User blog:Elhana 4stars/TNBT story Arc: Chapter 1 - Stardust

This will be a series of one shots with many couple pairings. The Tanabata festival is the setting. Focus is on the pairings. Enjoy and please comment!

Chapter 1: Stardust

Mira skipped along excitedly beside Ethen.

“Aren’t you excited master? This is the first time we are at this Interstellar Tanabata festival in the stars! I mean, a normal festival in Tokyo is one thing, but this is one held for all the spirits, and in the very stars! Its just wonderful that ghost agents were invited along as well! You will see lots of well known spirits here. And the best thing is, it’s a week long event too! This is so wonderful!”

“Yes, Mira, I am excited”

Ethen agreed. After the massive battles at Ginza, he was glad for a break, and not just for himself but for his daemons. He had summoned all of them and told them to take the whole week off to enjoy themselves at the festival. He had gotten mobbed by his excited daemons as they all expressed their appreciation before they had all surprising disappeared in short order.

“Mira, how come everyone disappeared so quickly after I gave them the whole week off?" Ethen asked.

"We are already here in the festival? I thought they would have stuck around as it was more fun in a group.”

“Well, you have to realize master, this festival is the Tanabata festival! It’s a lovers festival! Even if you are a single daemon, it’s a good time to go and find a boyfriend or girlfriend! In fact, a lot of couples get formed during this festival, and of course, existing couples use the festival to reaffirm their love to each other as well!”

As Mira finished, she stole a glance at Ethen a little shyly, she didn’t want to say that she was still with Ethen because she didn’t have any boyfriend. Ethen looked preoccupied and thoughtful as he absorbed what she just said.

Mira was glad for the break as well, they would be staying at the River of Stars Hotel for the whole week. It was grand place set in the stars just like the rest of the festival and they were going to have fun for a whole week. Ethen had been rather serious ever since the Ginza battles and he sometimes looked as if he had a great weight on his shoulders. As Mira stole a look at her master’s face and saw him frowning in thought, she felt that her master needed this break just as much as his daemons.

So engrossed was Mira in her own thoughts that she failed to look where she was going at and bumped headfirst into another person’s back.

“Opps!”

Mira managed as her arms flailed. It was too late, as both she and the person lost their balance and went down face first onto the floor. A burst of star dust and star flakes rose up from the floor as they fell onto the starry floor together.

“Oh no! I am so sorry! Are you hurt? Errr… huh? You… are Eisuke!”

Mira stammered out as she rubbed her forehead, which had suffered the brunt of the impact. The person whom Mira had bumped into was indeed Eisuke. He was a powerful Spirit Sealer whom had met Ethen and Mira on several occasions, and they had even worked together to seal off some daemon gates. Eisuke, still sprawled on the floor, looked back at Mira and said wryly.

“Yes, its Eisuke, and erm, Mira, you are still sitting on my back!”

“Oh! Sorry sorry!” Mira got up hurriedly, looking very flustered as she realized that when she had recognized Eisuke, she was so surprised she had forgotten to get up and was still sitting on Eisuke. She flushed a deep red.

Eisuke got up slowly. His whole shirt front and pants had star dust and flakes sticking to it. He tried brushing some of it off.

“Let me help too, EIsuke, I am so sorry!”

Said Mira as she also joined in trying to brush off some of the star dust and flakes. It proved to be difficult as some stubbornly clung to Eisuke’s clothes.

“Hmmm, its ok Mira. Forget about it. I will just go back and change.” Said Eisuke, as he realized there was too much star dust and flakes stuck on him.

“Oh no, Eisuke, now I feel terrible! You will have to go all the way back to the River of Stars Hotel to change! This was all my fault!” Mira wore a woebegone look as she looked at the mess she had caused on Eisuke’s clothes.

Then, Ethen had an idea.

“I know Mira! Why don’t you take EIsuke shopping here! I am sure with such a huge festival, there will be some stalls selling yukata clothes. Then Eisuke can change into them!”

He subtlely shoved some money into Mira’s hands and whispered to her.

“Go with him, and buy the Yukata for him, Mira. After all, you did ruin his clothes! Besides, he saved you once long ago, you have to thank him properly!”

Mira’s closed her hands over the money and looked uncertain.

“But master, you will be all alone, will you be alright?”

“I will be fine! It’s a tanabata festival, its perfectly safe!” Ethen reassured Mira. Then he quickly pushed her after Eisuke, who was already walking off.

“Quickly, Eisuke is already going off!”

Mira realized that as well, and no longer protested.

“Thanks master! I will come back and look for you later!” She called as she quickly ran after Eisuke and caught him before he managed to slip away.

“No worries, Mira! And Eisuke! Please look after Mira for me!”

Ethen called just before the crowd swallowed him, and they lost sight of each other.

Mira couldn’t help but wonder a bit. Did she catch an expression of relief on her master’s face before she turned away? But she had already caught Eisuke’s sleeve, not wanting to lose him in the crowd, so she looked back at Eisuke and smiled.

“Let’s get you some nice yukata to wear, Eisuke!” Mira beamed back at Eisuke.

The Tanabata Festival was in full swing now, and there were many people, ghost agents and spirits alike who were now walking the star dust strewn roads of the festival in the stars. Many couples were there, holding hands for it was a festival of love as well as fun.

Eisuke looked at the excited Mira beside him and wondered how he had been lucky enough to end up with the pretty anima spirit next to him as she looked for a clothing stall. Ethen’s last words still echoed in him, and he couldn’t help but steal a side long look at Mira again even as he pondered them. He knew it didn’t have any deep meaning, but he decided he would certainly do his best to look after the bubbly anima spirit beside him while they were together this Tanabata festival.

He noticed that during the fall, Mira had gotten some star dust onto her clothes and hair as well. He suddenly stopped abruptly and pulled Mira to a stop as well.

“Huh? Why are we stopping? Eisuke?” Mira asked, looking back at him. She had been scanning the stalls looking for a Yukata stall, but hadn’t had the luck to find one yet. The Tanabata festival was a massive one and there were stalls of all kinds from food to games and more.

Eisuke didn’t say anything, but instead, he grabbed her sleeve and tugged her in another direction, walking with purpose. He stopped behind the stalls, a little off from the main star roads where there was less human and daemon traffic. He turned around and said.

“There’s less people here. You have some stardust on your hair!”

And he reached out his hands and brushed off some stardust off Mira’s hair.

“Ehhh? Oh! I do?”

Stammered Mira, even as she froze like a deer caught in headlights. Eisuke was taking the time to carefully brush off all the star dust and flakes off her hair. And while it was gentlemanly of him to do so, the gesture somehow felt rather intimate. Mira blushed deep red again and she shook a little. Was it from embarrassment? She noticed the look of utter concentration on Eisuke’s face as he continued his task. His white hair had fallen forward covering his face partially, but he continued his task. Mira was reminded that Eisuke was a very handsome young man as she stared at him.

As Eisuke continued to brush star dust off Mira’s hair, Eisuke was reminded of the time when he rescued a puppy in from a snowstorm and was brushing the snow away. Mira was standing still, and even trembling a little (was she afraid of him?). The star dust fell like snow flakes off her thick blond hair and sparkled before they hit the ground. She looked small, fragile but also utterly adorable as her eyes stared at Eisuke with just a hint of fright in them. Mira started to move a little, as if coming out of her trance. But Eisuke said sternly and firmly in a low voice.

“Stay still! I am almost done!”

And Mira, despite herself, stood shock still while he finished his task. She still trembled a little, just like the puppy Eisuke had rescued last time. And just like that puppy, she stood still for him. Eisuke only dropped his hands when every last spec of star dust had been brushed from Mira’s hair. He was much more careful and through than Mira’s previous clumsy attempts and Mira’s hair was now free of star dust.

“All done now, Mira!”

Eisuke broke into a rare smile. He was always satisfied when he completed a task, even one such as this, and of course, Mira right now also looked really pretty and reminded him of his puppy.

“Th… thanks Eisuke!”

Stammered out Mira, as she seemed to come out of her trance. Why did Eisuke remind her so much of Ethen in that moment just now? Ethen had always cared for the welfare of his daemons, while her impression of Eisuke’s treatment of daemons was very different. But just now, his gesture was so different and so like Ethen. His smile, something Mira had never seen before, made him look totally different. He looked … kind and rather dashing? Mira was truly confused.

“Come on, we don’t just have to find me some yukata, you should get a new set yourself too!”

Eisuke grabbed her hand and walked back into the crowd purposefully. A very bemused Mira, still lost in thought about how different Eisuke was, followed him. Had Eisuke changed? He still seemed like the determined, focused spirit sealer he once was, but his treatment of daemons was now totally different. What had changed him? Lost in thought, Mira allowed herself to be dragged back into the crowds of the very busy Tanabata festival that was now in full swing…