DISCLAIMERS: I don't own any of the Touhou characters appearing herein. They're the intellectual property of ZUN and Team Shanghai Alice. This story constitutes "fair use" of these characters as provided for under applicable U.S. and international copyright laws.
Dedicated to Musican74 – Happy Belated Birthday!
Chapter 1
Reisen Udongein Inaba headed across the courtyard of Eientei toward the north hall, fully-laden tray in hand, walking as fast as she could without spilling anything. The mansion's owner, Moon-Princess Houraisan Kaguya, expected her tea and sweets to arrive at precisely 16:00, and given that it was 15:59, Reisen – a last minute stand-in for the job – was cutting it close.
In theory, delivering afternoon tea to the Princess was Tewi's responsibility, but as usual, she had skipped out on work. More than likely, she was engaging in one of her favorite pastimes: raiding the carrot patch, sneaking sake, or heating up a futon with one of her harem of a half-dozen of her fellow rabbit youkai.
But it didn't really matter why Tewi wasn't around, only that she wasn't. It meant that someone had to pick up the slack. That "someone" was, as usual, the level-headed, reliable Reisen.
Still, although the long-suffering moon-rabbit had good cause to grumble, it didn't seem worth it to waste the mental energy. Tewi would get hers – she usually did. Not only that, the weather was so nice that Reisen couldn't help but be cheerful.
Although the temperature was unseasonably cool for late May, the sun shone brightly through the opening in the canopy of the impenetrable bamboo forest surrounding the Eientei complex. The flowers in the boxes in front of each of the four main buildings were in full bloom, their splotches of bright color contrasting with the dark wood of the walls, and their fragrance tickling Reisen's sensitive nose. In the distance, she heard the song of the earth-rabbit work crew pounding mochi in an out-building behind the eastern hall.
The first strike is for Lord Daikoku,
The second strike is for Lord Daikoku, and for all of the 180 children…
Despite the fact that she had her trademark blue blazer on, Reisen shivered as the spring breeze swept across her exposed thighs. A hot drink, and maybe a pair of thigh-highs to go with her pleated skirt, would definitely ease the chill, but those would have to wait. Like any loyal servant, the moon-rabbit had to put her mistresses' comfort first.
The third strike is for Lady Kaguya,
The fourth strike is for Lady Eirin…
After mounting the steps to the north hall of Eientei, Reisen knocked twice on the sliding door at the front of the building.
"Come in," a high, gentle voice sang out.
Reisen slipped into the room and waited for the owner of the voice, a fragile-looking, kimono-clad woman with waist-length black hair, to acknowledge her presence.
"Ah, it's Inaba, not Tewi." Kaguya, the black-haired woman, glanced at Reisen with only mild surprise. "Oh, well. Right on time, as usual. That's what counts."
"Your tea, Princess," Reisen replied with a bow. "And for Master, as well," she added, with a respectful nod toward Kaguya's companion, a buxom Lunarian dressed in red and blue, whose silver hair lay draped over her shoulder in a heavy, rope-like braid. The woman – Yagokoro Eirin, the physician to whom Reisen was apprenticed – returned Reisen's gesture with a frown.
"Where's Tewi this time?"
"Sorry, Master, I couldn't find her." After setting a steaming carafe of tea, two mugs, and a plate of sweets on the table in front of the Lunarians, Reisen turned to Kaguya and asked, "Will there be anything else, Princess?"
Kaguya shook her head.
"No, but stick around. It's good that you're here – what we're talking about concerns you, sort of." The Moon-Princess turned her attention back to Eirin. "So anyway, the meeting is tonight. The Hakurei Shrine Maiden claims it's urgent – something to do with the Great Barrier. That's why she called the full Gensoukyou Council together, not just the executive committee. I can't ignore it, and I can't send you in my place. I have to be there."
"But my Lady," Eirin countered, still frowning, "just being around Earthlings for any length of time makes you nervous. Especially a certain immortal."
"Oh, please. Mokou and I are perfectly capable of keeping things civil for a couple hours. Well, at least I am."
Truth be told, Reisen wasn't paying close attention to this part of the conversation. The fact that Kaguya and Fujiwara no Mokou weren't exactly on the best of terms was news that was 1,300 years too old. While she waited to be dismissed, Reisen allowed the Lunarians' voices to recede to a faint buzz, until Kaguya said something that reclaimed her full attention.
"…and that's why we're going to take Inaba with us to the meeting."
Reisen's heart sank. From what she'd heard, Gensoukyou Council meetings were a crashing bore, serving mostly as an undercard event for the party that almost always followed. And Hakurei Shrine parties always got rowdy once the liquor started flowing. Reisen hadn't been to one of those gatherings in years, and with good reason: after her last party, she'd awakened the next morning with bruises on her breasts and rear end from all the groping, along with the vague memory of having done something foolish.
Reisen wasn't in the mood for another evening of bad decisions and sexual harassment, but she couldn't exactly refuse Kaguya outright. The first and last time she defied the Princess directly, she'd wound up restrained to her bed, suffering through the effects of a dosage of Eirin's latest experimental psychotropic. Reisen had no desire to repeat the miserable twelve hours she spent tasting sounds and smelling colors, so she fell back on Plan B: talk her way out of going.
"But Princess, if I go with you two, who'll keep an eye on Tewi? She'll have this place burned to the ground before we get back. You remember what happened last time we left her in charge, don't you?"
"Don't worry about Tewi," Eirin said. "I'll test out that reformulated sleep aid on her. She'll be out like a light. The other earth-rabbits will be fine without her to rile them up."
Kaguya nodded her agreement.
"See, Inaba? Problem solved."
"But, Princess…"
"You're coming along, Inaba, so deal with it," Kaguya insisted, her tone turning icy. "I refuse to be upstaged by any of the others, especially that insufferable brat of a vampire. She always brings this huge entourage with her, like she's some sort of royalty. The least I can do as a real princess is to bring a bodyguard, for the sake of my dignity if nothing else." Kaguya's attitude softened, and then suddenly, she smiled – with a hint of calculation, Reisen thought. "Besides, it's not like you won't have company. You get along with most of the other servants, don't you? Especially the Netherworld Governor's cute little sword instructor."
Reisen did a double-take.
"Wait, Youmu-…um, I mean, the Netherworld people are going to be there? I thought you said this was a Gensoukyou Council meeting."
"Apparently, Yuyuko-san got invited, too, although she's technically not a Council member," Kaguya said, curling her upper lip in annoyance. "It's the Gap Youkai's doing, I'll bet. She and Yuyuko-san are thick as thieves, you know."
"They're definitely troublemakers, those two," Eirin added. "Yakumo's always up to something, and that ghost just eggs her on. Remember when they…"
Once again, Reisen tuned them out. Her mind was still processing the revelation that Konpaku Youmu – sword instructor, bodyguard, and gardener to Saigyouji Yuyuko, Governor of the Netherworld – was going to be at the Hakurei Shrine that evening. If she hadn't been in front of Kaguya and Eirin, the moon-rabbit would have squealed with delight at the unexpected news.
Officially, Youmu and Reisen were best friends – at least, that's how they described themselves to others. In reality, they were much more: in recent months, their friendship had grown so intense that people had begun to refer to them behind their backs as a couple.
As embarrassing as the gossip sometimes was, it wasn't very far from the truth. For her part, Reisen was far beyond friendship and into the grip of a consuming, panty-dampening crush. She hadn't been in this deep over anyone since she was a young school-rabbit, back in the old days on the Moon. And despite the insecurities that come with new love, she was convinced that Youmu felt just as strongly about her.
They'd been teetering on the edge of crossing that final boundary for several weeks, but they never seemed to find enough time alone to make a confession happen. In fact, because of their respective job demands, it had been over two weeks since they'd last been with each other, and Reisen hadn't expected to see the half-human, half-phantom for another several days, at least.
But that night, the forced separation would finally end, and she and Youmu would make up for all that lost time. And if things went the way Reisen hoped, Youmu would take her by the hand, look deeply into her eyes, and say…
"Inaba? Um, Moon to Inaba…" Kaguya's words yanked Reisen out of her reverie. "…pay attention."
The moon-rabbit felt the flush creep up the back of her neck.
"Sorry, Princess."
"I think you lost her when you mentioned Konpaku," Eirin said with a trace of amusement in her voice. "Look, she's even drooling a little."
"O, ho!" Kaguya's eyes gleamed with mischief. "Inaba's daydreaming about her sweetie again, huh? Isn't that adorable?"
"They grow up so fast," Eirin said, dabbing at an imaginary tear. "Young love is always so passionate, isn't it?"
"Wait, what? Um…geez, you two…it's nothing like that!" Reisen's cheeks blazed even hotter. Had she been that obvious? "In the first place, Youmu and I are close friends. That's all there is to it. Second, I'm not young – I'm almost 70!" And in the third place, you two sound like a couple of perverted old geezers, she wanted to add, but wisely didn't.
"Sure, and I'm Lord Tsukuyomi," Eirin snorted.
"We're. Just. Friends!" Reisen drew out the phrase for emphasis, poking an index finger into her palm with each word.
"Of course you are." Kaguya's smile was far too smug for Reisen's taste. "Don't worry, you'll get to see your girlfriend soon enough."
"She's not my girlfriend!"
"Whatever you say, Inaba." Kaguya giggled into a hand. "She might as well be, the way the two of you act when you're together." Her raised hand cut off Reisen's further attempt at protest. "We leave for the Shrine at 18:00 sharp, so be ready. Now, if you'll excuse us…"
With a bow so half-hearted that it skirted the edge of respect, Reisen fled the room, glad to get away from the teasing. Both Kaguya and Eirin could be insufferable, and Youmu was one of Reisen's many weak spots that they loved to chip away at. Even so, she knew they meant well, and besides, the prospect of seeing Youmu again had her so excited that there was no way she was going to stay exasperated with them for very long.
Mental images of the warrior flitted across her consciousness: the special smile, infinitely warm, that Youmu reserved for Reisen alone; the slender, toned body that the moon-rabbit had so often imagined pressed against her own, naked and horizontal; those eyes, slate-blue and oh-so-dangerous. She was a lethal weapon, this Konpaku Youmu, and not just because of the swords she wielded with such devastating precision. With a single glance, she could shred Reisen's defenses and leave her wet and trembling. Like an addict perpetually jonesing for a fix, the moon-rabbit couldn't get enough.
Later that evening, Reisen would satisfy her Youmu craving, but for now, there was the day's work to finish. After that was taken care of, she'd prepare for the party. That meant taking a bath, of course, as well as making sure that her tightest-fitting blouse and shortest skirt were properly pressed. It also meant pulling that sexy bra-and-thong combination out of the secret place where she'd hidden it from Tewi's prying eyes.
Yes, tonight would be the night, Reisen hoped. No sense holding back.
As Reisen followed Kaguya and Eirin through the Hakurei Shrine's massive red gate and up the broad path toward the oratory building, she realized – much to her annoyance – that they were the last to arrive. She'd hoped for a reunion with Youmu before the meeting, but Kaguya's need to make a grand entrance had made that impossible. As a loyal subordinate, Reisen could do little but roll with the situation, but on the inside, she seethed with impatience.
A crowd of about two dozen people had assembled on the front steps of the oratory: the Gensoukyou Council, along with their various advisers and attendants. Since the full body didn't meet that often, and even then only if it had something truly important to consider, there were members present whom Reisen hadn't seen in person for months, or even years. Under different circumstances, she might have paid more attention to the attendees at such a rare gathering, but that evening, she was really only focused on one person.
Sure enough, Youmu stood on the oratory porch, ramrod-straight behind her mistress Yuyuko, who was sitting on the top step. As always, the sword-fighter was impeccably turned out in her usual forest-green skirt-vest combination and crisply-starched white blouse, all of which were custom-tailored to her petite, athletic form. Not a single hair in her silver, jaw-length bob was out of place, and even the green-and-white bow attached to her hairband appeared to have been meticulously pressed.
As any diligent bodyguard would, Youmu scanned the crowd, hand resting on the hilt of the short sword strapped to her waist. Her usual serious expression gave way to a glorious smile of welcome the moment she caught sight of Reisen coming up the walkway. At that precise moment, a break opened in the clouds, bathing the front of the oratory in the light of the setting sun. Youmu took on a hint of golden aura, as if she was an ancient god, complete with holy swords, reincarnated as an innocent young girl.
Reisen caught her breath, and just like that, the wonderful fizzy feeling she always got when she was near Youmu bubbled up inside of her.
Hakurei Reimu, the gathering's host, greeted the three newcomers, and after rolling her eyes at Kaguya's obviously insincere apology for being late, escorted the Princess and Eirin to seats on the broad oratory stairs. Reisen noticed they had been placed well away from Mokou, who was already giving Kaguya the frog eye. The moon-rabbit silently thanked Reimu for doing so; the last thing everyone needed was for those two to disrupt the gathering with their blood-feuding. Reisen took up position to one side of the stairs, close enough that she'd have time to intervene if things went sour between the two belligerents.
For much of the next two hours, the Council discussed recent developments involving the Great Barrier that protected Gensoukyou from the Outside World. While the Barrier had never been completely impenetrable, the seams in it had always been in fixed, easily identifiable locations, at least on the Gensoukyou side. But recently, the Barrier had been going through a period of instability, and there were new openings appearing and disappearing on an almost daily basis. Youkai who circumvented the so-called "Vampire Contract" by sneaking through the Barrier to feed on humans were getting stuck on the Outside when the openings they'd used suddenly disappeared. Not surprisingly, the Council members were divided over what caused the phenomenon and what to do about it, if anything.
Not that the proceedings interested Reisen all that much. She'd never given much thought to such things as magical barriers, the Outside, or Gensoukyou politics, preferring to leave those matters to her seniors. Now and again she'd pay attention – especially when Kaguya and Mokou sniped at each other – but most of the time, her eyes sought out Youmu.
After several minutes of sneaking peeks at the half-human, Reisen got caught in the act. A wisp of a smile crept across Youmu's lips, and when her eyes locked with Reisen's – just for a moment – the glow in them said, "Keep looking." From that point, the two traded surreptitious glances like crushing schoolgirls.
As the meeting dragged on, Reisen's frustration spiraled. To be standing only a few meters away from the object of her affection, unable to do anything more than make occasional eye contact, was maddening.
Then she had an idea. It was so simple, really, that she wondered why she hadn't thought of it earlier. If she manipulated a few sound waves, she'd be able to talk to Youmu directly despite the distance between them. The clandestine conversation would be one-sided, and she risked getting caught, but it was better than doing nothing.
Hello, Youmu. Reisen's lips barely moved; on the other side of the oratory's porch, several meters away, her voice was a mere whisper, soft enough that only Youmu could hear it. How's my favorite – what's the word? Samurai? Right, how's my favorite samurai this evening?
Youmu turned to look behind her, as if expecting someone to be standing there. When she didn't see anyone, she turned back toward Reisen, eyes wide.
Surprised? I'm using my wave-form ability. Pretty cool, huh?
The warrior nodded her agreement.
It's been too long, Reisen continued. Okay, it's only been two weeks, but I-… Was it too forward to say she missed Youmu? Probably, but the moon-rabbit was long past the point of holding back. …I really missed you. I hoped I'd see you in the Human Village last Monday, but I guess you couldn't make it, huh?
Youmu shook her head, her lower lip curling into an adorable pout that made Reisen's knees go weak.
So you missed me too, huh?
Another nod.
How about after the party starts, I kidnap you for a while and we have a drink together? The sword-master's tiny smile returned. Reisen grinned back at her and added, I'll take that as a yes.
Unfortunately, Eirin – who had become suspicious of what Reisen was up to – was watching their exchange.
"Knock it off, Udonge. Save that for later."
Eirin's use of her personal nickname for Reisen may have been affectionate, but her tone definitely wasn't. The conversation was over. With an apologetic shrug toward Youmu, Reisen turned her attention back to the meeting. For the rest of the time, she didn't dare make eye contact with the little sword-fighter, no matter how badly she wanted to. One simply didn't cross Eirin, as Tewi had found out earlier that evening. The gold-bricking earth-rabbit was currently tied to a support column in Eirin's personal apartment, riding out a dose of Butterfly Dream Pills, nightmare type. Reisen didn't want similar treatment, so she tried to pay attention, but the long-winded discussion made it heavy going.
Finally, after Reisen's eyes had nearly rolled back into her head, the meeting ended. Unfortunately, that didn't mean she could run off to Youmu just yet. Her first priority was to attend to Kaguya and Eirin, after all, and that meant making sure the two had enough food and drink. The Moon-Princess had a healthy appetite for both, so for a good while, Reisen was kept in constant motion. Her one consolation was that Youmu was similarly occupied with Yuyuko, who ate and drank even more than Kaguya, if possible. Eventually, relief came from Eirin.
"Go on, Udonge – I know you want to be with her," the doctor whispered. "I'll take care of Lady Kaguya."
"Thank you, Master!"
Reisen found Youmu on the oratory stairs, sandwiched between Yuyuko and Yakumo Yukari, the Gap Youkai, who were – in the moon-rabbit's biased opinion – inflicting far too much skinship on their young companion. Poor Youmu was turning her head to avoid the sake bottle Yuyuko held up, while at the same time fighting to keep Yukari's hands off of her breasts and thighs. She had a look of utter desperation on her face. Reisen stepped in front of group and cleared her throat.
"Saigyouji-san, I'm very sorry to intrude. May I please speak to you for a moment?"
Reisen didn't usually use polite speech with earth-youkai – honorifics were an Earthling conceit, in her opinion – but Yuyuko was Youmu's employer and guardian, and there was nothing to be gained by offending her sensibilities. For her part, the ghost pulled the liquor bottle away from the mortified Youmu and shot Reisen a blank look, as if they'd never met, even though they'd spoken dozens of times in the past.
"And you are?"
"Reisen Udongein Inaba."
After a second or two, the light of recognition dawned.
"Oh, right! You're Kaguya's moon-rabbit, the one my Youmu's obsessed with, aren't you?"
Poor beleaguered Youmu clapped her hands to her face, her delight at seeing Reisen quickly giving way to consternation.
"Yuyuko-sama! Don't say such embarrassing things!"
"Why not? It's the truth, isn't it?" This came from Yukari, who promptly lifted her sake bowl, and before Youmu could reply, added, "To young love."
"Kanpai," Yuyuko answered, emptying her own bowl. "Now, Reisen-moon-bunny, what business does a living creature like you have with the Governor of the Netherworld?"
Reisen gritted her teeth at the insulting term "bunny," but let it pass.
"May Youmu please join me for a drink?"
"In other words," Yukari said with a leer, "you're asking Yuyuko if it's all right for you to take her cute little Youmu around behind the storehouse for a nice, long snog. Am I right?"
Reisen and Youmu, their faces turning a bright crimson, simultaneously whirled on the Gap Youkai and snapped, "It's not like that!"
The two elder youkai exchanged knowing grins, after which Yuyuko said, "All right, Youmu, you can go. I want some private time with Yukari, anyway." She winked at Reisen suggestively. "Be gentle, moon-bunny – it's her first time."
At a loss as to how to respond, Reisen merely stared at the smirking ghost, but Youmu stomped her foot in fury.
"Yuyuko-sama, really!"
"Come on, let's go," Reisen urged, taking Youmu's hand and dragging her away from the laughing women.
After commandeering a bottle of sake and two bowls, along with a plate of rice crackers, the two wound up a few paces west of the Hakurei Shrine gate, seated on the top steps of the great, winding stairway that led up from the valley. They were close enough to see what was going on in the area in front of the oratory, but far enough away from the nearest cluster of party-goers to have a private conversation.
While Reisen poured the sake, Youmu untied her swords and gently set them on the top step, then slumped down next to them with a weary sigh. After a moment, a large, silvery, translucent shadow, as long as Youmu was tall, materialized seemingly from out of nowhere: Youmu's phantom half. It circled around the two girls a few times before retreating to hover behind the warrior's shoulder.
"I'm really sorry about those two perverts," Youmu grumbled. "They're always doing weird things to me."
"What, they molest you like that all the time?"
The sword-master shrugged.
"Yukari-sama does, but then again, she gropes everyone. Yuyuko-sama respects my physical boundaries – always has in the 60-plus years I've served her – but she likes to embarrass me too much. Geez, I can't believe she said that in front of you – I could just scream sometimes."
"Believe me, I can relate," Reisen replied, remembering Kaguya and Eirin's treatment of her earlier that day. "But forget about them for a while. It's a beautiful night. The moon's rising, and the stars are just coming out. Let's enjoy ourselves for a bit, okay?"
At Reisen's words, Youmu's annoyance faded away, and she smiled warmly.
"You're right. Here I was missing you so much, and now that we're finally together again, I'm ruining the mood by complaining. We should be celebrating instead, right? So let's do that." Youmu raised her sake bowl. "To Reisen-san."
"To Youmu…" Reisen replied, matching the gesture. In her head, she added, …my precious person.
For a while, the two girls sipped sake and made small talk, content to enjoy each other's company. Reisen paid less attention to what was said than to Youmu herself. With the pale moonlight reflecting off of the perfect symmetry of her face, the warrior was so heartbreakingly beautiful that the lovesick moon-rabbit had to keep reminding herself to breathe. For her part, Youmu seemed to hang on every one of Reisen's words.
After a few minutes of trivial chit-chat, the conversation finally turned in a more serious direction. The catalyst was Youmu's mention of the latest bit of gossip making the rounds of Gensoukyou, which – no surprise to Reisen – concerned Reimu and her three closest associates: self-described "ordinary magician" Kirisame Marisa, Reimu's childhood friend; Kochiya Sanae, Wind-Priestess of the Moriya Shrine; and Izayoi Sakuya, chief maid of the Scarlet Devil Mansion. The drama that seemed to constantly swirl around Gensoukyou's four most powerful humans provided a steady stream of grist for local rumor mill.
"The latest word is that something's up between Sanae-san and Sakuya-san," Youmu reported, lowering her voice conspiratorially. "Supposedly, Sanae-san's been spending an awful lot of time at the Mansion lately. That nosy crow tengu claims she overheard the Mountain Goddesses complaining about it. She tried to get pictures of the two of them for her newspaper, but she can never seem to catch them together."
"Aya's pretty persistent, so if she can't dig up the dirt, there probably isn't any," Reisen countered. "Besides, the whole thing makes no sense. Sanae's after Reimu – she doesn't bother to hide it. She keeps confessing and getting shot down, because Reimu doesn't do relationships. Something about her position not allowing her to play favorites. Besides, everyone knows that Sakuya never got over Marisa dumping her, and that she wants Marisa back. Sorry, I just don't see Sakuya with Sanae. It'd be weird."
"I don't believe the rumor, either, but even if it's not true, with all the stuff that is going on with those girls…how can they stay friends, even? I don't really get it." Youmu paused for a moment, gazing off into the night sky thoughtfully before adding, "Humans sure are complicated, aren't they?"
Reisen raised an eyebrow.
"…said the half-human."
"Emphasis on half," Youmu retorted. "I'm mixed-species, Reisen-san, remember? I'm not the fragile creature that a full-blooded human girl would be." She flipped a thumb over her shoulder in the general direction of Reimu and her three companions, who were sitting in a group on the lawn near the oratory steps. "Sometimes when I look at those four, I'm glad I'm not fully human. They always seem so, I don't know, desperate. I guess I can understand that, since their lives are so short. Still, I'll admit youkai don't have it any easier." She paused for a moment, eyeing Reisen speculatively. "In fact, I can think of a major disadvantage to being half phantom."
"And that is…?"
To Reisen's surprise, Youmu took her by the hand. Her callused fingers, cooler to the touch than the flesh of any living being, left tingles in their wake as they traced across Reisen's skin.
"Warmth," Youmu replied. "The lack of it, I mean. Ghosts, phantoms – we all hunger for warmth. The kind I feel when I hold your hand." After a long moment, during which her eyes never left Reisen's, she added, "You don't mind me doing this, do you? Your hand is so soft that I don't want to let it go. Ever."
She squeezed Reisen's hand a bit tighter, and then shifted until they were sitting hip to hip, shoulder to shoulder. Gone was the blushing maiden who had acted so embarrassed in front of Yuyuko and Yukari. Youmu's eyes, dark and deep, bored into Reisen's without flinching.
"Wow, you're being, um, bolder than usual tonight," Reisen said, her heart fluttering.
"And what if I am, Reisen-san?" Something in the way Youmu spoke her name felt different from all the times before – a total, delightful departure from the norm that ignited a fire deep inside Reisen's belly.
"Keep doing it," the moon-rabbit said, her voice suddenly ragged. "I really like it."
"I'm glad you do. For some reason, I want to say bold things to you tonight. Things that I've wanted to tell you for so long, but the time never seemed right until now. It's my perfect opportunity."
Reisen was now absolutely certain of what was coming.
"Go ahead, sword-master. Tell me something bold."
Youmu's voice mellowed to a purr.
"Oh, I intend to. But first, I wanted to say that what you did earlier, when you whispered in my ear from far away – that was really nice. For a second, I thought you were standing right next to me. It made me tingle when you did that."
"Well, I wanted to talk to you," Reisen said. "Needed to. I couldn't wait any longer. These last two weeks were hard on me."
Youmu leaned closer, so close that Reisen thought for a moment they were going to kiss. But just before it seemed their lips would meet, the half-human pulled up short, saying, "How about I return the favor, and whisper in your ear this time? I have something really important to say. It's one of my most precious secrets, and don't want anyone else to hear it but you."
Reisen tried to respond, but the lump in her throat wouldn't go away no matter how many times she tried to swallow it. She quivered at the sensation of the warrior's breath on her hyper-sensitive ear.
"Reisen-san, I l-…"
A sudden, enraged bellow echoed throughout the shrine area, cutting off Youmu in mid-whisper, and obliterating the romantic atmosphere with a blast of screamed profanity.
"Fucking Moon-Bitch! I'm gonna burn your ass to a crisp!"
Mokou's voice.
The answering taunt, nearly a half-octave higher, was every bit as ear-shattering.
"Hah! You flatter yourself, Man-Woman!"
Kaguya.
Oh, shit, Reisen thought. Not here, not now. Damn them! She leaped to her feet. "They're fighting again. I've got to go help Master Eirin stop them. They'll level the entire shrine if I don't."
"I'm going with you," Youmu insisted, following Reisen toward the oratory.
To Reisen's disgust, the confrontation between Kaguya and Mokou turned out to be little more than sound and fury. The two would-be combatants were far too drunk to do any actual fighting. In fact, no sooner had Eirin, Reisen, Youmu, and the other by-standers broken up their fight than Kaguya was curled up with her head on Eirin's lap, sleeping peacefully, as if Mokou never existed. The only thing to come out of the whole sordid episode was that Reisen's perfect moment with Youmu, the one she'd been anticipating since that afternoon, was gone forever.
"I have to help Master get Princess Kaguya home," the moon-rabbit explained to Youmu when they were finally able to talk again. "I'm really sorry."
"It can't be helped." The sword-fighter's tone was light, but the look on her face mirrored Reisen's own crushing sense of disappointment.
"No, it can't, but it still sucks," Reisen said. "I want to see you again soon, and I don't want to wait. Sunday's our mutual day off. You want to hang out at my place?"
After a moment's thought, Youmu shook her head.
"Unfortunately, I can't. Yuyuko-sama has business in Higan, and I have to go with her."
"How about Monday, then? I'll be at the Human Village that morning, as usual. And guess what? My calendar is wide open at lunchtime. Hint, hint."
Youmu's face lit up like a beacon.
"I'll be there if I have to beg Yuyuko-sama on my knees for time off," she said. "She owes me for Sunday, anyway."
"Then it's a date," Reisen said. "How about we meet in the village square at noon?"
Youmu nodded.
"Noon it is. And now, you'd better go, before Eirin-sama comes looking for you. But first, I have something to give you."
To Reisen's surprise, Youmu untied her collar ribbon, pulled it off, and pressed it into the moon-rabbit's hand.
"Tonight was too short, and Monday seems so far away," she said, lowering her voice so that only Reisen could hear. "While we're apart, if you get lonely, maybe this will help." She patted the moon-rabbit's hand that held the ribbon. "When you look at it, think of me."
Instinctively, Reisen raised the ribbon to her nose. It smelled of cherry blossoms and vanilla, just like Youmu.
For a moment, the moon-rabbit gazed at the warrior in wonder. As always, Youmu seemed to know exactly what to say and do to touch her soul. And she was so earnest about it, and so adorable, that Reisen had to fight off the impulse to cling to her right there in front of everyone.
"I wish it was Monday already," she said, carefully tucking the ribbon in the left chest pocket of her blazer. Over my heart, where it belongs, she thought.
A/N:
− Many thanks to Gray Voice for the stellar editorial work, and for reining in my literary flights of fancy.
− In canon, Youmu's eye color varies from game to game. For the purposes of this story, I assumed her human half has blue eyes and her phantom half (if it shape-shifts into a human-half clone) has red eyes, because those seem to be common choices in fanart.
− I don't own Udomyon, the cover art. All rights to it belong to the artist, Kezune (seiga [d0t] nicovideo [d0t] jp/seiga/im3829270).
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