror.

  Yumiko watched as they stepped through the mirror, their bodies wavering like heat over asphalt. Reina clutched her arm anxiously, and Yumiko offered her hand a reassuring squeeze in return, but Reina didn’t seem to notice. Her eyes were glued to the mirror and the scene unfolding before them.

  Once they’d stepped cautiously into the desert, Brian and Enenra looked around slowly, searching for signs of trouble, but apparently, they didn’t see any, for they took off for Shou at a run.

  “Ge! Ge! Ge!” Enenra yelled into the sky, to Yumiko’s alarm.

  “Shut up!” Brian told him, punching him in the shoulder.

  Enenra laughed like he’d never had so much fun. “You think they don’t know we’re here already? Just waking them up in case they fell asleep!”

  Brian scowled and they continued in silence.

  It seemed to take them forever to reach Shou, their feet sinking into the sand with each step as they ran together. Yumiko watched them, trying to remain expressionless, while her heart hammered within her. Reina gripped her arm tighter as the kappa watched the proceedings silently behind them.

  Yumiko noted that Shou was shaking his head vigorously, but that didn’t deter Brian. He kept barreling through the sand, Enenra at his heels.

  And then they reached him.

  And the sand exploded around them.

  Oni pulled themselves out of the sand, where they’d lay hidden beneath the dead soil. Their bulky forms slowed them somewhat and Brian took advantage of this, beheading four of them before they ever had their bodies free of sand. But there were dozens. They had no chance of besting them all.

  Reina turned away, hiding her face in Yumiko’s shoulder with a moan of dismay. But Yumiko couldn’t look away. She watched Brian as he fought the oni with conviction, bravely meeting their steel with his own, barking orders to Enenra to get Shou to safety.

  “I’m going in there,” Yumiko said, standing tall.

  “Oh, no, you don’t,” Tanuki said, leaping into her path. “I won’t let you.”

  Yumiko grinned down at him, a little surprised by his boldness. “You think you can stop me?”

  “Long enough to keep you from throwing your life away,” Tanuki said through his teeth.

  Blinking, Yumiko watched him for a moment, then stepped down. Tanuki was right. If she threw herself into the fray, she would be helping no one. She would only be making Shuten-Doji’s job easier.

  A cackling from the mirror drew Yumiko’s attention and she saw Oni-Baba, in the form of a beautiful geisha. She charged Brian with two hand fans tipped with wicked razor-sharp knives, poking out from her long white kimono sleeves. She viciously attacked him, twirling and tumbling as if she were performing some exotic, but deadly dance. Brian met her blows easily enough, but the other oni also took advantage of his split attention. One blue-faced oni slashed Brian’s shoulder easily, and blood splashed to the sand as he grunted. The oni was dead a moment later, but already Brian was weakening, his blood soaking through his shirt.

  Meanwhile, Enenra was getting away with Shou, who leaned heavily on the yokai. They were making good time, however, as Enenra’s lower body had turned to smoke and seemed to be propelling them forward quickly. The smoke also served as a screen to deter would-be attackers, who kept their distance, practically allowing Shou’s escape. And why wouldn’t they? They had who they really wanted surrounded.

  Yumiko stepped forward subconsciously and Tanuki growled at her. She stopped and glanced at him briskly before returning her eyes to the fight.

  Another blow was delivered to Brian’s right forearm, and he hissed in pain as he deflected another array of strong blows from Oni-Baba, who was cackling loudly, certain in her victory.

  “Damn it,” Yumiko swore, clenching her fists.

  Enenra reached the mirror and held out a hand. Yumiko frowned, then realized that he couldn’t walk through the mirror himself. He needed help, and shook his hand impatiently at her again.

  Yumiko stumbled over to the mirror and pushed her hand through, grabbing hold of Enenra’s wrist roughly, then yanking him and Shou through, and into The Hall of Mirrors.

  Shou fell to the floor with a grunt, and one of the kappa leaned over him, offering him some of the water from the shallow dip on top of its head. Shou didn’t seem picky, however, and drank it down greedily. Reina grabbed his hand and Shou flashed her a reassuring smile. “Miss me?” he asked, voice hoarse.

  Reina nodded, biting her lower lip. “Yeah, you idiot.”

  He nodded and lay his head back on the floor, exhausted.

  Yumiko looked up at the mirror in time to see Oni-Baba thrust a dagger into Brian’s shoulder. She gasped, drawing everyone else’s attention.

  “I’ll help him,” Enenra offered, walking over to the mirror again.

  Tanuki frowned. “No, wait. What is that?”

  Yumiko squinted as she stared into the mirror. Something seemed to be approaching the mirror. It was small, like a bird. And fast, determined to run into the mirror. Eyes widening, Yumiko glanced up at Brian again. At the moment she realized that his sword was no longer in his hands, the sword slammed into the mirror, shattering it. Yumiko had just enough time to look up into Brian’s blue eyes one last time before the mirror vanished, as if it had never been there.

  The hall was silent for a moment as they all stood there, gaping at where the mirror had been just a few seconds earlier. Brian was gone.

  “He knew it was hopeless,” Tanuki said, voice soft. “He made sure that none of us would do something stupid.”

  “Fool,” Yumiko shook her head. “What gives him the right to be a martyr?”

  Reina looked up at her sympathetically, which made Yumiko ev
en madder for some reason. She didn’t know what she felt. Brian was…lost.

  “We’re going to have to rescue him too, then,” Yumiko decided.

  “You think he sacrificed himself just so you could throw your life away?” Tanuki asked.

  “I don’t care why he did it,” Yumiko snapped. “I’m getting him back.”

  “Why?” Enenra asked her, crossing his arms and looking amused. “Could it be that you actually care for him?”

  Yumiko glared at him. “People don’t just turn their backs on their friends when things get hard.”

  Enenra grinned at her, and she met the smugness in his eyes with a scowl.

  “We’ll get him,” Reina said, suddenly looking determined. “We will.”

  “Count me in,” Shou added, sitting up.

  “Shou,” Reina pushed him back down. “You need to rest.”

  Shou closed his eyes and lay his head back down. “Give me one night. One night to get my strength back. Then we can go after him.”

  Yumiko was about to protest, but he opened his eyes and stared into Yumiko’s with such intensity that she was taken aback.

  “Please, Yumiko,” he pleaded. “Let me do this. He saved my life. I owe him.”

  Yumiko bit her lip and looked away. As much as she wanted to charge right in and rescue Brian immediately, she knew that they needed to stop and assess the situation more carefully. They needed a plan of attack. Grudgingly, she nodded. “We leave tomorrow morning then.”

  Enenra rubbed his hands together happily. “Another fight so soon. How exciting.”

  Yumiko blinked at him. “You’re coming?”

  “Of course I’m coming,” Enenra scoffed, looking offended. He tilted his head and looked down at Shou. “And I want this male as my reward.”

  Yumiko rolled her eyes. “Like Brian said, you don’t get to own humans.”

  Shou gestured to Enenra to help him up.

  Enenra obliged, watching him curiously.

  “You can’t own me,” Shou told him, leaning into him. “Humans are free to do what they want.”

  Enenra looked disappointed, but shrugged nonchalantly. “I will come to accept this. It is unfortunate though. I like pretty things.”