A Fairy in Spring
...
"Its Spring!"
A lone, white clothed fairy flew across the morning sky of Gensokyo. Wherever she went, an invisible curtain seemed to lift from the land, clearing away the snow and causing many of the trees and flowers to burst into blossom. The sun grew a little hotter, and the lake became liquid water again. Many of the Gensokyo inhabitants rejoiced at the return of Spring, except for one.
A blue and white dressed fairy with six icy crystals as wings sat on her rock at the edge of the lake watching the spectacle. She watched as the area around her became green and lush again, heralding the end of Winter.
"It's Spring," she said depressedly. Cirno pulled her legs up to her chest. The announcement of Spring by Lily White always made her feel sad. Winter made her feel more alive than any other season, and she always felt some part of her disappear every year because the change. Well, more importantly, it meant no more snowball fights and playing danmaku in the falling snow.
"Cirno!" The blue fairy looked up and saw a green fairy with a side tied ponytail flying toward her. Daiyousei lightly landed beside her friend and smoothed down her dress. She grinned.
"It's Spring!" She said happily. Cirno grumbled and pulled her legs in tighter. Daiyousei's smile faltered as she remembered that Cirno hated the arrival of Spring, and she would be moody for the rest of the day as a result. Unsure of what to do, Daiyousei sat beside her friend. For a while they watched in silence as a few clouds rolled over the lake, their image reflected back at them. Cirno sighed heavily and turned in her seat to slightly face the other fairy.
"I don't feel like playing today and I kind of want to be alone," she said gloomily. Daiyousei nodded, disheartened that she wasn't wanted then and there. She gently got up and flew away.
The green fairy headed towards a clearing in the Forest of Magic, where her and Cirno's other friends usually hanged out. She spotted the wings of her sparrow friend Mystia Lorelei and the dark cape of her firefly companion Wriggle Nightbug below her. As she descended, they looked up and waved.
"Hey Daiyousei."
"Hi, Daiyousei!" Mystia paused and looked around.
"Where's Cirno?" Daiyousei dropped her head a little in sadness.
"It's Spring," she replied. Mystia and Wriggle nodded, instantly understanding Cirno's mood. Wriggle grabbed Daiyousei's hands and held them.
"So, what do you want to play?" The firefly said, her eyes beaming.
"Actually...I'm not in the mood, " Daiyousei answered, pulling her hands back. "I mean, I kind of have something to do right now," she added, feeling her lie not really persuade anyone. As she was speaking, a ball of darkness came down from the sky and landed in front of them. It dissipated away to reveal Rumia, another one of their friends.
"Hello!" She exclaimed. Daiyousei took Rumia's arrival as a chance to leave. She stepped back from the group.
"I guess you three will have to play without me and Cirno for today," she said, and before the trio could stop her, the green fairy quickly took off and flew away from the clearing.
"Oh, is that so?" Rumia commented at the sudden departure, looking in the direction that Daiyousei went.
Daiyousei flew above the trees of the Forest of Magic without any particular place she wanted to go to. Her mind kept wandering back to the lonely, curled up form of Cirno at the edge of the lake. Without her, playing around really wasn't fun. Cirno was like the lifeline of their group, and wherever she went, the rest of them would follow. A little lump formed in her throat as she guiltily remembered that she had happily announced Spring in front of her best friend.
Daiyousei decided to make today different. She would cheer Cirno up and take her mind off of Spring. And the best way to do that was with ice!
.
.
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"Ice? I think you came to the wrong place for that," Reimu replied. Daiyousei now stood timidly in front of the shrine's sliding doors, which led to the inside of the home. Reimu Hakurei was sitting on the right side of the table with a cup of tea, and the other infamous incident solver, Marisa Kirisame, was leaning on her arms and looking at the fairy with a curious expression on the left side. A green and blue girl wearing similar clothing to Reimu's opened the sliding door at the back and walked in carrying a tray of more tea cups and snacks. She put the tray down in the middle of the table and then sat beside Reimu on her right. The red miko gently kissed newcomer's cheek.
"Thanks, Sanae." Before Daiyousei could process what just happened, the black and white witch spoke up.
"Yea, there's no ice here. Reimu's too poor for that-"
Fwap!
A red talisman hit Marisa in the forehead, thrown by the visibly irritated red shrine maiden. Marisa's hat flew off, and she fell back back into her seat.
"Ow!" Marisa ripped the talisman off and nursed the weltering spot. The unfamiliar green and blue miko leaned her head forward to look at Daiyousei.
"What do you need the ice for?" She asked. Unlike Marisa's mischievous eyes and Reimu's indifferent eyes, Daiyousei found the other woman's eyes to be kind and inviting. Similarly, her voice was soothing and calming.
"Ah, it's for Cirno. Since Spring is here, she has been feeling down, and I want to cheer her up with it."
The blue miko clapped her hands in delight.
"Oh! You mean the ice fairy?" Reimu sipped her cup of tea.
"If you want ice, you should go visit the Scarlet Devil Mansion. Someone there will probably give it to you"
"Oh, ok." But Daiyousei didn't leave yet. She had started to fidget in place when Reimu looked back at her.
"What?"
"Um, actually, c-can one of you come with me there?" Daiyousei nervously stammered out. One of the reasons why Daiyousei didn't go to the SDM first (although it was much closer to the lake) was because she was scared of the place. It was dark and gloomy, and she had heard rumors about an underground vampire that was much, much stronger than the vampire who ruled over the mansion. Reimu sighed and rubbed her forehead.
"Okay. Marisa, go help the fairy."
"What, ze!? Why me?"
"Because I said so," Reimu said concisely. Marisa muttered a few unintelligible words under her breathe, but she got up all the same. She put her black witch hat back on her head, picked up her broom, and stepped down onto the ground beside Daiyousei. Reimu and Sanae also stood up and walked to the opening.
"Make sure you bring back some food, too."
"Yea yea, I hear you," Marisa said, waving the order away. The green and blue shrine maiden gave Daiyousei one last tender smile before Reimu closed the sliding door on them.
"Damn love birds. I didn't even get to eat yet," Marisa grumbled. Daiyousei looked at her. She had vaguely heard about Reimu and another woman being in love. Then again, no one dared asking the youkai exterminator about her private life (it was like asking to be sent straight to Hell or the Netherworld). Marisa turned to look at the green fairy and smiled.
"Well, let's get going, ze!"
"T-thank you so much!" Daiyousei said, smiling with relief. Together, they took to the sky and flew towards the Scarlet Devil Mansion. Half an hour later, they finally reached the mansion. By now, it was early afternoon, and Daiyousei was feeling a little winded from all of the flying. Marisa hovered on her broom, thinking hard about something. She grinned and took out her hakkero from a pocket.
"Hey, Daiyousei, are you in a rush?" The green fairy hesitated.
"Um, yes?"
"Awesome answer! Master Spark!" Marisa aimed downwards and fired her weapon of youkai destruction. The giant beam hit the front of the SDM gates with a fast and explosive roar. Debris and dust flew everywhere, and a very large chunk of ground was missing when the laser finally dissipated. Miraculously (or more precisely, magically), the gate and walls showed no damage done to them. They stood just as foreboding and tall as before. Marisa clucked her tongue.
"Tch. Missed."
"Eh? Missed?" Daiyousei squeaked. The black and white witch nodded and turned around. Daiyousei saw that there was a youkai behind them now. She wore a green combat outfit with a star topped hat.
"Looks like she's awake for once. Go on ahead and inside, ze." The green fairy blinked.
"Huh?" Marisa sighed. Man, were fairies slow.
"This fight is gonna take awhile, so run along and find the purply and frail magician. She'll help you get what you need. And do not, I repeat, do not go near the maid!" Without waiting for a reply, Marisa tapped her broom and launched herself with a blaze of trailing stars towards the youkai, who had started to emit flowery danmaku.
Daiyousei flew quickly to avoid getting caught in the danmaku fight and sped towards to the large, blood red front doors of the SDM. She lightly landed in front of them, trembling a little. She had thought that Marisa would come with her, and now that she was alone, every one of her senses were telling her to run.
Please calm down, self. This is for Cirno, she silently pleaded. The thought of Cirno made her a feel a little bit braver, and she pushed on the front doors. They gave way with little resistance, revealing the very dark and lowly lit interior of the home. Daiyousei walked in with very scared steps, and the doors closed noisily, as if to trap her inside. Her heart painfully thumping, she started to wander around and look for the person that Marisa told her to find.
The mansion proved to be far larger than she thought it was. Many times, the corridors wrapped around and turned in impossible ways, and Daiyousei became lost in the labyrinth. All of the red wallpaper and decor gave no indication of where she was or where she came from. And at times, she thought she heard ominous and echoing giggles. Eventually, she reached an unfamiliar set of double doors that looked old and worn out. She pushed them open and was struck by light.
"Eh? Who are you?" Daiyousei blinked rapidly in the sudden brightness. Adjusting to it, she saw who had spoken. A youkai in a dark dress and tie stood holding a few books in her arms. Several lit lanterns floated around her, swaying a little in their place. Daiyousei also saw behind her a massive amount of bookshelves and books, each row extending into the darkness above. Her mouth dropped in awe of the impressive display.
"Umm…," The well dressed youkai tentatively said. Daiyousei realized that she had been staring and quickly closed her mouth.
"A-are you a magician?" Daiyousei nervously asked. The youkai did not look like a maid, but she also did not look like the purple and frail person Marisa had mentioned. As she had suspected, the youkai shook her head. The green fairy saw bat like wings protrude from behind her ears and a larger pair from her back.
"No. That would be my master." Daiyousei's heart jumped a little in hope.
"Can I meet her?" The succubus-like youkai hesitated. But before she could answer, Daiyousei disappeared from sight. The library assistant yelped at the sudden disappearance and accidently threw her books into the air.
From Daiyousei's perspective, she was talking to the youkai in one second and in the next found herself bound to a chair in an entirely different room. It looked like a sitting room, and it had a fire going in the fireplace. A maid with white hair and a few braids now faced her, and Daiyousei saw her slide a pocketwatch into an fold of the maid dress. Slowly, the other woman walked towards her. When she reached her, she gently nudged the fairy's chin up to look her in her eyes.
"Now, how did an outside fairy get past the gate guard?" The elegant maid said slowly. When Daiyousei didn't speak, she took out a knife and looked at it.
"I believe my lady would be happy to have fairy blood for tonight's dinner. I wonder what the best way to prepare it is?" she said in a nonchalant-but-clearly-threatening way. Daiyousei gave out a squeak.
"M-Marisa," she confessed, trembling all the way to her core. Dayouisei saw a flash of anger streak across her face. The other woman removed her hand from Daiyousei's chin and took out her pocket watch again. She disappeared, and Marisa appeared next to her also bound to a chair.
"Hah! Take that, you stupid-" Marisa yelled before she realized what had happened.
"What? No!" Sakuya stepped out from the shadows and in front of them.
"Ha, hi Sakuya. What's up, ze," Marisa said weakly. Sakuya put her hands on her hips and glared at her.
"By all rights, I shouldn't even have bothered to tie you up and bring you here."
"N-now wait! Before you do anything to me, please know that this time it's different! It's for her!"
Marisa jerked her head at Daiyousei. Sakuy's steel eyes turned on Daiyousei.
"I need ice," Daiyousei said in the quietest of fearful voices. The silence in the room expanded as Sakuya stared at her.
"Ice," Sakuya repeated. Daiyousei meekly nodded. After a few seconds of thought, the elegant maid walked over and reached over the fairy. Daiyousei flinched, but instead of feeling pain, she felt her bonds be cut and fall away. She looked up at the maid, who now had a somewhat softer expression.
"If all you wanted was ice, you should have asked the gate guard to let you in," she said. "Please follow me." The maid turned and started to walk towards the door of the room. Unsure, Daiyousei began to follow.
"Wait, what about me?" Marisa called at them. Sakuya paused and turned. She smiled, and Daiyousei felt the goosebumps rise again on her skin.
"You'll be punished for hurting the gate guard, of course," she said sweetly. Marisa paled. Still smiling, Sakuya turned around again, opened the door, and walked through the doorway. Daiyousei trailed after her.
The duo travelled through many rooms and hallways. Fairies in maid clothing began to appear around them, cleaning the mansion. Evidently, Daiyousei had strayed off towards the less populated portion of the home before being caught by Sakuya. After a while, they finally arrived at a plain looking door. Above it, a plaque read "Kitchen." Sakuya opened the door and they stepped inside. The kitchen was surprisingly modern and western fashioned. It was also well lit and large. There were a few maid fairies about, preparing food and cleaning dishes. Sakuya walked past the rows of cookware and cooking stations to a large set of metal doors. She opened them, and a very cold gust blew out. Daiyousei saw large packages of food and things stacked inside. Sakuya walked in and began rummaging around.
"How much ice do you need?" She asked. Daiyousei opened her mouth and then closed it. It occurred to her that she had not thought it this out well. Would a lot of ice make Cirno happy? But she couldn't carry too much of it, and it would freeze her hands. But Cirno might not be too pleased with such little ice.
When Daiyousei didn't answer, Sakuya looked back and saw the fairy visibly agitated.
"What's wrong?" She asked concerned about her behavior. Daiyousei hesitated.
"I, I don't know how much," she replied. Sakuya tapped her chin.
"May I ask, for what will the ice be used for?"
"I want to give ice to my friend Cirno." The maid raised her eyebrows.
"The ice fairy?" Daiyousei nodded. Sakuya thought for a little bit before she smiled. She took out a small box that was the size of a fish bowl and carried it outside of the freezer. She closed the metal door and placed her package on an empty station.
"How would Cirno feel," Sakuya said as she prepared," about an ice sculpt?"
Sakuya pulled out a knife and her pocket watch. In one flash of the knife and press of the button, the block of ice became a icy crystal clear globe. Six crystals shaped like Cirno's wings were suspended inside of it. Daiyousei clapped her hands in delight.
"Wow!" Sakuya smiled and wiped the wet edges of the knife on her frilled skirt. She put it away and gently put the globe back into the box.
"This ice sphere will melt in the sun, so we will need to seal it." Sakuya picked up the box and started to walk towards the door of the kitchen. Daiyousei followed her.
"Where are we going now?" The fairy asked.
"To see a magician that lives here."
They steadily walked through the halls again, Sakuya being more careful with her package. They arrived at another set of unnamed double doors. They looked close to the ones that Daiyousei had entered earlier. Sakuya beckoned at her to open them again, and she did so. The doors revealed a lone, purple clothed figure sitting at a table with many books piled and stacked around her. And just like the earlier, several lanterns floated around her, although they were brighter and felt much more…magical and alive. Sakuya sighed and walked over to the magician.
"Lady Patchouli, I told you not to read in the dark again." The person looked up. Daiyousei saw that she wore a striped mob cap with a moon pendant on one side of it.
"My bad, Sakuya." The magician waved a lazy hand, and the lanterns burned much brighter. Several more lanterns that were previously hidden in the darkness became lit. Gradually, the place filled with light, and Daiyousei finally saw Great and Unmoving Library in its large, old, and dusty glory. Satisfied, Sakuya bowed and lifted her box.
"Lady Patchouli, I need you to do something for me." Patchouli looked up and raised an eyebrow.
"What an odd request from you, Sakuya." The maid beckoned to Daiyousei to step forward.
"Actually, this is for a fairy and her friend. I need you to seal this ice sphere and prevent it from melting."
"Sure," Patchouli said nonchalantly. She waved her hand again, and a blue seal materialized onto the box. Sakuya bowed again.
"Thank you." The magician nodded turned back to reading. Sakuya beckoned Daiyousei to follow her again, and they left the library. Once she closed the double doors, she turned to Daiyousei.
"Are you able to carry this?" The maid handed the box to Daiyousei.
"Um, yes," Daiyousei said, surprised. Because most of the ice was carved away, the ice globe did not weigh too much. Sakuya nodded. In the next moment, Daiyousei found herself outside the Scarlet Devil Mansion facing Sakuya and the front double doors. It was mid afternoon now.
"Now, run along and find your friend now," Sakuya said, smiling in a motherly way.
"Thank you so much!" Daiyousei cried out happily. The maid bowed, and Daiyousei took off and flew away from the mansion.
"Now for Marisa," Sakuya muttered darkly, and as the dark doors closed she pulled out a knife again.
Daiyousei flew towards the lake, excited to give her new gift to Cirno. In what felt like no time at all, she reached the body of water and began circling it to find a patch of blue against the green backdrop. She spotted her on the same rock, not having moved an inch since this morning.
"Cirno!" She cried out to her. Just as the blue fairy looked up again, a strong gust of wind suddenly hit her from the side. She spun out of control and dropped the box.
"Ah-"
Two pairs of eyes watched as the box fell and shattered into blue, crystal pieces onto the ground near Cirno. Daiyousei eyes filled with tears, and she began to cry as she slowly drifted down towards the ground.
"D-Daiyousei?" Cirno hesitantly asked. The green fairy landed and collapsed into a heap, bawling her heart out. Cirno panicked and got up from her seat. Her foot hit something hard, and she looked down and saw that it was a piece of the shattered ice. It was shaped like one of her wings. She looked back up.
"Daiyousei, what is this?"
"It, it was going to be a gift for you," Daiyousei sobbed. She cried harder when she repeated the awful truth out loud. It took a few seconds for Cirno to understand by what she meant. Ignoring the sharp debris around her feet, she rushed to the green fairy's side and pulled her into a deep hug.
"Thanks, Daiyousei," she said, feeling the wracking shudders of her friend's body against her.
"B, But it's broken," Daiyousei tried to say in between her sniffles and tears. Cirno squeezed harder to comfort her.
"No, it made me realize something," Daiyousei looked at her with bleary eyes. "That I was being stupid."
Daiyousei pulled away a little to look at Cirno in confusion.
"I forget that Winter comes and goes every year, but you, Mystia, Wriggle, and Rumia will always be around." She paused and hugged Daiyousei again.
"I'm glad that you are my friend, and I hope that you will always there for me, Daiyousei, to help me remember that," Cirno said. Daiyousei began to cry again, but this time out of overwhelming feelings of relief and joy. She buried herself into Cirno's embrace and reciprocated the hug.
And for a while, they remained like that, taking comfort in one another's presence. When it was near sundown, they finally released. Daiyousei wiped her eyes away of the tears and smiled and laughed a little. Cirno grinned and also began to laugh. They probably looked ridiculous sitting there among the broken ice, but they did not care about who saw them or what they thought about it. In her heart, Daiyousei felt that some crisis had passed and something else had formed between her and Cirno. And although she did not know what that feeling was, she knew that they would be together for a long time.
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Hidden behind a tree, a small girl with blonde hair and a red ribbon watched the scene unfold. As the two fairies finally stood up and flew away, she grinned.
"Is that so?"
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