Disclaimer: Touhou Project in its entirety belongs to its proper owner(s). I own nothing.

Enjoy.

The sun was starting to set, an orange hue creeping up from the horizon. Orin and Okuu sat on either side of a fire, the popping and cracking of the flames the only sound to be heard in the small clearing. Orin cast her gaze to Okuu, the other youkai staring blankly into the fire, before turning her attention back to the squirrels she had roasting on spits.

It had been several hours since the two of them had fled into the woods following Okuu terrorizing the townsfolk, and not much had been said between them since. Sure, Orin got Okuu to chase her around for a little bit, but it didn't last very long, and soon enough they were walking through the woods. They weren't lost, though. They were actually following a river that led into the wilderness surrounding Youkai Mountain, in the hopes that one of their fellow youkai had seen their master.

Orin tried to strike up a conversation with Okuu several times, talking about the various shops she visited, the products they were selling and the people she met. But the usually talkative youkai was unresponsive for the most part, only giving a few words in reply when prompted. As a result, much of their trek was filled with the sounds of songbirds and rushing water. When she finally suggested they set up camp there were no objections.

The kasha raised her eyes back to the hell raven.

There was no mistaking what it was that plagued Okuu's mind. What transpired back by the lake, although both agreed not to talk about it, was not something that could be easily forgotten. The way she talked, acted, even the very air itself was almost the complete opposite of her normal jovial self.

And the worst thing about it, was that Orin had seen it all before.

…

"Okuu!"

Orin ventured further into the inferno, the flames of hellfire brushing harmlessly against her skin and dress. She looked among the blazing fields, trying to find her friend. It had been three days since she or Miss Satori had seen the hell raven, and although her disappearing without warning wasn't out of the ordinary for Okuu, being gone for this long was unprecedented. Satori scanned the depths of the Hell of Blazing Fires and confirmed that she could sense Okuu down there, but she was too far away to pick up her thoughts, leaving them no choice but to send Orin down to retrieve her.

At least, that was the plan. Orin had rarely ventured into the Hell of Blazing Fires and for good reason, as all around her was nothing but a perpetually burning expanse stretching off farther than her keen eyes could see. The only feature of note was the faintly glowing circle in the ceiling high above that marked the entrance to Former Hell. Even for the natural inhabitants of the Underworld it was a truly desolate place, making Orin wonder how her friend could spend all day down here.

"Okuu!" she called out again. "Okuu where are you?"

Slowly she marched forward, deep into the heart of the fire. By now the flames were reaching past her height, and it was only her inherent infernal nature that allowed Orin to keep from being burnt to a crisp. She squinted through the harsh light. There, up ahead, was a figure hidden amongst the tongues of fire. A figure with wings!

"Okuu!" Orin exclaimed as she sprinted towards the figure. "Thank goodness I finally found you! Miss Satori and I were worried… sick…"

She trailed off as she slowly to a stop. They were only a few meters apart by now so Orin could tell that it was Okuu, but something didn't feel right. Orin felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up as she gazed upon the other youkai.

"O-Okuu…?"

Finally, the hell raven seemed to realize that she was being addressed as she turned her head slightly, Orin taking an unconscious step back as she did so. An overbearing presence emanated from her friend. The closest comparison Orin could think of was when that Yama paid them a visit. Although she was nothing but courteous, Orin could feel an aura of authority washing over her when standing in her presence.

But instead of authority, all Orin could sense from Okuu was power, raw and pure.

Okuu turned her head more until she could see Orin, and she smiled. But it wasn't the cheerful, carefree smile she usually wore when greeting her. No, this smile carried with it an air of… instability. Orin nearly took another step back but caught herself. Something about that smile sent chills down her spine despite the all-encompassing heat.

"Orin…welcome!"

As she turned to face her she lowered her wings, causing Orin to gape wordlessly. Behind her was a vast machine of some sort, unlike anything the kasha had ever seen. Only the contents of Miss Satori's books held anything of comparison to the structure before her. Whatever it was, it wasn't finished, as Orin could see other, lesser hell ravens carrying pieces into place.

"O-Okuu, what is this…?"

"This…" she said, an unusual cadence in her voice. "This is the beginning for us, and the end for everyone else!"

Orin looked back to her friend, horrified by her statement, only to find a large, lidless glowing eye staring right through her.

…

"Need something?"

Orin jumped, not heaving realized how lost in thought she had gotten. She blushed and looked off to the side while fidgeting with one of her braids. Stammering, she did her best to play ignorant.

"W-What are you talking about-"

"You've been staring at me for a while. What, is there something wrong with me?"

As she spoke Okuu never looked away from their campfire, and on further inspection didn't appear to have moved at all, eyes still affixed to the flames.

Then how did she…

Orin looked down.

Okuu's third eye stared right back at her, unblinking.

Right…

She often forgot about Okuu's third eye. It was quite a shock when it first appeared on her chest, not to mention creepy. She and Miss Satori were quite uneasy at first, always feeling like they were being watched even when Okuu was fast asleep, but over time they learned that it was just another part of their dear friend. Okuu even let her touch it once, its surface like smooth glass beneath her fingertips, but she looked very uncomfortable about it. Orin hardly ever thought about it anymore.

"Well?"

Again, Orin jumped, only less so than before.

"It's nothing really. Just… thinking of home."

It wasn't a complete lie, which is probably why the other girl bought it.

"Yeah, me too…"

She slumped her shoulders and let out a heavy sigh. Silence threatened to overtake them once more before Okuu spoke again.

"Orin, what were you feeling when I frightened the humans?"

The kasha did a doubletake, not having expected such a question.

"Um, well, I guess I was scared as well."

"Why?" Okuu finally looked up from the fire, her eyes unreadable. "Why were you frightened, Orin?"

"Because, whenever I met a human before, it was always while I was carting off a corpse. Whenever they catch me they always chase me off with torches and shovels and pitchforks. Sometimes it was only luck that I managed to get away…"

There was a pause as Orin stared off into space, lost in her memories.

"Do you think," Okuu began. "That Miss Satori felt the same way, in all the stories she's told us? About being chased off by angry mobs, who hated her just for existing?"

"I guess so..." Orin furrowed her brows, unsure as to where this conversation was going. She grabbed the roasted squirrels, now thoroughly cooked, and handed one to Okuu.

"Miss Satori's never been to the surface since she came to the Underworld, has she?"

"No, I don't think she has."

"But why!?" she exclaimed, suddenly unfurling her wings and throwing he arms wide. "I mean, there's so much to love up here! The feeling of the sun on your skin, the scent of fresh air, the sound of the wind blowing through the trees! How can she just ignore all this and remain locked up in the Underworld?"

She looked to Orin for answers, and with a heavy sigh she reluctantly gave them to her.

"Because Okuu, the things that happened to her up here, they left an impact on her. Everywhere she went, people despised her. She could hear it in their hearts. No matter how kind they had been before, once the humans realized she was a satori, they would be filled with anger and fear. Anger at having their innermost thoughts laid bare, and fear at having them exposed.

For years that was her life. Constantly on the run from angry mobs who wanted her skin, only to find another mob waiting to be riled up in the next town. It wasn't until she came to the Underworld and claimed the Palace of the Earth Spirits that she was finally able to experience true peace for the first time in her life.

To Miss Satori, the surface world holds nothing but hate and scorn, and the beauty it holds just isn't enough of a reason to endure that all over again."

She sighed again and nibbled at her food.

"Believe me, Okuu, I've thought many times about bringing you and Miss Satori up to the surface for a picnic, or to sleep under the stars. But every time I have those thoughts, I remember the stories we've been told, and I remember the look in her eyes as she told them, and I realize that even if I did get her up here, she probably wouldn't be happy."

Silence fell once more as Okuu processed everything. Orin thought that might've been the end of the conversation before the hell raven spoke again.

"It's not fair."

Okuu kicked another log into the fire, making Orin jump a little.

"It isn't fair," she continued. "That Miss Satori thinks she has to hide underground all the time just to feel safe. Why can't she just use her powers on everyone?"

"Most humans don't have powers she can copy, and I think it'd be hard to use her powers on an entire angry mob while she's scared and running away."

"Well, what about us?" She gestured between them with her control rod. "You're one of the fastest kasha in the Underworld, and there isn't anyone who can stand up to my power! Why should Miss Satori ever have anything to fear when she has us by her side?"

"It's deeper than that, Okuu." Orin explained. "Miss Satori has scars, not physically but mentally. Scars that can't just be overcome by having more power on her side. The most that we can do is to try and bring her happiness as we have been. Isn't that the whole reason we're up here in the first place? To find Miss Koishi and bring her home so we can all be happy together again?"

"I guess…" said Okuu, slumping down again, wings falling to the ground. "It's just, after seeing the surface for myself, I really wish we could get Miss Satori to see it too."

"I know Okuu, but one thing at a time. But right now, we have our own mission to worry about. Now eat, you haven't had anything in a while."

With that Okuu finally started eating her food, quiet, but not as somber as before. Orin considered this an improvement and returned to her own food, hopeful that tomorrow might end on a better note.

Well, this took much longer than I had hoped. I won't make excuses for the delay, only try and get back on track with the next chapter. As always, feel free to leave a review, otherwise thank you for reading and stay turned for more!