"Can't you stay a little longer?" Flandre asked, still clutching Her Hailey Doll.

"Sorry Flan, but I got a lot of stuff I need to do before the second semester." Hailey said, giving Flandre a hug. "But it isn't so bad, during summer I'll make sure to visit lots to make up for lost time."

"Okaay…" Flandre said, still looking sad, but nevertheless placated.

"I suppose I should wish you well for your remaining school year." Remilia said. "But I think we both know neither of us could care less about your schooling."

"Hey I'm just here to be entertaining." Hailey said, shrugging diplomatically.

"And you are doing a remarkable job at that at least." Remilia said.

"Aww, c'mere you." Hailey said, trying to pull Remilia in for a hug, but was blocked again, this time by a hand on Her chest.

"Must you?" Remilia said wearily.

Hailey just stared expectantly.

Remilia rolled her eyes. "Oh fine, just one for the road."

Hailey drew her in for the hug. "You know you love them."

"I most certainly do not." Remilia said, but she was blushing.

Releasing Remilia from her torment, she turned to Ran, who was waiting patiently.

"Ready to go?" She asked.

"I've said my goodbyes," Hailey said, having talked to Meiling and Sakuya previously. "Let's go home."

Stepping out of a Gap into the entrance hall of her townhouse, Hailey immediately made for the back of the house.

"Dinner will be shortly, and we will be returning to non-vampire hours so I expect you to be in bed by a normal time," Ran called after her.

"Got it," Hailey called back over her shoulder. "Can't lollygag though, my lovelies are calling me."

Hailey ran through the house with practiced ease as she made her way to the back of the first floor, to what was formerly the servants quarters, from when this belonged to the Scarlet family… and when the Scarlet Family actually had servants, instead of the found family of misfits that now live under Remilia's roof. Nevertheless, despite also lacking servants, Hailey had found a use for the space.

Throwing open the door she threw her arms wide. "Heeellllo My lovelies~" She called into the room. "Come give mama a hug!"

She was immediately buried in happy furry yapping bodies, and every inch of exposed skin was bathed in affectionate dog slobber.

"Hahah, mama missed you too-hehe stoppit that tickles!" Hailey giggles, as her hands tried in vain to pet all the doggies. "Okay okay, gimme space everybody."

The literal dog pile dispersed, and a significantly scruffier looking Hailey lifted herself off the floor, and surveyed her own pack.

The room was completely filled with dogs, big dogs, small dogs, fat dogs and thin dogs, short dogs and tall dogs, dogs of every shape and size all staring up at Hailey as if she was their queen. They weren't Hailey's per se, each and every one a stray Hailey had picked off the street, cleaned up and fed, but it wouldn't be entirely accurate to say she owned them. They were allowed to come and go as they please, none of them are named, none of them are collared. Nevertheless Hailey loved them like a mother would, and the next few minutes she pampered them to her heart's content.

"Okay guys, that's enough, line up for din-dins!" Hailey said, clapping her hands.

The dogs all scrambled into their predetermined positions along the floor as Hailey lifted a massive sack of dog food out of a cupboard, and poured an individual pile in front of each dog, who eyed it hungrily, but didn't move.

When she had finished, she eyed it critically, making sure she had correct proportion sizes for everyone, before pulling out a small whistle, and giving a single *peep*.

The dogs all went for their piles.

Hailey watched with a satisfied air, before ducking down and grabbing a cat who had been trying to sneak over to the dogs. "Ah-ah-ah, none of that, Your turn will be in a minute."

Tucking the disgruntled feline under her arm, she surveyed the room's other occupants, the cats that decorated almost every surface.

Nodding her head, the cats all stood up, languidly stretched and followed her into the next room, where she prepared cat food in a similar manner.

After pet feeding time, she played with some of the younger cats while their elders watched from around the room, she finally left the servants rooms, and instead made a beeline for the Conservatory.

Stepping into the glass room, someone else might be confused to find it unusually hot and humid, and decorated in rainforest flora.

"Oh Rita!" she hissed. "How's my favourite little snake?"

After a moment's silence, a reply was hissed. "Fine, but close the door, you're letting the hot air out."

Hailey dutifully kicked the door shut, and set off to find her 'little' snake, a three meter long Boa Constrictor, named Rita.

Sitting down next to the massive serpent as she rested next to the window, trying to absorb as much heat as the winter sun would give her, she hissed. "Hey hows your holiday season been, ya miss me?"

"The season's been the same as usual, unbearably cold." the Snake grumbled. "I don't know how you hot bloods manage it, even thinking about going out there makes me want to sleep forever." After a pause she added. "I suppose I did miss you though, most of the… residents around here aren't much for conversation."

"You mean, no one else can speak snake?" Hailey teased.

"I'm a snake, we don't really do affection you know," Rita said.

"Well from my experience, most snakes aren't as talkative as you… or that smart either."

"The burdens of being a genius among my kind," Rita lamented.

Hailey chuckled.

Rita certainly was an oddity as far as Hailey could tell. She had 'ehem' acquired her from the London Zoo Reptile house on one of Dudleys birthdays. While alongside Hailey discovering she was fluent in snake, she met the almost terminally depressed Boa Constrictor. Longing for a homeland she had never seen, Hailey took pity on the strangely eloquent snake and busted her out.

While the original plan had been to take her to Brazil, Ran then explained to Rita several terms she had been unfamiliar with, such as 'Crocodile', 'Jaguar' and 'natural predator'. Which had punctured both Rita and Hailey's enthusiasm for the idea. But rather than take the Snake back to a meaningless existence in a box, Hailey instead turned her until-then unused conservatory into a rainforest terrarium, and let the snake have the run of the house as long as she didn't eat any of Haileys other animals. And while she usually locked herself in the conservatory during the colder seasons, Rita found the arrangement far more fulfilling. Indeed, between Chen Hedwig and Rita, no mouse or rat could survive in the townhouse for long.

She was an strange one though, no other snake Hailey had met was anywhere near as smart or well spoken… or have a brazilian accented hissing for that matter.

"Soo are you back?" Rita asked.

"Not for long unfortunately, I gotta go back to school soon, but I'll be back all summer pretty much." Hailey said.

"... maybe I should just go to sleep, like Purple woman with many eyed holes. This winter thing really doesn't agree with me. Especially with no-one to talk to." Rita grumbled.

...It is worth noting that the description of Yukari is a lot shorter in snake.

"She has a name you know." Hailey chided.

"I know. But it's easier, I only use your name because you get pouty at me when I call you Green girl with too many fangs. Snake tongue is not designed for human names."

...this description is also a lot shorter in snake.

Hailey sighed "Alright, Alright… Well, I haven't seen you in a couple of months, anything in particular you want to talk about?"

The Snake seemed to think about it. "I don't really have much to say, too sluggish, but I feel like listening, you got anything?"

Hailey smiled. "Mind if I vent about school then?"

"... Sure, I do wonder what school would be like." Rita said.

"Trust me, it's not as interesting as you might think," Hailey said. "Well, let's start with the train..."

It was the evening, dinner had been had, and Hailey contentedly walked into her room. Hedwig stirred and looked up, and hooted inquisitively.

Hailey walked up and scratched under her beak. "Hey girl, how have you been."

Hedwig hooted, nipping Hailey affectionately.

Hailey nodded, before going over to her TV, and booting up her Megadrive. She grabbed a controller, and collapsing into a beanbag, she had some time to kill before new years, might as well make the most of it.

The Day leading up to the new year...

Stepping out of the Gap, Hailey breathed in the magic rich air of Gensokyo. She had gotten used to it over the years, and now it was more refreshing than overwhelming, like a mint. Indeed, when she stood here, she could feel her ever gnawing hunger fading. Gensokyo was the only place she ever felt… full.

"I must go wake up Yukari-Sama. You'll be alright by yourself I take it?" Ran asked, leaning out of the Gap.

"Sure thing. I'll just be playing with the girls, I'll be sure to stay out of sight." Hailey said, giving a thumbs up.

"Good girl, Yukari will probably be with you after the festivities." Ran said, before dipping back into the gap, closing it behind her.

Whistling a jaunty tune, she strolled through the forests of Gensokyo, which in the intervening years had basically become a second home for her… and probably her actual home once all this school nonsense was done with… not the forest in particular though, More Gensokyo in general.

"Hey Rumia." Hailey said, passing a blob of Darkness hanging off a tree branch.

"Hey Hailey." Rumia, the blobs invisible occupant Weezed, greeting her fellow meat eater.

As she approached the shrine however, she stopped whistling, and slowed her gait, and stuck to the shadows under the canopies, until she arrived at the edge of the grounds. Making sure she was in the shade, she peaked her head around the tree.

There were many people from the village walking around, setting up for the new year's celebration.

Hailey ignored them trying to find the one Human she was interested in, eventually finding Reimu sitting on the shrine steps looking bored, as that school teacher from down in the village seemed to be lecturing her.

She waited for Reimu to glance in her direction, and waved her hat to get her attention, while trying to not get anyone else's.

Thankfully, Reimu had good perception, and spotted the bright green hat and its owner immediately.

She said something to the teacher, who glanced in Hailey's direction, and even from this distance, Hailey could see a frown of disapproval on her face.

She said something to Reimu, who brushed her off, and headed in her direction.

The Teacher frowned at Hailey again, so she hid further behind the tree, in case the teacher called her out. But she didn't, Reimu walked into the forest and right past her without Keine saying a word. As soon as she was out of sight of the shrine, Hailey slipped into step next to her.

"Hellllo Reimu," Hailey said.

"Hey Hai-chan. Been here long?" Reimu asked, putting her hands behind her head.

"Nah, just got here," Hailey said. "How 'bout you? New years been busy?"

"Ugh, don't remind me." Reimu Grumbled, before glancing at the pool of shadows that was now laying against the tree trunk. "Hey Rumia."

"Hey Reimu, Hey Hailey." The now less winded Darkness Youkai responded.

"Hey Rumia." Hailey said again, because it pays to be polite to one of the primordial fears, even if she was a bit on the thick side.

"But yeah, this new year's thing is such a hassle. All the people, stalls, I gotta do a dance later. It's just a huge hassle, and I'm expected to have to manage it myself when I'm older."

"Wow, being a Miko is tough isn't it?" Hailey said.

"You only noticed that now?" Reimu asked.

"I dunno, it's just whenever I come you seem to be just loafing about the place, so I always figured it can't be that hard." Hailey said.

"Do you want me to hit you?" Reimu shot back.

After a few moments of walking and companionable silence, Reimu spoke again. "So how's this new Boarding school you're going to… Hoguwātsu or something?" Reimu asked.

Hailey giggled at Reimu's butchering of the english Language, before answering. "To be honest, pretty terrible, Classes all day, can't look after my animals, the magic they teach is annoying, and the Worst part, there are rules! Rules that they expect me to follow!"

Reimu snorted. "God you're such a brat."

"Maybe," Hailey conceded.

"No 'maybe' about it you are a brat, a spoiled one at that," Came a voice from on high.

Both of them looked up to see Marisa drift down astride a broom. "Then again, that's part of what makes you fun."

"Hey Marisa!" Hailey said, waving.

"Hey," Reimu said.

"Yo!" Marisa said, dismounting and falling the last few feet. "How are my favourite weirdos today?"

"Doing great thanks!" Hailey said, giving a thumbs up.

"Who you calling weird?" Reimu's response was more annoyed however, as she crossed her arms.

"Err... you, Miss floaty Shrine maiden of Hakurei," Marisa said. "There is enough weird in there for two people."

"If I'm weird enough for two, then there must be enough for three weirdos in there." Reimu said, poking Marisa in the chest.

Hailey tilted her head. "Where does that leave me then?"

Both of the Gensokyian natives looked at Hailey, before exchanging glances.

"Four?" Reimu suggested.

"I'd say five." Marisa countered.

"Does that mean I win or lose?" Hailey asked.

"You know what, I'll leave that up to you." Marisa offered.

Hailey threw up her hands in a silent celebration of victory.

"So anyway, I heard your dismissal already, but come on there has got to be more about attending magic school then that. I want details!" Marisa said passionately.

"Do I have to? I already told the whole thing to my snake," Hailey whined.

Marisa didn't even dignify the complaint with a verbal response, she just grabbed Hailey by her shoulders and frogmarched her to a nearby stump, and sat her down. "Get talking Hai-chan."

Hailey sighed theatrically. "I suppose I must."

"You love the attention," Reimu said, but sat down to listen anyway, Marisa sitting down next to her.

"Alright, where to start…" Hailey Pondered, before inspiration struck. "Well might as well start when I got my letter. It started as a day like any other…"

Girls are story telling, please wait patiently...

"...And then I headed to my friends to celebrate Christmas, and now I'm here.

"I feel like that last bit was skimmed over a bit." Marisa said.

"What's 'Kurisumasu'?" Reimu said, brows furrowing at the unfamiliar holiday.

"It's nothing important." Hailey brushed off. "But yeah, that's my experience with boarding school so far."

"To be honest, I don't know what you are complaining about." Reimu said. "That sounds more interesting than school in the village."

"Well, considering I was enjoying no school beforehand…" Hailey said.

Reimu scoffed. "Kami you are spoiled."

"I think Hailey has a point. Learning from Mima is much cooler than that," Marisa said.

"But Mima is insane though." Reimu pointed out.

"Well, so am I, what's your point?" Marisa countered.

"...Nothing I guess." Reimu admitted.

"I don't think any of us are what most people would call sane." Hailey added.

"Hey!" Reimu said.

"Takes crazy to know crazy, and your willingness to hang out with us ain't winning you any awards in the sanity department." Hailey countered.

Reimu didn't really have a counter to that so just sulked.

"Eh, sanity is overrated anyway." marisa said, leaning back to stare at the sky. "...What even is 'sane' anyway? It's only really definable by its absence. What's so special about that? Just be crazy, that's what I say, nobody ever got anywhere just by being normal. All you can ever do is walk in circles."

There was a contemplative silence as the girls pondered Marisa's words. Until Reimu got bored and changed the subject.

"So will you be coming up to the Shrine for new years this year?" Reimu asked Marisa.

"Not yet Reimu, sorry," Marisa said, rubbing the back of her head apologetically.

"Why not, you are plenty strong already." Reimu said, pouting.

"I've told you a hundred times already, I'm not gonna show my face around the villagers until I've finished my apprenticeship with Mima," Marisa said. "That way nobody can drag me back, and even if they could, it would be too late. They can't make me unlearn stuff."

"Come on, as if anybody could drag you back, you can shoot lasers out of your fingertips." Reimu said.

Hailey, not having anything to contribute, and curious, since this was the first time she had heard this apparently common argument, listened intently.

Marisa looked uncomfortable, before sighing and saying. "Well… you could."

Reimu looked offended, and prepared what looked to be a biting retort. But Marisa cut her off.

"I know you wouldn't, but they will try and make you. You're the priestess of Hakurei, wouldn't it be your duty to drag this errant witch back to the village. And when you don't, it will look bad for you, and your shrine really doesn't need any more hits to its reputation right now. You know that."

Reimu looked taken aback, and struggled to find any counter argument to her friend's unusually serious statement.

"Look, I just don't want you to have to make a decision between your duty and your friend. I'm sorry, but I just don't want to put either of us through that."

Reimu looked kinda hurt, but then gained that certain frustration that both her friends recognise as her needing to break something. She seemed to be getting those more often these days.

Marisa tried to lighten the mood. "Besides, I'm not sure I'm ready to deal with Keine, I may be strong, but I'm not that strong... Yet at least."

Reimu snorted. "You know what, I'll buy that."

Reimu considered asking Hailey, but both knew the question would be a waste of time, Hailey was a youkai and very bad at hiding it.

Reimu took a deep breath, and released a frustrated grumble. "I just wish for once I could have someone I care about at these damn things, is it too much to ask for one of my friends to be there to make the whole thing more bearable."

"Don't you have any friends at school?" Hailey asked, feeling like she could re-enter the conversation. "Surely there must be someone there you can tolerate?"

Reimu gave her a look.

"... What nobody?" Hailey asked incredulously. "Even I managed to find some people I like hanging with and it only took me one day. You've been going there for years!"

"That's because I'm not a two faced youkai like you." Reimu shot back.

"Aaand it's that shitty personality is why Reimu can't make friends." Marisa snickered.

"It's not that!" Reimu snapped at Marisa, before stopping to think, and then conceded, "Okay, maybe a little. But more than that, the other kids just treat me… different."

"Well, you are the Priestess of Hakurei," Marisa said.

"I don't think I've ever been allowed to forget it," Grumbled Reimu. "All the other kids, they either treat me with reverence, fear… or scorn. Some make a token effort to interact with me, but they make it abundantly clear that they were put up to it by Keine, or their parents. I don't think any of them really see me as a person. It's just so… annoying."

The silence after that was a lot more uncomfortable then the previous silences. Both Hailey and Marisa knew that Being a Hakurei carried a lot of baggage, and a lot of issues that they couldn't hope to comprehend, let alone address...

Hailey then sprung to her feet. "You know what? Enough being gloomy, I came to hang out with you guys, let's play some Danmaku!"

"What, you in a hurry to get your arse beat?" Marisa smirked, getting up herself.

...So they did the only thing they could, be her friend, so that for a while at least, she could just be Reimu.

"I'll let you know I have been practicing," Hailey sniffed. "My new spell cards are quite impressive I'll have you know."

"I think we will be the judge of that, you have no idea how far we have advanced in less than half a year, " Marisa countered hastily. "Right Reimu?"

Reimu looked at her standing friends who were giving her their undivided attention.

She snorted. "What's this 'we' nonsense, I'm gonna kick both your butts."

"Ohh, them's fighting words," Hailey said, grinning wickedly. "Come on, get up and show us what you are made of!"

And thus Reimu was pulled both to her feet and out of her funk. As the trio floated into the air.

It wasn't really a proper Danmaku match, it was three people, and nobody was keeping score. But still the girls all ducked, dodged, and weaved through the multiple converging curtains of bullets, the multiple interceding spell cards meant that everyone was getting their fair share of hits in. but none of the girls really cared and they giggled and laughed with each other as lights danced through the clearing. Even some passing fairies joined in the game, throwing their own bullets willy nilly into the fray, and often wandering carelessly into the stinging projectiles.

They continued until the sun started dipping on the horizon, and when Keine stepped onto the edge of the clearing.

She tried clearing her throat, and realised that there was no way it would carry through the din of whatever mock battle they were performing, and instead called out, "Reimu!" in her best teacher voice.

The fight stopped immediately and they all turned to the teacher. Leading to Hailey getting pummelled by bullets in her turned back.

As Hailey hit the ground, smoking slightly, Marisa spoke quickly, "Ohdearisthatthetimegottagopickmushroomsbye." Before zooming off with all the speed she could muster.

With a sigh, Reimu landed next to her lightly smoking friend. "Is it time already?"

"I'm afraid so Reimu, the celebration is about to begin." Keine said.

Reimu nodded, before crouching down, to Help Hailey up. "Sorry, gotta go now Hai-chan. Will you be ok?"

"I've taken worse." Hailey said, holding her head. "Go on, and at the very least try and have fun."

Reimu rolled her eyes, "I guess I'll try."

Reimu walked up to Keine, nodded at her, and walked past her back into the forest.

Keine gave Hailey an odd look, before turning around.

Hailey watched them leave as Marisa drifted back.

"Hey Reimu, Hey Keine."

"Hey Rumia."

"Hello Rumia."

Midnight was approaching, and the festivities were winding down as people got ready for the new year's fireworks.

Some distance away, sitting on the top most branches of an evergreen tree was Hailey and Marisa, watching the festivities from afar.

"She doesn't look like she is trying at all." Hailey pouted.

"Well you know our Reimu, she's not really one for putting the effort in." Marisa said. "Specially when she doesn't think the other one will meet her halfway."

Both of them watched the tiny silhouette of Reimu sitting on the shrines steps, hands on chin. Her baleful eyes no doubt boring into any who dared cross her line of sight.

After a moment of silence, Hailey asked. "Do you think I'll ever be able to attend one of these things?"

"You mean out of disguise?" Marisa said. "Who knows. Maybe when Reimu is in charge she can invite whoever she feels like."

"Probably wouldn't do her reputation any favours though," Hailey added.

Marisa nodded at this.

Any further conversation was halted when the fireworks started, and both girls watched the modest display. A humble display by humble people, welcoming the new year.

"... I could do better." Marisa said, after the last firework went off.

Hailey snorted. "I'd like to see that."

"Challenge accepted," Marisa said.

The two girls watched as the festival slowly drew to a close. People packed up their stalls, and carted them away down the steps of the shrine. Keine was the last to go, obviously talking to Reimu, before she too left.

Reimu then stepped into the shrine, and the grounds were still.

The two girls sat in their tree for a little while longer, listening to the nighttime ambiance.

"Hey, I got an idea." Hailey said.

"What?" Marisa said, tilting her head.

"Why don't we clean up the grounds for Reimu while she's asleep?" Hailey said.

"Oh ho, I didn't think you were that civil minded Hai-chan," Marisa teased.

"I'm an anarchist Marisa, you know that. I just think Reimu deserves a break." Hailey said, pouting.

"Yeah, What kind of anarchist wants to grow up to be a servant?" Marisa shot back.

"Is that a no?" Hailey asked.

Marisa thought about it, "You know what? let's do it."

Reimu was in the process of removing her dress, when she heard some voices outside her door. Thinking it was some fairies messing about with all the festival rubbish, she quickly redressed, and made for the door to tell them off.

When she got closer however, the voices started sounding familiar, and she was also starting to hear a rhythmic clacking noise.

Opening the door a smigon she peeked out through the gap.

On the path out front, the unmistakable silhouettes of Hailey and Marisa were sword fighting with brooms, Hailey having clearly borrowed Reimu's broom, while Marisa was using her own.

As her eyes grew accustomed to a rather bright night, she noticed small piles of sweeped up trash littered around.

It didn't take a genius to figure out what the girls had been up to.

"Heh, idiots," Reimu said, smiling non the less.

Throwing on a scarf she opened the door, and stepped out to join her friends.

Notes:

As usual, sorry for how long this took, but I actually have an excuse this time: Building.

You see, due to my house burning down and all that, my dad's been elisting me to help fix up the block with all his new veggie gardens and orchards, and me mum has been getting us to help with the renovations to where we will be staying until the new house is done. This has been doing on for weeks of daily work

So as you could imagine I've been pretty spent recently.

I'll try to get more writing done, but please understand my time is pretty precious right now, so finding the time is difficult.

As for Covid, as an introvert who lives in the arse end of nowhere, so I've been fine, but still, pretty annoying that this all happened after half the country burned down.

As for the chapter itself, I have revealed that Heiley hoards animals, I wonder if i can give her any more weird hobbies before this story is done. Also meet Rita, I'm gonna have some fun with her later.

Also another reason why this chapter was late is my mused escaped again, and I ended up writing about three chapters of another Alternate Hailey: What if Koishi kidnapped Hailey as a baby, and Satori ended up raising her, might publish them here later, or in its own story, who knows?

Stay safe everyone, Wash yo hands.