Ryusei materialized with a big sigh of relief after Keine left the shrine.
"That was close," said Ryusei.
"What happened?" asked Reimu.
"Moments before you came in, she was looking right at me even though I was invisible. I swear, she saw right through my invisibility."
Reimu sighed upon hearing that.
"Keine has the power to rewrite history in Gensokyo and can detect when a person isn't affected by her powers. She might not see you but she can detect your presence," informed the Hakurei miko.
"Oh that's great," replied Ryusei sarcastically.
He took a seat next to Reimu and watched as she gently stroked the sleeping greater fairy in her lap before bringing out a small bag containing several fumo dolls.
"This was all I managed to get before getting a temporary ban for buying so many."
Reimu gave him a small smile before checking the bag.
"Thanks. Also, where have you been for the past few days?" asked Reimu.
"Training my new apprentice. He's learning fast and he's followed me here…"
Ryusei looked at the entrance mildly annoyed by the newcomer that looked almost 5 or 6 years of age with a wakizashi blade on his back hidden at the entrance of the shrine.
"Hayata, I know you're there. Come out unless you want extra lessons."
The boy came out of his hiding spot with a scared look on his face. Though still annoyed, Ryusei signaled for him to come into the shrine.
"Reimu, meet Hayata. He's my apprentice and the son of Katsushirō, my teacher's teacher," introduced Ryusei.
The boy gave a respectful bow but quickly hid behind his teacher after seeing Reimu. However, the red and white miko gave him a heart warming smile and made room on her lap for Hayata to sit on.
Hesitantly, the young boy looked at his mentor who gave him an approving nod to sit with Reimu. Upon reaching Reimu though, a look of concern spread onto Reimu's face.
"He's so young. Is he really a student?" asked Reimu.
Ryusei gave Reimu a solemn nod.
"Remember what I told you back then? Part of the training process requires us to drink de-aging potions and this is his second time drinking one. He looks 5-6 but is really in his 30s," informed Ryusei. "And by the way, he's still a kid. Our new batch of students didn't have any time to mature before being sent out to the field so treat them the way you'd treat the average 4-5 year old."
After saying that, Ryusei pulled out his symbolizer to write several kanji that quickly materialized into balls of light that began changing colors as they moved and reformed into different sizes and shapes.
"What did you do?" asked Reimu with an amused look.
"Light show. Keeps him entertained," replied Ryusei. "Also, need any help with taking care of Tokiko?"
"Kinda," answered Reimu. "I just need help negotiating with Rinnosuke for her books back and getting some children's books for her. She likes reading."
Ryusei raised an eyebrow at that statement but then gave her a small smile.
"I see. Need my help?" asked Ryusei.
"A bit… Rinnosuke is pretty hard to talk to when it comes to negotiations."
"Well… Maybe I can barter with him then," commented Ryusei.
Meanwhile, Hayata fell asleep next to Daiyousei and unconsciously nuzzled his head further into Reimu's arms. Upon noticing this, a pang of sorrow hit Ryusei's face while Reimu gently stroked him and the greater fairy.
"Where are his parents?" asked Reimu.
"In the afterlife," replied Ryusei. "They were both…given a trip to meet God because of… recent events."
Reimu could sense the hesitation in Ryusei's voice and nodded in understanding. The group sat together in silence for a few moments before Daiyousei began to stir and wake up. Upon seeing Hayata, she gently nudged him aside but Reimu stopped her and wrapped a blanket around the two kids.
"Mind telling me more about what happened to Yukari and Master Cross?" asked Reimu.
"Oh right uh…"
Ryusei paused for a moment before getting up to check for unsuspecting guests and eavesdroppers.
Once he confirmed that the coast was clear, he continued the story.
"My master didn't expect Yukari to show up to his test but her sudden arrival caused unexpected consequences."
Many Years Ago…
Merry and Renko took a seat next to the gray clothed samurai as they waited for Cross to emerge. Moments later, he emerged with a katana in one hand and a naginata in the other, ready for combat.
"What kind of test is this?" asked Renko.
"A test of combat," answered the teacher. "Ah. Hush now, it's about to start."
The lights dimmed and within seconds, Cross had placed himself in a defensive stance and closed his eyes. Each one of his opponents attacked him at random. The darkness made it impossible for anyone to see where they were coming from but Cross was able to counter and take down each and everyone one of them.
Once the lights went back, Cross opened his eyes to see more opponents ready to fight him and continued the fight. As the test continued, Cross' teacher gave his student a small smile. He had taught Cross everything and the fruits of knowledge had begun to bloom.
Suddenly a messenger ran in and demanded for the test to stop. He then handed Cross a letter who was visibly frustrated by the contents.
"What just happened?" asked Renko.
"Seems like you'll be meeting him again much sooner than I expected," commented the teacher.
As they left the stands, Cross put away his katana and naginata to meet his teacher.
"Katsushirō-sensei!"
The teacher turned around to see Cross addressing him with a respectful bow.
"At ease Cross. You did well."
While Renko and Merry look on in shock and recognition of their classmate, Cross simply ignores the reaction to focus on the matter at hand.
"Sensei, what are they doing here?" asked Cross.
"Cross, these are your classmates from Earth. They need your help getting back home."
The samurai looked at Renko and Merry who gave him a sheepish smile and wave.
"No can do sensei," sighed Cross. "Interdimensional travel won't be happening or safe to carry out over the next few days."
"Then in that case, you will be their host," informed Katsushirō. "The one who brings them here is also the one responsible for them here."
"So no romantic interactions yet?" asked Reimu.
"Not yet," answered Ryusei. "It wasn't until after their first night staying in the same house that they started to feel for each other."
"Oh. Mind telling me about that?" asked Reimu.
"Maybe another time when the kids aren't around," replied Ryusei.
Reimu understood his veiled message and decided to not push further.
"No. Like I said, those are not for sale. If you really want some books, go to Suzunaan."
Reimu slumped for the nth time as her offer was rejected.
"Come on Rinnosuke, I've even brought money on me this time."
To prove her point, Reimu pulled out several bills for Rinnosuke to see.
"Look Reimu. No matter what you say, I'm not parting with any of them," stated the shopkeeper.
"Not even a barter?" asked Reimu. "I've got some of these dolls that are really popular and I'm sure they can act as a nice replacement."
Reimu brought out a fumo doll in an attempt to prove her point but Rinnosuke brushed it aside.
"Sorry but, you're better off giving that to Alice instead of me. Why do you even want those books back anyways?"
"Tokiko" was all Reimu had to say before Rinnosuke raised an eyebrow at her.
"The same girl who you stole those books from to get your dress fixed."
Reimu nodded.
"Isn't she Keine's adopted daughter?" asked Rinnosuke.
Reimu nodded again.
"Well… I'm not giving them back. You're gonna have to learn your lesson."
"Oh please don't!" cried Reimu. "I'm supposed to be babysitting Tokiko in a few days and there's gotta be something I could do to get those books back."
Rinnosuke looked at the desperate miko with a sigh and pulled out a note.
"Okay. I'll cut you a deal. How does this sound?"
Got any requests? Leave them in the reviews but don't forget to check out the rules down below:
1. If there is a specific character that you think Reimu should babysit next, drop their name down in a review.
2. Each character can only be done once for now and duplicate entries will be ignored. (Ex. First comment requested Wriggle, second comment requested Chen, third comment requested Wriggle again, and fourth comment requested Cirno. The order for who Reimu babysits will be 1. Wriggle, 2. Chen, and 3. Cirno)
Characters who have been done already include:
- Wriggle
- Chen
- Cirno
- Kisume
- Koishi
- Tokiko
Characters that have been requested or are currently in progress:
- Hinamei (Wheel Demon)(PC-98 Character)(Requested)
- Eika (Requested)