You don't remember where you heard about it first.
A name whispered in back alleys. A thing said to be beyond comprehension. A being formed of titanium, magic, a soul, and fury. A messenger of a divine. A rice thresher in the shape of a fox that was perfectly fine with threshing human souls from the husk they called a body.
Some said it lived near Sendai Station. Others said it resided near Takekoma Inari. Others still lead you to this cafรฉ ran by a witch and her doll lovers. The cafรฉ was cozy, but busy. It didn't look like where something like it would be. You went up to the counter and while you could read the sign, you knew you were out of place. The way you spoke clashing with everyone's rustic accent. It was humiliating that you had to ask the barista three times to explain the special before accepting defeat and instead you order a dupio.
The patrons' eyes burrowed into your soul.
Then woman with a shaved head, and a jackal like face sat across from you. Shi wore a JAXA shirt but in vibrant green. Hir pants were denim, and shi had a cane. " ่ฆ็ฅใใฌ้กใ ใชใไฝใๆขใใซใใใ๏ผ[What are you seeking stranger?]" You were thankful shi spoke with slight English accented Japanese, much like a coworker you have back in Tokyo.
"ๆฉๅๅฝๅฉฆใๆขใใฆใใใ[I'm seeking the Myobu Engine.]" You said. Then you notice the cafรฉ was silent. You look, and all that's left of the other patrons is you and the jackal looking woman. You swallow a lump in your throat
The bald woman nods and sips at hir tea. "ใชใใปใฉใใชใใใใคใๆขใใซๆฅใใฎใ๏ผ[I see. Why are you seeking it?]"
"ๅคขใชใไฝใงใๅถใใใใใ ใใใงใใ[There are those who say it can make dreams real.]"
"ไบบ้ใฎๅฟ่ใ้ฃใใจใใ่ฉฑใใใใใใ [There are those who also say it eats human hearts.]" Not that you hadn't heard that before but it was still horrifying. " ใใใชใใชใใใฎๅฑ้บใๅใใ[So... why risk it?]"
"ไปใซ้ ผใใๅ ดๆใฏใชใใใ [Because... I have no where else to go.]"
"ใใใใจๆใฃใใใๅใฏใใใปใฉใใใฃใฑใกใ ใใช [Yup, that scans. You are that desperate aren't you?]"
You hang your head in shame. " ใใใงใใใ[I am.]"
The Jackal faced woman pointed to a back door. "่ฃ้ใใซใใใฏใใฎใชใใใขใฏใใใใกใใใจใใใใใชใใจ้้ใใฏ็กใใฃใใ้ใใใใใใฏๆใใซๆฑบใพใฃใฆใใใๆฐๆฆใ่จผๆใงใใใฐใใใใฏๅฟ ใ้กใไบใ่ใ [There is a door that shouldn't be there in the alley. Open it, but only if you are positive that is the only option you have. It will be displeased with you, but if you can prove your mettle to it, it will listen.]"
You eye the door. It was ominous. You turn to face the woman again, and find hir gone. The cafรฉ was full again. The watch on your wrist chiming that it was midday. There was no better time than now.
No one stopped you as you went for the door, but the barista looks at you in fear. You step into an alley and like the jackal woman said there was a door. It looks like the door to an American home that lead nowhere. You hesitate before opening the door.
Inside should not exist. The door should have lead to a wall, to an apartment, to nothing. What greeted you was something more rural than your life in the city prepared you for. There are rice fields lit with lanterns that glowed like moonlight, bipedal silhouettes attended to them. The mountains look like something you saw out of an old film, and you have never seen that many stars in one place ever. Finally, something sat in a rocking chair, long shapes lashing slightly as it rocks. You walk in, and close the door. There was a brief puzzle of whether or not to take off your shoes. Keeping them on won out given you were outdoors and in the middle of the night.
You walk towards the figure in the chair. "ไบบ้ใฏใชใฌใใฌๅใ ใพใงๆฅใ ใฎใฃใใ๏ผ[What is a human doing here?]" Came a husky feminine voice, the rustic accent sounded refined and discerning as compared to the others in the cafรฉ.
"่ฒดๆนใฏๆฉๅๅฝๅฉฆใใใใงใใ๏ผ[Are... are you the Myobu Engine?]"
The figure stops rocking, the long shapes that you now recognize as tails stopped moving. It stood up with practiced care. "ใใใ ใฃใกใใ[That I am.]" It turns to face you, eyes glowing like the full moon. ". ใใใฎ็ธๅผตใใพใงใชใซใใซๆฅใใใ ใใ๏ผ[What brings you to my domain.]" It demands.
The eyes froze you. " ๅฎถๆใๅใๆปใใใใฎใงใใ[I wish to recover my lineage.]"
"ไฝใฎๅฎถๆใฃใใ๏ผไปใฎไธใฎไธญใงๅคงๅใชใใใซใชใใงใใฎใฃใใ๏ผ[And what lineage is that? Do you long to be some daimyo in this era?]" It laughs cruelly. "ไบบ้ๅ ฑใฏๅคใใฃใฆใญใ[Humans, always the same.]" You gulp, trying to speak again but it continues. "ๅใๆฌฒๆใใๅคฉไธใๅใใใจใใ็ ฉๆฉใซๅชใใๆใ่ ใฉใใ่ฒดๆงใฎ้กใใๅถใใใจๆใใใผ[Power hungry, wishing the world was theirs, so much desire. No, I don't think I will grant you yourโ.]"
"ๅคฉไธใชใใใฉใใงใใใใใใใๆฌฒใใใใใพใใ๏ผ[That is not my wish!]" You shout at it in fury. The figures working the fields stopped and you feel their eyes on you.
The fox's tails lashes and it approaches you. You recognize the image of a combat doll no matter what form it was. The scars criss-cross on its body through synthetic fur. The image of a man standing in front of a tank comes to your mind, and you feel a perverse kinship with him as you stare up at this being of dread and wonder. "ใใ ใใฐใ้ช้ญ่ ใใใชใฌใใปใใชใๆฌฒใใ๏ผ[Then what, oh interloping one, is your wish?]"
"้ซ็ฅๆฏใฏใคใฟใณใงใใใใใคใฆไบบๅฝขใๅถไฝใใพใใใๆฆๅๆน้ฉๅฏพๆใซใใ่ฟซๅฎณใใใพใใใใๆพ็ฅๆฏใฏๅฝผๅฅณใใๆใใๆฉไผใฏๅ จใใชใใฃใใ[My great great grandmother was a witch, and she made dolls. She was persecuted for standing against the reforms of the pre-war eras, and never taught my great grandmother.]"
Its eyes narrows. "ใใ ใใฐๅฝผๅฅณ่ฆใงใใซใชใใงใใฎใฃใใ๏ผ[And you wish to become like her?]"
"ใใใ[Yes.]" You meet its luminous, icy eyes. Your hands shake, but your face remains firm.
It sighs. "ใใใฏใๅใๅใซใชใใญใใใใจใใๆนๆณใๆกๅ ใในใ[I cannot help you, but I can point you to a path.]"
"ใฏใใใชใใงใใ[I will take anything.]"
"ใฉใใชใใใใใใใใฃใกใใญใฎใใ[You don't even know the cost of what it will be.]"
"ๆ่ฝใฏใใฃใจๅฟใฎไธญใซ็ ใฃใฆใใพใใ้ซ็ฅๆฏ่ฆใใใซใใใใฆๅฝผๅฅณใฎๆฏ่ฆชใใกใฟใใใซใใคใฟใณใซใชใใใ๏ผ[I know I have the skill! I want to be a witch like my great great grandmother and her mothers before me.]" You got to your knees and bow, forehead touching the soil beneath you. "้ใชใๅนพใใงใ๏ผใงใใๆฉๅๅฝๅฉฆๆง๏ผๆฏ้ใจใๆใ่กใในใ้ใ็ งใใใใพใ๏ผ[I will pay whatever cost it will be. Just please, oh most glorious Myobu Engine, light my way.]"
The silence stretches on as it looked at you. "็ซใฃใงใใใฐใใใใซใ[Stand up you fool.]" It says. ""ๅฟ ๆญปใ ใฉๅใใใ ใใใจใใใใใๆธกใใจๆใใ้ญๅฅณใฏไธไบบใใใ ใงใฐใ[I know you are desperate, and I know there is a witch who will teach if you hand her this.]" It pulls out a business card from its jacket pocket. "่ญฆๅใใชใใฃใใจ่จใใญใใงใใใ่ฒๅ ฌ่ฑ็ใใใใฃใฑใใใใใใงใญใฎใฃใใใ[But never say that I didn't warn you, The Dandelion Queen is no woman to be crossed.]"
You stand up, and grab the card. "ใใใใจใใใใใพใ๏ผใใใใใพใ๏ผใใฎใใใ[Thank you! Thank you, you are most kind. Uh]" The realization sinks in. "่ฒๅ ฌ่ฑ็ใฃใฆใฉใชใๆงใงใใใใ๏ผ[Who is the Dandelion Queen?]"
"้ฝๆฒขๆถๅญใใใ ใใฐใ่ใใๅคใใฆใๅใ้ฃใใๅใซใกใใฃใกใใฉๆถใใใ[Miyakozawa Akiko. Now go, before I change my mind and eat you.]" It hisses. You run, shutting the door behind you. When you turn back, the door wasn't there. The card in your hand, the one that said in seal script "Myobu Engine" was. And for the first time in decades, the world felt right again.
Commentary
So I want to shout out to @riversidewings here for letting me muck about in her story universe.
I am glad to be working with her on her projects not only as cohost, but friend.
Now to continue: I wanted to write the Myobu Image because the image of a Yokai that is a combat doll wouldn't leave my head. And leave it to someone like me to sit down and make the Myobu Engine.
I won't lie that the Myobu Engine is a thing I aspire to be.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy it, as I enjoy helping River M59A1 find a voice for Akiko and Zee.
stares excitedly in combat doll
