Imperfect Metamorphosis

by TakerFoxx

It's the first day of spring, and Cirno and her friends are once again up to no good! But after stealing a strange box from Marisa's house, they soon find themselves over their heads as they discover some things are meant to remain locked up.

54. The Curious Case of Rin Satsuki, Part 1

The Curious Case of Rin Satsuki, Part 1

When Reimu learned that everyone was to be meeting at her shrine, she wasn't at all happy with the news. Hakurei Shrine wasn't much to look at, true, but it was still her home, and thus her sanctuary. She liked the quiet and solitude (though admittedly, with both Reisen and Remilia staying with her, there hadn't been much of either as of late), and playing hostess to a bunch of people, most of which were in possession of considerably more power than her and very few actually liked each other, was not her idea of a fun afternoon. It had been several months since the shrine had last been demolished, and she was not at all interested in resetting that counter.

She understood the importance of the situation. She knew that she had been instrumental in bringing this meeting about. And she knew that what was decided would likely shape the course of Gensokyo's history and leave a mark that would be felt for ages to come. She just didn't understand why it had to be held at her house.

"What's wrong with your tower?" she had complained to Yukari. "You always hold these things at your tower." Or at least, so she had been told. She had only ever actually had two such gatherings happen in her lifetime.

Yukari had taken a deep, quivering breath in response, as if she were holding her frayed nerves together through nothing but sheer stubbornness. "Because my citadel is intended for Ringleader meetings. At Ringleader meetings, I have to look as strong and imposing as I can to keep those egotistical idiots under control, and the citadel helps do that."

"Plenty of big egos still going to be coming," Reimu had pointed out.

Yukari's smile had been thin, but genuine. "True. But none of them idiots." Leaning on her cane, she looked over to the silhouette of Hakurei Shrine as the sun set behind it. "Hakurei Shrine is ideal for this sort of thing. Insofar as political ties go, it's completely neutral. Plus, it's isolated enough to protect us from curious eyes, and my barrier's been up for weeks so that it's no longer a novelty. Besides, this campaign began here. It's only fitting."

"Actually, it began at Moriya Shrine."

"Did it?" Yukari's shoulders lifted in a shrug. "Well, that wasn't an especially important reason anyway."

Yukari had looked like she was having the latest in a long line of horrible weeks. Her face had been haggard, her eyes sunken (well, moreso. She still bore the marks of her battle with Yuuka), and she looked like she wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed and sleep for a solid month. Though she hadn't spoken much about it, apparently the campaign to control the Underworld had been some kind of barely mitigated disaster, one that Yukari was feeling all sorts of upset about. Reimu had declined to ask for specifics.

At any rate, on the morning they were set to arrive, Reimu found herself up even earlier than usual. It hadn't been intentional. Given what was to take place, she would have preferred to just forego patrolling for one day and squeeze in a few extra hours of sleep. However, apparently sleep had other plans that day, and had not stayed by for long. And so she found herself irritably having breakfast/dinner with Remilia (depending on what side of the table they were on), wishing that the day was over already so she could just crawl back into bed. If this ended up being a multi-day ordeal like the Ringleader meeting had been, she was going to punch Yukari in the nose and force her to relocate.

"Reimu?"

The grumpy shrine maiden glanced up. "Yeah?" she said, a little more harshly than she had intended.

If anything, Remilia looked even more apprehensive about the meeting than Reimu was, even though she was going to be sleeping through it. As her new change in accommodations was still something they were keeping under wraps, and because many of the problems they were going to be discussing were her fault, the plan was to move her coffin into the cellar until everyone was gone.

Poking at her blood sausage, Remilia said in the small, hesitant voice of a nervous child, "Can…while this meeting is going on, would you please do me a favor?"

Sighing, Reimu pushed her barely touched plate aside. "You want me to make sure nobody decides to kill Flandre."

This was the first time the subject of the wayward Scarlet sister had been broached since Remilia's arrival. Of course, as they had opposite sleep schedules, they had only a few scarce hours to spend together every day, but even then, Remilia hadn't so much as mentioned her, and Reimu hadn't brought her up. Maybe it was shame on Remilia's part, maybe it was fear that the news would be bad, maybe it was the pain of the memories, maybe it was even simple vampiric pride (though Remilia really didn't have much of that left). Either way, the little vampire had kept her silence. But Reimu had known that it was only a matter of time before the elephant in the room was addressed. And it only made sense that it be today.

Sure enough, her guess had been right on the money. "Please, Reimu," Remilia begged. "I know they will want to do it. I know they'll say that it's the only smart thing to do. But please, don't let them!"

Burying her face into one palm, Reimu said, "Remilia, I don't know if I can promise-"

"Reimu, please!" Remilia's voice cracked with desperation. "I'll do anything. Just please. Don't let them hurt her."

I should have slept in, Reimu thought bitterly, though she immediately felt a twang of conscience. Of course Remilia would ask this of her. It was her sister, after all. "Sure," she mumbled. "Okay. I promise."

Relief washed over the little vampire's face. "Thank you," she said.

Soon Remilia was tucked away in her coffin and stored safely below ground, and Reimu was sitting on the shrine's porch, sipping at a cup of coffee Sakuya had made for her. She was really more of a tea person, but the beverage's bitter taste complemented her mood, and she was going to need the boost of energy.

"Did you mean was you promised her?"

Reimu glanced up. Sakuya was still standing next to her. As she and Patchouli Knowledge were both to be in attendance, Sakuya was to be sticking around in the meantime. Reimu just hoped that she and Reisen didn't start shouting at each other. "About Flandre?" When Sakuya nodded, Reimu shrugged. "I guess."

"You guess?"

"I mean I'll do anything I can. Argue, yell, beg, whatever. Just…" Reimu sighed and looked down at the mug of brown liquid warming her hands. "Just don't expect any miracles, okay?"

Sakuya favored her with a rare smile, thin as it was. "Reimu, I stopped believing in miracles a long time ago."

"Heh. Don't tell that to Kanako. She might take it personally." Reimu took a sip of coffee and grimaced. She still hadn't gotten used to the taste, but the warmth was pleasant. "What do you believe in then?"

"People," Sakuya said with a casual shrug.

…

Officially, the meeting wasn't to start until somewhere around two in the afternoon, but Marisa decided to head over early. Unlike her mentor, she couldn't simply pop up wherever she wanted to be in an instant, and Hakurei Shrine could take as long as half an hour to reach, depending on the winds.

Besides, Marisa just wanted to talk to Reimu before enough of the Who's Who List arrived to monopolize her attention. The events of the last few days had left her feeling troubled and conflicted, and unfortunately the two people she usually went to when something was bothering her so happened to be the source of that discord. She needed to see someone she liked and trusted, someone who wasn't Alice or Mima.

As promised, she had continued to help Alice sort out that atrocity on the floor, though they hadn't gotten much further than scrubbing it away. While such a project would normally be great fun, the walls weren't crumbling away as quickly as they had both hoped. Attempts at casual conversation were often stunted, and Marisa often found herself picking out bits of judgmental subtext in most of Alice's remarks, even when she knew that none probably existed.

On the other front, her work with Mima had likewise become quite a bit on the uncomfortable side. Together they had managed to distill the mordite speck's effects and safely convert it into a weaponized form, yes, and the process had been rather fascinating, or at least it would be under normal circumstances. However, Mima possessed considerably less tact than Alice, and wasn't shy about dispensing wry comments concerning the conflict Marisa was experiencing. And to top it off, the whole time a tiny voice in the back of her head kept whispering, "You're working with mordite. You're turning mordite into a weapon. You're creating a mordite weapon to kill someone. You're working with mordite…" Annoyingly enough, that voice sounded a lot like Alice.

It was the most damned frustrating situation. Marisa enjoyed spending time and working with both Alice and Mima. She shouldn't feel bothered by not wanting to choose one over the other. There was no way in hell she was going to abandon the woman that had practically raised her and was singlehandedly responsible for enabling her to use magic in the first place, but she also wasn't about to ditch her best friend just for disagreeing with her. And while normally she would not object in the slightest to being tugged in two different directions by a couple of very lovely ladies, she would greatly prefer it if the tugging weren't so metaphorical and one of the ladies didn't so happen to be her mother figure. Alice could stay though, even if Marisa would never admit that to her face.

At any rate, the confusion was getting to be a bit bothersome, and if she didn't get a fresh perspective soon, she was like to go even crazier, and not in the fun way. Her plate had been a little full the last few days, and she knew that Reimu probably had her hands full as well, but given that Marisa was part of Operation Save Satsuki (though Operation Save Gensokyo was probably more accurate at this point), that meant she was an invited participant to their super-secret meeting of conspiracy and intrigue, which meant she could show up early and have a talk with Reimu before any of the other egos showed up.

By the time she got to the shrine, she was heartened to see that Reimu was already out front of Yukari's big stupid barrier. The shrine maiden looked like she could do with a few more hours of sleep, which, considering how cranky she normally looked, was a strong indicator of a rough night. Still, when she saw Marisa heading her way, her face brightened in a way it usually didn't.

"Marisa," she breathed. "Hey, I'm glad you're here. You would not believe the sort of-"

Leaping off her broom, Marisa rushed over and threw both arms around Reimu in a crushing bear hug. "Aw, you missed me!" she chortled as she lifted Reimu right off the ground.

Gagging, Reimu wrestled her arms free from Marisa's hold and struggled to break the vice-grip the young witch had on her. "Damn it Marisa, you're crushing me! Let me go!"

Grinning, Marisa let Reimu drop. "Guess all that exercise has been paying off, huh?"

Panting, Reimu shot Marisa a cold glare. "You haven't been exercising that long, asshat. It's been what, a week?"

"More than that," Marisa said, sticking out her tongue. "Ever since I was ambulatory again. You just weren't there for it."

"All right, so two weeks then," Reimu said with a shrug. "Still not that long. You're probably still in your 'sore all over' phase."

"Nah, that passed after the first week or so. Give Mima some credit, she knows how to be a trainer." Marisa nodded toward the barrier. "Let's go inside."

Reimu moved to take Marisa by the arm, only for the witch to suddenly snap her hand so that it was holding tightly to the shrine maiden's. Reimu blinked in surprise, but upon seeing Marisa's usual cheeky grin, she sighed in resignation and led her through the barrier. She pulled her hand free as soon as they were inside.

"So. Who's here already?" Marisa said, motioning toward the shrine.

Sighing, Reimu cast a long look over her shoulder and rolled her eyes. "Well, Sakuya never left, so she's-" Then her eyes popped open wide and she clamped down on her tongue, her face red with distress.

Grinning, Marisa clasped her hands behind her back and leaned forward so that her face came uncomfortably close to Reimu's. "What's that? Sakuya…never left? We're talking about the maid, right? And she never left. Huh. Spent the night, then? Well, well, well, Reimu! Never really took you for the type. So, does this mean you're cheating on your honey bunny, or that the three of came to a, heh, mutual agreement?" Even though she had to know her reaction had to providing Marisa with even more fuel, Reimu still quickly turned away, her blushing face twisted into a frustrated pout. Marisa knew well that Reimu wasn't so much embarrassed at the implications Marisa was making as she was angry with herself for almost slipping that Remilia was staying with her. In theory, that juicy little tidbit was still classified information, known only to the residents of the shrine, Remilia's closest cohorts, and Yukari. In theory.

Well, at least the Tengu didn't know. That was the important thing.

Marisa waited for Reimu to raise the bait and snap back with something pithy, but for once the shrine maiden was lacking a comeback. She just stood there, silently seething. Marisa sighed. That took the fun out of it. "Ah, relax already. I already know about Fangs, okay?"

Reimu's head snapped up. "What?"

"I said I know Yukari kicked Remilia Scarlet out and now the little bloodsucker's bunking with you. So, you can stop freaking out with the secret-keeping, ze."

"What?"

"C'mon, Reimu. Mima's been hanging with me ever since I got sick." Marisa stuck her hands into her pockets and started rocking back and forth on the heels of her boots. "You honestly think there's anything that happens at your shrine that she don't know about? And hey, give me some credit here. I may be a loudmouth, but I know when to shut my gab. I kept quiet about Reisen, remember?"

"I…" Reimu's shoulders slumped. "Sorry. It's just…there's so many sides with their secrets that I can't keep up with who can know what."

Nodding gravely, Marisa said, "Yeah. I hear yah." She looked back to the shrine and returned to the original topic. "So yeah. Sakuya's still here, got it. Who else?"

Reimu shrugged. "Well, Yukari of course. She gapped in around eight, and has been spending most of the time talking to Genji by the pond. Er, well, mostly talking. Been some yelling too, but that's normal. Patchouli Knowledge showed up around nine…ish. She and Sakuya have been huddling together ever since. And Kanako and Byakuren are having their own little talk inside the shrine. Yukari's going to gap in the rest when they're ready to show up. And I guess Mima's just going to show up when she feels like it."

"Well, damn," Marisa said, letting out a slow whistle. "And here I thought I was early. Though this is kind of a first for you, isn't it?"

Reimu frowned. "What is?"

"Couple of Fallen Angels, a Buddhist monk, and a Shinto goddess, all hanging out at your place. Gotta tell yah Reddie, for a backwater shrine without a god, you're really blazing some trails for the whole interfaith thing, ze."

"Oh, come off it," Reimu said, playfully punching her in the shoulder. "This is far from the first time Hakurei Shrine's been used for this sort of thing."

"Indeed it is not," Yukari said, suddenly appearing in their midst.

"Gah!" Marisa yelped as she whirled around to face her, her hakkero reflexively jumping to her hands. A second ago the elder youkai's rather conspicuous presence had been pinpointed over by the pond. That was one of the many annoying things about hanging around someone like Yukari. You didn't know when she was going to just show up. And Marisa had grown up with Mima.

Taking no notice of the witch's surprise, Yukari said, "The shrine has hosted numerous secret councils in its long history, many of them made up of representatives from several different belief systems. To say nothing of many of your ancestors' parties, which would attract even more." Inhaling through her nose, Yukari breathed out through her teeth in a nostalgic sigh. "Good times. Good morning, Marisa. How are you?"

"Alive," Marisa said guardedly. "What's up?"

"Everything, it seems." Yukari turned to Reimu, her interest in the young witch finished. "Reimu, I just heard from Shinki and Sariel. They're ready to be brought over."

Marisa started whistling the tune to a famous funeral dirge.

"Shut it," Reimu crabbily told her. "And before I forget, you're not allowed to piss off the Archangels of Death. I mean it."

"I can only promise not to do it intentionally. Anything beyond that is out of my hands."

"In which case we are all doomed," Yukari said wryly. "Though the shrine maiden has a point. I do not want a repeat of the contention we witnessed at the Ringleader meeting, and will seal your mouth shut if I have to."

"Okay, okay," Marisa said. She held up her hands, palms forward, and took a couple steps back. "Jeez, ease up. I ain't even done anything yet!"

Yukari and Reimu both gave her the same look.

"Today," Marisa clarified.

"Perhaps not, but a little prevention can go a long way," Yukari said. She turned to the path that split the shrine's lawn in two and pointed a finger.

A seam cut through the air and widened, giving Marisa a brief look of the murky violet skies and disembodied eyeballs that made up the Borderlands. No matter how many times she saw or even passed through that creepy place, it still weirded her out. And it wasn't just that the Borderlands were strange; her entire life was devoted to rooting out as much strangeness as she could find. But the Borderlands were something that not only defied all natural laws, but remained out of her reach as well. It was one huge chunk of weirdness that she couldn't take apart and examine, one that lay beneath the surface of reality, connecting everything and everyone, and lay solely in control in the control of Yukari Yakumo, whose casual use of it was downright unnerving once some thought was put into it. And the little bows that tied off both ends of her gaps didn't really help matters.

However, she had little time to contemplate the situation before two sets of six wings, one composed of beautiful feathers of pure white and the other twisted and demonic, emerged from the gaps. The Lords of Makai, the land of demons, had come to Hakurei Shrine.

Per normal, Sariel's face was neutral, almost serene as it calmly examined the faces of those gathered to greet it. In contrast, Shinki was clearly upset, though it didn't seem to be directed at anyone in particular. Rather, the former lieutenant of Lucifer seemed apprehensive, worried, ill at ease, no doubt dreading some terrible piece of news concerning the piece of her former sibling that was now causing Gensokyo so much trouble.

Still, the Fallen Angel kept her composure. She nodded cordially to Yukari. "Yukari," she said, her voice surprisingly respectful.

"Shinki," Yukari said, inclining her head in turn. "Sariel. Welcome. Thank you for coming." Marisa silently mused on how that was probably the more courteous greeting those two had exchanged in over a century.

"Of course." Shinki turned to Reimu, who looked like she would rather be anywhere else. Ironic, seeing how they were at her shrine. "Maiden Reimu Hakurei, I greet you, and offer my thanks for providing your home for the purpose of this meeting."

"Uh, sure," Reimu said, visibly taken back by the Fallen Angel's greeting. Respectful formality was clearly not something she was accustomed to receiving from visitors. "Thanks. Welcome to Hakurei Shrine."

Nodding, Shinki turned to Marisa. Her eyes narrowed.

Aw, nuts.

"Marisa Kirisame," Shinki said, her voice dropping a few degrees. Just that. No greeting, no nod, no hint of cordiality. Just acknowledgement.

"Yo," Marisa said as neutrally as she could. She glanced over to Yukari, who was watching the exchange with narrowed eyes of her own, no doubt anticipating some sort of confrontation.

Seconds ticked by, and Shinki's glower did not waiver. Feeling wholly uncomfortable with the situation and all too mindful that the wrong word would result in the loss of her lips, Marisa uneasily scratched the back of her neck and ventured with, "So. How yah doing?"

Shinki inhaled slowly through her nose, but said nothing.

Then, before things could ice over even further, Sariel gently laid a hand on its sibling's shoulder. "Shinki," it said in a low voice. "Perhaps we should go greet the others."

Shinki blinked, and the tension broke. "Of course," she murmured, and the two of them moved down the path, sparing Marisa not even so much of a glance. Her mouth set in a straight line, Yukari moved to follow, but not before turning another hard look in Marisa's direction.

"What?" the young witch said, spreading her hands and shrugging. "I didn't do anything. That was all her."

Yukari's frown deepened, but then she relaxed a bit. "Yes, it was." Without another word, she hurried down the path after the two exiled Angels.

Once she was gone, Marisa rolled her eyes. "Well, that was frosty," she muttered to Reimu. "The hell was that about?"

Reimu shrugged. "Well, you are the apprentice of the lady who tried to take her throne out from under her, not to mention her estranged daughter's best friend. I imagine she's a little sore about that."

Great. So now she had more people holding grudges over things she didn't even do. "Well, that's her problem," Marisa growled as she moodily folded her arm. She kicked a stone and sent it bouncing off the invisible wall of the barrier. "Sick of getting hated just because I know people."

"Welcome to my world," Reimu said, the end of her mouth curving up.

Marisa snickered. "Been a part of your world for years now, Reddie. On the whole, it could be worse." Then her face sobered. "Oh hey, speaking of which, there's something I kinda want your take on…"

But before she could go into the issues she was having with Mima and Alice, Yukari suddenly exited the shrine and came striding back down the path toward them. "Don't rest easy just yet, ladies," she said as she approached. "It seems Eirin Yagokoro is ready to be brought over as well, so we'll be starting early.

"Right," Reimu sighed. "And she…knows, right?"

"Of course. She wasn't happy, but I managed to dissuade her from storming over and taking the matter up with you in person."

"Except she's about to storm over and take it up with me in person," Reimu pointed out.

Yukari shook her head. "No, she is not. I made that clear to her when we spoke."

"Right. Except this is Eirin Yagokoro we're talking about. She doesn't exactly like being told what to do."

"And I don't exactly like having my friends and allies threatened over inconsequential grudges while the sword of Damocles hangs over our heads," Yukari responded, folding her arms over her breast. "Plus, I can literally tear the floor out from under her and she can't. Eirin's not an idiot. She'll behave."

"Right," Reimu sighed. She glanced over to Marisa, who simply shrugged and said, "Hey, this don't involve me, ze."

"Thank the gods," Yukari said dryly. She waved her hand, and another gap tore its way through the air. It opened, and out stepped Eirin Yagokoro.

The last time Marisa had seen her, the ancient Lunarian had looked like death warmed over. Which, if taken literally, was exactly what she had been. Since then, her health had seen noticeable improvement, the color restored to her cheeks and the flesh filled out to what it originally had been. However, it seemed to have come at the cost of her peace of mind. Eirin's eyes were sunken and hollow, as if she had not slept well for days. And though she moved without infirmity, her steps were slow and heavy.

Marisa didn't know all of the specifics of what had gone down between Reisen and her former employer, but she knew enough. And she knew enough about people that the rabbit's sudden betrayal, coming so soon after the return of her greatest failure, her narrow escape from death, and the loss of her beloved princess, had probably rattled Eirin more than she would ever admit. And now, having finally learned that her wayward protégé, whom she had undoubtedly been fretting over, had taken shelter in the same place where she had been summoned for the expressed purpose of receiving what was probably very bad news concerning said greatest failure and, by extension, her missing princess, Marisa honestly couldn't fault Reimu for not wanting to be here. Hell, she was sort of impressed that the shrine maiden hadn't immediately found something that urgently required her attention at another part of the shrine and left Yukari to act as the welcoming committee. As cranky as Reimu could get about fulfilling her duty, she still stuck to it when pressed.

"Eirin," Yukari said with a cordial nod. "Welcome, and thank you for coming."

Eirin's gaunt eyes flickered over to Yukari. She gave a tiny nod in return, but said nothing. Then her gaze focused on Reimu.

"Reimu Hakurei," she said. Fortunately, there wasn't any anger in her voice. Just weariness.

Reimu winced. "Uh, hello doctor Yagokoro. Welcome to Hakurei Shrine."

Eirin's mouth thinned out. "Is it true?" she said. She didn't need to clarify what "it" she was referring to.

Clearing her throat, Yukari stepped forward. "Eirin, remember what I told you."

"I do," Eirin said without so much as glancing in her direction. Her gaze remained on Reimu. "Is she here? Right now?"

"No, not really," Reimu said, taking a conspicuous step back.

"What does that mean?"

Yukari sighed. "It means that it was decided that given your history, it would be best that she not be present for the duration of the meeting," she said softly. "No offense Eirin, but exposing you to her can be…compromising."

Eirin looked at her. "You're worried that I might be tempted to attack her."

"I would be. Once this crisis has abetted, you will be free to settle matters with her, provided she is willing to talk. Until then, Reisen Udongein remains under the protection of the laws of sanctuary."

The side of the Lunarian doctor's twitched, but she nodded. "Fine. Let's get this over with."

With that, she turned and made her way toward the shrine. Yukari clicked her tongue and moved to follow, leaving Reimu and Marisa standing by the edge of the barrier.

"Yeesh," Marisa said, staring after the two ageless women. "That was even chillier."

"Yup," Reimu said heavily. "Could've been worse though."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah," Reimu nodded. "I kept expecting her to try to throttle me."

Marisa laughed. "She wouldn't get far," she said, tossing her mini-hakkero up and down. "Even if Yukari didn't throw her into space, I woulda blasted her to Hell."

"Nice to know I'm so protected," Reimu said wryly. Placing her hands on her hips, she shook her head and let out a rueful chuckle. "Well, they're all here, and we're still alive. Let's go do this."

Marisa nodded, and the two mortal girls headed up the path toward the shrine, where gods, Angels, legends, and demons were waiting for them. Good thing they were used to being the youngest and most fragile in the room. Otherwise, they might have been a bit intimidated.

It was then that Marisa realized that she had yet to broach the subject of Alice and Mima, and her window of opportunity was rapidly closing. "Oh hey," she said. "If there's time, there's something I kinda wanted to-"

Alas, she was once again unable to finish her thought, as another person had seen fit to interrupt her. Reisen.

"WAIT!" the lunar rabbit screamed as she came flying out of the trees. "Wait, wait, wait! Eirin, I'm here!"

Eirin, who had reached the porch, froze in her tracks, as did Yukari, Reimu, and Marisa. All four turned to stare as Reisen flew towards the group as fast as she could (which, when judged by the standards of those present, actually wasn't all that much). However, as soon as she saw Eirin's grey eyes watching her, she came to a sudden stop. Righting herself, she quickly brushed off her skirt, straightened her tie, and cleared her throat. Then she glanced down and realized that she was still hovering half a meter over the ground, blushed, and dropped to her feet. Taking a deep, steadying breath, she clasped her hands behind her back and stood stiffly at attention, her gaze locked with Eirin's.

Like Reimu had been earlier, the Lunarian rabbit also looked scared, perhaps even moreso. Her face was ashen, and her legs, arms, and shoulders were trembling. But she was here, standing before the woman she had attacked and abandoned, and more than likely in full violation of Reimu and Yukari's instructions. And while every instinct had to be screaming at her to flee, Reisen stood her ground.

Marisa shook her head in admiration. The bunny had come a long way.

"Reisen, what the hell do you think you're doing?" Reimu demanded. She quickly ran over to where the rabbit was standing. "You were supposed to stay in the cherry grove!"

Reisen flinched. "I…I know. I'm sorry, I just…" She looked over to Eirin. The doctor was standing as still as a statue, her stormcloud eyes unblinking. The two Lunarians locked gazes. Swallowing, Reisen said, "I need to do this."

"Do what?" Yukari said, her voice a low growl.

"Talk to her."

Yukari huffed. "Miss Udongein, you do understand that now is not the time for-"

"It's all right, Yukari," Eirin said, not taking her eyes off of Reisen. "I agree. This conversation is long overdue."

"Oh? And what if I do not agree?"

Eirin turned, her grey eyes meeting Yukari's gold. "Please, Yukari. I swear I will not violate the sanctity of sanctuary. Just…please give us a little time."

Yukari scowled, clearly not liking opening things up for a potential breakdown before the meeting even began. She glanced over to Reimu. For her part, the shrine maiden simply shrugged.

"Fine," Yukari said after a time. "Ten minutes. And during that time, you both are to remain on your best behavior. No fighting, no danmaku, I don't even want any shouting. Understood?"

"I understand," Eirin said softly. Reisen swallowed but nodded.

"All right then." Yukari took a deep breath. "Well, I'd better make sure the three faiths are getting along." With that, she bustled back into to the shrine, though not before making sure to make eye contact with both Lunarians and hold it for at least five seconds each. The warning was clear: Behave, or I'll have you back on the Moon before you can spit.

Marisa and Reimu watched as Reisen and Eirin disappeared into the trees. "Wow," Marisa said. "Little Bunny Foo Foo's all grown up."

"Foo Foo?" Reimu repeated, giving her a sidelong look. Before Marisa could explain, she said, "Wait, never mind. I don't care. But yeah. She and Sakuya got into it a few days ago, and I think it's made her, I dunno, bolder."

Marisa shrugged. "Well, good for her. I mean, unless Eirin snaps and turns her into a greasy little paste. Then not so good for her. But hey, you gotta think positive, right?"

"Thanks for that Marisa, I really needed that image to keep my spirits up," Reimu said. Then she blinked. "Oh hey. Since we've got a few extra minutes, what'd you want to talk to me about?"

Marisa sighed. "Oh, forget it," she said. If she tried again, they would probably just end up getting interrupted again. "Tell you later."

…

Two Lunarians walked away from Hakurei Shrine, heading toward the cherry grove.

One of them was a veritable legend, an unmatched genius whose achievements bordered on the mythical. The most famous name of her people's noble class, who had been an instrumental figure in the founding of their civilization and a pivotal figure in the shaping of its culture for centuries after. Even now that she was exiled and all her titles stripped away, her name had not decreased in majesty, nor had all she had done been forgotten by her people. Even after Death finally claimed her, she would be remembered and held up in esteem.

In contrast, the other was an insignificant member of the serving class who had been drummed out of the military for cowardice on the battlefield and then quickly forgotten.

That was one of the funny things about Gensokyo. Every law was considered as such only in the loosest of sense, and ample opportunity was provided for the strong to trample the weak underfoot. And yet, more often than not, it also allowed for the playing field to be leveled in ways that would not be possible on the Moon. The Spellcard System, for example, helped those with little power or influence to challenge those that they normally would not have a prayer against and at least stand a chance of pulling through. Ability was held in higher regard than lineage, and even someone as lowly as Reisen could at least stand up for herself.

Of course, Eirin still outclassed Reisen in virtually every way imaginable, and yet thanks to a bizarre set of circumstances, the rabbit was being allowed to speak to the doctor as an equal. Not that Reisen considered herself Eirin's equal in any way, shape or form, but it was still somewhat heartening that she even had this opportunity.

That didn't change the fact that she was terrified.

Eirin scared her more than any other person alive. The Shadow Youkai was a nightmare, yes, one that had come within a hairsbreadth of killing her. Yuuka Kazami's reputation for chaos and sadism was well-established. And even her so-called allies included names like Yukari Yakumo and Mima, the latter of whom had gone out of her way to intimidate her, just to prove that she could. But all of those names were dangerous, yes, but they were dangerous in an impersonal way. Eirin was someone whom she still held a great amount of respect for, to whom she owed her life, and whom she had betrayed. It didn't get much more personal than that.

Still, even though every instinct was screaming at her to run away and hide, she had to do this. If she didn't, she was going to be trembling in Eirin's shadow for the rest of her life.

Finally they went far enough into the grove and came to a stop. Reisen's mind was racing, trying to come up with the best way to begin, but per normal, Eirin beat her to it. "So, this is where you've been," she said softly, looking back over to the shrine.

Reisen swallowed, but nodded.

"Why here? Why Reimu Hakurei?"

"B-Because no one else would take me in," Reisen stuttered. "Probably."

Nodding, Eirin sat down on a nearby boulder. "Logical enough. I had expected you to avoid those with ties to Yukari Yakumo, but in hindsight, I was thinking too much like a Lunarian. Things are…slightly different here."

"Yes," Reisen said.

"Has she treated you well?"

Reisen faltered. She had anticipated a number of things from this conversation. Concern was not one of the highest. "Oh. Uh, y-yes. I mean, the work's harder, sure, but she's fair. And the pranks are easier to avoid."

Eirin frowned. "Pranks?"

"Three fairies," Reisen explained. "They live in one of the trees around here. They get bored sometimes, but…well, let's just say they're no Tewi."

That got a small smile from the doctor. "Well. That's good to hear, at least."

Well, here went nothing. Steeling herself, Reisen forced herself to say, "I'm not apologizing. For what happened."

She expected Eirin to be angry. Indignant. Cold. To lash back with something biting. She always had in the past, whenever Reisen had shown the slightest bit of disrespect. But to her surprise, the doctor merely sighed and said, "Good. I don't expect you too."

Caught off guard, Reisen could only say, "What?"

Eirin's hands clasped together over her knees. "Reisen, I have done a great deal of thinking ever since you've left. I was angry at first, yes. I felt betrayed, violated." Her mouth twitched. "Abandoned."

Reisen looked away.

"But most of all I was scared." Eirin looked up at the rabbit. "For you."

"Me?" Reisen struggled to come up with some kind of adequate response, but all she could come up with was, "Why?"

"Because Kaguya was gone," Eirin said, her voice hollow and full of regret. "Taken from me by something I had created. And…" She squeezed her eyes shut and grimaced. "And I think I came to find a measure of understanding of what you went through, when Rin was locked away."

Reisen stared in shock. Moisture was sparkling under Eirin's eyes. The doctor was crying. In all the years Reisen had lived with her, she couldn't remember ever seeing her cry.

Letting out a ragged chuckle, Eirin wiped her eyes with the back of her wrist and said, "Isn't…isn't that just the most ironic thing? This isn't the first time I lost her, you know. When our attempted coup failed and her father sent her away, I was convinced that I would never-" Her voice caught. Swallowing, she tried again. "And when I was reunited with her, it came at the cost of literally everything else. Everything I had worked so hard to build, everything I had ever accomplished, all of it gone." She shook her head. "I thought I had learned what loss felt like. I guess I just needed something to remind me."

"You love her," Reisen said.

"Kaguya?" Eirin snorted. "Of course I do. Maybe not in the way the tabloids love to insist, but yes. She is the most important person in my life, the only one that has ever really felt like family." Drawing in a ragged breath, she slowly let it out. "And now she's gone. And then you were gone. Everyone was leaving me, and I couldn't stop it."

"Reimu said you put a bounty on me," Reisen said.

"Briefly, yes," Eirin said with a nod. "Again, I was afraid that you would do something…ill advised, such as seek Rin out on your own. I wanted to find you first, before you were hurt." One shoulder lifted in a half-shrug. "But then I realized that doing so would only drive you further to ground, so I called them off, hoping you would surface on your own." She let out a small laugh. "And in a way, you did."

Reisen stared at her. "So, you're really not angry with me?"

"Well, maybe a little," Eirin admitted. "When Yukari came to me the other day and told me where you had gone, I was torn between storming right over and choking you for making me worry or storming right over and embracing you for being safe."

The strength went from Reisen's legs, and she had to sit down on a nearby moss-covered stump. Now that was an admission she had never expected to hear from Erin. She wondered how Yukari was reacting to seeing Eirin Yagokoro being so vulnerable, and decided that she didn't care. Voyeur or not, this had nothing to do with her.

Allowing herself a small smile, Eirin looked over to the stunned rabbit and said, "Reisen, I know things are…probably never going to be the same between us. And maybe that's for the best. I admit, I hadn't treated you as well as I should have. But…" She sighed. "For what it's worth, I…am sorry. For what I did to her. And to you. Maybe losing Kaguya is my punishment for causing all this."

"Oh," Reisen said. Then, so suddenly that she sort of surprised herself, she said, "I found your note."

Eirin blinked. "Excuse me? My what?"

"Your note. In…in Rin's diary," Reisen told her. She was speaking a bit too fast, so she forced herself to slow down and explain, "Tewi found most of her stuff and gave it to me, and you had written in it. At the end."

"Oh." Eirin's eyes widened a bit. "Oh. Right. You know, I had almost forgotten about that. It was right after she had been locked up. I was putting her stuff away and came across that diary and…" She shrugged. "Well, if I was feeling guilty before…"

"Yeah. That's the impression I got." Reisen looked down at the grass. "But you still kept trying, right? To find a cure?"

Eirin's eyes darkened. "Yes," she said with a scowl. "Fruitlessly. Nothing I tried so much as had an effect on that piece you took."

"But you still tried."

"Tried, and failed. And now, both are lost."

"You don't know that for sure!" Reisen protested. "You have help now! And surely, with all of you working together, you should be able to find something!"

Eirin frowned. "Reisen, what are you talking about?"

Reisen stared at her. Yukari had to have told her, hadn't she? "You don't know?"

"Know what?" Eirin leaned forward, studying Reisen's face discerningly. "Reisen, what's happened?"

"Wait, she didn't tell you?" Reisen gaped.

"Tell me what?"

"Yukari! She didn't tell you about the change in plans?"

Eirin blinked. "No, she just told me that you had been granted sanctuary by Reimu Hakurei, that I was not under any circumstances to seek revenge against you or Reimu, and that I was to appear at Hakurei Shrine where she would reveal critical information for discussion." She arched a single silver eyebrow. "I'm guessing that this has to do with that critical information?"

It most certainly did. Reisen wondered why Yukari had not told her right there and then that they were no longer seeking to destroy Rin. Maybe she just wanted to drop everything at once. There was probably stuff that would be brought up that Reimu herself didn't know about. And maybe she didn't want to risk the chance of something slipping before the actual meeting. But whatever her reasons, there was no reason to hold back now. "Reimu changed her mind," Reisen said, speaking too quickly again. "About Rin, I mean. We're not trying to kill her anymore."

Eirin's eyes widened in genuine surprise. "What?"

"Uh, yeah. See, she actually ran into Rin…Reimu I mean. And I guess she found out some things that made her think that she's not all the way gone. Then she talked to Yukari Yakumo and…" Reisen stopped herself. She took a deep breath, gathered what wits she could, and said, "Well, I'm not super-clear on the details, but we're actually going to try to help Rin now. Like, try to reach out to her and…stuff."

The look on Eirin's face was downright incredulous. "You…cannot be serious. Yukari Yakumo is following through with this? Yukari?"

"It's true!" Reisen insisted, a hint of desperation in her voice. She had to make Eirin believe her. If Eirin was brought on board, than they stood more of a chance. "She'll tell you!"

Eirin stared at her. "Reisen…I don't…I don't know what you've been told, but…"

"She did, it's true!" Reisen said again, her voice rising to a squeak. "Just ask her!"

Eirin bit her lower lip. The doctor looked like she wanted to believe her, yearned for it to be true, but just couldn't accept what Reisen was saying. "That's…Reisen, that's a pretty fantastical claim to make."

"I know, but just…just ask her, okay?"

"I will," Eirin said, rising up. Reisen stood up as well. "But…I wouldn't get my hopes up, Reisen. All things considered, Rin is probably a lost-"

"Don't say it," Reisen said, her voice catching.

Eirin nodded. "Very well." She glanced over to the shrine. "We'd…better go back."

When the two Lunarians returned to the shrine, everybody was already gathered together, waiting for them. In lieu of Reimu's kotatsuin, Yukari has provided a square table large enough to seat everyone. She was at one end, with Byakuren at her left and Reimu on her right. Marisa sat next to Reimu with an empty space beyond her, past which were Sakuya Izayoi and Patchouli Knowledge. Kanako sat at Byakuren's other side, followed by Shinki and Sariel. Genji was hunkered down in one corner of the room, keeping a wary eye on the shrine's assortment of odd visitors.

As Eirin and Reisen entered the room, what little conversation there was stopped immediately. Reimu especially was watching them with interest.

"Welcome back," Yukari said evenly.

Eirin nodded. "Thank you. We…were able to work things out between us."

Reimu blinked. She shot Reisen a questioning look. When the lunar rabbit nodded, the shrine maiden sighed, her shoulders slumping with relief.

"That is good," Yukari said, though she obviously already knew. She opened her mouth to say more, perhaps to start the meeting off, but Eirin beat her to the punch.

"Is it true?"

Yukari paused. She seemed to think the question over for a bit, perhaps debating whether or not to answer it now or wait for later, but eventually went with the former. "It is," she said.

Shinki looked at her in suspicion. "What is?"

"The Rin Satsuki situation. In light of recent events and new information, we're changing tactics. We're helping her now."

Patchouli Knowledge's head snapped up. Until then, the magician had been sitting with her head down and her eyes avoiding any sort of contact with the others But this had grabbed her attention. "Wait. We're what now?"

"Precisely what I said. And if you'll have some patience, I'll explain exactly why." Yukari glanced around. "Well. Shall we begin?"

Nodding, Eirin took her place from her. Then, when Reisen sat down next to Eirin, Yukari raised an eyebrow.

"Reisen," she said. "You are to be joining us then?"

Reisen flinched, but she said, "No reason not to anymore, is there?"

Yukari sighed. "I suppose not. Very well." She looked around at all the faces of those gathered: some expectant, some apprehensive, and some impatient. "Well, it seems that the time has come to-"

"Not quite," Marisa drawled.

"Oh?" Yukari sounded annoyed at the interruption.

"Yup." Marisa patted the empty space next to her.

Yukari scowled. "Oh, right." She shook her head. "Mima, while being fashionably late is a time-honored way to make a statement, we all would like to begin. So if you'd be so kind as to dispense with the theatrics…"

"But theatrics are what I'm known for," said Mima's disembodied voice, filling the shrine. Reisen quailed, and many of the others looked around suspiciously. Patchouli Knowledge especially seemed interested. "Besides, I am not fashionably late. You all are unfashionably early."

Yukari's fingers drummed against the tabletop. "Timetable has moved up, as you already know. And I'm sure I speak for everyone when I say we don't really feel like waiting for you."

Mima tsked. "How unbelievably rude." She materialized in the space next to Marisa as she spoke, eyes and mouth first, and then the rest of her. "Especially when you consider the fact that, technically speaking, you all are my guests here."

"What?" Reimu said, scowling.

"Technically speaking, my dear. Technically speaking. In a purely political sense." Mima's eyes swept around the room, touching briefly on each face in turn. Kanako, Sakuya, and Eirin both got nothing more than passing glances. Reisen's heart sped up when Mima locked eyes with her, but the ghost simply favored her with a brief smile. Patchouli, who had been staring at ghost with something resembling awe, all but swooned when Mima shot her a friendly wink. Byakuren gave Mima a hard look, which seemed to amuse her. And then Mima's gaze settled upon Shinki.

"Ah, Shinki. My old friend," she said with a wide smile. "My apologies for not being here to greet you in person upon your arrival. It really has been too long. Tell me: how is my old fortress holding up?"

Shinki's face had gone utterly cold. She said nothing.

"Really? That bad?" Mima shrugged. "Well, it's to be expected. You really do need to be vigilant about the upkeep on those old places. Though come to think of it, this really is the day for reunions for you. I'm sure you and Byakuren have much to talk about, considering how long she was a guest in your-"

"Mima," Genji said suddenly, raising his head. "Shut up."

Mima's head whipped toward him in surprise, not so much that she was being told to stop talking, but that it was Genji that was doing it. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me. These ladies have put their extraordinarily long grudges on hold to save Gensokyo. You will respect that and keep your damned mouth shut, or I will bite off your ass and haul the rest of you out by your hair myself." His rheumy, yellow eyes narrowed. "Got it, Missy?"

Mima stared at him, as did everybody else. For a moment, Reisen was scared that the ghost would take the elderly reptile up on his challenge. She did not know the ghost well, but their memorable conversation had made it clear that Mima did not appreciate having her pride bruised, especially in front of her peers. Indeed, Mima's eyes narrowed dangerously, and the air seemed to crackled around. Anticipating violence, both Mima and Sakuya started to scoot away from her.

Then Yukari cleared her throat. Mima glanced sharply at her. Her eyelid twitched, but she relaxed. "Of course," she murmured, turning back toward the table. "My apologies. No offense intended."

The tension settled a bit, but didn't disappear entirely. Reisen slowly breathed in and out. That was one of the many, many scary things about being at this table. So many ridiculously powerful people were here, many of which didn't like each other. If those grudges boiled over, she would not be likely to survive the crossfire.

"Thank you, Genji," Yukari said, shooting Mima a warning look. Sighing, she looked around the room and said, "Well ladies, that is everyone. Shall we get started?"

…

It had arrived.

One of the most annoying parts of living in Gensokyo was that the mail traveled rather slowly, unless you happened to have a subscription to a Tengu tabloid. In which case, it will show up two hours early on regular days, or at times, several times each day if a particularly juicy story had been unearthed or if the reporter was feeling bored. And as Tengu reporters were often bored, it wasn't unheard of to receive over twenty editions within the space of a week. Yuuka herself was subscribed to seven, and despite her current status as something of a public enemy, they had continued to show up without fail. She rarely read them, but at least her on-again, off-again attempts at papier-mâché were not without a steady flow of resources. Besides, she had numerous fireplaces, and as she felt the idea of firewood was downright ghastly, she had to use some other source of fuel.

Elly still hadn't told her where paper came from. Or tea, for that matter. Some things were better off left unrevealed.

Regardless though, unless you were someone able to afford a skilled messenger, anything of importance often took its own sweet time to arrive, if it made it to its destination at all. And the package Yuuka had been waiting for was a bit on the large side, which made it somewhat conspicuous. Arranging for it to be transported from the Youkai Mountain to the Garden of the Sun had taken some work.

Under normal circumstances, she could have simply just shown up and taken it. Unfortunately, Elly had been right in that her recent indiscretions necessitated keeping a low profile, and the Hanataka Tengu were keeping a wary eye out for suspicious plants.

However, there were plenty of other Tengu and Kappa that were more than willing to look the other way while transport manifestos were smudged, delivery of certain pieces of scrap was rerouted, and said pieces of scrap were then boxed up and sent somewhere that would put them to greater use than a junkyard would, all in exchange for the right amount of currency. Yuuka imagined that many of them would have had their hearts go into conniptions if they knew who their new benefactor was. Fortunately, such things were common enough, and no one had cared to ask. It had taken time though. Such things always did.

But in the end, it had arrived. And now Yuuka was the proud new owner of half a meter of steel cable.

The cable itself was unimportant. Yuuka's interest was focused on what was at the end. When her unscrupulous suppliers had sent it her way, there had been a full three meters of it. Now, it was almost gone, thanks to the clinging bits of goo that enveloped one end.

Yuuka was many things. Unobservant was not one of them. Out of everyone involved in the giant robot debacle, she had been the only one to notice and remember that the idiot Celestial of all people had been the only one to do harm to Rin and make it stick, as she had explained to Elly. Now, that was something that all but begged to be looked further into.

Unfortunately, for that to happen she needed to run a few tests, tests that Rin would likely not feel comfortable doing. They had mended some of the bridges between themselves, but the trip down memory lane that Yuuka had taken her down was not forgotten. And honestly, Yuuka wasn't keen on letting her know what she was doing.

Of course, Yuuka could always take what she needed without Rin's permission. Now that the Shadow Youkai was gone, the girl had lost a great deal of power, and if Yuuka wanted something from her, well, she could protest, and she could fight back. But in the end, she would learn just how much she had relied on that hideous strength.

However, Rin was still a guest. And to force such a thing upon her would be unbecoming. Fortunately for Yuuka, another source had made itself available, in the form of a steel harpoon that had been shot from a giant metal man right through poor Rin Satsuki's body. Normally such a thing would barely slow her down, but as that harpoon had been attached to a rather long cable, and the harpoon itself had soon been absorbed into her body, she had been left in the awkward predicament of having to slowly digest her way all the way up the cable.

Of course, Rin hadn't the time to wait for that, and so with Reimu Hakurei's help, she had forcibly ripped the cable from her body. And, no doubt out of retribution from having such an intimate relationship come to a premature end, that cable had taken a piece of her with it. It wasn't missed. She had regenerated the lost matter within seconds, and had other things that required her attention. But Yuuka had noticed.

And now that cable sat in her private study, slowly dissolving away bit by bit.

Yuuka smiled, watching as the last of it disappeared, leaving nothing more than a small lump of clear gelatin sitting on a metal tray. This was definitely going to be one of her better investments.

She then opened up a large box, revealing a set of objects that had no business being packed together for a single purpose. Selecting one, she set to work.

…

"Well, let's cut right to it," Yukari said. "As you all are aware, this is not an official Ringleader meeting. Your presence here, at Hakurei Shrine, is entirely off the books, and a good deal of what we discuss here today is not for public knowledge. In fact, I had not originally intended to reveal most of this to any of you." She inhaled deeply and slowly let it out. "However, recent events have no longer made such secrecy a feasible route. I need help."

Though no one immediately said anything, there was still a grave air of surprise to this statement. Yukari rarely ever admitted that a problem was beyond her ability to handle. And while she often roped others into her schemes and stratagems, simply asking for help rather than demanding it was also not something that happened very often.

It was Shinki that spoke first. Clearing her throat, she said, "And you have come to us specifically…why?"

"Because despite past disagreements and conflicts, you are the people that I trust to have the integrity, drive, and means to save our country." She glanced quickly to Patchouli and Sakuya, the latter of whom quailed a bit under her gaze. "Or are already in too deep but might yet be of use."

"And me," Mima said cheerfully.

"And Mima," Yukari said in a grudging tone.

Tilting its head to one side, Sariel murmured, "Yukari. I presume this situation goes deeper than the matter you discussed with my sibling and I?"

"Considerably," Yukari told it.

Frowning, Eirin leaned forward. "What situation?"

"I'm getting to that, but to start things off, let's review what we all already know." Yukari closed her and stabilized herself. "All right. The last time we were all together, it was to discuss the problem of Rin Satsuki, a Kirin girl who, thanks to a well-meaning but ill-fated experiment performed by Eirin Yagokoro, Patchouli Knowledge, and Sakuya Izayoi, had devolved into a gelatinous, amorphous state with the ability to adapt and become immune to virtually any external exposure to energy and envelop and absorb anyone who came in contact with her, gaining their powers, appearance, and memories while preserving their minds and souls within herself."

Reisen flinched openly at that. Eirin's face, however, might have been carved from stone for all the emotion it betrayed.

"Weren't there a couple of Humans involved as well?" Byakuren asked.

"Yes," Yukari nodded. "But they're idiots who are now in jail and couldn't tell us anything useful that could not already be provided by those already here."

Kanako smirked.

"At any rate, Rin Satsuki had been contained for a number of years before a set of unfortunate circumstances set her free again."

"Not my fault," Marisa remarked. "Just throwing that out there."

"Yes, it was," Patchouli shot back. "It was very much your fault."

"Shut up," Reimu snapped. "Both of you."

Pretending that the two magicians had never spoken, Yukari continued. "Since that time, Rin Satsuki has managed to absorb both of the existing Hourai Immortals, Kaguya Houraisan and Fujiwara no Mokou, thereby adding their total immortality to her own adaptability. In addition, by chance she also absorbed a seemingly diminutive youkai that, unfortunately, had an extraordinarily nasty creature sealed away in her known as the Shadow Youkai, from which she gained a number of lethal abilities. After wreaking a significant amount of havoc at Eientei, she then disappeared into the wilderness, nobody knows where."

Shinki leaned forward over the table, arms folded beneath her, and looked Yukari in the eye. "Yes, that is an abbreviated version of what you told us. But there was more, wasn't there?"

"Yes, though none of us knew it at the time. I-" Yukari's voice faltered, and though she quickly recovered, everyone noticed. "At the citadel, I was completely forthcoming with everything I knew up to that point. However, since then a number of other pieces of information have come to light, regarding Rin Satsuki, the Shadow Youkai, and the third party that has chosen to involve herself in this conflict, Yuuka Kazami."

Frowning, Shinki folded her hands on the table, thumbs moving in and out in concert. "Didn't you say you were going to take care of her yourself?"

Yukari regarded her calmly. "Yes, I did," she said. "And using the information available to me at the time, I tried, as you've no doubt heard by now."

"You lost."

Sariel laid a hand on Shinki's shoulder. "Sibling…"

"I'm not trying to start something," Shinki said, waving it off. "I'm just stating the obvious."

Mima leaned over the table. "Actually, as such things are judged, while we were unsuccessful in destroying Yuuka, I'd say we actually came out ahead in that little encounter."

"Damned straight," Marisa added.

This announcement caused every head to snap towards the two magicians. "You were there?" Eirin asked.

"Obviously," Mima responded. She gave the doctor an irritated look. "Oh come now, you didn't expect Yukari not to try to stack the deck, did you?"

Heavy silence greeted this pronouncement. Then, one by one, everyone turned to Yukari.

"Yes," she sighed. "I did. Of course I did. The situation was critical, and I couldn't afford to be distracted. So I attempted to plow over Yuuka with overwhelming force and end the threat quickly."

"I see," Shinki said with a dark look, no doubt due to bitter memories. "And who else did you rope into this scheme, if I may ask?"

"Well, in addition to Mima and Marisa, our part also included Yuyuko Saigyouji, her servant Youmu Konpaku, Satori Komejii and her pets, Utsuho Reiuji and Rin Kaenbyou, as well as Sakuya Izayoi here and her vampire masters, Remilia and Flandre Scarlet."

A small commotion broke out, though it was mainly limited to a handful of individuals, mainly Eirin and Shinki, though Byakuren and Kanako, who both knew that at least some of those names had been involved, looked rather disquieted.

"That many?" Shinki all but shouted. "You conscripted that many? Including two other Ringleaders? Why on earth would you need that many to defeat one single youkai?"

"I agree, that was overkill of the highest degree," Eirin added. "I know Yuuka is dangerous, but-"

Mima burst out laughing. This drew several venomous looks, but per usual, the ghost simply did not care. "Dangerous?" she gibed. "Dangerous? Oh honey, are you in for a shock."

"Shut up, Mima," Yukari snapped. To the others, she said, "Yes, it was overkill. That was the whole point. Based upon what was known about her at the time, she should have been annihilated in minutes, freeing up my attention to focus entirely on the Rin Satsuki problem."

Kanako frowned. "What we knew at the time?"

"Yes. Since then, new information has come to light. Information that…I really wish I had known ahead of time."

…

Thwack. Thwack. Thwack.

Head down, eyes lowered, and face impassive, Elly methodically hacked away at a side of beef. Lunchtime was approaching, and she had to prepare. Sandwiches, cookies, cheese slices, and flavored ice all had to be prepared for herself, her master, and all of her master's guests. Normally Elly would be fine with that. She enjoyed cooking. She found it relaxing. If ever she felt stressed and troubled (as often was these days), then she would retreat to the kitchen and bake a cake. It usually did the trick, at least for a little while.

Not today though, as today her sanctuary had been invaded.

"…sometimes I feel like it's not real, like it's all a dream and I'll wake up and she'll be gone again," Mystia said as she took the pieces of meat Elly was chopping off and rolled them in spices. "That happened to me a lot when she was gone. Like, I had this dream where everything was completely normal. We'd be back at the cave, and Rumia was there like she used to be, and we would be talking and laughing like we used to. Then all of a sudden, I turned to Rumia and asked when she was going to be back. Then she smiled and said, 'Never,' and I woke up crying." She shuddered. "And…and I keep thinking that it's going to happen again. I keep waking up in the middle of the night, convinced that I'll look over and she'll be gone. But she isn't. She's still here, and…" Mystia let out strangled that was half a laugh, half a sob. "…and everything's all right."

Even this, Elly normally would have a problem with. Mystia had been a regular presence in the kitchen once they had gotten to know each other. Elly appreciated having some around that she could trade recipes with, and honestly, she liked Mystia the most out of the group. Cirno was nice enough and occasionally funny, but her stupidity grated the Shinigami's nerves. Daiyousei was all right, but it was very difficult to hold a conversation with her. And Wriggle was…well, there was still a lot of baggage there. But with Mystia, she had finally found someone with whom she could share her hobby and wasn't as thick as a board.

But ever since the absent fifth member of their party had returned, Mystia would not shut up about it. Everything was always Rumia this, Rumia that, isn't it wonderful that Rumia was back, and I hope Rumia is okay, and I'm getting worried about Rumia, and on and on and on. In truth, Mystia couldn't really blame her. But as she didn't know Rumia from Adam, it was a bit difficult to care much about her.

Besides, she had brought that person with her.

"Though sometimes I wonder if it's really her," Mystia continued, oblivious to Elly's complete lack of interest. "I mean, she's different. She doesn't talk as much, and she hasn't been smiling as much either. I mean, she was all smiles the first day, but…" She shook her head. "I know she hasn't been sleeping well. Or much at all. So maybe she's just really tired. But she's been hanging around Rin a lot. And…that's really weird. I mean, I guess Rin's all right, all things considered. She doesn't seem to want to eat anyone anymore, and she did say she's sorry, but isn't kind of weird for Rumia to always be with her? Like, she was her prisoner for so long. Wouldn't she want stay away from her?"

"Stockholm Syndrome," Elly muttered as she continued to hack away. Thwack. Thwack. Thwack.

"Huh?

"Nothing."

Mystia shrugged. "As for Rin, I don't really know. I can't…I still don't know if we should, but Rumia said…Oh, I just don't know," she sighed. "I sometimes it feels like everything's really all right, and I should just forgive her. I mean, we all did crazy stuff when we were feral. But that was a long time ago. Rin ate Rumia just a few weeks ago, and she's eaten other people and…" The night-sparrow shuddered. "That just scares me."

"That just means you have a brain," Elly said. Her mouth set in a straight line and her blows started to come down harder. "Unlike some others I could mention."

Mystia blinked. "Beg pardon?"

Elly was about to brush off her question again, but right about then was when a long stalk topped with a pink tulip rose up from the ground to hover near her ear. "Elly, a moment of your time please," Yuuka's voice murmured. "You'll find me in my study."

Elly perked up, her heart pounding. "Oh! Y-yes, right away." She turned briefly to Mystia and muttered out a quick, "Excuse me, I need to go," before placing her cleaver down and hurrying toward the door.

"Oh," Mystia said in confusion as she left. She glanced around at the spread before her, no doubt wondering if she now had to finish it all by herself. "Uh, okay."

…

Eirin's fingers drummed against the table, much like Yukari's had earlier. "New information? And that would be?"

"I'm getting to that, but for now, one thing at a time." Yukari scowled. "Suffice to say, it was an unmitigated disaster. Yuuka caught wind of my plans, and prepared accordingly. Though she left the battlefield with devastating wounds, she still managed to put me entirely out of commission with grievous injuries of my own that I am still recovering from, as well as wreak havoc among those that I had brought, as Mima, Marisa, and Sakuya here can attest to."

"Yes," Sakuya said in a small voice, though not a fearful one. The maid had been silent until now, but it was clear that it wasn't because she had been intimidated. "Both my mistress and I barely escaped with our lives. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for her sister."

Eirin inhaled sharply. "Flandre Scarlet is dead?" she said.

"Temporarily," Yukari responded. "Her essence was preserved, and Yuuka took it with her when she fled."

"Merciful spirits," the Lunarian doctor whispered, her face paling. "That girl is a powerhouse of destruction. If Yuuka of all people has her…"

"Oh, believe me, we are well aware of the implications."

"She took Satori Komejii as well, didn't she?" Shinki said in a dangerous voice.

Every eye turned to the Fallen Angel, some of them startled. Annoyed by the attention, she looked around and said, "Oh, what? I read the news. I know what happened at the Ancient City. It isn't hard to put together."

Mima cast a sidelong glance at Yukari. "You have to admit, for all her faults, she is perceptive."

"Yes, she is," Sariel said. "Something you will do well to remember."

Mima raised an eyebrow at the uncharacteristic threat, but said nothing.

"Yes," Yukari said heavily. "Yuuka did in fact leave with both Satori Komejii and Flandre Scarlet. And considering her personality, she will more than likely attempt some manner of brainwashing on both."

Eirin swallowed. "That is…troubling news. Flandre is bad enough, but considering the things Satori knows, the information she can give Yuuka…"

"I highly doubt Yuuka will care," Mima said. "Her primary goal is her own amusement. To that end, she will likely find Flandre of greater interest." A pause, and then she said, "In more ways than-"

Sakuya's head whipped toward her. "You will be silent," she hissed.

The ghost's brow arched. "Or?" she said.

A low, throaty rumble came from the corner of the room. "Or I bite your ass off and throw you out," Genji growled. "Like I just got done tellin' yah!"

"Agreed," Yukari intoned, steepling her fingers in front of her face. "Mima. Your abilities are unquestioned, and your contributions thus far are acknowledged. But that comment was out of line. Consider yourself warned."

Mima's eyes narrowed, but she shot a quick glance at Genji and said nothing.

Silence fell on the room, heavy with tension. Sensing the need to move things along, Byakuren cleared her throat and said, "Regardless, I think we can all agree that the current situation is unacceptable, and the rescue of Yuuka's hostages is a high priority."

"Absolutely," Yukari nodded, visibly thankful that the monk had brought things back on track. "Unfortunately, this is where things get a little…muddled."

"We know," Kanako said. "Remilia Scarlet has managed to capture Rin Satsuki, and sold her to Yuuka Kazami."

While this bit of news was already public knowledge, the reminder was still greeted with a palpable sense of dismay. "So it's true," Eirin murmured, folding her hands on the table. "I had…hoped that that was just an exaggeration of the tabloids."

Yukari grimaced. "No, I'm afraid not, though I trust what was just revealed fills in a few holes regarding her motivation."

"It does," Eirin said in a heavy voice. "Though…that does that not change the fact that-"

"Wait."

Everyone turned to Shinki, who had a puzzled frown on her face. "Regardless of her reasons, if Remilia Scarlet has indeed sold Rin Satsuki to Yuuka Kazami, then that would mean-" She glanced first to Sakuya and then to Patchouli. "No. They wouldn't have any part of this if you had. So that means she-"

Reimu, who had been content to keep to herself and let the immortals argue, suddenly shot Yukari a panicked look. Picking up on it, Yukari leaned forward and said in a low voice, "Shinki, I would appreciate it if you wouldn't-"

"She's here," Shinki said, her eyes widening. "Remilia Scarlet. You didn't kill her. Of course you didn't kill her. She's a friend of Hakurei, and we all know how you love to spoil that family."

Reimu scowled. "Hey, I'm right here!"

Shinki ignored her. "But the vampire has been conspicuously absent ever since while her household remains," she continued, speaking mostly to herself as she mused through the situation like a detective. "And since you are not the sort to simply let her off with house arrest, she has to have been incarcerated elsewhere. Allowing the GPF to take custody of her would be too visible, putting her in a cage somewhere would upset the shrine maiden, and-"

Suddenly Shinki twisted around to stare directly at Genji, her eyes narrowing. For his part, Genji didn't seem all that concerned by the Fallen Angel's glare. "What?" he said. "Don't give me that look. I'm just the mediator. No one asks my permission for anythin' 'round here."

"Shinki, that's enough," Yukari said. Her tone was polite, but the command was there. "Yes, Remilia Scarlet is currently under Reimu's wardenship, both as punishment and for her protection, and will remain that way for the foreseeable future. However, as that has no bearing on the current situation, I suggest we move on from it."

"Move on? I thought you demanded open communication and cooperation from us back at the Ringleader meeting. Just how many other secrets have you been keeping from us?"

"I feel compelled to remind you that you openly refused to have anything to do with Gensokyo's defense at that same meeting," Yukari responded in a mild tone. "And I spent the majority of the time since either doing everything I could to keep a half-dozen crises under control or flat on my back in the grips of fevered hallucinations, while you remained complacent in your tower. Though I am glad you brought up concealed secrets, because I do agree that the time has come to drag them into the light." She leaned over the table, hands clasped in front of her face, golden eyes flashing. "So why don't you start things off?"

Shinki faltered. "What?"

"The Shadow Youkai. Tell everyone here what she is. You are the expert, after all."

"I…" Her face pale, Shinki looked around to see everyone watching her expectedly, some in anticipation, others in confusion. Though she had been warned into silence, Mima wasn't bothering to hide the satisfied smirk on her face. "You…you cannot be…" She glanced to Sariel, who had a slightly disturbed look on its face.

"This…this might be the time, sibling," Sariel told her.

"Time?" Kanako said, turning to the two angelic outcasts. Her eyes narrowed, pupils shrinking to snakelike slits. "Time for what?"

Shinki shook her head. "But…but that is…"

Then Genji's voice rumbled from the corner. "Tell them," he said.

Shinki looked over to the elderly reptile with a look of shock. He met her gaze without flinching. "You heard me," he said.

"Shinki, what is this all about?" Eirin said.

Looking shaken, Shinki swallowed and said, "Well, if that's the way it is going to be, all right." She took a calming breath and held it for several seconds, her eyes closed. Then, she released and said, "I think it goes without saying that the Shadow Youkai is not actually a youkai, at least not as they are commonly classified."

"Something tells me that we're not going to like being corrected," Kanako said.

"You're not," Shinki said heavily. "She's…" She shook her head. "Oh, damn you Yukari. She's a…"

"She's the avatar of another Fallen Angel," Sariel finished for her. "A former Archangel of Death, like ourselves. Specifically, our sibling Azrael."

…

"Master!" Elly cried as she burst through the doors of Yuuka's private study. "I'm here!"

A smoking iron crucifix in her hands, Yuuka turned to her with a warm smile. "Ah, Elly! Come, come! You'll want to see this."

Eyes wide and mind racing with questions, Elly approached the low teatable in the room's center. Yuuka had been busy, as was evidenced by the number of tested and discarded tools she had lying about.

It was the nature of the tools that drew Elly's attention. The symbols of dozens of faiths lay on the table. Idols, prayer wheels, depictions of animals, metal rods, helixes, stars, wooden sticks, charms, and at least four different kinds of crosses were all present. Though Elly had long abandoned any sort of religious devotion, seeing so many reorientations of people's worship and devotion so carelessly lumped together felt a little sacrilegious, even to her. Also, the fact that she was in the bad books of a few deities herself made her uncomfortable with anything that might draw their attention.

But most attention-grabbing of all was the small lump of clear goop that sat in the center of a metal tray that had been laid on the table. It quivered and rippled, as if shaking with pain.

"Is that…" Elly whispered.

"Yes," Yuuka said with a nod. "A piece she lost and forgot about. I was able to recover it and bring it here."

Gulping, Elly took a reflexive step backward. "And…and is it safe?"

"Quite," Yuuka said. "It contains none of her consciousness. For all intents and purposes, it is as it appears to be: a bit of slime on a table. Don't stick your finger in it though, it is rather voracious."

Nodding, Elly said, "And…and what are you…" She glanced at all the various items of worship. "Are you…trying to banish it or…"

Yuuka laughed. "Oh, no, no, no. Nothing like that," she said, ruffling Elly's hair. "I doubt that the fine fellows these symbols are associated with would go along with anything I attempted anyway. No my dear, this is a test."

"A test of what?"

Placing the crucifix back in the box, Yuuka grinned wolfishly down at the piece of Rin, which was still trembling. "You recall when I told you that Rin seemed vulnerable to Celestial magic, and I meant to find out why?"

Elly nodded. "Yes."

"Well, I'm still working on the details, but in my research, I did come across a few rather fascinating bits of magical theory that has led me to some make some equally fascinating discoveries." Pressing her palms together and steepling her fingers, Yuuka tapped her fingertips against her lower lip as she gazed down at her unwilling test subject. "As you are no doubt aware, there are certain…classifications of magic. Subgroups. Spectrums. The terms get a little fuzzy, but suffice to say, there are specific categories of energy that all have common properties, even if they exhibit completely different effects. Fire and water, for example, both fall into the Elements category, even if neither of them is exactly an element, scientifically speaking. As such, though one is a chemical reaction and the other a liquid, they both operate under similar rules."

All of this Elly already knew, but she also knew better than to interrupt one of Yuuka's lectures. So she simply nodded again and said, "Okay."

"Well, Celestial magic also falls into a specific category. It's a bit on the fringe, operates under somewhat different parameters than the rest, but at its core, it still contains the same properties as its more famous relatives."

Now Elly was starting to get lost. "Er, famous relatives?"

"Yes," Yuuka purred. "Holy magic."

Elly choked. "H-h-holy?"

"Yes. Holy. Religious. Deific. Divine. Godly. However you choose to describe it." Yuuka glanced at her and side. "Oh, relax. It's not a dirty word. People always get so bent out of shape whenever religion gets mentioned, but let's be honest: we have gods aplenty running around Gensokyo. Pay them a bit of faith, and your azaleas grow healthier and maybe that lovely little thing next door will go with you to the dance. A priest closes his eyes and says the right words, and that arthritis in your knee isn't bothering you so much. A shrine maiden makes a few scribblings on a piece of paper, and the fairies will keep out of your larder for a week. There are rules, there are conditions, and there are results. Just because He of the capital 'G' operates using that wavelength doesn't mean He has a monopoly everything that falls under that category. In fact, Gensokyo was created for that very reason."

"I guess so," Elly admitted. "It's just…not something I'd rather we didn't mess with. You know, considering."

Yuuka chuckled. "Aye, a right couple of fugitives we are. But don't you worry your pretty little head. We're not about to attract unfortunate attention with this."

"If you say so, Master," Elly said dubiously. "But getting back to Celestials…"

"Ah!" Yuuka's eye shone with pleasure. "Yes, Celestials. Well, given the rigorous spiritual cleansing they must undergo to ascend to their positions, they also fall under the same umbrella as gods, Angels, priests, that sort of thing. Again, they're a bit unorthodox, as they require no external source of faith, but the general workings are the same. Which got me thinking: if Rin is unable to adapt to the power of a Celestial, perhaps the same could be said of their more renowned cousins?"

"Does it?"

"Oh, absolutely." Yuuka reached into the box and extracted a copper rod tipped with some sort of fish symbol that she was unfamiliar with. Pressing the fish end against the blob's surface, she explained, "These aren't the mass production trinkets you might find in gift shops and jewelry stores, by the way. Each one has been crafted by someone who fervently believed in the faith they represented and used in service of their beliefs. Power lingers, the symbol remembers, and dear little Rin…"

The tip of the rod pierced the blob's surface and went right in. Yuuka held it in place, slowly turning it back and forth as it penetrated deeper. Elly watched in morbid fascination to see if the rod would dissolve away and be absorbed into the blob's substance.

It didn't, though there was a noticeable sizzling sound. The body of the rod fizzed as if boiling, and thin wisps rose from where it entered. Yuuka pulled it out and held it up, still whole. "Well, as it turns out, it's a bit too much for her to swallow."

Elly stared in wonder, her mouth agape. "Wow. You did it. You found a way to beat her. Do you…do you know why she can't adapt to it?"

"Who can say?" Yuuka shrugged. She tossed the rod back into the box, where it landed among the symbols of its competitors with a clang. "It could be that whatever the Shadow Youkai has been doing in her subconscious has affected her more than even she knows, even on a physical level. After all, what could be more unholy than that thing? Perhaps it has left her vulnerable to its polar opposite." She frowned. "But then, this specific piece has been separated from the main whole for several days now, subconscious and all, and still remains vulnerable. Damage done, perhaps? Or was she always unable to handle the powers of a god? I do not know, and unless the genuine article allows me to put her on the table, I don't think we'll be making much headway in that regard."

"Oh," Elly said. She felt an odd mixture of disappointment and pride. Disappointment because Yuuka had admitted to not knowing something, and pride because she had also used the word 'we.' Not 'I,' 'we.' As if in, her and Yuuka. They were in this together after all.

Noticing Elly's reaction, Yuuka smiled. She drew the small girl close in a warm embrace. "Don't you worry none, little one. In the end, it matters not why she is the way she is. All that matters is that, should Rin Satsuki ever forget her manners again, then well, we now know how to hurt her. We know how to beat her. And without the strength of the Shadow Youkai or her powers of adaptation to rely on, she is no longer a threat.

…

"WHAT?" Eirin yelled, leaping straight to her feet. "She is WHAT?"

"You…you're joking, right?" Patchouli said, the color gone from her face. "Please tell me you're joking."

Kanako's hand went to her mouth. "Oh my…" she whispered. She looked like she was going to be sick. Next to her, Byakuren said nothing. She just leaned over the table and buried her face in her hands.

Of those gathered in the small room, there was a clear divide between those who already knew and those who were learning this for the first time. Yukari sat silently, her mouth set in a thin line, her eye twitching as if she were fighting a building headache. Marisa and Mima seemed to be enjoying the spectacle. Reimu, whose understanding of Angels had admittedly been a little on the shaky side when she had been told the same thing, felt that this revelation was a bit worse for those already with some prior knowledge to work off of. Indeed, the only ones not reacting in varying degrees of outright terror were the two other Lunarians: Sakuya and Reisen.

In fact, Sakuya just looked confused, or at least she was raising an eyebrow, which for her was the same as staring bug-eyed and going, "Huhhhhhh?" She said, "I'm sorry, I'm not exactly familiar with what that is."

"Mortal, touched by the power of a Fallen Angel," Mima supplied for her. "Corrupted, mind taken over, eventually reincarnates as the Angel in question. This one's a particularly nasty specimen. Think super-powered ball of death, wants to kill everyone and everything, and so happens to be strong enough to get the job done." She glanced over to Shinki and Sariel. "Oh, and one that we can't really tell anyone about, for risk of their people finding out and leveling the entire country for fear of allowing the genocide to spread."

Sakuya's other eyebrow shot up to join its mate. "Oh," was all she said.

"Well, you can't really blame them," Mima said with a shrug. "They have to be thorough, you know. After all, avatars have been responsible for the complete and utter devastation of…" She frowned, and looked again to the two Fallen Angels. "What was it, seven planets?"

Shinki was clearly unhappy, but she said in a heavy voice, "Nine."

"That's right, nine planets completely wiped clean of life before the Angels stepped in, to say nothing of the three that Azrael exterminated all on its own," Mima said, her tone making it clear that she had already known exactly how many it had been. "And the Silver City seems rather fond of this one. Can't imagine why, given how incredibly finicky it is. But make no mistake: they will raze Gensokyo to the ground and kill everyone in it rather than risk the Shadow Youkai escape."

Kanako stood to her face, her face contorting with barely restrained fury. "And…you brought this monster into our country?" she demanded of Shinki and Sariel. "Was it not enough that you have to drive us from our ancestral lands that you have to unleash a genocidal maniac in our-"

"Kanako. Enough." Yukari didn't raise her voice, but the command was there. "Shinki and Sariel were cast from the Silver City long before any of us came into existence, and you know as well as I do that they are not the reason our well of faith has dwindled in Japan. I understand your anger, but please don't direct toward those who don't deserve it?"

"Don't direct my-Can you hear yourself?" Kanako all but shrieked. "How can you be so calm when they've-"

"Done nothing," Yukari finished for her. "Shinki and Sariel had nothing to do with this. I had the same suspicions as you, but they were as shocked as you are when I brought the situation to their attention, and I didn't find out until Eirin here discovered that Rin Satsuki had accidentally left the Shadow Youkai's sword behind at Eientei and contacted me, allowing me to examine it in person and make the connection."

Eirin's eyes widened. It was clear that she had almost forgotten about that. "Wait, so that sword was the source?"

"Undoubtedly," Yukari said with a nod. "Somehow it entered Gensokyo without any of us knowing. From there, some hapless Human or ensouled youkai came into contact with it, and were summarily possessed. And from there, well, you already know the story." She glanced back to Kanako. "Sit down, please."

Though she was still shaking with anger, Kanako took her seat, though not without shooting the Angels one last glare, which was actually rather brave, considering that either of them could end her with less effort than it takes to yawn, and that they were sitting right next to her. However, neither of them seemed interested in raising to a challenge made by a deity a mere fraction of their age and power, though that could be because they didn't see it happen. Shinki had her face buried in her hands with Sariel laying a comradely hand on her shoulder. In a moment of dark irony, Kanako ended up slumping into the exact same pose, with Byakuren being the one to give her shoulder a comforting squeeze.

Yukari waited nearly ten seconds for them to get it out of their systems before saying, "I know how upsetting all this is. I know how scared you must be, because believe me, I'm scared as well. But…and I know this sounds hypocritical coming from me…we cannot let that fear cause us to turn on each other. The people sitting next to you are not the enemy, and-"

"Who else knew of this?" Kanako said, her face still in her palms.

"Excuse me?"

"The Shadow Youkai." Kanako straightened up, letting her hands fall to her lap as she looked to Yukari with hollow eyes. "Other than Shinki, Sariel, and yourself, who else knew?"

Yukari grimaced. "Reimu and Genji."

"Hey, it's our job," the turtle muttered.

"Oh, and Marisa and me as well," Mima said.

Shinki snapped out of her stupor. "What?" she said, staring at the ghost.

Marisa held up her hands defensively. "Hey, I was just in the room when she let it slip. It wasn't like I was trying to pry."

"Cave, dear," Mima told her. "We were in a cave."

"Right. Cave," Marisa said nodding. "And oh yeah, Yuyuko and Youmu were there too, so I guess they're in the know too, ze."

"Cave? Excuse me?" Shinki blinked. "What cave?"

"The cave we all wound up in after that nasty duel with Yuuka Kazami," Mima told her. She looked like she was fighting a smug smirk and thereby risk another warning and possible loss of her behind. She was also losing. "Though don't be hard on Yukari. She was wounded unto death and leaking smelly black pus from every orifice at the time. You would have let it slip as well."

"Mima," Yukari growled.

"What? I was defending you."

"Enough."

Kanako's hands squeezed into fists. "And this…this is what Rin Satsuki is carrying around in her head? This is what we're trying to reason with?"

Byakuren looked alarmed. "Kanako, just because-"

"No, Byakuren. Not now," Kanako hissed. "I'm not letting this go. I had to abandon one home already. I am not going to be driven from this one!" She pointed a finger across the table, at Reimu. "You! You came to me. You wanted me to help you reach out to her, to help her, and I agreed to do so. But you never told me she was possessed by Azrael!" Her palm came down, shuddering the table and leaving cracks. "One of the single most destructive forces in the history of existence is bundled up in that girl, and you never said a forsaken word about this to me, to Byakuren, to anyone! We're supposed to protect people, all of them! Have you forgotten that?"

Reimu's head snapped back in surprise at the goddess's uncharacteristic outburst. She wasn't the only one either. Marisa also looked taken back, as did Byakuren, Patchouli, and Eirin. Even Yukari seemed to be at a loss for words. The Angels didn't react much, beyond stonily watching her rage. Sakuya didn't so much as flinch, no doubt thanks to years of practice of withstanding her mistresses' tantrums. Mima said nothing. She merely watched.

However, someone did speak up before the others could respond. "Don't yell at her!" Reisen cried, rising up. "It was my idea!"

Kanako's gaze swept toward her, furious eyes focusing with deadly interest. Normally that would be enough to send the rabbit scurrying, but either Reisen's recently acquired courage was stronger than anyone could have anticipated or she was too caught up in the moment to notice the fury radiating in her direction. "I'm the one that asked for Reimu's help! She was just doing it because I asked her to!"

"I," Kanako said, her voice lowered to a dangerous, serpentlike hiss, "do not care whose idea it was. I thought it we were, at worst, being threatened by a murderous rampage. But now it turns out that genocide is not only a very real possibility, but you were all hiding that from me to save a doomed girl that's already lost!"

"She's not lost!" Reisen cried.

"Reisen, sit down," Eirin said. She grabbed the rabbit's arm and pulled her back into her seat.

"Kanako, Reimu didn't know," Yukari said softly. "I didn't know. Nobody did."

Kanako snorted. "But you both found out, didn't you? Or did you stumble on that sword only yesterday?"

"I'm the one that told her to keep quiet about it," Yukari said, her voice firm. "If you have to be angry with someone, then direct it at me."

"Oh, I intend to," Kanako growled. "Where do you get off, hiding something like that from the rest of us? Rin Satsuki literally crashed into my front yard! Sanae was right there! She could have been slaughtered!"

Yukari tilted her chin. "I did it to reduce the risk of word leaking out to the Angels, and to keep you all from panicking and turning on one another, like you are now. Yes, the situation is more dire than you have been led to believe. And yes, the Avatar of Azrael's presence here in Gensokyo threatens us all in every possible way. But the only way we're going to have even the remotest chance of surviving this is by keeping our heads and cooperating!"

"Cooperating," Kanako muttered. She folded her arms. "Oh, that's wonderful. When we're all ripped to shreds, at least we'll do so as a team."

Then Mima cleared her throat. It wasn't loud, but it still drew everyone's attention immediately. "Actually," the spirit said. "While this may seem a bit odd coming from me, I should point out that declaring the girl to be a lost cause and wailing for the doom that is surely to come down upon us is a bit premature."

Shinki looked up to glare balefully at her. "What?"

"I said that all is not lost. And if you'll indulge me for a moment, I'll be more than happy to explain." Mima glanced over to Yukari. "With your permission, of course."

Yukari frowned, but she nodded.

"Thank you. Now, as you all know, during that nonsense with the runaway robots and the big dome of flowers, I found myself to be in the thick of it. And as our friend Kanako Yasaka had been temporarily divorced from the mortal plane, it fell upon me to take charge of those few individuals present who were willing and competent enough to actually do something useful. Which, I feel compelled to point out, included Kanako's own shrine maiden, the aforementioned Sanae Kochiya." She paused a moment for effect before saying, "A task I believe I performed with admirable skill and proficiency, and-"

"Without editorializing," Yukari growled.

Mima shrugged. "Very well. The point I am making is to remind you all that this so-called lost cause, Rin Satsuki, was among those defenders. And not only did she do so wholeheartedly, saving several lives in the process, but over the course of our cooperative effort," she shot a quick but deliberately noticeable glance at the fuming Kanako, "I had the opportunity to see firsthand exactly what sort of influence the Shadow Youkai was having over Rin. Through a demesne spell."

Shinki inhaled sharply. "You performed a demesne spell on someone you knew contained Azrael's essence?"

"A calculated risk," Mima said calmly. "Either the Shadow Youkai had exerted enough power over Rin to do harm to my mind, in which case we were all dead anyway, or there were enough layers of separation in place to allow me to examine the situation for myself and thereby gain valuable information. Fortunately, luck was with us, as the latter situation so happened to be the case, as Reimu, Marisa, and Sanae can readily attest to."

"It's true," Reimu said. She still looked shaken up by Kanako's accusations, but not yet beaten.

"Yup," Marisa nodded.

However, Kanako didn't seem much interested in that. "You brought Sanae in with you," she said. Her face was drawn and haggard, her voice sounding nearly dead. "You exposed her to that…thing."

Mima arched an eyebrow. "See previous comment on would have been dead anyway. The point I'm making is that, as you were told during the recovery efforts, Rin's mind was still her own. Oh, the Shadow Youkai was certainly busy rearranging the furniture in her subconscious, but whatever it was that she was up to still had a long way to go before reaching fruition."

Shinki shifted in her seat. Folding her hands on the table, she said, "And she disappeared immediately after it was over. Who's to say she hasn't succumbed since then?"

Mima's standard patronizing smirk emerged. "My dear Demon, if the living embodiment of genocide had managed to acquire a host that is, in every sense of the word, indestructible, don't you think we would have noticed by now?"

Shinki didn't have an answer for that, though Marisa did have to cover her mouth to keep from snickering. But Kanako was still not convinced.

"But if it is in Rin Satsuki's subconscious, then surely she is being influenced by it in some way," the goddess argued. "These things twist minds. It's what they do."

Marisa scratched her head. "Y'know, maybe you'd better not refer to Angels as 'its,' especially since there's two sitting right next to you."

"The term is inoffensive, and appropriate," Sariel answered. "Shinki here is one of the few of our kind in possession of a gender, whereas I do not feel compelled to take umbrage to any slight directed toward anything associated with Azrael."

"Gotcha."

"Oh, it's influencing her all right," Reimu said, making a point not to notice Marisa and Sariel's exchange. "It's making her angrier and more aggressive. I saw that part with my own eyes. As did Tenshi."

Kanako frowned. "Yes, I saw the sorry wreck she was left in. And I have to say, the memory of her melted face isn't doing much to convince me of her good will."

"Yeah, it was scary all right," Reimu nodded. "But don't forget: Tenshi attacked her. And me. Repeatedly."

Kanako shook her head. "Self-defense is one thing, but that was-" Then realization struck, and she caught herself. "Ah," she said, her eyes narrowing. "You're suggesting that taking up arms against her will only compound the problem."

"It is a logical conclusion to make," Mima said with a shrug. "The girl seems to be vulnerable only to kinetic force, and attacking her aggravates whatever the Shadow Youkai is doing. Therefore, solutions other than violence must be pursued. She has been proven to be willing to cooperate. I think that's a route worth pursuing." She winked at Byakuren. "Finally on the same page, eh Hijiri?"

The monk's mouth lifted in a smile, but it did not reach her eyes.

"And if we do convince her to work with us, what then?" Kanako asked. "The Shadow Youkai will still be there, out of reach. We'll have only delayed the inevitable."

"Not out of reach," Sariel murmured. "We have Azrael's sword within our possession. With it, I can remove all traces of its essence and render it harmless."

Reisen swallowed. "A-And if you do that, if you do get rid of the Shadow Youkai, will Rin be okay?"

If there was a slight hesitation on Sariel's part or a trace of discomfort in Shinki's face, it was gone before anyone could comment on it. "Under normal circumstances, a mortal body would not survive, nor would a lesser immortal. However, given the presence of both Hourai Immortals and her own adaptability, she will find the process unpleasant, but will undoubtedly survive and recover."

Eirin's tongue flicked out to moisten her lips. "And what of those Hourai Immortals? And her other captives? I understand at least two of Byakuren's people are contained within her. What effect with it have on them?"

"Very little, I'd imagine," Mima told her. "The Shadow Youkai did not seem much interested in their minds. Rin will take the brunt of the backlash, but given what she has already withstood, I'd say she'll be fine."

Yukari lifted a finger. "All very well and good. But that brings us to our next problem."

Eirin winced. "Ah. Yuuka."

"Indeed," Yukari nodded. "Convincing Rin Satsuki to trust us in spite of our troubled history and submit to what promises to be an excruciating procedure will be difficult, but not insurmountable." She inhaled deeply, and slowly let it out. "Unfortunately, there is something of a wall in our path."

Eirin blinked. "She is one youkai," she said, sounding a little confused. "A strong one, to be certain. But she is…Oh." Her shoulder slumped. "This is another one of your secrets, isn't it?"

This time, Mima's smile bordered on bloodthirsty. "Yeeeeaaaaaahhhh," she drawled. "About that. Ready for some more bad news?"

"I don't know about you, but I've just about reached my limit," Patchouli muttered to herself.

Mima glanced over to Yukari. "Are you going to tell them, or should I? Because I'd be more than happy to-"

"Shut up, Mima," Yukari said wearily. Those with above average perception (which was most of them) perked up immediately. There was an edge to Yukari's voice, one that went beyond simple annoyance at the spirit's flippancy. Yukari was upset.

Okay, granted, she was always upset. Ever since spring had begun, she had lived her life in varying degrees of being upset. But this was…different. Deeper, more personal. Yukari wasn't just concerned by whatever it was that made Yuuka so formidable, she was scared.

Well, that wasn't so surprising. Yukari had a masterful poker face when she chose to employ it, to say nothing of her considerable will, but everyone knew how much Gensokyo meant to her, or how unafraid she was of showing it. When her country's safety was as stake, she did tend to wear her heart on her sleeve, and given the trials that faced them, no one would fault her for being afraid. In fact, many of them would grudgingly commend her for having not fallen to pieces by now.

But again, this was different. Even with the threat of Azrael's Avatar hanging over her head, Yukari was scared of Yuuka. She was more than just a threat to her. She had done something to Yukari, something beyond simple physical harm.

It was Byakuren who broke the silence first. "What is she, Yukari?" she said in a soft voice.

"She's a-" Yukari's mouth twitched. "She's…"

Genji let out a low growl. "Go on. Tell 'em."

Reimu stared at him. "Wait, you know?"

"I told him this morning," Yukari said. "He is the moderator, after all."

"Yeah, and I'm still feelin' a ways about you waitin' that long," he said. "Spit it out, already."

Letting out a small groan, Yukari forced herself to say, "All right, fine. She's a wayward fragment of an Outer Go-"

"WHAT the FUCK?"

Startled, everyone turned sharply to stare at the source of the outburst. However, this time it was not Kanako, nor was it Shinki, Patchouli, or Eirin. It wasn't even Reisen. Rather, this time it was Sariel. Calm, unflappable Sariel, who seemed above mortal emotion and served as a way to keep its more easily angered sibling in line. Sariel, who was now rising its feet, wings stretching out as its silver eyes staring unblinking at Yukari.

"What?" it said again. "Yuuka is a fucking WHAT?"

"Sariel, calm yourself," Yukari said, a note of dismay in her voice. If Sariel of all people were to lose control of its emotions, what hope did the others have?

She was right. "No, I think the Angel is absolutely correct," Kanako said, her face draining of what little blood it had regained since the last shock. "In fact, I really must echo his oh why am I being polite about this what the actual fuck, Yukari?"

There was the shortest of pauses following this, and then complete and utter pandemonium broke out.

It was funny in a way, watching so many persons of note completely lose their minds, or would be if it weren't for the severity of the situation. Kanako and Shinki started competing for who could scream the most protests in Yukari's direction, Byakuren started muttering to herself while in the grips of a rather uncharacteristic breakdown, Eirin could only sit and stare gape-mouthed at Yukari while tiny whimpers leaked from her throat, Sariel was looking up to the roof while muttering what only could be supplications to its estranged Creator, Genji repeatedly shouted for quiet, and Patchouli had fainted. The only ones not giving into panic were Mima and Marisa (who knew already and seemed slightly amused by the chaos, though Marisa looked a bit on the disturbed side), and Reimu, Reisen, and Sakuya, the former two being too bewildered to panic and the latter having her hands full trying to revive her comatose coworker.

For her part, Yukari simply sat on her heels, laid her hands on her knees, closed her eyes, and waited for the chaos to run its course. Her fingers trembled a bit, but otherwise she didn't respond.

However, Reimu did. "Uh, sorry to sound like the dumb Human here," she said, raising her voice a bit to be heard over the commotion. "But I wasn't in on that one. What's an Outer God?"

Kanako and Sariel both stopped shouting and stared at her. Genji paused in his demolition of the floor and, now that he had stopped, seemed to noticed the crater he was making for the first time. Regaining control of himself, he withdrew his head and legs into his shell, though muttered curses could still be heard coming from within.

Predictably, it was Mima who answered. "Outer Gods are somewhat difficult to describe, as they are part of a plane of existence far beyond our own," she said. Her voice was calm and composed, as if she were merely lecturing a class. "But perhaps a simple metaphor will help."

A piece of white paper appeared in her hand. On it was a rough sketch of a person, nothing more than a stick-figure. "Now, take this little fellow here. He exists in three dimensions: he has length, he has height, and he is bound by time. Ergo, he exists second to second and is flat as a board. Whereas you and me exist in four dimensions: in additional to the previous three, we also possess width." The stick-figure suddenly became animated, as a tiny hat appeared on his head and a cane fell into his hands, with which he started to dance a jig. "As such, were he alive, this stick-figure would be wholly incapable of comprehending our existence, as his mind is limited by the dimensions it exists in."

"Oh, I think I get it," Reimu said, nodding. "So these Outer Gods exist in five dimensions then?"

"Nope." The paper vanished. "No one knows for certain the exact number, but it is considerably higher than five."

There wasn't much Reimu could say to that beyond, "Oh."

"Indeed," Mima nodded. "Outer Gods are completely alien to us, even moreso than we would be to a stick-figure. Simply beholding one in its natural state is enough to drive one completely insane. Their power is beyond comprehension. They can end entire solar systems with a thought. What is more, they don't seem to like us very much."

"That's a cruel understatement," Shinki said hoarsely. "They are abominations. Blasphemies. They exist outside of the Creator's domain, and hate every piece of it. Us. They are insane monsters of destruction and madness, and far exceed the power wielded even by my kind by…by…"

"Well, you would need a substantial number of exponents, is what she's probably trying to say," Mima finished for her.

"Oh," Reimu said again, this time coming out as a squeak.

"Yes," Yukari said, opening her eyes. "That is exactly how insignificant we are to them."

Kanako stared. "And Yuuka is…"

"Yes," Yukari sighed. "A piece of Yidhra, to be exact."

"Yidhra?" Mima said, raising an eyebrow. "Well, that does make sense, given her hobbies. But where did you come across this information?"

"Dream of the Endless," Yukari said simply.

Mima blinked in a rare display of genuine surprise. "Ah," she said. "Well then."

"You went to the Endless with this?" Sariel gaped.

"Just the one," Yukari said. "Strictly confidential between us, of course. If anyone can be counted on to keep his word, it would be-"

Kanako stood suddenly. Without so much as a word, she started for the door.

"-him…Ah, where are you going?"

"Back to my shrine," Kanako said without slowing down. "Moving the buildings from one plane of reality to the other takes time and effort, and I'll have to begin immediately."

More tumult greeted this declaration. "Wait, you're leaving?" Byakuren gasped.

"Hoooo boy," Marisa breathed out.

Reimu stiffened. "No, wait! You can't go!"

"Can, am, and will." Kanako turned back to the table. "I'm sorry. I love this country, I really do. But this is survival. And we cannot survive in the face of this. If any of you had any sense, you would immediately begin evacuating as well."

Yukari cleared her throat. "Actually, Reimu is quite literally correct. You can't leave. The shrine grounds are now completely sealed to both entry and exit, and will remain so until we are done."

Kanako made a small, squeaking sound. "You…trapped us in here?"

"Yes."

Shinki's lips curled back from her teeth. "You know my sibling and I can cut our way out without much trouble."

"I daresay you could," Yukari said evenly. "But let's assume you succeed, and then leave Gensokyo. Where then would you go?"

"Well," Mima said. "It is a big universe."

"Shut up, Mima."

Shinki pursed her lips. She stared daggers at Yukari, then at Mima. Her fingers twitched against the table, and-

She remained seated.

"Not nearly large enough," she sighed. "Not for us."

"You are staying then?" Yukari said.

"So it would seem," Sariel responded. "I admit, I have grown very fond of this realm. I would hate to see it fall, especially to those such as a Fallen Angel and an Outer God."

"But fall it will," Kanako said flatly. "I mean, can you hear yourselves? This is far beyond any of our ability to-"

Mima rolled her eyes. "Oh, will you stop being so dramatic? Yuuka's not an Outer God, she is simply a cast off fragment of one, barely stronger than Yukari here, and certainly lesser in power than our six-winged friends."

"In point of fact, I'd say I am currently her superior," Yukari pointed out. "After all, during the battle we were able to tear off and seal away a fourth of her soul."

Eirin made a choking sound. "I'm sorry, could you repeat that? You have a piece of an Outer God's soul?"

"Outer Gods do not have souls," Shinki hissed. "The very concept is foreign to them."

Yukari waved her objection off. "Call it her essence then. But yes, I do. It is currently under heavy containment in a safe place, and her power is significantly reduced due to its loss."

Raising a fist to her mouth, Marisa coughed loudly. "Hey, 'scuse me. Can I get some props over here? Who exactly was the classy bitch that did all that?"

This drew a glare from Yukari, but it quickly softened. "Oh, very well," she sighed. "Yes, Marisa was the one to successfully defeat and seal off the piece that we have."

"What?" Patchouli said, suddenly reviving and sitting upright. "You?"

"You cannot be serious," Shinki said, staring.

Grinning, Marisa extended her thumb and index finger, pointed it at Shinki, and closed one guy. "Bam," she said, miming the shooting of a gun. "One shot kill."

"Oh, come off it," Mima said. "It took considerably more than one shot, and you were hardly alone."

"Never said I was, did I? But the killing blow was one shot, ze."

"Right, right, it was very impressive," Yukari said, rolling her eyes. "But if we-"

"And she didn't get me, not even once," Marisa sang as she swung her arms around and did a little dance in her seat. "Only one in the fight, not to get hurt."

"You were sick for weeks!" Reimu shouted.

"So? She didn't do that to me, I did that to me." Marisa licked her thumb and stuck it up in the air. "Not. A. Scratch."

"Children, please," Yukari said wearily. "If we can move on…" She glanced over to Kanako, who was still standing. "So, do you still stand with us, or shall I contact Lord Zora and Boss Tenma and let them know that their reprieve from duty is over?"

Kanako stared at her, storms of anger and fear plain as day on her face. Twitches had developed in her forearms, cheeks, and temples as she wrestled with conflicting urges: the desire to protect her family and legacy and her loyalty to her new home and friends. Though no one wanted her to leave, they couldn't really blame her for wanting to. More than one was musing over evacuation strategies of their own, and had the goddess not acted first, one of the others would have.

Then, though the veins were still sticking out against her skin, Kanako returned to her seat at the table.

Yukari breathed out a tense breath. "Thank you," she said, sounding far more relieved than her earlier flippancy would have suggested.

Kanako gave a stiff nod, though she warned, "This isn't over."

"I fully agree," Sariel said.

"It never is," Yukari conceded. Then she looked back to the other grim faces watching her, waiting. "All right ladies." She spared a quick glance to where her mediator was doing an excellent job of not mediating. "And gentleman. Now you know exactly what we're facing, what I was trying and failed to keep under wraps. Yuuka Kazami is, in fact, a fragment of the Outer God Yidhra that has gained sentience and, for lack of a better term, gone native. A full fourth of her power has been cut away and is currently within our possession. However, she is currently walled up in the Garden of the Sun, her place of power. As such, the place is a veritable fortress, one that isn't going to fall easily. What is more, she also has taken possession of our colleague Satori Komejii and the notoriously insane and destructive vampire Flandre Scarlet, and will no doubt use them for nefarious purposes. Their recovery is paramount. But of greatest importance is Rin Satsuki, who in addition to her unnaturally enhanced powers of adaption, has also absorbed the two Hourai Immortals, gaining their unparalleled powers of regeneration and the flames of a Phoenix, as well as a Tanuki and a Nue, which gives her a considerable edge when it comes to stealth. What is more, she also has the Avatar of the Fallen Angel Azrael busily doing something to her subconscious, no doubt with the intention of supplanting Rin's consciousness with her own. If she succeeds, we are as good as dead. And as destroying Rin and the Shadow Youkai is off the table, we are instead going to focus on a way to reach out to reason with her, convince her to cooperate with us, and use Azrael's weapon to eliminate the Shadow Youkai. And we must somehow pull it off despite the fact that Yuuka stands between us and her, and given recent events, Rin has very little reason to trust us, and is unfortunately a bit on the unstable side."

She took a deep breath. "Goodness, that was a mouthful. All right ladies, I'll start taking suggestions now."

…

Why, hello there Shinki and Sariel. How long has it been you two appeared? Around two and a half years? My, how time flies!

So hey, you might have noticed that, save for the Yuuka bits, this chapter was pretty much just another retread of what's already happened. You may have also noticed that it's a Part 1. Pretty much what happened was that when I was writing it, it just got too freaking long. Again. So I chopped it in half.

So pretty much what's going to happen is that in a few days I'll release the new Resonance Days chapter, and put up the second half of this chapter, the part that actually moves things along, a few days after that. Sorry about that. But hey, at least this time you know when it's going up.

Until next time, everyone!