Yamame "Haa..."

At the same time, in the single path connecting the surface and the Underworld (which consisted of a single massive hole leading downwards) Yamame was lying in a great spider web amongst a sea of smaller spider webs. She was lying on her side with her hands under her head in place of a pillow.

Her expression was dark, but there was no evidence of sorrow. Actually her heart was filled with positive emotion, but for whatever reason Yamame was feeling listless. She stretched her left arm out so she could look at her hand. At the ring on her finger. The ring that Rinnosuke had made glowed like a firefly in the darkness.

Kisume "What's wrong, Yamame? What's got you sighing?"

Yamame "Hm? Oh, Kisume."

Her friend Kisume had come over at some point. The Tsurube-otoshi youkai was almost always inside of a bucket and spent most of her time around Yamame. She had been the most excited to learn of Yamame's marriage.

Kisume "If you keep sighing like that your happiness will get away from you. What's got you so down?"

Yamame "It's more that I'm too happy."

She looked at her ring as she spoke.

Kisume "I'm glad that you're happy. So what has you sighing?"

Yamame "Because I'm happy."

Kisume "I don't understand at all."

She tilted her head to the side in confusion.

Yamame "I mean look at me... I'm a Tsuchigumo. Everyone avoids me because of the whole disease thing. Even the Kappa tell me to stay away from the river because they think I'll foul it."

Kisume "That's all ancient history! You're like an underworld idol now. With you getting married and putting your idol activity aside for a while your last performance was completely packed out."

Yamame "Yeah, but that's just because that's their last chance to see me as an idol. The normal, mundane me that lives in the Underworld isn't someone that the fans want to meet. I'm glad that people appreciate me as an idol, but when I'm not performing nobody wants me around."

Yamame has occasional live performances in the Former Capital. She dresses in bright, beautiful outfits and sings and dances under a spotlight. Sometimes she adds in extra fanservice, which makes the crowd go wild. The fans and audience get so heated up that not even the flames of hell can outdo them. But that only applied while she was on stage. When the performance was over and the crowd began to calm and disperse nobody approached Yamame to shake her hand or ask for a signature.

Yamame "If I stop being an idol everyone will go right back to avoiding me. I suppose that's only natural since I'm a disease-controlling Tsuchigumo. And some diseases could kill easily. Disease steals happiness from anyone and everyone. If I'm not an idol..."

Kisume "Then just don't quit being an idol."

Kisume said simply.

Yamame "That's not possible. Now that I'm married I'm not free to do whatever I want anymore. And sooner or later I'll have a child. And Yuugi seems to be getting ready to move to the surface with her baby as well."

Kisume "Then let me take care of your baby. Then you can keep being an idol."

Yamame began to giggle softly.

Yamame "Thanks, Kisume. But... I need to raise my child myself. As a spider and as a mother."

Kisume "Is that how it works?"

Yamame "It is. But I'm honestly worried that my child will end up hated by everyone just like me."

Kisume "I think you're fine on that point."

Yamame "But I'm a Tsuchigumo, so my child will be too... is it okay for me to be happy?"

Her expression darkened again.

Yamae "All I can do is bring unhappiness to others, so is it right for me to be happy?"

Kisume "..."

Kisume scratched at her head as she pondered.

Kisume "You know, I was thinking..."

What she said next made Yamame jump with surprise.

Kisume "Is it wrong for you to be happy?"

Yamame "Eh?"

Yamame's eyes widened.

Kisume "That's what it sounds like you're saying to me, that it's wrong for you to be happy."

Yamame "That's... not true."

There was no questioning that Yamame was happy. She had an irreplaceable friend in Kisume and she'd found a life partner as well. She would never have expected that. She'd have a child at some point, which would make good use of her poofy clothes. The sources of happiness in her life were obvious.

But Yamame was conflicted about if she should accept that happiness or not. She hadn't done anything lately to be undeserving of happiness, but she'd been a bit famous not too long ago. And not in a good way. She had used her control over disease as a toy. On anyone she felt like. Innocent children and feeble elders alike. She would afflict them with whatever disease struck her fancy at the time. She enjoyed watching them as the disease set in. At the time there was nobody like Reimu around to deal with such things, so she could do as she pleased. Athlete's foot, yellow fever, itai-itai disease (cadmium poisoning).

But when she gave a baby pneumonia as a joke the baby ended up dying. That was the first time she felt guilt for her actions. She hadn't indended to kill. She had only intended to slightly inconvenience them and had never imagined the child would die. Yamame had no idea that baby's were so delicate that even a lick of honey could kill them. And she had given such a baby pneumonia, a condition that killed even adults in the prime of life.

It soon got out that Yamame had been the one to cause it - and so many other afflictions - and she found herself hated by all humans. That's how she ended up in the Underworld. Given what she had done back in those days, Yamame couldn't believe she deserved happiness now.

Kisume "It's okay, you know? To be happy."

Kisume knew about Yamame's past.

Kisume "If you don't deserve to be happy then neither do I. I've killed many people."

At the bottom of the path that connected the surface and the Underworld were the bones of the humans that Kisume had consumed. Down in the darkness where light never reached, nobody could see the bones of the dead nor could they decay. They remained forever.

Yamame "You're only eating to stay alive. It's not the same as what I did just to amuse myself."

Kisume "But killing is killing. And I've done far worse things that you have."

Yamame "I guess so..."

Yamame sat up.

Yamame "But Kisume, you're killing just to eat. All I did was entertain myself at the cost of others."

Kisume "It's the same. I only care about the benefit to myself as well."

Yamame "But that's not..."

Kisume "Hey, Yamame."

She reached out and placed a finger over Yamame's lips.

Kisume "Why are you only telling me reasons that you shouldn't be happy? That's all you've been saying. Because you're a Tsuchigumo, because of disease, because of the past, that's all you're saying."

Yamame "It's just the truth. I..."

Kisume pinched Yamame's cheek.

Kisume "You need to stop this. You're just scared. Scared to be happy. You're looking for reasons that you shouldn't be happy so that you can run away. This whole time you've never once looked happy - you just look like you're trying to push it away."

Yamame "No, I..."

Compared to how she normally behaved, Kisume was being far more forceful than Yamame would ever have imagined. They had been friends for a long time, but Yamame had never seen Kisume like this.

Kisume "Don't turn your back on happiness! Don't let the past chain you down! Don't let your guilt keep you down! Everyone deserves to be happy. So stop being afraid of it, Yamame."

She didn't offer any proof. But Yamame felt something in Kisume's words - something that only friends as close as these two could understand. Her friend's words struck home.

Yamame (Afraid of happiness...huh...)

She hadn't been conflicted, she had been scared. She felt like it should have been obvious, but she'd needed someone to point it out to her.

Kisume "You deserve to be happy. No, you have to be happy. For the sake of the man that made that ring for you."

Yamame "For Rinnosuke..."

Yamame looked at her ring once more.

Kisume "You love him, don't you? Rinnosuke."

Yamame "!"

Her face flushed red and steam began to rise from her head.

Yamame "Y-You knew?"

Kisume "We've always been together."

Yamame "W-When did you notice?"

Kisume "A long time ago. I'm your friend. Not that it takes being your friend to tell. When Rinnosuke's around your face gets red, you laugh and smile when he pats your head, if he praises you you jump for joy when you think nobody is looking, and then there's the makeup you put on when you know you're going to see him. And the wedding-"

Yamame "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH! OKAY! Okay just don't say any more!"

Having her feelings and her actions recounted in such a manner was more than just "embarrassing." Her face was so red that it seemed she might actually burst into flames.

Kisume "I'm right, aren't I?

Yamame "Uuuuu..."

But hearing it like this proved a good opportunity for Yamame to come to terms with her feelings. She had tried to deny them too, but if they were so obvious that Kisume recognized them, then she must truly feel that way about Rinnosuke.

And that was a happy feeling.

Kisume "Be honest about what you feel. You need to be happy. If you love Rinnosuke, then that's all the more reason."

Yamame "Haa~"

She sighed heavily once more.

Yamame "What have I been doing..."

She slapped her cheeks lightly with both hands and the darkness that had clouded her expression disappeared.

Yamame "I'm going to see Rinnosuke. I should help him with the construction."

She brandished a finger upwards and a strand of web stretched towards the surface.

Kisume "Finally. There's the Yamame I know. Happiness looks good on you."

Yamame "You were right. Sitting here thinking isn't going to get me anywhere. I just need to keep my eyes on what's happening now. I don't have the time to be dealing with the past. And it wouldn't be fair to Rinnosuke if I let myself get caught up in it anyways."

Kisume "Then don't cut that thread of happiness."

Kisume pointed to the thread extending from Yamame's finger.

Yamame "Don't worry. My thread can't be cut."

She sounded confident now.

Kisume "Because spider thread is 4x stronger than steel."

Yamame "That's not why."

She took hold of the thread.

Yamame "Because the red string of fate cannot be cut. Especially not when it connects me to Rinnosuke."

She began to rise towards the surface.

Towards the one she loves.