"Can I have some time to think about it?" I asked after taking a moment to consider the offer. Suika had plopped back down at the kotatsu once it was established we weren't leaving yet. Ran was… somewhere. It was a good offer, all things told. In one fell swoop, Yukari had managed to offer a solution to all my immediate problems at absolutely no cost to myself. That's exactly why I decided to hold off on making a decision. You would have to be an idiot of monumental proportions to accept a deal from someone you just met without even knowing the costs upfront. Another gap opened in front of my face, followed by Yukari sticking her head out upside down and looking me in the eyes with a hurt expression.

"A-Are you saying you don't trust me?" Her voice wobbled and tears threatened to spill from the corners of her eyes.

"Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying. What kind of idiot trusts someone after an hour?" She continued staring at me with teary eyes for a moment longer, then pouted and slipped back into the gap, reappearing under the kotatsu.

"You don't have to be such a killjoy about it. It wouldn't kill you to play along a little." She folded her arms and looked away from me, wearing the kind of face you'd see on a child throwing a tantrum rather than a grown woman.

"I'm not entirely convinced about that honestly." I muttered under my breath, "It's not like I have anything against you, but can you blame me? I just met you, and here you are offering me a solution to all my problems. It's too convenient." I might believe that truly nice girls actually exist, but there is no such thing as a convenient girl. Source: me. Yukari's pout turned thoughtful at that.

"I see… I've been approaching this all wrong, haven't I? A hideous creature such as yourself would be more used to cruelty than kindness. It's no wonder you're so cautious when confronted with such unfamiliar good will." As always, the worst part about Yukari's insults is that they contain a grain of truth. "No matter. Feel free to think on it as long as you like. The offer will remain open so long as you don't manage to die along the way… Maybe even after that." She gave me an overly cutesy wink that raised the hairs on my arms. It would seem that even death might not be enough to escape this woman. "That being the case, you will have to stay somewhere for the time being. I suppose I can drop you off at the human village. I'm sure they would be willing to-" She began to roll her eyes, but aborted the movement when she saw my expression. "My~ that's quite the face you're making!" Her smile reminded me of a predator cornering its prey. She hadn't phrased it as a question, but I heard it all the same. No getting out of this one.

"I tried going there. They wouldn't let me in because they thought I was a youkai in disguise." I muttered quickly. As expected, Yukari's face contorted strangely as she tried to hold back her laughter. Personally, I would have preferred if she just laughed in my face instead. "That being said, I'm not entirely sure if I prefer your company to theirs." That was a lie. I think I genuinely hate those people. Yukari didn't need to know that, though. Yukari's stifled laughter cut off into a theatrical gasp.

"You can't mean that! How could you forsake your fellow youkai for human company?!" I did my absolute best to project a 'done with this' aura into my stare. It wasn't hard to do. Yukari seemed to take the hint. "Oh fine, I'll behave." I didn't believe that for a second. "That said, you sure do love bringing up complications, don't you?" I raised an eyebrow at that, "What exactly am I supposed to do with you? I could put you to work at the scarlet devil mansion, but the last thing I want is to owe that brat a favor." She mumbled a few more options under her breath that I either couldn't make out or that didn't make much sense to me. I was beginning to feel a bit uncomfortable about all this.

"Why are you doing all this?" She looked at me, "I mean, whatever happens to me has nothing to do with you. Why should you care if I get myself killed out there?" She gave an understanding hum.

"Well~, who can say?" You. You can say. "Is it truly so surprising that I simply want to make sure an interesting Outsider lives past their incredibly low life expectancy? It costs me almost nothing to keep you alive, so why not do so?" She stated matter-of-factly. It didn't seem like she was lying, but it also didn't feel like the whole truth. No, there was definitely more to it than that. Perhaps a compromise?

"…I suppose I could stay here. Until I find some better arrangements, that is." Yukari looked amused at that.

"How kind of you to accept my charity." I suppose I had that one coming. "Wonderful! In that case, please prepare one of the guest rooms, Ran." Yukari spoke over my shoulder.

"Already done, Yukari-sama." Ran's voice droned from behind me. Holy crap, how long has she been standing behind me?

"Well done. In that case, I must be off now. It would seem I have some business with a certain shrine maiden." She said as a gap opened next to her.

"Oh! If you're heading to Reimu's place, then drop me off there too." Suika chimed in before Yukari made it through the gap. She was being so quiet that I had forgotten she was there at all. "I'll drop by later, Hachiman. I'll give you the grand tour!" The grand tour of what exactly went unsaid, as she and Yukari vanished from the room. After a moment of awkward silence, Ran bade me to follow her down the hall. That's how I found myself in a large but plain looking guest room. It seemed strange to have nothing but a futon in a room this large, but I supposed Ran just set up an unused room for me. Not that I was complaining. I didn't need anything more than a futon anyways. At least it had a window.

"Feel free to rest here as long as you would like. If you need anything, simply come find me." Without clarifying where I could find her, she slid the door shut behind her and strode off down the hallway. Shrugging, I turned away from the door and inserted myself into the futon. After the day I'd had, a good night's rest would do me some good. I doubted it would even take long to fall asleep. With that in mind, I closed my eyes and waited for sleep to claim me.

It was much later that I found myself faced with the realization that sleep wasn't in the cards for me. Despite trying to fall asleep, the most I had accomplished was staring at the back of my eyelids for several hours. In spite of that, I felt no more tired than I did when I started. The pulsing headache had eventually faded into a mild humming in my brain, but it was still noticeable enough for me to realize that my ability was at work on something. It would seem that I rejected sleep without even trying to. Sighing, I gave up and got out of bed in the hopes of finding something that would make for a better use of my time, but I hesitated upon reaching the doorway. There had only been a normal hallway outside the door when I came here, but that was when Ran was with me. Would I become the next Suika by trying to navigate this place on my own? No, of course not. Suika has the ability to break things and be a general nuisance until someone comes to fetch her. I would simply quietly starve until I'm found, dead or alive. No, that option was out. I didn't feel like taking my chances there. My eyes slid smoothly over to the window at the far side of the room. That, however…

My plan of action decided, I strode towards the window and drew the curtains open. Fortunately, I was not greeted with the same endless black void that I saw when staring out the front door. After opening the window, I found myself admiring a pleasant yard of green grass, lit up with sunlight despite there being no visible sun in the cloudless blue sky. The air was crisp and fresh, despite there being no breeze. Leaning my head out and looking back confirmed my thoughts on this being a traditional Japanese mansion, since I was unable to see the outside of this building when I first arrived. Seeing nothing immediately wrong with my plan, I hopped on the windowsill and slid out into the yard, stumbling slightly as I landed feet first on the grass. Before I could decide where to walk, a familiar voice from my right caught me by surprise. I've really got to see about putting a bell on her.

"Good morning, Hachiman. Did you sleep well?" Ran was turned away from me, focused on calmly taking laundry from a basket by her feet and hanging them up to dry on laundry poles as her tails lazily swayed behind her. Seeing as I am a perfect gentleman, I did not gawk at the various unmentionables hanging from the lines. That being said, it was rather obvious which ones belonged to Yukari. "You're not being held against your will, you know. Nobody would stop you from leaving." She spoke in the same tone of professionalism that I had come to associate her with by now, but this time there was a hint of teasing in her tone. My brow furrowed in confusion before I realized she was referring to escaping from the window.

"Well excuse me for not wanting to get lost in your creepy house." Wow, smooth Hachiman. You don't sound defensive at all. "It was just… easier to go through the window?" When I said it out loud, even I thought I sounded dumb. My comment provoked a quiet chuckle from Ran.

"You seem unsure of that." She spoke again, this time with amusement clear in her tone. Great, even Ran was bullying me now. As I thought, Chen was the only good thing about this place.

"That's good, because there's a lot I'm unsure about right now." I lamely joked. Ran was polite enough to laugh regardless. "Honestly though, I just didn't feel like hanging around your guest room anymore. I wasn't having any luck sleeping, and eventually I just couldn't lie still anymore. Hopefully some fresh air will do me some good, but I doubt it." Amusement was replaced by concern on Ran's face as she turned her head to look at me.

"Oh? Would you like me to heat up some tea for you? It might help you to relax." She offered kindly, "I understand how you might have trouble resting in an unfamiliar place. If there's anything I can do, please let me know." I take it all back, Ran. You and Chen are both wonderful angels. Pity about your master though. Regardless, I was feeling a bit embarrassed now.

"N-No, that's alright. I know I said I came here for some fresh air and all, but I don't think I can sleep." I placed heavy emphasis on the word 'can'. Her eyes lit up in realization.

"I see." She seemed troubled as she returned to her task, "Well, if that's what you believe, then I suppose you're correct. In that case, did you have any plans for today?" She asked while hanging the last of the laundry up to dry. I shook my head. Suika said she would drop by 'later', but she never actually specified when that would be. Ran stood straight and faced me fully for the first time this conversation. "In that case, this is an excellent time to begin your training." Ran was back in professional mode. I was having trouble pinning down her personality with how inconsistently she was behaving towards me. Before I could ponder that further, my mind caught up to what she said.

"Shouldn't you wait on that?" I asked, "I haven't even decided if I'm going to accept Yukari's offer." I didn't feel comfortable taking advantage of Ran like that, regardless of how beneficial such an arrangement was to me. Ran's formerly professional expression shifted once more, this time turning a bit wry.

"Whether you accept it or not, Yukari-sama is already involved in your situation. That means I will inevitably be dragged into this as well. This may be your first time getting roped into one of her schemes, but I'm fairly experienced at this point. I have learned that it's best to get a head start on these sorts of things before they can truly become a mess." She explained.

"Ah, I see. By working a little now, you hope to do less work overall." I nodded wisely. I can certainly respect that, even if I was just messing with her. Ran frowned at my words.

"I prefer 'A stitch in time saves nine', if you would." She narrowed her eyes at me, "Please refrain from saying things like that around Chen. She's at an impressionable age, and she's already shown an unfortunate willingness to emulate you." She lectured in a matter-of-fact tone. Of course, I wasn't going to miss my chance to take revenge for her earlier teasing.

"Iyaa~ I'm flattered, but that's a bit embarrassing." I spoke in a complete monotone. Her glare sharpened, clearly offended despite realizing I was joking around.

"That was not a compliment and you know it." She sighed and visibly sagged in defeat, "Oh whatever. Please follow me." She set off without waiting for a response once again, and I was careful to stay close behind. Just because we were outside didn't mean it operated on different rules than the hallways. Moments later, we arrived in a clearing that was similar to the rest of the yard, with the only difference being that there were no obstacles in the area. "Now then, here is the first rule of my lessons. Any practice will be conducted here, or in a similarly open and empty area. Am I clear?" She asked me with no nonsense in her tone.

"Crystal." I affirmed with an appropriate level of seriousness. The time for friendly banter had passed.

"Good." She nodded with a satisfied expression, "This particular lesson will not require the use of this area, but it is important that we build good habits. I expect you to adhere to this rule even if you choose to ignore everything else I say." Why on earth would I ignore an explanation on magic? Middle school Hachiman would kill to be here. Be still, my repressed chuunibyou heart. "Now then, normally we would begin with the theory behind flight or danmaku as an introductory course into your magical education but considering your situation it would be best to start with general magical theory as well as establishing some basic precautions for you to follow from here on out."

"Understood." I supposed that was fair. Better to make sure I don't get myself or someone else killed, despite how much the idea of flight appealed to me. I waited patiently as Ran took a moment to decide where to begin her lecture.

"…Right. It's skipping ahead a bit, but let us start with belief, seeing as you are experiencing its effects firsthand already." I raised my eyebrow at that statement, but she didn't bother to acknowledge my unasked question and simply continued uninterrupted with her exposition. "There are a vast number of components required for different spells, but belief is a universal requirement of any and all magic. It is also the most powerful factor." She raised her palm up and willed a pale-yellow orb into creation just above the skin. "For example, this simple projectile. Using the spell card rules, belief is the only other thing required for it to form. Anyone in Gensokyo can produce these, so long as they believe themselves capable of doing so. In a similar vein, if I believed that I was only capable of creating it to a certain degree," The orb shrank in size and reduced in brilliance, "then that would become reality. Conversely, if I believed I was capable of making it stronger…" The orb grew three times its size and shone so brightly that it hurt my eyes to look directly at. "Then this will also become the truth." Feeling her point was made, Ran dropped her hand back to her side, allowing the orb to dissipate harmlessly. "As I've said, there are more components to magic than solely belief. Eventually, there will come a point where simple belief will bring diminishing returns, and other methods will be required to continue increasing the strength of a spell." I nodded at that, lost in thought. She was glossing over more than a few details, but the parts she did explain made a certain degree of sense.

"I suppose it would be too easy otherwise." I mumbled to myself. Not that I truly believed that aspect was easy. Even when faced with magic right in front of me, a small but persistent voice in my head denied the possibility of casting magic simply by 'believing in yourself.' I assumed that I would need to overcome that voice if I wanted to imitate Ran's trick, which is far easier said than done. That brought up a good point, though. "When you said that I was correct earlier about not being able to sleep…" I trailed off at the realization and Ran nodded in confirmation.

"Yes, that's right. For many, belief would not be enough to remove the need for sleep. With an ability like yours however, it's likely that believing it was hampering your sleep was enough to make it true, regardless of whether or not it was actually doing so before that point. Hmm, how to explain this…" She tilted her head back thoughtfully, "Ah, how about… Tell me, are you at all familiar with Schrodinger's cat?" She asked without looking at me, still looking up in thought.

"Yes…" I hesitantly responded. As an avid light novel reader, this was a trope I had come across plenty of times. 'Schrodinger's cat' being brought up in a light novel was always a glaring red flag that the author was about to make some shit up about quantum physics to make their boring plot seem smart. Ran seemed to notice my wariness and chuckled lightly.

"Not to worry, this has nothing to do with quantum mechanics. It's simply a useful metaphor in this scenario. There are several possible explanations for your inability to sleep. Perhaps it's the unfamiliar environment, or perhaps you simply had too much on your mind… And yet, you convinced yourself that your ability was acting up. I understand that you aren't to blame, but you have to understand how dangerous a mindset like this can be. Not only is your belief now directed towards 'My ability is making it so I can't sleep', it is also directed towards 'I am not in control of my ability.' That single belief will allow your ability to cause more issues, further reinforcing the idea that you are not in control, causing more issues to crop up." I gulped nervously.

"I'm beginning to see the problem here, I think. I'm stuck in a vicious circle." It was one thing for someone to tell me my ability was putting me in danger, but it was another thing entirely to hear exactly how it was happening. It was even worse knowing that it would likely continue to happen for the foreseeable future. This brought up an interesting idea, however. "Let's say, hypothetically, I fully convinced myself with the belief of 'I'm not capable of sending myself to Gensokyo.' Would that be enough to let me go home and stay there?" Regardless of the question, I didn't let myself get my hopes up in the slightest. There's no chance it could be that easy after all this fuss. Confirming my thoughts, Ran shook her head.

"Unfortunately not. When I say 'belief', that encompasses more than just your own belief. It also involves the belief of everyone else in Gensokyo. Beyond that, it applies to more than the simple belief of individuals." Ran smiled reassuringly at my lost expression, "My apologies, I'm getting ahead of myself. For now, please take my word that 'Hikigaya Hachiman sent himself to Gensokyo' is already an established fact, and nothing can change that. Yukari-sama was right when she said that if it has happened once, then it will happen again. My plan is not to prevent you from coming to Gensokyo, but to make sure it does not happen against your wishes. To do that, you will need to establish control of your ability." I smiled slightly at that.

"Hm, that'd be pretty nice. I wouldn't mind being able to-" I abruptly cut myself off as Ran sharply glared at me.

"This is very serious, Hachiman. I don't think you are the type to treat this as a game, but this is something that needs to be said. You are not the first to suddenly develop a powerful ability you were unprepared for, and you would not be the first to lose yourself completely to it. For every individual that manages to gain control of their power without severe consequences, there are hundreds more that live on as nothing more than a cautionary tale. I will do everything in my power to prevent you from meeting an unfortunate fate, but that will mean nothing if you do not do the same." After she finished speaking, she stared me down until I responded.

"I-" I choked, "I see…" And I did see. Despite the harshness of her words, I had a feeling that she was still softening the blow. I had a bad feeling about the specifics of those 'cautionary tales' she mentioned. The seriousness on Ran's face melted away along with the tension in the air.

"Good. So long as you are taking this seriously, I would not worry overly much at this point. Simply apply yourself, and I will do what I can to keep you from making any irreversible mistakes." Her smile was gentle, but it was backed by a resolute look in her eyes. Woah, my heart skipped a beat! What's with this pretty boy persona? I think I finally had a handle on Ran's personality after this conversation, though. Any further discussion was halted by the familiar sounds of property damage in the distance. Ran's shoulders slumped in resignation. "Well, Suika is here. I suppose I should escort her here. Again." She looked apologetically at me, "My apologies. I had a bit more I wanted to cover, but this is a good stopping point for today. Think carefully on what we've discussed for now and we'll pick up from here next time." Fine with me. There was a lot to consider about all this.

"If anything, I should apologize. I'm pretty sure she's here for me. Something about a grand tour? She didn't actually specify when that was happening." I honestly should have seen this coming.

"Yes, that certainly does sound like her." She seemed to deliberate on it for a moment and then nodded, "I suppose there's no harm. I can hardly think of a better protector than an oni, and Suika seems rather fond of you. I will have to have a few words with her, though." Why do I feel like a child that just received permission from a worried parent? This is a new feeling for me. "Follow me, then. I'll drop you off at the front door before I collect Suika." Once again, Ran turned and began walking without waiting for a response. This behavior originally had me peg her as distant, but I was beginning to think she was just awkward.

"Right." I followed her towards the house. I stuck close behind her, of course. Ran seemed to be lost in thought, so I left her to it. Meanwhile, my eyes were constantly drawn to her numerous tails. Did this count as staring at her butt? I really hope not. Despite not walking through a doorway or even being near the house, I suddenly found myself in the same entrance that I came through yesterday. This once again confirmed that understanding how this house works was still beyond me.

"Wait right here. I'll be back in just a moment." I nodded and moved closer to the door. Ran took a moment to steel herself and then walked off with her shoulders squared in the direction of the tremors. God speed, Ran. While waiting for her to return, I heard a shuffling noise behind me from the front door. After turning around, I found myself face-to-face with Chen doing her best to sneak quietly into the house with a suspicious moving bulge in her shirt. She froze when she saw me look in her direction. After a few seconds of stunned staring at each other, the tell-tale cries of a cat came through her shirt. Chen began to sweat nervously. She steadfastly refused to meet my gaze. Coming to a decision, I looked off to the side at nothing in particular.

"Man, I wonder what Chen has been up to today." I spoke in an exaggeratedly loud and monotone voice, "I haven't seen her all morning! Oh well, I guess I'll just have to look for her later. If anyone asks, I'll tell them I haven't seen her at all." I sighed and shrugged in a 'Well, what can you do?' manner. From the corner of my eye, I saw Chen's face light up in a smile that brought joy to my cold shriveled heart, shortly before she scampered off to parts unknown deeper in the house. Barely a few seconds later, Ran turned the corner with Suika held by the scruff of her neck like an unruly kitten. Suika didn't seem to mind in the slightest, but she visibly perked up when she caught sight of me.

"Hachiman!" Hai, Hachiman desu. She hopped out of Ran's grasp and leapt on top of my shoulders, nearly sending me to the ground. "Onwards trusty steed!" She pointed towards the door. Without looking, I could hear her taking a long drink from her gourd. The look Ran gave me as I left was filled with an incredibly pitying sort understanding. Please don't look at me like that, Ran. I might cry. While walking towards the door, I did my best to shake Suika off with nothing to show for my efforts. With great sadness, I resigned myself to my fate. At least she wasn't that heavy. The chains slapping against my back with each step were already getting annoying though. Before we made it through the door, Ran called out to me.

"If you get the chance, try to consciously use your ability. Nothing big, though! Try to focus it towards small tasks with no consequences for failure. The more practice you get earlier on, the easier it will be for you down the road." I nodded thoughtfully at that. At the very least, I could come up with some ideas while we were walking. Ran seemed satisfied with that as she turned and walked away without another word. That left me alone with Suika once more.

"So, how do we get to the shrine?" I asked. Why was I the one carrying around my 'tour guide' anyways? Shouldn't this be the other way around? Suika hummed and I felt a faint jostling from my shoulders that I could only assume was her shrugging. "Please use your words, Suika." Also your legs, while we're at it.

"I dunno yet! Depends where we end up, I guess." She stated.

"'End up?' What are you-" As I walked through the door, I found myself surrounded by trees on every side, rather than the stretch of dilapidated houses I had expected to see. Near my foot there was an incandescent mushroom twinkling away. "Oh god damn it, we're back in the forest again!" I complained.

"Hey, that's great!" Suika chirped, "Reimu lives near the forest! This won't take long at all!" That's some good news, I suppose. I wasn't feeling too keen on the idea of walking through the forest again, but I could handle it if I was only walking for a short while.

"Fine, fine. Just tell me where to go then." There was a long moment of silence. "Suika?" The silence continued. Horror dawned on me as I realized what was going on. "You don't know how to get there from here, do you?" I accused.

"Ahaha! I have no idea!"

"For the last time, no, I'm not drinking! Stop asking!" I snapped at Suika. I could feel the full force of her pout from my shoulders. Yeah, join the club! I'm not exactly thrilled with this situation either! I had been walking for ages and no matter how much I complained, she adamantly refused to walk on her own. "Pouting doesn't work when I can't even see your face, you know." Unsaid was that it wouldn't have worked regardless. Sorry Suika, appearance of a cute young girl you may have, but you don't trip any of my older brother instincts. Only Komachi has that power, along with Isshiki during my moments of weakness.

"Hmph!" Oh ho, so now it's the cold shoulder treatment? Sorry for your luck, but thanks to you I can't feel my shoulders. Your attack is ineffective! For a while we simply walked in silence. Suika, because she was pretending to hold a grudge. Myself, because I was trying not to think about the scary shit people kept saying about this forest. "Hey, Hachiman." She spoke up after a while. The words were spoken casually, but there was an undertone of seriousness that caused me to take it seriously as well. "How are you holding up? Honestly." 'Honestly', huh?

"Honestly? I'm not really sure." I frowned, "All this… Magic stuff, it's… There's just a lot. I'm a little overwhelmed by it all. I'm worried about my sister and my… clubmates." I finished lamely.

"Hmm… Komachi, Yuigahama, and Yukinoshita, right?" She casually stated those words, but I froze in my tracks. She continued on in spite of my shock. "What about those other people? Isshiki, Zaimokuza, Totsuka, Kawa… Kawa… um, Kawashima…?" I can't believe you forgot Kawazuki's name! More importantly…

"Where did you hear those names?" I questioned. So help me, if I have to add mind reading to the list of magical bullshit I have to deal with in Gensokyo, I'm going to be very upset. A loud sigh was the answer I received.

"Ugh, I heard it from you, you freaking lightweight." She punctuated the syllables in the word 'lightweight' with hard pokes to my head. Please be gentler, Suika. My sister says that my brains are my only redeeming quality. "Did you really forget our entire conversation?" She sounded genuinely sad at that. I felt a bit guilty, even though it wasn't really my fault.

"Not all of it." I clarified, "Everything gets fuzzy after I, uh… threw up on the ground." Suika was quiet for a while, then she laughed and spoke up wryly.

"You're gonna have to be more specific than that." She drawled, sounding a bit cheerier than before.

"It was right when you left to steal food from Mystia." I felt like I was on the brink of remembering what happened, but it just wasn't quite there. I kept walking, but my thoughts lingered on that feeling. I was sick and tired of not knowing what had happened. I pushed a bit harder on that feeling, and was surprised when a snippet of our conversation came back to me.

"…and they looked at me all shy and blushing and said 'Actually, I'm a guy.'"

"Pffft are you serious?!"

"Yes! Honestly though, he's so cute that sometimes I don't think I'd mind…"

…

…

Oh god, just what did I tell her?

"Oh! That's good, then!" Suika pat my head roughly while laughing happily, "All we did after that was swap stories about ourselves. You already know all that stuff about yourself, so nothing lost there, and I don't mind telling you my stories again." How magnanimous, Suika-sama. Can we go back to what I talked about, though? I need to decide the appropriate amount of shame to feel here. As I thought that, another memory came back unbidden to me.

"…turns out one of her friends was listening outside the class. Things after that were… bad."

"Those dicks! Who makes fun of someone for confessing?!"

"Nah. 's my fault. I was an idiot for thinking she felt the same. She was just being nice."

"…Hachiman, that's not…"

…

…

"Oh god, I told you everything about me." I whispered in horrified awe. If I told her about that, then clearly there was nothing I held back from her. I took a moment to check my surroundings in the hopes there was a youkai available and ready to kill me. No such luck, unfortunately. Maybe I could trick Suika into snapping my neck…

"What are ya getting flustered over?" Suika whined, "What's there to be embarrassed about?! We got to know each other, just like I wanted!" She laughed and then began ferociously ruffling my hair, "Just like we wanted, I should say. Sucks you forgot so much, but we'll figure out the rest later." If a god exists in Gensokyo, please strike me down where I stand. "Don't you worry about a thing. I'll toughen you up while you're here, so you won't have to worry about any of that bullying stuff again once you go back." I stopped in the middle of the clearing of trees we were currently walking through. I couldn't let that comment slide.

"I wasn't bullied." I stated, "It's only bullying if both the aggressors and the victim treat it as such. I don't acknowledge it, so it wasn't bullying." I continued walking after saying my piece. After a moment of stunned silence from Suika, she laughed uproariously and slapped her hand on my shoulder that I still couldn't feel.

"Ahaha! What's with that messed up logic?" She wiped a tear from her eye. "No wonder Yukarin likes you so much. That's the kind of twisted stuff she would say." My face screwed up in disgust at being compared to her, before I processed what she said.

"Is that really the case? Don't get me wrong, she's been suspiciously helpful, but she hasn't exactly been trying too hard to make a good impression on me." Granted, her words were still less cutting than Yukinoshita's. For now, anyways. The last thing I want is for her to step up her game once she learns that I'm already used to it.

"Ahh, well, I guess I can see why you'd think that. Yukarin isn't too good at the whole 'first impressions' thing. You two are a lot alike, actually." Excuse you, my first impressions are a perfect representation of what any meeting with me is like! I opened my mouth in outrage at her comparison between us, but she just laughed and talked over me. "Yeah yeah, let me guess, 'I'm nothing like her!' is what you're gonna say. Yukarin would probably say the same thing, but she'd sneak in a few insults." Well, she's got me there. That aside, though…

"What do you think I should do?" I asked. Suika just hummed questioningly, so I elaborated. "About Yukari's offer, I mean. It seems like it would solve all my problems, but I don't really know her well enough to trust her." Oddly enough, I trusted Suika despite only knowing her a little longer. At the very least, I trusted her not to lie to me.

"Hmm, I see the problem. You think it sounds too convenient to be true." It wasn't a question.

"Pretty much. She's obviously working some kind of scheme here, I just can't see what she stands to gain from all of this. There are too many things I don't understand about… everything." I gestured vaguely with my hand, "It would be too easy for her or anyone else to play on my ignorance here. Any idiot could figure out that this is a prime opportunity for manipulating a naïve idiot."

"Wow, no shame at all." Of course not. I understand myself better than anyone, after all. "I get where you're coming from, but I don't think you have too much to worry about. Yukarin and me go waaay back. What you have to keep in mind is that actions speak louder than words when it comes to her, so don't focus so much on what she says." Don't worry, I was already planning to ignore most of what Yukari says to me. "She's definitely gonna mess with you, but what you gotta understand is- " Before she could keep going, a flash of blue whizzed inches away from my feet and left a small crater in the ground. "Oh great, fairies..." Suika groaned. All I could do was stare at the crater and wonder how this hellish forest was going to top itself this time. I received an answer in the form of several tiny winged girls swooping out of the trees while joyfully laughing. Right, fairies. Guess this one was self-explanatory.

"Fwahaha! Foolish human! You dare trespass in our territory? Turn back now or face the wrath of…" Her arrogant posture seemed to deflate into sheer curiosity. "What are you doing?" She asked in awe with widened eyes. Behind her, more than a dozen other fairies were doing the same. I simply stared back in confusion, but Suika seemed to understand something I missed. A feeling of dread formed in my gut as Suika mockingly laughed with exaggerated arrogance.

"Isn't it obvious, fairy?" The lead fairy flinched and physically recoiled from her remark. "We've combined our strength! Separate, we are mighty. But together, we will reach greater heights than you could even imagine! 'Turn back or face your wrath?' Hah! Do you honestly think yourself a match for our combined might? It is you who are outmatched! Flee now while we're still feeling generous!" How can you say those things without writhing in embarrassment, Suika? It seems I was underestimating your true strength all along. The fairies began to murmur among each other and edge away into the tree line, but the lead fairy spoke once more and kept them from running away.

"H-Hmph. Of course I can." Her words started out quiet, but she gained volume as her words gained resolve. "No… Of course we can. Don't you dare look down on us!" The other fairies began to murmur excitedly. No… She can't be… "You say your 'combined might' makes you too strong for us? As if! Just who do you think you're talking to? If friendship makes you stronger, then that means we're the strongest in Gensokyo!" Oh my god, she is. She's giving a shounen protagonist speech! No, wait, why are we the villains here?! The lead fairy turned to the other fairies with fire in her eyes. "Together, there's nobody who can beat us! Come on! Let's teach these two not to underestimate our bonds!" The group of fairies cheered wildly. From the edge of my peripherals, I could see Suika place both her hands on her hips and boisterously laugh with her nose to the sky.

"Such foolishness to challenge us!" Suika. No. Suika. What are you doing? Stop it!

"We'll show you!" "No you're stupid!" "Come on, we can beat them!" The chatter of the fairies congregated together in a meaningless cacophony of sound. As if sensing my desire to drop her and run, Suika's legs tightened around me and made escape an impossible dream. The lead fairy flew in front of the huddled masses and shouted, "Form up, girls!" At once, the fairies began scrambling onto each other's shoulders, who then scrambled onto another fairy's shoulders, who then moved onto another fairy's shoulders. It was an absolute mess, and yet it still managed to form a concrete shape. In seconds, I found myself staring down a pillar of fairies that was more than twice my height.

I hate this fucking place.

A/N - Hi everyone! This chapter took a bit longer to write than planned, mostly because I got sucked into playing Spyro. I regret nothing. Going from here, you can expect a chapter every 2-3 weeks. I'm not exactly the fastest writer, so that seems to be a timeframe that works for me. It's not quite a real schedule, but I'll get there! Anyways, let me know what you think!