"So, what's the problem, Ikuto?" Komachi sits across from me, her arms hugging her legs. "You seem lifeless."

I sigh. "Sorry."

"Don't apologize for nothing. So, what's troubling you?"

"The thing is..." I open and close the fingers on my right. "I usually can move forward easily, but this time... it's different."

"You know the immortals?" I ask, and she nods. "I want to fix their relationship, but I keep thinking that I'm being... cocky for wanting to mess with people who... have already lived and will continue to live for many times my lifespan."

"So... you need me to give you some words of support?"

I shrug. "I don't know. Maybe, maybe not."

"You know..." Komachi stands up and approaches me. "You've always listened to my troubles when I talk about them. You've made life so fun and interesting. Because of that, I actually don't mind working."

"That's why," She suddenly flicks me in the forehead, "I don't mind hearing you out for once. But seriously, you are such an idiot."

I rub the part she flicked. "So, asking as one idiot to another, what should I do?"

"Ho~ calling me an idiot, are you?" Komachi grins. "But you know, you should just go with how you feel."

I close my eyes, smiling. "You're right... it's just..."

"Don't worry so much. If you still need some more motivation..." Something soft touches my lips for a while. "There..."

My eyes spring open to see Komachi leaning over me, blushing slightly. Then my gaze slides downwards... and quickly spring back up again. When had her clothes spread so loose as to expose the skin between...

"An uncomfortable air between longtime friends... yet there is the hint of possibility."

Komachi quickly distances herself from me as Iku appears out of the mist. "Thought you weren't going to come, Iku." She laughs nervously.

"Duties are unavoidable chores that serve to lessen time for other activities." Iku stops next to me. "I fear the Eldest Daughter's patience will soon prove too little to contain what she's currently doing."

Things just go from bad to worse. I hope that Tenshi holds off long enough... "Then I can't waste time." I stand up. "Looks like once again, work is taking time away from play."

"Good luck, Ikuto." Komachi stands up as well.

"May good fortune find you." Iku echoes.

For the first time, I initiate the return instead of waiting for the pull that comes when my time is up.

"Oh, hello, Ikuto." Kaguya greets me when I step into Eientei. "What brings you here so early?"

"That's something I'm not too sure about. Can we discuss it?"

"Of course."

She leads the way to her room, and lets me in. Instead of sitting cross-legged like I always do, I take the seiza (1) position before her. She pauses when she sees that, and turns away from the teapot. As usual, she sits elegantly before me, but this time, we're not going to tell stories or anything so light.

"What is it you wish to discuss, Ikuto?"

This time, that elegance is more like that of a beautiful blade. "...I'm probably foolish to ask you this... but do you really wish to have your relationship with Mokou change?"

"..." She closes her eyes. "You are not foolish to ask that. However, I cannot give you a sure answer."

"Is it because of your immortality?"

Kaguya nods. "You are someone with great imagination. So I am sure that you can imagine how it is like to live without ever dying, staying eternal while everyone and everything dies around you."

"Probably nowhere close, but kind of..." I shake my head. "Please go on."

"The girl, Mokou, she hates me for spurning her father. I do not know how she did it, but she managed to drink the Hourai Elixir that I left behind. The result is what you can see, two immortal enemies, killing each other, over and over..."

What she tells me is stuff I already know, but there's a difference between stuff I read before, and the way she's telling me now. She looks... happy to talk about this. And not in the 'getting things off your chest' way. "Please... enough. Just... answer my question... are you willing to accept it if... it changes?"

"...I can." Kaguya stares at me regally. "I used to think the Earth was impure, but I've learned to love humans, to love this place. And when I met with Reimu and the others for the first time..." She closes her eyes and smiles as though enjoying the memory. "Change isn't... bad at all."

"I see." That still isn't a clear answer.

"Ikuto." Her gaze becomes serious once again.

"Yes?"

"You know about my Five Impossible Requests, do you not?"

"Yes, you've showed me some of those items before."

"This is the first time I'm making the request without being propositioned in the first place... and I'm not sure if marriage will interest you as a reward, given the relationships between you, Inaba, and the gardener girl, but..." She seems to be composing herself.

Oh. My. God. "You want me to..." I ask, half-dreading the answer, half-looking forward to it.

"Ikuto, I believe you can do this." Her voice rings clearly throughout the room. "Help me befriend Fujiwara no Mokou."

New Impossible Request: Tame The Phoenix. Accept the quest, Yes or No? "As you wish, Princess. However, when you refer to it as an 'Impossible Request', it's a bit demotivating. And marriage isn't really..."

"Sorry." She grins at me. "But you know what I mean."

I blink. That's the first time I've ever heard her speak so colloquially. "Yes, I do. Still, I may need your cooperation on this."

"You shall have it. By the way..." Kaguya chuckles. "Do you need help?"

"...yes..." I sigh.

My legs are totally unused to sitting in this position, so just a few minutes in it is enough to make them numb. Still smiling, Kaguya rises and comes over to me, and holds her hand out to me. I stand up with her help, but because I do it too fast, my balance isn't set properly, causing me to trip and stumble into her, causing the two of us to crash down onto the floor.

"Ouch..." I say more because of my legs than the impact. "I'm so sorry, are you okay, Princess?"

"Uhhh..." Her eyes flicker open. "Ikuto... please be more careful..."

Ah... she looks even more beautiful than she normally is, with it this close and her hair spread out behind her... I should move... "Ah... sorry..." I try to force my unresponsive legs to move.

"Ah..." Kaguya gasps, closing her eyes. "Ikuto... your leg..."

My leg? Am I kneeling on her? I look down and freeze. That's the worst place ever to have my knee at. The only thing that would make this worse is...

A freezing, ominous air fills the room. "What exactly are you trying to do to the princess, Ikuto~?"

My head turns slowly, resisting my mind's commands as if trying to tell me 'Don't look if you want to live!'. As expected, Eirin's standing there... with her bow fully drawn, ready to send the executing arrow through my brain. The expression on her face says that she's on the verge of releasing it, and I have no idea how I'm going to get her to spare my life.

"Uhh... this is just an accident! Really! I'm getting up now!"

"Ahhh!" Kaguya moans again when my knee digs in deeper unintentionally.

"That. Does. Not. Look. Like. Getting. Up." The arrow tip is shaking, but at this range, she can't miss.

Wait, wait, wait! Oh right, I don't have to get up straight! "My legs are..."

"Enjoying themselves, aren't they?"

Don't speak so pleasantly! Instead of pushing myself up, I let myself roll off her instead. "My legs are nu-wuaaaah..." I trail off as I look upwards.

Since we were originally seated near the door, rolling to the side put me at Eirin's feet. Which means I'm very close to her, which means when her aim follows me, the arrow is now so close I can touch it with my head if I just sit up. Throw in the violent shaking...

"Eirin... please lower your bow, Ikuto was telling the truth. That was an accident."

The voice of an angel! I look to the side. Uhh... don't blush as you say that, please. Facing my face back upwards, I realize the arrow has changed targets. "E-E-Eirin-san, that's not called lowering your bow... and why are you aiming down there?"

"But it's best to deal with problems at the root, don't you think?" She's smiling very dangerously now.

THIS ISN'T THE TIME TO PLAY THE VERBAL GAME! "Not in this case!"

Eirin holds the pose for a bit longer, before finally lowering the bow and putting away the arrow. "Really, Ikuto," She brushes hair away from her face and smiles down at me amusedly. "Your expression is so funny when you get into situations like this."

"Sadist."

"Oh? Did you say something?" She plucks the bowstring, making it twang threateningly.

I shake my head frantically. "Nothing at all!"

"Good. Your legs should be fine, so get up already."

She's right, so I stand up and apologize to Kaguya once more before leaving the room. Eirin walks alongside me, still carrying her bow.

"Whose idea was it to make it an Impossible Request?"

"The princess." Eirin stops walking. "Aren't you happy? You get to marry her if you succeed."

I facepalm. "Does Reisen know about this?"

"Udonge? Yes, she does. Surprisingly, she's alright with it."

That's because she's already sharing me with Youmu... wait, wait, wait... this just seems wrong! "Anyway, I'll be going now. I'll come by if I need anything."

"Of course. I'll be making the preparations for marriage."

She always has to have the last word. I wave without looking back.

"Where were you, Ikuto?" Mokou asks me curiously when I walk through the door. "It's probably going to rain later, so let's take in the laundry after lunch."

"Sorry. I'll get started right away."

"Really..." She sighs and starts taking out the utensils. "Here, I'll help too."

Oh good, another step... no, maybe I should call it, another building block for a tower... Got to be careful not to put too heavy a block. "Thanks, Mokou. Fried rice okay with you?"

"Sure. I'll cut the vegetables." Mokou offers.

We work together to fix the meal, and I do as much as I can to tease her gently, to which she responds favorably. It makes me feel a little screwed up when I think about how I'm going to carry out my plan. But for now, I just keep that to myself while we finish fixing the food and eating like we always do. Later, as we're bringing in the laundry, I start by doing some probing.

"Mokou..."

"Yes?" She responds while shaking out a sheet.

"I've never asked you this before... but what do you think of Kaguya?"

"I hate her."

That was one super fast response. But... "Why?" I press.

"She made my father do some stupid, idiotic task." Her grip tightened on the sheet. "Because of that, he abandoned my mother and me. As if we didn't even matter."

Father complex? No, this is different, the emotion was in the last word... Let's test the waters with some vague suggestion. "So basically, you hate her, because she caused your life to be miserable."

"That's exactly it." Mokou nods.

Woah, woah, woah! The hatred's suddenly gone, just like that? This is really hard to figure out. "...can I ask just one more thing?"

"What?" She responds irritably. "Ah, whatever," Mokou sighs and looks away, "Just ask your question."

"Have you... ever thought of not killing Kaguya?"

"Huh?" She looks at me so fast that I can almost hear her neck crick. "Not killing? That's..."

Seeing her trail off, I start running the scenarios in my mind. She's... never thought it over, but now that I'm asking, she actually is. Chance? Or is this going to be a false lead?

"Ikuto. Ikuto!" Mokou's shaking me.

"Huh?" I look up. "Oh, crap, it's raining!"

"Really, what's gotten into you? Come on, let's get the laundry in quick."

Once the clothes and sheets are in, the two of us spend the whole afternoon just sitting in her house, doing our own activities while watching the rain pour down. I'm nearly done with reading the scrolls Akyuu lent me, while Mokou's making some bamboo items. At times, I catch Mokou giving me a strange look, but when I return it, she pretends that she's looking somewhere else instead. Eventually, I decide to try probing again, except from a different angle.

"Mokou... do you... ever regret being immortal?"

"If I wasn't immortal... I wouldn't have met Kaguya again..." Mokou clenches her fists. "But... but..."

Her life was harsh after she drank the Hourai Elixir... "Mokou," I impulsively move around so I can hold her from behind, and feel her start to struggle, "Just listen to me for a bit."

She stops struggling. "What?"

With the sensation of her stray hair brushing against my face, I ask her, "Excluding killing Kaguya... what is it you live for?"

"...what I... live for?" Mokou starts shaking in my embrace. "What do I live for?"

Suggest something here? "Is it being with Keine?"

"Keine..." Her shaking stops. "She's... an important friend... I... not just her..."

"Who else?"

"Th-that's..." Her hand comes up to rest on my arms. "I-it's you... Ikuto..."

"Even if..." I swallow, "Even if I'll die someday?"

Her body tenses instantly. "I... don't want to... think about that..."

Sighing, I release her and stand up. "Then don't," I tell her when she turns to look at me, "For now, I'm here."

"Ikuto..."

Squatting down, I place one hand on top of her head. "To be honest, I'm glad to hear your answer." My mind's made up now...

Somebody knocks at the door. "Ikuto? Mokou? Are you in?" Keine's muffled voice asks.

"Keine?" I open the door to reveal Keine closing her umbrella. "What are you doing here? Come on in first."

"Just came by to check up on you and Mokou."

"Keine!" The immortal breaks into a smile on seeing her friend.

Seeing how Mokou responds to Keine, I can understand why some fanworks depict the two as being in a relationship. Sheesh, that Mokou... she's unused to receiving kindness, but when she's used to it... I smile a little when I see her laughing. Huh? Keine's... signaling me.

"Keine, you want to stay for dinner?" Seeing her nod, I continue, "Then, do you mind helping me?"

"I'll help too!"

"Sure, cut up the potatoes over there." I grin at her. "Keine and I will be taking care of the rest here, okay?"

"No problem."

With Mokou sufficiently distracted, Keine is able to talk to me privately. "So, Ikuto, will it be soon?"

"Tomorrow... latest."

Keine continues cutting the ingredients. "Do you need my help?"

"No. Keine, whatever happens... don't help me."

She stops. "Why?"

"If I fail... Mokou will probably end up hating me. I don't want her to lose you too."

"What are you talking about over there?" Mokou calls out to us.

Without missing a beat, I call back. "Whether Keine will ever get wooed."

"Ikuto!"

"Woah, Keine's blushing!"

"Gah! Point that knife somewhere else!"

Later, as we're laughing while talking over dinner, I put the plan I have out of my head and just enjoy their company. Unlike Hakugyokurou or Eientei, the atmosphere in Mokou's humble place is warmer and more close-knit, making it easy to relax. Of course, I enjoy the other two as well, but this... reminds me a little bit of home. But I'm not homesick at all.

Later, after the rain has stopped and Keine has taken her leave, I set out the futon for myself while Mokou takes a bath. When I finish having mine, I come out to see that she's actually changed into sleeping clothes instead of her usual shirt and suspenders look, and is taking out her own futon. On a whim, I stop her, and indicate the single one.

"You... want us to share?"

"If you don't mind. I won't do anything weird, so don't worry."

"Hm, fine." Mokou crawls under the covers. "So? Aren't you getting in too?"

"Of course." I get in on the opposite side, making sure to stay far away enough from her.

"Hey, Ikuto," She asks after a few moments, "You're thinking of leaving soon, aren't you?"

"Yeah."

"Oh good, then I will finally be free of your i-interference."

So why did you stutter there? "Are you really that glad to be rid of me?"

"Of course. But..."

'But'? "Tell me something... Mokou... do you like being alone?" Never would have asked that before.

"Well, obviously I-"

"So I should tell Keine to leave you alone too?" I say on purpose.

"NO! Why would you-"

"See? You don't." I grin at her.

Mokou punches my shoulder. "You-!"

"Let's leave this for tomorrow." She continues to glower at me, but I ignore her by facing the ceiling until sleep takes me.

"Good morning." I mumble to Mokou when she shakes me awake.

"Morning, sleepyhead." She stands up and nudges me with her foot. "Go wash your face."

"'Kay..." I stumble out of the house. "No breakfast for me, I got stuff to do."

"If you say so."

"And, Mokou," I turn back halfway. "I promise you this. I won't let you be alone."

"I handled myself fine before you came along, Ikuto." She shakes her head. "Really, Ikuto, what's gotten into you today? It looks like it'll rain again today, so be careful you don't get caught."

After I've washed my face at the river, I head for Eientei. Amazingly, I encounter Tewi before I even set foot inside, which I take as a sign of luck. Hopefully that will be enough.

"Moving here so early -usa?"

I shake my head. "I have something I need to ask the princess. And you too."

"Me -usa?" Tewi points at herself.

"Yeah, I need that luck you promised me."

"Oh!" She slaps her right fist into her left palm. "I did say I'd give you some, didn't I -usa?"

Did you forget about that? "Yeah you did. Mind following me first?"

"Sure -usa."

Kaguya's not in her room, so I start searching around Eientei, with Tewi following behind me like some curious child. Eventually, I encounter her in the dining area, about to take breakfast with the rest. Of course, I accept their invitation to eat with them.

"Ikuto, you're doing it today, aren't you?" Eirin asks halfway through.

"Yeah. Kaguya-hime, I need you to follow me after this. You too, Tewi."

"Of course. You're asking the Inaba along too?"

"He needs me too -usa." Tewi sniggers, finding it funny.

"Do you need any drugs? I have a hypnotic drug that you might find useful."

Don't suggest something so dangerous-sounding! "I must refuse. After all, I already have my own plans. Adding your suspicious drugs to the mix would throw everything off."

"What are those plans?"

I take out the two pieces of paper and hold them up. "'Luck' and 'Guts'. Together."

Reisen sighs. "There you go again. Ikuto, you should stop being so reckless."

"If we were discussing something that followed common sense, then I would agree with you. BUT!" I start counting off points. "Immortals! Youkai! Fire powers! Therefore being reckless is normal!"

"You broke him, Udonge."

"Me?" Reisen jerks back in surprise. "What did I do?"

"Nothing! This is just me!" I cross my arms and smirk.

Tewi pokes me in the side, making me flinch. "You really broke him, Reisen."

"Wait, how did it become my fault!"

"Just ignore him, he's purposely acting stupid to take his mind off things."

Geh, read so easily again? "Ignore me? That's impossible, you might as well ignore that girl with green hair sitting over there!"

"Oh?" The girl I pointed at turns to face me. "You can see me?"

Reisen and the rest turn to look as well. "Where did you come from? Wait, why are you even eating our food?"

"I was just thinking how the food here tastes so good." She replies. "How were you able to see me?"

"I have no idea. Who are- Oh, I think I've heard of you, Koishi Komeiji, aren't you?"

"Yes. And you are?"

"Ikuto."

"Ikuto, you know this girl?" Eirin asks.

"I heard about her... not sure from who."

"I'm Koishi Komeiji, the sister of Satori Komeiji. Pleased to meet you." The girl bows to the rest.

Kaguya returns her greeting. "Likewise. Forgive me for asking, but when did you come in? I hadn't noticed you at all."

"Satori...?" Eirin says thoughtfully. "Can you read minds too?"

"Unfortunately, I cannot, as I have closed my third eye." Koishi indicates the closed eye on her chest. "So you don't have to worry. Also, I'll be leaving soon."

"Yeah, anyway, I think we should just finish our breakfast." I return to eating.

"Suddenly he's returned to normal -usa."

"Wait, weren't we..." Reisen looks at the empty seat. "Where did that girl go?"

"See, common sense does not apply!" I point at the place where Koishi was sitting. "There's no way we couldn't have noticed her leaving!"

"And... he's gone back to being crazy again." Eirin sighs.

"You have such an interesting character, Ikuto." Kaguya chuckles.

Reisen facepalms and sighs. "How did I ever fall in love with a guy like this..."

"But you still love him, right, Udonge?"

"Ma-Master!"

"Okay, I'm done!" I set down my empty bowl. "Let's go after a bit of rest, Kaguya, Tewi!"

"Sure -usa!"

"As you wish." Kaguya nods.

Hours later, we're waiting in Mokou's place, thoroughly bored. When lunch came around, I just cooked for the two of them instead of continuing to wait. Since I rarely cook for them at Eientei, they welcome the change in food.

"Sorry, I didn't expect that she would go out." I apologize.

"Maa~" Tewi rolls back and forth on the floor.

"No need to worry, this is just another essential step to befriend Fujiwara no Mokou."

"Anyway, Tewi, how are you going to increase my luck anyway?"

"It's already done -usa!" Tewi stops rolling and flashes me a peace sign.

"Well, as long as it brings results. I just hope that I don't use it up right away just to have Mokou..."

"Ikuto, I'm back. Sorry, I was eating with-" The door slides open.

"Good afternoon, Mokou."

The girl freezes. "Ka-Ka-Kaguya? Wh-what are you doing here?"

I'm getting a really bad feeling now. "Welcome back, Mokou." I try to draw her attention, but she's not listening.

"Good timing, I was thinking of going to kill you..." Mokou continues staring at Kaguya. "KAGUYA!"

Roaring wings of flames sprout from her back, and her face warps into a feral grin I've never seen her make before.

Oh, shit.

(1) Traditional Japanese sitting pose, with you sitting on your heels. Not easy.

Shorter than my usual chapters lately. Filled with randomness, like how Koishi suddenly pops up. How many of you realized that she turned up in the first chapter has well?

I pulled off another 'reversed decision' once again. The card that Ikuto drew in the last chapter was 'Fate', but he took that to mean that he wasn't going to make use of Remilia's help.

Really, asking Mokou to put aside her hate for Kaguya... worthy of being called an Impossible Request.

As usual, my random writing style is a bit... I don't know how to describe it, but it seems to be taking me up and down. This is one of those 'downs'. Hopefully it'll go 'up' soon.