anko4377
This is a mountain forest near human village, a pair of young Reimu and Marisa is hunting for food. During this season, the clan's main food are new grass leaves. The clan organized hunting parties centered on yukkuri who have hats.
Suddenly Reimu stopped. In front of her is a red and very easy Mister Vegetable. They don't know what vegetable it is, but at least Reimu and Marisa know it's a very easy Mister Vegetable.
Marisa quickly suggest they bring it back to the clan to show everyone.
Back to the clan, Chief Marisa is with her council, consisted of Patchouli, Reimu, Alice and even Ran and Yuuka. Other than them, there's about 20 others of quite old age for yukkuri.
When seeing the red thing on Reimu's head, everyone is staring at them with murderous intent, accusing them as thieves who will make Mister Human angry.
This clan is located near the village. With human's support, it can be said that the clan is made so that the yukkuri can educate others to stay out of human's farm. Thanks to that, there's a lot of smart yukkuri here and they also know how vegetables are grown. Thieves will be punished right on spot.
Reimu of course denied the accusation. She's also smart enough to know not to steal from human. She's simply picking this vegetable, not from the farm, so it shouldn't be a crime.
Patchouli stopped a Myon who's already preparing her sword. Patchouli thinks Reimu and Marisa are not lying. If they do steal the vegetable, they would likely eat it and not tell the clan while risking their life.
As proof, Reimu and Marisa came from above, the mountain. Human's farm is located below, around the village. Patchouli also doesn't remember any human farm inside the mountain forest.
Another reason for the two young yukkuri's innocence; according to Yuuka, that's a tomato, not sweet potato. Patchouli often watched the village, and the village near their place doesn't do much farming. Among the vegetables human cultivated there, tomatoes are not one of them, so it's also impossible to steal tomato from human's farm.
So the possible explanation is that, maybe human dropped it in the mountain and Reimu just happened to found it during hunting.
Reimu and Marisa then guided Patchouli to the place where they found the tomato. There, another tomato is lying on the ground. Reimu picked it up, thinking that she missed this one.
Patchouli didn't say it, but she doesn't think so. That red tomato is sitting in clear view among green grass and brown soil, no way two yukkuri could have missed it.
Night in this forest is peaceful. There's no predators like Remirya. Even so, darkness is dangerous for the fragile yukkuri.
In front of Chief Marisa's house, Patchouli is discussing the matter with the other council members. Marisa thought that this is too suspicious, probably human is playing game on them so they need to be careful.
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The next day, the young Reimu and Marisa pair went back to their usual hunting ground. They still want to eat vegetables, but thieves are uneasy.
There, vegetables grows on their own!
They can't steal vegetables from human, but they surely can eat Mister Vegetables who grows on its own, right ?
Patchouli hurriedly stopped the two. She had a bad feeling that there will be another vegetable today, but she never expected that it has turned into a farm in the middle of the forest.
Patchouli sent Marisa to call the chief and council members.
Yuuka checked all the vegetables nervously. Other than tomato, there's leek and radish. The tomatoes came with sticks supporting the stalk and vines.
All the council members know, vegetables don't just grow on its own. Now, these vegetables has grown on its own against what they know is true.
Marisa and Reimu wanted to eat the vegetables with everyone, but the chief stopped them. The vegetables wont be enough for everyone, so lets wait until it grows more, then they will help a festival for all yukkuri.
There's about 100 yukkuri in the clan, so clearly the small farm is not enough. Of course, Marisa and Reimu who found the vegetables will be the host.
That's what chief Marisa said in front. In reality, she had no intention on letting anyone eat the vegetables. She's not thinking of hogging all the vegetables... she just decided that it's too dangerous for them to eat vegetables that just grow on its own.After Reimu and Marisa left, Ran asked something to the other council members. Unlike the others, she's not just feeling nervous, those vegetables are starting to make her afraid.
Anyone noticed that Mister Vegetables just multiplied ?Ran memories might be wrong, but the radish has grown from four to five. The tomatoes are also more than what she saw just now.
Compared to other yukkuri, Ran has very strong memory and she can even do simple division while other yukkuri can only do addition and substraction at most. The council members in the other hand, only perceive the vegetables' existence and didn't pay much attention to the quantity.That night, Patchouli decided to watch the farm from under the bush. The only explanation they can think of is a bad human making this farm at night to stir their clan.
Patchouli fell asleep until Yuuka woke her just before sunride. Yuuka's face is pale from the fear she felt seeing how the farm has grown bigger than before. The vegetables inside also grow in variation, now there's carrot, spinach, cabbage and cucumber.
The Marisa who founded the first tomato is bragging to the other clan members that they will have vegetable party.
Meanwhile, council member Reimu is building a barrier while council member Alice do her coordination behind the barrier.
Barrier is an essential thing to protect their home, so all yukkuri can do it. Reimu types in particular are good in making barrier. Among the clan members present, a Reimu asked the council members why the barrier is reversed.
A barrier, made from twigs and leaves, will protect yukkuri home and in a way make it invisible to other yukkuri. This barrier has a inside and outside part. The outside part is usually where the sharp ends are facing.Council member Reimu said this is just right.
Chief Marisa again told them to wait again for the vegetables to ripe.
Unfortunately, the next day, the barrier is destroyed as the farm grows.
In yukkuri's knowledge, barrier is something to keep uneasyness outside, while Alice types' coordinate is to increase easyness in the place they're living. All those are meaningless against the farm.
The yukkuri are getting more impatient. Because they want to see the vegetables, they hunted and ate less, so they're hungry.
Chief Marisa told them that she's performing an investigation. These vegetables just happen to grow on its own and if they eat all of it, then it's gone. But if the clan can keep the vegetables like human did, then there's no more need to worry about food.
One of the young Myon doesn't take the chief's words. She's suspicious about the chief hogging all the food for herself. That's when an old Chen told Myon, the chief and council members are not yukkuri who would do that.
Situation are getting worse. Chief Marisa must quickly make decision or else the clan will be split into two groups, those who want to eat the vegetables and those who don't.
Vegetables doesn't grow on its own, and human can't do it like this. The only explanation left is youkai, which is even more dangerous.
Patchouli made a decision. She crawl into the farm, ate one of the vegetable, and then performed home declaration, shocking everyone with her scum action.
After Patchouli claimed the farm and the vegetables, other yukkuri went back home, disappointed.
That night, Patchouli sits alone. The sky has became dark.
Alone there, she thought of her action. She's already old now, so it wouldn't matter if she die. At least with this, the clan can get off the hook with just one sacrifice.Around her, she can hear voice of something pulled, or maybe sunk.
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The farm is gone, and so is Patchouli.
The disappearance of the farm caused an uproar in the clan, but somehow it can be suppressed. If they have just let the clan eat the vegetables, it might be too late for them. They're lucky to get away with just one victim.
In front of Patchouli's grave, chief Marisa let out a tear and then walks away.