Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

This is a story from a long, long time ago. A story from long before the Spell Card Rules were implemented into the mystical land of Gensokyo.

On the edge of the Great Barrier of Hakurei, there existed a shrine made in honour of the god of Hakurei. So, appropriately, it was called the Hakurei Shrine.

The Hakurei Shrine exists on the top of a small hill, surrounded by trees, and far from any kind of civilisation. The life of the Hakurei Shrine Maiden was a lonely one, to say the least.

As the shrine exists on the edge of the barrier, it had a place on both sides; within Gensokyo, and in the Outside World.

So too, did the Shrine Maiden; a young girl by the name of Hakurei Reimu.

It was often a flip of the coin, which side of the barrier young Reimu would spend the day on. Some days, she was learning the ways of the job in Gensokyo. Other days, she had to put up with the lonely tedium of the Outside World.

Such was the life of the youngest Hakurei Shrine Maiden in history.

Reimu looked up at the clouded, grey sky, and brushed a strand of purple hair from over her eyes. The air stank with smoke and pollution, and she hated every minute of it.

Reimu was never quite sure why her hair was this colour. One day, when she had officially become the Shrine Maiden, it just... happened.

She hated it, really.

The Hakurei Shrine sat high up on a hill, a good two hours away from Tokyo city by public transport. Worse still, there were many other shrine closer to the city, so visitors were a rare commodity.

Those that did visit, rarely ever left donations. Unfortunately for her, the amount of people that visited that even considered that was about 10% of the total sum. The other 90%...

'Whap'.

Tended to be children that threw stones at her.

Reimu winced slightly, pressing her hand against her forehead to stem the slight bleeding. She looked around, before noticing a group of five children bolting from one of the bushes to the side, laughing all the while.

This was just how it was. A shrine ignored by the adults, and a shrine maiden taunted by the children.

Within moments, there was once again nobody else but her.

Reimu sighed dejectedly, and headed inside the shrine to get something to patch the wound. The moment she closed the door behind her, something in the feel of the world shifted.

She sighed again, this time in relief, and opened the door once more. The air, suddenly, was cleaner. The sky, clearer. The shrine was in a far better state, and something in the very fabric of existence buzzed with magical energy.

This was Gensokyo. Her true home.

After patching her wound, Reimu calmly swept the shrine grounds. Things in Gensokyo were simpler; nicer. People that came here weren't the sort that harassed senselessly.

Although, there was that one hermit... But, then again, Reimu knew she didn't mean harm; just that she was strict and thorough in her training.

But darn if it wasn't exhausting. Between the hermit and that one blonde lady with the umbrella, added on top of having a dull, sad life on the other side, gave Reimu little time to appreciate the quiet tranquillity of life.

As her gazed wandered lazily, Reimu saw one of the shrines treasures; the Yin-Yang Orb. According to the hermit, the Orb was a very powerful and sacred artefact, that only a Hakurei could properly draw the power out of. Reimu didn't really understand it. To her, the Yin-Yang Orb was just a remarkably heavy ball that, somehow, managed to bounce really well.

Reimu gave the Orb a tap on the top, and it sprang up half a foot before landing back on its cushion. Such a strange thing, that Orb.

A faint rumbling was heard in the distance. Reimu looked around in panic, yet saw nothing out of the ordinary. Just a small, passing earthquake? Japan was a place that got those.

The suspicion that it was just a natural occurrence passed quickly, however, when a pillar of light shot out from behind the shrine. The rippling magical energy toppled the tori gate out front, and caused general havoc to the shrine at large.

Panicking, Reimu grabbed the Yin-Yang Orb, and ran to the scene of the incident.

As it turned out, a large hole had opened up in her backyard. For the first time in a long while, Reimu felt indignant, or dare she say, angry. Before she even had a chance to realise what she was doing...

Reimu had leapt down the hole, to find the scoundrel responsible for this.

From a small pond on the shrine grounds, an aged turtle woke up, and noticed everything that had happened.

“Oh, bugger.”

Reimu may not have achieved flight, but she was at least adept at 'falling very slowly'. Floating, as some might call it.

As she descended, though, thoughts started to race through her head. Namely, that what she was about to do was incredibly stupid.

She wasn't a fully trained shrine maiden. She had a blessed stick, some sacred bits of paper, and a holy ball, for crying out loud. What was she suppose to do?

Before she could mull it over any further, she landed. The cave, if it could even be called that, was decently illuminated, revealing a heavily damaged... door, she wanted to say? It seemed far too large to be practical, and she had seen pictures of the sorts of doors that palace throne rooms had. That, and this one was made of stone. Personally, she thought that was just impractical.

Despite her general inexperience, Reimu could still feel a great deal of magic concentrated on this door. Was something trying to break out of it? If so, what should she do? Should she climb back up, and wait for Kasen and Yukari to get here?

… No. If she did, she imagined they'd just get on her case for not taking action. She had to resolve this herself.

But, how should she do it? She wasn't practised enough to unseal this, so what should she...

Actually, now that she concentrated on it, there were some very... distinct points on this door that were the source of its sealing power. Maybe...

Reimu looked between her gohei and the Yin-Yang Orb. What if... she hit the Orb with the gohei like she was playing baseball? She gave the Orb a tentative bounce. It sprang up with quite a bit of gusto, as if it was saying 'launch me, Reimu'.

So, Reimu threw the Orb up high, squared her posture, gripped the gohei with both hands... and swung with all her might.

The Yin-Yang Orb shot forth with magnificent speed, and upon striking the door... caused the door to shatter into rubble. Reimu was left dumbfounded, so much so, that she wasn't prepared to catch the Orb as it came back to her, striking her on the forehead.

It hurt, but not as much as she had expected. It wasn't going to leave a bruise, at any rate.

Reimu looked in awe at the destruction she had just caused. This was the power of the Yin-Yang Orb? When it was distinctly not being used properly?

For the first time in a while, Reimu felt the drive to train.

But, that could wait. She now had a job to do.

Further down the path, Reimu froze. For the past hour or so, she had been fighting off what could be best described as rampant sealing energy. Nothing a good whack from the Orb couldn't fix.

Then, she came upon the thing that filled her with fear.

Its form changed when looked at from different angles. From straight on, it was the form of a cracked Yin-Yang. From the left, a priestess in red, and from the right, a priest in blue. And between all three forms, she could see that whatever it was, was corrupted and fell of being.

“____...”

What was that? Was it... trying to speak to her?

“H__ur_... K___... __... plea__...”

“It's... suffering...” Reimu muttered. “Was it... trying to keep whatever's down here back for so long?”

Before Reimu could ponder it any longer, the Thing let out a voiceless shout, and a rain of magical bullets shot out. Reimu quickly ran, dodging the shots as they came, before dropping the Yin-Yang Orb and swinging the gohei like a golf club.

The Orb shot forth, tearing through the onslaught of bullets, and striking the mysterious form with an amount of force that, frankly, should not have been possible with the strength Reimu put into the strike. The image of the Yin-Yang shattered, and the two figures split apart, and began to fade, smiling all the while.

Reimu wasn't sure why, but she felt a pang of sadness for them. All she could do right now, as the Orb returned to her, was offer a silent prayer to them.

Further up ahead, the path seemed to split. One to the left, and one to the right. An ominous wind blew in from both sides.

Reimu weighed her options. The path on the right seemed to have the most evil feeling to it, and her gut was telling her to follow it. But, what if it was too much for her? This was her first Incident, after all, and she could barely even fight.

In the end, she placed her gohei upright on the ground, and let the direction it fell decide.

… 'tock'.

Right it was.

Right led her to Hell.

How was that even possible? Reimu knew that the way to Hell was across the Sanzu River. So, why was there a way there underneath her shrine?

This would call for some serious questioning.

Still, she was starting to see what was really sealed here. This place was teeming with vengeful spirits, to the point that it was nearly suffocating.

Were it not for the Yin-Yang Orb, Reimu feared that she might not have lasted long.

A chill ran down her spine, and on pure instinct, Reimu ducked, as a beam of pure magic shot over her, eradicating many of the spirits.

A primal fear wormed its way into Reimu's heart. There was something powerful, and filled with murderous intent.

Reimu hesitantly looked up, and bore witness to the source of her fear.

A vengeful spirit with enough power to maintain their physical form. This spirit, that of a woman, had green hair, dressed in blue and white, and a dark cape that seemed almost as if it were wings. Also, there was the bloodied knife in her hands. That was probably worth a mention.

“Kill...” the spirit muttered murderously. “Kill...”

That blood-lust was utterly overwhelming. What was Reimu to do about that? Running on pure instinct, she threw the Yin-Yang Orb at the spirit, which dodged easily. The Orb ricocheted off the wall, and much to Reimu's surprise, struck the spirit in the back of the head.

Reimu saw her opportunity, as the Orb began to fall between her and the dazed spirit. Brandishing her gohei like a baseball bat once more, and struck hard and true.

The Orb struck the spirit in the face, and while it didn't destroy her, the spirit did topple over backwards and hit the ground.

There was a moments pause, before Reimu, picking up the Orb, edged closer to the spirit, and giving her a tentative poke with her gohei.

“... Not moving,” Reimu noted. “Is she dead? Actually, that's a stupid question. Of course she's dead; she's a ghost. Can you kill a ghost?” Reimu shook her head. “No, let's not focus on that right now. Got to deal with the rest of this nonsense.”

So, Reimu pressed on, unaware that the vengeful spirit she had just defeated had regain consciousness, and was very confused.

Now, before Reimu was a large bronze... circle thing. It had the depiction of a woman in it, and emanated quite a bit of evil magic, but really, that was all she could say about it.

Reimu looked at it from as many angles as she could, and could confirm; it was, in fact, an ominous floating bronze disc.

“Is this the source of all this trouble?” Reimu asked. “It... doesn't look too threatening. Just weird.”

As Reimu pondered how to go about this (that is to say, how best to throw the Yin-Yang Orb to break it), an ominous rumbling occurred. Instincts took over, as Reimu leapt out of the way, and a hail of bullets took over the space she once occupied.

“Okay! Evil circle thing is sentient!” Reimu shouted. Realising this was no longer the time to try and plan things out, she let instinct take over, and threw the Orb with as much force as she could.

The impact left a decent crack, but little more. If anything, it only served to enrage the enemy.

Then, there was pain, as a shot struck Reimu in the shoulder, and threw her to the ground.

Reimu clutched at her shoulder, and hit her head as she landed. A familiar sense of wetness trickled down her forehead and through her fingers.

Half of her vision took a red tint to it, like someone had placed the worlds worst sunglasses on her. She looked at her hand, and through her untainted eye, she saw more red.

Reimu was no stranger to blood, but this... this scenario was different. Familiar, in a way.

This... was a fight for her life.

Fear began to take hold of Reimu's mind. As another wave of bullets flew her way, she ran. The fear of death was a powerful thing, really. It had a way of robbing a person of all reason.

The last time Reimu had felt this sort of fear was a little under a year ago, but she hardly had the presence of mind to recall that day right now. On complete instinct, she scooped up the Yin-Yang Orb, and ran as fast as her legs could carry her. Bullets of magic whizzed and grazed past her, leaving cuts in her skin.

By the time Reimu was out of sight, the cracks in the disc began to grow, until finally, it shattered, freeing the being that was held within.

Said being was humanoid, dressed in red and white, with long black hair and a single red horn protruding from their head. In their hand, they held a large, katana-like blade.

This being was Konngara, and they were far too dangerous for Reimu to handle at this time.

Before Konngara could consider giving chase, however, a blast of magic shot forth from somewhere, and obliterated their right arm.

Konngara clutched their smoking stump of an arm, and glared at the source of the blast. There, floating off in the distance, was a green hair spirit.

The spirit looked at Konngara with the same level of spite, maybe more, than how Konngara looked at her, and fired off a Spark.

Sparks, as a magic term, were a catch-all for 'big lasers'. Now, we're not talking 'big' as in 'blow a basketball sized hole in your abdominal'. We're talking 'everything five metres to your left and right, as well as everything behind you for the next three kilometres is dust' big. Generally, a Spark was an ultimate move a magician saved for the end, considering using one without a proper catalyst was a recipe for turning your own arm into a stump.

All the more reason, then, for the spirit to have kept that knife. For a master can make a suitable catalyst out of even the most mundane of things.

Konngara barely had the time to consider cursing their luck, as the Spark struck, and reduced them to atoms.

But, there were events that Hakurei Reimu knew nothing about.

By the time Reimu stopped to catch her breath, she realised that she was once more above ground. A part of her wondered how she had managed that, but judging by the scrapes and blisters that had formed on her hands, it wasn't hard for her panic-ridden mind to connect that she had somehow managed to climb up the side of the hole, Yin-Yang Orb and all.

“Reimu-sama!” a familiar voice called out. Reimu looked towards the shrine, to see a bearded turtle floating towards her. “Oh, thanks heavens you're alright!”

“G-Gramps...” Reimu muttered out in exhaustion. Gramps -or rather, Genji-, was one of Reimu's teachers, and frankly, the closest thing she had to family. Or, at least, family that cared.

Genji was, to put it as simply as possible, a turtle with a bushy white beard and thick white eyebrows. He looked like the textbook definition of 'old man'.

Genji quickly noticed the wounds on Reimu, and more importantly, the distressed look on her face. His expression, as hard as it was to read an expression on a turtle, softened quite quickly. “Oh, dear,” he muttered. “It seems you got caught up in something dangerous, right?” He floated down to ground level, next to Reimu. “Here. Climb on, Reimu-sama. Allow me to get you back to the main shrine.”

Reimu slowly and shakily climbed onto the back of Genji's shell, and the turtle gently hovered back to the shrine. In an almost ironic twist, it was this that helped to ground Reimu back in reality. The feeling of Genji's shell reminded her that she was now safe. Her breathing steadied, and she was able to focus on the clean spring air of Gensokyo.

As the two went around the corner of the shrine, an ominous feeling washed over Reimu. Genji seemed to notice it, too. “Reimu-sama, why don't I prepare some tea?” Genji offered. “You look like you've had a long day.”

Reimu nodded. If her hunch as to what was going to happen was right, then she knew that Genji's plan was to hopefully defuse the oncoming situation before it got too out of hand. Probably, in fact, by the time the 'expected guest' arrived.

Reimu got of Genji, and sat on the verandah as Genji disappeared into the shrine proper.

What followed was a series of events that left an emotional wound on Reimu for years to come. The arrival of one of her self-appointed mentors, Ibaraki Kasen, to said mentor figure chewing her out for not maintaining a seal she had no way of knowing even existed until the moment it broke.

That, and none were aware of the two hiding in the bushes on the shrine's perimeter, watching it all unfold.

But, those were parts of different stories, for another day.

Chapter Text

Hakurei Reimu slowly opened her eyes. How long had it been since she last thought about her first ever Incident?

Trick question. Up until a few weeks ago, not a day went by when she didn't think about it, and the four other Incidents that happened before Remilia Scarlet came along and decided the sun was just a bit too 'in existence' for her liking. Out of all of the people in Gensokyo, only Reimu and Kazami Yuuka were able to, or willing to, remember those old days and the people who had been sealed away.

And now, many years later, there was no longer a need to carry that burden. Those old friends were back in her life, and all was well in the world.

Reimu stood up from her seat, and wondered how long she was been reminiscing. She wasn't too hungry, so it mustn't have been too long after breakfast. Probably middle of the morning, if she were to guess.

Reimu stepped outside, and on to the verandah of the shrine. The air of fresh and cool, yet not overly cold. It was the epitome of 'weather that would no doubt get warmer as the day went on'.

“Well, look who's finally awake,” a familiar voice spoke. “Finally back with us living folk, Sleeping Beauty?”

Reimu looked at the source of the voice, and saw a familiar Spirit dressed in blue with green hair. “Good morning to you too, Mima,” Reimu responded. “Where's everyone else?”

Mima looked somewhat off-put by Reimu's lack of reaction. “Geez, it's almost like we haven't been missing for two decades,” she muttered. “If ya must know, your girlfriend and the Komainu are out shopping, Marisa ain't shown up at all, and who knows where the Oni and Inchling have gone off to today.”

“So it's just you and me today?”

“Nah. The old turtle's still around,” Mima shrugged. “He's out back, still getting use to the changes in the pond.”

“So, in the end,” Reimu said, “it's just you and me today.”

“It's just you and me, yeah,” Mima admitted. “Just you and your very first reoccurring big bad.”

“And yet, Marisa still beats you out for number of appearances, even back then.”

“Screw you too, Reimu,” Mima sassed. “Anyway, I've got a bit of a favour to ask.”

“Since when do you 'ask' favours?” Reimu asked. “What's up?”

“I'm wanting to know who the hell moved into my house,” Mima answered. “Seriously, Reimu, what the hell? I'm gone for a few years, and I lose the place I call my own?”

“Your house?” Reimu wondered. “What do you... Oh, right. The sub-shrine. Didn't really have much of a say in that one, since Yukari and Kasen were still breathing down my neck.”

“Yeah, fair enough,” Mima admitted. “But giving it away to another shrine? Really?”

The duo stood outside the sub-shrine by the main tori-gate of the Hakurei Shrine. To Reimu, the sub-shrine that, by all rights, currently belonged to the Moriya Shrine, looked the same as every.

To Mima, however, it was like visiting a place you regulared years ago, and seeing it has changed drastically.

“So how bad is it, anyway?” Reimu asked. “I'm guessing the insides of something this small look way different to a ghost than they do a human.”

“Think of it like a tiny, single-room apartment for us,” Mima answered. “Kinda like the main living room of the shrine, actually. Bit of a table in the middle, whole ass futon, it's very comfy.”

“So wait, when you haunt a place, you literally get your own little pad?” Reimu said. “Damn. If I'd known that, I'd be more comfortable dying.”

“What's stopping you, then?”

“Life's good.”

“Fair.”

After a moment of silence, Mima clapped her hands. “Well, I'mma start throwing things out of there. Wanna join?”

“Nah, I'll wait here,” Reimu replied. “Someone has to clean up after you.”

In response, Mima gave two thumbs up, and quite literally dived into the sub-shrine. There was no other way to describe it, other than a perfect swan dive.

Minutes seemed to pass, with the occasional book or box thrown out of the sub-shrine. How it worked, considering the shrine in question was smaller than Reimu herself, was simple; magic.

Magic was such a convenient explanation for everything in Gensokyo. None of that tedious 'conservation of mass' or 'but gravity' stuff. Things just worked, and that was the end of it.

The sound of flight caught Reimu's ear, and as she looked upwards, she saw a familiar, if not unexpected, person approaching.

“Well, I wasn't expecting you today,” Reimu greeted. “What brings you out here, Sanae?”

Kochiya Sanae, the shrine maiden of Moriya Shrine. In regards to 'Incident Solvers', Sanae was still the newest to the group by far, but despite the seeming rivalry between them, Reimu considered Sanae to be a good friend. A bit weird at times, but that had more to do with her being from the Outside.

It was the common sense. Gensokyo and the Outside World have somewhat different sensibilities, to the point where it wasn't uncommon to say that Gensokyo lacked common sense. The truth was that it didn't 'lack' common sense, it was just weird about it.

“Just a neighbourly visit,” Sanae replied with a kind smile. “A lot's been happening over the past few weeks, after all. Wouldn't hurt to see if anything new has hit the fan.”

“How responsible of you,” Reimu said. “Well, if you must know, you're being evicted.”

There was a moment of stunned silence, as Sanae looked momentarily dumbfounded. “Can I... get some more context?”

Reimu jerked her thumb towards the sub-shrine. “Mima used to call that her home. She's taking it back.”

Sanae let out a sigh of relief. “Oh, thank heavens,” she said. “For a moment, I thought you were going to kick us out of Gensokyo.”

“Nah. Not my jurisdiction,” Reimu waved off. “That would be Yukari's thing, and who knows what she's up to lately.”

Just then, Mima shouted. “Heads up, girls!”

Seconds later, a large book hit Reimu on the side of the head.

“Son of a...!” Reimu cursed. “Don't just throw stuff like that!”

“Hey, I warn ya, didn't I?!” Mima asked, popping her head out of the shrine. “Also, sup, Greenie?”

“Good morning, Mima-san,” Sanae greeted, as she casually picked the thrown book off the ground. “Reimu-san's already informed me of what's going on.”

“That certainly saves us some time,” Mima said. “That said, though, what the hell's with the mess in there? You mountain folks treating our home like a storehouse or something?”

“What's this 'our home' business?” Reimu prodded. “You're the oldest freeloader here.”

Sanae laughed as the two bickered back and forth. She looked down at the book, and felt herself freeze involuntarily. Something that didn't go unnoticed by Reimu and Mima.

“You alright there, kiddo?” Mima asked. “You look like you've seen a ghost, and I don't just mean me.”

“This book,” Sanae muttered. “Was there... more like it in there?”

“Dozens,” Mima answered. “As well as multiple boxes full of electronic things. Why?”

“This book... it's one of my old photo albums,” Sanae said. “I thought I'd lost it not long after coming to Gensokyo.”

Chapter Text

Nearly a year had passed since Reimu's impromptu excursion to Hell. Following that Incident, Kasen the Hermit had doubled down on Reimu's training, leading to the young Shrine Maiden improving quite a bit in some areas, and... well, not improving in others.

Reimu was really starting to hate Kasen's idea of 'training'. Hopefully, this wouldn't develop into some kind of lazy persona.

(Somewhere in the future, Hakurei Reimu sneezed)

Today, thankfully, wasn't a training day with Kasen. So, what else was Reimu to do, except play card games with Genji by the lake not far from the shrine? Right now, they were on their 50^th game of koi-koi. Currently, the score was 49-0, Genji's favour.

Reimu groaned in frustration. “Darn it,” she muttered. “How are you so good at this, Gramps?”

“Age begets wisdom, Reimu-sama,” Genji answered. “And, if I may be frank, you take after your ancestors quite a bit in how impatient you can be.”

“Harsh, old man,” Reimu said. Another hand or two of cards later, and the game was over. Winner; Genji. Reimu let out a defeated sigh. “It's certainly been quiet the past year, hasn't it?”

“Compared to what you went through before, I'm not surprised you think so,” Genji said. “That certainly was a large event to cut your teeth on, but you will no doubt have to deal with Incidents of similar scale in the future.”

“Still with that Hermit would lay off a bit,” Reimu said. “She acts like I don't know my own limits, and keeps pestering me like some lazy kid.”

“Hermits view the world differently compared to us,” Genji explained. “They got where they are in life through a lot of hard work, so it's only natural that they think others can be just as great as them.”

“And what's wrong with not being the absolute best?” Reimu asked. “What's wrong with just reaching the point where you're good enough for what's to come, and being happy there?”

“I suppose some people just have to agree to disagree,” Genji surmised. “Then again, some folks have a hard time accepting that other people have different ways of life.”

Reimu leaned her head on her hand, and huffed quietly. How the heck was she suppose to get Kasen to see things her way, then?

Before she could contemplate further, something in the distance went boom.

“What the?” Reimu shouted. “What was that?!”

“Reimu-sama, look!” Genji called. “Smoke! From the shrine!”

From beyond the tree-line, smoke could be seen rising. A strange feeling rose in Reimu's heart; one of mixed indignation and fear. She chose, at that moment, to focus more on the idgination.

“Oh, whoever's up to no good is in for a pounding!” she shouted, leaping in order to take flight, and bring the battle to the enemy... Only to fall face first into the ground.

Genji felt a bead of sweat go down his brow. Generally an impossible thing, considering he was a turtle. “Oh, dear,” he muttered. “Seems we still need to work on your flying. Here,” he floated over to Reimu, keeping low. “Climb on my back, Reimu-sama. Let me handle flight for now.”

As it turned out, Genji, when he put the effort in, was the furthest thing from 'slow' you could imagine. This was, though, something Reimu knew already.

As they came up to the shrine grounds, they saw that the place was... well, not quite 'in ruins', but it had certainly seen better days. That, and there were all these strange, fuzzy-looking spirits and ghosts floating around.

Reimu felt her indignation rise. “Oh, those ghosts don't know who they're dealing with,” she muttered, as she called upon the powers of Hakurei, and summoned two versions of the Yin-Yang Orb to her side. “Let's show them a thing or two, Gramps.”

“Glad to see you're taking this seriously, Reimu-sama,” Genji said. “Hold on!”

Reimu and Genji shot forth, and unleashed a barrage of bullets upon the ghosts and spirits. Most of them were caught completely unaware, and dissipated before they even knew they were under attack. Those that did see them coming, though, tried to flee in terror of the red-white menace charging at them.

Half way to the main shrine, Reimu and Genji encountered their first piece of real resistance.

Reimu recognised that thing from the occasional book she found in the Outside World Hakurei Shrine. That large, mechanical beast with its long barrel-like nose, it strange belt-like wheels... There was a tank on shrine grounds.

“Why is there a tank here?!” Reimu shouted, as Genji weaved her through a barrage of bullets. The old man couldn't offer a response, since he was a bit too focused on, you know, dodging. Gritting her teeth, Reimu charged as much magical energy as she could into her palms, and unleashed a barrage of bullets that, once it let up, left the tank a smouldering wreck.

Genji slowed down, huffing in exhaustion. “I'm... getting old, aren't I?” he asked.

“Sorry for pushing you like this, Gramps,” Reimu said. “Still, there are a whole lot of spirits, aren't there?”

As Genji caught his breath, something in the distance caught his eye. “Reimu-sama, there's a suspicious person up ahead.”

“How would spirits like these be able to ruin the shrine?” Reimu muttered.

Genji cleared his throat. “Reimu-sama? Are you listening?”

“Hmm? What was that, Gramps?”

'And she calls ME senile at times,' Genji thought. “We've a mysterious person up ahead, Reimu-sama.”

Reimu glanced ahead at the person; a short, brown haired girl dressed in white. “A human?” she noted. “Talk about suspicious.”

“Who are you calling suspicious?!” the girl shouted. “After all, I'm the genius who made these ghosts!”

There was a moment of heavy silence. “That's... pretty suspicious if you ask me,” Reimu commented.

“Well, anyway,” the girl continued, “prepare to face the might of my current masterpiece, the Flower-Tank! Please blow up now!”

Just then, a large red tank with floral patterns appeared in front of them, and began firing at Reimu and Genji. “What is even happening right now?!” Reimu shouted, as she started firing back.

Fortunately for the two of them, tanks made for not only easy dodging practice, but easy targets. It wasn't long before the tank eventually blew up.

As the smoke subsided, Reimu saw that girl from before lying on the ground, looking... distinctly unharmed.

“Oh noooo, I've been bested,” the girl said falsely. “I guess this is goodbye... Sniff sniff.”

Reimu and Genji looked quite unamused at how bad her acting was. “Well, I guess we'll never know who sent her,” Reimu decided, acting like she wasn't seeing the girl slowly creep away.

“Should we give chase to her, Reimu-sama?” Genji asked.

“Nah. She's clearly trying to bait us into a trap.”

“Aw, you won't bite?” the girl complained, before huffing off into the treeline.

“See?”

Genji could really only sigh at all that. Then, something on the edge of his senses pricked. “Reimu-sama, I think I've got a lead,” he said. “To our left. A powerful magical force, from the Forest of Magic.”

“Then we know where to go,” Reimu said. “Good find, Gramps.”

The Forest of Magic was a dark, mysterious place, filled with dreadful miasma. Were it not for the powers of Hakurei, Reimu might be in serious trouble.

There were, much like at the shrine, lots of spirits around the place, and much like at the shrine, they didn't pose much of a problem to Reimu as she was now.

Well, there was that plant-like thing half way through, but that went down eventually.

Reimu was impressed by how far she had managed to come in the year since her first Incident. She might actually have to thank Kasen at some point.

… But maybe not immediately. Maybe once things have calmed down for a while.

At that moment, something caught Reimu's attention; a smell.

“Gramps,” she said. “Something stinks out here, and it's not the smog.”

Genji's senses were on high alert at that moment. “Reimu-sama, up ahead!” he called. “There's someone approaching!”

“So, you noticed me, did you?” a voice said. “Good. I'd feel insulted if I was able to get the drop on you so easily, Hakurei.”

Reimu readied herself, as footsteps echoed from up ahead. The figure stepped into the light, and...

Oh. Oh my. Reimu felt her heart skip a beat at that moment. This person that approached had violet hair tied in a single ponytail high on their head, a pair of eyes the colour of amethyst, a well maintained katana at their side, and dressed in white samurai robes that looked as if they were trimmed with fire.

“My name is Meira,” the handsome stranger said. “I am here for the Hakurei's power.”

No thoughts seemed to occur in Reimu's head at this moment. This handsome stranger, Meira, was all that occupied her mind at the moment. So, naturally, it took her a second to realise what they had said. “Wait, you're here for me?” she asked. “I mean... I guess I don't mind, but aren't we going a bit fast?”

Meira's eyes widened in confusion. “What are...? No, nevermind,” they shook their head. Meira drew their sword, which gleamed cooly in the light. “Now, let us do battle. Upon my victory, your power will be mine.”

Something in the way Meira spoke sent Reimu's heart aflutter. What that was, no one could say. “You know... you don't need to fight to claim me.”

The implications of what she just said hit Meira and Genji like a truck. An intense blush swept across Meira's face. “Wh-what are you on about?!” they shouted. “It's your power I'm after, not you! Besides, we're both women!”

Reimu was surprised by the outburst, but only to the degree of a leaf suddenly landing on her head. “Eh, same difference,” she shrugged. “I don't mind either way. So, if I win, then will you...”

“Are you even listening to me?!”

“Tauzen, tauzen,” Reimu waved off.

“What an old reference,” Meira muttered. “What is this, Kyuukyoku Choujin A~ru?”

“Are we fighting, or not?”

Meira shuddered quietly. “Something tells me I really don't want to lose this fight,” she muttered. “Fine. Bring it!”

Meira lunged forward, slashing at Reimu in wide, swift arcs. What the samurai did not account for, though, was the combined agility of Genji and reaction speed of Reimu. Every slash she swung was either dodged like a pro, or the turtle had made some distance between them.

And then, there were the bullets. For all that the Hakurei was clearly still in training, she had POWER behind her attacks. It didn't take long for Meira to be completely disarmed of her sword, and forced to rely on her magical abilities. Yet even that didn't last long, before she fell over, defeated.

“I did it!” Reimu cheered. “Wait... Oh, she's dead.”

“Don't be too rash, Reimu-sama,” Genji said.

Slowly, Meira got back to her feet. “Damn it all,” she muttered. “To hell with this!”

With remarkable speed, Meira gathered up her sword, and fled the forest.

“Aw, she's gone,” Reimu moaned, much to Genji's chagrin. “Wonder what she was after, anyway.”

“Oh, to be young and naïve,” Genji said.

The third stage of their journey took them through a place between Gensokyo and Makai, known as the World of Fantasies. Their destination, rather than Makai itself, was a place called Reimaden, a world of pandemonium.

Getting to Reimaden through the World of Fantasies involved fighting a strange collection of magic stones. It was strange, but nothing to really write home about.

Reimaden itself, however, Reimu could write whole essays about. “The air here... it's so heavy,” she muttered. “There's so much evil in this place.”

“I imagine we'll run into the mastermind soon,” Genji said. “Best prepare yourself, Reimu-sama.”

“This feeling... it's familiar,” Reimu said nervously. “It's much like what happened a year ago.”

Genji felt concerned by that, but any comment he would have made was cut off by a wave of magic hitting them like a gale. Genji felt something nostalgic on that wave, and suddenly, all the pieces in his mind clicked into place. “Reimu-sama! It's...”

A shadow loomed overhead. Reimu and Genji looked up, to see a green haired spirit dressed in blue, her cape billowing in the wind like wings of darkness.

Reimu recognised her instantly. Sure, she looked somewhat different, but there was no mistaking that Vengeful Spirit from one year ago. A chill ran up Reimu spine, yet for some reason, she wasn't quite as afraid of her as she expected. There was something different in those eyes; there was recognition, arrogance, power, and... compassion.

“So, you've finally shown yourself, Hakurei Reimu,” the spirit spoke. “Took your precious time, didn't you?”

Reimu shook off her surprise. “Who are you?!” she shouted. “And how do you know who I am?!”

“Seems someone hasn't done their homework,” the spirit said. “And no need to yell. I'm right here.” She cleared her throat, before striking a dynamic pose. “Behold, Shrine Maiden of Hakurei! You stand before the mighty and majestic magician, Mima!”

There was a slight pause, before Reimu started counting on her fingers, for some reason. “Huh. Four word alliteration. Not bad.”

“You say that like it was hard,” Mima said. “You'll find there's a whole lot of words that start with the letter M. Especially helpful when my occupation goes with my name.”

There was a moment silence before someone spoke next. “We're getting off topic,” Reimu finally said. “You're the jerk that wrecked my shrine, weren't you?!”

“And what should I care about some dingy old shrine?!” Mima retorted. “My goals go beyond some run down old building in the middle of nowhere. My goal is revenge; against the world.”

“Well, I suppose you should try to dream big,” Reimu snarked. “But don't think it'll work! There's no greater sin out there than insulting my shrine! I'm sealing you away again!”

“A challenge, then!... Is what I would say,” Mima laughed, “but you'll have to catch up to me first!”

With that, Mima flew off. Reimu and Genji tried to give chase, but were interrupted by an onslaught of star-shaped bullets. Reimu looked to the source, to see a girl around her age, dressed in purple, with short red hair, pointed ears, amber eyes.

“No dice, bud!” the young witch said. “Ain't no way I'm letting you go after Mima-sama!”

“What, she's got a little toy soldier or something?” Reimu questioned. “Who the heck are you?”

“Me? Don't matter,” the witch greeted. “I'm gonna be the best magician out there, so prepare to die, yeah?!”

“What an egotistical brat,” Reimu muttered. “Fine, I'll beat you senseless!”

The battle that took place was the most intense Reimu had ever experienced, yet for not a single moment did she feel outmatched. This girl, whoever she was, seemed to be her equal.

But, no battle lasts forever, and with one good shot, the witch crashed to the ground, panting heavily.

“Mima-sama... Forgive me,” she muttered.

Reimu looked at the girl, and felt... something. She couldn't quite put the words to it, though. “Say. Why did you start studying under Mima?” she asked. Noticing the hesitation, Reimu sighed. “Tell you what. Watch the next battle, and see what you think. You got a name?”

“M... Marisa,” the witch said. “Kirisame Marisa.”

Kirisame. Reimu knew that name from somewhere. Wasn't there a family by that name in the village? Something to look into later. With a small nod to herself, she and Genji went on to the final battle, with Marisa not too far behind.

It was a world of darkness. Not a darkness that could be called 'the absence of light', but one that suffocated and snuffed it. It was a darkness that was to light what water was to fire.

It was suffocating, but Reimu and Genji pressed on.

“Mima! We know you're here!” Reimu yelled. “Show yourself!”

The darkness whirled like a vortex, until finally, Mima floated there. “So, you made it through my apprentice, did you?” she said. “I wonder, though; can you actually match up to me?” Then, for a moment, Mima's expression softened. “Yeah, you're a Hakurei alright. I can see strength in your eyes.”

Reimu's brow rose quizzingly. “What are you on about?”

“The power of the Yin-Yang Orb is defined by its user,” Mima said. “They absorb the excess energy of the wielder, before releasing it all in one go, and only a Hakurei can wield them. Positive energy can bring about a miracle, or negative energy can bring forth a calamity. It all depends on that last drop of power. After that, they go back to absorbing power.”

“So that's what the Orb does,” Reimu muttered. “But what's the point of this history lesson?”

“Perhaps there isn't a point,” Mima said. “Right now, the Yin-Yang Orb is ready to burst. With it be a miracle, or a calamity?” A sinister cackle escaped her lips, as her expression shifted into an icon of evil. “Ya don't need to guess which one I'm hopin' for!”

“You think I'll let you?!” Reimu shouted. “As the current heir to the long line of Hakurei, I will beat you back into... whatever ghosts are made of!”

“Then try me, Hakurei Reimu!” Mima shouted, as dark energy began to swirl around her. “Let us see if you are truly worthy of that miracle!”

Mima charged forth, swinging her staff at Reimu, whom blocked with her gohei. While the size between the two staffs was considerable, and Mima's made out of metal while Reimu's was, let's face it, a literal twig in comparison, enough energy transferred into a tool could make up for all the difference in durability.

As they broke from the clash, Reimu shot forth a wide spread of talismans. Anything that Mima wasn't able to dodge, she blocked through spinning her staff. In retaliation, Mima launched her own volley of bolts and lasers. Thus, if fell to Genji to keep Reimu out of harms way, has he dodged and weaved through the barrage of bullets with a shocking amount of swiftness. Reimu had to make a note to ask how he was so good all of a sudden.

In the blink of an eye, Reimu was now up close and personal with Mima. Mima herself was quite surprised, but from her expression, it was a pleasant kind of surprise.

Reimu reached back, grabbed the Yin-Yang Orb, and smashed it into Mima's face. It was a move that caught the spirit completely off guard, and sent her plummeting to the ground at great speed.

Mima regained her balance, and landed upright, breathing heavily. “Ha... Impressive,” she muttered. “I'm actually having to take this seriously.” With a wave of her hand, her cape flared out, becoming a pair of wings as black as midnight and as dreadful as the abyss. “COME, REIMU! LET US SETTLE THIS!”

The space between them became, in effect, a constellation of bullets. It was easier to call it a single ball of light, than it was to try and point out which bullets were Mima's, and which were Reimu's.

The ground tore beneath them. The sky shuddered. The darkness parted yet the light retreated. And through it all... Reimu felt a sense of exhilaration that was foreign to her. In the back of her mind, this was what an Incident was suppose to be like; thrilling, dangerous, a battle against an opponent much stronger than you are, with only quick whits keeping you from death. Adrenalin coursed through her veins. This wasn't like her training, where she was constantly expected to go above and beyond to prove herself; the only thing expected of Reimu right now was her best, and somehow, when she wasn't expected for much more than that, it made the fight all the more satisfying.

After several long minutes, however, a blow finally lands, and Mima's wings vanish. As she fell to the ground, she gave Reimu a proud grin, and a thumbs up. “Not bad, kiddo.”

One week has passed since then. Reimu sat quietly under the verandah of the shrine, calmly sipping at her tea.

There was a slight tremor to her left hand. Slight enough for nobody other than herself to notice. She was thankful for that, considering that blonde haired boundary manipulator known as Yakumo Yukari was here, alongside her shikigami, the kitsune Ran.

“I must say, that was impressive,” Yukari said. “Although, I must wonder why you didn't exterminate her when you had the chance.”

“You say that like it's an expectation,” Reimu replied. “As long as they learn not to mess around like that again, why should I have to exterminate them completely?”

“It's a dangerous risk to take, that. Especially with someone like Mima,” Yukari said. “They are dangerous troublemakers, who don't necessarily learn their lesson the first time, nor do they give a second.”

“Then should I be exterminating you?” Reimu asked. “You know, since you're a dangerous troublemaker yourself?”

Yukari looked at Reimu, then smirked. “Not bad, little one,” she said. “Just don't let that attitude get the better of you, and you'll do well.”

A gap opened, which Yukari stepped through. Ran hesitated for a moment, before looking back at Reimu. “Yukari-sama means well, Reimu-san,” she said. “Just do what you believe is right, okay?” With a bow, Ran followed after Yukari, and the gap closed behind them.

A minute passed, before Mima's head popped out of the floorboards. “Is she gone?”

“You're all clear,” Reimu said.

With a sigh of relief, Mima came out of the floor, and took a seat next to Reimu. “Man, just being around that woman is exhausting. I'm not sure you realise it, being human and all, but that Yakumo is downright terrifying to be around.”

“Yet you seem like the type to egg her on.”

“Oh, absolutely,” Mima agreed. “I'm the sort'a gal who pokes sleeping bears for fun. How do you think I died?”

Reimu gave Mima an unamused look. “You so did not die poking a bear,” she said. “In fact, I don't think Gensokyo even has bears.”

“Sharp one, ain't ya?” Mima said, ruffling Reimu's hair. “You'll go far yet, kiddo. Now, I'll see ya around, yeah?”

“What do you mean 'around'?” Reimu asked. “This shrine gets few enough visitors as it is! Where the hell does a ghost like you live?”

“Simple. See that small shrine by the torii?” Mima said, pointing at the aforementioned gate. “Dat's my home now.”

“Don't you dare.”

“Oh, I dared!” Mima laughed. “Toothbrush is already there!”

Reimu was annoyed, to a certain extent, but honestly, this... wasn't a bad outcome for her first proper Incident. If this was how every Incident from now on was going to go...

Then maybe being the Hakurei wouldn't be so bad after all.

Chapter Text

Reimu, Mima, and Sanae all stood before the mountain of boxes they had removed from the sub-shrine. By all known laws of mass, there should be no way for so many boxes to fit in so small a shrine, but this was Gensokyo, so such laws bent at the knee to the might that was magic.

“I know magic was involved and all,” Mima said, “but God damn, that's a lot of shit.”

“Mima-san, please don't call all my old luggage 'shit',” Sanae said.

“Don't you Outsiders often refer to your stuff as your 'shit', though?” Reimu asked. “At least, that's what Sumireko's told me.”

“Yes, but Sumireko-san's a good deal younger than the rest of us,” Sanae pointed out. “I feel like her slang's not a good example for the rest of us.”

“Says you, kid,” Mima retorted. “New slang just hits differently. We all know this.” All eyes went back to the boxes. “Gotta say, though, you brought a lot of stuff with you when you migrated.”

“Kanako-sama had said that it would be best to leave no lingering attachments to the Outside when we moved,” Sanae answered. “To my teenager mind, that meant 'bring everything I could'.”

“And yet, somehow, you didn't notice all those boxes go missing?” Reimu asked.

“I failed a spot-check, sue me.”

“So, what now?” Mima asked. “Should we go through all the stuff? Take a trip down memory lane?”

The two shrine maidens looked at each other for a moment. “I don't see why not,” Sanae decided. “Even I can't remember half of the stuff in there.”

“Then let's at least move it all inside,” Reimu said. “Wouldn't want Marisa showing up and pinching anything, would you?”

By the time they had managed to move all the boxes, it was long past noon.

Presently, Reimu, Sanae, and Mima all sat in the main room of the shrine, with a box each in front of them. Normally, someone in Sanae's position might feel a bit nervous about having other people going through her stuff, but it had been so long since she had last seen any of the stuff, she honestly couldn't recall all of it.

Mima dug a hand through the box in front of her, and pulled out a small, red square-shaped object. “Ain't this one of those Game-boy things?” she asked. “The one that guy Kourin has is way bigger than this.”

“That's because this one's a newer model,” Sanae answered, taking the device from Mima. “My old Gameboy Advance SP. I thought I forgot this back home. Battery's probably flat by now, though.”

“What does SP even mean?” Reimu asked.

“Special.”

“Makes sense,” Reimu muttered, as she rummaged through the box before her. She pulled out a lacy item, paused, then looked into the box. “Sanae, I've found a whole lot of your underwear.”

“You WHAT?!” Sanae shouted, taking the box away from Reimu. “This is where they went? Why? Do you know how uncomfortable it is to bind my chest?”

Reimu's gaze fell flatly on Sanae's chest. “Yeah, I can tell,” she said. “Definitely makes me glad I'm not as endowed as you are.”

“Oh? Had a little breast envy in the past, Reimu?” Mima asked.

“Show me a girl who'd claim they haven't felt that, and I'll tell you 50 reasons they're full of shit,” Reimu replied. “Now, saying they've had the feeling, but grew out of it, I'd buy.”

“Way to cover your own ass, there,” Mima snarked, before peeking over Sanae's shoulder. “But damn, girl. You were what, sixteen when you first came to Gensokyo, and you wore cup sizes that large then?”

“Definitely didn't get it from Suwako's side of the family,” Reimu added. “You sure you're not blood related to Kanako as well?”

“Reimu-san, I do not know how Gods reproduce, outside of the way humans do,” Sanae answered. “And Mima-san, stop going through my bras!”

“Fine, spoil sport,” Mima pouted, before going back to her original box. “Let's see, we've got... Ah ha! Photo frame get!” Mima produced, as she stated, a photo frame. “Let's see... Who's this blue haired, cardboard cutout twit?”

Reimu looked at the photo in question. “Oh. I think I've seen that guy before, on some of the oddities that Rinnosuke gets in. What'd he call it... Gunpla, or something?”

“The heck's 'Gunpla'?” Mima asked.

“Gundam plastic model kits,” Sanae answered, taking the photo from the ghost. “It often gets short-handed to Gunpla. They're plastic models based on giant robots featured in an anime series that's been going on since the 80's. As for who this 'cardboard cutout twit' is, his name is Athrun Zala, a main character from Gundam SEED, which aired on TV back in 2002.” She paused for a moment, before realisation dawned on her. “Oh Gods, I'm old.”

“Ah, wait 'till you hit 100, then you can complain,” Mima said. “Still doesn't explain the cutout, though, or why you're posing with it. Or why you have it framed.”

“I was an absolute geek as a kid, sue me,” Sanae retorted. “I didn't have many friends growing up. Reimu can attest that being a shrine maiden at a young age leaves you socially starved.”

“Too true, that,” Reimu agreed. She grabbed another box, opened it, and immediately grinned. “Oh oh~. Guess who found the albums?”

“Oo! Show, show!” Mima demanded flying over to Reimu's side as she pulled one of the large books out. Even Sanae was overcome with more curiosity at this point.

Reimu flipped over at a random page. “Let's see... 'Sanae-chan, age six', eh?”

The picture showed a young Sanae, wearing a pastel blue dress that was caked in mud, grinning like no tomorrow. “Aw, look at her,” Mima cooed. “Such a cute little baby.”

“Man, I hardly remember this time,” Sanae said. “I look like such a troublemaker, don't I?”

“That hasn't changed a bit,” Reimu pointed out. “Remember how we first met? You basically barged in here and demanded I close up shop.”

Sanae, at least, had the decency to look mildly bashful about it. “I'm... really sorry about that.”

“Don't be. It's kinda a right of passage,” Reimu shrugged. “Basically every friend I've got has either caused an Incident, or tried to kill me.”

“Even Marisa-san?”

“Especially Marisa,” Mima said. “I would know; I trained her.”

“A hell of a first Incident that was, too,” Reimu added, flipping to the next page. “Never did figure out what it was about, either, aside from you testing me.”

“Really all there was to it, actually,” Mima admitted. “Oo! Stop stop stop! Mama Kochiya spotted!”

The pages stopped moving, and all eyes fell on the main person featured in the photo. The easiest way to describe her was 'a much older Sanae', with hair a much paler green, and eyes a deep, calming blue. The smile she had as she stood next to what looked like Sanae at age 12 was the warmest smile Reimu had ever seen captured on camera.

Sanae inhaled sharply, her expression becoming sad. “It's... been so long since I last saw her,” she muttered. “I'd almost completely forgotten what she looked like.”

Mima placed a hand on Sanae's shoulder. “You never truly forget the people you love,” she said softly. “Memories may fade with time, but they're never truly gone.”

It was surprisingly, uncharacteristically deep of Mima to say, but Reimu chose not to point that out. This was a rather emotional moment for Sanae, after all, and it at least proved to Reimu that Mima had that thing called 'tact'.

Slowly, Reimu flipped to the next page in the book. The picture on it showed a wedding between the dubbed 'Mama Kochiya' and an admittedly handsome man. They both looked to be in their early-to-mid twenties, at least. “Is that... your father?” Reimu asked.

“I... think so,” Sanae said. “He passed away shortly after I was born. Traffic accident, I was always told. Mother always said he was a kind man.”

“Certainly looks like a kind man,” Mima noted. “Anyone'd be lucky to land someone like that.”

There was a moment of silence, followed by a small sniffle from Sanae. “Want to put the albums away for a bit?” Reimu offered. Sanae nodded in response, and the album was put back in its box.

Sanae was quiet for a while. Neither Reimu nor Mima dared to speak, either.

“Why,” Sanae muttered. “Why did Kanako-sama and Suwako-sama hide these things away?”

“Probably to avoid these sorts of situations,” Mima offered. “Homesickness is a powerful thing, after all. I can only imagine that they wanted to keep you from feeling down.”

“But... all of it?” Sanae asked. “Every last memory of home, stored away like this? It's...”

Reimu placed a hand on Sanae's head. “Give yourself a moment,” she said. “Take as much time as you need to collect your thoughts, okay?”

Fifteen minutes passed before Sanae regained her composure. “Apologies for that,” she said. “I was... momentarily overwhelmed.”

“Ain't nobody gonna blame you for it,” Mima said. “There may be God-blood running through your veins, but you're still human at the end of the day. Don't let anyone deny you of that,”

“So, what do you want to do now?” Reimu asked. “We could take a break, if you want.”

Sanae shook her head. “I think... I want to talk to Kanako-sama about this,” she said.

“Go directly to the source, then,” Mima surmised. “Want us to come along? Or is this going to be a 'on my own' deal?”

Sanae thought about it for a moment. “I think... I'd like the assistance, actually.”

“10-4, boss lady,” Mima saluted. “If things get hairy, I've a laser with their names on it.”

“Please do not fire lasers in my shrine.”

Far away, at the Moriya Shrine, Kanako shivered.

“Something up, Kans?” the other God of the shrine, Moriya Suwako, asked.

“Just a bad feeling,” Kanako answered. “I can't shake the feeling that things are about to go bad for us.”

Chapter Text

Life at the Hakurei Shrine had been quiet for the past year. Well, mostly quiet.

There had been a few more visitors that before, but they were mostly the four troublemakers that Reimu had befriended over the course of the last Incident.

Today there was no Rika or Meira (aw). Just Reimu, Genji, Mima, and Marisa. Marisa looked to have grown her hair out, if that was worth mentioning. Things were quiet, and personally, Reimu was kind of appreciating it. Halfly. The other half was kind of hoping for something to happen.

And you know what they say about 'ask and thou shalt receive', because almost immediately after the thought occurred, a loud rumbling was heard.

All four quickly stood at attention. “What the heck was that?” Marisa was the first to ask. “Didn't feel like a normal earthquake.”

“More like a meteor, me thinks,” Mima thought. “No idea what could have caused it.”

“Another Incident?” Reimu wondered. “Looks like I'm getting to work then. Shame, I was enjoying the quiet.”

“There's no rest for the wicked, Reimu-sama,” Genji said. “Climb aboard, Reimu-sama, and let's be off.”

“Still not quite got flight down?” Mima asked. “Aw, geez. Guess Marisa and I'll have to tag along.”

Reimu eyed Mima suspiciously, but shrugged. “Do what you want. Just don't get in my way.”

“Confident, ain't she?” Marisa said. “As I'd expect from my rival.”

“Glad to see you're getting into this,” Mima commented.

Not far from the Hakurei Shrine was a small series of hills. The only thing noticeably unnatural about them, from what Reimu could see right now, was the strange crowd that had gathered, and the new cave.

That cave struck Reimu as strange, to say the least, but not quite as strange as the four people that had gathered around it. She could see: a blonde haired Witch in red, a red haired human in purple, a blonde Poltergeist in blue, and a purple haired human in white.

Truly, a strange looking group. Almost as strange as a Shrine Maiden, a Vengeful Spirit, a Witch in training, and a turtle.

The red haired human noticed them approaching first. “Oro? You are the Hakurei Shrine Maiden, are you not?” she asked. “I suppose you heard that noise too, did you not?”

What an eloquent way of speaking, Reimu found. A bit clunky, but very polite. “How could I not?” Reimu asked. “The shrine's, like, ten minutes away. Who are you, anyway?”

“Oh! Where are my manners? I am Koyohime,” the red haired woman introduced herself. “I am something of a law-enforcer, that I am, and these three are...” She hesitated, trying to find the right word for them. “Acquaintances.”

“You are allowed to call us strangers, you know,” the purple haired one said loudly. “We've literally never met before today.”

Koyohime laughed in embarrassment, as Marisa and Mima finally caught up. “Too polite to say it, I guess,” Reimu surmised. “And the rest of you? Who are you?”

“I'm Asakura Rikako,” the purple haired one greeted. “A scientist of sorts, hoping to expunge the truth of these ruins and expand my knowledge.”

“Is 'expunge' even the right word in that sentence?” Marisa muttered.

“Oh! Me next!” the blonde one in red shouted. “I'm Ellen the Witch! Immortal, and my dream's to construct and run a magic shop of my own!”

“One too many exclamation marks in how she speaks,” Mima commented.

“Guess that leaves me,” the Poltergeist muttered. “Kana Anaberal. I've been haunting the same place for so long that nobody's getting scared of me anymore, and I'm losing my mind.”

“My... deepest sympathies, miss?” Genji hesitated. “So, why are you all gathered here, and not exploring that cave?”

“Thing's got a barrier,” Ellen stated. “And 'cording to the sign next to it, only one person can enter at a time.”

Confused, Reimu got off Genji, and walked over to the cave entrance. There was, indeed, a powerful barrier in place, and off to the side was a sign that read 'To all those seeking our treasure; only one may enter'.

It was, for all intents and purposes, exactly as was described to them.

“And let me guess,” Reimu said, “none of you could decide who goes in?”

“That we could not,” Koyohime admitted. “As an officer of the law, I wanted to go first, but Rikako-dono desires searching for intellectual curiosity, Anaberal-dono wishes to haunt it, and Ellen-san...”

“I just wanna see what's in there!”

Koyohime gestured at the Witch, as if saying 'as you can see'. “And now that you and your compatriots have arrived, the queue has grown larger, that it has.”

So, they were at an impasse, then. “Well, as the Hakurei Shrine Maiden,” Reimu said, “I'd say I've got first priority on this whole 'going in' business.”

“With your experience?” Marisa asked. “Please. As the apprentice of the Great Mima, I get first dibs!”

“Over your own master?” Mima poked. “You're having a laugh, kiddo.”

All eyes quickly fell on Genji expecting him to posit a reason why he should be the one to go in. “I refuse to comment,” he said. “I am, after all, ethically tied to Reimu-sama in the event of Incidents.”

Then the realisation struck. Seven people, all interested in the same thing, but only one could go to investigate.

One second passed into ten, then into a minute, before everyone raised both hands, charged with magic, in a Gensokyo example of a Mexican-standoff.

“So, here's how it's going to go,” Reimu said. “The easy way: you all back off, and let me do my job. The hard way: we fight it out. The choice is yours.”

“As an officer of the law, I cannot abide that, that I can't,” Koyohime replied. “Please do not obstruct my work, miss Hakurei.”

“Do you have any idea how bored I am?” Ellen asked. “I'm not gonna let this chance pass me up!”

“You're bored?” Kanna propped. “Try haunting the same place for decades on end! I'm not passing this adventure up!”

“Do you people have no respect for scientific intrigue?” Rikako asked. “This is the chance of a lifetime, and I am not passing it up!”

Reimu shared a glance with Marisa and Mima, whom both shrugged. “Guess it's a free-for-all, then,” Mima said. “Last one standing gets to go in.”

“I'm game for that,” Marisa said. “You, Reimu?”

Reimu thought about it for a moment, before answering. “Screw it, why not?”

Two hours. The battle between them all lasted for two hours. The battle was so intense, so chaotic, that it's frankly impossible to adequately portray it in text form.

It was, simply put, a mess of bullets, but in the end, the one left standing was... Reimu. Is anyone really going to be surprised by this outcome?

Reimu let out a sigh of exhaustion. She had started to lose her confidence half way through that battle, but then that ghost got blind-sided by the scientist, and momentum swung back in her favour.

She and Genji walked through the cave, noting how the walls were illuminated by glass light bulbs. Something you don't really see in Gensokyo.

“Are these... really ruins?” Reimu questioned. “Just what is this place?”

Something clicked behind Reimu, followed by something cold and hard being placed against the back of her head. A nameless dread wormed its way into Reimu's heart, as she felt her life was now in great danger.

“So, your the strongest magician out there?” a voice asked. “I'm going to have to ask you to cooperate, if you value your life.”

“Who are you?” Reimu asked. “Are these really ruins?”

“Ruins?” the voice said. “Do these look like ruins to you? Now, I won't repeat myself again; cooperate, if you...”

There was a pause, as a series of fast-paced footsteps echoed from further inside. The next moment, something red and large shot past Reimu, and struck the person that was standing behind her.

Reimu and Genji took this chance to turn around, and saw, strangely enough, a blonde haired girl dressed in sailor clothes lying on the ground, and a red haired woman dressed in red looking... very unamused at the former.

There was also that metal object on the ground next to the girl that Reimu was fairly certain was one of those Outside World guns.

“How many times to I have to tell you, Chiyuri?!” the red haired one shouted. “We're here to study! Not abduct the locals like that!”

“Eh?” the one named Chiyuri said. “But just passively studying like we've been doing is getting us nowhere. If we got a local on hand...”

“Easier does not equal ethical!” the woman shouted. “We do things the right way here!” Clearing her throat, the woman turned to face Reimu. “I'm sorry about my assistant, miss. Are you alright?”

“I... guess so?” Reimu hesitated. “Who the heck are you, and what the heck is this place?”

“Ah, the important questions,” the woman said. “Up there with 'what's for breakfast'. To answer in order: I'm Okazaki Yumemi, a college professor researching the existence of magic for a paper I'm working on, this place is a mix of both our base of research and mode of transport, and breakfast is strawberry jam on toast. The one who so rudely held you at gunpoint just now was my assistant, Kitashirakawa Chiyuri.”

Reimu blinked in bewilderment. “That was... a word salad,” she said. “And, you said 'mode of transport'?”

“Indeed. Behold,” with a clap of her hands, the cavern lit up, revealing a massive structure of steel. “The Probabilty Space Hyper Vessel! We used it to bypass the barrier around this place, but then... well, as you can see, we parked it inside a cave, and the engine's kaput.”

“Kaput?”

“Completely fried. No way we could repair it.”

Huh. So that meant they were stranded here? “Must such, huh?” Reimu asked. “Trapped on this side of the Hakurei Barrier.”

“Eh, could be worse,” Yumemi shrugged. “Not like I wasn't laughed out of uni for my subject of choice. Right now, I'm just wanting to finish my paper for the principal of it.”

“So... this isn't an Incident, then?” Reimu asked.

“Given that I don't know what you're talking about... No?”

Reimu's shoulders slumped. “Then we got all worked up for nothing.” Turning around, Reimu began to walk off. “Screw it. I'm going home.”

Yumemi's jaw went slack for a moment. “Wait, what?”

Reimu briefly turned back around. “Look, you want to do your research? Fine. Open that stupid barrier you've got up by the door, invite the idiots out there in, chat with them, and don't cause any trouble. Do that, and you'll be fine, or more importantly, not in my hair.”

And that was how her third ever Incident was resolved... What a bloody anticlimax.

The following week, things at the Hakurei Shrine took a strange turn.

Namely, the four people Reimu and company had met and fought outside the 'not-really-a-cave' cave were hanging around the shrine.

That witch Ellen had set up a store of some sort. Kotohime was just wandering around, claiming to be on patrol. The scientist Rikako was nose deep in some book. And that ghost, Kana? She was having a haunt-off with Mima.

Now, what was a haunt-off? Don't know, and frankly, Reimu didn't care enough to find out.

Two figures weaved through the small group. One, Reimu identified as Yumemi, and the second was distinctly not her assistant. This newcomer, after all, had green hair, and was dressed as a maid.

“Hey there, Reimu-san,” Yumemi greeted. “I see things are... busy here.”

“Not the good kind of busy, mind you,” Reimu pointed out. “These people don't exactly donate when they visit. So, what brings you here?”

“Well, first off...” Yumemi made her way to the offering box, and threw a few coins in. “You deserve at least that from me. Second, I wanted to thank you for your suggestion.”

“Which one was that?”

“Opening the doors,” Yumemi answered. “Actually talking to the locals. Gods know it's helped the research, even if we still can't get back Outside.”

“Still no luck there?”

“Chiyuri's been trying to fix the engine, but no luck,” Yumemi shrugged. “Still, there's something I wanted to give you as thanks for your advice, and I don't mean that donation.” She motioned the green haired maid over. “This is Ruukoto, a robot maid of my own design. Consider her my gift to you.”

With a raised brow, Reimu looked the robot maid up and down. Ruukoto certainly looked perfectly human, so either Yumemi was pulling her leg, or robotic technology was way more advanced than she was aware of.

“So,” Reimu started. “You any good at... maiding?”

“I have been told my performance is 'satisfactory',” Ruukoto replied. “I look forward to working for you, Reimu-sama.”

'Reimu-sama', she said. That had a certain ring to it, and not in the same way that Genji said it. She could get use to this.

Of course, Reimu would later discover, over the course of the next few days, that Ruukoto was... not entirely truthful about her 'satisfactory' performance as a maid, and that most likely, Yumemi was offloading the robot onto Reimu.

But, that's a story for another day.

Chapter Text

It was a warm spring day in Gensokyo. By all accounts, Reimu would have found it to be quite pleasant.

That would have been the case, were it not for the swarm of youkai that had shown up this morning.

At first, Reimu was prepared to exterminate the lot of them, thinking it was some kind of raid, but instead, she found that they were all afraid of something. Quickly, Reimu realised that this wasn't an invasion, but a sort of refugee crisis.

As she was handing out food and drink to the youkai (people in the Village would have flipped out if they saw this), Marisa arrived. “Ya know, I was gonna ask if you heard the news,” the witch in training said, “but it seems the news reached ya first.”

“You know something about this, Marisa?” Reimu asked, passing an apple to a blonde haired youkai in black and white, with a red ribbon in her hair.

“Would you be able to share anything you know, Marisa-dono?” Genji added. “This is, frankly, a bit out of hand for us.”

From one of her pockets, Marisa produced a sheet of paper, and handed it to Reimu. “Apparently, some big, scary youkai's woken up,” she said. “It's got everyone freaked out.”

“A predator coming out of hibernation, then?” Reimu surmised. “That sounds like an Incident, if anything.”

“Sounding better than last time, yeah?” Marisa smirked. “Word on the street is that it's all going down south-west of here, too. Wanna check it out?”

Reimu thought for a moment. Not on whether she should go or not; that was a foregone conclusion. No, her thoughts were on what would happen if she left this hoard of youkai alone at her shrine.

“Ruukoto!” she called out. “Mind the shrine for a while. We're heading out.”

“Of course, Reimu-sama,” Ruukoto the robot maid replied with a bow. “I shall strive to give them the utmost hospitality.”

As Reimu and Marisa (with Reimu, naturally, on Genji's back) took off, Marisa cast a glance at Ruukoto. “Will she be alright?” she asked. “I mean, you've been complaining for a while now that she's quite the clumsy sort.”

“Well, she'll have to make do,” Reimu said. “And I swear, if there isn't a shrine left when I get back, Yumemi's in for trouble.”

As they disappeared into the horizon, Ruukoto began to sweat. Or, at least, the closest approximation to sweating a nuclear powered robot could without going critical.

The path they took was long and straight, and covered in an obscene amount of flowers. More flowers than should have been possible, even in spring.

And, as was normal for any Incident, there were a whole lot of smallfry spirits out and about, causing trouble.

It was the standard sort of affair; enemy sees Reimu and Marisa, enemy attacks Reimu and Marisa, Reimu and Marisa attack back. It was a simple, straightforward matter.

As they travelled down the path, they came across a curious looking gravestone, with a bouquet set down next to it.

“Huh,” Marisa said. “Wonder who's buried here.”

“Don't see a name written on it,” Reimu added. “Frankly, though, who cares? It's not like it has anything to do with our job.”

“Yeah, true,” Marisa agreed. “Still, these flowers are pretty fresh. Wonder who left them.”

“Oh, do you really care?”

“Nah, but it makes for a good conversation piece. Because Gods know you could use something like that.”

“She's right, you know,” Genji chimed in. “Many of your conversations these days seem to edge into the territory of 'irritation' on your part.”

“Et tu, Genji?”

As the three flew off, getting back to the Incident at hand, a small youkai girl poked her head out from around a nearby tree, and breathed a sigh of relief.

“Was that Latin?” Orange asked herself. “The Hakurei Shrine Maiden is certainly a terrifying person.”

Reimu was never aware that Gensokyo had a lake of blood until today. Neither was Marisa, for that matter.

Genji was aware of it, yet was also aware that it wasn't actually blood, but rather, a mix of some kind of potassium and iron in the water, giving it a blood-red look. But, it's not like he could explain that to them.

“You sure we're going the right way?” Reimu asked. “I mean, lakes of blood are ominous and all, but I'm not seeing anyone out here.”

“It's what the papers said,” Marisa answered. “But man, what an ominous place. Think we'll find a vampire here?”

“At this time of day?” Reimu questioned. It may have been the middle of the day, but it was overcast enough that a vampire could walk around comfortably enough.

And, as if tempted by fate, a hail of bullets rained down upon the two, before a blonde haired girl in black and white, with a pair of purple bat wings, descended before them.

“Well, would ya look at that,” Marisa said. “A vampire.”

“Greetings, dear visitors,” the vampire greeted. “I am Kurumi, the guardian of this lake, and I cannot let either of you pass this point.”

If that wording was enough to tell them anything, it was that they were officially going the right way. One second and one hail of bullets later, and Reimu and Marisa continued on, as Kurumi the vampire laid in the water defeated.

The next stage of their journey was a corridor of darkness. It was long, and crackling, and filled with ominous energy.

Also, there was music playing from somewhere, for... some reason. Reimu had to admit, it was a catchy tune.

“You think we've far to go?” Marisa asked. “My ass is going numb.”

“You think you have it bad?” Reimu asked. “My legs are cramping up here.”

“Well, I'm sorry for not being cushioned, Reimu-sama,” Genji muttered.

At that moment, a scythe flew past them, carving a great gash in the ground. The scythe flew back, and landed in the hands of a blonde haired woman in red, wearing a white hat.

“I bid you welcome to the gateway to both the Fantasy World and Mugenkan, strangers of Gensokyo,” the woman greeted. “I am Elly, the gatekeeper here, and I must ask you both to turn around and return from whence you came.”

Reimu and Marisa shared a look. “So, you have something to hide here, then?” Reimu asked. “Something to do with the Incident going on?”

Elly tilted her head. “What are you talking about?” she asked. “I'm just here to make sure my lady wakes up peacefully. I don't know anything about an Incident.”

Now, two things could be inferred from that statement. First was the genuine honesty that Elly had no idea that there was an Incident going on. Second was that there was a powerful youkai just waking up.

That was all the reasoning they needed to start attacking.

That wasn't to say, however, that Elly didn't put up a good fight. She put up a strong front, to the point where even the floor was fighting Reimu and Marisa (that is to say, tiles were levitated up and thrown).

But, a few good shots later, and Elly was laying on the floor, defeated.

Marisa breathed a sigh of relief. “That was actually a challenge,” she said. “Feel like stepping back and letting me handle this?”

“Not a chance in hell, Marisa.”

Mugenkan was a strange place. It was one part traditional mansion, and two parts cosmically large. The insides of the mansion seemed to defy the outside in a way that, while not strange to people like Reimu and Marisa, baffled them in new and interesting ways.

This was, however, almost certainly going to be the final battle of the Incident. Irritably, Reimu shouted. “Show yourself! We know you're here!”

Before either Marisa or Genji could comment on Reimu's shouting, a flurry of flowers blew through the area, swirling triumphantly before them, until dissipating to reveal... a green haired woman carrying a large clock, still dressed in her nightwear.

Suffice to say, but neither of them were expecting that.

“Good heavens, do you two know what time it is?” the woman asked. “Who are you, anyway? I had thought I'd asked Elly and Kurumi to turn solicitors away.”

“So you were their boss, then,” Reimu nodded sagely. “That means YOU were the one causing the Incident!”

“I mean... yeah?” Marisa hesitated. “I thought that was established when we came in here.”

“Incident?” the woman asked, yawning as she did. “What are you talking about? I just woke up. I'm Kazami Yuuka, by the way. Who are you two again?”

“Hakurei Reimu of the Hakurei Shrine.”

“Kirisame Marisa, apprentice of Mima.”

“Nice to meet you, I guess,” Yuuka yawned again. “But, what's all this about an Incident?”

“Your waking up has caused a mass youkai migration!” Reimu shouted. “It's a major headache for all of us!”

“Well, for you, mostly,” Marisa muttered.

Yuuka, in turn, blinked in bewilderment. “I... fail to see how that's my fault,” she said. “Or my problem, for that matter. I've been asleep for... what was it, again?” She looked down at the clock she held. “Let's see... fifteen, plus... carry the four... at least 40 years? Any longer than that, and I might have need to find a therapist. I fail to see what I'm doing wrong.”

“That doesn't change the fact that you're stirring up trouble!” Reimu said. “And you need to stop!”

Yuuka blinked a few more times. This was the current Hakurei Shrine Maiden? Points for diligence and commitment to the job, sure, but... maybe she was a bit lacking in common sense. Letting out a small sigh, Yuuka adjusted her cap. “Alright, then,” she said. “I could use some exercise right now.”

“Wait, what did she just...” Marisa questioned, before a hail of bullets rained down upon them.

The duo evaded quickly, yet for a while, they lacked the ability to properly aim a counterattack. Yuuka's onslaught was just that dense.

Slipping out of the barrage, Marisa took aim, and fired a beam of magic at Yuuka. It struck true enough, but it barely even left a scorch mark on her clothing. In response, Yuuka merely smirked.

Then, to the surprise of both Reimu and Marisa, she retreated.

“Wha- Get back here!” Reimu shouted. “We'll chase you to the depths of Hell if we have to!”

“Maybe not that far!” Marisa added.

“I'm not ever from Hell!” Yuuka shouted back.

The chase took all of five minutes before Reimu and Marisa caught back up to Yuuka, and in that time, Yuuka had actually managed to completely change her outfit, now wearing a plain white shirt, with red plaid pants and waistcoat over it. How she managed to change so quickly was quite the mystery.

“I'm impressed you made it this far,” Yuuka said rather dramatically. “But again, I ask; what have I done wrong, exactly? I literally just got out of bed.”

“Well, your waking has caused a lot of youkai to hide out at my shrine!” Reimu shouted. “It's really annoying!”

“And I'm kinda just here!” Marisa added.

“And again, how is that my fault?” Yuuka asked. “Well, no matter. After all, in another few hours...” Something in her stare changed, becoming deathly terrifying. “You'll both be nothing more than a mist of atoms.”

A chill ran down their spines. A beat turned into two. “Um... was something suppose to happen?” Marisa asked.

“No,” Yuuka admitted. “But it would have been funny if it did.”

“You're not taking this seriously, are you?” Reimu asked.

“How can I?” Yuuka retorted. “This whole Incident of yours has been little more than nothing in the grand scheme of things. So some small youkai freaked out because I woke up. It's not like I was planning to eat them or anything. I'm a flower youkai; I photosynthesise. The only time I'd actually be a threat is if they decided to trampling on flower maliciously in my presence.”

Suddenly, Reimu and Marisa felt very small and kinda stupid. At the end of the day, Yuuka was right; she hadn't done anything worth being called an 'Incident'.

“Oh, but don't think you're allowed to just leave now,” Yuuka quickly added, aiming her parasol at them. “After all, I do have to pay you back for Elly and Kurumi.”

A ball of magic formed at the end of her parasol. Instincts took over, and Marisa quickly grabbed Reimu and Genji, and moved before the massive laser was fired.

This marked their first exposure to the Master Spark. To say that Marisa was enamoured at first glace would be an understatement, but mastery of that power would come at a much later date.

It was time for the final round against Kazami Yuuka. While it had already been made apparent that there was no real point left to this fight, Yuuka wasn't going to just let them walk away from it.

The outcome, naturally, was that Reimu and Marisa won, but it wasn't easy this time around.

But, that's a story for another day.

Chapter Text

There was a strange tension in the air above Gensokyo. From the Hakurei Shrine, all the way to the base of Youkai Mountain, everyone had a feeling that something was about to happen, and that while it might not be big, it was going to be at least somewhat dramatic.

Most people walked around like they were on eggshells, afraid that one wrong step, and it would all break down around them. Those that knew well how things in Gensokyo worked, kept a watchful eye on the horizon, expecting to see at least one or more of the regular Incident solvers flying around.

Those people were the ones to see the combination of Reimu, Mima, and Sanae, all flying towards Youkai Mountain. Many of the youkai that were hanging out in the village at the time felt relieved that they weren't heading to their particular neck of the woods, yet all the same, were curious about what was about to happen.

However, for those youkai, caution won out. They knew better than to get in the way of a Hakurei when she was on a mission.

“Okay, we're coming up on the shrine,” Reimu called out. “You got a plan for this, Sanae?”

“Honestly? Not really,” Sanae admitted. “There's just too much going through I mind, I think... the best I can do is just ask why.”

“Well, it's not much worse than our usual strategies,” Reimu said. “Mima, you know your part?”

“No shooting until after words are had, I know,” Mima replied. “Particularly not if things go well. But how will we know if they have?”

“Your guess is as good as mine,” Reimu admitted. “Ah. We're here.”

The trio landed at Moriya Shrine. As far as shrines went, it was not unlike the Hakurei Shrine, though no-one would deny that Moriya was better kept in comparison. Not generally for a lack of trying, mind you, but more for the Hakurei's lack of funds.

Standing by the torii gate was, almost unsurprisingly, Yasaka Kanako, the main God of the shrine. She stood tall and imposing as the trio approached her.

“Normally, I'd bid you welcome,” Kanako said, “but something tells me this won't be the most pleasant of conversations.” Naturally, her gaze next fell on Sanae. “Is something the matter, Sanae?”

It was the tone of voice that was less a question and more a statement, yet also managed to convey that she didn't know what 'the matter' was.

Nervously, Sanae took a deep breath, and spoke. “I wanted to know... why you stored all that stuff at the Hakurei Shrine,” she said, approaching the subject carefully.

Kanako's eyes widened momentarily, before a sombre look washed over her face. “Ah, I was wondering when this day would come.”

“Well, it came because you used my living space for storage,” Mima pointed out. “This was bound to happen the moment I came back.”

Reimu quietly elbowed Mima into silence, as Sanae approached Kanako.

“Homesickness,” Kanako started. “If there's one thing I've learnt over the hundreds of years I've been alive, it's that homesickness is a powerful force. I could easily say that I did what I did out of the simple need for more space, but that would only be a fraction of the truth. I will not try to justify what I did, Sanae.”

An honest, mature answer. One that nobody could find any real faults in. “But... even the photos?” Sanae asked. “I could barely even recall my mother's face until today.”

At that, Kanako could only look away shamefully.

The air had grown tense. The silence was almost deafening, until Mima clapped her hands together. “Right, then,” she said. “Sounds like you two need some time apart.”

“Time apart?” both Sanae and Kanako asked. Even Reimu was surprised by that conclusion, especially from Mima, of all people.

“Sometimes, all people need is a bit of distance,” Mima explained. “Take your time to process everything, away from the source of grief. It worked wonders for me in the past.”

“We talking 'during the years you were sealed away' past, or longer ago than that?” Reimu asked.

“Yes,” Mima stated simply. “So, how about it, you two?”

Kanako and Sanae shared a look. By all rights, it was a pretty good idea. Really, the only problem they had with it was a matter of pride, since it was a good idea being suggested by a vengeful spirit.

“I think... that's for the best,” Kanako admitted.

“Good. Now, with that settled...” Mima moved fast, and before anyone could realise, she had the business end of her staff pointed at Kanako. “I'mma be a petty bitch real quick, 'cause you went and used my home as storage!”

What followed was a very one-sided fight between Mima and Kanako.

Off to the side, Sanae let out a small sigh. “What should I do now?” she asked. “I... can't say I've gone off on my own like this before.”

“Always been under their guidance, yeah?” Reimu asked. “Why not go on a pilgrimage of some kind? Totter about Gensokyo and work through your thoughts. I've found it works well enough for me when I've had a fight with Yukari or Kasen.”

“How often does that happen?”

Reimu thought for a moment. “I dunno, like... three times a month, maybe? Probably at minimum?”

“That's... pretty tame, all things considered.”

“Yeah, but not when Yukari can literally find you whenever you want,” Reimu shrugged. “You'll have an easier time with it, guaranteed.”

Sanae hummed in thought. “I think... I might just take your advice, then,” she said. “I'll just... be on my way, then.”

And with that, much to Reimu surprise, Sanae took off. Reimu had half expected (and was even will) to offer Sanae room at the Hakurei Shrine for a day or two. But, then again, Sanae was a grown woman, and was allowed to make her own choices in life.

At that moment, Suwako walked up from Reimu's other side. “So, there she goes,” the other, original God of Moriya, said.

“I'm surprised you didn't step in to comment,” Reimu said. “Considering she's your descendent and all.”

“Kanako's the main God here,” Suwako said. “This beef's more between them than me. Not much I could do to smooth things over.”

“Guess not,” Reimu agreed. For a moment, they watched as God and Spirit clashed spell cards. “What's your take on all this noise, anyway?”

“If you mean using that sub-shrine as storage; in our defence, you didn't exactly tell us it was previously occupied.”

“Blame Yukari for that, not your fault.”

“As for the hiding of things, that was just a ball-drop on our part,” Suwako admitted. “Mostly Kanako's doing, sure, but inaction can be just as bad.” The two looked back at the fight that was unfolding. “How long are they gonna be at this?”

“Knowing Mima? Probably all day,” Reimu said. “She did say she was going to be a 'petty bitch', after all.”

The day passed on, with Mima and Kanako duking it out (well, Mima duking, and Kanako mostly avoiding), Reimu and Suwako watching over tea, and Sanae off to who knows where.

At the end of it all, all Reimu could really think was; such was life.

Chapter Text

A year had passed since the 'Incident' with Kazami Yuuka. Unfortunately for Reimu, said youkai had also, much like many others in her life, made a habit of visiting the shrine regularly.

Half of Reimu's mind was annoyed at all the troublemakers and youkai visitors she got, but the other half was just thankful she had regular company.

But, that wasn't the problem she was having today. No, today's problem was the god-awful amount of demons from Makai that seemed to be wandering about. It almost felt like the prelude to an invasion.

“Something about this is strange,” Mima commented. “Makaians don't usually travel like this. They're stationary by nature.”

“You seem to know a bit about them,” Yuuka said. “Met a few in your time?”

“A few, yeah. They were rather hermit-like, too. Not liking to leave Makai,” Mima explained. “So this...”

“Doesn't make a lot of sense, is what you're saying,” Reimu finished. “Sounds like a proper Incident this time.”

“Hope so,” Marisa said. “Last two times kinda flopped, not gonna lie.”

“Well, you can blame one of us here for the last one,” Reimu muttered.

Yuuka, in response, laughed. “You say that as if I have control over how people react to me.”

“At least have some awareness about it,” Reimu muttered. “Whatever. I'm going to investigate this ordeal. Who else is in?”

Unanimously, all three were in.

Over a large field somewhere in the north of Gensokyo, the quartet of Reimu, Marisa, Mima, and Yuuka, all looked out in different directions.

“Mima-sama, are you sure this is the right place?” Marisa called out. “I'm not seeing any door here.”

Mima groaned irritably, mostly at herself. “I was sure it was around here,” she muttered. “Damn being out of commission for so long.”

“You're getting on in your years, Mima,” Reimu said. “You see anything, Gramps?”

“Nothing, Reimu-sama,” Genji replied. “Perhaps we should move out search...”

“Hold it!” a new voice shouted. All eyes turned, to see a pink haired woman dressed in red and white, standing before... a strange doorway. “I am Sara, gatekeeper of Makai! For the sake of my lady, you shall not pass!”

The four shared a look between each other. “Guess we're on the right way, then,” Reimu said. “Who wants to take her?”

“Dibs!” Marisa called. “I call dibs! I wanna try out my new thing!”

“Oh? You got something new to show off?” Mima asked. “Do tell, do tell.”

Sara felt herself instinctively back up, as Marisa produced a small, octagon shaped box from her pocket. “A new kind of magic conductor,” Marisa explained. “I was finding the old wand to be a bit too flimsy for my liking, so I got Kourin to whip this thing up. This Mini-hakkero will help me keep up with you lot, no sweat!”

Sara felt sweat begin to form on her brow. “Um... Is it too late for me to surrender?”

Magic began to swirl in the Mini-hakkero. “Yup,” Marisa stated plainly, before unleashing a Spark.

Reimu had to admit, that was an impressive display, and proved that the right tools make all the difference. She might have to step up her game to not be left behind.

The space between Gensokyo and Makai was a lot like the night sky, when Reimu really looked at it. A vast sea of blackness, speckled with a few lights.

Now that Reimu really thought of it, she had been travelling through a lot of those sorts of places over the past few years. Kinda strange how they blurred together like that.

As the four moved forward, a blonde haired Makaian demon dressed in white appeared. Her name was Louise, but they never had the chance to learn it, because the moment they were even remotely close enough to converse, Mima shot first. Something about not wasting too much time on utter nobodies.

As they continued on, past vast Makai plains and great forests, at some point, Marisa disappeared from the party. Later, after the Incident was resolved, they would learn that Marisa had a chance encounter with a girl named Alice Margatroid, but that was neither here nor there.

Eventually, they came across a large lake, guarded by two witches, known as Mai and Yuki. For whatever reason, Mima and Yuuka had decided to tag-team these two, and let Reimu go on ahead.

So, Reimu did. Just one problem; she had no idea where she was going.

For what seemed like hours, Reimu and Genji wandered the breadth of Makai. At one point, they came across some large seal, but decided to leave it well alone. Best not awakening any sleeping dragons that might be down here.

“Oh? Do we have a guest?” a voice spoke finally. “Apologies for not greeting you sooner.”

A white haired woman dressed in red appeared before Reimu. Reimu could tell at a glance that this woman was someone important. “Well, it's not like this place has any signs up telling me where to go,” Reimu said.

The woman's expression shifted to one of understanding. “Oh, I know!” she said. “Even I still get lost from time to time. I keep telling Yumeko-chan to put up signs, or at least some sort of landmarks, but she keeps saying they're unnecessary.”

Huh. This woman seems quite approachable. If she really was a big deal around here, maybe they could sort this Incident out easily? “So, who are you, anyway?” Reimu asked. “I'm the Hakurei Shrine Maiden, here because of the sudden and, quite frankly, uncontrolled influx of Makai demons in Gensokyo. It's got people freaking out.”

“Influx?” the woman questioned. “Ah, right. That was going on, wasn't it?” She seemed to realise something. “A local travelling agency had been putting out a lot of flyers lately about sightseeing in the Human world. I didn't think much would come of it, though, and left it alone.”

“Well, much came of it,” Reimu snarked.

“Yes, that would be an oversight on my part,” the woman admitted. “But where are my manner. I haven't introduced myself, have I? My name is...”

“Shinki-sama!” someone new called out, much to Reimu's growing irritation. A blonde haired maid dressed in red flew between them, brandishing a blade. “There is no need for you to converse with someone as lowly as that!”

“What do you mean 'as lowly as that'?!” Reimu shouted.

“I'm actually with the shrine maiden on this one, Yumeko,” the woman, now identified as Shinki, said. “That was just plain rude of you, and she had a legitimate problem to bring up.”

“Please, allow me to deal with this nuisance,” Yumeko said, not really listening. “I shall deal with her post-”

Reimu felt the ground -that is to say, Genji- fall out from under her for a brief moment, as Genji shot forth as a spinning shell, striking Yumeko clean in the face, before just as quickly returning to his position under Reimu. “What a rude maid you keep, miss,” he said. “Interrupting a conversation with threats of violence.”

“I have no excuse for that, I'll admit,” Shinki said. “I created Yumeko to be the diligent sort, sure, but that was a bit extreme.”

“Created?” Reimu asked. “Does that mean you're...”

“Yes. I am the Goddess of Makai,” Shinki gave a friendly smile. “But please, don't let that distract you. Shall we discuss this matter?” Shinki couldn't help but notice the grip Reimu had on her gohei. “Is everything alright, Hakurei-san?”

“Sorry, force of habit,” Reimu admitted. “We're not... going to break down into a fight anyway, right?”

“Not if you don't want to.”

“I'd rather not.”

“Then fight we shall not,” Shinki said with a smile. “How about some tea, instead?”

Shinki, Reimu found, was a very agreeable person. Not exactly a 'fighting' person, and also willing to help in resolving the Incident (granted, she has options to help, unlike in Yuuka's case).

All in all, she was probably the nicest person Reimu has had to deal with. A part of Reimu wondered if this was what having an actual mother was like.

After some time, Mima and Yuuka joined them. Before too long, they had reached an agreement with Shinki to at least limit how many residents of Makai could travel to Gensokyo at one time.

As they made their way back, they happened upon Marisa, lying on the ground next to a young Alice Margatroid, both looking exhausted from battle.

That certainly looked to be the start of a good friendship, maybe even more.

But, that was a story for another time.