Fiction

She fell.

She fell and landed with a cry as she tumbled roughly in the dirt. Weeping, she struggled to rise, but her foot got tangled in the hem of her torn and soiled robe, sending her back down again. She couldn't find the will to try again, so instead she curled up into a miserable ball as gasping sobs forced their way out of her throat and tears of shame made muddy trails down her cheeks. All around her, people passed by without speaking to her, people she knew, people she could probably name if she were to lift her head to see their faces. And not one stopped to help her, to ask what was wrong, to give her comfort. Though her banishment had happened scarcely an hour ago, they already knew; everyone did. She no longer had a family, and with them had departed all of her friends. Now she was alone in a village of familiar strangers.

Her fingers curled into a fist, and she angrily slammed it into the dirt. It wasn't right! She had done no wrong! Or at least, she hadn't intended to. She had only wanted what was best for Father. But everything had gone wrong. Father had failed the tasks and returned in disgrace. The immortal princess had rejected him, just as she had rejected so many others. And when the girl had learned that the last remaining dose of the fabled Elixir of Immortality was being transported as a gift to the Emperor, she had seized upon the opportunity to salvage things, to ensure that at least one member of her family was guaranteed life. But things had gone so horribly wrong, and now she was disgraced and disinherited, forced to forever bear her shame.

As she lay weeping, she came to realize that someone was standing before her, a woman, silently watching her. Wiping her eyes with her grubby sleeve, the girl looked up to see a pair of sandaled feet directly in front of her face. These feet were attached to a pair of smooth, hairless legs that led up to a knee-length silk robe, one-half of which was dyed emerald green and the other sapphire blue. Over the breast on the green side was a golden sun, and a silver crescent moon hung near the opposite hip. A long, slender neck rose out of the bejeweled collar, and the face above was both beautiful and cruel: with a strong, pointed chin; full lips that were curled into a mocking sneer; and startling blue eyes that were crinkled with amusement. The woman's hair was as dark as ink and hung over half her face, partially shrouding her left eye. In her left hand was a silver wand, with thin smoke rising from one end.

The girl knew her at once, though she had only ever seen her from afar. It was the witch-woman, the one said to be the friend of evil youkai and demons, who sold her talents to the highest bidder and had no remorse over the pain she caused. Quite the contrary, she seemed to enjoy it.

"Well now," the witch-woman said. "Aren't you in a pitiful state."

The girl gaped up at her. She tried to speak but found that she had lost the ability.

"Come, come," the witch-woman said, gesturing with her fingers. A web of spun gold covered her right hand. "Stand up now."

For a moment the girl could only stare. Then, with great reluctance, she heaved herself to her feet. Even standing at her full height the top of her head barely reached the witch-woman's chin.

"That's better," said the witch-woman. She inserted one end of her wand, the one without smoke, into her mouth and inhaled deeply. When she exhaled, more smoke seeped from her nostrils. When the girl realized the wand's purpose, she felt both fascinated and repulsed. A device for inhaling smoke? Why would anyone want such a thing?

"So," the witch-woman said, more smoke billowing from her mouth as she spoke. "Word has reached my ears that you're the one responsible for the Emperor never receiving his lovely gift from the Moon Princess. What's more, the tales say that you took it for yourself, gaining what every man, woman, and child has sought after since the dark years. As I understand it, this had got quite a few people rather upset with you." Before the girl could answer, the witch-woman added, "Though I also hear that the great fool was in the process of having it destroyed, so I don't know what all the fuss is about. If he does not want to taste the fruit of eternity, why shouldn't someone else have it instead? Madness, I tell you."

The girl found her tongue then. "I…I didn't mean to…I mean, I wanted it for Father, not-"

"Child, it doesn't matter what you meant to do. I have no doubt you embarked with the noblest intentions, but the fact remains that you drank from the Moon Princess's gift. You took the power intended for another, and so you will now live forever. You have transcended humanity and became an immortal, a legend. And you didn't even have to become a youkai to do it! Congratulations." The witch-woman took more smoke from her wand and laughed. "I have no doubt they'll soon be writing songs and stories about you, each one more untrue than the last." She laughed again. "Well, that is one advantage you have over others that have been burdened with being a legend: at least you'll still be around to provide edits should the tales become too ridiculous."

The girl said nothing. She looked down at her feet.

The witch-woman studied the girl's downcast face for a few moments before asking a surprising question. "Are you afraid of me?"

The girl blinked. She tried to think of an inoffensive answer, but none came to mind. So instead, she just nodded.

"You are? You? The immortal?" The witch-woman shrugged. "Hmmm, everyone is, it seems. It's funny most of the time, but after a while it becomes quite bothersome." The woman held her wand away from her and tapped ash from the smoking side. "Well, you should be, you know. After all, I have half a mind to bring you home with me and take you apart, just to see if I can't extract the secret to true immortality from your liver."

The girl felt icy fear seize her heart. She stumbled back, her hands raised in defense. A thought, and flames erupted around her hands, singing the ends of her sleeves.

The witch-woman looked amused. "Oh, do calm down," she said. She waved her hand, and two small clouds thick with humidity formed around the girl's hands, snuffing out the flames. "I said I was tempted to do so, not that I was actually going to do it."

The girl stared at her hands. Never had her fires been so easily quenched. It terrified her, but at the same time she felt hot anger ignite. "You're lying," she found herself saying. "It's what you do. That's what they all say." A part of her quelled at her own words, insisting that she shouldn't say such things to the witch-woman's face. But in light of all that had happened, that part was very small, and the rest of her had ceased to care.

But the witch-woman only laughed. "Oh, am I? Ah, honesty. So refreshing." Then, placing her hand on her hips, the witch-woman leaned over to look the girl in the eye. "Now, you may fear me, but everyone does. Do you hate me as well?"

This time the girl didn't look away. "You work for the Sonozikas."

"Whom you have ample reason to hate," the witch-woman said. "Given the numerous assassination attempts, multiple slanderous campaigns to soil your father's name, and the bloody pieces your brother was reduced to." She shrugged. "Well, I wasn't there for that last one, but I will not deny that I did render to them a number of services. Those lovely defenses around their estate, the ones your family has been finding so incredibly frustrating, are of my creation, I do confess." Then she smiled. "Though if you insist on hating me due to my association with your enemies, you might want to reconsider. After all, just as you are no longer numbered among Fujiwara no Fuhito's children, Sonozika no Yoritomo is no longer numbered among my clients."

The girl inhaled sharply. She had not known this, and as far as she knew, her family didn't either. "When?" was all she could think to say.

"Quite recently. The fat fool had never been punctual with his payments, and when I took it upon myself to tactfully remind him of our agreements, his response was…less than polite." She shook her head and let out a dramatic sigh. "Men. Always so sure of their power, always so blinded by their arrogance. You'd think they would learn from their predecessors, but alas…"

The girl was stunned. The witch-woman had been the primary reason her own family had never been able to gain any sort of advantage over the Sonozikas. And if she was truly no longer working for them… "What of all those enchantments you provided for them?" she asked. "All those traps and weapons and the like?"

The witch-woman sneer sharpened. "Oh, those. As I understand it, the poor boy has been convinced that since they are currently in his possession, they will continue to function as they've always have, even after he's offended their creator." She inhaled more smoke, held it in, and lazily let it out. "Even as we speak, he's seeking to bolster his forces, searching out other witch-women and hiring various mercenaries." She arched a single eyebrow meaningfully. "Including the same ones responsible for your dear brother's death. They're in dock at Kamakura right now, to carry out the negotiations."

The girl said nothing.

"Still, I really don't think that arsenal I provided for him is going to function much longer. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if it becomes the source of all manner of bad fortune for him. It's this feeling I have." Her mouth lifted in a sinister smile as she leaned in closer to speak softly into the girl's ear. "May I offer a complimentary piece of advice? From one outcast to another."

"I'm listening," the girl said.

"You may have been dishonored and ejected from your family. You may now be one of the untouchables, little better than a youkai. Your old life and all you ever hoped for may now lie in ruins. But in light of what you've become, all you've gained and lost, I think you'll find that a great many opportunities are about to become available to you, and I dare say you will find immortality to be quite useful in the pursuit of a certain pastime, one you have always craved."

"And what would that be?"

"Vengeance." With that, the witch-woman stepped back, bowed her head politely to the girl, and said, "Best of luck to you, little immortal." Then she turned around and walked away.

The girl watched her go, the wheels turning in her head. She considered the witch-woman's words, measured them against her current state of affairs, and found the resulting conclusion to be…interesting. Oh yes, very interesting indeed.

Then she turned her face toward Kamakura. It wasn't far from here, and the trees would clear soon enough, allowing her to fly. From there, it would take her about ten minutes to get there; less if she hurried.

With that in mind, the girl started moving. It began slow, nothing more than a determined walk, but then she picked up speed. Soon she was running as quickly as she could, but before she could take to the sky, her foot caught on a stone. Her ankle twisted under her, and…

She fell. Fortunately, this time she had her wits about her, and was able to seize the lower frame of the door she had just stepped through, arresting her fall.

Breathing out a sigh of annoyance, Mokou shook her head and said, "Again with the falling. You know, I think gravity hates me." Then, once she was sure that the door wasn't about to disappear on her, she took a look at her new surroundings.

She was hanging by one hand from the burnt door, nearly a full kilometer in the air. That didn't bother her; she had never been afraid of heights, and she was confident in her strength to keep her suspended. However, what she saw below her was very disturbing.

It was the Bamboo Forest of the Lost. She had seen it from above so many times that there was no mistaking it, even with most of the actual bamboo gone. However, some idiot had decided to take issue with the "Bamboo Forest" part and remove almost everything related to the descriptor. And in their place, that same idiot had stuck a great big ugly city, full of way too many people. And given whose subconscious she had reportedly just entered, it didn't take much thought to figure out who that idiot was.

Mokou was not a fan of crowds. She could deal with them if necessary, but she had lived by herself for so long that they made her very uncomfortable. Besides, the last crowd she had been in had beaten her nearly to death and set her on fire. It was not an experience she cared to repeat, and given that the Kamakura riot had originated from her own head, she had no desire to find out what a swarm of imaginary people from Kaguya's brain would do to her.

But it wasn't as if she had much of a choice. Cursing her horrid luck, Mokou extended a leg straight out and gingerly tested her power of flight. To her satisfaction, the leg immediately became weightless. Okay, so that still worked. Then she held up her free hand and concentrated on the index finger. A tiny flame ignited at its tip.

Well, at least her powers hadn't been shut off, at least not yet. If worst came to worst, she could always just burn the city down.

Right, she thought as bitter memories sprung up. Well, at least I've got practice in that field.

Then she let go.

Fortunately, her flight was not snatched away from her, and she landed in the streets without a problem. This earned her a few odd looks from the passersby, but at least nobody turned aggressive.

Guess it's like the Youkai Market and they don't favor people randomly flying around here, Mokou thought as she started walking. As she did, she noticed that she was attracting a lot of sidelong looks and whispers. She glanced at the clothes everyone was wearing and compared them to her own. Maybe it's the outfit. I do kinda stand out.

Shrugging off that line of thought, Mokou moved away from the crowd toward an open plaza. Once she was free from the press of bodies, she felt a little bit better, but was still a little on edge. She did not like this place at all. It made her feel like a trapped animal.

Well, the sooner she left, the better. Looking around, Mokou realized that she didn't have the first idea where she should start looking. Trying to spot Kaguya in this rabble was going to be next to impossible, even if there was now two of her.

Well, nothing for it, Mokou thought reluctantly. Scanning the faces of those nearby, she finally settled on an elderly, round-bellied male rabbit youkai sitting on a bench who looked friendly enough to help her. Marching up to him, she called out, "Uh, excuse me! Yo!"

The old rabbit jerked up, clearly startled at being addressed. Clearing his throat, he said, "Ah, y-yes? How, ah, how can I help you?"

Well, from the look of things, the dream people here had the same developed personalities that Keine did. Good, that made things easier. Deciding to play along, Mokou said, "Yeah, look: I'm kinda new here, and need a little help. If I asked about the name 'Kaguya Houraisan,' would that mean anything to you?"

The old rabbit gave her a long, slow stare, and Mokou tensed up. But instead of attacking, he cleared his throat and said, "Ah, you mean the, ah, Prime Minister?"

It was all Mokou could do not to groan out loud. So, that settled things. This was Kaguya's personal paradise, the way she wanted Gensokyo to be. And from the look of things, she had set herself up as its principle authority. Well, wasn't that just wonderful. Mokou could not wait to leave. "Yup, that's her," she said. "And by any chance did you see a pair of twin girls that look exactly like her, wearing green-and-black uniforms?"

"No, I, ah, can't say that I have," the old rabbit said, shaking his head.

Well, it had been worth a shot. "Well, thanks anyway." Mokou was about to turn to leave, but then the old rabbit's eyes narrowed, focusing on her in a way she did not like. "Wait, ah, wait a minute," he said. "Do I, ah, know you?"

The back of Mokou's neck prickled. Oh, this could not be good. "Pretty sure you don't, so bye!" Mokou said. She started walking away as quickly as she could without looking suspicious.

Apparently it didn't work, as the old rabbit suddenly stiffened with a gasp. "Sun, moon, and stars," he said, pointing a shaky finger at her. "You're her!"

Back home, in the real world, Eirin Yagokoro's private office within the Hourai Clinic was small but elegant, tastefully decorated with her favorite mementos that had been collected over her long life and evidences of her many great accomplishments. While the Lunarian doctor had been content with that alone, Kaguya had always been of the opinion that Eirin Yagokoro, the single most brilliant scientific mind and accomplished physician of all time, responsible for creating wonders so great that they put magic to shame and founding one of the greatest (well, in regards to their technological and artistic accomplishments. Kaguya wasn't overly fond of their societal culture) civilizations in recorded history, deserved something more. As such, neither Head nor Body were at all surprised to see that the private office of this Eirin Yagokoro could quite possibly have held the entirety of the Hourai Clinic and still had room left over for a bathroom.

Located on the topmost floor of the hospital, it stretched all the way from one end of the building to the other. The ceiling and three of the four walls were all windows, giving the place a wide-open feel. The two opposite ends were raised up above the center, accessed by velvet carpeted stairs, with Eirin's gigantic crescent moon desk sitting like a throne at one side and very comfortable recreational center, with soft couches, a television the size of an automobile's windshield, and even a tiny kitchen, occupying the other.

The space below had been turned into Eirin's personal museum. A number of priceless artifacts sat beneath glass, including a gem-studded asteroid, the Lunarians' royal crown and scepter (the inclusion of which was particularly satisfying), the Hourai Elixir itself, some kind of gelatinous blob thing, and, to the twins' discomfort, a velmick head. The wall to either side of the elevator had been turned into an aquarium, in which was contained a miniature coral reef and numerous aquatic animals from several worlds. Various pieces of artwork and exotic potted plants were arranged throughout the room.

It was very impressive, and Head and Body took the appropriate time to gape wide-mouthed upon exiting the elevator. "You know," said Prime Minister Kaguya Houraisan as she moved over to one of the couches. "I think they like it here."

"I'm getting the same feeling," Eirin said, walking down into the lower area. She turned around and spread her arms. "Well, ladies. Judging by the fact that the muscles of your lower jaw seem to have ceased functioning and your eyes are making a valiant attempt to emancipate themselves from their sockets, would I be correct in assuming that my decorative sense meets your approval?"

Head made a point of blinking and pushed her lower jaw back up. "Uh, yes. Yes it does." She slowly descended the steps to join Eirin, her twin following close behind. "Sun, moon, and stars, you really went all out here. How much did this cost, anyway?"

"Enough to make it worth it."

"Nice." Body leaned over to examine a display of religious texts. Judging by their age and the fact that a great many of them were scrolls made from such materials as papyrus, animal hide, and something that she was fairly certain was human leather, they were probably all first additions.

Still, as Head gloated over her father's royal ornaments (and oh, if she only possessed them in real life. The satisfaction would be so sweet), she still felt like something was out of place. Yes, something was missing, something that the real Eirin would never lack, no matter how many or how few resources she had. "Hey, where's the lab?" she asked.

Eirin, who was in the process of ascending the steps leading to the recreation area, paused. "Lab?" she said, looking over her shoulder, her right eyebrow rising in askance.

"Yeah. Laboratory. Workshop. Room of doom. Whatever. I mean, don't get me wrong, this place is great and all, but it's not exactly suited for making your miracles."

"Oh, that's what you mean." Eirin shrugged and pointed toward a door next to the stairs on the lower area. "My workshop's through there. This place is intended to impress my friends and intimidate my enemies."

Head laughed. "Good thing we're impressed then. Though I really got to ask what kind of enemies you have around-"

"Hey I think you got a person in here," Body interrupted. She was currently standing in front of the aquarium, her face so close to the glass that her nose was almost making contact.

"Say what?" Head jogged over to her twin's side. "You mean like a drowned corpse?" She eagerly searched the maze of coral, trying to find a trace of the alleged dead body. "Nifty!"

"Corpse?" Eirin looked at them in bewilderment. "What?"

"Eirin, why is there a corpse in your fishtank?" Kaguya said from the far end of the room. "They not eating their fish food or something?"

"No, I mean I'm pretty sure I saw someone swimming in there," Body said, pointing. Head squinted her eyes. Body was right: there was something vaguely humanoid swimming around in there.

"Oh, her," Kaguya said dismissively. She got up and headed toward the kitchen, muttering, "Got me all excited for nothing."

"Wait, you mean you're supposed to have a person in here?" Body said. "Are they…okay with this?"

"Oh, don't worry," Eirin said, walking over to them. "It's just the mermaid."

Both the twins ceased trying to make out the hazy shape immediately. They glanced at each other and, as one, turned to look at her. "You have a pet mermaid," Body said, no question in her tone but still requesting clarification.

"Mmmm-hmmm." Eirin joined them by the glass. "Well, she'd probably take exception to being called a pet, but yes."

"Really," Head said. "You've got a stinking mermaid. In your aquarium."

"Once again, yes I have a mermaid, no she would not appreciate the insulting adjective."

Kaguya opened the refrigerator and removed a bottle Lunarian wine. "Try tapping the glass with your fingers," she called over to them. "That usually gets her attention."

Head and Body again looked at each other. Then they shrugged, and Body tapped the glass with her index finger.

The response was immediate. The hazy formed started swimming toward them, letting the Kaguya twins get a clear look. As it turned out, yes: it was in fact a mermaid. Her lower body was a large fish-like tail with bright scales in maroon, teal, and black. Her upper body was that of a young girl, around twelve to fourteen years of age, with short blue hair and large, inquisitive eyes of the same color. She wore a long-sleeved white shirt that featured a large, blue musical note over a pair of crossed cutlasses on her chest like a coat-of-arms.

"Holy hell," Head said, transfixed. "She's got a real mermaid."

"Damn, she's cute," Body said. She favored the mermaid with a friendly smile. "Hi," she cooed, waving. "Hi there."

The mermaid was now fully before them. She looked from one twin to the other, her head cocked quizzically.

"You're right, she's a real cutie," Head said as she also waved. "Hello, little one."

And then the mermaid did something that no one, not even Eirin had been expecting: she pulled down one eyelid, stuck out her tongue, and blew a raspberry, the sound still audible even through the glass. Then she flipped around and swam away.

As the twins gawked at the surprising display of rudeness, Eirin turned beet-red. "I…I am so sorry," she said, wringing her hands. "She's normally much better behaved! I don't know what's gotten into-"

"Oh my gods!" Body said, laughing in delight. "You've got a sassy little tomboy mermaid!"

"That's adorable!" Head agreed. She turned to her twin and said, "Can we keep her?"

"Why yes, you can."

The answer came not from Eirin, but Kaguya. The twins turned to see the fictional prime minister of the fictional urbanized Bamboo Forest of the Lost approaching them. She carried four crystal glasses of golden Lunarian wine, skillfully holding two glasses between the fingers of each hand.

"Excuse me?" Body said, her expression turning serious. "Are you joking? Because unless someone figures out a way to pull things out of dreams and make them real, I really don't see that happening."

"Oh, come on. You literally know me better than anybody alive. Would I joke about something like this?"

"Yes," said Head and Body at the exact same time and in the exact same tone.

"Well, they're not wrong," Eirin said.

"Okay, maybe," Kaguya conceded. "But I'm not joking about this. Besides, in light of everything else Eirin here has accomplished, does that sound so far-fetched?" Smiling, Kaguya presented them a glass each. "Though that wasn't exactly what I was talking about."

Head lifted the glass to her nose and cautiously sniffed its contents. Her mouth started watering, but she didn't drink, not yet at least. "You've lost me then."

"Unless you mean being able to visit her in my dreams," Body said. Like her twin, she held her glass without drinking. She glanced at her twin and amended, "Our dreams. Sorry."

"That's closer, but you haven't quite hit the mark," Eirin said. Unlike her guests, she had no problem in sipping from her glass. She walked over to Kaguya, and the two of them headed toward the recreational area. The twins stared after them, though it should be noted that while they had no problem focusing their gaze on the derriere of their sharp-dressed doppelganger, they were not even tempted to try ogling even an imaginary embodiment of their friend and mentor. Whether or not that spoke of the respect Kaguya Houraisan had for Eirin Yagokoro or her own unbelievable narcissism was up for debate, though a case could be made for both qualities being equally responsible.

Eirin sat down in a plush black leather chair. Kaguya was about to claim one of the sofas, but then she noticed that their guests were still standing next to the aquarium. "Come, come," she said, beckoning with a crooked finger. "This conversation will go nowhere if we have to keep shouting over to you."

The twins again exchanged a look and a simultaneous shrug. Then they joined their hosts and sat down on a couch across from Kaguya.

"All right, let's cut straight to the point," Eirin said once everyone was seated. She leaned forward, holding her glass with both hands near her knees. "Now that you've had a chance to look around, what do you think of our city?"

"The city?" Head shrugged. "It's…well…"

Body said, "It's very….ah…"

Kaguya sighed. "All right, forget your current predicament for just a moment. Forget your goals, forget your wayward companions, forget your problems, and just tell us honestly." She gestured out toward the huge windows that made up the nearby wall and the city beyond. "Look out at that, and tell us what you think."

"And do note that we're not fishing for compliments here," Eirin murmured as she lightly sipped her wine. "We are going somewhere with this."

Mystified, the twins took a long look out at the city, at its graceful architecture, at its lovely parks and gardens, at its clear skies, and at its happy populace. "Well, okay," Body said. "Credit where credit is due: you modernized Gensokyo and did it in a way that doesn't look like Saruman's playground. It's…pretty awesome, actually."

Head finally took a sip of her wine and, despite her misgivings, her eyes fluttered with ecstasy. Lunarian wine was hard to come by, and this vintage was exceptionally fine. But of course, it would be. "Right," she said, lowering her glass. "Of course, this would never happen in real life, but hey, as an ideal, it rocks."

"A sad but unfortunate truth," Kaguya said. She looked out the window and sighed. "So here's our next question: how would you two feel about staying here?"

Head blanched at the question, and Body, who had the misfortune of having just tried the wine, ended coughing it right up and spewing it out her nose.

Mokou was not stupid. Perhaps she was no academic, and it was true that she preferred hot action to armchair contemplation, but she was still very smart in her own way, and a quick thinker besides. Her favorite hobby practically demanded it, after all.

As such, as soon as the old rabbit declared that he recognized her, and not in a good way, her mind immediately lined up several important facts and came to a disheartening conclusion.

1. This world was of Kaguya's making, in every sense of the phrase. As such, it more than likely represented the world as Kaguya's ideal.

2. Mokou was Kaguya's mortal enemy, with whom she shared a great deal of mutual loathing.

3. In Kaguya's perfect world, Mokou would either:

A. Not exist.

B. Exist, but either as:

a. A luckless nobody, doomed to live out a life of misery and obscurity, or…

b. A notorious criminal, terrorist, outlaw, or something equally despicable, hated by the public at large.

4. Mokou existed in this world.

5. The old rabbit recognized her.

6. Shit.

Before the old rabbit could scream for help, Mokou took off running. She shoved her way past a couple of well-dressed Human women and a fairy tending a flower stand and bolted into the first doorway she saw. Perhaps if she found a good enough hiding place, she could still find the twins without having to turn this city into ashes. She was good at stealth, especially when Kaguya was involved, so was confident in her abilities to avoid detection until she found what she was looking for. And with any luck, she would be able to avoid burning the city down in the meantime.

Then Mokou glanced over her shoulder at the stupid city and scowled. Ah hell, she thought. This is Kaguya Land. Maybe I'll burn it down anyway.

"Gah!" Body sputtered as she wiped her face. She could still feel the alcohol burning in her nasal passages. "Damn it, you did that on purpose!"

"Maybe a little," Kaguya admitted as she offered her a handkerchief.

"Was it worth it?" Head asked.

"Absolutely."

"Well, great," Body said as she blew her nose. "Now that we've established that you're a complete prick-"

"Body, she's us," Head said. "You just called yourself a prick." Then she knocked back the rest of her wine, wiped her mouth, and muttered, "I can't believe I needed to point that out."

"Hey, you know what? Fuck you. You're me. She's just a-" Body paused her rant long enough to look Kaguya over, "-incredibly well dressed figment on my imagination. Our. Our imagination."

"One that is based on your appearance and personality," Kaguya pointed out, one finger tapping lightly against her cheek and a satisfied smirk on her face. "Oh, and thank you. My tailor is a miracle worker."

"Well, fuck you too," Body snapped. "And you're right, she is, but still, fuck you." She wearily closed her eyes and knocked back the rest of her wine, muttering, "Just because I'm a prick doesn't mean I like dealing with me."

Head raised her hand. "Is anyone else getting a headache from all this?"

"Okay, stop," Eirin said firmly. She stood up and put herself between Kaguya and the twins. "Kaguya, dear? Please sit down and stop antagonizing our guests."

"Guests," Body grumbled. "We're each other and you're kind of us and this is taking place inside our mind and we're guests in our own-" She hunched over with a groan. "Damn it, now I've got a headache."

"That's probably just the wine," Kaguya suggested as she reclaimed her seat. "It's meant to be sipped, not gulped down. Which, I should point out, you should already know."

This time, she was ignored. "All metaphysical issues aside," Eirin said. "Her offer wasn't a joke. Why not stay here? You've already had a taste of Houraisan's wonders, and I assure you that-"

"Houraisan?" Body interrupted.

"Name of the city," Kaguya told her.

"Wow. That's…egotistical."

"Barely more than an hour ago, you had sex with yourself," Kaguya pointed out. "Plus, there's the Hourai Elixir and Hourai Clinic." She stretched out fully across the cushions and crossed her arms behind her head to make a pillow. "I don't think you're in any position to throw stones."

"Hey, I said it was egotistical, not bad." Body turned her attention back to Eirin. "Okay, okay, getting back to the main point, I'm sure you're about to play up the travel agent and talk up Houraisan and how perfectly wonderful it is, with its scenic parks, historical library, and yadda yadda yadda."

Head continued for her. "Then you're going to tell us that we'll be your honored guests, during which we'll be given our own luxury suite…No, private villa! Where we'll be waited on hand and foot by an army of scantily clad maids and provided every luxury imaginable-"

"-like a platinum-plated hot tub filled with thousand-year-old Lunarian wine," Body added.

"Or a dinosaur hunting safari," Head threw in.

"A three story combo ball pit and laser tag arena!"

"Fine china made from Father's bones!"

"Our own all-female naked wrestling league with plenty of-" Body stopped in mid-sentence. She blinked, and then turned to her twin. "Ew, really?"

Kaguya raised her head. "You know, I can't tell if you're being sarcastic or listing conditions."

Head shrugged. "Hey, sorry, we just figured it was our turn to talk ridiculous."

For her part, Eirin did not seem at all perturbed by the twins' attitude. "If you'd like to provide us with a full list, I can have my secretary go over it and see that your accommodations are ready by Saturday."

That just made the twins laugh. "Okay, ha ha, that was witty," Head said. "But seriously, while this…Houraisan is all kinds of nifty looking, while the mermaid was cute, and hey, having Father's royal doodads under glass over there is a real nice touch, do I really have to point out that none of this is real? I mean, come on! No offense, but both of you are figments of our imagination! We are literally talking to ourselves right now!"

Kaguya's smirk only grew sharper. "And you call yourself a roleplayer," she said.

Both Head and Body glowered at her. "Okay, now that was a low blow," Body said, her voice lowered to a near-growl.

"Kaguya, please, not now," Eirin said to the prime minister. To the twins, she said, "I understand your concerns-"

"Duh."

"-but while it is true that Houraisan does not, in the strictest sense, exist, staying here is infinitely better than the alternatives."

That just made the twins adopt identical frowns. "Okay, explain," Body said.

Sighing, Eirin squatted down in front of them. She took their hands in her own and said, "Kaguya, I know that…this is going to be hard to accept, in light of everything you've gone through, but I'm afraid that, with the way things are going, you two are going to be stuck here for a very long time."

The door led to a small home-and-garden store, and fortunately the shopowner was in deep conversation with a couple of Kappa customers at the far end. Before any of them could spot her, Mokou dove over the counter and wedged herself out of sight among a collection of plaster fairies.

"Holding ons the second," she one of the Kappa exclaim. "Does yous be watching dat?"

"Pardon?" said the shop-owner. Mokou sympathized. Even here, within the depths of Kaguya's subconscious mind, Kappa were still unintelligible.

"Thinks I be saw person run in."

Mokou held her breath, mentally readying herself to unleash an inferno.

Tense moments ticked by, each one longer than the rest, and then the Kappa said, "Eh, just'er me magistration."

"Imagination," corrected the shopkeeper.

"Whatevs. So, 'bout dat fertilizers…"

Mokou let out the breath she had been holding, though she didn't drop her guard. One wrong move, and she was going to be overrun by another angry mob. That, or shot full of holes by the local army or whatever passed for law enforcement around here. She could deal with either, but doing so would waste time, and the clock was ticking.

Peeking her head above the lawn ornaments, Mokou scanned her surroundings. There had to be a back door around here somewhere. From there, she could slip into an alleyway and approach her objective in a more cautious manner.

Something niggled at her though. These people were different, in the same way Keine had been different. They had acted like real people with actual personalities, and unlike Keine they didn't seem to be aware of their own fictional nature. Mokou was almost certain that they were still trapped in the dream world created by this Rin Satsuki person, but the amount of detail that had gone into this section of it was somewhat troubling.

Then again, the people of Kamakura had acted normal as well, right up until when they had beaten her half to death and burned her the rest of the way. If these Kaguya-loving sycophants tried the same thing, they were in for a holocaust.

Then her ears pricked up. There was some sort of commotion taking place outside. She could hear several raised voices, all of them talking excitedly.

One in particular stood out. It was that old rabbit, the one who had recognized her. "I'm telling you, it was her!" he declared. "Saw her with mine own eyes! She was asking about the Prime Minister!"

"Are you sure it was her?" someone asked.

"Plain as day! There's no mistaking that face."

"Oh wow. Did you see where she went?"

Mokou sighed. Well, it served her right for not thinking to conceal herself upon arrival. After the Kamakura incident, one would think that she would have learned by now. Well, fine. This was all going to end with a holocaust sooner or later. Best to strike now, while she still had the advantage. Her fingers curled into fists, and the air around them rippled with heat.

And then one of the idiots outside decided that this nightmare was making too much sense. "Do you think she'll give me an autograph?" he said eagerly.

Mokou paused. Her mind tried to process what she had just heard, found itself unable, and went with its default reaction to such situation: open and active rejection.

"Oh, what the bloody hell!" Mokou shouted as she leapt to her feet, startling the shopkeeper and his customers nearly out of their wits.

The twins' reaction to Eirin's statement was less than positive.

"The hell we are," Body said, wrenching her hand away and standing up. "Look, Memory of Eirin, we appreciate all the effort to make us feel welcome, we really do. It beats the velmick by a long shot. But no. Just…no."

Eirin looked pained. "Kaguya…"

"I'm with her," Head said, tilting her head to her twin. "Well, me. I mean, we're of one mind in this. Split in two, who have the same…" She closed her eyes for a moment, muttered under breath, and tried again. "What I mean to say is that we've been stuck here for way too long. Sorry, but as sweet as Houraisan might be, and while I have no doubt you really could give us a three story combo ball pit and laser tag arena, we really don't fancy staying plugged into…" Her brow furrowed. "Oh, damn it." She snapped her fingers several times, trying to jog her memory. "What's the name, what's the name? Hey Body, you remember that weekend we had that Outside World science fiction movie marathon?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, you remember that weird one, where they're all plugged into that big machine that sends them into a dream world kind of like this one, and we kept laughing about how everyone treated flying like it was a big deal, and how overly complicated the hand-to-hand was? What it called again?"

Body shrugged. "The hell if I remember. They all kind of blurred together after a while."

"The Matrix," Kaguya answered. Houraisan's Prime Minister was still reclining across the opposite couch.

Head turned to scowl at her. "Okay, how do you remember that and we don't?"

"That's the great thing about being me," Kaguya said with a winning smile. "Instant access to your memory. You want to see a replay of that one Christmas you met those Human sisters and-"

"NO!"

"Liar."

"Am not! You know, contrary to popular belief, I do not-"

Body coughed into her fist. "Uh, actually I wouldn't mind reliving that one."

Head slapped a palm across her face. "Godsdamn it, Body, that isn't helping!"

"All right!" Eirin snapped. The Lunarian doctor stood to her full height, towering over Head. "This foolishness ends now. This is a very important decision that is being made, and I will not have it be sidetracked by pointless bickering."

"Yes ma'am," Head said meekly. She sat back down and put her hands on her knees.

Body, however, was not to be deterred. "You know, that reminds me. You say you're going to be all accommodating and everything, give us anything we want and all that. But we've tasted of your hospitality already, both before and after we got divided. And I really got to say: not impressed."

"Hey, yeah," Head said, her countenance rising. "If you want to be so helpful, maybe you shouldn't have sent one of those after us!" She swung her around out, pointing at the preserved velmick head. "Or hey, what about throwing my father back into my face? Or Mokou's father, for that matter. Or those nutso sailors? And the Zerg…" She mused over that for a moment before conceding, "Okay, so the Zerg were pretty neat."

"Not really," Body said. "Seeing how they were trying to eat us."

"True."

"Hey now, don't go pinning that on us," Kaguya said, her nose wrinkling with distaste. She swung her legs around and sat up. "That was your subconscious, not us."

Head laughed. "Oh? And then who are you supposed to be? Our common sense?"

"I'd think we'd be shorter, if that were the case," Eirin said icily. The Kaguya twins cringed at that. While they were still mindful that this wasn't the real Eirin, she was still a good enough imitation for her displeasure to have the same effect. "But no, we are neither. We are, in fact, your imagination."

The twins fell silent at that. If so, that did explain a great deal, while at the same time it just muddled things further. "So, wait," Body said. "All that crap we've been through was thanks to our subconscious…"

"Yup," Kaguya nodded.

"But now we're dealing with our imagination," Head said. "Which would be you guys."

"Essentially, yes," Eirin said. She walked back to sit down next to Kaguya. "Nothing against your subconscious, I assure you. We collaborate together on a great many projects. But as skilled as it might be at identifying and attacking weak points, it really suffers when it comes to formulating strategies."

"Enter us," Kaguya said. She stood up and walked around the couch, heading toward the kitchen. "I'm going to get more wine; anyone else want anything? No? All right then."

While she went for refreshments, Head ventured, "So, what does that make us then? Kaguya Houraisan's conscious mind?"

"That's a bit oversimplified, I think," Eirin murmured. She crossed her legs and clasped her hands over her knee. "You are still you, the full package if you like. But you have been turned inside out, as it were. Your subconscious, and now imagination, exist on the outside now, fulfilling our original functions while performing our new duties."

"You mean nightmare land," Body said flatly. "Making a cage for Rin Satsuki to keep us in. Thanks for that, by the way."

Eirin held up a palm. "Again, it is hard to explain things. And I must remind you that we are very recent additions to the game, brought here to assist your subconscious in a very delicate task."

"Yeah. Cage." Body turned to her twin. "You hear that, Head? Our own minds are conspiring against us."

"So I've noticed," Head drawled. "You know, this anthropomorphism bullshit really needs to stop. There are only so many ways to talk to myself before it becomes a problem."

"A little late for that, my dears," Kaguya said, returning with a full bottle. She refilled her cup, brought it to her nostrils, and sniffed it appreciatively. "Ah, magnificent. You sure neither of you want any?"

She was ignored. "It's not quite like that," Eirin said. "Your prison was formed from your subconscious, yes, and it was joined with Mokou's, as distasteful as the thought may be. And it's true, your time here has not been…exactly pleasant." She spread her hands and shrugged. "But what do you expect? A subconscious is a powerful entity, it is true, but it is also limited. It simply does what it does, bringing your deepest and darkest fears and desires to the fore."

"Unfortunately, while it was playing its little games, our friend hit something of a snag," Kaguya said. She lifted her glass to the twins and smiled. "I'm sure you can figure out whom I'm speaking of."

"Rumia," Body answered. Head said nothing; she merely glowered.

"Mmmm-hmmm." Kaguya took a sip and sighed with pleasure. "Exactly."

"It should come as no surprise to you that Rumia is far from what she claims to be," Eirin said. "We do not know exactly what she is, but she is dangerous, and she is treacherous. You suspected it from the moment you met her."

"Yeah, we know," Body said. "Mokou's brain already sent us the message. Turns out she's some kid she used to know that was supposed to have died, only now she's back and kind of…ah…"

"Evil?" Eirin suggested. "It's not a dirty word, you can say it."

"Whether or not Mokou's mind had the right of it isn't the issue here," Kaguya said. Her tone soured at the mention of her rival's name, making it sound like a profanity. "We don't care who she was. All that matters is what she is."

"And what's that, exactly?" Body said, tilting her head to one side.

Kaguya shrugged. "You don't know. How could we?"

"She is frightfully powerful though," Eirin put in. She turned her head to gaze meaningfully at the velmick head. "Mokou already told you how she disposed of the velmick that was sent after her."

"Plus, you do remember that storm that destroyed the Zerg swarm, don't you?" Kaguya added. "Now, we don't exactly have a certified confession for that little incident, but as those tornadoes did not come from our end, and neither you nor Mokou are capable of anything like that, I'd say we'd be fairly safe in laying the blame at her feet."

That was troubling. Head and Body had forgotten completely about that, but now that Kaguya had reminded them, they had to admit that, given how easily the Zerg had been dispatched, they were less eager to confront Rumia than they had been before. It was one thing to learn that the untrustworthy member of the party really was planning on betrayal. It was quite another to learn that said untrustworthy member of the party was also capable of calling down the sky to kill people.

"So, what exactly are you suggesting then?" Body said slowly. "That we hide here, and hope she doesn't find us?"

"If it's being thought a coward that you're worried about, you need not be," Kaguya responded. "Cowardice is just what the foolish like to call pragmatism. Besides, who will know?"

Body sighed. "I stopped caring what people think of me a long time ago. I just want to go home."

"But here, you could-"

"Here is not home," Head cut in. "It's nice, sure. I wouldn't mind having a dream about it every now and then. But just because it's a nice place to visit doesn't mean we want to live here."

"After all, we were almost done with Half Blood Prince," Body pointed out. "Even if you managed to recreate all the books we've read, how in the hell would you know what happens in Deathly Hollows?"

"Right! And hey, Kingdom Hearts III still hasn't come out! There's no way in hell I would miss that!"

"Damn straight." Body held up her fist, and Head bumped it with her own.

Eirin looked dubious. "So, you are willing to give up paradise just for the sake of your Outside World entertainment?"

"No," Body said. "We're willing to give up being stuck in a cage so we can go home."

"Fantasy worlds are nice and all, but the nice thing about them is that they let you leave when you want to," Head said in agreement.

Kaguya stared at them in disbelief. "Are you being…Look, you're an immortal princess from the Moon who lives in a magical dimension filled with fairies, youkai, and forgotten gods!"

"So?" Head said.

"So?" Kaguya looked like she was about to start pulling out her own hair. "Do you have any idea what that sounds like to the people that created all those fantasy worlds you love so much?"

Body snorted. "Yeah, but that's different. Gensokyo's real."

Kaguya looked like she was going to say something further, but she paused in mid-thought, her mouth still hanging open, and then slouched back, folded her arms, and pouted.

"Be that as it may," Eirin said, casting the briefest of dirty looks Kaguya's way, "Kaguya did speak of pragmatism. And while you may be loath to accept it, accepting our offer would be the most pragmatic course of action. Oftentimes, what we want and what we must settle for do not resemble each other." She gave the twins a knowing look. "And it is not unheard of for the latter to turn out to be even better than the former, if you catch my meaning."

Head sighed. "Hardly the same thing. I tried for the crown because I thought it the only way to escape being married off to one of Father's friends. I got that anyway, and more besides."

"And now, we want to go home," Body said. "Tell me: how exactly will contenting ourselves with a hyper-realistic daydream accomplish that?"

"It won't, but neither will letting yourself getting backstabbed by someone who snuffed out the velmick and wiped out the Zerg!" Kaguya snapped. "Face it: she was the only person who had half an idea on how to take the fight to Satsuki, but unfortunately she's also quite possibly an even worse monster than that little twit ever was!"

Eirin placed a hand on the angry Prime Minister's shoulder. "Kaguya, calm down. That isn't helping." Kaguya smoldered but she acquiesced.

"At any rate, she does have a point," Eirin said to the twins. "Neither you nor Mokou can stand against Rumia, and we can conjure nothing that will so much as slow her down. Any sort of confrontation with her would be nothing short of suicide."

"Right," Head said, folding her arms. "Because that would be unprecedented."

"Different sort of suicide. How much good will your immortality do when your very mind has been burnt from the inside out? Do either of you know?" Eirin looked from one identical face to the other. When neither responded, she added, "Are you in such a hurry to find out? Hmmm?"

Body slumped forward with a sigh, her arms resting loosely on her knees, and her face downcast. "So, what exactly are you suggesting then? Because if she is really so unstoppable, hiding us here is going to do nothing but delay the inevitable. Rumia needs Mokou and me to get to Satsuki, remember?"

"Of course," Eirin responded. She leaned forward as well, though in her case it was with the intention of focusing everyone's attention on her rather than conveying surrender. "Give Rumia what she wants. Find that thrice-damned Mokou, and the two…three of you open the way for her. Then you close the door behind her and lock it tight. From thereon out she will be Rin Satsuki's problem. After all, we have it on good authority that she at least is capable of giving her a fight." Eirin's lips twisted into a smile of such cruelty that even the Kaguya twins, who knew her to be capable of terrible things, found it surprising. "So let them fight. Let Satsuki burn the lying traitor's soul to a cinder. Let Rumia boil the little bitch's brain like soup. And when they're done, I'm sure the winner will be in no state to stand again us."

In hindsight, jumping up and revealing herself was probably not the best idea, but in Mokou's defense, the surprise had temporarily relieved her of her common sense, though that was small consolation when within moments she suddenly found herself by a gaggle of adoring fans, all of them clamoring for her attention.

"It's Mokou!" a little crow Tengu girl cried as she jumped up and down in glee. "I knew I saw her fall out of the sky!"

"Miss Fujiwara, can I just say what an honor it is to have you in my shop?" said the shopkeeper as he energetically shook her hand. "If there's anything you want, anything at all, I'll be more than happy to mark it half…no, seventy-five percent off!"

"We love you Mokou!" shouted a trio of teenaged Human girls, all in perfect unison.

Through it all, Mokou could only stand still and gawk as the tiny shop filled up. Being attacked she could handle, no problem. Being cursed and spat upon was also familiar to her. But this sort of attention was so alien to her that it left her completely stupefied.

It wasn't until a red-haired fairy managed to worm her way to the front and shoved a magazine into Mokou's hands, all the while begging for it to be signed, that Mokou started to get a clue.

On the magazine's cover was a picture of herself, but her appearance was just as strange as anything else in this city. She wore red pants and a white shirt, certainly, but her pants looked uncomfortably tight and were made of some shiny, plastic-like material, while her shirt had no sleeves, was short enough to expose her midriff, and had some sort of flaming Phoenix logo across the breast. As for Mokou herself, all of her charms were gone, and she was posing with one hand sticking two fingers in a V-shape across her face while the other was clutching a microphone.

Mokou stared numbly at the disturbing caricature of herself, unable to comprehend what she was seeing. But somewhere in the pit of her stomach, cold terror was starting to brew.

After several seconds of contemplation, Head blinked, scratched her head, and said, "Huh. You know…that's not a bad idea…"

"I don't know," Body said. She shifted in discomfort. "It sounds like something that can go really wrong."

"Oh, it's not without its risks," Eirin said, nodding at her. "But given that we are caught between two beings of immense power and terrible disposition, we must take risks. Victory goes to the bold, after all."

"So does death, more often than not," Body pointed out.

Eirin smiled in her knowing way. "Except you are too valuable to kill, for either of them. Satsuki needs your immortality, and I'll bet good money that Rumia means to take her place, so she does as well."

Head blinked. She hadn't thought of that. Except, apparently she did. Perhaps it was something she had subconsciously realized, and thus passed along to her imagination without ever really becoming consciously aware of…

Her headache returned, and she massaged her brow with a groan. When this was over, she was going to have to go through some major therapy to sort out the mess her mind had become. Maybe even have Yukari Yakumo put things back together.

"But that still leaves us with another problem," Body pointed out. "Mokou. You said need her to open the way, right? Except she's still kind of lost."

"She'll find her way here," Kaguya said smugly. "And the moment she sets foot in this city, we'll know. There is not a man, woman, child, or fairy that does not know her face on sight."

Head frowned. "Why, did you turn her into some kind of super-criminal?"

"Even better." Kaguya's eyes gleamed with malicious glee. "We made her a celebrity."

The Kaguya twins balked. "A c-c-celebrity?" Body stammered. "What?"

"But that-" Then Head's eyes narrowed. "Wait a minute. What kind of celebrity?"

"An idol singer."

A stunned silence fell upon the cavernous room. The twins sat and stared, their eyes so wide that they appeared to have no lids at all. As for their hosts, Eirin and Kaguya simply waited, an air of smug satisfaction hanging about them.

And then, as one, all four of them broke out into raucous laughter.

This, Mokou thought as the crowd grew and grew, is what Hell must feel like. Strange, I always pictured fire.

If only that were the case; she could handle fire just fine. But this was another nightmare entirely. Every second more people arrived. The little shop was filled to bursting point already, and the sidewalk outside had become clogged. Mokou herself was now pressed against a wall, as hands clutched at her clothing and all sorts of items thrust her was in hopes of her signature. Worse, most of those items seemed to be her own licensed merchandise. Back home, the closest thing she had to licensed anything was the yakitori stand she sometimes operated to make ends meet. This was just obscene.

"Mokou, I love you! Mokou, please just-"

"Please sign my chest! I swear its permanent ink!"

"Miss Fujiwara, over here! A few words for the Daily Cutter? Is this surprise appearance in promotion of your latest concert tour?"

"My what?" Mokou said, but it was swallowed up in the babble.

And then she felt someone tug on her pants. "Hey, can I have one of these?" someone said as they yanked away one of her fireproofing charms.

"What?" Mokou looked down. "No! I need-"

It was too late. Now everyone within reach was going after her charms. "Thank you!" said one middle-aged rabbit woman as she clutched a torn charm to her heart, as if Mokou had given permission. "I'll treasure it forever."

"Let me have one of these!" said someone unseen as they snatched at the a charm in her hair.

"Get off!" Mokou shouted. She tried to shove them away, but it was like shoving a gale. The more she resisted, the more they grabbed, snatched, and yes, groped at her.

The worst of it was that she knew that she was strong enough to fight them off, but doing so would risk harming them. These weren't enemy soldiers, and they weren't immortals. Well, some of them anyway. They were just people. Stupid, infuriating people perhaps, but she didn't make war on-

Mokou?

Yeah?

They're not real.

Mokou blinked. Somehow, she had completely forgotten about that.

"You…" Body gasped through the hysterics, "you are…Oh my gods, that is so cruel!"

"I know, right?" Kaguya cackled. She wiped away tears from her eyes. "Got the idea from you, actually. Remember how all those people started to worship for like five minutes in that one town of Mokou's?"

"Right! That was real nice. Right up until the part where they forgot about me completely and decided to beat Mokou to death." Body reconsidered. "No, wait, that was pretty nice too."

"Well, we figured that something we would enjoy, she would absolutely hate! I mean, can you see her, running into a gaggle of starstruck tweens?"

Head took several deep breaths to get herself under control before venturing, "Sun, moon, and stars, I would pay to see the look on her face."

Body clapped her on the shoulder. "We…If we do end up staying her for a while, we have got to make her put on a concert. Somehow! It has to be done!"

"Oh, yes. Gods, yes."

"And do you want to know the best part?" Eirin asked. When the twins nodded enthusiastically, she said, "She won't be able to do a thing about it! You know how she gets about collateral damage, and no hurting anyone except for you?" When the twins nodded again, she said, "If we sent an army after her, sure, she'd have no problem fighting. But a bunch of innocent people, most of them kids? After that stuff in her past, there's no way she'd be able to-"

They were interrupted by the horribly familiar sound of an explosion. The laughter died on their lips as they froze in their seats. Mute looks of confusion were on all of their faces, as glanced at one another, hoping that someone had an explanation, one that wasn't the one that had immediately sprung to each of their minds.

And then the air filled with the sound of screams and sirens.

"No," Eirin said, leaping to her feet. "No, she can't." Not even bothering with running, she flew through the room and landed behind her desk. Once there, she stared out of the transparent walls.

"Well?" Kaguya called after her.

Eirin's shoulders slumped. "Yes, she did."

There was a moment's pause, and then all three Kaguyas shot to her side to see for themselves.

It was as they had feared. An entire city blocked had exploded, and the surrounding neighborhood was being consumed by the hungry flames. People ran in panic from the holocaust, and the authorities from all over the city were scrambling to respond.

"My city," Kaguya said. The Prime Minister seemed to be at an utter loss. "Why would she…"

Head sighed. "I guess she figured that since they weren't real people, they didn't count."

"Well, she's not wrong," Eirin muttered, folding her arms. Her face was a mask of cold fury. "Though I had hoped she would rein in the homicidal impulses."

"Yeah," Head said. "You really should have known better."

The four watched the blaze spread for several moments, and then Body pointed at a flaming streak shooting through the sky. "Look. There she is."

"So she is," Head muttered. The four of them watched as Mokou burned her way across the sky, bright as a comet.

Then Body coughed. "But, uh, you can fix it, right? Or we, whatever. If this is our imagination, can't we just imagine it better?"

"Oh, certainly," Eirin said. "But I find that I am still angry." With that, she turned and stormed toward her desk. Once there, she pressed the eye of a silver owl statue that had a lamp coming out of its head, and a drawer slid open. From within she extracted a metal, tubular object.

Head frowned. "Hey, isn't that the shotgun you had the Kappa fix up for you?"

"Why, yes," Eirin said, hefting the weapon over her shoulder. "As a matter of fact, it is."

"But, seeing how everything here is all…fancier, shouldn't it be, uh, bigger?"

"Hmmm, good point." Eirin put the shotgun away and replaced it with a different gun, this one a deadly looking high-tech bazooka with a pulsing blue barrel.

"All right," Eirin said as she marched back to the group. There was the sound of gears, and the windows spread open, exposing them to the sky. "Time for us to have a little chat with out pyromaniac of a friend."

As she readied the weapon and took aim, something occurred to Body. "Wait!" she shouted. "Mokou's immune to fire and-"

It was too later. Eirin fired, sending a blue comet on an impact course with the red one.

Though they had a truce, Mokou now dearly found herself wanting to kill Kaguya again, just for putting her through that.

There had been children in that crowd. Fictional ones, yes, but they had looked so real. Mokou was still reeling from having her buried memories of the Aoki Yume Children's Home so forcibly unearthed, and being forced to do that just rubbed salt into her open wounds. It didn't matter that Kaguya herself hadn't caused it to happen. This was still her mind, so the cruelty fell on her head.

Speaking of which, maybe I can just kill Head and leave Body, Mokou thought to herself. That would be okay, right?

Probably not, but at this point she didn't much care. This horrific nightmare of a journey had already gone too far when it had confronted her with her murdered brother, and every second spent here only increased the torture. She was angrier than she had ever been, and wanted to burn all responsible.

Unfortunately, she was so caught up in her rueful thoughts that she didn't notice the blue missile heading her way until it hit.

In case you're wondering, yes, that is Human!Mima in the flashback. She really does get around.

Also, little bit of unimportant trivia: that pipe Mima was smoking, the kiseru, didn't really appear in Japan until somewhere around the fifteenth century, whereas that conversation took place around the tenth. I briefly considered just not adding the pipe after I found out, but I just couldn't picture her without it.

Mima: rocking the kiseru five hundred years before it became cool. She's the original hipster.

Anyway, like the schedule says, the next RoSD chapter will be the last. Sort of. See, I always promised myself this story wouldn't go above ten chapters, and while that is still kind of doable, after I got down to planning the climax I realized that it was probably going to turn into another monster chapter with way too many awesome places to make cliffhangers out of.

So here's what I'm going to do: write the finale as one big chapter, with only one final flashback, but chop it up and release it in segments, each one coming out about a week apart. So it'll be kind of like Deep Within and The Storm in that regard.

Until next time, everyone!