Reisen had come to check up on the journalistic duo in Eientei. She had been tasked with nursing them back to health after they were found battered, bruised and unconscious by the Eientei entrance when she had just returned from running some errands for Eirin. While they weren't bleeding, she could see that both suffered multiple broken bones after examining them. Almost all of them, in fact, save for the head had at least one fracture or crack. Strangely enough they had not received any fatal injuries despite this as their vitals were relatively untouched. Recovery should not take long. They were youkai after all.
The morning after, she was slightly puzzled to find a potted sunflower by Aya and Momiji's bedside. On the pots, a neatly-folded note with the words, 'Get Well Soon!', and a cute little drawn smiley face taped to them. What puzzled her more was the shiny video camera that rested on the tengu's lap. It appeared to be recently polished and that it belonged to the comatose journalist. There too, a note was taped to it.
It read, "I prefer proper arrangements next time. Here's the tape. :D"
Flowers bloom everywhere in this fantastical land we call Gensokyo. Lilies, sunflowers, morning glories-you name it! Every flower you can think of you can find'em everywhere!
A panning view of Gensokyo from above is shown followed by a montage of supposed areas where the flowers grow. From the red spider-lily fields of Muenzuka to the freshly planted rose patches in the back garden of the SDM, not a single place of interest is spared. Even the tiny bluebells dangling off of a certain ice fairy's ear…
However, there's only one place where the flowers bloom all year round. Where they live lush and healthy. Colourful and vibrant! SEXY AND…!
Some hushed scolding is heard. Presumably from the cameraman.
Almost let something else slip there. Heheh~
Anyhow, let us come down from the clouds here and visit this spectacularly wonderful field of flowers known as… Yuuka's Field!
It then cuts to a view of Yuuka's famous flower field, sunflowers blooming across the horizon. Then, the view cuts to Yuuka's humble home. A small dainty wooden house just big enough to have a few guests. An assortment of cute hanging flower pots adorns her front porch, all brightly coloured. The front door is seen opening slowly from the side.
Oh look! There she is right now! Let's hide in this thick sunflower patch here. Hopefully we get to bring home some gardening tips!
The camera dives into the nearest sunflower patch. The view is a bit shaky as the camera trembles as it protrudes slowly out of the safety of the patch, revealing the standing figure of the flower youkai. She is carrying a watering can in one hand and her signature parasol in the other. Adjusting the rim of her huge ribbon-tied straw hat, she breathes in the calm morning breeze as she begins stepping out into the sun.
Ah, yes… Kazami Yuuka. She is an enigma of sorts. No one seems to know why someone why she strikes fear into hearts of many. Is it the face? Is it the way she moves? Or is it the terror that her aura naturally gives off?
The camera shows a Yuuka smiling widely as she skips around watering her flowers. Her parasol, now wide open, spins around in her hand while swaying side to side along with the tempo of her skips. She then stops for a moment and crouches next to one of her tall sunflowers.
She appears to be talking to it in a cutesy sing-song voice.
Some muffled giggling and laughter is heard.
The view then shakes uncontrollably.
Ah. Please hold it in. It's hard for me too. Being exposed to such a sight is miraculous in itself. So, please. Try not to get us killed.
The view stabilises immediately, showing the flower youkai staring at a leaf on the sunflower she was having chat with earlier.
Ara~? What's this? What could possibly be more interesting than gardening to the great flower youkai? Quick! Zoom in to get a closer look.
On the leaf, a fat-shelled snail is munching away at the healthy green leaf. Still smiling, Yuuka pinches the leaf off of the stem.
Hmm… She doesn't appear to be angry. Could it be that the little critters of nature are spared from her wrath? Messing with flowers is serious business around these parts.
She gently places the leaf on the soft, gravelly ground. The snail continues having its meal. Her smile ever beaming.
Amazing…! Look at this never-before-seen display! This is history in the making, folks!
Yuuka casually closes her parasol. She then walks a few calculated steps away from the now half-eaten leaf, snail still on it.
What is she planning to do this-?!
BOOM!
The area where the leaf and the snail are placed is reduced to a smouldering red-hot crater. Panning towards the left, Yuuka is seen standing tall. Her parasol aimed towards the previously living snail. Her head, however, is staring straight towards the camera, hatless. Eyes wide open. Smile ever present. She begins walking slowly to the camera…
"Oh fuck."
Yeah, I hear you Momi! We gotta split! NOW!
The camera quickly turns around and dashes head on deeper into the thick sunflower field, vision obscured by the dense forest of tall sunflower stalks and light blocked by sunflower heads above…
o0o
Night has fallen. The camera has now stopped by the outskirts of the dense, suffocating field of flowers. The moon is seen glowing in full. Not a cloud in the sky to obscure it. Not a star shining to be observed.
Come on*huff *Momiji! We can't stop now! *cough* *wheeze* We're gonna die if we do!
Heavy panting and breathing is heard.
All right, all right. We'll stop here for a moment.
More panting and wheezing.
Hey, Momi. Look here.
The camera turns to the right revealing a distinctly worn-out Aya. Fatigue is written all over her face. Her clothes tattered and torn and dirty. She wearily looks into the eye of the camera.
If we make it out of here, alive, I'll make sure that we go out for some fine dining by Mysty's eel shack.
She smiles.
Then, once we've done that, how about we take a few days off?
"B-but Aya, aren't you afraid that Hatate would surpass you in readership numbers?"
Well… That damn birdbrain can get all the views for all I care. Idiot always tries to gloat about how she's going to kick me down a few notches. Besides, it's not as if we have much to lose from taking a break; we can count our daily subscribers with one hand and still have fingers left to spare.
Aya then turns towards the clear expanse of land on her left, the camera following suit. The Human Village can be seen shining dimly in the distance, the short grass swaying softly with the gentle breeze doing nothing to block the sight.
Right, I think it's high time we head back. Let's go-!
Aya and Momiji drop violently to the ground with a loud thud. The camera has been dropped as well, showing the two women lying still with the endless field of flowers behind them. Then, they are seen dragged slowly towards the field by tendrils. They seem to be the roots of the sunflowers as they appear to emerge from the soil closest to the field.
Within the field, a pair of red eyes glint under the moonlight. Aya and Momiji begin thrashing about helplessly as their fate dawns upon them. Kicking and screaming, they could do nothing as they are swallowed by the darkness.
A few minutes later, their screams had ceased. Staring at the camera, the sleeping terror trudges out of the field. Each step deliberately slow and heavy as to make her footsteps heard in a rhythmic tempo.
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
She steps steadily with her parasol ticking off the ground like a walking stick.
Once the view is fully blocked by her blood-red slippers, the camera is then lifted off the ground.
It is then rotated about; panning the view from the endless flower fields to the grassy plains that led to the village and ending with her smiling face, staring blankly. Her smile now a manic grin, her eyes wide shut. Static is then seen later to be consumed by blackness.
Nighttime had fallen in the Bamboo Forest, the full moon glowing brightly. Eientei was in a state of silent bliss. The rabbits were asleep, Tewi included. Not a prank to be made before she slept; a rare occasion. Eirin, too, was sleeping soundly. She appeared to be at peace as her expression was that of calm tranquil only to change into that of mild annoyance; courtesy of the princess's snoring in the neighbouring room.
However, one room amidst the corridor of darkened rooms remained lit. Crouched in front of a television with a video camera plugged in, Reisen Udongein Inaba did nothing but look at the screen with the soft hum of white noise filling the room.
She sat there, staring blankly at the television screen for a solid few hours. Her red eyes were even redder than before, a sign of fatigue. The tape had already ended for quite some time but still, she sat there.
Her face contorted and twisted as she was bothered by one particular aspect of the video. One aspect that confused her very being. Something that never ceased to grind the gears in her mind.
A common fact commonly forgotten by many by virtue.
"Can't they just fly?"