Momoiro Stage

Cultural event

In Setsu Province, villagers, cityfolk, and bakeneko alike have been complaining of strange dreams. The legend of Momotarō plays out before their eyes every night, albeit with a unique spin. In this rendition, "Magical Momo" is an idol, and she defeats the evil oni with her cheerful antics and cute companions. Could this spectacle just be residual thoughts from that idol competition in Wakigami? That wouldn't explain why farmers who have never seen an "idol" in their lives are having the same dreams too.   It's been a while since the Gauntlet of Games, where the Date Clan implored their counterparts in the Hashinara to investigate these "dream shards" popping up all over the country. Likely it's in response to the big portal up north near their capital. Regardless, the brave generals of the Hashinara were getting around to it, and their next target was that peach-colored rift halfway between Kaya and Osaka(settlement).

Upon entering the rift, the Cardinal Generals of the Hashinara and their leader, Hashinara Yoshitakatomo found themselves in a reasonable fascimile of the arena where much of the martial arts tournament had taken place. Notably different was the presence of thumping, cheerful music, coming from the elaborate stage in the center of the field. Rose-purple lights strobed in time with the beat as three unrealistically cute animals hooted, trilled, and barked at the edifice's base. Meanwhile, behind them, a handful of rural-looking folks filled the stands, apparently lost in a dozing haze as they watched the performance.   The girl parading about on stage could be none other than Magical Momo, and the animals her three faithful companions. What's more, many of the generals realized that they had picked up felt, oni-horn headbands at some point. Those who didn't notice soon had it helpfully pointed out. Momo was exclaiming something about defeating the evil oni, which could only mean the Hashinara, so it seemed a fight was inevitable.   For reasons of his own, Matsumoto Ooawagaeri had conjured a second pair of horns and added it to his first adornment. Reasoning that an oni with four horns must be twice as evil, Momo targeted him with her first attack. As a beam of light shot out of her baton with deadly intent, Ooawagaeri felt strangely that something was expected of him. He failed to seize the opportunity, however, and so the spell hit home, cutting through all of his armor and protections for a powerful blow.   Thinking quickly, Ryūzaki Sanosuke exerted his metaphysical influence to transform his oni horns into an appropriate substitute. Now wearing a charming white headband with Japanese sun on its front, he was treated by Momo as an allied samurai, and invited to help defeat the evil oni. This he did, "slaying" both Aotsuki Tsukamoto and Hashinara Yoshitakatomo with a carefully-calculated punch. The two lay on the ground, "unconscious," while Momosuke moved on to his other former companions.   It might have ended quite simply there, but for Maxim's poor skill at performance. He attempted to fake a "defeat" like the others, but Momo saw through the farce, and refused to believe that the big oni was actually downed. Ooawagaeri did not assist either, seeming uninterested in participating in the Silver General's scheme. After exchanging a couple of blows and stealing the horns from his fallen fellows, he flew out into a nearby tree, and instead focused his attentions on combatting the girl's pheasant, which directed its considerable anger upon him.   Robbed of a quick victory, Sanosuke was forced to engage in "mock" conflict with Maxim. At some point, the blows turned real, but neither significantly harmed the other, so the result was the same. This could not be said for Magical Momo herself, whose light beams ignored Maxim's protections just as easily as they had Ooawagaeri's. With a few surreptitious spells from Yoshitakatomo, however, he was kept in good health and even better performance, finding that he could plumb depths of style that he didn't even know he possessed.   Aotsuki had turned worryingly transparent after the theft of his horns. Deprived of a "role" in the performance, he wasn't able to interact any further with the other actors. It was he, however, who noticed that with each progressively more stylish exchange of blows, the lights on Momo's stage were going out.   Focused on this new measure of their progress, Sanosuke and Maxim played out the rest of the combat. Fending off the dog, monkey, and Silver Peach, Maxim had his hands full, but made a good showing with Yoshitakatomo's subtle help. Meanwhile, Ooawagaeri did his own thing in the tree, mostly concerned with fending off the rageful blows of the pheasant.   With the final pose struck, Momo called an abrupt end to the concert. The performance was over, she claimed, and the brave samurai had "won." Ignoring that there was still one oni standing and another in the tree, she handed over a weapon and a scroll to Sanosuke, before bidding them farewell. Her performance here was over, after all, but she hoped that they would meet again eventually.   As the stage vanished and the audience began to wake, the arena around them began to dissolve into so much dreamstuff, heralding their return to the conscious world. Sanosuke, finding himself in ownership of two puzzling artifacts, gave them over to Aotsuki at the other's request. No exact payment was struck, but the White Frog did mention that his adviser might be able to help Sanosuke get his own sheele; something like Kagami. This seemed to interest his benefactor, and the Silver General promised to return to it after speaking to his own counsel.