Endless Problems, Temporary Solutions

(Warning: This chapter contains heavy spoilers for The Sandman)

If Flandre was at all bewildered by her long period of dormancy and sudden change in surroundings, it was gone the moment she heard Yuuka's voice. Overwhelming urges to kill will do that.

The little vampire's head snapped up. She saw Yuuka's smiling face and she jerked back. But the surprise lasted less than a second, because right after, her eyes narrowed to burning slits and her mouth twisted into a fanged snarl. She thrust her hand forward, squeezed it into a fist, and screamed, "KYU!"

Just as before, this accomplished nothing. Flandre's temper was not improved in the slightest.

Holding up her hand, Yuuka said, "Now, Flandre. I know you're upset, but you must-"

Flandre screamed. She launched herself at Yuuka, fangs bared and hands grasping for her throat.

She never got there. A blur hit her when she was halfway, somehow managing to knock her off course and sending her tumbling upward.

Yuuka blinked. A most curious conflict was taking place above her head. Elly and Flandre were locked in mortal combat, tossing and lurching this way and that. Elly was using her scythe to keep Flandre at bay and prevent her from bringing her strength to bear, whereas Flandre kept trying to smash her way through the scythe's pole to tear the Shinigami apart. Fortunately, Shinigami scythes are indestructible, even for one as strong as Flandre Scarlet. And while she was far weaker than her opponent, Elly knew how to her use weapon and use it well. She struck quick and she struck well, none of her attacks doing damage but still managing to keep the mad vampire from getting her hands on her.

Then Flandre grabbed the scythe's pole. Yuuka's heart lurched.

With a growl that grew into an outright roar, Flandre wrenched the scythe to one side. Elly didn't have a chance. Her body was flung against the wall so hard that if it weren't for the vines reinforcing everything, she would have gone right through. As it was, she merely slumped down to the ground and lay still.

Hurling the scythe aside, Flandre turned her attention back to Yuuka. It was then that Yuuka noticed something odd: while the girl certainly had no problem flying, her trademark crystalline wings had not regenerated with the rest of her. Two stubby stumps extended from her shoulders, but that was it. Perhaps they had been artificial after all?

But there was no time to dwell on it, because Flandre was again on the attack. She hurtled herself at Yuuka, one hand drawn back. As she neared, she thrust her fist forward at her target's face.

Yuuka held a hand up. Flandre's fist smacked against her palm.

Now, when it came to pure physical strength, Yuuka's was immense. She had arm-wrestled one of the most powerful kitsune alive and made her look as weak as a rag doll. She could crush boulders to powder as easily as if they were pieces of cake. She could uproot mountains and flip them over. She could stop incoming freight trains with a finger. Now granted, she currently wasn't as powerful as she normally was: only three-fourths, to be exact. But in most cases, that was more than enough. As such, her hand was able to stop Flandre's attack cold.

But she did so at the cost of said hand.

Bones snapped, muscles and ligaments tore, and her wrist popped clean from its socket. Yuuka winced, but she didn't cry out. She had endured worse, and it would heal soon enough. What was important was that the deflection had knocked Flandre back against the opposite wall, dazing her. This gave Yuuka the opening she needed.

"Stop this at once!" she cried. "I am not your enemy!"

Flandre's vision cleared, and her snarl returned. "LIAR!" she roared as she again leapt at Yuuka.

This time she was stopped when two vines snapped up to wrap around her ankles. Normally they would be torn clean off without Flandre so much as noticing, but these were Yuuka's vines, prepared specially for this encounter. They were as strong as she needed them to be. Even so, Flandre still managed to pull them along a full meter before she was stopped, tearing up two furrows in the floor behind her. Her momentum snapped her down like a whip, and the impact smashed up the floorboards.

Clearly, Yuuka thought, this child is going to be hard on the furniture.

She raised her still-functional hand, and more vines snapped forward to wrap around Flandre's arms, legs, and waist, holding her immobile. She trashed and pulled and screamed, tearing up more of the floor in the process, but they held.

"Stop that," Yuuka said sternly. "You are behaving very-" She cut herself off. No, that approach would not do. She had tried it on Rin, and the results had been disastrous. And this child was, if anything, even more unstable.

And so she tried another tack. "Flandre, why are you so angry?" she said, kneeling down in front of the struggling vampire. "I just want to help you."

Flandre hissed and spat. "Liar," she accused again. "You attacked us. You hurt us! You're a bad person!"

Yuuka gaped at her, her mouth open wide and her good hand pressed to her cheek. "Is that what you were thinking? Flandre, that was all a game! That's how people play in Gensokyo! No one was being serious. At least, they weren't supposed to."

The anger on Flandre's face started to be mixed with confusion. "Playing? A game?"

"Of course! Yukari and I do it all the time! I beat her last time, and she was mad about it, so she tried to cheat by bringing you and your sister to help, that's all."

"But…but she said…There was a big plan and-"

Yuuka slowly shook her head. "Oh dear, I think I see. She said that we were fighting for real, didn't she? Flandre, you mustn't listen to her. She's a bully and a liar."

Flandre appeared to consider this for a moment. "But…but Remi said…"

"Ah, Remilia. Your sister, isn't she?" Yuuka took a deep breath. "Flandre, I am so sorry."

"Where is she?" Flandre looked around, searching for some sign of her sister. "She was…"

"Flandre, I am very sorry to have to tell you this, but your sister…Well, she did a very bad thing." Yuuka heaved a heavy sigh. "You see, while we were playing, you blew me up for a little bit…And you were just so clever to do so! Good job! But I needed to take a little break after that, and when I did, your sister, and I tell you right now that I was shocked, just shocked when she did this…"

"What?" Flandre said, still pulling against her bindings. "What did she do?"

Yuuka's face was now very sad. "Don't you remember? She betrayed you, Flandre. She abandoned you."

"What?" Flandre gaped at her, her face again ash-white (though given that she was, in fact, a vampire, the difference was only noticeable if you were looking for it, as Yuuka was). She started shaking. "No, she wouldn't, Remi wouldn't-"

Then, with a scream that cracked windows and nearly blew out Yuuka's eardrums, she again lunged forward, all the while crying, "LIAR! LIAR! LIAR!"

Wincing, Yuuka rubbed her ears. "I am not lying, I-"

"LIAR! LIAR! LIAR!"

There would be no talking to her for the time being. Leaving her to exhaust herself out, Yuuka stood up and saw to Elly. The brave little Shinigami was still out cold, but otherwise she was all right. Yuuka picked her up and carried her from the room. The beds had all been removed, so she settled for making one out of moss and leaves.

Once Elly was reasonably comfortable, Yuuka returned to the main room. Flandre had stopped screaming, though she was again tearing at her arboreal restraints. Tears were flowing freely from her eyes. "She didn't!" she sobbed. "She wouldn't! I'm her sister!"

Yuuka sat back down and waited. In time, Flandre calmed down a bit, though she continued to whimper.

"Flandre," Yuuka said softly, "I know it's a hard thing to hear, but you must listen. Your sister did betray you. While I was resting, she cast a spell to make it so you couldn't move or see. Then…Well, do you remember what she said to you? When she said you were useless and a burden?"

Flandre stared at her, her eyes still wet.

"I heard, and I was horrified," Yuuka said softly. "How could anyone say that to her sweet sister? It didn't make any sense."

As Yuuka spoke, Flandre shuddered. Her face jerked and twitched. The vampire's insanity was Yuuka's advantage. Of course, anyone with a working brain would easily recall the conversation Yuuka had with Remilia before she had turned to Flandre and call her out on her falsehood. But to someone of such dubious sanity and emotional stability, who had just taken several heavy shocks in succession, her own memory was now working against her. As Yuuka spoke, it was literally rewriting itself, focusing on Flandre's fears and making them real.

"And then she did something terrible, Flandre," Yuuka continued. "Can you remember what it was?"

Flandre violently shook her head. "No…"

"She thrust a stake through your heart."

"No." Flandre started shaking again, more violently this time. "She…"

"I saw it," Yuuka intoned. "Fortunately, I was able to rescue your soul and bring you back. But she meant to kill you. She always wanted to be rid of you, Flandre. That's why she kept you locked in that basement. That's why she took you with her; she was hoping I would kill you for her, and when I wouldn't, she did it herself."

"But…but I thought it was a game…"

"It was," Yuuka nodded. "But she didn't understand that. She thought it was real too."

"But she wouldn't hurt me!" Flandre screamed, though her resistance was swiftly crumbling. Now she was trying to convince herself as much as Yuuka. "She loves me!" She sniffed. "Right?"

Yuuka looked at her gravely. "Is that what you believe? Think about how she's treated you. She locked you up in the basement. Is that what loving sisters do to each other?"

"B-but that was because…because I have problems! She just doesn't want me hurting anyone!"

"And she never tried to help you with your problem? She never tried to teach you to be better?" Yuuka shook her head. "No, she just locked you away where she didn't have to deal with you. And what of how she's treated you? Is she always as nice as sisters are supposed to be."

Flandre swallowed. "N-no," she admitted. "She's b-b-been kind of…mean."

"Exactly," Yuuka said with a nod. Though her face was a sorrowful mask, inside she was celebrating. She had her. "She's a mean person, Flandre. That's why she got rid of you. But unlike her, I am not a mean person. I saved you and brought you back because I want to help you."

"Help me?" Flandre frowned.

"Yes. Like you, people are afraid of me. They yell and scream when they see me. They make me stay away from them and never try to be my friend. They treat me like a monster." Yuuka place a hand over her heart. "It hurts, being treated that way. You and I are of a same kind. Outcasts. And outcasts should stick together."

"Stick together." Flandre's face was screwed up with anger, sorrow, despair, and confusion. "You mean…you want to be my friend? But no one wants to be my friend!"

"I do," Yuuka said, and there was some honesty in that. "I want to help you. Not just keep you safe, but make you better. Make the confusion go away. Help you be able to control yourself, so nobody will try to lock you up again. Help you make other friends. There are other little girls staying with me, little girls that people have driven out and don't want anymore. I'm helping protect them, and would like it very much if you were their friend as well."

Now it was time to take a chance. Yuuka held out her hand, and the vines restraining Flandre slithered away. Now free, she slowly stood up, moving with the awkwardness of a child that had been asleep for too long. Hugging herself, she looked around, looking scared and unsure of herself.

Smiling warmly, Yuuka held out a hand. "Hello Flandre. My name is Yuuka. Will you be my friend?"

That did it. Flandre's face scrunched up and she fell forward. Yuuka caught her and held her gently (though with care, as her healing hand was still sore) while she bawled. Humming gently, Yuuka stroked her hair, letting her cry out. And now that she no longer had any reason to hide it, she now openly grinned in triumph.

…

Just as she had done a couple of days earlier, Yukari went out to attend a very important meeting. And she did so by falling asleep.

This time, her dream projection didn't materialize in the little section of the Dreaming set aside for Gensokyo's inhabitants. Instead, she found herself in the heart of the Dreaming itself. She was standing near the top of a tall mountain, surrounded by clouds. Before her, encompassing the entirety of the mountain's peak, was a magnificent palace, one that defied description. Though not just due to being a breathtaking sight, though that certainly was a factor, but because the palace's appearance differed depending on who was looking at it. One might see it as a traditional Medieval structure with soaring stone towers and imposing walls; another might see something out of the Arabian Nights, with dome roofs and arched window; and still another might see it as a glass-and-steel skyscraper. Like everything in the Dreaming, it was literally all a matter of perception.

To Yukari's eyes, it appeared as a traditional Japanese mansion, with several tiered towers that had tiled roofs that curled up at the edges, brightly painted walls, and pillared overhangings. But to call the home of the Lord of Dreams a mere "castle" would be a gross understatement. This was the size of a city, dwarfing even the Tengu Village. Yukari could see several strange beings moving behind the windows and flying around the towers.

Standing guard around the front door were three imposing beasts: a gigantic gryphon, with the body of a lion and the head and wings of a mighty eagle; a noble unicorn, its fleece pure white and its horn as sharp as a sword; and, the greatest of all, a dragon, with a long, coiling body, powerful claws, and a wise, bearded face. They watched her as she approached, and there was no doubt in Yukari's mind that the second she made herself to be a threat, they would tear her apart.

When she got close enough, the gryphon bounded down from its perch about the door to stand in her way. "Halt, visitor to the Heart of the Dreaming," it ordered. "State your name and business."

Yukari bowed her head. "Yukari Yakumo of Gensokyo, to see your master. I am expected."

The unicorn pawed at the ground. "Stand still, and we will confer with our master."

The beasts fell silent, Yukari stood patiently, waiting. Finally the gryphon looked up. "Our lord bids you welcome, and awaits you inside. You are reminded that you are a guest in our lord's house, and are expected to conduct yourself as such. You and you alone bear responsibility for your actions."

"I understand," Yukari said. The gryphon leapt back to its perch, and Yukari continued towards the castle. As she approached, the doors opened of their own accord, allowing her entrance.

As she passed through them, the dragon curled its neck down to speak with her. "Noble guest, the master waits for you in the conservatory. The path will take you to him. But take heed not to stray, for the moment you step from the path, your fate is in your own hands."

Nodding her thanks, Yukari went inside.

It should be pointed out that at this point, Yukari was quite nervous. She wasn't frightened exactly, but her heart was pounding. Her host was a different sort of creature from those she was accustomed to dealing with. Normally she could simply threaten, intimidate, mock, manipulate, or overwhelm with danmaku to get her way. No so in this case. She was outclassed and outranked in every sense of the words. As such, while her host was not known for being especially petty or cruel (though he could be either or even both, depending on the situation), she was going to have to mind her manners.

The path itself was easy to keep track of. A carpet of sparkling silver lay before her, leading her deeper into the palace. As she walked forward, Yukari was careful to keep her eyes fixed on the path. While the interior of the palace was a wonder to behold, it would not do to be led astray. In her peripheral vision, Yukari saw a number of strange things lurking behind open doorways and in the shadows. She was reasonably sure that she saw Chen darting away out of the corner of her eye at one point, and at another Yuuka herself strolled by, twirling her umbrella overhead and whistling a jaunty tune. Yukari was pretty sure she was wearing a pirate's tricorn as well, but she was not about to glance over her shoulder to check.

Just keep your eyes on the path, she told herself. Just keep your eyes on the path and don't attract any attention from-

"Heya, Toots. Been lookin' for yah. You still got my broom? 'Cause I kinda need it back."

And there that went.

Yukari turned to find a scarecrow talking to her, a literal one at that. His body was made from twigs and sticks covered by a worn pair of overalls and a button-down shirt. He was pushing a wheelbarrow full of golden eggs and was smoking a very smell cigar.

And his head was a carved pumpkin, but that seem to bother him.

As soon as he saw her face, the pumpkin-headed scarecrow's eyes widened in surprise. How, Yukari did not know. "Hey, wait," he said, taking the cigar out of his mouth. "You ain't the Fashion Thing."

"I hope not," Yukari said crisply. "I have never been much concerned with fashion."

"Ah, heheh, gotcha." The scarecrow nervously scratched his stick of a neck. "Yer a visitor, yeah? Here to see the boss? Look, uh, sorry 'bout all this, thought you were someone else. And if you could, er, not mention it to his high and might about this, I'd really appreciate it."

"So I see," Yukari said, nodding. "Very well. No offense taken. The incident is forgotten."

"Great. Much appreciated, er, ma'am." He tipped an imaginary hat and hurriedly started pushing his wheelbarrow away. "Well, gotta run. Nice meetin' yah and all. Good luck with his nibs."

Yukari started watching him go, but then she remembered herself and quickly returned her gaze to the path. "What a strange creature," she mumbled to herself as she continued on her way.

Soon enough, the silver path led her to an open archway, beyond which was an indoor garden, Japanese like the rest of the house. Babbling brooks filled with koi and goldfish wound around sculpted azalea bushes, and mournful willow trees draped their slender branches in the water. Large stones in the shape of mountains sat near the pebbled path, a couple of which were topped tiny model buildings. Passing one, Yukari finally did a double-take. Was it her imagination, or were there actual people moving around in those miniature houses? A quick glance confirmed that yes, there were, and a moment of reflection had her wondering why she was so surprised.

In the center of the garden, a curving bridge stretched over the widest of the brooks, while a full-sized pine tree hung over the bridge's length. On the bridge was her host.

Now, the universe was certainly a strange place filled with all manner of strange beings; no one would deny this. For one, there are gods and goddesses aplenty: people who depended on mortals' belief in them to exist and doled out supernatural favors in return. Then there are monsters of every shape and temperament imaginable. Then there are mortals who have mastered supernatural or even natural forces to such a degree that even the gods feared them. Then there are mortals that were just plain strange: floating, colorful spheres; multi-armed creatures that spun glass; savage, yet intelligent, hive-minded creatures that spread their consciousness over an entire swarm of hard-shelled bugs; and so on and so forth. Then you had creatures like Yuuka who were beyond all mortal comprehension, the spirits of the dead in all their bizarre forms, a smattering of Angels and Demons, the Creator Himself and all that implied, and you ended up with a fascinating, if perilous, world.

And then there were the Endless.

They were not gods. They didn't require other beings to believe in them. They merely required other beings to exist. And like the palace in which Yukari now stood, they defied definition, for they were definitions; each one anthropomorphizing, embodying, and defining an intrinsic aspect of existence. When the very first living thing took its first breath (or closest equivalent), they were there. When the universe itself finally closes up shop, they will to be the last ones out. They were the Endless.

Strangely enough, they were also a family of a sort, siblings without parents. Oldest of all was blind Destiny, who held a book that detailed all that had happened since the universe's beginning and all that would take place until its end. Chipper Death, who, despite her job, was quite a pleasant person to talk to. Sober Dream, who had been given domain over all stories and flights of imagination. Boisterous Destruction, who had long abandoned his function and left his realm to take care of itself. Androgynous Desire, as beautiful as it was vain. Ugly, naked Despair, who never smiled. And finally, scatter-minded Delirium, who had once been Delight, and seemed to perceive more through her mismatched eyes than she let on.

Obviously, it was Dream she had come to see, which was why she was nervous. In many ways, Dream was the most intimidating of the Endless. Despite being called the Prince of Stories, he was not known for having much of a sense of humor, and did not suffer fools lightly. Oh, he was patient, polite, and well-spoken enough, but he was also very proud, and those who displeased him often came to regret it, regardless of their standing.

However, Yukari did have a few things going for her. For one, Dream was a great respecter of rules, and could be trusted to mind his duties as a host. Furthermore, he had reportedly gone through something of a change recently, becoming kinder and gentler in the process. Yukari didn't fully understand it, but she supposed that dying would cause anyone to change their outlook on life. Though she had to admit that while she was aware of the system by which the Endless earned their name, this meeting felt a bit strange, as the last time she had any sort of dealings with Dream was by attending his funeral.

But even if his temperament had been improved, it would not do to keep him waiting. Yukari hurried some to join him on the bridge.

To her eyes, he appeared to be a young man of Japanese nobility, tall and rake-thin. His skin was as white as bleached bones, as was his hair, which was thin, feathery, and seemed to go in all directions, much like a punk-rocker, though Yukari would never make the comparison to his face. He wore a white kimono embroidered with fantastic beasts, and had a katana at his hip. His eyes were black pits, in each of which a tiny, green pinpoint glowed, the same color as the emerald he wore around his neck. A pair of small birds was eating seeds from his hand, though they flew away as Yukari approached.

"Lady Yukari Yakumo," he said, solemnly inclining his head. "Hello. I trust you are well?"

"As well as circumstances allow, Lord Morpheus," Yukari said, using one of his most commonly used names. She bowed her own head in return, though she was careful to make her bow deeper. "Thank you for granting me this audience."

"No, not Morpheus," he said gravely. "He who was called by that name is dead, and I have no right to use it. I am simply Dream of the Endless." Though he did not frown or otherwise convey displeasure, he tone suggested that this was a correction had to make often.

Oops. Ten seconds into the conversation and she had already made a faux pas, albeit a rather bizarre one. "Of course, my lord," she said, bowing her head again. "No offense intended."

"None is taken." He extended an arm to the other side of the bridge. There, in a small clearing, was a table set with two chairs. "Please."

They sat at the table, and a mustachioed vampire in a turban appeared to serve them tea and cake. At least Yukari assumed he was a vampire, given his large, yellow eyes and very prominent fangs.

As she took a sip of tea, she was struck with a rather bothersome thought. Were they about to make small talk? She hoped not. She wasn't opposed to it as a rule, but she really was anxious to conclude her business there. Plus, small talk with one of the Endless was a hazardous thing at best. One small slip of tongue, and you might find yourself imprisoned in a glass ball on your offended host's shelf.

She needn't have worried. Just as she was setting her cup back to its saucer, Dream said, "Now, concerning the reason for your visit, Gengetsu and Mugetsu tell me that there is problem that threatens your domain, one which you believe I can help you with."

Yukari silently thanked the gods, though this was probably out of their jurisdiction. "You have the right of it, Lord Dream. Gensokyo is currently facing a threat of a magnitude never before seen." She took a deep breath. "Naturally, this has gotten me a bit concerned."

"I understand," Dream said with a nod. "You care for your country, and for the people in it. You feel responsible for them. I know well how that feels."

Yukari nodded. "I do indeed. It's admittedly a very silly place filled with silly fools, but I have grown rather fond of them."

"I do not blame you." Dream took a sip of his tea. "I have always liked your world, and those like it."

Yukari blinked. "You have?"

"Of course. It is such a simple place compared to the Dreaming. And yet so alike. It is a world of myths and legends, the stuff of stories. In fact, many of its inhabitants first came to being in my realm."

Well, when he put it like that, it made sense. "That's what I wanted to talk to you about, actually," Yukari said. "About someone who came to my realm from yours."

Dream nodded. "Yes. Yuuka Kazami."

"The one and the same. She has proven to be…a troublesome houseguest."

Dream's nightmare eyes bore into her own. "You understand of course that while she dwelt in the Dreaming for a time, she was not created by my hand. Furthermore, I am not responsible for her actions now that she has left."

"Of course," Yukari said, her heart beating a little faster. "Please don't mistake me, I do not come to accuse. I simply wish to learn more about my adversary, and as your realm was the last place she inhabited before coming to mine, this seemed the best place to start."

"Very logical. What exactly has she done?"

Yukari took a deep breath. Then, choosing her words with care, she gave Dream a summary of her recent troubles with Yuuka, starting with the violent challenge delivered through Kotohime Sonozika and up through the brawl at the Youkai Mountain. She was careful to omit any explicit reference to the Shadow Youkai, but was otherwise candid about how Gensokyo was currently under internal siege from a number of horrifying monsters, with Yuuka currently being one of the most prominent and certainly the most actively malicious.

"And so you see," she said at last, "Yuuka has made personal point to stir up trouble and cause chaos for her personal amusement. Thus far, casualties have been low, thank the gods, but damage has been catastrophic. Coupled with her tendency to show up at exactly the wrong time, she is a problem that needs to be dealt with immediately, before more are hurt."

As she explained things, Dream sat patiently, watching and listening in silence. When she finally finished, he took a long sip of tea and said, "You broke the rules."

Yukari blinked. That had not been the response she had expected. "Excuse me?"

"She challenged you to a personal confrontation. You accepted, and yet brought along many others to assist you, ones that had no personal grievance with Yuuka Kazami. You broke the rules of engagement. Your defeat was not undeserved."

Yukari was stunned. She was often criticized for her methods, yes, but she hadn't expected to receive it from the Dream King. And out of all the ones he could have chosen, he went with this.

"W-well," she stammered. "I d-didn't exactly lose, per se. I took more off of her than she did me. I just, ah, failed to destroy her as I had intended."

The look Dream gave her conveyed that he didn't think much of the distinction.

"Well, all right," Yukari said. She spread her hands. "But what choice did I have? Gensokyo was already embattled by enemies that we did not understand, and Yuuka's interference threatened to spiral everything into disaster. If you were in the same situation, would you still have kept to the rules?"

Dream again answered without speaking, his eyes telling her that yes, he not only would, but already had before and would do so again.

"But I don't have the same fallbacks as you!" Yukari protested, addressing his unspoken answer. "I don't have the same power and authority, and in light of everything, I could not afford the distraction!"

"You could have stalled for time," he pointed out.

"And let her hurt more innocent people in the meantime?" Yukari exclaimed. "She had already victimized Kotohime Sonozika just for being associated with me, to say nothing of what she did to my Shikigami!"

"As opposed to the people who were hurt when you brought them into your feud?"

Yukari had nothing at all to say.

In her lack of a response, Dream took another sip and set his cup back into its saucer. "Also, as the challenged, it was your right to lay out the terms. If you had wanted, you could have insisted that your duel be fought only with danmaku in accordance with Spellcard Rules. As such, no one's life would be in danger, Yuuka Kazami's desire for a fight would have been satisfied, and had you lost, you would have suffered no hurt save for a bruised pride. She would have respected your terms."

Again, Yukari could think of no way to respond. Because he was right, damn it! She could have done exactly that. What was worse, she had considered insisting on a danmaku duel. But after what Yuuka had done to Ran and Chen, she had pretty much abandoned any plan that did not end with Yuuka's very painful death. For all of her talk of not letting personal pride blind everyone from what needed to be done, she had gone and done just that. And she could protest and rationalize all she wanted, Dream still saw through her.

Taking a deep breath, Yukari said slowly (and with great pain), "Lord Dream, you are right. I let my pride taint my judgment, and the results were disastrous. I make no excuses." She exhaled. Oh, that had hurt. "But while I may have to shoulder the blame for the current situation, the damage has been done. War has all been called between Yuuka and I, and I cannot fight her blind. If I am to make amends for my mistakes, I need information about what I am dealing with so as to make an informed decision. Going in blind is also partially to blame for what happened."

"Not untrue," Dream said. "And it would be unfair to deny you aid based on that alone. You are, of course, not the first to allow pride to drive one's self to error."

Yukari blinked. Was it her imagination, or was there a ghost of a smile on his lips? Had she ever seen him smile? Granted, her direct dealings with him were very few, but she hadn't believed him to even be capable of the gesture. And true, he had gone through a heavy change, what with the whole denying and being reincarnated and all that, but even so!

"Thank you," she said. What else could she say?

"Tell me what you need from me," Dream said.

Yukari swallowed. This was the most dangerous part. "Dream King, are you aware of what Yuuka Kazami is?"

There was a long pause, and then Dream said softly, "I know who she is, and I know who she was once a part of. I know what she is now, and I know from what she was born. Her passage through the Dreaming was not without incident, and some things do not go unnoticed."

Oh, thank the gods. If he said he knew she was an Outer God, then Yukari need not pry further. That would be awkward. "I need to know exactly which one she was," Yukari said. "It does not make sense for one of her kind to be reduced the way she is now, and I was not aware of one being evicted of their function."

Dream nodded. "I suspected as much. But you come seeking dangerous knowledge. What are willing to give me in return?"

Yukari had expected this. Reaching into her pocket, she extracted a small, round crystal with many facets. Inside was a brilliant viridian light that lit the place up like a small sun.

Of course, while this conversation was really happening, she was still experiencing it as a dream. As such, her physical body, still ravaged from her duel with Yuuka, was still lying in her bed at home. The crystal containing the fragment of Yuuka's soul had been in her pocket when she had fallen asleep, and really shouldn't have traveled with her. But you don't become the Youkai of Borders without learning a trick or two.

"This is what I'm offering," she said solemnly, turning the crystal around in her fingers. "A piece of an Outer God's soul, for your-"

"Put that away," Dream said harshly.

Blinking, Yukari quickly put the crystal back into her pocket. Then she sat and waited, wondering how she had offended him.

For the first time, Dream looked irritated. He wasn't exactly angry, but he also was not at all pleased. But even then, his voice was measured and polite. "I have no need for the soul of an Outer God," he said softly. "Even if I desired one, I would not seek to claim it. Like myself, they exist to fulfill a function, and I do not wish to encroach upon that." Another pause, and then, "Furthermore, I am not impressed with your attempts to use the Dreaming as a security vault."

Yukari felt her stomach flood with ice water. The scary thing was, Dream was right. Again. While she had not consciously set out to use this meeting as a way to rid herself of the fragment of Yuuka's soul, it was true that she definitely did not want it in her possession, and had hoped that by offering it to Dream in exchange for information, she might kill two birds with one stone. But unfortunately, that had seemed to backfire. But then, what else was new?

Biting her lower lip, Yukari fixated her gaze on the table, mindful of how she had just offended one of the Endless in his home and wishing that she was anywhere else. Dream said nothing, nor would he. That just made it worse. The error had been hers, thus it was up to her to repair it.

Trying to keep from visibly wincing, Yukari cleared her throat and said, "Lord Dream, it seems that I have bungled things up beyond repair. If it is your wish, I will remove myself from your realm and trouble you no more."

She made to stand, but Dream said, "No, sit back down."

Yukari sat.

Dream sighed. Well, as a different as he was now, there was at least one area in which he took after his predecessor. He had that long-suffering look of annoyance down pat. "I never said I would not help you, nor that this meeting was at an end. Simply that your initial offer is unwanted and unappreciated."

"Of course," Yukari said hastily. "I apologize. It's just that I have nothing else to…"

Then she hesitated. That actually wasn't exactly true, but it was dangerous. By offering it to him, she was literally gambling with Gensokyo's future.

But what choice did she have? She needed that information. "Well, come to think of it, there is something else," she said.

Dream waited.

"I offer you the truth."

The Dream King's eyebrows slowly rose. "The truth?" he repeated. "Have you been dishonest with me?"

"No, but for various reasons, I have concealed certain details from you. If I were to reveal them to you, you would see the direness of our predicament. But if this information were to be spread, Gensokyo would be destroyed."

"I see." Dream lifted his cup to his lips and closed his eyes while he drank. Yukari stared. There was that almost-smile again. Then, putting the cup back down, he said, "Very well, I accept. What is the truth?"

Well, here went absolutely bloody everything. "You recall where I said that Yuuka Kazami is not the only monster threatening Gensokyo at the moment?" Yukari said. "That the other is, in its own way, far worse, and Yuuka is merely a very dangerous distraction?"

"Yes."

Yukari took a deep breath, braced herself, and said in a low whisper, "The other monster is the Avatar of Azrael."

Now, Yukari did not know Dream well. She doubted anyone did, save for his family. This was most intimate conversation she had ever had with him, and as such, she was mindful of how many of her preconceptions were probably incomplete. But even so, he had never struck her as someone who surprised easily, or liked being surprised. If anything, this new version of him seemed even less susceptible to being taken off guard.

But even so, when she said Azrael's name, he blinked.

It was a long time before any of them spoke. Yukari sat and waited, listening to the sounds of the water and the birds, wondering what was going on inside his head. Finally, speaking with great care, he said, "I…see."

Yukari licked her dry lips. "You of course understand my concern? I-If the Silver City were to become aware of this-"

"I doubt its Creator is ignorant of this," Dream said softly.

"Granted. But what He knows and what the Angels know are two different things. He often allows situations to stay their course for His own reasons. They're a bit more proactive."

Dream nodded. "That they are. How has such a thing come to pass?"

"I don't know," Yukari said honestly. She spread her hands. "The sword came to my country without my knowledge, and despite my best attempts, I still have not found the source. I just know that it is here and has found a host. A rather enthusiastic one."

"Ah. Has she also challenged you openly?"

"Yes. She's been driven back for the time being, but her current situation is…" Yukari closed her eyes and sighed. "Complicated. But suffice to say, she has found a very good hiding place."

Dream nodded. "I assume you have formulated a plan to deal with her?"

"Yes. Her sword has been found and is currently in the hands of Sariel and Shinki. Er, you know, the Fallen Angel that once was Mashhit?"

"Yes, I know."

"Right. Er, of course." Yukari cleared her throat and pressed on. "Anyway, since the Avatar has not summoned the sword, we believe she is not in a position to openly assert herself. We, ah, would very much like to find and neutralize her before she can do that."

"Very wise," Dream nodded. "But why is that complicated?"

Yukari had to keep from grimacing. "Well, the truth of that isn't so, er, potentially destructive, but it's kind of hard to explain."

"Please try."

Yukari did, though she had a hard time of it. How does one explain a creature like Rin Satsuki? Hell, Yukari still didn't really get her. She doubted even Eirin really understood what she had created. But she did her best, and fortunately Dream did not seem at all taken back by her descriptions. Well, of course, he was the Prince of Stories. He had to have heard stranger things.

"And, well, that's the situation," she said at last.

Dream looked at her. Then he slowly leaned forward, rested his elbows on the table, and clasped his hands in front of his face. "Well, you were not incorrect. That is amazingly complicated."

Yukari sucked in air through her teeth and let it out through her nose. "Yes. And you understand why I am so eager to deal with this Yuuka situation? Reimu Hakurei was moments away from solving both the Rin Satsuki and Azrael problems. Then Yuuka showed up and, well, havoc was wreaked." She grimaced. "It is well within our capabilities to end the threat of Azrael's Avatar if we were allowed to concentrate on that alone, but having to constantly look over our shoulders for a chaos loving Outer God complicates things further. I think we can both agree that resolving these issues is beneficial to everyone."

"Yes," Dream said. "Though informing the Angels would also end the problem."

Yukari hands started to shake. She quickly clasped them together. "I would appreciate it if you didn't do that."

"I won't," he assured her. "Giving them reason to violate your agreement will just cause further problems in the long run, and I have no desire to involve the Dreaming in the inevitable uproar."

Yukari sighed in relief. "Thank you."

"But how will finding Yuuka Kazami's real name help? She is not one that can be called up and compelled by it."

"True," Yukari admitted. "But it will give a place to start. If we can cross-reference her name, perhaps researching her history will reveal something about her that will be of use."

Dream shook his head. "Again, you are thinking in mortal terms. The motivations and weaknesses of an Outer God are beyond your kind."

"I am not a mortal," Yukari protested. She felt a little hurt.

"Compared to her, you might as well be."

"But she's not exactly an Outer God anymore," Yukari pointed out. "All evidence indicates that she's gone native, and in her current state, she's barely more powerful than me. Less now actually, given the piece of her I have. That's enough for me to work with. I just need a place to start."

Dream nodded, and this time he did smile, albeit a small one. Yukari got the impression that she had just passed some sort of test. "Walk with me," he said, rising from the table.

He led her through the garden over to where a small waterfall fell from a stony outcropping. He reached out and opened a door in the waterfall.

Yukari had to stare. It wasn't as if he had opened a door behind the waterfall, or the waters had parted, but rather he had opened the waterfall itself, with the falling water swinging aside as easily as a wooden door. The water continued to crash down until it reached the opening, after which it would simply vanish to reappear on the part that had swung open, and once it reached the bottom of that, it would jump to the river at the bottom, as if it had never been interrupted. Despite expecting such things from the Dreaming, Yukari was impressed. She could probably manage it herself if she put her mind to it, but that required a lot of work bending borders and natural laws to her will. In here, it just happened. And therein lay the difference between beings even as powerful as herself and the Endless.

Beyond the door was a library. Or rather, the library. Stacks of books several stories high towered over them, joined by bridges, outcroppings, and other walkways. There was no particular shape to them either. They move and curved this way and that with no logical format. Despite herself, Yukari was growing a little excited. She had heard about this place. Every story that had ever been dreamed up was here somewhere. Not just published books, but every story, poem, journal, or thesis that had ever crossed anyone's mind, whether or not it had been put to paper. There were probably a few of her own somewhere around here. Oh, what she would give for one afternoon…Though come to think of it, unless she had some sort of map or catalogue, it was highly unlikely she would find anything good.

Dream led her over to a secluded wing that had a very unpleasant feel. The light was dimmer, the air thicker, there seemed to be a fine, green mist covering the ground, and a low, rhythmic drumming pounded in her ears, not unlike a very faint but still present heartbeat. As for the books themselves, Yukari had never really thought of any books as "unfriendly" before, but these certainly were. Many of the tomes were dark, several black, and those that had titles usually spelled them with demonic sigils and/or glowing letters. Yukari recognized several of them. There was the infamous Necronomicon, at least one copy of which was in Gensokyo. Yukari had left it in the hands of a trusted expert, and had borrowed briefly to aid her efforts in delving Yuuka's true name, to no success. Over there were numerous editions of The Book of Counted Shadows, with all their individual misspelled titles (and goodness, what an abominable clusterfuck those nasty things had been responsible for). Near it was the Oghma Infinium and its seven black cousins. Yukari made a point not to look at them too closely. Over there was a copy of the play The King in Yellow. Yukari had once been invited to a performance. She had turned it down. And next to it was The Junior Woodchuck Guidebook. Yukari wasn't familiar with it, but with such an innocent sounding name, it had to contain something terrible.

There were more, of course. Many, many more. Yukari recognized several, but there were many more that she had never heard of, nor did she want to. Such things were better left unknown.

It was one of the latter that Dream removed from the shelf: a tall, purple book. He turned a few pages and then held it out for Yukari to see. On it was a vague sketch of what appeared to be a sunflower shaped monstrosity, with tongues for leaves, beaks for seeds, and a huge eye in the center of its dial. Next to it was a name Yukari recognized immediately.

"Yidhra?" she said, frowning. "But that doesn't make any sense. I mean, yes, I considered her, she does seem the perfect fit, but she hasn't been cast down, exiled, reduced in power, or anything like that. In fact, Madam Yi was seen in Texas not four months ago."

Shaking his head, Dream closed the book and placed it back on the shelf. "Again, you are thinking in mortal terms. The relationship between the being you know as Yidhra and the one now calling herself Yuuka Kazami is much more complicated than that."

Yukari nodded. "Help me to understand."

Dream looked thoughtful for a moment. Then he reached up to remove the emerald he wore on a necklace from around his neck. "There is a metaphor the first Dream used moments before his death to describe our condition that, with some expansion, may prove useful here." He held the gem up so Yukari could see. "Consider the facets of this emerald. Each one catches the light in its own way. It glitters and sparkles and flashes uniquely. It would almost be possible to believe the facet was the jewel; not just a tiny part of it. But, then, as we move, the jewel another facet catches the light…"

Yukari frowned. She thought she was starting to understand, but she waited for Dream to finish before saying anything.

"But if a facet was removed," he said, and he did just that, picking off one of the gem's facets and leaving a tiny cavity behind, "is it any less of an emerald than the whole it was once a part of?"

"No," Yukari said. "It's still of the same make as the original."

"Correct. And yet, it is still lesser than the original."

"Of course. It is considerably smaller, and thus less valuable."

Nodding, Dream replaced the removed facet. "It is the same."

Pursing her lips, Yukari thought on this. "So…just as you and the first Dream are…facets of the whole that is the actual Dream, Yuuka is a facet of Yidhra, an Avatar like Madam Yi, that has been cast off from the whole?"

"Exactly."

Yukari mused on this. Yes, that made sense. Out of all the Outer Gods, Yidhra was one that had taken an exceptional amount of interest in mortals and their ways. It required no great stretch of the imagination to believe Yuuka to be an offshoot of her. "I, ah, actually have a similar system in place. Similar to your own, I mean. Not hers. And obviously not as thorough. To ensure that in the hopefully only hypothetical event of my death, someone remains to oversee the Borderlands, keep the Hakurei Barrier in place, and watch over Gensokyo."

"You are wise to do so," Dream told her. "Before your solar system came into being, Yidhra contracted traits that were found to be undesirable. That part was cut off from her, which in time became its own being, one that celebrates in the qualities that Yidhra rejected."

Finally, things were making sense. This was exactly what Yukari needed. "What traits are those?" she asked curiously.

Dream shook his head. "There are some things that cannot be explained without a comparable frame of reference. How Yidhra came to be corrupted and why Yuuka Kazami was thrust from her is not for me to say."

That wasn't unexpected. And honestly, Yukari hadn't expected to learn as much as she had. "Either way, you have done me a tremendous service," she said, bowing her head low. "For which you have my gratitude."

Dream nodded in return. "You seem a bit surprised."

"Well, I hadn't exactly expected you to explain things so candidly," Yukari admitted. "Usually in this line of work, there are always hoops to jump through and endlessly obtuse ways of wording things."

"This is true," Dream said. "But I have no desire to see the Avatar of Azrael unleashed fully, nor do I wish for your world to end. Its stories would be missed." He paused for a moment before admitting, "Also, it is possible that, during her time here, Yuuka Kazami did not make many friends, and her exodus was due to her being made to feel unwelcome."

That, Yukari had no trouble believing.

Dream saw her to the palace's entrance. As she headed out, Dream left her with one last piece of advice: "Protect your country, lady Yukari," he told her. "It was because of you that it came into being, and thus you are responsible for it. Nothing is more important."

"I shall," she promised. "Thank you."

He did another of those funny half-smiles, and Yukari got the sudden unpleasant feeling that she had missed the point of his warning. She remembered what had happened to the previous Dream, and her bad feeling grew.

Or maybe that was just because she was in the process of waking up into the withered wreck her physical body had become. Coughing, she sat up in bed and sighed.

Ran was of course already at her side. "You've returned," she said, leaning over to check her condition. "Were you successful?"

"Yes, actually, more than I had expected." Yukari coughed again. "I'll tell you all about it, but in the meantime, another bag of the Elixir of Life would be appreciated."

"Of course, Master. Right away."

While she waited for Ran to return, Yukari took the crystal containing Yuuka's essence and smile at it.

"So now I know what you are," she whispered, turning in her fingers. "And knowledge, as they say, is power."

Finally things were lining up. She knew what Yuuka was and where she was. A method to rid Gensokyo of her would soon follow. She knew what the Shadow Youkai was and, with the sword and Sariel at her disposal, had a way to be rid of her as well. Rin Satsuki was the wild card of the bunch, but provided that they could find her, Reimu and her friends should be able to talk her into cooperating. Yukari would have to get the rest of the Ringleaders together soon to bring them up to speed first. And that damned bounty needed to be called off too. But still, things were finally falling into place. This whole unpleasant incident was well on its way to being solved, assuming someone didn't do something incredibly stupid in the meantime…

Yukari's smile disappeared. Maybe she shouldn't have thought that.

…

Much later…

Hina had been busy.

Her room had been cleared out and heavily redecorated. Now, the floor was covered with glowing runes and strange symbols that no one, save for herself and most likely Yuuka, understood. Two of them were quite prominent: a large, ornate circle in the center of the room joined by wavy lines to another circle halfway between it and the door. More runes were drawn onto the ceiling and the walls, making the whole room look like the chamber of a very dedicated magician or the cell of a very creative lunatic.

Three of the four walls now had two rows of shelves, the lower ones extending out twice as far as the upper ones. And filling the shelves were dozens of identical dolls, each one looking like a miniaturized version of Hina. A tiny circle of the same sort as the one in the center of the room surrounded each doll, and more lines connected them to the other circle. And in one corner of the room was a plain, wooden bucket.

The theory was relatively simple. Since the Fallen Angel's essence was too great for her to take into herself, she would instead break it apart while it was being extracted. One portion would go into her body, where it would be slowly digested like any other curse. The rest would go into the dolls themselves, where the runes would ensure that they remained safely sealed up. As soon as she finished with the first chunk, one of the sealing circles would fall and she would take in another from one of the dolls, thereby working her way through them all until the Fallen Angel was no more.

It had taken a lot of work. She already had a great many dolls already, but even that hadn't been enough, requiring her to make more. Shihuha was the best at painting, so she had helped with the runes, though she had not been happy about it at all, claiming that she felt like she was assisting in her friend's suicide. Hina had told her not to worry, though the truth of things was that she was quite a bit nervous herself. She had never attempted anything on this level. She doubted any curse goddess had. And even if they were successful, it meant that the next few months were going to be very rough.

Still, it was too late to turn back now. Besides, she was going to rid Gensokyo of a great threat, save two cute (and admittedly very strange) little girls, and get her two best friends' names cleared. That had to be worth a little risk, right?

But either way, it was done. Hina stood in the center circle with her hands clasped in front of her waist while doing a fairly poor job of keeping her apprehension from her face. Mary stood in the other, facing her. She wasn't even trying to hide the fact that she was terrified, the poor kid. She hoped she would be able to find some peace after all this was over, not to mention remove that unnamed girl in her head and give her a body of her own. Hina wasn't really clear on how that worked, but this was Gensokyo. Some things you just had to take in stride.

Shihuha and Minoriko were lingering near the door, still very unhappy about what was about to take place. "This is a bad idea," Shihuha said. Again. "You know that, right?"

Hina took a deep breath. She didn't need the distraction. "So you've said. Repeatedly."

"Yeah, but you're still kinda about to do it."

"I agree," Minoriko implored. "There has to be another way."

Mary cringed at that. Hina wished they wouldn't say such things around her. The last thing the poor dear needed was guilt.

"Shihuha," Hina said slowly. "Minoriko. I am literally seconds away from starting. It is far too late to stop now. Your concern is appreciated, but please don't make this more difficult than it has to be."

Her roommates were not at all mollified, but through a combination of reassurances, promises, and gentle prodding, Hina finally got them to leave the room.

Mary peeked over her shoulder as they left. "Uh, hey, before we begin, can I ask a question?"

Hina braced herself. "Er, go ahead…"

"What…what exactly did they do to Yuuka Kazami to make her so mad at them?"

Oh, that was it was. Hina let out a small, undignified giggle. "Ah. Well. That's…kind of a silly story…Well, do you know how obsessed Yuuka Kazami is about her plants?"

"Yeah. Kinda noticed."

"Well, a couple of years after she showed up in Gensokyo, before everyone knew who she was, Minoriko and Shihuha accidentally wandered into her garden. And, ah, it was autumn at the time, and Shihuha's job is to make leaves die and fall, while Minoriko is a harvest goddess." Hina giggled again. She really ought not, it really was rather serious, but given how nervous she was, it just seemed so funny. "Well, she didn't really appreciate them being there, and they were both walking kind of funny for a few days afterward, let's just leave it at that."

"Oh." Mary blinked. "Okay." Then she started giggling as well, which set Hina off again, and soon both girls were cackling like madwomen.

It really was ridiculous. Here they were, standing in a room filled with images of powerful magic, about to perform an extremely risky ritual, and they were laughing over something that had to be horribly traumatic, but at the same time utterly hilarious. Hina blamed an attack of nerves, though it did make her feel a little better.

"All right, all right," she said at last. She coughed into her fist. "We'd better get started."

Mary nodded. "Okay. Ready when you are."

"Right." Hina coughed again. "Ah, you do know that, even if we are successful, this is still going to-"

"-hurt a lot?" Mary shrugged. "Eh. Well. What doesn't?"

That brought Hina's spirits down a bit. Sweet faith, what had this girl been through?

Well, no time to worry about it now. After taking another minute to steady herself, Hina started to spin.

…

Deep Within

Rumia watched balefully as the curse goddess turned round and round like a top, slowly at first but gradually gaining speed. She had to admit that she was a little apprehensive. Most of the time, whenever Rin was attacked, Rumia was shielded from harm. Most of the time.

But when Yuuka Kazami had launched an all-out psychic invasion, Rumia had felt it in all of its agonizing glory. And now a second one was about to begin, one that promised to be even more intrusive than the first. Necessary perhaps, but oh boy, were the next few minutes gonna suck.

Under normal circumstances, she might have been paralyzed with fear. But even as much as she knew this was really going to hurt, she wasn't all that bothered. Oh, she wasn't looking forward to it by any stretch of the imagination, but after everything she and Rin had been through, her tolerance for such things was quite a bit stronger than it had been.

"Er, Rumia?" Rin said.

Rumia glowered at her. "What?"

"Are you still mad at me?"

Rumia was, actually. And she wanted to stay that way. It made her feel better. Anger wasn't great, but it was infinitely better than the bone-sapping lethargy that always set in during those horrible, monotonous periods of hiding.

"Why?" she snapped.

Rin bit her lower lip. She was shaking. "C-can I, uh…Can I hold your hand?"

Rumia choked. She stared at Rin with a look of complete incredulity. "What?"

Rin started talking very fast. "Look, I know you probably h-hate me and all, and I know you said we're not friends, but you're still the closest thing I've got to one, and I just realized that I really am kinda terrified right now, and would really would appreciate if you, er, you know…" She turned away, her cheeks bright red. "Oh, forget it."

Rumia kept staring at her. If anything, Rin's little speech paradoxically made even more annoyed and yet less angry. Rin was weird like that, because despite all she had done, despite everything she had put Rumia through, when she was like this it was just so hard to stay mad at her, which Rumia found annoying. It was like dealing with a puppy that would just would not stop peeing on the rug, and as angry as that might make you, they still looked so sad and pathetic afterward that you actually felt back for yelling at them, as deserved as it might have been.

Sighing, Rumia walked over to Rin and grabbed her hand. The Kirin gaped at her in surprise, but before she could say anything, Rumia hissed, "This is a onetime deal. Say anything to make this weirder than it already is, and it ends. Got it?"

Rin numbly nodded and quickly squeezed her fingers around Rumia's. On the screen, Hina was now spinning so fast that she was little more than a green-black-and-red blur. Rin took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Rumia kept hers open. It wasn't like it would make any difference.

Then Hina's eyes flashed bright emerald, and the world exploded.

…

Even Deeper Within

The ocean was as smooth as a pane of glass, and the sky as clear as crystal. A gentle breeze blew, moving the bus-sized wedge of Monterey Jack through the waters. On board, the cheese's two passengers gazed balefully at the horizon. It had been hours since they had seen any sign of land.

One of them, the one that wasn't manning the rudder, yawned wide. "You know this is your fault, right?"

The other groaned. "Oh, shut it already, Mamizou. You've been going on at me for hours now, and I'm getting sick of hearing it."

"I know, but damn, it's true." Mamizou morphed her appearance to match Nue's. "Oh, Mamizou!" she said, clasping her hands and exaggerating Nue's voice to idiotic levels. "I have a wonderful idea! Let's go hunt down the Devouring Monster! Never mind that it's so freaking powerful that it beat the crap of Yukari Yakumo and everyone else with any respectable amount of firepower will be going after it too! There's no way that can go wrong!"

"Shut. Up! Mamizou!" Nue hissed.

"Yeah, but seriously," Mamizou said as she resumed her normal appearance. "Your fault. Totally and completely. Sorry, darling."

Still seething, Nue focused on steering. "I suppose you wanna blame the cheese on me too?"

"Uh, well…" Mamizou glanced down to the unusual type of watercraft they had ended up on. "Not really."

"So, it's your fault then?"

"What? Hell no!"

"Well, it's either mine or yours, and I don't even like cheese," Nue pointed out.

"Man, lay off," Mamizou grumbled, lying back. She looked up at the sail, which was disappointingly limp. "Let's just blame it on Nazrin and leave it at that."

"She is really handy for that sort of thing," Nue agreed. "Even when she isn't even-"

Further discussion was swiftly interrupted when the skies opened up and several brilliant viridian beams twisted down in a tight spiral to slam into the ocean. Though the impact zone was several kilometers away, the resulting wave was still strong enough to lift the wedge of cheese up and flip it fully over. Coughing and sputtering, the two youkai climbed up its side and stared as the beams continued to drill into the sea.

Mamizou leaned over and whispered, "Your fault. Somehow."

Nue shoved her back into the water.

…

Rhapsody of Subconscious Desire

Mokou drew her arm back, fist clenched tight. Her eyes flashed with bloodlust. Then, with an enraged cry, she swung forward with all her might.

Kaguya blocked the first, second, and all the way through twelfth blows, but the thirteenth got through. She doubled over with a gasp, allowing Mokou to seize her head, smash it against her knee, and finally end things with a vicious uppercut that sent Kaguya flying backwards over the ropes and to onto the padded floor below.

Above them, the scoreboard changed from 56-49 to 56-50. Kaguya's small troupe of scantily clad cheerleaders all Awww-ed in disappointment.

Smirking, Mokou walked over to the ropes of their fighting ring and leaned over them to look at the downed princess. "You're getting slow, Moonbitch. At this rate, I'll be caught up in no time."

Kaguya sat up and sniffed. She tweaked her flattened nose back into place and grinned back. "Good luck with that! The fact you even need to catch up is kinda telling, don'cha think?"

"Eh, so I got off to a slow start," Mokou said with a shrug. She beckoned with one hand to her opponent. "C'mon, let's go." Her grin widened and she tilted her head toward the seventeen teenaged girls lined up at one end of the room, all of them bearing pink-and-purple pop-poms and none of them wearing much more material than a Kleenex. "Unless you'd rather tag in one of your peanut gallery. Who knows? Maybe they'd actually give me a fight."

"Heh, I'd like to see that." Wiping the blood away from her mouth, Kaguya stood up. "All right, it's time for round-"

Just then they were cut off by a blinding green light that shot in through the windows to flood the arena, followed quickly by a deafening roar. The cheerleaders screamed and fled the room. The two combatants gaped at each other for a moment before scrambling over to the windows, their match forgotten.

The glare made it difficult to make anything out. Indeed, neither of them could look directly at it without burning out their corneas. But from the brief glimpses they got, it did seem that something like a great, big, green, glowing pillar had descended from the sky and was happily tunneling its way into the ground.

"Okay," Mokou said at last. She sat down next to the window with her back to the wall and rubbed her ruined eyes, as if that would encourage them to regenerate quicker. "What exactly is that?"

"What, it's not yours?" Kaguya said.

"Hell no. If it were, it'd be red, or maybe white. I don't do green."

"Good point," Kaguya admitted. "Well, it's not mine. You think maybe Rin Satsuki has finally grown tired of our shenanigans?"

Mokou frowned. "If it's her, then she has terrible aim. It's not like the arena's hard to hit." Then an appealing thought occurred to her. "Hey, what if it's not us she's after?"

Kaguya liked the sound of that. "Oh, you mean she's finally decided to burn out the tick on her ass?" She cackled. "Excellent. Couldn't have happened to a nastier bitch."

…

About as Deep Within as You Could Get

Cast down their high places and cause the depths to vomit up smoke and fire. Choke out the sky and poison the earth.

Stop. Just please, stop. Don't do this. Please.

Her body was burned and broken. Every motion caused agony to blossom. And thanks to the violent energies she had to battle against, she had not been allowed to heal. If anything, she was now in worse condition than she had been. And to top it off, the voice of both her predecessors just would not shut up. It had been days, probably weeks, maybe even months, and they still were yammering at her.

A low, dry cackle emitted from the Shadow Youkai's skeletal face. It was no matter. She was close now, so very close. Rin Satsuki's subconscious had put up a hell of a fight, but she had battened it down, subdued it, and brought it to heel. Things had been changed, warped, and rearranged. Sweet little Rin had to be feeling the effects already. Only a few more failsafes, and she'd be ready to go.

And then…

Ah, it was going to be glorious. More powerful than even Azrael itself had ever been. Revenge was going to be hers, and she was going to enjoy every moment of it. First Rin and that little faker that wore her face. And then Kaguya and Mokou, definitely those two. Yukari Yakumo was going to be a special treat; there was no doubt about that. Madam Mima's magic was going to taste so good going down, as was her distress when the Shadow Youkai tore off the head of her pet Human right in front of her. The Hakurei line would finally end in an explosion of blood and mangled limbs. And…Oh, the list went on and on and on.

Heartened by the thought, she worked faster, or at least as fast as her ruined state would allow. Close, she was so close…

And then everything went to Hell.

A sound like a monstrous avalanche boomed out of the sky. Rumia glanced up and her eyes widened when she saw the four emerald beams corkscrewing down at her.

No,she thought numbly. It's impossible. How did she…

Wait, no. Escape now, puzzle things out later. Rumia readied herself to leap out of the way, but her injuries had slowed her down too much. The beams had touched down around her before she could so much as crouch.

Rumia screamed. She thought she had known pain, but this was a class act all of its own. Mokou's fire had seared, Rin's rage had boiled, but this was reaching beyond even that. At least her body had been able to withstand that sort of punishment. But now it was like she was being torn apart and sucked away in pieces. A second later she came to the horrible realization that she was being torn apart and sucked away in pieces. Black particles were ripped away to be drawn up out of Rin's subconscious.

"No!" she cried. "I was so close! I was-"

Then the remains of her face flaked apart before being peeled away. Her body dissolved into a swirling black cloud filled with glowing red eyes. Even then, she tried to resist being pulled up, but the forces moving against her were too strong. Or rather, she was too weak. All that damage had taken its toll on her.

But she still had an anchor of a sort. As the Shadow Youkai melted away, a smaller form appeared in her place. It was a small, naked girl, around ten or eleven years old. Like the Shadow Youkai, she had suffered horrible abuse. Her body was crisscrossed with white scars, her straw-colored hair was nearly burned away, and everything from the knees down was horribly burned. The cloud remained latched to her, joined at holes in her wrists and feet.

"No, no, no," she moaned, curling up into a little ball. "Please let me go. Don't make me do these things anymore, I don't-"

Gathering up the last of its strength, the essence of the Shadow Youkai lunged down to envelop the girl and drag her up with it. She screamed, but was unable to resist its grip. The light swallowed them up.

A moment later, the green beams withdrew, leaving the interior of Rin Satsuki's mind in silence.

…

Deep Within

It was a long time before Rumia could stop screaming. The funny thing was, she hadn't even known that she was making any noise at all. Everything that had happened after Hina had begun was a confusing muddle of pain and light.

But in time it ebbed away. Rumia didn't care. She lay on her side, shaking and crying softly. How long had she been out? Minutes? Hours? Maybe even days. She couldn't tell.

Coughing, Rumia slowly eased onto her back and opened her eyes. Yup, everything was still dark. That much hadn't changed. The screen seemed to be gone, but it often went kablooie whenever Rin took a particularly heavy hit, and this certainly qualified.

Speaking of which, where was she? Rumia sat up. To her surprise, she was able to move without pain. After that whole burning incident, she had been so sore that she hadn't even bothered moving for several hours afterward.

But now? She felt fine. In fact, she felt better than she had in a long time. Rumia giggled in relief. It was entirely not the appropriate response to what she had just been through, but she couldn't help it. She felt like she had finally laid down a spine-bending burden that she hadn't even been aware she had been carrying.

Where was Rin though? Rumia looked around and saw, to her chagrin, that the little Kirin was lying curled up next to her and, judging by the placement of her arms, had been holding her tight until Rumia had woken up.

"Yah!" Rumia cried, rolling away from her and springing to her feet. Damn it, if she had told Rin once, she had told her a million billion times to keep her hands off of her! The hand holding thing had been a temporary freebie, not an invitation to-

Rumia sighed, and her indignation died away. Ah, it wasn't worth it. Rin probably hadn't even been aware of what she was doing. Hell, in all likelihood, Rumia had probably been clutching at her just as much. Overwhelming agony did that to you.

Inching up to Rin, Rumia tentatively poked her in the shoulder. "Rin," she said, and poked her again. "Hey. You okay?"

Rin let out a small groan. Her eyelids fluttered, and she slowly sat up. "Oh, gods," she muttered, rubbing her eye with the heel of her palm. "That was…"

"Kinda horrible," Rumia finished for her.

Rin sighed. "I'd say that was the single most painful thing to happen to me in my whole life," she said flatly. "And I've been punched several times by a couple of oni, harpooned twice, hit with a giant laser, hit with missiles, had my face blown off by a shotgun, burned from the inside out, had my memory torn out by an unspeakable evil, got melted twice, and blown up. Several times. In succession. By a crazy vampire girl." She thought for a moment, and then nodded. "Yup. Even with all those, that was still the most painful."

Rumia nodded. "But are you okay? I mean, did it work?"

"Huh." Rin frowned. She checked herself, as if looking for injuries. "You know, I think…" Her lips started to lift at the edges. "I think it did. I, uh, I feel. Wow."

Now Rumia was smiling. "Better, huh?"

"Yeah. Better. Lighter. Like, I don't know, like there was this big, ugly tumor. In my lungs or something, you know? And some reached in with a fishhook and pulled it right out." She slowly shook her head and laughed. "Absolute agony coming out, sure, but now that it's gone…" She laughed again.

"I know exactly what you mean," Rumia said. "I mean, she did get pulled out of both of us, right?"

"Right." The two girls looked at each other and, as if on cue, they both started laughing. It started off as relieved chuckling, but the longer it went on, the harder it came out. Rumia tried several times to stop, to bring it under control, but every time she tried, she would just break down again, to the point where she was doubling over in hysterics. She couldn't help it. It just felt so good to finally be free of that darkness, even if she hadn't been aware of how much it had been weighing her down.

"Okay," Rin gasped at last. "Okay. We're good. This is great. But, uh, we really, uh, need to get it together."

"Yeah. Definitely." Rumia coughed, giggled again, but this time was able to regain her composure.

The stood back up, and Rin reopened her screen. As she did so, Rumia, who was starting to feel very uncomfortable about something, cleared her throat. "Hey, uh, Rin?"

"Hmmm?"

"Look. About snapping at you that one time…"

Rin turned to her, blinking in surprise.

Gritting her teeth, Rumia said, "Look. Just putting this out there. I don't hate you, okay? Yeah, I was mad, and yeah, you did kinda ruin my life, but it's not really your fault that shitty stuff keeps happening to you. Most of the time. But even so. I, uh…" Her voice trailed off.

Rin gaped at her in disbelief. "Rumia, are you…apologizing to me?"

Rolling her eyes, Rumia lightly shoved Rin's shoulder. "Fine. I'm sorry, you jerk. There. Is that good enough for you, or should I get down and start kissing your feet?"

"Nah. That's good. Er, thanks."

Huffing, Rumia folded her arms turned back to the screen. Then, after a few seconds, she glanced at Rin and scowled. "Stop smiling at me like that."

Rin didn't stop smiling at her like that.

"I mean it. It's creepy."

…

Shihuha and Minoriko waited outside the door for as long as they could bear it. When that emerald light had flashed around the door, they had cowered with her hands covering their heads. But it had faded soon after, followed by the unmistakable sound of two bodies falling limply to the floor.

That had been enough. Minoriko yanked the door open and they bolted inside. Both Mary and Hina were lying motionless in their respective circles. The runes were glowing bright green, but were already fading away. And the dolls…

The Aki sisters gulped. The face of the dolls were all cracked, with dark smoke rising from the cracks. And their eyes had been all burned away.

But of greater concern was their friend. "Hina!" Shihuha shouted as she ran to the curse goddess's side. Behind her, Minoriko was checking on Mary.

Shihuha reached down to shake Hina's shoulder but jerked back when a static shock sparked at the touch. Sucking her finger, Shihuha looked around for something to prod Hina with.

Then Hina groaned. Coughing, she rolled over onto her back and slowly opened her eyes. Shihuha's eyes went wide. The tips of Hina's hair was singed, her face was unnaturally pale, and her eyes framed by purple bags and shot through with veins.

"Hina?" Shihuha whispered, her heat beating. "Can you hear me?"

Hina muttered something she couldn't make out.

"What? Hina, what are you trying to say?"

Hina spoke again, a little louder this time, but still not enough for Shihuha to catch.

"Hina, I still can't make out what you're saying. Please, if you need help-"

Grimacing with annoyance, Hina took a deep breath and growled out, "Bucket!"

Oh.

Shihuha scrambled over to where the bucket sat waiting and brought to back to Hina, who was struggling to sit up. As soon as it was offered to her, Hina grabbed it with both hands and started vomiting. She hadn't eaten much, so it was mostly water and bile, but she kept heaving into it for almost a full minute.

Finally, she slumped over with a groan. "Oh, wow…"

Swallowing, Shihuha gingerly held her shoulders to help steady her. Fortunately there was no shock this time.

Coughing, Hina set aside the bucket and turned her head to favor her friend with a weak smile. "Well," she said. "That was unpleasant."

Shihuha shook her head. "Oh man, Hina. You should have-"

"Oh, come off it. It worked, and we're all still alive." She coughed again. "True, maybe I…underestimated…how foul that thing's soul would be…but I got it down."

"Are you sure you're all right? I mean, it's not, ah…"

Hina tried to laugh, but only ended up coughing again. "I'm fine," she assured her. "I'm still me." She looked up over to where Minoriko was tending to their patient. "How's Mary?"

"I think she's coming around," Minoriko said.

Hina smiled in satisfaction. "There, you see? It worked."

Shihuha wasn't so reassured. "Yeah, but, your dolls. They're kind of…"

"Oh, that's normal," Hina told her. "Just a side-effect from absorbing so much evil energy. The seals are holding, that's the important thing." Her smile grew. "Oh, don't look so glum! It was a close thing, but we did it! We defeated a great evil, and might even have saved Gensokyo in the process!" She weakly raised her arm into the air. "Huzzahahahah…Oh bother."

Then she grabbed the bucket and started heaving into it again. Watching her, Shihua slowly shook her head. She was not reassured in the slightest. No ma'am, not one bit.

…

So, uh, this chapter finally got put out.

Every now and then I get to do a chapter that has a "Biggie." That is, a big, important scene that I've been planning for several months, sometimes even years.

This one had three.

So…yeah. Obviously lots of stuff to say about it, but not a whole lot of space. So look to my tumblr. An extra-large afterthought will be posted sometime in the next couple of days.

Until next time, everyone!