~Author's Note~

For Day 18's entry, I made a comic. Due to the way this website is run, I can't give you a link to it, so you'll need to look up my Deviantart page. Search for "Aardvark1998" with any reputable search engine and you should be on the right track.

~Is Smelling of Strawberries Really All they Offer?~

On a warm, sunny morning, Reimu showed up at Marisa's house for once. She found her friend mulching her flower bed, decked out in a vest and shorts.

"Just a minute!" said Marisa. She patted down the mulch around a Lithuanian biting mushroom and wrenched her trowel out of its jaws. "Man, that thing's getting strong… What is it, Reimu?"

"Someone actually paid me for kicking a malignant ghost out of his water mill and I want to celebrate. Let's get some lemonade in the village!"

"I'd love to!" Marisa threw down her trowel and unhooked a loose summer dress from the Cambodian coat-hanger agaric on the kitchen window. She proceeded to put the dress on. "Where d'you want to go?"

"We'll see where's open," said Reimu.

"Sounds good to me," smiled Marisa, taking Reimu's hand.

"Yuck…" said Reimu, retrieving her hand and wiping it on Marisa's dress.

Once Marisa had cleaned herself up, the duo made their merry way to the Human Village. They found the garden inside the northern gate full of flowers.

"I haven't seen the village this peaceful for months now," observed Reimu.

"You're right. I wonder what disaster's gonna happen…"

"What, are you bored?" Reimu needled Marisa. "Come on, everything's fine! Let's just enjoy it while it lasts."

A terrified, screaming crowd ran past them. Nitori was bringing up the rear, her bunches flapping behind her head.

"Abandon village! It's the end of the world!" screamed Nitori, disappearing through the gate.

Marisa and Reimu shared a worried look. A giant scaly foot turned the rickety house behind them into splinters.

"Whaaaaa…?" breathed Marisa.

Reimu sighed heavily. "Wait here. This shouldn't take too long."

Marisa looked on in amazement as Reimu strode out to meet the massive reptile. She raised her wand. Gleaming yellow light flashed around Reimu, and all of a sudden she was fifty metres tall.

The monster roared a challenge. Reimu rolled her eyes and kicked it in the shins. A few good bashes on the head were enough to send the beast running for the hills.

"There we go!" said Reimu brightly, shrinking back down to her normal size. "Now, how about that lemonade?"

Marisa's jaw was still hanging open. She managed to close it and managed to blurt out, "Um, d-don't you think you deserve something a bit stronger?! You just-!"

"Well, I could go for some sake," said Reimu. Her lips parted in a cheery smile. "Nothing like spirits for keeping your spirits up!"