Tenma Mountain Starfall

Murmurs of ■■, who has seen the night sky awash with falling stars - Part 1 Gensokyo's night sky is dark and stretches far. Do you know where you can look up and see stars falling through the sky? That's right, the Youkai Mountain. How beautiful a sight it is, to see the night sky illuminated by falling stars. But this is not something you can see on any night. The weather and the season must be right, besides many other conditions that must be met. "But that's what makes it worth seeing. It's nature's gift." So said the Great Tengu, Megumu Iizunamaru, as she took position on the mountain one night.

Murmurs of ■■, who has seen the night sky awash with falling stars - Part 2 Weather: Cloudy You can't see the stars tonight. With such thick cloud cover, you'd be lucky to see one or two peeking through, let alone a cascade of them falling down. Even still, there are those who've come to the mountain seeking the stars. But the stars in the sky are not as kind as they seem. People came a long way to see them, yet they continue to hide. The visitors turn for home with a grumble and a moan, but that's OK. They know that maybe tomorrow night they'll see stars rain down from the darkness above. Their hopefulness is no bad thing, for the holy Youkai Mountain has stood in Gensokyo for a long time, and it shows no signs of leaving.

Murmurs of ■■, who has seen the night sky awash with falling stars - Part 3 Weather: Rain The only thing falling from the sky tonight is cold drops of rain, lashing the ground beneath them. Those who gaze upward will see nothing but rain clouds. And falling toward them will be raindrops, not stars. I thought with this kind of weather, no one would come. I was almost right. Only one made the journey here, hoping to gaze upon the stars. I wondered what her reaction would be to the starless sky, but with her long hair soaked through with rain, she smiled. "Looks like the stars will fall tomorrow night," she murmured to herself. Ah, that's right. She's truly in tune with nature. She's a Great Tengu, after all, and this mountain is the territory of the powerful tengu.

Murmurs of ■■, who has seen the night sky awash with falling stars - Part 4 Weather: Clear Just as the Great Tengu said, tonight, stars are falling upon the mountain. It's a wondrous sight, with stars streaming down like raindrops. Perhaps the night sky had grown tired of poor weather, or maybe this was a miracle. Or maybe, just maybe― "Told you so," said the Great Tengu as she arrived at the mountain. Beside her was the market god, a look of surprise on her face, and the Great Tengu's barley rice onigiri in her hand. Her eyes glistened as she gazed up at the starry sky. You could see from her beaming smile that the Great Tengu had waited a long time for a night like this. As if not to disappoint its observers, the sky sent hundreds upon hundreds of stars hurtling down, leaving streaks of silver in their wake.

Murmurs of ■■, who has seen the night sky awash with falling stars - Part 5 The Great Tengu and the market god continued to look up with glee at the sky as stars fell down. But with enough time, you can see the starry sky as many times as you like. So why do people desire it so? Why do they rejoice at the sight of it? On this night, I felt like I finally understood. The answer's simple. It's because it's beautiful. Until now, I'd not thought of the starry sky, even starfall, as something special. But tonight's observers and the look of joy on their faces taught me the truth. I'm certain stars will rain down tomorrow too. I wonder if the Great Tengu and the market god will come back to join me. Even if they don't, I'll wait for them. I'll wait until I, the Youkai Mountain, disappear from Gensokyo. Until the stars vanish from the sky.