Anonymous 2008/05/01 (Thu) 15:41 No. 28817 Oh ho, why not just write the story ourselves.
You expose Reimu's mother as the one who murdered both your and Alice's mothers all those years ago. It takes a lot of time convincing Yuka, Marisa, your father, and even her own daughter to testify against her, but eventually you file a criminal complaint against her. The trial is slow and agonizing; as it progresses Mystia becomes mentally unstable from the reforming memories and her father's apparent involvement. Eventually, the miko is found guilty of a lesser crime and charged with a minimum sentence. She escapes jailtime, but is forced down from her position. But that's not enough for you, as you achieve much more success with the civil suit, and she becomes financially ruined.
You can't live at home, after knowing what your father and step-mother hid, even if they had their reasons. The final straw is when they have Mystia institutionalized. You gather a few belongings and, having no where else to go, you move next door. Keine is strict and allows little private time for you and Mokou, but her pity for you is deep.
Being in town is hell. People avoid you because they're afraid of being cursed by the (now former) Hakurei shrine maiden, or because you've ruined the town's image. Even your sisters have become distant at school, and the few times you go to see Mystia... well, you don't even want to think about it.
You and Mokou rarely go to school any more, but you at least put on a show for Keine's sake. Usually you hang out, but sometimes Mokou goes to do her own thing, and you go to the arcade. You and Kaguya don't really talk, you just play games against each other, so there was relatively little drama on her part when Mokou eventually decided to follow you one day. Mokou still gets seriously pissed, but acquiesces with a sigh after you win her a plush truck from a UFO catcher on the first try. Kaguya steals the truck out of her hands, but laughs and quickly hands it back to her with a roll of quarters. You begin to become the friends you once were after that. You and Mokou spend most of your time at the arcade, especially after business hours when Kaguya orders delivery and you can all get high and wasted.
This truck. It seems a running theme in your life. And you are stricken with an insane idea. It takes a month in planning, and you deplete the bank account created for you with the money from the civil suit you won against Reimu's mother. You put most of it up as collateral for a loan, and rope Kaguya into co-signing it, claiming it's because you have no credit and you need a vehicle. It is only later at her apartment that she lazily reads the legal documents and realizes how much money you are borrowing. You ignore her calls. Mokou comes by the arcade the next day looking for you. For an entire week, no one knows where you are. Mokou and Kaguya spend most of this time in the arcade office, out of shared worry and loneliness. Drinking to sedation, they remember old times together, and even air past grievances--without serious injury.
It is early morning when a loud airhorn sound wakes the both of them. Mokou follows sleepily as Kaguya unlocks and opens the arcade front door to see what the racket is. They are staggered by the sight. Against the light of the rising sun, a huge trailer truck is "parked" half-way on the sidewalk. Every inch of it is painted with crazy flames and moons and phoenixes and UFOs and shit. You kick open the driver door, and with a big shit-eating grin, you stand on the platform, slowly removing your Aviator sunglasses. Your two friends stare slackjawed.
"Which of you would like to play with this truck?"
You extend one hand, then two; Mokou and Kaguya look at each other with uncertain expressions, and walk towards the vehicle. Exerting quite a bit of effort, you manage to pull them both up the stairs and into the cab. The inside is surprisingly spacious, with bench seating for three people. As you turn the ignition, Kaguya, sitting nearer to you, is the only one able to speak. "Wha-, um... where are we going?" she manages while looking around at the interior. Mokou is leaning against the passenger door rubbing her temple in confoundment.
You shrug, "dunno lol, Vegas?; there's beer in back," and throw the shift into gear, which sticks out of the floor between Kaguya's legs. She with an "oh ho" expression looks at your hand and snorts amusedly. Mokou unfurrows her brow a little, and rifles through the back of the cab, mumbling "hair of the dog".
As you check your mirrors and turn the wheel, Mokou opens a bottle of beer with her lighter and chugs it. Throwing her feet up on the dash, she sighs and hands the beer to Kaguya, who is now fiddling with the radio controls.
You're only really on the road when Kaguya tunes the radio from static to playing something recognizable. Satisfied, she takes the Aviators out of your shirt pocket, and slips them on, sipping at the beer. Mokou rolls the window down and lights up a cigarette. You absently begin to sing along with the lyrics, "~hantoshi sugitaga~".
Driving towards the highway on-ramp, you recall that your memories never really did come back. But so what? The present and future matter more: The present is all right here in this truck. And the future?
"~nantokanare."
