So much for going down gloriously. Reimu thought spitefully to herself as the first few vampire fairies fired back. Reimu closed her eyes as she heard loud crashes; the splintering, shattering wood around her as thousands of energy bullets tore and tore through everything beneath her.
So they want me to know that my shrine is gone before they finish me. Reimu pondered gloomily to herself as the wood consisting of her shrine was shredded and burned around her. Reimu raised her arms to cover her face as splinters flew about freely from all of the blasting and shooting, filling her ears with a discordant symphony of snaps, bursts, and cackles as every piece of her shrine was pulverized to dust.
However, Reimu began to hear something she never expected. What hit her ears next was a different cacophony; The screaming of millions of vampires, while feeling a familiar warmth all over her body. Reimu opened her eyes to the sight of ashes and bones flying all around her...and the light of the sun!
Reimu smiled radiantly. "Son of a bitch! I actually pulled it off!" Reimu chirped weakly as she drifted to the sandy ground, landing on her back where Hakurei Shrine used to be. Reimu then noticed something she didn't expect; the long serpentine form of the dragon from earlier. The dragon morphed back into the form of the red-haired bat-winged woman, and approached Reimu as the wind whipped up sand in every which way. Reimu gripped her bleeding arm and clenched her teeth; it seems the adrenaline distracting her from the pain had worn off.
"Congratulations, Miss Hakurei," The woman whistled while bowing respectfully, "You have defeated the Scarlet Clan Army."
Reimu barely lifted her head and raised an eyebrow. "You are not going to finish me off?" Reimu asked.
"Milady, I already stated that I have no quarrel with you," The woman reminded Reimu, "Besides, the shrine has been destroyed. My work here is done."
Reimu winced. "Can you at least...help me out here?" Reimu growled, gripping her bleeding arm tighter.
"Unfortunately, I am honour-bound to never aid the enemies of the Scarlet Clan," The woman stated solemnly, "But know this; even though you do not see your friends, there may be some friendly soul around who can help you. As for me, there is no hope; the destruction of the Scarlet Army will be blamed on me, and I will be...punished for allowing such casualties."
"Then why go back?!" Reimu wheezed, "Why not just run away?!"
"Because that would be dishonorable," The woman stated calmly, "Besides...all of my friends are within the Scarlet Clan." With that, the woman turned around, waved her hand, and flew off.
"Go eat a...ehh...she can't hear me..." Reimu grumbled, as she began to lose consciousness. Reimu's eyes closed, and she let out one massive sigh.
"Marisa...I'm sorry...I'm really...really...sorry..." Reimu whispered out before slipping away.
As Reimu lay out and cold in the stinging desert heat, the yukkuris began to emerge from the ground around her. The blue-haired, blue-eyed yukkuri and a silver-haired yukkuri with a nurse cap slided over to Reimu.
"I...is she...dead...?" The little blue-haired yukkuri sobbed out. The silver-haired yukkuri hopped on top of Reimu, and moved to her chest, placing her ear above Reimu's left breast.
"No! No! Goodness no!" The older nurse yukkuri stated triumphantly, "She's just taking it easy!"
All of the other yukkuris began to cheer and squeal happily. "She's alive! She's alive!" They all shouted.
"She needs us to help easy!" The doctorkkuri snapped enthusiastically, "Take her to old yukkuri place!"
The yukkuris wasted no time in lifting Reimu up upon themselves, before carrying Reimu over to a nearby dune. The yukkuris who were not carrying Reimu dug up and spat out the sand around the dune, until they found the roof of a limestone structure with a trapdoor. The yukkuris all took Reimu inside of the large temple, finding room to lay her down.
Meanwhile, far away, Marisa Kirisame stared in shock at the sky as it lit up bright and white.
"The barrier!" Marisa shrieked, "It's breaking!" Indeed, the barrier surrounding the world of Gensokyo crumbled all around.
"REIMU!" Marisa cried out "NOOO! REEEIIIMUUU!" She collapsed to the ground in an instant, pounding the ground without even bothering to choke back the tears. "Why did you use that gap?! Why didn't you leave me there instead?!" She shrieked.
(Many Years Later)
Reimu finally opened her eyes to the sight of the blue-haired yukkuri sitting next to her. The two blinked for a few seconds before the yukkuri began to chirp and cheer. "Mama's awake! She's awake easy!" She squealed with delight.
"Mama...?" Reimu asked confused. She looked around the room, noting the rough, tan bricks that composed the walls juxtaposed to the smooth pillars of the same colour, with lanterns filled with a sort of magical orange light.
"Where exactly is this...hell?" Reimu asked out loud. "No...it can't be," She quickly corrected herself, "Hell has a better fashion sense than this place."
The silver-haired doctorkkuri bounced enthusiastically. "This is easy temple! Yukkuri safe and easy place! Build it easy!"
Reimu raised an eyebrow. "YOU guys built this?! Hah! I bet you just squatted here," Reimu teased, "Besides, how can you build without hands?"
"Easy!" The doctor squealed as she whistled. More yukkuris piled into the room with another tan brick. The yukkuris arranged themselves into a ramp before the doctor and blue-haired yukkuri pushed the brick up the "ramp," allowing it to fall over.
"Huh! Clever." Reimu stated.
"Not really," The doctor explained, "Easy place built easy long time in the past! Past when sandy sand there before woody wood!"
"This place was a desert before?" Reimu asked, tilting her head to the side.
"Yes, but yukkuris make woody wood and plants come back easy," The blue-haired yukkuri called, "Did it then! Do it now!"
Reimu nodded. "But...why did you save me?" She asked, "Not only was I rude to you...but I must have looked like a corpse to you!"
The doctor began to hop and leap. "You let us stay in Hak...Haku...Hack-ah-ray shrine on top of easy temple! Keeps us safe and easy!" The doctor squealed, "I healed you easy!"
Reimu looked at herself; while half of her body was covered in a painful-looking burn scar, she seemed alright.
"And I put food in your tiny belly!" The small, blue-haired yukkuri chirped, flailing a spoon, "Feed, feed easy!"
Reimu smiled as she put her hand on the small yukkuri, and gently stroked her. "I...honestly...thank you. Thank you all. But...What about Marisa? Maybe she still knows I..." Reimu tried to get up, but she gripped her chest and whimpered.
"Still too hurt," The doctor pointed out, "Heal more!"
"We help you, easy!" The blue-haired yukkuri squealed, snuggling right next to Reimu, "Yukkuris love you, mama!"
Reimu gave an uneasy smile. "I suppose..." She whispered.
Reimu couldn't help but feel as though something was amiss; normally, she would feel secure just about anywhere in Gensokyo. Now, however, her spine shivered as if trying to tell her that nowhere was safe anymore.
Nobody noticed, however, the silver-haired human doctor watching from the shadows...
THE END! TO NOT BE CONTINUED!
