Yukkuri in winter

== Note ==
When you see a (*),there is a note at the bottom.
== Story ==
On a sunny Autumn afternoon, one can feel the slowly approaching footsteps of winter.  From the small crevice formed by a withered old tree's roots, four small shadows emerged.
"Wotch are we pwaying chuday!""Wacing!""Yu~ can'ch yukkuri like that!""Then hwide and go seek!"
The mysterious creatures that are happily playing together are creatures that appeared recently, called a "Yukkureimu ".  Yukkureimus are the most numerous yukkuris, their most notable features being the red ribbon and black hair.  The four young yukkuris that aren't even a year old started playing hide and go seek happily. The first one that was to seek is the older sister.  The three remaining yukkuris started to look for hiding spots.
"Are~ you~ ready~?""Take it easy! " (slowly... it's a play on words)"Yu~.... 1~! 2~! 3~! Da~! Ra-Bu*!" "Yuyu! Here's Weimu's spot! Go shomewhere else!""Yu! Ok!""Weimu will go here!""Then Weimu will go here!"
One Reimu is hiding behind a rock. The other is hiding in a pile of dried leaves.
"Are~ you~ ready~!""Yukkuri weady!""Then here I come!"
The ones hiding behind the rock and the leaves were found immediately.
"Next it's Reimyu's turn to seek!""Yuyu... There's still Weimu~!""Mi~ I will go wooking!"
No matter how they looked, they couldn't find the last one.  Of course they couldn't find her, she's still looking for a hiding spot, heading further and further away.
"Yu~ I can'ch fwind it~"
This little Reimu already forgot about the game, but instead is now looking for a yukkuri (easy) place.  Finally, she arrived at a far away place never visited by her family before.
"Yu....Yu! Where am I?"
The little Reimu, lost in an unfamiliar place, started to feel uneasy and afraid.
"Big Shish!  Weimu is heeeerrrrrreeeeeeeeee!!!!!"
But there's no reply no matter how she shouted.  Her big sis is a lot further away than the little one thought. The little Reimu tried to remember the path that she came from, and tried to return.  But since she was trying to find a hiding place along the way, she doesn't remember at all where she came from.  Because the mother only teaches her children how to find their way home when they're older, she didn't have a chance to learn it yet.
Little Reimu believed that if she waited a bit longer, her big sisters will come.  She believed this, and hopped over to some trees to wait around.  When she's starting to take it easy near the tree, she noticed a strong, tasty aroma coming from around her somewhere.
"Yuyu!! Shomeshing shmells yummy!"
The little Reimu is drawn by the smell.  The aroma came from a bunch of mushrooms that were growing around the roots of a large tree.
"Yu! Mushwooms wook yummy!!~"
The little Reimu bounced towards the mushrooms.
Meanwhile, the big sister Reimu (the oldest one) couldn't find the little Reimu and started worrying when the mother in the nest called them back.  After listening to the crying kids' tale, she started looking around the nest for the missing Reimu.  Because it was a dangerous task, she told the little ones to stay at home.  The mother started looking methodically through all the dangerous places, but there was no little Reimu anywhere. Finally, she wadded deep into the forest that she normally wouldn't go into.
"Where is Reimu's cute little one?? Where are you??~~"  screamed the desperate mother.
"Yu??"
The little Reimu, having eaten her fill, heard her mother's voice.
"Mwommieeeeeeeee~~!!!"
Lying in stupor from the feast just a moment ago, the little lost Reimu finally remembered her own predicament from her mother's voice. She started crying out loudly, and thanks to the mushrooms,the cries had enough strength in them to be carried to the mother's ears.
"Yuyu! Reimu's voice!""Mwooooo~mieeeeee""I'm coming right now! Wait there easy!"
The mother listened harder for little Reimu's position.  Because there's a lot of trees, the voice was hard to triangulate.  However, Reimu's love for her little ones led her to brave the forest. Finally, she found the crying little Reimu under a tree.
"Take it easy!!""Chake it easy!~ Mwommieeee!""Are you ok? Are you hurt?""Weimu is fine!"
The mother heard the little one's voice, and confirmed that she was fine.
"Looks like you're ok!""Mwommieee! It's scawwwieeeee!""Don't run so deep in here next time!!""Yuuuuuuuuuuuuu, sowwie mwommie...""As long as you learn! It's getting dark, lets head back!""Yu! Oh! Mwommie! Weimu fwound mushwooms!""Yuyu?!? Mushrooms!?""Yu~! Weimu fwound so many!"
Little Reimu hopped towards the large tree while speaking.  The mother, making sure to mark the path she came on so she won't get lost, slowly followed the little Reimu.
"The mushwooms are over there!""Yuyu! Wonderful!""There are wots and wots.  So wets bwing it back to Weimu's big sisters!""Yu! Lets take them all home!"
The mother reimu started to shove the mushrooms into her mouth in a hurry.  The little Reimu, looking at the mushrooms disappearing into her mothers mouth, had a fascinated sparkle in her eyes. "Mwommie's stomach is wike the universe!" "Yu humph!"
The mother Reimu finally finished stuffing her mouth and carried them back to the nest.  Since it was getting dark, the rest of the little Reimus were still worrying over about the mother who went to look for the little Reimu. "Mwommmiiiieeeee! Welcome back!"
"Yuyu! Mwobbie ish tack!!" (mumbling)
The mother spit out a huge amount of mushrooms, surprising the whole family of little Reimus.
"Yuyuyu! Looks delicious!""Mwommie! Where did this come fwom??""Reimu found it!"
The little Reimu announced, peeking out from behind the mother.
"Yuyu! That's Reimu's sister!  But I was so worried!""Yu! Mwommie wasn't there, you shouldn't run far!""Mmm, don'ch wun away by yourself!""Everyone has to be careful too!"
After getting an earful from the mother, the little Reimus swore to never wander off again.  After the lecture, the topic changed to the pile of mushrooms.
"This will last us for a while!""Mwommie won't have to go look fwo fwood!""Yu! Yeah, we can take it easy in the nest for a while!""Yeaaaaay!!"
The sudden fortune made the family of Reimus drunk with glee.  After this, the Reimu family didn't leave the nest.  They took it very easy in the cave.  If there's no more food then all they needed to do was to go get more mushrooms.  Finally being able to take it easy after a long time, the mother Reimu is in a very good mood.  Seeing the mother happy made the little ones very happy as well, and they always flopped around the mother playing. However, the seasons are changing and winter is coming.  The familythat doesn't venture out much anymore doesn't know about this.
"Geez, what is that Reimu doing?!"
A yukkuri Alice , braving the chilly winds, started heading towards Reimu's nest.  This Alice is Reimu's friend, and upon seeing Reimu's lack of preparation for winter, she finally couldn't take it anymore and paid Reimu's family a visit.  Arriving at the mouth of the small cave, she shouted:
"Take it easy!"
But there was no reply.  She couldn't wait any longer, and so entered the nest.  The Reimus just ate some mushrooms, and were taking it very easy.
"Yu! This mushroom looks so good!""Yuyuyu! Alice!"
At the sudden appearance of Alice, all the little Reimus hid behind the mother's back.
"Don't be afraid! This Alice is a friend!""I've been calling you for a while Reimu! But you didn't answer so I came in!""Yu~ sorry Alice!"
Reimu bowed and apologized for taking it too easy and ignoring Alice. Accepting the apology, Alice smiled a little.
"Alice doesn't care! That's not the problem!""Yuyu... wh...what happened Alice?!""Reimu isn't preparing for Winter, so I came to remind you!""Winter?"
Mother Reimu turned towards the little Reimus, whom were wondering in fascination about "winter" when they were interrupted by Alice.
"There's no time!! Get ready and prepare go to the Yukkuri location!""Yu! Ok I understand!""Then Alice is leaving! Reimu don't take it easy!"  (slowly, another play on words)
After having said what she needed to, Alice immediately left Reimu's nest.  The place where Reimu is living is very cold during the winter, and it's impossible to live through the winter with just one family. Therefore, everyone gathers in "Yukkuri Places", which are large caves, and sleep in tightly knitted circles for warmth until Spring. There are number limitations for the Yukkuri Place, and Patchouli is the one that determines how many can fit into each cave.
Alice was afraid that Reimu would be left out in the cold because of the number limitation.  Since the mother had experience with the Yukkuri Place, she started getting ready immediately.
"Mwommie, what's 'win~turd'?""Yu, we won't be able to take it easy here soon.""Yuyuyuyu!?!?""So, thats why we need to goto everyone!""Is~ that~ so~*" "Little ones hurry up and get ready!~ We're leaving right now!"
Mother Reimu started getting ready for the trek towards the Yukkuri Place.  The mother also thought that the little ones would started getting ready, so she was surprised at the resistance from little Reimu.
"No! Weimu don't want to weave!""WHYYYY ~~ WOOOOULLD ~~ YOOOOU~~ SAAAAAYY~~  THAAAAATT???~~ If we don't leave right now,we can't take it easy!!""But but there's so mwuch mushwooms....""yuyuyu..."
Yukkuris don't need their own food during the winter in the Yukkuri Place.  So they must throw away all the food in the nest.  Little Reimu is very unhappy at having to leave behind the mushrooms that she discovered.
"But itch ish still warm!  We can eatch the mushwooms and then go!""Yeah!""Take it eajy for a bit longer!""Eajy! Eajy! Eajy!"
The mother Reimu remembered last year's Yukkuri Place after little Reimu's protest.  When she went into the Yukkuri Place it was still very early, so there was barely anybody in the cave.  She remembered talking with friends, looking for food around the cave, and taking it easy before everyone else came along.  So she came to the conclusion that there is still some time.
"I understand! Let's take it easy here before we finish the mushrooms!""Mwommie~ wub wub~""Take it easy!"
The mother's agreement made the kids very happy.  Looking at their happy faces, the mother thought to herself happily about what a good choice she made.
So like that, she ignored Alice's warning and continued to take it easy.  Compared to friends, the little ones were more important.
The mother Reimu forgot about not leaving the nest for a while, and took it very easy in the nest with her little ones.
"Yu~ this is the last of the mushrooms~""Let's go to the eajy place after this!""I want to sleep with everyone~""Id can tage it vewy eajy~""I want to tage it eajy too~"
After eating the mushrooms for three straight days, they were finally gone.  All the food besides the mushrooms were gone too.  There's absolutely not one shred of food in the nest. Remiu hid the nest with a bunch of sticks and leaves, like she's done so many times before.
"Yuuuuuuuu~!!!! It's cwoooooolllddd!!!!""I can't tage it eajy!!!""Yuguguguguguguguguuuuuuuuu!""It's cwolllllllddd...."
Leaving the insulated warmth of the cave, the world is a cruel,cold place.  The mother Reimu took out the fluffy cotton that she prepared beforehand and put the coats on the small shaking Reimus.  The mother made little holes in the cotton just right, so it won't affect movement.
"There, now its not cold anymore!""Yu! Not cwold now!""Warm~~""I can tage it eajy like this!""Yu~"
With the energetic little ones behind her, the mother Reimu traveled towards the closest Yukkuri Place in her memory. Patchouli's  place. Almost all of the Yukkuri Place were managed by Patchouli, so it's almost obvious that there will always be Yukkuri Places near Patchouli.  When Reimu got to the Yukkkuri Place, the cave entrance was being sealed up for the winter.  Reimu, panicking a little bit, hopped towards the Patchouli who was directing the sealing.
"Take it easy!""Take it easy!""Patchouli! Let Reimu and her little ones in!""Ret us in~!!!"
Reimu thought she could go in immediately and turned towards the entrance, but Patchouli hopped infront of her and blocked the entrance.
"Yuyu!! Patchouli get out of the way!""Weimu is so cwollllld!!!""Get ouch of the way!  *puff* "
The protests from mother Reimu and the little ones echoed into a cacophony, a symphony of displeasure.  Even still, Patchouli showed no sign of moving. She slowly told the Reimu family.
"Sorry, we are at the yukkuri limit, mukyuu.""Yu!?"
The mother Reimu was very surprised.
"How could that happpennnnnn???  There must be a lot of spots left!!"
"You guys are too late! How can there be spots open now???  Mukyuuu!!""Yugugugugu....."
The guard Marisa and Myon were looking in this direction.  If there was only Patchouli, Reimu could overpower her.  But she really can't beat the strongest Marisa and Myon at the same time.
"Forget it! I don't want to go to stupid,mean Patchouli's place anyway! I'm going to find a nice Patchouli!""Stuuuupid, stuuuuupid~""Die eajy! Go die eajy!"
Reimu started heading towards the other Yukkuri Places, a stream of profanities coming from their bean paste mouths.  Patchouli didn't get angry, and told her self that there was nothing she could do and continued sealing the entrance.
"WHYYY ARE THERE NO PLACEEEESSSSSSSSS!!!!!""Yuuuuuuu wahhhhhh!!!!!!"
After visiting a couple of other Yukkuri places, there were no space anywhere.  All the places were either full, or had already started hibernating for the winter.  The tough, strong mother Reimu started to get worried when the sky started darkening.  Are there no places left?  She couldn't hide her unease from the little ones.
"Mwommiee......""Yu, no...no problem!! There has to be a place!!....""Yu...yeah!!""Yuuuuuuuuuuuuuu...."
The mother was putting all her effort towards calming the family.  The little Reimu that found the mushroom started to fill up with tears and finally burst out crying.
"Mwommieeeeee!! Big sissss!!! I'm sowwwieeee!!""Yuyuyu!??! What's the matter?!?!""It's Weimu's faulch that we are wike this....""Reimu..."
The little Reimu felt very responsible, she felt like this was all her fault.  The mother and her big sisters didn't say anything, because they didn't forget that they all agreed to say and eat the mushrooms. They didn't blame her, but they couldn't say anything either.
"There will definitely be openings at the next place!  So it's ok! Take it easy!"  The mother said with a smile.
"R...Really mwommie??""Of course! Because it's the biggest!"
Her face, bursting with confidence, managed to calm down the little Reimu.  The other Reimus were also infected by the confidence and picked up their spirits.
But the mother lied.
This is only to help them feel better, mother Reimu took every single ounce of her strength to hide this.  The next Yukkuri Place is the only Yukkuri Place left.  If they can't get in, they all die.
"Yuyuyu, it's here!""Yu~ IT'S SO BIG!!!!"
Reimu and her little ones came to the huge cavern entrance.  She saw Patchouli standing at the entrance; it looks like they haven't started hibernating yet.  Reimu told herself that she will definately succeed this time, and hopped towards Patchouli.
"Take it easy!""Take it easy!""Please let Reimu and her family in!"  The mother said, begging for a spot from Patchouli.
The little Reimus looked on with faces full of tension and worries.
"Mukyuu.... I think it's full....""No problem! Reimiu and her little ones can go in!"
Patchouli, working her cream brain to its full capacity, is continuously pestered by Reimu.  Just when her brows were knitted to a knot from thinking, a face Reimu recognized appeared at the cave entrance.
"Why, isn't that Reimu!?""Alice!"
Her friend's face put a smile back on the Reimu's manjuu face.
"You can't get in anywhere!?""Yu...""Thats why I told you to not take it easy.... (slowly)"
Even Alice can't do anything about the limit.  Just when fear and uncertainty started to surround Reimu, two Yukkuris hopped out from behind Alice.
"I get it~ You want to come in?""If it's just the big Reimu, we have room ze!"
The ones that came out were Chen and Marisa.  Noticing the commotion at the cave entrance, they came to investigate.  After sorting through the cavern, they were finally able to come up with just one spot, even if it would be pretty cramped.
But there's four in Reimu's family.
"Mwommie..... Reimu and her little sisters can'ch go in?""Mwommie....""Yu gu..."
There's little doubt in the little Reimu's mind that they would be thrown away, and they were getting anxious. They stuck to the mother Reimu for fear of her leaving.
Marisa pipped up:
"Even if there's only one spot, we can fit four little ones, ze!""I get it~ It's sad, but only one side can come in~""Reimu..."
Reimu's hand has been dealt.  Her hand has been forced, and the answer has been clear from the beginning.
"Take care of my kids then!""I get it~ It's a sad choice~""I understand, ze! Marisa will take care of these kids with her life, ze!""Reimu! Do you have other places to go??"
Chen understands Reimu's decision and feels sad for her.  Marisa tried to put confidence into Reimu by reassuring her.  Alice is worrying about Reimu.
"No problem, there's still other places!""Is...Is that so! Then hurry up and go!"
Seeing Reimu's face full of confidence, Alice accepted the fact and cheered Reimu on.
"Mukyuu~ So be it~""Take care of my kids then!""I understand.  Then this place will be sealed up now, mukyuu~"
Patchouli left Reimu to seal the cave with the others.
Behind the rapidly disappearing shadow of their mother's back, the little Reimu's hopped towards the cave entrance.  Mother Reimu, hoping to reassure the uneasy little ones, smiled at them.
"Yu??"
The mother's kind smile stopped the little Reimus.  The entrance is finally sealed, and there is no way out for the little Reimus now.
"Mwommieeee!!!!""No problem, ze!  There's other places, ze!""Yeah, now go hibernate little ones, so you can see mommy in the spring time!"
The little yukkuris hopped towards the inside of the cave.  Their first time at a Yukkuri Place filled them with awe.
"Yu!! So bright here!""Yeah! Itch's not this bwight at home!""Is there a hole?""Yuuuuuu mm...."
The little Reimus noticed the unbelievable brightness in the Yukkuri Place, and it filled them with wonder and fascination.  They looked left and right, and finally noticed the small floating object in the air.
"It's that! The flower is shiny!""Watch ish it?"
Marisa answered:
"That's Myon's half spirit ze!""Half-spirit?""I don't know ze, but it's like an important thing, ze!""Yu yu!!"
Speaking of important things, the Reimus immediately thought of their ribbons.
"That's Myon!""DIIIIICKKKKKKKKKKK!!""Take it easy!"
After hearing Myon's strange greeting for the first time, the little yukkuri's replied warmly with fascination. After seeing other Yukkuris, they came to the empty spot that Marisa found.
"Here, ze!  Move over a little bit, Alice and Chen are coming in, ze!""That's Marisa for you!"
There's a lot of dried grass here.  It looks really warm, warm enough for the little ones to take it easy in the winter.
"I get it~ But it doesn't seem like there's enough~""That's Chen for you!"
Nobody noticed Chen dissapearing.  Marisa was blocking the view of the little Reimus, but they immediately noticed that there was a lot of dried grass in Chen's mouth.
"You don't have enough~ I get it~"  Chen said while piling the grass around the little yukkuris."So warm~""Happiness~~"
The little Reimus were taking it very easy in the warm cotton jackets and the dried grass that their Mother and Chen prepared.  But Marisa still wasn't very happy.
"Yuuu.... there's still not enough, ze...""Oh no....""There's no more dried grass, I get it~"
After scratching her brains, Marisa took off her hat.
"Marisa!? What's wrong!?""Putting this on will make you warm enough, ze!""I get it~ That's enough then~"
And so Marisa put the hat on little Reimus.
"Yu... Reimu's getting sweepy...""Yu, Weimu too...""yu... yu...""yuyuyuyu....."
Unable to fight the sleepiness, the warm fluffly grass, Marisa's big warm hat, and mommy's warm cotton jackets, little Reimus were overtaken by sleep.
"Now there's no problem, ze! Marisa is going to sleep now ze.""See you in Spring.""I get it~""Sooooooooooooooooooo Colllllllllllllldddddddddddddddddddddd........"
The mother's Reimu's cries echoed in the forests, ravaged by the winter winds. She tried with all her might to find another Yukkuri Place.  But she couldn't find anything, and it's getting dark.  To make matters even worse, something started floating down from the sky.
"Yu yu!?!?  ITS SNOOOOOWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!! WAHHHHHHH!!!"
To the mother reimu, the snow is death.  Being unable to take it easy anymore, she escaped frantically into a small hole near the roots of a nearby tree.  The snow doesn't look like it's "going to sleep".
"Yu... Reimu is tired so she will look again tomorrow...."
Mumbling to herself, the exhausted Reimu fell asleep immediately. After a full day's exertions, she slept a vey deep sleep.  The snow, uncaring about Reimu's pleas, coated the world in a sheet of white.
"Yu yu.... Refreshed!!"  (play on words... sukkiri means refreshed literally)
After sleeping her fill, mother Reimu energetically hopped out of the small hole in the ground.  The fluffy white ground caught her leaping form firmly.
"Yu? Yuyuyuyuyuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!"
The forest changed.
The fresh fallen snow is covered in Reimu's tracks.  There's no Yukkuri Place still open anywhere.  Even though she knows this, mother Reimu can only continuously search.
 The little Reimu is the only blemish in the perfect white snowy world.
"Yu, Yu, Yu!""Yu yu, I can't see when its all whiteeee!!! Mister snow,go away!!! ""Yu.... Yu... so tired....""Reimu's little ones.... are ok right...""Yu.... Reimu will work hard for my little........."
And finally,the blemish is erased.
==Part two==
"Wake up ze!  It's Spring, ze!!*" 
Marisa woke up the Yukkuris around her.  Because of her loud, booming, annoying voice, the Yukkuris started waking up.  Nothing happened, and all the Yukkuris were eager to head out into the Spring air.
"Yu~ Wee-freashed!!"
The four little Reimus finished their first winter safe and sound.
"Chank you big sis Mawisa!""It wash sho warm!""That's good ze, Marisa is happy too, ze!!"
Marisa puts her hat back on while the Chen and Alice came back from opening the entrance.
"The cave's open!""I get it~ It's spring outside!~""I know, ze!"
The three asked the little Reimus:
"What are you little ones going to do, ze?""We didn't ask Reimu....""I get it~ Reimu isn't up yet~"
The little Reimus have already decided.
"We will wait for Mwommie in our home!""I get it~ Take these then~""You can last a while with these, ze!""Wait till Reimu comes back for more delicious food!"
The three gave the little Reimus an assortment of bugs and plants found in and around the cave.
"Mister Bug!""It wooks tashty!""I'm kinda hungwy...""No! Don't eatch it befwoe Mwommie comes bach!"
The three and Patchouli looked at the little Reimu walk back to their nest with the little package of food.
"Home shweet home!""Thish ish the most eajy place!""Weimu's big sister, take it eajy!""Reimu take it eajy too!"
There's no food anywhere in the nest, and there's no change.  Putting down the food they received from Chen, Marisa,and Alice, the four little Reimus started waiting for their mother to come home.
They waited a long long time.
Mother Reimu never came back.
The food they got was eaten a long time ago.
"Big shish.... so hungwy...""Mommie will come home shoon.... wait eajy...."
The little Reimus have no energy left to go foraging.  There's only two little yukkuris left, the other two have died of starvation,staring at the ceiling with lifeless eyes.
Even then, little Reimu still believes mommy will come back.
Outside of their nest, the animals and plants that survived the winter are energetically going about their business.
#Yukkuri can't count above three,so when counting above three,it's nothing but gibberish.
#Rumia,is that you!?!?
#"It's spring,b****es!"  -Yukkuri Lily White
Category:Text Stories