Cirno: HELP!!! DAIYOUSEI IS SICK!!! WE GOT A SICK FAIRY IN HERE!!! HELP!!! GET US OUT!!!

The little ice fairy banged on the door to the Isolation Chamber. Daiyousei was on the floor, surrounded by a pool of partially digested food and was coughing crazily. All the other fairies saw this and banged on the walls, trying to attract the attention of anyone on the outside before they could get sick. Their efforts didn't go to waste as Sakuya opened the door as soon as she noticed.

Sakuya: What happened?!?!

Cirno: Freeze Sign "Perfect Freeze"!!!

Sakuya: Wh-

As the spell card activated, the two fairies zoomed out of the chamber, leaving a frozen in place Sakuya. They zoomed through the sky and away from the SDM.

Cirno: *Huff, Huff* W-we made it. Daiyousei, you alright?

Daiyousei: *Huff, Huff* Y-yeah…T-that plan was genius Cirno!

Cirno: Heh, well you know me. Not just strong, but smart too.

Daiyousei: Well, now that we're out, what now?

Cirno: …

Daiyousei: Um, Cirno?

Cirno: Just give me a sec. Eye'll think of something.

A bead of sweat formed on Daiyousei's head as Cirno closed her eyes and sat on the ground and started thinking.

A good amount of time later…

Cirno: Hmm…

Nothing changed.

Yet another good amount of time later…

Cirno: Hmm…EYE GOT IT!!! EYE'M A GENIUS!!!

Daiyousei: Who-za-what?!?! Huh?

Daiyousei woke up from her nap to find Cirno standing with a finger to her forehead and a smirk on her face, as if she were bragging that she was a genius. Wait, she was bragging that she was a genius.

Cirno: We'll just fly around and beat up people until we get a lead on who is causing the incident! Come on!

Daiyousei: Ah-Cirno wait!

A good amount of beaten up unsuspecting innocent humans later…

Daiyousei: Um…I don't think this is working…

Cirno: Nonsense. It is definitely working! Eye bet the next person we run into has the info we're looking for!

A good amount of the above sentence being repeated after beating someone up later…

Cirno: Hmm…Maybe it isn't working…

Daiyousei slowly walked up to where Cirno was. She looks like she just ran a marathon.

Daiyousei: *Huff, Huff* Y-yeah, I don't think it's working either…

Cirno: Give me a sec, eye'll think of something.

???: Ah. I finally found you.

Out of the trees appeared the miko.

Reimu: Ah. You two have no idea how scared we are, a sick fairy wandering around freely.

Cirno: What are you talking about?

Reimu: Your friend there is sick. Didn't she show the symptoms before you two busted out?

Cirno: Oh that.

Daiyousei: I was faking.

Reimu: You're kidding!!! Well, it doesn't matter. You two still need to come with me. Can't have the guardians of nature wandering around freely.

Cirno: That sounded incredibly authoritarian.

Reimu: I have the authority. I'm a shrine maiden!

Cirno: So why don't you find some youkai to exterminate or something?

Reimu: Fairies work just as fine. Especially cold ones.

Daiyousei: I thought you and the others are trying to save fairies!!!

Reimu: Yeah, but the sick ones won't live anyway.

Cirno: We're not sick!!!

Reimu: Look, your fever is already making you talk crazy. Time for some exterminating!

Cirno / Daiyousei: YOUR CRAZY!!!

Reimu ignored their exclamation as she started shooting bullets at the two fairies. The two quickly split up, flying in opposite directions. More bullets flew through the air. Reimu shot straight for Cirno while her homing bullets flew for Daiyousei. In exchange, their bullets flew for Reimu, crossing each other at her last location. Before those bullets crossed, she flew up and backed away to get both in her line of vision. As helpful as her homing shots are, it still is nice to see all of your opponents and their danmaku. It was a good idea because the fairies' next wave was a freak out maneuver. Daiyousei shot straight for Reimu from her right, attempting to scare her to fly to her left, where Cirno had sent her shots. Reimu saw it coming and was ready. She flew in between the shots and shot back, this time sending more powerful shots their way. The fight went on in this manner and the three shot and dodged each other's bullets. After a few minutes, Daiyousei was hit. It seems she was still drained from following around her friend. She was sent crashing towards the ground. Cirno flew under her friend and caught her before the crash, an event that Reimu took advantage of. She activated a spell card.

Reimu: Border World "Hakurei Danmaku Bounded Field"!

The card activated and the two fairies found themselves trapped in an area between two what-seemed-like barriers. Reimu started shooting for the two with her red and white danmaku, which seemed to move inverse of the other on the other side of the barrier field. The fairies started to graze as if their lives depended on it, even though danmaku fights aren't lethal.

Reimu: Just give up. You guys are trapped and there's no way I'll let you go even if you break the spell.

Cirno: (Damn it, she's right. How could we break out of this? Even if we do break the card, she'll just use another one! We're already exhausted, we can't keep this up!)

The two fairies weaved through the spell's red and white walls of danmaku. The miko had them pinned, close calls happened within seconds of the last, the two fairies were getting more and more tired. Finally, Daiyousei spoke.

Daiyousei: Cirno…We can't keep this up forever…I-I have an idea…

Cirno: Eye'm all ears. Shoot.

Daiyousei: I'll get hit. It'll break the magic wall and clear the area of danmaku. You can escape.

Cirno: W-WHAT?!?! NO!!! NOT AN OPTION!!!

Daiyousei: There's no other way! You can do it Cirno! Save the fairies!

She pushed Cirno towards the edge of the magic barrier to outside the danmaku fight, before taking one straight to her heart.

Cirno: NO!!! THAT CRAZY SHRINE MAIDEN WILL EAT YOU ALIVE!!! DAIYOUSEI!!!

Daiyousei fell back to earth, a crater forming upon impact. The area cleared of danmaku and the magic barrier fell, as expected.

Daiyousei: C-Cirno…Get…Get out…Go…

Daiyousei lost consciousness after those words escaped her lips. The miko came down in front of Daiyousei, obstructing her from view. Cirno took one look and turned and flew. She flew away crying. She flew and never looked back.

Reimu: Darn…I let one get away…Ah well, if she wants to die then let her. Let's go big fairy.

Elsewhere…

Cirno had no idea where she was. All she knew was that she was away from the fight, and was sitting on the ground crying. You would too if your friend just sacrificed herself so you can get away from a lunatic shrine maiden. Her words ran through her mind as she sat there, crying.

Cirno: (Daiyousei: C-Cirno…Get…Get out…Go…) D-damn it… Why? Eye didn't ask her to. Why? N-now, she's going to be locked away back at the hell they call the only chance for healthy fairies…Was…Was eye deluding myself all this time? Was eye just lying to myself and my friends? Maybe everyone is right…Maybe eye really can't do anything…Eye am just another fairy after all, and fairies aren't strong…Eye'm not strong, just scared and alone…Now Daiyousei isn't even here for me…And it's all my fault…All mine…all mine…

???: Hey now, don't give up Cirno.

Cirno: Wha-? Who's there?!

??? 2: You need not fear us Cirno. After all, we are you.

Cirno: !

Cirno looked around the area, not seeing anything but trees, grass, and a small pond. On a whim, she slowly walked towards the pond and looked at her reflection in the water, but it wasn't just her reflection there. There were also two girls there. Two girls that looked just like the little ice fairy. The one on the reflection's left had the exact same features as Cirno, but also was sporting a pair of eyeglasses. Yet somehow, even with just that one addition to her features, it made the Cirno lookalike seem somehow older and more mature, as well as smarter. The one to the reflection's right also shared the same features, however instead of eyeglasses as her most defining characteristic, she carried six swords and wore strange black clothing on her left arm and hip, as well as strange black gloves. Her overall appearance could be described as strong. The real Cirno looked at the two with confusion.

Cirno: W-who are you?

Strong Cirno: Did you not just hear your smart side there? We're you.

Cirno: But, eye'm me.

Strong Cirno: Yeah, eye don't really get it either.

Smart Cirno: You two are idiots. What I meant by we are you is that we are different sides to your person. She is your strong side and I am your smart one.

Cirno: Y-you two are my strong and smart sides? T-then you gotta help me!!! Eye-eye'm not strong enough or smart enough to do this alone!!! Help me…

The Strong Cirno turned and punched the real Cirno's reflection, and Cirno felt it. She flew a bit from the side of the pond before landing near a tree.

Cirno: OW!!!

Strong Cirno: NEVER SAY THAT!!!

The smart Cirno slapped the strong Cirno across the face.

Smart Cirno: Are you stupid?!?! We're here to help her, not kill her!!!

Now, smart Cirno started pinching strong Cirno's cheek.

Strong Cirno: OW OW OW OW OW!!! STOP THAT!!! EYE'M SORRY!!!

Cirno walked back to the pond side and started watching the meaningless fight.

Strong Cirno: Please stop!!! Eye'm sorry!!!

Cirno: WOULD YOU TWO STOP IT?!?!

The two sides to Cirno immediately stopped fighting, blinked a few times, then regained their composure and stood next to Cirno's reflection again.

Strong Cirno: *Clears throat* W-well, anyway, why were we here again?

Smart Cirno: We are here to give encouragement to our real self.

Strong Cirno: Eye thought we are our real self.

Smart Cirno: …

Strong Cirno: Oh right, we aren't real. We just represent different sides to Cirno.

Smart Cirno: Holy crap, she understands. Anyway, Cirno, we are here to help you.

Cirno: Ooh, do you know some kind of super magic that allows you to be here and fight for me?

Strong Cirno: No.

Smart Cirno: We are here to tell you something.

Cirno: But eye need help fighting! Eye'm not strong enough to do it alone…

Strong Cirno: Cirno, what do you think strength is? A very important person to both of us once told us, strength is what you use to protect those around you.

Upon hearing those words, Cirno remembered who it was who first spoke those words to her. It was her older sister-like figure, Letty Whiterock.

Flashback to many years ago…

Letty: Cirno, what is your dream?

Cirno: Well, isn't it obvious? To be the STRONGEST person in Gensokyo!!!

Letty: *Chuckles* Well then, do you know what strength is Cirno?

Cirno: Isn't it to be able to beat up anyone?

Letty: No. Strength comes from you desire to protect all those around you, and to keep them safe. Especially your loved and close ones.

Cirno: Strength is to protect, huh. Hmm. Well if that's the case, eye want to change my dream! Eye still want to be the strongest, but now eye also want to help others thought of to be weak! If strength is determined by how much you want to protect others, then anyone could be strong! And eye'm going to help others reach their full strength! Starting with Daiyousei!

Letty: *Chuckles* Well, if you keep that kind of attitude, you're sure to become the strongest, Cirno.

End flashback…

Cirno: Strength is to protect…

She wiped a tear from her eye.

Cirno: How could eye have forgotten something so important? Eye guess eye really am an idiot…

She looked at the smart Cirno.

Cirno: Well? Isn't this the part where you tell me eye'm not an idiot and tell me what it means to be smart and stuff so eye realize eye really am smart inside?

Smart Cirno: Nope. You really are an idiot Cirno.

Cirno performed a perfect anime fall. Strong Cirno lifted up a piece of cardboard with a 10 written on it. Smart Cirno hit her again.

Smart Cirno: Let me finish. You aren't smart but you are right about one thing. I am here to tell you what it means to be smart. You see, scientists learn what they learn by using the scientific method. When they have a problem to solve, they get as much info that they can on it, construct a hypothesis, test the hypothesis, record their observations, and if the hypothesis is wrong, they make a new one and test that until they get it right. Basically they go through a process of trial and error. Life is like that too. If something fails, then try again until it's right. You still have time to stop this incident, so try again Cirno.

Cirno: What is a scientist?

Smart Cirno: Huh?

Cirno: Eye don't think we have any in Gensokyo…

Smart Cirno: …I GIVE UP!!!

Cirno: OW!!!

Smart Cirno was now trying to strangle the reflection of the real Cirno, which in turn affected the real Cirno. Strong Cirno was trying to break up the fight without hurting any of them. Words can't stop an angry smart person though, as she just continued to strangle her.

Strong Cirno: DAMN IT!!! CIRNO GET AWAY FROM THE WATER!!! IF YOUR REFLECTION ISN'T HERE SHE CAN'T KILL YOU!!!

Despite the pain in her throat, Cirno slowly, but surely, moved away from the water's edge and sure enough, the feeling of being strangled stopped.

Cirno: *Huff, Huff*

Smart Cirno: DAMN IT LET ME AT HER!!! LET ME AT HER!!!

Cirno could still hear the voices in her head, but they slowly started to fade. Soon, she couldn't hear the two girls anymore. Then, she spoke.

Cirno: Thanks, you two…

She knew they weren't there anymore, but if they were her, they would hear her words of thanks. She was about to head off again, but then realized something incredibly important…

Cirno: Wait, EYE STILL HAVE NO IDEA HOW EYE'M SUPPOSED TO STOP THIS INCIDENT!!!