The tree had it coming. Shizuha had seen to it personally.
She gave the trunk a second heave, which scattered most of the remaining stubborn leaves. Good enough. Each autumn, this particular copse at the edge of the Forest of Magic proved to be the most challenging. There had to be a curse in the soil which seeped into the trees through their roots and made them reluctant to relinquish their leaves. Not that it could stop Shizuha.
She flew to the next tree. This far into the season her initial stiffness wasn't even a memory: she danced from branch to branch, painting the leaves with quick, smooth swipes. In a matter of time that felt like an instant, the tree was suitably bedecked in autumn colours.
Now for the hard part.
She alighted on the ground and took a deep breath, then ensured that her stance was correct and that her supporting leg wouldn't suddenly slip on the slick grass. With a twist of her hips, she slammed her foot against the trunk.
A resonant beat echoed through the woods.
Shizuha returned to her previous stance. She had been in the autumn goddess business long enough to know that trees didn't usually sound like taiko drums.
She kicked again, and again, she heard a beat. She kept her foot in the air, then struck out three times in rapid succession. Boom-boom-boom, followed by a small shower of leaves.
She pulled back and kicked with all her might. With a final, thunderous beat, the tree relinquished its remaining leaves in a noisy flutter.
Glowing with triumph, Shizuha looked around for the source of the drumming.
A floral drum kit had manifested itself next to the woods. Or, more likely, it had been brought there by the red-headed woman perched on top of the largest drum, brandishing drum sticks. A tsukumogami. An exceedingly stylish tsukumogami at that. Shizuha was beginning to feel desperately underdressed.
The tsukumogami smiled at Shizuha. "You have a good sense of rhythm with those trees."
Shizuha shielded herself behind her pride in a job well done. "Thanks. Do you usually play in accompaniment to people busy at work?"
"Sometimes. This is somewhat silly seeing as already saw your handiwork, but are you Shizuha Aki?"
Shizuha frowned, trying to recall the previous time someone had known her name before she had introduced herself. "That's right. Who's asking?"
The tsukumogami's smile was electrifying. "My, aren't I fortunate. I thought I would have to scour the forests for you. My name is Raiko Horikawa."
Quick as lightning, she tossed something in Shizuha's direction. Shizuha caught it just before it flew past her.
A drum stick. No surprises there. It was mostly plain, but there was a floral embellishment matching the pattern on the drums on its butt. More interesting was the piece of colourful paper wrapped around it. Tucking the drum stick between her fingers, Shizuha straightened it out and read the cheaply printed flyer it proved to be. "A harvest festival?"
"There will be a talent show. There is no official contest or prize involved, but all the same, we strive to put on the best performance. Now, The Prismriver sisters are not much of a problem in that department. They are good, but I hear they haven't changed their set in years. It's the other new group I'm worried about."
Now that Shizuha thought about it, Minoriko had mentioned something about a performance. She tried to think of any other musical groups in Gensokyo but the Prismrivers and drew a blank. "Are they that good?"
"They stand out. They have a punk attitude." Before Shizuha could ask what punk meant, Raiko slipped down from the drum and sauntered towards the tree. Each of her steps was followed by a beat, which Shizuha quickly noticed came from mallet-shaped spurs. "We can outplay them ten times out of ten, but their wildness may stick more in the audience's mind than we do." Raiko grinned. Even her grin was terribly well put together. "This would be where you come in."
"I don't know how to play."
"You can keep to a beat. That is enough." Raiko threw her remaining drum stick in the air and caught it in a slick move so obviously calculated to draw Shizuha's attention that it somehow became even more charming. "I'm not looking for a musician, since we already have the best ones in Gensokyo. What we need now is the appropriate stage presence to enliven our act. Energy and roughness, but with elegance mixed in." Raiko pointed her drum stick at Shizuha. "You would be the perfect fit."
Shizuha stared at the stick, then at Raiko's smiling face. Why were leaves suddenly fluttering in the pit of her stomach? "Are you serious?"
Raiko stepped even closer. With one movement, she placed her hand on the tree trunk behind Shizuha, not quite boxing her in, but leaving far less room between them than one usually would with someone they had just met. "Would I lie to someone as pretty as you?"
Though the leaves became butterflies, Shizuha refused to avert her gaze. "Is this the part where I'm supposed to blush and stammer?"
Even Raiko's laughter was musical. "If you would like." She pulled back, giving Shizuha more room to breathe. "Please come join us whenever it suits you. Listen for us at dawn and you will know where we are."
The butterflies were threatening to rise up to Shizuha's cheeks. "I'll consider it."
"That's all I can ask for now." Raiko winked. "I hope to see you soon."
Shizuha remained frozen against the tree as Raiko gathered her drums and left.
Only once she was alone again did Shizuha realise her fingers were still curled around a drum stick. She raised it to eye level. It wasn't of much use alone. It would have to be reunited it with its pair.
"Raiko Horikawa..." She twirled the stick in her fingers as she watched the clouds gathering above, half expecting them to echo with drumbeats. "You just might."
And if the next several trees she painted happened to have unusually many leaves matching the exact shade of Raiko's hair, well, who was going to make the connection?