First Touhou Fiction:

Friends

Oneshot

It was a warm spring evening in the Netherworld. The ghost princess, Yuyuko, and her loyal guard and gardener, Youmu, were sitting outside of Hakugyokurou. Youmu had prepared some tea for her ghostly mistress, who was enjoying it now. There was silence between the two, as both of them looked at the blooming cherry blossom trees. Their sweet scent reached them and Yuyuko, took the scent in noisily. The half-gost, who was kneeling beside her did it not that loudly, thinking that being noisy in front of her mistress would be rude.

It had always been that way. Youmu was a very silent person, who did anything to avoid for her mistress to be bothered. She wears her heart on her sleeve, but isn't self-indulgent. The half-ghost works really hard to keep the large garden of the Hakugyokurou in shape and to please her master. No matter what Yuyuko wishes, Youmu does her best to do or get it for her. But the gardener rarely showed any emotions. Her voice was monotone almost all of the time and she never spoke any more to her Master than needed. And that was the one thing Yuyuko hated.

She has known this girl for many, many years now and she was like family to the princess. But apparently, Youmu didn't think that way. For a very long time Yuyuko has thought about getting her gardener into talking more, into smiling more. She hadn't seen a smile on that face in years and she hadn't seen the girl's eyes sparkle with happiness in years, either. And this was what the ghost wanted to change tonight. "Youmu...", she spoke up, breaking the soft and yet harsh silence that lay upon Hakugyokurou.

At the sound of her name, the gardener perked up her ears. "Yes, Mistress?", the girl asked with her monotone voice.

That word hurt in Yuyuko's ears. 'Mistress'. She didn't want to be called 'Mistress' by Youmu any longer. "... do you like being here?", the princess asked. She had so many questions for Youmu burning in her mind and she was sure that, even if she didn't want to admit it or ask them, her gardener had a lot of questions as well.

Youmu's deep blue eyes showed a hint of surprise. It was obvious to Yuyuko, that her loyal servant had expected a request, but not this kind of question. "I'm very sorry, but I don't understand the meaning of your question. Of course, I like being here."

The pink haired woman had expected that answer before asking her question. As very polite person the half-ghost would feel like she would be insulting Hakugyokurou if she said she didn't like being there. "Youmu, I want you to be honest, not as gardener, but as... you. Do you like being here? Do you like being my gardener? Do you like me?"

At the last of the lady's questions a faint blush appeared on Youmu's face. The girl had no clue why her Mistress would suddenly ask that kind of question. "You want me to answer like I wasn't your servant? But, Mistress, allow me to ask, why?"

Yuyuko giggled a little. Youmu was so cute, when she was confused. It was a very rare sight, since her servant was really smart. "Because I want to know what you really think and now what I think what you think that I want you to think. You've been loyal to me for so long, now I wanna know what the real Youmu thinks and not the gardener Youmu." The princess didn't know if she made sense, but the half-ghost would somehow find out what she meant, she was sure of that.

"If I may correct you, Mistress, the gardener Youmu is the real Youmu. But I think I now realize what you're asking me to say." Just as Yuyuko had expected. "I like it here, Yuyuko-sama. This has always been my home for as long as I remember and I've always loved to take care of this beautiful garden and I do not remember a single day, at which I didn't love to take care of this place. And about you, Mistress...", the blue eyed girl hesitated for a moment, apparently unsure about what to say. "... I like you and I like to serve you and fulfill your wishes and desires. To give you what you need and want."

Yuyuko was relieved by that statement. At time she had expected Youmu to not like her, because they talked so little with each other. "But if you like me, how come you rarely talk to me? This is not the first time we sit here like this... and I know that you know that I tried to have a conversation with you before."

The half-ghost felt very uncomfortable talking like this, having to answer all those questions. She realized that her Master was trying to establish a stronger connection between them, so the girl was less of a gardener and more of a friend to her Mistress. On one hand, Youmu could just answer all the question like a loyal servant and let Yuyuko know more about what's going on inside the gardener. On the other hand the girl could be less of a loyal servant and have more of her own will by refusing to answer the question. Either way Youmu would be less of a servant to Yuyuko. She would get her will. So the half-ghost decided to go with the way that didn't make her less of a loyal servant and just answer. Just obey. "I wouldn't feel right about being treated like more than a servant, Mistress. And a conversation,like you have them with Lady Yukari,would be inappropriate for a gardener."

Of course. Youmu seemed to love not getting any good or special treatment. "But, Youmu-chan, I've known you for so long and you do so much for me, why can't we be friends? I want to have normal conversations with you, like I have with Yukari. And I don't want you to have them with me because I want to, but because you want to.", the ghost explained. Then she noticed her servant's shocked and surprised face. The blush on those pale cheeks and how wide those deep blue eyes were opened.

"M-Mistress...", Youmu stuttered. "Please, I'm begging you, don't call me Youmu-chan.". She said like being called that way was torture. She continued while her face turned calm and the blush on her cheeks started to faint. "I never considered that I could be more than your servant, Yuyuko-sama. But I never thought that we could not be friends. It would just appear weird to others for a servant and her Mistress to be friends. It would also be weird to me, Mistress..." She said, her voice becoming quieter while speaking that last sentence.

Yuyuko was confused. "Why would it be weird to you? Are friends weird to you?", the ghost wondered.

Youmu lifted her hands and held them in front of herself like they would defend her. "No, no, no. But... you are a ghost... I'm only a half-ghost. I shouldn't be in the Netherworld in the first place, because I am half-human."

The lady felt how her gardener warmed up during this conversation. Her hard shell broke and she talked with emotion, with a real voice and more than just that monotone sound. "Nonsense! You belong to the Netherworld like the blossoms to the cherry trees! This place needs you, the Hakugyokurou needs you... I need you." Yuyuko felt how her cheeks warmed up, they must be pinker than the beautiful cherry trees. The ghostly princess lowered her gaze to avoid meeting Youmu's blue gaze with her own red one.

The half-ghost blushed as well. "Yuyuko-sama...", she said quietly. "I will be your friend..."

A bright smile appeared on Yuyuko's face, right before she looked at her new friend. "Thank you so much, Youmu!" She said, wrapping her arms around the girl next to her, not caring about the blush that appeared on both of their faces.

"Don't thank me, Mistress. I want this friendship as well.", Youmu explained, her voice soft and warm like it ad never been before.

"Youmu, I have one request for you... please never call me Mistress or Yuyuko-sama again... just Yuyuko."

Youmu nodded understanding. Then she gave her friend a very sweet and very rare smile. One of the most beautiful smiles Yuyuko has ever seen. "Alright... Yuyuko."

Hey guys and gals!

My name is Vee! So this is my first Touhou Fic. I really like Yuyuko and Youmu, even though they are not that popular, at least not as popular as some others. Anyways, I think I'll be writing a lot more Touhou here with also other characters. I write mostly Romance.

R&R please!