The four witches stared at each other blankly.

"A 'chronicler'?" Marisa asked. "What's that?"

"I don't know either, but Patchouli Knowledge used that term to refer to me. I just thought one of you might know what that meant, or why she would call me that."

"Perhaps it is merely what it says on the tin," Miko suggested. "A chronicler is one who chronicles. You carry a diary with you at all times, do you not?"

I nodded, patting the jacket pocket where my trusted notebook lay. "I have it with me now. Though I don't really see why that makes me special in any way – I'm sure most intruders from the outside world would be keen to write down what they observed if they were as well-traveled around these parts as I have been. Hardly something noteworthy enough for an epithet."

"I cannot let slip the feeling that Patchouli may have revealed something to you that she did not intend to reveal," Reimu noted. "If that indeed proves to be the case, then whatever a 'chronicler' is may be vitally important to discovering why the Scarlet Devil Mansion went to such lengths to ensure that you emerged from there as blank a slate as possible. But that is only a hypothesis - unfortunately, powerful as we may be, we are not all-knowing."

"That's a good idea," Marisa said. "It definitely seems like something important. Maybe you'll have to go back to figure out why."

"I think that is enough near-death experiences for the day." Reimu frowned. "Traveler, I would ask that you refrain from returning to the Mansion until we have exhausted all other options in attempting to discern the meaning of that phrase."

"But what other options do we have?" I asked. "We don't know anyone who has been to the Mansion regularly – at least, anyone that we can talk to without having to fight them beforehand."

"We do know someone who's seen the inside of the Mansion, though. Alongside everything else you would care to know about Gensokyo." Reimu turned to Miko. "I think we should put training on hold for today, if you would not mind."

Miko gave an uneasy half-smile, clearly reluctant to have her fun ended before the party had even started. "If you say so. I suppose this is more important, isn't it?"

"It's important to the traveler," Marisa said, though for some reason she also appeared unusually unenthusiastic. "We should not hold him back from learning the truth about himself. Anyway, where are we headed?"

"To the foremost historian in the realm. If ever the name 'chronicler' applied to someone, it would be her."

And so, one swift broom-ride later, we found ourselves around the edges of the Human Village, where only the most confident or nonchalant – or both – of humans made their home. Making one's abode in such close proximity to the boundaries of the Forest youkai's vigil might normally be considered nothing short of suicidal, but those that lived here had good reason to be assured of their personal safety. The source of that assurance lay within a rickety wooden hut sandwiched between two stone houses, a structure that at first glance appeared to be little more than an aberration in the otherwise monotonous façade of walls and sliding doors. However, the great plaque hanging above the doorway, where the word "School" was scrawled in a haphazard fashion, seemed to suggest that there was more to this place than first met the eye – not that the interior, which appeared as dilapidated as the exterior, gave any hint as to why that might be.

Inside, five rows of tables and chairs were neatly arranged in front of a podium. Though the place could comfortably fit at least fifty people, only about a dozen were present. As we entered, my eyes were immediately drawn to the figure stood at the front of what was evidently some sort of classroom. The figure noticed us, and waved quickly, before putting a finger to her lips and motioning for us to sit around the back.

The next thirty minutes were spent in something of a daze – though Keine Kamishirasawa was certainly knowledgeable about Gensokyo's affairs, the difference between a good historian and a good teacher was patently laid bare. As the tired students filed out of the classroom at the end of the lesson, Keine made her way over to us.

"It is good to see the five of you again," she said. We nodded in greeting, though I was surprised to see Alice Margatroid, whom I assumed would have had better things to do with her time, nodding along with us as she sat beside Marisa. "What can I do for you today?"

"We have a question about the traveler's past which we hoped you might be able to answer," Marisa replied.

"I am not as omniscient in my human form as I am in my hakutaku form, but I will do my best." Keine pulled a chair beside her and took a seat. "What would that question be?"

"It's quite simple, actually," I said. "Do you know what a 'chronicler' is?"

Keine puffed her cheeks out and tilted her head, as if not quite understanding the question. "A 'chronicler'?"

I quickly recounted the events that had occurred in the Scarlet Devil Mansion. "Whatever a 'chronicler' is, it seems to pertain to my identity," I added.

"I would have come to the same conclusion," Keine said. She leaned back into her chair and gazed at the ceiling, as though looking to the sky for answers. "Unfortunately, the meaning of that word evades me for now. Perhaps I would be able to better serve you on the night of the full moon, when my powers are at their peak. In my alternate guise, I see all of the threads of time running through Gensokyo's past."

"The full moon's in two weeks," Marisa commented. "We may have to wait until then."

"Then I might have to ask you to be patient and wait until then," Keine said apologetically. "Maybe there are other means by which you might come to the truth of the matter, though I cannot on good conscience advise you to return to the Mansion. Having heard your tale, I suspect there may be more to your 'dreams' than you think."

"How so?" I asked.

"It is well-established, at least amongst those who can perceive the webs of time as I do, that dreams are very much windows into alternative timelines. When you dream, you are granted a brief peek into a different reality, a different iteration of the same world which you inhabit. Whatever happens to you in a dream is actually happening to you in a timeline that is not your own."

"So, when I dream of something, the person experiencing that dream is still 'me', but a 'me' in a different timeline?"

"Precisely." Keine paused. "But from what you have told me, it seems that you are doing more than just observing a different reality. You are actively able to affect whatever is happening, in a way that people who are dreaming cannot. You are no longer a mere traveler; you have control. The world around you changes in response to your actions. That is why it seems to be more than just a dream to me. And, in a way, knowing of your abilities, it does not surprise me at all that you can do that."

"Why?"

"When you teleport, you are moving between different strands of space. Now, it seems like you can perform a similar trick with time. Space and time are inextricably linked – where one goes, the other follows. Mastery over one may lead to mastery over another."

"Question."

We turned to look at Alice, who had raised her hand.

"Yes, Alice?" Keine said.

"Does that mean that Sakuya Izayoi can do the same?"

"You know…" Keine pursed her lips. "That is a good question. Unfortunately, I do not quite know enough about her to tell you."

"I thought you would know," Alice stated with a hint of disappointment.

"We do not know what we do not know," Keine replied bluntly. "Again, I would ask you to wait out the fortnight, and see if the full moon brings any answers."

"Then we shall not trouble you any further." Reimu rose from her seat, and beckoned for us to do the same. "Thank you for your time."

"You are always welcome. Feel free to drop by anytime." Keine escorted us out of the door, and we returned to the midday sun.

Alice bade us farewell as she returned to her place in the Forest, leaving us to decide on lunch for ourselves. As we walked towards the center of the Village, rapidly drawing the attention of the shopkeepers who happened to glance outside, an uneasy feeling began to grow in my heart. It wasn't that what Keine had said didn't sit well with me – far from it. Everything she had told us made sense, and I had no reason not to trust her. And yet…

"Something wrong?" Marisa, unexpectedly sagacious as ever, noticed my troubled expression and poked her head in front of mine.

"Not much. Just chewing over what Keine just said. Mastery over time and space… that sounds great in theory, but it seems my 'mastery' is still quite limited."

"That is because the capacity of your magic remains at a relatively human level," Miko explained. "With the proper training, you will be able to expand on what you can already do, and stretch it to a limit far beyond your current capabilities."

"I'm sure your tutelage will prove to be immensely effective," I said, and Miko beamed. "Though… that's not really what's bugging me right now."

"Is something else wrong?" Reimu queried.

"Remember the last time I asked Keine a question she couldn't answer?" I continued. "When we first met Keine, and I asked her what she knew about the traversal between the outside world and Gensokyo. And she left in a huff, because-"

"Because she didn't know the answer," Marisa finished. "I get what you mean. She didn't do that this time, sure. But I wouldn't read too much into it."

"It sounds like a stupid thing to get hung up about, but I just couldn't help but remember."

"I think we're all a little prone to reading deeply into things right now," Miko chirped, pulling her lips into a half-hearted grin. "The extent of your abilities is a great unknown, after all. Something that is beyond even our reach. I am surprised that you can remain so calm, even though your time here has been nothing but an endless stream of life-changing surprises. Such a sequence of events would be enough to drive most men mad. But then again, you are not most men – that much is clear to me now."

"I can't help myself." I smiled. "I am a 'chronicler', after all."