As Yuyuko and Remilia parted ways, Youmu stayed behind in the garden, quietly staring up at the moon. The night was serene, but Youmu's heart was filled with turmoil. Though she wished to faithfully serve her mistress, Youmu had the pride of a warrior, and looked down on assassinations as acts of cowardice. Youmu had always looked up to Yuyuko as strong and wise, but ordering something as crass and dishonorable as Reimu's assassination made her question Yuyuko's morality.

Over the coming day, Youmu continued worrying about her new orders as the hours slowly crept by. When night finally fell, Yuyuko approached Youmu as she quietly worked in the garden.

"Night has fallen. It's time you left for the shrine," Yuyuko said. Youmu paused, warily looking to her mistress.

"...Yes...," she said quietly, turning before walking off into the night.

Youmu left the garden, walking through the cherry trees before slowly descending the long staircase. With each step, the gears of Youmu's mind slowly grinded. By all accounts, Reimu was a kind and virtuous person, and to assassinate her under cover of darkness felt dirty and dishonorable. Still, Youmu swore to loyally serve her mistress unto death. To disobey Yuyuko would stain her honor.

Youmu left Hakugyokurou, lowering to the ground before making her way to the Hakurei Shrine. Upon arrival, she looked to Reimu's house, spotting an open window near the back. Youmu took a deep breath, approaching the window before peering inside. There, quietly sleeping in the darkness was Reimu, laying on her futon in the corner of the room. Youmu paused, grabbing the edge of the window before climbing inside.

As Youmu entered the room, she looked to the shrine maiden, slowly creeping closer with a hand on her sword. As crickets chirped off in the distance, Youmu drew her blade, unsheathing it before raising it high over her head.

As Youmu was about to slash, she stopped, arms trembling as she weakly looked to Reimu. After several moments, Youmu paused, quickly shaking her head before putting her sword away. She turned around, swiftly heading to the window soon after. Upon reaching it, she paused, looking on as two familiar girls smiled back at her.

"Yoo-hoo~!" Marisa said, grinning as Reimu stood next to her.

"...What...!?" Youmu exclaimed, turning around in confusion. As she looked to the futon, Alice flicked on a light, smirking as she revealed her doll Polly lying under the covers. Youmu then turned to Reimu and Marisa.

"We knew you were up to something!" Marisa said.

"Indeed. After you pulled that stunt during Aya's show, I warned the others Yuyuko and Remilia might be plotting something. And sure enough...," Reimu said, sternly staring Youmu down.

"So you came to kill Reimu, did you?" Alice asked from the other end of the room. Youmu sighed, looking to the ground in shame.

"...Yes," Youmu said.

"...But you didn't. You stopped at the last moment. Why...?" Reimu asked. Youmu slowly shook her head.

"There was no honor in such an act. I never thought the mistress would order something so cowardly. I always thought she was different...," Youmu replied.

"Apparently not! And you know who's even worse...?" Marisa asked, soon looking sideways. "Get over here, you!" she exclaimed, grabbing someone by the ear before pulling her over.

"Ouch! Easy, will ya?" the ice fairy said, cringing as Youmu looked to her in surprise.

"...Cirno?" Youmu said.

"Yes. She was ordered by Remilia to kill Marisa. I'm amazed she sent someone so weak, though," Reimu replied.

"Hey! Who you callin' weak!?" Cirno asked, Marisa suddenly thwacking her on the head.

"Quiet, you! I oughta kill you for trying to kill me!" Marisa said.

"Oh, man! Have mercy! I was just doin' Remilia's bidding! She'd kill me if I disobeyed her orders!" Cirno said.

"Well we captured Cirno. What do we do with this naughty little girl?" Alice asked, the four looking to Youmu.

"...Well she came under Yuyuko's orders to assassinate me, but backed out at the last moment. I guess we can cut her some slack. She's not returning to Yuyuko anytime soon, though," Reimu said. Suddenly, Marisa gritted her teeth.

"What!? You're going easy on her!? She came to kill you, Reimu!" Marisa exclaimed. Reimu paused, slightly taken aback by her reaction.

"...Relax, Marisa. No one's going easy on anyone. We'll throw her in the dungeon under the shrine along with Cirno," Reimu replied.

"...There's a dungeon down there?" Alice asked.

"Yeah. In the old days, my ancestors used it as a torture chamber. That should hold these two until we figure out what to do with them," Reimu said.

Suddenly, Youmu stepped back, slowly drawing her sword as Alice looked to her in surprise.

"...Are you kidding? You're outnumbered three to one!" Alice said.

"That matters not. I won't be taken hostage without a fight," Youmu replied.

As the group stood in silence, Youmu suddenly turned to Alice, darting toward her with her sword raised. As Youmu neared, Alice produced a rapier from under her dress, parrying Youmu's slash with a swipe of her own. Just then, Reimu entered the room, assisting Alice in fighting Youmu. The gardener put up a brief resistance but was soon overpowered by Alice and Reimu's combined efforts, dropping her sword as the two quickly restrained her from behind.

"Damn—!" Youmu exclaimed.

"You've been a bad girl, half ghost. To the dungeons with you!" Reimu said, leading the group outside before heading to a set of stairs leading down into the darkness.

As they reached the bottom, Reimu flicked on a light, revealing a dark, chilly dungeon surrounding them. The group approached a pair of iron cells, throwing Youmu and Cirno in before locking them inside.

"H—Hey! You can't leave us in here! This place is creepy!" Cirno said, warily looking around as Youmu closed her eyes in silence. Marisa then stepped to the bars, glaring at the two with a cruel expression.

"...Serves you right. Hope you rot in there!" she said sternly, Cirno struggling to open the cell door as Marisa and the others left the dungeon.

Back in Scarlet Devil Manor, Remilia sat in the living room, Sakuya seated across from her as the two stared down at a shogi board set up between them. As the elegant maid took a turn, Remilia grinned.

"...Heh. You never learn, do you, Sakuya?" Remilia asked, soon capturing one of her pieces.

"...Mistress... it's getting late, and Cirno hasn't returned yet."

"Of course she hasn't. The idiot's probably dead by now. That fairy's stronger than she appears, but she'd never beat that magician I ordered her to slay."

"But... if you knew she stood no chance against Marisa, why did you order Cirno to eliminate her?" Sakuya asked.

Remilia's grin slowly darkened.

"...Because, my dear Sakuya... I have... other plans for the little human," she said wickedly.

"...Such as?" Sakuya asked. Remilia gave an eery smile.

"...Never you mind. Yuyuko wishes me to kill her, but before long, Marisa Kirisame will be of far more use to us alive!" Remilia said, quietly laughing as she soon checkmated Sakuya.

Sakuya sat in silence, worriedly staring out the window and into the darkness. She wasn't sure what Remilia was plotting, but the elegant maid knew Patchouli's feelings for Marisa, and knew whatever Remilia had in mind couldn't be good. Remilia had shared she and Yuyuko's plans with Sakuya, but hadn't said a word to Patchouli or the others.

Later that night, as most of Gensokyo was asleep, a shadowy figure waltzed into the Hakurei Shrine, slowly descending the stairs before approaching the dungeon cells. As the shadowy figure flicked on the light, Cirno and Youmu stirred, waking up as they looked over in surprise.

"...You!" Cirno said, watching in shock as Marisa stood before Youmu's cell, eyes cold as ice as she stared the gardener down.

"...You've returned," Youmu said.

Marisa said nothing, however, continuing to stare at her in silence. Suddenly, she raised her hand, blasting a beam of magic through the bars, striking the unarmed Youmu as she flew backward, slamming against the wall several feet back.

"Whoa!" Cirno exclaimed. As Youmu struggled to her feet, Marisa gritted her teeth.

"...Damn you. You actually considered killing Reimu... didn't you...?" Marisa asked coldly. Youmu stood in silence, nodding soon after.

"...Yes. Such were the mistress' orders," Youmu replied. Marisa cringed, firing a second wave of magic as Youmu again slammed into the wall.

"Hey! Easy! You're gonna kill her if you keep that up! Why're you so mad, anyway? I was the one who tried to kill you!" Cirno said.

"Shut up, fairy. You were a mindless pawn being used by Remilia. But you...," Marisa said, stepping toward the bars while glaring at Youmu. "You could have actually killed Reimu. My sweet little Reimu..." Marisa whispered under her breath.

"...Huh?" Cirno said in surprise.

Marisa clenched her fists, raising her hands before firing another beam at Youmu, continuing to barrage her with spells as the helpless gardener was blasted time and again. As Youmu was on the verge of death, Marisa paused, slowly lowering her hands. She silently glared at the half ghost, turning around before leaving the dungeon moments later.

As Marisa left, Youmu lay on the floor of her cell, battered and bruised from Marisa's attacks. As the gardener lay motionless, Cirno worriedly looked to her from the neighboring cell.

"...H—Hey! You okay over there?" she asked worriedly.

After getting no response, Cirno paused, slowly closing her eyes before focusing her energies, raising her hand before casting a healing spell through the bars. As it made contact with Youmu's body, she moaned, steadily regaining consciousness as she slowly sat up.

"...Mmm...," she said, rubbing her head.

"You okay, now?" Cirno asked. Youmu turned to her.

"...Cirno. What... happened just now?"

"That Marisa came in and roughed you up, that's what happened! I wonder what got her so mad? I never knew it, but that chick can be pretty scary! Luckily, my magic healed you back to life! Thank you, thank you, no applause!~" Cirno said with a haughty laugh. Youmu blinked in silence.

"...You... healed me?" she asked in surprise. Cirno soon fell silent.

"...Well, yeah. I mean, she attacked you so much, you could have died."

"...I see. I didn't know you knew healing magic."

"It's pixie dust. All fairies have it. Mine's really strong, though! Naturally!" Cirno explained, giving another haughty laugh. Youmu stared at her in silence, blinking before turning away.

"...I see. Well... thank you, Cirno," she said softly, blushing moments later.

"No prob! But we gotta find a way outta here. This dungeon looks really old. There must be some way out," Cirno said, looking around along with Youmu. Suddenly, the gardener spotted an old bench across the room, noticing her katana and wakizashi underneath it.

"My swords are over there. If I could reach them, I might be able to cut through these bars," Youmu said.

"Oh yeah?" Cirno said, looking to the swords before raising a hand.

She carefully took aim, firing a shard of ice toward the bench. It ricocheted off the wall, knocking the swords to the floor as they fell close to Youmu.

"...Wow. Well done," the half ghost said.

She then moved to the bars, reaching through and extending her arm as far as it could go. Youmu gritted her teeth, fingertips inching toward her wakizashi as she reached with all her might.

Suddenly, she grabbed the handle, pulling it near as she finally picked up her sword. As Cirno cheered her on, Youmu unsheathed her wakizashi, quietly chanting before eyeing the cell door, at once slashing it as it fell to the floor. Youmu then went to Cirno's cell, slashing open the door as Cirno jumped with glee. She darted out of the cell, crashing into Youmu with a hug.

"Ya-hooooo! Way to go, Youmu!" she exclaimed, Youmu shyly blushing as she felt Cirno's warmth against her body. "Now come on! Let's get outta this dump!" the ice fairy said, hurrying out of the dungeon as Youmu followed suit.

As the two reached the surface, they looked around, soon turning to each other amidst the dark Hakurei Shrine.

"Ah... free at last!" Cirno said.

"What will you do now?" Youmu asked.

"I don't know... Remilia will kill me if I return to Misty Lake having not killed Marisa."

"Yes... Mistress Yuyuko won't be pleased with me, either."

"We should lay low for awhile."

"But where? The mistresses are angry with us, and we certainly haven't made any friends as of late," Youmu said. Cirno then smiled.

"...Follow me! I know a gal who's always there for me! I'm sure she'll love to meet you, too!" Cirno said, heading into the woods as Youmu followed her.