Nicolas Notes: I lived in a frozen hell. Mission was a failure, good game everyone.

{Saving game: 22/22/13}

{Loading checkpoint}

{Welcome to the Madness of Laevateinn}

Select Difficulty :

{Yukkuri} {Normal} {Hard} {Lunatic} {Phantasm} {Nightmare Phantasm}

CHAPTER 16: Friends

Year : 2005

5:58 Anti- meridian

Hakurei Shrine, Porch, Gensokyo

The cold early morning breeze caressed Rook's face, waking him from his slumber. A dull ache pounding against his lower back elicited a groan from him; it was probably from sleeping on the ground. He pinched the bridge of his nose in an attempt to clear his mind. Rubbing the sleep off his left eye, his mouth opened wide as a tired yawn escaped him while stretching his right arm. He flinched as his right arm began to throb in pain, causing him to almost bite his tongue from the shock. He rubbed the throbbing area with an annoyed growl, making sure that he wasn't injured or anything.

That was when it all came rushing back to him.

The mansion, Patchouli, his fight with Remilia, and then explosions, the images of the past night were nothing but a blur yet somehow managing to burn into his memory. He passed out while in the middle of being assaulted by the Scarlet Devil and the Unmoving Library. He wasn't strong enough to beat them both at once unlike five years ago when he was still in full control of his powers. Gritting his teeth, Rook punched the ground in frustration, leaving behind a dent on the dirt. Wait… dirt?

"Ah, I see. Finally back from the dead?" croaked an ancient voice which reminded the Human of scales for some reason. It wasn't long before he recognized the voice and found the source, it was swimming within the pond a few paces away from him. Lilies drifted along the clear surface of the water while round stones surrounded its shores, giving it an oriental vibe to it.

Rook glanced towards the source of the voice and found a five foot long giant turtle staring at him with wise amber eyes from beneath the waters. Tilting his head from left to right with an audible crack, Rook stood up and dusted his pants before limping towards the pond. The turtle waited patiently as he struggled to approach, giving him a weird look when he collapsed on his hindquarters looking utterly exhausted.

"Good morning Genji, now do you mind explaining why I'm sleeping at the porch without a futon?" Rook asked crossly though he was staring directly at the sky above him as he laid down on his back. It was must have been a comical sight to be talking to a turtle, if he were an Outsider he would have expected the voice to come from anything else but a turtle. However Rook knew better than that.

"Crabby Miko dumped ya out 'ere after she healed you last night. Seriously Mason, the first time ya meet the girl after five years ya go overworking her again. No wonder she's been lazy, couldn't ya at least lay off her for a while? Ya should be grateful she bothered to heal ya, but it ain't my place to gripe. Ya should've seen her; never seen Reimu that worried, it almost scared the geebus out of me." The ancient turtle raised its scaled neck to get a better view of Rook, "Now what did ya just do to make the girl that frantic? I know you're a crazy death seeker that's dangerously prone to getting himself into weird shit incident after incident, but seriously Mason, this is a whole new level."

"I suppose Reimu told you what happened last night, eh?" Rook replied lazily, scratching his cheek.

"Damn straight she did, also saw this big ass red light over at the distance," continued Genji, "Now if I had money, I bet that ya were the cause of that spectacle, aye? Oh ya were? Damn… What you pissed off this time?"

"A Chinese Gate Guard, Time Stopping Serial Killer Maid, an Arch Nemesis Master Mage, and a Vampire of Fate," deadpanned Rook in an acidic tone.

"Mhmm, well you've gotten yourself in worse shit before so…" the turtle trailed off for a few moments before speaking once again, "Anyhow, as yours truly just said, Reimu patched ya up last night with all your crazy injuries. With you being you, you didn't die as if that wasn't obvious enough. Worked a bit of my magic too to speed up the regeneration process, kinda like that vixen girl ya always hang around with, but still, I think ya really should have kept them scars on your face, you looked manlier that way instead of your usual face."

"Genji…" warned the Human, the air around them started to smell of ozone.

The turtle's eyes widened in defense, "Hey, it was just a suggestion. Too bad Reimu snapped at me. A shame…"

"How is she?" asked Rook, "Reimu I mean."

"Depressed, won't come out to my calls. I bet she's frustrated since she got her ass handed to her, and even that rarely happens. I think ya better give her some alone time, ya know? Let things cool down a bit, 'cause if ya go traipsing in her room right now a Yin Yang orb will be out to get ya," Genji's head dipped underwater for a moment before rising up again, "Ahh, refreshing. Anyhow, this is the first incident which got her all worked up. Can ya imagine waking up every day to pissed off screaming like someone on their…. Uh, you know I'll leave that one out, but you get the point. First she got in trouble with that Gate Guard she keeps muttering about and now she was forced to run from a fight. And by the gods, a Hakurei never runs away with their tails between their legs… Metaphorically speaking. Must've been the first time I saw one of our girls actually run since the nineteenth century."

"I shouldn't have gotten her involved… but then again she's the Shrine Maiden, anything goes wrong with this world she just has to put her nose in…" said Rook as he frowned, "She really is the same as the others, but a bit different too. Makes you wonder if she'll ever settle down and have a family."

"Heh, well it ain't the first time we handled this kind of pickle. Hell we talk about on a sixty year cycle with every Hakurei Maiden that's been our care," Genji stared at the Human knowingly as he tilted his head to the side, "The girl has a lot to learn. Doesn't she remind ya of a certain someone, Mason?"

To this, the Human sat up and looked at the turtle warningly. Genji however remained unfazed as he stared at Rook right in the eye with a bored expression.

Finally, Rook broke off the stare, "You know you really shouldn't be bringing that subject up. Give Reimu some time and she'll be as strong as Mi—…Her predecessor… Maybe even better."

He then turned a dejected glance at the ground and spoke no more. Genji uttered a snort at this, "'Better' you say. Ya know the 12th was the strongest of the lineage."

"Drop the subject now," hissed Rook to which Genji merely rolled his eyes.

"Fine, so do ya have any idea on what happened to your excursion?" grumbled the turtle, making an odd clicking noise deep down his throat, "The Outside World I mean, did you manage to track that mansion back here into Gensokyo?"

"A hell lot happened, it'll probably take a while…" replied Rook, "But yes, I've managed to track down the lingering traces of magic it left at the Outside, no matter how microscopic they seem to be. Though I have to say I got side tracked sightseeing and helping out a few acquaintances."

"Hmph, right. I don't suppose ya checked women's asses back there, didn't cha'?" said the turtle with narrowed eyes and a sly tone.

"Genji... You know me all too well that I'm not that kind of person. I'm not in the mood for a that right now, not until all of my problems magically disappear. I still have a lot of loose ends to tie," the Human then turned his gaze to the surrounding area. Everything looked almost the same before Reimu's possession took place. The same calm and tranquil atmosphere the shrine emitted, the same fresh air that kept a person invigorated, and the same derelict and unkept Shrine that he was so fond of. It kind of reminded him of better times.

"I swear the girl's rubbing off ya with all the serious talk and responsibilities. Minus the laziness by the way," said the turtle before joining the Human in the tranquil silence. Birds chirped at the distance while the hymn of the trees and their leaves sounded throughout the woodlands that surrounded the Shrine. Clouds raced against each other in the sky while the wind decided to pass overhead. The Human suddenly felt the touch of drowsiness at the back of his mind yet he ignored it. He planned on enjoying the morning even if it was only for a few minutes.

"Not a mist in sight. You two must've done a damn good job," commented Genji in his deep and ancient baritone voice. How he spoke with that brittle beak he had along with his bear was beyond anything the Human could explain through simple words.

"Yeah," replied Rook, noticing it for the first time, "I guess the incident's resolved. Reimu managed to send her message and the mansion grudgingly complied. I think they'll think twice stirring trouble again…"

He thought back to his conversation with Remilia. His words must have gotten through her somehow. Despite her hostile actions, Remilia seemed to believe that he was a part of her past. One that was holding the truth of the lies she's been being fed for years. It's only a matter of time and soon Patchouli would be exposed. Still one thing intrigued him. The Magician was shot six tranquilizer bullets which would have kept even Yukari asleep for weeks. How she countered the drugs that could put a full grown Oni asleep was beyond him. Something else must have been at work. It only piled up in his list of Things to Investigate.

"You should go see her," piped up the turtle to which Rook looked at him questioningly.

"Excuse me? Didn't you just tell not go in?"

"I know what's in your mind, you should head out soon. But before you do, you should speak with Reimu… She's inside, sipping tea and thinking… for once, hehe."

"What the hell happened to 'Ya'?" asked the Human, "Seriously, make up your mind next time."

"It gets tiring sometimes, cut me some slack," grumbled Genji before retreating into the waters. Rook smirked at the ancient turtle's antics and stood up. The sakura trees behind the shrine were bear, winter was coming soon. It was a wise choice for him to keep his coat, and upon further inspection, it seemed like all of his clothing were good as new. Magic… Really convenient.

"Oh well," he said to himself, "Time to have a little chat…"

Rook then approached the shrine's back door and slid it open.

The sight of the familiar interior of the Shrine relaxed his nerves. It was mainly made up of a humble sized living room where the floor was covered with tatami mats while the walls were painted a dull shade of white worn from age. The inside of the Shrine was just as neglected as the outside, though it brought a more comforting and warm atmosphere than the cruel chill of the winds outside. Due to the Shrine's sorry state, one would hear the wood that kept the roof up creak every time the wind blew by.

Not only that, but the floors sometimes creaked as well if one would pass by them. Rook remembered one time when he decided to sleep here and found out that it was impossible for him to get some sleep. However it did have its perks. One was that the floors were so squeaky that anyone could hear anything passing by the hall. A very useful thief detector during one of Marisa's escapades. Not that there were many objects to take from the Shrine. The living room was bare save for the lone kotatsu located before the back door, a perfect spot for flower viewing during the spring.

The kitchen and dining room were combined into one while the rest of the Shrine is divided into the Altar, a couple of guest rooms, and the Maiden's quarters. How the Hakurei Shrine Maidens endured such living conditions was beyond what Rook could think of. In his time of teaching them the basic skills needed to live and fight, he had always dismissed it as a form of training. Still, it was not like he hasn't offered to repair and renovate the Shrine for free every time there was a new Hakurei Maiden. It was only the fact that the Maidens were all too stubborn to have their Shrines fixed, insisting that they'll fix every their own way. Reimu was no different.

When he entered the room, the Shrine Maiden was already there, sitting with her tea untouched in front of her. She didn't even acknowledge Rook's presence, but continued to stare at her tea. The Human blinked twice at the lack of reaction before releasing a sigh. He closed the door behind him and approached the kotatsu, sitting down across Reimu. He studied the Shrine Maiden's face for a few seconds before greeting her with a plain, "Good morning?"

"'Morning," she muttered back in a dead hollow sort of tone.

Silence threatened to engulf them once more just before Rook broke it again, "That's all you got to say? 'Morning'?"

Reimu's lifeless eyes climb towards Rook's face before going back at the cooling tea. "What else should I say?"

"Oh don't give me that bull crap," snapped Rook looking very angry. He pounded the table once and pointed a finger between the Shrine Maiden's eyes, "What the hell is this?! 'Sulking' because you lost?! I mean come on Reimu; you know you're better than this…"

"I'm not 'sulking' because I lost," deadpanned the Maiden.

"Then what the hell is it with your attitude?"

The Hakurei Shrine Maiden made no response at that and continued to look at her tea as if it were more interesting than her current situation. Rook found it childish for her to be feeling like that right now when he knew she was made of tougher stuff. But then again he was different, he had centuries to learn when to 'suck it up and plot your revenge', he wasn't like Reimu who despite experiencing a number of life and death battles was still frail in both physical and mental terms.

It seems like her pride is preventing her from accepting her defeat.

"You know… if you're going to go on like that, you're going to get yourself killed…" said Rook while surveying the room. After looking around, he finally rested his gaze at the girl in front of him, "Thanks for saving me back there. Can't even count the times when you saved my life… I owe you another one."

"That is if you actually paid your debts for once," Reimu coldly replied, a little light coming back to her eyes, "The bandage and healing charms I used didn't come cheap you know…"

"Thank you nevertheless," said Rook with a grin, "I would've looked horrible with a scar across my face."

"Genji said that it would be 'manly'."

"What does he know? He's a turtle…"

The Miko cracked a smile at that. The Human was beginning to think that he was succeeding in pulling her out of her sour mood. Good, because her ancestors wouldn't let him hear the end of it should he encounter them. A lazy Reimu is the best Reimu. These kinds of problems were normal for every Hakurei generation. Rook was no stranger to them, so he knew that the best way to lift their spirits up was through a simple joke or a bit of small talk. Anything just to get the Maidens' mind off their failures.

Rook was wrenched out of his line of thought when he saw the girl slump back into a somber mood. That was when he remembered that it wasn't exactly that easy talking to the Shrine Maidens.

"What now?" he asked, this time his words laced with genuine concern.

"That was close one, wasn't it?" she looked at him straight in the eye, "We almost died."

"Hey, it's not like you're a stranger to that," replied Rook in a casual tone.

"Rook, back then… When you were talking to the vampire… Do you really care for them so much that you're willing to go through hell and back just to get them to talk to you?" asked Reimu, a small fire flickering behind her eyes, "What do you feel now that… you know… we got kicked out?"

The Human took a moment to choose his words, "Is there any reason why you're asking this?"

"It just seems so… Sad," admitted the Shrine Maiden. Her tea was cold now, no longer steaming, "You put all your effort and then suddenly 'poof'."

Couldn't have said it any better. Poof indeed, a sigh escaped his lips as he responded, "Yeah, I'm willing to take an army if I have to. If I can just talk to them once more, convince them… Even the Magician, then I wouldn't be in the crap hole situation I was tossed in. but thinking back last night, I guess I didn't try hard enough. I was weak, I didn't get past Remilia's barriers, Patchouli crushed my chance to convince the vampire, and then we got chased off like pests. Nothing I'm not used to."

Reimu studied him for a few seconds before slowly saying, "You know how you used to tell me stories about how you were back before you arrived in Gensokyo and how you would plan out a master scheme just to meet them again? Those times when you could've gone all day about that little girl you used to take care of? I just realized how hard it seems for you."

"I appreciate the sympathy but I don't think that'll do me any good anyway…" was Rook's words accompanied with a smile, "All I can do is to be stubborn and try again."

"Hmm, you're going back?" asked Reimu with an eye brow raised.

"Of course, but not yet. I need a little time to myself. I'll probably head to the village after this, check if the situation's solved for good. After that I'll be tying up a couple loose ends and I'll be looking for a place to rest by evening. I got big plans now the Incident's come and gone, you should have some too since the village's probably working on an offering."

"Hmph, I wouldn't get my hopes up. I promise…"

"Right… Say Reimu, have you been training lately?"

"With the few Youkai attacks happening over the past few years, I didn't see any reason why I should. It was only until now that I got to fight again, this time with the Spellcard Rules implemented. I really thought I was getting rusty, you know?"

"Then I'll just add your classes in my To Do list then?" teased Rook with a smirk on his lips.

"I'm not a little girl anymore!" protested the Shrine Maiden.

"So… Since when did you get an Angel's Statue?" he asked while glancing at the thing.

"What? I don't have an Angel Statue" was Reimu's confused reply.

Rook blinked and found out that the Statue sitting at the corner was now gone. He dismissed this as a part of his imagination, "Right…Must be the exhaustion catching up with me."

Reimu smirked as she entertained the thought of her former teacher turning senile before remembering something and immediately piped up, "By the way, have you encountered any strange individuals before arriving at the mansion?"

"Err, no. Why'd you ask?" said the Human with curious eyes.

"Nothing… I thought should just make sure," lied the Shrine maiden, Something's off… I still don't buy that Youkai girl's story. Maybe I should've talked to her a bit more.

"Well, I did meet a Man-Eating Youkai and hired it for help," he admitted while glaring at a particular corner of the room, "Sneaky little thing at first, but it agreed to work with me till I got to the mansion. Heck it even helped me fight the Gate Guard. Oh, and while we're on the subject, you mentioned you had trouble dealing with her, right?"

"Yes…" replied Reimu dejectedly.

"Once my business is done, we'll be covering melee combat again. Apparently some people don't like playing by your rules, so you have to be ready," said Rook with authority. After a few seconds of silence, he got up and said, "I'm making more tea, stay here…"

The Shrine Maiden was about to say something, but the Human quickly slid the door as he left. It didn't even take him thirty seconds to reach the kitchen and fill a kettle with water. Rook raised an eyebrow at a conveniently placed gas stove beside the sink. Lighting the stove up with a spark, he then placed the kettle above the flames before leaning with his back against the dining table. Few things change here in Gensokyo. Just like the past centuries that flew by.

He can hear the water bubbling within the kettle. Looking up, he stared at the dull colored ceiling as he was deep in thought. Yesterday he was fighting for his life and was performing a seemingly impossible mission while being pitted against mind wracking puzzles and powerful beings, now he's leaning on a table inside a Shrine apparently waiting for tea to be ready while playing the 'Wise Elder' to a teenage commando priestess. All of it was strange, if it wasn't for years of experience and tolerance Rook might have broken down, but that was to be expected if one were living in this Land of Illusions. Strange was a common thing here with it being encountered in every corner.

It was always like this, the same routine throughout the decades. Something new comes in, The Hakurei beats them up, and then they settle down. Or maybe Youkai eat humans, and humans exterminate Youkai, the same cycle that never ends, an infinite monotonous existence spiced only with the prospect of something new and more advanced opponent life throws at a person. Rook's been there and back for the past century; training the Hakurei maidens, doing errands for Yukari, assist in solving an incident.

I did say that you'll suffer a fate worse than death, no?

Remilia Scarlet's words repeated themselves within his mind. He was still alive, he was still breathing, so does that mean that it wasn't his 'fate' to die back there? Was it due to that act that he was still alive, waiting for an event that will break him? Rook looked at his hands and thought to himself, I've already been struck by fate once. I'm not going to let it control me again.

Still, the message was clear: something much, much worse was coming.

The human was snapped out of his trance as he heard the kettle beginning to steam. He then poured a bit of tea over his cup along with Reimu's. Placing both cups on a tray, he began his way back to the living room where Reimu remained seated. The Shrine Maiden gratefully accepted her warm tea before taking her first sip of the morning, Rook likewise did the same. He wasn't much of a tea person as much as he loved coffee, though a nice change of pace once in a while was good.

He examined his steaming cup as he was once again lost in thought. He used to know another person who loved coffee.

"You're going to leave now aren't you?" asked Reimu with her cup still in her hands.

"Would you like me to leave now?" mused Rook while taking a sip from his tea.

"Rook, I know you even if my life's just a fraction of yours. You have this glint in your eye whenever you have an agenda, a plan, and a target," replied Reimu with a shrug, "Seems like you're going to be busy again. How can I tell? Seriously, you're an open book even if you say you're good at hiding things. You also mentioned it a couple minutes ago. Why don't you take a break, you look bushed."

Clicking his tongue in annoyance, the Human frowned at her after his reply was shot down before he even said it. Maybe even when she forgot about Yukari, she still has a trait or two she picked up. Speaking of the Elder Youkai, he made a mental note to hunt her down. Maybe a visit to Mayohiga was in order.

"I'm fine. I've managed to stay awake through days worse than this," Rook nodded his head in a sagely manner, "You should've seen the second World War at the Outside. Horrible things they kept dropping bombs on every corner of the globe…"

Reimu winced at the mention of the event. She wasn't really accustomed to the goings and happenings at the Outside World, especially anything that involved wars. Sitting at a more comfortable position, Rook leaned forward the kotatsu and rested his head on his right palm.

"Speaking of bombs," he continued, "Mind if I ask why a certain walking time bomb didn't appear to help us last night? Strange how a huge amount of explosions occurred in one place and no one beams of loved were added to the fire. Is there something wrong?"

He ended the last sentence with a tone of concern, fearing what he suspected to be true. He looked at Reimu with a hard expression and sighed as she refused to answer. That only confirmed his suspicions, Reimu's friendship with Marisa had taken collateral damage from the Sealing of Mima five years ago. Just because the Shrine Maiden took his side instead of her best friend's. Rook can guess back from her reaction when he brought the subject up back at the mansion that they haven't spoken to each other for a long, long time. Wonderful…

"Last night, while we were making our escape," spoke Reimu as she raised her head to meet Rook's eyes, "She came and saved us…"

Hmm, guess I'm wrong, thought the Human as he gestured the Shrine Maiden to continue.

She inhaled a deep breath and a sip of tea as she began anew, "Your librarian friend was dead set on killing us. You were unconscious that time so I had to carry you, meaning that I can't move around much with your weight. I thought we were going to explode into a million pieces when she fired those crystals of hers. But then, Marisa came. She offered to stay behind so we can escape. Last thing she said was for us to go, so I did. I don't think she bothered to stick around after we were out of range. Still, that was the only thing she said. Marisa hasn't visited the Shrine since last night, or even bothered to check up on us. Don't you think it's strange?"

Rook raised an eyebrow at that, "What? Becoming more mature and helping out an old friend? Reimu, she had five years to reflect on her actions. She'd be the densest person I've ever knew if she didn't change or didn't realize her mistake. You're not the one she's angry with." He paused for a moment as he let that one sink in. "She's angry with me."

"Right, and as if that wasn't obvious enough," replied Reimu in a snarky manner.

"Just how long have you two been cold shouldering each other?" asked Rook.

"Three years," muttered Reimu before frowning as the Human chuckled. "What?"

"Lover's quarrel taken to extreme heights," was the only thing he managed to say before recomposing himself, "I think you should go talk to her."

"What?" Reimu looked at him as if he sprouted wings and a tail, "It's not that easy!"

"Sure it is, I'm going to see her right now," Rook casually said. However the Shrine Maiden's reaction was less than relaxed. Standing up with her nostrils flaring, she stomped the tatami mats hard as she could while pointing a threatening finger at the man before her.

"ARE YOU SUICIDAL OR ARE YOU JUST INSANE?! SHE'S GOING TO KILL YOU!" shrieked the brunette in an uncivilized manner. The Human merely gave her a bored look while picking his ear.

"I know what I'm getting myself into," he responded while flicking away earwax, earning him a look of disgust from the angry girl. He then sighed and looked at Reimu's panicked eyes, "Look, I can't just leave this hanging. Sooner or later I'm going to need her help, same goes for you. If I don't do something now then for the gods all I know is that she's going to start hunting me down. It's only logical and practical to apologized to those we've wronged. Especially when we screwed with their life with such magnitude."

Sitting back down, Reimu's eyes never left Rook, "I still think this is a bad idea."

"She has firepower, something I don't have at the moment," stated Rook while turning his head to the left.

"You're going to use her?!" asked the Shrine Maiden, utterly bewildered.

"Hey, she watched you get struck by lightning eleven times," said the Human, "Besides, I have no intention of doing so. I need her as an ally once more, not a weapon."

Reimu glared at him for a few more seconds before finally giving up with a huff, "Do whatever you want, but don't come to me if you get yourself vaporized, or else I'm exorcising you. Got that?!"

"Yeah," replied the Human with a small smile. The Hakureis were an amusing bunch.

"Now get some sleep, you can stay here for the night if you want. Your work can start tomorrow," she said haughtily with an angry expression. She opened one eye to study Rook for a moment before saying, "Hm, it's not like you're going to get anywhere in your state even if you tried. No, food's not for free. You want to eat, you work. But leave that stuff for later. Right now, hit the hay."

Rook left for his first destination the next morning feeling refreshed and well fed. Shortly after the Hakurei Maiden's orders for him to sleep, he collapse almost immediately inside the guest room and began to snore. He figured that he was more exhausted than he let on since he managed to sleep a whole day away without eating, thus his understandable hunger once he woke up. Despite her internal debate on how much she should feed him, Reimu was more than nice enough to provide with a bowl of rice or two along with some tea.

Once he was done eating, Rook returned to the guest room to find two 'conveniently' placed new clothes folded for him in a neat stack. Apparently the things brought to him were nothing more than a new brown coat and black shirt. He figured he could get a change of pants once he returned to Mayohiga after he set up his appointments.

So there he was, walking within the path leading from the Hakurei Shrine and into the far end of the woods where the Human Village. The trip itself was uneventful save for a couple amateur fairy ambushes with the little cannon fodders actually daring to go near him. Being the stoic person he was, Rook allowed them to grab his coat before enveloping his body with electricity. The blackened remains of the fairies lay far behind him as they started to regenerate.

Twigs snapped and dead leaves cracked under his feet as he passed by, pushing shrubs and bushes out of his way as he made through the forest. Sometimes he would see the occasional Youkai going about their business when they were not attacking humans. He even managed to catch one of them playing tag with a group of imps and fairies. A few times he stopped some rather young Youkai from eating a glowing mushroom, grounding one when it was about to throw him a face full of danmaku.

Gensokyo was a surreal magical land filled with all sorts of fantastic creatures and exotic flora. The fauna or animals were no different, dodo birds actually there, but that was already common knowledge. It would be a sight to see if the Outside World were to discover this paradise. Rook always wondered how they would react. Would they be fascinated? Afraid? Amazed? Repulsed? In Awe? Or Disgusted? A world of monsters right under their noses and they didn't even know about it.

"Hmm, must've taken a wrong turn," muttered Rook as he came across a familiar looking antique shop. He gazed at the open window for a second before saying, "I wonder if anyone's home. Maybe I'll grab a pair of pants while I'm in there…" He approached the door and pushed it open, causing the bell above it to ring a jingling sound.

Rook crashed into his left at the distinct sound of a weapon being pumped. This proved to be a wise choice since a blasting noise roared across the area where he had just been a few seconds ago.

"Damn, I missed," grumbled a male voice from within the shop.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT ABOUT?!" yelled Rook, but was met with the point of a black umbrella… With a hole in it.

Another pumping sound was heard as Rinnosuke placed the tip of the umbrella between Rook's eyes while said human felt a shotgun shell roll near his foot, "This is an interesting tool, no? Practical and useful too."

"Rin', put the shotgun umbrella down," requested the Human with his arms raised in defense, staring at the hidden barrel warily, "Put the gun down and we'll settle things."

"Hmph, after the little charade you did the last time you were here I'm afraid that I'll have to be more careful around my customers," the shopkeeper brought his chin on his umbrella as he took aim, "Now give me a good reason why I shouldn't take a leaf out of Marisa's book and blow your head off right here and then."

"You'll be losing your only chance to get your shop advertised around Gensokyo," replied Rook with his eyes still at the gun point, "Besides you're a civilized, sophisticated man. You wouldn't do something barbaric and savage like this or else you'll never get the chance to get customers if you keep scaring them away. And I also think that you'll have to reload if this shot misses."

The gray haired half-Youkai held his shotgun umbrella for a few seconds before he relented and put it aside. The deceiver had a point; Rook was never the kind of person to be hit by something dangerous at point blank range. He could just easily do something that'll make the shot miss. Rinnosuke wasn't going to take his chances with a veteran fighter like the one in front of him.

Still, he raised an eyebrow as he saw genuine relief spread across Rook's features. Maybe he wasn't in the mood to fight.

"Now that the reunion's been through, what the do you want?" Rinnosuke said in a cold tone as he retreated behind his counter and open a pocket book, "Come to take things for free again?"

The Human took a moment to rummage through his belt bag before fishing out a small brown pouch and jingling it under the shopkeeper's nose. He let out a triumphant smirk as the half-Youkai released a tired sigh of annoyance. Rinnosuke gestured Rook to enter the shop, the latter following suit. Over the past five years, the only notable changes in Kourindou were the increased junk and thingamabobs piled carelessly into corners and shelves. Computer units and plasma screens with broken LCD's were hung on the walls at the east section while a number of shelves and baskets housed various gaming consoles and car engines.

The air had a metallic and crude oil like scent in it. What surprised Rook as he looked around were the working ceiling fan above him and the active heaters whirring on a corner. How the Unmoving Goods Seller managed to connect a power source into Gensokyo for his fan was puzzling, seeing that it wasn't there a few years ago. Still in all its strangeness, the Human decided to shrug it off.

Rinnosuke went behind the counter and placed his head on his palm while Rook was left standing in front of him.

"I love what you've done with the place," complimented the blonde while looking around, "Pretty retro if you get what I'm saying."

The shopkeeper let out a snort at the praise, apparently not buying it. "Yes, yes I still haven't cleaned up since the last time you were here. No need to sugarcoat… I suppose you're here to actually purchase something without having to run off like a fugitive."

"Hmm, if I remember correctly, I did pay you," replied Rook in a thoughtful tone.

"The gun is still in the holster, dear customer," Rinnosuke icily responded along with a glare.

Rook glanced at his hip and found said tranquilizer gun on it. Playing dumb he muttered a quick 'oops' before recomposing himself, "Well now…"

"Just tell me what you need so you can get going," sighed the shopkeeper, taking off his glasses and cleaning it.

"Right, right. Geez, what's with the attitude? You know, I've probably said this lots of times before but you'll never get customers that way," said Rook with a shrug, "Anyhow, do you have some spare pants? The ones I'm in now don't look that presentable."

"I see, the clothes rack is just at the back. Just remember to pay for once," were Rinnosuke's only words before Rook dug deeper into the store. Soon enough he found an old brown wardrobe decorated with lion heads and a single tree engraved in the middle. He wrenched the door open and started rummaging through the hanged coats and dresses. Letting a smile of satisfaction, he managed to snag a pair of trousers. Grabbing his loot, he immediately made his way to the fitting room next a few paces away and tried out his pants.

A few moments later, Rinnosuke looked up to his customer and found a small pouch of coins on his counter.

"Thank you for your patronage," mumbled the clerk with heavy lidded eyes.

"Alright, time to go!" piped Rook, making his merry way to the door when—

"Hold it."

"Yes?" he asked with a bright smile, in contrast Rinnosuke's cold indifference.

"We need to talk," said the shopkeeper in a grudging tone.

"Hrrm, what about?" said the Human with the same smile while crossing his arms.

"About a certain black-white."

"Ahhh…"

Year: 2005

10:48 Anti-meridian

Between the Forest and the Humans, Wonderful Shop of Antique Goods; Kourindou, Gensokyo

"Feels like Deja vu."

"Would you please pay attention?"

Rook leaned against the wall with his arms still crossed, however his expression was the complete opposite of what he had a few minutes ago. Right now his visage bore the expression of seriousness with his eyes cold as steel and calculating, the earlier faint scent of metal now more distinct. The two men lay quiet within the deserted shop while the light bulb above flickered on and off at random intervals.

"Right, so if I've heard correctly, Marisa's making a comeback now to get into Reimu's good books, what's so wrong with that?" he asked with a trace of irritation in his tone, "Seriously, I don't see how that's my problem. Shouldn't we be happy because of that?"

"You don't get it do you?" grumbled Rinnosuke in an equally frustrated tone, "Take the dagger out and put it on the counter."

"Dagger? What dagger? I don't see any dagger," said Rook, playing innocent while glancing around.

A dangerous light flashed across the usually stoic shopkeeper's eyes which caused the Human to sigh in defeat. He reached within his coat and drew a sheathed silver dagger with an elegant handle. Carefully placing it on the counter, Rook watched the clerk adjust his glasses and examine the dagger for a few moments.

"How did you know? About that I mean," Rook questioned, pointing at the inanimate weapon.

"I have an eye for stupidly powerful artifacts winding up from the barrier," the shopkeeper replied nonchalantly as he continued to inspect the dagger before straightening himself and looking at Rook dead in the eye, "Besides, Yukari felt like that I needed to know a bit more after you left."

"Right… So why is it all a big deal anyway? It's just Marisa," argued the Human in a firm tone.

"Really now? 'Just Marisa'? Do you have any idea what she is right now?" Rinnosuke angrily growled, "Alright, I understand that you're tougher than you look, but you really need to think about a few things before you go prancing around with her out there. Rook, she never forgot about what you did. She never forgave you for turning Mima into… That."

Rook gave the dagger the stink eye yet remained silent.

"I won't even bother telling you off like this if you had your powers before Mima's sealing, however since you had your strength and abilities drained, you're very vulnerable to Marisa's homicidal tendencies."

"She's a murderer now?" scoffed Rook.

"She doesn't show it, but her fairy killing sprees are more than enough to be evidence," replied Rinnosuke.

The blonde pinched the bridge of his nose as a headache began to gnaw off his patience, "So just because she can kill off mobs of fairies, she's confident that she can kill me off with a Master Spark? Naïve and stupid, Morichika, you know she's better than this, right?"

"Marisa hasn't been the same since that night," said the shopkeeper with a heavy sigh, "Sometimes I wonder if it's the mushrooms she's been gathering or she's just… bordering to insanity. It's a theory, but that doesn't make her less dangerous. It's a good sign that she's opening up to Reimu again, but with you being active once more, the two of you meeting at the Shrine or somewhere else would be inevitable. Rook, you worked with her countless of times and you know that she's doesn't stop at nothing to reach her goal. Right now, her goal is more or less to hunt you down now that you're back, flip the right switch and she'll tear everything within her path just to get you."

Rook pondered the clerk's words for a moment before saying, "Well… I guess they're at that age…"

"And that's all you're going to say?"

"Stop that, you sound like Reimu," griped the Human, "It doesn't matter. If that's what Marisa wants, then all I have to do is stay alive while she turns the place around her into a warzone. Whether she likes it or not, she has to accept things and move on. Call me a hypocrite for saying that, but I don't care. Some things are just beyond saving."

"So you're telling me she's beyond saving?" Rinnosuke hissed coldly.

"I never said that," replied Rook in his casual manner, "I'm just saying that there's still a chance to bring the girl back without leaving her to be like the crazy cop girl. We wouldn't want a Mad Witch with the power of leveling the landscape running around, don't we? Besides, Reimu's going to back me up. If anyone's going to put a leash on the Witch, it's going to be her."

"I….suppose you're right," relented the clerk, slumping back in his chair. He looked up and added, "I assume that you haven't spoken to Old man Kirisame yet?"

"I told you I'll pay him a visit if I had time," Rook smirked knowingly as he added; "I'll add the girl's predicament to my To Do List. See if I can make her calm like… I'll also try not to get killed, no need to worry about hurting her either, I think you wouldn't like that one bit."

"Shut up."

"Hmph, Marisa's a talented young woman with the potential every sorcerer could dream of. Would hate it if it would all go to waste."

Rinnosuke said nothing and proceeded to hand the dagger back to Rook. The shopkeeper watched the Human leave with a careless wave before closing the door. With a tired sigh, he pulled out a book from his drawer and began to read. Unbeknownst to him, Rook snatched the pouch off his counter when he wasn't looking.

Nicolas Notes:

I'm starting to think that Rook has a twisted sense of humor. Hey there~ How you all doing? Time to put a few things up to speed. A quick update of what happened to me in IRL which kept me from writing.

So we had a play entitled "Story of Evil". Not my suggestion, but my classmates'. Anyway you're all probably familiar with that one song from Vocaloid? Yeah, this play is a summarization of the story of that series. I was the Director and I had to make sure my actors are all prepared and ready. However due to lack of motivation, whining, stubbornness adolescent problems, more whining, schoolwork, and the usual uncooperativeness of our little team.

Long story short, it all went to hell. Predictably enough. So on the day of the performance, everyone was panicking since they were lacking a hell lot of things. That's when I decided to beat it. I decided to help out a bit but when things went too far, I left. Ungrateful bastards.

Unto the chapter, this feels more like a breather. Since all we had the past few chapters were mammoth packages of action, torture, combat, and revelations. Here I'm going to experiment with things Rook won't be able to blast out of.

I took the liberty on Genji's personality and way of speech. Mostly inspired by a certain author mentioned at the very beginning of this story.

Welp, there are a few references scattered about. Can you find them all?

That's all for now, thanks for reading! Make sure to review and share your thoughts on your way out. Please be polite at all times, I'll be happy to receive help from you guys.

Yahoo~