Ties of Friendship
It was a beautiful morning in the Tengu Village. The Sun was shining, birds were singing, and Aya Shameimaru was one of them.
Skipping through the air despite a lack of a solid surface beneath her, she twirled and danced her way up to her building's mailboxes. Life was simply wonderful. A full-fledged incident was in progress, one that seemed to involve everybody who was anybody, with no indication of finishing up anytime soon. It really was times like this that made being a reporter worthwhile. Imagine, a full-blown incident in progress. No, no, no, wait: that didn't do it justice. This was an Incident, with a capitalized "I" and an italicized font. It had already hit Eientei and the Ancient City, and then spilled right onto the Tengu Village's doorstep! Oh, what a spectacular mess that had been! Aya could already smell the increased subscriptions.
She reached the mailboxes at the top of the building. Gathered around were several of the building's other residents, many of them also freelance reporters, though none of them were anywhere near Aya's level of notoriety. Many of them openly despised her, and sough to undermine her paper. But that was all right. Jealousy from one's peers was to be expected when you were as talented, charismatic, beautiful, and successful as she was.
Take Sanji Kobashi for example. An aging man who had been in the business longer than any of them, he was considered by most of Aya's rivals as the kindly mentor type, someone the younger reporters could go to for advice and guidance. But Aya knew better. For behind those twinkling eyes and kind smile was a bitter old man whose glory days were long past and was unable to accept that he was no longer relevant.
"Good morning, Aya," he said an overly pleasant voice as she approached. "Big day planned?"
She smiled back. Good gods, he wasn't even trying to be subtle about poaching her prospects. "As always, as always," she said sunnily as she went over to her box. "Incidents always provide such wonderful opportunities."
"Oh, isn't that the truth," he said, skillfully masking the contempt he held for her. "Why, later on today I've got an interview with Boss Tenma, and I hear that lady Lady Kochiya is willing to say a few words on the situation. Who knows? Might even get to talk to one of the goddesses, or even Reimu Hakurei herself! Now, wouldn't that be something?"
Oh, the poor, sad fool, trying to hide his obsoleteness by rubbing his accomplishments in her face. It would be insulting if it weren't so pathetic. "Wow, good job!" Aya said, struggling to keep her smile steady. "That's the Sanji we know and love!"
She quickly turned away, inwardly stewing. An exclusive with Boss Tenma? A prospect on the Moriya shrine maiden? Why him? Why not her, the bold and beautiful Aya Shameimaru, Super Reporter Extraordinaire? It had to be pity, there was no other explanation.
As she headed for her mailbox, Aya ran into another one of her rivals, though the term was only applied in its loosest sense. Hatate Himekaidou, a relative newcomer still struggling to make her mark. While Aya had originally written her off as another jealous wannabe, over the last few weeks she developed a bit of a soft spot for the girl, even though she had clearly no idea what she was doing. It helped that Hatate was a major fan of hers, and had been inspired by the Bunbunmaru to enter the business. As such, Aya had taken it upon herself to take Hatate under her wing, and made a personal point to drop off a thorough list of everything the rookie was doing wrong. Though Hatate never responded, Aya was certain that she appreciated the constructive criticism.
"Hatate, good morning!" Aya greeted her. "Get any new subscribers?"
Hatate's face went dull, no doubt from nervousness at being spoken to in such a friendly manner by her role model. "Oh. Aya. Hello." She quickly turned away and opened her mailbox.
"Hello, hello, hello! Say, did you have a chance to read those comments I sent you about your last article? Because oh my, there was lots of room for improvement!"
She expected a small, guilty laugh of agreement, but Hatate said nothing. Aya shrugged. Oh well. Some things just took time.
"For starters," she continued, "you really need to do something about your writing style. It's…well, let's just be frank here: it's boring. I mean, wow. Nearly put me to sleep there, you know what I'm saying? Also, you really need to stop going after stories that people don't care about. I mean, who cares about…Hatate, are you listening?"
Hatate again didn't say anything. Instead, she was staring at a letter she had received. Frowning, Aya leaned over and waved her hand. "Hatate? Helllloooo? Are you paying any attention at all? I'm trying to help you improve here!"
This time Hatate glanced at her, though the look on her face was without apology. She tucked the letter into her pockets and flew off, leaving a befuddled Aya behind.
As Aya watched her go, she became aware of a small commotion around her. All the other journalists were talking in excited whispers. She caught the words "Yuuka," "bounty," and every now and then, "vampire." What was more, they were all holding letters identical to the one Hatate had.
Curious, Aya went to her own mailbox and looked inside. Sure enough, sitting nestled with the usual bills, advertisements, and threatening letters was a letter of her own. She pulled it out. It had no return address. Aya frowned and opened it. Then she read its contents.
Then she read them again. And again. Each time, her eyes grew wider and wider.
While there were a great deal of details, the heading was all she needed to know that she had a treasure trove in her heads. It read:
BOUNTY ON RIN SATSUKI CLAIMED BY REMILIA SCARLET
It was all Aya could do not to squeal with excitement. The letter was even personally signed by Yuuka Kazami herself! Oh, what an exclusive, what an-
Wait. Aya glanced again to the other journalists gathered around, each one with a letter of their own. This wasn't an exclusive at all. She was telling everyone. Which meant-
Ignoring the rest of her mail, Aya was off like a shot. The race was on and she intended to win.
…
By the time Reimu worked up the nerve to go visit Remilia Scarlet, it was almost seven the next morning. She tried to tell herself that the delay was necessary, as the tremendous bounty that had literally been dropped onto her doorstep needed to be taken inside and put somewhere safe, but all in all that had taken less than an hour. She had then picked in vain at a slew of other excuses and rationalizations, and found each one even more unsatisfactory than the last.
In the end she had finally admitted that the reason she was putting off seeing Remilia was that she was scared. Not of Remilia herself, but of what the little vampire would tell her. Reimu had a sour feeling in her gut that whatever it was that required a twenty-five million yen bribe to get her attention, it could not be good news. And she just did not want more bad news.
But in the end, ignoring the problem would not make it go away, and Remilia did give her twenty-five million yen. Regardless of the vampire's motivations, that definitely put Reimu in her debt. The least she could do was go see what was wrong. And even if it weren't for the money, Remilia was still a friend.
So, with much hesitation and trepidation, Reimu made the trip to the Scarlet Devil Mansion.
Meiling was guarding the gate, per usual. However, she was not dozing as she nearly always was, nor did she display any of the open hostility she had worn during Reimu's last visit. Her face was an alabaster mask, her gaze stalwart, and she permitted Reimu entrance without saying a word. Reimu, whose sour feeling was growing worse, decided not to press the issue and quickly entered the mansion grounds.
Inside, things were even stranger. There were marks of damage everywhere. Parts of the garden had been scorched, as if a rain of fire had come down on it, and there was a sizeable hole in the wall, covered with a tarp and surrounded by worker fairies. Reimu stared at it, part of her wondering what was it with people and tarp-covered holes in their houses and the other noting that her suspicions were now confirmed. Something bad had happened.
The pieces were coming together in Reimu's head. Who would want to attack the Scarlet Devil Mansion? Well, quite a few people actually. Vampire did tend to inspire that sort of behavior in others. But very few of them packed the firepower to pull it off.
At the moment, Reimu had two possible suspects in mind, and she wasn't sure which one was worse.
Sakuya met her at the door. Like Meiling, her face was cold and dispassionate. Not an unusual look for her, but there was more to it. Reimu wasn't at all a social person, but she was still pretty good at reading people, and she knew Sakuya very well. Sakuya was scared, and that scared Reimu in turn.
"Reimu, thank you for coming," Sakuya said with a graceful nod as Reimu approached.
"Kinda had to, after getting you, uh, message." Reimu looked again at the wreck the gardens had become. "Er, do I want to know, or…"
"Please follow me," Sakuya said. She turned and walked briskly away from the front door. Swallowing, Reimu followed.
They proceeded through the mansion in relative silence. Along the way, Reimu noticed more signs of something going terribly wrong. Most of the rooms seemed normal enough (well, normal for the Scarlet Devil Mansion at least. During her first time there, Reimu had been sorely tempted to join in with Marisa's looting), but in others there were missing furniture, holes smashed through the walls, ceiling, or floor, and several small craters. It was like a war had been fought through the house, one that had paid little heed to Spellcard Rules. And that annoyed her. Really, were they really so hard to follow?
As they continued, Reimu's curiosity finally got the better of her and she blurted out, "Look, just tell me which one it was."
Sakuya paused. "I beg your pardon?"
"Obviously you guys got attacked by someone. Who was it? Rin Satsuki or Yuuka Kazami?"
It was an uncomfortably long time before Sakuya spoke. "Both," she said.
Reimu goggled.
"The mistress will answer any questions you have," Sakuya said, again turning her back to Reimu. "Please save them for her."
The rest of the journey, short as it was, was carried out in complete silence.
They reached the door to Remilia's bedchamber. That came as something of a relief. At least Remilia wasn't exiling herself to the clock tower anymore. Sakuya raised her hand and knocked softly. There was a pause, and Remilia's voice said, "What is it?"
Reimu's heart fell. Remilia sounded awful, so cracked and strained.
"Reimu Hakurei is here to see you, Mistress," Sakuya said.
There was a pause, and then Remilia said, "Very well. Show her in."
Sakuya put her hand on the doorknob, but before she turned it, she turned to Reimu and said, "Reimu, I know this is presumptuous of me, but I must ask a favor."
"Er, okay?"
"Whatever you see, and whatever you learn, please remember that you are the mistress's friend. Do not judge her too harshly."
With that she opened the door.
Remilia's bedroom could have held Reimu's entire shrine, and the contents of her nightstand were probably worth more than everything Reimu possessed (or at least, before her sudden cash influx). For example: there was a painting on the wall of various vermin species such as rats, bats, serpents, and spiders that, despite its unsavory choice in models, that, if sold, could feed and clothe Reimu for three years. Reimu had admittedly felt a little intimidated (not to mention extremely jealous) the first few times she had visited, but then she told herself that she had beaten up everyone in the mansion with the slightest bit of power and was now held in high esteem by their mistress. That had made things easier to bear, even if she did get itchy fingers every time she popped by.
Not today though. Reimu's attention was on Remilia, who was sitting on a small chair in a shadowed corner. The little vampire was dressed in clean clothing and seemed to be well groomed, but beyond that, she looked as awful as she had sounded. In fact, her condition bore a troubling resemblance to Yukari's, in that she seemed frightfully thin and wasted, with her skin looking like it was stretched directly over her skeleton. What was more, her eyes were abnormally large and a very dark red. Reimu had picked up a thing or two about vampire and knew that this was a very bad sign.
"Gods, Remilia!" she blurted out. "What the hell happened...Wait, stupid question."
Remilia attempted to smile, though it was very shaky and obviously forced. "H-hello, Reimu," she said. "It's…it's been a while, hasn't it?"
Reimu awkwardly scratched the back of her head. "Uh, yeah. Look, I'm sorry I haven't been by. It's just-"
"Oh, no, no, no," Remilia said anxiously, her smile disappearing. She dropped from her chair and rushed over to Reimu. "Please don't think that was an accusation. I merely-Ah!"
Her legs buckled, and she pitched forward. Fortunately, she was close enough for Reimu to catch her. "Whoa, take it easy," Reimu said, straightening her up. As she did so, she marveled at how light and frail Remilia felt. Okay, so the little vampire had never been at all heavy, but Reimu wouldn't be surprised if she had lost most of what she had.
"Damn it, Remilia," Reimu said as she helped Remilia back to her chair. "How'd you let this happen to yourself?"
Sighing, Remilia sank back into her chair. "Yes, well, my self-imposed penance went on a bit longer than can be considered healthy. Patchouli has already all but boxed my ears for indulging in self-pity to such a degree."
"Then I guess I'll save the lecture then," Reimu said as she sat down on the bed across from her. "Because…damn."
"I know, I know," Remilia said with a wince. "Please don't blame yourself." She let out a worryingly raspy cough. "Oh, and by the by, I did hear your message at the clock tower. It was appreciated, even if I wasn't of a mind to listen. Thank you."
"Er, you're welcome," Reimu said.
Remilia coughed some more. "Now I know what it must like to be Patchouli," she muttered once the fit had passed." She sighed. "Though I suppose it must be obvious that I didn't ask you here to discuss my health."
"Yeah, kinda figured. Uh, thanks for the ton of money, by the way."
Remilia managed a brittle smile. "You're welcome to it. I certainly have no real right to it."
Squirming in her seat, Reimu wondered how best broach the subject, and decided to just do what she normally did and tackle it right up front. "Look Remilia, just what happened? You're a wreck, your house is a wreck, and apparently both Rin Satsuki and Yuuka Kazami were involved? What the hell is going on here?"
Alarmed, Remilia stiffened in her seat. "Y-you know about them?"
"I saw the damage and put two and two together, then I asked Sakuya about it on the way here," Reimu said. "She said you got hit by both. And, uh, seeing how I've seen both in action, I'm actually kind of surprised the place is still standing."
"Oh. Well, yes, I am too to be honest." Remilia fidgeted, looking down at her lap and rubbing her legs. "Well, I guess I can't put this off any longer. The reason I asked you here is…It's like this. Back where I come from, whenever someone was burdened by a terrible sin, they would go to the priest and confess, so as to alleviate their conscience."
Reimu blinked. "Uh, I'm not exactly-"
"You're the closest I have. As far as I know, there is only one priest in Gensokyo, whom I have had absolutely no contact with, and whose views on vampires is said to be neutral at best." Remilia took in a deep breath and started coughing again. "Plus, you are my friend, one of the few outside of the mansion that I can trust. So with that said, forgive me shrine maiden, for I have sinned most grievously."
Dumbstruck, Reimu stared at her. Not at being called Remilia's friend. That she knew already. But being asked to act in her capacity as a religious servant was something she didn't get very often, even if Remilia was asking her to substitute for a different religious ceremony entirely.
"I…uh, well," she said. "Okay then."
Remilia's legs rubbed agitatedly together. "It started like this. Two days ago, Rin Satsuki attacked the Scarlet Devil Mansion."
So now Reimu knew where Rin had gone after the battle with the Strutter. It was just as she had feared. "Was anyone hurt?" she said urgently. "Did she eat anyone?"
"Meiling sustained some bruises, but that was the extent of the injury list," Remilia told her. "And no, no one was absorbed."
Well, that was good news, though there was no doubt another shoe hanging overhead on a fraying wire. "What did she want?"
Despite her humbled state, Remilia still gave her a look. "Why, to seek revenge against Sakuya and Patchouli, of course. Given their involvement in the experiment that created her and Patchouli's status as her warden, it is honestly surprising that it took her so long to show up, wouldn't you agree?"
"Oh," Reimu said. Okay, so it had been a stupid question. "That…that makes sense, I guess."
Remilia nodded. "But fortunately she was unsuccessful in acquiring it. She was apparently overconfident in her invulnerability, and we were able to regroup and launch a counterattack that was successful in overcoming and containing her."
Reimu blinked. "What."
"We defeated and captured her in one of Patchouli's crystal boxes," Remilia explained.
Reimu took a deep breath. Under normal circumstances, that would be terrific news. But if things were as simple at that, everyone would be celebrating. "That's not the end of the story, is it?"
"No. Oh no, not at all." Remilia let out a sardonic laugh. "You see, this is where I committed my sin. Once we ascertained that she wasn't going anywhere, I…" She laughed again, harder this time. "…I called up Yuuka Kazami.
To that, Reimu had absolutely nothing to say at all.
"I did!" Remilia said, still laughing. She wiped her eyes with her arm. "Yes. That's exactly what I did. I called her up, she came, and I attempted to collect on her bounty."
Reimu's heart skipped a beat. "Wait, what? You…what? Bounty, what? Remilia, whatever possessed you to-" And then realization struck. "Oh, wait. You weren't after the money, were you?"
Remilia gave her another look. "Reimu, please. Of course not. I offered to trade Satsuki for Flandre. Unfortunately, she didn't bite."
"Oh." Reimu closed her eyes. "Oh gods."
"Yes, exactly," Remilia said ruefully. "Which isn't to say she didn't honor the bounty. It's just that she insisted in sticking to the original posted reward." She sighed. "That, and a great deal of contempt and verbal abuse."
Reimu's eyes widened. "That money you gave me…"
"I couldn't keep it," Remilia said in a small voice. "Not after…" Her eyes teared up. "Oh Reimu, please forgive me! I know that I have done a terrible thing, But I couldn't stand the thought of Flandre being in the hands of that, that monster! I had to do something!"
"Yeah, but did you really expect her to say yes?"
Remilia shook her head. I don't know what I expected, except that I had to try. You know what she is like!"
Reimu frowned. "Who, Flandre?"
"No! Yuuka Kazami! What she…what she does to children, to little girls."
"Oh." Reimu squirmed uncomfortably in her seat. "Well, yeah, I've heard the stories…"
"Stories, nothing!" Remilia shouted. "Why, while she was here, she all but promised to rape Flandre, just to spite me!"
Reimu's head jerked back. "She what?"
"She did!" Remilia insisted. She held her hands to her chest. "My heart quivers at the thought of what she would do, what she could be doing right now!"
…
The House of Orchids had seen better days. In fact, all of them up till now probably counted.
Nearly every square centimeter was smashed, shattered, and cratered. The walls and ceiling were covered with cracks and indents, the windows were in pieces, and large sections of the floor had been torn up. If it weren't for the arboreal supports Yuuka had added, the place would be little more than a pile of rubble.
Flandre was clinging to one of the ceiling's corners like one of her leathery winged ancestors. Her fangs were bared in rage, her scarlet eyes were glowing with the promise of violence, and her clothing, a green-and-gold outfit that had once been Elly's, was in tatters.
"NO!" she screamed and spat. "Go away! You can't make me!"
At the other end of the room, Yuuka slowly and painfully pulled herself off the ground. Every joint creaked in protest. Curse it all, she had thought that she was in better shape than that.
"Flandre," she said as she straightened up. Keeping her composure was a daunting task, one that increased in difficulty with every passing moment and every bone-breaking blow suffered, but she endured. "You are behaving very badly. Come down from there."
"SHUT UP!" Flandre screamed.
"Come down, Flandre. We are not done."
"DIE!" Flandre shrieked. She leapt from the wall and flung herself at Yuuka. For all of her impressive strengths, a battle technician she was not, else she might have remembered that doing so never worked.
Yuuka neatly ducked the blow and swung her cane up as Flandre passed overhead. The metal rod caught Flandre in the stomach and slammed her to the ground.
"Flandre, child, you are only making things harder on yourself," Yuuka said as she approached the fallen vampire, the heels of her boots clicking ominously against the floor. "I would suggest that you reconsider such behavior."
Undaunted, Flandre snarled defiantly up at the woman towering over her. This earned her an admonishing whack on the head.
"Enough of this foolishness," Yuuka said. She held up a tattered piece of cloth and tossed another to Flandre. Behind her, the shattered remains of a table and several dishes lay in pieces. "Now, pay attention and do as I do. Because so help me, you WILL learn to fold this napkin, even if it takes us all day!"
…
Reimu was dumbstruck. She couldn't remember the last time she had been pulled in so many different directions. Not her persistent second-thoughts about Rin and the resulting debate with Yukari compared.
Remilia had given Rin to Yuuka Kazami. That changed everything. Yuuka had been the main reason for everything going wrong at the Youkai Mountain. She had shown up, thrown everything into chaos, directly sabotaged all the progress Reimu had made with Rin, caused an incredible amount of property damage that will be insanely expensive to repair, and had been the cause of at least three deaths, probably more, at least one of which was not going to be reversed. Why? Because she could. Because she had been bored. All that pain, all that frustration, and even all that death, caused because she needed to kill time. And that wasn't even getting started on that disaster that had been her duel with Yukari. And why had that even come into being? Because Yuuka had gotten bored. Reimu admittedly had only a couple of direct encounters with the woman under her belt, but those had left a lasting impression. Yuuka was someone who prided herself on the effect she had on others, and wasn't exactly picky on specifics. For all of her good manners, proper bearing, refined way of speaking, and orderly life, she delighted in destruction and loved causing it, just so she could watch the ensuing chaos. And she was powerful enough to get away with it.
And now she had an indestructible engine of power at her disposal, one that was capable of untold amounts of death and destruction, and was helmed by an abused, emotionally unstable little girl who had a homicidal Fallen Angel whispering into her ear. And it had been Remilia, one of Reimu's few genuine friends (as far as that term went), that had given it to her. In her mind's eye, Reimu could see a gleeful Yuuka unleashing her new pet on whomever she deemed fit. She saw burning forests and villages. She saw the withered corpses of everyone she knew, their dead eyes staring accusingly at the shrine maiden that had failed to protect them. She saw the potential death of Gensokyo.
And it was all Remilia's fault.
But damn it, who could blame her? Yuuka had her little sister as well. For obvious reasons, Reimu rarely ever interacted with Flandre, but while Remilia often complained at length at the latest costly repair that had come from another one of Flandre's temper tantrums, Reimu knew how much she loved her little sister. Hell, losing her had caused Remilia to fall into such a state of guilt-driven depression that she had nearly starved herself out of penance. Even with vampires' tendency to overdramatize everything, that had been a pretty extreme reaction.
Yuuka would have no reservations about twisting Flandre's mind and using her to serve her own ends. Flandre may not be as powerful as Rin, and she may be far more vulnerable, but she was powerful enough, not to mention even more unstable than the mutated Kirin. And her physical vulnerabilities had to be weighing heavily on Remilia's mind. After all, how well would a vampire, especially one notorious for breaking her own shelter, fare in a place called the Garden of the Sun?
Plus, there was that issue concerning the fact that, despite her age, Flandre was still physically and mentally a ten-year-old girl. And given Yuuka's infamous sexual preferences, well, Remilia could be excused for freaking out. Hell, once Reimu had heard the stories for the first time, she realized just how insanely lucky she and Marisa had been to enter Yuuka's mansion without permission and leave relatively untouched. Subsequently, it had been a full week before she had gotten a decent night's sleep that wasn't plague with dreams infested by red eyes, white smiles, and groping hands.
So all in all, could Reimu truly condemn Remilia for doing what she had done, as horrible as it was? Not really. Did that change the fact that Remilia may have damned Gensokyo and everyone in it? No.
What was she supposed to do? She cared for Remilia, yes, and she did sympathize with her predicament and wanted to help, but Remilia had given Rin Satsuki to Yuuka Kazami. That could not be ignored.
Remilia leaned forward, her scarlet eyes, tired and worn as they were, intently studying Reimu's face. Reimu cringed under the vampire's gaze. Remilia might be an arrogant idiot sometimes, but she was surprisingly perceptive.
With a small sigh, Remilia leaned back and said, "Reimu, would I be correct in presuming that while I was wasting away in my self-imposed exile, circumstances have changed to such a degree that my transgression is even more catastrophic than I had believed?"
Reimu sucked through her teeth. "Y-yeah, you could say that. Yeah."
"I thought so," Remilia said, her shoulders slumping. She shook her head and let out a rueful chuckle. "Well, such is to be expected."
"Yeah, but…" Damn it, what was she supposed to say? What could she say? The truth would just wreck Remilia even more, and she had never been good at telling comforting lies. "It's just this is…"
Remilia sighed. "Reimu, please don't mistake my intentions. I am not looking for someone to bail me out. I know my actions have damned me. I am turning myself in, not seeking sanctuary. I only ask that you find a way to save-"
"Oh, shut up, Remilia!" Reimu snapped, pounding her fists against the bed. "Stop being so godsdamned dramatic. Of course I'm going to help you! I just don't have a godsdamned clue how!"
The room fell silent, with Reimu glaring resolutely at the little withered vampire that sat before her. Remilia stared back, a tiny flicker of hope glimmering in her eyes.
And it was crushed when a voice spoke from the darkness.
"I have to admit Reimu, this is one instance where I must agree with both you and the vampire. It is true, her actions have damned her, and I also have absolutely no idea how you could help her."
Reimu went ramrod-straight while Remilia cringed back with a sharp intake of breath. Her heart pounding in her ears, Reimu slowly turned to look over her shoulder. A pair of golden eyes shone out from the shadows, dispassionately watching the exchange. Cloth rustled, and Yukari entered the light.
The elder youkai was still as frail looking as she had been when Reimu had seen her two days ago, but today she was walking without use of her wheelchair, though she still required the use of an ivory-handled cane. She approached slowly, though that seemed to more of a sign of her infirmity than attempted dramatics.
Her gaze swept past Reimu to focus on Remilia. "Well, well, well, Remilia. This is not a turn of events I had anticipated."
"Yukari-" Reimu started to say, but Yukari wasn't done talking.
"You know, just the other day I was taking stock of things and realized that, all things considered, while the current situation was far from ideal, it was at least acceptable, one that could still be salvaged. You know, provided that nobody did anything tremendously stupid." She stopped, both her hands resting on the head of her cane. "Clearly, I should have known better than to tempt the fates."
"You heard?" Remilia whispered.
"I heard enough to confirm what I already knew. That is, after all, why I came here."
Reimu blinked. "What?"
Yukari held up her right hand. Seemingly from nowhere, a bunch of papers appeared in her grasp. "Actually, everyone knows by now. Or at least, everyone with a newspaper subscription. And given how quickly gossip spreads, I expect the rest to be in the know by mid-afternoon." She tossed them onto the top of the bed. Reimu stared at them. Even in the dim light, she could see the headline declared in large block letters:
YUUKA KAZAMI'S BOUNTY CLAIMED BY LOCAL VAMPIRE
Beneath it was an artist's rendition of a smiling Yuuka presenting Remilia with a large sum of money.
Reimu swallowed. She hesitantly moved the paper aside. Beneath it was the front page from a different newspaper. The words and picture were different, but the message was the same. And beneath that was another. And another. And another.
"Congratulations, vampire," Yukari said coldly. "Your antics have made the front page. Of everything."
Remilia slumped forward and buried her face in her hands. "Oh God," she whimpered.
"I wouldn't count on it," Yukari said. Her mouth set in a straight line. "Well, I don't see any point in drawing this out."
She held up her hand, which began to glow. In a horrible flash of intuition, Reimu realized what was going to happen. Yukari was going to execute Remilia. Here. Right now. No theatrics, no speech, no trial, nothing. Remilia was going to die right in front of her, and there wasn't a thing she could do to stop it.
The hell there wasn't.
Before Yukari could unleash whatever spell she was summoning, Reimu leapt off the bed and threw herself between the youkai and the vampire. "Stop that right now!" she all but screamed, her arms flung wide.
Yukari's gaze flickered down to her and she frowned in annoyance. She lifted a finger from the cane's handle and pointed it at the shrine maiden, no doubt to gap her out of the way.
"I mean it!" Reimu shouted. "Stop this, or…or I won't be you friend anymore!"
Yukari froze. The halo of light that surrounded her hand died away, though she didn't lower either arm. Instead, she stared down at Reimu, her brow raised and her face twisted in surprise. "I…what?"
Reimu took a deep breath. This was by far the stupidest tactic she had ever used to save someone's life, but it was all she had. "Leave Remilia alone," she said slowly, enunciating each syllable, "or I won't be your friend anymore."
"Won't be my friend…Reimu are you serious?" Yukari sputtered. "Are you seven? Is this the playground?"
"If it is, then you're the biggest bully on it," Reimu said. Part of her marveled at those words. Part of her wondered if she was about to get dropped back into Marisa's old cell, this time on a more permanent basis. But another part of her didn't care. And currently, that just so happened to be the part that was calling all the shots. "If you so much as poke her, then that's it. No more coming around the shrine, no more popping by with beer in the evenings, nothing. I don't ever want to see you again. You can go find some other Human to go hang out with when you're bored."
Yukari kept staring at her like that was the dumbest thing she had ever heard in her life. Reimu couldn't blame her. It was probably the dumbest thing she had ever said. Hell, the only reason it was working so far was probably just due to Yukari's mind freezing up from shock.
"I…I…Reimu, have you completely lost your godsdamned mind?" Yukari shouted. "Setting aside your utterly inane excuse for a threat, are you honestly trying to defend her?" She swung a finger to point accusingly at the miserable vampire. "You heard it from her own mouth. She sold Rin Satsuki to Yuuka Kazami!"
"I know that!" Reimu said. "But-"
"She accomplished what everyone all but tore apart Eientei and the land around the Youkai Mountain to do! She apprehended and safely contained Rin Satsuki! She could have ended that crisis right there and then! The Shadow Youkai, gone! Rin herself, safely tucked away while all of Gensokyo's top minds worked their magic! Your charity project could have been realized by now, freeing us up to focus on finishing Yuuka off and rescuing her captives, up to and including her precious sister! This whole disaster could be wrapped up and fucking finished right now! Instead…" Yukari's outstretched hand started trembling. She quickly returned it to her cane. Squeezing her eyes shut, she took a deep breath and slowly let it out. When she spoke again, her voice was more composed, though no less angry. "Instead she decided to send her to the one place we cannot reach. In one move, Remilia Scarlet has jeopardized everything and endangered everyone! How can you even begin to defend her?"
Remilia looked up then, though not for the reason that was expected. "Charity project?" she said, frowning in puzzlement.
"Yes," Yukari sneered at her. "Charity project. Were you aware that, while you were moping in your attic, Reimu here was spearheading a movement that included both Byakuren Hijiri and Kanako Yasaka, a movement intended to reach out to Rin Satsuki and gain her trust and cooperation? A movement that Reimu here managed to convince me to support, after a long and passionate debate. A movement that very nearly saw success had it not been for Yuuka Kazami's personal interference two days ago." She fell silent for a few moments, letting Remilia absorb her words. Then she said, "But given Yuuka's perchance for twisting vulnerable minds, I have little doubt that she intends to do to Rin Satsuki exactly as you feared she would do to her sister." Yukari's hands shifted just enough for her to slowly clap them together. "Congratulations. You gave her another victim. At the very least, Flandre now has a playmate."
"Stop it!" Reimu shouted. She rose up on tiptoes to get right in Yukari's face. "You don't think Remilia hasn't been beating herself up enough already?"
Yukari's eyes narrowed, and Reimu could swear that their glow had increased. "Reimu. Two things. First? Get out of my face."
The next thing Reimu knew, she was stumbling backward. The back of her legs hit the bed, and she fell back against it.
"The second-" The words caught in Yukari's throat. She closed her eyes again and looked away, her face twisting into a grimace. She looked like she was trying to keep from crying or screaming. Probably both.
"The second…" Yukari said at last, though her eyes remained closed, "…the second is…" She shook her head. "Oh, give me strength." She opened her eyes, and despite the severity of the situation, Reimu was struck by just how broken they looked, almost as broken as Remilia's.
"Reimu, what do you want from me?" Yukari said, her tone almost pleading. She leaned forward over her cane, one hand partially extended, as if she were desperate to make Reimu understand. "I let you and your co-conspirators off with a stern warning. I heard you out, okayed your plan, and made it official, even though I had every reason to let Kotohime take you away in handcuffs. I've bent over backwards to work with you. But this?" She inhaled sharply through her teeth and spoke with slow deliberation. "I cannot just let this slide, Reimu. I can't ignore this. You know that. You said it yourself."
"I know that, but that doesn't mean you have to kill her!"
"Oh? And how else should I deal with treachery?"
"Bullshit! She didn't betray anyone, she just-"
"Sold a high profile renegade carrying homicidal maniac to a known enemy of the state," Yukari coldly finished for her.
"Enemy of the…Are you serious?" Reimu shouted. "Gensokyo's not a-"
"Gensokyo may not have a central government, but when it comes to 'Them' and 'Us,' there is little question as to what Yuuka is," Yukari said. "In the last two months, she has assaulted no fewer than four Ringleaders, to say nothing of her torture of the GPF's captain. For sport!"
"Okay, but Remilia didn't do it to betray anyone or switch sides! She just wanted her sister back!" Reimu stabbed a finger at Yukari. "And hey, Yuuka wouldn't even have Flandre if you hadn't dragged them into your fight!"
Yukari rolled her eyes and sighed. "Oh, please! Don't play the blame shift game with me. The only reason Remilia was even involved was because she snuck into my tower and threatened to kill me if I didn't give her Marisa Kirisame."
Oops. Reimu had forgotten that part. She shot an uncertain glance to Remilia, who was focusing intently on the ground.
Yukari smiled grimly. "Yes, didn't remember that little detail, did you?" She rolled her neck, cracking the vertebrae, and turned her gaze to Remilia. "Come to think of it, Remilia, you never specified exactly what you intended to do to Marisa. Of course it was to be something fair, such as having her work off her debt. Surely, it had to be something like that, wasn't it?" When Remilia didn't respond, Yukari raised her eyebrows. "Oh dear, you didn't intend something a bit more…vampiric, did you? Were you going to enthrall her, Remilia? Steal away her will and turn her into a mindless slave? Or were you going to throw her to your sister to play with? Hmmm? Or were you simply going to lock her up and use her as a blood bag?" The elder youkai shook her head. "Oh, Remilia, Remilia, Remilia, you couldn't have been planning to do anything like those, were you?"
"You weren't, were you?" Reimu asked Remilia. When the vampire didn't answer, Reimu pressed, "C'mon Remi, you seriously weren't." She swallowed. "Were you?"
Remilia shuddered, but again she said nothing. Reimu's heart sank.
"So let's take count," Yukari hissed. "She threatened to kill one of your friends so she could kill another. And then she delivers a third to a fate far worse than anything I can come up with." She tilted her head to one side. "Rin does count as a friend, doesn't she? I mean, I don't want to presume, but seeing how she saved your life a couple of times, I think she should qualify."
Remilia's head jerked up then. "What?" she gaped.
"Oh you didn't know?" Yukari said. "The only reason Reimu is even standing here pleading your case is because Rin Satsuki saved her from being exterminated by Yuuka Kazami. Twice, I believe." She looked to Reimu. "It did happen twice, didn't it?" Reimu gave a short little nod. "Right, twice then. Which really casts the whole handing the person that saved Reimu from Yuuka off to Yuuka in a rather ironic light." Then Yukari's eyes lit up, and she snapped her fingers in front of her face. "Oh, and I almost forgot Reisen Udongein, who loved Rin like her own child, is the principle reason you started this 'Save Satsuki' campaign to begin with, and is currently living with you as a guest of Hakurei Shrine. So you can go ahead and add 'Delivered your other friend's surrogate daughter to a superpowered sadist with a taste for cruel mind games, and oh by the way, is also a known pedophile' to the list!"
That last bit was practically spat in Remilia's direction, who now looked so miserable that had she a stake, Reimu would have had to wrestle it out of her hands to prevent her from plunging it into her own heart. As for Reimu, she was reeling so hard that her thoughts had completely scattered. She tried to compose herself, to return fire, to come up with some kind of return argument, but every time she did her mind kept treating her to images of Marisa's blood dripping from Remilia's fangs, to Rin writhing in Yuuka's grasp, to the look on Reisen's face once she found out, and yes, even that of Yukari's body lying torn apart at Remilia and Flandre's feet.
Which of course was exactly what Yukari was going for. "So, is that it, Reimu?" she said, striding over to place herself directly in front of the distraught shrine maiden. "Am I the only one of your friends not allowed to threaten your other friends? Why, exactly, does Remilia here get a free pass?" Her eyes narrowed. "Wait, it's not because she paid you is it? Because if money is the issue, I can easily double anything she-"
"SHUT UP!" Reimu screamed. "Just SHUT UP ALREADY! Gods, would it kill you to stop being a jerk for five freaking seconds?"
Yukari tsked. "Really, Reimu? Name calling? Is that what we've devolved to? Very well, allow me to match you." She pointed to Remilia. "Murderess. Child trafficker. Traitor. A wee bit more serious than 'jerk' and bully,' wouldn't you say so?"
Reimu almost started screaming again, but was able to rein herself in this time. Easy, easy, she told herself. This is what she wants. She wants you to lose control. Just take it easy and get it together. Granted, it would probably be easier to take her own advice if her inner voice didn't sound quite so desperate.
Her fingers clenched up, balling up around handfuls of Remilia's blanket. She inhaled deeply and slowly let it out. "Look," she said in a considerably more measured tone. "I'm not saying all those things Remilia did weren't bad."
Yukari sighed. "Well, good to hear," she said. "Otherwise, your mental health would be highly suspect."
"But I wasn't there, okay?" Reimu continued. "I wasn't there when she tried to blackmail you. I wasn't there when she gave Rin to Yuuka."
"Because if you were you would've tried to stop her, I assume?"
"Duh! I see one of my friends trying to hurt another one, I put a stop to it! Doesn't matter if Remilia's going after Marisa, or if you're going after Remilia, or Sanae's going after you, or Byakuren's going after Sanae!"
The edge of Yukari's lip curled up. "I for one would love to hear the set of circumstances that would lead to those last two scenarios."
Reimu sighed. "Look, they're just examples, okay? I know I'm not the friendliest person in the world, but that doesn't mean I'm gonna stand aside and watch my friends tear each other apart, because the gods know that-" Her voice caught, and to her chagrin, tears had startle to prickle her eyes. She angrily wiped them away and forced out, "The gods know I have few enough of them as it is."
Yukari didn't respond to that. She just stood in place, staring down at Reimu while Remilia cried softly in the corner. Beyond that, the only sound was the soft ticking of the room's grandfather clock as its pendulum swung back and forth. For a few moments, Reimu focused on Yukari's feet, but that felt too weak. So she wiped her eyes again glowered up at the elder youkai, defiantly returning her stare.
To her surprise, Yukari was the first to avert her gave. She turned it down to the floor and closed her eyes. "Reimu," she said in a low, steady tone. "Whatever her reasons, whatever feelings you might have toward her, I cannot ignore this. You know that, right?"
Reimu swallowed. "I know. Just…just don't kill her, okay? Please?"
Yukari said nothing, though her grip on the cane's handle tightened. Her face grew hard, only to soften again. Her mouth kept twitching soundlessly, as if several conflicting thoughts were struggling to be vocalized. Reimu held her breath.
Suddenly Yukari brought her cane up and slammed it back down against the floor with a sharp cry of frustration. The cane's tip let out a loud crack when it hit, and when it did, everything in the room that was made from glass shattered. Reimu leapt back in surprise, scrambling across the bed over the pillows to press her back against the bedframe, her heart pounding loudly.
Grimacing, Yukari looked up to Remilia, who still had not moved. "Get up," she hissed. "And get packed."
Remilia jerked up, her eyes wide. "What?"
"Wait, huh?" Reimu said as she scooted off the bed.
"You heard me. You get two suitcases and a backpack, so choose what belongings you wish to take along wisely. I want you ready to leave by midnight."
Remilia's face never had much in the way of color, especially in her weakened state, but it somehow managed to lose what little it had left. "You're…you're kicking me out of Gensokyo?" she whispered.
"Now, wait a minute!" Reimu yelled, advancing again on Yukari. "You can't-"
"Reimu, be quiet. And no Remilia, I am not kicking you out of Gensokyo. I am evicting you from the Scarlet Devil Mansion."
"WHAT!" Reimu and Remilia cried in unison. Remilia followed it up with, "B-but it's my home! I can't-"
Then she saw the look on Yukari's face and her protests died. Yukari strode past Reimu to tower over Remilia, who cringed at the attention.
"For what you have done, I could kill you," Yukari whispered. "Deportation also would not be out of the question, and being locked up in a cell would be a mercy."
Remilia, who knew a thing or two about cells, swallowed noisily.
"However, Reimu here believes your miserable life should be spared, and her wishes are not lightly discarded. Therefore, for her sake your sentence is reduced to this." Yukari turned to Reimu. "Reimu, since Remilia now owes you her life, you are now responsible for her. For the time being, she will be staying with you at your shrine."
"What," Reimu and Remilia again said at the same time.
Yukari frowned in annoyance. "You heard me. Reimu, you are now Remilia's warden. She will be your responsibility until this crisis has abated."
Remilia hesitated before asking her next question. "And…and then?"
"Well, that depends on you. As part of your probation, I expect you to assist Reimu in any way possible. You will still be allowed to communicate with your estate and have access to your admittedly vast resources, but only for that purpose. Anything Reimu needs, wants, and asks, you will provide. Should you prove useful, and should your mishap not result in the apocalypse, you will be allowed to return. But any report of bad behavior from her or any deaths resulting from Yuuka Kazami's new acquisition will count as strikes against you. Do you understand?"
Remilia swallowed, but she nodded.
"Good." Yukari turned to speak again to Reimu, but then Remilia ventured, "A-and my s-sister?"
Inhaling sharply through her nose, Yukari said, "Flandre's status is still the same. Her rescue from Yuuka remains a priority, and should Yuuka successfully turn her to her cause, we will still attempt to retrieve and deprogram her." Then her eyes hardened in a way that sent shivers down Remilia's spine. "But understand this: if Yuuka does start to use her as a weapon of mass destruction, then her wellbeing will take lower precedence than the people she has been loosed against."
Reimu spoke. "Then we'd better get her back quickly."
"On that at least, we three are in complete agreement." Yukari might have said more, but then someone knocked on the door.
Reimu and Yukari exchanged looks of surprise, both of them wondering who in their right mind would interrupt something like this. Then Yukari shrugged and walked over to the door and opened it.
Sakuya stood at attention on the other side, legs perfectly straight and hands clasped behind her back.
"Yes?" Yukari said politely.
Sakuya cleared her throat. "Lady Yakumo, if my mistress is to take her leave of the mansion for the time being, then, given her frail state and her species' many vulnerabilities, she will require someone to see to her needs. To that end, I request that be permitted to accompany her."
Yukari frowned. "Someone's been listening at keyholes, I see."
"As chief maid, it is my responsibility to keep an eye on all of the mansion's guests and ensure that their manners are not forgotten," Sakuya said in a diplomatic tone. "This includes those who arrive uninvited and unannounced."
"Fair enough," Yukari sighed. "And as I understand it, you had nothing to do with your mistress's…lapse in judgment?"
It was Remilia who answered. "Sakuya had nothing to do with me trading Rin Satsuki to Yuuka. She didn't even know what I had done until Yuuka had shown up."
"I see. But who will run the mansion in your absence? As I understand it, you represent a significant percentage of the household's competence."
"I am perfectly capable of dividing my time," Sakuya said. "But even if I weren't, the mistress's wellbeing is paramount."
Yukari grunted. "Oh, very well. You at least are blameless. Er, of this at least. You may go where you wish." Then she frowned. "Though keep in mind that your mistress's relocation is not a vacation. As such, I won't have you using those powers of yours to enhance her baggage space, or turn the Hakurei Shrine into the Taj Mahal."
While Reimu had no idea what the Taj Mahal was, she got the general gist of what Yukari was saying, and couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. She liked her shrine, sure, but having it get the Scarlet Devil Mansion treatment would be nice.
Yukari stepped aside, allowing Sakuya to enter the room. Then she stepped outside and, locking eyes with Reimu, tilted her head toward the hallway. After a moment of hesitation, Reimu left Remilia's bedroom. The door swung shut behind her.
Yukari stared hard at the closed door for a moment before shaking her head. "Well Reimu, that's twice in as many days that you've conquered me." Her lips curled in a thin smile. "I suppose congratulations are in order."
Reimu scowled. Now that Remilia's safety had been gained, her fear was giving away to familiar irritation. It was a comfort. "Look, just because everyone else always jumps when you tell them to-"
"Why do you always assume I'm being sarcastic? Disagreements aside, I don't blame you for wanting to save your friend's life, even if I question the wisdom of it."
"Oh," Reimu said, a little taken back. "Wait, you're not mad?"
Yukari chuckled ruefully. "Reimu, I haven't stopped being angry since Rin scorched my stomach back at Eientei. I'm just not angry with you." She glanced again at the door. Inside, they could hear the sound of drawers being opened as Sakuya helped Remilia prepare for her trip. "Reimu, are you sure about this? I mean, given her intentions for Marisa-"
"I know, I know," Reimu groused. She was a little sick of being reminded of that. "I'll deal with that when I can. It's just…I can't deal with it if Remilia's dead, can I?"
"I guess not." Yukari turned as if to leave, but then she hesitated. The look she gave Reimu was strange: tired, even a little worried. "Ah, Reimu?"
Reimu's guard rose. "What?"
Yukari opened her mouth as if to speak, but then seemed to think better of it. "Never mind," she muttered.
And then she was gone. Reimu was left alone in the vast corridors of the Scarlet Devil Mansion.
She stood still for a time, listening to Sakuya and Remilia (or just Sakuya, as was probably the case) bustle around in the nearby room. She considered going in to help, but in all likelihood she would just get in the way. Then she wondered if she should have a few words with Remilia, but given that neither of them could be said to be in the best emotional state at the moment, that was probably not a good idea.
Besides, Reimu didn't want to talk to Remilia. She didn't really want to talk to anyone. Instead, she started running down the hall, eventually leaping up and flying toward the nearest exit. At the moment, all Reimu wanted to do was find a place where she could be by herself and cry.
Behind her, in the bedchamber of Remilia Scarlet, no one had noticed that in the painting of unclean animals, the serpent's beady eyes had been replaced by ones that were the color of bright sapphires, which had observed everything that had taken place with evident interest.
…
"Well now," Mima said. "That was interesting." Before her on Marisa's table, tiny representations of Sakuya and Remilia went about their way, preparing for her exile. She waved a hand, banishing the image.
Next to her, Marisa frowned. "I'll say. Things are gonna get real super awkward over at Reimu's, ze."
"Of that I have no doubt, though increased tension at the shrine doesn't exactly rank very high on my list of concerns at the moment." Mima held her hands in the prayer position before her mouth as she thought. "More pressing would be Remilia's stunning lack of judgment. Really now, trying to negotiate a trade with Yuuka Kazami? Now that was fairy levels of stupidity."
"Tell me about it," Marisa muttered. She plopped down in her rough wooden chair, propped it back, and planted her feet on the tabletop. "So, Yuuka's got Rin now. Fantastic. The fuck are we gonna do about that?"
"I admit, I don't have the slightest clue. For now, all we can do is watch and wait for the situation to evolve into something we can use." Mima tapped her fingers against her lower lip. "With any luck, Rin will prove more resistant to Yuuka's machinations than Flandre. Who knows? Yuuka might be biting off more than she can chew with this one. After all, Rin packs more than enough mojo to rid Gensokyo of that problem all on her own."
Marisa snorted. "Yeah, and the day we start trusting luck is the day I join a fucking convent."
"Crude, but not untrue. Though it must be remembered that Yuuka has not had the best of luck herself as of late. I wouldn't be surprised if hers were to suddenly run out as a result of this." Then Mima smiled. "And speaking of which, how about Reimu now having a bat to keep her rabbit company? That's quite the menagerie she gathering. Personally, I feel a little slighted. As Hakurei Shrine's official representative, I at least ought to have been consulted."
They shared a laugh at that. "Yeah, like Yukari would let you anywhere near that disaster," Marisa said. "Your commentary would just end up pissing everyone off."
"It's the principle of the matter," Mima said loftily. Then she snickered. "Though it will be interesting to watch when Reimu's pets are introduced."
"Yeah, that's an explosion waiting to happen," Marisa cackled. "As soon as Cotton-Butt finds out what happened, she's gonna go berserk."
"And of course, given your spotty history with Remilia, you'll be there waiting to rub it in?" Mima guessed.
Surprisingly, Marisa sobered at the idea. "Eh, I dunno," she said, pulling her feet down and letting her chair fall upright. "I mean, sure, normally I'd pay to see Fangs taken down a couple notches, ze. But damn, she just looked so pathetic." She shrugged. "Dunno, just don't feel like kicking her when she's down, y'know?"
"Really? It's been my experience that that's the best time to kick anyone, especially if you do it in such a way that they are unable to rise afterward." Mima shrugged. "But as you will." Then a familiar crafty light sparkled in her eyes. "In the meantime though, there was something else of interest that unfolded in today's theater. Can you name it for me?"
"Sure," Marisa said without hesitation. "Yukari caved into Reimu. Again." She laughed. "I gotta give Reddie credit: she's got brass balls that drag on the ground when she walks."
"Thank you, Marisa," Mima said icily. "I really needed that image running through my head all the live long day." She rolled her eyes. "Though yes, that would be it. Very interesting. Especially since it lends credence to a theory I've been developing for some time now?"
"What, Yukari wants into Reimu's skirt? Like that's a big secret."
"All joking aside, that's not far off the mark." Mima's teeth shone as she smiled. "Consider: the number of people who have successfully stood up to Yukari and changed her course after she has committed to a path is a depressingly small number."
Marisa scratched behind her ear. "And you're one of them, right?"
"Of course. Genji would be another. Maybe that incorporeal oaf she has running the Netherworld has pulled it off once or twice, I don't know. But beyond that, did you know that just about every other name on that list has been a Hakurei?"
Marisa blinked. "Wait, really?"
"Indeed. It's like clockwork. Inevitably, every shrine maiden that has come out of that family will come into conflict with her. A handful have even kicked her out of the shrine and told her to never come back. And yet, every generation she always does." Mima chuckled. "Which would explain why Reimu's threat of terminating their relationship was so effective. The woman has a complex. She just cannot leave that family alone. And for all her bluster, I think she cannot tell one of them 'no.' "
"Huh. That is something." Marisa leaned over her knees. "You think we oughta let Reddie know of the power she has?"
Mima shook her head. "More like as not she is already figuring it out. Better to let her come into it on her own." She raised an eyebrow. "Speaking of which, if you do not intend to take entertainment from Remilia Scarlet's plight, I would advise that you avoid the shrine until things have settled some. Reimu will be dealing with enough as it is without unintentionally stirring the pot."
"Eh, wasn't planning on popping by anyway," Marisa said with a shrug. "Got other thing I was planning on doing, ze."
As evasive as Marisa's tone might have been, Mima still pounced on her true meaning. "Let me guess," she said wryly. "Alice?"
Marisa blushed, a strange look on her. She turned away with a sulky look. "Stopped by again this morning to talk to her," she muttered. "She won't even answer the godsdamned door."
Mima shook her head in disapproval. "Oh Marisa, you really need to know when to let things go. If she refuses to see you, then fine. Let her nurse her petty grudges. No sense in forcing water from a stone. That's just time consuming and requires far too many alchemical tricks to make it worth it."
Marisa didn't say anything, preferring to glower moodily at the ground.
Sighing, Mima rolled her eyes and said, "Oh, stop that. You know I hate it when you pout. But fine. As much as it goes against my better judgment to advice in this situation, I do feel compelled to remind you: since when has a locked door ever mattered to Marisa Kirisame?"
Though Marisa's frown didn't go away, the sourness did leave her face, replaced with a more thoughtful look.
"In the meantime, try not fleeting drama distract from more important matters. We've still got all matter of maniacs running loose." Mima shrugged. "Though if you ask me, Yukari overreacted. After all, they are now all at the same place."
…
Being dissolved had been a torment beyond description. Being brought back into existence just sort of tingled.
It was still extremely weird though. First Rin and her screen had blurred and faded away, leaving Rumia in complete darkness. And then there had been the unmistakable sensation of swiftly rising while the wind had howled around her ears. Of course, she didn't have ears, and even if she had there had been no wind to howl around them, but sensation of it was very believable.
And then she heard the sound of intense bubbling, as if she were floating in a pot of boiling water that she couldn't feel. Gradually, the blackness lightened to dark grey, and from there to pale grey, and from there to white.
Though Rin had assured her that the process was completely safe, Rumia was still apprehensive. While having her body reconstructed from deconstructed atoms was an old hat for her, this was the first time someone had done the reassembling. And it didn't matter how many times Rin had done this in the past, Rumia wasn't going to trust her word on this until she was standing on her own two feet.
But then the tingling started. Pins and needles erupted all over her body, and at first Rumia was scared out of her skin, but then she realized that tingling needed a body in order to happen.
And then the white gained color. At first it was a featureless blur like a sloppy watercolor painting, but the color gathered into shapes and took form. The tingling intensified to the point where it was nearly unbearable, but then it peaked and suddenly ebbed away.
Rumia blinked her eyes. A second later she made the startling realization that she had eyes, real ones. This was followed by the confirmation that she also had a head, two arms, two legs, and ten fingers and toes apiece. She tried to move her head, but movement proved difficult, as if she were submerged in extremely thick jelly. What was more, though she could make out the shapes of surrounding trees and the blue sky beyond, everything was strangely distorted.
Rumia felt a surge of panic. Had something gone wrong? Had Rin screwed up her brain and now she had no motor skills, or was she just so out of practice that she had literally forgotten how to move and see properly?
And then she felt a strange slithering sensation. When she figured out what it was, she relaxed a little. Oh, okay. She was still inside of Rin's goo. A little gross, but it was too be expected. And from the feel of things, Rin was letting her out. So everything should be fine in a moment…
And then she was out.
It happened so suddenly that the rush of sensation almost overwhelmed her. She was laying on her back in a small meadow. While that was something she had done countless times in the past, she had never experienced it quite like this before. She could feel every individual blade of grass poking and tickling her skin. The Sun beat down on her, warmer and friendlier than she ever remembered it being. A gentle breeze brushed over her, sending shivers across her body. The scent of grass and wildflowers filled her nostrils, making her dizzy.
It was very similar to when Rin had let her take control. Only now that she was in her own body instead of borrowing someone else's, it was somehow much, much better. Rumia lay unmoving, a wide grin on her face, just taking in the beauty of a warm spring day.
And then Rin cleared her throat. "Uh, Rumia? You've been lying there for five minutes."
"I-" Rumia started to say, but was cut off by a coughing fit. Okay, talking was going to take some getting used to. "I know," she slowly said once she was able. "Just let me enjoy this."
"Okay, but if you keep lying there like that, you're gonna get real itchy, you know?"
That was a good point. Now that Rin had brought it up, there were a number of itches erupting hotly all over her, each demanding attention. And as she hadn't felt anything uncomfortable save for a few brief moments of intense agony for the last several weeks, the sensation was downright nasty.
But it felt wonderful.
Rumia immediately started scratching herself all over, laughing at how satisfying it felt to scrape her nails across her skin. She kept it up, marveling at how something so unpleasant could feel so incredibly-
"Uh, Rumia?" Rin said in concern. "You're going a little nuts there. Kinda freaking me out. You okay?"
Still laughing, Rumia managed to get a hold of herself. "Yeah, I'm okay," she said as she sat up. That gave her a head trip, which set her off laughing again. "Just…just a lot to take in." She looked over to Rin, who had taken on her original, Kirin body.
"Uh, all right then." Rin glanced over to the spare outfit she had brought along, acquired from a nearby village. "Maybe you'd better get dressed. You know, before someone sees you."
That sounded like a good idea. Rumia dressed as quickly as she could, though it was a clumsy ordeal, given that she was still getting used to moving a flesh-and-blood body around. But she managed to get everything where it was supposed to go.
"What about you?" she said, buttoning up her blouse. "You should probably put something on too."
Rin gave her the oddest look.
"What?" Rumia said.
"Uh, Rumia? I am wearing something. Kind of always have been."
Rumia rubbed her eyes and blinked. Wait, Rin was fully dressed. She was wearing a pink-and-red outfit with a large red bow in her hair. That was odd. She could have sworn Rin had been naked a second ago.
"Oh," she said. "You're right. My bad."
Rin frowned at her. "Are you sure you're all right?"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Rumia said, waving off her concerns. Then she stood up straight. Everything felt weird and wonderful, but she supposed she would stop noticing it in time. She jumped up and pumped her fist into the air. "All right!"
"Yay!" Rin said, though with a noticeable lack of enthusiasm. "You're back! Cool!" Her smile wavered a bit. "So, uh, I guess this is it."
Rumia froze. Rin was right. They were at the border of the Garden of the Sun. Rumia's friends had already been told that she was on her way and were going to meet her nearby. Which meant that there was no real reason for Rin to stick around.
"Uh, I guess so," Rumia said. She awkwardly scratched the back of her neck.
"Yup." Rin shifted her weight from one foot to the next. "Well, uh, take care of yourself, I guess. And-"
"Hey, Rin?" Rumia suddenly blurted out.
"Huh?"
Maybe the giddiness was making her think strange things. Maybe the lingering good feelings that had come from having her evil self removed were making her impulsive. Maybe she was finally realizing something she had been denying up until now. Heck, maybe it was just the strangest case of Stockholm Syndrome ever. But whatever the cause, Rumia didn't want Rin to leave just yet. "Come with me!" she gibed.
Rin's jaw dropped. "What?"
"I'm serious!"
"Come with…WHAT?"
Rumia had to slow herself down before she started blabbing incoherently. "L-look, you're all worried that Yuuka's gonna do something bad to me, right?"
"Uh, I guess…"
"And…and…and you're l-like the only p-person's she's afraid of, right?"
"Er, I wouldn't put it like-"
"So come with me!" Rumia said insistently. "To, you know, keep an eye on things!"
Rin stared at her as if she had suddenly spouted antlers adorned with jinglebells. Which, given how her life was going at the moment, really wasn't out of the question. "You're serious about this," she said flatly.
Rumia sighed. "I already said I was! C'mon, what else do you have to do with your time?"
"Er, I dunno." Rin fidgeted nervously. She lifted one leg and used it to scratch the back of the other. "You know. Stuff, I guess."
Rumia frowned. "You're not still gonna go after revenge, are you?"
"Uh, not really. Not much point to it, is there?"
"Then…you're going to go find Miss Reimu? Take her up on her offer?"
"Miss Reimu?" Why was Rin being so evasive? It was starting to bother Rumia. "I wasn't really planning on it…"
And then Rumia got it, and the realization scared her. "Okay, come on," she said as she grabbed Rin by the arm and pulled her along. "Stop stalling and let's go."
Unfortunately, Rin held back, and given that she was far stronger than Rumia could ever hope to be she wasn't budged a centimeter. "Rumia, I don't know if Yuuka will let me…"
"So what? What's she gonna do, have you arrested?" Rumia tugged insistently on Rin's arm. When that failed to work, she sighed and tried something else. "Look, just let me introduce you to the guys at least. You can do that, right?"
"Your friends?" Rin cringed. "Rumia, the last time I saw them without you being in control was when I ate you!"
"Is that so. Well, now you've barfed me up. So everything's cool. So come on already and stop being such a wuss!"
To her relief, Rin finally allowed herself to be pulled along, albeit with reluctance. The two of them made their way through the meadow.
Though the scenery didn't change much, Rumia still knew when she had crossed over into Yuuka's lands. There was a sudden jolt, like a shock of static electricity. She wasn't sure if that was comforting or not, as it was still too early to tell where she stood with Yuuka.
But what she saw next definitely was.
They were there, waiting for her. Cirno was standing on top of a large boulder, talking excitedly down at Daiyousei and Mystia, who were watching her with rapt attention. Wriggle was sort of sitting by herself on a low tree limb, looking ill at ease. Yuuka was nowhere to be seen, which was probably a good thing. That girl with the big scythe was there though, standing nearby looking unhappy.
Rumia grinned. She was about to call out to them, but Cirno saw her before she could. "RUMIA!" she screamed as she leapt off the rock and rocketed toward her.
Cirno tackled Rumia hard enough to drive the wind from her lungs and the two of them went sprawling. "You're back! You're back! You're back!" Cirno cried as they tumbled to the ground, with her landing on top. Rumia's senses cleared to register Cirno's smiling face hovering a wee bit too close to her own.
"I-I am," she wheezed. "S-s-so you can get off-"
"Wait, it's really you, right?" Cirno said in concern. "Like, you're not still inside the gooey girl and she's letting you drive or something like that?"
Rumia scowled. She reached up to flick Cirno in the nose. "It's r-really me, dimwit."
"YES!" Cirno seized Rumia right off the ground and just about broke every bone in her body in a crushing embrace. "She's ba-"
Right about then was when Daiyousei, Wriggle, and Mystia joined the party. Forcefully.
The next few moments were confusing, claustrophobic, and actually kind of painful. Rumia found herself buried in limbs and faces as all of her friends fought for her attention and jabbered endless questions and concerns at her. And Rumia didn't mind one bit.
However, she couldn't just let go and enjoy the reunion. There was something she had to do before the opportunity passed.
"All right, all right!" she shouted, squirming out of the dogpile and pushing everyone off. "Yes! Hi! It's great…it's great to see you all, and-"
"And you're sure you're all right?" Mystia implored, looking understandably worried.
"Yes, I'm fine. Things were weird, but I'm fine now. But before you guys ask any more questions, there's someone I want you to meet."
She looked over to Rin, who, thank all the gods, was still there. The little Kirin was standing awkwardly by herself, looking unsure of what she was supposed to do. When Rumia's friends saw her, their eyes got real big.
"Is that…" Cirno started to say, only for it to trail off.
"No way," Wriggle said.
As for the scythe girl, who had looked rather disinterested in the proceedings, suddenly started paying attention. "Oh no," she said, her face paling. "No. Nuh-uh. No."
"Yes," Rumia said. She walked purposefully over to Rin and grabbed her hand. Rin stiffened and stared at her in shock. Considering Rumia's previous rule about touching, something like this had to be very surprising.
"Rumia are you sure about this?" she whispered.
Ignoring her, Rumia turned to her friends and smiled. She had to do this right, because if she let Rin go off by herself, she would in all likelihood kill herself. And despite their troubled history, Rumia could not let that happen.
"Guys," she addressed the staring crowd. "Cirno. Mystia. Daiyousei. Wriggle. I'd like you all to meet my friend, Rin Satsuki."
…
Hey, guess what? Imperfect Metamorphosis is four years old today!
Or rather, it was four years old yesterday, but I wanted to make the anniversary update today instead.
Why is that? Because today is March 20th, 2014.
So? Well, today's the first day of spring.
See, about a month or so ago, I decided that, since Touhou games are going to keep coming out, it's going to eventually get real hard their events and characters into the story. So far I've been lucky, but it's only a matter of time before something gets introduced that I just can't use. So I decided to make a cut-off. This story will incorporate the events of all the games up through Hopeless Masquerade (except for Fairy Wars). From there, it branches off into its own canon. I'm still open to using the characters from DDC and any future games, but as for the incidents in question, they just didn't happen in the IM-verse.
But anyway, after I decided that, I looked up the Touhou timeline. Turns out that Hopeless Masquerade takes place in late 2013. And this is the first day of spring after the events of Hopeless Masquerade.
Which means that this is the day that the story begins. This is the day that the events of the entire first arc takes place. This is the day Rin escaped and absorbed Rumia, the day the Shadow Youkai was freed, the day Eientei was wrecked, the day Kaguya and Mokou were absorbed, and the list goes on and on. Which further means that this year, 2014, is the year that Imperfect Metamorphosis takes place across.
At first I was kind of annoyed that the chapter that went up today was just something that tied up a few loose ends and centered around yet another Reimu/Yukari argument (sorry about that), but then I realized that this is also the chapter that Rumia was finally released, which sort of brought things full circle. And so I wasn't annoyed anymore. :P
Anyway, regarding the chapter itself…well, it's no secret that Yukari is one of the most divisive characters in this story, and I really don't expect this chapter to change that. So I guess that when I do the afterthoughts on tumblr, I might as well devote a section to address that little can of worms.
Until next time, everyone!