Going back and reading through the story, we've found that I put Yumemi's name as "Yumeme". Again, like the Eientei thing, a mistake on my part. Like how I keep calling Yuuka 'Yuka'.

Anyways, in my opinion, Meltdown isn't ready. I'd rather have it mostly ready than just send it out now. Seeing the reviewers call for it... yeah, it has been over a year. For which I deeply apologize. Various factors have been at play. Family emergencies, family drama, life in general. It's difficult to write when you are depressed over what is going on, when the people you love are hurting and you feel helpless to do anything. Among other things, that kind of kills the motivation to write. I should have gotten this done over six months ago, but... yeah. Life. At the end of the day, I need to be able to write. And I've lost that will quite a lot this past year. Meltdown is nowhere NEAR being complete.

But I can give this to you. Episode One. Again, I'd rather it all be ready so I can dish it out every week, but that won't happen. But you're right. You're all right. A year is too big. So... I'll give you this. The rest of the story isn't complete, so don't expect it to show up any time soon.

And as always, thanks to Smooglii for being there for me. Just being able to talk to you, man, it's helped a lot. I know I've mentioned it to you, but I really have been depressed with everything. I've gotten through it, I know what it is. I've been diagnosed with it before, and treated, so yeah, I know it is depression. It's been back.

A day has not gone by since I have not thought about ICB. This is my baby. If it is the one thing I'm known for in my entire life, I'd be happy for it.

And yes... this started out as an introduction to Touhou. But as the nature of stories go... sometimes stories evolve. Change.

They'd have to, with Haruhi at the helm after all.

Thank you all for being so patient. And I selfishly have to ask you to continue to be even more patient.

On the plus side, I've seen Touhou get more exposure thanks to Steam. Touhou 16 and Touhou 15.5 are on it, alongside a good handful of doujin games. The Nintendo Switch is to have several Touhou doujin games as well, so yeah, I really am happy that more and more is coming stateside. It's all I could ask for.

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is owned by Nagaru Tanigawa. Touhou Project is owned by ZUN and Team Shanghai Alice. I own neither. This is a fan fiction of those works.

Beta Reader (and partial writer) for this episode:

Smooglii

It's difficult to say what is more disheartening about all of this.

I'm not usually at a loss for words. In fact, sometimes I'll overthink things, I'll admit. But the fact that what was about to happen did indeed happen... And I'm not just talking solely about my own impending death. It's that everything that came together for this one day, everything that had been building up and up and up. It finally all came together, and for me to be there for it, to understand it...

Haruhi was right. I do feel small and insignificant. Our world is far more wondrous than I had ever hoped it would have been. And on the flip side, more dangerous.

I know throughout this story, there has been talk of powerful beings. Like the Yama, where her power was unlike anything I could have imagined. Or the nuclear youkai, who was able to destroy the world, and had been my absolute focus for four years. Four years I had focused on that youkai.

Yet so small and insignificant.

There was someone much more powerful at play here, and the fate of our world was only just the beginning. It took me very late in the game to see it. I recall my conversation under Eientei with the brigade while Tewi was leading the way, where we had deduced that someone else was pulling the strings here. But for what purpose? That was the question that had eluded me.

It wasn't anything good, naturally.

For us anyways.

The ironic thing is, I already faced the exact same situation before. Just not on the stage and scale this was about to take place. But history repeated itself, because it was set to repeat itself.

I don't know if I believe their words, that we've done this before. Part of me believes it, part of me refuses to.

I know it's not fair for the big bad to finally reveal themselves in the last act, but sometimes you just don't get the luxury of knowing your enemy until you reach the end. Sometimes in, say, a video game, you don't know who the final boss is until late game.

Same thing with Yuyuko, same thing with Kaguya. I didn't know who they were until I was almost at the end of their respective incidents.

We just weren't prepared for her. We were preparing for a nuclear youkai. That was the immediate threat. It was just so much worse than that, in almost every way.

A small consolation thought was the fact that Seija would be waiting in the wings for this. That was in the back of my mind, that she might do some last minute save or something.

When I got to the end, I knew that if I lost, my world would end, and the fates of others would be done as well. But if I won, it wouldn't feel like winning. It would feel like I lost a bigger game.

I'm used to shaking the world.

But what took place here was beyond my comprehension. The numbers involved were just too high for someone like me to even begin to understand.

And the one behind this? Ultimately, she was right. She was right, and I hate myself for it.

And for it to happen on that day? Just kind of gave it a little more... dramatic flair.

If we failed, the world would not see the next day. A day that so many people in the world look forward to every year.

Also, kind of fitting, considering my first remark when I began telling my story about Haruhi Suzumiya.

"Unlike humans, a youkai needs a reason to be born. By the taking of a vow. Those like you, who seem flawless and wear clothes over their hearts, might look goalless in life. But, because you wear clothes, you have forgotten how to walk like a beast, haven't you?

I know there is a wish you want to fulfill."

Reimu Hakurei, to Yuka Kazami. From the doujin "The Name of the Flower" by: Takatora.

"As Henry Glassie said in his essay 'The Moral Lore of Folklore': 'We must continue to argue over the nature of folklore and the definition of our discipline, avoiding the complacent attitudes that have enervated more established disciplines. Folklore is not simply what professional folklorists choose to study, nor is it enough to do one's private work efficiently. As we argue over what folklore is, we preserve the intrinsic value structure that has nurtured our discipline for a long time.'"

As he finished saying that, my professor glanced up at the clock hanging on the wall.

"By the way, that will be on the final, so read that essay. And don't forget to read 'Literary Folkloristics and the Personal Narrative' by Sandra Dolby Stahl. You're gonna be tested on that entire book for a good chunk of the final."

I sighed, stretching, as most students got up and left as our class ended. I couldn't believe how boring this university class was, and this one seemed to drone on and on for what had felt like an eternity. I had taken up various classes that dealt with folklore, mythology, and the like in the hopes that this could be something useful, considering. Also, I might as well get at least a minor in mythology studies. I'd been doing decently enough in them, and hey, research for what's going on in my life.

That being said, this one was very boring.

Seriously, why did it feel like it took so long? It's like I've been here for eight hours. My whole body feels heavy, and-

I had looked over to another student, and it happened to be... Haruhi?

What? No, she has a class on the other side of the campus. What is she doing here?

Also, she was wearing a powder blue bikini.

I stared at her, wondering if this was something weird she was trying - if it was, then it was a pretty bad relapse. She had been relatively normal for a long while. I looked to a passing student, unsure of what to do, and also to try to make sure that someone wasn't gawking at her, when I noticed that the student had no face. I paused, unsure of what to make of it, before turning to another. Again, no face. They just silently left the room one by one, ignoring my confused stare. I took a deep breath, before turning to Haruhi again, and this time she was wearing a yellow bikini that was more revealing.

I mean, way more revealing.

"Did you go and change the world again? Are we in another closed space? I mean, Nagato and Koizumi are gonna-" I quickly covered my mouth, unable to believe that I had let that slip. My mind went to a million different places all at once, and I quickly brought out my cell phone. I dropped it, and it bounced off the floor, and back into my hand.

...I know it's kind of late to say it, but something really weird is going on. A thought crossed my mind, and I pinched my left arm.

I didn't feel it. Just a 'fuzzy' sensation on my general left side.

This wasn't like when I went into closed space with her in high school. I blinked. Oh. Am I just dreaming? I looked to Haruhi, who had gone down to a green string bikini.

I guess I am. Not bad, self.

The Meltdown of Haruhi Suzumiya

Episode 1

["The Sloth of Humanity"]

"The sealed youkai awoke with the violent geyser.

The memories of the Earth began to awaken, and Gensokyo would probably regress to an older period from its history.

The youkai of the underground were cast into its depths because of their abominable powers.

It couldn't be a fortuitous thing for humans or youkai if they were to appear again.

The snow, slowly shining.

The palace, surrounded by beautiful colors.

...she was there..."

Touhou 11: Subterranean Animism, Prologue

I got up, making sure that my dream phone wasn't broken, which it wasn't. If I was dreaming, however, I guess it didn't really matter. Not unless I wanted to call dream Nagato or whatever. Is that possible? Hmm. Actually, barring the whole 'my girlfriend is in extremely revealing... uhhh... string,' this is fascinating. I might be lucid dreaming here. Total control of my dream. This had never before happened to me.

Of course, the nagging feeling of that this was another closed space concocted by Haruhi was on my mind. How could it not be? What happened in high school was unforgettable. I looked to Haruhi, who was down to... band aids. Band aids covering the essential parts of the female body. I nearly lost my dream footing.

Yeah, this can't be concocted by her. I don't see her doing this for me. I'd like her to. Though not the band aid for clothes thing. I don't get that fetish.

Part of me wanted to look away, so I could see how far the 'less clothing' thing could go, but I decided to just go to her. While I had no idea what kind of dream this was, part of me wanted it to go down a certain road.

I sighed. "Seriously, this kind of dream in one of my classrooms? I mean, I'm not really complaining, but-"

"But you are complaining."

That was my voice that came out of Haruhi.

Well that's a turn off.

I frowned. "Really?"

"What?" Haruhi looked confused.

"Couldn't you have had her voice?"

She put her hands on her hips and pouted. "What, this isn't good enough for you? Nothing ever is, is it?"

Am I really arguing with my dream? "In case it goes down that route, I don't want to be hearing myself moan." Because that would be all kinds of screwed up.

"What are you talking about?"

"You're speaking like me. You have my voice." Do you not hear yourself?

She furrowed her brow. "Really? I could have sworn I have my voice. It sounds just fine to me. I mean, you sound normal."

I brought my palm to my forehead. "This totally ruins the mood, you know."

She held up her hands. "Hey, this is your dream."

At least this is confirmation. Because it would be maddening for this to be a closed space with a scantily clad Haruhi that had my voice. "Isn't it yours too? Or mine... or... I don't know how this works. Why'd this have to be screwed up? It started off so well."

"Why are you arguing with your subconsciousness?"

"You're my subconsciousness?"

She paused. "Maybe. I don't know. Maybe just a figment of your mind? Are you dreaming, or is this a nightmare? Maybe wishful thinking. I certainly don't know. Regardless, if I am you, then dude, you're arguing with yourself." Haruhi with my voice laughed. "Boy, Freud could write pages on what's going on here, can't he?" She shrugged. "Fine, if you don't want anything to happen, I'll just leave."

As she left, I was rendered speechless until she went to the doorway, pausing to give me a wink before leaving and closing the door.

Man really? I block myself in my own dreams? I felt like punching a hole in the wall over what happened. Also, I really must be crazy to have such a dream.

Frustration. It's a real thing.

I stood there, waiting for me to wake up, unsure of how this worked. This was a very unusual dream for me. Nothing happened after what felt like several minutes, so I went to the exit - just being there was doing me no good. I opened the door, and found that I was suddenly in some sort of blue realm.

Oh. Okay, this is new.

The ground was water that rippled when I stepped, and the sky appeared to be a starry night. It was quite beautiful, and I felt at peace. Seriously, this was the type of surreal things poets and artists could come up with. I inspected the ground, and found that I was really walking on water here, with nothing underneath it. Poking my hand into the water, it felt like regular water, but it was keeping myself on it like it was concrete. I turned back where I came, and there was just a pink orb where I came from. Looking around, there appeared to be a lot of those orbs just floating. Curious, I touched the orb that was behind me, and I found myself in the classroom again. Again, the teacher was giving his speech, word for word from the beginning. It was like it was reset.

Is this...

I hurried back outside, entering the realm again.

Am I exploring memories? Did I unlock the secrets to my brain, and I was interjecting wishful thinking?

I quickly made my way to another orb, and touched it.

I found myself in the S.O.S. Brigade club room back in high school. Everyone was there, at high school age. Asahina was making tea, Haruhi was on her (stolen) computer, Koizumi was staring down at a chessboard with the pieces already in mid-game, and he was contemplating his next move. Weirdly enough, Nagato was on a laptop instead of reading a book, and she had bunny headphones. None of them seemed to notice me. Also, they were all wearing maid outfits, and there was one set next to my seat.

What's with this? I certainly don't remember a maid day. I eyed the one next to my seat. That better not be for me. Koizumi being in one is bad enough...

Since nothing happened, I exited back to the realm.

Trying another, I found a green grassland, where there was a crane with Tsuruya's face on its chest hanging out with a weird floating mountain costume that had Koizumi's face. Yeah, this is... unusual. I looked around for a door, and finding one just sticking up out of the ground, I exited.

I stared out at this place. Okay, those were clearly not memories. Those were just weird and surreal. I have to be dreaming. Those have to be dreams. I tried more orbs, the next one I tried happened to put me at the village where Remilia Scarlet saved Patchouli. Remilia had just gotten there, I re-watched the violence for a bit, before exiting into the church - it was the only door open - back into this place.

Really, this was fascinating. I kept trying them, and it was like a trip down memory lane. The dreams about Gensokyo, and some of my most memorable personal dreams, they were all there, in each of the orbs.

Are these strictly dreams? Because if it was just memory, then I should have come across something like what I had for breakfast the previous day. But every orb I came across gave me access to a dream that I clearly remembered - ones that have stuck with me. Yes, I know most people forget their dreams after they wake up, but there are some that you do keep with you.

Something struck me. Am I in the Dream World? Does this actually exist?

I noticed something - I came across ones that appeared to have a 'darkness' to them, and when I approached, I felt actual fear. Okay, if this is a Dream World, then I'm gonna assume those are nightmares. I steered clear of those.

I found myself at a particular series of dreams, ones that I clearly remembered from my childhood. Dreams of flying, dreams of having magical powers, of experiencing the paranormal. It was exhilarating, and I actually felt nostalgic. I felt alive. I exited a dream where I owned an amusement park (and I got off the best roller coaster ever) and I could feel the grin I had on my face. I must be smiling like an idiot in bed right now. I looked around at what had to be dream orbs or whatever, feeling grateful for the experience.

What an amazing world. There's an actual Dream World. If Yukari was behind this, then I'd have to thank her for allowing me this experience. And if not, I'd have to track down who did this for me and express my gratitude. Unless I managed to unlock the secrets to lucid dreaming by random chance. I knew there were 'exercises' to do so, but I didn't do anything like that recently.

Really, I think I needed this, because I think my stress levels were about to break me. We're almost at the end of the year, and-

I wasn't alone.

Noticing movement, I hid behind a series of the orbs, looking to my right. Wait, if this is the Dream World, then what's this?

A pretty young woman with dark blue eyes and hair. She was wearing a black and white dress, covered in black and white orbs. She was also wearing what appeared to be a red Santa hat. She carried a blue book with the letter "D" on it with one hand, and was inspecting the orbs. I also noticed that she had a tail that was swinging back and forth - a white tail with a black tuft end. So she obviously wasn't human. I kept staring at her, as she didn't seem to notice me.

"Hmm..." She closely inspected the orbs, handling them with her free hand. As she touched each one, the book would open and flip to a page. She would glance at the book, read something, then go back to inspecting. She shook her head at a pink one, and repeated that down the line. Soon, she went up to a darker one and seemed pleased by it. "Ah. Excellent." She then picked it up, sniffed it, and began to eat it like a big marshmallow. "Mmm! Delicious!"

It dawned on me what she might be. A baku. A dream eating youkai. So, either she was a tapir baku , or no, she had to be the chimera baku, the ones with the body of the bear, an elephants trunk, rhino eyes, tiger paws, and an ox tail. She blatantly had the ox tail, but none of the other chimera features. Interesting. Her dress is the same pattern as a tapir's coat, however. So maybe a mixture of the two?

Yes, a tapir. You know what those are. The Drowzee in Pokémon are based on them.

So I was in the presence of a dream eater. I guess I should be grateful that she's going after the nightmares then? That made sense - they had fear surrounding them. And this youkai was directly eating that fear. Very direct way to consume fear, I suppose. Even though the orbs were pretty big, about the size of a human head, she was packing them away, like a kid in a candy shop. Speaking of which, is there a dream around here where I can be in a candy shop? Or maybe one where I can be at the SDM eating another wonderful dinner? That sounds really good right about now.

She finished off another dark orb, and looked around, patting her stomach. Her eyes fell on me, and I froze, unsure of how to react. Don't tell me I'm gonna have to defend myself against her. I had no idea if a real world iteration of a baku was immediately hostile to humans, but I was about to find out.

"Oh." She blinked, covering her mouth with her free hand, and there was genuine surprise in her voice. "Oh my. I didn't expect to see someone out of their dream."

Again, confirmation. These orbs were dreams. "Was I supposed to not come out here?" I didn't know if I was caught doing something bad.

She tilted her head. "It's unusual, yes, but not unheard of." She gave me a little curtsy. "Uhm, hello." The girl didn't appear to know how to handle this. "I think you have a grasp of where you are. And you must be strong minded - most of the people who do end up out here are usually freaking out by the weirdness."

"No, I experience a lot of weirdness myself." I looked around. "So this is the Dream World then, right?"

She nodded.

This is so amazing. It's actually a thing. "And that would make you a baku, correct?"

Her eyes shined as she smiled. "That makes this so much easier. Yes, yes I am" She bowed. "My name is Doremy Sweet."

That's a nice name. At least she didn't seem hostile. I told her my name, and then we awkwardly stood there for a while. I mean, really, what was I going to do? I was really out of my element there. And usually when I meet a youkai on my own, it doesn't really turn out all that great for me. Please don't be another Seija in wanting something from me, or Rumia, who wanted to eat me.

"Is uh... is there something I can help you with?"

"Did you bring me in here?"

She shook her head. "No. I'm just as surprised as you are."

I crossed my arms, contemplating this. "You wouldn't happen to be an acquaintance of Yukari, would you?" Or, dare I say... Seija?

Again, she shook her head. "No, but I've heard of that name. Isn't her name Yukari Yakumo and part of that Gensokyo thing?"

This might be a problem. Or maybe not. Maybe I'd just have to find a way to wake up to get out of there. I nodded in response to her question. "So this isn't a part of Gensokyo then?"

"Not really. I think there might be a way to there from here, or vice versa, or both." She scratched under her cap. "I haven't tried it myself. But... I think there was a way to Gensokyo a few years ago. It's gone now, if I remember correctly."

I kept staring at her, ultimately deciding that she wasn't a threat. She didn't seem interested in me, though she did tell me not to do anything to disturb the realm. You're also talking about Mugenkan - Kazami's dream mansion that had direct access to the Dream World. I felt like slapping my forehead for forgetting such a thing until that point. That's what Kazami's initial incident centered around - beings from the Dream World invading Gensokyo until the mansion itself was destroyed.

Doremy continued, despite my silence. "You won't have a problem with me as long as you don't disturb things around here. Lucid dreamers are okay, as long as you don't interfere with other dreams or the work of a baku."

"So am I lucid dreaming? I've never done that before, nor have I done any exercises to induce it."

She shrugged, smiling. "That's how people usually end up here. It could just be a random occurrence that you were able to figure a way out here, or maybe just a poorly put together dream you escaped from. You're welcome to go back to your dreams, or you can just stay out here until you wake up."

I slowly nodded, wondering if I should just easily go back. As for me, as interesting as it was to meet a baku, I got the feeling that she wasn't going to be of much help. I sat down, noticing that my pants weren't getting wet despite the water floor, as I considered what to do. Doremy stared at me for a bit, before she went back to eating nightmares, which she had deemed a higher priority than interacting with me.

"So what else do you baku do, anyways, besides the obvious?" Maybe I can learn a little more about these guys while I'm here. "If you don't mind me asking."

"We're in charge of dreams. We create some of them, we can alter, and we eat them." She pointed to a nightmare with a huge grin. "Oh yes, the best ones are the recurring nightmares. Ones that have been filled with human fear time and time again. The terror that surrounds them is mouth watering."

That's a given. "So you guys are the ones who create dreams? And you can alter them?"

"We don't create all dreams. Some of them, yes, but we can control them." She grinned mischievously. "What's really fun is to change a dream while a human is in it. Just surprise them with a complete swap, or just screw with them."

So you guys are to blame for confusing dreams. But I couldn't help but laugh. "Yeah I bet." As she ate another nightmare, it dawned on me how this whole thing might work - they created dreams, let humans experience them, and then ate them afterward (and I'm just guessing here); kind of like how a farmer plants seeds, puts in work, and then reaps in the fruits of their labor. So I'm witnessing a harvest then? Shouldn't there be more of you?

Considering that she was eating nightmares and not my good dreams, I was okay with what I was witnessing. Hey, she can have the nightmares I've had. Go ahead and take them away, please.

As I watched her, I considered going into another dream, but... if I was in a dream, and she ate it while I was inside, would she eat me? If I asked her, I couldn't trust her to give me an honest answer. As nice as this realm was, I could see the obvious danger. Then I'm glad I was out here instead of in a dream with her around. At the very least she seemed giddy at the notion of changing a dream while a human is experiencing them, so either way, she'd do something to me while I was in one, no doubt.

I can't forget that I have to be careful around youkai. At least until I earn their respect, right? Or I had some backup in the way of Reimu or Remilia.

She licked her fingers after finishing that one, and went up to...

How in the world did I not notice that?

This was a really dark orb, about as dark at the center as a moonless night. Just staring at it from where I was put fear in my body, and a feeling of absolute dread came over me.

No. That can't be.

The baku paused upon seeing it.

"That's not... normal." She tentatively stepped up to it. "What is this?"

I stood up, as I could feel it in the pit of my stomach. I knew what that nightmare was, just by looking at it. "I know what that one is. Get it away. Get rid of it."

She was about to say something, when-

I heard a siren.

I opened my eyes, bolting up, not expecting that. If it wasn't for the siren, I would have known that something was immediately wrong. All the plants around me were dead, the tree with no leaves, and looking burned. The air was hot, way hotter than it should have been for a summer. I got up, the bench creaking, the wood already dried up and splintered. It was day already, the sky was red, casting a crimson tint everywhere, making this even worse. I instantly knew this was a bad thing. The noise wouldn't go away, the siren cold, lifeless, uncaring.

Whoa whoa whoa whoa. No. I stood up. No. No not again.

I was back at the Scarlet Devil Mansion, in that little courtyard where I had fallen asleep on the bench.

"Doremy?" I called out. "Doremy, you there? I need help!" At least I could talk under my own power.

I can't go through this again. I can't. Also, that's not fair. Nobody touched that nightmare.

I heard a gasp, and I saw her behind me, clutching her book, wide-eyed. "Okay, yeah, this isn't normal."

I was about to say something, when my body began to move on its own. "No no no!" I was going to the front yard. "Doremy! Help me! I know we just met but you gotta help me!" I was almost ready to let myself go full-on panic mode.

She seemed to be panicking a bit, unsure of what to do. "Ah, I'll try!" She opened up her book, and brought out a pencil.

"Don't leave me alone," I called out to her. "I die in this dream!" I had no right to expect help from her, but she was the only one there with me. I moved to the front yard, and everything was still dead, including the party. Fairy bodies littered the yard, all of them with burn marks. No no no not this again! Doremy hurried to my side.

"I just don't get it. This hasn't happened before!" Doremy began to erase something in her book, and looked around. "It's not working." I guess she felt my anxiety, as it spread to her. She didn't like this.

"What do you mean it's not working?!" The front door slammed open due to the wind. "This nightmare is about to end really violently!"

"What is this?" She grabbed me by my shirt. "What is this?!"

"You're asking me?" My body ran, breaking free of her grip, as we heard the siren end, and as I reached the door...

All I could do was brace for it.

A bright flash, a huge explosion, from behind me. I turned around, and still the most frightening thing I could ever imagine was right there, across the lake.

A mushroom cloud.

The force hit me, knocking me inside. I tried to get back up, but I couldn't - I felt weak, enveloped with pain.

I didn't want to look. I didn't want to look. But my automatically-moving body betrayed me.

Why am I going through this again? Which deity did I piss off to deserve this again?

Reimu. Yukari. Marisa. Alice. Sakuya. Remilia. Youmu. Yuyuko. And everyone else I knew in Gensokyo were there. Nagato's body was there, as well as Koizumi's and Asahina's. Everyone's body had that same damage – redness, flaying, burning.

Doremy stepped into my vision, looking down at the bodies, obviously shaken. "There is something seriously wrong with this nightmare. I don't think it's a nightmare at all!"

CAUTION! CAUTION! CAUTION!

The siren. It made my blood run cold. A shadow cast over me from the outside, forcing me to return my attention to that open door that showed the horrific mushroom cloud.

You.

I could feel myself burning, though I wasn't on fire. I felt weak as I tried to crawl away from the hell raven.

This nightmare had stayed with me, as well as this figure. Great wingspan, long hair with a large ribbon, a skirt, and those three distinguishing features about her. A large glowing red eye in her chest. Draped across her wings, there was a cape. It was white on the outside that had draped over her wings, but she had the universe in there. I could see star systems, galaxies. This cape exuded power. It made her seem like a god. And that damn yellow and black nuclear symbol glowing on the tube on her arm..

I wasn't feeling fear. I was just feeling anger at this point, of having to go through this again. "You're not taking me, Okuu. You're not taking this world from me."

This creature opened her eyes. Not the one on her chest, but her dark red eyes.

"I don't care what you're doing, what you're going to do, but I'm beating you. There is no way I'm dying at your hands, Okuu. I'm putting a stop to you! I don't care what I have to do to win! I'm surviving, and I'm not losing anybody!" My bravado fell on on the deaf ears of the nuclear youkai.

The light outside intensified, the mansion began to shake, causing the chandelier to crash, missing me by a mere meter, and blocking my crawling. The creature stepped forward as the building started to come down around us. She didn't flinch to the chaos around us, just kept her eyes on me. She slowly made her way to me, the burning on my skin getting unbearable. I was trapped.

"I can't alter this!" Doremy knelt down to me. "This isn't a dream! This is based off of a memory!"

That can't be right. "What?!" I finally looked up to her, her face showing utter confusion.

"This happened to you! That's the only explanation I have!"

December 24th, 2008

Christmas Eve

I was ready to shout at her that it wasn't possible, when I realized I was staring at Kunikida asleep in his bed across the room. I gasped for air as I looked around, finding myself in my dorm room. The clock read just after nine in the morning, and I spent the next few minutes trying to keep myself from screaming in frustration and anger.

Why?! Why did I have to go through that?!

I laid back down in a huff, unsure of whether to take that seriously, or just chalk it up to...

Yeah, I'm gonna take it seriously.

I took a drink from the water bottle I kept near my bed, before I ate a half-eaten granola bar I had squirreled away for a quick breakfast. The eating calmed me down to reasonable levels as I pondered what I had experienced. So that's interesting. A dream eater said that the nuclear nightmare was a memory. But that's just not possible. I never experienced that before. Also, the whole thing was unfair, as I was having such a good time before the return to that nightmare. Still, if I meet Doremy again, I'll have to thank her for her attempt at helping me. On the trail of that... Oh crap, what if she got stuck in that nightmare? Or memory?

She didn't seem to be affected by anything in the dream. When the blast hit me, it didn't even touch her. So hopefully the baku was all right. I would have to make contact with Yukari to make sure, that is, if Yukari could access the Dream World, and I didn't see why not.

Was it a memory? If she was a dream being, and if it was a dream, then common sense would say that she could be effected by it, even though I have no evidence to back that up. At the very least, a being in the Dream World should be more responsive to dreams. My mind went in circles trying to figure this one out. Eventually I just simply gave up on that train of thought, and decided something else. Even though Doremy and I just met, she still made the attempt to help. That's special. I gotta remember to thank her for her attempt later, should I cross paths with her again.

Kunikida was still asleep, and he shifted in bed as I got up to get ready for the day. Even after I had a shower, shave, and gearing up for winter, he was still out. I silently bid him goodbye, wondering if maybe Doremy moved onto him. Whatever he was dreaming was making him move about a lot.

After the holidays, I'm gonna have to have a talk with Yukari about this. Me having that dream again, and for a dream eater to call it a memory is a concern.

I wasn't about to let that deter me. I had determined to keep the Underground Incident stuff to a minimum during Christmas Eve and Christmas itself. I didn't need it ruining the holidays.

The dorm hallways had cheap Christmas decorations strewn about, and as I passed the rooms, I kept noticing that people were either asleep, playing video games, on their computers, or whatever. Nobody was doing anything of note, and that was understandable, given the circumstances.

Due to the exceptional and unusual heavy snowfall that had plagued Japan for the past week, I couldn't make it back home for Christmas, so I already called my family and wished them a Merry Christmas. It was true for most of the people on campus. It was really disappointing, but what can you do? Weather is weather. It was really bad, yet not bad enough for people to get hurt. Streets were closed, as were some businesses. It wasn't good for such a holiday. A lot of us were stuck on campus, because we had assumed that it wouldn't get this bad. So, there we were, stuck together and away from our families.

That being said, not many people were upset with it. I mean, the campus still had enough supplies, food, etc. It was us students who lived on campus and the workers. But yeah, since the Internet didn't go out, people were apparently fine with being stuck here, and there weren't any reports of any fatalities because of the icy conditions, so that was good. Nobody was really making an attempt to leave - they were just satisfied with their electronic devices.

Part of me was wondering if Haruhi had something to do with all of this. I had overheard her earlier in the month hoping for a white Christmas, so it made me wonder if this was her doing. Could be, or not. Even if it was by her power, I couldn't despise her for it, as nothing really bad had happened, barring the whole travel thing. I mean, it was really nice to have and see such a winter wonderland during this time.

The previous evening, I had gone out and stared at the blank, white snowfall. I couldn't deny the beauty of it. It reminded me of that wintry Gensokyo, of me standing there with Meiling as we stared out at the lake. Of soaring above the Forest of Magic, following the cherry blossoms. Of Mayohiga.

It really does feel like so long ago.

One thing made me pause as I neared the common room - someone had their door open, and they had The Living End's "End of the World" playing. As I neared the room, the song started, making me grimace, as I remembered that vivid nightmare. If it was a nightmare in the first place. I don't know. I mean, Doremy, if she isn't a product of my imagination in the first place, was adamant about what the dream was. The way she looked at me said she was serious.

"The end of time, or just in my mind" indeed. As much as I liked that song, it was the last thing I wanted to hear at that point.

In the common room itself, there was a big King of Fighters tournament set up, complete with whiteboard brackets. I think it was King of Fighters '98 Ultimate Match, the 10th anniversary re-release of the game, and they were well under way. These guys weren't going to let the day go to waste. They even had a nabe going, with food they managed to scrounge up. The hotpot looked really appetizing, and I stayed to watch a few matches. I declined when they asked if I wanted in on the tournament, since almost everyone was maining Terry - I found him annoying. After watching yet another Terry victory, I left, bundling myself up.

Looking back at them from the entrance, I kinda wanted to join them, but I had a previous engagement.

The biting cold was my welcome outside, the blast of winter air already drawing complaints from those within when I opened the door. Quickly leaving, I let out a breath, watching it rise up into the air. Already there was half a meter of snow on the ground outside of the sidewalks, and the sky was just letting down even more. Thankfully the salt and the gravel on the paths still held up, giving me some traction and a means to get to where I wanted to go. There were very few people out and about, though there were some who were taking advantage of such a winter wonderland.

I still can't get over that we're all stuck here. And while I shouldn't be hoping for people to be worrying, why aren't more people bummed out by the fact that we can't get to our families? Everyone was just fine with being here, it seemed.

I digress. I shouldn't be badmouthing such beauty. Despite the temperature, I couldn't help but stand there and take it all in again. This world really can be astonishing at times.

All the more reason to protect it. Don't think about it. Don't think about it during the holidays. You deserve a break.

As much as I wanted to enjoy this sight, my thoughts kept going back to 'work,' despite my attempts to shut down those thoughts. In the months following the excursion into Gensokyo, after Nagato had given me that information, things had been silent from that side. I had heard nothing coming from Gensokyo. Just as well, I suppose. Barring any interference, Gensokyo would enjoy peace until the Underground Incident. At least, I hoped.

Well, there was one instance of someone making contact.

November 22nd, 2008

About a month prior to that cold day, I was busy running an errand for Haruhi, as usual. She wanted more fliers for Brigade advertising, so guess who had to do the copy stuff. Nagato had an assignment, and Koizumi was busy with something, I think meeting with Chiyuri, so it left me to do that. Tsuruya was busy keeping Haruhi busy or entertained. Either worked, as a bored Haruhi was still something we didn't want, despite her stability. It was late in the afternoon of that even later fall day, already bordering on the evening, and I was cursing my bad luck for having to do this stuff on a Saturday, when I smelled something distinct in the copy room. I looked around, trying to place it, realizing that I was the only person there. Smells kind of fruity, but I can't place it...

Undeterred, I took the flier to the copy machine, dug into my pocket for the change (thank you, Tsuruya for giving me change - Haruhi didn't give me squat. Did she expect me to pay for them with my own wallet?), and started the boring process of waiting for the copies to come out.

The copy machine grinded to life in its usual noisy manner, so I didn't hear the footsteps - I smelled the fruit again, and when I finally placed it, my mind went back to the fight with Tenshi.

I think you know where I'm going with this. The smell was of peaches, and the person who walked behind me was the celestial. I turned as she was getting ready to tap my shoulder, and I was face to face with her. The celestial was wearing her normal garb, making her stand out with the rainbow colors on her dress. She also had the sword holstered as well, so thankfully she wouldn't appear to be walking around armed.

She beamed, obviously happy to see me. And I know I should be relatively happy to see her (after all, she spent most of her time as an enemy to me), but that same pessimistic view came back.

"Hey, Kyon!"

"...Please tell me there isn't something going on right now."

Tenshi frowned, upset by my response. "I come all the way down here to say hey, and you act this way?"

"I just want to know if this is gonna be something bad." I'm not trying to be a jerk here, you know. I just gotta know.

The celestial scoffed. "Pfft. Remilia was right. You really are the pinnacle of cynical."

I pinched the bridge of my nose, becoming frustrated with myself. "No... just..." Man, I need to relax.

She patted my shoulder. "It's okay, I get it." She lowered her head to catch my downward eyes. "I get it, all right? Those incidents turn out painful for you. All four of them."

I let out a sigh, trying to get rid of the tension in my body. I think I was just frustrated that I had to do this work on a Saturday. "No, really, sorry." I gave her a smile. "It really is great to see you." I casually looked around. "So is there anyone else here? Like, Reimu, or..."

I paused, furrowing my brow. What did you say?

"Nah, I'm the only one here." She kept smiling a knowing smile, but it faltered when she noticed my reaction. "It's just me."

"Tenshi... what-"

"-Did I mean by 'four?'" She stood there, hands behind her back, as if she was in a teasing mood. "I mean exactly what you think it means."

I sighed, bringing my hands to my forehead, feeling tired. "...You've been watching the Brigade." This can cause a lot of problems, but I suppose it was inevitable. I have several people watching my life, after all.

"For a good portion of your lives. Which means I know some things." Her smile had dropped, her face impassive. "Can I talk to you about that? It's been really bugging me."

"You're not gonna tell anyone in Gensokyo, are you?"

She shook her head. "No, but I'd like to know why you haven't."

I turned to the copy machine, leaning on it, trying to avoid her gaze. I knew she wanted to talk about it, but I didn't want to, you know? "How much do you know?"

She walked to the other side of it, facing me. "I know that I get involved in a future event, in a timeline you went to where you and others died." She jutted her jaw to the side. "I just don't understand why you won't share that info, or that you knew my power before you even met me." She leaned on it too, searching my eyes. She wasn't mischievous at all - she was serious. "I mean, the girls care for you. Why keep them in the dark about the fact that your survival is in jeopardy? Especially Youmu?"

"I don't want them to worry about me."

"Okay, that's a bullcrap excuse and you know it."

I shot her an angry look. "I don't want them to give me any special treatment. If they know about that, especially Youmu, she might go out of her way to put her own life on the line before mine."

She gave me an angry look back. "So you're deciding their fate? And isn't that what she said she'd do anyway?"

"I don't want her death on my conscience."

"But you'd like yours to be on hers?"

I grit my teeth, feeling a pang of rage shoot through me. "I didn't say that." Don't even go down that path.

Tenshi stood straight up, hands on her hips, and she no longer looked angry - just disappointed. "You'd rather she fail in her honor of protecting you? You'd rather she not keep her word as a warrior acting as your defender."

Don't do this.

"It's very disappointing that you look down on her offer like that. You made her happy, she offers her swordsman skills as payment, and you slap her in the face? I thought you were better than that." She shook her head. "Fine, you know what? Since you got me, I'll look after your sorry butt during the incident."

"Tenshi..."

"You don't have a choice, Kyon. Either accept this, or I'll tell them, and they won't like it. They'd rather hear it from you, you know."

"I'm not trying to accept what might happen, okay?" I quickly looked to how many copies the machine had made - I was almost done. I then returned my full attention to her. "Far from it. I'm going to survive that, okay? I want everyone to survive that."

Tenshi slowly shook her head. "That's kind of unrealistic."

"Now who's being pessimistic?"

She snorted. "I'm being real here. This is gonna be a fight for the world, which means it'll be a life or death situation when we get to it. In a battle, you can't fully expect to be in full control of the chaos that will happen, right?" She searched my eyes for an agreement - and I again avoided her gaze. "Okay, it's not 'kind of,' but it really is unrealistic. In a war, you're gonna have casualties."

I felt extremely tired, putting my elbows on the machine and burying my face in my hands. "I know. I know, Tenshi. I'm trying to do the right thing here. I just don't want them to put my safety over their own. I'm taking my own steps to do that, and I don't want them distracted, especially Youmu."

"You're not alone in this."

"I know."

"Then stop acting like it."

We remained quiet as the copy machine finished its work, and it hummed as it powered down. I sighed, taking the copies and the original. I stared at her for a while, realizing I was rude to her. I don't know if it was because she ambushed me with that stuff, or what, but I felt bad for it, especially since she was going out of her way to say she wanted me to survive. "Just... well, it's good to see you, anyway."

She smirked. "Of course it is."

You really can be easy to despise.

Tenshi then went up to me, and took half the copies, offering to help. We made our way out, onto the campus grounds. I was worried that we would draw too much attention due to Tenshi's unusual dress, but as it was already evening on school grounds, there wasn't much foot traffic. The people that were around were too concerned with their own matters to pay us mind.

"So you came all the way out here to talk to me about this stuff?"

She gave me a light shove with her shoulder. "That and to see you."

I raised my eyebrow at her. "Wha?"

"You don't remember? I said I'm a fan. I've liked your adventures, you know. I meant that when I said it." She looked sincere about that.

Isn't that something? I have a fan in who has to be the toughest girl I know. Nobody else I had come across could ever hope to match this celestial.

"But hey, if you don't wanna put Youmu at risk, then let me do the heavy lifting in defending you."

I paused, causing her to stop after taking a few steps. I jutted my jaw, searching for the words to say to her, because of the implications. "You sure that's wise? What if what you said comes true, about the chaos of battle? I kind of need you in the future as well."

She looked angry. "Oh don't be going back on that now."

"I've had time to think it over since the summer. But what if you don't make it? You won't be there in the future to hold off a certain... individual."

"Seija Kijin, the amanojaku." She again smiled, giving her hair a quick shake to flick her hair, as we had our hands full. I couldn't help but inwardly groan over that. "I heard everything." Before I could protest, she motioned for us to continue. "No, I know. It's important to preserve the timeline. But you made the decision to involve me, so here I am. Gotta live with it." We got to the old building, and I held open the door for her. "You've told Nagato that I'm powerful enough to stand up against that Miracle Mallet's power, so I can obviously handle this incident as well."

"If Seija wins-"

"She won't." Tenshi passed me and we both entered the building. "All I gotta do is make it to that time, right?"

"You make it sound so simple."

"You saw how tough I am. I can take some massive hits, so I'll be fine, as long as I'm not straight up killed. That fight sounds interesting, so I wanna get to it."

I sighed. "I wish I asked Seija more on the incident, or maybe even tried harder to ask Yukari from the future. I feel like I'm going into an unfair situation."

"Because you experienced two different timelines where you died." She let out a low whistle. "That'd freak me out."

We went up the stairway, and I was about to say something, when I felt as a puzzle piece finally fell into place. We stopped on the middle landing.

"What?" Tenshi turned to me, her curiosity piqued by the expression I had on my face. "What is it?"

"You said you've been watching me, right?"

"Yeah."

"...Yet Yukari is watching over us too." I leaned against the wall, as my thoughts went back to the crater of the Moriya shrine. "She acted like she didn't know what I was talking about when I mentioned Miko's situation. Yet I had already told Nagato by then about my full time going into the future. That, and she should have taken notice when future Asahina brought us to Nagato's apartment." I chewed on my lower lip for a bit, trying to process this. I felt like I was getting played, and that was starting to piss me off. "She knew. All this time, Yukari knew. I'm beginning to wonder what else she knows."

Tenshi was silent for a moment, letting me process the implications of that. I had thought that I had something over her, yet Yukari already knew what was going on. By her own admittance, she has been watching us, and for me to forget that even for a second was my own mistake. I've only told the Brigade about what happened in the future, yet Tenshi knew. So by that logic, so should Yukari, realistically. She's been playing dumb. She has been playing me for the past four years.

"Kyon?"

I didn't realize I was staring at the ground, as I looked up with a start to Tenshi.

The celestial's face was thoughtful, thinking something over. "Yeah, after thinking about it, I've come to that conclusion too. If I watched you, and I know, then she has to as well. But if I may? During the second Lunar invasion, she played everyone when she was the bait. She played Yuyuko, she played the Lunarians, and she even played Ran. Ran got upset over it, but then Yukari said something that stuck with me." Tenshi leaned on the wall next to me. "I'm just paraphrasing here, since I don't remember the exact words, but basically, Yukari said that 'in order to fool your enemies, you have to be able to fool even your allies.'" Tenshi shrugged. "That's just the way Yukari is, I think. She's a manipulative youkai. As much as a slave to her nature as that countering amanojaku is to hers."

"She's known for four years and she's done nothing." I pressed my head against the wall, trying to use the pressure to get rid of the anger.

"You sure about that?" I gave Tenshi a puzzled look, and she chuckled. "I said it, didn't I? She's manipulative. Chances are, she has set things in motion with various plans of hers. It is in her best interest that we take care of this world ender, wouldn't you say? In fact, she may have let herself lose in her fight against me to let you feel more accomplished and confident." Shifting the weight of the papers she had to one hand, she extended the other, doing her best Yukari impression. "'All of you were able to outlast me. Me, one of the strongest and most intelligent youkai in existence. You can take on the world!'" The way Tenshi said that made her sound like a really stuck-up Yukari. It was so over the top but also spot on from what my memory told me of the youkai.

I hadn't considered that. Truth be told, it was a great feeling to have outlasted Yukari during Tenshi's fight. Yukari, did you lose on purpose... I realized it. Just like with the second Lunarian Invasion - she lost on purpose to accomplish a goal. Geez, Yukari. You really did that for us?

Tenshi gave me a smile. "I know it's kind of fitting for someone from Heaven to say it, but have faith." Tenshi moved off the wall, and motioned with her head that we continue. "Have some faith, you know? You got a lot of powerful people on your side. I would love to have Yukari set things up in my favor, you lucky dog. And besides, you got me. I'll do my best to make sure it goes smoothly and nothing bad happens to you, okay?"

The anger I had felt was ebbing away as I stared at the cheerful celestial. Part of me didn't want to easily accept that, of Yukari's actions or lack thereof, but the rest of me knew she was right. Also, it would be my fault to forget about being watched again. Invasion of privacy in its ultimate form. Yet it might be doing me some good. If Yukari knew what was coming, and if me winning was indeed in Yukari's best interests, then for the most part, I could depend on Yukari to come through for me. You better have some great plan to pull my butt out of the fire here, Yukari. I don't want Seija to be the only trump card to look forward to.

At the very least, Tenshi being there would make it much easier. Or should. It better.

"Thanks, but that being said, can you use the weather effects?" I was already planning on a way we could go up against someone really strong.

"Sure, but I need the original person to draw it out, if you want the actual effect."

"What about the fight in Heaven?" It wasn't all just the aurora up there.

"That was residual, and a special case, especially in my home realm - by now I can't bring it out if I wanted to. I'd need the person to do it. No, I'd have to reapply it right then and there for it to be most effective." She looked down to the handle of the sword, and then back up to me. "As effective as you guys were at taking down my magic, I was able to quickly recover enough to apply multiple Paranormal Borders."

Yeah, I was wondering about that. We crippled you, and then you went and recovered quickly.

"So if you really want the effect, yeah, I'd need the original person."

Depending on the situation. "What about the aurora?"

Tenshi shook her head. "Nah, that's random. You'd have to be relying on pure luck then."

I sighed. So much for that. "Well, if we can use Yuyuko's snow, and Reisen's demotivator, we can shut down anything."

Tenshi let out a laugh. "Yeah, it worked on me after all!"

At least you're a good sport about it.

After that exchange, Tenshi and I had delivered the fliers to the empty club room. There were a few slices of pizza there that someone, I'm guessing Tsuruya, brought in. Tenshi helped herself to one.

"Oh..." Tenshi's eyes rolled up as if she was experiencing euphoria after taking a bite. "Oh that's so good. The cheese, the grease, the tomato, the pepperoni." She savored every bite. "I really need to come back down to Earth more often just for the food."

I stared at her, amused over her reaction to a simple slice of pizza. "So, nothing grows in your realm except peaches? Absolutely nothing?"

"Day in, day out, weeks, months, years, centuries of nothing but peaches." She kept at it, shivering from the sensation that her taste buds were providing. "Oh this is so worth it. I should have threatened you guys years sooner."

"Please don't say stuff like that."

She flashed a smirk in between bites. "It's true."

While she was doing that, I tidied up the room, making sure that the copies were on Haruhi's desk. I stared out the window, looking down at the campus in autumn. It's been over a year since I was able to keep up with Haruhi in a tennis match, and now look at where we are. Sanae is on our side, and we also have a celestial willing to fight for us. I turned to see Tenshi finish up her slice, as she licked her fingers.

"I've been meaning to ask you something."

Tenshi plopped down into a chair and leaned back, smiling. "Shoot."

"What were you and Yukari talking about when we were up in space? Its been bugging me, and neither Nagato or Emiri know."

Tenshi's smile dropped suddenly, putting me at unease. Narrowing her eyes, she said in a cheerless tone: "You really wanna know?"

When your mood shifts like that, not really. "...Is it bad?"

She straightened up in her chair, a sullen look on her face. "Look, I just don't want to break your heart, okay? It's just differences between dirty celestials and pure celestials. Yukari has certain issues with the way Heaven is run, and that's due to the pures. She hated me because of what others do. That was it, really, until we cleared it up." She let out a long sigh, lowering her head, looking tired for a moment. "Look. Truth is, you deserve to know, but like I said, it's heartbreaking." She got up out of the chair, waving her hand dismissively. "I will tell you, but let's survive the underground incident first, okay? That's a promise. Right now you're having anxiety over what might happen, and I don't want to add to that."

I stared at her, not sure of what to really make of what she could be saying. "It has something to do with Heaven?"

Tenshi shook her head, stepping up to me. "I told you, Kyon, I won't tell you until we survive." She then regained her smile, patting me on the shoulders. "Just forget I said anything, okay? It would just be a distraction at this point, and do you no good."

What is wrong with Heaven, if there is something wrong with it? What- I brought my hands up to my temples, and applied pressure. No, she's right. I'm vulnerable right now. I can't add to the stress. "All right. I'm going to trust you with this. But we survive, and you'll tell me, okay?"

"Of course."

After that, we just talked for a few minutes, as she wanted to know more about the Brigade. She had decent knowledge of my time with the Brigade, and the weird stuff that I had encountered. But for her to have just a gushing face over it weirded me out. I mean, yeah, she's a fan (I still can't believe there is anyone weird enough out there to be a fan of mine simply because of what I go through), so it was a new experience for me.

"So what are you gonna do then after college?"

"Get a job, for one. Don't know what I'll get though. No solid plans."

Tenshi nodded. "Fair enough. You're kinda strapped in this ride with the Brigade, seeing where it takes you. I understand that."

"Haruhi is a whirlwind. I'm sure she'll make something happen to keep us together, so yeah, I'm kind of letting that happen."

"Hopefully it's something interesting. Take it from me, Kyon - being safe and secure gets really boring after a while. Go out and make something happen to shake up your life."

"Easy for someone who's nearly indestructible to say."

Tenshi wagged her finger at me. "Humans are not meant to be sedentary creatures. It's literally bad for your health. Get up and-"

"I do do something about my health." I heard a tinge of annoyance in my voice as I raised it to defend myself. "Or did you forget what I've been doing?"

"But even that's become a routine for you. I'm just saying that you need to put forth the effort to make your life interesting. You remember the clubroom, right? The afternoons spent there?"

"Yeah," I said. "I was there almost every day. So what?"

"Aren't those memories just a blur since you did that so many times? I mean, you probably cherish them, but you did that so much that it all blends together, right?"

What? I thought back, trying to figure out what she was getting at. I clearly remembered our club meetings, or at least, I thought I did. I remembered the Tanabata where we made wishes that would take years to come true if they ever did. I remembered smaller incidents, antics of Haruhi's, times I had been floored by Asahina's beauty, or even the one time I had something approaching fun while playing some game with Koizumi. Yet when I dug deeper, those specific incidents were all I could really call to mind. Most of it was a shapeless mass of Haruhi barking orders and the rest of us following along in our own ways.

I don't know how to describe the feeling that gave me. The idea that the SOS Brigade could be routine was so ludicrous it might as well have come from one of Haruhi's old incomprehensible rants, but I can't really deny that it ended up with the sense of one. It was probably what made me come to like it so much in the first place. Familiar is comforting.

It must have shown on my face, because Tenshi nodded at me and placed her hand on her chest. "Me? I've gone to the same places in Heaven, eaten the same meal over and over, and done the same boring old parties day after day after decade. My own memories are pretty much useless because they're all the same. You get what I'm saying? That's exactly what happened to Nagato."

I felt the tension leave my body. I understood.

So that's it. You just don't want me to go through what you girls went through.

"No, I get you. I'm already like that with my middle school days," I said, sliding down the wall into a sitting position. I tried to recall something - anything notable about middle school, and came up dry but for one hazy anecdote. "Like, I remember riding to cram school with Sasaki. It started raining one time, and I think we were late, and we had to stop and get out of it. All I remember is that she was really self-conscious because her top was, uhm..."

I paused, remembering all of a sudden that Tenshi was a girl herself and that this was kind of a weird thing to be telling her. She raised her eyebrows with a wide smirk, and I cleared my throat.

"Anyway, that's about as specific as it gets. I remember she brought up kappa for some reason. Or..." I frowned. I thought that was how it had happened, but saying it jogged a different memory. "No, it was me who did that. And I think we were sharing a bike, not riding our own each."

How sad is it that after fishing out such a boring memory as the highlight of middle school, I couldn't really remember it? I remembered a time when I did remember it. At some point, it had started wearing away, and I never noticed.

My memories make me who and what I am, but what if they aren't reliable? Then who am I?

I shook my head ruefully. "You're absolutely right, Tenshi. I can't enjoy those memories anymore."

"Exactly what I mean, Kyon. You need to go out there and make something happen." Tenshi crossed her arms and grimaced at me. "I've seen how people live out here, and it's only getting worse. If you just sit there in front of a computer for most of your life, what are you going to remember about yourself one, two, or five decades down the line? You saw a lot of cat pictures, or argued with people over games, or whatever it is you do on those things?"

I nodded along with her. Hearing her say that kind of made her sound like an old lady, but I couldn't exactly argue with it. She was older than most old ladies, anyway. From her perspective, it probably seemed like humanity had succumbed to terminal laziness as far back as when they invented the radio.

That said...

"I bet you wouldn't mind having one. A computer, I mean." I watched her face, trying to read her expression. As much of a point as she had, I was pretty sure I knew where she was really coming from.

Tenshi shrugged and leaned into her chair, a wry smile creeping on her face. "Maybe. You guys sure seem to like them. Makes you pretty boring to watch when all you do is stare at screens."

"I knew it. You're bored." I resigned myself, leaning my head back against the wall. "You make it sound like we're here to entertain you."

Tenshi smirked. "Of course. If your life gets boring, I'll have to find someone else to watch."

I frowned, big time. "Stalker."

Tenshi just laughed after that.

Speaking of Nagato, she was the first to arrive, and then shortly after, Koizumi. Tenshi just gushed over Nagato, wanting to know even more about data entities, but Haruhi approaching cut that short, and by that, I mean Tsuruya and her loud voice out in the hall. Tenshi quickly went to a wall, called for Yukari, and left by gap, but not before giving us a bow, thanking me for my time.

I hope you're right, Tenshi. I hope I can have enough faith in that we can do this, not just for my sake, but for the world.

December 24th, 2008

I came out of my thoughts, realizing that I was getting colder and colder just standing there, so I slowly and deliberately made my way to my objective, the campus coffee house, where Koizumi awaited.

Ah yes, a crowded coffee shop on campus during the height of the holidays. Tinsel everywhere, Christmas music blaring over cheap stereos, and the little tree that usually gets put up was taking up space that could have otherwise been used for another table. Modern day festivities and making the room even more cramped in the process. It was late morning, and everyone was crammed in, huddled around the tiny tables as they sipped away at their expensive flavored seasonal coffees as the snowstorm outside really took its toll. People were talking, but not to each other. Everyone was on cell phones, their gadgets, listening to music, or on their laptop. You could hear the buzz of conversation, but none of it was to another person in the room. One could make an observation on the state of humanity from such a thing.

Very few people were moving about, as they were content to stay inside. Granted, I couldn't blame them. I'd also judge their seasonal coffees, but I have a favorite of my own. I quickly located Koizumi, and we greeted each other.

Koizumi and I managed to score a little table in the corner that had a view outside, and after asking me my drink order, he went to go in line. I sat down, looking out at the winter scenery again. I think I lost track, because next thing I knew, he had come back with both our drinks.

"It's just all BS, man," I said as I reached for my cup.

Koizumi paused before he sat down. "What is?"

I took a sip of my coffee. Oh, gingerbread coffee with molasses, I love you. "The whole folkloristics thing."

He smiled and lightly shook his head as he sat down. "I told you you'd be disappointed in it."

In case you hadn't figured it out, I've been taking a folkloristics class. Yes, that's actually a thing. "Yeah, I should have listened to you. I mean, all it is is us going over folklore and applying it to how it affects human society." It wasn't what I had expected, but it had given me more access to folklore. And that's useful for someone like me. Although did I really have to dream about it?

"You really expected more?"

I scoffed. "I should have known better. I just clung onto a bit of hope that it wasn't as dull as it became. I dunno." I took another festive sip. Oh this is heaven. "I just don't know. But the semester is almost over, so I might as well finish it."

"Aren't you acing it?"

"Well, yeah." For once. "I have a pretty intimate knowledge of this stuff by now."

He smiled. "It's kind of necessary, considering."

"Mmm-hmm." I took a big gulp next. I know it's really sugary and fattening, but come on. It's the holidays. I'm allowed to indulge a little bit. The two of us sat in silence, watching other students order their drinks, wait, and leave. Because it was crowded, not everyone was going to stay in this stuffy place. "I just wish my Folkloristics was as interesting as say..." I paused, thinking it over, which didn't take long. "Greek mythology. Now that's a fun class. Zeus, Olympus, the titans. Now those are awesome stories. I can name you the twelve main Olympians, even. Zeus, Hades, Poseidon, Demeter, Athena, Apollo, Artemis, Ares, Aphrodite, Hephaestus, Hermes, and Hestia." I caught myself, because I didn't want to be gushing over it more than I already had. So I quickly changed the subject. "Anyways, I never believed in Santa Claus, but you can't help but love the holidays."

"I pity you then." Koizumi tilted his head. "I don't mean to offend. I mean, if you didn't believe, then the magic of the day was lost on you." He sipped his drink. "You were unable to feel the wondrous joy of getting up in the morning and 'finding out' what a mythical figure left for you. Part of the joy that surrounds this holiday is due to the childhood experiences. Adults remember the fondness they had as kid, and that carries over for the rest of their lives. That is why it's so special. Gifts, family, feasting, there are a lot of reasons why this time holds a special place in the hearts of people around the world." He took a sip. "And besides, I thought someone as cynical as you would find the dark side of the holidays."

You're not wrong. Christmas means more to people who had happy Christmases during childhood. I'm not saying that I had bad Christmases. I guess that because I didn't really feel the magic of the holiday back then; it wasn't as prevalent for me. I could understand it, yes, but it was lost on me, for the most part. That's just because of my experience on the matter, really.

Still, the festivities are enjoyable. Like Koizumi said, it's a reason to reconnect with family, eat, and exchange gifts. And who can really badmouth that?

"Oh I do. I know that suicide rates go up around this time. Drinking, worries over money, trying to find that perfect gift for a loved one. Such stress can really break some people." I took a deep breath. "I'm glad I'm not one of them." I know I shouldn't be talking about suicide rates during such a time, but it's a fact.

"Not one of what?"

"An easily broken person."

"You've come close a few times."

Like this morning in my dream. I laughed aloud. "Right. Very true."

The current Christmas song ended, and another one started up. Between the buzz of the customers, the baristas, and the coffee machines, it was difficult to tell what was playing. It was still festive. I think it was another Bing Crosby Christmas song.

Koizumi is right though. It's very easy to get depressed at the end of the year if you aren't around people who care about you. I realized that this would be the first Christmas I would spend away from my family. It was saddening, but I at least had the Brigade and Haruhi with me.

...I wonder what Haruhi's Christmas present will be. I recalled the DVD set I had under my bed, her gift that I would have to retrieve later. Haruhi had recently gotten into Initial D for some reason, so I splurged (with the help of Tsuruya - it's nice to have a rich friend) and I knew she would appreciate it. She was a big enough fan. Still, what would Haruhi's present for me be? Maybe... maybe it could be...

Well, a guy can hope, right? Especially after having such imagery the night before. Would she look that good in a string bikini? Probably better, even. Yeah, she'd probably surpass even my wildest dreams.

Bringing myself out of my fantasies, I noticed the far off look in Koziumi's eyes as he just stared outside at the falling snow. "What's up?"

He rested his chin on his hand. "I'm getting worried." He sighed. "We're almost done with the year, and the incident still hasn't happened." He leaned back in his chair and stretched. "It's been killing me - not knowing when it'll happen."

I sighed too. "I thought we agreed not to talk about it for the next two days."

"Would that stop it from happening in the next two days?"

"Don't you dare jinx us." I sat in silence for a few seconds, before relenting an answer. "Hopefully it was just me and Chiyuri overreacting to a dream." Please let it be just a dream. And I don't know what to make of it being a memory.

"Yukari confirmed that the incident will happen."

"Maybe not to the extent of how bad it'll be."

"It's unusual for you to be the optimist here."

"It's unusual for you to be the downer." I took another sip. "Hey, look. I just don't want to go down that road, especially now. If I get depressed, it's not going to go away." I had finished my cup. "Okay. I'm going to get another cup, finish it, and then go to Haruhi's room. We're just going to watch some movies and spend the day together. I plan on enjoying today, you know, and tomorrow."

"Gonna keep each other warm?"

I felt like smacking him. "Koizumi..."

He grinned. "I'm just saying. It would relieve a lot of stress for the both of you."

You don't know half of the stress I've built up. "We're not near-extinct pandas, for crying out loud." Also, why are you implying this?

"But...?

He knew. He knew I was frustrated. Haruhi is a very attractive woman, after all. "Oh man she's such a tease. I love it and I hate it at the same time. And the way she-" I paused, as I realized that I had blurted that out, that the flood gate had somehow opened. I didn't even mean to. Dammit! I shouldn't be screwing myself over! "I shouldn't be telling you this."

"Why not?"

"Because the guys at the next table are leaning in." I turned. "Come on. Don't you have your own girls to drool over? Or at the very least your own fantasies?" Like your left hands?

They all chuckled, then went back to their laptops. I can't be the only person who is bummed out that he isn't going to be with his family this Christmas, right?

Koizumi laughed for a good few seconds. "Oh. Oh, she's crazy about you, you know. You've already outlasted every other guy she's gone out with."

That really is a comforting feeling. "I know."

"She wouldn't be staying with you if she wasn't interested in you."

"I know."

He leaned back in his chair. "I really do envy you, to tell the truth. To watch her grow from a beautiful girl into a gorgeous woman..." He shook his head, smiling. "At times I wish I was who she wanted."

I just stared at him, as I slightly clenched my jaw. "You really mean that?"

He eyed me for a few seconds, his smile dropping. Koizumi must have realized how that came out. "Yes. After all, I've observed her for years. I suppose it would be fair to say that I've slightly fallen for her." He crossed his arms. "But I like to consider you a friend and myself a professional. She's with you, and she's been an assignment for me." He lowered his head. "That's how it is. I don't mind being her friend."

I slowly nodded, as I understood where he was coming from. "Then I don't envy you for that." That's got to be tough. His life's work, all of his efforts surround her. Why didn't I see it sooner? If I was in his position, I probably would have fallen for such a girl. Actually, his alternate self did. His alternate self was a bit more bold, really. Then again, Koizumi was free from his job and could date her. Bringing myself out of my thoughts, I smiled at him. "But I do envy you for other things. I mean, who is it tonight?"

A huge grin spread on his face - a rare genuine smile from him. "I'm actually getting together with Tachibana. The assembly hall is beginning a Christmas movie matinee at noon, and we're going."

"Oh you guys are hooking up again?" You're so on and off again with her.

"We are on the same campus, after all."

Right, right. Tachibana being Sasaki's roommate. Roommates... Although...shoot. If Tsuruya is going to be there at Haruhi's room, it's going to be loud. At least one thing hasn't changed since high school. I hadn't taken Tsuruya being at the room into account.

You know, that's always bugged me. If Tsuryua is as rich as I pegged her to be, why was she in the dorms? That didn't make any sense... unless she liked being a part of all this stuff. Right. She enjoys being with us. I felt guilty for even second guessing her.

Still, her normal volume is going to be a problem.

"A matinee doesn't sound all that bad, really." Maybe I should convince Haruhi to come with? It would be a nice outing. Well, it depends on what's showing. I'll have to find out. "It's going to be very difficult to get off campus with all this snow, regardless." I looked outside, seeing that it was coming down even harder. The entire city had pretty much shut down due to the snow storm. "I'm telling you, it's almost as bad as the Spring Snow..."

I stopped, becoming frozen, upon who I saw outside. My heartbeat jumped into overdrive, a dread spreading all over my body.

The Spring Snow incident.

Myself, a miko, and a maid entering a wintry village...

"...Koizumi."

"Hmm?" He must have noticed my reaction, as he turned too. I looked to him, and he had the same look I had to have had. After several seconds, he began to nod. He quickly finished his drink, and got up. I followed, and we made our way outside.

The cold did not stop its assault - in fact, the wind was picking up ever so slowly, freezing the extremities of the face. It would have been more noticeable, if we weren't so focused.

I'm not going to beat around the bush at this point. It was Chen again.

It was kind of jarring. I had grown, as had everyone around me, but Chen still remained her apparent age. She was in her human form, wearing an oversized orange coat.

Any other circumstance, any other time, I'd be happy to see the nekomata again. But not like this. Not in this year. Especially not that day. I've been dreading it for four years, and it was happening, on one of two days I had declared to the Brigade that we weren't going to worry about the incident.

You jinxed us, didn't you, Koizumi?

Chen didn't say anything, other than "Please follow me."

It's time, isn't it? You really did jinx us.

We complied, making our way to the girls' dorm. I was worried we'd be caught by some of the deans, but Ran Yakumo (human form) was there, letting us in easily, and she escorted us. Unlike the boys' dorm, nobody was in the hallways (I'm assuming due to Ran doing something) and we made our way up to Haruhi's room. When we got there, both Ran and Chen bowed, and then took off to the other side of the dorm, where Emiri and Nagato's room was - they were roommates. Haruhi's door was open, and there on her bed, was Haruhi, fast asleep. Sitting on the edge of it was Yukari Yakumo. She was lightly running her fingers through Haruhi's hair. She stopped when she noticed us.

This was the first time I've seen Yukari since I figured out she knew. I had to stop myself from saying something I would have regretted. No, Tenshi is right. Yukari would be doing her best to know this goes as smoothly as possible.

The silence was very telling. Nobody really had to say anything, even though it sorely needed to be said.

"I..." Yukari stood up, but didn't look directly at us. "I took it upon myself to put Miss Suzumiya into a slumber for today. She doesn't need to notice that you're missing."

So. This is it.

The tension that was building up was palpable. My mind was really accepting that this was happening. I couldn't take it any more. "This is it, isn't it?"

She nodded.

"So finally comes the day where we save the world," remarked Koizumi. "...or die trying."

Especially for me.

I moved to the bed, looking down at Haruhi. I felt a multitude of emotions. Mostly fear, but it was a whirlwind. I knelt down, taking Haruhi's hand.

Please, God. Let me come back to her. Please let me come back from this. Please let us all come back.

"Hey. I'm going to come back to you, okay?" I was saying this for my own benefit, obviously. I needed some form of courage, because the fear was trying its damnedest to take total control. Having something, or someone to fight for was a good way for the courage to have a fighting chance.

Years of waiting, keeping myself in decent shape. I've kept myself healthy and fit with the help of my Brigade associates. They were there for me, helping me train for this. Granted, my most useful ability was due to the cherry blossoms. However, there is nothing wrong with having good stamina. I could run for a mile without getting winded, you know.

Also, Haruhi had come to really appreciate that I took care of myself, so that was a plus.

Ah, Haruhi. She looked so peaceful when she was sleeping. I clenched her hand, fighting an urge to shed some tears. In the back of my mind, I knew. This could be the last time I would see her. I really might not come back from this. It was one of the things I worried about since that failed revolution of Seija's. The way Sakuya looked at me was very telling. The way everyone looked at me was telling.

It entered my mind, you know. I mean, how could it not? There was a chance that I didn't make it. That this would be my last day alive. I would be fated to die.

And there is the chance that the others may die too. Youmu especially. She had sworn her life as thanks for me helping her confess to Yuyuko. And for her to die for me, only for me to die anyway? She would have died for nothing.

I just couldn't let that happen.

I said it before. I refuse to die. I refuse to let this world be destroyed. I refuse to let Youmu die for nothing. And I know something is going to happen, so if I be a little bit cautious, I could survive this. I'm no stranger to making the timeline go to my favor. I'm no stranger from surviving near death experiences. So I'll be damned if fate says that today would be my last. Screw fate. I've spat in the face of fate before and done it again and again.

Of course, I still had my apprehensions about the whole thing. You'd have to be insane not to have any if you knew you would be facing a creature that wields nuclear power and had the capability of destroying the world. But if I didn't go, especially with my healing abilities, how many would survive? How many of the girls who have saved my life on occasion would come back? My healing ability was useful, and it's the reason why Sakuya survived the Endless Night. It's the reason why Alice survived Spring Snow.

Despite all my second thoughts, I had committed myself to this. It's been four years, and I've been training under Nagato's eyes. She has made sure that I'm in decent shape, enough to pass that fitness exam thing. I never achieved a perfect score, but I got a high enough passing grade.

I leaned down, giving Haruhi a light kiss on the lips. "I will come back to you," I whispered. "I promise."

"A person who has read enough books or watched enough anime should know better than to willingly set up a red flag like that."

I shot a nasty look to Yukari. "Don't even joke about that."

She smirked. "Humor eases the tension."

I scoffed, before I looked back at Haruhi. I brushed her hair from her forehead. I was a bit disappointed - I really was looking forward to spending the day with her doing nothing.

"We have a problem." We all turned to Ran and Chen, who stood at the doorway and looked worried. "Nagato isn't in her room."

I immediately got out my cell phone and dialed for Nagato, leaving a message, asking where she was, that it was time. I then called Emiri right after.

"Hello?"

"Hey, it's me. Is Nagato with you?"

"No. She is not in our room?"

"No."

"...Is the incident happening?"

"According to Yukari, yes."

"..."

"Emiri? Do you know where Nagato is?"

"..."

I paused, before speaking. "Emiri?"

"...We can't find her."

I nearly dropped the phone. "What?"

"She's gone. Her interface and her actual self can't be found."

I began to worry. "Wait, what do you mean?"

Koizumi took this as the time to phone Tsuruya, and he began to ask if Nagato was with her, after which he shook his head at me.

"She's not here, not in our world. I don't know where she is."

Looking over to Yukari, she had her eyes closed, and looked to be concentrating on something. She opened her eyes, and gave me a silent head shake too.

"Just did a quick portal look throughout the campus. I can't find her."

It's official. I'm worried.

I returned my attention to the phone. "Okay, look. If you can, find her, and tell her to come to us as soon as possible. Okay? Please, Emiri?"

A moment of silence from the other end, and she responded. "I will."

I ended the call, putting the cell back in my pocket. Okay, don't panic. This... this might not be anything. Maybe Nagato has already gone to Gensokyo? No, that wouldn't be the case - Yukari here would be the first to tell me if she was in Gensokyo already. If Nagato is out, then we were down a major force. Nagato had been training too - she had become a relative expert (in my opinion) in the ways of danmaku.

On the other hand... I didn't know what to think.

I kept staring at Yukari, expecting an answer. She had to have the answer, right?

"I alerted everyone in Gensokyo as soon as the incident began, and then I came straight here for Suzumiya." Yukari looked down at her. "Making sure she's safe is a high priority for this one."

"But you can't find her at all?"

"She isn't anywhere, at least not on the campus."

We heard movement in the hall, and in burst Tsuruya. She had come running, her cell phone still in hand. She had shoved through Ran and Chen, who got annoyed by that. "Hey! Hey, do you guys have any idea where she is?!"

I brought out the cell and called Nagato's number again, as Koizumi tried to calm down Tsuruya. Come on...pick up. Please pick up. Mailbox. I tried again. Don't do this to me, Nagato. Mailbox. I tried one more time. I need you for this. You were the one who trained me for this. I need you more than ever for this. I don't think I can do this without you.

Mailbox.

One of the things that had been carrying me into this had been the fact that Nagato was going to be at my back for this. Having a reality hacker on your side was helpful, despite her obvious weakness to danmaku. Yes, it would be deadly for her, but she had the rest of us to help her. She knew the risks, and she was still adamant about helping out. I had to admire that.

In fact, I think we admired each other for what was about to happen. I was going into an event where I was fated to die, and she was going in where danmaku could potentially kill her. We would be vulnerable together.

"Kyon?" I numbly heard Yukari. "Kyon, we'll need to start soon. I'll do my part to look for your friend, but we have to begin this. This is what you have spent the last four years preparing for."

I held onto my cell phone pretty tight. I kept staring at Nagato's number. I dialed it one more time, and waited for the mailbox. "Yeah, Nagato, if you're getting this message, this incident is starting. I don't know where you are, but we're going to need your help on this one. I need your help. I don't want to begin this without you, but..." I sighed. "Just...just please get back to us, okay?"

I closed the cell one final time, putting it away. Already I was tense, and almost near a panic attack. Nagato, where the hell are you?!

"Calm down, Kyon," said Ran. "Otherwise you'll lose focus."

I clenched my fist, taking in a few deep breaths, and I did my best to calm down. Ran was right - I needed to focus here. I wanted Nagato to be there - I needed her to be there, but no, ultimately, she was right.

"Okay, Tachibana, please be safe, and Amaya's with you too?" Koizumi waited for confirmation on the other end of his call. "Excellent. The two of you watch over her, okay?" He ended his call, and gave Yukari a nod. "Sasaki is safe."

"So if it's not too much trouble, can you watch over Suzumiya?" That was Yukari asking if Tsuruya could babysit the sleeping Haruhi.

"Of course, Miss... uh... Yakumo?" When she got confirmation, she smiled a sad smile. "Okay. Okay, I'll do it. Just..." She looked to all of us. "Just come back safe. All of you, okay?"

We'll do our best.

"I'd like to go see them, but I know they're on their way already. I think Haruhi hasn't been afforded that luxury of telling them goodbye, though. " Sasaki sighed as she looked out the window of her dorm room. It was neat and tidy, mostly due to Sasaki's preference. "I really hope they'll be okay."

Barely hearing Sasaki, the esper dialed a number, and waited for the other line to pick up. "It's me. Yes. Yes, it's happening. Yes. Mmm-hmm."

Sasaki turned around. "What are-"

"Yes, we're going. Where are you? Really? Okay, see you outside then."

Sasaki was wide-eyed. "You're contacting him for this? Are you-"

"Forgive me, Miss Sasaki, but we need to do this. The Brigade aren't the only ones with plans for this." Tachibana looked to Amaya. "Please take care of her."

The interface gave a slight nod as Tachibana took off, leaving to two alone.

"Kyouko! Wait!"

We portaled to the Hakurei Shrine's grounds. Gensokyo during the winter - my first contact with it. I've never seen the Shrine itself under snow, but barring that, it was just as I remembered it. I had to remember that this was a rebuilt shrine after Tenshi demolished it back in the summer, and it actually did look nicer than how I remembered it from four years prior. ...And not five years in the future. Truth be told, during that rebellion, I didn't have time to gawk at the shrine.

Still, after the heartbreak of watching my world's shrine be destroyed like that, it was good to see this was still up.

The snow was coming down pretty good as I looked around for the Yakumos, but they weren't there. "Yukari?" I turned, calling out for her. "Ran? Chen? Where are you guys?"

"Not here." Chiyuri stepped out of the shrine, smiling. She was wearing her white suit again. She also happened to be wearing over the shoulder gun holsters, and I could see some sort of handgun just jutting out of it. "They dumped me here too."

I smiled too, seeing this esper. "It's good to see you again, Miss Chiyuri, but we kind of have a problem." Besides the fact that I didn't know you were bringing a gun to this thing.

After Chiyuri and Koizumi exchanged greetings, she returned her attention to me. "What's up?"

"We can't find Nagato."

She furrowed her brow. "That's kind of... disheartening, isn't it? Nagato would have been an excellent force multiplier."

Yes, she would have. No! She will. She'll get back to us. I know it.

Chiyuri appeared to get a little anxious. "I was kind of banking on her, to tell the truth. Someone with her skill, abilities, and power would have made this incident cake."

No, she will. I kept clinging to the hope that she was going to show up.

"Miss Chiyuri, I was going to ask if there would be more espers or interfaces backing us up, especially for something this dire, but..." Koizumi looked a bit concerned. "I can feel it."

"I can feel it too, Koizumi."

I looked at the both of them. "What is it?"

"Something happened. Closed spaces have appeared all over the world a while ago, and espers have been dispatched."

Oh that would have made this so much easier - to have the full force of the Agency backing us up. Not complaining about these two - it's just that it would be better to have an army.

"Was it Yukari putting Haruhi to sleep?"

"No, this has been going on for an hour already. They've even asked for help from the interfaces and time travelers, from both sides."

Shoot. That's got to be serious then. The closed spaces have united all the Sasaki and Haruhi factions?!

I turned to my associate. "Koizumi, why didn't you-"

"Because I'm on standby for this incident alone, as is Miss Chiyuri. I have been for the past year." He gave me his usual smile. "Or haven't you noticed that I haven't gone out for my 'job' recently?"

I felt stupid. Of course he hasn't. So he's just been with us for the entirety of 2008. Also, that's why you tried to ease me into the talk of it despite me clearly saying I didn't want to even hear it.

"Is that where Nagato is?" Chiyuri looked up to the sky. "You think she is helping with that?"

"No, she was supposed to join us for this. But this is too big of a coincidence, regarding the closed spaces." Koizumi rubbed his chin. "It's taking up the resources of all the major groups. Otherwise they'd throw more people against this."

"Are you kids going to donate, or are you going to loiter here at my shrine?"

We all turned, and coming out of the shrine was the miko, Reimu Hakurei. She was smirking at all of us.

She had cut her hair shorter, to her shoulders. She even had part of the back of her hair into a small ponytail. It looked...good on her. She was also wearing her usual miko outfit with a yellow scarf. Reimu sighed. "It's good to see you again, and I wish that we could have met under better circumstances, but-"

"We know." You don't have to apologize for anything, Reimu.

Reimu nodded, before turning her attention to Chiyuri. Instantly, there was animosity between them. I could sense it. The difference was that Reimu was smirking like a winner, and Chiyuri averted her eyes. Is this the first time they've met since the Temple incident?

Chiyuri had her arms crossed. "Still upset that I pulled my gun on you all those years ago?"

"Still upset that I blasted through everything you and your professor set up?"

I guess it is. I hoped this wouldn't be a problem.

Reimu didn't say anything else, so the female esper spoke again as she looked around. "Uhm, where's Ruukoto? I thought she'd be out and about clearing the snow."

"She hasn't worked for years."

Chiyuri raised an eyebrow. "What? She's nuclear. She should keep working indefinitely."

Reimu shrugged. "She just stopped working one day. I don't know what to tell you other than you make bad maid androids. I mean, hell, she was bad at her job. I ended up having to clean up what she already 'cleaned' anyway. She couldn't even sweep properly."

I inwardly chuckled. Reimu liked to hold onto grudges.

The esper frowned. "After all this is done, let me and the professor take a look at her. She was our best creation. There's no way she shouldn't be working by now."

"Yeah, good, get that maid working, ze. Because after this, we're gonna party it up!"

I whipped around, to see the witch come down from the air. Ah, Marisa. Just like Reimu, Marisa had cut her hair short, yet she still had that braid down the side. But unlike Reimu, Marisa wasn't wearing her usual outfit. It was a midnight blue variant.

Grinning, the witch ran up to me and hugged me. "Oh, Kyon! Merry Christmas!"

I grinned back. "Merry Christmas to you too, Marisa. It's great to see you." Though, why did you do that to your hair? I kinda like it long. Short hair doesn't seem to suit you.

"No, it's really great to see you." She grabbed my sides. "I mean, look at this. You really are all fit, just like in the summer. I'm so jealous! Haruhi has you all to herself! It's completely not fair. I'm tempted to just make you mine, ze. Just take you home, wrap us up in a blanket and wait out the snow." Marisa moved in quickly, stealing a fast kiss. She grinned that toothy grin after it was over.

I was in a bit of a whirlwind after Marisa was being Marisa, so she greeted the espers. Turning to say something, I stopped when I saw something on the horizon.

It was a large geyser to the north of us, the water shooting up to the air. "What is that?" How did I not notice that?!

Chiyuri and Koizumi both looked. "Oh wow." The male esper let out a whistle. "That is quite impressive. When did that happen?"

Reimu looked back to it. "Two days ago. I thought it was a boon, because it created multiple hot springs around Gensokyo."

Actually a hot spring does sound great right about now. Speaking of, I quickly searched the grounds of the shrine, and there was a new building - I'm guessing the hot springs Reimu wanted from Tenshi. Interesting though. That wasn't there in the future. I stood there, wondering if we changed the timeline with that.

I paused, as I saw two komainu statues right next to the new building, a bit off the pathway to the shrine. Guardian dogs? "When did you get komainus? Did Tenshi add them as well as the hot springs?" Kind of a weird thing to throw in.

Reimu shrugged. "They've always been there, I think. Just in the bushes."

Considering it was winter and the leaves were all gone, yeah, I could see how I missed them before. "Weird place for guardian statues to be..."

"I know, right? I keep on forgetting they're even there sometimes."

"Kinda freak me out when I get out of the hot springs though, ze." Marisa grinned. "Step out of it, and there's one with its mouth open, right in your face."

Yeah, I can imagine. "So the hot springs are a success?"

Reimu was beaming, proud of the work she got out of Tenshi. "Hot springs are popular no matter the season! Its really increased my follower count!" The miko then lowered her eyes, as her good mood evaporated. "...but not my donations." Reimu then did another mood swing, going back to her casual state. "Anyways, everyone in Gensokyo has been enjoying this influx of hot springs, until Yukari said yesterday that it was the signal for the incident's start."

And now it doesn't sound so great.

[Yukari:] "The plan was to let you enjoy it, Hakurei."

That was Yukari's voice. I looked around, unsure of where the demon was.

[Yukari:] "The orb."

Out came a floating red yin-yang orb from the shrine itself, and it went to Reimu's side.

[Yukari:] "Through this orb, we can contact you and we can hear what's going on. Think of it as a magical two-way radio. We're also in the process of using video from this orb. It should be able to transmit video, but it's not set up yet on our end to receive it."

That sounds pretty useful. Though this meant that we'd be hearing them constantly. And... possibly bickering. Because let's face it - they're going to. "How are you able to use..." I stepped up to the orb, looking it over, and saw that the black dot on the white half of the yin-yang was a camera lens. "Oh. That's cool."

Reimu rolled her eyes when this thing came out. "Look, why won't you tell us why you guys can't assist us directly instead of sending us this annoying thing."

"Guys?" asked Koizumi.

[Patchouli:] "We're here too."

[Nitori:] "Live from the library of the Scarlet Devil Mansion, it's the command center for the Underground Incident resolvers! Hey friend!"

I smiled, despite the fact that I knew she couldn't see it. "Hi Nitori! Good to hear you again!"

[Nitori:] "Same! We're still setting up on this end, and I almost got my stuff ready. We all are going to be handling a different aspect of the assistance, so don't worry, a lot will be handled."

I moved closer to the orb. "Like what?"

[Nitori:] "Ah, Yukari will be in general command, Suika has intimate knowledge of what's down there, Patchouli here is going to be handling a lot of the information, facts, and stuff. She's a walking reference, especially since we're in her library. Uhm, Alice is also here, she has her knowledge of magic, and she's setting up a workbench so she can constantly make new dolls for you guys. I'm also here for technical. I have some information, but not much, of what's going on down there. But anything tech based, I'll be able to help you out with. And... Aya is here. She also has knowledge to share."

Nitori didn't sound happy saying that.

[Aya:] "I'm also here recording everything for posterity. Also, I got dibs on the coverage of this incident, naturally."

[Remilia:] "I'm also here! Can't forget about me!"

I grinned wider. "Mistress, good to hear from you!" I think she was about to say something, but she got interrupted.

[Suika:] "I don't know why. According to Yukari, you don't provide anything useful to this-"

And there it is. Can we please not fight? Although it wouldn't really effect me - at most their fight would be elsewhere, and I wouldn't get caught in any crossfire. Still, if they're in command, and they're having these issue right off the bat, then that can't bode well. I had to think positive.

I heard Remilia and Suika bicker over something as Yukari came back on.

[Yukari:] "I heard Marisa arrive, is that correct?"

"Yeah I'm here, ze."

[Yukari:] "Okay, good. That means you can take Kyon over there. Now, Reimu, there is an abandoned building not too far from the location I gave you. The rest of the group and the items we've lent you will be inside."

[Patchouli:] "We're kind of on a tight schedule, according to Yukari. You need to get over there as soon as you can. There won't be enough time for catching up with us in the library, sadly, but maybe afterwards."

Again, even though they couldn't see it, I nodded. I understood what this was. It was what I had been preparing for. Four years of preparation, of knowing that I could die that day, that the world could end. There was no time for luxuries and greetings with most of the Gensokyo girls. I turned to Marisa, giving her a nod. "All right. Let's go."

Remilia and Suika glared at each other from across the large round table, but other than that, everyone was surprisingly civil. Yukari took it all in, at everyone that was hard at work on this. Originally, they never would have united like this under any other circumstance. But this? A world threatener?

Gensokyo is very powerful when it unites. Sad that it takes a threat to do such a thing.

Nitori was busy setting up the headsets to be tuned with the yin yang orb they had on their end, that was floating above the middle of the table, and handed Yukari hers. Putting it on, she could hear what was going on with the group out there. Yukari smiled. Nitori outdoes herself again. I love the way the kappa can unite human technology and magic so seamlessly. Granted, tech and magic were pretty indistinguishable to most youkai. Being able to call someone call someone across the world using magic or tech was pretty much the same process - you just had to know how to pull it off with either. After giving the kappa a nod of approval, Yukari got up and went for a cup of tea at a side table. One of the maids assisted her with that, making Yukari pleased with her decision to hold this "Headquarters" at the Scarlet Devil Mansion.

As she drank, she again looked over the others. Patchouli, Koakuma, and some of the maids were busy gathering the books that Yukari had requested for quick reference. Knowledge is power, after all. The most complete library in the world has its benefits. Alice had already set up her workbench with materials, and gave Yukari a nod. All right, so when you finish more dolls, I'll be able to send them to Kyon. Aya had a tape recorder linked up to the orb, ready for hours of audio, and the tengu was leaning back in her chair, satisfied with herself. The demon's smile faded. Again, if I didn't need you here, Aya, I'd throw your annoying ass out. Suika was already drinking. That was a gimme. Still, nobody knows the underground like she does. That covered the original six that were to be there. However...

Yukari stared at the extras, wondering how'd they fare, and what they could bring. Yuyuko was enjoying a late breakfast, while Remilia had forgotten her anger with Suika and was currently talking to her sister Flandre about something. Of course they would be there - their servants are a part of this. I hope that we can bring Youmu back to you safe, Yuyuko. In all honesty, Yukari hadn't anticipated Youmu declaring her sword for Kyon. Even though Yukari had said she'd get Youmu in on this, she had regretted it. In fact, she tried to talk the gardener out of it, but Youmu's honor wouldn't let her waver. I don't want to break your heart, Yuyuko, by getting Youmu killed. It was one of the things she really wanted to avoid that day. And then there's Eientei...

The two Lunarians were sitting there, staring right at Yukari. They didn't look happy. Stirring some sugar into her tea after a refill, Yukari approached them. "Is there something on your mind?"

Eirin was tapping her finger on the table out of slight impatience. "Are you really sure about this?"

"You have already committed Reisen to the fight, doctor. If you want to tell her to come back, you can."

Eirin shook her head. "No. I'm just questioning your leadership capabilities."

Ah. That's it. Yukari didn't feel insulted over it. In fact, she smiled. Because of my 'two failed attempts on your world' you think I can't lead. "Rest assured, doctor, we shall prevail today. Your rabbit will come home."

"I just wish most of us could be out there with them." Kaguya looked to the east, where they would be setting up. "If we were there, this would go much easier."

"Now now, princess. We've been over this." Yukari shook her head. "In fact, I've been over this with Miss Knowledge. The underground is different from Gensokyo. It's not part of it. First off, we couldn't go down there, and second, there are arrangements that were made long ago. I am slightly breaking them by doing all this, so we are risking all out war. The Komeijis do not like me down there." Yukari could see Eirin crack a smile over that, but she ignored it. "So please understand that this is how it has to be. Humans are fine, and technically, sending a moon rabbit wouldn't break the arrangement. They don't take kindly to above ground youkai down there."

"Yet you're going to try to send Kazami and Mima there, right?"

Yukari let out a half-hearted chuckle. "Yeah, about that. I'm not sure if they want to go."

Eirin sat up, frowning. "All this talk of arrangements, yet you're going to blatantly break them today. You sent out word to most of the youkai for assistance. The Prismrivers, that bird with the stand, even some fairies. You're desperate, Yakumo, and you might start a war, which would cause trouble for those of us in hiding here."

Yukari gave a sharp glare to Eirin. "Yes, I realize it. And yes, I'm desperate. Hopefully the 'premonitions' turn out to be wrong, and we're over-preparing for a regular incident. If not, then we are prepared." Yukari frowned. "Well, that's what I would say, if what happened earlier didn't happen." She angrily finished her cup. "And besides, doctor, the threat of this incident in a vanilla state is concerning for you. If the nuclear youkai does win, she will cover the world in nuclear fire. This..." She referenced around her. "This will guarantee it won't happen."

"And if it turns out to be much worse than we thought?"

Yukari went silent for a moment. "Then may all of the gods help us."

Geez...

A quick flight later, we saw the building that they told us to go to, right next to a massive hole in the ground. I've seen sinkholes before, but this one just went down and down. In contrast to the snowy Gensokyo landscape, the area surrounding the hole was green and lush, and felt warm. There were even some hot springs scattered near it. That is some major geothermal activity there. It wasn't spouting water or steam like the geyser in the distance, thankfully.

We landed outside the building, at a small house of some kind, with some mining tools scattered around the place.

"What is this?" I asked as Marisa and I touched ground.

"Oh, Gensokyo has a few abandoned buildings here and there, ze." Marisa adjusted her hat - it was obviously a different size than the one she usually wore and it was giving her some trouble. "Some idiots from the village think they can make it on their own out here without protection of any kind, so-"

"They meet their violent ends out here." Reimu shook her head at the building. "More often than not, these abandoned buildings are usually ghost houses."

That's... sad. Then again, if you're gonna leave the protection of the human village in this place... That would be just dumb. Unless you're Marisa, you aren't going to survive out of the village's protection.

Marisa nodded. "True, but they're fun to explore. You can find some neat things in them, ze. Like this one." She walked up to it. "I don't think I explored this one."

Chiyuri rubbed her arm, an uncertain look on her face. "As beautiful as this place is, it's easy to forget how real it is as well."

Yeah, tell me about it.

The door opened, and out came a ghost. Well... a half phantom. And a half human. Upon seeing me, she called into the house saying that we had arrived, before she went up to me.

I smiled. "It's so good to see you, Youmu."

Youmu Konpaku bowed. "Likewise. I wish we could have met again under peaceful times, but we both know what today calls for." She patted the Roukanken. "My sword is here for you all."

I overheard Chiyuri and Koizumi talk.

"What's with her?"

"Oh, Youmu? She's a half-human half-ghost being. Or is it phantom? Either way, she's quite skillful with a katana."

"...A half-phantom half-human hybrid? Man. And I thought things were weird when I was here with the professor."

"There's a lot you're gonna see today, Miss Chiyuri. My advice is to just go with it. Otherwise you're going to be spending all day in awe."

I noticed some sort of studded belt on Youmu, that she didn't usually wear. Her eyes went down to what I was staring at. "Oh, this? This is from Suika. Supposed to be her support?" Her eyebrows went up and she made a helpless gesture. "I'm not sure."

...So is this a tsukumogami then? Or is it just an item that they imbued with power?

The rest of them came out as well. Reisen came out, all geared up for war. She had several guns on her - the M16 with the MASS, her Luger pistol, and some sort of sniper rifle - it wasn't the Barrett. It was much shorter. She also had a backpack for various other soldier equipment.

"So..." I looked over her hardware. "I see you're ready for war."

"Yeah, well, 'end of the world' just kind of asks for this much firepower."

And I'm glad you're bringing it.

Reimu gave the rabbit a nod. "You ready for this, Reisen?"

"You point," She patted a gun. "I'll put a bullet in its skull."

I was staring at what was around her neck - and I couldn't believe it. Aya's camera. This thing is getting a lot of use. Another thought crossed my mind. Hopefully this isn't the one Seija is using in the future, in case it gets broken today. Or it could have been another one of Aya's cameras.

Mokou had come out, surprisingly without a cigarette in the corner of her mouth, and went right for Koizumi. After she gave him a quick kiss, she crossed her arms and looked back to us. "So, this is the day, eh?" She brought out a cigarette and lit up. "So lemme guess what my role is, Hakurei."

"Since you're immortal-"

"Yeah, I know, front line. First to die."

I stared at Reimu. "Are you serious?"

She shrugged. "Hey, Mokou agreed to it. It's the best use of her, uh, ability for this."

I looked to Mokou, wanting an answer, to which she shrugged as well. "Ain't like it's gonna bother me, really. Long as you heal me so I don't feel the pain too much, I'm fine."

Yes, but should you be so casual about dying? Yeah, look at me ask that about someone who kills herself in non-lethal fights.

"Kyon!"

I turned, and out rushed Sanae. Once again, she embraced me, and once again... Oh softness...

It had been a few months since I saw her, but it felt like it was much longer. "Oh Sanae it is so good to see you."

"Oh, Merry Christmas, Kyon!"

"Merry Christmas too!" She was still wrapped around me, pressing me even deeper into that softness. Oh heaven. "Ah, Sanae?"

She blushed. "Oh, right!" Still smiling, she let go, and took a moment to look me over. "Wow. All that training, huh?" She clicked her tongue. "You really take care of yourself. Haruhi is so lucky."

I shrugged. "Preparing for an end of the world scenario can do wonders for motivation." Despite me not getting a perfect score.

Dammit... Nagato... She's got to show up soon, right? I had to push all that out of my mind. As I did, I noticed something hanging on her miko outfit.

It was very familiar.

"Sanae," I pointed right at it. "Is that...?" It looks just like the stealth camo device from Metal Gear Solid!

"Oh yes it is." Smiling one of the biggest smiles ever, she pressed a button on it, and disappeared from view. A few seconds later, she reappeared, giddy over it. "Stealth camo! Actual stealth camo! This is so awesome!"

You are such a nerd. ...Then again, so am I. I want one too! Please tell me that someone made one for me!

"That kappa made it." Sanae detached it, and held it up to me.

I took my time looking it over. I mean, it's stealth camo. "So why's it look like it's from Metal Gear?"

"Because I asked for it to be." Sanae reattached it. "The kappa said that the design was actually beneficial for the device, that it was what she was looking for, and she managed to include a disrupter. If you get hit while cloaked, it jams magic in an area, except for the wearer, obviously. It'd be a pain to drop out of flight when you're using it in battle." She raised her eyebrows. "Pretty cool, huh?" She leaned closer, with her hands playfully behind her back. "Jealous?"

I couldn't take my eyes off it. "Very." Man, imagine if Seija ever got a hold of this. She'd really have done some damage against Reimu.

Sakuya and Meiling had already come out of the building, and were standing near us. That returned my attention to our companions. "Sakuya! And, Meiling? What are you doing here?"

After greeting me, she crossed her arms and sighed. "Not much, I'm afraid. I'd like to help out, but there's an issue."

I was about to ask what, when Sakuya approached me. "As usual, our paths cross when there's a world threatening incident."

I gave her a dry smile. "I wish it wasn't like that. Maybe one day we can meet under better circumstances." Hopefully when I live through this. Not maybe. I will live through this.

It was kind of heartbreaking that I couldn't bring myself to tell them what really happens to me, but I didn't want them to then focus solely on my safety and ignore their own. I don't think I could live with that, if someone died protecting me.

Sakuya stared up at the falling snow. "We've come a long way, haven't we?"

"Yeah. I still remember our trek through the snow with fondness. It was so beautiful."

She smiled. "Same."

I returned my attention to Meiling. "What's wrong? What's the problem?"

She motioned for us to come with her, and we all complied. I didn't notice them earlier, but Mystia, Tenshi, and Letty were at the hole in the ground, looking down at it. There was also Shanghai and Hourai. When the friendlier doll noticed me, she tugged at her companion, and they both rushed to me. I patted Shanghai on the head, while Hourai was doing her usual tsun shtick.

Tenshi noticed me. "Ah, Kyon." She smiled. "Ready to fight, and to save the world?"

"As ready as I'll ever be." It wasn't like I was going to back out of this. I already knew the consequences of the day.

Mystia just gave a nod, before looking back down at the hole, as did Letty. I again looked to Meiling. "What's going on?" I looked around for the orb. I mean, we had all these people but there were so many more that we didn't necessarily 'need.' "You know what? That's right." The orb moved up with us, and I spoke to it. "Why aren't you helping us out on this? Why aren't any of you here?" This could be made so much easier with someone like Yukari or Remilia, or hell, especially Flandre.

[Yukari:] "Because a seal has been up on all access points to the underground. It's keeping out people like Remilia, Patchouli, Nitori...and some of the more powerful people, including myself."

[Yuyuko:] "And also some of the not-as-powerful people. We also tried it with the night sparrow - same result."

Mystia looked up. "Yeah, it wasn't fun. Hurt like hell." I noticed that her dress had what appeared to be danmaku scarring, though I assumed it wasn't danmaku. Also, if she took offense with being called 'not-as-powerful', she didn't show it.

Meiling approached the hole, and faint runes started to appear in midair, covering it. Marisa took a closer look. "Whoa. Those are... wow. That's a lot of defensive runes."

Even though I know nothing of magic seals, I can tell someone doesn't want most of these girls to get past this.

Meiling took steps back until they weren't visible. "It's been like this. We wanted to start setting up down there, but due to this, we've had to hole up in that building. It's in tune to a lot of various youkai, but not everyone."

"Yeah, the bug went down there, and she hasn't come back up." Tenshi stepped up to it, and it didn't activate for her. She looked closer. "It's weird. I mean, if you don't want people coming in, then do something to keep everyone out. Don't just do it at seemingly random, you know?"

You mean like you did with your weather? But back to the issue at hand. "Wriggle went down there?" I looked to Mystia. She merely nodded, a worried look on her face.

[Yukari:] "And this is why we scrambled everyone. As Meiling said, we tried setting up, or seeing if we could bring in even more people, but that barrier came out of nowhere and really hurt Flandre."

Before I could ask how bad, Remilia answered.

[Remilia:] "She's fine. We gave her some blood to drink, and she healed up just nice. But that pisses me off." I could hear the edge in her voice. "I really want to get down there and tear some people apart for that! But since I can't, I'll send my servants down there."

Me and Sakuya, of course. Well, Sakuya, mostly. She'd be the one more likely to tear apart the ones who hurt one of her masters.

[Patchouli:] "Humans appear to not be fazed by whatever this barrier is, as well as human hybrids. Miss Konpaku and Miss Kochiya are just fine."

Koizumi tentatively approached the hole. Finding that the barrier ignored him, he peered down into the drop. "Someone really is setting the stage here, aren't they? You don't do this unless you don't want certain people interfering.

[Eirin:] "I don't like it."

Oh, Eirin is there too? I guess so is Kaguya.

[Eirin:] "This is too specific. The barrier appears to activate the specific weakness of the youkai that it responds to."

"Kind of like the Sword of Hisou," said Tenshi. "Except I've never seen any power like this, even in Heaven."

[Patchouli:] "The seal seems kind of random though. I tested it with some of our fairy maids, and we got the same result, for the most part. Some were able to go in uninhibited. Of course we didn't send them down there, but it's still interesting to note."

[Alice:] "It's like it's tuned to specific people. I would say it's tuned to fantasy creatures, but as we found out with the fairies, that isn't the case. It's so odd."

The unease of the approaching incident was building up. You don't keep out people you don't want for no good reason. Someone set this up, and wanted our strongest allies out of the picture, so that only meant one thing. Someone knew we were coming, and wanted to keep us from using everything we had. Dammit, Tenshi and Yukari may not be the only ones watching.

Everyone had gone silent over this. We had realized the situation. We had been preparing, but obviously someone else had been preparing as well. I had thought I had an advantage in that, that I knew what was coming, and that I could prepare for it. But it wasn't exclusive to our side, it seemed.

I hope it's enough. It has to be enough. It just has to. I refuse to see this world end today. As shaken as my resolve was, it was still there. I guess it's true. I'm not an easily broken person.

Tenshi had approached Koizumi and I, as she stared right into my eyes. She gave an apologetic smile, and spoke quietly to us. "We tried this with Yuyuko, well, without it going off. She has the biggest seal against her, so someone really doesn't want her down there."

"The snow."

The celestial gave a quick nod. "That's what I'm thinking. Reisen can still bring the demotivators no problem, but the snow was a big factor."

This proves it. Someone is taking steps against us. "Can't you do something like blow another hole in the ground?" Just get a little destructive.

She shook her head, pointing to the forest. "There's a cave not too far from here, and they tried sending more people. The barrier extends over there as well. It might cover all possible ways in." She then tapped her foot on the ground. "And I don't wanna risk it. See that house and that mining equipment?" She pointed to the building. "If I had to take a guess, this ground could be littered with old mining tunnels, and we'd risk a collapse that could destroy the ground here." Tenshi chuckled. "And if I remember correctly, you dealt with me in the summer to prevent such a thing from happening."

I scoffed, looking up at the sky. "So much for this going smoothly, huh?"

How in the hell are we going to-

"Oh, hey, Kaguya, I didn't see you there."

I brought my attention to the immortal. "What?" She said that out of nowhere.

The princess was nowhere to be found. I didn't understand what Mokou was saying, until I saw the smirk on her face and where her eyes were - on the massive hole in the ground.

It didn't take me long to realize what Mokou was implying, and I had to force myself not to laugh. Oh. I could hear stifled laughter from both the orb and the people around me.

"Looks like ol' Kaguya there is ready to take on eleven people at the same time. And more later." Mokou's grin widened. "Or as she'd call it: Wednesday."

Ah, the comedic routine of the eternal battle between Mokou and Kaguya. I was kind of grateful for this, however. A serious air had flown between all of us, and it was at once gone. Like Yukari said, humor eases the tension.

[Kaguya:] "I WILL KILL YOU IN YOUR SLEEP!"

Yep, Kaguya is there.

"But you're busy during the night. What will your suitors think if you don't show up?"

You know what? We might be fine. Yeah. We'll be fine.

-login-

-please enter password and interface name-

-K. Emiri

-access granted-

- Due to Nagato Yuki's disappearance, and her inability to provide updates, it has been deemed that this individual entity be the one to record the information as it happens. This individual expresses that it will perform its task to perfection as expected, and will continue to update the databanks with information as it becomes available.

It's time to shamelessly self plug. I have a Youtube channel (under the same name) where I have Gensokyo Championship Wrestling going on using Fire Pro Wrestling World. I try to make a show every week, with a major show (PPV) happening at the last weekend of the month. I'd appreciate it if you gave it a look.

Read and review. Lady Yukari demands it.