They headed to the former hell, mercilessly killing all evil spirits in the way.

"Man, don't you have any self-control?"

"If I don't, this cave would have exploded."

"It's not enough! You're like a baby! Have you ever lived?"

Flandre scowled. A fairy calling her a baby? A short-lived creature judging her life experience? "Who are you to teach me?"

"I don't know, but I'm sure you have never been taught!"

Flandre blasted the rocks.

"Yeah right. Keep destroying!" The icy fairy taunted.

The vampire sighed and keep destroying things along the way.

The journey to the Ancient City felt like forever. Flandre wished it ended soon. She wished time moved faster. And she wished that the ice fairy would be cheerful and started telling her stories again.

Finally, she noticed the lights on the horizon

There, the Former Capital. It seemed too big for the small oni population here, but it still had some life. Houses were decorated with red hanging lanterns. Oni were drinking sake everywhere.

They dropped down to the floor and approached the gate. There was a tall oni standing there.

"Suika told me you'd come," the oni with a red horn said. "Head there and ya'll see the palace. If someone in the city asks, tell 'em big boss Yuugi sent you."

"Yuugi the big oni sent me," Cirno said. "Real thanks! This is a lot easier than I thought."

The oni chuckled. "Y'all thought ya need to fight everyone ya see huh? Not all youkai are idiots. If there's one? Gotta be the raven."

"Hell raven, our main suspect," Flandre said.

"It's our suspect y'know," Yuugi said. "Satori said she hasn't seen 'em since last night. That raven might've slacked off and didn't do her job..."

Yuugi was a tall person, and her arms were all muscle. Cirno could almost feel the raw power from the oni's body. She must be really strong, and highly respected. Also, she had blonde hair. Bright, clean blonde this time, unlike the other two youkai in the past.

"Why are you helping us?" Cirno asked.

The oni patted her head. "I help ya 'cause I like them strong and brave people."

Cirno grinned. "Teehee."

Yuugi then put her other hand on Flandre's head, and the vampire growled.

"Ya need some work," the oni said. "Spend some time in there and go talk. No, ya can't leave the city until ya spend some time in there. Yes, y'all need to go talk at the bar."

They walked along the streets in uncomfortable silence. They kept walking until the houses were less and less crowded, and soon they were in the deserted part of the city.

"Um," Cirno began. "I still think you should feel guilty."

Flandre crossed her arms. "Why should I?"

"Because you do bad things!"

Flandre shrugged, half trying to act nonchalant, and half not understanding herself why she has to feel bad.

Cirno bit her lip. It must seem like Flandre completely didn't care, which wasn't true, but close enough. "It was wrong."

"Shut up."

"Listen to me!"

Flandre wished the fairy could leave her alone. "Stop nagging me."

"You'll keep doing it," Cirno said. "You think it's okay."

"I do what I want."

"I can't accept that!"

Flandre growled. "We do our mission, and we will go our separate ways. Don't you think this is pretty pointless? Just shut up."

Cirno froze. "... That's how you see me?"

Flandre almost felt bad. Almost.

"Don't you need me?"

I do. Flandre almost said it. "And don't you need me?"

"I do, but not like this. So I'm nagging you! You can't be okay with killing or things like that!"

It hurts.

It was on point. That's it. That was what had been bothering her. No, she doesn't. The fairy thinks she doesn't need me. Even Flandre didn't know why it bothered her. Doesn't matter.

"WHY DON'T YOU JUST ACCEPT ME THEN?!"

"AND YOU THINK YOU'RE GOOD ENOUGH?!"

Flandre was taken aback. The fairy liked to shout, sure, but not quite like this. She didn't expect Cirno to yell at her.

Cirno panted. She took a deep breath.

"I am disappointed."

The ice fairy flew to the other direction. Soon, she was out of sight.

Flandre still wasn't sure what it was, but she sure felt bad. She crossed her arms again and paced around the city.

What's a big deal? She was trying to destroy an enemy for them both. Is not destroying her body such a big deal? Is killing such a big deal?

Her sister kept her underground, in the basement. Was it for her not to destroy things…

How dare.

How dare someone try to control her? To make her do what they want? It's her fate, and her life. If even her sister tries to control her, then she's mad.

How I use my power is my choice. No one else has the right.

Flandre stopped walking when she thought of Cirno.

Being controlled by fate, being sealed, sure feel bad. Does Remilia have the right to do that to her?

Do I have the right to do that to anyone?

It hurts.

Many oni were at the bar, of course. Aside from the endless amount of sake, the bar also provided a delicious snack to go with alcohol.

Cirno and Flandre tensed when they noticed each other. They tried some sake at the bar, following the red horn oni's command. They took some more sip and decided to eat small dishes instead.

Cirno shuffled in her seat. She grabbed a snack and chewed on it with a passion.

Flandre wasn't eating. The air between them was bothering Flandre. "Small talk," she whispered. The oni told them to have a small talk.

Cirno blinked and glanced at her. "Oh right."

"... How about we talk about you?"

"Me?" Cirno blinked again. "Fairies?"

Flandre nodded. "I told you about vampires already."

Cirno was shoving shaved ice into her mouth. Water flavored. "Ask me first. I dunno where to start."

"How was your trip in this city?" Flandre asked.

"I talked with some Oni," Cirno said. "They're kind. I asked about the earthquake and they said it was normal."

"Normal?"

"They said that she needs to blow some steams. Something about new power something. No one knows about it. Only rumors."

Flandre nodded. She felt ashamed that the fairy gathered information for them while she was focusing on herself. "Are you good at magic?"

"You serious?" Cirno smirked at her. She's about to brag. "In case you don't know, faie or fee was a woman skilled in magic. Faierie, you know? I'm good since I exist."

"French," Flandre said. "I'm surprised you know."

Cirno pouted at that.

"Okay, okay. Of course you know about your own species."

"Naw. I know because I'm the strongest. And smartest-"

"Fairy," Flandre quickly added.

"Whatever."

Flandre thought about a magical creature book she had read. "I thought fairies are equally stupid."

Cirno glanced at her and sighed. "Well, you're right. Kinda."

"Even though you get the worst grade at school?"

"Hey where have you heard that?" Cirno said. "I'm the only fairy at school so that means nothing, still!"

"So," Flandre said. "Equally stupid?"

"Fairies aren't supposed to live long. I told you," Cirno said. "We don't need extra memories of past lives. Not all of it anyway. I mean, that's how it works."

"You die. You forget." Flandre said.

Cirno nodded. "That's why I can keep telling my friend the same stories of my adventure, again and again. They keep forgetting."

"But you still remember the fact that you guys forget?"

"I noticed," Cirno said. "I've survived long enough to."

"For a long time?"

"Sixty years at least. Not long for you but still." Cirno made an ice cube and put it in her mouth. It calmed her mind. "I haven't died for quite a while. Long enough to see my friends forgetting things. They're too weak to stay alive. Too stupid to remember. Too dumb to know that they gotta avoid death if they wanna be smarter."

Flandre chewed on the snack.

Cirno pointed at herself. "Well, I've been avoiding death, so here I am, the strongest, smartest fairy you'll ever meet in your lifetime!"

"I live long, you know."

"Doesn't matter." The ice fairy said as a joke but frowned after. "Maybe I die too often in the past. And sometimes I wonder what was like at the beginning. Guess I'll never know."

Flandre looked at her. "Huh."

"Oh. And… I think you will remember it. I mean, you didn't die, so I think memories can't get lost. Maybe you forget it but, you'll remember. I think."

"Thanks."

"Huhhh…" Cirno observed her with raised eyebrows.

"You got a problem?"

"No."

Flandre tried an ice popsicle Cirno had been nagging her about. Felt like eating ice. Oh, this one is ice flavored, an upgrade to water flavored. Thank you very much.

The tall oni with her red horns waved at them. She was waiting at the gate.

"Finished walking around? How did your li'l heart-to-heart talk go? It helps to get all the feelings out there, don't ya think?" Yuugi grinned.

"No," Flandre muttered. It didn't contain the usual bite, much to their surprise.

"It's so cool, big boss!" Cirno said, waving her arms around. "The houses are nice and, and bright light!"

"Well thank you y'all. It's an honor," Yuugi said. "Ya'll see a cat with two tails. Make sure to fight her."

Cirno nodded.

Yuugi knelt down beside Flandre. "... If ya don't drop your pride soon, ya'll lose more in the long run. Be careful." The oni stood up and bit them farewell.