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

Enjoy.

Flying was a lot more difficult than Satori remembered it being.

As she never used it around the palace, she was sorely out of practice with maintaining flight, just as with her other powers. And to fly typically required some measure of constant focus, which was very hard to do when her body was in as poor a shape as it was. Because of all this she had no choice but to lean on Koishi as they flew towards the mountains.

Inside her mind her emotions were a complete mess. Anger and worry at what trouble Orin and Okuu had gotten into, joy at finally finding them, trepidation at coming face to face with them, all mixed with the everlasting guilt she had from having driven them away in the first place. All of these emotions swirled inside her head, and had it not been for the fact that Koishi was right there beside her, unknowingly providing her greatly valued emotional support, Satori wasn't even sure she would have the nerve to face them in the first place.

It wasn't hard to find their destination. A vast cloud of dirt and dust filled the air over a distant valley, and as they flew along Satori would occasionally pick up stray thoughts from animals and youkai down below warning of a battle in the mountains, confirming that they were on the right path.

She had asked Koishi for more details on what exactly she saw, only to be reminded on how scatterbrained she had become in matters not relating to Satori and their pets. Even so, she fixated on the one thing Koishi did mention originally.

A giant oni.

There was no way it could be true. Only a day or so after Satori had met and sparred with one of the famed Devas of the Mountain, she's hearing that Okuu had fought with another of them? The odds of such a thing happening seemed astronomical to Satori, yet there was only one known being in Gensokyo with the power to change size, and only one other who could be described as a sun when in combat.

The thought of her friends getting caught up in a fight with Suika Ibuki filled her with fear, but Satori bit it down. Okuu was as strong as a star, literally, and Orin was her equal in speed. She had to remind herself that if anyone could survive an encounter with the legendary oni, it was them.

An explosion from up ahead suddenly rocked the forest, tearing Satori from her thought. She looked up and just barely reacted in time to shield Koishi with her body before the oncoming shockwave hit them. Thankfully it wasn't too strong with the distance they were at, but it still knocked them from the sky, sending them hurtling through the trees. With Satori having protected her from the blast Koishi was able to catch herself before they hit the ground, setting down softly on the forest floor.

"You okay Koishi?" Satori asked, looking over her little sister.

"I'm fine!"

"Good." Satori sigh, giving a soft smile. "We should be close, let's go on foot from here."

"Okay!"

With joined hands they ran towards the crater, Satori's heart beating faster with every step they took. As they approached the tree line she could make out Okuu in the distance, helping Orin get to her feet. Her voice nearly caught in her throat, but Satori powered through it and called out to them.

"Orin! Okuu!"

The pair froze when they heard her, unable to believe their eyes as they say their master running to them. That disbelief only increased as they saw Koishi, the very one they had set out to find, running right alongside her. They remained standing there, to shocked to react, as the two satori neared them.

"Orin, Okuu, thank goodness you're both okay." Satori gasped, having to rest her hands on her knees as she gulped for air.

"M-Miss Satori!" Orin exclaimed. "What are you doing on the surface? And with Miss Koishi too!"

Satori was about to respond when she caught herself. Now that she could see that they were okay the worry she held faded, replaced by the guilt that had been clinging to her for days. She looked to Orin, then Okuu, then back to Orin. The only thoughts they held was utter shock at seeing both their masters before them, and their faces only mirrored what it was they were thinking.

Satori dropped her head.

"Miss Satori?"

What was she to say? What could she say? Here they were, her two dearest friends, the ones she drove away in her negligence and set out to find, to apologize to, finally before her. This was the moment she had been preparing for, to face them again, but now that she was here, she found her words failing her. Her legs suddenly became weak, sending Satori to her knees.

"Miss Satori?!"

The kasha and hell raven made to approach her, only to stop as she spoke in a shaky voice.

"I'm sorry…"

Nobody spoke as she took a breath.

"Orin, Okuu, I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry…"

"Miss Satori…"

Orin got down on her knees, concern etched in her voice, but so great was her master's anguish that she failed to notice the confusion in her tone, her thoughts blocked from her mind as Satori's mental defenses went up.

"I see now," Satori continued. "I see what it was I did wrong. What it was that drove you away. I shouldn't have shut you out, I shouldn't have taken you both for granted. If only I had accepted your kindness, then maybe it wouldn't have come to this. But it did, and now all I can do is beg your forgiveness."

She bowed her head lower, tears dripping onto the ground. Behind her Koishi dropped to her knees and wrapped her arms around her sister, trying to provide what comfort she could. Orin looked to Okuu, the hell raven standing there with her wings dragging the ground, just as lost as she was. Orin turned back to her master.

"Satori," she spoke, for once dropping formalities. "What is it that you think you did?"

She lifted her head, her face a tear-stained mess, looking to the kasha with her own look of confusion.

"I drove you away," she stated as if it were obvious. "You tried to help me, both of you, but I did nothing but ignore you. I wore your patience thin, until it ran out. So you left."

Orin processed her words, and after a moment it clicked, her eyes going wide.

They never told Satori about their plan.

They didn't even leave so much as a note that they were taking a trip to the surface and wouldn't be back for some time.

To Satori, she just woke up and they were gone.

Without warning Orin threw her arms around Satori, startling her master.

"I'm so sorry, Miss Satori! Please forgive us!"

"Wha- Orin, what are you saying?! I'm the one who drove you away!"

"No, it's not like that!"

Orin leaned back, tears in her own eyes.

"We didn't leave you! We came up to the surface to find Miss Koishi!"

"Koishi? What do you mean?"

Orin sniffled as she launched into her story.

"Okuu and I knew the only way you would get better would be if Miss Koishi returned to us. So we set out to find her, but we wanted to keep it a secret from you, which is why we left in the middle of the night. We should've left a note, a message, something to let you know we'd be back. Please, forgive us!"

Orin was crying freely now, while Satori could only look at her in shock.

"You… you didn't leave me?"

"Of course we wouldn't! We love you, Miss Satori! While would we ever leave you?"

This time it was Orin who hung her head, only to find herself being pulled into Satori's grasp.

"It's okay Orin," she said, hugging her tightly. "It's okay, I'm not mad, not at all."

Even though tears still flowed down her cheeks, a gentle smile rested upon Satori's face. She could feel that dark cloud that had been hanging on her for so long dissipate as a sense of warmth she hadn't felt in ages returned to her. She stoked Orin's head as she sobbed into her shoulder.

Her friends had not abandoned her.

Koishi was with her once again.

For the first time in decades, her family was whole again.

She turned her eyes to Okuu, who had remained rooted to where she stood, staring at her forlornly. Tears did not run down her face, but steam trailed up from the corner of her eyes as they evaporated instantly. Satori held out her arm, inviting her into the group hug, but Okuu didn't react. She wanted to, but something had caught her eye that made her pause. Satori heard her thought and looked down at herself.

"Oh, don't worry about this Okuu. I just had a few… minor mishaps these past few days."

At this Orin pulled back from the mind reader, sniffling and wiping her eyes, and gave her a quick look over.

"Minor mishaps? Miss Satori, what happened to you? You look like you've been caught in a landslide!"

It was true, the events of her journey were evident with a quick glance at her person. Her dress had numerous dirt and grass stains as well as tears, her hair was a disheveled mess, and a few bruises could be seen on her arms, half-hidden under her sleeves. Despite Orin's worried gaze, and Okuu's impassive one, Satori tried to play down what she had been through.

"It's nothing really. I just got caught up in a little fight is all…"

"A fight!" Koishi exclaimed, jumping around her sister's side. "You didn't tell me you got in a fight! Did you win?"

"I-It's not like that Koishi, really."

"Oh. But didn't you mention something else? Something about humans?"

"Humans?!" Orin repeated, alarmed.

"Well, yes, but don't worry, they didn't hurt me. I was able to outrun them…"

Satori continued on, telling them about her encounter with the humans earlier that day while doing her best to keep them from getting to upset.

But for Okuu, it all fell on deaf ears.

Within her mind, all that she had heard was swirling around at the forefront of her consciousness.

We hurt Miss Satori.

She thought we abandoned her.

She came for us but was hurt even more.

Because of us she ran into the humans.

Then the humans tried to hurt her.

She paused. Her conversation with Orin came back to her.

The humans.

They've always hated her.

They despised her, attacked her, scarred her.

Humans are the ones who drove her underground.

Drove her into solitude…

She looked to her younger master, seeing the blank smile etched into her face.

They're the reason Miss Koishi shut her eye.

So she would no longer be hated.

Even if it hurt Miss Satori.

She clenched her fist. Her eyes hardened.

Because of humans, Miss Koishi maimed herself.

Because of humans, Miss Satori began falling apart.

Because of humans, our family was destroyed.

She began to tremble. Satori abruptly halted her story as a sudden deluge of negative thoughts assaulted her, clasping her head in her hands. Koishi was by her side in an instant, but Orin paused, ice filling her veins and hackles rising as she felt a familiar sensation in the air.

"Okuu…"

The hell raven didn't hear her, however, and as the power built within her only one thought coursed through her head.

One single, malicious thought.

It's all the fault of humans!

Light illuminated the crater as her wings turned golden, and with a single flap she rocketed high into the sky, eyes fixated on the horizon where the village stood.

And they will pay!

The end is almost here! I hope you enjoyed. Feel free to leave a review, otherwise thank you for reading and stay turned for more!