Chapter 4: A Walk in the Garden

I knew what this meant. From all I had heard and seen, Yuyuko would stop at nothing to get a platter of chicken, and Youmu wanted to stop her horrid bird-hunting antics.

"Miss, you never catch her." Youmu protested.

"I can't," She slyly agreed, "But you can!"

"W-what!" She outraged.

Yukari shoved me next to Youmu, "Take the little girl, too! If she catches the bird, it will fare good for her fate."

She stared at me with the happy "I'm going to kill you if you don't get it right ~" face.

"Y… Yes!" Youmu and I said in unison.

Yukari shoved us both out the door as she talked, "Well go, then! Time is hunger!"

The gardener and I were a little annoyed at Yukari, but I think Youmu was mainly mad at me for bringing up the chicken.

We walked for a few minutes until a question glued to Youmu's mind broke the silence.

"So how did you know my name?"

Oh drat.

"I just… know a lot about Gensokyo from the outside world." I totally lied.

"I see. From stories or what?"

Again, oh drat.

"Stories, yes."

Youmu considered this and stuttered on her next question, "W-were any about m-me or the Mis-tress?"

"Yes, yes. One very major one." I grinned.

"What was it about?" She drew closer in interest.

I thought of how to sum up that story, "You and Yuyuko were gathering spring to-"

"Oh, that one." She sounded displeased.

I had to think of something fast to get her perkier. "But… There was one where you helped restore the corrupted moon… And solving a flower outbreak."

Myon, her ghost, swirled around her. "Ah yes, the flower outbreak. She did get a little mad at me for not bringing her along."

More silence.

"So," I started up a question, "Where is this bird?"

Youmu kept walking, "She usually sits in the forest by the human village. Her song attracts humans, so you should be careful when we meet her."

"How do we get so far in Gensokyo before Yuyuko starts eating the table?" I laughed.

Youmu laughed a little, too. "We fly."

Hello there, I'm a human, nice to meet you.

"But," I shied away a tad; "I can't fly."

The girl sighed, "As I expected to hear." She pondered ideas for a moment, "Then I'll just have to carry you."

I shuddered just a little, wondering if she would drop me when bringing out her swords. "Okay." I quietly agreed.

We stepped out the door and Youmu stood, surveying the sky's heavy fog. She held out her right hand.

I hesitantly took it, risking getting scolded. Her impatience took over when I had a grip, and she rocketed off the stone platform.

We passed over many sights I had only heard of from real-world works. We flew over the Prismriver sisters practicing, Yukari's desolate house in Mayohiga Village, and then a river of trees. Youmu slowly descended at the start of the green oasis.

"We look through this whole place?" My eyes almost grew too big for my head.

"No, we walk and we wait. When she sees a human, she'll start to sing."

I blinked, "Well that's a dull and easy target."

Youmu started walking slowly into the dark patches, "Easy to find, a swift one to catch."

"What do you want me to do?" I offered to help.

"You're the bait for Mystia."

"Excuse me?"

"She knows me and that I'd rip her limb by limb for the Mistress, but she's never seen you. When she notices you, she'll reveal herself and sing."

I absorbed all the information and spoke again, "So you just want me to walk until she comes out?"

She nodded, "Precisely. And since she's extremely loud and obnoxious, I can find her from where I am."

"Okay."