Eramis8: Shh...

Pristine Lunatic

Reimu's hard smack echoed, and she didn't waver in the slightest as Nasupil staggered back from it. He held a hand to his cheek where Reimu's strike left a red mark, then fell on his behind.

Leaping to his Master's defense, Leonidas raised his shield and spear. He pointed its tip to Reimu's chest as he blocked her path to Nasupil.

"Stay away from my Master!" Leonidas shouted.

"No, it's fine, Leonidas," Nasupil murmured, hardly audible. "I kinda deserved it."

Leonidas moved to his Master's side, his hold on his weapons unmoving. However, Reimu had already moved on to Shirou, who was now being held by the scruff of the neck by Marisa's Servant.

"Hey, what's your problem?" Reimu demanded, eyes cold with frustration.

"I hate Saber!" Shirou shouted.

"Why?"

Again, that confusion flickered on Shirou's face, like he didn't have an answer. Then he went back to kicking and thrashing.

Turning to Marisa, Reimu asked, "Has he been like this?"

Marisa shook her head and responded, "Nope. He was cool 'til now."

Reimu thought about this. It didn't make any sense at all. Why would he be acting like this? From Saber's description of him, he ideally wouldn't have a vendetta for her. Hell, based on Saber's first reaction from seeing him again, they were probably very close.

Saber walked over to Shirou who glared at her. She declared, "Let's go back to your home. I don't like the idea of staying here any longer."

Reimu looked down at Youmu, who was still tied up. The half-ghost flipped the bird at her.

"Yeah, sure," Reimu agreed. "How do we get back there, then?"

A gap opened nearby.

"Need a trip back?" Yukari asked.

The shrine maiden had to remind herself that, despite her annoyance to the gap youkai, she was a great help.

.

Girls do their best now and are preparing. Please wait warmly until it is ready.

.

"Five more push-ups!"

"I already did eighty! How much more do you want me to do?!"

"Five more!"

Nasupil howled in agony as he did five more pushups in front of the Hakurei Shrine. Though he and Leonidas, who was telling him to do a lot of pushups, were invited inside, Nasupil refused to enter. It was clear that after he confessed to Reimu, for whatever reason, it made him feel embarrassed enough to keep out of their interrogation.

Good.

Apparently, Yukari had been watching their entire trek throughout the Netherworld. While the others helped prepare for the interrogation, Yukari filled Reimu in on who the weird boy and his Servant were. Not that Reimu really cared that much... the boy had put a bad impression on her from his lack of understanding of a proper time and place to confess a little crush like that.

If he was trying to gain her affections, he was off to a rough start.

Marisa's Servant, who was apparently named Brynhildr, gripped Shirou's shoulders as Marisa tied him up. He was forced to sit down on the floor... right next to the crater Saber made. Just in case he got a bit annoying, they could just kick him into it.

As he glared up at Saber and Reimu, who returned the look as they stood over him, Marisa said something about going to look around before disappearing.

Reimu really hoped that she didn't make a bigger mess.

"Shirou, do you remember me?" Saber asked sternly.

"Yes," Shirou spat.

"Do you remember the battles you fought side-by-side with me?"

"Yes?"

Reimu raised an eyebrow at the way he posed his response. His eyebrows had scrunched up along with the way he said it as a question. It was like he was trying to remember something that was lost.

"Do you remember Ilya?" Saber continued.

"Yes."

What a weird name, Reimu thought.

"Do you remember Rin? Taiga-sensei? Sakura?"

Shirou's previously hateful, yet confused expression turned into something like distress. Like he was suddenly remembering these things.

"Do you remember cooking for me every night? Teaching me how to? Going out to have fun with me?"

"I..."

"Do you remember what you wanted to be?"

Shirou fell silent. His expression turned to understanding. Then shame. He looked down at his feet, unable to meet Saber's eyes.

Saber turned to Reimu. The shrine maiden noted that the Servant's expression had changed a bit. A bit softer, sadder than it had been before. Her lip quavered a bit.

Then Marisa burst in, not noticing the mood.

"Yo, Reimu! You didn't tell me you kidnapped VIVIT!" she shouted.

Reimu glared at her before muttering, "That's Ruukoto, not VIVIT."

"Oh."

They all stared at Marisa, appalled at her inability to read the room for a few seconds. Then Nasupil cried out, and both he and Leonidas were hurled into the shrine.

"Whoa! What the hell?!" Reimu exclaimed.

Leonidas, who had fallen into the pit, reached his hand out of it while saying shakily, "Shirou's mom is here to pick him up."

His hand went limp.

"Shirou's mother is dead," Saber said flatly.

Brynhildr looked towards Nasupil, who was unconscious and had his head stuck in a wall. His butt was sticking out from beneath his hakama for all to see.

"They seem to be fine," Brynhildr declared.

A small relief. Reimu wasted no more time and looked outside.

"Shirou, it's time to go home!" Junko called from the shrine porch, her smile still the same as before. Yet somehow, she seemed much, much more dangerous and menacing than before.

Reimu opened her mouth and started: "Hey, wai-"

Then there was a blinding light, a horrible scorching, and then Reimu slipped into unconsciousness.

...

Mommy! Mommy! Outside is so warm!

Mommy! Mommy! The market's open!

Mommy! Mommy! I think he likes you!

Mommy! Mommy! Why do those men look so mean?

Mommy! Mommy! I-

MOMMY! MOMMY! WHY DO THEY HATE US SO MUCH?!

MOMMY! MOMMY! WHY DO WE HAVE TO LIVE LIKE THIS?!

MOMMY! MOMMY! WHY DID YOU HAVE TO GO?!

MOMMY! MOMMY!