12 Unlucky Dreamer on the Loose (2/2)

Giant Toad Pond, as its name implies, is a pond with a giant toad residing as its guardian. As long as you don't desecrate the pond, it won't attack you. Lotus flowers can be seen growing on the pond surface. Sunbeams also filter through the surrounding foliage. It looks just as beautiful in person as the illustrations did.

”It's so beautiful and looks so mysterious at the same time.” Maribel admired.

'You said it.'

I saw a small shrine besides the mountain path near the pond.

”Hey, Maribel-san, look, a shrine.” I alerted Maribel.

”A shrine?” she started approaching it. ”I wonder who built it?”

I followed suite. ”I don't know, but it must have been a religious fellow.” I took out two apples from my waist pouch. ”You wanna pray to it?”

I offered one of the apples to her.

”That's not a bad idea.” She smiled while taking the apple.

Then both of us placed our apples as offerings and we started praying to the shrine.

”May both of our journeys be safe.” I say my prayer.

Maribel looked at me.

”Aren't you supposed not to voice out your prayer?” she asked.

”Maybe, but I figure that since the gods are real in here, if I just voiced my prayer out loud, they'll hear me.” I answered with an unconcerned attitude.

”I see. Then, may both of our journeys be safe.” She made the same prayer as me.

Then both our offerings were gone.

”The apples are gone.”

”Eh?! Really?! There's something in there?!”

”I already said that the gods are real here, it's not surprising that it accepted our offerings.”

I turned toward Maribel.

”I'm going to search for Magical Ingredients, you can just sit and wait for me to finish. I'm sorry, but I can't let you help me, because only I know how to harvest it properly.” I said apologetically.

”No, no, I'm the one who should feel sorry, I'm the one who wished to tag along with Arah-kun, so it's okay to tell me to stay put if you deem it necessary.”

”Great.”

Then I started circling the pond, trying to pick as many Magical Ingredients as possible. Not including the Lotus in the Pond because it's forbidden, I think.

After a few minutes of collecting, I sensed the creature inside the pond leap out of the water, on top of giant lily pad in the middle of the pond.

It's the Giant Toad.

Seems like it sensed us. Correction, it's sensed ME, because it's staring at me right now.

I estimated the toad to be roughly the size of a car. It can swallow a child whole if it's that big.

'… Well, gotta do what everyone does.' I waved at it.

… It just kept staring at me.

Looking over at a panicking Maribel, she was making hand signs, but of course, I didn't understand any of them.

”It's okay! As long as you don't do anything to the pond, it won't attack you!” I shouted at her.

Maribel stopped making hand signs and started observing the toad. As for the toad, it kept staring at me.

'… Gotta get back to collecting stuff.'

-A few minute later-

”I think that's everything I can harvest right now.” I reported my results to Maribel.

”I see, then that mean it's time to go back, right?”

”Yup.”

She looked uneasy. Probably because of the toad, since, because I was standing right next to her, also meant the toad was staring in her direction.

”Speaking of going back, how do you go back from here?” I ask.

”Well, I just wake up and I will be back in my bedroom.”

”I see… Stay healthy, 'kay?”

”Hehe, don't worry, I will.” She smiled. ”And thanks for the gift, I appreciate it.” She said while holding the two pouch bags.

*pat* *pat*

… Did she just pat me?

”… Don't worry about it.”

She started going transparent, slowly but surely disappearing, until finally she was gone.

”*sigh* … I want to be taller faster.” I complained.

I started descending the mountain via the mountain path.

Just as I walked, I sensed something small following me from behind, and turned to look at it.

It was a frog.

”… Safe travel, huh.” I smiled at it.

-A Week Later, SDM-

​

-Maribel POV-​

… Where am I?

… A mansion?

A maid suddenly appeared in front of me?!

”A guest? Are you here to sightsee the mansion?” she tilted her head.

W-what do I say!? L-let's just say yes. ”Y-yes, I'm here to sightsee the mansion.”

”I see, then follow me, I will show you around.”

”O-okay.”

She showed me around the mansion. It's so interesting in here, everything is red. Every painting has a red color scheme, there's a fairy dressed as a maid, and a maid that can disappear and reappear at the blink of an eye - is she moving really fast?

Just as I took a cookie that the maid offered, I heard it.

”Piano music?” I wondered.

”Piano? Ah, it must be him. He arrived before you, he's really good at the piano. I think it should be okay to guide you to him.”

'Should be okay to guide me to him? Maid-san, what kind of people are you trying to introduce to me?'

But I was too interested to see who this person was, and just kept following where Maid-san was leading me.

As we kept walking, the sound of the piano kept getting louder and louder, until finally we arrived at a room.

”Here is the main ballroom. It's where we hold our frequent banquets.”

I was a wide and big room. There was a raised platform with a podium on it, and another platform with a piano.

Someone was playing it right then.

'A teenager?'

A teenager was playing it, he looked so absorbed while playing it that he had his eyes closed.

He opened his eyes.

'Did he notice us?'

He looked toward us, smiling while playing the piano.

He waved at us while playing?! He's a pro!

”… Arah-san…” the maid called him.

Ah… He stopped playing.

He got up from the piano chair and started approaching us.

He had short black hair and black eyes. He wore a black yukata with a black cloud motif, and appeared to be wearing black jeans under the yukata. He was wearing black leather sandals, had some kind of black line around his neck, and wore a pouch beside his waist. He looked so… Modern.

”Hello, good afternoon, Sakuya-san and guest-san.” He greeted us.

”A-ah, yes, hello and good afternoon to you too.” I replied.

”… Arah-san, I know you can play the piano well, but please don't do that ever again, it's unsightly.” Complained the maid.

”I'm sorry, Sakuya-san. I couldn't really stop playing because it was the good part of the music.” He excused, ”So, who is the guest?”

”Now that you ask, I don't know her name either.”

Both of them looked at me.

”M-my name is Maribel Hearn, nice to meet you.” I gave my introduction.

”A polite one, I see. The name's Arah, by the way, and the maid right here is named Izayoi Sakuya.” He introduced himself and the maid to me.

”Nice to meet you too, but Arah-san, I prefer to introduce myself rather than being introduced by others.” She clearly looked annoyed with it.

”… What about Remilia?”

”It's natural for my mistress to do that, so I don't have any complaints about it.” She said proudly.

They were talking about someone I didn't know. It was probably this mansion's owner because Sakuya-san called this someone her mistress.

”Now then, Maribel-san, what do you think about the music?”

”The music?” I asked.

”Yeah, the music that I just played. It's called ”Kid's festival –Innocent treasure-” and it has something to do with Yume-tagae, a prayer done to prevent a bad dream from coming true.”

… Prevent a bad dream from coming true?

”You know an awful lot about this song, Arah-san” Sakuya-san said.

”Of course, it's one of my favorite songs after all.” He said proudly. ”So, what do you think?” he looked toward me.

”I… can I hear it again please?”

”Of course.” He said cheerfully.

He then went back to the piano, and started playing.

At first the music started slow, but it picked up the pace pretty quickly in the middle. It mellowed out for a while, but then picked up the pace again, the music always keeping its cheerful tone even after its low tone, it's as if it keep going happily even after its low key.

I smiled when I listened to it.

He finished after about a minute of playing.

”How about it?” he asked me.

”It's wonderful, wish I could play it too.”

”Then do you want to try it?”

I just blinked at his offer.

”Don't worry, I can guide you through to the end.”

”… Really?”

”Yeah, trust me.”

I looked at Sakuya-san.

”Don't worry, if he does anything strange, I will punish him.” Sakuya-san assured me.

”… I'm not gonna do anything strange, Sakuya-san.”

Then I walked toward the piano.

”Just sit down on the chair.”

I sat down.

”Good, confidence is the first step in everything.” Said Arah-san.

”And then what do I do?” I looked at where I thought Arah-san was.

… He was sitting in mid air.

”Then, you will follow my lead.”

”?!” My hands suddenly started moving on their own.

”Don't worry, as I said, I will lead you.” He said, assuring me.

His hands and mine moved, mirroring each other, but I couldn't move them myself - did that mean Arah-san was controlling my hands instead?

My hands moved without my instruction, but they were creating music and I could feel each note as I kept pushing the keys.

It was weird at first, but… It's surprisingly fun.

I kept smiling as I was having fun until the end of the music.

”… Here's a cookie for making a girl laugh.” Said Sakuya-san while giving him cookie.

”Thank you.” Said Arah-kun.

Yes, Arah-kun. This was the first time I had fun in a dream. Usually, it's just me alone in a solitary place or getting chased by scary monsters, so meeting a friendly entity in my dream is really a rare occasion. And I think it's because of Arah-kun that I truly enjoyed this right then.

This feeling... I see, it's time.

”Everyone, I'm sorry. I think it's about time that I leave.” I announced my leaving to the two people.

”I see, then please come again to this mansion, honored guest.” She bowed toward me.

”Oh, before you go, Maribel-san, if we meet again and I don't remember you, please hum the music we played together and say its name. I'm sure the me at that time will understand what's going on.” Said Arah-kun.

”It's a bit lengthy but I will try my best if we met again, Arah-kun.” I replied.

I waved at them as everything started to go dim.

'I should tell Renko about this dream, I'm sure she'll be happy to hear it.' I smiled.

And everything turned dark.

-Me POV-​

And she's gone, that's one problem solved.

”… There's a reason why I said that to her.” I tried giving my excuse.

”... Hoh~ a reason, is it. A reason that you will forget that nice girl.” Sakuya said coldly at me.

”…Please believe me that there really is an important reason why I said that.” I REALLY tried giving my excuse.

”Yes, yes, an important reason.” Said Sakuya with the same tone.

I felt Sakuya summoning her Knife Danmaku.

”… Can you listen to my reason first?” I asked her.

”… What are the rules?” Sakuya asked me.

… Fuck my life.

Author note:

Heyo, Author here. Here it is, it's on schedule dude, I did it! As You guys probably know, Maribel ability is giving her random time line to teleport to, hence that's why I started off with her knowing about Arah, while I put her first meeting with Arah at the end of the chapter. As for her frequency of appearance in my story, uuuuuuuh, she probably not gonna appear for a really long time.

About theory of Maribel and Yukari is the same person, there's no official statement that they are the same person, so they are different person but have similar taste in my story.

As for ZUN theme, yup, it's one of my favorite themes in Touhou, and highly rated in my book.