Twenty Years Later- Bunbunmaru Spirit News archives

Hakurei Miko reports missing Evil Spirit and reveals sad secret!

As a reporter, it is my duty to track down and report on things the public may not initially be aware of, and seek out new information at every opportunity, so as to provide the public with further enlightenment. However, there are times when old information that is already known is simply ignored, rather than being treated as the concern it rightfully is.

A good example of this phenomenon is the amount of public concern for a certain evil spirit, one which but a few years ago, regularly gave the miko of the Hakurei Shrine grief by doing such dastardly things as... um... not being the one responsible for summoning monsters to the Hakurei Shrine, living in hell, and helping Reimu solve incidents? Oh, and there was something to do with Reimu Hakurei's yin-yang orbs, but was probably just that she got beaten up by them.

While I am not so sure what the woman has done to earn Miss Hakurei's enmity, she is considered a great threat to the Hakurei Shrine, and by proxy, the human population of Gensokyo. However, she has disappeared for some time now, and no evidence of her interacting with the world at all seems to be present.

I began to think that perhaps Reimu Hakurei and the Evil Spirit had reconciled after the two had solved an incident together, however, upon visiting the Hakurei Shrine, Reimu had this to say:

Reimu: Ugh... okay, Aya, is it really necessary to break every wall you see?

Aya: Walls are no big deal, just get Suika to build a new one! I'm here to ask you a very important question, one that the fate of all of Gensokyo may hinge upon!

Reimu: If it's so important, you'd get on with asking it.

Aya: Fine! What I wanted to ask was... where is that Evil Spirit that's disappeared for a while? You know, the green-haired one? What's her name? Mimi?

Reimu: Yeah, I think Mimi is correct. I don't really know, if I'll be honest. Every now and then I'd see her hanging around the shrine grounds, but recently... nothing. She doesn't seem to be anywhere.

Aya: Hmm, I see... say, you're acting shiftily... you wouldn't be hiding any information about Mimi, would you?

Reimu: Of course not! Look, I think I might know why she disappeared... well, it goes like this. One day, Mimi... or whatever her name is... she... um... she...

Aya: Oooooh, this seems like a juicy piece of gossip! What happened?

Reimu: She... slimed some ectoplasm into my soup.

Aya: That's it? Oh, how disappointing.

Reimu: Anyway, I was angry at her, so I threatened to seal her... as a joke, of course. She said I was bluffing, so I began saying some of the ritual, and when I saw that she was beginning to... sort of wobble, I got scared, and tried to stop the ritual...

Aya: How hard can it be to just stop talking?

Reimu: You're one to talk, you stupid tengu. Anyway, I did stop my chants, but... the ritual continued, and I think it became botched because I didn't finish the chant.

Aya: Huh? So, what would the chant do if it actually worked?

Reimu: Um... seal her in a place for scum and criminals. I don't know where, but according to Reimu Hakurei the first, my... um... ancestor of sorts, I guess, it's a place called 'Hell'. But there are so many different places with that label...

Aya: Yes, you're right. It could be Makai, Mugenkan, Hell, Former Hell, or having to listen to Hatate's incessant manner of speaking!

Reimu: That was unnecessarily harsh.

Aya: You're one to talk, you banished Mimi to some kind of hellish realm for playing a prank on you...

Reimu: You know, 'Mimi' doesn't quite sound right, I think I got her name wrong...

Aya: Stop dodging the subject! So, what do you think she could do? Do you think she's a threat?

Reimu: I don't know... I mean, I'm sure she knew it was an accident, but she's not the sort of person to forgive easily. She always did rant about how no-one paid any attention to her... and now she's gone forever. I hope she's comfortable where she is... um... not that I liked her or anything, you know, it's just I'd feel responsible if she was unhappy...

Aya: But why would you have to feel responsible for someone who you don't like's unhappiness?

Reimu: Shut up! I didn't like her then and I don't like her now! I hope she rots in her version of hell! Happy now?

Aya: This is going to be documented in my newspaper! 'Hakurei Miko says she hopes Mimi can rot in hell'... sounds like a good headline...

Reimu: Document the full conversation or I'll send you to the same place Mima's at... hey, that's her name! Mima!

Aya: So, the subject at hand, Miss Hakurei... is she a threat?

Reimu: Probably not any more, but she's probably mighty pissed off at me... and probably doesn't like how forgotten she's become. The only time I've heard her mentioned recently was by Yuuka Kazami... she called her a 'foolish pretender that did her best to take the 'evil' away from 'evil spirit'.

Aya: Ah, yes, Miss Kazami is an old rival of yours too, isn't she?

Reimu: Well, yes. Hmm, all this talk of Mima is starting to get me nostalgic...

Aya: Um... maybe it's best that we conclude the interview...

Reimu: But you wanted to interview me, right? Hey, remember Shinki? And how she destroyed her own world... ha, stupid woman, thinking she could invite the cursed Youkai of her world into ours... Mima and Yuuka were good allies then. Still didn't trust them, but...

Aya: Reimu, I'm actually really busy, so if you wouldn't mind...

Reimu: Or before that, when I fought Yuuka herself! She lived in the world of dreams, and as far as I'm aware, she still has that house. Say, do you remember when that scientist woman came into Gensokyo to incorporate us into her theory of everything? Say, there was a crazy princess back then, one that wasn't from the moon. I wonder where she is...

Aya: Reimu, are you okay?

Reimu: I'm... (at this point, Reimu burst into tears) ...PLEASE DON'T LEAVE ME! I'M SO LONELY!

Aya: This is... unexpected. Reimu, did you hit your head, because you don't usually want me around like this... and I know how easily you humans damage your brain...

Reimu: Um... I... I didn't say anything... I... I was just... I just... okay, leave me alone, will you? I don't want your help, or your company!

Aya: I... um... never offered either. Are you sure you're...

Reimu: ...I'm fine, okay! Just leave me alone!

Aya: Um... if you say so.

With that, I left the Hakurei Shrine, as there was nothing I could really say that wouldn't earn me a scolding. While I have learnt that the evil spirit, Mima, most likely doesn't pose a threat to this particular realm, it is very possible that there is an altogether different problem arising... the Hakurei Miko may well be losing a different kind of spirit altogether.

I don't want to get involved personally, because I don't think Miss Hakurei is all that fond of me, but I think that Reimu could well be a little lonely. If that is the case, then, as part of my duty as a resident of Gensokyo, I advise you go over to visit Miss Hakurei. Ask her about her day, drink tea with her, I don't know what humans like, but... please try to make her better.

Bad things happen when the Hakurei Miko is distressed, or at least, that's usually how it works, and if Reimu were to fall into a deep depression... who knows what might happen? This is pure and honest Shameimaru, telling you to go visit the Hakurei Shrine! Remind Reimu that she has friends! Quick! Before it's too late!

Present-day hindsight: Like, I think Aya wanted this article put in the archive to remind everyone that she may have indirectly saved Gensokyo... like, I don't know about that, but, like, she did a good deed, I guess.

Like, I never realised Reimu was so sad... poor little girl. I guess she does live alone, and she only really leaves the shrine to get food and solve incidents and stuff... like, she's all grown up now, and like, has a kid at her shrine, so I guess it's not so bad nowadays, but I bet that she must have felt pretty bad...