Author's Note:

Yeesh, seeing the last update date on this story felt like a punch to the stomach. I didn't really plan on making you all wait that long, but things IRL got a little… complicated.

I, uh, got in a car accident. The crash caused a few issues with my hand, which made writing a bit harder than it normally would've been. Thankfully I've made a full recovery over the last few months, and I've been steadily working on this chapter all throughout. Though that's admittedly not the only reason this took so long, however. Lots of stuff to deal with IRL, from financial concerns, working on trying to get into a better job, etc.. It's made it hard to sit down and focus on writing in my spare time, so I've been doing a lot of relaxing on other hobbies too. Classic procrastination stuff.

Anyways, I'm still alive, so that's gotta count for something. Glad to still be writing, and thankful I can still tell the stories I have in this funny little skull. Let's move on with it, shall we?

~ STAGE 26: The Astral Knight ~

[START]

Luka had a lot she needed to unpack from the last few days. Stresses, frustrations, and just a couple things she was sure she'd probably need to see a therapist about. Unfortunately Gensokyo had no therapists, so she was stuck chilling in a dollmaker's living room with a wisecracking witch and a spirited shrine maiden. Who, of course, couldn't resist the draw of a juicy story.

So, seated in a comfy lounge chair, Luka shared it. From the 'vision' that she'd used to guide herself up the mountain, to Mahjong Hell, all the way to her fight with Suika. She was about to get to her whole 'meeting-inside-the-mind' thing when she noticed a weird grimace on an audience member's face. "What's up?"

Seated on a separate chair right next to Luka, Reimu's scowl intensified. "If I'd have known you were tracking down Suika, I would've come along. She's the one who was fixing my shrine. Supposed to be, anyways."

Blink blink. Luka ran a quick timeline. "Wait. W-When did those repairs start, again?"

"She's been at it for over a month, I think?"

Luka reflexively flipped out her miraculously-still working phone and glanced at the calendar on it. Yeah. She'd remembered correctly. Luka totally had a window where she could've genuinely just walked up to the shrine and seen her target right there.

"Somethin' up?" Across from the two, Marisa laid back on a couch while glancing at Luka. "You look like you wanna claw your eyeballs out."

"... Just forget it." Luka groaned. She didn't even feel like finishing her story now. "Anyways, I got what I wanted in the end. A name, though I don't have a clue what it's all about." She looked between Reimu and Marisa. "Have either of you two heard the name 'Konngara' before?"

The two exchanged glances before shrugging. "Nope." Marisa shook her head. "What about you, Reimu?"

"I can't say I have." Reimu said. "Is that your mother's name or something?"

Luka paused for a moment before responding. She didn't have a clear answer for that. Luka couldn't only recount a few key facts:

"She was one of the Big Four of the Mountain."

"Whoever owned the memories she was seeing, they worked under her."

"'Something' happened with her and no one in the Mountain seemed keen to share it."

"Ooh-hoo~" Marisa murmured excitedly. "Memories that aren't yours, people getting all hush-hush… Sounds like some kinda youkai conspiracy! Hey, Reimu, you wanna get in on this too? I'm gettin' curious!"

Reimu seemed much less enthusiastic. "Are you kidding? I hate getting involved with oni." She sighed. "There's never any fun in nosing into their affairs, and you'll just end up with a massive headache—usually from a hangover."

"Booooo. C'mon, you can't still be that sore over that whole Night Parade incident?"

Reimu huffed like a retail employee remembering a really bad night. Luka assumed this was another one of those things she'd have needed to be there to get.

"Well, anyway," Marisa looked back to Luka, "I think we had somethin' else interesting tied up in that story of yours: you finally figured out flying! How'd it feel?"

Luka struggled to find the words. "Well… It was kinda fun, I guess?"

Bleugh, Luka herself knew how weak that sounded. Expectedly, Marisa and Reimu both looked at her funny. "Just 'fun'?" Reimu suddenly popped at her side and prodded her forehead. "Is something wrong with your head? I figured you would've been way more excited about this."

"Hey, knock that off." Luka idly smacked Reimu's hand away. "I was excited about it when it happened. There's just something about it that's weird."

Reimu tilted her head. "Which is?"

"Remember your weird, fantastical explanation for it?" Luka recalled. "It isn't like that, at least not for me. I started testing it after I got home, and it's just sort of something I… do? I don't know how to explain it."

Marisa poked in. "Why don'tcha try showing? Maybe we can see some difference to it."

It wouldn't hurt. Concentrating, Luka made herself float up just a little bit, remaining in her seated position. She folded her legs inward, as if lounging on the air itself. "Well?"

Of the two, Marisa didn't have any immediately clear reaction. She cupped her chin, staring at Luka blankly. "Not really seeing anything different from normal flying. Just looks like you're doing it."

Reimu, on the other hand, took a step closer. "Hmm…" She studied her really closely, to the point Luka was starting to get a little uncomfortable. "Ah, I see. The feeling's a bit different. Look a little closer, Marisa. Do you see it now?"

"Hmm…" Marisa did so, her brow furrowing after a few fruitless seconds. "'Fraid not, no. What're those shrine maiden eyes seeing that I'm not?"

Suddenly looking like a seasoned professor, Reimu started gesturing to various spots on Luka's body as if she was a classroom skeleton. "See, there's normally spots in flight where we kind of relax and rest. Like floating in water, we bob a little bit. But Luka," she lightly poked at one of Luka's legs in an unsuccessful attempt at moving her, "she's completely stiff. Rigid, like she's rooted in place in midair."

"Huh." Marisa now took a step closer and took her own turn poking at Luka. "Wow, yeah. She's totally not moving." She started jabbing at other spots, and Luka finally had enough.

"Reminder: the classroom specimen is still a person and has limited patience. She may start kicking people if she gets poked in the wrong place." Luka slowly floated away before landing back on the ground and resting her arms on the top of her chair. "So, what's the difference with my flight, exactly? I'm more stable than most—is that supposed to mean something?"

Reimu shrugged dispassionately. "I dunno. It does mean you're not doing it the normal way, though."

"Oh wow, thank you. This is truly knowledge I couldn't have possibly gotten from anyone else."

Before Reimu could detect her oh-so-subtle sarcasm, Marisa snapped her fingers. "Ah-hah! It's your ability, ain't it?"

Both Luka and Reimu turned to look at her. Reimu spoke first. "Oh, that could be it, actually."

Luka on the other hand, didn't see it. "I kind of already know my ability now, though. Didn't I go over that bit when I was telling the story?" She pointed a thumb at one of her eyes. "It's that weird reflex-rush thing I was doing while fighting Suika. That doesn't exactly translate to flying."

Marisa made a 'tsk-tsk' sound while waving one finger. "You're thinkin' two-dimensional. Abilities aren't just things that work one way here—well, most of the time, anyway. Sure, it might help you see stuff in slow-mo, but that's probably just one application of it."

"I'm still not really seeing how that translates."

"Lemme think of how to put this…" Marisa pursed her lips. Then, she gestured to Reimu. "Take Reimu, for example. Her ability is 'to float'."

Luka blinked. "So, to fly? That basic thing everyone can do?"

Marisa smirked. "Again, one application. I've seen her do all sorts of crazy stuff with it. Ever see someone float outta physical existence?"

"Th—" Luka hit a quick 404-error. "I'm sorry, what?" She shot Reimu a confused look, hoping to get some sort of clarification. Reimu smiled passively as if confirming Marisa's claim, but she sure as hell didn't elaborate.

"I'm like that too." Marisa grinned. "Mine is just 'using magic', but magic's a real broad phrasing. As long as I can grasp the theory behind it, I can basically use any sorta spellcasting that comes to mind. Your ability doesn't have to just do one thing."

Luka withdrew into herself, trying to parse what she was being told. Come to think of it, Hiro had given her a similar explanation with his ability too. "Is it, like, a phrasing thing? What determines how broad it is?"

"Dunno." Marisa shrugged. "Once you figure out what the ability is, that's kinda up to you to decide where it ends."

Helpful, but also unhelpful. Luka tried to think of how to fit her current feats into a box. Flying, enhanced reflexes… Try as she did, she couldn't quite think of a clear definition that'd fit tidily in a single sentence. Though, reflecting on it, something else came to mind. Luka thought of the vision she'd seen, of her supposed 'mother' sparring with Konngara. Wasn't some of it similar to what Luka was doing? "Can they be hereditary?" She asked the two.

"Abilities?" Reimu paused. "I can't see why not." Marisa nodded along.

Maybe, then. Luka still didn't have a firm definition, but she had an idea of what she could be capable of. Of course, if it was hereditary… "Maybe I am a half-youkai…" The bitter murmur escaped her brain though her lips.

"Probably." Reimu's blithe response felt like a cold knife. "To be honest, we suspected it for a while. Does it really change anything about you?" She said it so candidly that Luka almost got mad. "I mean, at this point, the question is just 'what' that other half is."

"Probably oni, right?" Marisa posited. "That's the easy answer."

Reimu frowned. "She doesn't have to be half-oni. She could be a tengu, or maybe even a kappa."

"Okay, enough." Luka growled. "Why are you two talking like this isn't a big deal?"

"It isn't, not really." Reimu said, so certainly that Luka felt silly asking. "The point is, all of this is just 'what' for you. Not 'who', right?"

She almost didn't know how to respond. That was definitely a way of looking at it, ignoring how the topic still made Luka's stomach do backflips.

… Though, if she thought of it like that, it suddenly felt a lot more palatable. "Maybe. Didn't expect you to actually say something insightful, for once."

As usual, Reimu completely no-sold her *usual sass. "It's just a normal response, isn't it? You can't change it. It's better to just accept how it is and go with the flow."

"'Go with the flow'..." Luka remarked. "That advice is so typical for you, I don't know if I should laugh or cry." She opted to laugh, which Marisa joined in on to Reimu's confusion. She hadn't said it with any malice, and there were no hard feelings. It was just that, somehow, her words made her feel a lot less scared. Really, Luka always felt a lot better after talking with the two of them. Problems didn't feel as big or scary when she had time to relax with friends.

"If the two of you are done picking on Reimu, I've finished up."

The creaking open of a door drew their attention, the three of them turning to see Alice emerging from a small private workroom. No longer dressed in her usual dress, she seemed to have traded it out for a strange (and beautiful) white robe decorated in colored flowers. On her sides, Alice was flanked by two sets of flying dolls, the individual teams carrying their own articles of clothing each. No, 'clothing' was a really poor descriptor and sold Alice's work short. The long and elegant robes (similar to the one Alice herself was wearing) immediately caught Luka's eyes, to the point she had trouble taking her eyes off of them. She stared blankly as the first team flew to Reimu, presenting her with a bright and carefree red pattern dotted with pleasant white flowers. The second group, who had already reached Marisa, neatly handed over a joyous night sky filled with beautiful white stars.

"Whoa-ho!" Marisa marveled at the outfit. "You really outdid yourself here, Alice!" She sprung to her feet, ooo-ing and aah-ing over every last detail while cooing over her partner's handiwork. "Seriously, I can't even make a smartass comment! This looks amazing!"

Alice's cheeks tinged red. "Hmph. What's that supposed to mean? Aren't you supposed to praise your girlfriend's work, even if it's bad?"

Marisa smirked knowingly. "Baby, you know damn well you'd get mad if I was dishonest with you on your work quality." That earned another huff from Alice.

"To be honest," Reimu, as this was going on, carefully looked over her own, "it's been a while since I wore one of these. I'm kind of excited!" So said the shrine maiden, in a cheerful and girlish way that defied Luka's previous images of her. It was nice; the sort of pure positive vibes thing that felt good to watch.

But, there was a lingering question that stuck out in her brain. "There some kind of special occasion going on? What's with the robes?" She couldn't resist herself, already up and poking at Reimu's.

"Hey, don't pull on it." Reimu tucked it in her arms, away from Luka. "You've never seen a yukata before?"

'Yukata'. Her brain scanned the term like flipping through a dictionary, until it slapped into something it cobbled together from Patchouli's language patch. "It's like a bathrobe, or something?"

Reimu stared as if she were wearing a swimsuit in subzero weather. "... No. I mean, you can wear them there, but that's not where we're going…"

"Pff—" Marisa's lips twisted, some thin veneer of politeness sealing away what was clearly a big laugh. "I forget you're not from here, sometimes. We're just dressing up to go to a festival. There's always one in the village this time of year."

'Festival'? Luka hadn't heard anything about that. But as soon as she thought that, she realized why. All she'd been doing for the last several months had been nosing around for clues about Suika, about her own story. Everything else had blurred away, forgotten and registered as unimportant. Somehow missing something like that—was she getting a bit obsessive?

Whether she was somehow the first to pick up on Luka's inner turmoil or if she asked on pure whim, Reimu spoke up. "Want to come?"

"Can I?" It wasn't something Luka had made plans for, nor was it anything she was even remotely prepared for. "I mean, I don't exactly have a yukata, so I'd probably stand out pretty badly…"

Marisa scratched her chin. "Could try to fit you for one in town, but…"

"Ahem." Seeming annoyed that she'd been ignored in this conversation, Alice cleared her throat and stepped next to Luka. "Really, talking about fitting someone for clothing while I'm right here? I don't even get to be asked?"

"Uh," Marisa, in a rare skeptical moment, narrowed her eyes at Alice. "the festival's in, like, a few hours. I know you're good, babe, but ain't that a little too close even for you?"

"Oh, please." Alice smirked. Her fingers twitched, and suddenly several teams of dolls assembled at her sides like a trained squadron. "I made the ones for Reimu and you each in an afternoon while taking it easy. Even if I was generous, it wouldn't take me longer than an hour to make one for Luka. Provided, of course, she's willing to accompany me for some measurements?" She glanced at her, somewhat expectantly.

… Setting aside the fact she felt like she'd suddenly been dragged into some couple's dispute, Luka smiled involuntarily. "I mean, I don't really want to impose…" She still felt unsure. Wouldn't it be a bit of an ask to suddenly nose in like this?

"Do you want to come along or not?" Repeating the question was Reimu, firmly but with a soft expression. It was a sincere smile; inviting and warm like the morning sun. Disarmingly so, even.

Seeing that, it reminded Luka of something. A common occurrence back home, whenever she felt stressed or overwhelmed. When everything felt impossible to manage, when nothing felt like it could possibly work out, she remembered someone poking at her shoulder. Clint East, the stubborn old man who often struck people as a gruff hardass, telling her to get ready to go out for a bit.

In her dad's own words, she 'needed to take her mind off of the serious stuff for a sec'.

"Er, if that's not too much trouble—"

Suddenly her cheek got a sharp poke. "Stop with the modesty!" Reimu huffed. "It's so frustrating to decipher what you mean when you talk like that. Do you want to or not?" Poke poke pok—

"Knock it off!" Luka retaliated, jabbing her own finger into Reimu's face. "Yes! I want to tag along, okay?!"

"Hey! Don't poke at me!"

"You got short term memory or something? You poked first!"

The two suddenly launched into warfare, jabbing at one another while quibbling over pointless semantics. It probably would've gone on longer, had Alice not broken it up and dragged Luka away and into the back room for measurements.

(Honestly…) Luka thought. (What's with that girl? I give her credit once, and she does something like that immediately after! She's so… so… Ugh!)

Back in the yukata thread, Alice lived up to her hype. Frighteningly so, in fact. After getting Luka's measurements and asking some questions about preferences, Alice vanished back into her workshop. For some reason, the hour figure stuck in Luka's head as she watched the clock. Starting at 3:07 PM, the legendary tailor Alice Margatroid emerged from her solitude at exactly 4:06 PM. "Well? What do you think?"

She hadn't expected anything jaw-dropping, but that was exactly what she got. Draping from the tiny hands of two dolls, Luka's eyes beheld something amazing. Short, yet striking; the yukata was a spirited red patterned with black tulips blooming all across it. Bold, yet gentle. A stylish, striking look. Luka had no idea how Alice had nailed something she didn't even know she wanted so perfectly.

"Judging by how you're staring at it, I'll guess it's to your liking." Alice nodded, satisfied. She shot Marisa a wry look. In turn, the witch waved a small invisible white flag, fully admitting her defeat. "Now then," Alice turned back to Luka, "let's see how it fits, shall we?"

The change took a while longer than expected, mostly due to Luka's inexperience. Alice had to walk her step-by-step through the entire process. Thankfully, she seemed fairly gracious about the entire affair. She was probably still riding her high from shutting Marisa down earlier.

It felt a lot harder to do than it probably was. "Here, tie your hair back with this." Though, to be fair, that was (again) mostly thanks to Alice. "Yes, like that. Okay…"

Luka didn't really have the taste to describe the feeling properly, but once the yukata was fully on her, it just felt… right. Luka felt like she was in an outfit she'd worn for years. Almost to the point of déjà vu, even. Mired in that, her expression was probably a lot more serene than she expected when she stepped out of the changing room. She could tell because both Marisa and Reimu stared at her with widened eyes.

"Oh!" Reimu gaped. "Wow, that really looks good on you!"

"... I know I said you couldn't do it on that sorta short notice, but you didn't need to prove me wrong this bad, Alice." Marisa chuckled self-deprecatingly. "Seriously, Luka, that really suits you."

Hearing their compliments snapped Luka out of her mental fog. "Really? I was kind of worried for a second…" She didn't realize how self-conscious she'd feel over this. Though, speaking of self-conscious—something felt like it was missing. Specifically on the 'under'. "Um… I-Is there nothing I can wear underneath this?"

Alice shook her head. "I'm a bit short on materials, unfortunately… You'll have to make due for now."

Well, she couldn't win them all. "Just my luck." Despite the robe feeling so breezy, the long skirt felt like it was constricting around her legs. Being the sort of girl who liked to walk with long strides, Luka worried she was going to undo Alice's hard work with one bad step. "Guh. Is this normal? I feel like a penguin shuffling around."

"You wanted to wear one, didn't you?" Alice smiled, before reaching over to a shelf. "Here, you'll need to wear these too."

What Luka hadn't expected was for her to pull out the footwear equivalent of torture equipment. Colloquially called 'geta', Luka preferred the term 'hell slippers'. When the four of them departed for the village (choosing to walk, naturally), Luka staggered behind the group most of the way. Too loose yet somehow also too tight, they felt like they could fall off at any moment on one step and break the back of her foot the next.

So how, exactly… "—am I supposed to walk in these things the whole day?! This suuucks!"

Reimu, as naturally as could be, pivoted back to her. She snuck a glance down at Luka's pitiful limping. "For starters, you're walking on them all wrong. Try what I'm doing." As if she'd cleared up all of Luka's worries, Reimu strutted back along.

"... And that is?"

"Did I not make it clear? Look!" She then repeated the motion, looking at Luka like she was a dog failing to grasp human language. "See?"

Luka stared at her flatly for several seconds before Marisa cut in, "Try pinchin' the strap with your toes and lifting it."

"Thank you." Luka grumbled.

After some adjusting, her steps stopped feeling like a trial. By the time she mastered the art of walking in a straight line, the village came into view. A very different-looking village, at that: long rows of paper lanterns seemed to line up, prepared to replace the setting sun. The village, normally a quiet place with wide streets and plenty of walking space, seemed almost crowded now. Said crowds shuffled to-and-fro from their homes, all gathering to the center. All of them dressed for the occasion and shared dozens of different conversations, making up a loud cacophony of color and sound.

Directing the tidal wave was a familiar figure dressed in what looked to be a slightly modified version of his normal outfit. "Please, no pushing! There's plenty of space!" Hiro's eyes scanned, before locking onto the four women entering the village with his ever-permanent smile. "Ah! Glad to see you all here!" His gaze turned to Luka. "Oh, that's a new style for you! It suits you!"

"You think so, huh?" Luka shook off the déjà vu that was creeping back. Seriously, what was that? "Right back at you." She smiled. "So what's Kotohime got you out here for, anyway?"

"Ah, you know how it is." Hiro's eyes seemed more active than normal, seeming to dart around the crowd at a speed Luka hadn't seen from him before. He continued talking as if he were still staring directly at Luka, "With the village busy like this, we need eyes to watch around and make sure no… 'malicious characters' try to take advantage of the festivities." His tone carried a specific implication to it, which Luka raised an eyebrow at. "You know how it is."

"Keep up the good work, Glasses." Reimu didn't react, simply flashing him a cheery thumbs-up before looking around. "I don't see that samurai around. Shouldn't she also be keeping guard?"

"You mean Meira?" Hiro adjusted his glasses sheepishly. "Lady Kotohime wanted her as an escort through tonight's festivities."

"Hm? Why's that?"

"I'm… sworn to secrecy. Private matters, you see." Hiro averted his eyes. Seeing his reaction, Marisa cooed a little while Alice nodded knowingly. On the other hand, Reimu and Luka exchanged clueless glances. Well, whatever. It was their business. "Anyways, I've got to get back to work, so!" Hiro stood at-attention with a jolly salute. "I hope you all have a wonderful evening!" And away he went, the village's ever-busy smiling problem-solver.

"Weird guy." Reimu hummed. Without missing a beat, she immediately started off on her own. "Alright, let's go! Move it!" Nyoom—Luka had to double take at how fast Reimu zoomed off. Wasn't she wearing the same hell slippers the rest of them were? Well, after her.

"I can't get a read on that girl." Luka mused aloud as she walked. "One second she's grouchy, the next she's nosy, now she's all hyper. What gives?"

Over Luka's shoulder, Marisa chuckled. "Reimu's Reimu. Sometimes she's in a bad mood 'cuz she's working overtime, other times she's giddy and having a blast like nothing happened. Tryin' to get a read on her is like guessing what form a cloud's gonna take. You just gotta take her as she is right now, no sense in guessing too hard."

So said Marisa, the apparent Reimu Hakurei expert. "Sounds to me like you're just calling her an airhead."

"Hey, you said it, not me."

(Heh.) Still, Luka had to admit, Reimu was a fun sort of airhead. And she had the right idea. "Alright, slow down now!" A smile crept its way onto Luka's face. "You're leaving the rest of us behind, Reimu!"

The night was a blast, more fun than Luka could've imagined. In this moment, she wasn't an Outsider cast away to some far-from-home world. She was just one of many festival-goers; a girl hanging out with friends, laughing as they went from stall to stall enjoying the revelry. It was a good time, and she even got to show off some skills the others lacked.

"And…" Luka's eyes sharpened. Her breathing steadied. Amidst an assortment of targets, all lined up in an orderly row, she settled on one. "There!" Pop! In her grasp, a rifle with a cork loaded into the barrel fired true—a direct hit. The struck victim shuddered violently, stumbling backwards before falling with a climactic thud! Cheers abound filled Luka's ears, as the attendant fetched her defeated foe: a small box of fruit-flavored hard candies, soon to be split amongst the celebrating party.

"Damn, you're actually a pretty solid shot!" Marisa remarked as she popped a small lemon in her mouth. "Then again, you're the only one here who actually uses guns to fight. Guess that includes rifles, huh?"

"I mean, I didn't really shoot any of those back home." Luka noted, taking a strawberry herself. "To be honest, it kinda surprised me how natural it felt once I had it in my hands."

"Oh? Are we seeing a natural talent from you for once?" Alice smirked.

"Ha-ha." Luka deadpanned. Though, they weren't wrong. It did feel natural. Controlled breathing, a steady aim… She'd started using guns as a stopgap measure until she felt more comfortable fighting, but guns really did seem to suit her. At the very least, an arsenal upgrade would help her if she ran into trouble the next time she went out on an investigation. It was food for thought.

Of course, there were things she wasn't that good at. Suddenly finding herself kneeling down in front of a small pool of water filled with an assortment of goldfish, Luka glared at the tool in her hands: a small, rounded frame with a thin strip of paper inside of it. The paper was, of course, broken; a victim to the maddened thrashing of one of the pool's inhabitants. "How are you supposed to scoop up a goldfish with this? It's hardly a net…"

"Get good." Marisa snarked, shortly before there was a sound of paper ripping and a splash. "Gah!" She frowned at her own broken scooper.

"'Get good'~." Luka stuck her tongue out.

"What Marisa means to say," Alice smiled amusedly, "is that you need to be mindful of the goldfish's movement and carefully control your own." So she demonstrated, delicately lowering her net into the water. Then, with the precision expected of an expert puppetmaster, lifted it up with a goldfish in tow. "Like so."

"Huh." Luka glanced back into the water. "I mean, I can get the control part down, but the fish don't really seem to like me that much." Luka watched several orange shapes dart by, all focusing in a single location. Mutter, mutter, "Unlike a certain someone…"

"I don't get what you're all talking about, it's easy. You just scoop up the goldfish." The whimsical fantasy princess Reimu Hakurei did exactly that, her aquatic fish friends practically fighting each other to get into the net. How they didn't fall through the paper was a mystery to Luka. "See?" No one challenged her on that. Mainly because none of them really knew what to even say to it.

The setting sun soon gave way to the dark of night. With the passage of time, hunger got the better of them and the group began cycling food stalls. The options seemed a bit limited, which was probably a result of recent issues with crops and livestock due to the bad weather. Luckily, there was enough for all of them to get something: dango for Reimu and Alice, yakitori for Marisa, and Luka was fortunate enough to grab a taiyaki. She'd never seen the fish-shaped cake before, and it admittedly grabbed her attention the moment she saw it. Some weird cross between a pancake and an ice-cream cone, in a shape like that? No way she'd pass up seeing what it tasted like. A crisp bite, and the sweet red bean paste immediately hit her. It felt a bit like something she'd eat at Coney Island, on the rare times she'd ever been there.

"How is it?" Reimu asked, taking a break from her own stick of dango.

"Hm… Nostalgic." Luka stared at the half-bitten fish in her hand. "It's good. Really good. Want some?" She extended it as an offering.

"Er," Reimu gave her an odd look, "you're not really supposed to share it from the end you bit off of."

"Ah, fair. Okay, then eat the fin here. I didn't bite into that side." Luka broke it off.

"But that's the part with the least filling…"

"Okay, then I'll—" Reimu wordlessly snatched it and popped it into her mouth. "Hey!"

"You still offered it."

Grumble grumble… Speaking of fights over food, it seemed they weren't the only ones getting into a tussle. While they had been talking, some sort of conflict had arisen between the lovebirds sitting next to them.

"Honestly, Marisa, can't you just grow up…?" Said the girl with a rather odd piece taken out of her dango

"Hehe! Why don't you make me, Alice?" Chew, chew. What was that in her mouth? Who could say? She certainly seemed proud of whatever it was.

Quibble, quibble. The two were practically in each others' faces, maybe inches apart. Even amidst their bickering, Luka could see both of their cheeks flushed. Off in their own little world, the two seemed to be having a fantastic romantic evening.

Of course, they seemed to be forgetting they didn't come to the festival alone. And didn't seem too keen on noticing it, either. Luka felt her mouth twitch a little. "You know, I've heard of being the third wheel. Didn't realize you could bring two of them in one trip, though."

"You get used to it." Reimu grumbled sympathetically. "That's the trouble of hanging out with a couple. They tend to get caught up in themselves…"

So they were. Luka sighed. "Why don't we leave them to it? Feels like we're invading their privacy all of a sudden…" Reimu nodded along silently, almost sighing in sync with Luka.

And so the two said their goodbyes, leaving the lovebirds to enjoy the rest of their evening. There was still plenty to do, and the night was still young.

"So, where to next?"

As a pair, their wandering was relaxing albeit altogether mindless. Reimu seemed to immediately take the lead, bumping from place to place without any real consideration and dragging Luka along with her. She seemed to be having fun turning her brain off, so it wasn't all bad. Reimu had a bit of an infectious good mood.

As they walked, something hit Luka's ears. Ordinarily, she'd tune out crowd chatter, but then a name hit her ears: 'Hakurei'. Two older women, chittering amongst themselves:

"Is that the shrine maiden?"

"The Hakurei? Seems she's with that half-youkai…"

"Isn't she supposed to be at her shrine for the festival, gathering offerings?"

"Bah, heard it was damaged after a youkai went on a rampage near it."

It was just harmless gossip. Luka shrugged, turning her attention from it.

"That's what that youkai shrine maiden gets. She hangs out with them all the time."

"Well, she is an orphan. Of course she'd be easy influenced by that unsavory crowd—"

"Hi, excuse me?" Luka was suddenly standing right next to the pair of mouths. "It's a little rude to talk about people while they're right here, you know?" The two women suddenly shriveled up, lips stitching shut. Luka offered them a glare, and they quickly shuffled off. "Tch. What's their problem?"

Reimu, however, had no particular expression. "Don't mind it. It's normal." She turned with a smile, as if nothing had even happened. "So, where to next?"

That was all of Reimu's response. For a second, Luka almost thought she hadn't witnessed a microaggression firsthand. "Wait, what?" She shook her head, cutting Reimu off. "'Normal'? This happens to you a lot?"

Reimu tilted her head, as if Luka had asked her what color the sky was. "Yes?"

"And, that doesn't bother you?"

"Hmm." Pointer finger to her chin, Reimu seemed to be contemplating Luka more than the actual question she'd asked. "Why does it bother you, exactly?"

"Th—" Was her brain broken? "Are you seriously asking me that? Two strangers bad-mouthing you, that doesn't make you uncomfortable at all?" Reimu only shrugged before stepping past Luka with a sort of blasé expression that left her speechless. No, that was seriously weird. Luka wasn't crazy for thinking that, right? She refused to believe that was some normal thing. Reimu practically served as Gensokyo's main protector, so why was she so indifferent to people talking trash about her?

She turned to Reimu, intent on spinning her back around and getting to the bottom of things, only to see the shrine maiden suddenly running off in a hurry. "Wh—Hey! Where are you going?!" Luka, of course, gave chase. Fruitlessly attempting to get Reimu's attention, she didn't slow down for anything, seeming to run like a miko on a mission. Eventually, they darted between two buildings tucked away in the furthest corner of the festival, grinding to a halt. Breathless, Luka called after her, "R… Reimu, seriously, what gives…?"

It didn't take long to see. Reimu stood resolute, glaring straight ahead. Glancing past her shoulder, Luka would see a tiny stall directly in her line of sight. A small pile of fresh watermelon decorated the counter, but what really caught the eye was the shabbily-dressed owner. Her bright auburn hair was tied in rather conspicuous buns that, if someone (Luka) recognized where they were, would match up with a pair of horns. Greeting Reimu's ire with a toothy grin, "Welcome, welcome! Care fer some fresh watermelon?"

"You!" Reimu barked, sounding angrier than Luka had ever heard her. "What are you doing here?"

"Uh," Suika tilted her head, "what's it look like? I'm runnin' an honest business! Festival's an open market, after all. And what better way to celebrate a summer festival than fresh watermelon straight from Heaven~?" She gestured to her produce. "Wantsum?"

Reimu, however, took a terrifying stomp forward. "My shrine is still! A pile! Of rubble! You've left it half-fixed for almost a month now!"

Luka almost made a comment asking if it was more concerning that one of the oni's famous Big Four was running a fruit stand in the heart of the human village, but decided not to draw Reimu's ire. (Though she was silently judging Hiro a bit for somehow missing the obvious disguise.)

"Hey, hey!" Suika grinned, raising her hands in front of her. "It's a festival, we should all be makin' merry and having fun!" Without missing a beat, she gently tapped her finger atop one of the watermelons on her stand. Crack! It split cleanly into eights, two of which Suika offered to them both. "Here, on the house!"

"Do you think you can buy me off with food?" Reimu glared.

Suika smiled without responding or breaking eye contact. Several seconds of silence played out. Luka unsubtly stepped forward and took one. Nom. "Mm, that's good."

Reimu silently snatched the remaining slice and bit into it. "... Mm." She was clearly trying to hide the twinkle in her eyes.

The two of them savored the sweet fruit, taking their time as they stood in the small nook separated from the bustling crowds. It was nice, albeit Luka wondered if there would be a problem with Suika hanging around here. She didn't seem like she wanted to make trouble, so maybe it was fine? She glanced at Reimu, who grumpily chewed on her watermelon slice but otherwise didn't seem to be saying anything. Mm, it was probably okay.

"Say," Suika snapped her fingers, "you two hear about the show they're gonna be puttin' on in the village square?"

"Hm?" Luka swallowed. "No, what?"

"S'posed to be a live performance of an old play the village likes to do every now and then." She grinned. "'The Tale of the Astral Knight'. It's a pretty popular one, can definitely recommend it for our outsider friend here."

A familiar buzzing started in the back of Luka's brain.

"Oh, that one. That's a good one, mhm." Reimu poked in. "Funny that you're suggesting it, of all people. I'd think an oni would hate it."

"Pfft. I can appreciate fine art when I see it." Suika laughed. "Actually, I brought an old friend here to see it, too. Figure I'll close up here soon so I can go meet with her." Her eyes moved to Luka. "What d'ya say? Wanna take a look? It might interest you in particular."

That tone. Luka picked up on it while Reimu seemed unaware. The invitation wasn't just that—there was a knowing glint to Suika's gaze. "What do you mean?" She tried not to sound too suspicious.

"Nothin' in particular. I just think you'd get something out of it." Suika shrugged. "Well?"

(Come on, seriously?) She wanted to yell. This was supposed to be a night to take her mind off of her problems. Luka took a moment before answering, wondering if she was reading into it too much. There was no shift in Suika's expression, just a continued smile. "... I'll think about it."

"Sounds good. Hope I see ya in the crowd~."

They left shortly after, Luka's enjoyment of the festival staying behind. She tried to convince herself it was just some idle invitation, but something buzzed in the back of her mind. The feeling was back, and it wasn't shutting up. "That play," Luka turned to Reimu, who had been silently following her with a curious expression, "you've seen it? What's it about?"

"What, you want to see it?" Reimu tilted her head. "It's kind of a spoiler if I just say it…"

"Just gimme the synopsis."

"Uh…" Reimu mulled helplessly. "Well, there's this knight… And there's a village…" She seemed to be squirming over her words. "Bleh. It's been a while, so I don't remember it that well. I'd need to see it again." (... I see, she's spoiler-proof by virtue of terrible memory.)"Why do you ask?"

"Just thinking out-loud." Luka said. "It's probably nothing, but…"

"Do you want to see it?"

'Want' felt like a really poor word for it. Truthfully, Luka wanted to enjoy the rest of her night without having to sit there and play mystery games. But this could also be a one-time clue.

Worst-case scenario, she got a live performance out of the deal. "Sure. Let's go."

Luckily, they showed up for it at the perfect time. At the heart of the village, a small stage had been assembled. Actors dressed in what looked to Luka like avant-garde masks and dresses were wrapping up their setup, hurriedly taking their places. Suika (despite being the one who suggested it to them) was nowhere to be seen in the audience. That definitely made Luka feel better, mhm.

Live theater was new to her (not a Broadway sort of girl), so part of her was a little excited. The remaining part was anxious, like a crime scene detective preparing to uncover a dead body. What secrets, if any, were tucked away in this story?

A shrill flute and several vocal 'yoooh's signaled the show's start, and excited murmurs died down. With a deep breath, Luka allowed herself to immerse into the narrative…

Donk!

Donk!

Donk!

It was a tale aged lifetimes ago. The land was young and the one village was once many. No divide 'twixt the worlds, no 'inside' or 'outside'. During the day, all was peaceful. The villagers toiled, eking out a meager living. Yet, they were content.

But just as day and night, peace was transient. When the skies darkened, things unknown and immaterial took hold of the world. The ground would shake and tremble just as the frightened children did.

It was with raucous laughter that the oni began their hunt.

"I am Shuten-douji!" Three figures tread upon the world, one taking the center. "My subordinates and I have laid claim to this land! Thus, we shall take as we please and pillage as we wish!"

The youkai fell upon them, and tales of tragedy soon swept across the region. Countless humans plucked from their homes, carried away to the demons' nest. The few who dared to resist were struck down, powerless against the oni and their relentless strength. The Terrible Three, Shuten-douji, Hoshikuma-douji, and Ibaraki-douji, seemed too great and mighty for any to stop.

(For a brief moment, Luka East wondered if the village too had forgotten about Konngara.)

The conflicts raged on for years as humanity struggled to survive. Reaching the limits of their despair, the villagers cried out. "When shall this end? Oh gods above, we beg you for salvation!" There seemed to be no answer, and they crumbled beneath their anguish.

For years, these atrocities continued unabated. Yet neither human nor oni would notice a single star shining brighter and brighter with each passing season. It took no action, merely biding its time. Until one fateful night…

The oni struck once more. A mere band of troublemakers this time, surely enough to overwhelm the few humans remaining. But as they approached the village that night, the star from above suddenly vanished. A new figure appeared, standing before the oni. Taller than any other—perhaps even matching the oni's greatest and most fearsome. A strange smoke, like that of a starry night sky, surrounded them.

"Who is this that stands before us?" A tengu stepped forward, snide and crude. "To hide your appearance, is this the cowardice of humanity?"

The figure spoke not. Their silhouette merely moved forward, and swung a strange pole at the youkai. A swift motion that hadn't even seemed to touch them, yet at once they were felled. Several never rose again. Those remaining stumbled to their feet, only to flee to their masters to deliver the figure's dire warning.

One villager who witnessed the stunning display. "W-Who is this? Have the gods finally answered our prayers? Or, cloaked in the cold of the night, art thou some new youkai come to ravage our home in the oni's place?"

The figure was silent once again, but only for a moment. "Be calm, feeble one. I have not been sent by the gods, nor am I a youkai seeking your lives. I am without a name, and I bear you no ill will." Their words carried no emotion; neither malice nor justice.

"Then why, pray tell, have you appeared before us and driven the youkai from our homes?"

"There is a task I must fulfill. To that end, I shall protect you humans for a time. That is all."

The villagers were conflicted. "How might we trust one without name or title? Please, give us something to call you, so we may understand your ends."

"Very well." The figure gazed up to the night sky, and the villagers' eyes followed them. "Look then, to the skies. If the youkai are bound by this night sky, then let me be known by its arrival. You may call me the 'Astral Knight'."

—Luka's brain started shaking. The violent buzzing overtook her senses, shutting her off from the play. 'Astral Knight', that term was familiar. Judging by the play's context, that had to make some sense. If this person had been giving the youkai trouble, maybe her mother had run up against them at some point.

(Part of Luka grudgingly hoped she'd gotten her ass kicked.)

So, where was this going, then? Luka tuned back in…

What ensued was an anthology of legends associated with the figure. When night fell, the Knight was always there. Battles against the oni, fights to preserve humanity. Still they remained elusive, always disappearing when approached and only arriving when needed. Their goal remained a mystery, yet their intent was unquestionable. The Astral Knight was well and truly an ally of justice and defender of the weak.

But all stories carried an ending. One day, the Knight sought out the villagers and spoke with them. "I ask you this, small ones. The nature of humans and youkai, and their eternal strife with one another… Must things always be as such?"

"The youkai have always sought our destruction. They are the enemies of humanity. What are we to do to end this conflict?"

The Knight did not respond. Once again, they directed their eyes to the cold night sky above. Unforgiving, unrelenting, as were the youkai. "I tell you this, humans: my true goal is to bring an end to this. I shall depart from you one final time, to the mountains which bore the horrid creatures you call 'youkai'. When I return to you next, I shall share it with you."

"What is it you shall share with us?"

"The truth of this world."

The villagers were puzzled by their statement, but none could question it before the Knight vanished away. They had not the courage to follow after them, instead choosing to patiently await the Knight's return. The people had faith in their hero, for they had never failed them before.

The moon and sun changed places, once and then again. But the Knight did not come. Again, this repeated. As the seasons took their turns, the villagers soon realized that the oni had ceased their terror. They never again would attack the humans as they did before, and rumors soon began that they had fled the land—never to return.

None knew what had transpired when the Knight struck out against the oni. Only rumors and hearsay. One theory took place over the others—

That the Astral Knight had, in their final act, driven the oni from the land. They had confronted the Three, slaying them while perishing in the attempt. That as they fell, their work finished, their hand outstretched to the pitch-black heavens above—

"A pity… I truly did wish… to return to them… My friends…" A mourning, a loss, yet pride in their accomplishment. Their form would have slowly faded as the battle drew to its end, entire legions of fallen youkai the only trace of their existence. "Stars above, I return to thee… My work is finished."

The people mourned their fallen hero. Years passed, and Gensokyo as it is known today soon began to take shape. The people nearly forgot about the Astral Knight.

At this village's completion, a strange sight appeared before the descendents of those villagers from long ago. A single star shone above the land, brighter than the rest, as if greeting an old friend. Heark, even now, you may see it above.

See it, shining in its glory. This Astral Star still shines over our village to this day. A watchful eye from above, and a dearly departed friend.

Dook!

Dook!

Dook!

At the final drumbeat, Luka realized she'd been staring up at the night sky too. It wasn't just fiction; looking up, something shone at the center of the heavens. A single twinkling light, reflected in her eyes. Something tugged at her chest, a feeling she couldn't explain

"Ooh, it got you that badly, huh?" Reimu teased. "You're crying."

"—?" She somehow hadn't even noticed her vision going blurry. Luka wiped at her eyes confusedly. "I… Maybe?" It wasn't that emotional… was it?

Reimu was probably smirking at her. "There's no 'maybe', you're doing it right now!" She laughed, and Luka noticed it sounded a little funny. She glanced over, only to see Reimu with an expression similar to a wet cat.

"Look who's talking!" Luka chided, close to exploding into tear-filled laughter. "Bawling your eyes out over there, what're you getting on my case for getting a little teary-eyed?!"

"I'm not bawling! It's, um—" Reimu tried to hide away and 'subtly' wipe the evidence away. "A-Allergies, yes! Seasonal allergies!" She choked.

The two of them quibbled like that for a bit, but both were smiling the entire time. Luka wasn't sure what to make of what she'd seen, truth be told. She was still kinda thinking Suika was playing a prank on her. Nonetheless, for the night, she parted from her friends happier, healthier, and ready for whatever new challenge awaited her.

… … …

"Pah! Damn, that's good stuff!"

Hidden atop a roof far from the crowds as the festivities drew to a close, Suika Ibuki took another sip from a stolen bottle of high-quality sake she'd nabbed. Quality-wise, it was barely comparable to the stuff in Heaven. But variety was the spice of life, and Suika loved life. As she drank, her eyes drifted to the player at the village's center, resting on a pair of girls arguing with one another. It seemed that she'd taken her hint, in the end.

She leaned back, turning to the night sky. A nuisance burned her retinas, glaring right at her from the center of the starry black abyss. The 'Astral Star', as the humans called it. She wondered who had coined that corny name.

"Was it you who named that crappy little light-show in the sky?" Suika spoke aloud. "If so, that bad taste of yours keeps gettin' worse and worse."

She wasn't talking to the sky. Space unraveled like a loose ribbon, and a void of peering eyes spat out a pair of smirking purple ones. "Come now, Suika, you don't think I'm that tasteless, do you?" Yukari Yakumo, the youkai of pushing her boundaries, leaned through the abyssal window like a teenager ready to drop hot gossip.

"Kiiiinda findin' that hard to believe." Suika swished the bottle in her grasp. "'Specially since you showed up like I expected you to. Figured if I nudged that little piece on the board you got there, it'd get your attention."

Yukari smiled, but Suika could sense something hidden behind it. "It's a festive night, after all. Who's to say I'm not just visiting an old friend?"

Suika snickered bitterly. "Sure, sure. Let's say I buy that damn dirty trick from a fraudulent youkai. Tell me, what's your fixation on that girl down there?"

"Hm? Oh, I haven't the faintest idea what you're referring to."

"Hoho? You're really testin' my patience, here." Suika snipped. "Usually I'd let that sorta thing slide, but when I see stuff like this stirring around, I start losin' a bit of my usual amiability. You feel me?" Still lounging, she locked eyes with Yukari.

Yukari, however, didn't react. She maintained her usual facade, smiling as if nothing were wrong. Instead of responding, she looked past Suika, down to the stage at the village's center. "It's a curious thing, isn't it? A story that should have been forgotten by now, but that continues to hold onto its life."

Suika narrowed her eyes. "It's missin' some details, but you could say that."

"Indeed. Humans do love to break down history into more palatable chunks. Sometimes to the point it scarcely resembles the original thing…"

"You goin' somewhere with this?"

Yukari chuckled. "Who's to say? Perhaps, like the way a story changes with time, I'm letting things play out as they will for a change. It could lead to something interesting, or it might fizzle out into something unremarkable. Truthfully, I can't be behind everything in Gensokyo—I'm far too busy for that!" She looked back at Suika. "Some matters are simply best left to chance. Wouldn't you agree?"

Suika liked to think she knew Yukari well. A cowardly, attention-seeking woman who loved to nose her way into affairs while pretending she had no involvement. But this… Her tone was different from normal. It wasn't like it usually was. In a way, she almost respected the newfound brazenness. "S'pose so! How's about a drink, then? Let's see where this is going, then."

For now, she'd leisurely keep an eye out.

Author's Note:

And with that, the epilogue for this arc is done. There are a couple things I want to talk about here, so let's start with the less important one: with the epilogue done, we're now moving into the next arc. A lot of the time I spent was ironing out the outline for the next arc, and making sure I was 100% sure on its main lead. I'm kind of figuring things out as I go, but hey, that's part of the fun here.

As for who it is, well… I'll let you all figure it out on your own. 🌠

Setting that aside… I did have other messages to include in this chapter, but with how long I ended up taking to get this chapter out the door, saying them now would end up feeling kind of weak. All I can say right now is that I hope everyone's taking care of themselves. These days, there's a lot of hatred floating around. Directed at people who don't deserve it, without relent or consideration. Even outside of that, we see wars and other atrocities masking themselves as 'war' happening all across our world these days. I'm sure some of you are familiar with what I'm talking about, so I won't lecture.

Just, do the best you can. Even if it's small, try to do something. I believe our enemies in this world are not people, but ideas. Concepts like hatred, fear, greed—these things are our enemies. And we can't overcome them overnight, only through repeated effort. So even if it seems insignificant, speak out where you can. Do the best you can, where you can, when you can.

Take care, everyone. I'll be thankful for every day we share here on this Earth. Let's try and make it so everyone can do the same.