Even from when I was a child, I knew that I had one goal destined for me. To watch over the border between the Dreamworld and my own.
I was born many years ago to the Kazami clan, a clan which had guarded this border for millennia. Our power was the manipulation over flowers. My mother always spoke highly of our clan's ability, even if the men in my family scorned it. She told me not to listen, as I was the heiress of the mansion and I should come to my own decisions about our ability. However, most of my clan, including my parents, was well over ten thousand years old and therefore believed that I was obligated to believe their every idea.
Being the youngest in the clan meant that I was not allowed outside. It was supposedly because of the "dangerous humans" who would kill me on sight, so my father made me train inside whenever possible. This was not easy because there were few open rooms in our mansion, Mugenkan, and because the border to the Dreamworld was in it. It was forbidden by all to cross it.
At age sixteen, I was finally allowed to go outside. I quickly figured out the geography of the place that I called home. At the entrance of Mugenkan there was a small guardhouse where the gatekeeper and his family lived. Behind the mansion was a grassy field. A short path led to Blood Lake, a haven for vampires. Further on there was a small village of humans. We occasionally heard rumors about our clan started by them. I then realized why my father had not wanted me out and about. He wanted to protect me from falsehoods started by humans.
For my seventeenth birthday, my parents had a surprise for me. I was given the grassy field.
"We thought that you should have somewhere for yourself," my mother said.
"It's nice and secluded, so you can train here as well," my father added.
"Thank you…so much." This was what I dreamed of at seventeen. A place to escape the ideals of older men. "But it needs something else."
My parents' red eyes displayed confusion. Summoning all of my power, I used the ability of my clan. I turned the field into a garden of sunflowers, my favorite flower.
"Yuka…." my mother exclaimed. "It's beautiful."
My father smiled. "We're very proud of you," he said.
I was as happier than I had ever been before.
Nothing lasts forever, no matter how old it may be. In the coming years, I watched as all of the members of my clan died from old age, including my parents. I was twenty-five when the last member of my family, my uncle, died. The only people left at Mugenkan were the fairy maids, the gatekeeper, Elly, and myself. I was now alone in guarding the Dreamworld.
My sunflowers became my family. Christened "the Garden of the Sun" by the humans, it was a place that I could find refuge from the gloominess of the mansion. Most of my time was spent there; I only left to sleep and eat. I became overprotective over my flowers, so much so that anyone that stopped to try and pick one received a bullet aimed slightly away from them as a present. I was now known as "the sadist from the Kazami clan." Of course, no one had told them that I was the only member left. I didn't want to hurt anyone; I just wanted to be by myself.
For years, my wish was granted. A vampire had settled in the lake in front of my mansion, scaring all humans coming from that direction, and none were brave enough to come from behind.
I remember the day that I met them.
I had been sleeping peacefully, when Elly burst into my room. She was in tears and looked injured.
"Lady Yuka, two intruders have entered the mansion!" Elly cried.
I was astonished. Elly was not the greatest of gatekeepers, but she was powerful enough to keep out most unwanted visitors. However, unwanted visitors were very, very rare. "They beat you?" I asked.
"…Yes. I'm sorry, Lady Yuka!" Elly proceeded to drop to the floor and bow in apology.
I patted her head and smiled. "It's alright, Elly. Tell me, who were they?"
Elly sniffed. "I don't know. One of them looked like a Shinto shrine maiden and the other was dressed like a witch."
A shrine maiden? I could only think of one shrine maiden in Gensokyo, and even then, she had no reason to be here, unless she was trying to enter the Dreamworld. I wouldn't let that happen.
"I'm going," I said to Elly, and I left without even changing into proper clothing.
That day I fought both the shrine maiden Reimu Hakurei and the magician Marisa Kirisame twice. They were both very powerful, and they managed to cross the border.
Nobody won. I vowed never to let something like that happen again. I would uphold the task set before me by my ancestors.
It had been about a year when I heard from the two of them again.
"Hey."
I had been sitting in my garden when I suddenly heard a familiar voice call out from behind me. I turned around. Standing before me were three people: Reimu, who was the one who had spoken, Marisa, and someone whom I'd never seen before. She had long green hair and was wearing a blue dress and cap with stars on it. She also appeared to be part ghost as she had a translucent tail instead of legs.
"How may I be of service to you?" I responded.
"Well, there's some trouble in Makai," Reimu started, "and we wanted to know if you wanted to check it out with us."
"Basically she wants to know if you want to come beat up some youkai with us, ze," Marisa added.
"Marisa! That's not what I meant at all!" Reimu retorted angrily. "It's just that you're pretty powerful and if you wanted to come along you could. But we probably will have to face some strong youkai when we get there, so…." She trailed off.
"Who's your friend?" I asked them.
Marisa beamed. "This is Miss Mima, the most powerful, brilliant, and greatest of them all. She is also my teacher."
Mima spoke. "'I'm also evil to the core. Pleasure to meet you. I do hope that you come with us, but I understand if you don't want to hurt your fellow youkai friends." That last line was said almost sarcastically.
I smiled. "Sure, I'll come along. I never do go out much."
I was content to be alone with Elly and the fairy maids, despite the odd incidents that had been happening. I could deal with scarlet mists, never-ending nights, and long winters. But this latest incident was something that I could not ignore.
Flowers were blooming everywhere, including out of season flowers. And nothing in my power was preventing them from stopping. I knew that it wouldn't take long for someone to point their finger at me as the cause for this incident. I had to go out and find the truth.
Leaning on my favorite parasol, I gazed out into my sunflowers and pondered on what I should do.
Elly came up to me. "You're going to find out what's causing this, aren't you?"
I sighed. "I guess that I am."
"Well, good luck!" Elly smiled at me. "I'll watch Mugenkan until you get back!" She turned to go.
"Elly," I said.
"Hmm?" She turned back.
"I've realized something."
"What is it?" She looked at me quizzically.
"The things that my family told me long ago about my destiny aren't true. Just because I am supposed to protect the border to the Dreamworld doesn't mean that that should be my only goal. You yourself choose what path you take, even if there is something that you alone must do while journeying on it. Centuries of men that lived before you should not restrict your destiny."
Elly smiled again. "Well then, maybe one day you'll get a chance to tell them."
This time, smiling back at her, I replied, "Perhaps."
And with that I opened my parasol and began to walk down the path called "freedom."