The cold, oppressive nothingness completely surrounded Flandre like a second skin made of shadows. Inside Yukari's strange realm, up and down ceased to hold any real meaning and losing your bearings was commonplace. Flandre didn't even know which way she was falling or if indeed she was falling at all. The whole ordeal of trying to make sense of this dimension made her head spin. Maybe some malevolent force was pulling at her from above?

Or maybe I'm in the magical belly of some creature beyond the vale? No, stop thinking like that. Don't be so weak minded.

Flandre tried to imagine that she was at home opening presents on Christmas day which was one of her favorite times of the year. That warm, fuzzy thought served as a barrier to all the mental horrors. Remilia would be happily looking on as Flandre ripped opened the beautiful gift wrapping with a beaming smile.

Sakuya would be acting awkwardly outside of her usual regimented routine. Meiling would be humming along merrily and would hoist Flandre atop her shoulders so that she could feel tall and important and tower over the fairy maids. Patchouli, having been drawn away from the library by the promise of a new book would be entertaining everyone with dazzling displays of magic and wonders. All from the comfort of the nearest padded chair of course.

Flandre was glad that they retained some customs from the human world as seeing everyone at the mansion come together for that one single moment was priceless and made Flandre feel like she was still part of a real, extended family. She wasn't very skilled with her hands but always made the effort and tried to make a splendid homemade gift for her beloved sister. Remilia always accepted it graciously even thought the end result was usually less than spectacular.

Giant eyeballs followed the vampire's progress as they shifted along the invisible currents that flowed around everything like a river made up of black energy. Her dress was flapping wildly around her legs but only the sound of Flandre's own beating heart kept her company in the endless void. Sound was not a concept that bothered this place, nor was the sense of smell. None of that bothered Flandre however as she was lost in her pleasant memories.

Time passed and before Flandre knew what had hit her, she emerged back into the material realm. Flandre had just enough time to gasp before she hit the ground with a thud. Thankfully her instincts were still sharp enough for her to outstretch her arms which at least saved her from eating a face full of earth. She grunted and pushed herself to her feet while dusting off her dress with quick, annoyed strokes.

That damned gap Youkai!

Flandre wasn't exactly sure how the dimensional portals worked but she was pretty sure that her trickster acquaintance could have avoided depositing her from a vertical drop.

But no, that would have been far too damn convenient for that conniving old maid!

A likewise thud behind Flandre announced Cirno's terminal appearance. The fairy had howled and waved her arms in the air, not having the time or peace of mind to remember that she could fly. It wasn't a long fall, more like a few steps down a staircase but it was enough to knock the wind out of your sails. Cirno scrambled to her feet and angrily smacked one of the nearby bamboo stems.

Tall, green bamboo stalks extended themselves out of the ground all around Flandre like a series of tent posts that served no purpose. Green leaves branched off all along their length. They were packed so tightly together that they would have blotted out most of the sunlight had it not been night. There was the occasional tree but they were thin, dainty things that looked like they couldn't stand up to a stiff breeze.

As it stood, pale beams of moonlight squeezed between the ribbed polls like a fragmenting spectrum of only a single shade of white. It looked like the heavens had opened up and was inviting them in only for the way to be barred by a living prison of bamboo.

What a strange mockery of a forest thought Flandre who had only ever witnessed the traditional picture of a forest that was full of trees and bushes. It smelled strongly of crushed pine cones. This place might as well have been a different planet as far as the vampire was concerned.

Insects could be heard chirping as they took advantage of the night's protection. The grass underfoot was sparser than normal but was taller and much more abrasive. Flandre walked over to her fairy companion and winced more than a few times as it brushed up against her bare and exposed thighs like the cruel barbs of a cat and nine tails.

"Stupid, stupid gap demon!" Cirno exclaimed, her voice breaking the exotic spell of this foreign environment.

"Yeah," Flandre agree. "That old maid is just flaunting her power. Looking down on us, well, we'll show her what we're capable of."

"That's right," Cirno said smugly. "We're the strongest duo in Gensokyo. We'll ace this mission like it was nothing and then turn those annoying demons into frozen popsicles!"

The icy fairy looked around her, suddenly a little uncertain. "Hey, where's Letty?"

"I'm over here," came a whimsical voice that was decidedly not Letty's calming tone from between a series of broken and snapped shafts of bamboo.

Flandre shuddered inwardly. It shouldn't have surprised her that the annoying and possessive princess of the dead was still hanging around like an unwelcome visitor that wouldn't just get the not so friendly hint and go away. Flandre fought down the tempting urge to either fly away as fast as her wings would carry her or blast Yuyuko into her component pieces. Instead she just sighed and resigned herself to the inevitable.

"What are you doing here? You're not Letty," asked Cirno incredulously who seemed just as displeased as Flandre at Yuyuko's appearance and that was even without her friend's prior knowledge.

"What have you done with Letty?"

"Someone has to make sure that you keep your focus," replied Yuyuko. She chuckled and glanced at Flandre. "Too many cooks spoil the broth. We graciously decided to allow you to keep your fairy maid since you seem so enamored with her but I'll be accompanying you from now on until you complete your task."

She reluctantly returned her attention to Cirno. "Letty was safely released somewhere in the fairy forest. Please, stop your senseless worrying."

"I'm not a fairy maid!" yelled Cirno. "Why does everyone call me a maid all the time. Fairies can be far more than stupid maids you know. I'm living proof! I've battled the shrine maiden as well, so stop turning your nose up at me! We're not in your horrible dimension anymore so we have no reason to listen to your orders! Right, Flandre?"

Cirno looked over hopefully at her friend for support which caused Flandre to nibble nervously at her lip. She couldn't just abandon this mission thanks to the threat of blackmail but on the other hand she couldn't divulge the real reason that she was dancing to Yukari's strings. The risk was just too great but doubts had started to emerge within Flandre's heart. Perhaps she should just trust Cirno to keep her identity a secret. After all, isn't that what friends were for?

No, I cannot trust her with something so important. She would just babble it out at the earliest opportunity.

Yuyuko looked bored of the fairy's pestering and glanced at Flandre expectantly. The two opposing forces watching her made her feel very uncomfortable and in the end she decided to just pass it off and hope that Cirno didn't read too much into it.

"Lets just get this over with," Flandre said while looking at nothing in particular.

"Good," said Yuyuko as she indicated a clearing in the bamboo. Her robe-like dress flapped loosely around her pointing arm.

"Lets go then, shall we? I can feel the presence. It's very close."

She started to carefully work herself between the natural spears while taking great care not to trip up on the forest floor which was littered with fallen bamboo and hard patches of densely packed grass. Her blue flowery robe was clearly not the best choice of attire for such a wild and closely packed environment.

Flandre clutched the cloth covered sunstone tightly in her hand as Cirno seemed confused and dejected at her friend's compliance. The fairy wandered over and peered at Flandre like a doctor examining a sick patient. Her icy wings flickering with interest.

"Hey, is something wrong with you?" she asked in a hushed tone. Well, hushed for Cirno's standards at least.

"Nothing's wrong with me, I-" Flandre hesitated. "The sooner we do this, the sooner we'll be finished."

When she noticed Cirno's skeptical look she leaned in and lowered her voice to the merest of whispers. Cirno flinched uncertainly despite her familiarity with the vampire. Sometimes vampires were just plain intimidating no matter how well you knew them.

"I have a plan. We'll play along for now. Just trust me."

I just hope I think of one soon.

They followed Yuyuko through the bamboo forest, the smell of woodland heavy in the air. It was slow going as the princess of the dead was clearly the pampered, spoiled mistress that she appeared to be and was quite content to move at her own refined pace.

The pleasing scent reminded Flandre of herbal tea but she resisted the urge to sniff the flesh cluster of plants. For all she knew they were poisoned and attracted pray with that deceptively attractive aroma. It wouldn't have been the first time.

Yuyuko at least appeared to know where she was going and didn't seem at all hindered by the lack of light. Maybe the faint beams of moonlight were enough for her eyes or maybe she simply sensed the spirits of living beings to help guide her.

It occurred to Flandre that she had never really questioned how Cirno could see in the dark, since it came so naturally to a vampire. She just took it for granted. Letty needed her floating, purple crystal to aid her sight so Flandre supposed that it varied wildly from being to magical being.

Cirno had more of a spring in her step and looked much more like her cheery, carefree self since Flandre had lied about her supposed plan.

Well, if it keeps her happy...

The tall shafts of bamboo loomed over the little ice fairy like the discarded toothpicks of a giant. She looked up at them in childish wonder with gasps of amazement. There was no talking as the party of three navigated themselves through the living maze.

Yuyuko's unnerving presence stifled out any conversation like she could somehow strangle the very concept out of existence. Flandre sometimes envied Cirno's naivety. The vampire stared at the back of Yuyuko's neck and licked the sharp fangs inside her mouth. She wondered at the sheer arrogance of exposing one's blindside. Misplaced confidence or utter certainly? It irked Flandre whatever the reason.

"Cirno, was it?" asked Yuyuko as she lead the way. The luscious vegetation parted before her like the curtains before a performance as transparent white orbs cleared the way for their master.

"I never did ask why you follow Flandre in such a dangerous endeavor. What are you hoping for? What have you been promised?"

Cirno blinked and looked surprised and somewhat wary that Yuyuko was taking the time to talk to her. Flandre frowned and wondered what gambit this was leading to as innocent curiosity was simply not in Yuyuko's vocabulary.

"I haven't been promised anything. I follow Flandre because I enjoy it and more importantly, it's fun. Why are you trying so hard to scare someone as brave as me?"

"Oh," Yuyuko wondered. "I would have figured that you would have been promised some kind of reward. I mean, why else would you put yourself at such risk? Considering the obvious power disparity, it seems to me that you are little more than an assistant, a sideshow. Why pretend otherwise?"

Flandre felt anger rise up inside her chest like the fiery breath of a dragon as she heard the relish in Yuyuko's voice as she attempted to twist Flandre's only friend outside the mansion against her. Cirno's cheerful expression didn't disappear entirely but definitely became more strained. She wrinkled her nose uncertainly.

"Why would I believe anything you say? Flandre is my friend, not you. You're just jealous and bitter that you're not included in our adventure. That's why you came along with us, isn't it?"

Flandre was honestly impressed with the fairy's resolute answer and was only a little embarrassed when her heart fluttered at the earnest mention of their friendship.

Yuyuko chuckled. "What an interesting answer. It's amusing when I see such selective memory. Where was your precious friend when you were captured? What important task could have kept her away when her dearest friend was in need? Why, she was busy denying me that pointless trinket. The very thought of losing something shiny and potentially valuable was more important than your safety. Tell me, is that the action of a friend?"

Flandre snarled and could no longer stand by in silence while this pointless slander continued.

"That's a lie and you know it since you gave me no choice in the matter. Besides, sending you to the afterlife was the best way to help Cirno. It's just a pity that you didn't stay there."

"Now, now," tutted Yuyuko. "Let's not say something we might regret. I was just curious."

Flandre and Cirno exchanged a look but said nothing else on the matter. Yuyuko was obviously just trying to amuse herself in the downtime between action and didn't care how many feelings she trampled on in order to achieve it. Cirno just contented herself by punching the air behind the princess' back while imagining various scenarios involving a giant snowball and Yuyuko running down a frosty hillside in terror.

The forest of bamboo was lighted up by shimmering glowflys that danced around the air in trails of yellow light. They maneuvered and circled around each other and in doing so, they created vivid, strobing patterns that left an afterimage that disappeared after a few fleeting seconds. The scent of this place was almost like a natural remedy and lulled you into a relaxing state the longer you remained here. Flandre sniffed in a refreshing whiff and smiled at the pleasant aroma.

It was almost like a greenhouse with the canopy of green leaves and tall shafts of bamboo that stretched all around you. Flandre wondered just how far away she was from the mansion. She could be on the other side of Gensokyo for all she knew.

Certainly, this place resembled nothing from her memories. She started to worry about how she was planning to find her way back before daybreak. While travelling under the burning sun wasn't an impossibility for her, she would be incredibly weakened and it would make infiltrating the mansion significantly more troublesome.

Flandre blinked as she noticed a strange looking vine hanging from a tree branch. It was rope and completely none magical which would explain why not one else had noticed it. It had been camouflaged with leaves and other foliage. Yuyuko was still leading the way and her course would take her directly over it. Flandre sneered with delight. It would have been the easiest thing in the world for her to yell out a warning and yet she held her tongue.

She felt like a scientist watching an experiment as Yuyuko took another innocent, delicate step right on top of the contraption and yelped as she was immediately strung up and hurled into the air as the rope constricted around her ankles.

She dangled from the tree like a pinata. Her immaculate blue robe hung around her waste and fell around her head which exposed her creamy thighs and white satin panties. Her muffled, confused moans were quite unladylike for one such as herself.

It couldn't have happened to a more deserving person.

Flandre was tempted to pick up some bamboo and start beating her with it until candy showered the ground. Cirno held a hand over her mouth to unsuccessfully stifle an outburst of giggling that rocked her tiny body and almost made her double over from the force of it. Yuyuko drifted from side to side like a pendulum as she clumsily struggled to free herself. Her white spirit orbs angrily buzzed around the rope like hornets but found themselves unable to effect something that wasn't a living thing.

"Don't just stand there," Yuyuko barked. "Help me!"

Flandre sniggered and savored the moment a little longer before she sighed and aimed her finger at the offending tree trunk. It twisted, curled and finally snapped as it component atoms were blasted out of existence. Yuyuko shrieked and hit the forest floor with a thud, the soft grass doing little to cushion her fall. With as much dignity as she could manage, which wasn't much under the circumstances, Yuyuko picked herself up while dusting off her ruffled clothing.

She glowered at Flandre like she was somehow responsible, huffed in a strop and whirled around to continue the journey. Her dark expression suggested that any further laughter at her expense wouldn't be the best idea and the two onlookers tried their best to hide their amusement with various levels of success.

Laughter aside, Flandre made sure to keep a more watchful eye for any further traps. The tripwire had been a primitive but effective means at capturing someone since no one in their right mind would have suspected a none magical trap in Gensokyo where it was far more commonplace to encounter destructive charms and wards. Her eyes penetrated the darkness and spotted a concealed pitfall which she skillfully avoided.

"Ho, ho, ho," came a chuckle from inside the forest. "Nicely avoided."

Flandre spun around in the direction of the voice and spotted a pair of bunny ears protruding from behind a rather large shaft of bamboo. She saw a flash of movement, a blur of pink fabric as the being darted between cover which shielded her from view. Flandre only caught a glimpse before losing track completely. She heard a lurch behind her as something strained and groaned on ropes that barely contained something weighty.

Cirno gasped as a swinging hammer came barreling out of the gloom. It was made from a wooden log and smashed itself through several shafts of bamboo on it's quest to flatten the icy fairy into a pancake. The hairs on the back of her neck prickled up in panic and she summoned up a deathly cold winter mist which covered up the trunk in an icy shell. It glittered like a giant flying stalactite.

Unfortunately, with all the added weight the rope snapped and caused it to smash into the earth but not before uprooting several spears of bamboo that all fell in random directions.

They creaked like an overloaded staircase and the multiple impacts sheered through the fairy's nerve. The hammer shattered into thousands of frozen shards. None of them came remotely near Cirno but fear drove her to the ground in any case. She grumbled at having scuffled her arms for nothing.

"Lunarians," Yuyuko scoffed like the word alone was insult enough.

"You look older and older every time I see you, Yuyuko," came the high pitched voice that almost sounded like a child if not for the sense of hidden wisdom contained within. The voice came from a stealthy location. Flandre could follow the direction of the voice but could see nothing resembling a living being.

Yuyuko seemed to stare knowingly off into the distance. Flandre could see nothing in that direction and assumed that her clingy acquaintance must be sensing a presence in the spiritual realm rather than relying on her naked eyesight.

It reminded her of the Cheshire cat from Alice in wonderland. That had always been one of Flandre's favorite bedtime stories and her current situation mirrored the book in many ways.

"Hold your tongue, Tewi," spat Yuyuko. "That's you, isn't it? Only you would dabble in such ridiculous and childish traps."

Tewi laughed, the sound rebounding off the tall bamboo to create the illusion that they were surrounded. "I'm sorry the tripwire was too childish for your refined tastes to notice. Maybe you should watch where you're going next time, old lady Yuyuko."

Yuyuko curled her lip into a twisted scowl. If her face turned even more sour it could easily melt paint.

"Stay out of my business, exile," she spat, her voice holding none of its usual, whimsical charm.

"Stay out of my home? Don't be silly. I'll be telling the princess of your arrival and I doubt that she'll be too pleased when she hears the news. Maybe you should make yourself scare, miss wondering corpse."

Flandre shifted her feet on the spot in irritation. It hurt her pride to not be able to track a beings location in the night which was by all accounts her own domain.

Without warning, Yuyuko willed into existence those menacing, ethereal scissors which she clasped rather loosely in her shaking hands. She used those to cut a large swath through the bamboo as if she were a barber trimming down a forest of hair. They crashed to the ground in rapid succession, having been reduced to pieces.

Seemingly unsatisfied, she snapped the giant jaws shut yet again and sliced and diced anything within her field of vision. In that one moment, Yuyuko looked unhinged and was overcome with some emotion that approached anger though her ladylike sensibilities wouldn't let her express it openly.

"Don't take your anger out on the forest!" Cirno exclaimed as she watched hundreds of year worth of nature chopped up and diced in an instant.

"Oh, be quite," Yuyuko snapped. "I'm not in the mood for any backchat."

She looked at the jagged and mangled remains of the bamboo sticking out of the earth and was silent for a moment. Green sap dribbled down their lengths like blood. It smelled strongly of a freshly cut lawn but looked like a full force hurricane had been unleashed upon it. She glanced at Flandre, her expression unusually serious.

"I'm going after that trickster. Nobody laughs at me and gets away with it. Particularly if that someone is a retched Lunarian. You can take your fairy friend and head in that direction."

She indicated with a flippant wave of the hand.

"Alyssia is right over there so make haste. Don't forget your mission. Lose the sunstone to her in a convincing fashion otherwise you know very well what will happen."

Flandre felt like she had been slapped across the face and wanted nothing more than to throw those condescending orders back at Yuyuko's haughty, holier than thou face but Yuyuko had already left to chase down Tewi and reclaim her honor. Maybe it was for the best. She probably wouldn't have said anything anyway, she wasn't stupid and hadn't forgotten the blackmail. Indeed, she had a very good memory and held grudges like cherished possessions.

Cirno looked uncertainly at Flandre as she eagerly awaited her friend to take the lead. Flandre shook her head and hovered off the air which sent a faint ripple through the grass. Cirno likewise lifted upwards with icy sparkles and prepared to follow however a thundering concussion shook the bamboo forest before the pair could get underway. Several of the weakened poles took this as their cue to finally collapse and give up the will to hold themselves together.

Flandre and Cirno both exchanged worried and somewhat curious glances. That explosion or whatever it had been had originated from the direction that Yuyuko had indicated. They nodded to each other and at an unspoken agreement, they both flew as fast as they could managed through the densely packed forest. At least two more impacts sounded out like an artillery barrage.

It didn't take them long to reach the epicenter of all the ruckus. Two figures stood facing each other in a clearing that was anything but natural. The surround foliage had been reduced to smoldering ash and the bamboo looked more like used matchsticks. Black smoke hung heavy in the air and still raging fires illuminated the surrounding area.

"No matter how many times I kill you, Kaguya, I never grow tired of it," said the grey haired girl.

She was tall, somewhat unkempt and held an unforgiving and rough aura about her. Red and white charms were tied in her long hair, much like Yukari's ribbons. While her hair was grey, it held a luster to it that appeared almost white but not quite. She wore a simple, partially unbuttoned shirt and red trousers that were also decorated with mystical charms. The most striking thing about her was the constant fire that leaped from her like she was the sun of her own universe.

Kaguya had an air of refinement about her and held herself with the grace and confidence that usually accompanied a rich daughter or someone of royalty. Her dress was a deep red silk that looked incredibly expensive. She was blessed with immaculately long, black hair. Her blouse was pink with a white bow tied around the collar. Both were richly embroidered with flowery designs.

In her slender, pale hand was a wand that looked very much like a small branch. Each tip bore a different, glowing colour and she held it with authority as she waved it dismissively at Mokou like the merest acknowledgement was somehow beneath her station.

"You're lucky that I even grace you with my presence," said Kaguya. She titled her head to the side as she spoke, like she was examining an insect.

"I feel dirty even inhaling the same air as you, Mokou. Kindly stop breathing and die."

Mokou screamed her opponents name with pure hatred as spittle flew from her lips. She flung herself recklessly forwards like a speeding bullet on trails of flames like the wings of a legendary phoenix. The princess giggled with a wide smile, her voice and happy expression suggesting that she was enjoying immensely all this malice directed at her like a singer drinking in the loud adoration of her excited fans.

"So direct and graceless," Kaguya said with a mocking grin. "Even your fighting style reeks of a commoners blood."

Kaguya's hands moved with a grace that only years of practiced and forced education could have produced. She swatted away the burning fireballs that came her way like they were mere illusions and fired her own volley back at the flying white haired berserker. The projectiles were each a different colour of the rainbow and beautiful in the way that they glowed and pulsed with life.

They slammed into the raging inferno that threatened to engulf Mokou herself, such was the intensity of her passionate enmity. Her flame burned briefly with each of the colours that she absorbed in turn which created a furious firestorm that would have rivaled the mightiest fireworks display.

Kaguya never stopped smiling even in the face of this seemingly unstoppable force and held her arms out as if to embrace her bitter enemy. Her twisted wand was glowing with increased power and she held it closely at her side. Fire met light as the two opposing forces collided in a tempest of orange colour.

Flandre could tell that Kaguya could have avoided it if she had wanted to but she seemed to actively look forward to the coming bloodbath with real relish on her polished, painted lips. Mokou yelled an earsplitting howl as she reached her query, wound back her fist and launched at at Kaguya who was driven back by the overwhelming ferocity of the assault.

The pair became a blazing inferno, the surrounding grass and bamboo was incinerated by the glowing onslaught. The earth shook and rumbled like a hungry stomach.

They stabbed, punched and clawed at each other while occasionally throwing out a punch or energy blast. Kaguya raked her long and slender nails across her opponents eyes while Mokou grabbed Kaguya by her long, beautiful black hair and yanked some of it out by the roots.

Flandre winced as she smelled the sickening scent of cooked flesh and Cirno pulled at her dress in an attempt to get the vampire's attention. She had no desire to watch this savage display any further but Flandre was transfixed, like rational thought had completely left her mind.

The sheer viciousness of the fight was certainly something that needed to be witnessed firsthand to believe. They fought each other tooth and nail, literally. They took none of the usual precautions to avoid serious injury and already their clothes were slick with blood from various wounds.

While the pleasing scent of lifeblood exited Flandre the first thing she noticed was the complete lack of cuts and bruises. The combatants should have been covered in lacerations and minor injuries from the deadly duel but only their clothing seemed to suffer the effects.

The princess' garb was blackened and the sleeves had been sheered away by the flames. In fact, her dress was still on fire in a few places however that flame was eclipsed by the all encompassing fire that roared around them. Such intense heat would have sheared the lungs and made breathing impossible but it didn't seem to slow either of them down.

Cirno had long since averted her eyes and had clasped both hands around her ears so that the shouting and pained screams wouldn't bother her anymore. Flandre still stared at the duel in morbid fascination as she admired the savage charm.

A freezing hand against her leg snapped Flandre back into reality and she glared down at Cirno who was indicating that they should move on. At least Flandre assumed that's what all the aimless hand gestures and pointing meant. A stray attack immolated a patch of flowers on the other side of the clearing.

Flandre gulped and finally allowed the fairy to lead her away from the spectacle. They worked themselves around the disaster area while keeping a healthy distance between them and the occasional patch of blazing forest and spilled out from the clearing. Flandre wiped the sweat from her forehead. It was sweltering like a hot summers day. Cirno seemed to lack energy and her shoulders were slumped like she had just dropped her ice cream.

Thankfully they made it safely around the clearing without becoming collateral damage. Flandre glanced behind her and was glad that Cirno was still alive and well and hadn't melted into a pile of icy slush. The vampire just had enough time to imagine trying to revive her friend by gathering up the melted water and stuffing it into the nearest freezer before she found what she was looking for.

Alyssia had been tied to the ground with strong looking rope. The pure white wings on her back were stretched out on the forest floor and a few of the fluffy feathers fluttered around in the air. She strained to look up at the figure talking to her but couldn't move her neck more than a few inches.

Someone in a mixture between a dress and a nurses uniform was standing over her with a deadly looking syringe in one hand. She depressed the end and a glowing, neon green liquid spurted out from the tip. Alyssia's face visibly paled as the noxious fluid bubbled on the earth in front of her.

"Now, let's try this again," the nurse calmly asked her captive.

"What were you doing here exactly?"