After a day filled with so much commotion, the resumption of classes at the temple school the next day was a welcome return to normalcy. At this point rumors about the collapse of the Hakurei shrine were already filling the village, and, as no one here had felt any hint of an earthquake, the general consensus was that someone or something else must have been responsible. Stories of a divine curse, or a youkai who's friends were out for revenge after the Hakurei miko had exterminated them warred with more mundane explanations like a shoddily maintained house or Reimu herself having destroyed her shrine for sympathy after having gone too long without an Incident to resolve. Though if Reimu had heard those last rumors she probably would have exterminated the speaker on the spot.

The Hakurei shrine and its maiden were a symbol of protection for the village, an assurance that, as long as you followed the rules, you were safe from youkai. It stood as a reminder of the promise that any being that tried to upset the balance of Gensokyo would be swiftly and mercilessly dealt with. With the shrine now destroyed, people were uneasy, even if no immediate threat was perceived.

When we talked with Keine about the situation, she seemed equally on edge. "It's a difficult situation to handle." She had said with a sigh over lunch. "If we knew for sure that an earthquake were coming, then we could mobilize more resources and put everything into getting people to prepare. Similarly, if we knew it wasn't coming, then we could say that everything to date was just a drill and leave it at that. Having it be unknown means we have to keep preparing, but we can't really justify all the extra work we're asking of everyone."

"Everyone agrees that the Hakurei shrine was definitely destroyed though, even if they don't know why, so hopefully that puts safety on people's minds. That's good at least right?" I said, trying to sound reassuring.

"Hopefully so. Does that mean I can count on you to help out with our preparedness campaign after classes again?"

I suppose I should have expected that the end result would somehow have been more work for us.

-.-.-.-.-

At the end of the day, Renko and I were just leaving the school. Keine had stayed behind to work on some materials for tomorrow, but we expected she would be by shortly to call on us to assist with another of her parades, marching through the streets of the village, calling out slogans and clapping boards to promote earthquake preparedness.

The last of the children had just left the grounds and Renko and I were halfway back to our office when all at once the wind picked up all around us and a voice called out. Looking to where it had come from, we saw the form of Aya Shameimaru perched on top of our office, standing just beside the nest of songbirds that also called the storehouse home.

"Ayaya. Hello again, detectives." She said with a smile, lowering herself to sit on the roof with her legs dangling over the edge, just in front of our door.

"Miss Shameimaru," Renko said, doffing her hat and nodding. "Always a pleasure to see you again. To what do we owe the honor?"

"I'm just coming by to convey my thanks to a valued informant. That was a good tip you gave me yesterday. The latest issue containing that story should be out in a couple of days. For now though, had you heard that the reconstruction of the shrine has already begun? Rumor has it that a shady celestial is involved with the efforts. Since I'm already here anyway, would you two like to go see for yourselves?"

Renko and I looked at eachother, both of us wearing surprised expressions.

-.-.-.-.-

"Don't throw the broken wood away, I can use it for firewood. Any of the roof tiles that aren't cracked can be re-used too."

"Ugh, really? I don't want to have to sort through that. It would be easier for me to just bury the whole lot. Why are you being so stingy about everything, doesn't this shrine have any funds for new materials?"

"I don't want to hear a single word from you about costs or this shrine being poor. Who do you think's responsible for me losing everything?"

"Look, I'm fixing it already, aren't I?"

"I expect new furniture too. And linens. And all of the other stuff that was squashed in my house."

Aya had flown us from the village to the shrine at a speed so quick it can't have taken her more than a dozen wingbeats, even loaded down with Renko and I each under one of her arms. As we landed near the torii gates, we heard words like those above coming from the wreckage of the collapsed shrine, along with the clamor of carpentry and labour. Most of the debris had already been pushed off of the foundations of the shrine and the last of it was being cleared away by flying people wearing robes made of shining, translucent feathers. Reimu and Tenshi stood with their backs to us, overseeing the work and arguing.

"Oh, that must be the 'shady celestial' you mentioned, right?" Renko asked as we alighted.

Rather than bothering to respond, Aya released us and darted away, the flash of her camera and the click of her shutter somehow standing out even amidst the din and bustle of the construction. Tenshi was the first to react, whirling around to face her with a look of surprise on her face. "A tengu? Why are you taking pictures without permission?"

"Ayah, I'm merely documenting the scene in my role as a reporter for the public interest. I'm Aya Shameimaru, the pure and correct crow tengu, with the Bunbunmaru Shinbun. The mysterious and unprecedented collapse of the Hakurei shine is a matter of front page news, but seeing the shrine being rebuilt by a mysterious celestial is a new and unexpected twist. Who are all of these people, and what are they doing here, exactly?"

"...They're all just a team of contractors, here to assist in the cleanup." Reimu said, dismissively turning to Aya with a look of open contempt.

"Aya, celestial contractors? hired by the Hakurei shrine? Reimu, is that true? Have you suddenly come into wealth of such a scale that you can hire a team like this? Is this some sort of insurance scam?"

"Shut up, Aya. You're being annoying and I'm not in the mood to be pecked by a crow. They're going to put everything back the way it was before so there's no story for you here anyway."

"Ayayaya, the collapse of the Hakurei shrine is a story of vital importance for every citizen of Gensokyo! How can you say that? I'm performing an important public service!"

"Nobody gets important information from the newspaper, and I don't have time for a gossip rag. I'm trying to rebuild my home here."

"Reimu, I'm hurt. The Bunbunmaru Shinbun is Gensokyo's most widely trusted source for up-to-date news, information and insightful opinions. Good journalism is the bellwether of a fair and just society."

While the two of them continued to argue, Tenshi sighed, her shoulders drooping. She turned to us, then her eyes narrowed as she recognized Renko. "Why are you two here?" She asked, walking over to us. "Are you working with that tengu now?"

"No, no, we merely accepted her offer to give us a lift here to come see you. I take it from the fact that you're already engaged in rebuilding that you were able to have the fight with Reimu you wanted yesterday?"

She nodded, smiling for once. "It was a good fight! I'll make sure to put a keystone under the shrine and I'll try following your advice and use it to suppress any future earthquakes. We'll see how that works."

"I'm sure that will be appreciated. While I have you here though, I realize now that there was something I forgot to ask you yesterday, Tenshi."

"Oh, what was it?" Tenshi asked. She hadn't seemed to notice or react to Renko addressing her by her first name. In all, her mood seemed to have improved significantly after having achieved the aim of the Incident she had instigated.

"Does my aura really look that much like Reimu's? I really wouldn't have thought our temperaments were that similar."

"Well, maybe not up close. From a distance human temperaments don't really look all that different though. The two of you are somewhat alike, I'd say. Why do you ask?" Without warning she drew forth her sword from nowhere again. She raised it to point at Renko, but didn't seem particularly angry as she stared down its shifting length at her.

"I was just wondering. If the weather were to adjust to my temperament what it would be like? I take it it would be hot and sunny, like it is for Reimu then?"

"Yes, that sounds about right."

"I see. Just one more question then, what about my partner over here?" Renko asked, jerking her thumb back at me.

Tenshi turned her gaze on me, swinging the sword to point at me as she did. Even standing an arms length away from the point of it, just having its indeterminate, impossible form pointed in my direction was enough to make me feel as if it were penetrating me somehow. I fought the temptation to hide behind Renko as she looked me over. "...It would be a rain shower, but a sudden one, the sort that stops and starts and stops again without any warning. An indecisive, annoying sort of weather."

At that comment Renko burst out laughing and I could only frown in annoyance. Hearing I am indecisive was not a surprise to me, but in my opinion such a trait doesn't constitute an entire temperament.

"Hah! That's why you got caught in a rainstorm the other day, and why we kept seeing the weather come and go wherever we went. My sunny temperament and your rainy one were conflicting, making the weather unstable. That makes sense now."

While Renko continued to laugh boisterously, Tenshi muttered something under her breath. I can't be sure if I heard it correctly, but I thought at the time she might have said "Why are both of your temperaments mixed together though?"