Even Gap Demons Get the Blues by taiyakisoba

As soon as the gap tunnel opened, Yukari knew that something was wrong. The inside of the Hakurei shrine was in total darkness, warm, fetid, the smell of illness hanging in the air.

"Reimu?"

She stepped gingerly out of the tunnel of wriggling eyes which shut behind her. She felt suddenly awkward in her new dress, chosen especially for the occasion, her hair done in a cute informal style with fresh ribbons, her face fastidiously made-up, grey eyeliner to accent her violet eyes, red lipstick on her lips.

"Reimu dear?"

There was a cough from deep within the gloom. The paper screen to the priestess' room was not fully closed and looked into deeper darkness. Yukari gingerly opened it.

"Yukari?"

The youkai felt a sudden flush of relief. It was Reimu's voice, though cracked and weak. It had emanated from a lump lying on a futon, darker than the rest of the room. It stirred as she approached it.

"Reimu?"

"Go away, Yukari," returned the voice. "I'm sick."

Yukari ignored her. She knelt beside the lump and carefully peeled back the top edge of the blanket. The thing underneath shifted, turn its sweaty, matted hair over to hide the face within it. There was a smell of unwashed body and sweat.

Yukari brushed the hair aside. It was greasy to the touch, but that didn't stop her. Soon Reimu's face was revealed, flushed, beaded with sweat, the eyes closed, the nostrils red and chapped.

"I said go away!" The voice struggled to support the anger behind it, failed, then collapsed into a series of wet coughs.

Yukari was filled with pity. "Reimu, darling. How long have you been like this?"

"Will you go away if I tell you?"

"I'll think about it," said Yukari. Why did the girl have to be so stubborn?

"I'm not sure how long," muttered Reimu. "Two days? Three maybe."

"You don't even know? Haven't you been eating?"

A pale hand extricated itself from under the blanket and flicked weakly at an open packet lying on the tatami.

Yukari picked it up. "Senbei?" She shook her head. "Reimu, that's scarcely food."

The miko's response was swallowed up by a new avalanche of coughing.

"Why didn't you tell anyone?"

Reimu turned over and glared at the youkai with red-rimmed eyes. "You're not going away, are you?"

Yukari smiled. "I'm afraid not."

"Stupid Marisa," muttered Reimu. "She's in Makai at the moment. She's the one who usually helps out when I'm sick."

"Your little friend the witch?" Yukari felt a familiar twinge and struggled to keep the smile on face. "Well, just because she's not around is no reason for you to suffer alone. I shall look after you."

A new torrent of coughing. Once Reimu had it under control, she said, "No, really, Yukari. It's fine."

"But Reimu, you look terrible."

"Thanks. That really makes me feel better."

"Are you saying you don't want me to look after you?"

"No, I'm saying you can't."

Yukari blinked. "Whyever do you think that?"

Reimu snorted. "I've been to Mayohiga. I've never seen you lift a finger to do anything there. Ran and Chen do everything."

"Now, wait a moment. I think you're being unfair. I..." Yukari left the sentence hanging, unable to finish it. Then she sighed and said, "I have in the past looked after myself, I'll have you know."

There was no answer from Reimu, so Yukari took it as tacit approval for her to continue her defence.

"I haven't always had recourse to a shikigami. The burden of maintaining the boundary necessitates having someone around to help with the domestic jobs."

"It's not really helping if Ran does all of them," muttered the miko.

"Please let me look after you," said Yukari. "It breaks my heart to see you suffering like this. And just when I was hoping we could go on that date we've so often talked about."

"You've so often talked about," said Reimu. Then she sniffed. "Is that why you're wearing perfume?"

Yukari primped her hair, delighted. "Why yes. Do you like it?"

"It makes me want to sneeze."

The youkai's face turned stern. "I'm afraid I shall have to insist on caring for you, Reimu."

"Yukari, please just go. I'm fine. Another day or two and I-"

"No arguments, please." She stood up. "The first thing we need in here is some fresh air."

She stepped over to the amadoa and opened it. Light and air spilled in and Reimu sat up, blinking at the light like a newborn baby.

"And all this will need to be washed as well." Yukari began to gather up the discarded clothes littering the tatami. "I will bring you some fresh robes and... well, whatever this is." She held up a long strip of cotton.

Reimu scowled. "Yukari, that's my sarashi."

Yukari covered a giggle with her hand. "Well, it shall need to be washed. It's still moist with your sweat." She brought it to her nose. "And your scent."

Reimu sat up with surprising violence, her face flushing in anger. "Why are you smelling my clothes? Are you really that perverted?"

Yukari just smiled at her. "Your scent is delightful no matter how strong, my darling Reimu. I would have it no other way."

Reimu was about to say something else but instead she doubled over and started coughing again.

"I think," said Yukari, kneeling beside her and patting her on the back while she coughed. "That Eirin should come and examine you. That is a iveryi nasty cough."

By the end of the coughing fit Reimu was exhausted. She slumped over, her robe falling open at the chest. Her neck and the top of her modest breasts were flushed pink and slick with sweat. Yukari's gaze strayed to them, but she glanced away when Reimu looked up at her, eyes flashing, and pulled the two halves of her robe back together.

"It would be best to wash the clothes you are wearing as well," said Yukari quickly. "Do you have anything else to wear?"

Reimu shook her head.

"Well, I shall bring you some pyjamas then." She placed a hand on Reimu's head, expecting the miko to push it away angrily, as so often she did. But she didn't this time. The coolness of Yukari's palm had eased the beating in the miko's head and she closed her eyes, calmed by the youkai's touch.

Yukari left it there for a moment, then gently laid the exhausted Reimu back on the futon. "Please rest, Reimu. Leave everything to me."

Reimu nodded, but didn't open her eyes.

Too exhausted to say thank you, Yukari thought, smiling to herself. Though 'thank you' has never been an expression to come readily to my Reimu's lips.

She waited until the miko was sleeping, and then she lifted the blanket to her neck and smoothed out the rest of it.

"Sleep well, my dear," she murmured, patting her leg through the blanket. "Gensoukyou will continue to exist without you protecting it."

...

"It's mononucleosis," said Eirin as she took her hands from where she had been pressing Reimu's neck. "The swollen glands are a dead giveaway."

"Mono- what?" muttered Reimu.

"Well, it is a mouthful. That's why it's also commonly known as mono. It's a very common human disease."

"How dreadful," said Yukari, grimacing. "Will Reimu be alright?"

"Oh, yes. Eventually. The first onset is the worst. It's essentially a virus that attaches itself to the endocrine system and attacks the body when the patient is run-down or overworked."

"My dear Reimu," murmured Yukari. "What have you been up to?"

The miko finished buttoning up her pyjamas. "Well, there was that incident with the fairies. Marisa and I..."

Yukari tutted. "Marisa, again? I've always said that black-and-white was a bad influence."

"Who are you, my mother?"

Yukari lifted her fan to her mouth and chuckled. She turned to Eirin. "However did she catch it?"

Eirin chuckled. "Well, mononucleosis is highly contagious. No doubt she came into contact with the bodily fluids of someone who has it. They may not have even been showing any symptoms at the time, so it's very hard to tell who it might have been."

"Bodily fluids?" Reimu shuddered.

"Oh, that includes saliva and the like. In fact, in the Outside World, mononucleosis is commonly called 'The Kissing Disease'." Eirin waggled her finger. "So no more indiscriminate kissing for you, Reimu."

Reimu blushed. "You can get it from kissing?"

Yukari was smiling, but there was no warmth in it. The blush that had settled across Reimu's skin had unsettled her.

Eirin placed her equipment back in her bag and turned to Yukari. "She should rest. No more incidents for a while." She handed a little bottle to the youkai. "See that she takes one of these with every meal. It will help boost her immune system."

"Why are you telling her all this?" demanded Reimu. "I'm right here."

"Like I said, you should rest," said Eirin. "Yukarin has been kind enough to offer to look after you."

"But-"

Eirin smiled at her indulgently. "You don't have to be in control all the time, Reimu. Take a break for once. You can be a little too intense at times, you know."

"'Intense'?" said Reimu, frowning. "Is that your medical opinion?"

Eirin patted her on the head. "Just take care of yourself." Then, to Yukari as she led her out, "Call me if there's any change in her condition."

Reimu, exhausted by the confrontation, slid back down under the covers. It felt good to have clean sheets, and the pyjamas Yukari had brought were surprisingly comfortable.

Maybe if I close my eyes, she thought, this whole nightmare will be over.

...

The smell of cooked rice woke Reimu and she realised she was ravenously hungry. She opened her eyes and jerked up out of bed.

Yukari was sitting beside her futon, holding a bowl of rice porridge.

Reimu stared at it. "It smells good."

"Why thank you," said Yukari. "I made it."

Reimu's eyes narrowed. "Really?" She took the bowl from the youkai's hands and examined it more closely. Floating in it was egg, spring onion and strips of chicken. The delightful scent of sesame oil made her salivate.

She quickly hid it behind her back and threw a sly look towards Yukari. "So you'll be able to tell me what you put in it, right?"

Yukari's smile weakened, but then came back twice as bright. "Of course! What a ridiculous question."

"So?"

"Well, there's rice, water, salt... I'm pretty sure I put some spring onion in there as well. And some oil..."

"What kind of oil?"

Yukari wrinkled her nose. "...olive?"

Reimu smiled grimly. "Ran made this, didn't she."

Yukari nodded, chagrined. "It's been a while since I've cooked. I burned the first two I tried to make myself."

"Wait, you tried to cook some yourself?"

Yukari sighed. "'Tried' is the operative word, I fear."

"Yukari, I'm impressed."

"Really?"

But Reimu was already bringing spoonful after spoonful into her mouth. Between swallows, she murmured her appreciation. Yukari watched her, pleased that seemed to have already recovered a little.

"Ah!" Reimu gasped in delight as Yukari took the bowl from her. "You know, Yukari, you're lucky to have a shikigami like Ran. She's an excellent cook."

"What about your Marisa?" said Yukari. The words were out before she realised it.

"Oh, she always cooks mushroom soup. I think it's the only thing she can cook."

"It must be very good, then."

Reimu looked distracted. "Usually. One time, though, there were some magic mushrooms mixed up in it. I saw some pretty weird things that night."

"Does she often cook for you?"

"Only when I'm too sick to." Reimu stared at her. "Wait, Yukari, what's all this about?"

"Merely trying to compare my Ran with your Marisa," said Yukari quickly.

"Well, Marisa's no Ran, that's for sure," said Reimu. "Besides being messy and a thief, she's the least dependable person I know. I don't know why I hang around with her so much. Just good company, I guess."

Yukari regretted bringing the subject up. "You've got your colour back. Feeling better?"

Reimu eyes widened. "Actually, yes, a little."

"Then it's time for your pill."

"Yukari, I really don't think I need to..."

The youkai's face was suddenly stern. "Now, Reimu, don't let's fight about this. I'll get you some water."

She opened a gap next to her and pulled a glass of water ready-poured out of it.

Reimu arched her eyebrows. "Ran?"

"Take your medicine."

Reimu took it and drank a mouthful of water.

"Now show me your tongue."

The miko blanched. "What?"

"I want to see that you swallowed it."

"Really?"

That stern face again.

Reimu stuck out her tongue then straightaway replaced it. "There, satisfied?"

"Good girl. Now get some more rest. I'll do the washing up."

"By which you mean Ran, right?"

"Actually, I'm more than capable of washing things up, Reimu."

"Okay. Thanks Yukari."

Yukari smiled sweetly at her. "There. I knew you knew that word."

Reimu shut her eyes. She heard Yukari's soft footsteps, then clattering.

"Reimu?"

"Mhhm?"

"How do you switch this thing on?"

"What thing?"

"The thing the water comes out of."

"The faucet? Just lift the handle..."

There was a sudden splash and a cry.

"...gently."

Reimu sighed. Her stomach full, she felt sleep start to steal down over her. She was so tired that even when a dish slipped from Yukari's grip and smashed on the floor she didn't wake up.

...

When Reimu woke she felt a little stronger. She got up and stumbled to the bathroom. She came back out and stopped dead, her eyes widening in surprise.

The shrine was absolutely spotless.

Dishes washed up by the sink, all the clothes that had littered the tatami washed and folded in a neat pile in one corner, every surface dusted. Sunlight played through the room from the open amadoa.

"Yukari," she murmured.

"Oh, so you're up."

The youkai came in through the door, dusting off her hands. "That's the last of the laundry done. I wonder, though. Do you really need so many ribbons? I found a veritable treasure-trove of them in the bottom of your oshiire. "

Reimu glared at her. "You've been going through my stuff while I've been asleep?"

"Of course," said Yukari. "I decided that since I was doing the laundry I might as well wash everything I could find. I'm sure that the last thing that you would want to see was all the work waiting for you after you've recovered."

Reimu blinked, then a rueful smile appeared on her face. "I guess you're right. Thank you, Yukari."

"My, my! There's that word again, and twice in one day as well."

Reimu stepped over to the amadoa and peered out over the grounds of the shrine. It had been days since she'd seen the outside and, like the inside of the shrine, everything beyond it seemed to sparkle. Spring sunshine lent a gentle bloom to every surface and a light breeze wafted the freshly washed laundry hanging on the line. Reimu's loosened hair blew into her face. She felt for her ribbon and remembered she wasn't wearing one.

Yukari came up behind her and took her hair in her hands.

"Yukari, what...?"

"I know you feel naked without it," murmured the youkai. "Please allow me."

Reimu said nothing. She stood still as Yukari's nimble fingers tied the ribbon.

The youkai turned her around and made the final adjustments to it, her violet eyes sharp with concentration

"There. Now you look more like the Reimu we all know and love."

Reimu drew a lock of hair from her face. Yukari was already handing her what she was looking for: her hair tube.

"You know, I've always wondered how you put these things on," said the youkai.

"Really? It's easy." Reimu took a thick lock of her hair and twisted it, drawing a loop at the end then slipped the hair tube over it.

"Oh," said Yukari. "I can't help but feel somewhat disappointed."

Reimu snorted. "It's not magic, Yukari." She looked out at the washing fluttering in the breeze then glanced around the rest of the shrine grounds.

"What's the matter?"

"I know Ran's around here somewhere. Where are you hiding her?"

Yukari felt a twinge in her chest, but then she saw Reimu was smiling.

"I'm sorry," said Reimu. Obviously her face had betrayed some emotion. "I guess my sense of humour hasn't recovered yet."

She coughed.

"It sounds as if the rest of you hasn't fully recovered either," said Yukari. "You should go back to bed. As you can see, everything is well under control here."

Reimu looked around her. It was true.

She slid back into the welcome warmth of the futon. "I don't really feel sleepy any more though."

"I thought that might be the case," said Yukari. "So I brought you some books to read."

Reimu's eyes narrowed. "What kind of books?"

Yukari placed her hand before her mouth in her most affected laugh. "My dear Reimu, you really are the worst. Merely some light reading of interest to yourself." She brought the little pile of books out from where they had been stashed on a shelf and placed them beside the futon. "Now, don't read too much or you'll ruin your eyes."

Reimu shook her head. She glanced at the title of the first book on the pile: A Concise History of Youkai Extermination.

She reached over and picked it up. It did look interesting.

"Well, seeing as you are in good hands," said Yukari, standing up, "I shall bid you good evening."

Reimu put the book down. "Wait, you're going?"

Yukari seemed pleased. "I'm afraid that I've left a few chores of my own undone while I've been helping out around here, chores that can no longer be ignored without potentially unpleasant results. I'll come and see you tomorrow to make sure everything is satisfactory."

"Okay," said Reimu. She picked the book back up and turned the first page. Then she glanced at Yukari. "Yukari?"

"Yes?"

"Thanks for everything."

"My, my! It's almost becoming a habit, isn't it?"

"No, really. I owe you one."

Yukari turned her most coquettish expression on the miko. "Well, if you really feel like doing me a favour in the future, perhaps you can allow me to take you on that date I had in mind."

Reimu's eye twitched. "Stupid Yukari," she muttered. But the youkai could tell she was hiding the smile that had slipped onto her face with the book.

Yukari grinned. "You are most welcome."

She traced her hand in the air before her, and with a jaunty wave she slid down through the gap...

... and was already running as she landed on the sparkling silver-and-gold dunes on the other side. A skip, then a jump and she was flying across the glittering surface of the moon.

Her violet eyes scanned the horizon. "Ran? Where are you?"

"I am here, Lady Yukari," came a voice from beside her. The kitsune flew up beside her surrounded in a shimmering blue fiery aura.

"Report."

"The Lunarian's have completed the Ray of Purification far ahead of the expected schedule. Lord Tsukiyomi is at this moment readying to fire it. Where have you been?"

"Busy elsewhere," said Yukari quickly. "With a more pressing matter."

"The machine will be heavily guarded," said Ran. "We should have asked the miko of Hakurei for her help."

"She's currently unavailable," said Yukari. "Besides, we cannot rely on Reimu all the time. I don't want her to grow even more arrogant than she already is."

The dunes fled away beneath them to be replaced by the glistening purity of a Lunar sea. On the horizon, the Capital glowed with its blue-white light. And there, on its outskirts, like a great slender tower made from ice, lay the Ray of Purification itself.

The two youkai were swiftly enveloped in a hail of suppressive laser-fire.

Yukari pulled her parasol out of a gap and opened it, deflecting the nearest of the blasts as she and Ran speared down through the storm of energy.

"Ready, Ran?"

The kitsune nodded. "As always, Lady Yukari." She drew a spellcard from her robes. Fox-Tannuki Laser!"

"Border of Life!"

...

Yukari looked at herself in the mirror. She liked what she saw. Although her skin looked a bit tired from the previous day's danmaku battle, a little extra foundation suitably masked it. If anything, the exertion had given her face a sexy flush around the cheeks; no doubt her blood was still racing from the thrill of combat. Now, the prospect of spending another day looking after Reimu added to the excitement. With the destruction of the Ray of Purification, Lord Tsukiyomi's plans had been set back indefinitely, which meant she could dedicate a few hours to herself without worrying about the world coming to an end.

Ran lifted the hand-mirror behind her mistress' head, allowing her to check the fall of her hair from that angle. A slight tangle was apparent, so Yukari reached through a gap and brushed it out herself. It was something she would usually have Ran do, but somehow she felt she should do it. The last few days helping Reimu had turned out to be surprisingly fun, and she was still enjoying the novelty of doing things on her own.

She was distracted from her toilette by the chime of the oven. She hurried over to it, slipped on some mitts and pulled open the door. The scent of sugar and burning dough filled the room.

Yukari examined the tray of cookies with the same analytical power she would any of her myriad of intricate schemes and machinations. Overall, they seemed to have come out rather well. Well, far better than the previous batches that now lay in a carbonised mass at the bottom of the kitchen bin. Chen had been the experimental recipient of previous batches, but she had had to retire from the task with a sore stomach.

"They're a little burnt," remarked Ran, looking over her shoulder.

"Thank you, Ran. Your continued service to me as a commentator on the plainly obvious is as always most appreciated." She sighed. "I know they're burnt. Just a little, though. There's no way she'll notice." She transferred the cookies into a little box which she carefully wrapped in a red handkerchief. "I'll be back later this evening. Don't wait up for me."

Holding the little box in both hands, Yukari opened a gap and stepped through it into the shrine.

The first thing she heard was cheerful laughter.

"...but I did get sick of being mistaken as someone called 'Yuki' all the time..."

Yukari recognised the voice at once, but it was too late to step back through the gap. Reimu and Marisa both turned to her from where they were sitting around the kotatsu. She just had enough time to slip the package under her arm.

"Oh, Yukari," said Reimu.

"Yo!" said Marisa, raising a hand and grinning in greeting.

"And a 'yo' to yourself as well, Miss Kirisame," said Yukari, masking her unease with what she hoped was a particularly enigmatic smile of her own. "Back from Makai I see?"

"Sure," said Marisa. "As soon as I got word Reimu here was sick, I hurried back. Here!"

She took off her hat, rummaged around in it and tossed a glowing globe to the youkai. Yukari caught it.

"A most charming bauble," she said, turning it over in her hands. "From Makai, I presume?"

Marisa nodded. "A souvenir. There was a whole bunch of them just floating around Pandemonium so I borrowed a few."

"Stole a few," muttered Reimu, bumping the witch on her bare head with her knuckles.

"Ehehehe," said Marisa, rubbing the sore spot. "Hey. I didn't hear you complaining about your souvenir!"

Reimu looked at the crystal sitting on the table in front of her. "I don't approve of how you got it, but it is very pretty."

There was the sudden sound of a pot cover clattering and Marisa got to her feet. "Oh, that'll be the soup. I'll go check on it. Smells great, don't it?"

Yukari nodded. As the witch bustled into the kitchen she moved to hide the little box behind her back. Reimu spotted her.

"What's that?" she asked, eyebrows raised.

"Oh, this?" Yukari brought it back out. "Oh, just some karintou for Chen from that little shop in the human village. I stopped by here on my way back to Mayohiga to check how you were doing, but everything seems to be under control."

"I'm feeling much better today," said Reimu. Then her face turned serious. "Hey Yukari, I-"

But the rest of her sentence was disturbed by a violent clanging of pots and rampant bubbling from the kitchen, followed by a cry from Marisa. "Reimu, little help? We've got an incident on our hands here."

A flare of fire from the same direction had Reimu on her feet. "What have you done this time?" she shouted over the noise as she hurried to the doorway.

"I was messing with the settings on the mini-hakkerou this morning and I guess I musta-"

"Sorry, Yukari," said Reimu, turning. "This might take some..."

But the youkai was already gone.

...

Ran was at the sink scraping at the carbonised pans that Yukari had left in it when she noticed her mistress had returned.

"That was quick," she said. "How was the patient?"

"Literally glowing with health," said Yukari. "She no longer has any need of my services it appears."

"Did she like the cookies?"

"I'm a little tired, Ran," said Yukari. "Please prepare my futon for me."

Ran stopped scrubbing. "Lady Yukari?"

But her mistress was already disappearing down the corridor towards her room.

Troubled, Ran returned to her washing up.

It was then that she noticed the box of cookies that had been thrown in the trash.

...

Reimu stared at the destruction that Marisa had wrought in her little kitchen. Everything still smelled of mushrooms. The witch had stayed to help clean the worst of it, but had quickly become bored and Reimu had ended up doing most of the work. It was lucky that she felt much better.

She washed the last of the exploded soup off her hands, tossed the now-dirty tea-towel in the laundry basket and opened the oshiire for a new one.

There, on the freshly washed laundry, was a little bundle of lavender. Reimu picked it up and smelled it. She didn't have any growing near the shrine. It could only have come from Mayohiga.

"Yukari," she murmured.

She sat down on the porch and looked out across the grounds of the shrine. The world, glazed in sunshine, hummed with the new life of spring.

She lifted the lavender to her nose again.

What was tense feeling that had suddenly settled on her? She must still be sick. She glanced back at her futon. She didn't feel like sleeping.

That's right. A book.

She'd finished reading the first three. Yukari's choice had been surprisingly appropriate - history, danmaku, magicology.

Reimu went back inside and picked up the book on the bottom of the pile next to her futon.

"The Confessions of an Errant Gardner," she read aloud. It sounded like a trashy novel or something.

She opened the first page.

For when you're feeling better ;)

Your friend, Yukari.

"Friend," snorted Reimu. Then she felt suddenly guilty. Yukari was her friend, wasn't she? They'd started off as enemies, but over the years they'd grown closer. But could you really call it friendship? A human and a youkai, and a perverted one at that! Who knew what diabolical schemes she was secretly involved in? With all her teasing jokes and fan-waving and irony, it was easy to forget she was a youkai of considerable power, perhaps the most powerful in Gensoukyou. And Reimu knew Yukari had eaten humans before, although she was always evasive when the subject was raised. But she let things slip now and again, like the time she'd flattered her as being sweeter than a priest's flesh. Reimu had known from the offhandedness of the remark that Yukari hadn't been joking. And then there was that time in the past when Yukari had led an invasion force to the Moon. Had it really all been a trick to destroy the more powerful and dangerous youkai so that she could maintain control of Gensoukyou more easily? Even if it had been necessary, it was surely a cold-blooded act that showed she was capable of almost anything.

And yet...

"What is this book anyway?"

Reimu skipped ahead and read a paragraph at random.

When my mistress kissed me I knew there was no turning back. The force with which she embraced me, the softness of her lips pressing against mine, the first time a woman's had ever done so, was intoxicating, overpowering. I dropped my rake and melted into her embrace, gasping with longing as her hungry lips nibbled a burning path down my neck to my brea...

Reimu, flushing red, slammed the book shut and tossed it aside.

She just couldn't resist teasing her, could she?

Yukari. Yakumo Yukari. Why didn't she make any sense?

But then, she was a youkai, after all.

Reimu pushed all thoughts of Yukari away. She went to check on the donation box, which proved empty, found her broom and began to half-heartedly dust the porch.

It was already clean.

She sat back down with a sigh. Even with the best of intentions, Yukari ruined everything she touched.

Evening settled over the landscape. Reimu felt a sudden melancholy well up inside her as the colour fled from the world. Even that idiot Cirno would be welcome company right at the moment.

But no one came.

Reimu opened the amadoa and sunlight spilled glittering into the shrine. Another glorious day.

Then why did she feel so terrible?

Her cough was gone, as were her aches and pains, and she was filled with the energy that only appears after you've recovered from a long illness. But it lay hidden inside her, unwilling to come out.

She lay down on the futon and splayed her arms out on both sides. The fingers of one hand touched a book.

She glanced across at it. Of course it had to be the lewd one that Yukari had left as a joke.

Reimu picked it up and flipped through it. Then she went back and started to read it from the beginning.

Hours passed without her realising it. There was a knock at the door.

Startled, she slid the book under her futon, fussed with her hair and smoothed out her robes which had become creased by lying down.

Her heart was beating strangely fast when she opened the door. It couldn't be her, though. She never knocked...

It wasn't her. It was Ran.

Reimu's disappointment was tempered by her surprise.

The kitsune bowed. "I must apologise for coming unannounced, miko of Hakurei," she said. "Do you perhaps have a moment to spare? There is a matter I'd like to discuss with you."

Reimu frowned. "Ah, of course." She led Ran inside and sat her at the kotatsu as she readied some tea. Why was she here? Ran almost never came to the shrine without her mistress.

She placed the tea and some manjuu on the table and sat down.

"Is Yukari alright?" were the first words out of her mouth. She'd tried to keep from saying it so abruptly, but it had proved impossible.

Ran considered the miko with interest. "Lady Yukari's situation is exactly the reason why I've come to talk to you. She is..." A strange expression flashed onto her face, a mixture of concern, awkwardness, embarrassment. "Lady Yukari is not herself at the moment. She has locked herself in her room and will not come out."

"Is she sick?"

Ran's eyes darted to one side. "I... I believe so. After a fashion."

"What has Eirin said?"

"I haven't called upon the Mistress of Eintei," said Ran. "I fear the illness is outside her expertise. It's a matter that perhaps only you, as Yukari's friend, are able to help her with."

There was that word again. Friend.

Ran was being even more enigmatic than usual and it was starting to annoy her. "Are you sure she's not just joking around?"

Ran shook her head. "You know the Lady Yukari almost as well as I do. This is not the sort of joke that she enjoys playing. Please. Won't you at least come and talk with her?"

Reimu sighed. "She's going to be in trouble if this is all a joke." But the sternness of her words were forced. At the back of her mind she felt concern. As Ran had said, it just didn't feel right.

...

Reimu raised her hand to knock on the door to Yukari's room then stopped. She stared at the door for a few moments in indecision then placed her ear to it. There was the sound of light breathing, not the sound of someone sleeping but rather someone just sitting in silence.

She knocked. No reaction.

She knocked again.

"Ran, I told you to go away. I'm sleeping."

Yukari's voice, but very weak.

"It's not Ran," said Reimu. "It's me."

"Reimu?" A pause. "Ah. I'm sorry, I'm not feeling well. Please come back another time."

"What are your symptoms?"

Silence. "I think I must have caught your illness, Reimu. Your mono- oh, whatever it was called."

"Yukari, I know that youkai can't catch human diseases," said Reimu. "What's really the matter?"

"Just leave me alone. Please."

Reimu was taken aback by the bluntness of her words. It was totally unlike the usually ironic and subtle gap youkai. The 'please' had sounded almost plaintive.

Reimu considered blowing the door down and dragging her out, but that seemed rather over the top, too Marisa-like a solution to the problem. The situation called for subtlety.

She sighed.

I can't believe I'm actually going to do this.

"Yukari. I..." Dammit, why was it so hard to say this kind of stuff? "Look, I just want to thank you again for looking after me while I was sick. You know, I was being serious when I told you I owed you one. Why don't you let me in and I'll help look after you. It's only fair."

"I appreciate the thought, but that's really not necessary," said Yukari. "Besides, no doubt it was Marisa's soup that finally cured you. Perhaps you should go and find her."

"Marisa?" Reimu frowned in annoyed confusion. She thought about turning around and leaving, but instead she leaned closer to the door.

"Yukari, I..." She shook her head. Thank goodness Ran had made herself scarce. She didn't want anyone else hearing this. Her voice fell to a whisper. "Look, why don't you come out so we can go on that date you were talking about."

"Our date?"

"Yes. I feel bad for ruining it for you."

Movement on the other side. The door slid open. Yukari peered out, blinking. Her hair was a mass of blonde curls and tangles and she wasn't wearing makeup. She was dressed in a nightgown which hung loosely from her shoulders, threatening to fall off at any moment.

"But I can't go out looking like this."

Reimu looked at her. She'd never seen Yukari in such state. She was usually fastidiously made-up whenever they met. Right now her face was fragile, her violet eyes glassy and moist.

Had... had she been crying?

The image was so incongruous and unbelievable that Reimu felt something akin to panic. It must have showed on her face, for Yukari frowned.

"So I do look terrible," she murmured.

Reimu shook her head. "No. You really don't." She felt awkward, so she quickly changed the subject. "Where did you want to go on our date anyway?"

Yukari's expression lightened, her eyes regaining some of their usual sparkle. "Our date? Well, I originally had the moon viewing at Eintei in mind. But of course, the full moon was days ago now. Perhaps you have a suggestion?"

A suggestion? Why couldn't she just choose a place...

Yukari was looking at her, her face disarmingly open and expectant.

Wait, where did people go on dates? She'd seen couples around, walking hand in hand, talking and enjoying themselves. Now where had she...

Of course.

"Well," said Reimu. "The summer festival is on tonight, in the human village. I always get invited but I don't usually go."

Yukari's face picked up. "A human festival?"

"Oh, you know the sort of thing. Stalls, fireworks, dancing."

"What kind of stalls?"

"Fried food mostly - takoyaki, yakisoba. They have crushed ice and cotton candy as well, though. Oh, and those games where you toss rings or try to catch goldfish."

"I see. Well, it does sound rather fun." Yukari glanced down, as if seeing herself for the first time. Her face went red. "I... I will need some time to get myself ready, of course. Shall we meet here in a few hours? What time does this festival start?"

"In the afternoon, but people usually go a little later, I think. The fireworks are at 9 o'clock."

"Well, I shall see you at five o'clock then." For the first time a smile appeared on her face.

As Reimu slipped on her shoes in the genkan, Ran bowed to her.

"Thank you for all your efforts on behalf of my mistress," she said. An enigmatic smile had crept onto her vulpine face.

For some reason Reimu found it particularly disturbing. She left Mayohiga, shaking her head.

A date... with Yukari.

What have I gotten myself into?