Yakumo Family Hot Spring Trip

Chen yawned and stretched, letting out a loud meow. She rubbed her eyes and looked around the room. Her mistress, Ran, was already up and about, moving swiftly but quietly, cleaning the household. "Ran-sama…" Chen whispered sleepily.

Ran turned and smiled at her shikigami. "Ah, Chen, you're awake. Quite a hot day, isn't it?"

"Yes, I guess so. Lucky we have that round thingy Yukari-sama got from the outside world that makes houses cooler!" Chen giggled, pawing at the strange thing. It blew her short brown hair back.

"Ah, yes, it's quite effective. What was it that Yukari-sama called it…a 'fan'?"

"Tengus are the only people I know who use fans. And this round thing looks nothing like the fan tengus use, anyway," said Chen. With that, she leaned in close to the fan and went, "aaaaaaaaahhhh~", amused at the sound it made.

"Say, Chen, how would you like to go swimming today? I hear there's a hot spring near the Hakurei Shrine," Ran told her. "Just the three of us, Yukari-sama, Ran-sama, and you."

The cat shikigami pouted. "Chen doesn't like water," was her prompt reply.

Ran seemed to look disappointed. "Not even a steamy, warm hot spring?"

"It's already hot enough outside," Chen retorted. "Ran-sama said so herself."

"Ah, but even on this kind of day, a hot spring would make you feel good all over. You won't even have to worry about drowning."

Chen thought this over. "Okay, but would Yukari-sama wake up to come with us?"

Ran laughed. "Of course she will. We may have to drag her all the way there, but she'll definitely come along!" Ran began to head to her master's room. "I'll go wake her."

It was only a few seconds later when Ran came back from Yukari's room with a red mark on her face. Yukari's parasol had once again victimized the poor fox.

Chen gasped. "Ran-sama! Ran-sama! Are you okay?" Chen's tiny arms went lovingly around her master's neck.

"Yes, Chen, don't worry, Ran-sama's all right. Yukari-sama wasn't happy about me waking her, but she did say she'd come along. After I managed to explain."

Chen clapped her hands. "Goody! Yukari-sama's coming!" she skipped toward the door of her master's room. "Yukari-sama, Yukari-sama! Wake up, wake up!" She called cheerfully.

Ran laughed. "try not to make too much noise, Chen, or Yukari-sama might whack you, too," she joked.

"Stop filling that poor girl's head with lies, Ran." Yukari stepped out of her room, parasol, mobcap and all, still with a sleepy look on her face. "A hot spring, is it then?"

"If it pleases you, Yukari-sama," Ran replied.

"All right, then. Chen seems to like the idea, and it is quite boring here during the summertime, so to the hot spring we go." And with that, the elegant youkai summoned her sukima out of the air, and pulled both shikigami into it.

Seconds later, they were in Rinnosuke's store. Their entrance surprised the half-youkai shopkeeper, as they came from what seemed to be nowhere, and popped out of a purple gap full of eyes. When he realized who it was, Rinnosuke frowned. "Yakumo, the door's right over there," he grumbled.

"We're here to buy some yukatas for our hot spring trip," Yukari said, ignoring him.

"Fabrics and clothing are up in the back," Rinnosuke told her.

"Thank you, Morichika-san." The three Yakumo girls went to the back of the small store.

"Ah, Ran dear, tell me your opinion on this, will you?" Yukari said, holding up a lilac yukata with gold on the tip of the sleeves. But Ran's mind was on other things. She was holding a small fern green yukata decorated with pale red lotuses. "Chen will look so cute in this~" Ran gushed, stroking the fabric.

Chen blushed and moved her eyes away. "Ran-sama, you're embarrassing me," she whined.

Ran gazed off, apparently imagining Chen in the aforementioned green yukata, because an instant later, blood began trickling down from her nose.

Yukari was appalled. "Ran, you're making a fool of yourself," she said indignantly.

"Ran-sama, please wipe your face…" Chen pleaded. Her eyes turned to Yukari. "Yukari-sama, is Ran-sama ill?"

"No, dear, she just has a bit of a warped mind…" Yukari growled, but not directly at Chen.

Chen, confused, nodded.

After they had selected and paid for their yukatas, youkai, fox, and cat headed to the hot spring via sukima gap. Not long after they'd stripped down and plunged into the water did the red-white come darting from the shrine.

She stopped at the water, panting. Upon seeing Yukari there, she sighed, half of relief, half of frustration. "Oh. It's you, Yukari. I thought it was someone threatening."

Yukari frowned slightly. "Miss Reimu, they're called 'inner thoughts' for a reason. Or shall I prove it by destroying the boundary between thought and speech?"

"No, no, I'll pass," Reimu shook her head frantically. "and anyway, I don't remember inviting you here."

"Well, Chen wants to stay!" Chen retorted.

"A cat who likes hot springs," mused the shrine maiden. "Now I've seen everything."

"Indeed, dear Reimu, now be a good human and let your old friend stay for a while," Yukari told Reimu.

The red-white sighed and walked off, muttering something about youkai scaring off visitors.

"Ahh…such heat in summer never felt so good!" Ran exclaimed.

"And water never felt so good to a cat," agreed Chen.

Turning to her master, Ran said, "Well, Yukari-sama, are you glad you came to this hot spring, even if it was just to annoy Miss Hakurei?"

"I suppose, dear Ran, I suppose. It turned out to be a lovely day for it. I am enjoying myself."

"Me, too," Chen giggled, splashing the water a bit. "Is Ran-sama enjoying herself as well?"

"Yes, Chen. I am. Didn't I tell you you'd have a good time?"

As the sun began to set, the three youkai heard Reimu Hakurei's voice from the shrine shouting, "Hey! Yukari! You and your shikigami have been in there long enough! Go home already!"

"Well, we might as well put on our yukatas and go home," Yukari told both shikigami. "No sense in making Miss Reimu lose her temper. Besides, I have lots of sleep to catch up on."

"Yes, Yukari-sama," said Ran, hoisting Chen out of the water. Chen grabbed her yukata and disappeared behind a rock to put on her yukata, the one her master had selected for her. She came back wearing the fern green yukata with the lotuses on it. "Chen really likes this yukata, Ran-sama," Chen told her master. "I've never worn anything so light and fluffy. It makes Chen feel like a princess!" she giggled, twirling about like a dancer.

Ran couldn't bring her hand to her nose before it started bleeding like mad. "CHEEEEEEEEEN!" she hollered, all of her nine tails twitching wildly.

Chen looked alarmed. "What's wrong, Ran-sama?"

"Nothing, nothing…" Ran assured her shikigami. "You're just so cute!"

Yukari sighed. "Isn't it time you got yourself dressed, Ran?"

Later, the three arrived back at the Yakumo house, still wearing their yukatas, Ran's royal blue with purple dragonflies and white trim, Yukari's dark purple with gold trim and pale pink sakura blossoms. Chen lay half asleep in Ran's arms. Yukari was heading off to find something to eat, and Ran was settling herself down for the night. She lay Chen on her pillow and gently laid the blanket on her. Just as Ran was about to go to her own room, she heard Chen calling, "Ran-sama…"

She turned. "What is it, Chen?"

"Thanks for such a fun day, Ran-sama," the nekomata sleepily said to her master.

Ran smiled. "You're welcome. Good night, Chen," she whispered.

This is my first fic, so try to take it easy on me, please. I accept constructive criticism, but any flaming reviews WILL BE REMOVED. I do not accept senseless criticism(i.e. hating my fic without a valid argument or corrections to make on it).

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