Black stillness shrouded the shrine. Its unlit windows gazed blindly into the wood. Floorboards groaned, trees rustled, and in the distant darkness a night-bird yawped.

As Reimu strode under the tori gate, a squishy, squeamish sensation slithered over her. She shivered. Where the barrier stretched thin, she could feel the change. It was like swimming through thick soup, or slipping into a bathtub full of slugs.

Far above her, thunder rumbled.

Before the shrine, inside a square space set off by four flaming torches, Alice danced. And danced. And danced. Each time she completed the steps, she began again.

The wind whistled.

Reimu strode into the clearing. "That's enough, Alice."

The dancing stopped. "Are you planning to follow me all the way home?" she snapped. "Leave me alone!" She flipped open the grimoire, no doubt in search of its nastiest spells.

"Listen!"

Reimu gritted her teeth to hide her crippling dread—Alice might blow a hole in reality. "Inter-dimensional portals are such fickle things. How do you even know you'll even end up in the right world? Why should the gate obey you?"

Alice stiffened. "It will obey me!" she retorted. "It owes me."

Anger churned in Reimu's breast. No, not quite. Rage, more like. Ire. Fury. Extreme exasperation. Righteous indignation. She'd had enough; currently, she was prepared to inflict grievous bodily harm.

Reimu smiled thinly. "Alice, it'll never be enough. You're no shrine maiden. The clothes don't make the miko."

"Shut up!" Alice retorted. "You couldn't possibly understand how I feel!"

That did it.

"And what couldn't I understand?" Reimu expelled a reedy chuckle. "Your life must be so hard, you living alone in your pleasant doll shop in the magic forest, with Marisa dropping in to take care of you. As you can clearly see, I live here, right here in this ramshackle old shack. The roof leaks; the floor creaks; the carpet stinks; the doors can't close completely; there's a nasty draft; and you should see the sort of visitors I get!

"My job's a joke. It's all about other people's problems. I fight a lot. I'll take on youkai, vampires…even freaking gods! And how do I get thanked? On a good day, there's a dead rat in the donations box. Do you know how many meals I've eaten nothing but weeds?!"

As Reimu stormed toward her, Alice cowered back. With a wave of her hand, Alice summoned Shanghai and Hourai. "Stay back!" she cried; she wielded the dolls menacingly.

"I've done the Barrier Dance every day since I could walk. Every. Single. Day. Come snow, or rain, or aches and pains! When my head hurts, or don't feel like it! When I caught the undead flu virus from my latest jaunt to the underworld. Need I go on?!"

Power prickled through Reimu's skin. Her hairs stood on end.

Overwhelmed, Alice sunk to her knees. She clutched her ears, quivering pitifully. "No more, no more…"

Reimu paused. Maybe I overdid it. Let's try this again.

She tried relaxing. "Alice," she said, now softer, "you really don't want to do this. There's nothing for you in the other world. I've seen it—traffic, smog, and stupid noise. My duty is to protect this world. If that means keeping you here, I'll take on all the misery in all the worlds to do it." She rested a hand on Alice's shoulder. She strained to smile.

Alice looked up. She returned the smile, eyes glistening.

"Then you're a fool."

A blast of energy ripped through Reimu's body. Sprawling, she soared across the clearing and skidded to a stop on the stone steps, skinning her elbows and knees in the process. She leaped up to fight—or would have, had her limbs responded. Instead she merely twitched.

Alice smirked. "My pretty," she called, "would you come out? Keep this waste of space busy while I finish my dance."

A shapely shadow stalked out of the woods.

"As you wish, my precious thing."

Lying sideways, Reimu stirred. The last piece of the puzzle—of course. It made sense. There was a second accomplice. The one who robbed her at the bathhouse. The one who frustrated her investigation at every turn. The only one who could have hidden Alice's intentions from her, right in her own house! The only one…

Wicked laughter wafted from the dark. "You look terrible, Moo."

"Marisa." Reimu fumed. "Why would you…"

The witch tipped the brim of her pointy black hat. "Love hurts," she said simply. Gold-colored energy crackled in her hands. She flung it at Reimu and called out, "Master Spark!"

With a sharp gasp, Reimu rolled aside. The beam singed her hair, stinging the nape of her neck.

Cackling, Marisa sent brilliant balls of white lightning sizzling after Reimu. They bounced after her, scorching and torching whatever they touched.

Stumbling away, Reimu she fled for the trees. The witch strolled lazily after her, shooting indiscriminately into the brush, not moving in any apparent rush.

"All I do, I do for love," said Marisa, as while she hunted down her friend. "And I love Alice. Probably more than I should. But I only want my beloved to be happy."

Marisa froze and listened—muffled panting. The witch plunged her hand into a bush and hauled out Reimu by her hair. Reimu jerked against her grip, but to no avail.

Marisa laughed. "You look cold, Moo." She adjusted her friend's lapel. "Careful, you'll poke someone's eye out."

"Marisa, you—"

Bright red light emanated from Reimu's every pore. Even Marisa had the sense to get back. A qi explosion rocked the night—a circle of trees tumbled down, emitting a dry snapping sound.

With a wild cry, Reimu rocketed toward Marisa. The Yin-Yang orbs beside her scattered several strings of shining bullets.

The shots only grazed the witch. They barely fazed her.

There was a crisp whisper—"Final Master Spark."—and a titanic bolt of energy exploded from her hands. The resulting shockwave shook the forest; it flared out blinding light, blaring out a thunderous roar.

Reimu barreled through the blast, blocking the bolt with her outstretched fist. Leaping high into the air, Marisa alighted in a tree. Before her opponent could recover, Reimu released a dazzling blizzard of crimson bullets. They homed in on Marisa like an angry flock of birds.

Harrumphing, the witch pulled out her broom, seemingly from nowhere, and batted the bullets aside. When the bristles caught aflame, she blew out the fire with a huff. "How about a little fire, miko?"

Marisa tapped her battered broom on the branch. "Moo, you can't beat me. Unlike you, I train my body. I've worked hard enough for both of us, and here it shows."

Because you have time to train, Reimu retorted in her head. Her tongue wouldn't cooperate. Still smarting from the first Master Spark, she had plenty of trouble keeping on her feet.

She decided to bluff.

"Give up!" Reimu said, wringing her hands. "I won't fight you anymore. It's over!"

"…For you."

A screaming came across the night. A shimmering scarlet spear pierced Reimu from behind. It jutted out the front of her gut. She staggered, blinking. The forest floor blurred and lurched and suddenly became a lot closer. She tasted dead leaves.

Remilia emerged from the trees, brandishing her red spear Gungnir. Her childish face spread into a shriveled smile.

Her feral sister hung by her side, chains loose and jangling. Flandre pawed the ground—itching, craving that pure sweet blood.

Reimu got up, sputtering a mouthful of dirt. She touched her stomach. No lacerations. Only a thick red river leaked from her nose. She snuffled it back up.

Fortunately, the energy-spear could not harm her physically, but it hurt like hell—as she would know, being a regular guest.

Glancing around the battlefield, Reimu sized up her situation. First: her. Battered, bloody, barefoot, clad in a bathrobe on a bitter autumn night. Versus: two vampires and a master magician. Good odds?—no, but familiar ones.

"Fine," she muttered. "Take me on, take me out. I've beaten you all, separately. Hurt me. Kill me, if you dare."

"Kill you?" Remilia sniggered. "Please, too easy. After what I did to China for her—breach of conduct—I'm in the mood for a little fun."

Her expression a terrible leer, Remilia crept closer. Her wings beat the air with anticipation. "I don't always attack humans," she continued as she wiped away the saliva dribbling down her chin, "but when I do, I let Flan go first. After she's done, there isn't much left. However, tonight you've made me angry, very angry. And when I get angry…I get hungry…"

Cold wind rushed. One second later, Marisa stood between Reimu and the vampire sisters. She thrust out her broomstick. "This wasn't part of the deal," she warned, scowling. "If you so much as touch her, I'll—"

"Quiet, witch! Unless you want to be next!"

"One more step, and—"

Reimu looked back and forth, befuddled. What was happening? But before she could become sloppy seconds…

A terrible roar split the night. Space ripped like old cloth. A black crack streaked across the sky, swallowing the stars. All eyes shot toward Alice. The girl still danced, though an ethereal glow had settled over her.

"Get back!" cried Reimu. "The border is—"

Her words were drowned out by the peculiar noise the world makes when it breaks.

Even while the wind whipped at her skirts, Remilia just shrugged. "Oh well. Now, where were we…?"

A blue bolt sang in the darkness—silencing Remilia before her next monologue—and struck the ground between the witch and the vampires, tossing up a geyser of topsoil and fluttering leaves.

"Reimu Hakurei. You seem to be in need of help."

Kanako Yasaka strolled into the clearing, shortly followed by Sanae. The green-haired shrine maiden tossed her head. "You in trouble again, Mumu?" she called. A teasing smile played about her face. "Don't worry. We'll clear it up in no time."

Reimu gaped. Them, here? Now? How? Helping her? She didn't care—at this point, even her hated nickname sounded welcome.

"Has the keeper of Hakurei Shrine always been this weak?" murmured Kanako. "I find your lack of faith disturbing."

"So we may have caused you some trouble in the past," Sanae admitted—a gross understatement. "Not us this time. We have all the faith from last night at our disposal. Consider thispayback!"

Remilia glared at the newcomers. Unimpressed, she returned to mind her prey. She charged at Reimu, snarling and slavering, knocking Marisa aside, extending her claws and preparing to sink her fangs into Reimu's delicious naked neck when…

Another bolt from the blue barred her way. Sanae snatched the short girl by the collar and held her aloft.

"Get away from her, vampire brat."

Delirious with joy, Reimu could have kissed her savior.

Remilia hissed hideously. She squirmed. "You conceited, wretched human!" she spat. "Flan! Come!"

At her command, Flandre bounded to her sister's rescue.

Suddenly, another figure leaped from the forest, and with it came a silly laugh—Suika bounced by and pounced on Flandre. While Flandre thrashed and snarled, Suika only seemed to enjoy herself. Her horns, which easily could have gored a rhinoceros, instead tickled the dreaded Flandre Scarlet into submission! Amid the scuffle, their chains tangled. They rolled off into the bushes.

Lately, Reimu had the hardest time keeping the fights straight—who was fighting whom, who was on what side, and which of them actually wanted her dead.

Tap-tap-tap—feet, and only one shoe, tapping on the cobblestones.

She jolted. Alice!

But when Reimu went to run at the dancing girl, Marisa tackled her. They crashed into the ground. Marisa straddled Reimu. "I haven't given up yet!" the witch whispered. Pausing, she smiled. "Well, doesn't this bring back memories? Remember when…"

Screaming shattered the night. The clamor ceased; the fighters stopped to stare.

The crack in the border, like a weeping wound in the dark sky, pulsed and swelled to thrice its size. With a noise like crackling glass, the black gate yawned open.

For a second, light seeped through. With it came a reeking stench, and the infernal honking and beeping of what Reimu knew to be rush hour traffic.

But these things quickly vanished. The crack buckled, and shut, and then grinned even broader. Beyond it loomed infinite blackness.

Reimu's blood froze. This was not the Outside World. No, this was worse—far, far worse.

She's opened a portal to the abyssal plane!

"Alice!" cried Reimu, throwing off Marisa, "you idiot! What have you done?"

A harrowing howl oozed out of the infinite darkness.

"What's that?" said Sanae. She clung close to Kanako. "Reimu…what is that?"

Deep in the vast black, a presence moved. It sported many eyes, and countless ravenous mouths. It hungered. It thirsted. From the darkest corner of the multiverse, it lusted.

They gazed into the abyss, and the abyss gazed back into them.

Alice watched with horror. The gohai slipped from her fingers; it tumbled upward into the void. "No," she whispered. "No, no, not this, not now…"

A dark cloud, shaped like a shadowy hand, drooled from the gate's black maw. It groped, grasped, grabbed. It searched for its summoner. It took Alice; she screamed.

"Oh, no you don't!"

Struck with Marisa's Master Spark, even the abomination from the abyss shrank back. It shrieked. Millions of jagged teeth gnashed in fury.

After the first, a seething swarm of shadowy hands reached forth from the gap in the world.

Sanae shot second. A chorus of blue bolts fell in harmony upon the army of black hands. As the shadows receded, Kanako joined in with all her strength, firing a blazing barrage of light to push back the darkness.

But the unseen beast fought back.

Smoky black fingers curled around Alice, ensnaring her in their grasp. She fell limp, speechless with shock.

Then a searing crimson spear penetrated the abyss, dispersing the cloud. The hands dissipated; Alice dropped into Remilia's embrace. "Honestly, girl," she muttered, "must I do everything myself?" She tossed a petulant scowl back at Reimu. "Shrine maiden! Close this thing before it causes any more trouble."

Reimu started. Absorbed in the scene, she forgot herself. No more. This night must end.

She shut her eyes, chanted the mystic incantation, and summoned her strength for a single strike.

I saved spring from a ghost sealed in a cherry tree. I brought back the real moon from endless darkness. I've defeated both of the gods of Moriya shrine, the resurrected youkai messiah, and an idiot-savant god-eating hell-dwelling raven-girl armed with a nuclear-powered arm cannon! With all my might, I WILL protect this land!

Bellowing her fiercest battle cry, she fired.

The portal wrinkled and recoiled. The creature screeched. As its noise faded, the wound in the heavens slowly shrank, slowly healing.

The sky rippled again.

"Not enough!" Reimu sprinted over to Alice. She thrust an unsolicited hand in the girl's back pocket.

Alice squeaked. "What are you doing?!"

"Just shut up, and stay still!"

Under Marisa's suspicious sidelong glance, Reimu withdrew a packet of ofuda. She flung the paper talismans into the abyss; they exploded uselessly. She swore—still not enough.

"Mumu, would you mind actually helping?" snapped Sanae, who was busy with Kanako, Marisa, and Remilia, blasting back the beast.

"I'm trying!"

Muffled scuffling came from the bushes. Even as the world around them threatened to collapse, Suika and Flandre tumbled around in the grass like a pair of squabbling kittens. Until Suika's clawed fingernail snagged a most important string—Flandre's mobcap loosened. The tiny vampire froze. As she watched in horror, a gust of wind plucked her hat from her head and sucked it into the unfathomable abyss.

First, she gasped. Then, her lip quivered. She quaked with rage. Roaring, she tossed Suika aside like a ragdoll. She screamed. Scarlet energy gathered in her upraised hand; it spread out long and thin. Finally, with a beastly screech, Flandre flung her mighty spear Laevateinn.

It pierced the darkness with a blinding flash.

Yowling, the creature retreated.

But the faintest trace of the portal glowed in the pitch-black sky.

"Now, Mumu!" shouted Sanae over the whining wind. "Close it! Before it gets back or brings more!"

Remilia hissed, "Shut the damn door, you worthless wench!"

"Fine, fine, I get it!"

Her heart pounded. Her hands trembled. But Reimu knew that she must dance. She needed some sort of stick—something long and round and…ah.

Driven by the wind, a souvenir from last night's festival skidded across the ground—a pinwheel. Good enough. Reimu snatched it up with a flourish. She settled into her stance.

Watch closely, Alice. This is what it means to be a shrine maiden.

There, barefoot in a bathrobe and wielding a pinwheel, Reimu performed the Barrier Dance. She flowed with the water, breathed with the wind—twenty-four steps, in perfect rhythm.

It's not the kind of clothes you wear, not what you have. It's what you GIVE that makes you who you are. I am the shrine maiden—and I protect my friends!

The black gate sensed her spirit. It knew her. With a low groan, it closed its jaws. The shredded space stitched shut.

In a moment, the stars winked back on.

Exhausted, Reimu collapsed.

Silence lingered in the air. At last, Marisa let out a whoop. Giggling to herself, Kanako joined in, then Suika (although she admittedly had no idea what they were celebrating). Sanae simply smiled, and Remilia sufficed with a satisfied "Hmph!"

Reimu sighed. Maybe I was wrong—I need a vacation.

Meanwhile, Flandre scrabbled all over in search of her missing mobcap. She looked right and left, dug through the carpet of leaves with mounting anxiety. She wailed. The gate cracked open once more—it spat out her hat, and then closed for good. Scarlet eyes sparkling, Flandre caught up her hat and hooted with delight.

Alice lay on the ground, trembling, while Marisa stooped beside her. Both glanced up as Reimu approached.

"What will you do to me?" Alice quavered. "I've done so much wrong. I'm sorry. I'll make amends! Just…is there anything, anything I can do?"

Reimu gazed down at her. A pang of pity wormed its way into her chest. "No need," she managed. "As you are, I'd like to think you've learned your lesson."

Alice blinked. "You're not mad?"

"Not at all." I'm furious. "Since, as it stands, you'll probably never get home," said Reimu carefully, "you might as well make friends with the rest of us. You know, as long as you're stuck here." She paused. "…Alice?"

"Yes?"

"Get out of my clothes. They look ridiculous on you."

"On the contrary," drawled Marisa, stroking Alice's hair, "I think they look rather fetching."

Reimu rolled her eyes. Oh yes, fetching. She'll be fetching your newspaper by the time you're done with her.

"C'mon, girl." With a grunt, Marisa hoisted Alice on her shoulders, despite the latter's squeals of protest.

"I say we've fought enough for one day," said Kanako civilly. "Let's go inside and have tea."

Sanae exhaled. "After today, I'm dying for a drink. Don't you have anything stronger, like maybe…"

"SAKE!" sang Suika. She threw back her head and guzzled from her gourd. Flandre skulked around her, eyes flashing—and pounced. In a grappling scrapping heap, they disappeared back into the woods.

Remilia folded her arms and sulked. "Looks like Flan found a new playmate."

"No need to feel jealous."

"I'm not!"

Kanako chuckled. "Would you care to join for tea tonight? That is, if the mistress of the house doesn't mind." She cast a glance at Reimu.

Reimu swallowed. Remember your duty…

"Why not?" Despite her misgivings, she invited Remilia inside. As shrine maiden, she had learned long ago never to bear a grudge. Even if certain people tried to kill her today, they'd be fine for tea tomorrow. Keep your friends close, your enemies closer. And the saying was true, mainly.

"Sorry to say, I cannot stay," replied Remilia. She gazed up at the silver moon. "My servants need my attention tonight. We must have tea some other time."

A persistent thought niggled in the back of Reimu's mind. "I'm not sure if I should ask, but what have you done with Meiling?"

"Who, China? I gave her a time-out. Cleaning duty. She'll be picking up bits of glass sometime into the next millennium." The Scarlet Devil grinned wickedly. "And don't worry about Flan. She'll find her way home…when she's hungry."

Ignoring the unfortunate implications, Reimu gladly bade Remilia farewell.

After the others had gone inside for tea and mochi, Reimu remained outside, borrowing Marisa's broom to sweep up the courtyard. What a mess they'd made.

As she worked, she thought back to Meiling. Her insipid tea-leaf reading that never proved true. Some terrible secret?—the end of the world nearly happened on my watch, under my own roof. Guess that counts. Conflict with a person I care about?—honestly, I've never much cared for Alice; the gloomy girl can leave forever for all I care, so long as she isn't conjuring up abyssal abominations in my backyard. As for Marisa, we've spent too much time together to ever get along properly. An unexpected friend?—I wasn't planning on having Sanae stop in for a fight tonight, and least of all for supper. And…what was that other thing?

While she racked her brain, the sliding door smacked open. Sanae stood in the doorway, wreathed in light, looking flustered.

"Mumu! You'd better get in here! Marisa accused Kanako of cheating at shogi—now she's throttling my goddess, and Alice and I can't get her off! Hurry up, would you?"

Reimu sighed and set aside the broom. The work never ends. And what is a shrine maiden but one who does her duty? She tromped after Sanae, into the light of laughter and games and song.