Alice left the graveyard and flew towards the Myouren Temple. Gensokyo filled her with a strange feeling that day. Her sense of not belonging in this world burned stronger than it ever had, thoughts that sparked the moment the stone gate shut and only grew stronger upon learning humans transforming into youkai was an offence punishable by permanent extermination. Still, for whatever reason, she was spared, and she swore to live out her life as a youkai in Gensokyo, else their deaths be for nothing.

"So you're Alice?" Byakuren Hijiri asked. Alice tilted her head in confusion. Shinki had probably mentioned her name at some point, she reasoned.

"Yes. I need your help. I believe that there's people still stuck in Makai. Makai's been in ruins for eight years. If that is the case, then I think they deserve freedom."

"I see. Your kind heart is on full display," Byakuren said with a gracious smile, not that Alice cared for the compliments. The monk spoke as if she'd already known there were survivors left in Makai. "I absolutely agree, those of Makai deserve to live much happier lives. However… I question whether their god would agree."

Alice's eyes lit up. "How did you meet Shinki? Marisa told me you used some of her magic."

"Shinki? So that's her name. Very well. It appears you know the god well, I doubt she'd have an issue with me disclosing this to you."


"Hijiri Byakuren."

The voice snapped Byakuren out of her rest. She glanced up at the figure, cloaked and hooded in red with their face hidden. She rose to meet them at eye level. All she could tell was that the person had silver eyes and hair, though the length of which remained a mystery.

"You don't belong here. I'm the god of Makai, I'd like to help you escape."

Byakuren politely bowed in the god's presence. She glanced out of the sealed Hokkai. Throughout her entire time here, she'd watched as Makai went from a beautiful, luscious place to one of ruin. "So then you're…"

"I have one condition," the god interrupted, preventing Byakuren's next words: 'the one who caused that.' Byakuren looked back at her, sensing regret and sadness. "The gate separating Makai from the outside world must never be opened. I have cause to be… wary of accidentally allowing unwanted people to come here, or vice-versa. Do you have allies in the above world?"

Byakuren talked about Murasa, Ichirin, and all the other youkai she had helped. Who they were, what they looked like, and how they were buried beneath ground because of their allegiance with her. The god withdrew a small cube.

"This is Tobikura. Key to unlocking the seal of Hokkai. I'll meet with your allies in Gensokyo, give them this, along with some instructions. I apologise for the roundabout method of helping you escape… trust me, this is how it must be."

"I thank you for your kindness." Byakuren clasped her hands together in prayer. "Your compassion will be rewarded."

The god turned away without acknowledgement. After taking a few steps, she stopped, looked down at the ground, and appeared to whisper something inaudible. She turned back to Byakuren.

"You're someone good of heart. If it doesn't displease you, might I make a couple requests?"

Byakuren was taken aback at the sudden display of courtesy. She nodded, allowing her to continue.

"I have something I'd like to teach you. The people of Gensokyo are powerful, even stronger than me. Someone like you shouldn't be punished for reasons like that. You'll need some kind of weapon to defend yourself, something to scare those powerful people away from punishing you like this again. It'd be much safer in your hands than mine."


"After that, she taught me her great magic, met with my allies and gave their ship the ability to pass into Makai," Byakuren finished. "Although… there was one strange thing."

"That is?"

"The god - Shinki - was adamant that nobody without permission was to be allowed into Makai. But she did nothing about Marisa."

Alice leaned forward in thought. That was strange, though she chalked it up as probably having something to do with the incident all those years ago.

"I'd love to venture back to Makai and rescue those in need. However, I believe in that god's judgement. If she thought their lives would be better here, I have no doubt she'd have freed them already." Byakuren leaned back, thinking. "If you had her permission, I would not hesitate to lend my assistance."

Alice restrained herself from mentioning how much easier said than done that would be. She stood up and gave a polite bow. "One more question."

"Go ahead."

"What's your policy on minor violence on temple grounds?"

"Huh?" Byakuren jumped. "I-I'd much rather you didn't… though as long as it's not going overboard I suppose it's not too much of an issue… Does this still have to do with Makai?"

"Don't worry about it," Alice said. When she went to leave, she rolled her shoulder then held her fist out to the side of her head. Sure enough when she walked through the doors…

"Yo, Ali- Ow!" Marisa recoiled, holding her hands over her nose where Alice's fist had whipped into it.

"Thieves are meant to be good at being sneaky."

"I thought I had ya this time!"

"What are you doing here?" Alice asked. Marisa followed her out of the temple grounds.

"Well I followed ya coz I was worried 'bout ya. What else?"

"Worried about me?" Alice asked, turning her head.

"Well, last night I snuck into ya house and borrowed one of ya books." Alice raised one of her dolls to her side, causing Marisa to flinch. "A-and well I heard ya sleep talkin' and stuff. Didn't catch much, but it was super weird."

Alice's eyes widened as her jaw dropped, and she could feel the burning of her cheeks reddening. "Y-you heard what!?"

"I dunno! It was hella creepy. Good thing nobody was there ta hear it!" Marisa exclaimed proudly, briefly uncovering her bleeding nose and earning a scowl from Alice. "Good thing only one person was there ta hear it!"

Alice grimaced at this revelation. She'd never talked in her dreams until last night, so this revelation of her being a sleep-talker was new. And for Marisa to learn it first of all people, she couldn't think of anything more embarrassing.

"Y'know, sleep talkin' ain't that big a deal. Reimu does it too. Heck, one time I walked into the shrine and she was mublin' and callin' someone in her dreams 'cute'. Meira, I think?" Marisa rambled away. "Don't tell her I told ya that. She don't even know I know."

"What did you hear from me?"

"Nothin' that bad. Somethin' 'bout movin' past somethin'. I left too quickly to catch much else." Alice felt her face darken. "Ya know, if sleep talkin's really that bad a thing, I borrowed a book from Patchy on how ta stop doin' it. I can give it to ya if ya want. Call it even?"

"I'd rather ask for one of Eirin's drugs."

Marisa pouted, though her face soon became one of genuine sincerity. "And you talkin' 'bout people in Makai with Byakuren. If somethin's wrong you can talk ta me, y'know."

Though she hated to admit it, Marisa was the most reliable person she could talk to about this stuff, given how close she was not only to both incidents, but Alice herself. After Alice became a youkai and began living in the house she found the ritual book in, Marisa would pester her non-stop trying to become friends. Eventually she succeeded, even managing to become more than that, and she was the only thing keeping Alice with any sense of belonging in this world. She gestured for Marisa to follow her back to the forest of magic and Marisa's face brightened up immediately.


"Are you even listening!"

"Yesh!" Marisa responded, her mouth filled with the eighth slice of cake with the dolls bringing her ninth. "Itsh notsh mysh faultsh-"

"Swallow!"

Marisa followed the instruction, gulping down the cake. "It's not my fault ya make such delicious cakes!" Alice sighed with a shake of her head and leaned back in her chair. This is what she gets for being hospital to her guests. "So yer sayin' those people from way back then are still alive over there? And yer dreams sound cool, can I have 'em?"

"Is there anything you don't think about stealing?"

"Nope!"

Alice shook her head, wondering how she ended up with someone like this. "Yes, that's the jist of it. Shinki's gone missing, so they have no way to escape. And I roped myself into helping them."

Marisa nodded along before taking an unreasonably large bite out of a cube of toffee flavoured cake. "Nowsh-" Marisa cut herself off, swallowing her food. "Now that ya mention it, Reimu saw ya when ya were a kid down there, but ya never talk about it. How'd ya wind up there?"

"It was an accident, but Shinki let me stay there to practise magic. I'd rather not talk about it."

"I getcha. Sorry 'bout… y'know, what happened."

"Don't worry about it," Alice said, waving it aside. It's not like Marisa should feel any blame for that event, regardless. "Back then, were you or Reimu the one to fight Shinki?"

"Nope. Reimu got lost after she fought ya and turned back. I was busy fightin' everythin' I could see to test my strength against 'em. Then I saw all the flashy fightin' at the castle and went towards it. By the time I got there, that huge attack started and I couldn't get close. No way younger me coulda survived in the middle of that. Nowadays it'd be a piece of cake. Probably. Oh, thank you."

Marisa expressed her final words to the doll that placed a piece of strawberry cake on the table for her.

"Did you see Shinki when you went to Makai afterwards?"

"Ya mean the incident with the flying UFO thingies? Nah, I didn't."

"And after the great magic was used. Did anything else happen?"

"Hmm…" Marisa thought, waving her fork back and forth, the cake at the end of it almost slipping off. "Well, some maid girl came, berated me for being too violent and forced me ta leave or die. Didn't say much else, though. And I wasn't in the mood for fightin' anymore at that point. Guess she had a point, though. I hate thinkin' 'bout how I was back then. Good thing the spell card rules came about, eh?"

Alice was taken aback momentarily while she gazed into Marisa's eyes. Regret over how they were as a kid wasn't exactly something she thought they could relate over, yet here it was. Eventually, Alice brushed it aside.

"And what about her?"

"Her? Oh, ya mean Lady Mima? I'm just as clueless ta where she is as everyone else."

"She never mentioned anything to you? No retirement plans, never talked about wanting something new?"

"Nope. She just up and vanished after Makai," Marisa shrugged. "Maybe she learnt somethin' there that took her interest. Shame, she was almost like a mom I never really had."

Again with the relatable stuff spewing from her mouth. For a moment, Alice thought it no wonder that they became this close despite seeming so different. Only for that moment, though, it was definitely the world's eighth wonder.

"Hm…" Alice leaned forward. "Alright, thanks for your help."

"Ya got any ideas what ta do now?"

"Yeah, there's someone I need to talk to. Not here, though."

"Alright then. I'll do what I can ta help, then!"

Alice raised an eyebrow. "I didn't ask you to-"

"Don't gimme dat," Marisa smiled. "I've known ya enough to know when somethin's wrong. And when somethin's wrong, any girlfriend's gotta help!"

A part of Alice's mind wished to resist, though anybody who knew Marisa would tell you how pointless that is. "Sure. Just don't mess things up when I'm asleep. And don't listen to me sleep-"

"I know, I know!" Marisa leaned back in her chair, stretching and giving a yawn. "Speakin' of, imma crash at your place now."

"It's barely noon!"

"I was too afraid ta sleep last night!"

Eventually, Marisa made her way inside and passed out on the couch, the sound of snoring filling the house for the rest of the day. Alice spent most of her time with failed attempts to convince herself that having Marisa help wasn't a bad thing, and the sun soon set with Marisa still asleep. Alice resumed to her bedroom, taking one of Eirin's dream pills, and falling asleep.


"Wheee~ Ow!" Someone crashed into Alice's bed the moment she and it arrived in Wonderland, sending both tumbling off the edge of the carpet. She steadied herself in flight while the dream bed crashed into the carpet below. Elise had slowed her own fall with her wings, then glared at Alice. "The heck! Where'd you come from!?"

"I show up here at night," Alice said, brushing herself off. "What happened to the investigation?"

Elis jumped, her eyes wandering everywhere as she twiddled her fingers. "W-well… y'know… This place is so fricken boring! Couldn't you have livened it up a little?"

"Sorry that an eleven-year-old's imagination doesn't live up to your standards."

"You'd better be! This place is so boring it's making me not wanna investigate it! Yep! Mhm! All your fault!"

"I'm off to see Sariel. I'll inform them of you slacking off at work."

"W-wait!" Elis flew to a carpet and pretended to look over it closely. "S-see? I'm investigating, ain't I?"

"Good, now keep it up," Alice said. She flew off towards the Makai village with Elis' disgruntled words lingering in the air behind her. She didn't think anything of Elis not working properly. Not like she'd find anything worthwhile.

Yuugen allowed Alice into the city. She quickly slipped into the temple, found Sariel, and began telling them what she found out.

"You said this person was Hijiri Byakuren?" Sariel repeated, tapping their fingers on the table between them.

"You know her?"

"I know of her. Shinki mentioned her a couple times before the incident," Sariel said, raising one of their hands to their chin. "And she didn't let you use the boat? Strange…."

Alice tilted her head. "How come?"

"Never mind. All it means is that if Elis' investigation turns up with nothing, we'll need to find her after all. You said Shinki was in Hokkai. If that's the case, that'd be her last known location. I'll look there."

Alice didn't care much for the sudden change in topic. If anything, this was much more important. "The boat should've come to Makai back then too. Did you see anything?"

Sariel shook their head. "News to me. I've heard no reports of such an event. Perhaps Shinki erected a barrier between us and the path to Hokkai for just that incident. I didn't even know Hokkai's seal was open. Seems she's really eager to keep us here without hope. Their voices have grown much worse today, too…."

Alice didn't respond, neither physically nor verbally.

Sariel stood up and gave a polite bow. "Thank you for your efforts. I'll assist Elis then begin investigating Hokkai personally. Do you have any plans?"

"I'd like to ask around for some information about a few years ago, and explore Makai myself." It wasn't completely a lie, though definitely hiding her true intentions. Sariel didn't seem to catch on.

"Very well. I suppose I'll leave Yuki and Mai in charge of the city whilst we're gone. Once again, thank you for your efforts. They are much appreciated."

Alice raised her hand, a gesture that it wasn't a problem. Sariel left the temple first and flew away. Alice left afterwards, noticing Louise not-so-subtly eavesdropping once more. Not that she minded, she needed her for something anyway.

"Can we talk?" She asked.

"What's this about? "

"Take me to her."

Louise's face betrayed one of shock, and Alice expected her to say 'I know not what you speak of.' Eventually, she let the facade drop. "Are you most certain? I've been keeping their whereabouts secret for a reason."

"It's the best way for us to make progress." Alice narrowed her eyes slightly. "What reason?"

"If you're that adamant, I can not refuse." She leaned in and whispered into Alice's ear. "And… the people around here hate Shinki for what she did. I don't think they'd take too kindly to people trying to bring her back."