"You know, many would describe that as a pleasant dream," Eirin spoke, her head resting against her propped-up fist. "In fact, I sell some villagers that dream pill."

"Can you help me or not?" Reimu asked.

"Of course I can. If you'll only stop being rude."

The shrine maiden sighed. "I'm sorry. Can you please help me?"

The pharmacist nodded. "Yes, I can. What kind of dream would you like?"

"I don't know… Normal?"

Eirin smirked. "What on earth could that possibly mean?"

"Just make me a dream pill! …Please."

The older woman opened a drawer in her desk and pulled out a purple pouch. "Here. This one will turn you into a butterfly. That should work."

Reimu's red-white wings carried far and high over the countless flowers that she couldn't hope to name. She settled on a violet flower and began drinking its nectar. When she had her fill, she fled from it. She continued on her journey, passing through a torii gate. She flew over a river that she was unable to see the other side of. Over a bustling street filled with wisps of white. A woman with a scythe set out, banished from her post.

She stopped in a town to rest her wings. She drank from a blue flower. A young girl was writing something as a woman sitting next to her lectured her. A man set down a cup of tea for each of them. The woman picked up her cup, and the girl snatched a note from underneath it. Once she had finished reading it, she tore it in two and let the halves fall to the ground. The woman asked what it had said, and the girl replied that it was nothing of value.

She reached a giant door. A prince and a jiang shi were waiting in line to be let through. An ox managed to get loose and charged through a shrine. Something shining red danced in the sun's light before crashing into the dirt. The shrine turned to ash on the wind as flames licked its corpse clean.

She flew underneath another torii gate and into the queen's chamber. She landed on her finger. Peace took her as her endless journey came to a close.

"It didn't work."

Eirin frowned. "How? That drug has worked on everyone who's ever taken it. What makes you any different?"

"That woman was still in my dreams."

"What woman? The one you complained about last time? How do you even know it was the same woman?"

"I just do, alright?! Make her go away!"

"Ah, so that's what this is about. Still, it's a strange request." The pharmacist reached into the drawer again and pulled out another pouch, this one red. "You won't have an easy time falling asleep taking this, but you'll wake up instantly if there's an intruder."

"You think there's an intruder…?"

"If you're dreaming of laying your head on a woman's lap as she strokes your hair even after taking a pill that gives you a completely different dream, then it can only be caused by an external source."

"You mean someone's breaking in every night. …Yukari…!"

Every single little noise kept Reimu up. In fact, it felt like every one of her senses was heightened to some degree. Nightvision was certainly a handy thing, but not when she was trying to sleep.

There was nothing for it, though, so she decided to take a walk. As she descended the steps, some of the noises got louder than she expected. Whatever they were, they sure were an annoying racket. Maybe if she got rid of whatever was making that sound, she could finally fall asleep. So she started flying towards their source.

It wasn't just sounds that revealed themselves to her; it was lights, too. Reimu squinted at the sight, trying to make sense of it. "Oh, it's those annoying screaming girls…" she realized. She was about to turn back when she spied a shock of purple hair with a flower in it. She landed just behind the crowd and started muscling her way towards the girl. She tapped her on the shoulder.

"Reimu?!" Akyuu gasped. "What are you doing here?!"

"What?! I can't hear you over that racket!"

The chronicler opened her mouth to try again, then closed it before rolling her eyes. She leaned in close and shouted, "This is their last song of the night; we'll talk after!"

The shrine maiden frowned and crossed her arms but let the girl have her fun. After just a moment, that turned into her plugging her ears. A minute more, and the song ended, thankfully. She tapped her foot impatiently as the pair on stage thanked the crowd for coming.

"Phew, wasn't that great?!" Akyuu spoke.

"Awfully noisy…" Reimu murmured in response. At the same time, they both asked, "So, what are you doing here?"

"Ah, you first," the purple-haired girl insisted.

"I couldn't sleep," the brunette replied with a shrug. "How about you, Child of Miare? What are you doing outside of the village at night?"

"Oh, come on! We both know I'm protected by the rules; nothing's gonna happen!"

"You know not every youkai follows those rules, right? Also, that doesn't answer my question."

Akyuu sighed. "I like their music, okay? Besides, it's fine! Miss Keine escorted me here."

"Hmmm. Alright, whatever."

"So, what about you? Don't tell me that sound nullifying spell doesn't work."

Sound nullifying spell…? Oh, I guess someone talked about that when I told them to knock it off. "Eirin gave me some medicine so I could… I'm trying to catch an intruder."

"How do those things correlate?"

"They're drugs to help me stay awake. I think they improved all my senses."

"Oh, I see. Any idea who it is?"

"Yukari."

"But isn't that normal?"

"No, no, this is different! She—!" Reimu sighed before relenting. She explained what had been going on, and Akyuu nodded along thoughtfully.

"That is disturbing… Is she trying to become your mother or something?"

"You think so…?"

"It would make sense, wouldn't it?"

Reimu thought about it for a while. "But why would she start doing that?"

Akyuu shook her head. "I don't know, but you might want to do something about it."

"Right. I'll take you home, then I'm going to find Yukari."

She wouldn't be able to for the better half of a month. When she did, the youkai claimed she was "just visiting."

"Whatever, just leave me alone." Reimu pointed her gohei at her. "And I swear, the next time you touch me while I'm sleeping, I will kill you."

"'Touch you while you're sleeping?' Just what are you talking about?"

"The dreams I've had about a woman stroking my face while I sleep in her lap! The reason I've been having those dreams is because you've been doing it, haven't you?!"

"I have not."

"Don't lie to me!"

"It's the truth. I've been busy; ask Ran."

"…Where is she?"

"Not here. Maybe next time, then. Listen, Reimu. I want what's best for you. Because what's best for you is best for Gensokyo. Best for the youkai, and best for me."

"Then leave me alone!"

"No. I suppose your claim that I'm trying to be your mother isn't entirely inaccurate. But of course, I'm not your mother; I'm more like… your boss. And as your boss, I need you in the best condition that you can be in. How about this? I'll fetch that baku, and she can tell you what's going on."

Reimu crossed her arms. "Fine."

For whatever reason, it took some time for Yukari to retrieve the youkai. So long, in fact, that Reimu went in to make some tea. Only after it was done did the dream-eating youkai enter the shrine. She sat down at her table and stole her teacup before taking out a small leather-bound book. She thumbed it open and murmured, "So, let's see… Ah, here it is! Yes, mysterious woman stroking her face, she looks relaxed—at peace even… Rather odd for you to be hostile over such a thing, isn't it?"

Reimu grabbed a new tea cup and sat down opposite of her. "Whatever. Who is she?"

"I'm a baku, Miss Hakurei, not a fortune teller."

"Just tell me what you can about her then."

"Well, she has dark brown hair, red clothes—kinda like yours—and a featureless face. If you ask me, she's supposed to be your mother."

"What? I don't have a mother."

"Miss Hakurei, I may not know much about humans, but I'm pretty sure they don't appear out of nowhere."

"That's not what I mean!"

"Oh, you're one of those orphan things, aren't you?"

"Y—! …Yeah… I am." It happened so quickly that she didn't even realize what was going on. Her vision blurred, and tears slid down her cheeks. Her breaths were shaky, and her chest ached. Her heart felt hollow. She put her hands to her face, trying to stop the tears from falling.

A pair of arms wrapped around her, and lips kissed the crown of her head. Yukari's voice spoke, "You've been saving your tears for so long that you've forgotten you've had them, haven't you? Cry hard. Cry long. Cry until you can cry no more. I'll be here for you."

The shrine maiden's sorrow redoubled itself as she gripped the woman back, her face pressed against her collarbone. She wanted to push her away, but she couldn't find the strength to. When at long last she had stopped crying, she murmured, "Why are you doing this…?"

Yukari was silent for a moment. "What do you mean?"

"You're after something," Reimu murmured into the youkai's clothes. "What do you want from me?"

"Your success."

"…What are you talking about?"

"You never smile. You're indifferent towards everyone. You feel that every moment that does not bring you satisfaction is an inconvenience. Your only pleasure is drinking and making money. I've let you get away with that for far too long. I'm… truly sorry."

"You're not… You're lying…"

"Reimu, I— I'm… terrible at this, aren't I?

"What are you saying?"

Yukari shook her head and held the girl away from her by her shoulders. "There's no other way to do this, so I'm just going to. Reimu, I'm adopting you."

"WHAT?!"