"…Nothing has happened." Reimu suddenly said. She stopped sweeping the shrine and looked at the sky, annoyed.
"Huh? What'cha mean? There was the Mountain Goddesses tryin' ta take over yer shrine, there was Yukari buggin' ya ta train, then Tai appeared and he's been funny, then there was the Gundam Incident..." Marisa listed with her fingers, an impish grin on her lips.
"Onii-chan? I blame you for this."
"You can't just push the whole responsibility on me Flandre-chan."
"It was your robot!"
"It was your idea."
"Great, blame the little girl. How manly of you onii-chan~"
"That's unfair Flandre-chan. You can't use gender stereotypes as a reason to blame me-"
"You two. Shut up, seriously."
Tai and Flandre became quiet as a fuming Reimu facepalmed. They were kneeling in seiza as a destroyed forest burned to a cinder behind them. Tai's chair-generator floated next to a flexing fridge robot. Mimi-chan kept hovering in place, utterly in awe of the Onbashira Robot as Sanae was similarly scolded by Suwako.
"Honestly, I should take back that fridge to the kappa considering the mess you two managed to get into-"
"No, wait, red-white, blame that green-white she challenged me, I mean us-"
"Flandre, shut up! I should tell your older sister how you just took over the fridge and started firing-"
"Nooooo! You oni! Oni miko, the demon miko!" Flandre threw a tantrum. Her eyes flashed red, but she took out her stress ball and squeezed it as she bared her teeth at Reimu. Tai pat Flandre's head, and she seemed to calm down some.
"I take responsibility for what happened Reimu. So no need to tell Remilia-san about the Gundam Incident." Tai sighed, his hair blown back and his clothes covered in soot.
"And you! Why on Earth did you decide to bring the fridge with you anyways?! You know how crazy Sanae gets with these weird outside things!" Reimu scolded.
"…I just wanted to share some of the excess melons Suika has been bringing in. We actually have too much of them now Reimu." Tai explained.
"And I decided to help my friend by eating some on the way! And I got to see this Youkai Mountain I hear so much about from Meiling!" Flandre piped up, not mad anymore.
"Then the green-white decided that since we got a robot she can borrow a robot and then we can play-fight! And I liked the game, and I asked Tai for permission first and he agreed~" Flandre happily added.
Reimu rounded over the whistling Tai who looked away.
"…And that is why you don't use divine blessings to get into robot fights, Sanae." Suwako sighed, rubbing her forehead. Pyonta shook its head at Sanae as the girl slumped, ashamed.
"I'm sorry Suwako-sama. I just saw the robot and I felt like I won't get another chance to see a Gundam fight another Gundam. You know how the fridge actually got a similar model of the-" Sanae brightened at the end, getting into too-much-details-mode.
"Stop right there Sanae. At any rate, you're grounded for the rest of the weekend." Suwako commanded.
Suwako sighed as she and Sanae finished their farewells with the Hakurei group, with Reimu pulling Tai's ear as Flandre laughed. Honestly, the kappa needed to stop feeding Sanae's obsession. At least she managed to control the battle, and she told Tai not to bring the refrigerator again to the Moriya Shrine.
Suwako mused on that thought. It may just be the first time anyone actually thought that.
She was surprised and genuinely impressed by the friendship between the vampire and that human, Tai. An actual human-youkai companionship from other than the shrine maidens. It was a proof of concept that humans and youkai could actually peacefully live together if they try. Though, Suwako thought, it was facilitated by Tai being able to actually treat the vampire as a normal person.
Suwako's research showed her that Tai's powers seemed to extend so much further than just being immune to youkai abilities. Suwako's working title is 'Manipulation of Normality', which she decided on when she noticed that Flandre did not hesitate to energetically hit Tai in annoyance. She was shocked and worried when she noticed that she did not hold back, and was further surprised when Tai seemed just fine, if a bit in pain.
Tai agreed to some testing and Suwako tried using her inherent divine strength to lift the man. She struggled for the first time in her long life, and she observed that, though she managed to lift him up, her struggling body did not feel sore.
It was a subtle feeling. It was not a cancellation of her divinity. It was more like a…Willful ignorance. He just…Treated her like she was normal.
It was an interesting power. The inherent physical and magical superiority of youkai and celestial beings were ineffective against Tai, though they retained their mental faculties.
But the power was one-sided. She had to convince an intensely reluctant Tai for a while, but she got him to punch her at his hardest. She didn't feel it, which was usually what happened when most things tried to physically attack a goddess. Her inherent divine constitution wasn't taken away by Tai. She theorized then that Tai ignored attacks against him while paradoxically acknowledging that the attacker was superior to him.
Was it a genetic quirk? A magical mutation? A new psionic gift?
"Yo, Suwako, want a drink with…Huh? Sanae-chan, why is my Onbashira Robot broken…?"
"Ah, ahahaha, umm, Kanako-sama…"
Suwako entered the shrine, deep in thought, ignoring Kanako scolding a wilting Sanae. Tai treated people like they were normal, so he ignored abnormalities used directly against him. But he cannot use that ignorance offensively. So he manipulates normality pacifistically? Or is it a naturally pacifistic ability?
It seemed like all it allowed him was the unique ability to befriend people inherently superior to him without being intimidated by their strength. A diplomatic-based power?
"…I suppose that's why he lives at his own pace, as Reimu mentioned before…" Suwako muttered, sipping the sake Kanako poured for her.
"Suwako, could you explain to me why the western forest of the mountain is burning?"
"We will NOT talk about the Gundam Incident. Seriously, what's a Gundam anyways?" Reimu shouted, exasperated.
"Hehehehe~ Tai and Flandre get around a lot~ Especially with that new fridge of yours~"
"MARISA! STOP TALKING ABOUT IT!" Reimu swung her broom threateningly at the laughing witch, who fell on her back on the donation box.
"Haaaaaaauuuuuu…What's going on? What's with the ruckus?" Tai yawned, walking out to the veranda, scratching his semi-exposed chest, his trinket clinking with its chain and his crucifix. He plonked down on the floor, his bare feet exposed to the cold winter air.
"…Don't 'cha feel cold Tai?" Marisa asked, wiping tears from her eyes.
"…You know, I'm not sure. I've felt numb all night." Tai calmly revealed.
"Oi, oi! Sleep with the covers on, geez!" Reimu scolded, driving Tai back into the shrine with her broom.
After a very energetic morning routine, Tai was back on the veranda, sipping on hot tea.
"…Yep, I'm cold."
"I thought so da ze~" Marisa snickered, still sitting with her legs crossed on Reimu's donation box.
"If my donation box breaks under your weight Marisa-" Reimu began.
"Whoa there Reimu, I can't forgive what yer about to say there!" Marisa interrupted, flustered. "I'm still the slim, pretty Ordinary Black Witch!"
"Fufufu~ You guys are so energetic today. I wonder why."
"You've just gotten lazier Tai. You used to wake up much earlier than I have." Reimu commented, looking at Tai suspiciously.
"Sorry, sorry. Guess my body needed to catch up on some sleep. Do you need me to wake up earlier?"
"…No, no, I suppose I've been getting lazy with the shrine chores." Reimu waved that off.
"Whoa there, them's fighting words Reimu. Who are you and what kind of youkai done in the miko?" Marisa mocked a shocked look.
"Shut up." Reimu grumbled, biting into her peeled orange. Reimu and Tai were sharing the oversized blanket as they just enjoyed watching the grounds of the shrine. Marisa hopped off the donation box and joined the two, slipping under the blanket next to Tai.
"So what were ya complainin' about?"
"Oh right. Nothing has happened."
"Did you already forget the Crisis of the Suika Suika-"
"Oh yeah, that was hilarious. Great party all the way da ze~"
"You two…Shut up about those. I mean incidents, incidents!" Reimu complained.
"Incidents…You mean like that Mountain Shrine Takeover thing Marisa told me about?"
"Yep, that one Tai~"
"Wait, what did she tell you-"
"She mentioned something about being green-eyed against the green-haired-"
"Marisa, let me hit you."
"Ufufufufu~" Reimu and Marisa reached over Tai, who laid on his back, biting into his orange slices. They mock fought for a while before silently declaring truce.
"But seriously, the gap youkai's been training me up for a while…But it's already been three months. Besides Tai's guests and Aya, the youkai haven't been coming." Reimu finished her drawn-out complaint.
"Shouldn't you be happy that things are peaceful?" Tai asked, sitting back up and sipping his tea.
"Gensokyo? Peaceful? Gahahahaha~" Marisa laughed.
"Yeah…Pretty much what Marisa said, Tai." Reimu sighed.
"Well, if ya get into another scrap, I got yer back. And you can use that new little bird-shrine ya built to summon those two goddesses if ya need more help, but you might actually lose your shrine next time~" Marisa snickered, stealing some of Tai's orange. Tai sighed.
"It just feels like something big is building up, and it's been driving me mad-" Reimu continued.
"Oh? You three look rather comfortable."
Reimu looked out, her face shining with anticipation. Then it fell.
"Oh, it's just the maid…"
"My, how rude. No wonder people do not donate, Reimu-san."
"Oi, what does that-"
"Hello Sakuya-san. What brings you over to the shrine today?" Tai interrupted, waving at Sakuya.
"Man Reimu. It's a sad day when the shrine maiden fails what her roommate is forced ta do for ya~" Marisa snickered mockingly.
"Hah, I would be more polite if these people who drop by actually donate…" Reimu grumbled.
"Actually Tai-san, I wanted some advice from…All three of you I guess."
"Oh? On what?"
"Patchouli-sama has requested of me to look for a 'three-staged cylindrical magic power'…"
"For your Scarlet Rocket...?" Marisa asked, scratching her cheek.
"…Wow."
"Hahahaha, it is good to see that look of awe on your face, human~" Remilia laughed, propping her chin on her crossed hands.
Tai, Reimu, Marisa, Mimi-chan, Patchouli, and Remilia were seated around a table in the Voile, Sakuya appearing frequently with sweets and drinks. Patchouli just unveiled their grand design for their space shuttle to the group.
"This thing looks…" Reimu tried, raising her eyebrow at the three-staged wooden rocket as she ate a scone.
"This thing don't look like Mimi-chan at all." Marisa bluntly pointed out.
"I can't recognize this as a Mimi-chan…" Mimi-chan pitifully muttered, looking gloomy after the unveiling.
"Shut up Marisa. This rocket might not look like the Outside version, but it has a fully contained atmosphere within the rocket, and the hull has been reinforced to be much stronger than any metal, capable of colliding with the so-called space debris. It has advanced heating, cooling, and water supply systems and also…" Patchouli explained further.
"…This thing is so unscientific…" Mimi-chan whined to Tai, who patted her hull sympathetically.
"Fufufufu~ Who would need human sciences when we have overwhelming arcane might on our side?" Remilia proudly boasted.
"Isn't this mostly Patchouli's work? You boast so high and mighty about others' works huh…" Reimu nonchalantly stated while sipping her wine with her eyes closed.
"Is it not my right as mistress of the Scarlet Devil Mansion? Patchouli is my friend, so all her achievements are mine to be proud of too!" Remilia laughed.
"…Well, that seems to be how it is." Patchouli shrugged, drinking her own tea.
"…Can this really escape the atmosphere? Where would you put the fuel to begin with?" Tai doubtfully asked.
"Ah yes, well, the fuel has been the obstacle for a while. The shape of the vessel is indeed more than adequate for reaching into the void of space but the power necessary for it is yet to be found." Patchouli admitted.
"I am confident that you shall discover the answer soon Patchy." Remilia smirked.
"My, I have such an unreasonable friend. You have made me accomplish a half year project in two months, and still you ask for more." Patchouli muttered.
"Because I am simply confident you can, my dear sorceress. My friend Patchouli Knowledge is a being I can put such faith in after all." Remilia calmly declared.
Patchouli hid a small smile at that.
"Ahahahaha~ Such a good friendship between the two of ya~" Marisa laughed, liberally applying apricot jam all over her scone.
"At any rate, may I speak to the outsider alone for a bit?" Remilia demanded more than asked.
Reimu opened one eye at that, looking at Remilia, who was looking at Tai closely.
"Alright then." Tai easily agreed. He finished his wine and got up, following Remilia who stood up and walked deeper into Voile. Reimu sent her Ying-Yang Orb again behind Tai as she closed her eye again.
The wine was very good after all, Reimu mused.
Tai followed behind Remilia, looking over the bookcases of the Voile.
Collections of Shakespeare, of Homer, Tolstoy, Poe, Huxley, and numerous others. Divided by nation, by genre, by time periods. This was only one-tenth of a bookcase that was taller than a three-story building.
Then there were books of languages he cannot decipher. And words in languages he cannot even see. A book shining with darkness, quite the paradox if he ever saw one, a bunch of pages that blinked in and out of existence. There were a few tomes that seemed to growl at him when he passed them by, and a collection of books that liked to switch their positions all over the bookcase.
Tai wondered what kind of life led to such an amazing collection of knowledge. What kind of dedication to the mind, to the art of writing, to self-enlightenment that allowed one to brave every corner of the world for a simple collection of pages enclosed by a leather or cardboard cover. Or some other exotic materials, Tai amended.
Just looking at the library described to Tai a mind so voracious that it can consume any and all kinds of knowledge. Forbidden or mainstream, harmful or soothing, powerful or useless. From tiny bits of trivia to the fundamentals of thought underpinning all of reality.
Quite the great hobby, Tai mused.
"…Do be silent for a while human, as I collect my thoughts." Remilia suddenly brought up. Tai, who had been silent the whole time, raised an eyebrow. He shrugged, waiting patiently.
After a while, Remilia spoke, turning around and looking Tai in the eye.
"I have shown quite the graceless side of myself towards one I have called a guest." Remilia ever so slightly bowed her head at Tai.
"It is quite inelegant of myself to have shown such anger towards one who have shown himself to be quite trustworthy with my sister. Troublesome as she may be, she is my beloved kin, and it pleases me to see her much happier…Than I have been able to do for her." Remilia ever so slightly faltered.
"And so I must apologize then for that day. Be grateful human, you shall never see me like this again." Remilia huffed, and ever so slightly tensed.
Tai blinked at Remilia before chuckling. Remilia felt her jaw drop slightly before glaring at Tai, her eyes flaring red. "H-How dare you laugh at my sincere-"
"You have nothing to apologize for Remilia-san." Tai interrupted.
Remilia snapped her mouth closed.
"Perhaps it was graceless, perhaps it was inelegant. It was quite clumsy, and it seemed to lack some thought," Tai calmly listed off, making Remilia twitch at each criticism. She gritted her teeth as she restrained herself from attacking Tai. What an audacious human! She had killed many others for less! He was lucky to be under the protection of the Hakurei miko or he would already be…!
"But it was beautiful. It was a truly beautiful example of your love for you sister. So please do not apologize for being concerned for her. Honestly, I would have done the same in your stead." Tai finished, smiling pleasantly.
Remilia said nothing, just staring at Tai for a while.
They stayed silent for a while, a revolving Ying-Yang Orb being the silent witness of that conversation.
Remilia shook her head and made a smug smirk. "You would so easily throw away the apologies of the Scarlet Devil. Well then, if it pleases you so much I shall take that back. It IS truly beautiful of me to be concerned that my sister has befriended quite the fool, correct?" Remilia snarked.
Tai chuckled. Remilia just continued smirking.
"Well then, let us join the party once more, Tai." Remilia walked off proudly.
Big sisters must be great to have, Tai thought as he followed her.
"Indeed. It seems that I have been mistaken in what kind of fuel I was supposed to look for." Sakuya explained.
"I suppose a magical rocket WOULD need magical fuel…" Tai muttered, peeling another orange.
"That does sound interesting, though I don't know about this whole 'three-stage' business…" Reimu muttered, sipping her tea.
"Wait, no. I don't want to help youkai any further with their weird plans!" Reimu shook her head. Honestly, Tai already did that without her permission. She would scold him, but she felt like that might be futile. After all, he actively befriended youkai…
"Nah, don't worry Reimu. The vamp granny's doin' this ta annoy Yukari, so it technically counts as youkai hunting." Marisa pointed out.
Sakuya twitched. "Please refrain from calling Milady that…And don't be like that Reimu, we've teamed up before in some incidents after all, correct?" She reminded calmly.
"…Well, whatever, I don't really know how to help you with that." Reimu shook her head.
"Do you know anything more about what you're looking for?" Tai questioned Sakuya, wordlessly offering an orange. Sakuya refused and shook her head and opened her mouth when-
"Umm, wait! Wait!"
Reimu brightened again. She looked out into the tori gate with anticipation. Her face fell. Again.
"Oh, it's just Youmu."
Tai shook his head, smiling as Sakuya and Marisa laughed at the pouting Reimu.
Youmu blinked, confused, her ghost half drifting around her.
"Hello. I am Tai and I came from the Outside World."
"O-Oh, umm hello, I am Konpaku Youmu. I am a gardener of the Saigyouji household." Youmu bowed to Tai.
Tai nodded and offered her an orange.
"Oh, well, thank you…?" Youmu took it, confused.
"So what's up Youmu? It's weird ta see ya far from the ghost princess ze~" Marisa asked.
"O-Oh! Umm, you are looking for rocket fuel, correct?! Well, I, I know how you can get some!" Youmu remembered, rushing with her message.
"Oh? How do you know about it?" Sakuya looked at Youmu, smiling pleasantly.
"Oh, you've been asking around everywhere, so we've heard about it." Youmu managed to reply calmly. Tai watched a bead of sweat fall on her side. Wow, this girl was not used to lying huh, Tai mused, sipping his tea.
"So what? You got an idea Youmu?" Reimu boredly asked.
"An idea from the ghost-gal? Maybe she wants us to give up the ghost and it'll send us up to space~?" Marisa snickered.
"Perhaps we'll ride a wave of spirits going to heaven up to the moon." Reimu calmly added. Her lips not even twitching.
"Maybe the shinigami is willing to ferry us over?" Sakuya teased, hiding her smile with her hand.
"Those all sound quite scary." Tai commented.
"N-NO! Jeez, you guys…" Youmu shouted, blushing furiously. The others just laughed.
"A-Ahem…Well, it seems to me that, umm, since you want to go to the moon that you have only been, um, been investigating for things about the space and sky, right?" Youmu asked seriously.
"Dunno. Have we?" Reimu looked at Marisa.
"Was I supposed ta investigate? What was my reward da ze~?" Marisa looked at Sakuya.
"Hmm…Well Tai-san?" Sakuya looked at Tai.
Tai blinked at them all. He looked at Youmu and said, "'Only', huh? So we should have been investigating something else?"
"Ah, yes, yes Tai-san! Umm, rockets are ships that fly through the sky, correct? So why not look for your 'rocket fuel' by investigating sailing?" Youmu excitedly finished.
Tai blinked. He ran that through his mind before shaking his head. What a statement. Only in Gensokyo.
"…Hmm, that indeed makes sense." Sakuya's eyes widened, rubbing her chin in thought.
"Since there are no oceans in Gensokyo, it never occurred to me to think about the rocket as a ship." Sakuya looked at Youmu and smiled, impressed. "How very sharp of you Youmu."
"O-Oh, umm, it's only what Yuyuko-sama said…" Youmu blushed, fidgeting from pleasant embarrassment.
"So we will need a way to 'calm the oceans of space' to reach the moon safely, eh?" Sakuya looked up into the sky.
"Hahahaha~ Well then, it seems like you've found a way ta be busy Reimu da ze~" Marisa smiled at Reimu widely.
"Huh? What do you mean?" Reimu looked at Marisa confusedly.
"…Oh yeah. You can call on gods and goddesses now, right Reimu?" Tai remembered.
"Yeah, but what does that- OH!" Reimu realized. She looked at Sakuya, her grin fearless.
"I've found what you're looking for." Reimu proudly declared.
As she began explaining to Sakuya, Youmu smiled, glad she delivered her message.
"Don't you want to eat your orange Youmu-san?" Tai asked, peeling another.
"O-Oh! Right!"
Two days after, Tai walked down the set of stairs, a bento in hand. He had a scarf he bought from the village around his neck, and he triple-layered his socks. He continued wearing what would be his trademark set of clothes. It was a crimson kimono with a red hakama and a white obi with some seals placed all over it. He had taken to wearing a hat too, a little something he took from Kourindou the second time he worked there, mostly in response to the many people he met that wore a colorful set of hats.
It made Flandre and Reimu look at him weirdly for quite a while.
Tai had a red hard hat that had a strong flashlight/headlight on the front. It was a fire truck red that nearly blinded anyone who stared at it directly for a few seconds. He was quite proud of the practicality of his favored choice of headwear.
The kimono was an unusual gift actually. It was given to him by the strongest youkai of Gensokyo, or so others have said, just yesterday …
This was Tai's first Gensokyo party. One he and Reimu were not entirely certain why it started, let alone why it had to be held in the Hakurei Shrine.
Ibuki Suika came by again, once more cheerfully drunk. Behind and below her was a small army of Suika's carrying watermelons, which brought to mind the Suika and Suika Incident. She demanded a party be held. Even while Reimu protested, Shameimaru Aya flew in, interested. She promised to send invitations and flew off before Reimu could round off on her too.
Then Marisa flew by and heard about the party. She laughed and said she'll help out if Reimu agreed to it. Only when Tai flew back in with Mimi-chan, carrying a large order of eels and kebabs (Aya spoke to Mystia and Mokou and the two girls practically shoved the bags to him. He had to pay for them too, full price. If it wasn't for the fact that he apparently had a lot of money sitting in his wallet…Well, he thought he would have still been forced to make the purchase in all honesty.), did Reimu grudgingly agreed to the idea.
Many people he met and many others he had not flew in. He was reintroduced to Eientei. He kissed the knuckles of a blushing Reisen and a giggling Kaguya, and welcomed Tewi and Eirin warmly. The three fairies who tried to steal his tools flew in, looked at him, and almost flew back before the scent of kebabs drew them in. The Bakatet flew in, excitedly chattering around the grounds as Tai greeted Daiyousei and Rumia with headpats. Yukari gapped in, and another gap opened besides her, letting out Yakumo Ran, a nine-tailed fox shikigami, and Chen, Ran's own shikigami. Ran seemed stand-offish at first until he offered her some tofu kebabs.
It was quite bemusing to see such intense excitement over food.
As Ran continued blushing, mortified, next to a giggling Chen and Yukari, Keine-sensei, Rinnosuke, and Mokou flew in, carrying some food for the party. Mokou took one look at Kaguya and then flew off, looking rather disgruntled. Kaguya hid her mouth with a fan and turned away. Keine sighed before dropping the food off, apologizing to Tai and flying after Mokou. Rinnosuke sighed at them before eating some food, drifting off next to the Yakumos.
The people became tense the instant they saw the Scarlet Devil Mansion group. They have been a familiar sight at the parties, so this would have been unusual, but they have not brought the little sister with them until then. Many only met Flandre when the Scarlet Devil Mansion held parties, and she was very aloof and only hung around Meiling or Remilia.
It surprised many to see Flandre launch herself towards Tai, who laughed and let her sit on his shoulders.
"Onee-sama agreed to let me go to the party Tai! My first outside party! Oh, and let me suck your blood too."
"Hai, hai Flandre-chan." Tai pushed off the collar of his kimono, shivering a bit from the cold air. Flandre deftly switched positions, hugging his front with her arms and legs, and gently bit into the neck, a familiar action at this point.
Many people just stared at the two, quite aghast. Yukari only giggled at the sight, watching amusedly.
"Hey! It's the other little girl from the mansion." Cirno pointed out, her cheeks stuffed with eel.
"'Other' little girl?" Remilia muttered, a tick mark on her forehead, standing ominously behind Cirno.
As the Bakatet naturally got themselves into hot water with Remilia Scarlet, Sakuya laughed weakly and walked over to Tai with some sweets and jam. Patchouli flew over to the banquet table, grabbed some food, and went off to a corner with a book, settling in to read. Marisa, the instant she saw the magician, went off to bug her. Alice Margatroid flew in and sighed at the witch and magician and joined them naturally.
"Thank you for your aid the day before yesterday Tai-san. Patchouli-sama saw that it was indeed what she was looking for, and the Scarlet Rocket has been finished. Here's yours and Reimu's invitation to the party that will be held soon to celebrate." Sakuya slipped Tai some slips of paper.
"Ah, thank you Sakuya-san. I did not really do much, but it would be foolish of me to refuse. A party back to back huh. Gensokyo seems quite carefree." Tai smiled pleasantly, tapping Flandre's head. She popped out her fangs and licked the bite, healing it over. She switched back to sitting on his shoulders.
"Tai, charge into the grounds! Let's play with onee-sama's new toys!"
"Now now Flandre-chan, don't call them toys. They're our guests."
"That's what I said, right?"
"Ahahaha…"
People learned to relax when they realized that Tai seemed to be able to calm down Flandre. Tai watched amusedly as Flandre, Mimi-chan, and a nervous Bakatet played Aerial Tag. Well, two-fifths were nervous, Cirno, Daiyousei, and Rumia did not seem to mind so much.
Kanako, Suwako, and Sanae flew in afterwards, with Sanae cheerfully greeting Tai. They talked about the Gundam Incident, arguing over who won with whose robot. Suwako sighed as Kanako shrugged. Kanako didn't understand Suwako's hesitation towards Sanae's hobby. It seemed popular and would be a great way to gather faith.
Aki Shizuha, Aki Minoriko, and Kagiyama Hina flew in behind them, carrying a bounty of vegetable dishes. Kanako gestured for the three to join her for a drink, which they did after placing their dishes on the banquet table. It started groaning under the weight of the food.
"Tai-san! I heard about the Gundam Incident! Can you tell me about your side of the confrontation?!" Aya flew back in and eagerly interviewed.
"Kappa-pa, wait, tell me how did the Fridge of the North do?! Which weapon systems did you get to activate, how did they fare…" Nitori flew in just behind her and butted in, questioning Tai.
"So many people…This will be hard to clean up." Reimu sighed, bringing out some watermelon juice, Genji and Yu-Reimu carrying trays themselves. Suika laughed joyfully, getting the little Suikas to offer everyone spiked watermelon slices.
This cheerfully chaotic scene greeted the Hakugyokurou Group. Saigyouji Yuyuko giggled as Youmu watched the Aerial Tag calmly. Her ghost-half seemed frenetic with energy though, circling her quite quickly.
Hinanawi Tenshi and Nagae Iku landed, with the Celestial riding a floating keystone. They were immediately drawn in to Suika's antics, having several watermelons filled with sake shoved towards them.
Then the Hell Group flew in. People tensed when they saw the Hell Raven that they have read about. Anyone that gained a god's power and went crazy with it would be someone you never want to meet in a dark alley.
"Thank you for inviting us, Yukari-san." Komeiji Satori politely bowed, her pets Kaenbyou Rin and Reiuji Utsuho behind her. Utsuho seemed oblivious to the attention as she looked around excitedly.
"Don't go wild now Okuu…" Rin sighed, her ears twitching at the cold.
"Unyu? I want to Tag too~" Utsuho excitedly said, pointing her arm cannon at the Aerial Tag.
"Yukari? Why are you the one inviting people to MY shrine…?" Reimu groused at an impishly smiling Yukari.
Tai looked up at the sky, looking at the new player. She had a black bonnet and white hair, wearing a yellow dress and had…A closed eyeball trailing behind her?
Tai mused on that as she proceeded to dominate in Tag. The other girls could not seem to see her, leading to an overwhelming win.
Satori looked at Tai interestedly. She looked at him with her Third Eye.
…She really can't read him. Satori felt shock still at something she already knew. She met another person she cannot read, like her sister.
As Flandre Scarlet flew over to Tai, put out by suddenly losing at their game, she looked on as the man fearlessly let the vampire sit on his shoulders.
Maybe he can help…Satori mused as she drifted off to the banquet table. Rin grudgingly let Utsuho join the Aerial Tag game above the shrine. Only after Cirno threw a snowball at her (Snowball in autumn? Early winter, global warming?) did Rin join in earnestly.
"Were you not able to bring your other friends Satori-chan~?" Yukari easily greeted from her gap, a fan hiding her face.
"We are the Hell of Blazing Fires…The surface is often too cold for us…And are you truly letting the Oni back above ground?" Satori muttered, nursing a cup of hot tea. The surface was rather cold.
"Well, the agreement never stopped Suika~ I just thought it would be unfair to give her special privileges~" Yukari mirthfully replied.
"…Hmph. You didn't even let HER know about your change of heart. And really, you think some nasty thoughts too often Youkai Sage." Satori sighed, her Third Eye pointedly staring at Yukari.
"Nasty thoughts often have to be thought to move the world Satori-chan~" Yukari giggled.
Satori shook her head. Already she felt tired dealing with this youkai.
"Hello Gensokyo~ We are Prismriver~! And entertainment is our game~!" A blue-haired girl in a white pajama-looking dress and white cap cheerfully greeted, her wispy trumpet floating besides her.
"Yeah! You go Merlin~!" A gray-haired girl in a red dress with white sleeves and an equally red cap cheered, a keyboard revolving around her, leaving ghostly trails.
"Let's show off girls~ Let's show off our pride as entertainers~" A blonde girl with a black dress with white sleeves and a matching cap declared proudly, readying her violin which also seemed to fade in and out of reality.
Suddenly, music. The Prismriver Sisters, Merlin, Lyrica, and Lunasa seemed disconnected, chaotic. They seemed to play individually, and there was a weird feeling of hearing three different music being played at once. And the music itself was not really…Music. Tai listened as Merlin blew into her trumpet, and the rushing wind of the autumn echoed alongside the chirping of the cicada. Lyrica flourished with the keyboard, making the sounds of a waterfall and the numerous different chirps of birds. Lunasa gained a solo and played the beating of taiko drums and the dancing of the fallen leaves.
But the times they seemed to connect, the times when their music became one…It became much larger than the sum of its parts. It echoed in the Hakurei Shrine, echoed in peoples ears, in their hearts. It was chaotic, messy, disorganized…But it was nevertheless beautiful.
The three finished and applause greeted their shining faces. Tai clapped along, walking over with Flandre on his shoulders.
"That was very impressive." Tai easily praised the three. "You all played quite beautifully."
"Yeah, that sounded nice~! I've never heard anything like that before~" Flandre enthused.
"Ahahaha~ Thank you~ You are Tai-san and Flandre-san, correct~? I'm Merlin Prismriver~" The trumpet player and the tallest of the three bowed.
"I'm the prettiest and the youngest, Lyrica Prismriver~" The keyboard-player made a victory pose.
"I suppose I'm the eldest and the wisest, Lunasa Prismriver~" The violinist nodded, looking quite mature.
"I don't suppose you take requests?" Tai asked politely.
"Hmm~? Requests?" Merlin put a finger on her lips.
"Huh, we've never taken requests before." Lyrica scratched her head.
"That will be hard Tai-san…We don't really know much conventional music." Lunasa sadly explained.
"Eeeeh~!? Well, I don't know much either…" Flandre admitted.
"Hmm…Lyrica-san, could I borrow your keyboard?" Tai suddenly requested.
"Huh? Uh, sure…Wait, can you?" Lyrica floated down, confused.
Tai shrugged as he looked at the keyboard. He played a few scales, and the three Prismriver sisters suddenly closed in, looking very interested.
Tai then closed his eyes and tried to remember. He started the music, a beautifully floating music that was simple in design. It reminded one of the joyful wildness of a band that loved music with all their heart. Then Tai tripped, or more like he missed a note.
The five winced.
"Ah, sorry. It seems that I cannot truly remember. Let me try again…?" Tai asked as Flandre and the sisters nodded.
Tai concentrated. He let his hands settle on the keyboard, barely touching the keys. He brought back old memories of the music he loved to hear so much. He tried to remember how they sounded, how they made him feel.
How they made him forget.
~Prismriver's Theme: Ghostly Band ~ Phantom Ensemble by ZUN~
From under his fingers, the keyboard started playing. The four and the rest of the party watched as Tai's thoughts suddenly resurrected that much beloved music. Drums which did not exist started playing alongside the keyboard.
Lunasa did not move as much as react. She brought her hands to her violin and started playing electric violin sounds. She looked as surprised as the other two then settled into the moment, taking in the memories of that song that Tai began feeding them.
Then as Lunasa and Tai reached a crescendo, Merlin seemed to almost butt in with a powerful trumpet solo, but then deftly fits into their ensemble. Tai opened his eyes, his eyes faded, lost into memories. He started playing what he can with the keyboard, and unconsciously made room for Lyrica. Lyrica felt her hands drawn, and the two played together.
It was also chaotic. It was quite a bit of a mess of sounds. But…
They could feel it. The happiness of the players. The swing and the joy the notes gave them, the music invoked in them.
The happy-go-lucky spirit of a band. A thanks to each other, to their efforts. Even as they individually played, they did not forget that they were part of the group. And so they converged.
Their soloes, adding on to each other. A duet. A trio. A quartet. And then their ghostly ensemble.
They played, and the Prismriver Sisters felt a wild energy inflame them. They felt the clapping hands of their littlest and eldest sister Layla as she cheered them on.
The three, with Tai just accompanying with a smile, flourished. They wildly, loudly played. They put in their individual souls, their single thoughts, their unique love to their craft. They brought it together as only a band could. As only sisters could.
Because their music was honest, was free, and they were poltergeists who were made of emotion, everyone could not deny them. And so the ensemble played on.
Flandre began dancing in the air alongside the Bakatet and Utsuho. They simply reacted towards the feelings being inspired in them.
"…This is…Very good." Reimu complimented, looking at Tai interestedly.
"This is very interesting…" Eirin, Suwako, Patchouli, and Ran muttered, looking closely.
Yuyuko closed her eyes, humming happily at the feelings the band seemed to have for that song. She looked over at her friend Yukari, and felt her smile widen. Yukari had a wide smile on her face. She noticed Yuyuko looking and deftly hid it with her fan.
"You seem to have a fun plan ready~" The ghost princess giggled.
"Mmhmm~" Yukari agreed to nothing as the three sisters finished, with an enthusiastic applause from everybody.
And suddenly something glowed in Tai's pocket. He blinked and took out…A blue card. A spell card.
Tai blinked. Then he smiled.
The gap youkai just presented the clothes to him after that performance, saying it was a welcome gift to Gensokyo. Reimu seemed to react suspiciously, but Tai already accepted it. She slapped him over the head and told him not to just take everything people give him, especially youkai.
Then Tai pointed out that he really had only three sets of clothes to himself. Reimu grudgingly nodded, then told him they were going to go shop for clothes. A daunting prospect, but one he seemed unable to escape.
"What are you thinking about Tai?" Reimu lazily floated in the air on her back, looking at Tai.
"I was thinking about how delicious this bento will be during lunch." Tai reacted, smiling pleasantly.
Reimu didn't really believe that but let it go.
Tai looked up at the sky, holding out his spell card. And then he declared.
"Chastity Sign: My Feet Shall Take Me Everywhere, Anywhere!"
"So give them this message. Tell them it was from me, and everything will turn out well for you."
"T-Thank you Yagokoro-sama! Umm, ano…"
"What is it?"
"I, I tried searching the whole area, and, and…I'M SORRY! I lost the lunar veil!"
"In the Bamboo Forest of the Lost? My, that is quite troublesome…I will send Tewi out to search, but it did not earn that name for no reason. It might be lost forever."
"Uuu…"
"Ahahaha, don't worry. I can send you back. There are many other ways to get back to the moon. These days, it feels like I'm the only one who still knows…"
"Uwaa~ That's amazing Yagokoro-sama~!"