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.

55. The Curious Case of Rin Satsuki, Part 2

The Curious Case of Rin Satsuki, Part 2

Pulling a writhing worm out of the tin can they had brought along, Rin was about to stick it onto the end of her hook. But then she hesitated.

"What's with you?" Rumia asked.

Staring down at the slimy creature writhing in her fingers, Rin shrugged. "Nothing. It's just, you know, I kinda know what being skewered feels like, you know?"

Cirno's head jerked up. "You got skewered? By what?"

"A harpoon," Rin told her. "Twice. And a sword. And this little blade thing on a chain."

"Wow," Cirno said in awe. Then, somewhat proudly, she said, "I got my head chopped off with an axe once! And it didn't even hurt!"

Daiyousei winced. "It did a little," she said, rubbing the back of her neck.

Rumia sighed. "Rin. It's a worm," she said as she rubbed her eyes and yawned. "You're not a worm."

A fair-sized stream flowed through the center of the Garden of the Sun, and that morning, Cirno had offered to take Rumia fishing, as it had been a while since they had done something fun and mundane together. Rin had asked if she could tag along, Wriggle had volunteered to go too, and Daiyousei often went where Cirno did by default, so by mid-afternoon the five of them were gathered on the streams banks.

As she had never gone fishing before, Rin was eager to give it a try. She was used to doing nothing for hours on end, and it would give her a chance to get to know the fairies better. There were several memories of past pranks and other hijinks she had glimpsed in Rumia's mind that she wanted to ask them about. Besides, fishing sounded like the sort of thing normal people did.

"I know I'm not a worm," Rin told Rumia. "It's just I'm trying not to be…" She sighed and hooked the worm. "Oh forget it."

Cirno frowned. "Forget what?"

"Never mind. Okay, so how do I cast this thing?"

Cirno showed her the basics of fishing rod handling, and soon they were all sitting together, lines trailing into the water.

As she watched the gentle current tug lightly at her line, Rin wondered what she should do next. Reportedly, this was the time to make small talk. Except she didn't really have anything to make small talk about. Everything of interest that she knew anything about was sort of horrible, and it wasn't as if she had any real hobbies.

Maybe it was time to get one. What had she enjoyed doing before everything had gone wrong? Well, she had liked to read. Yuuka was certain to have some books in a language she could understand stashed away somewhere. And she had liked exploring the forest and collecting whatever interesting pieces of nature she could find. That…probably wasn't the best pastime to revisit. Yuuka would probably object, and she had already been picking up a little too many bits of nature than she would have liked.

Though come to think of it, if she wanted to fit in, being a studious bookworm probably wasn't the way to go. Rumia couldn't read, so it was a safe bet that the others couldn't either, so they weren't likely to be up to any sort of serious discussion about literature. Maybe if she told them stories, campfire-style, they would be interested? Most of their time seemed to be spent horsing around though. Rin didn't have a problem with that. Playing with Cirno had been pretty fun. She was going to have to be careful though not to hurt them. She may not be as strong as she used to be, but she was still strong enough to accidentally-

"So, you've really never done this before?"

Startled, Rin's head snapped up. It had been Wriggle who spoke.

"Huh?" Rin said.

"You've never gone fishing before?" Wriggle repeated.

Rin stared at her for a moment. Then, remembering that being asked a question usually required that she answer, she stammered, "Oh, er, no."

"Huh." The firefly frowned. "Weird. I thought it was one of those things that everybody's done."

"Well, uh, my life before, er, I melted wasn't really all that…I mean, I was only nine. Never really got around to it, I guess."

Cirno started. "You melted?" she said.

"Yeah."

The ice-fairy's face twisted up in confusion. "Is that why you're a booger?"

Taken off guard by the just how inane and yet how accurate the description was, Rin let out a burst of laughter. She tried to regain her composure, but then the image of being stuck in someone's nostril popped into her head, and she laughed again.

Cirno blinked. "What?"

"Uh, yeah," Rin said, still giggling. "That's why I'm a booger."

Wriggle seemed amused by the exchange, though her smile didn't last as long. "So. Where you from?" she said.

"Eientei."

"Holy wow," Cirno said. "That big ol' house in the Bamboo Forest?"

"Yeah."

"How'd you get to live there?"

"They adopted me, I guess," Rin said with a shrug. "I don't really remember. I was a baby when they found me."

"Found you where?"

Rin shrugged again. "I'm not sure."

Cirno frowned. "Wait, you were a baby? You mean you had parents?"

Wriggle sighed. "She was a Kirin, you idiot. Kirin don't pop up the same way you do! And hell, it isn't all that uncommon." She looked thoughtful for a moment. "I mean, I had parents. Presumably."

"I guess I did," Rin said, feeling a little uncomfortable. The subject of her birth wasn't one she liked thinking on. "I never knew them though."

"What was it like?" Cirno pressed. "Living in Eientei, I mean."

"It was…wonderful." A wistful smile spread over Rin's face. "The rabbits spoiled me pretty bad. I guess they all thought I was their little sister."

"Did they make you go to school?"

"Yeah. I liked it though."

Cirno stared in shock. "Why?"

"Well, because I liked learning stuff," Rin said, feeling a little defensive. "I liked finding out how things work and why things are the way things are and how to make them work if I wanted. It was interesting, you know?"

"Huh." Wriggle shrugged. "Easier to do that just by walking around and looking at stuff instead of sitting around in a stuffy room all day."

"Well, I did a lot of that too," Rin said with a slight pout.

Cirno tilted her head to one side. "So, what happened? I mean, why'd you melt?"

Rin sighed. Well, this had been inevitable. "The experiment."

"Huh?"

Keeping the descriptions as brief as possible, Rin explained to them the experiment that had made her the way she was. Cirno and Wriggle listened. Their reactions were similar to what Rumia's had been: first interested, then fascinated, and finally ending at horrified. Though she kept the part about her meltdown as sparse as she could, Cirno still grimaced as if were witnessing it in person.

"I guess…I guess when I found that I can absorb people and make a new body, I went a little crazy," Rin finally said. "I mean, you don't really notice it, but when you can't touch anything or anyone, you really miss it, you know?" She ran her hand over the surface of the grass, letting the tips of the blades tickle her palm. "I mean, being able to feel, I don't know, the wind on your face or the clothes on your back or the Sun on your neck. Or just having someone touch you. I mean, you saw the way Rumia was when I let her go." She shrugged. "It drives you crazy, wanting it."

"Wow," Wriggle said, staring. "So, that's why they locked you in that box?"

"Yeah."

Wriggle swallowed. "And you were in there for how long?"

Rin sighed. "Nine years."

"Wow."

"I'd…" Rin made a face. "Well, I'd pretty much give anything to be normal again. That's like all I want. To not have this power anymore, and just be a girl again."

Cirno tilted her head to one side. "But you don't have anything to give."

Rin had to laugh at that. Everyone kept making Cirno out to be a complete idiot, but she had hit right at the heart of the problem. "No. No, I don't. Weird, isn't it? Everything about me I got from someone else. Everyone's so scared of me, but there's nothing that's really me anymore." She sighed and looked out over the water. "Being powerful sucks."

Nobody had anything to say to that.

After a while, Rin glanced over to Rumia, hoping for conversation material to break the heavy silence. The youkai girl was sitting on a rock, another worm held between her fingers. From the look of things, she might have accidentally squished it, though it didn't seem like she had noticed. She was staring at the limp little thing with half-lidded eyes, her head tilting listlessly to one side.

Daiyousei had noticed as well. "Uh, Rumia?" she said, poking her friend in the shoulder.

Rumia didn't react. Her small, pink tongue briefly flicked out to moisten her lips, but otherwise she didn't move.

Clapping her hands together, Cirno hollered, "Yo, Rumia!"

"Wah!" Rumia's head snapped up, her eyes wide with surprise. "What?"

Cirno twirled her finger around. "You were zoning out big time."

Rin stared at Rumia. While she was happy that Rumia had been returned to her friends and hadn't abandoned her in the process, she was growing very worried about her. The giddy excitement that Rumia had felt her first day had ebbed far too quickly, and instead Rumia was growing lethargic and listless. She often lost focus for several seconds at a time and had trouble keeping up when people tried to talk to her. And she kept looking at Rin funny, as if she was catching brief glimpses of something that wasn't supposed to be there.

The problem was obvious. Ever since Rumia had been brought back, she hadn't been able to sleep much at all. Every now and then she'd be able to catch a few minutes here and there, but those brief naps never lasted, and they happened so inconsistently that they never really did much good. Everyone was growing worried about her, especially Rin. She had tried to tell herself that it would pass, that Rumia would eventually just go back to normal, but it had yet to happen. And as much as she was loath to admit it, she was reconsidering not having Rumia go to Yuuka for help.

"Oh," Rumia said. She blinked a few times, shook her head, and rubbed her eyes. "Uh, sorry." She yawned.

Rin exchanged a dubious look with Daiyousei. "Uh, are you sure you're up to this? You're still looking a little…fried."

"I'm okay," Rumia said, sounding a little irritated. "I'm uh…" Her voice lost focus, and her head twitched. "Okay, I'm…I'm just going to close my eyes for a bit. Can you watch my pole? I'll be…" Then she squinted at Rin. "Uh, hey. Are you…"

"Am I what?" Rin said.

Rumia's head twitched again. "Nothing," she murmured as she lay down and curled up. "Nothing at all."

…

"I think it's obvious," Marisa said. "We need a cure, ze."

This comment drew some dour looks from around the table, though it was mostly due to the fact that the youngest person present had decided to speak first than actual disagreement. Shinki and Patchouli, both of which already had reason to dislike her, seemed especially annoyed, whereas Eirin, the one most likely to take personal offense to the remark, just looked tired and resigned. The others at least looked like they were interested in what she had to say.

"I mean, come on," Marisa continued, spreading her hands over the table. "That's like the cornerstone of this whole thing, right? We don't want Rin to be a giant loogie that eats people, and Rin doesn't wanted to be a giant loogie that eats people. Hell, the only reason why she's absorbed anyone at all was because she was desperate, possessed, or was defending herself."

Eirin frowned. "How did you know about her being possessed?"

"Because I actually paid attention at the last meeting," Marisa told her. "There was a big ol' segment on it and everything, and like half an hour of yelling."

Sighing, Shinki turned to Yukari. "With all due respect, maybe we should limit the floor to those with actual experience in such matters."

Mima raised an eyebrow.

"Excuse me?" Marisa said, bristling. "You wanna repeat that?"

"No offense intended," Shinki said, insincerity dripping from every word. "But you are Human, and a very young one at that. And while no doubt well-meaning, your…'idea' is entirely-"

"Correct," Yukari interrupted. "Marisa is absolutely right."

Shinki started. "What?"

"Forcibly capturing Rin Satsuki is now too costly to pursue, and given the bad blood between her and ourselves, we cannot rely on reason alone to sway her," Yukari told her. "We need to have something to offer her. A cure for her condition is ideal, as it not only fulfills the criteria of something she desperately needs that Yuuka cannot offer her, but also completely eliminates her as a future threat."

While Marisa was smart enough not to directly gloat in the face of the Archangel of Death, the smirk on her face was enough to turn Shinki's face bright red. She might have made an issue of Yukari favoring the upstart mortal over her, but Sariel laid a hand on her shoulder, silently reining her in. The Angel's anger from earlier had cooled, and it had returned to being Shinki's mostly silent bastion of reason, though given how hard its face was to read, no one could tell if it was truly mollified or continued to smolder internally. Shinki shot it an irritated glance, but acknowledged its point with a nod, though biting back on her pride seemed to be painful. However, bite back she did, and even responded with a reasonable, if strangled sounding, "And what avenues have we pursued in that direction?", though she was no doubt envisioning eviscerating Marisa and Yukari both.

Appropriately enough, it was Eirin who answered. "As much as I'd love for that to be the case, I really have to bring that train to a stop," she said wearily. "There is no cure."

Reisen stiffened while Yukari scowled. If anyone noticed Mima covering her mouth to hide a smug smile, they made no comment on it. "That's not exactly helpful, Eirin," Yukari said.

"But it's the truth," Eirin told her. "I have…had a piece of Rin that I had recovered from her first rampage. I've been doing tests on it ever since she was first locked away nine years ago. Nothing I've done has any sort of effect whatsoever. Her powers of adaptation are simply too strong."

"What happened to it?" Kanako asked curiously.

Eirin glanced to Reisen, who blushed. "I, uh, sort of took it when I ran away," she admitted as she nervously rubbed the back of her neck.

"Do you still have it?" Yukari asked, her tone implying that Reisen had damned well better.

"Yes."

"Good." Looking to Eirin, Yukari said, "No offense to you or your efforts, but until only a few years ago, you were hiding in exile. And as great as your accomplishments might be, you were limited by your lack of resources, something that is no longer an issue."

Eirin frowned. "Yukari, this isn't a case of knowing what I had to do but not having enough funding to make it happen. I had everything I needed at my disposal to pick apart Rin's condition and search out every detail. I poked and prodded it for years, but despite everything, I've come up with absolutely no leads whatsoever."

"That doesn't mean there ain't one," Marisa argued. "That just means you found a bunch of ways that don't work."

Eirin raised an eyebrow, but acknowledged the young witch's point with a grudging nod. "A fair point, and one that is intellectually healthy." She sighed. "But even if this hypothetical cure did exist, the odds of us finding before disaster strikes again are-"

"I am aware," Yukari interrupted. "However, given that all our lives are literally at stake, I'm going to have to discourage any sort of defeatist attitude."

Kanako said, "Aren't we putting the cart before the horse though? I mean, all this is assuming that Yuuka Kazami has already won Rin over to her side, and it's just a matter of tempting her away. There's no lost love between her and Yuuka either."

"You are suggesting that Rin Satsuki might eliminate Yuuka herself?" Sariel said. "Because she would certainly be capable of it, if she were so inclined." While its voice was as serene as ever, there was a note to it that suggested that the Angel was somewhat hopeful that that might be the case.

"Yeah, I really don't see Yuuka being that stupid," Reimu said. "She's probably got Rin still locked up in that box and buried under tons of rock."

"She is notoriously erratic though," Byakuren pointed out. "Her involvement at the Youkai Mountain was not at all logical, but she appeared anyway."

"I agree," Yukari said with a nod. "Yuuka is far from an idiot, but sometimes she operates under a chain of logic that seems somewhat...alien. And given her personality flaws, it's probably safe to say that if she has Rin Satsuki in a box, she has probably opened it. Satsuki is far too interesting for her not to."

"And the fact that the Garden of the Sun is not a smoking ruin suggests that she somehow talked Rin Satsuki down?" Kanako said.

"Or found some other means to contain her." Yukari shrugged. "I'll admit, a part of me wouldn't mind at all if Satsuki were to take the initiative and end the problem for us. Unfortunately, Yuuka does still have other hostages that would be caught in the crossfire."

"Hostage," Shinki said with a scowl. "Satori Komejii is a priority. Flandre Scarlet is a liability."

Sakuya's demeanor suddenly went cold. She didn't say anything, but the way her head slowly turned in the Fallen Angel's direction was eerily indicative of a hungry cat taking notice of a mouse, even if that mouse could end her with a thought. She wasn't the only one. Patchouli had inhaled sharply through her nose and seemed to be containing her anger through sheer force of will, while Reimu's face had gone completely blank, as it often did when someone had really pissed her off and was about to get treated to her own special brand of bullet hell.

This did not go unnoticed. Leaning over to look past Kanako directly at Shinki, Byakuren said, "Given the company at this meeting, perhaps a little more tact is called for?"

"The time for tact is long since passed," Shinki snapped. "We are talking about our survival here."

"She is a child."

"A child that has the blood of dozens, perhaps even hundreds on her hands, if the stories are true. And a child that Yuuka will not hesitate to use as a weapon, thereby endangering other children. Or do they not matter simply because you do not know their names?"

Then Sakuya said in a low voice, "I do not deny that Flandre is dangerous, nor that Yuuka means to use her for illicit means. I also know that you are the most powerful person in this room, possibly in all of Gensokyo." Then her ice-blue eyes narrowed. "But if you move to harm Flandre, then I will cut your throat."

The tension increased, and given the way Shinki's focus sharpened on the maid, violence may very well have erupted. But then Genji poked his head out of his shell and angrily said, "Hey! Cool it, both of yah! Nobody threatens nobody here 'cept for me!"

Yukari raised a hand, calling for peace. "Shinki, I do not disagree with you, but the fact remains that Flandre Scarlet poses far less of a threat than you are making her out to be. Unlike Satsuki, Flandre can easily be rendered powerless and then contained through a large variety of methods. She is a vampire, after all. And their weaknesses far outnumber their strengths."

"Oh? Is that the real reason Yukari?" Shinki said, venom in her voice. "Or was it because you promised your shrine maiden not to hurt her friend's-"

"Sibling," Sariel said, its tone gentle but firm. This time it laid a hand directly on Shinki's arm, and did not do so lightly. "That is enough."

Shinki shut her mouth, though not without a short glare shot in her sibling's direction or without an angry flaring of her cheeks.

Yukari waited a full ten seconds to see if anyone had anything further to add. When no one did, she said, "Given our histories and personal entanglements, it can be easy to lose sight of our goals. Each of Yuuka's hostages is friend or family of someone here, and many of those here are enemies." She looked to Shinki, who was openly seething, then to Sakuya, whose face was hard but otherwise without expression, and finally to Mima, who looked a little bored. "However, regardless of how we all feel about each other, I remind you that, despite our respective origins, we are all of Gensokyo. Some of us were born here, others fled here from somewhere else. It makes no difference. This is our home, ladies. And we defend our home."

Her fingers drummed against the tabletop. "What is more, Yuuka's hostages are also of Gensokyo. I know I have a reputation of immediately seeking the most pragmatic solution to problems, and have no reservations about paying for Gensokyo's continued existence in blood. However, just because such solutions are not removed from the table simply because they are distasteful, does not mean they are to be automatically sought when we have other avenues available to us. If we can save everyone, we shall."

Shinki's scowl darkened, and Reimu smiled, openly relieved. Unfortunately, this didn't last long, as Yukari immediately followed it up with, "However, I also hasten to remind you that no one person is of greater importance than Gensokyo itself, and no one single life outweighs the people we are sworn to protect. If we have to terminate anyone with extreme prejudice in order to save innocent lives, we will do so, no matter who they are or who they are related to."

"I will not allow you to harm my Mistress," Sakuya said softly.

Yukari acknowledged this with a nod. "Understandable. However, if it comes to that, then I'm afraid your protests will be of no consequence. But as none of us want it to come to that, I'd suggest we dispense with the threats and instead work together prevent such a predicament from taking place."

Genji snorted. Loudly. Yukari sighed with annoyance.

Fortunately, Byakuren was there to reroute the course the conversation had taken. "Getting back to the question of a cure, I don't think finding one is impossible, or even improbable. With all due respect to your efforts Doctor Yagokoro, you do have access to a wealth of resources that were previously unavailable to you, and not just in the scientific sense. There are people that can manipulate luck, that can control the flow of energy, increase stamina, heighten concentration and awareness, and so on and so forth. Kanako here is capable of creating what are commonly referred to as 'miracles.' Even if you have done all you can scientifically, surely there are magical possibilities that might give us an edge."

Eirin's silver eyebrows rose, and more than one person found herself anticipating stung pride and fearing some sort of retaliation from the doctor. However, Eirin simply nodded and said, "That's…that's true enough. A fair amount of magic did go into the original serum's creation, so perhaps I was limiting myself."

"Hey, can't argue with that," Reimu chimed in. "Personally, I never really got why-" Marisa, who knew Reimu well and saw one of her anti-science rants incoming, promptly pinched the shrine maiden's arm. Hard. "-Ow!"

"While we're on this subject, I took the liberty of bring copies of Eirin's original reports on the Satsuki Incident," Yukari said as she produced several sets of paper, each one stapled together. She started hanging them out. "If nothing else, it'll give us something to work off of."

…

As soon as Rumia's eyes shut, her mind started drifting.

Not in the way she was hoping for though. Instead of gradually sinking into the warm embrace of sleep, she felt like she was being pulled down a swirling whirlpool. The rushing of the river was becoming magnified in her ears, elevating from a gentle babble into a loud roar. Her eyes darted this way and that behind her eyelids, and the earth started to feel like it was tilting back and forth.

Ride it out, she thought grimly, somewhat dismayed that she was still awake enough to form articulate thoughts. This sort of thing was starting to happen more frequently whenever she closed her eyes. Mostly during the day though. At night, she would just lie in bed, growing more and more tired.

She figured if she just let her mind sort itself out and not fight the ride, she would eventually slip into actual sleep. Unfortunately, so far all she could manage was to get stuck in that frustrating halfway point, like a fever dream that never ended.

Refusing to move, Rumia tried to keep her mind as unfocused as possible as the world swam around her. Now she was hearing voice whispering through the cacophony. They weren't saying anything especially articulate, but their babbled nonsense was damned distracting. She was trying to sleep. Didn't they see that?

Then a ladybug landed on her cheek and she jerked to full wakefulness.

She was still lying near the river. Rin, Cirno, and Daiyousei were fishing nearby, and it didn't seem as if they had been there long. Letting out a small groan of frustration, Rumia buried her face in her palms. This was ridiculous. No matter how hard she tried, her body just refused to sleep.

Well, fine. Enough was enough. As soon as she could, she was going to Yuuka. She didn't care how scary their host was. Rumia couldn't take this anymore.

Then she blinked and things got weird. Cirno and Daiyousei seemed to blur out of focus, while Rin's image sharpened in her mind. Her surroundings grew dark, while a blotch of red appeared over the river.

Rumia blinked again, and suddenly everything was back to normal.

That was another thing that was starting to happen far too often. Every now and then, she'd be looking at Rin and the world would go strange. Things would get blurry, and Rin would start to glow, like she had back when Rumia was still her captive.

That probably worried her more than her lack of sleep. While she was mostly certain that Rin had freed her as she had promised, those brief flashes were giving her doubts. What if this was another dream, one that Rin had constructed specifically to deceive her?

She knew that Rin was lonely. That was the main reason she had been so reluctant to let her go. So maybe she hadn't let her go at all. That would explain why she couldn't sleep. Maybe she was still in Rin's mind. Still a prisoner, still-

Rumia blinked again, and…

Deep Within

Cirno and Daiyousei were gone. The river was gone, the garden was gone, the sky was gone, her clothes were gone, and she was back. Back in the world of nothing, surrounded by darkness. Rin was there, sitting in front of the screen like she always did, watching the outside world.

Deep Within

Rumia's breath caught in her throat. She wasn't free. She had never been free. She was still trapped, still trapped by the nothing. She was never going to be free, was going to be here forever, and there was nothing she could do about it.

Deep Within

Rumia opened her mouth and screamed.

…

"Y'know, this meeting wasn't even half as fun as the last one was," Marisa complained as she and Reimu wandered the lawn in front of the shrine.

Reimu shot her a look. "Fun?" she said. "The Ringleader meeting? Fun?"

"Well, yeah. It's one thing when smart people get pissed at each other. That's just scary. But stupid people getting mad? Hilarious. And the last one had way more stupid people."

"Oh, for crying out loud," Reimu grumbled. "Marisa, this isn't a freaking theater, okay? We're not doing this for your entertainment!"

"Hey. Reddie. Chillax." Marisa had her hakkero out and was nonchalantly tossing it up and down. "I know that. Just trying to make light, all right?"

Reimu sighed and shook her head.

"Anyway, yeah. Really liked the last one better. Stupid arrogant jerks being funny, got to watch them getting slapped down, and way less scary." Marisa snorted. "And to think, we thought the thing with the angry cherry tree was big."

"It was."

"Nah, just really, really cold. And pretty standard stuff, considering what your family usually deals with. But this?" Shrugging, Marisa caught her hakkero and sent it dancing over the backs of her fingers. "Face it. We are fuuuuuuuucked."

As was expected, the discussion over the possibility for a cure for Rin's condition had been volatile. Nearly every second of the original aftermath had been brought up and dissected, and this in turn had sparked what felt like endless back-and-forth between those with the biggest personality problems. Through it all, Reimu came to understand why Yukari hosted Ringleader meetings so infrequently. If this was what happened when the most rational members were gathered together, then it was a wonder that the country hadn't dissolved into complete anarchy long ago.

However, through the chaos something of a game plan hammered out, and now everyone had broken off into little groups to hammer out their specific roles. Eirin was speaking to Mima, Kanako, Byakuren, and Patchouli about reopening the Satsuki experiment with their involvement and possibly the involvement of other magicians and magical beings of their acquaintance. Reimu was making a point to avoid that conversation, as it felt sacrilegious. Yukari, Shinki, and Sariel were near the trees, speaking together in hushed tones that occasionally escalated to shouted tones, another conversation that Reimu was making a point to stay away from. Sakuya was in the basement, looking in on Remilia, while Reisen was sitting by herself in the shrine. When Reimu had last checked, it looked like the rabbit was about ready to fall asleep from exhaustion.

As she knew nothing of science and her magical skills were too specialized to be of any use, Reimu was left without anything to contribute. Oh sure, she would probably have plenty to do once things got rolling, but for now, she was out of her depth. And so, here she was, pacing restlessly in front of the shrine listening to Marisa complain. There was a comforting familiarity in it, she had to admit.

"Will you stop being so negative?" Reimu snapped. "We're not dead yet."

"Nobody is, until they're dead," Marisa said with a morbidly cheery grin. She was enjoying winding Reimu up a bit too much. As usual. "And that takes less than a second, ze. Might as well make out our wills right now and get it over with."

Reimu sighed.

"Let's see, Mima gets my broom and whatever tools and books that so-called cop left me," Marisa continued. "Rinnosuke can have whatever random junk he can find. Alice can have my hat, and…"

"Alice gets your hat?" Reimu said incredulously. "I thought you'd want to be buried in that thing."

"Ha! Knowing me, I'll end up cremated anyway. Pre-mortem. Assuming it even survives, someone better look after it, ze. And let's face it: Alice needs a freaking hat. Going around bareheaded all the time like that? It's indecent, I tell yah."

Stretching her arms behind her head, Reimu asked, "And what do I get, pray tell?"

"Eh, you can have the hakkero," Marisa said. She tossed it up into the air and caught it between two fingers.

Part of Reimu wondered why she was allowing herself to be drawn into this conversation. Another part immediately reminded the first that she was speaking to Marisa. "What am I going to do with your hakkero?"

"I dunno, blast things?" Marisa shrugged. "Face it, your spellcards are kinda weak on the offense. And hey, it also doubles as both a stove and a space heater."

Well, that was true enough. The shrine did get pretty cold, especially during the winter. And her stove was pretty clunky. Having one that was simultaneously smaller and more efficient would be-

And right about then was when every part of her decided that they wanted no part of this line of thought and squashed it immediately.

"So," Marisa said. "What do I get?"

"Huh?"

"If you kick it first. C'mon there's gotta be a space for me somewhere in your will."

Reimu lifted a hand and promptly sank her face into it. "Okay, this is getting really creepy."

"Can I have your sleeves?"

Their path took them in front of the shrine. "No, you can't have my sleeves! They belong to the shrine! Everything I own belongs to the shrine! Even if I die, it all goes to the next shrine maiden!"

"Which you don't got," Marisa pointed out. "Been meaning to ask you about that. Shouldn't there have been some progress on that front by now? Because if it's just boys you don't like, I've got a bunch of theories to help out in that regard. All of them involve me, bare minimum, and we're naked."

Reimu clutched at her head in exasperation. "Marisa. Seriously. Shut up, before I hit you. Because I will."

Letting out an obnoxious cackle, Marisa glanced inside the shrine, and the laughter died on her lips. "Oops," she said, lowering her voice to a near-whisper. "Reisen's asleep."

Reimu looked in. The lunar rabbit was slumped against the wall, chin sinking into her chest. "Yeah, she hasn't been sleeping real well. Well, neither of us have, but I'm used to it."

"I bet. Should we wake her? I mean, this is kind of important."

Reimu shook her head. "No, leave her alone. Not a whole lot she can do right now, and she needs the rest. Hell, if I thought I could, I'd be taking a nap too."

…

When Wriggle finally returned with Yuuka in tow, the situation hadn't improved. Cirno and Daiyousei were almost in a state of panic as they huddled over their friend. Cirno kept shaking Rumia's shoulder while saying, "What's wrong, Rumia? C'mon, can't you hear me? It's your buddy Cirno! C'mon, talk to me!" Rin was standing off to the side, arms wrapped around herself as she stared at Rumia in shock. Daiyousei wasn't saying much. She just cried

As for Rumia, she was curled into a tight, shaking ball. Her eyes were wide and shot through with veins, and her teeth chattered as she mumbled, "Not out, not out, not out. Trapped. Always trapped. She lied, she lied, she lied…"

"There, you see?" Wriggle cried. "Help her!"

"Of course, of course," Yuuka murmured as she came in closer. She shooed off the fairies and knelt down next to the convulsing girl. "One side, everyone. Give me some room to work."

The children obliged, though they continued to hover worriedly over her shoulder. Paying them no heed, Yuuka leaned over and laid a hand on Rumia's forehead. "Shhh, calm down, calm down. It's all right." She ran her fingers comfortingly through Rumia's sweat-soaked hair. "Nothing's going to hurt you. Now, tell Auntie Yuuki what's wrong."

Rumia immediately stiffened. The shaking stopped, as did the babbling, but she started to let out a low, prolonged whimper, as if she were trying to force something out of her throat.

"What's wrong?" Cirno asked. "Why is she making that-"

"Hush, dear. Let me work."

Her eyes closed, Yuuka held her hand to Rumia's head for a time as she concentrated. Then, with a sigh, she stood up. Rumia immediately went limp with a gasp, as if she had been holding her breath.

"Well," Yuuka murmured. "I was afraid of that."

"Afraid of what?" Cirno pressed. "What's wrong with her?"

"Quite a few things. Tell me, how has she been sleeping?"

"Sleeping? Uh, not real good." Cirno looked over to Rin, who now looked completely devastated. "Hey, Rin? You're up all night, right? Does Rumia sleep at all?"

Swallowing, Rin shook her head. "N-no. She, uh, she hasn't been able to…" Her voice trailed off, but that was fine. Yuuka already knew everything she needed.

"Well, that's unfortunate," Yuuka murmured. "Because it would seem her time with you has had some rather nasty side-effects." She gestured down to the youkai girl in question, who was now starting to whimper. "Youkai are far more resilient than mortals ever will be. Your recuperative abilities allow them to escape the lasting effects of traumatic events, both physical and emotional. But even they have their limits. During her time inside you, Rumia's mind was unable to sleep, unable to dream. She was not allowed to rest and recover, and as you can see, that sort of thing has its consequences. Her subconscious has been…damaged, and all the trauma she has experienced has simply compiled over time."

Aghast, Rin said, "B-but she never had this problem before I let her out! A-and I've been like this for nine years and I never-"

"Yes dear," Yuuka said gently. "But you have to understand, your…condition shields you from the damage. Your conscious mind is protected, and when she was within you, hers was as well." Kneeling down, she scooped Rumia into her arms and picked her up. "But now that protection is gone, and everything is finally catching up to her."

Rin's face turned white. "No. No, no, no. She's supposed to be fine. I promised she would be fine!"

"But can you help her?" Cirno demanded. "Can you make her better again?"

Yuuka shook her head. "As I told Rin before, this sort of thing is…beyond my abilities. Repairing a fractured mind is not what I was designed to do. But I can at least do this much for her."

Brushing her fingers over Rumia's terrified face, Yuuka whispered, "Sleep child. Sleep, and for a time forget your troubles."

Rumia let out a small gasp. And then, with a small sigh, her eyes closed and her body relaxed.

The poor child. It was well that she had ended up here, where Yuuka could protect her. Maybe this was her calling after all. She did seem to be collecting a large number of them these days. "Let's go," she told the girls as she lifted into the air, Rumia sleeping in her arms. "Above all, she needs to rest and heal. And my house is the best place for that."

…

"Turn back, Rin!

With an uneasy groan, Reisen turned over in her sleep. Her eyelids twitched.

"Now, Rin! Do it now!"

Reisen's fingers trembled, and her head lolled back and forth.

And then Rin looks up to her, blood gushing from her mouth, nose, and eyes. "Reisen?" she says, reaching out with fingers dripping scarlet.

With a small cry, Reisen jolted awake. Heart pounding, she looked around wildly, expecting to see the sterile white of Eirin's old clinic. Instead, she found herself surrounded by the plain, yet homey features of Hakurei Shrine.

Her brain woke up a bit more, and she was able to settle down a bit. That had been odd; she hadn't expected to fall asleep. With everything that had been going on, her nights had been restless, with her sometimes only managing to snatch a few hours of rest. And yet, in the midst of the meeting that would likely change everything, she had drifted right off. Another score for irony she supposed, but by now, it wasn't as if it needed any more.

And of course, out of all the horrific moments attached the ongoing crisis, her subconscious had decided to focus on the day that Rin had all but torn herself apart in trying to be herself again. Not only that, it had also exaggerated things. Watching Rin bleed from her eyes, ears, and fingernails while vomiting up blood had been traumatic enough. Turning her into a fountain of red had been needlessly cruel.

Sighing, she laid the back of her head against the wall and rubbed the base of her palm against her eyes. Sitting next to her was Rin's old diary and her copy of Eirin's notes. She had been poring over them before she had fallen asleep, looking for that clue Mima had claimed she might be able to find. But again, she had come up with nothing, and had horrifying nightmares as a result. She was starting to suspect that the ghost had sent her off on a snipe hunt. It was certainly the sort of thing she'd do.

"Reisen? Are you…okay?"

Looking up, Reisen saw Reimu and Marisa standing in the doorway, looking at her in concern. Once she would have been mortified at having been seen during such an emotional outburst, but she had lived with Reimu long enough to at least be comfortable around her. This wasn't the first time the shrine maiden had witnessed her waking loudly from a nightmare.

"Yes, I'm fine," Reisen said, straightening up. "I just dozed off and had a bad dream."

Marisa cocked her head to one side. "I'll say. Sounded like a whopper."

"Yes, it was," Reisen said, perhaps a bit more testily than she normally would have. "Watching Rin bleed to death again. It was kind of upsetting."

"Yeah, that would do it," Marisa said, nodding. Then she frowned. "Hold up. Again?"

Reimu winced. She elbowed the witch in the side. "She's talking about that one time they were talking about-"

"Oh yeah." Marisa snapped her fingers. "Rin changed back and started breaking apart. You know, I was never clear on why-"

"And as always, you have all the tact of a rusty garden spade," Reimu said, grabbing Marisa shoving her away from the door. "Go. Go. I'll catch up with you in a minute."

Once the witch had been sent grumbling away, Reimu returned to Reisen. "So, you holding up?" she said, sinking down to sit beside her.

"Yes," Reisen sighed. "It was just a nightmare. Nothing more."

Reimu raised an eyebrow.

"Okay, so there's more to it than that," Reisen admitted. "Look, when you told me that Eirin was coming here, I just about peed myself."

"Yeah, well, she's a scary lady," Reimu said. "I was expecting a bit of strangling to happen, myself."

Reisen nodded, the ghost of a smile tugging at her lips. "Right. Me too. But, well, instead I actually got to talk to her, got to work things out."

"Which you weren't expecting."

"Not at all," Reisen said. "I wasn't even planning on confronting her, not until the last minute. It just…sort of happened." Drawing her knees up, she said, "And…and now we have Yukari Yakumo actually sticking up for us. We have all these important people on board, working for a way to save Rin. Save her. Cure her. That's an actual priority right now. It's more than I could have ever hoped for."

"But?" Reimu pressed.

"But it's like…" Reisen winced. Confessing her fears sounded a bit on the ungrateful side. But if she couldn't open up to Reimu, who could she go to? "Well, I've been here before. Before the Satsuki Incident, I thought Eirin could do no wrong. I mean, sure, I was worried, but that's because Rin was involved. Eirin was supposed to be…perfect at science. She created the Hourai Elixir, after all. And even after Rin, uh, melted, I thought it wouldn't be long before she found a cure. But that never happened, so…"

"So now you're worried that there isn't a way to save her, no matter how many powerful people we get to go along with us," Reimu finished for her.

"Yes," Reisen admitted. "I…I know it's pessimistic, but…I guess I just don't want to be disappointed anymore."

"No, I understand," Reimu sighed. She rubbed the back of her neck. "Heck, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't thinking the same thing. But you've got to understand-Wait, what did you say?"

The sudden change in Reimu's direction took Reisen completely unawares, and at first, the question almost didn't register. "Wait, what?"

"You," Reimu said, her eyes wide with…something. Shock? Surprise? Realization? Whatever it was, the wheels inside her head were clearly turning, though Reisen had no idea what it could be about. "You said something. What was it?"

"What? I didn't say anything. You were talking."

"I mean before that," Reimu pressed earnestly. "About how great Eirin was supposed to be. What did you say she made?"

"Uh…" Now thoroughly confused, Reisen squinted her eyes as she thought back. "I said she made the Hourai Elixir? You know, the thing that made Princess Kaguya immortal?"

Reimu's stare was now becoming more intense. "Right. And…what did you say your nightmare was about?"

Her nightmare? Why in the world would Reimu want to know about her nightmare? "Uh, uh, that…that day Rin almost killed herself trying to be normal?"

Reimu said nothing. She didn't move. She didn't even blink. She just kept staring.

Now Reisen was growing very uncomfortable. "Uh, what's wrong?" she said at last.

Reimu finally closed her eyes. Inhaling deeply through her nostrils, she said, "We are all complete and utter idiots." Then she stood up.

Reisen stared after her. "What?"

"I've got to find Yukari."

…

With a pained groan, Yukari slumped down onto the shrine's back porch and leaned against a post, a cup of hot tea in her hands. Her back hurt, her lungs were acting up again, and her scalp gently thrummed with the early warnings of what promised evolve into one hell of a headache. She could will it away, of course. In fact, she could easily banish all of her pains with a thought. However, given her current condition, feeling like crap was not only to be expected, it was her godsdamned right. The situation called for a headache and an sore back, and it was going to get one.

Taking a sip, she closed her eyes and ruminated on how things were going. Actually, it could be worse. It had taken some effort, but at least everyone was working toward a singular goal, which was something of a rarity, especially when she, Shinki, and Mima were in the same room together. Actually, she had been a little surprised to encounter so much resistance from Kanako and so little from Eirin, but upon reflection, she supposed it made sense. Whether deserving or not, Eirin had taken a huge bite from the humble pie, whereas despite her good will, Kanako was still a survivor at heart, one who valued her family as highly as Yukari valued Gensokyo. In her position, Yukari would be tempted to just pack up the shrine and see if conditions in the Outside World had improved.

She still wasn't going to allow Kanako to go anywhere though.

But at least things were at least moving forward. They just needed that damned cure. True, the odds of them stumbling across one in the next few days weren't especially high, especially given Eirin's nine years of failure, but it wasn't if they had much of a choice. If one was found, then they could finally make real headway in negotiating with Rin Satsuki. No more bits of Azrael running around, hostages released without fuss, and Satsuki herself would cease to be a threat. Everybody could go home happy, and nobody would be hurt.

Of course, that assumed that they would even be able to open a line of communication with Satsuki to begin with. There was still the wall that was Yuuka Kazami to get through. There were still those hostages to rescue, hostages that could either have corporeal bodies again or still exist only as swirling energies trapped inside crystals the size of golf balls for all they knew. There was the ever-growing presence of the Shadow Youkai, there was the possibility that by the time a miracle cure was discovered, Yuuka will have twisted Satsuki's mind to the point where she would immediately reject everything they had to say. There was the chance that Yuuka would start using Flandre Scarlet to target innocents as a bargaining tool. There was…

Yukari's headache started to mature. Sighing, she pressed two fingertips against her forehead. One thing at a time, one thing at a time. Once they had that, things would be simpler. Though she supposed that they would have to at least try to negotiate with Yuuka to even get to Rin, as repulsive as the thought sounded. Still, it wasn't impossible, so long as her ego was properly stroked. Kanako had seen some success in that field, so maybe she could…

And she was doing it again. Yukari shook her head and took another sip.

Soon she felt Genji's presence start to move toward her. She had anticipated this. He had already exploded at her that morning after she had told him what Yuuka truly was, and the way that conversation had ended made it clear that she was in for another tongue-lashing later on. Just as well.

As the elderly reptile floated toward her from behind, Yukari simply said, "Hello, Genji."

Unsurprisingly, the turtle was in no mood for pleasantries. "So. Here we are. You mind tellin' me exactly what sort of fool game yer playin' at?" he growled as he settled down next to her.

Yukari took a sip of tea. "The same one I just spent several minutes explaining."

"Cut the crap," he snapped. "Why in the hell didn't you tell me that we've got dangfangled Outer God on the loose?"

"Because it slipped my mind."

Genji all but choked with anger. "Slipped yer-The hell is that supposed to mean?"

Sighing, Yukari set her cup down and leaned forward, hands clasped over her knees. "Exactly what I said." She glanced down at Genji from the corner of her eye. "Genji. Look. I found out right after Yuuka had gotten done smashing me into a pulp. I then all but ripped my own soul to shreds driving her off and trying to get everyone I brought with me home in one piece. I then spent several weeks writhing in urine-soaked sheets, under attack from imaginary monsters. And when I was sane again, that debacle at the Youkai Mountain and Reimu's little bombshell happened almost immediately. Then the Underworld had a fit, Remilia Scarlet decided that selling Public Enemy Number Two to Public Enemy Number One was a fantastic idea, and Koishi Komejii attempted to bury Yuuka with an entire city's worth of corpses. So yes. It slipped my mind. I'm sorry I didn't tell you before, but as you can see from the blisters full of corrupted blood still on my skin, I've been a little preoccupied as of late."

Genji's face turned red with indignation, a neat trick for someone who was supposedly cold-blooded. "Damn it, Yukari. We're supposed t'be partners here. We built Gensokyo together, remember?"

"If I recall, you just supplied the raw materials, while I did the actual building," Yukari said mildly. "And the planning. And the designing. To say nothing of the months of negotiating. And oh yes, who was it that paid the Silver City's price?"

Genji let out a low, rumbling growl. "Careful, girl. Other prices were paid that day, and you'll do well to remember that."

"I-" Yukari closed her eyes and took several deep breaths. "I know, I know. Just please…Genji, I'm trying, okay? Yes, you should have been told. I admit it. But damn it, I'm doing my best here. Cut me a little slack? Please?"

Genji snorted, but settled down. His anger didn't disappear completely, though it did abate a bit. Not gone, just set aside for later. "So, Yuuka," he said. "What in the hell are we gonna do 'bout her?"

"I…" Yukari said, picking her teacup up again. "Do not have the slightest idea."

"You gotta be kiddin' me."

Yukari shrugged. "I'm running out of ideas, and they weren't working out very well anyway. That's why I brought all of you together, so you could come up with something." Yukari's head lolled toward Genji. She smirked. "I don't suppose your buddies want to get involved by any chance?"

Genji rolled his eyes. "Yeah, that's a fine idea. Hit the delicate situation with a giant hammer. Scorched earth. Is that what you want?"

"Not under any circumstances, though it would be nice if they would actually show signs of actually caring what the rest of us are up to once in a while."

"Well, can't say I disagree," Genji grunted. "But all things considered, they'll probably better off not gettin' involved."

Yukari shook her head, but ended up nodding with agreement. She would have said more, but right about then was when Reimu came running up to her.

"Yukari, quick question," Reimu panted. The shrine maiden looked out of breath, though it looked like it was more due to her being flustered than actual exhaustion, considering she had not gone far. "Rin. Why can't you just wave your hands and make her better again?"

Yukari blinked. "I told you already. I need something to work with. Satsuki's a homogenous blob. There isn't a border between blob and Kirin I can mess with."

"Yeah, okay, but Rin can force herself back to normal, remember?" Reimu pressed. A copy of Eirin's notes was in her hands, and she was waving it around. "You would have a border then!"

"Yes, we discussed this already," Yukari sighed. And they had, only a few minutes ago. "It would be a temporary solution. I could possibly hold back the cellular decay and restrain her adaptive powers, yes, but it would have to be consciously maintained. And even if I did manage to anchor something continuous in place, the strain would eventually break her."

"But you can keep her steady for a little bit, right? Like, long enough for someone else to try something?"

Yukari stared. "Reimu. Where are you going with this?"

"Just answer the question already!"

A bit startled at how frenzied the young woman had gotten, Yukari shook a bit and said, "Well, yes. I suppose so…"

"Good. Okay, now. Here's the real important part. Kaguya Houraisan. Does her power need to be consciously maintained? Does she need an anchor? Or does it just happen?"

"Kaguya?" Now Yukari was completely lost. "Well, no, I believe it just happens. Some sort of permanent space-time alteration, I believe. But what does that-"

Then she got it. She got it, and she felt like a complete and utter idiot for not seeing it before. Yes. Yes, that could work. Certainly, it would require a little fiddling around with, a few modifications. And the end result wasn't exactly perfect, but it was certainly acceptable.

She glanced down at Genji, who was still frowning as he puzzled over Reimu's words. "Kaguya, Kaguya," he mumbled, no doubt trying to remember exactly what it was that the Lunarian princess did. He had never had much contact with her. "Let's see, she…" Then his eyes widened. "Oh. Well. Damn."

Yukari nodded. It was as good a summation as any. "I'll get Eirin," she said as she rose.

…

Eirin said, "You cannot possibly be serious."

"Is there any specific reason why I wouldn't be?" Yukari asked, raising an eyebrow.

Everyone had been called back, and were filing into the shrine one by one. Eirin and those she had been talking to had been first, and though she hadn't gone so far as to explain the details yet, Yukari had told them that Reimu had stumbled onto an idea that might just work.

Naturally, this announcement had been greeted with incredulity and skepticism.

"We haven't even started yet," Eirin responded. "We're barely in the planning stage. I haven't even gotten that piece of Rin back from Reisen. Byakuren was in the middle of giving me a list of names of deities with enough influence over luck and fortune to enhance our chances. And you tell me that Reimu just so happened to come up with the solution?"

"What's going on?" Patchouli asked as she and Sakuya reentered the shrine.

"Yukari claims Reimu came up with a cure," Eirin told her.

Patchouli stared. "No, seriously. What's this all about?"

Reimu sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose while Marisa gave her a sympathetic pat on the shoulder. No respect. No matter what she accomplished, she got no respect at all.

"As someone with some experience with the Hakurei family and what they're capable of, I would not be so hasty to discount one of their ideas," Mima said as she materialized in the room. She floated toward her space at the table and settled down, her table gathering into cushion beneath her. "You would be surprised at the sort of things they can come up with and make work."

Patchouli blushed. "I, uh, er, o-of course, of course."

However, Eirin wasn't cowed. "I'm not saying Reimu isn't smart, I'm just pointing out that when it comes to curing someone of an unprecedented and unique condition, nobody can be expected to come up with a solution in less than thirty minutes without so much as a test!"

Kanako raised a hand. "Normally I'd agree, but perhaps we should at least hear this idea before we make any sort of judgment?"

Yukari nodded her thanks. "Thank you Kanako. Now, before I begin, I need to clarify that what Reimu has proposed isn't necessarily a cure, not in the way you were thinking. Rather, it's more of a compromise, a way to offer Satsuki what she wants: a chance to live a normal life, a threat to no one and in danger no longer."

Shinki leaned forward with a frown. "And yet, her…condition will remain."

"In a matter of speaking," Yukari nodded. "Only under control."

Mima smirked. "About time."

"What?" Eirin shot her an incredulous look. "We haven't even begun!"

"Have we not?" Mima nodded to Yukari. "Please continue."

Yukari frowned at her, trying to discern if there were any hidden meaning to the comment. But then she just shrugged, spread her hands, and said, "It's like this. As has been mentioned before, Rin is capable of willing herself back into her original state without needing to absorb another body."

"Yes, we've been over this," Eirin said, perhaps a bit impatiently. "Just like we've been over why it's a dead end. Potentially literally, insofar where Rin is concerned."

"We have," Yukari nodded. "However, we have established that I would be able to suppress her adaptive abilities and stave off the cellular deterioration, at least for a time."

"Which is all we'd need, really," Mima murmured. "Five seconds alone would do the trick."

"Trick for what?" Kanako asked as she leaned forward.

Mima glanced over to Yukari. "Should I tell them, or would you rather milk this for a few more minutes? If you like, I can set up a camera."

"Oh, for the gods' sakes," Reimu sighed in exasperation. Leave it to the immortals, and they'll bicker around the main point for hours without ever actually getting to it. "For Kaguya. We have Rin return to her original body, Yukari stabilizes her, and Kaguya freezes her in that state. We get rid of the Shadow Youkai and get all of Rin's prisoners back, she gets a normal life again, everyone goes home happy!"

Silence and stares greeted this pronouncement. Reimu might have felt uncomfortable with all the possibly negative attention she was getting, but at this point, she was fully fed up with these people and their condescending attitude. So what if she was only in her twenties while everyone else predated the freaking wheel? It was still a good idea, damn it!

If there was one person that wasn't looking at her as if she had lost her mind, it was Reisen. At first, her face had been as blank as the others.

Then Eirin cleared her throat and said, "You cannot be serious."

"I am," Reimu said as she sulkily folded her arms. "And so is Yukari. So stop it with the bug eyes and tell me if it'll work or not."

"Will it work? Of course it won't-" Then Eirin blinked.

"I for one don't see any reason why it shouldn't," Byakuren put in. "Though admittedly, I am not especially familiar with Kaguya and her abilities."

"I'm not familiar with her abilities at all," Shinki said. "Perhaps someone can explain to me exactly how she can help?"

Yukari stared at her. "You're…not?"

Shinki shrugged. "I've never spoken to her, never had any sort of dealings with her. The only time I was ever in the same room as Kaguya Houraisan was the day you declared her the representative of the Bamboo Forest of the Lost. And at the time, my attention was diverted by…other matters." She shot a brief and dirty look toward Mima.

"I thought you said that you kept up with the news."

"I do, for the most part. However, this specific story must have been buried inside the paper."

"All right," Yukari sighed. "Well, for the isolationists among us with absolutely no interest in what your neighbors are even capable of, Kaguya Houraisan has the power of eternity. Essentially, it allows her to cause an object to hold a fixed state while still being affecting by the world around it. Decay simply does not take place, and any damage repairs itself. It remains in whatever condition it was when she first affected it. Forever.

"And the reason why this might work is that it is not a spell or something that either requires conscious preservation or any sort of magical anchor that will come in conflict with Satsuki's abilities. Kaguya literally warps space and time around the object, causing it to remained fixed in a certain point in time."

Yukari leaned forward. It was difficult not to sound excited, but she maintained her composure. "This may be the leverage that we need in order to convince Satsuki to cooperate with us. If we can stabilize her, and there is little reason to believe that we can't, and if Kaguya Houraisan is able to change her, and I can't think of any reason why she couldn't, then in short, Satsuki will no longer be a threat. Everyone goes home happy, as Reimu put it."

Mima sighed, almost sounding relieved.

Eirin still looked skeptical. "Even if what you're proposing has a chance of working, Kaguya's power isn't intended to be used on living creatures. There's too much going on, too much taking place inside a living body in order for it to function. That's why I had to create the Hourai Elixir, to overcome that problem and still allow for the user to become rooted in time.

"So, make Rin a Hourai Immortal, ze," Marisa shrugged.

Kanako coughed. "That is…a frightening prospect."

"Not really," Byakuren said with a thoughtful look. "With no Shadow Youkai, no prisoners, and no adaptive abilities, she'll be even less dangerous than Kaguya Houraisan and Fujiwara no Mokou, and nobody had any objection to them running around. She'll just be a child like any other, albeit very long lived. Which, as a Kirin, she would be anyway."

"But…can you?" Kanako said with a frown. "I thought all samples of the Hourai Elixir had been either used or destroyed."

"They have," Eirin told her.

"Well. Assuming we can convince Satsuki to return Kaguya, are you able to make another batch?" Yukari asked.

Eirin shook her head, though it was less of a denial than it was a gesture of weariness. "You have to understand. Even with my skill and knowledge, the original Hourai Elixir, was…and I hate using this term, but it was something of a miracle. It took months of work, multiple failed attempts, and even when I got the recipe right, it still-"

"Yes, but that was then, when you had to brew it from scratch," Yukari said, rolling her wrist impatiently. "Surely you still have your notes."

"Yes, I do. But even assuming we can acquire all of the ingredients-"

"I have literally the entirety of creation in which to go shopping," Yukari said smugly. "Make me a list."

Eirin's brow furrowed. "I…Yes. I can do it," she sighed. "You're right. It might work. And seeing how I've been living with Kaguya for the last two thousand plus years, I actually feel like something of an idiot for not even considering the possibility. It's just…so simple. Comparatively speaking, I mean."

"Nothing wrong with simple," Mima said with a shrug. "In my experience, simple solutions are often the most effective. If you get wrapped up in finding the exact formula required to perfectly counter this and that effect, then you're just asking for trouble."

"Sadly, in this case I must agree with both of you," Yukari said as she delicately massaged her flaking forehead. "This should have been obvious, and I think I speak for most of us intelligent, distinguished individuals that this does have us feeling like idiots."

"I don't," Mima said.

Yukari rolled her eyes. "Yes, well, your ego is all but-"

She cut herself off in midsentence. Her eyes first widened with realization, and then narrowed again with a measure of suspicion and loathing. Around the table, the others had similar reactions as they also caught onto what was being implied.

"Mima," Yukari said in a dangerous tone. "Are you suggesting that you had already knew of this possibility?"

"Yes," Mima said in the driest tone imaginable. "As you said, it is rather obvious. All the pieces were already there, after all."

Several seconds of silence ticked by. More than one face turned beet-red with barely restrained fury.

Mima sighed. "With all due respect to others also deserving of the title, will somebody in this damned room please try to remember that I am, quite literally, a genius? That I am at least as prolific in the field of magic as the good doctor is in the field of science? Perhaps even moreso, given our respective list of successes…no offense, Doctor, simply making a point. And yet, when the question of a magical solution came up, did anyone so much as bother to say, 'Well, Mima! You're something of an expert in this field. What is your opinion?' And before you protest, I mean personally, not the general all call for ideas."

Yukari whispered, "How long, exactly, where you sitting on this?"

"Oh gee, I don't know, roughly around the Ringleader meeting, right about the time Eirin announced that poor little Rin was capable of forcing herself back into her original form. 'Oh my,' I thought. 'That opens the door for numerous possibilities. I wonder if anyone else is seeing this. No? Really? That's disappointing.'"

Shinki let out a low growl. "Do you mean to tell me that you refused to offer this information simply your pride was hurt that nobody asked you personally?"

"Oh please," Mima said with a dismissive snort. "Like you've never been in that position before."

"I asked!"

The sudden protest didn't come Shinki, nor did it come from Yukari. In fact, nearly everyone was rather surprised when they realized where it had come from, and they all turned to stare at Reisen, who was now standing at her full height and pointing straight at Mima, a frantic look on her face.

Yukari summed up what everyone was thinking. "What?"

"I asked you!" Reisen shouted. "You told me there was a cure! You told me there was a way to fix her! And I all but begged you to tell me, and you said to figure it out myself!"

"Hmmm." Yukari then returned her focus toward the spirit in question. "Mima, is that true?"

Mima rolled her eyes. "Yukari, please. Why would I reveal that information to her?"

"Because you said I was interesting!" Reisen was now all but screaming. "You said I was the most dangerous person in Gensokyo!"

"What?" Kanako said.

"Huh?" Reimu added.

Marisa looked at Reisen. She tilted her head to one side and squeezed one eye shut. "Yeah, I'm not really seeing it…"

"You said all this was happening because of me, but people still weren't taking me seriously!" Reisen said. "You said that made me dangerous, and you wanted to see what happened! Then you told me about the cure!"

Mima shot her a look of contempt. "Rabbit, I don't know what delusions you have allowed yourself, but if you believe that I am under any obligation-"

"Except no, she's absolutely correct," Yukari interrupted. She folded her hands on the table. "Mima, as unused as you may be to the idea, you were allowed onto this project-"

Mima raised an eyebrow. "Allowed?"

"Yes. Allowed. And it was with the expectation that you would pull your weight and contribute in whatever way possible. Without having to be asked."

Mima rolled her eyes.

Then Shinki stood up. "Right, I've had enough."

Mima calmed turned her attention to her. "I'm sorry, what was that?"

"You may not be an idiot," Shinki said, her wings unfurling around her. "But you are certainly a fool."

Mima's face went cold. "What?"

"Child, I was there when this world was nothing more than a molten wasteland," Shinki told her. As she spoke, the shadows of the room seemed to grow longer, and the angles sharpened. The timbers creaked with the strain of containing her presence. "I saw your life-giving Sun woven into existence from dust. I remember the darkness of the void when the stars were still in preplanning. I was in the room when one of my colleagues suggested the concept that would one day become your precious magic, claiming that it might be amusing. Now, it is true, in that specific field you do possess greater knowledge and skill than I, just as the earthworm knows more about the dirt than a king ever will. However, despite all your knowledge, you have forgotten one thing."

If Mima was concerned with the prospect of facing down an angry Shinki, she didn't show it. "Oh? And what's that?"

"That my specific field so happens to be dealing with uppity little souls that need to be shown their place. And I'd say that you're long overdue to be shown yours. Mortal."

Mima's lips lifted in a half-smile. Then she cleared her throat and calmly said, "Shinki, feel free to correct me if I'm wrong, but given that I am, in fact, the designated representative of Hakurei Shrine's interests, that you, in fact, fulfill the same function in regard to Makai, and that we are, in fact, currently in Hakurei Shrine, would not you threatening me constitute an act of war? Because it is at the very least a serious breach of hospitality. I thought such things were something of a big deal to you old-timers."

"You dare-"

"And speaking of which…" Mima turned toward Genji, who was silently watching the proceedings. "Genji, was the 'no threatening' rule supposed to be universal, or was it something you came up with just for me? Because if it's the latter, then I have to admit, I am flattered, but I really don't see how letting the Demon of Death off the leash is at all productive."

Yukari smacked her palms against the table, making some of the younger participants jump. "Everyone. Sit down. Right now."

Reisen and Shinki both returned to their seats, though the anger did not leave their faces.

After waiting to see if anyone else had an outburst they wanted to get out of the way, Yukari spoke. "Shinki, as loathe as I am to admit it, Mima is right. Only Genji is permitted to threaten anyone here with physical violence, no matter how irritating they are. So while I fully empathize with your irritation, I must ask that you not destroy the progress we've made with a inter-territorial incident."

Shinki looked like she found such an incident to be a fantastic idea, but she pursed her lips and nodded.

Turning to the ghost, Yukari said, "And Mima, while I acknowledge that just by working with you, one has to make certain allowances for your personality quirks, withholding vital information and possible solutions is not going to be tolerated. We are not your audience, Mima. Nor are we especially impressed. I remind you that despite past conflicts, you are playing for the home team now. And as such, the rules are different. You are expected to contribute without the rigmarole of asking you in person. You are here to be useful, not to show off how clever you are. If you cannot work within those parameters, than your status as Hakurei Shrine's representative and an ally will be brought up for committee review and decided by popular vote. Got it?"

Mima tilted her head curiously. "Was that a threat?"

"No." Yukari smiled wolfishly. "That was the fine print."

Mima's eyes narrowed. But then she smirked, if in appreciation of Yukari's wording than anything else. "Very well," she nodded.

"Good," Yukari said with a nod of her own. "Now that we've established that, you are correct in that you are the reigning expert in this field. As such, what is your opinion?"

Mima shrugged, and just like that, it was as if the near-confrontations had never happened, at least as far as she was concerned. Many of the others were still fuming. "Well, it should restated that turning Rin Satsuki into a Hourai Immortal actually isn't a cure, per se. Rather, it's a treatment for the symptoms. Assuming it works, it will keep her abilities under control and allow her live a normal life, but, barring sudden new advancements to the Hourai Elixir, she will be unable to live out a normal Kirin lifespan."

"I think, in light of the alternative, she will not object heavily to being unable to grow up," Yukari said. "Besides, most of the time that's all you can really do about a debilitating condition. Find a way to live with it."

"I agree," Mima said. "And given that we are racing the clock, this is perhaps the most viable path for us. However, no offense intended, but I do not believe your power over boundaries is up to the task."

Yukari frowned. "Explain."

"The effectiveness of your power decreases when confronted with beings of similar or greater strength. Rin Satsuki's adaptive abilities have been supercharged by Eirin Yagokoro." Mima spread her hands. "The problem is obvious."

Yukari shook her head. "You are not suggesting that I have Eirin here supercharge me as well?"

"I think the fabric of space and time might rip itself asunder if you did," Mima said wryly. "No, the Izayoi Elixir is far too dangerous, and its effects too unstable."

Sakuya looked up. "Izayoi Elixir?"

"Well, yes," Mima said with a shrug. "Your power forms its base, just as Kaguya Houraisan's forms the base of the Hourai Elixir. It is only fitting. But getting back to my original point, there are ways to temporarily boost your potency. A simple Star of Solomon would do the trick, with someone taking point for Power, Mind, Focus, Spirit, Body, and Serenity. It is the most commonly used symbol in our profession for a reason. However, you will require some significant sources of power to make one of this one work." She shot a glance to Sariel and smiled. "Fortunately, that is one resource that we do not lack in."

Then Kanako cleared her throat. "All of this is well and good, but there's still a major problem that needs to be addressed."

Yukari acknowledged her with a nod. "And what's that?"

"Even if we do come up with something to offer Rin Satsuki, we need to be able to reach her to make that offer. And unfortunately, the wall we discussed earlier is still in place."

"Yes, it is," Yukari sighed. This was the part she had been afraid of. "Which means we'll have to reopen negotiations with Yuuka."

…

With a sigh, Yuuka exited the room she had laid Rumia. The poor girl was still fast asleep, and looked to remain that way for a long time. Hopefully the rest would help. Mortal minds simply weren't designed to go so long without some kind of break, and the subconscious needed to be regularly cleaned out to ensure mental stability. As a former resident of the Dreaming, Yuuka knew well the consequences of neglecting such necessities. The nightmares of an insomniac were a sight to behold.

Unfortunately, Rumia's were probably going to start sooner or later, there was no helping that. She hadn't been permitted to sleep, which meant she hadn't been permitted to dream. As such, her subconscious had quite the backlog of issues it needed to sort out. Yuuka wished she could help alleviate the pain, but honestly, it was probably best to let her tough it out. If she dealt with them now, it would help her recover more fully. Or so Yuuka hoped.

Not surprisingly, Rumia's friends were gathered around the door, hungry for news. Rin, however, was not among them. Shame, perhaps.

Yuuka looked down at their expectant faces and said, "Rumia is resting. It would be best not to disturb her for the time being."

"But is she okay?" Wriggle pressed. "She's okay, isn't she?"

"Such as it is, yes," Yuuka said after a second's worth of hesitation. "She has been through a hard time, and needs to heal. And to do that, she needs sleep."

"When is she going to wake up?" Mystia asked.

Yuuka shook her head. "I'm afraid I don't know. She will sleep as long as she needs. When she is ready, you'll be able to visit her. Until then, I promise you she will receive the very best of care." With that, she motioned out with her palms. "Now, shoo, shoo. I'll let you know if there is any change."

The children left, albeit reluctantly. Once they were gone, Yuuka went over to Elly, who had been standing silently in the corner of the hall.

"Rin?" Yuuka murmured.

"Pool deck," Elly answered. "She's cowering near the stairs, having what can only be described as a complete and utter emotional breakdown."

Yuuka sighed. "Well, I suppose I'd better go deal with that."

"Why?"

Despite the callousness of the question, Yuuka couldn't help but smile in amusement. Elly was a sweet girl, but thanks to the rough life she had led, she tended to nurse her grudges like beloved family pets. Wriggle had been back with them for weeks, and despite how close they had once been, Elly still refused to talk to her.

"Because despite our rocky start and the fact that we are preparing for the possibility of her betrayal, Rin is still a guest here," Yuuka reminded her. "What is more, she is at least trying to be friendly. We should return the favor."

"I suppose," Elly said sulkily.

"There's a dear," Yuuka said, giving her shoulder a friendly squeeze. "Now, come on. Let's see if we can't cheer her up."

…

Shaking, sniffling, and, though she wasn't exactly sure how, sweating, Rin huddled in a pitiful ball in the shadow of the stairs that led down from the sundeck to the pool. She was hunched over her knees with her head bowed and her hands clutching at her temples, every breath coming out as a ragged sob. If she were of a mind to notice, she might have been impressed by the thoroughness of the Nue's shape changing abilities. Her chest felt tight, and her throat was raw, even though she still wasn't sure if she had ribs or a throat. However, she was feeling too wretched to appreciate how natural it felt.

Rumia was hurt. Rumia was hurt badly, and it was all because of her. Her mind had been damaged. Rin felt like such a fool for not expecting this, but of course something like this would happen. Had she honestly expected Rumia to just walk away from everything Rin had put her through and not bear any scars?

And why hadn't she seen it happening? Now that she thought back, Rin could recall several instances in which Rumia had given her odd looks and mentioned glimpsing something that wasn't there. Well, as it turned out, Rumia had been hallucinating. She had been freaking hallucinating, and Rin hadn't picked up on it. Heck, the sleep problems alone should have tipped her off!

Rumia let out a choking sound that was half a sob and half a giggle. It had been right there, and she hadn't seen it. And because she hadn't trusted Yuuka, she had persuaded Rumia not to go to her for help when she should have, making the problem worse. Damn it all, she might as well have not had the Shadow Youkai removed, because she was still destroying everything she touched.

Then she became aware of another presence, sitting next to her. How long they had been there, Rin couldn't say. Swallowing, she wiped her eyes on her sleeve and tentatively looked up.

Wriggle sat with her back to the wall, arms folded over her knees, eyes staring straight forward, out at the pool. Her mouth was set in a straight line.

Noticing that Rin was looking at her, she said, "Hi."

Blinking in confusion, Rin said, "Uh, hey?"

"Yuuka says that Rumia's going to go through a tough time, but she's going to be…okay," Wriggle told her. "She just needs to sleep a lot for now. And later…" She shrugged.

Rin couldn't think of anything to say except, "Oh."

Sighing, Wriggle shifted her weight, stretching her legs out in front of her. "You really care about her, don't you?"

Rin's throat closed up again, but she managed to choke out, "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean… I didn't mean…" She couldn't finish the rest.

Wriggle watched her for a moment before asking, "Do you know why Mystia's so scared of you? I mean, more than the rest of us?"

"Huh?" Now Rin was confused again. "Mystia?"

Wriggle pulled out a pocket handkerchief. Offering it to Rin, she said, "It's because a few years back, she ran into a couple of ghosts, and they did something…really bad to her. They…" Wriggle groaned. "Oh, there's just no nice way to say it. They ate her alive. And they made her feel it. It took her days to recover, and now, every time it looks like something might eat her again, she freaks out. Can't say I blame her, really."

Rin blew her nose loudly. "And then she saw me eat Rumia," she said ruefully. The pathetic part was that she had already known about that incident from going through Rumia's memories. Why hadn't she made the connection before now? "And now, here I am, and I won't go away. Gods, no wonder."

"Yeah, pretty much," Wriggle said with a nod, making her antennae bob. "But you know, I've been doing a lot of thinking since you showed up. And you wanna know what I noticed?"

"Uh, sure," Rin shrugged. "I guess."

"That neither of those ghosts stuck around to make things right," Wriggle told her. "They never apologized, they never admitted that what they did was screwed up. I mean, eating someone is one thing, but keeping them alive through the whole thing? What the hell?" Wriggle's hands clenched into fists. "And they sure as hell didn't cry when they found out how much they hurt her. They never gave a damn."

Rin had absolutely nothing to say at all.

"Look, Rin. You scare me, okay? Watching you eat Rumia gave me nightmares, gave us all nightmares. And now Rumia is all kinds of messed up because of it. And hell, I hated you for a very long time. But…" Wriggle sighed. "Damn it, I can't hate you now. I tried, but I can't. I mean, you're trying. You're trying to make things right, and, well, I guess you're kind of all right." She shook her head. "So, uh, that's all I really wanted to say."

Rin stared at her, unable to speak. Then her face scrunched up and she hunched over and started bawling again. Wriggle lifted a hand and, after a moment of hesitation, gingerly laid it on Rin's shoulder.

…

"Well," Yuuka said, looking down from an upstairs window. "We've been beaten to the punch."

Elly said nothing, though the displeasure on her face was as clear as day. They stood there and watched as the two youkai girls consoled one another.

Then Yuuka sighed. "Come on," she said, touching Elly's shoulder and moving her away from the window. "Let's give them some privacy."

Though she knew that Elly probably didn't care much about the state of the relationship between two people she didn't like, Yuuka still said as they moved through the halls, "I have to admit, I did not see that coming. It would seem that our little friends are warming up to Rin quicker than any of us could have anticipated."

"I suppose," Elly said noncommittally.

Yuuka smiled. "Well, if nothing else, it decreases the chances of her turning on us." Then she changed the subject. "Though speaking of duties and what have you, there is something I have been meaning to speak to you about."

Elly looked up, the surly look on her face gone. "Master?"

"You see…Well, it's like this. You remember all those times I've stressed the importance of keeping promises? How, when one's word is given, they are bound by it, regardless of what happens?"

"I…of course!"

Yuuka nodded. "So, tell me: if someone makes a vow, and does everything within their power to fulfill that vow and yet still fails, do they walk away with their honor intact?"

Elly blinked. "I guess so. I mean, they still tried."

"Indeed they did. But what if the opportunity arises much later to make up for their failure, and they do not take it? Ought they not jump at the opportunity to redeem themselves? Isn't letting that moment pass by just as cowardly as never bothering to being with?"

"I-"

They came to a stop at a four-way junction filled with purple dahlias. "You see Elly, a bit back, I made a promise to a certain someone," Yuuka said solemnly. "A very important promise. I put a great deal of theatrics into it and everything. And though I tried my darnedest, my absolutely darnedest, circumstances conspired against me, and I just couldn't live up to my word."

Elly nodded. She had an idea why, even if she wasn't exactly sure which promise Yuuka was talking about.

"And yet," Yuuka sighed. "And yet, since then I've had ample time to correct my error, but still haven't done so. I cannot place the blame on my injuries, as I am certainly well enough for this. And I cannot claim that I have been too busy, because honestly, it would take less than thirty minutes. But I still haven't so much as made the attempt. This is…unacceptable."

"But is it dangerous?" Elly wanted to know. "Because if it's waited this long, surely it will wait until things have cooled down, Master!"

Yuuka smiled at her servant's concern. "Dangerous? Perhaps, though certainly not as much as that ill-advised outing to the Youkai Mountain. However, I am more than confident in my abilities to pull it off with minimal risk."

Elly frowned, clearly in disagreement with what constituted "minimal risk."

Chuckling, Yuuka looped an arm around the girl's shoulders and drew her in close. "Oh, don't be such a worry-wart," Yuuka said, lightly pinching Elly's nose and playfully shaking her head back and forth. "I know what I'm doing. But the reason I'm telling you all this is because I actually need your help."

"My help?" Elly's eyes lit up immediately. "O-of course! With what?"

"With a little project," Yuuka purred as she stroked Elly's golden curls. "Wriggle's little speech just now reminded me of…another errand I need to get around to. Unfortunately, it is not something I can carry out myself. However, you just might be the very person I need."

…

Sorry to anyone who was expecting the cure Mima was talking about to be something more complicated. And believe me, I heard a lot of really impressive theories as to what it would be. But c'mon. Differences in tone and changes in canon aside, this is still a Touhou story. Sometime the solution is going to be something like slap duct tape on it.

And on another note, in a few days I'm going to be bumping the story's rating up to Mature. It's really something I should have done a long time ago, given the language and occasional bouts of extreme violence. But eh, like in all things I procrastinate. So if it doesn't show up in the regular story list, there's the reason.

Until next time, everyone!