Master and Servant

A thunderous explosion shook the Scarlet Devil Mansion from the foundations up, rattling the windows. This in itself was very impressive, as with all the structural and magical precautions against such disturbances the mansion possessed, it could hypothetically survive a volcanic eruption.

Deep within the mansion's depths, Sakuya Izayoi stood next to a cold steel door, hands clasped in front of her. She stared at the rising staircase in front of her, rarely blinking. Through the door, sounds of conflict could be heard. Shouts, screams, crashes, explosions and occasionally flesh being ripped apart. If Sakuya was in any way affected by the disturbing things she heard, she made no outward sign.

Then she heard a distinct fluttering noise. She reached over with one hand and brushed surface of the door. The sequence of locks along the door's side unlocked one after the other and the heavy chains that bound its frame fell loose. Sakuya grasped the steel handle and pulled the door open.

Less than a second later a swarm of black bats with a crimson sheen to their fur burst through, filling the small space between the door and the stairs. Sakuya shoved the door shut as quickly as she could, even though there were still bats on the other side. It didn't matter. All that was needed was one.

A second later something smashed against the door with incredible force. The mansion shook again from the impact, and flakes of stone were knocked loose from the walls. A wordless scream filled the air as the something slammed against the door again and again, trying to knock it loose. The door shook in its frame but it held. The screams continued, but they were then joined by cries of pain as the bats that were unlucky enough to be trapped within were ripped to pieces.

On Sakuya's side, the maid stood at attention as the bats circled down in a tight spiral, coming together to form a humanoid shape. The mass of wings and fur held its form for a single second before shuddering violently, and then Remilia Scarlet stumbled forward with a gasp.

Sakuya was there to help steady her. "Mistress, are you well?"

Remilia grimaced as she straightened. "Ungrateful little brat," she snarled. "I put by life and pride on the line to protect her, and this is how she repays me?"

"Well," Sakuya said in a diplomatic tone. "Young Mistress Flandre is not known for her rationality."

"She tore off my arm!" Remilia held up her newly regenerated right arm to demonstrate.

"Nor her carefulness," Sakuya said. "Will everything be all right? With Flandre, I mean."

"That is entirely up to her," Remilia sniffed. "But I for one do not have the time or the patience to indulge her temper tantrums." The small vampire then sighed and started to massage her forehead with her fingertips. "At any rate, we've more pressing issues to worry about, wouldn't you agree? What's the progress on the defenses?"

"Steady," Sakuya said. "China…I mean Meiling has been returned to active duty, and I've reassigned a fourth of the staff to assist her."

"That does not fill with any degree of confidence."

"True. Fortunately, it's a temporary solution. Patchouli has been working on-"

She was interrupted by the loud sound of something banging repeatedly against the door. Sakuya winced as the echoes filled the small room.

"You promised!" Flandre shouted from the other side. "You promised, Remi! You said nothing bad would happen! You broke your promise! Liar! Liar! Liar!"

Her fingers stuck into her sensitive ears, Remilia groaned and indicated that Sakuya should follow her out of the room. Sakuya nodded and gratefully followed her Mistress up the stairs to the floor above.

At the top was an arched double-door the color of dried blood. Remilia and Sakuya quickly passed through and shut the door behind them. The sound of Flandre's cries cut off immediately.

"That hurt," Remilia muttered. "I have to admit: soundproofing everything from this door down was a fantastic idea."

"Thank you, Mistress."

"Yes, yes. Now, what was that you were saying about Patchy?"

"Ah, yes," Sakuya said. "She has been searching through her books for a spell that would bolster our defenses and warn us of any intruder.

"Is she now? Good for her."

"Yes, Mistress. She has been diligently working on it ever since we returned to the mansion."

"Splendid. Nice to know she puts her full effort into all of her projects, wouldn't you agree?" Remilia turned and started down the red-velvet corridor. "At any rate, I need to rest and recover my strength. Please do not disturb except in the case of an extreme emergency. In the meantime, keep an eye on China and her little helpers. And while you're at it, check up on Patchy and make sure there's a full progress report waiting for me when I rise, am I understood?"

Sakuya bowed her head. "Yes Mistress, I'll take care of that immediately."

With that, Sakuya's hand slipped into the pocket of her apron. When it came out, it held an old but meticulously maintained golden pocket watch. The face of the device's cover was inscribed with strange symbols and geometric shapes that only a handful of beings would recognize, much less translate. Sakuya popped open the lid, revealing a clock's face with four hands, diligently clicking forward.

A small infuse of will, and the watch's hands slowly came to a halt. At the same time, everything else around Sakuya ceased to move as well. Remilia stood still in mid-step, and the dust motes floating in the air hovered in mid-air.

Sakuya replaced the pocket watch in her apron. Her feet left the ground and she floated through the mansion's many corridors, heading for the library. Once she was there, she flew over the seemingly endless rows of bookshelves, pausing only to take note that Patchouli's current intern was once again hiding in a corner with a smuggled volume. Sakuya shook her head. Patchouli never really did have much luck finding good help.

Finally she reached the end of the library, where the door to Patchouli Knowledge's study was located. Sakuya floated to the ground and released her hold on time as she did so.

Immediately she heard the sound of someone coughing violently and trying to inhale through blocked lungs. That was never a good sign.

"Koa-" Patchouli's voice wheezed out between coughs. "Koaku…medicine. Where's my…"

"Here it is, Miss Knowledge!" said the voice of Patchouli's familiar. "Here you go. Take it easy, you'll be all right." The sound of coughing slowly subsided and Patchouli's breathing became easier.

Sakuya reached up with one hand and rapped her knuckles against the door.

A heartbeat passed, and then Patchouli said, "Who's there?" Her voice still sounded strained, but she could speak without restriction.

"It's me," Sakuya said."

"Oh. Yes, of course it is. What is it?"

"The Mistress requests a status report on your preparations."

Patchouli started to sound annoyed. "Oh, does she? I suppose she was just too busy to come down here and get it herself. Well then."

Sakuya frowned. "Patchouli, may I come in? It's inconvenient to speak to you through wood."

"If you must. Try not to get in the way."

Sakuya opened the door and stepped inside. As usual, Patchouli's study was a small museum of rare and valuable items. The walls were lined with shelves and cupboards of books, chests, mounted and stuffed animals and bizarre looking instruments. At the far end were two large easy chairs and a round tea table in front of a large fireplace. In one corner was a complete skeleton of a long-extinct carnivorous reptile, standing within a glass case. From the ceiling hung models of various flying machines, celestial bodies and the stuffed corpse of a tremendous eel-like creature, presumably to keep the skeletal reptile company when their owner wasn't around.

Patchouli herself sat at her oak desk. Several tomes lay open among piles of notes. A green chalkboard covered with formulas and calculations sat to her right. Her familiar, the devil-girl Koakuma, stood at her left and was doing her best to look inconspicuous. The librarian herself was sitting slumped in her chair. A small glass bottle was clutched in one hand, from which rose a thick, sweet smelling smoke.

As Sakuya approached, Patchouli pulled herself up with a grunt. "Hello Sakuya. And, if-" She was cut off by another bout of raspy coughing. She thrust the bottle under her nose and inhaled deeply. Sakuya patiently waited for her to bring her rebellious respiratory system under control.

"Well, if you must know," Patchoulis said once she was able. "Yes, I have found a solution to our problem."

She picked up one of the books and held it so Sakuya could see. On it were several arcane symbols and formulas surrounding a circle. While Sakuya did not recognize most of the symbols, the circle's meaning seemed to be clear enough.

"A barrier?" she said. "Didn't we try that once before, back during Satsuki's first rampage?

Patchouli replaced the book on her desk. "Indeed. Her adaption to magical energies severely limits what I am able to contribute. However, this barrier might just be the exception."

"Explain."

"Most barriers use a specific magical element as their base and amplifies it. Force is the most common, as it acts as a physical deterrent to physical objects. Water-based barriers rely on dispersing and dispelling kinetic energy, fire-based employs fire's purifying effects to disrupt magical energies and so on. The problem with using any of these against Satsuki is that she will eventually adapt to element in question and, well, 'eat' her way through."

Sakuya nodded. "Yes, I remember. Vividly."

"However, according the reports of her recent attack on Eientei, it seems that she is unable to adapt quickly enough to constantly changing energies and can therefore be overwhelmed. Unfortunately, the acquisition of Kaguya Houraisan and that other one, Mokou Fujiwara-"

"Fujiwara no Mokou," Sakuya said.

"Right, of course." Patchouli waved off the correction as irrelevant. "My point is, her new immortality and associated regenerative capabilities have rendered that tactic more or less obsolete. However it did get me thinking: can something similar be used for defense?

"Now the base of this barrier is a bit different from most. The base employed here is the light spectrum. Solid light is fairly popular among magicians, mainly because the different wavelengths offer a large variety of additional effects. Ultraviolet, for example, can be modified to-"

"Patchouli, I am not unfamiliar with barriers. Please get to the point."

Patchouli stared at her, mouth still open in mid-lecture. "Fine," she said angrily. "Forgive me for trying to help. But as I was saying, most light barriers rely on a single wavelength. This one, however, quickly cycles through the entire spectrum, changing from wavelength to wavelength in a very short period of time."

Sakuya raised a single silver eyebrow. While she was no student of the magical arts, she had picked up her fair share of things over the years. "But wouldn't that destabilize the barrier itself?" she asked. "As well as negate any possible additional effects?"

"Exactly!" Patchouli looked pleased that Sakuya was able catch on. "As a conventional means of defense, it's nearly useless. Even the barrier's designer admitted that its creation was entirely experimental."

"And who was that?"

In response, Patchouli slowly closed the book in question and showed Sakuya the cover. On the top was the book's title, In Regard to the Elements and Their Uses in Spellcasting. Below that was the symbol of a golden sun.

"Madam Mima," Patchouli said.

"Of course," Sakuya sighed.

"Indeed." Patchouli looked down at the volume in her hands with an almost reverent look. "To be honest, it wasn't her most influential work. There were many critics that claimed that it was too experimental for what appeared to be a primer on the basics. She of course disagreed, claiming that there had been enough how-to books as it was, and it was time to start moving away from the tried-and-true lest spellcasting become stagnant. She had her supporters, of course, but unfortunately the Magician's War occurred soon after, and whatever support she had dried up when-"

"Patchouli, if I wanted a lecture on your idol's personal history, I will be happy to let you know. But in the meantime, I must insist that you focus on the task at hand. Can the spell be made usable?"

Patchouli glowered, but she said, "I believe so. There have been many advancements since the book was first published, and I'm fairly certain the barrier can be modified." He eyes glanced back to the book in question. "I…had hoped I would be able to ask Mima herself for her input. Logically speaking, no one would know the spell better than she would, and her help would be invaluable."

"Perhaps," Sakuya admitted. "But given recent events, I'm sure that Yukari Yakumo is keeping us on a short lease. I highly doubt we will be allowed to go anywhere near this operation's leadership for some time."

"Yes, and wasn't that just a brilliant idea?" Patchouli hissed. "Threatening what very well might be the single most powerful and influential being in all of Gensokyo. A few more of Remilia's 'plans' and we will end up so crippled that Satsuki will probably end up taking control of the whole mansion."

Koakuma started to look even more uncomfortable. The devil girl began to discretely move to the other side of the room. Sakuya took no notice.

"Patchouli, I am not liking that tone of disrespect."

"Oh, did I offend you? I'm so sorry. Far be it from me to insult the Mistress."

"That's enou-"

"Except she's not my Mistress, is she? Last time I checked, I am not listed among the employee roster. I was given to understand that my presence here was to be one of mutual benefit."

Sakuya's already cold gaze grew even colder. "You are still a guest in this house, however long term. And I do expect the Mistress' guests to remember their manners."

In answer, Patchouli brought her fingers up to brush her cheek. At her touch, a dark purple bruise blossomed on her skin.

"Yes," she said. "And we've all seen how well she treats her guests." She let her hand fall, banishing the blemish in the process.

Koakuma cleared her throat. "You know, it's probably best if I left you two alone. I'll be in the library if you-"

"And how did you expect her to react?" Sakuya asked. "We placed her younger sister in danger without her knowledge or consent. We used her house as a prison for an extremely dangerous monster. If you believe her treatment of us to have been unacceptable, then please consider this: if I were to force your little devil into a situation where she might be grievously harmed and use the library to contain a creature of Satsuki's caliber, all without you knowing, how would feel upon finding out?"

Koakuma winced. "Please, I would much rather not be involved in this."

Again she was ignored. "Of course," Patchouli said. "For as we recently found out, putting Flandre in danger for personal reasons is only acceptable when she does it."

"She is the Mistress of this house, and in here, her word is law," Sakuya responded. "If you wish to continue enjoying your comfortable life here, then you would do well to remember that."

Without waiting for a retort, Sakuya turned and headed for the door. "Continue your efforts as you've done," she instructed over her shoulder. "If there are any additional materials or other resources you require, please do not hesitate to ask."

With that, she marched past a visibly flinching Koakuma and into the library beyond.

…

Elsewhere, another discussion was taking place, just as tense but for completely different reasons.

Ran sat down suddenly in the chair opposite of Yukari. Between them was the space where the table had been. Her face had turned very pale.

"Yuuka Kazami?" she said, her voice barely more than a raspy whisper.

Yukari crossed her legs and clasped her hands over her knees. "I'm afraid so. It seems she's been attracted by the chaos and, as Mima so astutely put it, wants to play."

"And she has Chen?"

"For all intents and purposes, yes. Or rather, Chen is in the company of Cirno's gang, and Yuuka is currently keeping a very close watch on Cirno's gang."

"My gods," Ran closed her eyes. She swayed slightly in her chair. Then she gripped the armrests tightly and steadied herself. "We need to get her out."

"That's exactly-"

"No, no arguments. I'm sorry Master, I know you don't like to be contradicted, but Chen is my responsibility."

"Which is-"

"Please understand, I mean no disrespect, but we cannot allow her to remain in the clutches of that lunatic!"

"I know, I-"

"Yuuka's a monster, Yukari. A monster! And every second we leave Chen with her-"

"Silence!"

Ran shut up immediately, though her hands continued to tremble.

A prolonged period of silence passed between them, with both staring at the other. When Yukari finally spoke, her voice calm and even. "I have absolutely no intention of letting Yuuka keep Chen, which is why I summoned you as soon as I found out. Chen knows far too much to be allowed to remain with her for any period of time. That girl could easily be used as a weapon against me."

"Is that-"

"Furthermore," Yukari said. "Furthermore, you're right. Chen is your responsibility, and thus mine as well. And as…irritating as she can be at times, she is still a member of this family. And I am not in the habit of abandoning members of my family. But I think we can both agree that rushing in without a concrete plan would do more harm than good."

Ran looked relieved, though not by much. "All right," she said softly. "What do we do then?"

Yukari leaned back in her chair. "That does seem to be the question. If Yuuka's actions fall in line with our previous encounters, than we cannot expect her to be intimidated by a show of force. And any attempts to strike a deal with her would probably just be met with amusement. At the moment, she holds the power, and she probably knows it too."

"Then…then what do we do?"

"That is what I'm trying to figure out. Be quiet for a moment and let me think."

Yukari stared up at the ceiling. Her mind went back to her previous encounters with Yuuka. Though Yuuka had only recently relocated to Gensokyo, she and Yukari had run into each other numerous times over the centuries in a variety of different circumstances. As such, she had a fairly good idea how the mentally unstable youkai operated.

Yuuka was a being of unpredictability, pure and simple. Her domain, the Garden of the Sun, was a bastion of peace and order. Her manners were impeccable, her demeanor cultured and her tastes refined. She was a lover of the arts, could hold an intelligent conversation and loved children.

And on the flipside, she was also an unabashed sadist with an appetite for chaos and destruction. She delighted in causing pain and corrupting innocence. Though she had calmed down in the last few decades, there was once a time that she would gladly send a landslide to bury a village if she thought it was funny. And sometimes, it seemed that she loved children for all the wrong reasons.

This was a situation that had to be handled delicately, there was no question about that. Yuuka's message indicated that she was feeling nostalgic for the days of old, and one wrong move could send her on a rampage comparable to that of the Shadow Youkai's.

Yukari's fingertip tapped against her chin. Perhaps solution lay not within planning for Yuuka the monster. Perhaps they should instead concentrate on appealing to her better side.

"All right, here's what you'll do," Yukari said at last.

Ran leaned forward and listened.

…

"I dunno," Marisa said. "It just seems that she's spending more and more time with that freaky-ass poison doll thing."

"Well, she is a youkai," Reimu said. "It's not like Medicine poses any threat for her."

"Yeah, but it's still weird. I know she's got that whole 'Make Shanghai sentient' thing going, ze, but does she have to hang out with Little Miss Genocide?"

Sanae shot a wry glance over to her fellow shrine maiden. "Hmmm, sounds like someone's jealous."

Marisa shot her a poison look. "Hey!"

"Oh, I agree," Reimu said. "Maybe there is something to those rumors, after all."

Marisa folded her arms grumpily. "Stupid-shrine-maidens-who-need-to-shut-up-says-what."

Reimu rolled her eyes. "Does that ever actually work?"

The three Human girls were still hanging out in front of the citadel. They had finished their lunches, and were now killing the last few minutes of their break. At that moment, Marisa had taken control of the conversation and was using it to do what she did best: complain.

"If you ask me, you really shouldn't be spending so much time around youkai anyway," Sanae said. "Probably where you've picked up all those bad habits."

Reimu nudged her with her elbow. "Hey, we talked about the anti-youkai thing, remember?"

"What? I'm just saying."

"Ain't most of your worshipful donators youkai now?" Marisa said. "Way to exterminate the hand that feeds you."

"Oh, quit it. There's a big difference between those ones and the more uncivilized types that live in the Forest of Magic."

Marisa let out a sudden bark of laughter. "Say what? Oh man. Mossy, I would love to see you call Alice 'uncivilized' to her face!"

Sanae shot a look at Reimu. "'Mossy'?"

Reimu just shrugged. "Better than Armpits."

"No, not really."

"You three!"

The three human girls all turned in the direction of the new voice. Mima had just materialized in front of the citadel's entrance.

The ghost beckoned at them. "Lunch-break's over! Come on!"

"Well, back to hard seats and endless arguments," Sanae grumbled as she stood to her feet.

"Meh, could be worse," Marisa said. She took off her hat and ran her fingers through her hair. The three of them started walking toward the entrance.

"Really? Like how?"

"This is Gensokyo, ze. Use your imagination. You could end up as one of Flandre Scarlet's toys, or get caught by a youkai hunting party, or get caught by a youkai rape-gang, or have your shrine burned down by an angry mob of Tengu wanting their mountain back, or you might get turned into a stupid bouncing head, or Yukari might start liking you too much, or Yuuka Kazami might start liking you too much, or I might start liking you too much…"

They walked past where Mima was floating. Reimu and Sanae both nodded at her in acknowledgement while Marisa shot her former mentor a snappy salute. However, just before the witch walked through the front doors, Mima placed a hand on her shoulder, holding her back.

"Marisa, a moment please," she murmured.

Marisa blinked. She looked over at Reimu and Sanae, who were already in the tower's hollowed-out center, and then back at Mima. "Uh…what's up? Is something…Wait, what are you-"

Mima held up a green eight-sided crystal. She crushed it between her fingers, and there was a brilliant flash of green light.

…

Yukari bustled out of her private quarters, leaving Ran within. The kitsune had many preparations to make before setting off, and Yukari had several to make as well. As she stormed down the stone hall she began to compose a list in her mind, ordered from situations she needed to deal with immediately to ones that would have to wait until after the rest of the meeting.

First order of business would be to check up on Kotohime and her posse. Yukari had left a gap for them leading to one of the citadel's guest rooms, where they would be able to pull themselves together. She would need to give them the cliffnotes on the Marisa Kirisame situation followed by a full debriefing to take place later.

Meanwhile, there was the problem of Marisa's missing hakkero and spellcards to deal with. The identity of the culprit was no mystery. She just hoped that she wouldn't have to have a full confrontation with Mima. Time was wasting as it was, and Mima knew how to waste time like no one else.

After that came the meeting itself, during which she would have to hide the fact that one of Gensokyo's most dangerous players had already entered this very lethal game. Then there was question of the bounty, which was probably spreading further every minute. If there was a silver lining in that situation it was that Cirno's so-called illustration was obsolete, sending her little army of mercenaries looking for a monster that no longer existed. But the secret of Satsuki's new appearance couldn't be counted on to be a secret for long.

And then there was the problem of Marisa's arrest. And then there was Yuuka herself. And she would have to keep an eye on Remilia Scarlet as well. And that wasn't forgetting the overreaching problem of Rin Satsuki, on which everything hung. And then…

Yukari shook her head. Sometimes she truly envied Reimu's job. All that girl had to do was travel to Point A and beat up whoever she found there until the incident was declared resolved. But then again, she had made similar observations about Reimu's ancestors many times in the past. Yukari allowed herself a small smile. She was at least not without experience. As cluttered as the situation was becoming, she was sure she could handle it.

Still, she was getting the feeling that she was forgetting something, another issue that should have a place on the list…

Yukari turned a corner and came face-to-face with a thin girl with short lavender hair and heavy bags under her melancholy eyes. A large black cat with two tails was wrapped around her shoulders.

Ah, that's right, Yukari thought.

"Satori, hello," Yukari said, as if running into the underground's mistress had been planned from the beginning. "Glad I could find you. There's something I need to-"

"Cirno the ice fairy has placed a surprisingly large bounty on Rin Satsuki and Yuuka Kazami has directly challenged you," Satori said. "I know. I gleaned as much from Dr. Yagokoro when she interrupted our midday meal." She reached up to scratch her cat between the ears. The cat closed her eyes and purred appreciatively. "And no, I have not told anyone of this new development, nor do I plan to unless asked directly, which I judge to be an extremely unlikely happenstance."

"I see. Thank you. Oh, and regarding-"

"Any plans you have for the magician Marisa Kirisame are no concern of mine. There is no lost love between her and I, therefore I do not care what you do to her."

"Well, good to hear. And-"

"No, I have neither seen nor read Mima on my way here. Kirisame had lunch outside with the shrine maidens, so it is likely she went straight there."

Yukari opened her mouth.

"No, none of the council is hiding any information concerning the Shadow Youkai's origins, location or goals. And yes, I still think that 'The Ringleaders' is a ridiculous name."

Yukari closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Satori. Look. I get that already knowing what people are going to say must makes you impatient, I really do. But please let me finish my sentences, because the constant interrupting is getting really annoying."

"A fair enough point," Satori said. "Very well."

"Glad to hear it." Yukari moved to push her way past her. "Now, if you'll excuse me…"

"Wait."

Yukari stopped. "Yes?"

"While I have no new information to give you," Satori said. She folded her hands in front of her. "I do have some suggestions of my own."

It took Yukari a moment to realize what Satori was saying. "Wait a minute, correct me if I'm wrong here, but did you just offer to help?"

Satori nodded once.

"Oh. All right then." Yukari shook her head. "Um, don't think me ungrateful or anything, but this is a little…uncharacteristic for you. May I ask why?"

"Yuuka Kazami's recent actions have changed the landscape. Before, the situation was indeed dire, but not beyond our accumulated capabilities. However, the introduction of this new chaotic element holds the potential to send things spiraling out of control. Things could become…disorganized."

Yukari's lips quirked in a small smile. "And you just hate disorganization, don't you?"

"Of course."

"Mmmm-hmmm. Satori, no offense intended, but I'm starting to get the impression that you're scared of Yuuka. Did you have a bad encounter with her?"

For the briefest of moments the ice of Satori's expression melted, and a troubled look passed over her face. "No, we have never met. However, I have heard…stories. Stories that I believe may be true."

"Trust your instincts on that one. They're true all right. So, you're worried about what kind of damage she might do. Very wise. What do you suggest?"

Satori's heavy eyes bored into her own. "Firstly, your current plan to hide these recent developments from the rest of the council is foolishness. Yuuka Kazami is bound to make both her challenge and the bounty as public as possible. They will find out in short order, and turn against you for concealing the truth."

I must be more tired than I thought, Yukari thought. She's right.

"Of course I am," Satori said. "It is, after all, simple logic."

"Manners, Satori," Yukari said in a weary tone. "Okay, fine. So I should be up front with the fact that this already screwed up situation is about to get even worse."

"Yes, you should. However the others may feel about you, there is no question as to where Yuuka Kazami stands. This may be the catalyst that unites them."

Yukari grinned. "Common enemy and all that? Very good point. Never thought I'd say this, but thank you, Satori."

"I believe the proper response is 'You are welcome'. And you are correct: you should start listening to me more often. Now, regarding Yuuka Kazami herself…"

Yukari's ears perked up. "Yes?"

"I believe I can help with that as well. The issue of Marisa Kirisame and her missing weaponry-"

"I thought you didn't care about her."

"I do not. But one problem may very well solve the other. And there is additional assistance I may be able to give in that department."

Satori's cat turned to look at her. She meyorrowwed in puzzlement.

Yukari echoed the feline's sentiments. "Really now. And how is that?"

"It is simple, really. What you need to do is…"

Yukari leaned forward and listened.

…

"Whoa!" Marisa cried. She flinched back and covered her eyes. "Jeez louise, Master! Next time warn me before you-"

Mima seized her by her apron's straps. "Shut up and listen."

Marisa obeyed immediately. Though it had been years since she had heard Mima use that tone of voice, there had once been a time when ignoring it meant the rest of the day would be extremely unpleasant. Some lessons died hard, and other never died at all.

She looked around. They were still in the courtyard, but a pale green mist surrounded them, shot through with bright green sparks. Though Marisa wasn't familiar with the spell in question, she recognized it as some kind of shroud.

"You need to leave," Mima said. "Right now. This instant. The spell I just cast should buy you some time, but you need to go before it wears off."

"Whoa, wait a minute!" Marisa yelped. "What are you talking about, ze? What's going on?"

"It's Yukari."

"Yukari?"

"Yes. She's going to have you arrested."

Marisa gaped at her. "Huh?"

"Precisely. Which is why you need to be gone five minutes ago."

"Er...what?"

Mima rolled her eyes. "Okay, look. I'm being serious here. She just got done telling me, probably on the belief that keeping me in the loop would decrease the chance of rebellion. She obviously forgot who she was speaking to, but that's neither here nor now."

"But why?"

"Why? Apparently, she struck a bargain with Remilia Scarlet for her help. Your incarceration was the condition."

"Remilia?"

"Yes. Though if you ask me, that's just the excuse. More likely than not the fact that you got in her face when she was in a bad mood also has a part to play."

Marisa was reeling. She had expected to be on the outs with Yukari for a while, but she hadn't thought much of it. And she had never thought that Remilia would actually go so far as press charges. Obviously she had been underestimating the ridiculously overpowered inhuman creatures she hung out with.

"Which is why you must go, now," Mima said. "Before Yukari gets her hands on you. Because believe you me, so long as there's a crisis of this caliber at hand, Yukari is insanely dangerous. You may know her as an easygoing slacker, but that Yukari's gone. And the situation continues to escalate, you will cease to be a bargaining chip and become something else entirely."

"Uh, what is that?"

Mima's cold eyes bored into her own. "A resource."

The way that her former master said that seemingly innocent word sent a chill down Marisa's spine. She still didn't really understand what was going on, but it was apparent that she should start listening.

But still...

"Okay. I'm gonna trust you on this, but, uh, why?"

"Why?" Mima stared at her in disbelief. "Have you gone deaf? I just explained why!"

"No! No, I mean, why are you helping me like this? I mean, you'll probably piss of Yukari, and...Well, I'm just a human. Sure, you trained me and all, but you're immortal, ze. You've probably had hundreds of apprentices-"

"Eighteen thousand, nine hundred forty-eight minions, four-hundred seventeen students and ninety-six personal allies," Mima said curtly. "What's your point?"

"Well, uh, if you've had that many before, then I...I'm just one out many, so why risk-"

"Let me tell you something, Marisa. Yes, I've trained hundreds. Yes, I've commanded thousands. Some of the greatest mages the world has ever seen have bowed knee to me. Lords, legends, kings, a couple emperors, even gods. There are names on that list that would shock even you. Men and women of genius, traveling far and risking much just to learn from me. And you? When I found you wandering around in the forest, you were by far one of the most pathetic creatures I have ever encountered. An eight-year-old Human girl who ran away from her strict father, with no special abilities, no powers, no nothing. You couldn't even fly, Marisa! Even Satsuki could do that back before she became a nightmare."

Marisa felt her cheeks grow hot. She stared down at the ground. There were not many people in the world that could make her feel ashamed, but Mima was at the top of list. "Oh...I..."

"But!" Mima said. "But despite all that, despite starting off as the lowest of the low, despite coming from a nobody family with no real magical talent, you have by far surpassed everyone else I've trained. You've mastered spells that the best of the best couldn't even begin to comprehend, and you've created things that have surprised even me, all because you refused to be stopped. You even directly challenged Yukari herself twice, whereas most of those great mages I've trained have nervously counseled me against incurring her wrath. But you? You didn't back down for a moment. Certainly, I've had students, but you're the only one I've ever considered an apprentice."

"So tell me, Marisa. You ask why I would stick my neck out for someone like you. I say, how could I not?"

For what had to be the first time in her life, Marisa was at a loss for words. A lump started to form in her throat. She swallowed noisily.

"Here," Mima said, passing something into her hands. Marisa looked down. It was her hakkero and her spellcards, along with another green crystal, identical to the one Mima had just crushed.

"Use it only if you have to," Mima said. "It'll smokescreen Yukari's abilities for a short time, giving you enough time to get away. Hide somewhere until this is resolved. By then, she won't care enough to pursue."

Marisa shook slightly. "Master, I don't..."

"Then don't." Mima gave her a slight push. "Now go."

And she was gone. Marisa stood alone in the courtyard, holding her weapons in her hands. Around her, the anti-Yukari shroud continued to glimmer, though it was already starting to fade away.

Marisa stared at the items in her hands. For a brief moment, she found herself tempted to go find Yukari and settle this dispute personally. If Mima's countermeasures were as good as she said, then it might buy her enough time to get off a Master Spark or too.

But Mima had told her to flee. And Marisa couldn't think of a single time Mima had been wrong about anything.

She slipped the hakkero, the spellcards and the crystal in the pocket of her apron. Then she walked over to where her broom leaned against the chunk of rubble she had been sitting on. Without a word she mounted it and took off.

A moment later she was a distant speck on the horizon.

…

It's a lot like life!

If you guys haven't caught it yet, the second chapter of Rhapsody of Subconscious Desire (wow, that's a mouthful) went up last week. Of course I can't tell you what to do, but I can emphatically suggest that you check it out, as our poor dreaming rivals just encountered someone...interesting.

Anyway, this chapter would've been up last night, but hey my laptop's adapter died on me, and the battery wouldn't have lasted long enough for me to finish. So I'm making this update on my mom's computer. Ain't technology wonderful?

Until next time, everyone!