(This story is AU and takes place in a world where Gensokyo was never created. The first 3 chapters have recently had small updates, I hope you like them~)

The early summer rain was coming down in sheets as Reimu rode her bike down the street, a dark purple umbrella balanced rather precariously across her shoulders.

"Ugh, I wish I hadn't had classes today," she muttered, taking one hand off the handlebars for a second to keep the umbrella from flying off in the wind. Reimu wasn't fond of getting wet, and this was at least keeping her somewhat dry. If she hadn't had to leave the shrine where she lived, though, she'd be even drier. She rounded a corner, spraying water from a puddle all over her ankles, and braked to a stop at the bike rack in front of the Hakurei Shrine. She chained the bike to the rack (couldn't afford to have another one stolen…) and started up the path, shifting the umbrella to one hand where it could shield her better.

Once she had made it up onto the front steps, she took a small key out of her pocket and unlocked the donation box, sheltering it with her umbrella. There was a single 50 yen coin inside, which she scooped out and pocketed, locking the box again afterwards.

"Well, that's 50 more yen than yesterday," Reimu sighed to herself as she went inside. She took off her shoes and set down her bag and umbrella. This part of the shrine had once been the hall of worship, but nobody had come to worship at this shrine for longer than Reimu could remember, so she'd taken up living there herself. She set about heating some water for tea, and allowed herself to relax. It was nice and dry in here, and warmer than outside. Not by as much as she would have liked, but she couldn't do much about that.

For a minute, she considered getting her homework out. But really, it was just to read, and she had already finished the book they were supposed to be doing. No point in that.

"So bored…" she said, putting her head down on the table. She closed her eyes for a moment, contemplating taking a nap. No… her tea water would be ready soon. She couldn't miss that.

Suddenly, though, there was a loud crashing noise from outside. Reimu jolted upright, and hopped to her feet. Whatever was going on, she figured she had to yell at someone. "If it's another bike thief, I'm going to punch them so hard," she said to herself, slipping her shoes on. She ran out, not even thinking to pick up her umbrella.

Just outside, one of the stone lanterns that lined the path up to the shrine had been knocked over onto the walkway, and there was someone lying on the ground beside it in a heap of tattered, soaked purple cloth and long golden hair. Reimu cautiously stepped over, watching the stranger shakily try to push herself up off the ground, then collapse again with a barely-audible cry.

Reimu had never seen this woman before in her life. But she was trembling, and the puddle under where she was lying was already taking on a pinkish tinge, and it wasn't often that Reimu came across someone who looked more pitiful than she did.

"Hey. Hey, come on, let's get you inside," Reimu said, kneeling and gently putting a hand on the stranger's shoulder. She only got a whimper in response, and when she lifted her hand off, her fingers were stained red. Reimu frowned, but didn't let this stop her, lifting the woman's limp form up off the ground as best as she could and trying to ignore her short, pained gasps. She half-carried, half-dragged her inside, where she gently laid her back down. The injured woman stared up at Reimu with eyes that were impossibly bright gold, and flickered away from Reimu's face every other moment as if searching for danger.

"It's okay, you're safe in here. Look, just… hold on, I'll run and get some bandages," Reimu said, attempting a reassuring tone. She could still feel the piercing yellow gaze on her as she turned and went straight for the cabinet where she kept her medical supplies. It wasn't as if Reimu could go to the hospital, not with how few donations she received, and so she'd become used to simply patching up her own injuries. She pulled out bandages, gauze, and some antibacterial spray, and went to carry them back to the woman.

The woman didn't resist as Reimu carefully pulled the purple fabric off of her- it looked like it might have been a dress at some point- and looked her over. She was covered in gashes, thankfully shallow-looking, and there was a clean hole through her shoulder- a bullet wound, Reimu guessed. And luckily for Reimu, she had appropriate undergarments, though they were slightly raggedy and dyed red by her injuries.

"Gods, you're a mess," Reimu told her, spraying her wounded shoulder and starting to bandage it. She was only offered a shaky attempt at a smile in return for her comment. By the time Reimu finished covering each wound, the woman's body was half wrapped up in bandages. She had to stifle a giggle before putting the 'dress' back on her. With so many holes in it and so many torn spots that had been tied together, the faded purple garment could hardly be called that.

"There. That should be better," Reimu said, offering the blonde woman a smile. The woman smiled back, still shakily. Reimu got up, and took her remaining bandages and such back to the cabinet, making a mental note to ask her to help replace the supplies when she got better. Oh, and the water for tea was probably hot by now…

After quickly washing her hands and then getting the tea started, Reimu carried the hot teapot over to the table in the center of the room, and set it down. She looked up to see that the woman had managed to get up and was sitting beside the table, still shaking a bit.

"Oh, hi. Do you want some tea?" she asked, blinking a couple times. Just a minute ago, she'd been too weak to speak, but now she could move...?

"Only if it's no trouble," the woman said, in a calm, mature voice that was surprisingly steady, considering her injuries.

"Yeah, it's… it's no problem. One second," Reimu said. She went back for teacups, and brought two over, placing one in front of the woman before sitting down across from her.

"Thank you. For the bandages as well," the woman said, still watching Reimu with her piercing gold eyes.

"Yeah. Hey, uh… so what's your name? I'm Reimu Hakurei," Reimu said.

"Yukari Yakumo," she responded. It was a strange name, fitting for this stranger who had shown up out of the blue. Like Reimu was one to talk, though… she had no idea what her mother had been thinking. Reimu. Sure, she had grown to like it, but if she ever had a daughter she'd name her something sensible, like Rin or Hina.

"Nice to meet you, Miss Yukari. Would it be rude to ask what happened for you to turn up on my front porch looking like you fell through a wood chipper?" Reimu said. Yukari chuckled, but winced- even the faint laughter must have hurt.

"It's a reasonable question. You would not believe the answer, though," she said. Reimu raised an eyebrow. Was this woman some sort of criminal? She stared at Yukari while she poured tea into both of their cups. Yukari sipped daintily at hers, eyes fluttering closed in bliss. Unless she was high up in the yakuza or something, no, that wasn't the air of a thief or murderer. And she looked Japanese, but that blonde hair and gold eyes were too strange. Reimu had no idea what to make of her, really.

"Your home is lovely. I could have sworn it looked like a shrine from outside, though," Yukari said after a minute. She certainly was polite, at the least.

"Ah, yeah… it was a shrine. My family's, the Hakurei Shrine. But it hasn't been used as a shrine since my mom died, and I don't even know what kami it was dedicated to. It's really just my place now," Reimu explained. It didn't bother her, just stating the facts. Time had long since dulled any pain that thinking about it brought.

"Hm. You still dress like a shrine maiden, though," Yukari said.

"Dressing like a normal person would mean borrowing clothes from Marisa, and I don't like her taste in fashion," Reimu responded in a flat tone.

"Friend of yours, I assume?" Yukari's small smile widened a bit.

"Yeah, you could say that. She's kind of weird, but she's really the only person I get along with at school." Chemistry class last year had been quite interesting with Marisa as Reimu's lab partner, to say the least.

"Sounds lonely."

"A bit. I'm rather used to it."

"And yet you brought me into your home at once."

"I wasn't about to try and explain to the authorities how some random woman bled out on my front lawn," Reimu said in a teasing tone. Yukari started to laugh, but quickly cut herself off with a gasp, one hand going to her side. "…Hey, are you okay?"

"I will be. I think I cracked a rib when I hit your lantern," Yukari said, wincing slightly as she drew her hand away.

"When you hit my lantern? You are going to have to tell me what happened at some point," Reimu said, frowning.

"Perhaps. I still do not think you would believe it if I told you the truth. Miss Reimu, would it be alright for me to ask to stay here for a time? I am very tired, and though I hide it well, I am in a lot of pain. I would rather like to rest," Yukari said. Though her features suggested she was barely older than Reimu, at that moment her weary eyes seemed ancient. What exactly had she been through…?

"Yeah, of course. You can have my bed." Reimu got up, leaving Yukari to her tea. She got her futon out, and unfolded it in its usual spot. Sure, she'd have to sleep on the floor, but she was pretty sure Yukari needed it a lot more than she did. And she'd slept on the floor before.

"Thank you, Miss Reimu. You're very kind," Yukari said. She set her empty teacup down, and shakily got up. She managed the few steps over, and collapsed onto the thin mattress. Reimu gently set the blanket down over Yukari. She just looked so tired.

"Sleep well," Reimu said to Yukari, before going back to finish her tea. She went about the rest of her evening almost automatically, making herself a dinner of plain rice, and re-reading her homework for lack of something better to do. Her mind was on the blond woman sleeping soundly on her bed, though. Just who or what was this Yukari Yakumo…? She was very polite, and yet she'd obviously been hurt by someone or something. Her eyes were an unnatural gold, but she was far too raggedy for them to be expensive color contacts. Reimu couldn't make sense of it, especially not while trying to read. The time had flown by while she was lost in thought, and after quickly changing into her night clothes in another room, she walked back over to Yukari and stared down at her. She hadn't moved since going to sleep, and she looked peaceful just lying there, eyes shut. Reimu glanced around, and mentally berated herself for it. What was she expecting? This was her home. She carefully slid under the covers of the futon beside Yukari, being careful not to disturb her- it was just wide enough for both of them- and the calm rhythm of the blonde's breathing quickly lulled her to sleep.

Reimu woke to her watch beeping. Ah, right, she had classes early today… She rubbed her eyes, accidentally elbowing Yukari in the face in the process. The blonde made a small sound of discomfort. Reimu had forgotten all about her, actually… she edged out of bed carefully, trying not to disturb her again. Luckily, Yukari still looked like she was sound asleep. She still hadn't moved, and her slow, deep breathing was the only sign that she was alive. Reimu left her where she was as she went to get ready for school. She didn't see any harm in leaving her there, after all.

Ah, Intro to Japanese History class had been 'fun' as always… Reimu had already learned both Japanese and world history a hundred times over, but she did need a history credit and that had been the only class that filled the requirement that had been open by the time she went to sign up. As she walked off, a familiar voice caught her attention.

"Reimu! Hey, Reimu! Wait up, ze!"

She stepped to the side right before a girl with long, light brown hair would have crashed into her. Instead, the short girl tripped and fell flat on her face.

"Ow… haha, you win," Marisa Kirisame said, sitting up and adjusting the pair of lab goggles she always wore on her head. Between those and the oversized, stained lab coat she always wore, Reimu could always recognize her at a distance, if she didn't hear her coming first.

"Hey, Marisa. Are we having lunch again today?" Reimu said, offering her friend a hand. One of the best things about being friends with Marisa was that she would buy Reimu lunch more often than not. She pulled Marisa to her feet, and had to look down to make eye contact. She'd always been a little tall, and Marisa a little short.

"Of course we are, ze! Come on, let's go!" Marisa grabbed Reimu's wrist and started to drag her off. Reimu almost stumbled, but quickly adjusted to Marisa's pace and was soon trotting alongside her.

"So how was genius chemistry?" Reimu asked as they went.

"Oh, it was fun. Actually, that reminds me. I can't come over to your place to study this evening, sorry," Marisa said.

"What? Why not?" Reimu asked.

"See, I managed to set neon on fire in class today, and the professor wants to see if I can replicate that," Marisa said. Reimu stared for a minute.

"…Isn't neon-"

"Noble gas, unreactive, yeah."

"How did you- you know what, I don't even want to know," Reimu said, shaking her head. If their school offered a major in 'mad science', Marisa probably would have signed up for it. She'd somehow turned her hair color from black to near-blonde in a lab accident the previous year, and it appeared to be permanent.

"Haha… Reimu, you don't question things enough, ze," Marisa said, playfully elbowing her in the ribs. Reimu deliberately looked away, but only until Marisa poked her again- that earned a giggle from her, despite her usual lack of cheer.

Their conversation continued along this vein as they walked down the street, towards the outskirts of the area that could be considered their school. On the edge of the nearby protected forest, there was a nice park area with benches. The air was cleaner here than in the city, Reimu thought to herself as they arrived, with Marisa cheerfully trying to explain a complex chemical equation to her. And just as always, on the sidewalk near an abstract-art fountain, the scent of roasted meat rose up from a simple, rather old-fashioned yakitori stand.

"Hi, Hakurei! Kirisame!" one of the two young women working at the stand called, waving excitedly.

"Yo, Mystia!" Marisa returned her wave just as energetically. As they walked over, the cheery pink-haired girl watched them with a bright smile on her face.

"You know you can call us by our first names, Mystia, we've known each other all year," Reimu said.

"But I have to stay professional," Mystia said, glancing at the other woman beside her. The quiet albino looked up, and offered only a small wave in greeting.

"Yo, Fujiwara. Would it kill you to smile?" Marisa asked, staring pointedly at Mokou, who pretended not to notice.

"Aww, don't worry about Miss Mokou. She's always happy to see you guys, even if she doesn't let on," Mystia chirped.

"Only because it means you're not dead. You going to buy something?" Mokou always sounded exhausted and monotone, and today was no exception.

"Of course, ze. I've been looking forward to this all day," Marisa said. She passed Mokou some money, and Mystia handed over two wooden skewers laden with freshly-grilled chicken. Reimu eagerly took hers, and nibbled slowly on it, savoring every tiny bite. Mokou may have had a terrible attitude, but her cooking was to die for, especially since it was Reimu's only regular source of protein.

"Hakurei."

Reimu looked up, blinking several times. Mokou had spoken on her own initiative, and that was rare. Marisa stared, and even Mystia looked surprised.

"Yeah?" Reimu said, quickly swallowing the bite of chicken she had been chewing.

"Come over here," Mokou said. Reimu hesitated a moment, then took a few steps closer, stepping around to the side of the stand. Without warning, Mokou put her hand on Reimu's side, then grabbed her upper arm. Reimu squeaked and jerked back.

"Wh-what was that for?" Reimu demanded, frowning.

"Hm. Misty, give her something else. On me. I always thought Hakurei looked a little scrawny under that miko uniform. Don't want her starving to death on my watch," Mokou said, going back to watching the grill like nothing had happened.

"Fujiwara! Why would you say that? I'm not going to starve to death," Reimu protested, her voice getting progressively higher-pitched. Mystia offered her a skewer with two grilled chicken livers on it. Reimu looked away, trying to keep up the impression of willpower… for all of five seconds, before taking it with a begrudging thanks. Marisa, of course, had already eaten her lunch, and gave Mokou a grin.

"So you do have a heart in there somewhere, Fujiwara. Thanks for helping me look out for Reimu, she needs it even if she won't admit it," Marisa said. She glanced over at Reimu, who had abandoned all pretenses and was attempting to fit a whole liver in her mouth.

Mokou let out a small chuckle, but didn't say anything else, aside from muttering "kids" under her breath.

As Reimu biked home from her last afternoon class, she had to admit that she had more energy than usual. Maybe she really ought to try and eat more. She had gotten all the way to the steps when she spotted the overturned lantern.

"Aw, I totally forgot to tell Marisa about Yukari…" she groaned to herself. She chained up her bike, and walked up to the donation box. Today, it was totally empty. She sighed, and threw the door open. She was greeted with Yukari sitting on her dress, carefully taking off her bandages to reveal faded scars.

"Good afternoon, Miss Reimu," Yukari said, pausing a moment to greet her with a smile.

"Okay, I'm no doctor, but even I know that it is impossible for you to already be healed that much," Reimu said, closing the door behind her. "What the hell are you?"

Yukari chuckled, and gestured for Reimu to wait a moment.

"I suppose you will be getting your answer about what happened to me," she said as she continued to take off her bandages. Now that she was no longer covered in wounds, Reimu felt a little awkward looking at her like this. But soon she'd peeled off all of the bandages, including the one on her shoulder, and that was how Reimu knew her instincts had been right and there was something very strange going on- there had been a clean hole all the way through her shoulder, but now there was just a slightly raw red patch. Reimu folded her arms as she waited for Yukari to stand up, no longer shaking like she had been yesterday, and slip her ragged purple dress back on.

"So?" Reimu asked. Yukari walked over to Reimu and stared into her eyes. Reimu stared back, slightly unnerved. Those gold eyes were… not just piercing, but this close they looked almost dangerous, and was it just Reimu, or were the pupils feline slits rather than normal…? It was only a few moments before Reimu blinked.

And in the space of that blink, Reimu was no longer making eye contact with a raggedy blonde woman, but with a beast covered in reflective deep violet scales, with a moon-white belly and a thick golden mane running down her spine, the same gold feline eyes set into her sleek face and with a pair of intricately-twisted dark gold antlers atop her head.

It took a moment to register that Reimu was looking at a dragon.

When it did hit her, she let out a shocked scream and jumped backwards, hitting the door. The dragon opened her mouth, lined with gleaming opalescent teeth, and laughed.

"You weren't expecting this, were you, Miss Reimu?" Yukari said, coiling herself up to sit comfortably on the floor. She was easily four times as long as Reimu's height, and her tufted tailtip flicked back and forth in amusement. Reimu put a hand over her chest to feel her racing heartbeat.

"I… definitely was not, Miss Yukari," Reimu managed after a minute, sliding down the door until she was seated against it. She rubbed her eyes, and looked up again. The dragon was still sitting calmly on her floor in front of her.

"You look rather pale. Would you like me to fix some tea?" Yukari offered.

"That would be nice," Reimu said. She continued to stare as Yukari rose to her feet, and set some water to heat up, pulled out the tea with her nimble front paws that were something between a bird's talons and a human hand in shape. "…Miss Yukari? Are you going to eat me?"

Yukari set down the tea, and in a motion too fast for Reimu to follow, had suddenly closed the distance between them and lifted Reimu up, loosely wrapped in the purple coils of her serpentine body.

"If I wanted to eat you, it would have been that easy and I would have already done it," Yukari said in an amused tone. This was too much for Reimu to take, and she went limp, everything around her melting to black.