Sorry about the long update. Anyway, here's the next chapter!

Suddenly, the door opened, causing Meiling and Sakuya to jerk a little in surprise. In the doorway stood Eirin, carrying a tray of food in her hands.

"Here's your food," Eirin told Sakuya, offering the tray of food to her.

"Thank you," Sakuya said, taking the tray from Eirin.

Eirin clapped her hands together to gather their attention. "I have some good news and bad news," Eirin announced.

Sakuya and Meiling turned their full attention to Eirin.

"The good news is that because the outside world is so advanced, they have already developed a way to remove and treat brain tumors. The bad news is that it would take several months to get into the outside world and fill out all of the paperwork necessary to have the tumor removed. We would have to have a birth certificate and documents displaying your medical history," Eirin informed them.

"So, I can be cured?" Sakuya asked desperately.

"Yes, but if you don't have a birth certificate, we're going to have a lot of trouble sneaking into the outside world and getting a surgery performed on your tumor. If there's still some of the tumor left over, you'll have to do radiation or chemotherapy to make sure it's completely gone. Your tumor may not even be able to be removed at all, since it's at such an advanced stage. So you can either stay here in Gensokyo and allow the tumor to develop further and...or you can try to get into the outside world to have your tumor treated," Eirin answered.

Sakuya and Meiling were both quiet.
"I'll let you think about it. I wouldn't spend too much time deciding what you want to do; your time is limited," Eirin said, and left the room.

Sakuya didn't say anything, and just started eating the food that Eirin had kindly brought to her. You can either stay here in Gensokyo and allow the tumor to develop further, or you can try to get into the outside world to have your tumor treated, Sakuya recalled what Eirin had said as she ate.

Suddenly, the world swayed, and everything went black as Sakuya felt her body begin to jerk and shudder.


Sakuya slowly opened her eyes and was immediately face-to-face with Flandre Scarlet.

"Sakuya's awake!" Flandre shouted.

"Sakuya! We were so worried about you! Meiling said that you had another seizure!" Remilia said from somewhere.

Sakuya turned her head to see Remilia Scarlet standing on the other side of her bed, looking worried. "Hello, Ojou-sama," Sakuya said, yawning.

"Eirin told us everything. I think you should go to the outside world and at least try to get it removed. I have tried to change your fate multiple times, but it's too late. The tumor is extremely advanced and can't be removed unless we get into the outside world to have it removed," Remilia suggested. "But, it's your decision."

Sakuya yawned again and sat up, looking around the room. She noticed that Meiling was missing, but Patchouli, Koakuma, Flandre, and Remilia were all there.

"I agree with Remilia," Patchouli told Sakuya, coming to stand at her bedside. "You should at least try to get it fixed."
"Yeah...probably..." Sakuya mumbled, and yawned once more. For some reason, she was feeling very, very tired.

"I don't know how we'll be able to get into the outside world though..." Remilia trailed off. She began pacing back and forth, her hand on her chin, as though she was in deep thought. Then she stopped, snapping her fingers. "I've got it!" Remilia exclaimed.

"What is it?" Patchouli asked.

"Well, we're going to need to go to either Reimu or Yukari to have the border taken down first. I'll explain the details later if we can get through the border," Remilia said. "But I think the hardest part will be getting them to take down the border for a moment so we can get through. Patchouli, you and I should go see them later on during the week and see if they can take down the border. If we can't get them to take down the border, we'll just have Flandre make a way into the outside world," Remilia stated. "At no cost will we fail to get Sakuya's tumor removed. Clear?" Remilia asked.

"Clear," everyone in the room echoed back.

"Good. Patchouli, let's go to Reimu's first. She'll probably be the most easy to persuade about taking some of the border down," Remilia said, motioning for Patchouli to follow her.

"Right now?" Patchouli asked. "Are you sure? It's probably dinnertime for Reimu right now, and I think we all know how she gets when someone messes with her during her own personal time..." Patchouli trailed off, getting a few laughs from everyone.

"Yeah, you're right. Let's go tomorrow morning. We'll take Meiling with us. She's really good at begging people to do things for her," Remilia told Patchouli.

Suddenly, the door opened, and Eirin appeared in the doorway. "Visiting hours are over," she announced.

"Ah, man!" Flandre exclaimed. "Well, bye-bye Sakuya! We'll visit tomorrow!" Flandre reassured the sick girl, pulling Sakuya into a big bear hug.

"See you tomorrow, Sakuya!" Remilia said as she walked out the door.

The door shut behind her family with a soft bang. Sakuya sank into her pillow, sighing. She felt so tired she could hardly keep her eyes open, but when she tried to fall asleep again, she found that she was unable to fall asleep. So there she lay, staring up at the ceiling, feeling exhausted, but unable to do anything about her exhaustion.

Where was Meiling when my family was visiting me? Sakuya wondered. Probably performing her duties as a maid back at the mansion...it certainly is difficult to clean the whole mansion in one day. The mansion... Sakuya thought nostalgically, remembering the large, vast, red mansion. She sighed as she thought about how she wasn't able to be there with her family. On a normal day, she wouldn't be lying in bed, trying to go to sleep. On a normal day, she would be at the mansion, cooking meals and sweeping the floors.

I wish this never had to happen to me. I wish I weren't a human who was so vulnerable to catching illnesses like this.

With that thought, Sakuya closed her eyes and tried falling asleep again. This time, she was able to find success in sleep and ended up sleeping for the rest of the day.


Meiling awoke to her alarm clock going off. She sighed, lifting the clock off of her night stand to turn it off. It was 5:00 in the morning: the time that she had to wake up at if she wanted to get the whole mansion cleaned by the time she needed to start cooking dinner.

Sakuya really has a difficult job...poor girl...ah, Sakuya! Lady Remilia and Lady Patchouli wanted me to come with them to see the shrine maiden this morning...they said something about opening up the border...I better wake them in a few hours... Meiling thought to herself as she got out of bed and put on her uniform. I'll start making breakfast and then wake them when I'm finished.

Meiling exited her room and went down to the kitchen, where she began to make breakfast. I'll make omelets for everyone.

Meiling got out the carton of eggs and took out ten of them. She got out five pans and cracked two eggs into each pan. Then she turned on the stove and began to shred up ham, cheese, onions, and green onions onto a plate. She spread the ingredients onto the omelet when she thought the egg had finished cooking, and then folded each omelet over and slid them all onto their own plates.

I'd better go wake them now while breakfast is still warm, Meiling thought as she carried each plate into the dining room, setting them in their designated spots. She looked at the chair where Sakuya normally sat and felt herself tearing up a little. She missed Sakuya's presence at the mansion.

Meiling sighed sadly to herself and wiped her eyes a little. It's okay. She'll live through this, Meiling told herself. We'll get Reimu and Yukari to take down a bit of the border so we can get Sakuya's tumor fixed. Then everything will go back to normal and Sakuya will be back at the mansion.

The former gate-guard began her journey to Remilia's room first because she was the closet to the kitchen. Meiling opened the door to her mistress' room softly. "Lady Remilia, breakfast is ready. Please come down and eat it while it's warm," Meiling announced loudly so Remilia would be woken up.

Remilia sat up and yawned. "Mmmm..." She groaned. "I'll be down in a moment..."

Meiling closed the door softly and then went to the library. She was a bit surprised to find that Patchouli was already awake, sipping tea that Koakuma had probably prepared. "Oh, good morning, Meiling. Is breakfast ready?" Patchouli asked her, setting down her tea cup.

"Yes. Please come down and eat it while it's warm," Meiling replied.

Patchouli rose from her seat and yawned. "Okay," the mage said, and motioned for Koakuma to follow her. The three girls exited the library quietly.

"Lady Patchouli, were you up all night again?" Meiling asked politely.

"No, I just got up a little early today. Don't worry, I haven't been awake for too long. Only for about five or six minutes," Patchouli answered.

Patchouli, Koakuma, and Meiling parted ways; Patchouli and Koakuma headed to the dining room and Meiling headed to the basement to retrieve Flandre.

Meiling knocked on the basement door, and then opened it softly. "Little mistress, please wake up," Meiling said loudly. "Breakfast is ready. Please come eat it while it's warm."

Meiling saw something shift in the darkness, and Meiling could clearly pick out Flandre's wings in the dark. "Okay, I'll be down in a moment," Flandre said back, yawning a little at the end of her statement.

Meiling nodded. She closed the door and walked back down to the dining room, where Patchouli, Remilia, and Koakuma were already sitting there, eating. Meiling joined them at the table, and then Flandre walked in and sat down.

"Flandre, we'll be going to the Hakurei Shrine today to try and convince Reimu to open up the border, so I need you to stay behind and watch the house. Don't destroy anything while we're gone. Understood?" Remilia asked her sister.

Flandre nodded, picking up her napkin from her lap to wipe her mouth before speaking. "Yes, onee-chan! Understood!" Flandre exclaimed, smiling.

"Good girl. Now, are we ready to go to the shrine?" Remilia asked, turning to Patchouli and Meiling.

Meiling and Patchouli both nodded once. They had literally just finished breakfast, and they felt like it was about time for them to go to the shrine. So they left the mansion, waving goodbye to Flandre, and took off toward the Hakurei Shrine.

"It's a little chilly out here, isn't it?" Meiling commented as they landed.

"Yeah. It is getting close to winter time..." Patchouli responded.

The three girls looked forward at the shrine in front of them. Reimu was already outside, sweeping the shrine's grounds with her back to the residents of the Scarlet Devil Mansion.

"Reimu!" Remilia called, walking toward her with Meiling and Patchouli in tow.

Reimu turned around and noticed them walking toward her. She picked the broom she was using up off the ground and walked toward them as well. "Good morning, Remilia. What brings you here?" Reimu asked, glancing at Meiling and Patchouli.

"Sakuya has a deadly brain tumor and according to Eirin, the outside world already has the technology to cure it. But we can't get into the outside world while the border is up, so...would you mind taking it down for us so we can get her brain tumor cured?" Remilia asked, trying to be polite as she possibly could.

Reimu was quiet for a moment, and then shook her head. "I'm sorry, but I can't help you."
"Why not?" A voice suddenly asked.

Everyone turned to see Yukari poking her head out of a gap she had made beside them. "Why can't you help them, Reimu?" Yukari asked, her fan covering her mouth.

"Because if we took down the border for even a second, humans could get in from the outside world, and then we could risk having Gensokyo discovered. We can't have people running around outside the border looking for the 'mysterious youkai land'. Besides, it's too much trouble to take it down and put it back up anyway, so that's why I can't help them. I'm not saying I want Sakuya to die; I don't want anybody who lives in Gensokyo to die. But we can't risk everyone in Gensokyo just for one resident. How would we even know to let you back in when you're finished in the outside world? And wouldn't it be a little odd to have someone with large bat-like wings walking around town, looking to get their maid's brain tumor fixed?" Reimu answered. She sighed and shook her head. "I'm sorry it has to be this way," she finished.

Yukari chuckled a little behind her fan. "I'm sure it'll be fine for just a few moments, Reimu. The city outside Gensokyo is known for it's cosplayers, so Remilia's wings will be fine. As for communication, I could always just go to the outside world every once and a while and check on them," Yukari told Reimu. "But, it's your decision." Yukari chuckled again and with that, she disappeared.

Reimu sighed. "All right," Reimu finally said, "I'll take down the border for you. But you have to make it quick, okay? Also, don't talk about Gensokyo when you're in the outside world. Yukari will give you some outside world currency that you can use to get food and a place to stay for a while. Best of luck to you that her surgery goes well. I suggest that you pack lightly, if you're planning on taking anything. When you're all set and ready to go to the outside world, come see me once more. I'll have Yukari follow you around and help you out if you need it," Reimu told them, and then went back to sweeping.

Remilia curtsied a little. "Thank you so much, Reimu," Remilia thanked her, and then the residents of the Scarlet Devil Mansion left the Hakurei Shrine.

Thanks for reading!